We consider the problem of finding high-dimensional approximate nearest neighbors. We introduce an old style probabilistic formulation instead of the more general locality sensitive hashing (LSH) formulation, and show that at least for sparse problems it recognizes much more efficient algorithms than the sparseness destroying LSH random projections. Efficient algorithms for homogeneous (all coordinates have the same probability distribution) problems are well known, the most famous reference being the work by Broder in 1998. The main theme of this paper is to find its "best" generalization to heterogeneous (different coordinate probabilities) problems. We find a practical algorithm which is asymptotically best in a wide natural class of algorithms. Readers interested in the more complicated very best (at least up to date) can look up our previous work in 2010. The analysis of our algorithms reveals that its complexity is governed by an information like function, which we call "small leaves bucketing forest information." Any doubts whether it is "information" are dispelled by the aforementioned work.


BACKGROUND
All stages of development of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have not been equally studied. While initiation of drinking has been given considerable attention, other stages have not been as thoroughly investigated. It is not clear whether the same factors are associated consistently across early and late transitions in AUD involvement. High-risk family samples that are enriched for AUD vulnerability and transitions in AUD development offer an opportunity to examine influences across multiple stages of AUD development.

METHODS
Data from adolescents and young adults from high-risk families were used to study 4 transitions in AUD development-time to first drink, first drink to first problem, first drink to first diagnosis, and first problem to first diagnosis. Cox modeling was used to compare associations of parental AUD, parental separation, peer substance use, offspring ever-use of cannabis, trauma exposures, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology across transitions.

RESULTS
Hazards of most transitions were elevated for those who had ever used cannabis, those who attributed substance use to their peers, those with externalizing disorders, and those with parents with AUD. Many risk factors were linked to early initiation of alcohol, particularly cannabis use. Internalizing disorders were associated with later stages. Nonassaultive trauma was associated only with early initiation; assaultive trauma was not associated with any transition.

CONCLUSIONS
In this large, ethnically diverse sample of high-risk youth, significant influences across transitions were fairly consistent, with externalizing disorders and cannabis ever-use elevating the likelihood of each stage, and peer and parental (and especially maternal AUD) influences linked to initiation and some later stages. Finally, in light of the increasingly permissive legal and social stances toward cannabis in the United States, the marked elevations of all alcohol outcomes observed for cannabis use underscore the importance of studying the underpinnings of this relationship.


Infants become increasingly exposed to sweet-tasting foods in their first year of life. However, it is still unclear whether repeated exposure to sweet taste is linked to infants' sweetness liking during this period. Making use of data from the OPALINE cohort, this study aimed to examine the link between sweetness exposure and sweetness liking during two important periods in early infant feeding: at the start of complementary feeding (3-6 months) and the transition to the family table (10-12 months). Infants' sweetness exposure was assessed using seven-day food records which were completed by mothers every month (n=312), reporting daily consumption rates of formula/breast milk or complementary food and the type of formula milk and/or complementary foods for each feeding occasion. Infants' sweetness liking was studied in the laboratory at three, six, and twelve months of age by assessing their response to a lactose-water solution and the amount drunk of this solution compared to plain water. Linear regressions and SEM assessed associations between exposure to and liking for sweetness at six and twelve months. Neither at six (n=182) nor at twelve months (n=197) was sweetness exposure associated with sweetness liking. While sweetness liking at three months was unrelated to liking at six months, the latter predicted sweetness liking at twelve months. These findings demonstrate no association between sweetness exposure at three to twelve months and liking at six and twelve months despite a sharp increase in sweetness exposure in that period. However, sweetness liking at six and twelve months was positively associated.


In this paper, we consider the direct kinematic problem of a parallel robot (called the Stewart platform or left hand) from a mathematical point of view. We do not try to give real time and numerical solutions to this problem but describe tools of effective algebra, which can help us to know a little more about the geometric aspects of the question. A simple proof that the number of solutions we are expecting is actually 40 is then given. We use explicit eliminations techniques, in order to get rid of the solution at infinity and we use Bezout's theorem on surfaces with circularity to conclude. One main obstacle in the natural approach, via symbolic computations, is the great size of the polynomials appearing during the computations. We also try to show how the use of invariant theory and intrinsic approach may "factorize" the results in a more understandable way. In this text, the reader will also find some examples of successful and helful use of a symbolic system (i.e. Maple).


Task-free continual learning (CL) aims to learn a non-stationary data stream without explicit task definitions and not forget previous knowledge. The widely adopted memory replay approach could gradually become less effective for long data streams, as the model may memorize the stored examples and overfit the memory buffer. Second, existing methods overlook the high uncertainty in the memory data distribution since there is a big gap between the memory data distribution and the distribution of all the previous data examples. To address these problems, for the first time, we propose a principled memory evolution framework to dynamically evolve the memory data distribution by making the memory buffer gradually harder to be memorized with distributionally robust optimization (DRO). We then derive a family of methods to evolve the memory buffer data in the continuous probability measure space with Wasserstein gradient flow (WGF). The proposed DRO is w.r.t the worst-case evolved memory data distribution, thus guarantees the model performance and learns significantly more robust features than existing memory-replay-based methods. Extensive experiments on existing benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods for alleviating forgetting. As a by-product of the proposed framework, our method is more robust to adversarial examples than existing task-free CL methods. Code is available on GitHub \url{https://github.com/joey-wang123/DRO-Task-free}


The contents of lead and cadmium in the leaves of Chinese Rose along 4th ring roads in Beijing were determined respectively, and index of air environment pollution of plants was introduced to study the relationship between the content of lead and cadmium in leaves and air pollution. The results revealed that the air quality based from lead content in leaves at many locations belong to strongly polluted status, while the air quality based on cadmium content of Chinese Rose leaves at many location belonged to extremely polluted status. It is practical to evaluate air pollution conditions using content of heavy metal (such as lead and cadmium) in leaves of plant.


Randomised control trials (RCTs) have attracted increasing attention in evaluation of public policy. They have become some sort of gold standard to determine "what works" in international development. However, in some cases, the key feature of RCTs – the random allocation of treatment(s) – may be unethical, politically infeasible, or simply impossible. This paper discusses the main barriers to answer causal questions of key interest in policy evaluation. It then reviews approaches complement to RCTs which can be used to answer evaluation questions in conjunction with RCTs and alternatives useful whenever RCTs are not applicable. The paper discusses issues in drawing causal inference from these alternative approaches and provides some examples from specific sectors where standard RCTs are less likely to be applicable.


The localization of neuropathological lesions along deep sulci and fissures is one of the characteristics of a cerebrum damaged by methylmercury. Edematous changes in white matter have been proposed as the cause of the localization of lesions; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying methylmercury-induced edema remain unclear. Since the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) system regulates vascular permeability and can be involved in the progression of edematous changes, we examined the effect of methylmercury on the expression of VEGF-related proteins in cultured human brain microvascular endothelial cells and pericytes. After methylmercury exposure, mRNA and protein levels of VEGF-A in pericytes and placenta growth factor (PlGF) and VEGF-receptor-1/-2 in endothelial cells were elevated. The induction of pericyte VEGF-A expression was independent of hypoxia-inducible factor-α and hypoxia-response element signaling. Taken together, these results suggest that methylmercury activates the VEGF system in brain microvessels in a paracrine fashion. When the activation occurs in narrow areas such as along the deep sulci in the cerebrum, hyperpermeability and subsequent edematous changes would cause a circulatory disturbance and result in neural cell damage. We propose this as a reason for the localization of the neuropathological lesions along the deep sulci and fissures in the cerebral cortex, such as the calcarine fissure, in patients with Minamata disease.


Importance Following negative randomized clinical trials, US guidelines downgraded support for routine manual aspiration thrombectomy (AT) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, some PCI operators continue to endorse a clinical benefit with AT use despite the lack of supportive data. Objective To examine temporal trends and comparative outcomes of AT use during pPCI for STEMI. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI Registry from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2016, to assess temporal trends and in-hospital outcomes associated with AT use. To evaluate outcomes through 180 days, a subanalysis was conducted among Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services–linked patients from July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2014. The comparative effectiveness analysis was performed using instrumental variable analyses to account for treatment selection bias. The instrumental variable was operator's preference to use AT during pPCI. Data were analyzed between February 1, 2017, and April 1, 2018. Exposures Aspiration thrombectomy use during pPCI for STEMI. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes included in-hospital stroke and death. Secondary outcomes included heart failure, stroke, all-cause rehospitalization, and death through 180 days of follow-up. Results Among all pPCIs performed (683 584), the mean (SD) age of patients was 61.7 (12.8) years, 489 257 were male (71.6%), and 596 384 were white (87.2%). Among patients undergoing pPCI, AT use increased from 2009 through 2011, with peak use of 13.8%. This was followed by a decline of more than 9%, reaching 4.7% by mid-2016. Overall, AT was used in 10.8% of pPCIs (lowest operator group median, 0%; highest operator group median, 33.8%). After instrumental variable analysis, AT use was associated with no difference in in-hospital death (adjusted absolute risk difference, −0.18%; 95% CI, −0.53% to 0.16%; P = .29) and a small increase in in-hospital stroke (adjusted RD, 0.14%; 95% CI, 0.01%-0.30%; P = .03). Among Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services–linked patients, AT use was not associated with differences in death, heart failure, stroke, or rehospitalization at 180 days. Conclusions and Relevance In this large, nationwide analysis, AT use during STEMI pPCI declined by more than 50% since 2011, with use as of mid-2016 at less than 5%. Selective AT use was associated with a small excess risk of in-hospital stroke and no difference in other outcomes through 180 days of follow-up.


