This study examines the satirical attitude of Sonallah Ibrahim and Martin Amis in the selected literary texts. Taking Ibrahim and Amis as authors who bitterly criticised the established socioeconomic conditions of the late twentieth century society, the analysis centers on two novels each, whose satirical tone, together with their subject matter and wide spread popularity, make them essential reading in this context. The study argues that Ibrahim and Amis have employed the mode of satire to mock the idea that capitalism works for the welfare of societies and individuals. The study relies on Leonard Feinberg and Gilbert Highet's views of satire as well as on the definitions of Northrop Frey and Mtumane among others to analyse Ibrahim and Amis' use of satiric devices suc as exaggeration, irony and distortion to express their anti-capitalist stance as presented in the selected novels. While Frey views satire as an "attitude", Mtumane stresses the significance of the literary devices used, such as above, to express such attitude. The study shows that the two authors have used satire as a vehicle to expose the monstrous nature of the capitalist system that hides its hegemony and exploitation behind the mask of ideology. To this end, their satiric exposition grotesquely shows that consumerism is but a form of exploitation, promoted by capitalism for its own survival. Besides, the study also shows that Ibrahim and Amis have critically presented capitalist society as a class-ridden one that is characterised by inequality and oppression for poor people, and how those people are mechanically driven to search for false success in afree market economy. In this sense, the study makes use of Marxist perspectives on capitalism to further highlight Ibrahim and Amis's satirical views on capitalism as an exploitative and oppressive social system. Finally, this thesis stresses the power of satire as a subversive weapon against hegemonic culture and the power of global capitalism which Ibrahim, as a Third World writer in particular, has uniquely employed in his work. The concluding comments show that satirists almost emerge out of their social contexts. Ibrahim and Amis are but voices of resistance for the socioeconomic unjust embodied in the capitalist system that transformed societies into markets, individuals into consumers and workers into machines. They utilised certain satirical devices to ridicule the social unjust that appears to be a significant characteristic of both societies. This leads me to further conclude that Ibrahim and Amis' novels are significant satiric fictions employed as a means to enlighten the public of the negative impact of capitalism on societies.


Stock markets are often referred to as barometer of an economy. Stock market indices not only tell us about the condition of stock markets but in a way they also reflect the health of an economy. Stock prices do not move in vacuum rather they are affected by a large number of factors. The objective of the study is to identify the factors affecting the movement of Indian stock market and the impact of these factors on the same. For the purpose of this study, CNX Nifty has been used to represent the movement of Indian stock markets. CNX Nifty is a well-diversified index consisting of 50 large cap companies representing most of the important sectors of Indian economy. The study deals with the time series data and consists of eleven variables i.e. Oil Prices, S&P 500, Nikkei, FTSE, NASDAQ, Wholesale Price Index as a proxy for inflation. Index of Industrial Production, Foreign Exchange Rate, Current Account Deficit, FII Investment and CNX Nifty. The study has been conducted over a period of 32 quarters from financial year 2005-06 to 2012-13. Researchers have used Principal Component Analysis and Regression Analysis for conducting the study and drawing the conclusions. All these variables have been clubbed into two factors namely Macroeconomic Factors and International Factors. The study revealed that both these factors i.e. macroeconomic factors as well as international factors have significant impact on movement of CNX Nifty.


The factors affecting the demand for agricultural insurance in the USA have been extensively studied over the last two decades. However, the determinants of a farm's entry and exit decisions in the insurance market have received relatively little attention. Turnover in the insurance book of business is an important issue in most private and public crop insurance plans. Moreover, insurance markets in the EU are still largely under-investigated. We investigate empirically the determinants of crop insurance participation in Italy. We show that the participation rate is high for large firms and that it is negatively correlated with crop diversification, which is itself a form of insurance. High premiums tend to inhibit both entry and exit from the insurance market. Larger and wealthier farms are more likely to adopt insurance and renew coverage over time. We discuss implications of our results for public intervention and the private industry. In particular, we demonstrate that the decision to drop coverage by an insured grower may differ significantly from the corresponding decision to enroll in an insurance programme by an uninsured farmer. To the extent that policymakers want to encourage participation in subsidized crop insurance programmes, education and outreach efforts toward uninsured farmers may differ substantially from those directed toward keeping insured farmers enrolled in the programme. We investigate these differences.


Collections of objects such as images are often presented visually in a grid because it is a compact representation that lends itself well for search and exploration. Most grid layouts are sorted using very basic criteria, such as date or filename. In this work we present a method to arrange collections of objects respecting an arbitrary distance measure. Pairwise distances are preserved as much as possible, while still producing the specific target arrangement which may be a 2D grid, the surface of a sphere, a hierarchy, or any other shape. We show that our method can be used for infographics, collection exploration, summarization, data visualization, and even for solving problems such as where to seat family members at a wedding. We present a fast algorithm that can work on large collections and quantitatively evaluate how well distances are preserved.


SUMMARY It has been identified that potentially pathogenic bacteria, such as MRSA can be released from the skin during routine activities within hospital wards, such as bed-making, washing patients, dressing and walking. CFD is often used to study airflow patterns and ventilation regimes within hospitals, however such models tend not to consider these types of dispersal mechanisms and concentrate on respiratory transmission, using a point source at the mouth position. A zonal source is demonstrated to represent this release from activity within CFD simulations using both passive scalar and Lagrangian particle tracking. Sensitivity studies are carried out for point and zonal sources. The point source was found to not adequately represent the release of bacteria from a zone and therefore the zonal source is recommended to be used in conjunction with this type of source in order to simulate both respiratory and activity sources of bacteria.


: A complex of neuroprotective therapy, including a new Russian neuropeptide semax, was used in the treatment of glaucoma patients with normalized ophthalmic tone. Electrophysiological and computer methods of examination demonstrated the advantages of new therapy over traditional neuroprotective treatment for glaucoma. The efficiency is due to pathogenetic activity of semax possessing both neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects.


Streamflow data, basin characteristics, and rainfall data from 39 streamflow-gaging stations for urban areas in and adjacent to Missouri were used by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Metropolitan Sewer District of St. Louis to develop an initial abstraction and constant loss model (a time-distributed basin-loss model) and a gamma unit hydrograph (GUH) for urban areas in Missouri. Study-specific methods to determine peak streamflow and flood volume for a given rainfall event also were developed. Distinct basin characteristics were evaluated and selected for use on the basis of their theoretical relation to flow, results from previous studies, and the ability to reliably measure the basin characteristic using digital datasets and geographic information system (GIS) technology. The key basin characteristics determined or computed for each of the 39 basins upstream from the streamflow-gaging stations were drainage area, percent impervious area, main-channel slope based on the 10and 85-percent length method, percentage of the basin area in storage (lakes, ponds, reservoirs, wetlands), the composite Natural Resources Conservation Service curve number estimated from a combination of the soil type data and land-use characteristics, and the streamflow variability index developed for the recently completed study of low-flow regression in Missouri. Characteristics of spatial and temporal rainfall distribution came from the next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) network. Procedures were developed for this study to convert the variable radar sweep rate into a 5-minute total rainfall hyetograph using data from the radar bin at the centroid of a given basin. Additional characteristics determined for each storm on the basin included the 5-day and 14-day antecedent rainfall, estimated from the mean of daily rainfall values from various rain gages in the area. The database of observed rainfall and runoff events for the 39 basins upstream from the streamflow-gaging stations was analyzed to compute the optimal storm-specific initial abstraction and constant loss values, as well as the time to peak, peak streamflow, and shape factor values of the GUH. The optimal storm-specific values were used to develop a regional regression equation for initial abstraction; conversely, the constant loss was estimated not by regression but from either a generalized or specific regional mean value. The optimal storm-specific values of GUH time to peak, GUH peak streamflow, and GUH shape factor were used to develop regression equations for the GUH. The regression equations for the GUH initially were tested alone, and then were combined with the appropriate regional regression equation for initial abstraction and both the generalized regional and specific regional mean constant loss values. For the GUH regression equations, the interquartile range was substantially smaller than the range spanned by the minimum and maximum values, which indicates most of the errors have much smaller variation, and the minimum and maximum values may be extreme outliers. The central tendency of the regressed errors for peak streamflow and runoff hydrograph volume were both approximately zero, which implies a generally unbiased estimation of these values. The mean and median of the regressed errors for time to peak streamflow were both small but greater than zero, which implies the GUH regression equations create a hydrograph that has a peak that is later in time than observed. Specifically, the regressed times indicate an offset of about 10 minutes, on average, from observed. The mean and median of the regressed errors for widths of the runoff hydrograph at 50 and 75 percent were less than zero, which implies the GUH tends to slightly underestimate these widths compared to the observed. The appropriate regional initial abstraction regression equation was combined with both the generalized and the specific regional mean constant loss values and the GUH regression equations. Both the generalized regional mean constant loss and specific regional mean constant loss forms of the basin-loss model worked equally well to model the observed runoff hydrograph based on the error analysis, and neither model seems to make a consistently better approximation. 2 An Initial Abstraction and Constant Loss Model, and Methods for Estimating Urban Unit Hydrographs in Missouri Both initial abstraction and constant loss models combined with the GUH regression equations were further validated using several storms available after the start of the project in early 2011 with similar but consistently higher error results. If these methods are used in an urban area in Missouri other than those examined in this study, advice to the user is given to consider using the generalized regional mean values. If these methods are used in an urban area that is a subbasin of one of the basins in this study, advice to the user is given to consider using the specific regional mean values. The rainfall-runoff pairs from the storm-specific GUH analysis were further analyzed against various basin and rainfall characteristics to develop equations to estimate the peak streamflow and flood volume based on a quantity of rainfall on the basin.


