The CIC/83, the living law (ius vigens) of the Latin Catholic Church, contains 110 canons on marriage in cc. 1055 – 1165. [The 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches contains a similar section, cc. 776 – 866]. The sacred canons, in general, are a compilation of theological statements that are presented in juridical terms. The canons on marriage, like those of the other sacraments, commence with a theological statement defining the essence of the sacrament. The first canon, c. 1055, states that (§1) the marriage covenant, for the baptized, has been raised to the dignity of a sacrament by Christ the Lord and that (§2) a valid marriage contract cannot exist between baptized persons without being a sacrament. A requirement of c. 1099 is that one must not be in error (error iuris) concerning the unity, indissolubility, or the sacramental dignity of marriage. Additionally, c. 1101, §2 states that when by a positive act of the will one excludes marriage itself or an essential element or an essential property, that marriage is invalid. The expectation of cc. 1099 and 1101, therefore, is that sacramentality be included at the time of exchange of consent. From the time of the scholastics, contract and sacrament have been identified as one for the baptized, hearkening to a time when civil legislation attempted to subvert the authority and oversight of the Church regarding (sacramental) marriage. At the Second Vatican Council, the constitution Gaudium et spes reinterpreted marriage as a covenantal relationship between man and woman. A covenant and a contract are not identical terms. More importantly, marriage was again seen as a covenant, and as a covenant, for the baptized, it Father Glen J. Pothier 2 is sacramental. Sacrosanctum Concilium, which set forth principles for the reform of the sacramental and liturgical life of the Latin Church, stated that sacraments presuppose faith. The International Theological Commission identified that there are members of the baptized faithful, Catholic or nonCatholic, who are unbelievers, who may have been baptized as children but have had no further faith elucidation, or, as members of non-Catholic ecclesial communities, do not believe in the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, or, in particular, that marriage is a sacrament. Such persons would not, then, understand that sacramentality must be exchanged on the day of marriage. Rotal jurisprudence has reflected this change. In addition to the presumption that sacraments require faith, another presumption exists when the Church expects that the baptized marry according to the mind of the Church (the mens Ecclesiae), that is, facere quod facit Ecclesia, ([by] doing what the Church does). But in a society that is weakened by divorce, secularism, and a lack of understanding of what the Catholic Church understands by the sacrament of marriage, this presumption needs to be reexamined. Through research on the historical development of theological and canonical principles, and by means of independent studies of large groups of baptized Catholics and non-Catholics, it becomes increasingly clear that the theologico-juridico principles of c. 1055 and the sacramentality of marriage must be revisited.


Extracting structured information from unstructured data is one of the key challenges in modern information retrieval applications, including e-commerce. Here, we demonstrate how recent advances in machine learning, combined with a recently published multilingual data set with standardized fine-grained product category information, enable robust product attribute extraction in challenging transfer learning settings. Our models can reliably predict product attributes across online shops, languages, or both. Furthermore, we show that our models can be used to match product taxonomies between online retailers.


Broadband Power Line Communications (B-PLC) technology is an alternative for broadband access networks, allowing bit rates up to currently 200Mbps. This technique uses the wiring of the low-voltage grid in order to offer to the users the telecommunications services, such as Internet. In this paper, the B-PLC planning process is sub-divided into two parts, which are the Generalized Base Station Placement (GBSP) and the PLC Channel Allocation Problem (P-CAP). This paper focuses on GBSP that is formulated as multi-objective combinatorial optimization and solved by the means of metaheuristics. Two optimization approaches are used to solve it: the classical approach based on single-objective optimization and the modern approach based on multi-objective optimization. Their performances are evaluated and compared with each other.


Ceramic 3D printing has emerged in recent years as a new method for working with age-old material, a blend of the digital and analog that breeds a new type of artisan. Working with clay in an FDM extrusion system presents a number of challenges due to the nature of the material, restricting the forms that can be produced to rudimentary levels of ornament and shape. This research tackles the issue of resolution and thickness when creating and designing shell structures from ceramic materials, notably when 3D printing is used for complex geometry. This research aims to navigate these material and technological constraints by designing a novel approach to support scaffolds using a secondary material. This secondary material serves as an organic encasement for the ceramic object, and nature is treated as a co-collaborator in the excavation and controlled curing of a high filigree clay structure. By introducing edible bio matter and/or cellulose solutions, this encourages a new relationship with nature as a tool and co-author, becoming a stakeholder in the final result. This research examines the relationship between human, machine, and nature in the design and manufacturing of products.


This paper investigates the stack effect on the power consumption of refrigerated containers. The investigation is based on measurement experimentation that was conducted in Hakata Island City Container Terminal, Fukuoka, Japan. Experimentation was carried out over summer 2015, using three stacks of high cube refrigerated containers. Several sensors and devices were employed to ascertain parameters, including pyranometers, thermocouples, and power analyzers. Five units of pyranometers were set on a horizontal and vertical plane, facing all cardinal directions. Thermocouples were installed inside and outside of walls at a total of twenty points. Power meters employed to measure energy consumption were set on the power plug station nearby the measurement object. Measurement results showed that the stacking position of refrigerated containers affects the distribution of surface temperatures and power consumption. The average surface temperatures obtained on the top tier, middle tier, and bottom tier were 45°C, 41°C and 38°C at noon, respectively. Consequently, the average power consumption from the top tier, middle tier, and bottom tier were shown as 7.7 kW, 7.4 kW and 7.5 kW, respectively. From these results it can be concluded that the stacking effect of containers provides thermal benefit to the power consumption of refrigerated containers that are located on the middle tier and bottom tier.


We observe a 3 order of magnitude enhancement of the terahertz energy radiated by a femtosecond pulse undergoing filamentation in air in the presence of a static electric field. Measurements of terahertz pulse duration, spectrum, polarization, and radiation pattern elucidate the physical processes responsible for this radiation. A theoretical model explains the results and predicts another 3 orders of magnitude enhancement with a terawatt laser pulse.


The increasing use of multimedia in learning resources in higher education poses a challenge for learners with hearing disabilities, unless these are accompanied by transcripts or captions. This paper reports on a small study where six Automatic Transcription Software (ATS) were analysed for their accuracy. Although economical and timesaving, at present, it seems an automatically generated transcript is not yet accurate enough to be an accessibility aid for the subjects relating to built environment sector.


The ongoing conceptual controversy of cultural competence for preservice teachers led to the current study that explored the underlying structure of cultural competence through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis methods. A total of 793 preservice teachers from two large Midwestern universities completed the Multicultural Teaching Scale. Results of EFAs supported a two-factor solution of cultural competence: praxis and knowledge. The final model derived from EFA yielded a 28-item two-factor model that fits the data, where χ2/df = 2.50, comparative fit index = .91, Tucker—Lewis index = .91, and root mean square error of approximation = .06. The model comparison results suggested that the two-factor model from the current study was the best fit for the data. These findings indicate a more parsimonious model of cultural competence and suggest that the current MTS structure should be revised to more accurately reflect the structure of cultural competence for preservice teachers.


A study was carried out on the effect of cadmium, a major impurity in commercial zinc electrolytes, on the zinc plating current efficiency in acid sulfate baths. The synthetic electrolyte (200 g dm−3 Zn++ and 0–100 mg dm−3Cd++) was continuously circulated through the electrolysis cell. The electrolysis was carried out with a current density of 480–490 A m−2 at 37°C. Hydrogen overpotential, potential sweep, atomic absorption, x‐ray diffraction, and electron microscopy were used to determine the effect of cadmium on the behavior of the zinc plate. The results indicate that cadmium may either increase or decrease the zinc plating current efficiency. For Cd++ less than 20 mg dm−3, increasing cadmium concentrations in the electrolyte reduce the hydrogen overpotential and the zinc plating current efficiency. For Cd++greater than 20 mg dm−3, increasing cadmium concentrations cause a refinement in the structure of the zinc plate with subsequent increase in the hydrogen overpotential and in the zinc plating current efficiency. The incorporation of cadmium into the zinc plate neither significantly alters the crystal orientation of the deposit nor alters the hydrogen evolution mechanism.


Increasing grain price volatility over the last year has revived the discussion on optimal marketing strategies. Various models of optimal grain marketing have been proposed and simulated in the literature. In this study an overview on these models is presented and critical aspects are discussed. Optimal strategies are then applied to the wheat market in Germany and Poland. Results indicate that gains from optimal marketing are rather small and uncertain in the real world, indicating that scientific assistance might be of limited importance. However, an understanding of optimization and price generating processes is likely to improve farmers' decisions, e.g. if farmers have additional (private) information to improve price forecasts.


Adults who report having had high-quality relationships with their parents during childhood have better overall mental health and are at decreased risk for mental disorders compared with those who report low parental relationship quality. Researchers have predominantly focused on the relationship with the mother, often times excluding the unique role that fathers may play in the long-term development of their offspring. The current study examined the unique associations of recalled childhood experiences of mother-child and father-child relationship quality with daily emotional experiences and stress processes in adulthood. Men and women (N = 912, ages 25-74) retrospectively reported the quality of their childhood relationships with their mother and father. Later, they reported their daily psychological distress and stressor exposure every night over 8 consecutive evenings. Results indicate that mother-child relationship quality was related to lower levels of daily psychological distress. The quality of both mother-child and father-child relationships was related to stressor exposure, but only father-son relationship quality was related to lower levels of emotional reactivity to stressors during adulthood.