OBJECTIVE: To determine which proposed risk factor, work activity (industrial v clerical), body mass index (BMI), or other demographic factors had the most influence on the prevalence of median mononeuropathy at the wrist, and if there was an interaction between the risk factors. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study of active workers at five different worksites; four were industrial sites and one was clerical. 527 workers were recruited--164 clerical and 363 industrial. The presence of a median mononeuropathy in either hand was measured by electrodiagnostic techniques comparing median and ulnar sensory latencies. RESULTS: 30% of workers had an abnormality of the median sensory nerve at the wrist (34% of the industrial v 21% of the clerical workers). The adjusted risk for industrial workers was twice that of clerical workers. Obese workers (BMI > 29) were four times more likely to present with a median mononeuropathy than workers who were normal or slender (BMI < 25). There was no significant interaction between BMI and worksite in relation to median mononeuropathy. Increasing age was also related to an increased risk of median mononeuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity, industrial work, and age are independent risk factors that influence the prevalence of median mononeuropathies among active workers.


Steel reinforced concrete blocks were subjected to electrochemical chloride extraction after they were dosed with chlorides. Following treatment, the blocks were exposed to the elements at the BRE exposure site for a period of up to 6 years. A selection of blocks were cut into smaller steel-containing prisms after 4 ½ years of exposure and were exposed to controlled laboratory conditions for 6 months while determining the level of corrosion by linear polarisation. At termination, each steel bar was removed and examined visually. The level of corrosion of each bar was also assessed gravimetrically. The final chloride concentration profile of each prism to a depth beyond the steel bars was also determined.

Results suggested that corrosion was reduced significantly following chloride extraction but that the primary controlling factor, both for the desalinated and control specimens, was the level of chloride present at the depth of the steel reinforcement.

Coating the concrete after treatment resulted in an overall increase in corrosion level, possibly because the coatings were not coherent and allowed moisture to penetrate the concrete through cracks and defects which could not subsequently escape owing to the coating.


Background Pain and stress induced by mechanical ventilation, invasive procedures, or painful diseases supports the use of sedation/analgesia (S/A) in newborns admitted to Neonatal Units (NNUs). To date, these practices have not been studied on a large scale. Objective To determine current clinical practices regarding the use of S/A drugs in NNUs across the United Kingdom (UK). Design/Methods A European epidemiological observational study on clinical practices regarding bedside use of S/A collected data for all neonates in participating NNUs until the infant left the unit (discharge, death, transfer) or for up to 28 days. Data collection occurred via an online database for 1 month at each NNU. Neonates up to 44 weeks gestation were included. Results From February 2013 to May 2013, 66 UK NNUs collected data on 2691 eligible neonates. Of these, 713 received tracheal ventilation and 1978 had spontaneous breathing or non-invasive ventilation. The median (IQR) gestational age of ventilated neonates [32.1 (27.9–38.6)] was lower than for non-ventilated neonates [37.0 (34.1–39.7), p < 0.001]. Overall, more ventilated neonates [83.0% (n = 592)] received S/A drugs than non-ventilated neonates [7.4% (n = 147); p < 0.001]. The table shows S/A drugs used in ventilated neonates. Abstract PC.77 Table Ventilated and S/A, n = 592 Non-ventilated, and S/A n = 147 Fentanyl 105 (17.7%) 4 (2;7%) Midazolam 55 (9.3%) 3 (2.0%) Paracetamol 17 (2.9%) 92 (62.6%) Morphine 592 (91.6%) 44 (29.9%) Sufentanil 2 (0.3%) 0 Neuroblocker 352 (59.4%) 0 Conclusions Most ventilated but few non-ventilated neonates receive S/A therapy in UK NNUs. Wide variations in rates of S/A use and drugs used exist among centres.


One of the dominant themes of Eric Ambler's novels of the 1930s is certainly the crossing of frontiers as both a physical and symbolic element, which results not only in the living of a nightmarish adventure but also in what spy fiction expert Michael Denning defines as 'loss of innocence'. Focusing mainly on two of Ambler's novels, Epitaph for a Spy and Cause for Alarm, the essay analyses the experience abroad as a challenge both for the protagonists' worldviews and for the readers' expectations based on formula conventions. If in Epitaph for a Spy Vadassy is misled by his preconceived ideas and deductive approach, Marlow in Cause for Alarm will have to reconsider his ideas on corruption, originally attributed to the Italians, when forced to acknowledge British involvement in arms traffic in the name of business. At the same time, though, Ambler uses his characters and plots to force the formula conventions of espionage literature, presenting anti-heroes no longer driven by patriotic values and acting against their will; moreover, he introduces business as a new enemy with no frontiers, and moral dilemmas that defy easy good/bad distinctions. Using suggestions of popular literature studies, we have tried to show Ambler's successful attempt at breaking the barriers between formulaic and mimetic fiction, through novels that possess escapist features and yet reveal a great deal of the real context of the 1930s, of which the author showed deep awareness.


Over the past four decades the median length of the papers published in the "top five" economic journals has grown by nearly 300 percent. We study the effects of a page limit policy introduced by the American Economic Review (AER) in mid-2008 and subsequently adopted by the Journal of the European Economic Association (JEEA) in 2009. We find that the imposition of a 40-page limit on submissions led to no change in the flow of new papers to the AER. Instead, authors responded by shortening and reformatting their papers. For JEEA, in contrast, we conclude that the page-limit policy led authors of longer papers to submit to other journals. These results imply that the AER has substantial monopoly power over submissions, while JEEA faces a very competitive market. Evidence from both journals, and from citations to published papers in the top journals, suggests that longer papers are of higher quality than shorter papers, so the loss of longer submissions at JEEA may have led to a drop in quality. Despite a modest impact of the AER's policy on the average length of submissions, the policy had little or no effect on the length of final accepted manuscripts.


The human being who realizes that the fire makes the clay durable searched for the way of cooking as for the pottery produced by humanity during the period when the cooking pit is not made yet. They fried forms, which were made of clay, with flammable materials until the invention of the cooking pit. They used the primitive firing methods either in the cooking pit or outdoor cooking as for the respective forms. Today, although there are many opportunities such as increasing demands, material diversity and fast firing methods with the development of technology, there are still regions that are using primitive methods for cooking the forms. In addition to that, the firing techniques that used technology provides controlled and standard products advantages. That is why; it is also used as a primary or secondary firing technique in workshops. In this study; the villages, which are engaged to pottery firing business in the Central Anatolia Region, namely, Gelveri District, Mihalıççık District, Sorkun Village, Velihimmetli Village, Ahılı Village, and Sille Village have been examined and there firing methods and types of cooking pits are illustrated with the photographs.


Introduction: PEGylation is a widely used method to prolong the half-life of therapeutic proteins. Long-acting factor VIII (FVIII) products developed through PEGylation may potentially reduce the burden associated with prophylaxis in patients with hemophilia A. BAY 94-9027 is a prolonged-half-life FVIII product modified through site-specific addition of a 60-kDa (2 × 30-kDa branched) PEG via a maleimide linker to a cysteine amino acid. BAY 1025662 is the 60-kDa PEG moiety used for PEGylation including linker and cysteine (PEG-60-Mal-Cys). In toxicology studies, BAY 94-9027 and BAY 1025662 were not associated with any adverse events or PEG-related cellular vacuolation (Ivens et al. Haemophilia. 2013;19:11-20). The rate-limiting clearance of the PEG part of PEGylated proteins after metabolism is expected to be similar to that when the corresponding PEG is administered alone (Baumann et al. Drug Discov Today . 2014;19:1623-1631). The study objective was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and mass balance of total radioactivity in male Wistar rats after a single intravenous (IV) administration of [14C]-labeled BAY 1025662, including size exclusion chromatography profiles of urine at selected time points. Methods: Radiolabeled BAY 1025662 ([prop-14C]BAY 1025662) was synthesized using a 2-step process resulting in a maleimide linker bearing the [14C] label at the propionic acid moiety. Radioactivity following a single IV dose of 11 mg/kg (the estimated maximal human PEG dose over ~30 years9 treatment with BAY 94-9027) was determined in body fluids, organs and tissues, and in excreta by liquid scintillation counting after appropriate sample preparation and by quantitative whole-body autoradiography during and at the end of the study. Results: Single-dose mass balance studies using [prop-14C]BAY 1025662 showed that 30.4% of administered radioactivity was excreted within 1 week (23.7% in urine and 6.3% in feces); cumulative excretion at day 168 via urine and feces was 82.6% of the administered dose (68.4% via urine, 13.8% via feces). High-performance liquid chromatography profiling analysis of rat urine suggested that BAY 1025662 is excreted nearly unchanged (74% of total radioactivity, corresponding to 17.6% of dose, present unchanged in urine in the 0- to 168-hour interval). Radioactivity was continuously, albeit slowly, eliminated throughout the study; elimination half-life was 23 and 24 days in blood and plasma, respectively. The corresponding elimination half-lives of radioactivity were 33, 31, 39, 54, and 68 days in the liver, skin, carcass, testes, and kidneys, respectively. Elimination was almost complete at the end of experiment, with a total recovery of radioactivity (cumulative excretion plus residues in animals) of 89% on day 168. Following [prop-14C]BAY 1025662 administration, radioactivity was slowly distributed from blood to peripheral organs, reaching maximum concentration 2 hours postdose; highest maximum concentration was observed in blood, followed by lung and liver. At day 168, only ~4% of the administered radioactive dose was still present in the animal body, partially localized in endocrine/exocrine glands and lymphatic organs. No residual radioactivity was observed in the brain, indicating no crossing of the blood-brain barrier. Conclusions: Following single-dose administration of [prop-14C]BAY 1025662, elimination was almost complete by the end of the experiment on day 168. These results suggest that there are excretion processes in place for high-molecular-weight PEGs such as the PEG 60 moiety used in BAY 94-9027. Two clearance processes are proposed for large PEGs (>30 kDa), as indicated by a faster initial excretion over the first 1-2 weeks, followed by a nonspecific uptake into cells by pinocytosis leading to a longer elimination half-life. The PEG moiety can be recycled from inside the cells back to the plasma, possibly by exocytosis, to then undergo further (mainly renal) excretion (Baumann et al. Drug Discov Today . 2014;19:1623-1631). Disclosures Baumann: Bayer AG: Employment. Schwarz: Bayer AG: Employment. Hucke: Bayer AG: Employment. Piel: Bayer AG: Employment. Sandmann: Bayer AG: Employment.


