This dissertation presents and discusses the processes of investigation, implementation, testing, validation and evaluation of several computational intelligence-based systems for solving four large-scale real-world problems. In particular, two industrial problems from the pattern recognition and two from the process optimisation areas are studied and intelligent methods to address them are proposed, developed and tested using real-world data.
The first problem investigated is the application of an intelligent visual inspection system for classification of texture images. Two major approaches, incorporating supervised and unsupervised (without a priori knowledge) learning techniques, are considered and neural network based classifiers are trained. The focus is kept on the application of unsupervised non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques in combination with unsupervised classification methods. A number of experiments and simulations are performed to evaluate the proposed approaches and the results are critically compared.
Next, a classification problem for timely and reliable identification of emitters of radar signals is investigated. A large data set, containing a considerable amount of missing data is used. Several techniques for dealing with the incomplete data values are employed, including listwise deletion and multiple imputation. Methods incorporating neural network classifiers are studied and the proposed approaches are tested and validated over a number of simulations in the MATLAB environment.
The third large-scale problem, presented in this work, addresses the need for optimisation of a thermodynamics first principle-based prediction model for simulation of a major purifying process, used in British Petroleum (BP) refineries. A technique incorporating genetic algorithms is applied for optimising a number of the model parameters and for closing up the gaps between the predicted and measured data. Several functions and a graphical user interface (GUI) tool are implemented in MATLAB to assist the analysis, optimisation, testing and validation of the investigated model. Significant overall improvement in its prediction capabilities is achieved.
The final problem, covered in this research work, is the need to improve the convergence rate of a computationally very expensive aerodynamic optimisation process. It is addressed by exploring some physics-grounded heuristics and presenting a novel intelligent approach for automated shape optimisation. A set of basis functions (for spanning the design space) is derived in such a way that they facilitate the work of a time-consuming and expensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimisation process. Two MATLAB-based GUI tools are developed to support the calculation, exploration, testing and validation of the studied approach. Experiments for optimising real aircraft geometry are run on supercomputers through an industrial partner (AIRBUS Operations Ltd). The initial results show very promising opportunities for improving the convergence rate of the slow optimisation process.


The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of (1) remediation of hypothesized component deficits given prior to remediation of known academic deficiencies, and (2) remediation of known academic deficiencies alone. A corollary purpose was to study the immediate effect, if any, of the component deficit remediation on the criterion measure. The component deficits for the Re-Cognition Function (ages 8 through 11) were: (1) haptic discrimination, defined as difficulty in noting differences in sense of touch and muscle sensation, (2) visualization deficit, defined as difficulty in recognizing wholes from sensation of the parts, and (3) figure-ground, defined as difficulty in sifting important from unimportant stimuli. The criterion measure was the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT). Forms A and B. In this study, the SDRT was used in two ways: (1) as a basis for planning academic remediation, and (2) as pretest and posttest measures of academic improvement after component deficit remediation and academic deficit remediation. Two research questions were investigated: (1) How do scores on the SDRT of children having component deficit remediation plus academic deficit remediation compare with scores of children having academic deficit remediation only, and (2) Do scores on the SDRT improve immediately after component deficit remediation? Twenty-seven certified learning disability teachers carried out the remediation under the supervision of the researcher with 76 children labeled learning disabled by the school district, ages 8 through 11. The answer to question one was, the scores on the SDRT of children having component deficit remediation plus academic deficit remediation were higher than scores of the children having academic deficit remediation only, when effect size anlayses were made. The answer to the second question was yes, scores on the SDRT improve immediately after component deficit remediation on every subtest when effect size analyses were made. Effect size, a measure of treatment effectiveness, was calculated by finding the difference between the means of the experimental and control groups divided by the control group standard deviation. Effect size was then translated into notions of overlapping distributions of scores and comparable percentiles. Its descriptive nature made it appealing for this investigatory research of treatment effects.


The histopathologic aspects of the intrahepatic dysplasic bile ducts (cholangiodysplasia) found in two brothers, one of them asymptomatic, are discussed. This entity is characterized by interlobular bile ducts proliferation and portal fibrosis, without cholestasis but with chronic active cholangitis. The differential diagnosis and the probable genesis of the cholangiodysplasias are discussed.


The focus of this thesis is to develop methods to predict the damage response of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP). In the pursuit of reducing the manufacturing cost and weight of CFRP components, it is crucial to enable modelling of the non-linear response associated with various failure modes. Two failure modes are considered in this thesis: fibre compressive failure and interlaminar delamination. Multidirectional laminated composites are commonly used when a low weight is desired due to their high specific strength and stiffness. In a carbon/epoxy composite, almost exclusively the fibres carry the load. However, along the fibre direction, the compressive strength is considerably lower than the tensile strength. With the same reasoning, the transverse strength is considerably lower than the in-plane strength. This makes delamination and fibre compressive failure two of the major concerns in structural design. Moreover, the presence of delaminations severely reduces the compressive strength of a laminate. This can cause catastrophic failure of the structure. In Paper A, we suggest a test method for determining fracture properties associated with fibre compressive failure. A modified compact compression specimen is designed for this purpose and compressive failure takes place in a region consisting exclusively of fibres oriented parallel to the loading direction. The evaluation method is based on a generalized J-integral and full field measurements of the strain field on the surface of the specimen. Thus, the method is not restricted to small damage zones. Paper B focuses on measuring cohesive laws for delamination in pure mode loading. The cohesive laws in mode I and mode II are measured with the DCB- and ENF-specimen, respectively. With a method based on the J-integral, the energy release rate associated with the crack tip separation is measured directly. From this, the cohesive laws are derived. It is concluded that the nonlinear response at the crack tip is crucial in the evaluation of the mode II fracture energy.


We conduct a natural field experiment with a major European party to test whether giving party supporters the opportunity to voice their opinions increases their engagement in the party's electoral campaign. In our experiment, the party asked a random subset of supporters for their opinions on the importance of different topics. Giving supporters more opportunities to voice their opinions increases their engagement in the campaign as measured using behavioral data from the party's smartphone application. Survey data reveals that our voice treatments also increase other margins of campaign effort as well as perceived voice. Our evidence highlights that parties can increase their supporters' investment in the democratic process by implementing policies that increase their voice.


The incidence and mortality caused by diarrhea differ among countries. The prevalence of different enteric viruses, their molecular characteristics, and infections with multiple viruses might affect the disease incidence and mortality caused by diarrhea. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution and molecular characteristics of enteric viruses in children with diarrhea in Turkey and Bangladesh. A total of 288 stool samples that were negative for group A rotavirus were collected from children aged <5 years with acute diarrhea who presented to hospitals in Turkey and Bangladesh. The samples were screened for human bocavirus (HBoV), astrovirus (HAstV), norovirus (NoV), and adenovirus (AdV). Phylogenetic analyses of the targeted virus genes were performed. In Turkey, viruses were detected in 87/150 samples (58%), which included 69 (79.3%) with single viruses and 18 (20.7%) with multiple viruses. AdV was the most common virus, followed by HBoV. In Bangladesh, viruses were detected in 123/138 samples (89.1%), which included 29 (23.6%) with single viruses and 94 (76.4%) with multiple viruses. NoV GII was the most common, followed by AdV. The dominant genotypes among the virus species were HBoV 2A, HAstV 1, NoV GI type 1, and AdV 40. For NoV GII, the Hunter variant of genotype 4 in Turkey and genotype 17 in Bangladesh were the most common among the sequenced strains. It was concluded that the distribution of the viruses associated with diarrhea in Turkish and Bangladeshi children was different. Enteric viruses and mixed infections were more prevalent in Bangladesh than in Turkey. J. Med. Virol. 86:1159–1168, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that cause computer anxiety in the use of Mind Your Own Business (MYOB) accounting software, i.e., to assess if there are any influence of age, gender, amount of training, ownership (usage of accounting software on a regular basis), computer self-efficacy, personal innovativeness in Information Technology (IT) to computer anxiety. The study also examined whether there is a relationship trait anxiety and negative affect to computer self-efficacy. The research data is obtained through questionnaires which was distributed to 100 vocational teachers at the accounting Department in the Riau Islands Province. However, only 82 questionnaires can be used. Data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicate that there is a negative effect of the use of MYOB accounting software on a regular basis, computer self-efficacy, and personal innovativeness in IT to computer anxiety. Subsequent findings indicate that the trait anxiety has a negative effect on computer self-efficacy. However, these findings did not show any influence of age, gender, training and computer anxiety. Negative affect were also found not to have a relationship with computer self-efficacy. Keywords: Computer Anxiety; Self-efficacy; Innovativeness, Interaction: Computer/Individual; Accounting Software JEL Classifications: M00


The vehicle routing problem (VRP) is a widely studied combinatorial optimization problem that has many applications. Due to its intrinsic difficulty and the size of problems encountered in practice, most solution methods for the VRP are heuristic in nature and lead to high quality, yet probably not optimal solutions. When one considers the additional constraints that can be encountered in practice, the need for high quality heuristic methods is clear.
We present two new variations of the VRP suggested to us by industry contacts, the Consistent VRP and the Balanced Billing Cycle VRP. We develop solution algorithms that incorporate heuristic methods as well as integer programming. Additionally, we develop a highly effective cooperative parallel algorithm for the classical VRP that generates new best solutions to a number of well-studied benchmark instances. We present extensive computational results and describe the C/C++ library that we developed to solve these vehicle routing problems. We describe the features and design philosophy behind this library and discuss how the framework can be used to implement additional heuristic algorithms and incorporate additional constraints.