Wireless communication has become an indispensable part of modern life. One of the mostimportant components of wireless communication systems are antennas, termed as "eyes" and "ears" of communication systems. A printed antenna, one of the most commercial antennas, is widely used for civil and military applications, i.e., for communication systems, radar systems, satellite and transportation systems since the printed antenna provides some benefits such as light weight, compact structure and low manufacturing cost. A printed antenna design for a communication technology called Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) is discussed in this dissertation.

Ultra-Wide Band communication has undergone intensive investigation in the past decade since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the free license spectral mask operation of the UWB radio over 7.5 GHz bandwidth from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz (UWB frequency range), a technology promising high-rate data transmission over a short range.
On the other hand, a UWB communication system requires extremely low radiation power to avoid interferences to other communication systems. As an answer for this challenge, three strategies based on antenna aspects are proposed in the frame of this work.

The first strategy is to design a compact and directive single radiator. The printed monopole antenna was selected as the radiator, in particular the printed circular monopole antenna (PCMA), was reinvestigated and modified as a directive PCMA. Secondly, a UWB array antenna employing the directive PCMA element was designed to focus the radiation toward a certain direction. Some matching techniques were combined in the design to achieve impedance matching over the UWB frequency range. The measurement result of the antenna under test showed a focused radiation pattern and the impedance matching better than -10 dB was achieved for the whole frequency band.

The concept of frequency invariant beam pattern antenna arrays is applied as the third strategy. The concept, adopted from the broadband sensor's theory for acoustic purpose, is applied to the microwave frame. Based on this concept, a prototype of the PCMA array fed by a set of low pass filters was realized in planar technology at the first time to achieve frequency invariant beam patterns. The measurement of the fabricated antenna showed that the beamwidth can be kept constant over the whole frequency band.


This study examines using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP), a method for displaying the words in a text rapidly in a sequence, as a method to present text based content on mobile phones. A prototype for reading RSS-based content was developed and tested. The study was conducted in two parts. The first part was an experiment study, where university students read educational material, after which multiple-choice questions were answered in order to measure readability and comprehensibility. The second part was an observation study where the software was available for download by anyone, and where the usage of the predominantly news based content was logged. The results from the experiment indicate what previous studies of RSVP on computer screens have show, namely that reading speed and comprehensibility is high, but that users are uncomfortable with the technique. The results from the observation study showed that even among users used to read content on mobile phones, relatively few choose to use RSVP on a frequent basis.


To accurately and comprehensively monitor a program's behavior, many performance measurement tools transform the program's executable representation or binary. By instrumenting binary programs to monitor program events, tools can precisely analyze compiler optimization effectiveness, memory system performance, pipeline interlocking, and other dynamic program characteristics that are fully exposed only at this level. Binary transformation has also been used to support software-enforced fault isolation, debugging, machine re-targeting, and machine-dependent optimization.

At present, binary transformation applications face a difficult trade-off. Previous approaches to implementing robust transformations result in significant disk space and run-time overhead. To improve efficiency, some current systems sacrifice robustness, relying on heuristic assumptions about the program and recognition of compiler-dependent code generation idioms. In this paper we begin by investigating the run-time and disk space overhead of transformation strategies that do not require assumptions about the program's control flow or register usage. We then detail simple information about the binary program that can significantly reduce this overhead. For each type of information, we show how it enables a corresponding type of binary transformation. We call binary programs that contain such enabling information adaptable binaries. Because adaptable binary information is simple, any compiler can generate it. Despite its simplicity, adaptable binary information has the necessary and sufficient expressive power to support a rich set of binary transformations.


CONTEXT
Patients evaluated at emergency departments often present with nonemergency conditions that can be treated in other clinical settings. High-deductible health plans have been promoted as a means of reducing overutilization but could also be related to worse outcomes if patients defer necessary care.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the relationship between transition to a high-deductible health plan and emergency department use for low- and high-severity conditions and to examine changes in subsequent hospitalizations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Analysis of emergency department visits and subsequent hospitalizations among 8724 individuals for 1 year before and after their employers mandated a switch from a traditional health maintenance organization plan to a high-deductible health plan, compared with 59 557 contemporaneous controls who remained in the traditional plan. All persons were aged 1 to 64 years and insured by a Massachusetts health plan between March 1, 2001, and June 30, 2005.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Rates of first and repeat emergency department visits classified as low, indeterminate, or high severity during the baseline and follow-up periods, as well as rates of inpatient admission after emergency department visits.

RESULTS
Between the baseline and follow-up periods, emergency department visits among members who switched to high-deductible coverage decreased from 197.5 to 178.1 per 1000 members, while visits among controls remained at approximately 220 per 1000 (-10.0% adjusted difference in difference; 95% confidence interval [CI], -16.6% to -2.8%; P = .007). The high-deductible plan was not associated with a change in the rate of first visits occurring during the study period (-4.1% adjusted difference in difference; 95% CI, -11.8% to 4.3%). Repeat visits in the high-deductible group decreased from 334.6 to 255.3 visits per 1000 members and increased from 321.1 to 334.4 per 1000 members in controls (-24.9% difference in difference; 95% CI, -37.5% to -9.7%; P = .002). Low-severity repeat emergency department visits decreased in the high-deductible group from 142.5 to 92.1 per 1000 members and increased in controls from 128.0 to 132.5 visits per 1000 members (-36.4% adjusted difference in difference; 95% CI, -51.1% to -17.2%; P<.001), whereas a small decrease in high-severity visits in the high-deductible group could not be excluded. The percentage of patients admitted from the emergency department in the high-deductible group decreased from 11.8 % to 10.9% and increased from 11.9% to 13.6% among controls (-24.7% adjusted difference in difference; 95% CI, -41.0% to -3.9%; P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS
Traditional health plan members who switched to high-deductible coverage visited the emergency department less frequently than controls, with reductions occurring primarily in repeat visits for conditions that were not classified as high severity, and had decreases in the rate of hospitalizations from the emergency department. Further research is needed to determine long-term health care utilization patterns under high-deductible coverage and to assess risks and benefits related to clinical outcomes.


Background Increased intensity of training in the subacute phase after acquired brain injury facilitates plasticity and enhances better function. Group training can be a motivating factor and an effective means of increasing intensity. Reports on patients' and health care professionals' experiences on increasing the amount of active practice through group training during in-patient rehabilitation after acquired brain injury have been limited. Methods Two focus groups, patients and health care professionals, participated each in two interviews, before and after implementation of the Activity block, i.e., 2-hour daily intensive group training. The data from the interviews were analyzed from a phenomenological perspective. Results Three categories emerged from the data analyzes (i) training intensity, (ii) motivation and meaningfulness, and (iii) expectations and concerns. Both groups experienced that the training after implementation of the Activity block had become more intense and that motivation was increased induced by the group setting. Also, both groups found self-management enhanced. Some challenges were also reported. Patients expressed concerns to finding a balance between rest and activity, while the health professionals mentioned practical challenges, i.e., planning the content of the day and finding their role in the Activity block. Conclusion Activity block benefitted a heterogeneous group of patients with acquired brain injury and was perceived as an overall positive experience by patients and health personnel. Matching the training to the individuals' need for support, finding a balance between rest and activity and using tasks that support patients' motivation, appeared important.


When the nature of a data set comes from a skew distribution, the use of usual Gaussian mixed effect model can be unreliable. In recent years, skew-normal mixed effect models have been used frequently for longitudinal data modeling in many biomedical studies. These models are flexible for considering skewness of the longitudinal data. In this paper, a shared parameter model is considered for simultaneously analysing nonignorable missingness and skew longitudinal outcomes. A Bayesian approach using Markov Chain Monte Carlo is adopted for parameter estimation. Some simulation studies are performed to investigate the performance of the proposed methods. The proposed methods are applied for analyzing an AIDS data set, where CD4 count measurements are gathered as longitudinal outcomes. In these data CD4 counts measurements are severely skew. In application section, different structures of skew-normal distribution assumptions for random effects and errors are considered where deviance information criterion is used for model comparison.


This dissertation defends causal decision theory and
argues against its main rival, evidential decision theory. In
Chapter 1, I introduce a decision problem in which evidentialists
end up predictably worse off, on average, than causalists. This
result is surprising since comparisons of average welfare have
traditionally been taken to support evidential decision theory and
undermine causal decision theory. In Chapter 2, Jack- Spencer and I
give a new argument for one of causal decision theory's distinctive
recommendations: two-boxing in Newcomb's problem. Unlike arguments
based on causal dominance, our argument relies on a more basic
principle connecting rational choice to guidance and actual value
maximization. In Chapter 3, I take up the issue of rationalization.
Is it possible to manipulate the demands of rationality in
predictable ways? I argue that it is not. Then I show that if
evidential decision theory is true, rationalization is not only
possible but sometimes advisable.


Gemini surfactant flooding is a promising technique to enhance oil recovery from medium-high permeability oil reservoirs. The screening of the surfactants is mainly based on their capability of lowering the surface tension between oil and water. However, gemini surfactants with high capability of lowering the surface tension do not necessarily enhance oil recovery from low-permeability oil reservoirs. Based on the fractal analyses of low-permeability cores and molecular spacer group, the fluid mechanics of gemini surfactant flooding in low-permeability oil reservoir is discovered. The fractal dimensions of the spacer group of gemini surfactants should match the fractal dimensions of the pore structures of low-permeability oil reservoirs.


