Current implementations of UNIX offer security features in the form of discretionary access controls (DACs). DACs are implemented with file access permissions and access control lists (ACLs). Unfortunately, neither of these facilities provide for access control to active processes. In order to provide many users access to a process (and its associated data) the current practice at our site is to establish a group account, where members on a project team share the login and password for an application. This practice is both insecure, and a violation of our site's security policies.

This paper describes the implementation of a new tool, medex , which eliminates the need for group login accounts. Medex mediates the access of users to privileged accounts and executables. The history behind our use of group accoutns and a complete methodology for UNIX application management are presented. Details of the implementation of medex , including its interaction with the existing security features of UNIX, are given. The tool utilizes execution control lists (ECLs) as a means to allow controlled execution of programs under accounts other than the current login. Medex also re-authenticates the user's password upon each instatiation and maintains an audit trial via log files or the use of the UNIX syslog facility. A complete project management example utilizing medex is given along with a comparison to related tools.


In this paper, we present a system that augments user interaction to elicit intelligence of a living room adorned with aware artefacts. These artefacts are computationally augmented everyday objects, like a phone, a light, a TV, etc., which are enabled to communicate their operational states among themselves. The operational state of an artefact is usually changed to another state as a result of an interaction by the user. Our system augments such interactions by improvising other spatially correlated artefacts with the help of commonsense knowledge. For example, if a user picks up a ringing phone while the TV is on, the system either mutes or reduces the TV volume. In this case the phone's state is changed to "in use" state due to deliberate interaction of the user and simultaneously the state of the TV may be changed to "mute" or "low volume" by the system. Such idea of augmenting user interaction has been elaborated in this paper. We present the computational model and the implementation detail of our approach and also demonstrate its feasibility through an informal user study.


Organizational culture consists of the deep underlying assumptions, beliefs, and values that are shared by members of the organization and typically operate unconsciously. The four organizational culture traits of the Denison Organizational Culture Model (DOCM) are characteristics of organizational effectiveness, which include adaptability, involvement, consistency, and mission. Effective organizations demonstrate high levels of the four cultural traits which reflect their ability to balance the dynamic tension between the need for stability and the need for flexibility within the organization. The Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) is a measurement tool that was founded on the theoretical framework of the DOCM, and in the field of business, is one of the most commonly used tools for measuring organizational culture. The DOCS offers a promising approach to operationalizing and measuring the link between organizational culture and organizational effectiveness in the context of nursing units.


Mental health problems are on the rise globally and strain national health systems worldwide. Mental disorders are closely associated with fear of stigma, structural barriers such as financial burden, and lack of available services and resources which often prohibit the delivery of frequent clinical advice and monitoring. Technologies for mental well-being exhibit a range of attractive properties, which facilitate the delivery of state-of-the-art clinical monitoring. This review article provides an overview of traditional techniques followed by their technological alternatives, sensing devices, behaviour changing tools, and feedback interfaces. The challenges presented by these technologies are then discussed with data collection, privacy, and battery life being some of the key issues which need to be carefully considered for the successful deployment of mental health toolkits. Finally, the opportunities this growing research area presents are discussed including the use of portable tangible interfaces combining sensing and feedback technologies. Capitalising on the data these ubiquitous devices can record, state of the art machine learning algorithms can lead to the development of robust clinical decision support tools towards diagnosis and improvement of mental well-being delivery in real-time.


This paper introduces an end-to-end QoS scheme for GPON access networks, which consists of an intra-ONU dynamic weighted fair queuing (DWFQ) scheduler and a multiservice dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm(MDBA). Both DWFQ and MDBA are integrated in DWFQ-MDBA scheme to support proportional differentiated services (PDiff-Serv) while alleviating the problem of light-loaded penalty resulting from intra-ONU strict priority scheduling employed in GPON access networks. We conduct detailed simulation experiments using our developed Java-based simulator to study the performance and validate the effectiveness of the proposed DWFQ-MDBA scheme in terms of the average packet delay and utilization.


