Place recognition remains a challenging problem under various perceptual conditions, e.g., all weather, times of day, seasons, and viewpoint shifts. Different from most of the existing place recognition methods using pure vision, this article studies light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based approaches. Point clouds have some benefits for place recognition since they do not suffer from illumination changes. On the other hand, they are dramatically affected by structural changes from different viewpoints or across seasons. In this article, a novel LiDAR-based place recognition system is proposed to achieve long-term robust localization, even under severe seasonal changes and viewpoint shifts. To improve the efficiency, a compact cylindrical image model is designed to convert three-dimensional point clouds to two-dimensional images representing the prominent geometric relationships of scenes. The contexts (buildings, trees, road structures, etc.) of scenes are utilized for efficient place recognition. A sequence-based temporal consistency check is also introduced for postverification. Extensive real experiments on three datasets (Oxford RobotCar [1], NCLT [2], and DUT-AS) show that the proposed system outperforms both state-of-the-art visual and LiDAR-based methods, verifying its robust performance in challenging scenarios.


The culminating work of my thesis, "Between a Stone and a Shrine," presented in April 2014 at the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University, is contextualized with two of my prior works, "Between You Me and the Wall," and "Between Icarus and a Phoenix." These works are further contextualized with relevant autobiographical information. Inspiration is drawn from Walter De Maria's ideas of meaningless work, and its contrast with Francis Alys and his meaningful gestures in public space. My works are then analyzed and compared to Janine Antoni's bodily relationship to media through physical labor in site-specific practice. By using storyboarding and editing techniques developed by the film directors Federico Fellini and Yael Bartana, immersive installations are refined to create awareness, acceptance and adaptation to entropy in the built environment.


INTRODUCTION The terminology used in the field of strategic management that might possibly garner the prize for the most overworked and least understood catch-phrase is "competitive advantage." The extension of that phrase into "sustainable competitive advantage" is currently an elaboration of ambiguity. A search for usage of the phrase easily turns up numerous titles of articles and books, a number of which predate the widely successful usage of the phrase by Michael Porter in his book Competitive Advantage (1985). Since the appearance of the Porter book, the phrase has spread throughout management, marketing, economic, and human resource publications and served as a component of the titles of many "how to do it" books (e.g., Tweed, 1990) directed at a variety of business activities. Yet, in spite of the vast acceptance of this phrase, there are few attempts to clearly state what competitive advantage actually is, and this appears to be regardless of whether its use is in research or practitioner-oriented publications. Prior to Porter's use of the competitive advantage terminology in 1985, typical references to competitive advantage used the term without explicit definition. For example, Spence (1984) and Caves (1984) both use the terminology in the titles of their articles but leave the definition of the terminology unaddressed. There is, however, an awareness in their articles of the relative competitive positions of firms within industries. Their perspectives are also heavily reliant upon the viewpoint that asserts that an industry's structure is the determinant of the firms' performances within the industry. Consequently, Caves focuses on the commitment of resources to establish entry barriers that would enhance the performance of a firm, and Spence focuses on the use of subsidies and restrictions by governments to give their domestic firms protection from foreign competitors. Apparently, competitive advantages in this sort of definitional framework are linked to the inhibition of competition or the absence of competitors. One marketing text by Day (1984) discusses how to determine the value of a competitive advantage in the market by relating it to benefits which must be perceived by a customer group that is willing to pay for those benefits and cannot easily obtain those benefits elsewhere. The text also refers to the sources for advantages in the market as superior skills and resources, and links those sources to the ability of a business to either do more of something or do something better than is possible by its competitors. So in contrast to the previously cited usage of competitive advantage terminology by Caves and Spence, this conception of competitive advantage appears to be linked to a firm's being more competent in the market than its competitors. This view of competency as being a source of competitive advantage is echoed in the later work of Reed and DeFillippi (1990), who assert that causal ambiguities concerning the source of competencies within a firm can lead to sustainable advantages for a firm. They build their arguments from the foundation laid by Hofer and Schendel (1978), who predate even Spence (1984) and Caves (1984) in using the terminology and relate competitive advantage to a firm's unique position as compared to its competitors, which is arrived at through its patterns of resource deployments. In Reed and DeFillippi's argument the end result of developing an advantage based on competencies, whether its causes are ambiguous or explicit, is superior financial performance. The explicit assertion by Porter (1985) was that competitive advantage comes from the value that firms create for their customers that exceeds the cost of producing that value. The key concern for a business is to capture that value which is greater than its cost. Additionally, he identified two types of competitive advantage, which were cost leadership and differentiation. The source of above-average performance of a firm in the long run is a result of sustainable competitive advantage, and the three generic strategies which he suggests lead to above-average performance are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. …


The recent development of scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA) has made the direct measurement of magnetic structures with submicron spatial resolution possible.1,2 Because the secondary electron spin polarization is proportional to the magnetization in the area probed by the incident electron beam, the magnetization is measured directly, independent of topographic contrast. Topographic images are measured simultaneously, however, permitting comparisons between magnetic and structural properties. In addition the use of multiple, orthogonal detectors permits measurement of the magnetization magnitude and direction. We have recently used this technique to look at various Fe‐rich amorphous ferromagnetic alloys. In particular SEMPA was used to examine the rotation of the magnetization within domain walls and to study changes in magnetic microstructure due to Ar ion bombardment and annealing.


In response to the increasing cost of college, colleges and universities are leveraging financial aid and academic support services to implement access and success programs intended to help financially disadvantaged students afford and persist through a baccalaureate degree program. This research is a study of the efficacy of one such program at a large research university in the southwestern region of the United States. The study sample included low-income program participants in four cohorts of freshmen enrolling for the first time in college from fall 2007 (Cohort 1) to fall 2010 (Cohort 4) and a comparison group of almost 400 low-income freshmen who enrolled for the first time in college in fall 2006 (the year prior to program implementation) for a sample total of over 2150 students. Approximately 64% were female, 36 % were males, over 60% were African American and Hispanic, and over 75% were first generation college students. Logistic regression was used to measure probability and odds of their academic success and retention in the first year of college utilizing gender, ethnicity, parental degree attainment, and program participation as the independent variables. The logistic regression models illustrated that participation in the program netted a consistently positive and significant impact on academic success across all cohorts, increasing the odds ratio for academic success no less than three times in favor of program participants vis-a-vis the comparison group. The statistical models illustrated that the program netted a slight positive impact on the odds of retention, particularly for African American students. Therefore, the principle implication that might be drawn from this study is that by strategically leveraging financial aid and academic support services, access and success programs can facilitate higher rates of academic success and retention for financially disadvantaged college students.


Deregulation of the ubiquitin/proteasome system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including cancer. Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USP) are cysteine proteases involved in the deubiquitination of protein substrates. Functional connections between USP7 and essential viral proteins and oncogenic pathways, such as the p53/Mdm2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B networks, strongly suggest that the targeting of USP7 with small-molecule inhibitors may be useful for the treatment of cancers and viral diseases. Using high-throughput screening, we have discovered HBX 41,108, a small-molecule compound that inhibits USP7 deubiquitinating activity with an IC50 in the submicromolar range. Kinetics data indicate an uncompetitive reversible inhibition mechanism. HBX 41,108 was shown to affect USP7-mediated p53 deubiquitination in vitro and in cells. As RNA interference-mediated USP7 silencing in cancer cells, HBX 41,108 treatment stabilized p53, activated the transcription of a p53 target gene without inducing genotoxic stress, and inhibited cancer cell growth. Finally, HBX 41,108 induced p53-dependent apoptosis as shown in p53 wild-type and null isogenic cancer cell lines. We thus report the identification of the first lead-like inhibitor against USP7, providing a structural basis for the development of new anticancer drugs.[Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(8):2286–95]


The increase of capacitance on dielectric layer is associated with enlargement of etched surface area of electrodes for aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Etched tunnels extending along [100] directions are formed by crystallographic dissolution of aluminum in a chloride solution. This study has been focused primarily on the effects of addition of inhibitors to hydrochloric acid solution on the increase of the surface area by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The addition of 3 % ethylene glycol was more effective for the enlargement of the surface area comparing with those of 1M sulfuric acid and no additive. And it was observed by TEM that the tunnels were grown straight and parallel to [100] directions.


Background: For medication adherence, pill count is a reliable objective for evaluation. In Japan, at the time of hospitalization, all prescription medicines of patients are checked by medical reconciliation and a pill count is done. This study investigated factors affecting medical adherence by pill count using medical reconciliation. Methods: This retrospective study included 76 patients (mean age 65.6±12.6 years, 60.5% of men) with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had been taking oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) for more than 48 weeks. Patients whose OHAs were managed by another person or those who were taking psychotropic drugs were excluded. To evaluate medication adherence, medication adherence value (MAV) was calculated: (total prescription days-prescription days of OHAs brought when admitted)/(days from start of OHAs to hospitalization). The relationship between MAV and patient characteristics was analyzed. Results: Subjects were divided into MAV of ≤ 0.86 (those who forgot to take medicine on one or more days per week), > 0.86 ≤ 0.93 (who forgot to take on one or more days in two weeks and less than one day per week), and > 0.93 (who forgot less than one day in two weeks). HbA1c showed a significantly higher value in the group of ≤ 0.86 compared with the group of > 0.93 (P = 0.02). The patients were divided into good (MAV > 0.86) and poor (MAV ≤ 0.86) adherence groups. On multivariate analysis of patient characteristics with P Conclusion: Our findings suggest that poor adherence was independently associated with lower age and no insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes patients. In poor adherence patients, taking 3 doses a day was a factor for reduced adherence. Disclosure M. Shiomi: None. Y. Tanaka: None. M. Kurobuchi: None. T. Takada: None. K. Otori: None.