End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Understanding the risk factors of ESRD can help identify preventive strategies. This study aimed to determine the risk factors of ESRD among patients undergoing hemodialysis in the governmental hospitals in Gaza Strip. Retrospective-hospital basedcase control study was conducted on patients with ESRD, at Ministry of Health Hospitals at the time of study in 2014 (N=264), proportional stratified random sample used for sample selection (n=132) cases matched with sex, age, and locality to 132 control were chosen. Data was collected using a questionnaire including socio-demographic, medical history, and life style and additional data were obtained from medical record. The results showed that the most common risk factors associated with ESRD were hypertension (42.4% versus 20.5%) and diabetes mellitus (28% versus 16.7%). Kidney stone (21.2% versus 4.5%), urinary tract infection (65.9% versus 27.3%) and glomerulonephritis (19.7% versus 6.1%) follow it. For medications analgesic drug formed among cases and controls (22% versus 9.1%). For smoking it was (47.7% versus 23.5%), obesity (41.7% versus 34.1%), anxiety (17.4% versus 6.1%). For low activity (48.5% versus 28%), primary educational level (95.1% versus 39.4%), low household income (76.5% versus 59.1%), family history (70.5% versus 47.7%). A multiple logistic regression controlling for age, gender, and location showed that significant predictors of ESRD were hypertension, glomerulonephritis, and obesity. In conclusion, the study suggests that most of the identified risk factors are preventable by easy ways as screening of highly risk people and encourage health life style.


Reversing the decline of coastal marine ecosystems will rely extensively on ecological restoration. This will in turn rely on ensuring adequate supply and survival of propagules — for the main habitat-forming taxa of coastal marine ecosystems these are mainly fruits, seeds, viviparous seedlings, zoospores or larvae. The likelihood of propagule survival — and so restoration success — depends on species- and context-specific knowledge to guide choices about appropriate methods to use. Here, we briefly review life-histories of the main habitat-forming taxa of six coastal marine ecosystems: mangrove forests, tidal marshes, seagrass meadows, kelp forests, coral reefs and bivalve reefs. Restoration of several of these ecosystems has long harnessed the unique properties of propagules, sometimes because they are simple to use (for example, planting propagules of some mangroves), and sometimes because we can draw on knowledge gained from other applications (for example using knowledge of oyster culture to restore bivalve reefs). For other ecosystems, like seagrass meadows, kelp forests and coral reefs, propagules have not yet been widely used, but there is compelling evidence that they can be. Most restoration efforts have used relatively simple techniques, such as manual collection and direct planting or seeding. Some approaches use more complex techniques which include a stage in which propagules are reared in nurseries or aquaria to a size or age at which they are viable, when they are then planted or released at the site to be restored. Other approaches use minimal intervention, and focus instead on providing the conditions that will promote growth from naturally dispersed propagules (such as restoring hydrological conditions to facilitate mangrove recruitment). Future approaches could incorporate knowledge applied from other fields, such as genetics and agriculture, and harness the possibilities provided by technology. Understanding the importance of propagule quality will likely also yield insights, as will effective use of models to help refine restoration methods for testing. Deeper partnerships between practitioners and researchers will help test and develop better methods so that we can learn from each other and strive to improve. Propagules offer multiple promising avenues to expand coastal marine restoration efforts and help achieve global ambitions.


Probabilistic classifiers output confidence scores along with their predictions, and these confidence scores should be calibrated, i.e., they should reflect the reliability of the prediction. Confidence scores that minimize standard metrics such as the expected calibration error (ECE) accurately measure the reliability on average across the entire population. However, it is in general impossible to measure the reliability of an individual prediction. In this work, we propose the local calibration error (LCE) to span the gap between average and individual reliability. For each individual prediction, the LCE measures the average reliability of a set of similar predictions, where similarity is quantified by a kernel function on a pretrained feature space and by a binning scheme over predicted model confidences. We show theoretically that the LCE can be estimated sample-efficiently from data, and empirically find that it reveals miscalibration modes that are more fine-grained than the ECE can detect. Our key result is a novel local recalibration method LoRe, to improve confidence scores for individual predictions and decrease the LCE. Experimentally, we show that our recalibration method produces more accurate confidence scores, which improves downstream fairness and decision making on classification tasks with both image and tabular data.


This report presents a new method
for
coupling
different
hydrodynamic models with
an
oil spill transport model. The hydrodynamic models used are the two-dimensional (2D)
TxBLEND model and the three-dimensional (3D) SELFE model. The oil spill transport
model is
the General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME)
developed
and maintained by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).
The
new coupling method is an
automated approach
using
Python scripting
to eliminate
the
labor-intensive
manual
reformatting of
hydrodynamic
outputs
to GNOME
inputs.
The
integrated
model
system is demonstrated by
independently
coupling GNOME
to
TxBLEND and SELFE
and modeling a
hypothetical spill in Galveston
Bay.


This paper presents a component-based product line for workflow management systems. The process followed to design the product line was based on the Catalysis method. Extensions were made to represent variability across the process. The domain of workflow management systems has been shown to be appropriate to the application of the product line approach as there are a standard architecture and models established by a regulatory board, the Workflow Management Coalition. In addition, there is a demand for similar workflow management systems but with some different features. The product line architecture was evaluated with Rapide simulation tools. The evaluation was based on selected scenarios, thus, avoiding implementation issues. The strategy that has been used to populate the architecture and experiment with the product line is shown. In particular, the design of the workflow execution manager component is described.


Social Life Skill is a very important ability for human life in society. The current situation in Indonesia shows the skill is not developed properly so that conflict happened everywhere and physical as well as mental destruction happened at the end. Therefore the social life skill is very important to be educated since early childhood. This second-year-research is intended: (1) to construct module of "social life skill" for preschool educators based on the finding of the first year research in connection with preschool educator knowledge on social life skill and how to implement it in educating children; (2) to evaluate the validity of the module, either its content or readability; and (3) to make the module perfect/better based on the result of try out. The study used research and development approach with the design model of Borg and Gall. Operational variable used is the concept of social life skill, consists of three aspects: (1) Empathy, (2) Affiliation and conflict resolution, and (3) Developing positive manners. Each has 3 sub aspects. Therefore there are 3 modules constructed and each has 3 sub modules. The research subjects are kindergarten teachers which institution where they work located in village area, and in the city. Their level of education consist of: junior secondary, senior secondary, 1, 2, 3 years diploma and S1 from various study programs, some are not related with early childhood education. They are also ranged from 1 to 30 years working experience. The content of the modules was validated by experts in early childhood education and Indonesian language judgment. There are 9 sub modules being evaluated its content and readability so that it will be easy to be read by preschool teachers. Readability test using cloze method which means the text of the module taken the 7th word and made it blank which should be filled by reader for readability testing. The sub modules were checked its readability two times, first with 6 preschool teachers. The second was involving 68 – 72 preschool teachers for each sub module. The criteria of readability are: if more than 60% readers could answer the right words, the text of the sub module is considered to be easy to understand ; if 41% – 60% readers could answer the right word, the text of the sub module is considered to be medium and needs instructor to help understanding the text ; whereas if only 40% or less readers could answer the right words, the text is considered difficult to understand and should be revised. The norm used to accept the module is the criteria of more than 60% readers could answer the right words. The finding of the first try out ranged from 44.54% to 77.02%, and the second was ranged from 61.54% to 83.70%. The result of the research are: (1) There are 3 modules of "social life skill" constructed, each has 3 sub modules, so there are totally 9 sub modules constructed; (2) The content validity of the modules were evaluated by expert judgement, and the readability testing of sub modules (using Cloze method) was all reach level of readability: easy to understand; and (3) In order to make the modules easier to understand, the words considered difficult were revised or presented in glossary. Keywords: module, social life skill, preschool educator FIP, 2007 (PPB)


An internationally renowned architect and lecturer, Daniel Libeskind is one of the world's most influential figures in architecture. Best-known for his first project, the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Libeskind's work resonates with Jewish history, as is reflected in projects such as the Felix Nussbaum Haus (Germany) and the Danish Jewish Museum (Copenhagen). His innovative design for the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco became his first commission in North America, and the spectacular building is now completed. With breathtaking photography, insightful essays, and an illuminating text by the architect, this volume is the first to examine Libeskind's Jewish museums and to feature the architect's vibrant new building in California.


Understanding the variability of the Ligurian Sea is potentially leading to solve the long standing questions about how deep is the Liguro-Provencal Current (LPC)? What drives the circulation across the Corsica Channel? What are the time scales of this variability and how well can geostrophy describe the circulation across the Ligurian basin? Seven free floating devices called MERMAID have been deployed in the Ligurian Sea from 2012 to 2015, surfacing every 4-5 days on average. The instruments positioning data constituted a valuable source to estimate the LPC depth and speed at 1500 m below the sea surface. The Corsica Channel is a choke point to monitor the exchanges between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Ligurian Sea. The water flux across the Channel has been monitored for more than 30 years, constituting one of the longest world time series. In the present work the water flux from 1985 to 2010 constitutes the focus to relate atmospheric and marine variables in the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea. The study highlights the permanent influence of the atmospheric Sea Surface Pressure (SSP) on the exchange between the two basins and the crucial role of the Sea Level Anomaly (SLA) on the opposite sides of the Corsica Channel. On a seasonal time scale the water flux variability well relates with SSP, SLA, Ekman transport and meridional wind stress. The interannual variability results instead from changes in SLA. The novel discoveries about deep LPC velocities and Corsica Channel transport are useful constraints for Inverse Box Model (IBM). The IBM, has been run for the first time incorporating data collected during 9 cruises. The oceanographic cruises took place from 2002 to 2012. The IBM results shed light on the importance of the Capraia Channel, almost completely absent in literature. The inversions also outlined the Western Corsica Channel current variability neglected in literature. Through the IBM technique, a modern estimation of the Ligurian Sea circulation and geostrophic transport has been generated. This study ultimately contributes to the fundamental knowledge of the Ligurian Sea circulation, implementing state of the art observations and reanalysis data.


Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and chemically defined media were used in transformation tests of 51 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae which exhibited various biosynthetic defects when isolated from patients. These auxotrophic gonococci had one or more nutritional requirements involving proline, methionine, arginine, hypoxanthine, uracil, and thiamine pyrophosphate (THPP). DNA from a clinical isolate which did not require these compounds for growth on defined medium transformed each of the auxotrophic markers of all 51 recipient populations. Ten isolates had defects involving the synthesis of THPP; four strains (designated Thp−) had a growth requirement that was satisfied only by THPP, whereas the requirement of six strains (designated Thi−) was satisfied by either thiamine or THPP. DNA from Thp− donors elicited transformation of Thp− as well as Thi− recipients. Reciprocally, DNA from a Thi− donor transformed both Thi− and Thp− recipients. Furthermore, DNA from other auxotrophic gonococci had transforming activity for some phenotypically similar auxotrophic recipients. The findings indicate the existence of various nonidentical genetic defects which block reactions in the biosynthesis of proline, methionine, arginine, hypoxanthine, and THPP. Routine cultures from patients with gonorrhea were the source of these auxotrophic strains of N. gonorrhoeae; the various nutritional requirements were identified by a recently described system of gonococcal auxotyping. The transformation test results verify the hereditary basis of the auxotypes, establish that many different mutations exist in potentially virulent gonococci, and illustrate the value of these auxotrophic mutants for studies of the genetic structure and evolution of natural populations of gonococci.


Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been exponentially increasing over the last decade and is now considered a mainstream lifesaving treatment modality in critical care medicine. However, the need for physician education, training, and experience remains imperative. Although ECMO has traditionally been used in end-stage lung disease and circulatory collapse, it is being adopted for use in right heart failure, as a bridge to heart and lung transplantation, and as rescue therapy for both sepsis and post-organ transplantation. The following article discusses indications, management, complications, and challenges of ECMO as well as our experience at the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center.


The problem of scheduling for the large scale charging of electric vehicles with renewable sources is considered. A new online charging algorithm referred to as Threshold Admission with Greedy Scheduling (TAGS) is proposed by formulating the charging problem as one of deadline scheduling with admission control and variable charging capacities. TAGS has low computation cost and requires no prior knowledge on the distributions of arrival traffic, battery charging (service) time, and available energy from renewable sources. It has a reserve dispatch algorithm designed to compensate the intermittency of renewable sources. Performance of TAGS is compared with benchmark scheduling algorithms such as the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) and the First Come First Serve (FCFS) with aggressive and conservative reserve dispatch algorithms.


This article explores the evolving relationship between nationalism and identity formation as it is now facilitated on the internet. Particularly, it examines the implications of nationalist competition between the Uyghur diaspora online community and Chinese state media. Since the onset of the Information Age, each party has sought to influence international perception of the Uyghur people and their traditional homeland Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) by promoting English language representations of Uyghurs and Xinjiang on the internet. Further, this study looks at the question of how each party's engagement in this online nationalist competition affects either positively or negatively its own agenda. The question is investigated through comparative textual analysis of Uyghur diaspora and Chinese state media websites and an interview with a Uyghur diaspora website administrator.


Abstract Objective. Anemia is a well-known complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a reported prevalence of 8.8–73.7%. However, knowledge is sparse about the anemia prevalence in a population-based cohort of patients affected by IBD. Materials and methods. The aim of this retrospective, descriptive, population-based study was to determine and analyze the prevalence of anemia for ambulatory (n = 485) as well as for hospitalized patients diagnosed with IBD in 2008 in the Highland Health Care District, Jönköpings County, Sweden. Results. The prevalence of anemia at the annual follow-up in the studied IBD population was 6%, 5% for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 9% for those with Crohn's disease (CD). There was a higher rate of anemia at the yearly check up in patients requiring inpatient care during the year. IBD patients, prescribed anti-TNF-α treatment, had a higher rate of anemia. Of the hospitalized UC and CD patients (n = 31), 35% and 50%, respectively, had anemia at admission and 6% and 4% had severe anemia (Hb <100 g/L), respectively. Conclusions. The prevalence of anemia in this population was lower than reported previously, probably due to inclusion of all IBD patients in the area in combination with a proactive follow-up model. The prevalence of anemia in this IBD population was similar to the prevalence in the general population. This may indicate that efforts by health care professionals to prevent, identify, and treat anemia in the IBD population have been successful.


The conservation of biodiversity is dependent on protecting ecosystem-level processes. We investigated the effects of fragment size and habitat edge on the relative functioning of three ecological processes – decomposition, predation and regeneration of trees – in small Afromontane forests in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ten sampling stations were placed in each of four forest categories: the interior of three large indigenous forest fragments (100 m from the edge), the edges of these large fragments, 10 small indigenous fragments (<1 ha) and 10 small exotic woodlands (<0.5 ha). Fragment size and edge effects did not affect the abundance of the amphipod Talitriator africana, a litter decomposer, and overall dung beetle abundance and species richness significantly. Bird egg predation was marginally greater at large patch edges compared with the other forest categories, while seed predation did not differ among forest categories. Tree seedling assemblage composition did not differ significantly among large patch interiors and edges, and small indigenous fragments. Sapling and canopy assemblage composition each differed significantly among these three indigenous forest categories. Thus, while tree recruitment was not negatively affected by patch size or distance from the edge, conditions in small fragments and at edges appear to affect the composition of advanced tree regeneration. These ecological processes in Afromontane forests appear to be resilient to fragmentation effects. We speculate that this is because the organisms in these forests have evolved under fragmented conditions. Repeated extreme changes in climate and vegetation over the Pleistocene have acted as significant distribution and ecological extinction filters on these southern hemisphere forest biota, resulting in fauna and flora that are potentially resilient to contemporary fragmentation effects. We argue that because small patches and habitat edges appear to be ecologically viable they should be included in future conservation decisions.


The aim of this study is to provide a mathematical framework for studying node cooperation, and to define strategies leading to optimal node behaviour in ad hoc networks. In this study we show time performances of three different methods, namely, Dijkstra's algorithm, Dijkstra's algorithm with battery times and cooperative flow game algorithm constructed from a flow network model. There are two main outcomes of this study regarding the shortest path problem which is that of finding a path of minimum length between two distinct vertices in a network. The first one finds out which method gives better results in terms of time while finding the shortest path, the second one considers the battery life of wireless devices on the network to determine the remaining nodes on the network. Further, optimization performances of the methods are examined in finding the shortest path problem. The study shows that the battery times play an important role in network routing and more devices provided to keep the network. To view the time performance analysis of the methods MATLAB is used. Also, considering the cooperation between the nodes, it is envisaged that using cooperative game theory brings a new approach to network traffic engineering and routing methods.


The twn2 mutant of Arabidopsis exhibits a defect in early embryogenesis where, following one or two divisions of the zygote, the decendents of the apical cell arrest. The basal cells that normally give rise to the suspensor proliferate abnormally, giving rise to multiple embryos. A high proportion of the seeds fail to develop viable embryos, and those that do, contain a high proportion of partially or completely duplicated embryos. The adult plants are smaller and less vigorous than the wild type and have a severely stunted root. The twn2-1 mutation, which is the only known allele, was caused by a T-DNA insertion in the 5' untranslated region of a putative valyl-tRNA synthetase gene, valRS. The insertion causes reduced transcription of the valRS gene in reproductive tissues and developing seeds but increased expression in leaves. Analysis of transcript initiation sites and the expression of promoter-reporter fusions in transgenic plants indicated that enhancer elements inside the first two introns interact with the border of the T-DNA to cause the altered pattern of expression of the valRS gene in the twn2 mutant. The phenotypic consequences of this unique mutation are interpreted in the context of a model, suggested by Vernon and Meinke [Vernon, D. M. & Meinke, D. W. (1994) Dev. Biol. 165, 566-573], in which the apical cell and its decendents normally suppress the embryogenic potential of the basal cell and its decendents during early embryo development.


Chemical treatment of CoX 2 . 6H 2 O (X = Cl, Br, I) with the potentially tridentate PNP pincer ligand 2,6-bis(di- tert -butylphosphinomethyl)pyridine in 1:1 molar ratio results in cobalt(II) halide-PNP pincer complexes. The effect of the hydrated metal source on molecular structure and geometry of the complexes was studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The complexes are neutral and the cobalt center adopts a penta-coordinate system with potential atropisomerization. Within the unit cell there are two distinct molecules per asymmetric unit. One of the two phosphorus atoms in the PNP ligand was observed to be partially oxidized to phosphinoxide. Disorder in the structure reflects a mixture of square pyramidal and distorted tetrahedral geometry.