The paper proposes an analysis methodology of energy consumptions in the railway field, presenting a comparison between an analytical calculation model and some measurements. It is hereafter assessed the influence of some parameters which characterise the travel diagrams of trains. The first part illustrates the analysis of the measured speed profile of a regional passenger train and of a TGV train covering a conventional line, with a high grade (the Torino-Modane), then introducing the comparison with the hypothetical profile obtained through simulation. Such comparison therefore allows deducing and quantifying the differences between the real and the simulated travel diagram. The latter employs completely the traction performances of the convoy and, therefore, features the smaller travel time on the considered line. The second part of this paper focuses the attention on the run of a freight train covering only one of the first sections of the same line, through the integration of the motion equation implemented on a spread sheet. In this part the analysis is carried on introducing important simplifications, as neglecting the effects of the line profile (rather flat in the considered stretch), in order to facilitate the analytical model. With such assumptions the influence on energy consumptions due to the scheduled travel diagram and to the driving style is evaluated. Special emphasis is given on the consumption connected to the braking stages and the relevant influence on the maintenance of brakes and wheel-sets, which has a direct economic impact for the transport operators. The role of innovative technological solutions is highlighted


ABSTRACT This study is aimed at demonstrating the application of vegetation spectral techniques for detection and monitoring of the impact of oil spills on vegetation. Vegetation spectral reflectance from Landsat 8 data were used in the calculation of five vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), adjusted resistant vegetation index 2 (ARVI2), green-infrared index (G-NIR) and green-shortwave infrared (G-SWIR) from the spill sites (SS) and non-spill sites (NSS) in 2013 (pre-oil spill), 2014 (oil spill date) and 2015 (post-oil spill) for statistical comparison. The result shows that NDVI, SAVI, ARVI2, G-NIR and G-SWIR indicated a certain level of significant difference between vegetation condition at the SS and the NSS in December 2013. In December 2014 vegetation conditions indicated higher level of significant difference between the vegetation at the SS and NSS as follows where NDVI, SAVI and ARVI2 with p-value 0.005, G-NIR – p-value 0.01 and G-SWIR p-value 0.05. Similarly, in January 2015 a very significant difference with p-value <0.005. Three indices NDVI, ARVI2 and G-NIR indicated highly significant difference in vegetation conditions with p-value <0.005 between December 2013 and December 2014 at the same sites. Post-spill analysis shows that NDVI and ARVI2 indicated low level of significance difference p-value <0.05 suggesting subtle change in vegetation conditions between December 2014 and January 2015. This technique may help with the real time detection, response and monitoring of oil spills from pipelines for mitigation of pollution at the affected sites in mangrove forests.


Background Polyglutamine expansion is responsible for several neurodegenerative disorders, among which Huntington disease is the most well-known. Studies in the yeast model demonstrated that both aggregation and toxicity of a huntingtin (htt) protein with an expanded polyglutamine region strictly depend on the presence of the prion form of Rnq1 protein ([PIN +]), which has a glutamine/asparagine-rich domain. Principal Findings Here, we showed that aggregation and toxicity of mutant htt depended on [PIN +] only quantitatively: the presence of [PIN +] elevated the toxicity and the levels of htt detergent-insoluble polymers. In cells lacking [PIN +], toxicity of mutant htt was due to the polymerization and inactivation of the essential glutamine/asparagine-rich Sup35 protein and related inactivation of another essential protein, Sup45, most probably via its sequestration into Sup35 aggregates. However, inhibition of growth of [PIN +] cells depended on Sup35/Sup45 depletion only partially, suggesting that there are other sources of mutant htt toxicity in yeast. Conclusions The obtained data suggest that induced polymerization of essential glutamine/asparagine-rich proteins and related sequestration of other proteins which interact with these polymers represent an essential source of htt toxicity.


Supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms are aimed at maximizing classification performance under available energy and storage constraints. They try to map the training data to the corresponding labels while ensuring generalizability to unseen data. However, they do not integrate meaning-based relationships among labels in the decision process. On the other hand, natural language processing (NLP) algorithms emphasize the importance of semantic information. In this article, we synthesize the complementary advantages of supervised ML and NLP algorithms into one method that we refer to as SECRET (Semantically Enhanced Classification of REal-world Tasks). SECRET performs classifications by fusing the semantic information of the labels with the available data: it combines the feature space of the supervised algorithms with the semantic space of the NLP algorithms and predicts labels based on this joint space. Experimental results indicate that, compared to traditional supervised learning, SECRET achieves up to 14.0 percent accuracy and 13.1 percent F1 score improvements. Moreover, compared to ensemble methods, SECRET achieves up to 12.7 percent accuracy and 13.3 percent F1 score improvements. This points to a new research direction for supervised classification based on incorporation of semantic information.


The study of the different factors regulating the bioactivity of thyroid hormones is of utmost relevance for an adequate understanding of the glandular pathophysiology. These factors must be considered by the clinician in order to achieve a successful diagnosis and treatment of glandular diseases. Among the factors regulating bioactivity of thyroid hormones are the following: A) Plasmatic membrane hormone transporters, which tissue-specific expression is responsible for the cellular uptake of hormones, B) A set of deiodinating enzymes which activate or inactivate intracellular thyroid hormone, and C) Nuclear receptors which are responsible for the different cellular responses at the transcriptional level. This review compiles analysis and discusses the most recent findings regarding the regulation of thyroid hormone bioactivity, as well as the clinical relevance of different polymorphisms and mutations currently described for membrane transporters and deiodinases. In addition, the main issues and present and future study areas are identified.


With the rapid development of new natural gas resources in the United States has come a number of proposals for new natural gas transmission infrastructure. We use a unique and fine-grained data set on natural gas spot pricing and gas transmission operations to model how a local pipeline expansion connecting a Marcellus Shale producing area to the main Transco pipeline system would affect flow patterns and zonal gas pricing across the Transco. Our modeling approach is based on arbitrage cost models for constrained energy networks, accounting for the effects of zonal gas transmission rates as mandated by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Application of our model to a data set of daily gas market outcomes and operating conditions on the Transco between 2012 and mid 2014 suggests that the modeled pipeline expansion would increase overall economic welfare in the spot market for Transco deliveries by $1.7 billion and have positive net social benefits of about $0.4 billion. However, more than 80% of this estimated welfare gain occurs in one season (winter 2014) featuring high gas demand due to colder weather. Thus, the spot market efficiency gains associated with pipeline projects in the Marcellus region may be limited by the frequency of extreme cold weather conditions. To examine the sensitivity of our estimates of welfare gains to different weather conditions, we calculate the expected benefits of the pipeline expansion in terms of historical temperatures from 1992 to 2011, and find that Atlantic Sunrise would have increased welfare by approximately $1.8 billion over a two and half year period, on average.


Introduction The role of private funding in long-term care programmes (LTC) is increasing worldwide. As stated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), funding is a major tool for policy and planning. Although this is well accepted in the public sector, the policy aspects of private funding have been largely overlooked in the European countries, particularly in those with a consolidated welfare system. In these countries the private sector should complement the public sector in funding and promoting innovative strategies and change. Description Fundació Caixa Catalunya (FCC) is one of the 10 major private funding organisations in Spain. It is part of the social care work of the savings bank 'Caixa de Catalunya'. This institution is not only interested in providing funding for social care as usual, but it is also concerned with the development of innovative programmes in these areas. These programmes include a series of initiatives directly related to knowledge transfer and innovation such as the intergenerational living programmes, and the specific call for innovative support in Alzheimer disease, among several others. Conclusion Private funding may play a key role in the development of bridging and translational approaches to disabilities and ageing in Europe.


The collection of high quality, long term data from diverse environments is required if the interplay of the complex factors affecting phytoplankton bloom development is to be investigated. With this in mind the English Channel and Bay of Biscay between Portsmouth and Bilbao has been intensively monitored starting in 2002. In 2005 the 'FerryBox' suite of sensors measured temperature, salinity, fluorescence, oxygen and turbidity. The data are merged with position and can be viewed in real time at http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/ops. The ferry travels between Portsmouth and Bilbao completing a round trip every 3 days; measurements in water pumped in from 5 metres depth provide data which are collected every second. In 2005 the 'FerryBox' methods were improved to reduce the affects of bio fouling on the sensors; the sensors were systematically cleaned weekly and sensor calibrations made
from samples collected during monthly ferry crossings. These showed that the fluorescence and oxygen sensors were stable and a high quality dataset was produced. Calibration of the fluorescence sensor was monitored using extracted chlorophyll suspended in solid Perspex blocks. The 'FerryBox' dataset has been mapped against time and latitude to show the occurrence of phytoplankton blooms, using fluorescence, along with calculations of oxygen anomaly. Such continuous monitoring allows us to pinpoint the timings of phytoplankton bloom initiation and duration. The detailed data from the FerryBox allows the occurrence of these blooms to be correlated with other changes in the oceanic system, such as tidal energy, light and fresh water run off.
The methods used to process the data from the initial raw 1Hz ASCII files through to the quality controlled 5 minute set are documented together with the post processing resolution of system faults that caused errors in the measured salinity. The quality controlled data are archived as 5 minute
averages and are held by the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC).