Contemporary privacy law does not go far enough to protect our privacy interests, particularly where artificial intelligence and machine learning are concerned. While many have written on problems of algorithmic bias and data deletion, this Article introduces the novel concept of the "algorithmic shadow" and explains the new privacy remedy of "algorithmic destruction," also known as algorithmic disgorgement or machine unlearning. The algorithmic shadow describes the persistent imprint of training data that has been fed into a machine learning model and used to refine that machine learning system. This shadow persists even if data is deleted from the initial training data set, which means privacy rights like data deletion do not solve for the new class of privacy harms that arise from algorithmic shadows. Algorithmic destruction (deletion of models or algorithms trained on misbegotten data) has emerged as an alternative, or perhaps supplementary remedy and regulatory enforcement tool to address these new harms.

This Article introduces two concepts to legal scholarship—the algorithmic shadow and algorithmic destruction. First, the Article defines the concept of the algorithmic shadow, a novel concept that has so far evaded significant legal scholarly discussion, despite its importance in changing understandings of privacy risks and harms. Second, the Article argues that data deletion does not solve for algorithmic shadow harms and advocates for the development of new privacy remedies to address these new harms. Finally, the Article introduces algorithmic destruction as a potential right and remedy, explaining its theoretical and practical applications, as well as potential drawbacks and concerns.


GaN films are grown on Si(111) with low-temperature GaN (LT-GaN) layers as buffer layers by hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE). The deposition temperature of the LT-GaN layers is changed from 400 to 900°C. When the LT-GaN layer is deposited at 600°C, GaN films show only c-oriented GaN (0002) and have the band edge emission at 365nm with no yellow luminescence bands. The results indicate that the LT-GaN layer can effectively block the unexpected Si etching by reactive gas during the GaN growth. However, the surface roughness of these GaN films grown on Si(111) is larger than that of GaN films on c-plane sapphire.


Diabetes Mellitus (DM) can lead to significant microvasculature disruptions that eventually causes diabetic retinopathy (DR), or complications in the eye due to diabetes. If left unchecked, this disease can increase over time and eventually cause complete vision loss. The general method to detect such optical developments is through examining the vessels, optic nerve head, microaneurysms, haemorrhage, exudates, etc. from retinal images. Ultimately this is limited by the number of experienced ophthalmologists and the vastly growing number of DM cases. To enable earlier and efficient DR diagnosis, the field of ophthalmology requires robust computer aided diagnosis (CAD) systems. Our review is intended for anyone, from student to established researcher, who wants to understand what can be accomplished with CAD systems and their algorithms to modeling and where the field of retinal image processing in computer vision and pattern recognition is headed. For someone just getting started, we place a special emphasis on the logic, strengths and shortcomings of different databases and algorithms frameworks with a focus on very recent approaches.


There is substantial evidence that International Monetary Fund policies are driven by the powerful states which intervene to align policy with their preferences. In particular, many have argued that the United States uses its position as the Fund's largest shareholder to achieve its foreign policy objectives. As a result, a substantial volume of literature argues and presents evidence to support the claim that International Monetary Fund decisions faithfully reflect US interests. My findings extend these claims. Using a new dataset on the presence in International Monetary Fund agreements of binding conditions, which cause the agreement to be suspended or terminated if they are not met, I demonstrate that International Monetary Fund agreements contain fewer binding conditions when a suspension of International Monetary Fund lending plausibly would impose greater hardship on creditor country banks and exporters.


Pancreases were obtained from five human fetuses 12 to 16 weeks old. The islets of Langerhans were isolated with collagenase, and then incubated with buffer, glucose, tolbutamide, or glucagon added to the medium. The insulin released into the medium was measured by immunoassay. Glucagon produced the only significant increase above base line; glucose and tolbutamide failed to enhance secretion of insulin. The data suggest that isolated human fetal islets of this gestational age develop responsiveness to glucagon earlier than to glucose or tolbutamide.


Ireland's grass-based dairy system is relatively unique in industrialised countries in its focus on producing milk from grazed grass rather than increasing yields through non-forage feed. The environmental benefits of a grass-based dairy system have been promoted within Ireland and abroad. However, the means by which grass is produced is important. There have been environmental concerns about water pollution from nutrient leaching and increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the increased number of cows and higher fertiliser application in the Irish dairy sector. This paper uses qualitative interviews with Irish dairy farmers to assess: (1) how can we understand Irish farmer attitudes towards the grass-based system within a 'good farmer' theoretical framework? (2) How do concepts of extensive and intensive production fit with good farming norms within the grass-based system? (3) How could cultivation of multispecies swards, including legumes, fit with existing notions of good farming? The research finds that there had been a concerted efforts by researchers, advisory bodies and other actors to foster a definition of good farming to mean good grass management. This definition of good farming excluded the use of feed inputs over a certain level to increase yields but included the use of fertiliser to maximise grass production. There is scope to change the definition of good farming within the industry to include minimal use of fertiliser, for instance through the cultivation of multispecies swards including legumes and the skills and knowledge this involves. In terms of policy implications, the paper identified three strategies for government and industry to facilitate a definition of good farming which involves low fertiliser use: emphasising the cost-saving aspect of reducing fertiliser; identifying visible symbols of 'good farming' using multispecies swards; and co-producing the definition of good farming with a diverse range of stakeholders including farmers.


The overhead associated with establishing switched virtual circuits (SVCs) in high-speed wide area ATM networks is an important performance factor in applications with client/server architectures, including the World Wide Web and low-latency applications such as command/control and modeling/simulation. This article quantifies this overhead by describing a benchmarking framework implemented in a reliable, portable, and easily expandable toolset designed to conduct measurements of well-defined parameters and performance metrics on equipment that is either isolated or connected to a live network. The usefulness of this toolset is then demonstrated in a test suite applied to assess call rates and connection establishment latency of point-to-point and point-to-multipoint ATM connections in the MAGIC, ATDnet, and AAI WANs, on the campus ATM LAN at NRL, and on individual switches in our laboratories.


The present study investigates how academic coursework and formal learning of instructional technology and materials design help pre-service English language teachers' development of critical knowledge of CALL materials. The participants are 111 pre-service English language teachers enrolled in a TEFL programme at a Turkish University. Throughout a 14-week semester, these participants learn to design a variety of CALL materials including online teaching tools and a set of Web 2.0 tools. The article explores the skills and knowledge of pre-service teachers on the design and development of audio-visual web-based activities, through qualitative content analysis of their written reflections. The analyses of reflections on practice have revealed that these teachers demonstrate strong and critical understanding of CALL in enriching authenticity, enhancing motivation, facilitating language learning, and providing multimodal resources. They also display great awareness of instructional knowledge, in particular, in the design and interface of technology to facilitate learning.


The paper presents the results of investigations into the mechanical properties and tribological characteristics of 316 LVM processed by hydrostatic extrusion (HE). The mechanical properties were characterized by microhardness measurements and compression tests. The wear properties were investigated using a pin-on-disc tribometer under dry and lubricated conditions. The friction coefficient was measured as a function of the time of the wear test. The results indicate that the hydrostatic extrusion process significantly improves the mechanical properties and the wear resistance of 316 LVM stainless steel. The results are discussed in terms of the microstructural changes induced during processing by hydrostatic extrusion.


We studied wave-created high-density mud suspensions (fluid mud) using a one-dimensional water column (1DV) model that includes k-e turbulence closure at a high vertical resolution with a vertical grid spacing of 1 mm. The k-e turbulence model includes two sediment-related dissipation terms associated with vertical density stratification and viscous drag of flows around sediment particles. To this end, the calibrated model reproduces the key characteristics (maximum concentration and thickness) of fluid mud layers created in laboratory experiments over a large range of wave velocities from 10 to 55 cm/s. The findings demonstrate that the equilibrium near-bed mud concentration, Cb, is solely determined from the balance between erosion and deposition fluxes, whereas the thickness of the fluid mud layer is mainly controlled by sediment-induced density stratification, which dissipates turbulence and hence eliminates turbulent sediment diffusivity at the top of the fluid mud layer, the lutocline. Our model stands in contrast to those that suggest that upward sediment diffusion is close to zero at the interface between the fluid mud layer and the overlying fluid. Instead, our model suggests that the upward diffusive flux of fluid mud flows peak at the lutocline and is compensated for enhanced settling fluxes just above it. Our model findings also support the existence of the gelling-ignition process, which is critical for the development of fluid mud beds in modern sedimentary environments.


The score reliability of language performance tests has attracted increasing interest. Classical Test Theory cannot examine multiple sources of measurement error. Generalizability theory extends Classical Test Theory to provide a practical framework to identify and estimate multiple factors contributing to the total variance of measurement. Generalizability theory by using analysis of variance divides variances into their corresponding sources, and finds their interactions. This study used generalizability theory as a theoretical framework to investigate the effect of raters' gender on the assessment of EFL students' writing. Thirty Iranian university students participated in the study. They were asked to write on an independent task and an integrated task. The essays were holistically scored by 14 raters. A rater training session was held prior to scoring the writing samples. The data were analyzed using GENOVA software program. The results indicated that the male raters' scores were as reliable as those of the female raters for both writing tasks. Large rater variance component revealed the low score generalizability in case of using one rater. The implications of the results in the educational assessment are elaborated.


