A test programme designed to investigate the influence of gasoline vapour pressure and ethanol content on evaporative emissions from modern passenger cars has been carried out by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission jointly with CONCAWE and EUCAR. Seven gasoline passenger cars representative of current EURO 3/4 emissions technology were tested for evaporative emissions with ten different test fuels. The test fuel matrix comprised 60 and 70 kPa hydrocarbon base fuels with 5 and 10% ethanol splash blends and 5 and 10% ethanol matched volatility blends. The evaporative emission tests were carried out according to a test protocol based on the European homologation test procedure, with no additional vehicle conditioning. Although this test protocol turned out to have a considerable influence on the results, the programme has provided valuable information and several clear conclusions can be drawn. The programme confirmed that vapour pressure (DVPE) is a key fuel variable for evaporative emissions. However the effect of vapour pressure is strongly non-linear; the ethanol blends with final DVPE around 75 kPa gave considerably higher evaporative emissions than the lower volatility fuels in most of the vehicles. Differences between fuels with DVPE in the range 60-70 kPa were small. Additional tests on two vehicles performed after the main programme have raised some questions about possible effects of ethanol on carbon canister working capacity and on the role of permeation in determining evaporative emissions.


—Since the social media hype started in the early 2000s, the Internet has bloomed with user-generated data. The content generated by users in social media varies from blogs, forums, social network platforms, and video sharing communities. This data has a special emphasis on the relationships among users of the community. As a consequence, social media data contains significant information about their creators and people around them. For this reason, law enforcement and insurance companies, among others, are starting to explore ways of using this data to identify unlawful or fraudulent activities. In this work, we present a solution to extract and analyze social media data in pursuit of identifying insurance fraud. We describe and evaluate an initial prototype of our solution that has been implemented on top of the CometCloud framework. We show how our solution is driven by the insights obtained from the data and it is able to extract data relevant to the investigators.


Autophagy dysfunction has been implicated in a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases, and has been reported to play a major role in the pathogenesis of these disorders. We have recently reported a recessive mutation in TECPR2, an autophagy-implicated WD repeat-containing protein, in five individuals with a novel form of monogenic hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP). We found that diseased skin fibroblasts had a decreased accumulation of the autophagy-initiation protein MAP1LC3B/LC3B, and an attenuated delivery of both LC3B and the cargo-recruiting protein SQSTM1/p62 to the lysosome where they are subject to degradation. The discovered TECPR2 mutation reveals for the first time a role for aberrant autophagy in a major class of Mendelian neurodegenerative diseases, and suggests mechanisms by which impaired autophagy may impinge on a broader scope of neurodegeneration.


A risk-based pressure design approach has been developed for uncased pipe under roads and railways. Similar to the approach currently used in Canadian Standard Association's Standard Z662, the approach uses a set of hoop stress factors to calculate the minimum wall thickness from the pipe's pressure, diameter, and specified minimum yield strength. The hoop stress factors were calibrated to meet specified reliability targets considering the risk factors specific to roads and railways, which include elevated probabilities of mechanical damage due to higher construction activity rates, safety impact on road users, and potential costs of traffic interruption in case of a pipeline failure. The hoop stress factors are defined as a function of the safety class, which is determined according to the approach described in a companion IPC paper.
 This paper describes the development approach and provides a comparison between its results and the designs obtained from the current CSA Z662 approach. An analysis confirming adequacy of the resulting wall thicknesses to withstand normal traffic loads is also presented. The approach is being proposed as an alternative to the hoop stress factors currently used in CSA Z662.


Following the terrorist attack on the United States of America on 11 September 2001, global efforts against terrorism have increased. Notwithstanding these efforts, terrorist attacks continue across the globe amidst accusations that some States provide support for terrorists. This work examines the State sponsorship of terrorist groups in light of the global fight against terrorism. The methodology used here is doctrinal. This work finds that the continuous provision of resources to terrorist groups by some States against the dictates of relevant existing international legal setups operates as an impediment to the global fight against terrorism. It concludes that cutting off State support for terrorists remains the sine qua non for achieving success in the global war against terror. To do this requires the strengthening of international laws on terrorism, increasing diplomatic relations to expose involved States, imposing and enforcing strong sanctions against supporting States, reduction of such States'meddling in activities of other countries, increased assistance to failed States and decreased assistance to involved States.


Francisella tularensis, a category A bioterrorism agent, is a highly infectious organism that is passed on via skin contact and inhalation routes. A live attenuated vaccine strain (LVS) has been developed, but it has not been licensed for public use by the FDA due to safety concerns. Thus, there exists a need for a safer and improved vaccine. In this study, we have constructed a replication-incompetent adenovirus, Ad/opt-Tul4, carrying a codon-optimized gene for expression of a membrane protein, Tul4, of F. tularensis LVS. Its ability to protect against lethal challenge and its immunogenicity were evaluated in a murine model. An intramuscular injection of a single dose (1 10 PFU) of Ad/opt-Tul4 elicited a robust Tul4-specific antibody response. Assays suggest a Th1-driven response. A single dose elicited 20% protection against challenge with 100 50% lethal dose (LD50) F. tularensis LVS; two additional booster shots resulted in 60% protection. In comparison, three doses of 5 g recombinant Tul4 protein did not elicit significant protection against challenge. Therefore, the Ad/opt-Tul4 vaccine was more effective than the protein vaccine, and protection was dose dependent. Compared to LVS, the protection rate is lower, but an adenovirus-vectored vaccine may be more attractive due to its enhanced safety profile and mucosal route of delivery. Furthermore, simple genetic modification of the vaccine may potentially produce antibodies protective against a fully virulent strain of F. tularensis. Our data support the development and further research of an adenovirus-vectored vaccine against Tul4 of F. tularensis LVS.


Quantum key distribution is a quantum communication protocol which seeks to address potential vulnerabilities in data transmission and storage. One of the main challenges in the field is achieving high rates of secret key in lossy and turbulent free-space channels. In this scenario, most experimental demonstrations have used the polarization of photons as their qubit carriers, due to the relative robustness of polarization in free-space propagation. Time-bin or phase-based protocols are considered less practical due to the wave-front distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence. However, demonstrations of novel free-space interferometer designs are enabling interferometers to measure multimodal signals with high visibility. That means it is now viable to consider the prospects of implementing time-bin or phase-based protocols, which have demonstrated high key rates and long transmission distances in optical fiber. In this work, we present the possibilities of implementing time-bin protocols in turbulent free-space channels, using the coherent one-way protocol as the example. We present an analysis of the secret key rate and quantum bit error rate of the system, providing the errors due to noise counts, and the extinction ratio of the pulses. Finally, we developed a model to quantify the expected losses for a turbulence free-space channel, specifically for a free-space satellite-to-ground station channel.


Revolution in Mexico sought to subordinate church to state and push the church out of public life. Nevertheless, state and church shared a concern for the nation's social problems. Until the breakdown of church-state cooperation in 1926, they ignored the political chasm separating them to address those problems through education in order to instill in citizens a new sense of patriotism, a strong work ethic, and adherence to traditional gender roles. This book examines primary, vocational, private, and parochial education in Mexico City from 1917 to 1926 and shows how it was affected by the relations between the revolutionary state and the Roman Catholic Church. One of the first books to look at revolutionary programs in the capital immediately after the Revolution, it shows how government social reform and Catholic social action overlapped and identifies clear points of convergence while also offering vivid descriptions of everyday life in revolutionary Mexico City. Comparing curricula and practice in Catholic and public schools, Patience Schell describes scandals and successes in classrooms throughout Mexico City. Her re-creation of day-to-day schooling shows how teachers, inspectors, volunteers, and priests, even while facing material shortages, struggled to educate Mexico City's residents out of a conviction that they were transforming society. She also reviews broader federal and Catholic social action programs such as films, unionization projects, and libraries that sought to instill a new morality in the working class. Finally, she situates education among larger issues that eventually divided church and state and examines the impact of the restrictions placed on Catholic education in 1926. Schell sheds new light on the common cause between revolutionary state education and Catholic tradition and provides new insight into the wider issue of the relationship between the revolutionary state and civil society. As the presidency of Vicente Fox revives questions of church involvement in Mexican public life, her study provides a solid foundation for understanding the tenor and tenure of that age-old relationship.


The optimal perturbations (singular vectors) of a dynamical coupled model, a hybrid coupled model, and a linear inverse model of ENSO are compared. The hybrid coupled model consists of a dynamical ocean model and a statistical atmospheric model. The dynamical ocean model is identical to that used in the dynamical coupled model, and the atmospheric model is a statistical model derived from long time series of the dynamical coupled model. The linear inverse model was also derived from long time series from the dynamical coupled model. Thus all three coupled models are very closely related and all produce similar ENSO oscillations. The dynamical model and hybrid model also possess similar levels of hindcast skill. However, the optimal perturbations of the tangent linear versions of each model are not the same. The hybrid and linear inverse models are unable to recover the SST structure of the optimal perturbations of the dynamical model. The SST structure of the dynamical coupled model is a result of nonnormality introduced by latent heating of the atmosphere by deep convection over the west Pacific warm pool. It is demonstrated that standard statistical techniques remove the effects of the latent heating on the nonnormality of the hybrid and linear inverse models essentially rendering them more normal than their dynamical model counterpart. When the statistical components of the hybrid coupled model and the linear inverse models were recomputed using SST anomalies that are appropriately scaled by the standard deviation of SST variability, nonnormality was reintroduced into these models and they recovered the optimal perturbation structure of the dynamical model. Even though the hybrid and linear inverse model with scaled SSTs can recover the large-scale features of the correct optimal structure, state space truncation means that the dynamics of the resulting optimal perturbations is not the same as that governing optimal perturbation growth in the dynamical model. The consequences of these results for observed estimates of optimal perturbations for ENSO are discussed.