The possibilities of antibacterial therapy in the clinics of burn diseases has at present decreased because of increasing microflora resistance to antibiotics. This phenomenon is one of the most often causes of antibacterial drug side effects in burn patients. For control of infections complications in burn patients which are most often lethal it is necessary to use biologically active subtance, such as prodigiozan and lysozime in addition to the directed antibiotic therapy. The use of specific antitoxic antistaphylococcal drugs, such as antistaphylococcal plasma and antistaphylococcal gamma-globulin in combination with the antibiotics of the direct action provided effective control of infectious complications and sepsis of staphylococcal genesis in burn patients. Decamine proved to be effective along with the usual use of nystatin in cases with dysbacteriosis as a result of the antibiotic side effects. In the patients treated with decamine the sings of candidosis disappeared by the 5th--7th day. Therefore, for decreasing the side effects of antibiotics in the clinics of burn patients it is expedient to use antibiotics in combination with the biologically active and immune preparations which increases the efficacy of antibiotic therapy, impfoves the treatment results and decreases the antibiotic side effects.


Wheat is widely grown in Trakya Region of Turkey. Thus many wheat varieties are introduced into the region every year. This wide range of wheat varieties cultivated in the region inevitably causes some problems such as low yield and quality, disease, sensitivity to cold and drought. Therefore, in this present study, the objective was to determine the best variety and nitrogen dose for wheat. The study was conducted in Experimental Field of Trakya Agricultural Research Institute in 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 growing periods. The experiment was set up according to randomized complete split blocks design with four replicates. Main plots consisted of the varieties (Gelibolu, Pehlivan, Turan-2000, Kate A-1 ve Golia) and sub-plots consisted of nitrogen doses (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 kg/da). Nitrogen was equally divided in three parts. First part was applied before seeding, second part was applied at tillering stage and third part was applied at jointing stage. In the first year, there was no significant difference between varieties as well as nitrogen doses. In the second year, Kate A-1 and Turan-2000 produced higher grain yield (539.9±35.1 and 537.0±39.8 kg/da, respectively) compared to other varieties. In this year, grain yield increased with increasing nitrogen doses. The highest grain yield (616.1±23.4 kg/da) was obtained from the highest nitrogen dose(16 kg/da). Nitrogen application improved the quality parameters of flour (gluten and sedimentation value). This effect continued until 8-16 kg/da nitrogen doses according to the varieties and years. In general, bread quality of flour obtained from Golia and Gelibolu varieties was higher than other varieties. Gelibolu is recommendable for Thrace region when both grain yield and flour quality are considered.


I read with interest the article titled "Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis Caused by Afferent Loop Stricture After Gastrectomy" by Mithofer and Warshaw 1 and would like to make the following comment. Contrary to what is stated by these authors, the mechanism by which afferent loop obstruction causes acute pancreatitis after a Polya gastrectomy is well established. A closed duodenal loop in dogs and rats produces severe acute pancreatitis that closely resembles clinical pancreatitis, and it results from the reflux of duodenal contents into the pancreatic duct. 2,3 Wallensten 4 recorded 12 deaths from pancreatitis after a Polya gastrectomy and attributed this to the occasional transformation of the afferent loop into a blind sac. Four similar, but nonfatal, cases were reported by Perman. 5 The anatomical abnormality is basically the same as in the canine experiments, and little doubt exists that reflux of duodenal contents is responsible for causing acute pancreatitis in


Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a nutrient‐dense food rich in proteins and minerals. Although a dietary staple in numerous regions, including Eastern and Southern Africa, greater utilization is limited by its long cooking time as compared with other staple foods. A fivefold genetic variability for cooking time has been identified for P. vulgaris, and to effectively incorporate the cooking time trait into bean breeding programs, knowledge of how genotypes behave across diverse environments is essential. Fourteen bean genotypes selected from market classes important to global consumers (yellow, cranberry, light red kidney, red mottled, and brown) were grown in 10 to 15 environments (combinations of locations, years, and treatments), and their cooking times were measured when either presoaked or unsoaked prior to boiling. The 15 environments included locations in North America, the Caribbean, and Eastern and Southern Africa that are used extensively for dry bean breeding. The cooking times of the 14 presoaked dry bean genotypes ranged from 16 to 156 min, with a mean of 86 min across the 15 production environments. The cooking times of the 14 dry bean genotypes left unsoaked ranged from 77 to 381 min, with a mean cooking time of 113 min. The heritability of the presoaked cooking time was very high (98%) and moderately high for the unsoaked cooking time (~60%). The genotypic cooking time patterns were stable across environments. There was a positive correlation between the presoaked and unsoaked cooking times (r = .64, p < 0.0001), and two of the fastest cooking genotypes when presoaked were also the fastest cooking genotypes when unsoaked (G1, Cebo, yellow bean; and G4, G23086, cranberry bean). Given the sufficient genetic diversity found, limited crossover Genotype × Environment interactions, and high heritability for cooking time, it is feasible to develop fast cooking dry bean varieties without the need for extensive testing across environments.


Background Trustworthy (i.e. low risk of bias) randomized clinical trials (RCTs) play an important role in evidence-based decision making. We aimed to systematically assess the risk of bias of trials published in high-impact endocrinology journals. Methods We searched the MEDLINE/PubMed database between 2014 and 2016 for phase 2–4 RCTs evaluating endocrine-related therapies. Reviewers working independently and in duplicate used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (CCRBT) to determine the extent to which the methods reported protected the results of each RCT from bias. Results We assessed 292 eligible RCTs, of which 40% (116) were judged to be at low risk, 43% (126) at moderate, and 17% (50) at high risk of bias. Blinding of outcome assessment was the least common domain reported 43% (125), while selective reporting of outcomes was the most common 97% (282). In multivariable analysis, RCTs with a parallel design (OR 2.4; 95% CI; 1.2–4.6) and funded by for-profit sources (OR 2.2; 95% CI; 1.3–3.6) were more likely to be at low risk of bias. Conclusions Trustworthy evidence should ultimately shape care to improve the likelihood of desirable patient outcomes. Six out-of 10 RCTs published in top endocrine journals are at moderate/high-risk of bias. Improving this should be a priority in endocrine research.


In school situations, the ability to memorize is very important for successful integration of children in the school process. When examining various literatures, I have come to conclusion that the majority of students deals with this kind of difficulties. Since in many children signs of learning disabilities appear already in preschool education, we can predict them with early diagnosis and moderate or even prevent them.
In the diploma seminar paper, I have focused on establishing the short-term memory skills in children who attend the last year of kindergarten and the first year of primary school. I also wanted to ascertain if there is a statistically important correlation between the ability of memorizing a sentence and the ability of memorizing a melody. Children were arranged into two groups: the first group consisted of children who had reached the score below the 25thpercentilein the A part of the Questionnaire for profile formation of five- and seven-year-olds before or at the beginning of primary school (Zver, 2011). These children were called children at risk for subsequent learning difficulties and were arranged into experimental group. The second group were children that had gained scores above the 25th percentile in the A part of the questionnaire and were named children who are not at risk for subsequent learning difficulties. They were placed into control group. I compared the test results of both groups.
The research was performed on the pattern of 60 children (30 from the kindergarten and 30 from primary school). In the process, kindergarten and school teachers/teaching assistants filled in the questionnaire mentioned above for each individual student, and I carried out a test of sentence and melody memorizing. Cronbach Alfa coefficient showed the appropriate reliability of both tests (0,745 on the test of memorizing a sentence and 0,823 on the test of memorizing a melody). Through descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical tests hypotheses were confirmed or disproved. Results showed that on average children in the experimental group gained lower results than children in the control group at both tests. As expected, primary school children did better at the test of memorizing a sentence whereas they achieved lower results at the test of melody memorizing – especially primary school girls – than children in the kindergarten. I find this to be connected with the reduction of music and art lessons in primary school in comparison to the kindergarten. What is more, there is a possibility that girls accommodate faster to a school situation that emphasizes analytical thinking than boys. In my research, girls therefore achieved better results in the test of sentence memorizing than boys. Children that go to music school gained in both tests on average better results than those who do not visit it. To conclude, music has a positive effect on other fields of school activity and I have come to conclusion that music as a means of teaching has a good influence on children and could be used more often as a goal activity in class lessons or in afterschool lessons. On the basis of statistically important correlation between the ability of sentence and melody memorizing, I can conclude that with the training of music-melodic memory the memory on the verbal field could indirectly be trained, which appears to be a very important ability for child's successful school progress.


The space irradiance isodose distribution of light delivered in tissue by an interstitial optical fibre may be determined by photographing the light diffusing out of the tissue. Provided that a plane of symmetry is photographed, it is shown that there is no significant distortion of the isodose distribution measured in this way. Two series of photographs were taken to test the method. In one set, a partially reflecting film was used to simulate the presence of the missing tissue. Isodose distributions obtained were in agreement with the predictions of diffusion theory. The isodoses were "scaled' by measuring the space irradiance at one point with a bulb-tipped optical fibre. Optical parameters are deduced from the measurements. The method, which is simple and fast in use, should be of wide applicability.