Nitroxyl (HNO), a one-electron-reduced form of nitric oxide, has various biological activities, including a cardioprotective effect. Here, we first synthesized another, more hydrophilic photocontrollable HNO donor (3), which can release HNO in a spatially and temporally controlled manner, and then examined the properties of our series of compounds as practical HNO donors in a cellular system under photocontrol. We selected compound 2 as the preferred donor, and used it to show that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) can be upregulated in A549 cells via photocontrolled HNO release. This result demonstrates the suitability of this photocontrollable HNO donor for biological investigations.


Chapter 1 gives a brief review of the advent of laser based techniques for atomic and thereafter molecular detection. The laser based techniques have been used in conjunction with mass spectrometers and other spectroscopic instruments, with the system based on a Time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The essence of the thesis is to show results pertaining to detection of explosive type molecules and currently deployed techniques in this area are discussed in this chapter. Chapter 2 gives detailed insight into the laser interaction with matter and the fragmentation mechanisms which result in the production of atomic and molecular species. The pros and cons of some ionisation schemes are put forward and a discussion of those deployed in our experiments is carried out. Chapter 3 is an exposition of the various components of the apparatus used. Chapter 4 highlights the presence of an impurity, viz., benzene in our nitrobenzene sample and also demonstrates the potency of our technique as a sensitive analytical instrument. A number of different techniques were used by the author in order to show the presence of the contaminant. These techniques provided inconclusive evidence to support our prediction, unlike the information provided by the TOF system. This system has shown both the presence and further the unambiguous identification of the contaminant. Chapter 5 deals with nitrobenzene and o-nitrotoluene which are the simplest compounds of the nitroaromatic group. It describes the typical fragmentation patterns observed and a thorough discussion of the most prominent fragment, namely, the NO ion. Also a computer program written by the author is used to compare the experimental with theoretical results. The origins and significance of this ion for sensitivity and selectivity purposes is investigated. Measurements from the nitrobenzene sample have demonstrated that parts per billion sensitivity levels can be attained. Chapter 6 pursues the investigation of the fragments concentrating on the atomic species of oxygen & hydrogen which are analysed by Dr Marshall and the author. An analysis of the possible pathways leading to the oxygen ion formation are discussed. The second half this chapter looks at the various higher mass fragments obtained from nitrobenzene. From the presence of the higher mass fragments, interpretations of the possible fragmentation pathways has been elucidated by Dr Kosmidis. Of primary significance in this analysis was the first recorded presence of the nitrobenzene parent ion in a laser photolysis experiment. Chapter 7 discusses results from a variety of commonly used explosive compounds obtained by Dr Marshall and the author. Their analysis is undertaken using the modified sample entry system. This allows the variation in signal heights against temperature to be recorded which were subsequently plotted. The identification of the individual species is sought from the mass spectra obtained which were also used to determine sensitivity levels.


Submarine hydrothermal fluids contain substantial energy, and temperature differences with the surrounding cold seawater can provide energy for seabed observations and submarine operations. This study proposes a novel hydrothermal power generation device comprising a thermoelectric converter and an energy management system. Herein, a waterproof module with high-temperature and high-pressure resistance was designed. Heating and pressurization tests were performed to verify the structure's feasibility. The overall structure of the system based on the module was then designed, and laboratory performance tests were conducted. A computational fluid dynamics simulation was used to further analyze the heat transfer model. The simulation results are consistent with experimental data, validating the simulation model's accuracy. The new device reduces its own weight and solves low heat transfer efficiency problems. This study increases the temperature difference between the two ends of the thermoelectric generator in the thermoelectric converter by 76.2%.


Background: It is debatable whether immediate fibrinolysis followed by timely coronary angiography, provides a clinical outcome similar to that with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) early after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: During period from December 2016 to June 2017, 60 patients with STEMI were randomly assigned to undergo either primary PCI (Group I) or immediate fibrinolysis (Group II) with subsequent coronary angiography with PCI within 3 to 24 hr later. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death, re-infarction, and target-vessel revascularization, re-hospitalization for cardiac reasons, any stroke and major bleeding up to 30 days. Results: The primary endpoint was reported in 23% of patient who had PPCI versus 33% in those who had pharmacoinvasive strategy (RR= 0.7, 95% CI 0.31-1.58, P= 0.46). Delay time from symptom onset to each of the two reperfusion strategies was shorter in group II than group I (110 ± 27.5 versus 186.8 ± 16.6 mins respectively, P <0.001). No statistically significant differences in various components of in-hospital outcome were found between groups. Conclusion: Immediate fibrinolysis followed by coronary angiography 3-24 hr later resulted in similar short term outcome and earlier effective reperfusion in patients with STEMI compared to PPCI.


Abstract The growth of spiny amaranth and longfruited primrose-willow was studied by growing them alone and in competition with 4 and 12 rice (cv. RC222) plants. Interference with 12 rice plants reduced the height of spiny amaranth beyond 6 wk after planting. The height of longfruited primrose-willow was significantly reduced by the crop interference starting from 4 wk after planting. Both weed species showed the ability to reduce the effects of rice interference by increasing leaf area, leaf and stem biomass in the upper half of the plant, and specific stem length. At 9 wk after planting, for example, longfruited primrose-willow had 89 and 99% leaf biomass in the upper half of the plant when grown with 4 and 12 rice plants compared with only 34% when grown alone. These values for spiny amaranth were 15, 29, and 72% when grown alone, with 4 rice plants, and 12 rice plants, respectively. Despite such plasticity, spiny amaranth's aboveground biomass at final harvest was reduced by 34 and 70% when grown with 4 and 12 rice plants, respectively, compared with its biomass without crop interference. The corresponding values for longfruited primrose-willow were 92 and 98%, respectively. These results suggest that uniform and high crop density could be an important tool to reduce competition from these weeds in direct-seeded rice. Nomenclature: Spiny amaranth, Amaranthus spinosus L., AMASP; longfruited primrose-willow, Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) Raven, LUDOC; rice, Oryza sativa L.


The mountain regions comprising the western American Cordillera (from Alaska to southern Argentina and Chile) are especially vulnerable to changes in climate and to the ensuing changes in snowpack, streamflow, ecosystem functioning, and a host of other impacts on human and nonhuman systems. The effect of elevation on temperature and precipitation induces a compression of the typical meridional climatic gradients, causing changes in life zones—geographic regions or areas defined by their characteristic life forms, e.g., alpine, sub-alpine, coniferous forests, and so forth—over relatively short distances.

In mountain regions, relatively small perturbations in global processes can operate through the system to produce large local changes. Because mountains provide life-sustaining water for people living there as well as in adjacent lowland regions, climatic and other environmental changes in the American Cordillera will have a large impact on the future well-being of an area far larger than the mountain region itself.


Cluster detection plays a fundamental role in the analysis of data. In this paper, we focus on the use of s-defective clique models for network-based cluster detection and propose a nonlinear optimization approach that efficiently handles those models in practice. In particular, we introduce an equivalent continuous formulation for the problem under analysis, and we analyze some tailored variants of the Frank-Wolfe algorithm that enable us to quickly find maximal s-defective cliques. The good practical behavior of those algorithmic tools, which is closely connected to their support identification properties, makes them very appealing in practical applications. The reported numerical results clearly show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


This is a review article of eleven dimensional supergravity in which we present all necessary calculations, namely the Noether procedure, the equations of motion (without neglecting the fermions), the Killing spinor equation, as well as some simple and less simple supersymmetric solutions to this theory. All calculations are printed in much detail and with explicit comments as to how they were done. Also contained is a simple approach to Clifford algebras to prepare the grounds for the harder calculations in spin space and Fierz identities.


Progress has been made in a continuing effort to develop multi-chip power modules (SiC MCPMs). This effort at an earlier stage was reported in 'SiC Multi-Chip Power Modules as Power-System Building Blocks' (LEW-18008-1), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 2 (February 2007), page 28. The following recapitulation of information from the cited prior article is prerequisite to a meaningful summary of the progress made since then: 1) SiC MCPMs are, more specifically, electronic power-supply modules containing multiple silicon carbide power integrated-circuit chips and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) control integrated-circuit chips. SiC MCPMs are being developed as building blocks of advanced expandable, reconfigurable, fault-tolerant power-supply systems. Exploiting the ability of SiC semiconductor devices to operate at temperatures, breakdown voltages, and current densities significantly greater than those of conventional Si devices, the designs of SiC MCPMs and of systems comprising multiple SiC MCPMs are expected to afford a greater degree of miniaturization through stacking of modules with reduced requirements for heat sinking; 2) The stacked SiC MCPMs in a given system can be electrically connected in series, parallel, or a series/parallel combination to increase the overall power-handling capability of the system. In addition to power connections, the modules have communication connections. The SOI controllers in the modules communicate with each other as nodes of a decentralized control network, in which no single controller exerts overall command of the system. Control functions effected via the network include synchronization of switching of power devices and rapid reconfiguration of power connections to enable the power system to continue to supply power to a load in the event of failure of one of the modules; and, 3) In addition to serving as building blocks of reliable power-supply systems, SiC MCPMs could be augmented with external control circuitry to make them perform additional power-handling functions as needed for specific applications. Because identical SiC MCPM building blocks could be utilized in such a variety of ways, the cost and difficulty of designing new, highly reliable power systems would be reduced considerably. This concludes the information from the cited prior article. The main activity since the previously reported stage of development was the design, fabrication, and testing a 120- VDC-to-28-VDC modular power-converter system composed of eight SiC MCPMs in a 4 (parallel)-by-2 (series) matrix configuration, with normally-off controllable power switches. The SiC MCPM power modules include closed-loop control subsystems and are capable of operating at high power density or high temperature. The system was tested under various configurations, load conditions, load-transient conditions, and failure-recovery conditions. Planned future work includes refinement of the demonstrated modular system concept and development of a new converter hardware topology that would enable sharing of currents without the need for communication among modules. Toward these ends, it is also planned to develop a new converter control algorithm that would provide for improved sharing of current and power under all conditions, and to implement advanced packaging concepts that would enable operation at higher power density.