A LTHOUGH lymphatics presumably had been seen by members of the Alexandrian school (Herophilos, 300 B.C.: Erasistratus, 310-250 B.C.) the documented study of lymphatics dates from 1622, when Asellius demonstrated "lacteals" in the mesentery of a well-fed dog and at a later date had the opportunity of observing these channels in a criminal who had been executed following a large meal.' Jean Pecquet2 in 1651 described the cisterna chyli and the thoracic duct, and several years later, in 1653, Rudbeck3 and Bartholin4' 1 independently published their extensive descriptions. The latter introduced the term " lymphatics." Although this was only 25 years after the publication of William Harvey 's "De Motu Cordis," the study of lymph and lymphatics has since lagged behind that of other parts of the circulation because of inherent difficulties in identification, dissection, and cannulation of the lymphatics and in the analysis of the small amounts of fluid involved. Rudbeck3 expressed some of these difficulties well when he wrote in 1653: "Of the many structures difficult to find in anatomical dissections, these vessels, I must confess, are by no means the least. For usually they will not tolerate the finest blunt probe, a sharp knife, a suction tube, or any other instrument whatever. And even though abundantly present, they are often obscured


Patients with familial dysbetalipoproteinemia (F. Dys.), also called familial type 3 hyperlipoproteinemia, are homozygous for a mutant allele, Ed, that specifies an abnormal form of apoprotein (apo) E, a prominent constituent of remnant lipoproteins derived from very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and chylomicrons. Apo E is thought to mediate the removal of remnant lipoproteins from the plasma by virtue of its ability to bind to hepatic lipoprotein receptors. In F. Dys. patients, remnant-like lipoproteins accumulate, apparently because of delayed clearance by the liver. In the current studies, we show that the abnormal protein specified by the Ed allele (apo E-D) from some, but not all, patients with F. Dys. has a markedly deficient ability to bind to low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors. Apo E was isolated from eight control subjects and nine patients with F. Dys. and incorporated into phospholipid complexes. The complexes were tested for their ability to compete with human 125I-LDL or rabbit 125I-beta-VLDL fo binding to LDL receptors in four assay systems: cultured human fibroblasts, solubilized receptors from bovine adrenal cortex, liver membranes from rats treated with 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol, and liver membranes from normal rabbits. The apo E-D from six of the nine patients with F. Dys. showed binding affinities for LDL receptors that were reduced by greater than 98% in all receptor assays (group 1 patients). All of these group 1 patients were unequivocally of phenotype apo E-D/D by the criterion of isoelectric focussing. The apo E from the three other F. Dys. patients showed a near normal binding ability in all four of the receptor assays (group 2 patients). One of these group 2 patients appeared to have the apo E-D/D phenotype by isoelectric focussing. In the other two patients in group 2, apo E-D was the predominant protein (phenotype, apo E-D/D), but traces of protein in the region corresponding to normal apo E (apo E-N) were also present. The difference between group 1 and group 2 patients was also apparent when the apo E was iodinated and tested directly for binding to liver membranes from rats treated with 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol. The 125I-labeled apo E from a group 2 patient, but not a group 1 patient, showed enhanced uptake when perfused through the liver of an estradiol-treated rate, indicating that the receptor binding ability of apo E correlated with uptake in the intact liver. The current studies allow the subdivision of patients with F. Dys. into two groups. In group 1, the elevated plasma level of remnants appears to be due to a diminished receptor binding activity of the abnormal protein specified by the Ed allele; in group 2 patients, the cause of the elevated plasma level of remnants remains to be explained.


. The problem of plastic waste is a serious environmental problem because plastic waste takes hundreds of years to be decomposed into elements that can be naturally accepted by the environment. On the other hand, there has been an increase in the accumulation of the spread of plastic waste to the environment. The utilization of plastic waste as its conversion into oil is one alternative to reduce the exposition of plastic waste to the environment while also offering benefits in the form of new energy sources. The pyrolysis process without a firm understanding of the science of its process may lead to a utilization is far from optimum. Optimization of this process requires research on the properties of the spectrum and the behavior of the pysrolisis process such as the relation of temperature of pyrolysis to the spectrum of oil products. Due to this reason, a pyrolisis test device was designed in this study that can regulate the temperature of the prolysis furnace so that the results of pyrolysis associated with the temperature can be analyzed chemically. This test equipment was designed with the aim to determine the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the composition of the resulting pyrolysis products.


Bioprinting has advanced drastically in the last decade, leading to many new biomedical applications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, there are still a myriad of challenges to overcome, with vast amounts of research going into bioprinter technology, biomaterials, cell sources, vascularization, innervation, maturation, and complex 4D functionalization. Currently, stereolithographic bioprinting is the primary technique for polymer resin bioinks. However, it lacks the ability to print multiple cell types and multiple materials, control directionality of materials, and place fillers, cells, and other biological components in specific locations among the scaffolds. This study sought to create bioinks from a typical polymer resin, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), for use in extrusion bioprinting to fabricate gradient scaffolds for complex tissue engineering applications. Bioinks were created by adding cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into the PEGDA resin at ratios from 95/5 to 60/40 w/w PEGDA/CNCs, in order to reach the viscosities needed for extrusion printing. The bioinks were cast, as well as printed into single-material and multiple-material (gradient) scaffolds using a CELLINK BIOX printer, and crosslinked using lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate as the photoinitiator. Thermal and mechanical characterizations were performed on the bioinks and scaffolds using thermogravimetric analysis, rheology, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The 95/5 w/w composition lacked the required viscosity to print, while the 60/40 w/w composition displayed extreme brittleness after crosslinking, making both CNC compositions non-ideal. Therefore, only the bioink compositions of 90/10, 80/20, and 70/30 w/w were used to produce gradient scaffolds. The gradient scaffolds were printed successfully and embodied unique mechanical properties, utilizing the benefits of each composition to increase mechanical properties of the scaffold as a whole. The bioinks and gradient scaffolds successfully demonstrated tunability of their mechanical properties by varying CNC content within the bioink composition and the compositions used in the gradient scaffolds. Although stereolithographic bioprinting currently dominates the printing of PEGDA resins, extrusion bioprinting will allow for controlled directionality, cell placement, and increased complexity of materials and cell types, improving the reliability and functionality of the scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.


An UPQC (Unified Power Quality Conditioner) is anequipment composed by two active conditioners operating in a combined way. One of the active conditioners is connected in series with the electrical power system, allowing the compensation of problems in the system voltages. The other active conditioner is connected in parallel with the electrical system, and allows the compensation of current harmonics, current unbalances andpower factor. In three-phase four-wire systems the parallel connected active conditioner also compensates the zero sequence current components, eliminating the neutral wire current. The UPQC operates in an automatic way, adjusting itself dynamically to the variations of the load and of the electrical system, keeping high levels of power quality in the voltages delivered to the load. At the same time, it only consumes from the electrical system the active power necessary to the load operation, in a balanced way through the three phases, and with sinusoidal currents. The compensation capabilities of the UPQC can be very useful to ensure high levels of power quality in the future Smart Grids, which are not characterized as a single technology or device, but rather as a vision of a distributed electrical system, supported by reference technologies, as Power Electronics Devices, Renewable Energy Resources, Energy Storage Systems (ESS), Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI), and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).


We recently showed that the class Ic ribonucleotide reductase from the human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis uses a Mn(IV)/Fe(III) cofactor to generate protein and substrate radicals in its catalytic mechanism [Jiang, W., Yun, D., Saleh, L., Barr, E. W., Xing, G., Hoffart, L. M., Maslak, M.-A., Krebs, C., and Bollinger, J. M., Jr. (2007) Science 316, 1188-1191]. Here, we have dissected the mechanism of formation of this novel heterobinuclear redox cofactor from the Mn(II)/Fe(II) cluster and O2. An intermediate with a g = 2 EPR signal that shows hyperfine coupling to both 55Mn and 57Fe accumulates almost quantitatively in a second-order reaction between O2 and the reduced R2 complex. The otherwise slow decay of the intermediate to the active Mn(IV)/Fe(III)-R2 complex is accelerated by the presence of the one-electron reductant, ascorbate, implying that the intermediate is more oxidized than Mn(IV)/Fe(III). Mössbauer spectra show that the intermediate contains a high-spin Fe(IV) center. Its chemical and spectroscopic properties establish that the intermediate is a Mn(IV)/Fe(IV)-R2 complex with an S = 1/2 electronic ground state arising from antiferromagnetic coupling between the Mn(IV) (S(Mn) = 3/2) and high-spin Fe(IV) (S(Fe) = 2) sites.