The out-scaled processes of strip-mining appear incredible, absurd, and even ironic. In fact, the notion of irony, in which explicit meaning is different from intended meaning, is itself a useful critical tool for extending concepts which otherwise guide conventional discussion about design for the environment. We read about, for instance, the "vernacular" landscape. But how can the word "vernacular" – which denotes characteristics unintended, unselfconscious, yet entirely artificial – be applied to landscape? Are there circumstances in which understanding the transition from a natural to man-made landscape can be moderated by "ironic" sensibilities? Acts of despoliation afford us with useful examples. One can perceive, in their engagement with pre-existing natural environments, a kind of visual vernacular established by the landscape's precedent at an existing place and time. Perception of this vernacular, on the other hand, depends upon the subtle, ironic chiasm between site specificity and its opposite: the general concept of landscape itself. The relevance of the anthropologist relationship in bipolar space-time. (…)Nature after Planning Among the many plans that we make are intentional acts of despoliation, such as strip mining or any other kind of systematic material extraction from the earth. The word "systematic" is key -- and is quintessentially human, since upon systematic effort is founded civilization itself, traditionally seen as the historical transition from subsistence to agriculture, from nomadism to settlement. Mining, whether for metals or for stone or for oil, is the inorganic counterpart to agriculture. Indeed, our hegemony over the natural environment increases inexorably through the constant consumption of mining's products.(…) (…)Speaking "Landscape Vernacular"(Aronson's Negev Phosphates) A plausible counter-example might be a project by Shlomo Aronson, in Israel's Negev Desert not far from the Dead Sea. [Figure 04] This project may be interesting mostly because it embodies troublesome issues about reclamation as much as it solves them. (…)The Irony of Intervention Planning our world has always been bedeviled with ongoing antinomies. [Figure 05] No single interpretation of our man-made landscape remains dominant. As it turns out, writers who have studied irony have always come up against just such an "interpretive regression," which can appear to be infinite. (de Man 1996 and Alford 1984) Much of the substance of "interpretive regression" depends upon an ironist's intention. Usually, the regression goes like this: did the speaker mean what he or she said, or was the statement meant ironically? Does the use of irony itself allude, ironically, to another meaning? (…) (…)Finis In keeping with this ironic turn, one might consider two images not from the 21st century but from the 16th. These are Philibert de l'Orme's allegorical wood cuts, "The Bad Architect" and "The Good Architect (…) Keywords Landscape, irony, Strip-mining, Negev phosphate works.


Speech based interfaces have not experienced the breakthrough many have predicted during the last decade. This paper attempts to clarify some of the reasons why by investigating the currently applied methods of usability evaluation. Usability attributes especially important for speech based interfaces are identified and discussed. It is shown that subjective measures (even for widespread evaluation schemes, such as PARADISE) are mostly done in an ad hoc manner and are rarely validated. A comparison is made between some well-known scales, and through an example application of the CCIR usability questionnaire it is shown how validation of the subjective measures can be performed.


Given the ever increasing number of research tools to automatically generate inputs to test Android applications (or simply apps), researchers recently asked the question "Are we there yet?" (in terms of the practicality of the tools). By conducting an empirical study of the various tools, the researchers found that Monkey (the most widely used tool of this category in industrial practices) outperformed all of the research tools that they studied. In this paper, we present two significant extensions of that study. First, we conduct the first industrial case study of applying Monkey against WeChat, a popular messenger app with over 762 million monthly active users, and report the empirical findings on Monkey's limitations in an industrial setting. Second, we develop a new approach to address major limitations of Monkey and accomplish substantial code-coverage improvements over Monkey, along with empirical insights for future enhancements to both Monkey and our approach.


Carbon fibre smart concrete is not only a promising type of structural materials, but also has prospective applications in fields that have special functional requirements. Here, the carbon fibre smart concrete was prepared by the extrusion moulding technique, and the resistivity, pressure-sensitive and temperature-sensitive characteristics were discussed as well as the freezing-thawing properties. The results show that the total porosity of the smart concrete decreases when the carbon fibre was added into a cement matrix, which is 15.72 % in the case when carbon fibre content is 1.0 wt. %. The resistivity of the smart concrete decreases quickly with the addition of carbon fibre, which gradually decreases with an increasing temperature and then gradually increases, and the critical transition temperature zone is in the range of 100 - 130 ℃. The compressive and flexural strengths of the smart concrete are the highest when the carbon fibre content is 0.6 wt. %. The rate of change of the resistivity shows an obvious linear response under cyclic loading effects. The freeze-thaw resistance ability of the smart concrete with the addition of carbon fibres is better than that without carbon fibres, and the compressive strength reaches the highest level when the carbon fibre mass fraction is 0.6 wt. %, which indicates that a suitable amount of carbon fibres can effectively restrict the damage to smart concrete induced by temperature stress.


ICUs are a vital component of modern health care. Improving ICU performance requires that we shift from a paradigm that concentrates on individual performance to a different paradigm that emphasizes the need to assess and improve ICU systems and processes. This is the first part of a two-part treatise. It discusses existing problems in ICU care, and the methods for defining and measuring ICU performance.


16. Abstract This research study aims at evaluating the performance of base and subgrade soil in flexible pavements under repeated loading test conditions. For this purpose, an indoor cyclic plate load testing equipment was developed and used to conduct a series of large-scale inbox tests and full-scale field tests on several pavement sections. The in-box cyclic plate load tests were conducted to evaluate the performance and benefits of geogrid base reinforcement in flexible pavements. A total of 12 tests were performed on unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced pavement sections. The parameters investigated in this study included the aperture shape (geometry) of the geogrid, location of the geogrid within the base layer, and geogrid tensile modulus. The stress distribution and permanent vertical strain in the subgrade, the development of excess pore water pressure in the subgrade, and the strain distribution along the geogrids were also investigated. The test results showed that the inclusion of geogrids can significantly improve the performance of flexible pavements on weak subgrades [California Boring Ratio (CBR) ≤ 1%], and that the traffic benefit ratio (TBR) can be increased up to 15.3 at a rut depth of 0.75 in. (19 mm). Better performance was observed when the geogrid was placed within the upper one third of the base aggregate layer. The inclusion of geogrid helps redistribute the applied surface load to a wider area on top of the subgrade layer, thus reducing the accumulated permanent deformation within the subgrade. Full-scale field tests were also conducted on several test lane sections built at the Pavement Research Facility (PRF) site using two types of loadings: cyclic plate load test and rolling wheel load test. These sections include blended calcium sulfate (BCS), stabilized BCS, stabilized recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), and stabilized soil as base/subbase materials. The differences in pavement responses of the tested sections to cyclic plate and rolling wheel loads were investigated. The measured rut depth caused by rolling wheel load, in all test sections, were much higher than those measured from the cyclic plate load test. The difference can be as much as 3 to 7 times between these two types of loading. This is mainly due to the effects of principal stress rotation and lateral wander on the permanent deformation of pavements. The field test results also indicate that the cyclic plate load test can be a good performance indicator test for the evaluation and pre-selection of pavement sections for field tests.


We performed a genome‐wide association analysis to identify genetic variants influencing age at onset (AAO) and examine gene × gender interactions for AAO in schizophrenia (SCZ) using a European‐American sample (1,162 cases). Linear regression model in PLINK was used to test for associations with AAO while the GxE option was chosen to test for the influence of gene × gender interactions. The most significant association with AAO was observed with SNP rs7819815 (P = 3.10 × 10−7) at 8q24.22. The next best signal was at 4q25 in COL25A1 gene (rs17039583, P = 4.30 × 10−6) and the third region was at 4p16.1 (rs17407555, P = 4.56 × 10−6, near RAF1P1, and rs4697924, P = 1.23 × 10−5 within WDR1 gene). Conditional analysis on chromosome 4 indicated that 4p16.1 and 4q25 loci were independent. Furthermore, 2 SNPs (rs16834822 and rs16834824) at 1q43 in RYR2 showed strong associations in the female sample (P = 2.10 × 10−6 and 2.33 × 10−6, respectively) and strong gene × gender interactions in influencing AAO (P = 9.23 × 10−7 and 1.15 × 10−6, respectively) while the second best region showing gene × gender interaction was at 7q22.3 (rs179863, P = 2.33 × 10−6). Using an independent sample of 1,068 cases, we could not replicate the associations for above top SNPs; however, we found nominal significance associations for their flanking SNPs (P < 0.05). These findings provide evidence of several genetic variants influencing AAO of SCZ. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Hodgson (1845) described 49 'new' taxa. It appears that when he prepared this paper for publication Hodgson was unaware of parallel publications by Blyth. Conflicts of priority are thus a concern and although Blyth's relevant papers have generally been conceded to have priority the 'fit' of the dates has not previously been clearly explained. We apply the dates for Blyth's papers provided by Dickinson & Pittie (2006) and confirm that these fit with previous understanding, implying that no fresh issues of priority arise. 26 of the 49 'new' taxa prove not to have been new, having been named before. Of 18 Hodgson names 16 are in current use. Another has been replaced by a nomen novum due to preoccupation, and one more has been declared a nomen oblitum. Three of Hodgson's 1845 novelties seem to be duplicate names, their subjects having been named twice in the same paper. Two others present problems of identification which require that the type material be re-studied; such studies will be carried out after Hodgson's drawings have been fully studied and the sequence of his drawing numbers presented and explained. Some notes are provided on five of the 49 names. The name Buteo plumipes (Parbattiah = Hodgson, 1836) must be used in place of Buteo burmanicus Hume, 1875. The type locality of Digenea leucomelanura is restricted to the central hills of Nepal.