The InspectorSat mission is a concept designed to demonstrate complex and close-proximity autonomous manoeuvres around a passive, non-cooperative target, focused on the development of a visual inspection payload for the observation of a co-orbital solar sail. The mission will aim to demonstrate inspection manoeuvres using the visual inspection payload and a novel micro-chemical propulsion system based on microelectromechanical components. The manoeuvres are expected to be autonomously commanded by guidance, navigation and control algorithms that are currently theoretically proven but remain largely untested under laboratory conditions. This paper presents a description of the InspectorSat mission and two experiments that will enable the testing and validation of the visual inspection payload and its capability for spacecraft control using a microthruster. The visual inspection payload concept and its integration with the microthruster are presented. A new frictionless air table facility built to simulate planar orbital motion is described. Finally a spheroid reconstruction algorithm is tested under laboratory conditions to provide relative position and pose estimates of a passive target. The results indicate that for a small satellite platform the visual inspection payload and microthruster provide a suitable system for autonomous inspection. The spheroid reconstruction algorithm is demonstrated to provide accurate estimates of relative position and pose of a target object.


An application requirement from Indian Railways, one of the largest railways in the world, was replacement of 72 V DC small motors in diesel locomotives with squirrel cage induction motor integrated with 3-phase PWM sinewave compact inverter. The motors/inverters were to be mounted inside the locomotives adjacent to the engine (fuel pump, crank case exhauster etc) or in open air near to the wheel (dust blower). This application was critical in nature because loco-failure is very expensive and disruptive. The equipment is required to be very rugged and reliable. Design for such adverse, environmental conditions and high reliability was a technical challenge. This paper discusses the design approach and reports deployment of the equipment in Indian Railways over the last 6 years


When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began we were heroes and people banged pots on their balconies to honour health care workers. Now, as the fourth wave gathers strength, I am dismayed and angered by the growing energy of the "anti" protests—anti-vaccination, anti-passports, and, it seems, anti–health professionals. "Against Medical Tyranny," a sign reads, as protesters block access to hospitals. Peaceful protest is a right; interfering with access to health care is unacceptable. Looking for an antidote to these depressing events and reflecting that the pandemic has shown we are capable of rapid and radical shifts to new ways of working and living, I googled "positive impacts of COVID." I found From Risk to Resilience: An Equity Approach to COVID-191 by Dr Theresa Tam, and imagined that family medicine and public health could be allies in implementing a health equity approach to pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery. We can use what we learned to reduce shameful inequities in Canadian society. Inequities that led to thousands of deaths in nursing homes; racialized essential workers contracting COVID-19 at much higher rates; incarcerated people not being prioritized for vaccination; and women disproportionality impacted by the economic downturn—the "shecession." When analyzing the effects not only of the virus but of the public health measures implemented to control the virus, a double jeopardy emerges for some populations. For example, crowded, low-quality housing both increases the risk of contracting COVID-19 and increases the burden of stay-at-home orders. Precarious, low-paid workers (personal support workers, meat-packing plant employees, cleaners, etc) do not have the luxury of working virtually, are at higher risk of contracting the virus at work, and may not have any paid sick days. The health equity framework in Figure 6 in From Risk to Resilience1 could organize our pandemic approach so that we emerge from the pandemic improving health. The figure illustrates how the initial crisis response (eg, rapid innovations and deployment of new actions) leads to changing awareness and shifts in values and attitudes, which in turn lead to new ways of living and working. Using the knowledge and impetus of the actions taken during the pandemic, we could transform work, housing, health, social and education systems, and our environment. Many of the directions in From Risk to Resilience1 are not in the realm of family medicine but can guide us as we counsel and advocate for our patients and communities. Successful examples of pandemic-inspired actions include the Northwest Territories quickly reserving 130 housing units for people who need space to self-isolate.1 The territorial and municipal governments then collaborated to transition those units to affordable housing, reducing overcrowding, homelessness, and wait times for subsidized housing. Housing First is an initiative in many communities that moves people as quickly as possible out of emergency shelters into adequate, affordable, long-term housing so that issues such as employment, substance use, and mental health can be effectively addressed.2 Harm reduction approaches to substance use were improved in some areas by removing barriers to creating safe injection sites, and improving access to a safe supply of opioids and opioid agonist therapy.1 We can capitalize on the rapid shift to virtual care using what we have learned to improve access to health care, including virtual mental health care. As always, from a family medicine perspective virtual care is best delivered in the context of continuity of care and information in an ongoing relationship with a primary health care provider.3 Of the foundational requirements for health equity, while data systems and governance are critical, communication is at the heart of family medicine and where we contribute in meaningful ways. In the context of trusting relationships, family doctors can make important contributions to ensuring our patients are accurately informed and their questions and concerns are sensitively addressed. As credible voices in our communities, provinces, and territories, we can engage in public education. Despite the negativity and chaos engendered by the pandemic, there have been many examples of people and communities displaying kindness, compassion, solidarity, and innovation. Working together to solve a common problem can build community, lessen feelings of isolation, and give people a sense of agency and pride. This is a heroism of a different sort and we as family doctors can do this for ourselves and our patients.


The hypothesis that short mechanical hedging can be successfully applied even on cultivars with low fruitfulness of basal buds was tested over four years (2000 to 2003) on Vitis vinifera L. cv. Croatina. Yield per vine increased from 23 to 49% on hedged vines as compared to short-cane hand-pruned vines; up to a 30% increase (equivalent to ∼60 nodes per vine) there was no detriment to grape quality, and labor demand was cut by 55 to 60%. Yield compensation in the hedged vines mostly occurred as reduced budbreak; weak or no compensation effects were seen for cluster weight and bud fruitfulness, respectively. A tendency for impaired quality was seen only at the highest node number per vine (∼75), while the linear relationship found between yield and node number per vine suggests that short-cane hand-pruning can also be feasible provided that at least 30 nodes per meter of row are retained. These findings indicate that mechanical pruning can be an excellent tool for converting traditionally long-cane pruned cultivars into short-cane pruned with related advantages in terms of more balanced growth and ripening and adaptability to full mechanization.


The frequency of HLA B27 in blood donors born in northern Sweden was found to be 16.6%. This was significantly higher than in southern Sweden or in caucasians generally, with the exception of Finland. A close genetic relationship has been found between the population of northern Sweden and the Finnish. The higher frequency of HLA B27 is particularly interesting in view of the finding of a higher incidence of rheumatic diseases in northern than in southern Sweden. We also found a surprisingly large number of patients with reactive arthritides and ankylosing spondylitis in the patient registers of the rheumatology department, which further indicated a genetic influence on rheumatic disorders in northern Sweden.


With increasing numbers training and practicing public health across a range of organisations, and policy continuing to drive the public health agenda forward, the need for expertise is greater than ever. 'Professional Practice in Public Health' will provide students and practitioners with a comprehensive and contemporary overview of public health. It is written by respected academics and practitioners drawing from their wide range of experiences in environmental and public health. The book emphasises the importance of reflective practice in developing and administering increasingly relevant policy and strategy.

Each chapter takes account of the framework of competencies required by the UK Public Health Voluntary Register and aims to help students and practitioners work toward these requirements. The book's main market will be Masters students but the accessible style means that undergraduate students, students on Foundation Degree courses and practitioners will also find this book a useful learning resource.

This book provides an interactive approach that includes case studies, activities and reflection points so that readers are encouraged to engage with the theory, practice, knowledge and skills. Overall the book seeks to help raise the professional stakes in delivering effective public health interventions to tackle health inequalities where they are at their most acute.


OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge of nurses involved in the care of oncology patients in a public university hospital, regarding breast cancer and hereditary breast cancer, and to verify the use of such knowledge in their daily practice. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained through a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Out of 154 nurses, 137 (88.9%) agreed to participate in the study. Two questionnaires were excluded such that 135 questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: The global percentage of correct answers was not associated with age (p=0.173) or degree/specialization (p=0.815). Questions were classified into categories. In categories involving knowledge of established breast cancer risk factors and indicators of hereditary breast cancer, the rate of correct answers was 65.8% and 66.4%, respectively. On the practice of genetic counseling, 40.7% of those interviewed were not sure about the definition of genetic counseling and 78.5% reported never having identified or referred a patient at genetic risk for specialized risk assessment. Practice of educational actions regarding this subject was reported by 48.5% of those interviewed. CONCLUSION: This study reinforces the need to develop qualifying actions for nurses, so that strategies to control breast cancer become effective in their health care practice.