Purpose: The number of cone beam techniques available on LINACs and the large variation of dose with position means that a large number of measurements would be required to perform the annual QA as recommended by TG142. We evaluate the accuracy of a more efficient method of measuring the imaging dose of cone beam scanning modes using optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) (Microdot, Landauer) dosimeters. Methods: Special inserts were constructed to hold OSL dosimeters at the 5 standard points of measurement (1 central, 4 peripheral) of a commercial CT dose phantom. The phantom was loaded with OSLs and scanned for each of four cone beam modes: two half‐fan modes (pelvis, low dose thorax) and two full fan modes (head, pelvis spot‐light). KVP and mAs settings were at default values, the head technique used 100KVP, the others used 125 KVP. All scans were then re‐measured using a 0.6cc ion chamber positioned at the same points. Ion chamber and OSL results were compared. A single calibration point, the measurement with the highest dose, was used to convert the readout to cGy. Results: Doses measured by the ion chamber varied from 0.17 cGy to 4.6 cGy. The correspondence between the PMT reading and the chamber reading (RADCAL 9096) was linear, the correlation coefficient being 0.996. The average absolute difference between the chamber and the OSL dose was 0.13 cGy. Conclusions: The use of OSLs was found to be of sufficient accuracy to permit their use for the annual QA recommended by TG 142. The number of scans required for a comprehensive set of dose measurements for 4 scans modes and five measurement points was reduced from 20 to 5, including a single calibration scan. This is a significant reduction in the time needed for TG 142 QA.


Abstract Twelve fungal strains including Lecanicillium muscarium (Petch.) Zare and Gams, Isaria farinosa (Holmsk.) Fr., Fusarium sp., Beauveria bassiana Sensu Lato and Beauveria sp. were isolated from larvae and adults of D. micans. In addition, virulence of these isolates against this pest was determined. Conidia suspensions of 1×106 conidia mL–1 were applied to larvae and adults. The highest mortality and mycosis for larvae were obtained from isolate ARSEF 9271 (Beauveria bassiana) with 90% mortality and mycosis within 10 days. ARSEF 9271 also produced 93% mortality and mycosis in adults. On the other hand, the highest mortality and mycosis for adults were obtained with isolate ARSEF 9272 (Beauveria sp.), with 100% mortality and 80% mycosis within 10 days. These results indicate that isolates ARSEF 9271 and ARSEF 9272 seem to be the most promising potential fungal biocontrol agents against D. micans.


Between 1990 and 1992, together with the decrease of the agricultural population, the number of agricultural workers dropped by a third in Southern Transdanubia. Currently in Tolna and Somogy, every fifth, in Zala every seventh, and in Baranya every eighth person lives on agriculture. The privatisation of agriculture is more advanced in Hungary than that of industry, but this process has not been completed yet, either. An important point of the process was the so-called co-operative personalisation that took place in 1992. Then all properties, except land were evaluated and the property was personalised based on different principles, such as years worked, amount of the income, and the value of the property taken into the co-operative in 1960. This meant that every person was told how much his or her share of the total property of the cooperative was worth. So they did not say that "this tractor is yours" but that "X amount of the total property of the co-operative is yours". If somebody still wanted to get his or her property in kind, he or she had to announce it in a certain time, he or she got his or her property but also lost his or her job, i. e. he or she had to resign from the co-operative. A very few used this opportunity. The property was divided among the present active members, the pensioners of the co-operative and those who had worked at least 5 years there, in the case of their deaths their descendants obtained the property, but only if they handed in their application by a certain cime. These were called outsiders, at national level 20% of the property belongs to them, 39% to the pensioners and 41% to the active members. The active members received the largest amount of property in Baranya. Following this, the obligatory transformation of the co-operatives took place. Most of the co-operatives (appr. 70) "transformed" into the same thing it had been before, i. e. a co-operative. Almost 10% of them are eliminated without a legal successor. The others were divided into smaller co-operatives, or go on functioning as Ltd.-s or Inc.-s. The privatisation of the land was an even more complicated process. In Hungary, unlike the other socialist countries, the land was not given back to the original owners. Still, if somebody had been deprived of land, he or she could get (following a long and slow process) a piece of land the value of which was the same as his or hers, but not the same that had been taken away. This procedure was called compensation. In Southern Transdanubia, the lands marked for compensation consisted 16.7% of the total area (datum of 28. Feb. 1994). This will grow by another 5 —10%. Approximately half of these lands are tilled by private persons, on the other half the co-operatives work, for extremely low wages. The compensated areas amount to one third of the total area in Tolna, the farmer economies are the most wide-spread in that county.


The essay analyses the process of privatization in the transitional period. In the early 1990's, the privatization of the competitive sphere in Hungary meant the purchase of state-owned companies. Besides the legal background, the essay gives an overview on the political aspects of privatization. The next step was the privatization of public services in the middle of the 90's. The privatization of the sector of public services is peculiar as privatised public services remain under governmental control even after their privatization: public administration is responsible for the continuity of the service, for its general accessibility and its quality. The essay deals with the issues of the application of law in this respect. The privatization of the welfare sphere was primarily characterised by the retreat of the state without applying alternative methods like initiating the participation of non-profit organizations. In the analyses of the privatization of the welfare sphere, the essay deals with the princi...


One important component in the design of tunnels in urban areas is a correct assessment of the interaction between the underground excavation with other structures in the vicinity. In this sense a correct stress-strain response by the model representing the rock mass behavior is essential. The shear and normal displacement of rock discontinuities and their shear and normal stiffness control the distribution of stress and displacement within a discontinuous rock mass. In conditions where an equivalent continuum based approach is not applicable, the joint material model should be able to describe important mechanisms such as asperity sliding and shearing, post-peak behavior, asperity deformation, and the effect of soft infilling. The distinct element code UDEC was used to simulate the direct shear tests on a natural joint profile, and the prediction of two existing models of discontinuity strength and deformation were then compared with a new soil-infilled joint model and with experimental data for clean and soil-infilled rock joints. A numerical modeling of a cavern excavated in a jointed medium is also presented to illustrate the response of different models. The proposed soil-infilled joint model described more comprehensively the occurrence of dilation and compression with lateral displacements and also better represented the double peak shearing in relation to the adopted squeezing mechanism that could not be captured by the two existing models.


Wnt signaling is important for T-cell differentiation at the early CD4(-)CD8(-) stage and is subsequently downregulated with maturation. To assess the importance of this downregulation, we generated a mouse line (R26-βcat) in which high levels of active β-catenin are maintained throughout T-cell development. Young R26-βcat mice show a differentiation block at the CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive (DP) stage. These DP cells exhibit impaired apoptosis upon irradiation or dexamethasone treatment. All R26-βcat mice develop T-cell leukemias at 5 to 6 months of age. R26-βcat leukemias remain dependent on β-catenin function but lack Notch pathway activation. They exhibit recurrent secondary genomic rearrangements that lead to Myc overexpression and loss of Pten activity. Because β-catenin activation and Myc translocations were previously found in murine T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALLs) deficient for Pten, our results suggest that activation of the canonical Wnt pathway is associated with a subtype of Notch-independent T-ALLs that bear Myc gene rearrangements and Pten mutations.


We present a point-and-click intracortical neural interface system (NIS) that enables humans with tetraplegia to volitionally move a 2-D computer cursor in any desired direction on a computer screen, hold it still, and click on the area of interest. This direct brain-computer interface extracts both discrete (click) and continuous (cursor velocity) signals from a single small population of neurons in human motor cortex. A key component of this system is a multi-state probabilistic decoding algorithm that simultaneously decodes neural spiking activity of a small population of neurons and outputs either a click signal or the velocity of the cursor. The algorithm combines a linear classifier, which determines whether the user is intending to click or move the cursor, with a Kalman filter that translates the neural population activity into cursor velocity. We present a paradigm for training the multi-state decoding algorithm using neural activity observed during imagined actions. Two human participants with tetraplegia (paralysis of the four limbs) performed a closed-loop radial target acquisition task using the point-and-click NIS over multiple sessions. We quantified point-and-click performance using various human-computer interaction measurements for pointing devices. We found that participants could control the cursor motion and click on specified targets with a small error rate (<; 3% in one participant). This study suggests that signals from a small ensemble of motor cortical neurons ( ~ 40) can be used for natural point-and-click 2-D cursor control of a personal computer.


Abstract Significance: It is generally accepted that reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging molecules or antioxidants exert health-promoting effects and thus their consumption as food additives and nutraceuticals has been greatly encouraged. Antioxidants may be beneficial in situations of subclinical deficiency and increased demand or acutely upon high-dose infusion. However, to date, there is little clinical evidence for the long-term benefit of most antioxidants. Alarmingly, recent evidence points even to health risks, in particular for supplements of lipophilic antioxidants. Recent Advances: The biological impact of ROS depends not only on their quantities but also on their chemical nature, (sub)cellular and tissue location, and the rates of their formation and degradation. Moreover, ROS serve important physiological functions; thus, inappropriate removal of ROS may cause paradoxical reductive stress and thereby induce or promote disease. Critical Issues: Any recommendation on antioxidants must be based on solid clinical evidence and patient-relevant outcomes rather than surrogate parameters. Future Directions: Such evidence-based use may include site-directed application, time-limited high dosing, (functional) pharmacological repair of oxidized biomolecules, and triggers of endogenous antioxidant response systems. Ideally, these approaches need guidance by patient stratification through predictive biomarkers and possibly imaging modalities. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 23, 1130–1143.