The Mississippi River System (MRS) is one of the most important commercial routes in the world and its navigability is critical for anticipating potential disruptions in the global supply chain. Here we show that the navigability of the MRS has reduced since 1963, especially in the lower part of the basin. Based on analyses of daily stage time series and the associated conditions for navigation, we find that high rather than low water levels are the main culprits for the observed navigability issues. Moreover, not only have the navigable days decreased, but navigation without operational restrictions has also become more fragmented. Our findings provide basic information toward the development of strategies to mitigate potential negative effects in the U.S. navigation sector.


The importance of banking risks impact on the stability and effectiveness of banking institutions determines the objective need for their assessment, management and minimization, which significantly increases the relevance of scientific research on the formation of risk in the banking sector. Theoretical and methodological developments in the field of banking environment risks indicate the presence of many unresolved issues, which confirms the lack of a unified, generally accepted approach to defining the conceptual bases of risk management in the banking sector, and above all the nature and types of the most typical risks. The article deals with the interpretation of the nature of banking risks, the main point of the proposed definition is the consideration of internal and external factors, which subsequently allows to focus on determining the features of their expression and appropriate management methods and means of minimization. There are three cases of risks formation caused by banks. We have investigated and classified the factors that have caused the banking risks. We have classified the factors of banking risks by the levels of their formation, that is, in the first place we have divided the factors of the banking risks occurrence into macroeconomic and microeconomic ones. The practical application of this approach to the systematization of banking risks factors in the theory and practice of banking activities contribute to the anticipating the appearance of adverse effects and significantly increase the efficiency of monitoring and risk management. This will contribute to the development of further studies to determine their peculiarities and factors of the banking system.


Abnormal development of immature retinal vascular structure in preterm infants under the condition of hyperoxia is the primary cause of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which has become the leading cause of blindness in children. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) play a critical role in the normal growth of retinal vessels. Previous studies have indicated that estrogen can alleviate retinal lesions in the ROP animal model by inhibiting reactive oxygen species, which is associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This study aimed to investigate the protecting effect of G‐protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), one of the estrogen receptors distributed in ER, on RGCs in the early stage of ROP and its relationship with ER stress. We found that GPER was widely expressed in primary cultured murine RGCs. GPER activation by its agonist G‐1 increased cell vitality and decreased apoptosis and autophagy of RGCs under hyperoxia. GPER activation by G‐1 decreased the expressions of the ER stress proteins, including inositol‐requiring kinase/endonuclease 1α, pancreatic ER stress kinase, and cleaved activating transcription factor 6 in ER of RGCs under hyperoxia. GPER activation decreased IP3R activity and increased Ca2+ concentration in ER of RGCs under hyperoxia. In addition, GPER antagonist (G‐15) reversed all these effects of the GPER agonist mentioned above. This study suggested that GPER activation can protect the survival of RGCs in the early stage of ROP via reducing ER stress in RGCs under the condition of hyperoxia.


The differential compensation distribution of executives is an important direction of deepening the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The compensation of SOEs is mainly decided by SASAC according to the unified compensation management method, and tends to adopt the equalitarian compensation distribution mode, leading to the generally low pay dispersion among non-CEO executives in SOEs, which greatly frustrates the work enthusiasm of the executives in SOEs, and often leads to more serious executive agency problems. However, there are few studies on the difference of compensation incentives in the top management team, which mainly focus on the vertical compensation gap between CEO and non-CEO executives, and the research on the internal compensation allocation of non-CEO executives is relatively scarce.Using the compensation data of all the non-CEO executives in listed SOEs from 2005 to 2017, this paper studies whether the pay dispersion among non-CEO executives has a positive governance effect in reducing the executive agency costs of SOEs. We find that, the pay dispersion among non-CEO executives can effectively reduce the executive agency costs of SOEs, and the results are still robust after adopting the IVs and the differential compensation reform of SOEs in 2015 as the exogenous event to control the endogenous problem. Further, we document that reducing the supervision cost and improving the incentive efficiency of non-CEO executives are two potential mechanisms. Specifically, when there are more supervision costs and less incentives for non-CEO executives, the above positive governance effect are more salient.This paper offers empirical evidence for the positive governance effect of the pay dispersion among non-CEO executives in SOEs, and makes up for the deficiency of negative effects such as high turnover and poor corporate performance caused by the pay dispersion among non-CEO executives. This paper not only enriches the literature on the pay dispersion among non-CEO executives, but also extends the related literature on the executive agency costs of SOEs. In addition, this paper has certain policy reference value for further deepening the reform of SOEs and improving the differential compensation distribution system of executives in SOEs. The promulgation of Guiding Opinions on Deepening the Reform of SOEs in 2015 means that, in the context of a new round of comprehensively deepening the compensation reform of SOEs, the incentive mechanism of executives in SOEs should not be limited to the level of executive compensation, but should consider whether the compensation distribution within the top management team is reasonable. Increasing the pay dispersion among the top management team is not only an efficiency issue, but also a fair issue. The underlying economic logic is that the pay dispersion among the top management team is an institutional arrangement for SOEs to reduce the agency costs under the specific governance environment in China. Only by truly realizing differentiated incentives for the top management team, can the enthusiasm of executives in SOEs be effectively activated, the agency efficiency be improved, and the high-quality development of SOEs be realized.


Deep convolutional neural networks excel at sentiment polarity classification, but tend to require substantial amounts of training data, which moreover differs quite significantly between domains. In this work, we present an approach to feed generic cues into the training process of such networks, leading to better generalization abilities given limited training data. We propose to induce sentiment embeddings via supervision on extrinsic data, which are then fed into the model via a dedicated memory-based component. We observe significant gains in effectiveness on a range of different datasets in seven different languages.


This book was first published in Stockholm in 1962 under the title of The History and Geography of Diseases, which describes its outlook. It has now been translated into English by Joan Tate. The influences of geography and history on pathology form a subject which has only relatively recently come into its own. Professor Henschen's interest is so long-standing that he can describe himself as "probably the only surviving founder-member " of the International Society of Geographical Pathology. This was founded in 1929 by Professor Ashkanazy in Geneva. Professor Henschen points out that geographical pathology has an ancient ancestry which dates back further than the Hippocratic treatise " On Airs, Waters, and Places." And this itself was in fact a practical textbook for physicians who were accustomed to travel widely over countries around the Mediterranean and Black Sea coastlines. Interest in the subject seemed to flag until the great navigators of the Renaissance took Europeans to the other continents of the world in search of trade or conquest. From these exploits there emerged such observations of tropical diseases as those made by the Dutch physicians of the seventeenth century in the East Indies. Systematic study of the geographical variations of disease on a global scale appeared only about a century ago, when Hirsch published his handbook on geographical and historical pathology (1860-64). In the last century the world has shrunk markedly in its space-time dimensions, a shrinkage emphasized by the medical history of two world wars. Since the second world war the World Health Organization has been taking an increasingly lively interest in the practical methods of evaluating geographical pathology. Professor Henschen gives a careful, detailed introduction to his subject, in which he clarifies its field and emphasizes its increasing importance in medicine. He then surveys the position with regard to the great majority of known diseases, infectious and noninfectious. In many places he has his own contributions to make. This is evident in the section on tuberculosis, the changing incidence of which is clearly reflected by wellchosen maps of Sweden. In spite of the satisfactory decrease in the incidence of this disease, Professor Henschen feels the need to warn us that this decrease " also means a high degree of susceptibility," of which he gives some tragic examples. Arteriosclerosis receives a great deal of critical attention, once more reflecting the personal interest that Professor Henschen has taken in this subject in Sweden. The wellknown decline of the incidence of this disease during the " critical " years of the second world war is emphasized. " It can be Raid without exaggeration that the Swedish people had never in their history been so healthy . . . as during those crisis years when people generally complained that they could never eat their fill." This sentence is loaded with significance, both medical and political. It is of interest, too, to see a similar effect of those crisis years on the incidence of gall stones. This book presents an outlook on pathology which will be fresh to many. Care has been taken that it should be intelligible to both medical and non-medical readers. Since it is generously supplied with attractive illustrations and tastefully produced, it should be appreciated by a wide public.


This paper examines whether financial integration and capital market development has improved
the efficiency with which investment funds are allocated to competing uses. The question
is addressed using annual firm level data for manufacturing firms in Nigeria for 856 firm year.
The study used an event study methodology to measure whether, and to what extent, investment
funds are being allocated to firms with higher marginal return to capital around the period
of financial integration. It also access whether the investment-Financial integration relationship
depends on economic, financial and political factors.
The result shows that investment was slowed down in high net worth growing firms and
ramped up in the low net worth declining firms in the pre and post financial integration periods
in Nigeria. However, the effect is more pronounced in the post financial integration period.
This is a possible reason for slow growth in Nigeria. The elasticity estimates of firm investments
to Tobin's Q and Sales relative to capital are positive for all years except for 1988
and 1991, which are periods of financial repression in Nigeria. The elasticities are generally
small. The correlation coefficients between investment elasticities from Tobin's Q and Sales to
capital ratio with capital market capitalisation are positive. This study finds that the mechanism
by which the financial market improves investment efficiency in Nigeria is through the
capital market. This provides evidence that stock market prices in Nigeria are not economic
sideshows, but they are actually useful guides to investment.