The crack growth resistance (R curve) approach [1,2] has been widely used to analyze fracture test results on composite materials [3–6]. The method requires measurement of instantaneous crack length with increasing load in a fracture test. In homogeneous materials, the crack is well defined and can be easily measured at any instant. However, fractures in composite materials proceed not by a simple enlargement of the original crack but by formation of a large number of microcracks due to debonding, matrix cracking, and fiber breaks. An instantaneous crack length is difficult to define or measure. Consequently, instantaneous crack length is estimated through a compliance matching procedure [7]. By applying this procedure, point by point, the complete load-crack opening displacement (COD) curve is transformed to an R curve. Fracture toughness of the composite is then obtained by locating the point of instability on the R curve. The process is tedious and time consuming and may reduce accuracy. This technical note mathematically establishes the point of instability on the load-COD curve, which eliminates the necessity of transforming the entire load-COD curve and thus saves time and increases accuracy in obtaining the fracture toughness.


Background: Breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer should be informed by evidence-based knowledge, such as complication rates. The authors compared the safety of tissue expander/implant reconstruction with that of autologous abdominal tissue reconstruction. Methods: A systematic literature review identified peer-reviewed studies published from January of 2000 to October of 2012 that compared tissue expander/implant against autologous abdominal tissue reconstruction in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses databases. Two reviewers independently screened all reports and selected the relevant articles using specific inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from the relevant articles using a standardized abstraction form. Results: Fourteen observational studies were identified that included more than 3000 reconstructed breasts. Significant differences were found between these two approaches. The relative risk associated with reconstructive failure favored autologous abdominal tissue (relative risk, 0.14; 95 percent CI, 0.06 to 0.32; I2 = 0 percent). Surgical-site infection was significantly lower in autologous abdominal tissue reconstruction compared with tissue expander/implant (relative risk, 0.37; 95 percent CI, 0.25 to 0.55; I2 = 0 percent), although skin or flap necrosis was higher in autologous abdominal tissue reconstruction compared with tissue expander/implant (relative risk, 2.79; 95 percent CI, 1.87 to 4.17). Studies were of low to moderate quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Conclusions: This study suggests that tissue expander/implant reconstruction has a higher risk of reconstructive failure and surgical-site infection compared with autologous abdominal tissue reconstruction. With the lack of long-term safety studies on different approaches to breast reconstruction, additional long-term comparative studies are needed to support evidence-based decision-making. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.


Established by the American Colonization Society in the early nineteenth century as a settlement for free people of color, the West African colony of Liberia is usually seen as an endpoint in the journeys of those who traveled there. In Atlantic Passages, Robert Murray reveals that many Liberian settlers did not remain in Africa but returned repeatedly to the United States, and he explores the ways this movement shaped the construction of race in the Atlantic world.
Tracing the transatlantic crossings of Americo-Liberians between 1820 and 1857, in addition to delving into their experiences on both sides of the ocean, Murray discusses how the African neighbors and inhabitants of Liberia recognized significant cultural differences in the newly arrived African Americans and racially categorized them as "whites." He examines the implications of being perceived as simultaneously white and black, arguing that these settlers acquired an exotic, foreign identity that escaped associations with primitivism and enabled them to claim previously inaccessible privileges and honors in America.
Highlighting examples of the ways in which blackness and whiteness have always been contested ideas, as well as how understandings of race can be shaped by geography and cartography, Murray offers many insights into what it meant to be black and white in the space between Africa and America.


With the journal Image Processing On Line (IPOL), we propose to promote software to the status of regular research material and subject it to the same treatment as research papers: it must be reviewed, it must be reusable and verifiable by the research community, it must follow style and quality guidelines. In IPOL, algorithms are published with their implementation, codes are peer-reviewed, and a web-based test interface is attached to each of these articles. This results in more software released by the researchers, a better software quality achieved with the review process, and a large collection of test data gathered for each article. IPOL has been active since 2010, and has already published thirty articles.


Objective The aim of this study was to assess the value of facial nerve temporal recording in the diagnosis and prognosis of facial nerve palsy. Patients and methods The study was conducted on 42 patients with acute unilateral Bell's palsy (patients' group) and 43 healthy volunteers who served as a control group. All patients and controls were subjected to clinical examination in the form of history taking and full general and neurological examinations, clinical scoring system using House–Brackmann facial nerve grading system (performed for the patients' group only), electrophysiological assessment, which included electroneuronography (ENoG) and facial nerve temporal recording. Results The amplitude of the facial nerve temporal recording was significantly lower in the patients' group compared with that in the control group, and there was statistically significant increase of the amplitude of facial nerve temporal recording, regaining its normal triphasic waves; as regards correlation study between the percent of degeneration of ENoG and the amplitude of the diseased facial temporal recording, there was positive correlation between them, and it was not reaching the level of statistical significance. Conclusion Facial nerve temporal recording detects the degenerative changes that occur in the intratemporal segment of the facial nerve; hence, it should be considered as a complementary tool for the ENoG test for early diagnosis and follow-up of Bell's palsy.


Abstract An alternative hybrid empirical ground‐motion model for central and eastern North America (CENA) is proposed. The new ground‐motion model (GMM) is developed for the average horizontal components (RotD50) of peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and 5%‐damped pseudospectral accelerations at 0.01–10 s spectral periods. Hybrid empirical estimates are derived using the regional modification factors between two regions (host and target), along with empirical GMMs from the host region. The regional adjustment factors are ratios of the intensity measures from the generated synthetics in the host (western North America [WNA]) and target (CENA) regions. In this study, the recent updated empirical GMMs developed by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center for the Next Generation Attenuation West2 (NGA‐West2) project (Bozorgnia et al. , 2014) are incorporated. We used a broadband simulation technique proposed by the authors (Shahjouei and Pezeshk, 2015a) to generate synthetics for both the WNA and CENA regions in which the high‐frequency and low‐frequency parts of synthetics are calculated through a stochastic finite‐fault method and kinematic source models along with the deterministic wave propagation, respectively. The updated seismological and geological parameters are deployed in simulations. The new ground‐motion model is developed, as part of the NGA‐East research project, considering multiple shaking scenarios that characterize the magnitude in the M  5.0–8.0 range. The proposed GMM represents the level of ground shaking in the distance range of 2–1000 km and are developed for the reference rock site condition with V S 30 =3  km/s in CENA. The results are compared with some other existing models in the region. In addition, a comprehensive residual analysis is performed using the recorded earthquakes available in the NGA‐East database.


For embedded control systems, a schedule for the allocation of resources to a software component can be described by an infinite word whose ith symbol models the resources used at the ith sampling interval. Dependency of performance on schedules can be formally modeled by an automaton (omega-regular language) which captures all the schedules that keep the system within performance requirements. We show how such an automaton is constructed for linear control designs and exponential stability or settling time performance requirements. Then, we explore the use of the automaton for online scheduling and for schedulability analysis. As a case study, we examine how this approach can be applied for the LQG control design. We demonstrate, by examples, that online schedulers can be used to guarantee performance in worst-case condition together with good performance in normal conditions. We also provide examples of schedulability analysis.


The aim of this study was to establish the confidence interval for the determination of alcohol in post-mortem material. The calculations in the study concern cases in which two blood samples had been taken from a dead body with the purpose of determining alcohol content of the blood. The confidence interval (calculated as twice the standard deviation) was found to be 0.50 per thousand. The study confirms the previously established slight decrease in the concentration of alcohol in the blood during the first hours after death. No post-mortem alcohol production was found to have taken place during the first 24 hours (approx.) if the body had been kept at a low temperature. It is concluded that a confidence interval of 0.50 per thousand should be applied in the evaluation of post-mortem alcohol determination. In cases of visible putrefaction of a corpse an individual assessment must be made.


Technology and market roadmapping are well-established instruments for companies' research and innovation planning. Recent advances in the literature have developed approaches to integrate technology and market roadmaps to allow a more comprehensive understanding of technology development. Inspired by the companies' widespread implementation of integrated roadmaps, public authorities have recently begun to adopt this tool for identifying science, technology and innovation priorities nationally. Making public investment in science, technology and innovation a priority is essential as countries must often make strategic choices about where to invest due to limited public resources. Accordingly, a thorough analysis of potential fields is required which provides a reasonable ratio of cost and expected value of the investment. The paper develops an integrated approach of roadmapping and scenario planning for public authorities' priority setting in science, technology and innovation. The methodology combines foresight, roadmapping and scenario planning in particular and then tests this methodology using a case study on priority setting in Russia.


Fiduciary institutions are forging ahead to remove the traditional long-only handcuffs that constrain the delivery of maximum net alpha by their equity managers. The proliferation of 130/30 managers (long 130% and short 30%, with beta 1.0) prompts a question as to the optimal ratio for these constrained long-short strategies. Analysis of the range from long-only to fully unconstrained will help find the optimal solution that maximizes the risk-adjusted return. The ratio that maximizes net information ratio (IR after leakages) depends largely on the risk budget, the chosen benchmark, leveraging costs, and the transaction costs associated with turnover. In the case of normal active risk (3%-5%), more alpha leverage is better than less. That is, despite the declining marginal benefit of higher leverage, 150/50 may be better than 120/20, approximating a pure market-neutral strategy.