We study the emergence of cooperative behaviors in reinforcement learning agents by introducing a challenging competitive multi-agent soccer environment with continuous simulated physics. We demonstrate that decentralized, population-based training with co-play can lead to a progression in agents' behaviors: from random, to simple ball chasing, and finally showing evidence of cooperation. Our study highlights several of the challenges encountered in large scale multi-agent training in continuous control. In particular, we demonstrate that the automatic optimization of simple shaping rewards, not themselves conducive to co-operative behavior, can lead to long-horizon team behavior. We further apply an evaluation scheme, grounded by game theoretic principals, that can assess agent performance in the absence of pre-defined evaluation tasks or human baselines.


Enclosed lipid bilayer structures, referred to as liposomes or lipid vesicles, have a wide range of biological functions, such as cellular signaling and membrane trafficking. The efficiency of cellular uptake of liposomes, a key step in many of these functions, is strongly dependent on the contact area between a liposome and a cell membrane, which is governed by the adhesion force w, the membrane bending energy κ, and the osmotic pressure Δp. Herein, we investigate the relationship between these forces and the physicochemical properties of the solvent, namely, the presence of glucose (a nonionic osmolyte). Using fluorescence microscopy, we measure the diffusivity D of small (∼50 nm radius), fluorescently labeled liposomes adhering to a supported lipid bilayer or to the freestanding membrane of a giant (∼10 μm radius) liposome. It is observed that glucose in solution reduces D on the supported membrane, while having negligible effect on D on the freestanding membrane. Using well-known hydrodynamic theory for the diffusivity of membrane inclusions, these observations suggest that glucose enhances the contact area between the small liposomes and the underlying membrane, while not affecting the viscosity of the underlying membrane. In addition, quartz crystal microbalance experiments showed no significant change in the hydrodynamic height of the adsorbed liposomes, upon adding glucose. This observation suggests that instead of osmotic deflation, glucose enhances the contact area via adhesion forces, presumably due to the depletion of the glucose molecules from the intermembrane hydration layer.


The extent of structural and immunological similarity between surface antigens of three species of Brugia filarial parasites was studied by lodogen-mediated surface labelling of adult worms of B. malayi, B. pahangi and B. timori. The close homology and cross-reactivity between these antigens reported in previous surface labelling studies with Bolton-Hunter reagent, was verified in this system. The surface antigens of adult B. pahangi are also recognised by antibody from patients with Wuchereria bancrofti, the major human lymphatic filariae, and by antibody to Loa loa and Mansonella perstans. Further experiments have begun to establish the boundaries of these cross-reactions: antibodies to nonfilarial nematodes such as Trichinella, Necator and Strongyloides does not recognise the adult surface antigens; however, although most anti-Onchocerca sera show little or no reaction to the major (29 kDa) surface antigen, there is consistent reactivity to the secondary 20 kDa antigen, and extensive recognition of a minor antigen of 15 kDa.


Extreme value theory (EVT) is a branch of statistics that seeks to access, from a given ordered sample, the probabilities of events that are more extreme than usually observed. Under very general conditions, EVT's main results characterize the distribution of the samples maxima or the distribution of values above a given threshold. Thus, two particular approaches exist, block maxima, which divides a time period into equal sections and the maximum of each section is selected. This usually leads to generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. The second approach is peaks over threshold (POT) which selects every value that exceeds a certain threshold. Threshold excesses follow an approximate distribution within the generalized Pareto family. This study focuses on modeling the tail of a heavy tail distribution by using the threshold approach. The purpose of this study is manifold: firstly, to compare the estimates of the generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) parameters by three estimation techniques, namely, maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), method of moments (MOM), and probability weighted moments (PWM) in the light of a hydrological application; secondly, to select an appropriate model for the Mississippi River flow data by using the model validation and hypothesis testing; thirdly, to introduce the bootstrap re-sampling approach in hydrological applications; lastly, to obtain a required design value with a given return period of exceedance and probabilities of occurring extreme floods using bootstrap sampling.


Abstract This introduction to the special issue aims to conceptualize the structural and super-structural relations between global capitalism and health, incorporating both historical and contemporary capitalism. Capitalism is an all-encompassing global phenomenon that interacts with health at multiple scales and via a range of 'vectors' that analysts must engage, examine and understand. We highlight some of the key structural and institutional conditions that shape global health outcomes. Deep and underlying structural effects of capitalism on health are evident at multiple scales and underpin new health challenges of the twenty-first century. At present, macro political economy – neoliberalism and market fundamentalism – profoundly shape governance of global health through regimes and institutions in areas such as trade and investment policy, austerity programs, pharmaceutical and food governance, and the rules that support globalized production and consumption. We develop an account of capitalism in which this overarching global system generates health outcomes like no other system, viewing it as structurally pathogenic with negative impacts on human health.


With state-of-the-art systems having finally attained estimated human performance, Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) has now joined the array of Natural Language Processing tasks that have seemingly been solved, thanks to the vast amounts of knowledge encoded into Transformer-based pre-trained language models. And yet, if we look below the surface of raw figures, it is easy to realize that current approaches still make trivial mistakes that a human would never make. In this work, we provide evidence showing why the F1 score metric should not simply be taken at face value and present an exhaustive analysis of the errors that seven of the most representative state-of-the-art systems for English all-words WSD make on traditional evaluation benchmarks.In addition, we produce and release a collection of test sets featuring (a) an amended version of the standard evaluation benchmark that fixes its lexical and semantic inaccuracies, (b) 42D, a challenge set devised to assess the resilience of systems with respect to least frequent word senses and senses not seen at training time, and (c) hardEN, a challenge set made up solely of instances which none of the investigated state-of-the-art systems can solve. We make all of the test sets and model predictions available to the research community at https://github.com/SapienzaNLP/wsd-hard-benchmark.


Tracheostomy in pediatric patients involves major morbidity that is often reflected in prolonged decannulation difficulty. A review of 123 consecutive pediatric tracheostomies shows that 44 patients experienced such difficulties. Among those patients suffering decannulation delay, subglottic stenosis had developed in 39%, tracheal granuloma in 25%, fused cords in 11%, and temporary laryngeal abductor failure in 25%. Although the overall incidence of decannulation failure is high, more than 60% of those patients affected respond to treatment when diagnosis is prompt and accurate. In this regard, the laryngologist may play a central role in the management of the pediatric decannulation process.


A deterministic safety assessment methodology has been developed to evaluate long-term radiological consequences associated with geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and to demonstrate a generic feasibility of geologic disposal. An exposure scenario considered here is based on a normal evolution scenario which excludes events attributable to probabilistic alterations in the environment. A computer code system GSRW thus developed is based on a non site-specific model, and consists of a set of sub-modules for calculating the release of radionuclides from engineered barriers, the transport of radionuclides in and through the geo- sphere, the behavior of radionuclides in the biosphere, and radiation exposures of the public. In order to identify the important parameters of the assessment models, an automated procedure for sensitivity analysis based on the Differential Algebra method has been developed to apply to the GSRW.


The concept of a focused ultrasound study to identify sources of haemodynamic instability has revolutionized patient care. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) using transthoracic scanning protocols, such as FUSIC Heart, has empowered non-cardiologists to rapidly identify and treat the major causes of haemodynamic instability. There are, however, circumstances when a transoesphageal, rather than transthoracic approach, may be preferrable. Due to the close anatomical proximity between the oesophagus, stomach and heart, a transoesphageal echocardiogram (TOE) can potentially overcome many of the limitations encountered in patients with poor transthoracic ultrasound windows. These are typically patients with severe obesity, chest wall injuries, inability to lie in the left lateral decubitus position and those receiving high levels of positive airway pressure. In 2022, to provide all acute care practitioners with the opportunity to acquire competency in focused TOE, the Intensive Care Society (ICS) and Association of Anaesthetists (AA) launched a new accreditation pathway, known as Focused Transoesophageal Echo (fTOE). The aim of fTOE is to provide the practitioner with the necessary information to identify the aetiology of haemodynamic instability. Focused TOE can be taught in a shorter period of time than comprehensive and teaching programmes are achievable with support from cardiothoracic anaesthetists, intensivists and cardiologists. Registration for fTOE accreditation requires registration via the ICS website. Learning material include theoretical modules, clinical cases and multiple-choice questions. Fifty fTOE examinations are required for the logbook, and these must cover a range of pathology, including ventricular dysfunction, pericardial effusion, tamponade, pleural effusion and low preload. The final practical assessment may be undertaken when the supervisors deem the candidate's knowledge and skills consistent with that required for independent practice. After the practitioner has been accredited in fTOE, they must maintain knowledge and competence through relevant continuing medical education. Accreditation in fTOE represents a joint venture between the ICS and AA and is endorsed by Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Critical care (ACTACC). The process is led by TOE experts, and represents a valuable expansion in the armamentarium of acute care practitioners to assess haemodynamically unstable patients.


The incidence of hydronephrosis diagnosed in the neonatal period has increased dramatically with the routine use of ultrasound in obstetrical care. Prior to the mid-1980s, most children with obstructive uropathy secondary to ureteropelvic junction obstruction or ureterovesical junction obstruction were diagnosed after urinary tract infections had occurred or an abdominal mass was noted.