Many organisms have to face a physiological decline that is associated with age. Humans and even budding yeast accumulate scars and cellular damages. A single yeast cell can only produce a limited number of daughter cells and thus has a finite replicative lifespan. Many studies have now identified molecular ageing factors and defects in organelle functions linked to the ageing process. However, at the cellular level, the most striking phenotype of yeast elders is their loss of mating ability. This sterility in old cells has been linked to a loss of response to mating pheromone, the peptide that haploid yeast cells send to opposite mating type cells in order to signal their presence and readiness to mate. Our results (Schlissel et al., 2017) demonstrate that old cells are unable to respond to mating pheromone due to age-induced aggregation of the protein Whi3. We recently discovered that Whi3 changes conformation and coalesces when cells experience and memorise a deceptive mating attempt. Together, these results prompt the question of how proteins physiologically aggregating behave during ageing, induce age associated phenotypes and influence the ageing process itself.


A task force based in the Texas A&M University Libraries is working to assess digital asset systems (DAMS). While situated in the Libraries, the task force is supplemented by campus collaborators from the College of Architecture and University Marketing & Communications, with the goal of recommending a tool or tools that will meet the access and exhibition needs for digital collections of not only the TAMU Libraries, but also of other entities across campus. Over the course of the past 18 months, the task force has conducted a needs assessment, surveyed campus stakeholders, developed long and short lists of DAMS, produced a robust testing instrument, brought various systems into production for testing, and run tests against high-scoring systems. This poster reports on the iterative processes behind our assessment work, which originated as a Libraries effort and grew to encompass more complex needs, and presents findings from our testing.


Movements on syndepositional listric faults are responsible for many of the lateral variations in Dalradian stratigraphy. Sedimentary facies and thickness variations show that the surface traces of these faults correspond, in many cases, to what have previously been interpreted as tectonic slides, although normal faults, thrusts and sedimentary contacts may also mark their position. Three main episodes of faulting are described in the Islay to Lochaber area. Appin Group sedimentation was controlled by a fault now represented by the Loch Skerrols Thrust-Fort William Slide-Ossian steep belt. In the Islay-Jura area an anomalously thick Islay Subgroup succession accumulated in a half-graben bounded by a listric normal fault to the NW and terminated by transfer faults at each end. The deposition of a thick Easdale Subgroup section was controlled by movements on what is now the Benderloch-Ballachulish Slide. This listric fault terminates southwards in the Scarba Fault and probably extends north into the Ossian steep belt. The thinness of the Appin and lower Argyll Group succession between the Ericht-Laidon and Bridge of Balgie Faults is an original feature. The stratigraphic gap represented by the Boundary Slide here is reinterpreted as a disconformity. However, further east the Boundary Slide may well be a listric fault, movement on which accommodated the thick succession around Schiehallion. The development of the major structure was influenced by the geometry of the sedimentary basins. The Schiehallion-Tummel area is reinterpreted as lying on the lower limb of the Ben Lui fold. This resolves the problem of the emplacement of the Tay nappe which is likely to be a gravity structure derived from above the Ossian steep belt.


The quantum measurement problem considered for measuring system (MS) consist of measured state S (particle), detector D and information processing device (observer) O. It's shown that O states selfreference structure results in principal nonobservability of MS interference terms which discriminate pure and mixed S states. Such observables restriction permit to construct for MS states subjective representation (SR) which describes probabilistic evolution for measurement events observed by O and his subjective information about S values. SR is dual and nonequivalent to MS Hilbert space H for external observer O ′ . Due to it SR evolution is compatible with Schrodinger linear MS evolution observed by O ′ . It's argued that SR evolution corresponds to S state collapse for individual events observed by O .


With the purpose of automatic detection of crowd patterns including abrupt and abnormal changes, a novel approach for extracting motion "textures" from dynamic SpatioTemporal Volume (STV) blocks formulated by live video streams has been proposed. This paper starts from introducing the common approach for STV construction and corresponding Spatio-Temporal Texture (STT) extraction techniques. Next the crowd motion information contained within the random STT slices are evaluated based on the information entropy theory to cull the static background and noises occupying most of the STV spaces. A preprocessing step using Gabor filtering for improving the STT sampling efficiency and motion fidelity has been devised and tested. The technique has been applied on benchmarking video databases for proof-of-concept and performance evaluation. Preliminary results have shown encouraging outcomes and promising potentials for its real-world crowd monitoring and control applications. Keywords—crowd pattern analysis; Spatio-Temporal Volume; Spatio-Temporal Texture; Gabor filtering; information entropy


By positioning within an alternative development and agency/actor-oriented perspectives, and by employing diverse qualitative research methods, this study examines the dynamics of community self-help development and scaling up. The study investigates the processes and factors that contribute to successful community self-help development that leads to community capacity and empowerment. The diverse processes, through which poor people, through their individual and collective agency, strategize their actions, resist and negotiate with other stakeholders is emphasised. Community's own mobilization for self-management, based on the networks of self-help groups; trusted leadership drawn from community members with excellent mobilization skill to spark community's own mobilization for empowerment; poor people's collective agency; trust that builds community and promotes collective actions; genuine participation within the community, which is realized because of planned and spontaneous interaction among intimate, small groups of people; and outside supports from government and NGOs, based on the bottom up proposals of communities are the main processes and elements of successful community self-help development. On the other hand, the study has shown that the scaling up of such successful community self-help development in Ethiopia is constrained by unfavourable institutional arrangements within the government structures, lack of capacity and power among local governments and inescapable nominal and instrumental participation, rather than genuine participation to build local people's capability. Methodological limitations and lack of awareness about the goal of scaling up within the existing replication efforts are other challenges of scaling up.The researcher argues that the existing institutions and participatory practices may present opportunities for a gradual actualization of people's agency, because the poor are capable of formulating new ways of strategizing and combining available resources in a new manner to solve problems. Thus, by using the available, small opportunity and systematically combining with other grassroots development approaches, by emphasizing on small, intimate groups of people (community/village), alternative spaces of scaling up can be identified and used.


Scholars have long suspected that the verbal reduplication patterns reflected in the Anatolian languages encode typologically expected imperfectivity and iconic expressivism. At the same time, Indo-Europeanists have looked to the Anatolian languages for relics of archaic reduplicated categories of marked semantics and shape. This dissertation provides a comprehensive examination of the forms and functions of the various Anatolian reduplicated verbs attested in the Hittite, Luvian, and Lycian languages. Following a typological survey to establish what exactly the "expected" semantics of reduplication in a verb are, the study then provides sketches for the semantics of all known Hittite, Luvian, and Lycian reduplicated verbs of sufficient attestation to do so. I then examine the formal history of all attested Anatolian reduplicated verbs, projecting their preforms as far back as able, and divide them according to their reduplicative patterns, commenting on the relative productivity of each. In the end, typologically trivial partial copy vowel reduplication proves to be the most productive pattern of verbal reduplication in the Anatolian languages, commonly used with habitual, durative, iterative, and other universally expected imperfective nuances. The same semantics obtain in the more marginal but also productive /i/-reduplication, a formal pattern inherited from Proto-Indo-European. Similarly inherited /e/-reduplication persists in some forms, with the same semantics seen in other partial reduplicative patterns in Anatolian. The majority of "expressive" reduplicated verbs are unpaired synchronically with a base stem, and frequently show full root reduplication. There are a handful of "intensive" reduplicated verbs with full root reduplication and a "linking" /i/, which may or may not be parallel to Vedic intensives of similar shape. The evidence overwhelmingly proves that the accent was firmly on the reduplicant in every category. A number of interesting facts emerge in the exploration of the Anatolian data. We see perhaps the emergence of new reduplicative categories in Hittite asās- / ases- and Lycian ppuwe-, while the distribution of Anatolian /i/-reduplication and the phonological history of /e/-reduplication has implications for the reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European verbal system.


Abstract Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) populations are declining in many portions of their range, and lack of suitable nesting burrows is thought to be one reason for observed declines. Burrowing owls are attracted to golf courses because the birds generally nest and forage in short-grass, open areas, yet golf courses seldom have suitable nesting burrows. We examined the efficacy of installing artificial nesting burrows on golf courses as a way to help restore local burrowing owl populations. From 2001–2004 we monitored over 175 natural burrows off golf courses, 14 natural burrows on golf courses, 86 artificial burrows off golf courses, and 130 artificial burrows on golf courses. Owls located and used 8 of the 130 artificial burrows installed on golf courses (4 were used as nests). Owls selected burrows that were closer to existing natural burrows, farther from maintained areas (areas receiving turf maintenance by golf course staff), and farther from sprinkler heads. All 4 of the artificial burrows used as nests successfully fledged young, and annual site fidelity for owls nesting on golf courses was higher than for owls nesting off golf courses. However, annual fecundity of owls nesting on golf courses was lower than that of owls nesting off golf courses. If golf courses have sufficiently large nonmaintained areas and there are nesting owls nearby, course managers potentially can help in restoring local burrowing owl populations by installing artificial nesting burrows on the periphery of the course. However, the low fecundity on golf courses reported here should be more thoroughly examined before artificial burrows are used to attract owls to golf courses.