The hyperbolic dependence of the initial rate of the adrenal pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-catalyzed reactions on pyruvate, CoA and NAD concentrations was established. The Lineweaver--Burk plots of v0 against one substrate concentration at constant unsaturating concentrations of other substrates represent families of parallel lines. The Km values for pyruvate, CoA and NAD are 0,017, 0.005 and 0.030 mM, respectively. CoA-SAc was shown to compete with CoA (Ki=0.067 mM) whereas NADH--with NAD (Ki=0.023 mM). Both CoA-SAc and NADH are uncompetitive inhibitors with respect to pyruvate. The inhibition of CoA-SAc against NAD is of a mixed type, while that of NAD against CoA is non-competitive. The results obtained are in agreement with the kinetic model of a three-site "ping-pong" mechanism.


The pursuit of photodegrading environmental pollutants while efficiently utilizing solar energy remains a pivotal endeavor. Herein, Ag2S quantum dots (QDs)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites with Ag2S QDs dispersed on porous stereoscopic rGO-based network were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal process without the addition of any other reducing agent or cross-linker. The as-obtained composites exhibited enhanced adsorption and photocatalysis performance under visible light because of the individual and synergistic effects. The hierarchically stereoscopic structure led to outstanding adsorption ability due to large specific surface area and spongy nature, which facilitated connection between the contaminants and the photocatalytic sites. The incorporation of rGO also suppressed the recombination of electron–hole pairs in the semiconductor and favored the separation from wastewater. Ag2S QDs, whose properties were influenced by quantum size effect, displayed a widened bandgap of 1.82 eV rather than initial 0.92 eV, attributing to stronger redox potential to degrade organic pollutants while efficiently absorbing the visible portion of solar light. With methyl orange as the model pollutant, the comprehensively optimized sample obtained at 150 °C exhibited adsorption capacity of 260 mg g−1 at 25 °C and photodegradation rate 7.8 times that of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles under visible light. Phenol was also analyzed to remove the influence of photosensitization of dyes. Our investigation gives a new insight into the design and fabrication of narrow band semiconductor/rGO composites with enhanced adsorption and photocatalysis.


The rising prevalence of chronic diseases like chronic heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, combined with population aging now represents a very real problem for public health [1]. The cost of these chronic diseases has rocketed, and is estimated at several billion dollars in developed countries. What's more, these patients are often elderly and have one or more chronic diseases, and their management is a challenge for healthcare professionals, especially for the Family Doctor. Their needs eat up large amounts of medical resources, just as a shortage in the time careers can provide is beginning to be felt, with medical deserts and a lack of access to healthcare professionals, among other problems. Thus, the Family Doctor must find new tools to optimize his medical time and facilitate his job!


This paper deals with termination proofs for Higher-Order Rewrite Systems (HRSs), introduced in [Nip9l, Nip93]. This formalism combines the computational aspects of term rewriting and simply typed lambda calculus. Our result is a proof technique for the termination of a HRS, similar to the proof technique "Termination by interpretation in a well-founded monotone algebra" described in [Zan93]. The
resulting technique is as follows: Choose a higher-order algebra with operations for each function symbol in the HRS, equipped with some well-founded partial ordering. The operations must be strictly monotonic in this ordering. This choice generates a model for the HRS. If the choice can be made in such a way that for each rule and for each valuation of the free variables in that rule the value of the left hand side
is greater than the value of the right hand side, then the HRS is terminating. At the end of the paper two applications of this technique are given, which show that this technique is natural and can easily be applied.


Expositions and elementary proofs are given for the basic theorems of stable population theory: That a population subjected to vital rates (not necessarily constant over time) satisfying certain postulates will eventually "forget" its original age distribution and take on one (not necessarily constant over time) which depends only on its history of agespecific vital rates, a process called "weak ergodicity." That consequently the subsequent birth, death, and growth rates (none of these necessarily constant over time) depend only on the history of age-specific vital rates and not on the original age distribution. And, in particular, that these results apply to the special case, herein called "classic" stable population theory, in which the age-specific vital rates are constant over time, and in which after the "forgetting" takes place the subsequent age distribution and birth, death, and growth rates all become constant. This formulation of the theory differs from previous ones in two respects: First, the postulates required are weaker, and hence the theorems more general, than previously; in particular, this formulation permits the highest age of childbearing to change from cohort to cohort, which is important for populations practicing contraception. Second, none of the advanced mathematics used in previous formulations is needed; only the manipulation of sums and inequalities from high school algebra and the concept of "limit" from freshman calculus are required.


This volume is a collection of the work done in a three years-lasting PhD, focused in the analysis of Central and Southern Adriatic marine sediments, deriving from the collection of a borehole and many cores, achieved thanks to the good seismic-stratigraphic knowledge of the study area.
The work was made out within European projects EC-EURODELTA (coordinated by Fabio Trincardi, ISMAR-CNR), EC-EUROSTRATAFORM (coordinated by Phil P. E. Weaver, NOC, UK), and PROMESS1 (coordinated by Serge Berne, IFREMER, France). The analysed sedimentary successions presented highly expanded stratigraphic intervals, particularly for the last 400 kyr, 60 kyr and 6 kyr BP. These three different time-intervals resulted in a tri-partition of the PhD thesis. The study consisted of the analysis of planktic and benthic foraminifers' assemblages (more than 560 samples analysed), as well as in preparing the material for oxygen and carbon stable isotope analyses, and interpreting and discussing the obtained dataset. The chronologic framework of the last 400 kyr was achieved for borehole PRAD1-2 (within the work-package WP6 of PROMESS1 project), collected in 186.5 m water depth. The proposed chronology derives from a multi-disciplinary approach, consisting of the integration of numerous and independent proxies, some of which analysed by other specialists within the project. The final
framework based on: micropaleontology (calcareous nannofossils and foraminifers' bioevents), climatic cyclicity (foraminifers' assemblages), geochemistry (oxygen stable isotope, made out on planktic and benthic records), paleomagnetism, radiometric ages (14C AMS), teprhochronology, identification of sapropel-equivalent levels (Se). It's worth to note the good consistency between
the oxygen stable isotope curve obtained for borehole PRAD1-2 and other deeper Mediterranean records. The studied proxies allowed the recognition of all the isotopic intervals from MIS10 to MIS1 in PRAD1-2 record, and the base of the borehole has been ascribed to the early MIS11.
Glacial and interglacial intervals identified in the Central Adriatic record have been analysed in detail for the paleo-environmental reconstruction, as well. For instance, glacial stages MIS6, MIS8 and MIS10 present peculiar foraminifers' assemblages, composed by benthic species typical of polar regions and no longer living in the Central Adriatic nowadays. Moreover, a deepening trend in the paleo-bathymetry during glacial intervals was observed, from MIS10 (inner-shelf environment) to MIS4 (mid-shelf environment).Ten sapropel-equivalent levels have been recognised in PRAD1-2 Central Adriatic record. They showed different planktic foraminifers' assemblages, which allowed the first distinction of events occurred during warm-climate (Se5, Se7), cold-climate (Se4, Se6 and Se8) and temperate-intermediate-climate (Se1, Se3, Se9, Se', Se10) conditions, consistently with literature. Cold-climate
sapropel equivalents are characterised by the absence of an oligotrophic phase, whereas warm-temeprate-climate sapropel equivalents present both the oligotrophic and the eutrophic
phases (except for Se1). Sea floor conditions vary, according to benthic foraminifers' assemblages, from relatively well oxygenated (Se1, Se3), to dysoxic (Se9, Se', Se10), to highly dysoxic (Se4, Se6, Se8) to events during which benthic foraminifers are absent (Se5, Se7). These two latter levels are also characterised by the lamination of the sediment, feature never observed in literature in such
shallow records. The enhanced stratification of the water column during the events Se8, Se7, Se6, Se5, Se4, and the concurring strong dilution of shallow water, pointed out by the isotope record, lead to the hypothesis of a period of intense precipitation in the Central Adriatic region, possibly due to a northward shift of the African Monsoon. Finally, the expression of Central Adriatic PRAD1-2 Se5 equivalent was compared with the same event, as registered in other Eastern Mediterranean areas. The sequence of substantially the same planktic foraminifers' bioevents has
been consistently recognised, indicating a similar evolution of the water column all over the Eastern Mediterranean; yet, the synchronism of these events cannot be demonstrated. A high resolution analysis of late Holocene (last 6000 years BP) climate change was carried out for the Adriatic area, through the recognition of planktic and benthic foraminifers' bioevents. In particular, peaks of planktic Globigerinoides sacculifer (four during the last 5500 years BP in the most expanded core) have been interpreted, based on the ecological requirements of this species, as warm-climate, arid intervals, correspondent to periods of relative climatic optimum, such as, for instance, the Medieval Warm Period, the Roman Age, the Late Bronze Age and the Copper Age. Consequently, the minima in the abundance of this biomarker could correspond to relatively cooler and more rainy periods. These conclusions are in good agreement with the isotopic and the pollen data. The Last Occurrence (LO) of G. sacculifer has been dated in this work at an average age of 550 years BP, and it is the best bioevent approximating the base of the Little Ice Age in the Adriatic. Recent literature reports the same bioevent in the Levantine Basin, showing a rather consistent age. Therefore, the LO of G. sacculifer has the potential to be extended to all the Eastern Mediterranean. Within the Little Ice Age, benthic foraminifer V. complanata shows two distinct peaks in the shallower Adriatic cores analysed, collected hundred kilometres apart, inside the mud belt environment. Based on the ecological requirements of this species, these two peaks
have been interpreted as the more intense (cold and rainy) oscillations inside the LIA. The chronologic framework of the analysed cores is robust, being based on several range-finding 14C AMS ages, on estimates of the secular variation of the magnetic field, on geochemical estimates
of the activity depth of 210Pb short-lived radionuclide (for the core-top ages), and is in good agreement with tephrochronologic, pollen and foraminiferal data. The intra-holocenic climate oscillations find out in the Adriatic have been compared with those pointed out in literature from other records of the Northern Hemisphere, and the chronologic constraint seems quite good. Finally, the sedimentary successions analysed allowed the review and the update of the foraminifers' ecobiostratigraphy available from literature for the Adriatic region, thanks to the
achievement of 16 ecobiozones for the last 60 kyr BP. Some bioevents are restricted to the Central Adriatic (for instance the LO of benthic Hyalinea balthica , approximating the MIS3/MIS2 boundary), others occur all over the Adriatic basin (for instance the LO of planktic Globorotalia inflata during MIS3, individuating Dansgaard-Oeschger cycle 8 (Denekamp)).