Background The Philippines is broadening its coverage for primary healthcare by increasing the number of services included in the PhilHealth benefit package, expanding to more members and accrediting more healthcare providers. Objectives The main objective is to describe the process of benefit scoping for a primary care benefit package, requiring the identification of disease priorities and their corresponding interventions. Methods The criteria used to identify the target diseases were epidemiologic fit, cost-efficiency, feasibility of delivery, and complete cycle of care optimization. Data sources were: 2010 Global Burden of Disease, (BOD) local epidemiologic data and cost-effectiveness data from global literature. BOD data was integrated with cost-effectiveness data while costing, actuarial analysis, and stakeholder analysis served as counterbalancing weights to the epidemiologic evidence and reduced the scope of the package. Results were tailored fit according to context, particularly PhilHealth's fiscal limitations and stakeholder inputs. This is the first time that PhilHealth is adopting an exhaustive criteria and using data from global literature in the development of benefits. Result Global and local epidemiologic and clinical economic evidence is available for making coverage decisions for UHC. However, this evidence needs to be balanced by evidence on costs, actuarial analysis, contextual factors like local provider capacity, and politics. Where the data is insufficient, BOD data is partially based on mathematical modeling. Conclusion Reconciliation of local and global evidence is difficult since both datasets suffer from selection and information bias. The success of the application of this procedure may be measured in the future, by the change in hospitalization rates for preventable diseases. The following recommendations are expected to improve the process: broaden the stakeholder base involved in setting criteria, conduct national BOD studies, and generate research to determine impact of prioritization to health outcomes.


This essay explores the expansion of Jacqui Alexander's earlier concept of erotic autonomy through the motif of the Sacred in her new book, and her articulation of what could be described as a Caribbean feminist ethic that demands radical self-determination exercised within self and community and a collectivized vision-making that is not circumscribed by feminist engagement with the state.


Wildfires are a disastrous phenomenon which cause damage to land, loss of property, air pollution, and even loss of human life. Due to the warmer and drier conditions created by climate change, more severe and uncontrollable wildfires are expected to occur in the coming years. This could lead to a global wildfire crisis and have dire consequences on our planet. Hence, it has become imperative to use technology to help prevent the spread of wildfires. One way to prevent the spread of wildfires before they become too large is to perform early detection i.e, detecting the smoke before the actual fire starts. In this paper, we present our Wildfire Detection and Alert System which use machine learning to detect wildfire smoke with a high degree of accuracy and can send immediate alerts to users. Our technology is currently being used in the USA to monitor data coming in from hundreds of cameras daily. We show that our system has a high true detection rate and a low false detection rate. Our performance evaluation study also shows that on an average our system detects wildfire smoke faster than an actual person.


The antiarrhythmic agent amiodarone is associated with numerous adverse effects, but clinically significant liver disease is rare. A patient is described who presented with muscle weakness, hepatomegaly, and ascites following 28 months of amiodarone usage. His condition deteriorated despite discontinuation of amiodarone therapy. A postmortem liver biopsy demonstrated necrosis, fibrosis, hyalin, and phospholipid-laden lysosomal lamellar bodies. Resolution of hepatic dysfunction may not necessarily occur on withdrawal of amiodarone if irreversible damage is already established. We speculate as to the reasons for the reportedly low incidence of overt liver disease, and suggest that hepatic enzyme levels, as well as other indicators of hepatic function, such as the serum albumin concentration, be monitored indefinitely in all patients while taking amiodarone.


The study was conducted to find out the economic status of the parents of special children residing in Islamabad and its influence on their health and academic condition. The population of the study comprised the children with special needs studying in grade 1-10 in 4 model government special education institutions in Islamabad. The sample of 10 special children from each grade was randomly selected. A questionnaire was developed for classifying the parents with special children into poor, middle class and well off. The questionnaire was developed for teachers to obtain information regarding academic status of the special children. The medical case history forms and the observation checklist were used to assess the health condition of the sample. The data collected through the questionnaire were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS. A strong correlation was obtained between socioeconomic status and health conditions as well as academic status of these children. Multiple comparison analysis revealed the significant difference in academic status of the children belonging to very poor and the high income group. But no significant difference was found between health conditions of the children with special needs belonging to different socio-economic status.
Keywords: children with disabilities, socio economic status, academic achievement, health status


There has been a renewed interest in cell-based phenotypic screening in drug discovery with the goal of improving the success and decreasing the clinical failure rate of new therapeutics. This has increasingly led to the development of biomimetic cellular models that more faithfully replicate human disease biology. Human tumour models have advanced to include relevant cell types such as primary patient tumour cells and grown using organotypic and 3D methods. Tissue organoids, which are 3D organ buds displaying realistic microanatomy, are becoming more commonly used in drug discovery to advance in vitro assays which predict drug toxicity and pharmacokinetics. Emerging technologies and cell culture methods are constantly improving the quality of tissue modelling that can be employed during primary phenotypic screening, and this has resulted in the identification of more efficacious and patient-relevant therapeutics.


The anti-fertility effect of formaldehyde was investigated on the testicular cytoarchitecture and semen of Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to formaldehyde by inhalation. Thirty adult male rats were randomly selected into three (3) groups of ten (10) rats each. The treatment group 2 and group 3 were exposed to 40% stock concentration of formaldehyde for 1 min/m2 and 2 min/m2 respectively daily for four (4) weeks of experimental period. The control group (group 1) was allowed free access to natural air throughout the experimental period. Testis was dissected out following cervical dislocation and fixed in Bouins fluid for histological processing. Caudal Epididymis was also dissected out and suspended in 1ml of Hams F- 10 solution for estimation of sperm concentration and motility. Semen analysis revealed a significant reduction in sperm concentration and sperm motility in the treated groups. Histological alterations in the seminiferous tubule and degeneration of spermatogenic cells were observed in the treated groups compared with the control. Reduction in sperm concentration and motility and histological alteration of the testes in the treated rats showed that formaldehyde might have toxicity on the reproductive organ.


ABSTRACT Limbless animals such as snakes, limbless lizards, worms, eels and lampreys move their slender, long bodies in three dimensions to traverse diverse environments. Accurately quantifying their continuous body's 3-D shape and motion is important for understanding body–environment interactions in complex terrain, but this is difficult to achieve (especially for local orientation and rotation). Here, we describe an interpolation method to quantify continuous body 3-D position and orientation. We simplify the body as an elastic rod and apply a backbone optimization method to interpolate continuous body shape between end constraints imposed by tracked markers. Despite over-simplifying the biomechanics, our method achieves a higher interpolation accuracy (∼50% error) in both 3-D position and orientation compared with the widely used cubic B-spline interpolation method. Beyond snakes traversing large obstacles as demonstrated, our method applies to other long, slender, limbless animals and continuum robots. We provide codes and demo files for easy application of our method. Summary: A method for 3-D reconstruction of the continuous body of limbless animals achieves higher accuracy than the widely used B-spline method and is useful for quantifying body–environment interactions.


L. N. Warr & B. Durning write: Although the modelling of the Padstow Confrontation is controversial, the papers of Andrews et al. 1988 and Selwood & Thomas (1988) show general factual agreement. It is accepted that within the area of polyphase deformation constituting the confrontation zone, folding, ductile shearing and thrust faulting represent the interaction of two regional patterns of F1 folding. First folds to the south of the zone (F1s) face northwards, whereas to the north the first folds (F1n) face south. During our NERC-sponsored 1:10000 Mapping of the BGS Camelford sheet, a regional scale south-facing F1n syncline has been recognized which approximates to the St Minver syncline of Reid et al. 1910. The importance of this early structure has not been recognized by Andrews et al. 1988 and we believe it is crucial to the understanding of the chronology of events within the confrontation zone. North of Polzeath, Andrews et al. (1988, p. 780, fig. 6) have constructed a south-facing anticline with a long right-way up limb between Tresunger's Point and Pentire Point and a short overturned limb from Pentire to Gravel Caverns. We question the existence of such an anticlinal fold because the strata between Tresunger's Point and Gravel Caverns can be seen to be regionally overturned. This section forms part of the northern overturned limb of the St Minver syncline which continues to south of Polzeath; the shorter normal limb occurs south of Polzeath at Greenaway's Beach. We consider this to be the first phase of