We report the evolution of magnetism in bioglass ceramics 41CaO.(52-x)SiO2.4P2O5. xFe2O3.3Na2O (2 ≤ x ≤ 10 mole % Fe2O3) prepared by melt quenching technique followed by heat treatment at 1050 oC. The structural investigation revealed the presence of magnetite phase in the heat treated samples with x ≥ 2 mole % Fe2O3. Room temperature magnetic measurements showed a very weak ferrimagnetic behaviour for the sample with x = 2 mole % of Fe2O3. Samples with x > 2 mole % of Fe2O3 exhibited magnetic behavior similar to soft magnetic materials with low coercivity. The evolution of magnetic properties in these samples as a function of Fe2O3 molar concentration is correlated with the amount of magnetite phase present in them.


Insulin resistance, appearing years before diabetes main diagnostic sign, hyperglycemia, stands in the origin of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), generated by complex impairment of a spectrum biochemical processes the most important of which is the failure of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase enzymatic chain responsible for glucose uptake and endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase activation. Therefore in conditions with insulin resistance the impairment of glucose uptake is strongly coupled with NO deficit and severe vasodilatory dysfunction. However T2DM conventional treatment even worsens diabetes fundamental pathophysiological mechanisms reflected by aggravated obesity and insulin resistance. These may generate vasodilatory dysfunction, arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia, diminishing intensive glycemic control mainly microvascular benefit. Glucocentric model of T2DM management should be replaced by approach focused primarily to impede insulin resistance rather then manage its cardiometabolic consequences. Antidiabetics should be selected to achieve hypoglycemic goals without increase of body weight and with ability to decrease insulin resistance, the key triggering factor of global vascular impairment and T2DM cardiovascular mortality.


In this paper we report an extensive analysis of the different business models for auctions found on the Web. Three hundred websites randomly selected from the main search engines are analyzed, classified, commented and compared in terms of their basic parameters. Departing from a theoretical review of the classical auction theory applied to the online world, twelve business models are defined and analyzed. The confusing terminology regarding the new online auction models is also conveniently organized. The results show that the new possibilities brought by the popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web are making possible emergent business models in both the business-toconsumer and the business-to-business arena.


Several therapeutic techniques target negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future. These include disputation, which seeks to restructure thoughts within this negative cognitive triad into more rational ways of thinking; as well as defusion techniques, such as word repetition and thought prefacing that focus on relating to thoughts as mere psychological events rather than facts. Few previous studies have compared the relative impact of these techniques and none have directly examined whether the domain of target thoughts moderate their benefits. To address this omission, participants with subclinical levels of depression (N = 59) were randomly assigned to one of the three techniques in targeting distressing and personally relevant thoughts representing each of the three domains of the negative cognitive triad. Changes in believability of the individualized target thought along with willingness to have it were among the primary dependent variables analyzed. In addition, generalization of benefits to other thoughts within the same domain as the target thought, as well as to those within the other two domains also were evaluated. Overall, word repetition (n = 18) emerged as more efficacious than disputation (n = 20) and thought prefacing (n = 21). Word repetition of thoughts about the future (e.g., "My future is bleak") resulted in increased willingness to also have others within that same domain, and compared even more favorably to the other two techniques when applied to self-referential thoughts (e.g., "I'm no good"). Although it was not superior to them in reducing believability, word repetition was associated with a greater willingness to have the target thought than disputation that also generalized to negative thoughts about the world (e.g., "I feel like I'm up against the world") to a greater degree than for the other two techniques. Implications of the findings for clinical research and practice are discussed, while also recognizing the inherent limitations of analogue research as exemplified by this project.


Sweet sorghum is being investigated as a feedstock for ethanol production in semi-arid countries. It can be grown with fewer inputs than other energy crops. In Iran, due to long growing season, ethanol is produced from both sweet sorghum stem and grain. In other countries, ethanol is not produced from sweet sorghum grain due to low grain yield or short growing season. The purpose of this study was to maximize ethanol production from both stem and grain of sweet sorghum. Four planting dates (July 5, July 14, July 25 and August 4) and three nitrogen levels (50, 100 and 150 kg/ha urea) were assigned to the main and subplots, respectively. Plants were harvested at physiological maturity. Stem measurements were: stalk height, stalk diameter, stalk fresh yield, brix value, sucrose content, total sugar and ethanol yield and grain measurements were: number of grain per panicle, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index and ethanol yield. Stem measurements were highest in July 5 planting and lowest in August 4 planting, while grain measurements were highest and lowest in August 4 and July 5 plantings, respectively. Stem and grain measurements in July 15 and July 25 were intermediate. More grain yield, 1000 grain weight and number of grain/panicle were obtained with the application of 150 kg/ha urea than the other two nitrogen levels. Based on the results, in order to obtain the highest ethanol yield from both stem and grain, it is suggested to plant sweet sorghum as early as possible and apply 150 kg/ha urea.

 Key words: Sweet sorghum, temperature, planting date, ethanol production, nitrogen levels.


Uniqueness and continuous dependence on the initial temperature are proved for a onedimensional, quasistatic and frictionless contact problem in linear thermoelasticity. First the problem is reformulated in such a way that it decouples. The resulting problem for the temperature is a nonlinear integro-differential equation. Once the temperature is known the displacement is recovered from an appropriate variational inequality. Uniqueness is proved by considering an integral transform of the temperature. The steady solution is obtained and the asymptotic stability is shown. It turns out that the asymptotic behaviour and the steady state are determined by a relation between the coupling constant a and the initial gap.


ABSTRACT In October 2002, the U.S. Department of State under the direction of Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and former advertising executive Charlotte Beers launched a first-ever public diplomacy campaign featuring television spots promoting the happy lives of American Muslims. The advertising campaign, known as the 'Shared Values Initiative,' ran on a limited schedule throughout the Middle East and Asia through January 2003. This article attempts to assess the reactions and feelings that international viewers have toward the commercials and, to the extent possible, evaluate the effectiveness of the commercials on changing international audiences' attitudes toward the United States. International students from various countries who were enrolled at Regents College in London, England in the summer of 2003 constituted the sample for this study. An experimental design, similar to those found in World War II propaganda literature, was employed to measure their attitudes toward the U.S. government, the American people, and their perception of how Muslims are treated in America before and after viewing the State Department commercials. The international students' reactions to the spots in the form of an advertising copy test are also reported.


Introduction : Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most abundant dysplasia in the oral cavity that aberrant expression of microRNA plays an important role in cancer progression. It is well known that microRNA-21 expression is oncogenes or tumor suppressor factor in malignancy formation of several cancers. In this study used OSCC tissues to investigate the expression of mir-21 in malignancy causes. Material and Methods : OSCC tissues and normal samples were collected from Amir Alam and Taleghani Hospitals as fresh and frozen samples. The Expression level of miR-21 in OSCC and normal tissues were measured by qRT-PCR. To find the targets related mir-21 used databases including TargetScan, GenTrail2, GO and STITCH online websites. Results : MiR-21 found significantly up-regulated in OSCC tissues compared to normal tissues (Fold-change=5.54). Targets of miR-21 derived from the TargetScan and GeneTrail2 analysis determined the most significant biological processes be associated with the epithelialization, differentiation, and morphogenesis. So overexpression of miR-21 could reverse this process and promote the cells to stemness and metastatic state. EGFR and PDCD4, two targets of miR-21, previously have been demonstrated that are important in OSCC invasion, metastasis, and differentiation. In addition study on targets genes to find anticancer drugs enriched CI-1033 as a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor that previously reported for the treatment of cancer. Conclusion : Our findings indicate miR-21 act as oncomiR in OSCC and may be considered as a biomarker for the development of OSCC treatment.


A number of studies have referred to the existence of a vortex cellwithin an urban street canyon. The understanding of vortex dynamics or vorticity distribution is a such configuration is of great interest. This configuration was simulated by the interaction between a boundary layer and a cavity. Experimental characterization of the vortex structures evolutionwas developed by the technique ofmeasure Particle ImageVelocimetry (PIV). In this paper, we have studied and characterized experimentally by the technique of measure Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) the vortex escape frequencies. Measurementswere performed for different cavity shape ratio and for different mean velocities. Where the ratio between the shear instability process and the mechanisms of frequency selection which depend of the size of the cavity.


Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) production has expanded to over one million tonnes in 2007 from ponds that cover about 5,000 ha in the Cuu Long delta, Vietnam. From these ponds, large quantities of liquid and solid waste are discharged to waterways without treatment. Consequently, the pollution of canals or rivers by loading of fishpond waste, rich in nutrients (especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) has emerged as a major concern. A survey in the dry season 2007 of 16 paired fields showed that rice yield in 8 paddies receiving waste from fishpond was 1 t/ha higher than in another 8 paddies that did not use wastes. A field experiment was conducted in the wet season 2007 using three doses of solid wastes (1, 2 and 3 tonne/ha) in combination with 1/3 or 2/3 of the recommended inorganic fertiliser rate (60N-17P-24K in kg/ha). Rice yields were more or less the same in all treatments, suggesting that the fishpond waste replaced 1/3 to 2/3 of the fertiliser normally applied. Another experiment was carried out using liquid waste from fishponds for irrigating i-ice together with inorganic fertilisers at 2/3 of the recommended farmer dosage. Rice yields were also the same in all treatments. These results confirmed that solid and liquid wastes from fishponds can be recycled for rice culture to mitigate pollution of waterway and reduce fertiliser costs.