The clinical presentation, pathology, and appropriate surgical management of cysts of the liver were analyzed in a review of 150 cases of hepatic cystic disease encountered surgically at the Mayo Clinic from Jan. 1, 1954, through Dec. 31, 1971. The incidence of this disease was 17 per 10,000 abdominal explorations. The series included 82 solitary cysts, of which 15 produced symptoms; 49 multiple cysts, of which 7 were symptomatic; 13 hydatid cysts, of which 12 were symptomatic; 3 traumatic cysts, of which 2 were symptomatic; and 3 inflammatory cysts, of which 1 was symptomatic. Symptoms, when present, comprised (in order of frequency) the presence of an abdominal mass, abdominal pain, and hepatomegaly. Congenital and hydatid cysts were located most often in the right lobe of the liver. The smallest cysts were the multiple cysts (average diameter, 4.3 cm) and the largest were the hydatid cysts (average diameter, 10.5 cm). Histologically, the lining of the congenital cysts most often was of cuboidal epithelium. The treatment of congenital cysts included simple biopsy, aspiration, and excision. In cases of hydatid cysts, preliminary sterilization was found to be essential prior to aspiration. Hydatid cysts may be excised or opened, evacuated, and the cavity obliterated. In certain cases hepatic resection may be warranted in order to remove all of the hydatid disease.


A hybrid lightweight composite tank has been created using specially designed materials and manufacturing processes. The tank is produced by using a hybrid structure consisting of at least two reinforced composite material systems. The inner composite layer comprises a distinct fiber and resin matrix suitable for cryogenic use that is a braided-sleeve (and/or a filamentwound layer) aramid fiber preform that is placed on a removable mandrel (outfitted with metallic end fittings) and is infused (vacuum-assisted resin transfer molded) with a polyurethane resin matrix with a high ductility at low temperatures. This inner layer is allowed to cure and is encapsulated with a filamentwound outer composite layer of a distinct fiber resin system. Both inner and outer layer are in intimate contact, and can also be cured at the same time. The outer layer is a material that performs well for low temperature pressure vessels, and it can rely on the inner layer to act as a liner to contain the fluids. The outer layer can be a variety of materials, but the best embodiment may be the use of a continuous tow of carbon fiber (T-1000 carbon, or others), or other high-strength fibers combined with a high ductility epoxy resin matrix, or a polyurethane matrix, which performs well at low temperatures. After curing, the mandrel can be removed from the outer layer. While the hybrid structure is not limited to two particular materials, a preferred version of the tank has been demonstrated on an actual test tank article cycled at high pressures with liquid nitrogen and liquid hydrogen, and the best version is an inner layer of PBO (poly-pphenylenebenzobisoxazole) fibers with a polyurethane matrix and an outer layer of T-1000 carbon with a high elongation epoxy matrix suitable for cryogenic temperatures. A polyurethane matrix has also been used for the outer layer. The construction method is ideal because the fiber and resin of the inner layer has a high strain to failure at cryogenic temperatures, and will not crack or produce leaks. The outer layer serves as more of a high-performance structural unit for the inner layer, and can handle external environments.


Chronic pain continues to pose substantial and growing challenges for patients, caregivers, health care professionals, and health care systems. By the time a patient with severe refractory pain sees a pain specialist for evaluation and management, that patient has likely tried and failed several nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches to pain treatment. Although relegated to one of the interventions of "last resort", intrathecal drug delivery can be useful for improving pain control, optimizing patient functionality, and minimizing the use of systemic pain medications in appropriately selected patients. Due to its clinical and logistical requirements, however, intrathecal drug delivery may fit poorly into the classic pain clinic/interventional model and may be perceived as a "critical mass" intervention that is feasible only for large practices that have specialized staff and appropriate office resources. Potentially, intrathecal drug delivery may be more readily adopted into larger practices that can commit the necessary staff and resources to support patients' needs through the trialing, initiation, monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting phases of this therapy. Currently, two agents – morphine and ziconotide – are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for long-term intrathecal delivery. The efficacy and safety profiles of morphine have been assessed in long-term, open-label, and retrospective studies of >400 patients with chronic cancer and noncancer pain types. The efficacy and safety profiles of ziconotide have been assessed in three double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of 457 patients, and safety has been assessed in 1,254 patients overall, with severe chronic cancer, noncancer, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pain types. Both agents are highlighted as first-line intrathecal therapy for the management of neuropathic or nociceptive pain. The purpose of this review is to discuss practical considerations for intrathecal drug delivery, delineate criteria for the identification and selection of candidates for intrathecal drug delivery, and consider which agent may be more appropriate for individual patients.


There is an increase of thyroid carcinoma incidence in regions contaminated after the Chernobyl accident as well as in Russia on the whole. The most considerable increase occurred in younger age groups of population. No difference in thyroid tumors structure was found in polluted with radionuclides and non-polluted regions.


The quality of the extracted gait silhouettes can hinder the performance and practicability of gait recognition algorithms. In this paper, we propose a framework that integrates a feature fusion approach to improve recognition rate under this situation. Specifically, we first generate a dataset containing gait silhouettes with various qualities based on the CASIA Dataset B. We then fuse gallery data with different qualities and project data into embedded subspaces. We perform classification based on the Euclidean distances between fused gallery features and probe features. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can provide important improvements on recognition rate. 2016 International Conference of the Biometrics Special Interest Group (BIOSIG) This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproduction, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright c © Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc., 2015 201 Broadway, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139


The present classification of extant flowering plants (Magnoliopsida) updates and revises those presented previously by bringing together the vast majority of new information published since 1999. The extant members of Magnoliopsida are subdivided into 12 subclasses, 35 superorders, 87 orders, 40 suborders, 472 families, and 400 subfamilies. The number of genera and species for each accepted taxon is indicated, along with a statement of the taxonomic confidence that the taxon is worthy of recognition as outlined. Authorships and year of publication are provided for each accepted name and cited synonym. A rule change adopted in 2005 at the Vienna Botanical Congress has fundamentally altered authorships and valid places of publication for hundreds of names, and the full extent of the changes is unknown at present. Newly proposed names include subclass Malvidae; superorder Berberidopsidanae and Huerteanae; suborders Aralidiineae, Asphodelineae, Chloranthineae, Eriocaulineae, Hamamelidineae, Juglandineae, Myricineae, Papaverineae, and Xyridineae; and subfamilies Circaeasteroideae, Dampieroideae, Dasypogonoideae, Davidsonioideae, Ebenoideae, Goetzeoideae, Hesperocallidoideae, Hortonioideae, Isophysidoideae, Kingdonioideae, Laxmannioideae, Ledocarpoideae, Lilaeoideae, Lomandroideae, Morkillioideae, Octoknemoideae, Petunioideae, Phormioideae, Rhynchothecoideae, Sargentodoxoideae, Sclerophylacoideae, Siparunoideae, Sparattanthelioideae, Styloceratoideae, Tribeloideae, Tricyrtidoideae, and Xanthoceroideae.


Image processing algorithms for template matching, two-dimensional (2-D) digital filtering, morphologic operations, and motion estimation share some common properties. They can all benefit from using reconfigurable computers that use coprocessor boards based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips. This paper characterizes those applications as generalized template matching (GTM) operations and describes the mapping of the GTM operations onto reconfigurable computers. A three-step approach is described. The first two steps enumerate and prune the design space of basic GTM building blocks, which consist of FPGA buffers and GTM computation cores. The last step is to achieve a solution through an optimal combination of these building blocks where the cost function is the FPGA computation time and the constraints are FPGA coprocessor board resources. Various FPGA buffers are presented so as to introduce design options of basic GTM building blocks. Algorithms used for the mapping are described. Experimental results are summarized to reveal the relationship between the GTM mapping results and FPGA board resource parameters.