The work described in this thesis was undertaken to elucidate certain aspects of the management of urinary tract infections. The early part of the thesis is concerned with assessing the role of screening tests in the identification of bacteriuria in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is important since it has been claimed that virtually all pregnant patients who develop urinary tract infections (U.T.I.) in late pregnancy have asymptomatic bacteriuria in the first trimester. To test this hypothesis a simple screening procedure was carried out on a large proportion of pregnant patients attending a local maternity hospital. As a result a group of patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria was detected. Long-term follow-up of all patients screened revealed that the proportion of those developing U.T.I. in late pregnancy and who had an initially positive screening test was low. This result called in question the value of a single test as a means of preventing subsequent U.T.I. In view of the importance of this finding for practitioners a further theoretical assessment of the value of such screening tests was undertaken using as a basis the published data on the subject. This review indicated that even under optimal conditions the sensitivity of the screening test in predicting subsequent U.T.I. is low - a finding which suggests that it is inefficient as a means of drastically reducing the incidence of U.T.I. in pregnancy. An assessment of the role of routinely screening the urine of all patients with symptoms of U.T.I. in general practice was then undertaken. The study failed to provide evidence of the value of routinely screening the urine of all patients attending their practitioners with symptoms of U.T.I. The main benefit to accrue from this procedure was that those with a positive modified Addis count (as a reflection of the leucocyte excreta on rate in the urine) and bacteriuria had a higher recurrence rate than patients without these features. Nevertheless repeated recurrences were rare - only 2.7% patients being referred to the hospital for further investigation. The result of long-term anti-bacterial therapy on 66 patients with established U.T.I. was then reviewed. All patients had had recurrent U.T.I. with frequent demonstrations of bacteriuria and failure to respond to short-term courses of therapy. A three-month course of the indicated anti-bacterial agent was found to be effective in relieving symptoms and in sterilising the urine for a period of one year in 49% of the patients. Patients with normal intravenous pyelograms fared better than those with abnormal ones. One half of the recurrences in the two years after therapy occurred within three months of stopping the drugs. Several factors other than frank infection have been implicated in the development of U.T.I. For example, it has been suggested that long-terra high dosage analgesic consumption pre-disposes individuals to renal disease which then frequently becomes infected. Likewise it has been suggested that diabetes mellitus pre-disposes patients to U.T.I. Certain aspects of these hypotheses were tested in two studies reported here: firstly using data collected by the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Programme (B.C.D.S.P.) investigation into the relationship between long-term analgesic intake and renal disease was undertaken. This cross-sectional data failed to reveal a positive association between excessive analgesic intake and either renal disease or impaired renal function. Moreover there was no evidence of a dose-response relationship in patients regularly consuming 'over-the-counter' analgesic preparations and these, admittedly crude, parameters of renal disease. The data therefore suggests that if such a relationship exists it is either a subtle one which rarely causes major renal disease or it occurs only in a sub-population of the large group of long-term analgesic users. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


(cid:3) Abstract — This paper presents an algorithm to estimate the parameters of two closely spaced sinusoids, providing a frequency resolution that is more than 800 times greater than that obtained by using the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The strategy uses a highly optimized grid search approach to accurately estimate frequency, amplitude and phase of both sinusoids, keeping at the same time the computational effort at reasonable levels. The proposed method has three main characteristics: 1) a high frequency resolution; 2) frequency, amplitude and phase are all estimated at once using one single package; 3) it does not rely on any statistical assumption or constraint. Potential applications to this strategy include the difficult task of resolving coincident partials of instruments in musical signals.


Circular RNAs (circRNAs) arise during post‐transcriptional processes, in which a single‐stranded RNA molecule forms a circle through covalent binding. Previously, circRNA products were often regarded to be splicing intermediates, by‐products, or products of aberrant splicing. But recently, rapid advances in high‐throughput RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) for global investigation of nonco‐linear (NCL) RNAs, which comprised sequence segments that are topologically inconsistent with the reference genome, leads to renewed interest in this type of NCL RNA (i.e., circRNA), especially exonic circRNAs (ecircRNAs). Although the biogenesis and function of ecircRNAs are mostly unknown, some ecircRNAs are abundant, highly expressed, or evolutionarily conserved. Some ecircRNAs have been shown to affect microRNA regulation, and probably play roles in regulating parental gene transcription, cell proliferation, and RNA‐binding proteins, indicating their functional potential for development as diagnostic tools. To date, thousands of ecircRNAs have been identified in multiple tissues/cell types from diverse species, through analyses of RNA‐seq data. However, the detection of ecircRNA candidates involves several major challenges, including discrimination between ecircRNAs and other types of NCL RNAs (e.g., trans‐spliced RNAs and genetic rearrangements); removal of sequencing errors, alignment errors, and in vitro artifacts; and the reconciliation of heterogeneous results arising from the use of different bioinformatics methods or sequencing data generated under different treatments. Such challenges may severely hamper the understanding of ecircRNAs. Herein, we review the biogenesis, identification, properties, and function of ecircRNAs, and discuss some unanswered questions regarding ecircRNAs. We also evaluate the accuracy (in terms of sensitivity and precision) of some well‐known circRNA‐detecting methods. WIREs RNA 2015, 6:563–579. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1294


This paper presents the results of frequency analysis of rainfall and Rainfall-Runoff modelling of Koshi River basin. The simulation was carried out by model software HEC-HMS. The Gumbel's method was used for the frequency analysis of 1 day, 2 day and 3-day maximum rainfall data of forty-nine stations. The mean value of PMP for 1 day,2 day and 3 day rainfall were 324 mm, 415 mm and 554 mm respectively. The calibration of model was mainly based on the observed discharge data at Chatara station (outlet of whole basin). The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency was 83% for calibration and 77% for validation. The volume bias is +1.1% for calibration and +20% for validation. Four types of modelling results in terms of parameters namely deficit and Constant loss parameters, Clark runoff transform parameters, Monthly base flow (m3/s) parameters and Muskingum routing parameters were estimated. The minimum base flow in all sub-basins except Arun lower were resulted in the month of March whereas maximum base flow was estimated in the month of August in all sub-basins. The highest contribution of base flow was resulted in Arun up sub-basin ranging from 107 m3/s even in the month of February to 530 m3/s in the month of August. On the other hand, among sub-basins, the lowest contribution of base flow was resulted in Likhu sub-basin ranging from 11 m3/s in the month of March to 70 m3/ s in the month of August.


Richard Jensen offers a new interpretation of the last 180 years of American political history--one seen from the grass roots perspective. He is concerned with the individual voter's relationship to the party, the issues, and the campaigns. He explores the evolution of American political parties in terms of their appeal to individual voters, of the issues selected, and campaign strategies. He examines different voter coalitions that formed and dissolved during the past 175 years and explains the dynamics of group affiliation with one or the other party. He demonstrates how the electorate has modernized over time and assesses the issues raised, and the values challenged by the process of political modernization. Jensen offers his own theory of campaign strategy, sketching its evolution from army-like organization to modern advertising. The second half of the book is a collection of documents describing important political issues and political coalitions through the years. These readings reveal how politicians at the grass roots level thought, what tactics they used, and how the average voter responded to their appeals.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the insulin resistance index (IR) assessed by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) is associated with the insulin resistance index assessed by euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (clamp IR) in type 2 diabetic patients who received sulfonylureas (SUs), as well as in those treated by diet alone.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Retrospectively, the association between HOMA IR and clamp IR was analyzed in 80 type 2 diabetic subjects (53 subjects treated with SUs and 27 subjects treated with diet alone). The 80 subjects, selected because they had not received insulin therapy, were among 111 diabetic participants in a clamp study for evaluation of insulin resistance from May 1993 to December 1997 in Osaka City University Hospital.

RESULTS
The HOMA IR showed a hyperbolic relationship with clamp IR. The log-transformed HOMA IR (all subjects, r = -0.725, P < 0.0001; SU group, r = -0.727, P < 0.0001; diet group, r = -0.747, P < 0.0001) correlated more strongly with clamp IR than did HOMA IR per se (all subjects, r = -0.594, P < 0.0001; SU group, r = -0.640, P < 0.0001; diet group, r = -0.632, P = 0.0004). The univariate regression line between log-transformed HOMA IR and clamp IR in the SU group did not differ from that in the diet group (slope, -6.866 vs. -5.120, P > 0.05; intercept, 6.566 vs. 5.478, P > 0.05). Stepwise multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the log-transformed HOMA IR was the strongest independent contributor to clamp IR (R2 = 0.640, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
The HOMA IR strongly correlated with the clamp IR in type 2 diabetic patients treated with SUs as well as in those treated with diet alone.


Animals prenatally exposed to polyriboinosinic–polyribocytidilic acid (poly I:C) can be used to parallel neuropathological abnormalities seen in schizophrenia patients. The aim of this study was to test the utility of Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) MRI method for the evaluation of perfusion in different brain regions in the developmental poly I:C model of schizophrenia in rats. In these animals we further investigated the effect of chronic administration of the antipsychotic aripiprazole on brain perfusion. In the circle of Willis region, we observed significant increase of blood perfusion in the poly I:C model of schizophrenia in both males and females, and significantly higher perfusion in males than in females in vehicle-treated controls. Perfusion in hippocampus (in both hemispheres) was found significantly higher in males than in females in both vehicle-treated controls and poly I:C prenatally exposed animals. The significantly increased blood perfusion in the circle of Willis in poly I:C prenatally exposed males was found to persist even after chronic administration of aripiprazole. These results add new data to understanding of antipsychotic effects and demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach of combination of the ASL MRI method and the selected rat model of schizophrenia.


In the paper a dynamic exact solution in the time domain for dynamic analysis dam-reservior interaction is presented. The dam structure is flexible with infinite reservoir Exact consideration of the radiation boundary condition of the infinite reservoir and deformation of dam structure are included in the formulation which explicitly expresses the physical phenomena of fluid-structure system. The hydrodynamic pressure in the fluid domain of the structure-reservoir system is assumed to be governed by the pressure wave equation. The upstream face of the dam is considered vertical. The dam structure is modeled as a cantilever Euler-Bernoulli beam. The thickness of the dam is assumed to be variable. A new method for analysis of non-prismatic beams is presented. This new method is based on using new functions namely Basic Displacement Functions (BDFs).These functions are obtained by solving the governing equation of motion of a non-prismatic Euler-Bernoulli beam. Using this method dynamic shape functions are efficiently obtained for non-prismatic beams. Interactive behavior of the dam-reservoir system with different geometrical properties is demonstrated by numerical examples when the system is subjected to ramp acceleration and El Centro earthquake ground motions. The results are compared with those of literature and the competency of the method is shown in both economy and exactness.