With network operators migrating from circuit-switched networks to IP networks, the need for a concept to provide operator grade trunk signaling over IP arises. A solution to enable signaling transport over IP is defined by the IETF SIGTRAN framework that allows for interworking with the Signaling System No. 7 (SS7). SIGTRAN is based on the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) that also has a built-in redundancy mechanism, which allows switching to an alternative destination address (failover). Existing work showed that a failover performance comparable to SS7 can be achieved by aggressively setting the SCTP protocol parameters. However, this brings about possible stability issues because these parameter settings seriously impair the protocol mechanisms responsible for reacting to delay variations and congestion situations. We propose a set of network redundancy mechanisms that resolve most network failures transparently to SCTP. In order to eliminate possible stability issues, we use the default SCTP protocol parameters. Simulation results confirm that the proposed architecture can noticeably improve the robustness to concurrent network failures and achieve a similar delay behavior without jeopardizing the protocol stability


CONTEXT
Increased androgen production is a primary feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and appears to be an inherited trait. The gene for the steroidogenic enzyme type 5 17beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD17B5) was implicated as a candidate for the hyperandrogenemia of PCOS by a previous study that demonstrated an association of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter of this gene with PCOS.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to replicate the previous report of association between the HSD17B5 gene and PCOS risk by genotyping the promoter SNP (as well as other SNPs in the region to provide improved coverage of the gene) in a large, well-characterized cohort suitable for replication study.

DESIGN
Women with and without PCOS were genotyped for five SNPs in HSD17B5. SNPs and haplotypes were determined and tested for association with PCOS risk and phenotypic markers of PCOS.

SETTING
Subjects were recruited from the reproductive endocrinology clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; controls were recruited from the surrounding community. Genotyping took place at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

PARTICIPANTS
Participants included 287 white women with PCOS and 187 white controls.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS
HSD17B5 genotype, PCOS risk, and testosterone levels were measured.

RESULTS
No SNP or haplotype was significantly associated with PCOS risk, testosterone, or any of the traits tested.

CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that polymorphisms in the HSD17B5 gene are not associated with PCOS risk or elevated testosterone as previously reported.


Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with the development of lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs). Adults rarely develop systemic EBV-positive LPDs. We report a case of EBV-associated LPD presenting as recurrent scrotal swelling and fever for over nearly 30 years in an immunocompetent adult. A 64-year-old Caucasian male presented with generalized weakness, myalgia and fever associated with scrotal swelling and bilateral groin pain. He reported that these symptoms have recurred yearly for the past 30 years, lasting 1 - 2 days each. Systemic examination was normal except genital exam positive for scrotal swelling without tenderness and bilateral tender inguinal lymphadenopathy. Computed tomography (CT) scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis showed bilateral lymphadenopathy along external iliac chains and groins. Histopathological examination showed EBV-associated LPD and patient was started on rituximab. EBV is known to persist as a lifelong low-level infection in memory B cells of normal healthy carriers. Our patient's disease course over three decades is likely secondary to this property, in the setting of an intact immune system. J Med Cases. 2016;7(8):354-357 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2579w


This is a theoretical investigation of the accuracy of conventional point kinetics in a multiregion reactor without feedback. The fundamental assumption of point kinetics is the splitting of the neutron density into a product of a known constant shape function and an unknown amplitude function. The model cannot account for the distortion of the shape of the neutron distribution due to space-dependent perturbations and this results in an error in reactivity. It is to this error that bounds are derived. This is done by using the method of weighted residuals to reduce the original eigenvalue problem to that of a real asymmetric matrix. Theorems from matrix algebra are then used to find disks in the complex plane where the eigenvalues are contained. The radii of the disks depend on the perturbation in a simple manner. Examples of space- dependent step and ramp insertion of reactivity in slab reactors demonstrate the usefulness of the bound. (auth)


Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2) promotes G1 to S transition of quiescent sparse adult bovine aortic endothelial cells. In addition to signal transduction through interaction with tyrosine kinase high affinity receptor, FGF-2 is translocated to the nucleus and accumulated into the nucleolus. These data suggest that FGF-2 functions directly in nuclear events. In vivo, correlations were established between the entrance of FGF-2 into the nucleus and an increase in rDNA transcription and in protein phosphorylation. In vitro, in experiments carried out with nuclei isolated from quiescent cells, addition of FGF-2 increases rDNA transcription by a factor of 5 and also increases protein phosphorylation. Nucleolin, a factor involved in control of rDNA transcription is preferentially phosphorylated. It has been shown that nucleolin and other factors implicated in rDNA transcription are substrates of protein kinase CKII. Using purified kinase CKII and nucleolin in an in vitro phosphorylation assay, we have shown that FGF-2 activates the protein kinase activity. These results suggest that FGF-2 could act as an activator of rDNA transcription through interactions with the protein kinase CKII.