DDoS presents a serious threat to the Internet since its inception, where lots of controlled hosts flood the victim site with massive packets. Moreover, in Distributed Reflection DoS (DRDoS), attackers fool innocent servers (reflectors) into flushing packets to the victim. But most of current DRDoS detection mechanisms are associated with specific protocols and cannot be used for unknown protocols. It is found that because of being stimulated by the same attacking flow, the responsive flows from reflectors have inherent relations: the packet rate of one converged responsive flow may have linear relationships with another. Based on this observation, the Rank Correlation based Detection (RCD) algorithm is proposed. The preliminary simulations indicate that RCD can differentiate reflection flows from legitimate ones efficiently and effectively, thus can be used as a useable indicator for DRDoS.


OBJECTIVES
This systematic and meta-analytic review aimed to quantify the association of psychosocial correlates with oral hygiene behaviour among 9- to 19-year olds.

METHODS
A systematic search up to August 2015 was carried out using the following databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science. If necessary, authors of studies were contacted to obtain unpublished statistical information. A study was eligible for inclusion when it evaluated the association between the psychosocial correlates and oral hygiene behaviour varying from self-reports to clinical measurements, including plaque and bleeding scores. A modified New Castle Ottawa Scale was applied to examine the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS
Twenty-seven data sets (k) presented in 22 publications, addressing nine psychosocial correlates, were found to be eligible for the meta-analysis. For both tooth brushing and oral hygiene behaviour, random effect models revealed significant weighted average correlation (r+ ) for the psychosocial factors: 'intention', 'self-efficacy', 'attitude' (not significant for tooth brushing), 'social influence', 'coping planning' and 'action planning' (r+ ranging from 0.18 to 0.57). Little or no associations were found for 'locus of control', 'self-esteem' and 'sense of coherence' (r+ ranges from 0.01 to 0.08).

CONCLUSIONS
The data at present indicates that 'self-efficacy', 'intention', 'social influences', 'coping planning' and 'action planning' are potential psychosocial determinants of oral health behaviour. Future studies should consider a range of psychological factors that have not been studied, but have shown to be important psychosocial determinants of health behaviours, such as 'self-determination', 'anticipated regret', 'action control' and 'self-identity'. Effectiveness of addressing these potential determinants to induce behaviour change should be further examined by intervention trials.


Group housing of lactating rabbit does is desirable from a welfare standpoint, but agonistic behaviour can cause severe skin injuries, which are undesired for animal welfare. Park layout, creating hiding places and escape possibilities, may help redirect attention away from fighting, which could in turn help prevent skin damage. An experiment was performed to test whether more damaging behaviour would occur in a combi park (with nest box panels) after mixing, compared to a regular park for fatteners, as nest box panels would obstruct does when escaping aggressive interactions. In addition, the position of the PVC pipe underneath the platform differed between parks (longitudinal or transversal), resulting in different escape routes. Twenty-two parks were used, in which 5 does per park were grouped at 23 d of lactation until weaning at 36 d of lactation. Skin injuries were scored at 4 d after grouping and on the day before weaning. The presence of nest box panels in a combi park and the position of the PVC pipe underneath the platform did not affect the level of skin damage. Moderate to severe injuries were observed, mostly at the hind quarters, ears and head. Five to 6% of the does were severely injured (wounds). There was a positive relationship between the average skin injury per park at 4 d after grouping and at weaning. On average, average injury score per park increased from grouping to weaning, but there are differences between individual parks. From this experiment it can be concluded that group housing of lactating rabbit does involves animals getting injured. In fact, 5 to 6% of the does were severely injured (wounds). Social dynamics of group housed does are insufficiently understood and might be important to reduce damaging behaviour in group housing.


The essay seeks to discuss how Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) offers some advantages for secondary school students' Engagement in the EFL classroom in Indonesia. The essay also investigates some drawbacks confronted during DGBL implementation and provides the refutations to disprove the counterarguments. The methodology undertaken in this essay is literature review. Relevant literature was obtained through peer-reviewed articles from reliable journals such as Google Scholar, ERIC, ProQuest Education Journal and any other relevant sources. The findings further reveal that teaching EFL classroom under the framework of DGBL benefits students in three ways. Firstly, digital games can engage students' emotion in the learning process by promoting a psychological state that is commonly known as a flow condition. It refers to play a digital game with fun, interest and deep concentration. Secondly, DGBL can engage students' cognition by providing problem-solving activities which help students to think critically to decipher the challenges of the games. Lastly, DGBL can also promote behavioural engagement by situating students in cooperative learning activities which, with guidance from teachers, encourage students to participate collaboratively as teamwork during the gameplay. In this essay, whereas, the investigation only focuses on which aspects of DGBL can significantly leverage students' engagement in EFL learning classroom. Therefore, further analysis is required to examine on how DGBL can be an effective instructional strategy to meet the English standard competences on Indonesian national curriculum (2013 Curriculum).


We use simulated images to demonstrate a novel technique for mitigating geometric distortions caused by platform motion ("jitter") as two-dimensional image sensors are exposed and read out line by line ("rolling shutter"). The results indicate that the Europa Imaging System (EIS) on NASA's Europa Clipper can likely meet its scientific goals requiring 0.1-pixel precision. We are therefore adapting the software used to demonstrate and test rolling shutter jitter correction to become part of the standard processing pipeline for EIS. The correction method will also apply to other rolling-shutter cameras, provided they have the operational flexibility to read out selected "check lines" at chosen times during the systematic readout of the frame area.


Background The type, abundance, and location of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been associated with prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study was conducted to assess the prognostic role of TILs and develop a nomogram for accurate prognostication of stage II CRC. Methods Immunohistochemistry was conducted to assess the densities of intraepithelial and stromal CD3+, CD8+, CD45RO+, and FOXP3+ TILs, and to estimate PD-L1 expression in tumor cells for 168 patients with stage II CRC. The prognostic roles of these features were evaluated using COX regression model, and nomograms were established to stratify patients into low- and high-risk groups and compare the benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Results In univariate analysis, patients with high intraepithelial or stromal CD3+, CD8+, CD45RO+ and FOXP3+ TILs were associated significantly with better relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS), except for stromal CD45RO+ TILs. In multivariate analysis, patients with high intraepithelial CD3+ and stromal FOXP3+ TILs were associated with better RFS (p<0.001 and p=0.032, respectively), while only stromal FOXP3+ TILs was an independent prognostic factor for OS (p=0.031). The nomograms were well calibrated and showed a c-index of 0.751 and 0.757 for RFS and OS, respectively. After stratifying into low- and high-risk groups, the high-risk group exhibited a better OS from adjuvant chemotherapy (3-year OS of 81.9% vs 34.3%, p=0.006). Conclusion These results may help improve the prognostication of stage II CRC and identify a high-risk subset of patients who appeared to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.


A significant number of novel database architectures and data models have been proposed during the last decade. While some of these new systems have gained in popularity, they lack a proper formalization, and a precise understanding of the expressiveness and the computational properties of the associated query languages. In this paper, we aim at filling this gap, and we do so by considering MongoDB, a widely adopted document database managing complex (tree structured) values represented in a JSON-based data model, equipped with a powerful query mechanism. We provide a formalization of the MongoDB data model, and of a core fragment, called MQuery, of the MongoDB query language. We study the expressiveness of MQuery, showing its equivalence with nested relational algebra. We further investigate the computational complexity of significant fragments of it, obtaining several (tight) bounds in combined complexity, which range from LOGSPACE to alternating exponential-time with a polynomial number of alternations.


This study contains compilations of price trends, production trends and institutional issues in the international market for food legumes or pulses. In recent years substantial changes have taken place in the Asian pulse market. There are signs that the national markets have opened up for imports with the result by the mid 1990s that Australia and Myanmar have become the major inter-regional suppliers of pulses. Nevertheless, participation of other countries in the Asian pulse market is very wide and includes production centres in Latin America, North America, Western and Eastern Europe and Africa. The study also reveals that within the group of pulses there are substantial price differences between specific varieties and species. This indicates that investment in quality improvement would find a pay-off at the wholesale market level. The authors suggest that for improvement of the pulse market, information links between domestic major wholesale market and international markets should be realized.


Lytton Strachey's first major work, Eminent Victorians, made a revolutionary gesture by giving the lives of its famous subjects ironic treatment, atypical of the serious genre of biography. His highly stylized lives were readable, but his campiness brought critical backlash from the institutional gatekeepers. This dismissal took the same form of homophobic panic that attended writers of aestheticism. Engaging recent constellations of queer style and queer temporality, I argue that Strachey's prose style is a kind of planned obsolescence, in the model of manufacturing schemes to promote demand for yearly updates. Planned obsolescence gives us a new way to look at innovation in styles and canon formation. The continual drive for innovation we think of as modernism is the same demand for novelty in any other commodity. Strachey's work disrupts the conservative modernist reaction to the perceived threat of commodity culture and calls into question its preservation of hierarchies of distinction. Strachey emphasizes momentary pleasure, not the future, and this opens an aesthetic resistance to the collusion of literature and the marketplace, both in its impact on aesthetic form and in its institutionalization in literary studies.


Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 - Directs the President to develop and implement: (1) a National Strategy for Global Development to further the U.S. foreign policy objective of reducing poverty and contributing to economic growth in developing countries, including responding to humanitarian crises; and (2) a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance. Expresses the sense of Congress that American taxpayers and foreign assistance recipients should have, to the maximum extent practicable, full access to U.S. foreign assistance information.