Designing trustworthy e-services is a challenge currently undertaken by many actors concerned with the development of online applications. Many problems have been identified but a unified approach towards the process of engineering trustworthy e-services doesn't yet exist. This paper introduces a principled approach to deal with trust solutions in e-services based on a concern-oriented approach where end users' concerns serve as the starting point for the process to engineer appropriate solutions to trust related issues for an e-service. The trust management cycle is introduced and described in detail. We use an online application for reporting gas prices as validation of the proposed cycle.


This companion provides original, scholarly, and cutting-edge essays that cover the whole range of Hegel's mature thought and his lasting influence. * A comprehensive guide to one of the most important modern philosophers * Essays are written in an accessible manner and draw on the most up-to-date Hegel research * Contributions are drawn from across the world and from a wide variety of philosophical approaches and traditions * Examines Hegel's influence on a range of thinkers, from Kierkegaard and Marx to Heidegger, Adorno and Derrida * Begins with a chronology of Hegel's life and work and is then split into sections covering topics such as Philosophy of Nature, Aesthetics, and Philosophy of Religion


Service-oriented computing and Web services are becoming more popular, enabling organizations to use the Web as a market for selling their own services and consuming existing services from others. Nevertheless, the more services are available, the more difficult it becomes to find the most appropriate service for a specific application. Existing approaches to Web service discovery tend to address different information-processing styles. However, Web services have functional and nonfunctional characteristics that can be difficult to present and control. Service behavior and quality-of-service (QoS) parameters can vary over time, and new services can emerge in certain business areas.


During the past decade application of extracorporal shock waves became an established procedure for the treatment of various musculoskeletal diseases in Germany. Up to now the positive results of prospective randomised controlled trials have been published for the treatment of plantar fasciitis, lateral elbow epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and of calcifying tendinitis of the rotator cuff. Most recently, contradicting results of prospective randomised placebo-controlled trials with adequate sample size calculation have been reported. The goal of this review is to present information about the current clinical database on extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT).


Abstract. Thin graphite films attract significant interest due to their unique physical properties and potential applications. Chemical vapor deposition in the presence of metal catalysts is one of the most promising and widely used techniques to produce these films. There are many experimental works devoted to the material synthesis; however, the results are usually obtained by the trial-and-error method without a proper understanding of the processes behind the experiment. We theoretically analyze the carbon diffusion processes inside a metal substrate during the deposition. The theory allows interconnection of the deposition parameters with the thickness of produced graphite films. Numerically solving the diffusion equations for the real systems, we obtained a good correlation between simulations and experimental data. Based on our simulations, we made some conclusions about the formation of graphite films by the precipitation process. The numerical simulations were mostly done for the popular nickel substrates, but we also made some calculations for iron, showing that it also could be used to form thin graphite films under certain conditions.


We study the sweep speed dependence of electron injection voltage in Si-Nano-Dots (Si-NDs) floating gate MOS Capacitor by using our collective tunneling model, which models the tunneling between two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and the Si-NDs. We clarify the sweep speed dependence of electron injection energy with a numerical calculation based on our collective tunneling model, that we developed to emulate the experiment in this system, and obtained a new insight into the origin of sweep speed dependence. We revealed that our model can reproduce the sweep speed dependence of electron tunneling. This insight is useful for designing future nano-electronic devices.


We present results from integral field spectroscopy of a field located near the Trapezium Cluster using the Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS). The observed field contains a variety of morphological structures: five externally ionized protoplanetary discs (also known as proplyds), the high-velocity jet HH 514 and a bowshock. Spatial distribution maps are obtained for different emission line fluxes, the c(Hβ) extinction coefficient, electron densities and temperatures, ionic abundances of different ions from collisionally excited lines (CELs), C 2+ and O 2+ abundances from recombination lines (RLs) and the abundance discrepancy factor of O 2+ , ADF(O 2+ ). We distinguish the three most prominent proplyds (177-341, 170337 and 170-334) and analyse their impact on the spatial distributions of the above mentioned quantities. We find that collisional de-excitation has a major influence on the line fluxes in the proplyds. If this is not properly accounted for then physical conditions deduced from commonly used line ratios will be in error, leading to unreliable chemical abundances for these objects. We obtain the intrinsic emission of the proplyds 177-341, 170-337 and 170-334 by a direct subtraction of the background emission, though the last two present some background contamination due to their small sizes. A detailed analysis of 177-341 spectra making use of suitable density diagnostics reveals the presence of high-density gas (3.8 × 10 5 cm −3 )i n contrast to the typical values observed in the background gas of the nebula (3800 cm −3 ). We also explore how the background subtraction could be affected by the possible opacity of the proplyd and its effect on the derivation of physical conditions and chemical abundances of the proplyd 177-341. We construct a physical model for the proplyd 177-341 finding a good agreement between the predicted and observed line ratios. Finally, we find that the use of reliable physical conditions returns an ADF(O 2+ ) about zero for the intrinsic spectra of 177-341, while the background emission presents the typical ADF(O 2+ ) observed in the Orion nebula (0.16 ± 0.11 dex). We conclude that the presence of high-density ionized gas is severely affecting the abundances determined from CELs and, therefore, those from RLs should be considered as a better approximation to the true abundances.


Nearest prototype methods are a successful trend of many pattern classification tasks. However, they present several shortcomings such as time response, noise sensitivity, and storage requirements. Data reduction techniques are suitable to alleviate these drawbacks. Prototype generation is an appropriate process for data reduction, which allows the fitting of a dataset for nearest neighbor (NN) classification. This brief presents a methodology to learn iteratively the positioning of prototypes using real parameter optimization procedures. Concretely, we propose an iterative prototype adjustment technique based on differential evolution. The results obtained are contrasted with nonparametric statistical tests and show that our proposal consistently outperforms previously proposed methods, thus becoming a suitable tool in the task of enhancing the performance of the NN classifier.


The increasing utilization of foreign policy export controls by the U. S. Government has generated considerable conflicts with American multinational corporations. The exercise of such controls against the Soviet Union, Iran, Nicaragua, Libya, and other countries entails loss of sales for many American firms and also threatens important MNC objectives such as free trade, corporate autonomy and neutrality, and contract sanctity. However, the Executive Branch has discovered that the administrative and political difficulties encountered in linking trade to diplomatic purpose are formidable, and that the internationalization of production by American MNCs has made it difficult to regulate foreign access to the American "capitalist warehouse" as required by trade sanctions.


The causative relationship of pollens to hay-fever has become so well established that it appears almost superfluous to offer additional evidence. The experience of the past year in the correspondence of the American Hay-Fever-Prevention Association, however, has shown that there are still many who doubt that hay-fever is caused by pollen, and that there are many more who believe that pollen is only one of the exciting causes of this disease. Under the circumstances, a brief review of the most important proofs of this relationship will be of advantage. In hay-fever, as in many other pathologic conditions, we have to consider, in addition to the exciting cause, the predisposing factors. In the greater portion of the United States there are at certain seasons many pollens in the atmosphere, which are inhaled by all in the course of normal respiration. Of this number, only a certain proportion of


Although competing species are expected to exhibit compensatory dynamics (negative temporal covariation), empirical work has demonstrated that competitive communities often exhibit synchronous dynamics (positive temporal covariation). This has led to the suggestion that environmental forcing dominates species dynamics; however, synchronous and compensatory dynamics may appear at different length scales and/or at different times, making it challenging to identify their relative importance. We compiled 58 long-term datasets of zooplankton abundance in north-temperate and sub-tropical lakes and used wavelet analysis to quantify general patterns in the times and scales at which synchronous/compensatory dynamics dominated zooplankton communities in different regions and across the entire dataset. Synchronous dynamics were far more prevalent at all scales and times and were ubiquitous at the annual scale. Although we found compensatory dynamics in approximately 14% of all combinations of time period/scale/lake, there were no consistent scales or time periods during which compensatory dynamics were apparent across different regions. Our results suggest that the processes driving compensatory dynamics may be local in their extent, while those generating synchronous dynamics operate at much larger scales. This highlights an important gap in our understanding of the interaction between environmental and biotic forces that structure communities.


The stochastic process for earnings is the key element of incomplete markets models in modern quantitative macroeconomics. We show that a simple modification of the canonical process used in the literature leads to a dramatic improvement in the measurement of earnings dynamics in administrative and survey data alike. Empirically, earnings at the start or end of earnings spells are lower and more volatile than the observations in the interior of earnings histories, reflecting the effects of working less than the full year as well as deviations of wages due to e.g. tenure effects. Ignoring these properties of earnings, as is standard in the literature, leads to a substantial mismeasurement of the variances of permanent and transitory shocks and induces the large and widely documented divergence in the estimates of these variances based on fitting the earnings moments in levels or growth rates. Accounting for these effects enables more accurate analysis using quantitative models with permanent and transitory earnings risk, and improves empirical estimates of consumption insurance against permanent earnings shocks.