A 2-yr study (1991-1992) was conducted in a karst region in southeast West Virginia to determine the impact of agriculture on groundwater quality. The primary agriculture is characterized by seasonal cattle grazing. Fecal coliform densities were measured weekly in the resurgences of three karst basins possessing different degrees of agricultural intensity (79, 51, and 16% land use in agriculture). Fecal coliforms were also measured in a creek at sites upstream and downstream of the known resurgences from the most agriculturally intensive (79%) basin. The fecal coliform densities in the resurgences peaked in the summer and declined in the fall, with a recovery in late winter before the introduction of new cattle. The timing of the recovery indicated that significant storage of fecal material had taken place, which was transported to the groundwater when soil water conditions permitted. For most of each year, soil water effects appeared to have a greater bearing on the fecal coliform densities than did the presence or absence of cattle. The data did not generally support a strong relationship with percent land use in agriculture. This was attributed to the high variability in the data and to low soil moisture during periods of recession that inhibited the transport of fecal material to the groundwater. The karst resurgence springs of the most intensively agricultural basin were contaminated with fecal bacteria. Fecal bacteria concentrations were observed to significantly increase, in the receiving surface stream, from a point upstream of the resurgence springs to a point downstream of the resurgence springs.


Nanotechnology is a field that, over the years, has been growing in several research areas, such as medicine, agriculture and cosmetics, among others. As a result, there is a continuous increase in the production, use and disposal of these materials in the environment. The behaviour and (bio) activity of these materials in the atmosphere, water and soil are not fully studied. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an analysis of the risks of contamination, as well as the possible effects and impacts of nanoparticles (NPs) on the ecosystem. In an attempt to investigate these effects on plants, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) on the seed germination process of Sesbania virgata. For this, the Sesbania virgata seeds were subjected to different concentration of CuO NPs (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mgL-1) and their germination and development were monitored by optical analysis (thermography and chlorophyll a fluorescence). The results show that the CuO NPs induced a reduction on the maximum emission of chlorophyll a, which was concentration-dependent. The data also showed that CuO NPs promoted an increase in the energy dissipated by non-photochemical pathways and the surface temperature of the seeds. Additionally, our findings revealed that CuO NPs caused a root growth inhibition. In summary, the present study demonstrates, for the first time, that CuO NPs can negatively affect the physiological status and development of the S. virgata plant, by altering the efficiency of the functioning of photosystem II in its initial developmental stage, depending on the concentration of CuO NPs.


Topiramate, a new anticonvulsant, has been reported to possess neuroprotective effects in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. In the present study, the effect of topiramate (40 and 80 mg/kg ip) on the fully developed kainate-induced status epilepticus was evaluated in the rat. Injection of kainate (15 mg/kg ip) evoked recurrent limbic seizures which lasted several hours. Topiramate injected 1.5 h after kainate administration had no effect on the seizures and mortality of the animals. Biochemical study revealed that at 80 mg/kg ip, topiramate significantly attenuated the kainate-induced lipid peroxidation in the piriform cortex and showed similar tendency in the frontal cortex. Besides the central nervous system, the kainate-induced seizures evoked significant changes in immunoreactivity, such as reduction in thymus weight and the proliferative activity of splenocytes, and the splenocyte-increased production of interleukin-10, but not interferon-gamma. Topiramate did not affect the kainate-induced reduction in thymus weight, but attenuated changes in the proliferative activity of splenocytes. It is concluded that topiramate, when given during the fully developed kainate-induced status epilepticus in rats, has no effect on seizures, but attenuates lipid peroxidation in piriform cortex and prevents certain changes in immunoactivity.


The production of bacterial cellulose (BC) from Gluconacetobacter xylinus could be improved by the two-stage cultivation strategy. The jar fermentor was applied at first stage to increase cell concentration. At the second stage, the bacteria statically grew within beaker. Three different fraction of cell volumes were cultured in modified YPD-glucose medium or YPD-molasses one. In the modified YPD-molasses medium, the BC yield were highest in this study when the consuming rate of reducing sugars (RS) was 0.181 g-dry BC L-1 d-1 and the BC production rate was 0.183 g-dry BC/g-RS, respectively. The modified YPD-glucose medium could get the maximum pellicle thickness of 5.56±0.64 mm and water content of 99.4%, respectively.


How variation in factors controlling species abundance and distribution between native and non-native ranges compares to that within ranges remains poorly understood. We used a globally distributed ruderal, Centaurea solstitialis (Centaurea), to explore the possibility that the importance of those factors exhibits great variation between and within ranges. To test our hypothesis, we established seed addition experiments with soil disturbance (turnover and control) and biocide (fungicides, insecticide, and control) treatments in two regions within native (the Caucasus and south-western Turkey) and non-native (the western United States -US- and central Argentina) distributions. Also, we estimated the rate of vegetation recovery after disturbance (resilience) and related it to Centaurea density in experimental plots. Disturbance strongly increased Centaurea density in all regions. Density was similar between the native Caucasus and non-native Argentina and much greater in those regions than in the native Turkey and non-native US in biocide-free plots. Fungicides had positive effects on density in the US and negative ones in the Caucasus and Argentina, resulting in no differences between those three regions and greater density in the US than Turkey. Insecticide applications promoted Centaurea density in Turkey and Argentina, but inter-regional comparisons of density in treated plots were comparable to those in biocide-free plots. Overall, plants were smaller and less fecund in Turkey than the other regions, except the US. The greatest fungal attack was documented in Turkey, and herbivory was stronger there and in Argentina than in the Caucasus and US. The resilience of the local community explained a large proportion of variation in Centaurea density. These results support our hypothesis, and reveal that the speed at which competition is re-gained after disturbance may influence global variation in Centaurea abundance. Because many ruderals exhibit native and non-native distributions, our results are likely to be generalized to other systems.

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Background: Numerous research studies have attempted to determine the causes of male infertility with the objective of developing therapeutic approaches to effectively improve various semen parameters. Aim: The presented intervention is a quantitative approach that categorically assesses the therapeutic advantage of oral GSH (glutathione) administration on various semen parameters including sperm concentration, morphology, and motility in infertile males. Methods: The prospective placebo-controlled study included 101 infertile adult males through random selection between the timeframe of Jan 2017 to Mar 2018. We selected total 101 subjects who did not experience any chronic disease of the reproductive system and exhibited normal female factor. GSH oral therapy was administered between 0 to 6 months, 51 patients received GSH therapy and 50 patients received placebo in the form of glucose sachets. At the time of 0, 3 and 6 months, the blood and semen samples were taken for analyses for treatment and placebo groups. Results: The findings recorded at 0 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months interval revealed a significant p-value. At 0 week, there wasn't any statistical significance for the results while at 3 months, GSH value was 4.55 mg/dl for GSH group therapy in comparison for 1.55 mg/dl for placebo group which was statistically significant. Conclusion: The study findings revealed a strong positive relationship between oral GSH therapy and the selected sperm parameters.


Running characteristics' of rolling stock are assessed using a process defined in EN 14363. Track geometry is an essential parameter for this. This contribution describes methods for
dealing with track geometry in the assessment process and some proposals for an improvement. Different types of track geometry characterisation are assessed on their effectiveness in describing the running characteristics in a regression model.
The test data gathered in Dynotrain is used for this. Multiple
regression is proposed to be used as a method to transform
test data from one set of track geometry conditions to another
set. This allows the quantification of the influence of track geometry
on the vehicle's running behaviour.


The design of reinforcement learning solutions to many problems artificially constrain the action set available to an agent, in order to limit the exploration/sample complexity. While exploring, if an agent can discover new actions that can break through the constraints of its basic/atomic action set, then the quality of the learned decision policy could improve. On the flipside, considering all possible non-atomic actions might explode the exploration complexity. We present a potential based solution to this dilemma, and empirically evaluate it in grid navigation tasks. In particular, we show that both the solution quality and the sample complexity improve significantly when basic reinforcement learning is coupled with action discovery. Our approach relies on reducing the number of decisions points, which is particularly suited for multiagent coordination learning, since agents tend to learn more easily with fewer coordination problems (CPs). To demonstrate this we extend action discovery to multi-agent reinforcement learning. We show that Joint Action Learners (JALs) indeed learn coordination policies of higher quality with lower sample complexity when coupled with action discovery, in a multi-agent box-pushing task.


Apart from the fact that, in the general context of the Ottoman Empire, the end of the 16th century was the peak of its rise, it could be said that this was also a very important period of success for some Bosniaks in many spheres of life of the Empire. In addition to affirmation that began as early as the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century, leading to significant successes and contributions at military and administrative levels, the end of the 16th century was marked by intellectual affirmation of Bosniaks who belonged to the very top of intellectual elite of the Ottoman Empire. Regardless of how this trend seemed to be very fast and somewhat unexpected, it was still the result of several processes that affected the territory of Bosnia. First of all, the Bosnian-Ottoman relations, whatever they were in the first half of the 15th century, are the result of mutual interests, both the Ottoman Empire and the political scene in Bosnia. This led to a very early and gradual inclusion of Bosniaks into the Ottoman military structure in the first half of the 15th century. It was then that they were already found in the Timar system in the area of today's southern Serbia, long before the Ottomans occupied Bosnia in 1463. It took only around half century from the first inclusion into the Timar system to the highest positions occupied by Hadim or Atik Alipasha (1450?-1511) from Drozgometva near Hadžici, or Ahmed-pasha Hercegovic (1459- 1517) as grand viziers. Along with the administrative and political affirmation, there were other processes that caused the appearance of Ahmed Sudi Bosnevi. The process of accepting Islam and integrating Bosnia into the Islamic cultural and civilizational circle in the sphere of spirituality had somewhat lagged behind the administrative and economic integration. The inclusion in one global and very powerful and productive socio-economic system also meant an integration into the education system, in which the Bosniaks quickly confirmed themselves, as they did at the administrative and military levels. The development of spirituality, establishment of educational institutions, had prompted Bosniaks to confirm themselves in this equally well as in other fields. Therefore, at the end of the 16th century, three names, Hasan Kafi Pruscak, Ali-dede Bosnevi, and Ahmed Sudi Bosnevi appeared in the intellectual orbits of the Ottoman Empire at the same time, each marking the end of the 16th century in the intellectual sense, but also promoting Bosnian landscape within the Ottoman Empire. They are merely an expression of the general and long-lasting trend that had begun in the first half of the 15th century, in which no other similar narrow and small geographical space, especially that of the southeast Europe, had integrated into and merged with Islamic civilization such as the Bosnian region, giving a very significant contribution to that civilization. A proof of this is also the phenomenon of Ahmed Sudi Bosnevi, one in a series of outstanding figures in the intellectual field.