The majority of e-Learning systems utilize the learning process in such manner, in which the student is always presented with the same material, thus lacking the feature of adaptivity. Adaptivity can be achieved using modelling systems such as a user model and more specific the student model. The existence of the characteristic of personalized learning, is more than necessary in an educational platform, due to the fact that not all students have the same level of knowledge. Therefore it is challenge to design and develop an education software that is adaptive. The main goal of adaptive education software systems, is to provide students with the most suitable for them content, the moment they make a request for it. This means that such piece of educational software, should include a mechanism able to determine the student's knowledge level, maintain logs regarding that knowledge level, monitor the usage of the platform and of course adjust the content presentable to the student in a unique and personalized way. This study proposes an adaptive, multi role, educational software for learning English that includes support for personalized learning, based on up to date web technologies. The software we propose aims at kids who belong to the age group between 8-16 years old and incorporates support for the user roles of visitor, student, professor and administrator. The most important aspect of our software is the ability to assess the student's level and rank, immediately after his registration and adapt the full educational content according to his/her rank. In the following chapters we will present at introduction level some basic theories and concepts regarding educational software, how are these theories being applied to our system. We will also analyze the mechanism and main functions of our software for every user role separately as well as the technologies used to develop it. In the closing section we try to evaluate the user interface of our software and propose future improvements.


Thin magnetic films may be employed as storage elements of a sampling recorder for measuring transient signals. By writing into successive films with a given signal at known time intervals and then utilizing the magnetization transfer characteristics, i.e., readout voltage versus write current, a time-amplitude reconstruction of the signal can be obtained. This mode of operation for a coupled thin magnetic film configuration, along with the difficulties in nondestructively reading out the film, is discussed.


Two contradictory requirements are anticipated in trawling experimentally a wide un-exploited area with the purpose of estimating fish abundance. The one is to take large enough sample to analyse quantitatively in a locality, and the other is to collect data covering as wide an area as possible in each cruise. This difficulty could be settled by compromising between statistical accuracy and available facilities. Therefore, the present problem is reduced to finding the least necessary number of hauls for each locality by which the estimates of fish abundance in the respective localities are assured with the same degree of accuracy. When the observed frequency distribution of catch per haul in an area is fitted with the expected one from the Polya-Eggenberger model, the least necessary number of hauls therein can be expressed as a simple equation. Here, a relatively wide area along the east coast of the Malay Peninsula was divided into three subareas and the optimum number of hauls was calculated for the respective subareas.


ABSTRACT The evolution of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isolates causing traveler's diarrhea (TD) and their mechanisms of resistance to several antimicrobial agents were analyzed. From 1995 to 2002, a total of 62 Salmonella strains were isolated from stools of patients with TD. The antimicrobial susceptibility to 12 antibiotics was determined, and the molecular mechanisms of resistance to several of them were detected as well. The highest levels of resistance were found against tetracycline and ampicillin (21 and 19%, respectively), followed by resistance to nalidixic acid (16%), which was mainly detected from 2000 onward. Molecular mechanisms of resistance were analyzed in 16 isolates. In these isolates, which were resistant to ampicillin, two genes encoding β-lactamases were detected: oxa-1 (one isolate) and tem-like (seven isolates [in one strain concomitantly with a carb-2]). Resistance to tetracycline was mainly related to tetA (five cases) and to tetB and tetG (one case each). Resistance to chloramphenicol was related to the presence of the floR and cmlA genes and to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity in one case each. Different genes encoding dihydrofolate-reductases (dfrA1, dfrA12, dfrA14, and dfrA17) were detected in trimethoprim-resistant isolates. Resistance to nalidixic acid was related to the presence of mutations in the amino acid codons 83 or 87 of the gyrA gene. Further surveillance of the Salmonella spp. causing TD is needed to detect trends in their resistance to antimicrobial agents, as we have shown in our study with nalidixic acid. Moreover, such studies will lead to better treatment and strategies to prevent and limit their spread.


Design profession has become quite resignified over time, being increasingly associated with an approach to involve people working collaboratively to co-create new opportunities for the welfare, solve complex problems or even favor innovation processes, whether they are applied in business environments or in the social sphere. By acting in this scope, Design is articulating social innovation processes, as it is developing strategies, whether through products or services, so that the actors related to the existing context can be active agents of transformation. In synergy with this approach, there is another participatory aspect, originating from other areas of knowledge: Community Engagement Methodology. This encompasses a process for providing information, empowering the community to identify solutions to their needs, as well as influencing priorities and strategic decisions. In this context, despite having enough theoretical and practical research implemented to favor community engagement, it appears that the academic curricula of Design courses do not work so specifically with community engagement/ implementation of social innovation processes. Thus, this paper reveals a methodology developed during PhD research in Design that aimed to favor the social reintegration of offenders and ex-offenders. This methodology, made up of different methods, was created in codesign with a Portuguese social cooperative, which was one of the promoters of a project co-founded by the European Union, between 2017 and 2020. The methodology was applied to professionals of the Criminal Justice System who work within the scope of reintegration in four countries (Portugal, Italy, Romania, and Germany), who evaluated it very positively. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to reveal the community involvement methodology created and propose ways that it can be implemented in Design curricula, to encourage and favor the development of solutions and improvements in different social contexts.


Abstract A versatile gel-like system for the treatment of art has been prepared from partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate), borax, and large fractions of ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, and acetone. Variables such as the concentrations of the two gelating components, the degree of hydrolysis and molecular weight of the polymer, and the type of liquid gelated were investigated to establish formulations of gels with physical and chemical properties that are best suited for specific applications. The gels were designed to have an elastic character that allows them to conform to the topography of complex surfaces and be removed with ease by being lifted from the surface. Results from fluorescence studies demonstrated that the solvent is constrained within the area of the gel, allowing for localized treatment. Polymer and boron residues were not detected after cleaning tests on acrylic and dammar test paint-outs, and on two oil paintings with degraded surface coatings. The efficacy of the cleaning systems was determined visually. Studies of the materials removed during treatments showed that the gels appear to act by softening the coating surface while typically a pass with a solvent-dampened swab after gel treatment removes the softened coating. Two case studies and notes on other applications of the gels are described; recipes and preparation procedures are included.


Construction-site images that are now easily obtained from digital cameras have the potential to automatically provide the project status information. For example, once construction objects such as concrete columns are accurately identified and counted, the current level of project progress in the column installation activity can easily be measured. However, in order to identify and count the number of concrete columns installed at a particular point of time, a robust object recognition methodology is required. Without the successful recognition and extraction of the construction object of interest, it is almost impossible to understand the current level of project progress. This paper presents a robust image processing methodology to effectively extract the objects of interest from construction-site digital images. The proposed methodology makes use of advanced imaging algorithms and a three-dimensional computer aided design perspective view to increase the accuracy of the object recognition. Tests show that the methodology is promising and expected to provide a solid base for the successful, automatic acquisition of project information.


vanessa 0 0 2012-07-21T23:22:00Z 2012-07-21T23:22:00Z 1 172 983 UFC 8 2 1153 14.0 Normal 0 false false false PT-BR JA X-NONE This article presents a mechanism, denoted Proactive Index Maintenance (PIM, for short), for proactive index management based on the use of prediction models. The main objective of the proposed mechanism is to predict when a time-consuming query q will be executed, in order to proactively create index structures which reduce q's response time. After q is executed, PIM drops the created indexes for avoiding the overhead of updating index structures. Thus, indexes are automatically created and dropped by PIM in a proactive manner. PIM is DBMS-independent, runs continuously and with no DBA intervention. Experiments show that PIM presents low overhead, can be effectively deployed to predict time-consuming query execution and provides significant performance gain during time-consuming query execution. Different prediction models have been evaluated: neural networks (Multi-Layer Perceptron - MLP and Radial Basis Function - RBF) and Linear Regression. The results indicate that the prediction model is query-specific, i.e., it should be defined according to the statistical distribution (normal, poisson, binomial) of the query execution history.


Human Evolution
The Khloe-San peoples of Africa are one of the most ancient lineages of humans and thus can be examined to identify both ancient and recent human-specific genetic variation. Investigating the alleles of the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors and their human leukocyte antigen class I ligands, which are involved in the immune response, Hilton et al. found evidence of both old and new genetic variants. Because these genes can affect pregnancy, the identification of one recently evolved variant at relatively high frequencies suggests that it may have conferred a selective advantage.

PLOS Genet. 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005439 (2015).


In the current research, an efficient protocol has been devised for production of calli and then regeneration for the important medicinal crop garlic (Allium sativum L.) via roots explants which were derived from the cloves on MS medium. Results showed that optimum calli production could be obtained on MS medium with 2, 4-D (0.5 mg/l) and Kin (0.5 mg/l). Calli were then regenerated into shoots after 4-6 weeks on regeneration medium i.e., MS medium with BA (0.5 mg/l) alone or BA (1.0 mg/l) along with 0.5 mg/l Kin. Also, optimum rooting could be observed on MS medium with growth hormones IAA (2.0 mg/l) and NAA (0.5 mg/l). The shoots obtained from calli developed into plantlets on plain ½ strength MS medium. This optimized protocol may be a step forward towards making in vitro garlic plantlets for various tissue culture studies and could be a useful tool in future for genetic transformation of this medicinally important everyday vegetable crop.