Abstract Two soils, a haplic Podzol and a dystric Cambisol, developed from post-glacial tills, were studied with respect to their soil chemistry and clay mineralogy. Although the state factors (age, geology, topography, climate) of soil formation were almost identical, two different types developed. The E horizon of the Podzol contained more smectite, characterized by a montmorillonite-beidellitemixed phase. The neoformation of smectite could be traced back to the weathering of mica and chlorite. The Podzol had less hydroxy-interlayered smectite (HIS) in the surface horizons than the Cambisol. A larger amount of chelating compounds in the E horizon of the Podzol either transformed HIS into smectites or inhibited the formation of HIS and favoured the formation of smectites. The physical structure of the soil material is believed to be the most important factor in the different modes of soil evolution. The greater abundance of coarse pores in the topsoil at the Podzol site probably led to a faster eluviation of base cations, a different vegetation at ground level, and, consequently, to a faster soil evolution with the formation of spodic horizons.


The role of interaction and corrective feedback is central to research in second language learning and teaching, and this volume is the first of its kind to explain and apply design methodologies and materials in an approachable way. Using examples from interaction, feedback and task studies, it presents clear and practical advice on how to carry out research in these areas, providing step-by step guides to design and methodological principles, suggestions for reading, short activities, memory aids and an A-Z glossary for easy reference. Its informative approach to study design, and in-depth discussions of implementing research methodology, make it accessible to novice and experienced researchers alike. Commonly used tools in these paradigms are explained, including stimulated recalls, surveys, eye-tracking, metanalysis and research synthesis. Open research areas and gaps in the literature are also discussed, providing a point-of-departure for researchers making their first foray into interaction, feedback and task-based teaching research.


SCALE--a modular code system for Standardized Computer Analyses Licensing Evaluation--has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the request of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The SCALE system utilizes well-established computer codes and methods within standard analysis sequences that (1) allow an input format designed for the occasional user and/or novice, (2) automate the data processing and coupling between modules, and (3) provide accurate and reliable results. System development has been directed at problem-dependent cross-section processing and analysis of criticality safety, shielding, heat transfer, and depletion/decay problems. Since the initial release of SCALE in 1980, the code system has been heavily used for evaluation of nuclear fuel facility and package designs. This revision documents Version 4.2 of the system. This manual is divided into three volumes: Volume 1--for the control module documentation, Volume 2--for the functional module documentation, and Volume 3 for the documentation of the data libraries and subroutine libraries.


Talent development in sport is a comprehensive area of research with various conceptualisations of how the body moves and how skills are developed. The sports coaching environment is often criticised for a lack of evidence-based approaches to talent development, driven by limited access to appropriate sources of information. The current conceptualisation of motor learning, which harnesses dynamical systems theory and ecological psychology, is a complex and underdeveloped area in sport. Recommendations for talent development are often lost in complex pedagogies, so there is high demand for practical information on the translation of this knowledge. At its core, ecological dynamics views the body as a complex system which can reorganise to solve challenging problems in different ways, and emphasises that personal experiences, the task and the environment are all interacting. The specific elements of nonlinear development (person), representative learning design (task) and the talent development pathway (environment) are key elements for cricket coaching that are yet to be synthesised for the coaches who provide early learning experiences.


Toxoplasmosis is a relatively new disease to the internist and the preventive medicine practitioner which requires specific techniques for diagnosis. It is caused by a protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii, and its principal clinical forms occur in the newborn, in whom hydrocephalus, calcified intracranial lesions, and generalized involvement are seen (apparently contracted in utero), as well as acute and chronic ophthalmologic lesions. It is believed by some observers to occur as an acquired adult infection more frequently than is recognized. A study of acquired adult toxoplasmosis was therefore undertaken at VAMTG Hospital, Memphis, when specific tests became available to us from the U.S. Public Health Service Tropical Disease Laboratory under Dr. Don Eyles. Progress in understanding this disease and determining its incidence depends upon special efforts to recognize cases. Toxoplasmosis may be overlooked by diagnosticians because it is believed rare, and it is therefore not often considered in differential diagnosis. It may


The study of graphene-based antivirals is still at a nascent stage and the photothermal antiviral properties of graphene have yet to be studied. Here, we design and synthesize sulfonated magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with reduced graphene oxide (SMRGO) to capture and photothermally destroy herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Graphene sheets were uniformly anchored with spherical magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of varying size between ∼5 and 25 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the sulfonation and anchoring of MNPs on the graphene sheets. Upon irradiation of the composite with near-infrared light (NIR, 808 nm, 7 min), SMRGO (100 ppm) demonstrated superior (∼99.99%) photothermal antiviral activity. This was probably due to the capture efficiency, unique sheet-like structure, high surface area, and excellent photothermal properties of graphene. In addition, electrostatic interactions of MNPs with viral particles appear to play a vital role in the inhibition of viral infection. These results suggest that graphene composites may help to combat viral infections including, but not only, HSV-1.


Elevating the Other: A Theoretical Approach to Alexander McQueen Keri Erdmann Rowe Department of Comparative Arts and Letters, BYU Master of Arts This thesis examines the relationship between art and fashion in order to first, justify fashion as an art form, and second, demonstrate the applicability of critical theory to the study of fashion through an examination of Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2006 menswear collection, titled "Killa," presented in Milan, Italy, in 2005. "Killa," loosely based on William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies and its 1963 film adaptation, opens with crisp, white, tailored suits worn by neatly groomed models. Steadily throughout the collection, these tailored suits are exchanged for wide-legged, cropped shorts, and tanks in browns and beiges. By the end, models appear on the runway with painted faces, wild hair, and highly patterned, dark-colored body suits and billowing capes. While "Killa" appears to demonstrate the narrative regression from civilized to savage demonstrated in Golding's novel, this thesis argues that McQueen's collection actually strives to promote a more positive ennobling of the Other. A careful study of his life and career suggests that McQueen perceived himself as the Other within the community in which he worked and lived. Frustrated by frequent misinterpretations of his work and false accusations of his character, "Killa" becomes McQueen's ultimate confrontation with Otherness. Positioning the Other at the climax of an elite fashion show, represented by Mesoamerican designs depicted through the highest quality tailoring, McQueen's Other is respected and revered, rather than looked down upon. In this way, McQueen challenges the perception of his own character within the fashion community. Ultimately this thesis seeks to demonstrate the necessity of the application of critical theory to objects of fashion. As demonstrated through the case study of McQueen's 2006 menswear collection, this academic consideration has the potential to reveal important overlooked meanings within the art of fashion. This suggests that McQueen's work, as well as the work of other contemporary fashion designers, merits more thoughtful and careful interpretation in the study of postmodern art history.


Kerala State in southwestern India has achieved some of the third world's best rates of life expectancy, literacy, and infant mortality, despite one of the lowest per capita incomes. Especially notable is the nearly equal distribution of development benefits to urban, rural, male, female, high-caste, and low-caste sections of the populations. An even population distribution, a cosmopolitan trading history, and the development of militant worker and small farmer organizations led by dedicated activists provide the main explanations for Kerala's achievements. Land reform has redistributed wealth and political power from a rich elite to small holders and landless laborers. Public food distribution at controlled prices, large-scale public health actions, accessible medical facilities, and widespread literacy combine with and reinforce each other to maintain and expand Kerala's achievements. Serious unemployment threatens the Kerala experiment, but Kerala nonetheless offers important lessons to development planners, policymakers, and third world activists.


Novel therapeutic approaches and outcome data are needed for cognitive rehabilitation for patients with a traumatic brain injury; computer-based programs may play a critical role in filling existing knowledge gaps. Brain-fitness computer programs can complement existing therapies, maximize neuroplasticity, provide treatment beyond the clinic, and deliver objective efficacy data. However, these approaches have not been extensively studied in the military and traumatic brain injury population. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center established its Brain Fitness Center (BFC) in 2008 as an adjunct to traditional cognitive therapies for wounded warriors. The BFC offers commercially available "brain-training" products for military Service Members to use in a supportive, structured environment. Over 250 Service Members have utilized this therapeutic intervention. Each patient receives subjective assessments pre and post BFC participation including the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 (MPAI-4), the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NBSI), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A review of the first 29 BFC participants, who finished initial and repeat measures, was completed to determine the effectiveness of the BFC program. Two of the three questionnaires of self-reported symptom change completed before and after participation in the BFC revealed a statistically significant reduction in symptom severity based on MPAI and NBSI total scores (p < .05). There were no significant differences in the SWLS score. Despite the typical limitations of a retrospective chart review, such as variation in treatment procedures, preliminary results reveal a trend towards improved self-reported cognitive and functional symptoms.