The concept of ranking fuzzy numbers has received significant attention from the research community due to its successful applications for decision making. It complements the decision maker exercise their subjective judgments under situations that are vague, imprecise, ambiguous and uncertain in nature. The literature on ranking fuzzy numbers show that numerous ranking methods for fuzzy numbers are established where all of them aim to correctly rank all sets of fuzzy numbers that mimic real decision situations such that the ranking results are consistent with human intuition. Nevertheless, fuzzy numbers are not easy to rank as they are represented by possibility distribution, which indicates that they possibly overlap with each other, having different shapes and being distinctive in nature. Most established ranking methods are capable to rank fuzzy numbers with correct ranking order such that the results are consistent with human intuition but there are certain circumstances where the ranking methods are particularly limited in ranking non – normal fuzzy numbers, non – overlapping fuzzy numbers and fuzzy numbers of different spreads.
As overcoming these limitations is important, this study develops an intuition based decision methodology for ranking fuzzy numbers using centroid point and spread approaches. The methodology consists of ranking method for type – I fuzzy numbers, type – II fuzzy numbers and Z – numbers where all of them are theoretically and empirically validated. Theoretical validation highlights the capability of the ranking methodology to satisfy all established theoretical properties of ranking fuzzy quantities. On contrary, the empirical validation examines consistency and efficiency of the ranking methodology on ranking fuzzy numbers correctly such that the results are consistent with human intuition and can rank more than two fuzzy numbers simultaneously. Results obtained in this study justify that the ranking methodology not only fulfills all established theoretical properties but also ranks consistently and efficiently the fuzzy numbers. The ranking methodology is implemented to three related established case studies found in the literature of fuzzy sets where the methodology produces consistent and efficient results on all case studies examined. Therefore, based on evidence illustrated in this study, the ranking methodology serves as a generic decision making procedure, especially when fuzzy numbers are involved in the decision process.


ABSTRACT Multiple social science disciplines have converged on the senses in recent years, where formerly the domain of perception was the preserve of psychology. Linguistics, or Language, however, seems to have an ambivalent role in this undertaking. On the one hand, Language with a capital L (language as a general human capacity) is part of the problem. It was the prior focus on language (text) that led to the disregard of the senses. On the other hand, it is language (with a small "l," a particular tongue) that offers key insights into how other peoples conceptualize the senses. In this article, we argue that a systematic cross-cultural approach can reveal fundamental truths about the precise connections between language and the senses. Recurring failures to adequately describe the sensorium across specific languages reveal the intrinsic limits of Language. But the converse does not hold. Failures of expressibility in one language need not hold any implications for the Language faculty per se, and indeed can enlighten us about the possible experiential worlds available to human experience.


Due to their unique structural features, electrospun membranes have gained considerable attention for use in applications where quality of depth filtration is a dominant performance factor. To elucidate the depth filtration phenomena it is important to quantify the intrinsic structural properties independent from the dynamics of transport media. Several methods have been proposed for structural characterization of such membranes. However, these methods do not meet the requirement for the quantification of intrinsic structural properties in depth filtration. This may be due to the complex influence of transport media dynamics and structural elements in the depth filtration process. In addition, the different morphological architectures of electrospun membranes present obstacles to precise quantification. This paper seeks to quantify the structural characteristics of electrospun membranes by introducing a robust image analysis technique and exploiting it to evaluate the permeation-filtration mechanism. To this end, a nanostructured fibrous network was simulated as an ideal membrane using adaptive local criteria in the image analysis. The reliability of the proposed approach was validated with measurements and comparison of structural characteristics in different morphological conditions. The results were found to be well compatible with empirical observations of perfect membrane structures. This approach, based on optimization of electrospinning parameters, may pave the way for producing optimal membrane structures for boosting the performance of electrospun membranes in end-use applications.


The purpose of this research is to analyse the role of Koperasi Wana Lestari Menoreh (KWLM) in implementing certification, the role in Community Economic Development and the role of external parties to develop the KWLM it-self. This research is qualitative with a case study method at KWLM with five subjects as a member of KWLM and five subjects as a non-member of KWLM. Interviews were conducted in-depth using semi-structured questions. Data and information use key informants and reviewed by several experts. This study concludes that, first, KWLM has met FSC certification standards in accordance with the demands of the world market and consumers. Next, regarding community economic development, there are several principles according to Bruce (2001) that need to be improved in KWLM including the need for a comprehensive strategy, building human resources, building local capacity, integrating economic objectives, and empowering communities. Finally, the role of external parties, namely PT. Solusi Bisnis Indonesia (SOBI) is needed for the continuation of KWLM. Especially in bridging the certification process (FSC and SVLK) forest products and marketing KWLM member timber.


Health consequences of relative or absolute poverty constitute a definitive area of study in social medicine. As demonstrated in the extreme example of the Dutch Hunger Winter from 1944 to 1945, prenatal hunger can lead to adult schizophrenia and depression. A Norwegian study showed how childhood poverty resulted in a heightened risk of myocardial infarction in adulthood. In England, a study of extended impaired prenatal nutrition indicated three different types of increased cardiovascular risk at older ages. Current animal and human studies link both adverse and enriched environmental exposures to intergenerational transmission. We do not fully understand the molecular mechanisms for it; however, studies that follow up epigenetic marks within a generation combined with exploration of gametic epigenetic inheritance may help explain the prevalence of certain conditions such as cardiovascular disease, schizophrenia, and alcoholism, which have complex etiologies. Insights from these studies will be of great public health importance.


This paper examines the effects of the announcement of different macroeconomic data on the forint/euro exchange rate and government securities yields. It focuses on establishing whether there is a significant correlation between the size or direction of exchange rate and yield movements and the announcement of macroeconomic data and their news value. The study is based on an analysis of the statistical characteristics of movements following the announcement of data as well as on regression calculations and hypothesis tests. The absolute magnitude of data published has only a slight effect on money markets, whereas the deviation of data from expectations and the surprise element of the information they carry have a significant impact. The reason for this is that expectations relating to new data and the information they provide are constantly being built into market prices and exchange rates. Thus, when the next announcement is made the exchange rate and yields are primarily moved by the surprise components of the data and the extent of surprise they cause. The main direction of the exchange rate and yield movements is determined by expectations on the general state of the economy, and is affected by publication of specific data only temporarily and to a small extent. A permanent shift usually only takes place when several pieces of data reinforce one another and often only following analysis and evaluation of such data, resulting in a time gap after announcement of the actual data. As a result in most cases, correlation between the announcement of macroeconomic data and market yields and the exchange rate can only be observed for a short period of time, as the effect of the announcement is priced out and the exchange rate and yields return to a level justified by the combined effect of other factors defining the economic environment. The forint/euro exchange rate reacts more sensitively than the average to new information related to the consumer price index, GDP growth and the current account balance. Exchange rate movements were explained by the unexpected component of new data in asignificant number of cases. Similarly, a close statistical correlation can be found between the news value of the above three types of data and yield movements. The announcement of new data has an especially significant effect on long-term yields. Publication of other types of data, however, shows no significant correlation with exchange rate and yield movements.


ABSTRACT The potential for cross-racial coalitions between minoritized communities in educational advocacy and policymaking is enhanced as communities become increasingly diverse. In this qualitative case study, we use interviews and archival data to explore coalition politics between Black and Latinx community leaders in a large, metropolitan school district in the U.S. Mountain West. Utilizing postcolonial feminist theory and critical race theory, we explore how and why Black and Latinx communities engage (or not) in coalition politics to advocate for educational equity. We found that although these communities rarely engaged in coalition politics, they sometimes developed what we termed micro-coalitions. This is a small, yet powerful and promising coalition grounded in a deep understanding of historical racial injustices and explicit efforts to navigate tensions and support both communities. We further highlight how district and state leaders leveraged existing tensions and adopted broadened but weakened policies to appease these communities.


CoNi epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(100) and SrTiO3(100) single-crystal substrates by ultra-high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. Effects of substrate temperature on the structural and magnetic properties of epitaxial films were investigated. On MgO(100) substrate, CoNi epitaxial films consisting of hcp(112¿0) and fcc(100) crystals are obtained whereas on SrTiO3(100) substrate, CoNi(100) single-crystal films with fcc structure are formed. CoNi film growth on both substrates seems to follow the Volmer-Weber mode. CoNi (100)fcc single-crystal film with smaller strain is obtained on SrTiO3 substrate rather than on MgO(100) substrate. The film strain decreases with increasing the substrate temperature. The magnetic hysteresis loops of CoNi epitaxial thin films reflect the magnetocrystalline anisotropies of hcp-CoNi and fcc-CoNi crystals.


It is over 100 years since GV Black gathered together most of the knowledge then current on the caries process and set clear parameters for the discipline of operative dentistry. His four-volume treatise set standards that were relevant for the times and, in fact, were so well described that they remained dominant in this discipline until quite recently. However, over the last 50 years there has been great progress in scientific method and in knowledge of the common diseases of the oral environment, including the caries process, so maybe it is time for change. The term "paradigm" describes a philosophy of science, a generally accepted model of how ideas relate to one another, forming a conceptual framework within which scientific research is carried out. Black defined the paradigm within which further research was to be conducted during the following years and the profession accepted his lead. However, it is not expected that the parameters of a profession should remain unchanged over a substantial period so it is suggested that the dental profession should, at this time, recognize a new paradigm. Improvements in scientific method have led to a better understanding of the oral environment, resulting in extensive changes for this profession. It is suggested that the standards set by Black should be now consigned to history and an entirely new paradigm adopted. First, the profession must recognize that dental caries is a bacterial disease and its primary efforts should be directed towards identification and elimination of the disease prior to initiating repair of the damage that it has caused. Preservation of natural tooth structure is then the next responsibility. There should be maximum use made of preventive strategies, including remineralization, followed by minimal intervention cavity designs and the use of bioactive restorative materials to restore the lesions. The profession should be prepared to move on.