The aim of this study is to examine the influence of attending seminars, which are organized by the Employment Bureau of Montenegro as a part of an active policy of employment, at active employment search of the unemployed citizens. The study also examines the mediation effect of locus of control, duration of unemployment and demographic variables on the active job search. The sample consisted of 213 unemployed subjects. Approximately a half of them has attended seminars organized by the Employment Bureau. Questionnaires measuring factors of active job search and locus of control were administered to the subjects. The results show that the subjects who have attended the seminars look for a job more actively, and also that they are more ready to get hired. Subjects who have been waiting for a job for a shorter time and have a university degree look for a job more actively than others. The subjects from 18 to 26 years of age are the most eager to get employed. In general, attending seminars has a positive effect on the unemployed subjects engaging in looking for a job.


Central to the biological function of microtubules is their ability to modify their length which occurs by addition and removal of subunits at the ends of the polymer, both in vivo and in vitro. This dynamic behavior is strongly influenced by temperature. Here, we show that the lateral interaction between tubulin subunits forming microtubule is strongly temperature dependent. Microtubules deposited on prefabricated substrates were deformed in an atomic force microscope during imaging, in two different experimental geometries. Microtubules were modeled as anisotropic, with the Young's modulus corresponding to the resistance of protofilaments to stretching and the shear modulus describing the weak interaction between the protofilaments. Measurements involving radial compression of microtubules deposited on flat mica confirm that microtubule elasticity depends on the temperature. Bending measurements performed on microtubules deposited on lithographically fabricated substrates show that this temperature dependence is due to changing shear modulus, implying that the lateral interaction between the protofilaments is strongly determined by the temperature. These measurements are in good agreement with previously reported measurements of the disassembly rate of microtubules, demonstrating that the mechanical and dynamic properties of microtubules are closely related.


Translation studies in Africa has often been studied through the lens of postcolonial and literary studies (Tyulenev & Van Rooyen 2013). In more recent times, there has been a call for scholars to look beyond the postcolony and to enlarge the boundaries within which translation is studied (e.g. Marais 2017, Marais & Feinauer 2017, Susam-Saraeva 2002, Tymoczko 2007, Tyulenev & Van Rooyen 2013). Some scholars have argued that the concept of translation has for too long been studied from a narrow, Eurocentric viewpoint, based on literate societies. Inspired by this criticism, this study explores how translation is practiced in a very specific context, namely that of a developing country. It highlights the importance of socio-economic and cultural context in translation and how the different issues such as illiteracy, poverty, disease burden, geographical spread, and religious and cultural beliefs interact with each other in the area of public-health communication.


ABSTRACT Mammalian cathelicidins are a class of innate antimicrobial peptides isolated from leukocytes and epithelial cells that aid host defense against bacterial infections. Synthetic analogs of cathelicidins offer the promise of potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy. We developed a combined lung infection and ex vivo whole-blood assay model to characterize the toxicity and efficacy of synthetic cathelicidin-derived peptides. Male C57BL/6 mice were administered saline or Klebsiella pneumoniae by intratracheal instillation. Five hours later, the Klebsiella-infected mice were instilled with saline, tobramycin (1 mg/kg of body weight or 10 mg/kg), novispirin G10 (0.4 mg/kg), or a combination of tobramycin (1 mg/kg) and G10 (0.4 mg/kg). At 24 h, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) was collected for analysis of culturable bacteria and for markers of inflammation and lung toxicity. Blood samples were analyzed for circulating cytokines. Recovery of Klebsiella from the lung, recruitment of neutrophils, and production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in BAL samples were highly correlated (r = 0.68 and 0.84, respectively; P < 0.01). Animals treated with G10 or G10 plus tobramycin had increased hemoglobin (P < 0.001) and protein (P < 0.001) levels compared to those for Klebsiella-infected or tobramycin-alone-treated animals. The levels of circulating IL-6 in mice infected with Klebsiella were 1000- to 10,000-fold higher than in the noninfected controls. The highest levels of IL-6 were measured in mice given G10 alone or in combination with tobramycin. These studies demonstrated that G10 was relatively nontoxic in saline-treated mice but was highly toxic in mice infected with Klebsiella. This finding establishes the importance of investigating candidate antimicrobial agents in an in vivo infection model.


In the face of standardization and rationalization, the language of the expected, the predictable and the planned has enveloped teaching and teacher education worldwide. However, in a recent study about the emotional toll of teaching in two Canadian provinces, teachers' stories overflowed with allusions to the unexpected, the unplanned, and the unforeseeable. We explore those stories, and in the company of John Caputo's writing about teaching and ethics, we speculate what they suggest about a life lived in teaching. We posit that obligation is the insistent ghost that haunts teaching in the midst of the machinery of schooling.


By means of neutron diffraction the low-temperature crystal structure of NaBD4 has been determined. At 10 K the lattice parameters are a = 4.332(1) Å and c = 5.869(1) Å. Deuterium is found in a tetrahedral arrangement [sites (8g)] around B. The symmetry corresponds to space group P42/nmc. For room temperature the structure model for NaBD4 of Davis and Kennard with disordered deuterium distributed over two sites has been revised to space group Fm-3 m. Thus the 190 K phase transition known from specific heat measurements is of order-disorder type, caused by reorientations of BD4 tetrahedra.


National Association of Schools of Music–accredited music education programs were investigated to determine how preservice students were equipped to address language arts within the general music classroom. The study began with a content analysis of degree programs (N = 100), followed by a survey taken by instructors of the general music course related to perceptions and attitudes toward reading integration. Interviews were conducted to examine how instructors addressed language arts within the general music course. Data indicated that more than half the institutions required a reading course. Additionally, instructor attitudes were favorable toward reading integration, and a majority of the instructors perceived an awareness of a national reading crisis. Interview results revealed consistent themes toward reading integration and preservice teacher preparation to include (a) an awareness of key concepts and vocabulary in reading instruction, (b) instructor modeling of reading strategies applied to music instruction, and (c) opportunities for students to demonstrate integrative practices through assignments.


Black children are entering child welfare system at a rate five times higher than that of the average Canadian population (Polanyi et al., 2014). There are approximately 539, 205 (8% of the population) Black individuals living in Ontario, yet Black children make up 41% of the children in the care of Children's Aid Society (Polanyi et al., 2014). The disproportionate apprehension of marginalized children is not a new issue; it is only recently that child welfare organizations have acknowledged that this is an issue. This prompted some agencies to release disaggregated race-based data outlining racial disparities. This phenomenological qualitative research study intends to highlight the stories of two Black parents who have had an ongoing relationship with Ontario's child welfare system. This research hopes to outline their similarities, differences and the intricate experiences. Their experiences will be examined through a critical lens guided by anti-black racism and critical race theory.


A new major application of UWB is medical healthcare using advantages of low power spectrum density, high capacity of transmission and accurate ranging. As a core network of medical healthcare based on ICT, i.e. medical ICT, a body area network (BAN) has been researched and developed. BAN can provide a wide range of applications in primary for medical healthcare such as tele-metering vital sign, e.g. ECG, EEG, tele-controlling medical equipment, e.g. capsule endoscope and in addition for non-medical service such as entertainment. To harmonize with the strong demands from both medical healthcare societies and ICT industries, a standardization committee referred to as IEEE 802.15.6 was formally set up in December 2007. The objective of 15.6 is to define new physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) layers for wireless BAN (WBAN). This invited paper introduces a progress of research and development of body area network, i.e. BAN and its standardization in IEEE802.15.6 in a field of medical ICT in order to encourage global collaboration as well as planting many R&D and business seeds in academia and industry.