Kosovo is part of South-Eastern Europe, inside the Balkan Pe-ninsula. It has a surface area of 10.877 square kilometres, surroun-ded by Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. [1] Kosovo for-ms a geographical unit surrounded by impressive mountains and hills. [2] Kosovo's location in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula defi-nes itself as the crossroad of important terrestrial routes, crossing from Northern and Central Europe towards South and West Euro-pe. [3] The Kosovo's relief, taken in general, is a mountainous one. Kosovo does have agricultural land, which is generally arable, considerable forest land, large water bodies, flora and fauna rich areas, and considerable ground resources. [4] These and other resources Kosovo is endowed with represent the key supporting factors of Kosovo's development, current and future. In fact, as any other country, Kosovo is also characterized by limiting elements in terms of extent of natural resources that may be available for utilization. As it is widely known, in conditions of free market economy and privatization, possibilities of ensuring a proper planning for the utilization of all natural resources available are considerably relative. Setting from the fact that there are no inexhaustible resources, it is necessary that relevant mechanisms are in place and authority to undertake all possible measures to provide for a diligent and rational utilization thereof. To achieve such a goal, modern countries, including Kosovo, have passed relevant laws. Setting from such terms, this article aims to present the current situation of Kosovo in terms of legal norms on utilization of natural resources it is endowed with. [1] Kosovo, an encyclopaedic view, Tirana, 1999, pg. 7. [2] Kosovo, a short history, Noel Malcolm, Tirana, 2001, pg. 1. [3] Kosovo, an encyclopaedic view, Tirana, 1999, pg. 8. [4] Ibid, pgs. 26-44.


Recent years have seen a lot of work on local descriptors. In all published comparisons or evaluations, the now quite well-known SIFT-descriptor has been one of the top performers. For the application of object pose estimation, one comparison showed a local descriptor, called the Patch-Duplet, of equal or better performance than SIFT. This paper examines different properties of those two descriptors by forming hybrids between them and extending the object pose tests of the original Patch-Duplet paper. All tests use real images.


This article presents a comparative and empirical analysis of the service or the delivery of documents in procedures, as the key procedural action to constitute legal effects in legal relationships. In Slovenia, service is largely defined by the three main procedural laws – the General Administrative Procedure Act, the Criminal Procedure Act, and the Contentious Civil Procedure Act. These relate to different types and specifics of relationships; for instance, in administrative proceedings, the public interest prevails over private ones. The presented research, applying predominantly normative and comparative methods and analysis of case law, aims to show the importance of the specificity of the different areas and of the rules of service in different proceedings. The results of the research suggest that in certain cases service should be regulated in a uniform manner. Yet the specific aims of various legal relations require individual solutions. Thus, the article opens up grounds for future comparative research and practical regulatory improvements.


Background: Restless legs syndrome is a common yet frequently undiagnosed sensorimotor disorder. In 1995, the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group developed standardized criteria for the diagnosis of restless legs syndrome. Since that time, additional scientific scrutiny and clinical experience have led to a better understanding of the condition. Modification of the criteria is now necessary to better reflect that increased body of knowledge, as well as to clarify slight confusion with the wording of the original criteria. Setting: The restless legs syndrome diagnostic criteria and epidemiology workshop at the National Institutes of Health. Participants: Members of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group and authorities on epidemiology and the design of questionnaires and scales. Objective: To modify the current criteria for the diagnosis of restless legs syndrome, to develop new criteria for the diagnosis of restless legs syndrome in the cognitively impaired elderly and in children, to create standardized criteria for the identification of augmentation, and to establish consistent questions for use in epidemiology studies. Results: The essential diagnostic criteria for restless legs syndrome were developed and approved by workshop participants and the executive committee of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Criteria were also developed and approved for the additional aforementioned groups. q 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


In order to improve the overall health condition of a population, accurate estimates of health indicators are required at a fine spatial scale, such as the administrative units of a country or regions within a country. Direct estimators tend to have unacceptably high standard errors for areas with small sample sizes. Model-based indirect small area estimators borrow strength from related areas and achieve lower mean squared errors. The thesis is concerned with multivariate small area estimation (SAE), where multiple response variables instead of a single response variable are considered simultaneously. Two general problems are considered: (1) the use of a multivariate area level model to get improved estimates for each variable by area and (2) the estimation of the cross-classification of two or more indicators by area. The multivariate Fay-Herriot (MFH) model is the natural extension of the widely used univariate Fay-Herriot (UFH) model where two or more response variables are considered together. Both numerical and simulation studies are carried out to investigate under what conditions multivariate small area estimators perform better than separate univariate estimators. Results show that the MFH model performs better under some conditions which depend on the values of the parameters such as i the random effects and the sampling errors components. For example, gains from using the MFH model rather than the separate UFH model are greater when the across-variable correlations of both sampling errors and area level random effects are high and when the ratio of variances of sampling errors and random effects is high. A parametric bootstrap approach is developed to allow estimation of mean squared errors, and confidence intervals for the gain due to multivariate modelling. The approaches are applied to a 2011/12 New Zealand Health Survey dataset. The MFH model provides some improvements over UFH model according to mean squared error estimates of the estimated health indicators by electoral district. However, wide confidence intervals for the relative efficiencies associated with multivariate modelling are seen, suggesting that it is difficult in practice to be confident about gains from multivariate approaches. A unit level approach for producing small area estimates of cross-classified counts of two or more indicators is developed, based on a multinomial logit mixed model with category specific random effects. The application is novel because contingency tables are modelled in each small area. Other researchers have considered trinomial data (such as unemployed, employed and inactive counts), whereas we extend these multinomial methods to allow small area estimation of cross-classified counts. For example, Obesity by High Blood Pressure counts can be estimated for each area in a health survey. The new method is also different from the well-known existing Structure Preserving Estimation (SPREE) approach since SPREE combines the information of auxiliary variables from a previous census with current survey data to improve the estimators of cells totals in a multi-way contingency table. The mean ii squared errors are estimated using parametric bootstrap methods. Data from the New Zealand Health Survey are used to illustrate the approach. Small area estimators of cross-classified counts are also developed based on loglinear models, which are a parsimonious special case of the multinomial logit model. A number of parsimonious log-linear models are defined and applied to the New Zealand Health Survey data. These models did not do particularly well on the 2×2 tables considered in the application, but they are more computationally scalable to three-way and higher order cross-classifications. Overall, multivariate Fay-Herriot small area estimators are useful in specific situations which are identified in the thesis, however, it is difficult to be confident with real data whether one is in such a situation. Multivariate categorical models enable a new form of small area statistics to be calculated, namely contingency tables of survey variables by area.


Abstract Counselor education graduate students' attitudes about racial diversity and gender equity were assessed using the Quick Discrimination Index (QDI, Ponterotto et al., 1995) and compared to data obtained from the QDI development and validation process. In addition, the extent to which students' perceptions of diversity included other identity components (e.g., sexual orientation, disability, religion, etc.) was examined. The pilot study described in this article was intended as a preliminary investigation of graduate students' attitudes about racial diversity and gender equity using a small sample. As such, the findings are not generalizable; however, replication of this study using a larger sample is invited and encouraged. A focus on diversity, particularly in relation to the exploration of one's own attitudes, beliefs, and biases, is critical to the preparation of competent counselors, whether their intended work setting is on college campuses or in community agencies, private practice, career counseling centers, or schools. Although more limited definitions of diversity are restricted to discussions of race/ethnicity, counselors must be knowledgeable about and sensitive to issues surrounding a number of equally important factors that also come under the "diversity umbrella" (e.g., gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, age, class, etc.) (Hays, 1996; McWhirter, 1994; Robinson & Howard-Hamilton, 2000) and recognize patterns that are common to all areas of prejudice. Indeed, as Garcia (personal communication, January 26, 2001) argued, "[t]ensions over which `ism' is most important continues the 'divide-and-conquer' patriarchal colonization process which...[k]eeps us from recognizing each other as potential allies in the same straggle for dignity, respect, and liberation." Moreover, although racism, sexism, and classism "reinforce and feed on each other" (Henley, Meng, O'Brien, McCarthy, & Sockloskie, 1998, p. 321), cultural sensitivity/competence in one area does not necessarily translate to cultural sensitivity/competence in others. Several measures have been developed to assess competence in multicultural counseling. Although the American Psychological Association [APA] does appear to be moving toward a more inclusive definition, multicultural counseling is still generally portrayed as counseling people of diverse races/ethnicities. Most instruments claiming to quantify multicultural counseling assess the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work effectively with ethnically diverse clients or students. Examples include the Cross-Cultural Counseling Inventory-Revised (CCCI-R; LaFromboise, Coleman, & Hernandez, 1991), the Multicultural Competency Checklist (Ponterotto, Alexander, & Grieger, 1995), and the Multicultural Awareness/Knowledge/Skills Survey (MAKSS; D'Andrea, Daniels, & Heck, 1991). Other instruments, such as the Quick Discrimination Index (QDI; Ponterotto et al., 1995) have been designed to assess prejudice in general populations rather than competence as a helping professional. The QDI is particularly interesting in that it deals specifically with attitudes and focuses on gender as well as racial/ethnic equity. As such, it serves as a useful tool in formatively evaluating counselor education students' early development as culturally competent counselors in relation to two important areas of diversity: race/ethnicity and gender. The QDI is a 30-item five-point Likert-type self-report measure (1 = strongly agree; 5 = strongly disagree). It consists of three subscales: (a) cognitive attitudes toward racial diversity (e.g., "I think the school system, from elementary school through college, should promote values representative of diverse cultures," (b) affective attitudes toward greater personal contact with racial diversity (e.g., "If I were to adopt a child, I would be happy to adopt a child of any race," and (c) attitudes toward women's (gender) equity (e. …