The Yellow River or "Mother River of China" no longer flows into the sea these days because of extensive use of its limited water resources. This paper will present the remarkable story about water resources and its effect on the Yellow River, focusing on the phenomena of dry-up (zero-runoff) in recent years, its reasons, impacts, and possible counter-measures. The essential reasons for dry ups in the watershed are that the Yellow River basin is located in an arid and semi-arid region, its water resources are limited, and global warming and other vital human activities are adversely impacting the watershed hydrology. The dry up issue has resulted in many serious problems, from agriculture to industry, from domestic to environmental, and from water quantity to water quality. The main countermeasures proposed in this paper include: water savings, water management, increased regulation, water transfer, and rational and practical groundwater use.


We consider lattice walks in $\mathbb{R}^k$ confined to the region $0 < x_1 < x_2 \ldots < x_k$ with fixed (but arbitrary) starting and end points. The walks are required to be "reflectable", that is, we assume that the number of paths can be counted using the reflection principle. The main result is an asymptotic formula for the total number of walks of length $n$ with fixed but arbitrary starting and end point for a general class of walks as the number $n$ of steps tends to infinity. As applications, we find the asymptotics for the number of $k$-non-crossing tangled diagrams on the set $\{1,2, \ldots,n\}$ as $n$ tends to infinity, and asymptotics for the number of $k$-vicious walkers subject to a wall restriction in the random turns model as well as in the lock step model. Asymptotics for all of these objects were either known only for certain special cases, or have only been partially determined.


The cavitating flow on a NACA0015 hydrofoil in water under a wide range of temperatures is simulated with or without noncondensation gas using a homogeneous model. Our simplified thermodynamic model is coupled with governing equations to capture the latent heat transfer in cavitation. A numerical evaluation proves its applicability through a comparison with experimental data. As a result, the numerical evaluation illustrates good agreement with measured data for both simulations with or without noncondensation gas. The expected prediction pressure coefficient is in better agreement with experimental data for high-temperature water compared to the existing numerical data. Although the temperature depression inside the cavity is confirmed numerically, the thermodynamic effect shows a weak impact on the cavitation behavior near the boiling temperature (100 °C). The cavitating flow can therefore be simulated reasonably by an isothermal approach at a reasonable cost. The suppression of the void fraction as the water temperature increases is deduced by the flow behavior rather than the thermodynamic effect. Finally, the impact of a noncondensation gas is closely linked to the thermodynamic properties of the water and the flow behavior. The attached cavity position shifts closer to the hydrofoil leading edge significantly in high-temperature water, while an identical position is reproduced for room temperature conditions in comparison with the simulation without a noncondensation gas.


Background Hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (hMF) is gradually acknowledged by more dermatologists, yet a consensus regarding its characteristics is not reached. The profile of Chinese hMF patients has not been deeply reviewed previously. Our research may contribute to the understanding of hMF, especially the Chinese patients with Fitzpatrick phototypes of III and IV. Aim To have a better understanding of hMF in terms of clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features in the Chinese population and to determine if there are differences between the Chinese population and other ethnic groups. Methods We made a retrospective analysis of clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features of 32 hMF patients in our hospital from 2010 to 2020. These features were then summarized and compared with previous reports. Results All patients belonged to Fitzpatrick phototypes of III or IV. Twenty-one male (65.63%) patients and 11 female (34.37%) patients were analyzed, and the male to female ratio was 1.9:1. The age at diagnosis of patients ranged from 4 to 39 years, and the average age at diagnosis of these patients was 18 years, the median age was 16.5. Back was the most frequent site (34.37%). The clinical and histological results of lesions had no distinctive points. Immunohistochemically, among these 32 patients, there were 30 patients whose information was complete, there was 19 patients (63.33%) who were CD8 positive lymphocytes predominance, 9 patients (30%) had CD8 and CD4 positive lymphocyte mixed infiltration, and other 2 patients (6.67%) had CD4 positive lymphocytes predominance. Partial loss of CD7 was only observed in 1 patient (3.33%). Nearly all patients adopted topical nitrogen mustard and topical steroid and most of them had an excellent prognosis. Conclusion The clinical profiles of hMF in Chinese population shared differences with other ethnic groups, but its histopathological, immunohistochemical results and prognosis condition were resembled with other previous reports. Hence, more patients were needed to find the characteristics of hMF.


This paper presents modified Stator Voltage Oriented Control (SVOC) for Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) in wind turbines to reduce torque pulsation during unbalanced voltage dips, and current waveforms are also improved with the decreasing of harmonics. The proposed schemes utilize multiple PI controllers with anti-windup to obtain commanded rotor currents and also introduce extra commanded values for rotor current; as well, Notch filters are used to eliminate the second-order harmonic components. The designed system consists of a wound-rotor induction generator and back-to-back power-electronic converters connected to both rotor and grid sides. Wherein, the modifications are applied to the control of rotor side converter (RSC). Simulations in Matlab/Simulink illustrate the enhanced stability of torque response and the improvement of current waveform. Comparisons of the simulation results with a traditional Stator Flux Oriented Control (SFOC) and a previously suggested modification of SFOC for operation under unbalanced voltage dip are provided to evaluate the newly proposed methods in the paper.


Tribenuron-methyl (TBM), an acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS)-inhibiting herbicide, can be used as an efficient chemical hybridization agent to induce male sterility for practical utilization of heterosis in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). Utilization of rapeseed mutants harboring herbicide-resistant AHAS alleles as the male parent can simplify the hybrid seed production protocol. Here we characterized a novel TBM-resistant mutant K5 derived from an elite rapeseed variety, Zhongshuang No. 9 (ZS9), by ethyl methyl sulfonate mutagenesis. Comparative analysis of three BnAHAS genes (BnAHAS1, BnAHAS2, and BnAHAS3) between the mutant K5 and ZS9 identified a C-to-T transition at 544 from the translation start site in BnAHAS1 in K5 (This resistant allele is referred to as BnAHAS1544T), which resulted in a substitution of proline with serine at 182 in BnAHAS1. Both ZS9 and K5 plants could be induced complete male sterility under TBM treatment (with 0.10 and 20 mg⋅L-1 of TBM, respectively). The relationship between TBM-induced male sterility (Y) and the relative AHAS activity of inflorescences (X) could be described as a modified logistic function, Y = 100-A/(1+Be(-KX)) for the both genotypes, although the obtained constants A, B, and K were different in the functions of ZS9 and K5. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing BnAHAS1544T exhibited a higher TBM resistance of male reproductive organ than wild type, which confirmed that the Pro-182-Ser substitution in BnAHAS1 was responsible for higher TBM-resistance of male reproductive organs. Taken together, our findings provide a novel valuable rapeseed mutant for hybrid breeding by chemical hybridization agents and support the hypothesis that AHAS should be the target of the AHAS-inhibiting herbicide TBM when it is used as chemical hybridization agent in rapeseed.


In late-medieval England, craft guilds simultaneously pursued piety and profit. Why did guilds pursue those seemingly unrelated goals? What were the consequences of that combination? Theories of organizational behavior answer those questions. Craft guilds combined spiritual and occupational endeavors because the former facilitated the success of the latter and vice versa. The reciprocal nature of this relationship linked the ability of guilds to attain spiritual and occupational goals. This link between religion and economics at the local level connected religious and economic trends in the wider world.


The dust cloud aroundOrionis is observed to be circularly symmetric with a large angular extent (≈ 8°). However, whether the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the cloud is shell- or ring-like has not yet been fully resolved. We study the 3D structure using a new approach that combines a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer model for ultraviolet (UV) scattered light and an inverse Abel transform, which gives a detailed 3D radial density profile from a two-dimensional column density map of a spherically symmetric cloud. By comparing the radiative transfer models for a spherical shell cloud an d that for a ring cloud, we find that only the shell model can reproduce the radial profile of the scattered UV lig ht, observed using the S2/68 UV observation, suggesting a dust shell structure. However, the inverse Abel transform applied to the column density data from the Pan-STARRS1 dust reddening map results in negative values at a certain radius range of the density profile, indicating the existence of additional, non-spher ical clouds near the nebular boundary. The additional cloud component is assumed to be of toroidal ring shape; we subtracted from the column density to obtain a positive, radial density profile using the inverse Abel tran sform. The resulting density structure, composed of a toroidal ring and a spherical shell, is also found to give a go od fit to the UV scattered light profile. We therefore conclude that the cloud aroundOri is composed of both ring and shell structures.


Syntactic parsing is a time-consuming task in natural language processing particularly where a large number of text files are being processed. Parsing algorithms are conventionally designed to operate on a single machine in a sequential fashion and, as a consequence, fail to benefit from high performance and parallel computing resources available on the cloud. We designed and implemented a scalable cloud-based architecture supporting parallel and distributed syntactic parsing for large datasets. The main architecture consists of a syntactic parser (constituency and dependency parsing) and a MapReduce framework running on clusters of machines. The resulting cloud-based MapReduce parsing is able to build a map where syntactic trees of the same input file have the same key and collect into a single file containing sentences along with their corresponding trees. Our experimental evaluation shows that the architecture scales well with regard to number or processing nodes and number of cores per node. In the fastest tested cloud-based setup, the proposed design performs 7 times faster when compared to a local setup. In summary, this study takes an important step toward providing and evaluating a cloud-hosted solution for efficient syntactic parsing of natural language data sets consisting of a large number of files.