A hybrid passive-active damping solution with improved system stability margin and enhanced dynamic performance is proposed for high power grid interactive converters. In grid connected active rectifier/inverter application, line side LCL filter improves the high frequency attenuation and makes the converter compatible with the stringent grid power quality regulations. Passive damping though offers a simple and reliable solution but it reduces overall converter efficiency. Active damping solutions do not increase the system losses but can guarantee the stable operation up to a certain speed of dynamic response which is limited by the maximum bandwidth of the current controller. This paper examines this limit and introduces a concept of hybrid passive-active damping solution with improved stability margin and high dynamic performance for line side LCL filter based active rectifier/inverter applications. A detailed design, analysis of the hybrid approach and trade-off between system losses and dynamic performance in grid connected applications are reported. Simulation and experimental results from a 10 kVA prototype demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. An analytical study on system stability and dynamic response with the variations of various controller and passive filter parameters is presented.


Literary Nonfiction. Poetry History & Criticism. "In many ways, focusing on the topic of Pound and education seems at once self-evident and sharply problematic, given the poet's numerous rants against a reductive pedagogy based, as he complained again and again, on the ossified procedures of rote memorization, the simple recitation of facts, and the fetishization of biographical minutiae. By contrast, he sought to promote a dynamic, frankly evaluative emphasis on the cultivation of critical taste, the historically informed appreciation of literary value, and the comparative assessment of a given writer's significance viewed in relation to work produced both within his own linguistic heritage and in other languages across a range of distinct cultural traditions. In other words, in many ways Pound anticipated and advocated for a kind of critical approach to (again mainly literary) education that we currently strive to uphold. As in so many other instances, especially amid the realm of contemporary poetry, we again find ourselves abiding by terms that Pound helped to establish through his relentless and polymath cultural evangelism. Hence, a consideration of Pound's views on education substantially complicates commonly held perceptions (which all too often serve to validate simple dismissals) of him as a conservative, even reactionary, aesthete and thinker. We have therefore chosen essays that highlight, rather than evade or suppress, the contradictions and vexed affiliations enlivening his thought and underscore the continuing relevance of his work."—from the Introduction

EZRA POUND AND EDUCATION features work by Gail MacDonald, Anne Birien, Michael Webster, Andrew John Miller, Michael Thomas Davis and Cameron McWhirter, Alec Marsh, Peter Nicholls, Milton L. Welch, Alan Golding, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, and Bob Perelman. The volume also includes essays by Hamilton students Molly Wilson, Jake Hartnett, and Justin Jones, and Colgate students Jasmine V. Bailey, Lucas Meeker, and Ashley Lazevnick.


Uterine malformations in DES-exposed women are not the only aetiologies for infertility, miscarriages, and other problems in their reproductive life. A global screening of fertility factors of the couple may, for instance, show in them vascular uterine abnormalities which reduce their reproductive potential. Furthermore, these abnormalities are not always predictive of losses of pregnancy, and many exposed women with patent uterine abnormalities can carry a pregnancy to term. Metroplasty for uterine enlargement is a surgical procedure suggested for restoring the size and shape of the uterine cavity. There are no comparative studies for assessing efficacy and safety of metroplasty. Therefore, metroplasty should not be performed routinely, but should only be considered after the couple has undergone a full fertility workup, and the best possible level of fertility has been achieved.


We consider a regulator providing deposit insurance to a bank with private information about its investment portfolio. As typical in practice, we assume that the regulator does not commit to auditing afternany risk report from the bank. We first show that the optimal contract can be implemented through a direct revelation mechanism. We also show that, at the optimal contract, a high risk bank has incentivesnto misreport. We thus establish that extraction of truthful riskninformation, as done in current regulatory practice, is not compatible with the maximization of social welfare.


Seafaring  is  one  of  the  worldʹs most  difficult  professions.  Seafarers  have  to  face  with many negative  factors while  they  are  at  sea. These negative  factors, makes  the  seafaring profession difficult  to be preferred. Fatigue, stress, heavy weather conditions and lack of communication are some of these factors that affect seafarer's occupational continuity and also make contribution to occurrence of marine accidents. Cadet is one of the seafarers who will be a navigation officer and captain in the near future. That's why cadets have a significant role in maritime industry. Theoretical and practical training of cadets is very important. Purpose of this study was to examine deck cadets' training conditions and difficulties they have to face with during their training period.  In order  to  identify  these difficulties, render  their  lives during  trainings easier, and establish their expectations, questionnaire conducted with 618 deck cadets. Interviews were carried out with 3  trainers and 10 maritime companies that have substantial shares  in Turkey's maritime trade. As a result of this study identified  factors  that  increase  fatigue mostly, reduction measures have been exposed and have  tried  to offer solutions. This study is an advisory to improve the occupational continuity of cadets in the profession. http://www.transnav.eu the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation Volume 10


This paper summarizes our efforts to develop capabilities for policy and contract management for Semantic Web Services applications. KAoS services and tools allow for the specification, management, analyzes, disclosure and enforcement of policies represented in OWL. We discuss three current Semantic Web Services applications as examples of the kinds of roles that a policy management framework can play: as an authorization service in grid computing environments, as a distributed policy specification and enforcement capability for a semantic matchmaker, and as a verification tool for services composition and contract management.


The Mexican Revolution was a tumultuous struggle for social and political reform that ousted an autocrat and paved the way for a new national constitution. The conflict, however, came late to Yucatan, where a network of elite families with largely European roots held the reins of government. This privileged group reaped spectacular wealth from haciendas, cash-crop plantations tended by debt-ridden servants of Maya descent. When a revolutionary army from central Mexico finally gained a foothold in Yucatan in 1915, the local custom of agrarian servitude met its demise. Drawing on a dozen years of archaeological and historical investigation, Allan Meyers breaks new ground in the study of Yucatan haciendas. He explores a plantation village called San Juan Bautista Tabi, which once stood at the heart of a vast sugar estate. Occupied for only a few generations, the village was abandoned during the revolutionary upheaval. Its ruins now lie within a state-owned ecological reserve. Through oral histories, archival records, and physical remains, Meyers examines various facets of the plantation landscape. He presents original data and fresh interpretations on settlement organization, social stratification, and spatial relationships. His systematic approach to "things underfoot," small everyday objects that are now buried in the tropical forest, offers views of the hacienda experience that are often missing in official written sources. In this way, he raises the voices of rural, mostly illiterate Maya speakers who toiled as laborers. What emerges is a portrait of hacienda social life that transcends depictions gleaned from historical methods alone. Students, researchers, and travelers to Mexico will all find something of interest in Meyers's lively presentation. Readers will see the old haciendas--once forsaken but now experiencing a rebirth as tourist destinations--in a new light. These heritage sites not only testify to social conditions that prevailed before the Mexican Revolution, but also remind us that the human geography of modern Yucatan is as much a product of plantation times as it is of more ancient periods. "


Background Malnutrition is a common clinical feature in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), but its prevalence and clinical impact on morbidity and mortality of patients with chronic HF (CHF) remains to be determined. Purpose To evaluate the prevalence, clinical associations and prognostic value of three different malnutrition indices in a large cohort of patients referred to a community HF clinic with suspected HF. Methods Consecutive referrals were analysed. HF was defined as signs or symptoms and evidence of cardiac dysfunction, either a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction at echocardiography (LVEF, <50%) or raised NTproBNP (>125 ng/L). Patients were screened for malnutrition using three common malnutrition indices: the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI). Results Of the 5012 patients who attended between 2000 and 2016, HF was confirmed in 3386 (61% males, median age 75 (interquartile range (IQR): 67–81) years, median NTproBNP 1573 (IQR: 702–2799) ng/L). Of these, 1198 (35%) and 1458 (43%) patients had HF with reduced (HeFREF, LVEF<40%) and normal (HeFNEF, LVEF 50%) ejection fraction, respectively. According to the GNRI (91%), CONUT score (>4) and PNI (38%), 6.7%, 10.0% and 7.5% patients were moderately to severely malnourished, respectively. Compared to those with normal nutritional status, malnourished patients were older, had lower body mass index (BMI), worse symptoms and renal function; they were also more likely to have atrial fibrillation, anaemia and reduced mobility. During a median follow-up of 1573 days (interquartile range: 702–2799 days), 1723 (50.9%) patients died. In multivariable models, indices of malnutrition were powerful predictors of mortality. In a multivariable model that included all the malnutrition indices, only GNRI was independently associated with increased risk of mortality (Hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.25 (1.12–1.39), p<0.001 for worsening malnutrition category of GNRI). Conclusion Moderate or severe malnutrition is highly prevalent amongst patients with CHF and is strongly related to mortality.