Large amount of nitrogen addition into an austenitic stainless steel can improve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance remarkably as far as the nitrogen is in solid solution. However, once the nitrogen precipitates as nitride, it results in deteriorations in the properties of the high nitrogen austenitic stain steel. During welding, a high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel is ready to precipitate rapidly immense amounts of chromium nitride in the heat affected zone (HAZ), as intergranular or cellular morphologies at or from grain boundaries into grain interiors. The nitride precipitation reduces seriously the local mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The present authors have demonstrated that a thermomechanical-processing as grain boundary engineering (GBE) inhibited intergranular chromium carbide precipitation in the HAZ of a type 304 austenitic stainless steel during welding and improved the intergranular corrosion resistance drastically. In the present study, the thermomechanical-processing was applied to a high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel containing 1 mass% nitrogen to suppress the nitride precipitation at or from grain boundaries in the HAZ during welding by GBE. GBE increases the frequency of coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries in the material so as to improve the intergranular properties, because of strong resistance of CSL boundaries to intergranular deteriorations. The optimum parameters in the thermomechanical-processing brought a very high frequency of CSL boundaries in the high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel. The GBE suppressed the intergranular and cellular nitride precipitation in the HAZ of the high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel during welding.


Mechanical heart valve replacement is the preferred alternative in younger patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve disease. However, thrombus and pannus formations are common complications associated with bileaflet mechanical heart valves. This leads to risks of valve leaflet dysfunction, a life-threatening event. In this experimental study, we investigate, using time-resolved planar particle image velocimetry, the flow characteristics in the ascending aorta in the presence of a dysfunctional bileaflet mechanical heart valve. Several configurations of leaflet dysfunction are investigated and the induced flow disturbances in terms of velocity fields, viscous energy dissipation, wall shear stress, and accumulation of viscous shear stresses are evaluated. We also explore the ability of a new set of parameters, solely based on the analysis of the normalized axial velocity profiles in the ascending aorta, to detect bileaflet mechanical heart valve dysfunction and differentiate between the different configurations tested in this study. Our results show that a bileaflet mechanical heart valve dysfunction leads to a complex spectrum of flow disturbances with each flow characteristic evaluated having its own worst case scenario in terms of dysfunction configuration. We also show that the suggested approach based on the analysis of the normalized axial velocity profiles in the ascending aorta has the potential to clearly discriminate not only between normal and dysfunctional bilealfet heart valves but also between the different leaflet dysfunction configurations. This approach could be easily implemented using phase-contrast MRI to follow up patients with bileaflet mechanical heart valves.


Tree transducers are formal automata that transform trees into other trees. Many varieties of tree transducers have been explored in the automata theory literature, and more recently, in the machine translation literature. In this paper I review T and xT transducers, situate them among related formalisms, and show how they can be used to implement rules for machine translation systems that cover all of the cross-language structural divergences described in Bonnie Dorr's influential article on the topic. I also present an implementation of xT transduction, suitable and convenient for experimenting with translation rules.


: The treatment of giant aneurysms requires a thorough surgical and endovascular planning as this entity is accompanied by complex vascular and blood flow particularities. Even in experienced neurovascular centers the clinical outcome varies considerably. Within a series of 1386 aneurysm patients 72 (5%) giant (>25 mm) aneurysms were treated in our institution. Their age ranged between 26 and 81 years (medium age 52 years). 22 patients were suffering of a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Additionally there were 50 patients with nerve palsies or unspecific symptoms due to unruptured giant aneurysms (UGA). Treatment modalities included surgical clipping (n = 35), balloon occlusion of the ICA (n = 12), endovascular coiling (n = 7) or a combined regimen of balloon occlusion, surgical clipping and EC-IC bypass (n = 8). 10 patients could not be treated on due to their high age or minor clinical status (H&H IV and V). 6 of 15 (40%) SAH-patients were discharged without any complaints compared to 26% (12 of 47 patients) in the group of unruptured aneurysms. 1 SAH-patients (7%) versus 13 UGA (28%) patients suffered persisting nerve palsies or minor neurological disorders. 32% (n = 15) of the UGA-patients were suffering of major neurological deficits and required further professional help. 5 patients remained in a vegetative state, 3 of these had been admitted with an incidental finding of an UGA. 6 of 15 (40%) SAH-patients died, 5 of them admitted with H&H grade IV or V. However only 3 of 47 (6%) UGA patients died. 2 of these had a fatal SAH before treatment, 1 underwent EC-IC bypass surgery with insufficient hemispheric vascularization followed by gross infarction. The clinical status and age of the patient are significant factors influencing treatment associated morbidity and mortality. The individual vascular situation may lead to a complex therapeutical regimen thereby predisposes higher complication rates. We believe that surgical clipping is the first choice of treatment allowing temporarily clipping and reconstruction of the normal anatomy by shrinking or/and reconstructive clipping while reducing the mass effect. Whereas endovascular coiling alone is less favorable due to the packing of the coils a combined endovascular and surgical approach have to be considered in selected cases.


In patients with heart failure the risk of systemic thrombo-embolism and the benefit of anticoagulation are uncertain. To assess the incidence of systemic thromboembolism and the factors associated with an increased risk, 406 consecutive patients with chronic heart failure were prospectively investigated. Their left ventricular ejection fraction was 23 +/- 8%, pulmonary wedge pressure 19 +/- 10 mmHg and cardiac index 2.3 +/- 1.41. min-1.m-2 of body surface area. Two hundred patients were in NYHA functional class III-IV. Two hundred and thirty-two patients were receiving oral anticoagulants. Over a follow-up period of 16 +/- 11 months, thromboembolism occurred in 11 patients (2.7%), seven of whom were on anticoagulants. Among clinical, echocardiographic and haemodynamic variables, atrial fibrillation, more severe haemodynamic impairment and low exercise capacity were associated with increased thromboembolic risk. No echocardiographic findings, including the presence of intracavitary thrombi, either at baseline or during follow-up, were related to subsequent thromboembolic events. The rate of embolism did not differ in patients receiving anticoagulants (4%) compared with those who did not receive anticoagulants (1%). No major bleeding occurred during follow-up. Thus, in patients with chronic heart failure and sinus rhythm the incidence of systemic thromboembolism is low regardless of anticoagulant treatment. Atrial fibrillation, particularly when associated with low cardiac index, identifies a subgroup of patients at high risk of events. In this subgroup, a moderate-intensity anticoagulant regimen provides unsatisfactory protection against thromboembolism.


Electrochemical polishing is a well-known method in finishing of complex shapes with high surface quality. Inner surface polishing of complex parts with high precision can also be easily done by this method. In this research, barrel chamber's surface, with numerous serial surface angles, is analyzed so that, according to the various set ups, the optimized polishing parameters are obtained. The comparison between electrochemical polishing and conventional methods from this point of view, shows good advantages of this method, so that, the machining time is more than thirty times less and produces very high surface quality. Besides, the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece repeatability process in this polishing method is noticeable.


The preface states 'the aim of the book is to provide an introductory guide at a level which is intelligible to the non-specialist, but in sufficient detail for an interested reader to move on to specialist published work.' The author attempts to fulfil this laudable ambition by a wide coverage of impact related phenomena, obviously drawn from his wide experience in this field. There are four chapters on material behaviour in the time dependent domain, with both physical and mathematical description of stress waves. I was surprised to find no mention of the useful CowperSimonds equation for strain rate effect on yield strength. A similar treatment for rigid and deformable bodies follows, including a review of energy absorbing devices. In all these chapters, the author outlines simple solutions to elementary problems with a minimum of mathematics, and ends with a description of the treatment for more complex problems. The chapter on structures is disappointingly shallow and brief, with no mention of the large volume of British work from N. Jones (Liverpool University) and the Cranfield Impact Centre. A useful collection of data on human body tolerance and injury, to acceleration and impact is included. Has the author achieved his ambition? In good measure yes, particularly by a guided bibliography, and a useful list of references, perhaps rather selectively chosen, but of sufficiently broad coverage to enable further work to be unearthed. Dr P. W. SHARMAN, CEng, MRAeS


In the framework of the OECD/NEA WPEC subgroup 41, ways to improve neutron induced capture cross sections for 241 Am and 237 Np are being sought. Decay data, energy dependent cross section data and neutron spectrum averaged data are important for that purpose and were investigated. New time-of-flight measurements were performed and analyzed, and considerable effort was put into development of methods for analysis of spectrum averaged data and re-analysis of existing experimental data.


A global validation database that can be used to assess the accuracy of multiple global and regional land-cover maps would yield significant cost savings and enhance comparisons of accuracy of different maps. Because the global validation database should expand over time as new validation data are contributed, the sampling design must be constructed so that it is simple to increase the sample size from a specific region (e.g. a continent or country) or from targeted land-cover classes to improve standard errors of the accuracy estimates. Stratified random sampling provides the desired adaptability to augment a sample to address regional or class-specific accuracy objectives. The proposed global validation database will be initiated from a baseline global stratified sample and then this baseline sample will be augmented to address accuracy objectives related to a specific map or region. The strata are constructed from a modified Köppen climate classification and population density. The theory and formulas for estimating accuracy from the combined baseline and augmented stratified samples are presented, and an example application is provided in which the regional accuracy of a land-cover map is assessed. The stratification used for the baseline global sample is retained when the augmented sample is subsequently selected. Alternatively, it is possible to 'restratify' the design so that the land-cover classes of a particular map are used as strata when selecting an augmented sample. The protocol for restratifying the design is presented, but the complexity of this option makes it less practical than retaining the initial strata when selecting an augmented sample.