The paper documents the implementation of automated data exchange process as an alternative to the manual workflow an architect needs to go through if he wants to comply with the EPR and acoustic regulations imposed by recent Flemish standards. This application is able to import specific IFC files and interpret its information. It automatically acquires the information needed and performs the calculations. The results of the calculation are then displayed through a user-friendly interface, to enable a designer evaluate his design and immediately make improvements to his model. This application was tested in a case-study using an exemplary BIM model. The overall functionality of the communication process from BIM to the application is analysed and the resulting concerns are outlined.


Sensitization by chromium depletion due to chromium carbide precipitation at grain boundaries in austenitic stainless steels can not be prevented perfectly only by previous conventional techniques, such as reduction of carbon content, stabilization-treatment, local solution-heat-treatment, etc. Recent studies on grain boundary structure have revealed that the sensitization depends strongly on grain boundary character and atomic structure, and that low energy grain boundaries such a~ coincidence-site-lattice (CSL) boundaries have strong resistance to intergranular corrosion. The concept of grain boundary design and control has been developed as grain boundary engineering (GBE). GBEed materials are characterized by high frequencies of CSL boundaries which are resistant to intergranular deterioration of materials, such as intergranular corrosion. A thermomechanical treatment was tried to improve the resistance to the sensitization by GBE. A type 304 austenitic stainless steel was cold-rolled and solution-heat-treated, and then sensitization-heat-treated. The grain boundary character distribution was examined by orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The intergranular corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) and ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid tests. The sensitivity to intergranular corrosion was reduced by the thermomechanical treatment and indicated a minimum at a small roll-reduction The frequency of CSL boundaries indicated a maximum at the small reduction. The ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid test showed much smaller corrosion rate in the thermomechanical-treated specimen than in the base material. A high density of annealing twins were observed in the thermomechanical-treated specimen. The results suggdst that the therrmomechanical treatment can introduce low energy segments in the grain boundary network by annealing twins and can arrest the percolation of intergranular corrosion from the surface. The effects of carbon content and other minor elements on optimization in g


Most actin-related proteins (Arps) are highly conserved in eukaryotes, where they carry out well-defined cellular functions. Drosophila and mammals also encode divergent non-canonical Arps in their male-germline whose roles remain unknown. Here, we show that Arp53D, a rapidly-evolving Drosophila Arp, localizes to fusomes and actin cones, two male germline-specific actin structures critical for sperm maturation, via its non-canonical N-terminal tail. Although we expected that Arp53D loss would reduce male fertility, we instead find that Arp53D-KO males are more fertile, both in isolation and in competition with wildtype males. Upon investigating why evolution would retain a gene that negatively impacts male fertility, we unexpectedly found that Arp53D-KO females are less fertile. Moreover, KO embryos exhibit reduced viability, which worsens under heat stress. We conclude that 'testis-specific' Arp53D is detrimental to male fertility, but is required for female fertility and early development, leading to its long-term retention and recurrent adaptation in Drosophila.


Women's position as informal carers has been taken for granted in social policy and social professions, while relatively few discussions have elaborated on caring as a later life activity for men and the impact on family care. This study explores the processes connected to informal caregiving in later life through the position of adult daughters of older fathers engaged with long-term caregiving responsibilities for a partner. A sample of eight daughters, with fathers having primary caregiving responsibility for their ill partners was recruited and in-depth interviews were carried out and analysed according to qualitative procedures. The daughters' descriptions of their relationships with their fathers show that being an older man who engages in caring can have a positive outcome on relations. Even if some of the daughters have doubts about their fathers "masculine authenticity", all of them appear to cherish "his helping hands" as a carer and closer more intimate relationships with their fathers. Caring for an old and frail spouse may potentially present alternative ways of being a man beyond traditional 'male activities' and that caring might also sometimes involve a re-construction of gender identities. It is suggested that social work professionals may use a gendered understanding to assess and work strategically with daughters and other family members who support caring fathers.