Spirulina platensis was a commercially cultured cyanobacterium spcies, having biomass up to 3.000 tons in a year and used as health food and animal feed. If we could draw its potential, we could apply S. platensis to solve environment problems. S. platensis produced valuable materials such as g-linolenic acid, bioplastic etc . To increase the content of these materials, the recombinant DNA technique was most important, but its application has just been started. At present, to transform gene into Spirulina cells , only the electroporation method was applied for this purpose. The lipofection method was used widely for transfection. It had advantages for its convenience, efficiency and safety but its application was limited to culture mammalian cells. Recently, we found E. coli and S. platensis could be transformed by lipofection method. We investigated conditions to transform S. platensis with DOTAP liposomal transfection reagents. We used the pHSG397 vector with cat to transform S. platensis . The transformed Spirulina cells could survive in the condition of chloramphenicol concentration more than 0.5 mg/ml for 4 weeks. The transformation efficiency of the lipofection method was 4 - 15 times better in comparison with the electroporation method, dependently on applied vetors (such as close or open vector cutted used by the enzyme EcoR I).


Previous assessments of nominal exchange rate determination have focused upon a narrow set of models typically of the 1970's vintage, including monetary and portfolio balance models. In this paper we re-assess the in-sample fit and out-of-sample prediction of a wider set of models that have been proposed in the last decade, namely interest rate parity, productivitybased models, and "behavioral equilibrium exchange rate" models. These models are compared against a benchmark model, the Dornbusch-Frankel sticky price monetary model. First, the parameter estimates of the models are compared against the theoretically predicted values. Second, we conduct an extensive out-of-sample forecasting exercise, using the last eight years of data to determine whether our in-sample conclusions hold up. We examine model performance at various forecast horizons (1 quarter, 4 quarters, 20 quarters) using differing metrics (mean squared error, direction of change), as well as the "consistency" test of Cheung and Chinn (1998). We find that no model fits the data particularly well, nor does any model consistently out-predict a random walk, even at long horizons. There is little correspondence between how well a model conforms to theoretical priors and how well the model performs in a prediction context. However, we do confirm previous findings that outperformance of a random walk is more likely at long horizons. JEL Code: F31, F47.


ArfA rescues ribosomes stalled on truncated mRNAs by recruiting the release factor RF2, which normally binds stop codons to catalyze peptide release. We report two 3.2-Å resolution cryo-EM structures – determined from a single sample – of the 70S ribosome with ArfA∙RF2 in the A site. In both states, the ArfA C-terminus occupies the mRNA tunnel downstream of the A site. One state contains a compact inactive RF2 conformation, hitherto unobserved in 70S termination complexes. Ordering of the ArfA N-terminus in the second state rearranges RF2 into an extended conformation that docks the catalytic GGQ motif into the peptidyl-transferase center. Our work thus reveals the structural dynamics of ribosome rescue. The structures demonstrate how ArfA "senses" the vacant mRNA tunnel and activates RF2 to mediate peptide release without a stop codon, allowing stalled ribosomes to be recycled.


The trace element geochemistry of Jamaican soils (<150 μm) is extremely variable due to their development on diverse parent materials, varying maturity (ages range from recent to >5 Ma) and the variety of soil-forming processes. It is demonstrated that the Fe/Na ratio of the soils forms a useful quantitative framework for studying trace element distributions. The ratio varies 2.5 orders of magnitude from <2 in newly developed inceptisols to >500 in oxisols and terra rossas that have been developing for >5 Ma. The form of the trace element distributions with respect to Fe/Na ratio may be interpreted in the context of mineralogy of the parent material, removal of labile trace element fractions during soil development, sequestration in stable secondary forms, and ultimate concentration of stable primary resistate and secondary minerals by terra rossa soil formation processes that lead to elevated Fe and Al levels and the depletion of silica and base cations, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+. As examples, the distributions of U and As are modelled as functions of the Fe/Na ratio. Use of robust regression procedures identifies individual soil samples that exhibit divergent patterns of trace element concentration. Some of these can be linked to local bedrock sources, while others are more likely related to exotic volcanic ash-fall material from Central America deposited on proto-Jamaica in the late Miocene.


The purpose of this research is to investigate empirically the impact of value added physical and intellectual capital (IC) efficiency on a company's financial performance. This research uses Nazari and Herremans (2007) Extended Value Added Intellectual Coefficient as the efficiency measure of physical and intellectual capital. The data drawn from three out of ten pharmaceutical industries listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the years 2003-2009 was analysed using linear regression analysis. This research contributes to extant intellectual capital literature by evidencing the IC components' impact on company performance as well as the actual implementation of extended VAICTTM method in empirical study.It is shown that IC components impact profitability of the pharmaceutical industry in a significant and positive manner. Further, it is found that whilst physical capital employed shows a significant positive impact on profitability, the impact of IC components on productivity is not significant.Keywords: Extended VAICTM, Intellectual Capital, Financial Performance, Profitability, Productivity


Recent research has revealed that some grain boundaries (GBs) can migrate coupled to applied shear stress. In this paper, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on sixteen [0 0 1] symmetric tilt GBs of bicrystal Cu to identify atomic-scale GB migration mechanisms and investigate their dependence on GB structure. The misorientation angles (θ) of the sixteen GBs cover the interval from 0° to 90° and a wide range of Σ values. A general method was proposed to explore the possible GB structures for each misorientation angle. Molecular statics simulation at a temperature of 0 K was carried out first to determine the equilibrium and some possible metastable structures of the sixteen investigated [0 0 1] GBs. MD simulations were then conducted on the bicrystal models at equilibrium by applying a shear strain parallel to the GB plane. Shear deformation caused the tangential translation of the grain and induced normal motion of the GBs. This boundary coupling motion was present in the entire range of misorientation angles. Different mechanisms of coupled boundary motion at atomic scale were carefully examined in this work. The common feature of these mechanisms can be regarded as the displacement of local atoms and rotation of certain structure unit. Structure phase transformation of GB was found during the migration of Σ17 (4 1 0) and Σ73 (8 3 0) GBs.


Continuous beam bridge was widely used, while seismic problem of it was prominent in meizoseismal area. According to seismic-isolation principle and mechanism of PSD, seismic performance of PSD were studied and the parameters of PSD were analyzed later, based on south approach of North Branch of Xia-Zhang Sea-Crossing Bridge. It was found that PSD, a combination of preloaded spring and liquid viscous damper, was an effective seismic-isolation device which could significantly reduce the seismic response of continuous beam bridge in longitudinal and transverse direction. Damper coefficient was the main parameter of PSD, while preloaded force, linear spring stiffness and damper index had a little effect on seismic performance of PSD.


. This paper proposes a procedural pipeline for wind forecasting based on clustering and regression. First, the data are clustered into groups sharing similar dynamic properties. Then, data in the same cluster are used to train the neural network that predicts wind speed. For clustering, a hidden Markov model (HMM) and the modified Bayesian information criteria (BIC) are incorporated in a new method of clustering time series data. To forecast wind, a new method for wind time series data forecasting is developed based on the extreme learning machine (ELM). The clustering results improve the accuracy of the proposed method of wind forecasting. Experiments on a real dataset collected from various locations confirm the method's accuracy and capacity in the handling of a large amount of data.


Background Although excess levels of B cell activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF, also known as BLyS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of SLE, how excess BAFF promotes breaks in B cell tolerance is not completely understood. Transgenic mice (Tg) overexpressing BAFF develop an autoimmune disease resembling human SLE. BAFF binds to distinct receptors expressed on B cells, the BAFF receptor (BAFF-R) and transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI). Since BAFF-R deletion results in loss of mature B cells, BAFF-R-dependent signals are presumed to explain BAFF-mediated autoimmunity. However, potential important roles for TACI in lupus pathogenesis have not been addressed. Materials and methods After crossing BAFF-Tg and Taci-/- mice, we used standard immunologic techniques to test the impact of TACI on BAFF-driven autoimmunity. Results Despite prior evidence of a negative role for TACI in B cell activation, we discovered that TACI deletion resulted in a striking loss of class-switched serum autoantibodies. Loss of serum autoantibodies also correlated with protection from immune-complex glomerulonephritis in Taci-/-.BAFF-Tg mice. Importantly, lack of autoimmunity was not explained by alterations in peripheral B cell development, since both BAFF-Tg and Taci-/-.BAFF-Tg mice exhibited similar B cell hyperplasia, with equivalent expansion of the follicular (FM) and marginal zone (MZ) compartments. Rather, whereas surface TACI expression is usually limited to mature B cells, we discovered that excess BAFF integrates with dual B cell receptor (BCR)- and MyD88-dependent signals to promote TACI upregulation on transitional B cells. The novel TACIhi subset of transitional B cells from BAFF-Tg mice are characterised by an activated, cycling phenotype and expressed activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and T-bet. Single-cell cloning of B cell receptors from TACIhi vs TACIlo transitional B cells demonstrated that the TACIhi cell subset is specifically enriched for autoreactivity and exhibits evidence of somatic hypermutation. Finally, consistent with a direct role in autoimmune pathogenesis, TACIhi transitional B cells from BAFF-Tg mice spontaneously produce class-switched autoantibodies ex vivo. Conclusion Our combined findings highlight a novel mechanism whereby BAFF promotes humoral autoimmunity via TACI-dependent activation of transitional B cells. In addition to SLE and other autoimmune disorders characterised by elevated BAFF, dysregulated transitional B cell activation is likely to be relevant a range of other clinical scenarios, including: autoimmune disease relapse after treatment with B cell-depletion therapies; de novo humoral autoimmunity following stem cell transplantation; and, rapid IgM- and IgG-mediated antibody responses during pathogen challenges. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award numbers: R01HL075453 (DJR), R01AI084457 (DJR), R01AI071163 (DJR), DP3DK097672 (DJR) and K08AI112993 (SWJ). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Additional support provided by the Benaroya Family Gift Fund (DJR); by the ACR REF Rheumatology Scientist Development Award (SWJ); and by the Arnold Lee Smith Endowed Professorship for Research Faculty Development (SWJ).