The study was conducted to determine the constraints faced by the farmers in commercial cultivation of vegetables and to explore relationship between the selected characteristics of the farmers and constraints faced by them. Data were collected through personal interview from 142 randomly selected respondents out of 1422 vegetable growers of the three villages viz. Panchpara, Bagan and Rampur, under Trishal Upazila of Mymensingh district during January to March 2011. In terms of overall constraints the highest portion (83.30%) of the respondents faced medium constraint. Based on constraint facing index (CEI), low price of vegetables during harvesting ranked first followed by lack of quality seed and high wages of labourer. Among the ten selected characteristics, level of education, family size, farm size, extension media contact, knowledge on vegetable production and cosmopoliteness showed significant negative correlation and family subsistence pressure showed significant positive correlation with farmers' constraints in commercial cultivation of vegetables. Stepwise multiple regressions showed that extension media contact, cosmopoliteness and knowledge on vegetable production had greater influence on farmers' constraints.


NKT cells are known to regulate effector T cell immunity during tolerance, autoimmunity, and antitumor immunity. Whether age-related changes in NKT cell number or function occur remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether young vs aged (3 vs 22 mo old) mice had different numbers of CD1d-restricted NKT cells and whether activation of NKT cells by CD1d in vivo contributed to age-related suppression of T cell immunity. Flow cytometric analyses of spleen and LN cells revealed a 2- to 3-fold increase in the number of CD1d tetramer-positive NKT cells in aged mice. To determine whether NKT cells from aged mice differentially regulated T cell immunity, we first examined whether depletion of NK/NKT cells affected the proliferative capacity of splenic T cells. Compared with those from young mice, intact T cell preparations from aged mice had impaired proliferative responses whereas NK/NKT-depleted preparations did not. To examine the specific contribution of NKT cells to age-related T cell dysfunction, Ag-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity and T cell proliferation were examined in young vs aged mice given anti-CD1d mAb systemically. Compared with young mice, aged mice given control IgG exhibited impaired Ag-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity and T cell proliferation, which could be significantly prevented by systemic anti-CD1d mAb treatment. The age-related impairments in T cell immunity correlated with an increase in the production of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 by splenocytes that was likewise prevented by anti-CD1d mAb treatment. Together, our results suggest that CD1d activation of NKT cells contributes to suppression of effector T cell immunity in aged mice.


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Color Doppler ultrasonography (US) and testicular scintigraphy were used prospectively to evaluate 28 patients with acute scrotal pain. The results of these imaging studies were correlated with final diagnoses established by means of surgery or clinical follow-up. In all patients, testicular torsion was considered to be a possible diagnosis based on findings from the initial clinical evaluation. Findings from surgery confirmed testicular torsion in seven patients. All cases were correctly diagnosed with color Doppler US. Scintigraphy enabled correct diagnosis of six, but findings were false-negative in one patient with 180 degrees torsion. One patient had a surgically confirmed scrotal abscess that was correctly diagnosed with both color Doppler US and scintigraphy. Findings from clinical follow-up in the remaining 20 patients were consistent with epididymitis, orchitis, or torsion of an appendix testis. There were no false-positive diagnoses of testicular torsion by means of either color Doppler US or scintigraphy in any of these 20 patients. Color Doppler US is at least as accurate as testicular scintigraphy and can function as an effective means of evaluating patients with suspected testicular torsion.


Human activity in caves can affect bats adversely, especially bats that assemble in maternity colonies where appropriate roosts are restricted to areas with a narrow range of microclimates necessary to raise young. We assessed behavioral responses of a maternity colony of about 1,000 cave myotis (Myotis velifer) to experimental cave tours by manipulating 3 factors: size of tour groups, whether tour groups talked, and a combination of light intensity and color used to illuminate trails. We also considered the effects of distances between bat roosts and the tour group as well as season. We measured 4 behavioral responses of bats: number of takeoffs, number of landings, activity level, and vocalization intensity. Light intensity affected bat behavior most; all bat responses were highest in trials with high-intensity white light and lowest in trials with no light. When tour groups talked, takeoffs, landings, and activity level increased. Size of tour groups and treatment interactions did not affect bat behaviors. When bats roosted near the tour route, takeoffs and activity level increased. In addition, all behavioral responses increased as the maternity season progressed. Designing cave tours to minimize short-term effects on bats will require careful consideration of cave lighting and tour frequency, route location, and noise levels.


PURPOSE Selinexor is the first selective inhibitor of nuclear export to be approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Currently, there are no known genomic biomarkers or assays to help select MM patients at higher likelihood of response to selinexor. Here, we aimed to characterize the transcriptomic correlates of response to selinexor-based therapy. METHODS We performed RNA sequencing on CD138+ cells from the bone marrow of 100 patients with MM who participated in the BOSTON study, followed by differential gene expression and pathway analysis. Using the differentially expressed genes, we used cox proportional hazard models to identify a gene signature predictive of response to selinexor, followed by validation in external cohorts. RESULTS The three-gene signature predicts response to selinexor-based therapy in patients with MM in the BOSTON cohort. Then, we validated this gene signature in 64 patients from the STORM cohort of triple-class refractory MM and additionally in an external cohort of 35 patients treated in a real-world setting outside of clinical trials. We found that the signature tracks with both depth and duration of response, and it also validates in a different tumor type using a cohort of pretreatment tumors from patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Furthermore, the genes involved in the signature, WNT10A, DUSP1, and ETV7, reveal a potential mechanism through upregulated interferon-mediated apoptotic signaling that may prime tumors to respond to selinexor-based therapy. CONCLUSION In this study, we present a present a novel, three-gene expression signature that predicts selinexor response in MM. This signature has important clinical relevance as it could identify patients with cancer who are most likely to benefit from treatment with selinexor-based therapy.


Background Writing difficulties are usually one of the integral symptoms of persons with aphasia. Earlier research based on studies of the spelling of single words has yielded interesting results. This work includes analyses of texts and text production. Aim The general aim of the thesis, which includes four studies, was to describe the characteristics of the writing process in aphasia. Materials and methods The participants in the first three studies were a group of six men and two women with aphasia (the A-group) in the age range of 28 to 63 years (mean age 42.5 years) and a reference group (the R-group) consisting of five women and five men in the age range of 21 to 30 years (mean age 23.5 years). One of these studies also included 60 untrained raters. The participants in the fourth study were three individuals with aphasia, two men and one woman (aged 53, 56 and 59, respectively). The participants wrote two narratives and told one of them orally. Not only the final texts but also the revision phases were analysed. The analysis related to variables reflecting vocabulary, syntax and narrative structure. The narratives were also subjected to holistic assessment by the untrained raters. The intervention study had a single-subject ABA design replicated across the three participants. All writing tasks were carried out on a computer and key-stroke logging was used for the collection and analysis of the data. Results The A-group wrote stories with a lower production rate and more word-level errors than the R-group, and also had more difficulty revising their texts. Narrative structure was not as good in the A-group's texts, but the most essential parts of the narrative were included; their written versions were in fact rated as more coherent and easier to understand than their spoken versions. Story length and the proportion of word-level errors to some extent predicted ratings, but not necessarily in the sense that fewer errors and longer stories predicted a higher rating. The intervention study showed that training with computerised writing aids improved writing in different ways. Discussion The narratives produced by the participants with aphasia were characterised by linearity as a result of their use of short T-units with few subordinate clauses and simple syntax. The study of the revision phase revealed the same pattern: every word and sometimes every character was checked before the participants continued writing. Writing a narrative was a timeconsuming task for the participants with aphasia, but the stories they eventually produced were explicit enough to meet the demands of the written medium. Regular training was effective and compensated for some of the difficulties. Clinical implications Written language should be included in aphasia assessment and in planning for rehabilitation since it opens up a wider range of possibilities to communicate.


The lipid A and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding and neutralizing activities of a synthetic, polycationic, amphiphilic peptide were studied. The branched peptide, designed as a functional analog of polymyxin B, has a six residue hydrophobic sequence, bearing at its N-terminus a penultimate lysine residue whose α- and E-amino groups are coupled to two terminal lysine residues. In fluorescence spectroscopic studies designed to examine relative affinities of binding to the toxin, neutralization of surface charge and fluidization of the acyl domains, the peptide was active, closely resembling the effects of polymyxin B and its nonapeptide derivative; however, the synthetic peptide does not induce phase transitions in LPS aggregates as do polymyxin B and polymyxin B nonapeptide. The peptide was also comparable with polymyxin B in its ability to inhibit LPS-mediated IL-1 and IL-6 release from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The synthetic compound is devoid of antibacterial activities and did not induce conductance fluxes in LPS-containing asymmetric planar membranes. These results strengthen the premise that basicity and amphiphilicity are necessary and sufficient physical properties that ascribe endotoxin binding and neutralizing activities, and further suggest that antibacterial/membrane perturbant and LPS neutralizing activities are dissociable, which may be of value in designing LPS-sequestering agents of low toxicity.