The Precipitations are due to complex meteorological phenomenon and can be described as intermittent process. Theirs spatial and temporal variability is significant and covers large scales. These precipitation properties induce a very strong constraint on the measurement, which must be as continuous as possible, both in time and in space. . In particular, studies of climate change need high-resolution rainfall with resolutions much higher than 1 hour to obtain statistics of extrem rainfall and wet and dry spell duration.
For all these reasons, several instruments were used for the observation of precipitations, of which the tipping bucket rain gauge is the oldest and the most commonly used for the precipitations in-situ measurements.
Each specific device properties can induces systematical occurring errors that can lead to statistical biases. For example, for low precipitation, the tipping bucket rain gauge, records false dry periods.
So, during the past few years, other instruments more accurate than the tipping bucket rain gauge (eg disdrometer and weighting rain gauge) were placed for in-situ observation but their costs hinder the installation of large net- works
The present study focuses on the impact of the rain gauge volume. The aim is to define a minimal integration time according to the bucket volume for a given climatic region
Our study focuses on Ile-de-France, this French region is a relatively dry region if we consider the annual amount of precipitation: 600 mm, a rainy region if we consider the number of days of precipitation per year: 160 days. It records Strong storm events sometimes but its precipitations are dominated by low rainfall. Eight year time series observed with a disdrometer and different rain gauges located on the French Atmospheric Research Observatory (SIRTA) , are used.
Simulated tipping bucket rain gauge series for different tipping bucket volumes and weighting rain gauge series for different weights as precision are performed. The purpose of the simulation was to ignore other effects (evapora- tion, spatial variability. . . ). The simulated series are compared to the observed ones (PDF,CDF, rain peak intensity, occurrence, amount, duration, intensity . . . ) to validate the simulation process.
Then, using the simulated series we first studied the two effects of 1-the tipping bucket volumes(resp. weights precision) and 2-the time resolution on precipitations characteristics (occurrence, standard-derivation, rain peak intensity, amount, duration, intensity, ...). Secondly we proposed a method to identify the best time resolution for a used tipping bucket volumes (resp. weights precision).C) As an example, for integration time of one hour a corresponding tipping bucket of 0.15 mm is necessary while a weight precision of 0.01 mm is necessary if a 6 min time resolution is used. The relationship between the tipping bucket volumes and the minimal integration time is climatic dependent. We thus test the proposed method and criterion with other datasets for different climatic regions to study the climatic specificities.
Finally, a new criterion is also proposed to quantify the loss of variability information as a function of time resolu- tion.


One-way photoisomerization of ligands within metal complexes is an almost unknown phenomenon. We disclosed that a diarylethene-based ligand L-o undergoes quantitative irreversible photoisomerization to a photo- and thermostable annulated isomer L-a both in a metal-free state and within a spin-crossover iron(II) complex. The modulation of the electronic structure of the ligand upon L-o to L-a photoisomerization provides a unique opportunity to change the physical properties, in this case magnetic properties, of the corresponding metal complexes permanently, which is highly attractive for constructing non-volatile permanent memories and components for emerging molecular electronics and spintronics. Importantly, destructive thermal back-switching, which is commonly observed in metal complexes with photochromic ligands, is completely suppressed with our strategy.


The "semi-coaxial" multirotor configuration is presented including its advantages over the conventional coaxial rotor configuration. The semi-coaxial configuration retains the benefits of the coaxial configuration, and additionally alleviates the loss of efficiency encountered when rotors are stacked coaxially. In addition to being more power-efficient than the standard coaxial configuration, the described configuration allows for nearlyor fully-actuated control of a multirotor when used in configurations such as the three-armed Y6 hexarotor. Using this configuration, a new Direct Force Control (DFC) multirotor is presented: the Y6sC, a specific example of the semi-coaxial multirotor. The configuration orients six rotors in a way which allows the vehicle to hover in non-zero attitudes and translate without rotating with higher efficiency than the corresponding coaxial design.


—The Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the state of Vermont. There is concern regarding status of populations in the Lake Champlain basin because of habitat alteration and potential effects of 3-trifluromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM), a chemical used to control Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). The purpose of our research was to assess Mudpuppy capture methods and abundance in the Lamoille River, Vermont, USA. We sampled Mudpuppies under a mark-recapture framework, using modified, baited minnow traps set during two winter-spring periods. We marked each Mudpuppy with a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag and released individuals after collecting morphological measurements. We collected 80 individuals during 2,581 trap days in 2008–2009 (year 1), and 81 individuals during 3,072 trap days in 2009–2010 (year 2). We estimated abundance from spring trapping periods in 2009 and 2010, during which capture rates were sufficient for analysis. Capture probability was low (< 0.04), but highest following precipitation events in spring, during periods of higher river flow, when water temperatures were approximately 3 to 6° C. During October 2009, management agencies treated the Lamoille River with TFM. Surveyors recovered more than 500 dead Mudpuppies during the post-treatment assessment. Overall, Mudpuppy captures did not change between sampling periods; however, we captured fewer females during year 2 compared to year 1, and the sex ratio changed from 0.79:1 (M:F) during year 1 to 3:1 (M:F) during year 2. Our data may help wildlife managers assess population status of Mudpuppies in conjunction with fisheries management techniques.


There are more than 10,000 different chemical substances in the environment, andmany of themexist as a complexmixture of unknown substances in leachate from landfill, which can carry the chemicals into waterways. Assessing the risk that these potentially harmful chemicals pose to humans andwildlife is difficult. The aimof this study is to establish the use of aquarium-cultured medaka fish (Oryzia latipes) as a practical system for monitoring the safe of the treated water of leachate from landfill sites. Leachate that has been treated by desalination or activated-carbon filtration is thought to be of sufficient quality to support breeding populations of medaka, with no adverse reproductive consequences.We bred medaka in an aquarium containing water that had been treated by the leachatetreating equipment at a model landfill plant.We recorded and analyzed the survival rate, sex ratio, and reproduction stability (fecundity, fertility, hatchability, and deformity) in experimental and control aquarium-cultured medaka populations.Medaka grewand reproduced normally in the treated water. Based on our results, we proposed the establishment of a practical assay that uses aquarium-cultured medaka ecosystems and surrounding areas.


Ionic liquids (IL) are remarkable green solvents, which find applications in many areas of nano- and
biotechnology including extraction and purification of value-added compounds or fine chemicals. These
liquid salts possess versatile solvation properties that can be tuned by modifications in the cation or anion
structure. So far, in contrast to the great success of theoretical and computational methodologies applied
to other fields, only a few IL models have been able to bring insights towards the rational design of such
solvents. In this work, we develop coarse-grained (CG) models for imidazolium-based ILs using a new
version of the Martini force field. The model is able to reproduce the main structural properties of pure ILs,
including spatial heterogeneity and global densities over a wide range of temperatures. More importantly,
given the high intermolecular compatibility of the Martini force field, this new IL CG model opens the
possibility of large-scale simulations of liquid-liquid extraction experiments. As examples, we show two
applications, namely the extraction of aromatic molecules from a petroleum oil model and the extraction of
omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from a fish oil model. In semi-quantitative agreement with the
experiments, we show how the extraction capacity and selectivity of the IL could be affected by the cation
chain length or addition of co-solvents.


We introduce increasing returns to scale into an otherwise standard New Keynesian model with capital, and study the determinacy and E-stability of equilibrium under Taylor-type interest rate rules. With very mild increasing returns supported by empirical research, the conventional wisdom regarding the design of interest rate rules can be overturned. In particular, the "Taylor principle" no longer guarantees either determinacy or E-stability of the rational expectations equilibrium.


Background: Many websites are available with information and resources for perinatal anxiety; however, there is limited research on the quality and content of these sites. Objective: This study aims to identify what sites are available on perinatal anxiety, identify any information and therapeutic advice given, and review its accuracy and website design. Methods: We conducted an evaluation of websites for perinatal anxiety. Eligible websites (N=50) were evaluated for accuracy of information, resources for mothers, website quality, and readability. Results: Information was often incomplete and focused on symptoms rather than risk factors or impact of untreated perinatal anxiety. Websites often had information on treatment (46/50, 92%), but much less on screening (19/50, 38%). Most sites provided at least some resources to support mothers (49/50, 98%), but active, guided support was infrequent (25/50, 50%). Website quality was extremely variable and mostly difficult to read (42/50, 84%). Conclusions: This study recommends the top 4 websites on perinatal anxiety for health care professionals and users. There is a need for websites to be developed that provide accurate, evidence-based information that women can relate to with quality support resources. Furthermore, these sites should be easy to use and readable. (JMIR Ment Health 2018;5(4):e11464) doi:10.2196/11464


Multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems have great potential in improving information rate, diversity and resistance to against interference. The primary objective of this paper is to derive for broadband signaling a new iterative frequency domain (FD) multiuser MIMO signal detection technique for joint-over-antenna (JA) detection. The proposed detector is based on soft-cancellation and minimum mean square error (MMSE) filtering, followed by maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) detector to detect several of each users transmit antennas. The purpose of jointly detecting several transmit antennas is to preserve the degrees of freedom (DoF) for MMSE. Computational complexities with FD and its time domain (TD) counterpart are evaluated in this paper, and it is shown that FD requires significantly lower complexity than TD. Numerical results show that JA significantly outperforms the receiver that detects transmit antenna signals antenna-by- antenna (AA). The proposed iterative FD JA technique achieves larger performance gains compared to AA when the total number of transmit antennas is larger than the number of receiver antennas, as well as in the presence of spatial correlation.


By the study of the pattern book Ying Zao Fa Shi (building regulations of Song Dynasty, 1103 AD), while analyzing the combining and dimensioning rule of timber framework and tile work, a model self-generating program has been compiled for the first time. The operating framework has been firstly defined, while solving the issues of clustering principle, connecting method, output classification, etc. with the detailed description of algorithm theory. Taking the corner bracket set and nine-ridge roof for example, after the compilation and debug by Grasshopper, according to various input parameters, various models have been generated automatically by the plugin, proving the velocity and the veracity of the algorithm.