The aims of the present study were: (a) to determine the mechanism of action of taurolidine against bacterial species associated with periodontal disease, and (b) to evaluate the potential development of resistance against taurolidine as compared with minocycline. After visualizing the mode of action of taurolidine by transmission electron micrographs, the interaction with most important virulence factors (lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin), was analyzed. Then, 14 clinical isolates from subgingival biofilm samples were transferred on agar plates containing subinhibitory concentrations of taurolidine or minocycline up to 50 passages. Before and after each 10 passages, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. Increasing MICs were screened for efflux mechanism. Taurolidine inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the activities of LPS and of the arginine-specific gingipains; however, an effect on A. actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin was not detected. One P. gingivalis strain developed a resistance against taurolidine, which was probably linked with efflux mechanisms. An increase of MIC values of minocycline occurred in five of the 14 included strains after exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of the antibiotic. The present results indicate that: (a) taurolidine interacts with LPS and gingipains, and (b) development of resistance seems to be a rare event when using taurolidine.


Brain activation in studies using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) FMRI is associated with an increase in T2* weighted signal between baseline and an active condition. This BOLD technique is often applied to study differences in brain activation between patients and healthy controls. However, the baseline T2* signal itself may also be different between groups, as shown in the hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease using the resting oxygen or ROXY approach (Small et al. [2002]: Ann Neurol 51:290–295). In the current study, we analyzed whole brain, voxel‐wise T2* weighted signal of averaged baseline scans of a BOLD FMRI experiment in 41 healthy elderly controls and 46 patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. In each subject, T2* weighted images were normalized to the CSF signal of the same image. Additionally, gray matter probability maps of high‐resolution structural scans were also compared between groups to assess atrophy. T2* signal was decreased in dementia in the hippocampus, insula/putamen, posterior and middle cingulate cortex, and parietal cortex. Most of these regions also showed decreased gray matter, except insula/putamen. Hippocampal and posterior cingulate gray matter differences were significantly larger than T2* differences. Therefore, decreased T2* signal in most regions are likely to be caused by gray matter atrophy, although decreased metabolism or perhaps iron deposition are also factors that may contribute. We conclude that in FMRI studies of dementia, not only the dynamic BOLD signal (activation and deactivation) but also the average baseline signal is diminished in certain regions. The method we applied may also be used in task‐related BOLD FMRI and add to the understanding of the mechanism of task‐related group differences. Hum Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


In this report the interaction between SiH2 molecules and a SiC-4H (0001) surface and SiCl2 molecules and a SiC-4H (0001) surface is investigated. This is done using a cluster model to represent the surface. First the clusters are investigated by calculating some properties to compare with experimental data to motivate the use of the cluster model. The band gap calculated by extrapolation for an infinitely large cluster is 3.75 eV which is fairly close to the experimental value of 3.2 eV.Adsorption studies are performed and the main conclusion is that the SiH2 molecule adsorbs more strongly on the surface then the SiCl2 molecule, adsorption energies are calculated to approximately 200 kJ mol-1 and 100 kJ mol-1 respectively.At the end a few migration studies are performed with the conclusion that SiCl2 more easily can diffuse on the surface compared to the SiH2 molecule. The respective activation energies for migration on the surface are 4 kJ mol-1 for SiCl2 and 87 kJ mol-1 for SiH2.


Summaries Poverty reduction is a stated priority objective of many aid donors. So how much aid is directly targeted toward meeting this objective? In fact, this question proves difficult to answer. Three possible measurement techniques are discussed – the project, sector and country approaches – and the results obtained from these techniques compared. It is found that only around 15 per cent of total aid is directly poverty-oriented.


Federated Learning (FL) refers to distributed protocols that avoid direct raw data exchange among the participating devices while training for a common learning task. This way, FL can potentially reduce the information on the local data sets that is leaked via communications. In order to provide formal privacy guarantees, however, it is generally necessary to put in place additional masking mechanisms. When FL is implemented in wireless systems via uncoded transmission, the channel noise can directly act as a privacy-inducing mechanism. This paper demonstrates that, as long as the privacy constraint level, measured via differential privacy (DP), is below a threshold that decreases with the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uncoded transmission achieves privacy "for free", i.e., without affecting the learning performance. More generally, this work studies adaptive power allocation (PA) for distributed gradient descent in wireless FL with the aim of minimizing the learning optimality gap under privacy and power constraints. Both orthogonal multiple access (OMA) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) transmission with "over-the-air-computing" are studied, and solutions are obtained in closed form for an offline optimization setting. Furthermore, heuristic online methods are proposed that leverage iterative one-step-ahead optimization. The importance of dynamic PA and the potential benefits of NOMA versus OMA are demonstrated through extensive simulations.


Marked variations in hardsetting occur in the sandy surface horizons of duplex deep sandy soils in a semi-arid area of Western Australia. Hardsetting by definition only occurs in dry soils and increases with field texture. Soil strength measured on remoulded samples in the laboratory conformed with field assessments of strength (consistence). Most (79%) of the variation in strength between Ap horizon samples was explained by clay content, with small differences in clay content resulting in large differences in strength. Half of the maximum measured strength in the Ap horizons was achieved at a clay content of only 8%. The A2 horizons were markedly stronger than corresponding Ap horizons, despite similar clay contents, and this difference in strength is related to the larger organic matter content of the Ap horizons. Hardsetting of these sandy soils may be explained in terms of the cementing action provided by clay which forms bridges between particles. Organic material weakens these bridges. Hardsetting may affect the wind erodibility of sandy soils, through differences in surface conditions (i.e. loose v. compact) and by increasing the resistance to abrasion by saltating sand. It is not clear what effect it will have on plant performance. Hardsetting is a continuous, rather than discrete soil attribute, and if it is to be described in the field, and used in soil classification schemes, objectives class limits should be defined, perhaps using dry consistence ratings.


Nonessential region responsible for G function has been identified in theta C31 phage genome by means of deletion mutants. The mutant phenotype is expressed upon theta C31 phage propagation in Streptomyces albus G strains differing in functioning of restriction and modification systems. Based on their increased resistance to EDTA, deletions were located in theta C31 delta 10 and theta C31 delta 65 phage mutants. Data are presented on physical mapping of nonessention region of theta C31 phage. The total length of this region is 24.1% of the overall length of DNA molecules. The DNA segment of 19.1% of the whole genome contains overlapped deletions. Theta C31 actinophage is proposed to be used as a cloning vector for Streptomyces. Various deletion mutants obtained, with the capacity of about 3 thousands base pairs may serve as "insertion vectors". The presence of the stretched nonessential genome region allows to use theta C31 phage as a "replacement vector". Then, insertion of foreign DNA to replace the EcoRI--C fragment of theta C31 DNA of 6.4 x 10(3) base pairs is possible. The phages comprising hybrid molecules may be selected for G and Lyg phenotypes.


The reactions of thiobenzamide 8 with diazo compounds proceeded via reactive thiocarbonyl ylides as intermediates, which underwent either a 1,5-dipolar electrocyclization to give the corresponding five-membered heterocycles, i.e., 4-amino-4,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazole derivatives (i.e., 10a, 10b, 10c, cis-10d, and trans-10d) or a 1,3-dipolar electrocyclization to give the corresponding thiiranes as intermediates, which underwent a SNi'-like ring opening and subsequent 5-exo-trig cyclization to yield the isomeric 2-amino-2,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazole derivatives (i.e., 11a, 11b, 11c, cis-11d, and trans-11d). In general, isomer 10 was formed in higher yield than isomer 11. In the case of the reaction of 8 with diazo(phenyl)methane (3d), a mixture of two pairs of diastereoisomers was formed, of which two, namely cis-10d and trans-10d, could be isolated as pure compounds. The isomers cis-11d and trans-11d remained as a mixture. In the reactions of the thioxohydrazone 9 with diazo compounds 3b and 3d, the main products were
the alkenes 18 and 23, respectively. Their formation was rationalized by a 1,3-dipolar electrocyclization of the corresponding thiocarbonyl ylide and subsequent desulfurization of the intermediate thiiran. As minor products, 2,5-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-5-amines 21 and 24 were obtained, which have been formed by 1,5-dipolar electrocyclization of the thiocarbonyl ylide, followed by a 1,3-shift of the dimethylamino group.


The topotypic material of the giant Late Miocene hyaenid Allohyaena kadici Kretzoi is described. New data on the deciduous dentition shows unambiguously that A. kadici is a hyaenid and not a percrocutid as reported by some previous authors. A. kadici is compared to the large hyaenids Adcrocuta eximia and Crocuta crocuta. These comparisons show that A. kadici has a mixture of primitive characters such as dp4 morphology, retention of m2, long and slender premolars and a large protocone on P4, and derived characters such as a preparastyle on P4, an internal root on P3 and a uniquely derived talonid structure of ml. This combination of features makes A. kadici difficult to classify, but it is considered to probably be most closely related to derived, bone-cracking hyaenids such as Pachycrocuta and Crocuta. A. kadici is rare in the fossil record, being found at only two sites. We suggest that the reason for this rarity is that it had a geographic and stratigraphic range which is poorly sampled in the Miocene fossil record of Europe.


ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 08 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com A field experiment was conducted during rainy season of two consecutive years (2011 and 2012), in sandy loam soils of Warangal, Telangana State to study the response of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) to drip irrigation and nitrogen fertigation under semi-arid environment. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications. Three irrigation schedules viz. drip irrigation at 100% Pan Evaporation (PE); 150% PE and 200% PE were taken as main plots and three nitrogen levels through fertigation viz. 90, 120 and 150 kg/ha were taken as subplots. The data revealed that the growth parameters of aerobic rice like LAI, SPAD chlorophyll meter reading, tillers/m 2 and drymatter accumulation were significantly higher in 200% PE schedule compared to that of 100% PE but comparable with 150% PE except for drymatter accumulation. Drymatter accumulation at maturity, root volume and dry weight were more at 200% PE compared to that of lower schedules. The number of panicles/m 2 and filled spikelets/ panicle increased from 100% PE to 150% PE but not at 200% PE while sterility of spikelets was higher with 100% PE schedule. Higher grain and straw yield, nitrogen uptake and economics were recorded with 200% PE over the other two schedules. Irrespective of the irrigation schedules, growth parameters (plant height, LAI, SPAD meter reading, tillers/m 2 and drymatter accumulation), yield attributes (panicles/m 2 , panicle length and filled spikelets/panicle) increased with level of N application from 90 to 120 kg N/ha while root volume and dry weight were higher at 150 kg N/ha. The number of days taken to reach 50 per cent flowering was not influenced by irrigation schedules but influenced by the nitrogen levels during first year in which the plots supplied with 150 kg N/ha flowered earlier than other N levels. The sterility of spikelets was higher at 90 kg N/ha compared to other doses. Grain yield, straw yield, nitrogen uptake and economic parameters were higher at 150 kg N/ ha compared to lower N levels. Water use-efficiency reduced with increased water input from 100% PE schedule to 200% PE but increased with the increase in N level from 90 to 150 kg N/ha during both the years of study. In contrary, nitrogen use efficiency was enhanced with the increase in water input in drip irrigation and reduced with the increase in N level of application. Gross returns, net returns and benefit: cost ratio were higher in drip irrigation schedule of 200% PE and 150 kg N/ha closely followed by that realized at 120 kg N/ ha in the same irrigation schedule. K e y w o r d s Aerobic rice, Drip irrigation, Fertigation, Nitrogen-use efficiency, Root volume, Water-use efficiency and Yield Accepted: 08 July 2018

https://www.ijcmas.com/7-8-2018/B. Padmaja and M. Malla Reddy.pdf


A popular trend in today's development debate is to highlight arguments favouring local production, local entrepreneurship, or the importance of buying local. But what do we actually mean when we talk about the term "local". Similar to other popular development terms, the concept "local" seems to be used in a wide variety of meanings and interpretations. Furthermore, the term "local" is also often connected as an important component in the perhaps even more vague argumentations for sustainable development. The conventional view of development, based on economic growth, promotes expansion in space and compression in time – a global market economy. This dominant technical-economic approach largely use general technological and institutional policies and solutions more suitable for urban large-scale structures. Such structures and policies thereby tend to hamper what often is seen as local development.Initially, the article discusses the term "local" using a geographical time-spatial conceptual approach. With the use of empirical field studies focusing on rural local development in Sweden, the article thereafter apply the approach in an analytical framework to clarify and identify the meaning(s) of the term local, and identify the possibilities and constraints of processes of change in time and space – e.g. local development. In so doing, the time-spatial approach provide a possibility to identify the potential for alternative interwoven applicable local policy instruments and strategies.


This study provides a conceptual framework to explain the difficulties a late-follower country will need to surmount if it seeks to join pre-existing international production networks (IPNs). To address this problem, we consider the cost minimization problem that confronts multinational firms as they choose how to locate fragmented production processes across borders. By clarifying IPN-related costs, we describe the structural disadvantages that confront late-follower countries and provide several policy implications that may help these countries overcome their disadvantages through targeted efforts. We use our framework to guide our examination of economic data, to analyze the hurdles that limit India's participation in the East Asian IPNs.


The responsibility of the course provider or instructor is to formulate (i) objectives (ii) instructional activities and materials and (iii) assessments. An assignment in a lab course aimed at achieving the student outcomes (i) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering and (ii) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyse and interpret data is described here. The objective was set as training the students to use engineering and mathematical knowledge they have to designing and conducting 'Development Experiments' as well as analyzing and interpreting data using the Scientific Method. The task started from the observation that even though the NC program is set to produce a nominal value in an NC machining process, there is a variation in the dimension that has been produced. The students were asked to carry out an experiment to determine the process capability of a DMG turning center. The instructional method used, comprised of three components (i) pre-class guided learning (ii) in-class discussion and (iii) post-class planning before the lab class. Twenty four students produced twenty four samples each having five trials (components). The data was collected systematically and statistical methods were used to analyze and interpret data. The students were assessed in (i) designing the experiment (ii) conducting and collecting data (iii) analyzing the data and (iv) interpreting the data and drawing conclusions. The results showed enthusiastic participation and very good performance. A post-class survey would have identified the areas where they have had substantial benefits and where improvements could be made. However this has not been done. This hindsight led to the development of a questionnaire that could be used in the future.


We consider which labor market variables are the most informative for estimating and now-casting the U.S. output gap using a multivariate trend-cycle decomposition. Although the unemployment rate clearly contains important cyclical information, it also appears to reflect more persistent movements related to labor force participation that could distort inferences about the output gap. Instead, we show that the alternative U-2 unemployment rate (job losers as a percentage of the labor force) provides a more purely cyclical indicator of labor market conditions. To a lesser extent, but consistent with a link of the output gap to real labor costs in a New Keynesian setting, we also find that average hourly earnings are informative about the output gap.


Plantar Heel pain is one of the most commonly encountered problems of foot pain in active adults over the age of 40. One in ten people will experience heel pain, and for many the problem will have a significant impact upon their daily activities. This article focuses on the differential diagnosis, investigations and management of plantar heel pain in primary care. An evidenced based approach is presented for the treatment of plantar fasciitis, especially considering the multitude of treatment modalities available.


Sea-floor massive sulfide deposits represent a new type of base and precious metal resources that may be
exploited by future deep-sea mining operations. These deposits occur in diverse tectonic environments and
are mostly located along the global mid-ocean ridge system within international waters and arc-related settings
within the exclusive economic zones of the world's oceans. Much controversy is currently centered on the question
whether sea-floor massive sulfide deposits represent a significant resource of metals that could be exploited
to meet the metal demand of modern technology-based society.
Chemical analysis of sulfide samples from sea-floor hydrothermal vent sites worldwide shows that sea-floor
massive sulfides can be enriched in the minor elements Bi, Cd, Ga, Ge, Hg, In, Mo, Sb, Se, Te, and Tl, with
concentrations ranging up to several tens or hundreds of parts per million. The minor element content of seafloor
sulfides broadly varies with volcanic and tectonic setting. Massive sulfides on mid-ocean ridges commonly
show high concentrations of Se, Mo, and Te, whereas arc-related sulfide deposits can be enriched in Cd, Hg,
Sb, and Tl. Superposed on the volcanic and tectonic controls, the minor element content of sea-floor sulfides
is strongly influenced by the temperature-dependent solubility of these elements. The high- to intermediatetemperature
suite of minor elements, Bi, In, Mo, Se, and Te, is typically enriched in massive sulfides composed
of chalcopyrite, while the low-temperature suite of minor elements, Cd, Ga, Ge, Hg, Sb, and Tl, is more typically
associated with sphalerite-rich massive sulfides. Temperature-related minor element enrichment trends
observed in modern sea-floor hydrothermal systems are broadly comparable to those encountered in fossil
massive sulfide deposits.
Although knowledge on the mineralogical sequestration of the minor elements in sea-floor massive sulfide
deposits is limited, a significant proportion of the total amount of minor elements contained in massive sulfides
appears to be incorporated into the crystal structure of the main sulfide minerals, including pyrite, pyrrhotite,
chalcopyrite, sphalerite, wurtzite, and galena. In addition, the over 80 trace minerals recognized represent
important hosts of minor elements in massive sulfides. As modern sea-floor sulfides have not been affected by
metamorphic recrystallization and remobilization, the minor element distribution and geometallurgical properties
of the massive sulfides may differ from those of ancient massive sulfide deposits.
The compilation of geochemical data from samples collected from hydrothermal vent sites worldwide now
permits a first-order evaluation of the global minor element endowment of sea-floor sulfide deposits. Based on
an estimated 600 million metric tons (Mt) of massive sulfides in the neovolcanic zones of the world's oceans, the
amount of minor elements contained in sea-floor deposits is fairly small when compared to land-based mineral
resources. Although some of the minor elements are potentially valuable commodities and could be recovered
as co- or by-products from sulfide concentrates, sea-floor massive sulfide deposits clearly do not represent a
significant or strategic future resource for these elements.


Herbal drugs are believed to enhance the natural immunity of the human body against viral and microbial infection and improve response; their immunomodulatory activities have been reported in numerous plants. In this study, fifty plant alcoholic extracts were screened for their potential immunomodulatory activity using invitro human lymphocyte transformation assay (LTA). Among the screened extracts, Aralia victoria, Boswellia carteri, Cyperus rotundus, Ginkgo biloba, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Olea europaea and Rosmarinus officinalis were capable to induce 96.67%, 32.22%, 11.11%, 5.56%, 25.56%, 13.33% and 2.22% respectively of lymphocyte transformation in comparison to Concanavalin-A (20.5%). Subsequently, each extract was further subjected to bio-guided fractionation using LTA. The bio-guided fractionation revealed that Dichloromethane and Petroleum-ether fractions from Glycyrrhiza glabra and Boswellia carteri stimulate the transformation of human lymphocytes by 86% and 28% respectively. This finding stimulated the interest to pursue a comprehensive study on the possible contribution of the commonly known and structurally related triterpens of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Boswellia carteri and their derivatives as potential immunomodulators and their possible use as immune enhancer in many infectious and cancer diseases.