The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveys farmers and ranchers across the United States and Puerto Rico in order to estimate crops and livestock, assess production practices, and identify economic trends. One of the surveys conducted annually is the June Area Survey (JAS). This survey requires field enumerators to visit sampled land areas (segments) designated on aerial photos and record all agricultural activity occurring within those specified land areas. Over the past eight years, the national JAS's overall response rate has been gradually deteriorating from 86.5 percent in 2000 to 81.7 percent in 2007. Assuming this trend continues, the JAS national response rate will fall below the Office of Management and Budget's threshold rate of 80 percent in three to four years. Falling below this rate dictates the need for nonresponse bias analysis and, in general, heightens the concern about the potential negative impact of nonresponse on survey results. This study examines some of the underlying causes of nonresponse in the 2007 June Area Survey in five states (California, Kansas, New York, Virginia, and Washington).


The complex-formation equilibria in the system BeII–H2O–CO2(g) have been studied by e.m.f. techniques in 3.0 mol dm–3(Na)ClO4 at 25 °C in the range 2.0 ⩽ log h⩽ 6.2, where h is the free hydrogen-ion concentration. The total metal concentration, B, has been varied from 1 to 80 mmol dm–3 and the partial pressure of CO2 from 0.1 to 0.97 atm. The e.m.f. data obtained can be explained by assuming, in addition to previously proposed hydrolytic species, the temary equilibria (i)–(iv). The stability constants of the mixed complexes are as follows: log β331=–8.90 ± 0.02, 3Be2++ 3H2O + CO2(g)⇌[Be3(OH)3(CO2)]3++ 3H+(i), 5Be2++ 6H2O + CO2(g)⇌[Be5(OH)6(CO)2]4++ 6H+(ii), 6Be2++ 9H2O + 2CO2(g)⇌[Be6(OH)9(CO2)2]3++ 9H+(iii), Be2++ 2H2O + CO2(g)⇌ Be(OH)2(CO2)+ 2H+(iv) log β561=–17.24 ± 0.04, log β692=–29.46 ± 0.06, and log β121=–10.4 ± 0.1. The Raman spectra of concentrated solutions containing the different mixed complexes have been recorded. From these results tentative structures for the mixed hydroxo–carbonato complexes are proposed and discussed. The (1,2,1), (3,3,1), and (5,6,1) complexes are suggested to possess stoicheiometries BeCO3,[Be3(OH)2(HCO3)]3+, and [Be5(OH)4(CO3)]4+ respectively.


The current experiment was conducted to examine the impact of a supplement of microalgae ( Schizochytrium limacinum ) on the performance, rumen fermentation, and blood metabolites in lambs during summer. Forty lambs were used in a 49-day experiment. The lambs were group-fed either a basal diet (alfalfa hay and concentrate, n = 20) or the basal diet along with 5 g/day microalgae (n = 20). Feed intakes were recorded daily and body weight (BW) was measured weekly. Overall, microalgae feeding increased (P 0.05). Microalgae feeding decreased rumen pH (P < 0.05) and tended to reduce proportion of acetate (P < 0.1), while it increased total rumen volatile fatty acid concentration (8.6%; P < 0.01) and proportions of propionate (13.9%, P < 0.01) and valerate (P < 0.01; 26.5%) compared with the control animals. Microalgae feeding increased (P < 0.05) blood glucose (98.47 vs. 84.97 mg/dL) and insulin (64.14 vs. 29.26 ng/mL), whereas it lowered total cholesterol concentrations in blood (62 vs. 58 mg/dL, P < 0.1) compared with the control animals. The results of this study indicate that microalgae supplement influences productivity and enhances dietary energy utilization in lambs during the summer.


Predicting how forest species composition may change in response to global change is essential for meaningful management. Which species are most likely to successfully recruit depends on a multitude of factors, but processes operating at the seed‐to‐seedling transition being especially important. Here, we explore how insufficient seed dispersal (dispersal limitation) and ecological filtering of seedlings (establishment limitation) influence species recruitment in an Afromontane Forest. We combined census data from seeds in seed traps and seed‐seedling transition plots in a Nigerian montane forest to measure dispersal and establishment limitation across species, life history strategies, and seed sizes. From 106 seed traps and 318 seedling plots, we recorded 11,278 seeds from 38 species and 2688 seedlings of 61 species. All species except for one liana showed strong dispersal limitation while 23 out of the 30 species showed establishment limitation. The two lianas sampled had significantly lower dispersal limitation compared to the trees investigated in the study. Our results suggest that both dispersal and establishment limitation are markedly high in this Afromontane forest than would be expected in a lowland counterpart.