In vol. xxxiv. p. 924, of the 'Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society,' Mr. Walter Keeping, F.G.S., described two specimens of a form previously referred by Dr. Wright to the genus Hemipedina. He showed that this form was quite distinct from Hemipedina, and gave it the name of Pelanechinus. It showed, in his opinion, affinities with the Echinothuridæ on the one hand and the Diadematidæ on the other. These two specimens have hitherto been the only ones known, with the exception of a few fragments described by Dr. Wright. I was fortunate enough to find in 1881 in the Coral Rag at Calne, in a quarry at the north end of the town, a third specimen which shows some interesting features hitherto undescribed. The diameter of the test is about 85 millim.; it is considerably flattened from above downwards. The whole of the oral surface is beautifully preserved, with the exception of a sector including one ambulacral and the greater part of two interambulacral areas. The teeth are exposed in situ, together with most of the peristomial imbricating plates; the latter, however, are not exhibited so clearly as in the specimen in the Woodwardian Museum. A zone, about 15 millim. wide, belonging to the oral surface is also preserved. My specimen quite confirms Mr. Keeping's opinion that the test was flexible. The plates have frequently separated along the line of suture, especially on the aboral surface, while the median interambulaeral line and the lines of junction between the ambulacral and


Marek's disease (MD), caused by Marek's disease virus (MDV), a poultry-borne alphaherpesvirus, is a devastating disease of poultry causing an estimated annual loss of one billion dollars to poultry producers, worldwide. Despite decades of control through vaccination, MDV field strains continue to emerge having increased virulence. The evolutionary mechanism driving the emergence of this continuum of strains to increased MDV virulence, however, remains largely enigmatic. Increase in MDV virulence has been associated with specific amino acid changes within the C-terminus domain of Mareks's EcoRI-Q (meq)-encoded oncoprotein. In this study, we sought to determine whether the meq gene has evolved adaptively and whether past vaccination efforts have had any significant effect on the reduction or increase of MDV diversity over time. Our analysis suggests that meq is estimated to be evolving at a much faster rate than most dsDNA viruses, and is comparable with the evolutionary rate of RNA viruses. Interestingly, most of the polymorphisms in meq gene appear to have evolved under positive selection and the time of divergence at the meq locus coincides with the period during which the poultry industry had undergone transitions in management practices including the introduction and widespread use of live attenuated vaccines. Our study has revealed that the decades-long use of vaccines did not reduce MDV diversity, but rather had a stimulating effect on the emergence of field strains with increased genetic diversity until the early 2000s. During the years 2004–2005, there was an abrupt decline in the genetic diversity of field isolates followed by a recovery from this bottleneck in the year 2010. Collectively, these data suggest that vaccination seems to not have had any effect on MDV eradication, but rather had a stimulating effect on MDV emergence through adaptation.


Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) reached power conversion efficiencies comparable to the silicon alternatives, currently dominating the photovoltaic market. Researchers are now seeking to address other factors that are inhibiting the rate of commercialisation of perovskite technologies such as the scalability of the manufacturing process and stability.
This thesis presents an investigation into benefits of implementing a quasi-interdigitated back-contact (QIBC) architecture in perovskite photovoltaic devices. In situ experiments are performed during the deposition of the photoactive material and during post-treatment experiments. Furthermore, an antireflective coating for QIBC PSCs is proposed, which simultaneously acts as a passivation and encapsulation layer.


Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1892 "The Yellow Wall-Paper" is one of the earliest pieces of literature that delves into the stifled subject of female depression associated with motherhood. While it is understood that such intellectual womens' despair and suffering stems from having their creative outlets, such as expressive and cathartic writing, wrongfully taken from them once they became mothers, I contend that Gilman's main character is not only falling into deeper psychosis, but also perhaps attempting to be heard via her odd behaviors. Such "scandalous" writings illuminate personal insight such brave female pioneers dared to share with their readers, even if thought to be veiled. I believe when such authors wrote they were often doing so, maybe even unconsciously, as a form of self-therapy, but also, as a way of screaming for help. This still volatile topic—sharing the taboo personal pains associated with domestic disillusionment-- deserves to be considered part of the ongoing discourse related to the theme of domestic ideology, conventions of motherhood, writer's silences and female creativity.


Abstract The construction of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice has seen the pooling of a significant amount of national sovereignty at the European Union (EU) level through the establishment of internal EU competences. This process has also had the important side-effect of an increasing development of an EU interest in various areas of security, including in counter-terrorism. This article examines the processes through which the EU interest in counter-terrorism is constructed. It argues that, in line with social constructivist literature, it is important to conceptualise interests as being mutually constituted through interactions amongst political actors. It further develops two arguments in this respect. First, the United States (US) has exercised significant influence on the shaping of the EU interest in counter-terrorism. This point is particularly well-illustrated by the Passenger Name Record case. The second argument put forward by this article is that the process through which the EU interest is shaped has become increasingly complex, in particular following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which reinforced the powers of the European Parliament. A particularly apt illustration of this argument is the case of the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) Agreement.


Retroviral insertional mutagenesis in inbred mouse strains provides a powerful method for cancer gene discovery. Here, we show that a common retroviral integration site (RIS) in AKXD B-cell lymphomas, termed Evi3, encodes a novel zinc finger protein with 30 Krüppel-like zinc finger repeats. Most integrations at Evi3 are located upstream of the first translated exon and result in 3' long-terminal repeat (LTR)-driven overexpression of Evi3. Evi3 is highly related to the early B-cell factor-associated zinc finger gene (Ebfaz), and all 30 zinc fingers found in EVI3 are conserved in EBFAZ. EBFAZ binds to and negatively regulates early B-cell factor (EBF) (also known as olfactory-1, OLF1), a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor required for B-lineage commitment and the development of the olfactory epithelium. EBFAZ also binds to SMA- and MAD-related protein-1 (SMAD1) and SMAD4 in response to bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) signaling, which in turn activates the homeobox regulator of Xenopus mesoderm and neural development Xvent-2. Surprisingly, while Ebfaz and Evi3 are coexpressed in many tissues, and both proteins are nuclear, we could not detect Ebfaz expression in B cells by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), whereas Evi3 expression could be detected at all stages of B-cell development. Our results suggest that EVI3, like EBFAZ, is a multifunctional protein that participates in many signaling pathways via its multiple zinc fingers. Furthermore, our results suggest that EVI3, not EBFAZ, is the member of this protein family that interacts with and regulates EBF in B cells.


FRANCIS HITCHING, Earth magic, London, Cassell, 1976, 8vo, pp. xiv, 196, illus., £4.50. For centuries the stone circles, barrows, dolmens and hill "forts" that are found in Northern Europe and Britain have attracted continual attention and bitter controversy. They mostly date from the fifth to second centuries B.C. and many of them have been shown to have acted as calendars and prognosticators ofastronomical events. Mr. Hitching, an amateur archaeologist, presents an excellent survey of the theories that have been put forward to explain the paradox of a primitive people indulging in advanced technology that called for immense labour and infinite precision. A pattern seems to emerge from the location of megalithic sites, for straight lines can be drawn through several of them, and it is contended that the end result was a kind of powergrid emitting "stone force" detectable by dowsers and perhaps related to extraterrestrial contacts. The central question of the book is, therefore, "Is there an earth magic or hidden force known by our ancestors but not by us?" Although many will be sceptical of the theories here promulgated, there nevertheless remains a fascinating enigma. Perhaps a parallel survey of contemporary folk-lore and medicine with the idea of earth magic in mind would be illuminating, although the sources for this will be scanty, unreliable and mostly undateable.


The efficiency of body biasing for leakage reduction and performance improvement in a 90-nm CMOS low-power technology with triple-well option is evaluated. Static measurements of single devices and dynamic measurements of ring oscillators and 32-b parallel prefix adders are presented. Whereas forward biasing still provides a significant performance improvement of up to 37% for low-leakage devices with 2.2-nm gate oxide thickness, the application of reverse biasing to reduce subthreshold leakage currents is inefficient due to additional leakage currents such as gate leakage and gate-induced drain leakage. Experimental results confirm that, in 90-nm CMOS circuits, the efficiency of body biasing strongly depends on the device type and operating temperature. Moreover, the impact of the zero-temperature coefficient point on static device and dynamic circuit performance is investigated.


Background Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at risk for the development of low cardiac output and other physiologic derangements, which could be detected early through continuous stroke volume (SV) measurement. Unfortunately, existing SV measurement methods are limited in the clinic because of their invasiveness (eg, thermodilution), location (eg, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging), or unreliability (eg, bioimpedance). Multimodal wearable sensing, leveraging the seismocardiogram, a sternal vibration signal associated with cardiomechanical activity, offers a means to monitoring SV conveniently, affordably, and continuously. However, it has not been evaluated in a population with significant anatomical and physiological differences (ie, children with CHD) or compared against a true gold standard (ie, cardiac magnetic resonance). Here, we present the feasibility of wearable estimation of SV in a diverse CHD population (N=45 patients). Methods and Results We used our chest‐worn wearable biosensor to measure baseline ECG and seismocardiogram signals from patients with CHD before and after their routine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, and derived features from the measured signals, predominantly systolic time intervals, to estimate SV using ridge regression. Wearable signal features achieved acceptable SV estimation (28% error with respect to cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging) in a held‐out test set, per cardiac output measurement guidelines, with a root‐mean‐square error of 11.48 mL and R 2 of 0.76. Additionally, we observed that using a combination of electrical and cardiomechanical features surpassed the performance of either modality alone. Conclusions A convenient wearable biosensor that estimates SV enables remote monitoring of cardiac function and may potentially help identify decompensation in patients with CHD.