ABSTRACT This article explores the semiotic spaces occupied by organizations working against discrimination in Sweden. Expressions of identity, norm critique, and political goals are studied in relation to word production and language policy and planning. The study departs from interviews with representatives from three organizations within the hbtqi, antiracist, and disability movements. Other resources connected to them have also been analyzed, such as glossaries. Theoretically, this study draws on Yuri Lotman's concept of semiospheres, allowing the analysis to weigh in the whole semiotic process, including meaning production, policy work, and concrete word production. This approach completes an analysis of indexical orders. The results show that (a) organizations are aware of the importance of linguistic choices, (b) when new concepts and words are spread to the public, tension can arise and sometimes objections, and (c) word meanings change when used in public discourse. (Language policy and planning, semiosphere, indexical order, hbtqi, antiracism, disability, discrimination)


The efficacy of the Isaacs Endometrial Cell Sampler to obtain specimens for cytologic examination to detect both hormonal disturbances and precursors of malignancy of the endometrium was assessed in 120 symptomatic women. Correlation of the cytologic results with the histologic diagnosis on curettage specimens showed a diagnostic accuracy of 96.3%. The cytologic criteria for diagnosing samples obtained with the Isaacs device are presented.


Markerless motion capture has become an active field of research in computer vision in recent years. Its extensive applications are known in a great variety of fields, including computer animation, human motion analysis, biomedical research, virtual reality, and sports science. Estimating human posture has recently gained increasing attention in the computer vision community, but due to the depth of uncertainty and the lack of the synthetic datasets, it is a challenging task. Various approaches have recently been proposed to solve this problem, many of which are based on deep learning. They are primarily focused on improving the performance of existing benchmarks with significant advances, especially 2D images. Based on powerful deep learning techniques and recently collected real-world datasets, we explored a model that can predict the skeleton of an animation based solely on 2D images. Frames generated from different real-world datasets with synthesized poses using different body shapes from simple to complex. The implementation process uses DeepLabCut on its own dataset to perform many necessary steps, then use the input frames to train the model. The output is an animated skeleton for human movement. The composite dataset and other results are the "ground truth" of the deep model.


ABSTRACT Introduction: With the rising prevalence of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in the general population, the development of new drugs for prevention of thromboembolic events is essential. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been shown to present a number of advantages over conventionally used agents, such as predictable pharmacokinetics and no requirement for continuous anticoagulant monitoring. The most recently approved NOAC for the NVAF indication is edoxaban. Several subgroup analyses from the edoxaban phase III ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial have now been published, alongside meta-analysis data comparing the four currently approved NOACs. Consequently, an updated review of the literature is merited. Areas covered: A PubMed search using the terms 'edoxaban', 'non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant', 'ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48', and 'atrial fibrillation' was performed and results screened for the most relevant English language publications. The market position, pharmacological profile, clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of edoxaban are presented and discussed. Expert commentary: Edoxaban has been shown to have an efficacy similar or superior to that of warfarin, with a potentially lower risk of major bleeding and predictable, dose-dependent pharmacology. In order to clarify its position within the NOAC market, head-to-head comparative studies are required.


The nature and magnitude of residues in apples treated with [ 14 C]diphenylamine (DPA) was investigated following treatment and storage at reduced temperature. Additional apples were treated with a mixture of [ 14 C]DPA and deuterium-labeled DPA (D-10-DPA) for use in metabolite identification. Stored apples were sampled at 16 different intervals throughout a 40-week period. Total radioactive residue levels remained constant over the entire testing interval. The parent chemical and several metabolites were identified on the final harvest peel and pulp samples by quantitative and qualitative analytical methods. A majority of the terminal residue, which was confined largely in the peel, consisted of unmetabolized DPA. Residues in pulp, however, were largely composed of glycosyl conjugates of several hydroxylated diphenylamine (OH-DPA) metabolites. The major polar metabolite identified in stored apples was a glucose conjugate of 4-hydroxydiphenylamine (4-OH-DPA). Additional metabolites, characterized as glycosyl conjugates of 2-OH-DPA, 3-OH-DPA, 4-OH-DPA, or dihydroxy-DPA, were also detected along with their intact (i.e., nonconjugated) forms in apple pulp.


The aim of this paper was to find out the relationship between semantics and syntax through pragmatic analysis of indexicals used by Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan in two of his purposively selected speeches; one in Urdu delivered on 23rd December, 2020 on the passing out ceremony of police officers and the other in English delivered on 27th September, 2019 in UNGA. The English speech has been analyzed using antconc software while the analysis of Urdu speech has been done manually. A quantitative analysis of the five kinds of deixes in both the speeches strengthened the research results of  Samosir and Zainuddin (2013) by providing the proof of the fact that person deixis is the most dominant category of English deixes (45.5%) while spatial is the least dominant (5.1%). The analysis of Urdu speech revealed a similar pattern as the person deixis (51.9%) is the most frequent, spatial being the least (3.9%).  The presence of all five kinds of deixes with a similar pattern of relative frequencies in both the languages have provided a useful data for the purpose of Parallel Grammar (ParGram) project (Butt et al., 1999) to find out parallel structures in the grammar of six languages out of which two have been analyzed in this paper.


BACKGROUND
Carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma (Ca-ex-PA) is considered to be a malignant transformation product of pre-existing pleomorphic salivary adenoma (PSA).

AIM
Our study aimed to characterise alterations in the immunohistochemical expression of the Fragile Histidine Traid (FHIT) and Cyclin-dependent Kinase Inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) (p16(INK4a)) genes during tumour progression model from PSA to Ca-ex-PA in a cross sectional study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Paraffin blocks of 29 cases of PSA which were surrounded by normal parotid gland, and 26 cases of Ca-ex-PA were retrieved and validated. In all cases of Ca-ex-PA, a PSA 'ghost' was identified and the malignant element was either undifferentiated carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining and evaluation for CDKN2A and FHIT in 55 specimens were undertaken.

RESULTS
The results showed positive nuclear expression of p16 and FHIT in normal parotid gland. None (0%) of the PSA cases demonstrated loss of expression of nuclear FHIT, while 6/26 (23.1%) showed loss of FHIT express. Loss of CDKN2A expression was found in 12/29 (41.4%) of PSAs and 8/26 (30.8%) of Ca-ex-PAs. The nuclear expression pattern for FHIT was significantly more frequent in Ca-ex-PAs compared to PSAs (p=0.014).

CONCLUSION
Our data suggest that inactivation of tumour suppressor genes plays an important role in the evolution of Ca-ex-PA. Furthermore, alteration of CDKN2A expression was found to be an early event in the malignant transformation of pleomorphic adenoma and could be considered as a target for gene therapy. More interestingly, we found that nuclear FHIT expression could be used as a good marker to distinguish PSA from Ca-ex-PA.


Novel all-optical implementations for logic AND and XOR gates are experimentally demonstrated at 2.5Gb/s based on cavity-enhanced four-wave-mixing (CE-FWM) combined with optical injection locking phenomena in monolithically integrated semiconductor ring lasers (SRLs). All-optical AND gate with simultaneous wavelength conversion have been achieved using the CE-FWM. XOR function is demonstrated using two parallel SRLs, each performing one part of XOR Boolean equation. Error-free operation with extinction ratio higher than 10dB confirms the suitability of SRLs for all-optical logic applications.


Abstract Introduction and Objectives: Mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome (MF/SS) represent a group of heterogeneous diseases. Recent studies demonstrated dysregulation of several signaling pathways in MF/SS, including PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT, RAS and NFkB pathways. We performed a high throughput drug screen to determine the potential of novel agents targeting these pathways for the treatment of MF/SS. Materials and Methods: We compiled a libraryof 94 compounds targeting pathways known to be relevant in cancer biology. These included kinases involved in growth factor receptor signaling, HDACs, proteasome, DNA repair and regulators of apoptosis. The compounds were screened for anti-proliferative activity against four MF/SS cell lines in high throughput proliferation assays. Selected hits were further studied in xenograft models of MF/SS and in primary T cell lymphomas. Promising candidates from different classes were also tested in combination therapy assays using a matrix block method across dose gradients of each compound designed to detect synergistic activities. Results: From the high throughput screen, we identified 14 compounds with anti-proliferative activity in MF/SS, including multiple inhibitors of the PI3K pathway. PI3K inhibitors emerged as preliminary hits in this screen and secondary validation assays confirmed the class effect of PI3K inhibitors. From this class, the PI3K inhibitor BKM120 was selected for in vivo studies. In a xenograft model of MF, BKM120 exhibited striking anti-tumor activity measured by a marked suppression of tumor growth and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice compared with vehicle control. In a search for even more effective combination therapies, we identified that BKM120 and the HDAC inhibitor class of compounds exhibit synergistic anti-proliferative effects in MF/SS tumor cells. Each of three HDAC inhibitors including LBH, Romidepsin and Vorinosat showed synergistic activity with BKM120, most evident at the GI50 concentrations of each drug, and apparent in both growth inhibition and apoptotic assays. Conclusion: BKM120 is highly active in preclinical models of MF/SS. Furthermore, it synergistically potentiates the effect of HDAC inhibitors against MF/SS tumor cells. These are highly promising approaches for the treatment of MF/SS and warrant clinical investigation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.