Osteoporosis is a condition of generalised skeletal fragility caused by diminishing bone amount and disturbance in bone microarchitecture with implication that the bone's ability to withstand forces is decreased. This condition leads to more bone resorption. Some researchers show that this condition also affects jaw bone. Therefore we must take this condition into consideration during prothodontic treatment. Dental prostheses are made to restore stomatognatic function as well as to preserve what was left including alveolar bone. The ability of dental prostheses to preserve residual alveolar bone differs according to type of prostheses. The case presented here propose the treatment of osteoporotic female in Prosthodontics Clinic FKG UI with removable partial denture. Considerations in selecting the type and design of dental prostheses and attempts to modify factors that might play a role in bone resorption in connection with the patient's physical and psychological status will be discussed. Thorough examination, careful planning and good communication with the patient can provide optimum results.


As the high-speed and parallel processing features on FPGA, so it is widely used in high-speed information processing system. In this paper, the front-end data of X - ray energy spectrum is taken as processing object, high-speed data acquisition and processing methods based on the FPGA are proposed, which embodies the advantages of FPGA in the application of high speed information processing. The compensation measures in the electronic measurement system are also discussed in this paper.


Herein, we systematically investigate phospholipid-subclass-specific alterations in the partitioning of both cationic and anionic amphiphiles to identify the importance of ester, ether and vinyl ether linkages at the sn-1 position of phospholipids in the partitioning of charged amphiphiles. The results demonstrated that the membrane-water partition coefficient of a prototypic cationic amphiphile (i.e. 3,3'-dipropylthiadicarbocyanine iodide) was approximately 2.5 times higher in membranes comprised of plasmenylcholine in comparison with membranes comprised of either phosphatidylcholine or plasmanylcholine. In striking contrast, the membrane-water partition coefficient of a prototypic anionic amphiphile [i.e. bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid)trimethine oxonol] in membranes comprised of plasmenylcholine was approximately 2.5 times lower than that manifest in membranes comprised of phosphatidylcholine or plasmanylcholine. Utilizing theseexperimentally determined partition coefficients,the relative membrane dipole potential of membranes comprised of plasmenylcholine was calculated and found to be approximately 25 mV lower than in membranes comprised of phosphatidylcholine or plasmanylcholine. This lower membrane dipole potential in membranes comprised of plasmenylcholine is equivalent to the membrane potential induced by incorporation of approximately 25 mol% of anionic phospholipids in membranes comprised of phosphatidylcholine. Collectively, these results demonstrate that phospholipid-subclass-specific differences in the membrane dipole potential contribute to alterations in the partitioning of lipophilic ions in membrane bilayers comprised of distinct phospholipid subclasses. Moreover, they suggest that these physicochemical differences can be exploited to facilitate the targeting of charged lipophilic drugs to specific cells and subcellular membrane compartments.


The optic tectum of the barn owl is a multimodal structure with multiple layers, with each layer topographically organized according to spatial receptive field. The response of a site to a stimulus can be measured as either spike rate or local field potential (LFP) gamma (25–90 Hz) power; within superficial layers, spike rate and gamma power spatial tuning curves are narrow and contrast-response functions rise slowly. Within deeper layers, however, spike rate tuning curves broaden and gamma power contrast-response functions sharpen. In this work, we employ a computational model to describe the inputs required to generate these transformations from superficial to deep layers and show that gamma power and spike rate can act as parallel information processing streams.


Fermi-LAT has confirmed the excess in cosmic positron fraction observed by PAMELA, which could be explained by dark matter annihilating or decaying in the center of the galaxy. Most existing models postulate that the dark matter annihilates or decays into final states with two or four leptons, which would produce diffuse gamma ray emissions that are in tension with data measured by Fermi-LAT. We point out that the tension could be alleviated if the dark matter decays into three-body final states with a pair of leptons and a missing particle. Using the goldstino decay in a certain class of supersymmetric theories as a prime example, we demonstrate that simultaneous fits to the total e++e− and the fractional e+/e− fluxes from Fermi-LAT and PAMELA could be achieved for a 2 TeV parent particle and a 1 TeV missing particle, without being constrained by gamma-ray measurements. By studying different effective operators giving rise to the dark matter decay, we show that this feature is generic for three-body decaying dark matter containing a missing particle. Constraints on the hadronic decay widths from the cosmic anti-proton spectra are also discussed.


: To assess current usage of once-a-day tricyclic antidepressant drug therapy for depression by private practicing and hospital psychiatrists in the United States, a questionnaire was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected individuals in each population. A telephone follow-up was made of 75 randomly chosen non-respondents in each group. The results disclosed a high percentage of prescribers of single daily dosages for a large patient population, many of whom have been treated for 3 months to 1 year or longer, often with dosages in excess of those in the package insert for each drug. There were no significant differences of opinion among respondents with respect to tolerance, safety, efficacy, advantages, disadvantages, and economy of this method of treatment. All respondents acknowledged that there is a minority of depressed patients for whom this therapy is unsuitable. For maintenance therapy, 81% consider single daily dosage treatment of depression efficacious; for initial therapy, 51%.


We propose a self-supervised learning approach for videos that learns representations of both the RGB frames and the accompanying audio without human supervision.
In contrast to images that capture the static scene appearance, videos also contain sound and temporal scene dynamics.
To leverage the temporal and aural dimension inherent to videos, our method extends temporal self-supervision to the audio-visual setting and integrates it with multi-modal contrastive objectives.
As temporal self-supervision, we pose playback speed and direction recognition in both modalities and propose intra- and inter-modal temporal ordering tasks.
Furthermore, we design a novel contrastive objective in which the usual pairs are supplemented with additional sample-dependent positives and negatives sampled from the evolving feature space.
In our model, we apply such losses among video clips and between videos and their temporally corresponding audio clips.
We verify our model design in extensive ablation experiments and evaluate the video and audio representations in transfer experiments to action recognition and retrieval on UCF101 and HMBD51, audio classification on ESC50, and robust video fingerprinting on VGG-Sound, with state-of-the-art results.


Given $n$ observations from two balanced classes, consider the task of labeling an additional $m$ inputs that are known to all belong to \emph{one} of the two classes. Special cases of this problem are well-known: with complete knowledge of class distributions ($n=\infty$) the problem is solved optimally by the likelihood-ratio test; when $m=1$ it corresponds to binary classification; and when $m\approx n$ it is equivalent to two-sample testing. The intermediate settings occur in the field of likelihood-free inference, where labeled samples are obtained by running forward simulations and the unlabeled sample is collected experimentally. In recent work it was discovered that there is a fundamental trade-off between $m$ and $n$: increasing the data sample $m$ reduces the amount $n$ of training/simulation data needed. In this work we (a) introduce a generalization where unlabeled samples come from a mixture of the two classes -- a case often encountered in practice; (b) study the minimax sample complexity for non-parametric classes of densities under \textit{maximum mean discrepancy} (MMD) separation; and (c) investigate the empirical performance of kernels parameterized by neural networks on two tasks: detection of the Higgs boson and detection of planted DDPM generated images amidst CIFAR-10 images. For both problems we confirm the existence of the theoretically predicted asymmetric $m$ vs $n$ trade-off.


A nonexperimental, causal-comparative (ex post facto) research design was used in this study to examine the effectiveness and value of a College Success Skills course for students who tested into three developmental courses at the community college. The discussion and debate as to the efficacy of developmental education at community colleges has been continuing for decades. In many states, legislators seem to be prioritizing the issue of developmental education and the cost involved, both in time and money to students and taxpayers. The issue is complex as students arrive at community colleges with a wide variance in basic academic skills as most community colleges have open enrollment policies that permit all students to enroll in classes regardless of high school grade point averages or test scores. Although most students in community colleges graduated from high school, many also either earned a General Equivalency Degree (GED) or dropped out of high school. Adding to the challenges for these students is the fact that many students at community colleges receive full Pell Grant financial aid, which is approved only if income is at or near the poverty level. Many students have limited financial resources and struggle in the areas of suitable transportation, childcare, and daily living expenses. In addition to focused effort needed to overcome academic deficiencies in basic skills, many students have other distractions that usurp their time and energy. With this in mind, it is important that community colleges work with legislators to identify the strategies and policies needed to improve the outcomes for all students testing into developmental courses.


The piezoresistive effect of thick-film resistors has found widespread application in pressure and force sensors due to their high strain-sensitivity, stability and low-cost. The main material requirements for these applications are a high piezoresistive response, low noise and low temperature dependence. However, many useful elastic substrate materials are degraded at the standard thick-film processing temperature of 850 °C, and therefore require a lower one. This is achieved by engineering the glass composition. Here we discuss how the composition and microstructure affect the electronic properties of thick-film resistors with both high and low processing temperatures. Depending on the firing temperature, we find percolative or non-percolative behaviors in the range of Ru02 concentrations studied. We show that for percolative samples a lowering of the Ru02 concentration generally leads to a logarithmic increase of the piezoresistive response, which poses serious limitations regarding the associated power- law increase of noise.


This article describes a dynamic model of achievement in which social influences are internalized and used self-regulatively by learners. The conceptual focus is social cognitive theory with emphasis on triadic reciprocality and phases of self-regulatory development. Social (instructional) factors, self (personal) influences, and achievement outcomes (behaviors) reciprocally interact during learning; the direction and strength of reciprocal influence will vary due to level of skill acquisition and phase of self-regulatory development. Research is summarized on social modeling, self-verbalization, and goals with progress feedback; each involves social transmittal of skills and strategies and a means for learner internalization. The social cognitive perspective is contrasted with other theoretical views that highlight the role of the social environment in learning. This article concludes with suggestions for future research.