The systematic variation of galaxy colors and types with clustering environment could either be the result of local conditions at formation or subsequent environmental effects as larger scale structures draw together galaxies whose stellar mass is largely in place. Below redshift 0.7 galaxy luminosities (k-corrected and evolution compensated) are relatively invariant, whereas galaxy star formation rates, as reflected in their colors, are a "transient" property that have a wide range for a given luminosity. The relations between these galaxy properties and the clustering properties are key statistics for understanding the forces driving late-time galaxy evolution. At z ~ 0.4 the comoving galaxy correlation length, r0, measured in the CNOC2 sample is strongly color dependent, rising from 2 h-1 Mpc to nearly 10 h-1 Mpc as the volume-limited subsamples range from blue to red. The luminosity dependence of r0 at z ~ 0.4 is weak below L* in the R band, although there is an upturn at high luminosity, where its interpretation depends on separating it from the r0-color relation. In the B band there is a slow, smooth increase of r0 with luminosity, at least partially related to the color dependence. Study of the evolution of galaxies within groups, which create much of the strongly nonlinear correlation signal, allows a physical investigation of the source of these relations. The dominant effect of the group environment on star formation is seen in the radial gradient of the mean galaxy colors, which on the average become redder than the field toward the group centers. The color differentiation begins around the dynamical radius of virialization of the groups. The redder-than-field trend applies to groups with a line-of-sight velocity dispersion, σ1 > 150 km s-1. There is an indication, somewhat statistically insecure, that the high-luminosity galaxies in groups with σ1 < 125 km s-1 become bluer toward the group center. Monte Carlo orbit integrations initiated at the measured positions and velocities show that the rate of galaxy merging in the σ1 > 150 km s-1 groups is very low, whereas for σ1 < 150 km s-1 about 25% of the galaxies will merge in 0.5 Gyr. We conclude that the higher velocity dispersion groups largely act to suppress star formation relative to the less clustered field, leading to "embalmed" galaxies. On the other hand, the low velocity dispersion groups are prime sites of both strong merging and enhanced star formation that leads to the formation of some new massive galaxies at intermediate redshifts. The tidal fields within the groups appear to be a strong candidate for the physical source of the reduction of star formation in group galaxies relative to field. Tides operate effectively at all velocity dispersions to remove gas-rich companions and low-density gas in galactic halos. We find a close resemblance of the color-dependent galaxy luminosity function evolution in the field and groups, suggesting that the clustering-dependent star formation reduction mechanism is important for the evolution of field galaxies as a whole.


We develop and demonstrate high-quality white light generation that relies on the use of a single-type simple conjugated polymer of polyfluorene functionalized with azide groups (PFA) integrated on a near-UV LED platform. The high-quality white emission from the polyfluorene is achieved by using the azide functionalization to facilitate cross-linking intentionally when cast into solid-state form. Hybridized on n-UV InGaN/GaN LED at 378 nm, the PFA emitters collectively generate a very broad down-converting photoluminescence at longer wavelengths across the entirety of the visible spectrum, yielding high color rendering indices up to 91.


The complexity of modern power systems often makes it impractical to model it in its entirety for electromagnetic transient studies. Therefore areas outside the immediate area of interest must be represented by some form of Frequency-dependent network equivalent (FDNE). The advantage of using z-domain fitting is that it can be directly implemented in a digital simulation program without any loss of accuracy. Fitting in the s-domain always requires "discretizing" a continuous system and the inherent approximations. This article presents z-domain rational function formulation and demonstrates the use of it for the assessment of the transient response of the Lower South Island of New Zealand. Moreover by using a well-publicized test system and providing complete information on the developed FDNE coefficients other researchers easily benchmark their work against this.


Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that is selectively and abundantly expressed in the brain, and its activity is required for normal synaptic function. Here, we show that UCH-L1 functions in maintaining normal synaptic structure in hippocampal neurons. We found that UCH-L1 activity is rapidly upregulated by NMDA receptor activation, which leads to an increase in the levels of free monomeric ubiquitin. Conversely, pharmacological inhibition of UCH-L1 significantly reduces monomeric ubiquitin levels and causes dramatic alterations in synaptic protein distribution and spine morphology. Inhibition of UCH-L1 activity increases spine size while decreasing spine density. Furthermore, there is a concomitant increase in the size of presynaptic and postsynaptic protein clusters. Interestingly, however, ectopic expression of ubiquitin restores normal synaptic structure in UCH-L1-inhibited neurons. These findings point to a significant role of UCH-L1 in synaptic remodeling, most likely by modulating free monomeric ubiquitin levels in an activity-dependent manner.


Introduction: The use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) via infant aerochamber in young, asthmatic children is increasing. However, concern has been raised about its long-term impact. Hypercalciuria is a known adverse effect of systemic corticosteroids. Objective: To determine whether ICS-induced hypercalciuria occurs in young, asthmatic children. Setting: Two outpatient clinics. Methods: Urinary calcium/creatinine ratio (UCa/Cr) was determined in 32 asthmatic children (age 6–36 mo) who were receiving inhaled budesonide or beclomethasone 200–600 μg/d for two to three months. A control group of asthmatic children within the same age range (n = 23) who did not receive ICS was included. None of the children were receiving oral corticosteroids, diuretics, antibiotics, or theophylline. Statistics: Student's t-test and χ2 analysis. Results: The treated and control groups were similar with regard to age and male/female ratio. Mean ± SD UCa/Cr was significantly higher in the asthmatic children receiving ICS (0.23 ± 0.19 vs. 0.09 ± 0.07, respectively; p = 0.002). Fourteen (43.75%) of the treated patients had hypercalciuria (UCa/Cr >0.2) compared with only one (4.35%) in the control group (p = 0.002). Renal ultrasonography failed to demonstrate nephrocalcinosis in eight of the treated hypercalciuric patients. Conclusions: Treatment of young, asthmatic children with ICS may be associated with hypercalciuria. More studies are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of this finding.


Automated planning is a prominent Artificial Intelligence challenge, as well as being a common capability requirement for intelligent autonomous agents. A critical aspect of what is called domain-independent planning, is the application knowledge that must be added to the planner to create a complete planning application. This is made explicit in (i) a domain model, which is a formal representation of the persistent domain knowledge, and (ii) an associated problem instance, containing the details of the particular problem to be solved. Both these components are used by automated planning engines for reasoning, in order to synthesize a solution plan. Formulating knowledge for use in planning engines is currently something of an ad-hoc process, where the skills of knowledge engineers significantly influence the quality of the resulting planning application. On top of that, a notion of quality of the knowledge captured within a domain model is missing; it is therefore hard to provide useful guidelines to knowledge engineers. This paper raises some issues relating to the engineering of application knowledge for automated planning, focussing on the domain model. It uses the idea of a domain model as a formal specification of a domain, and considers what it means to measure the quality of such a specification. To do this it proposes definitions of the attributes of a domain model and its encoding language, which are needed by the automated planning community in order to improve tools for supporting the engineering of planning knowledge, and to advance toward a shared and inclusive definition of quality of domain models.


One of the A. aurita medusa main mesoglea polypeptides, mesoglein, has been described previously. Mesoglein belongs to ZP-domain protein family and therefore we focused on A.aurita oogenesis. Antibodies against mesoglein (AB RA47) stain the plate in the place where germinal epithelium contacts oocyte on the paraffin sections. According to its position, we named the structure found the "contact plate". Our main instrument was AB against mesoglein. ZP-domain occupies about half of the whole amino acid sequence of the mesoglein. Immunoblot after SDS-PAGE and AU-PAGE reveals two charged and high Mr bands among the female gonad germinal epithelium polypeptides. One of the gonads' polypeptides Mr corresponds to that of mesogleal cells, the other ones' Mr is higher. The morphological description of contact plate formation is the subject of the current work. Two types of AB RA47 positive granules were observed during progressive oogenesis stages. Granules form the contact plate in mature oocyte. Contact plate of A.aurita oocyte marks its animal pole and resembles Zona Pellucida by the following features: (1) it attracts spermatozoids; (2) the material of the contact plate is synthesized by oocyte and stored in granules; (3) these granules and the contact plate itself contain ZP domain protein(s); (4) contact plate is an extracellular structure made up of fiber bundles similar to those of conventional Zona Pellucida.


In triple patterning lithography (TPL), balanced feature density on each layout mask helps facilitate the following OPC process. This paper presents the first spacing uniformity-aware layout decomposition method, called SUALD, which formulates the density optimization problem in TPL based on the spacings between locally adjacent features on each colored layout mask, and hence enhances the patterning quality. Based on the new density formulation, a spacing uniformity graph is built using the Voronoi diagram. An effective heuristic triple partitioning algorithm is also proposed for TPL layout decomposition. Experimental results are very promising and show that SUALD obtains 69% and 40% improvements in average in the presented density metrics over an integer linear programming method without density control.


The growth machine (GM) perspective has long guided urban research. Our study provides a new extension of this perspective, focusing on local business actors' influence on communities across the United States. We question whether GM–oriented business actors remain widely associated with contemporary local economic development policies, and further, whether these actors influence the use of limited–government austerity policies. Conceptually, we extend the GM framework by bringing it into dialogue with the literature on urban austerity policy. The analysis draws from the urban–quantitative tradition of large–sample studies and assesses localities across the nation using the empirical case of county governments. We find local real estate owners, utilities, and other business actors broadly influence U.S. localities' economic development policies. We also find some evidence that these actors' influences in local governance are related to the use of such cutback policies as hiring freezes, capping of social services, expenditure cutbacks, and sale of public assets. Local Chambers of Commerce are particularly associated with cutback policies. Overall, the findings suggest that where local GM actors are influential, communities are more likely to adopt business–oriented economic development policies, limit the growth of social services for the less affluent, and scale–down the public sector.


Text Summarization is the process of identifying and extracting the most vital information in a document. It has been seen as an effective method for dealing with increasing amount of information on the Internet nowadays. In this paper, we present an application of Genetic Programming to the problem of Automatic Text Summarization. Genetic Programming was used to evolve the function that ranks the sentences in a document based on their importance. The summary was extracted by selecting the sentences that have the highest rankings. The experiment was conducted on a number of Vietnamese news documents. The result showed that the summaries created by Genetic Programming are better than those created by a number of statistic based methods and even by human (non-experts).