This paper investigates the link between mortgage supply shocks at the banklevel and regional house price growth in the U.S. using micro-level data on mortgage markets from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act for the 1990-2014 period. Our results suggest that bank-specific mortgage supply shocks indeed affect house price growth at the regional level. The larger the idiosyncratic shocks to newly issued mortgages, the stronger is house price growth. We show that the positive link between idiosyncratic mortgage shocks and regional house price growth is very robust and economically meaningful, however not very persistent since it fades out after two years.


OBJECTIVE The E23K variant in the Kir6.2 subunit of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP channel) is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The present study was undertaken to increase our understanding of the mechanisms responsible. To avoid confounding effects of hyperglycemia, insulin secretion and action were studied in subjects with the variant who had normal glucose tolerance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Nine subjects with the E23K genotype K/K and nine matched subjects with the E/E genotype underwent 5-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs), graded glucose infusion, and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with stable-isotope–labeled tracer infusions to assess insulin secretion, action, and clearance. A total of 461 volunteers consecutively genotyped for the E23K variant also underwent OGTTs. Functional studies of the wild-type and E23K variant potassium channels were conducted. RESULTS Insulin secretory responses to oral and intravenous glucose were reduced by ∼40% in glucose-tolerant subjects homozygous for E23K. Normal glucose tolerance with reduced insulin secretion suggests a change in insulin sensitivity. The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp revealed that hepatic insulin sensitivity is ∼40% greater in subjects with the E23K variant, and these subjects demonstrate increased insulin sensitivity after oral glucose. The reconstituted E23K channels confirm reduced sensitivity to inhibitory ATP and increase in open probability, a direct molecular explanation for reduced insulin secretion. CONCLUSIONS The E23K variant leads to overactivity of the KATP channel, resulting in reduced insulin secretion. Initially, insulin sensitivity is enhanced, thereby maintaining normal glucose tolerance. Presumably, over time, as insulin secretion falls further or insulin resistance develops, glucose levels rise resulting in type 2 diabetes.


China is experiencing a nutrition transition which is coextensive with its rapid economic growth, and the most dramatic changes can be seen in food structure and nutritional demand. However, the relationship between income growth and changes in the demand for nutrients are still unclear. This paper uses household survey data and a direct method to estimate the income elasticities for 22 nutrients to fill the gap in the current literature. Our results show that the income elasticities of most nutrients are quite small and vary for different income groups, which implie that economic success has different influence on nutrition status for different families and the effect is not substantial.


We introduce GRAMPS, a programming model that generalizes concepts from modern real-time graphics pipelines by exposing a model of execution containing both fixed-function and application-programmable processing stages that exchange data via queues. GRAMPS allows the number, type, and connectivity of these processing stages to be defined by software, permitting arbitrary processing pipelines or even processing graphs. Applications achieve high performance using GRAMPS by expressing advanced rendering algorithms as custom pipelines, then using the pipeline as a rendering engine. We describe the design of GRAMPS, then evaluate it by implementing three pipelines, that is, Direct3D, a ray tracer, and a hybridization of the two, and running them on emulations of two different GRAMPS implementations: a traditional GPU-like architecture and a CPU-like multicore architecture. In our tests, our GRAMPS schedulers run our pipelines with 500 to 1500KB of queue usage at their peaks.


Analysis of survey results from U.S. residents ( N = 288) watching foreign content on Netflix found that respondents watch foreign content more than they did before starting to access it through the platform and hold favorable attitudes toward foreign countries and subtitles. The data also support a theorized synergistic relationship between viewing frequency and use of the recommendation system for foreign content discovery. Results are discussed in terms of accessibility and cultural affinity as video on demand (VOD) platform affordances that may affect global media flows from the reception side. Implications for passive soft power accumulation are also considered.


A all hydrocarbons wellbores experience multiphase flow in the form of varied combinations of gas oil and/or water fractions. The prediction of multiphase flow characteristics such as the pressure drop and phase fractions is an important requirement in the prediction of the tubing performance relationship (TPR) in these wellbores. Numerous multiphase flow models/correlations exist for these predictions but present limitations in their applicability for varied flow conditions, fluid properties and well configurations. In order to extend a range of applicability, this paper presents a new correlation derived from approximation of seven (7) flow correlations using regression analysis. A dimensionless two phase pressure gradient, flowrate and phase fraction relationships were established which is expected to present a good prediction of flow characteristics in varied flow conditions especially for bubble and slug flow regimes. The performance of this correlation was validated with field data derived from literature and compared with the existing correlations used for the approximation. The pressure gradient prediction and phase fraction Results from the comparative analysis showed an adequate +/-0.05% 2% deviation from the experimental data.


OBJECTIVES
We evaluated the racial misclassification of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in cancer incidence and all-cause mortality data by Indian Health Service (IHS) Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA).

METHODS
We evaluated data from 3 sources: IHS-National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), IHS-National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)/Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, and National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS). We calculated, within each data source, the sensitivity and classification ratios by sex, IHS region, and urban-rural classification by CHSDA county.

RESULTS
Sensitivity was significantly greater in CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 83.6%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 77.6%; NLMS: 68.8%) than non-CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 54.8%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 39.0%; NLMS: 28.3%). Classification ratios indicated less misclassification in CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 1.20%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 1.29%; NLMS: 1.18%) than non-CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 1.82%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 2.56%; NLMS: 1.81%). Race misclassification was less in rural counties and in regions with the greatest concentrations of AI/AN persons (Alaska, Southwest, and Northern Plains).

CONCLUSIONS
Limiting presentation and analysis to CHSDA counties helped mitigate the effects of race misclassification of AI/AN persons, although a portion of the population was excluded.


A hundred and seventy one patients with revealed rounded lung formations of tuberculous and non-tuberculous origins were examined. Mycobacterial antigens, cellular antituberculosis immunity, and antituberculosis antigens were determined. Cellular sensitization to mycobacterial antigens was found to develop in about 50% of patients with round lung formations of tuberculous origin. This sensitization to PPD was more revealed by BTR rather than by TMR. At the same time, the latter is positive in healthy donors and in patients with non-tuberculous abnormality. Finally it can be concluded that cell tests are little suitable for immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis. It was also ascertained that determination of antituberculosis antigens and antigenemia might be a important component of examinations of patients with rounded lung formations in order to make a differential diagnosis of tuberculosis and non-tuberculous abnormality as with their determination, high sensitivity and specificity of appropriate tests can be achieved. These tests are more informative for the immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis than that of infiltrative tuberculosis.


Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is considered as the second most important crop in the world after sugar cane in sugar production. Weed competition is considered as one of the major constrains to achieve maximum sugar beet yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and selectivity of the herbicide Pendimethalin for weed control and their effect on sugar beet growth and yield. A field experiment was conducted during 2017/18 winter season at the experimental farm, Faculty of agricultural Sciences Gezira University, Sudan. The herbicide Pendimethalin (Pendico50% EC) at two rates (3.6 and 4.8 kg a.i. ha-1) was applied as per-sowing, two weeks before planting and irrigated immediately after application. Hand weeded and un-wedded treatments were added as controls. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design in 4 replicates. Data were subjected to analysis of variance procedure (P ≤ 0.05). Pendimethalin at the lower rate (3.6 kg a.i. ha-1) exhibited slight phytotoxicity on sugar beet plant. The herbicide at the lower rate gave 82% grass weed control and 56% broadleaved weed control. The herbicide treatments significantly increased the root length, root diameter and root weight of sugar beet as compared to un-weeded check. Pendimethalin at the two rates tested gave significantly high root weight compared to un-weeded check. The herbicide treatments increased the gross sugar yield. Pendimethalin at 3.6 and 4.8 kg a.i. ha-1 gave significantly high gross sugar yield (0.74 – 0.52 tonha-1) compared to 0.15 kgha-1 gross sugar yield of the un-weeded control. It could be concluded that Pendimethalin at 3.6 kg a.i. ha-1 could be used for weed control in sugar beet to be applied and immediately irrigated two weeks before sowing of sugar beet. Further studies are needed to confirm their safety and inclusion in a management program.


Objective. We determined which children should be tested for elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in the face of financial and practical barriers to universal screening efforts and within 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations allowing health departments to develop BLL screening strategies. Methods. We used the Michigan database of BLL tests from 1998 through 2005, which contains address, Medicaid eligibility, and race data. Linking addresses to U.S. Census 2000 data by block group provided neighborhood sociodemographic and housing characteristics. To derive an equation predicting BLL, we treated BLL as a continuous variable and used Hierarchical Linear Modeling to estimate the prediction equation. Results. Census block groups explained more variance in BLL than tracts and much more than dichotomized zip code risk (which is current pediatric practice). Housing built before 1940, socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic characteristics of the block group, child characteristics, and empirical Bayesian residuals explained more than 41% of the variance in BLL during 1998–2001. By contrast, zip code risk and Medicaid status only explained 15% of the BLL variance. An equation using 1998–2001 BLL data predicted well for BLL tests performed in 2002–2005. While those who received BLL tests had above-average risk, this method produced minimal bias in using the prediction equation for all children. Conclusions. Our equation offers better specificity and sensitivity than using dichotomized zip codes and Medicaid status, thereby identifying more high-risk children while also offering substantial cost savings. Our prediction equation can be used with a simple Internet-based program that allows health-care providers to enter minimal information and determine whether a BLL test is recommended.