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have high aspect ratio and have great potential to be applied as the field emission cathode because of its large field enhancement factor. In this work, a high performance carbon nanotube field emission cathode (CNTFC) was fabricated by using a composite plating method. The CNTs were purified by acid solutions and then dispersed in electrobath with nickel ions at temperatures of 60, 70, or 80 degrees C for the electroless plating process on glass substrate. The resulting CNT-Ni composite film has strong adhesion on the glass substrate. The degree of graphitization and the microstructure of the CNTFCs were studied by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The field emission properties of the CNTFCs show a low turn-on electric field E(on) of about 1.2 V/microm, and a low threshold electric field E(th) of about 1.9 V/microm. Such a composite plating method could be applied to the fabrication of large area CNT field-emission displays.


ABSTRACT Infection with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has been shown to cause significant illness among hospitalized patients. Given the paucity of treatment options, there is a critical need to stop the spread of CPE. However, screening for the presence of CPE in laboratory settings has been challenging. In order to assess the effectiveness of current CPE detection guidelines, we analyzed the meropenem MIC distribution for a large set of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates. A total of 1,022 isolates submitted to the Public Health Ontario Laboratories (PHOL) from January 2011 to March 2014 were examined. Only isolates displaying a meropenem or ertapenem MIC of ≥0.25 or ≥1 μg/ml, respectively, were included. Carbapenemase-positive isolates were identified by multiplex PCR. We identified 189 isolates positive for carbapenemases, which primarily comprised NDM, KPC, and OXA-48-like carbapenemases, and these isolates were largely Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, and Enterobacter spp. Interestingly, 14 to 20% of these isolates displayed meropenem MICs within the susceptible range on the basis of CLSI and EUCAST breakpoint interpretive criteria. While the majority of meropenem-susceptible CPE isolates were observed to be E. coli, meropenem susceptibility was not exclusive to any one species/genus or carbapenemase type. Application of CLSI screening recommendations captured only 86% of carbapenemase-producing isolates, whereas application of EUCAST recommendations detected 98.4% of CPE isolates. In a region with a low carbapenemase prevalence, meropenem-based screening approaches require a cutoff MIC near the epidemiological wild-type threshold in order to achieve nearly optimal CPE identification.


The kinetic behaviour of Bee venom phospholipase A2 was studied using both long and short chain substrates in the presence and absence of organic solvents. The activity was controlled by a variety of activators and in particular the behaviour in dilute organic solvents was dominated by fatty acid activation. The enzyme was activated irreversibly by a variety of acylating agents derived from long-chain fatty acids. The most effective derivatives were azides and imidazolides and the reactivity was proportional to the hydrocarbon chain length, in contrast to the general chemical reactivity. Oleoyl and linoleoyl imidazolide were shown to be the most effective activators and the oleoyl derivative gave full activation corresponding to addition of one acyl residue per protein molecule. Studies of maximally activated enzyme showed that earlier models in which activation was proposed to rely on fatty acid modification of the substrate surface could be ruled out. Activation does not appear to be due to modification of the rate at which the enzyme penetrates the substrate surface but it is sensitive to the physico-chemical properties of the substrate. A model is proposed whereby allosteric activation of the enzyme is communicated to the active site of the protein by an interaction involving the acyl side chains of the substrate. Activation is calcium dependent and at low calcium concentrations the activation factors exceed 100-fold. Furthermore the same experiments produced evidence that the enzyme has two sites for calcium and the activation by acylating agents substitutes the second weakly reactive calcium. The covalently activated enzyme causes lytic damage to the rabbit erythrocytes where the unactivated enzyme has very little effect. Therefore this type of activation could be of importance in vivo.


•Post-traumatic leptomeningeal cysts involving the occipital bone are intraosseous lesions which do not erode through the outer table, in contradistinction to leptomeningeal cysts elsewhere in the calvaria. In two of four reported cases, communicating hydrocephalus was associated with the intraosseous cyst. The clinical and radiological findings suggest that intraosseous leptomeningeal cyst of the posterior fossa represents a distinct entity. Resection of the cyst and closure of the dural defect may be less important than treat ment of the communicating hydrocephalus.


Citrus greening or Huanglongbing (HLB) is an extremely destructive disease, which has had an undesirable impact on the quality and quantity of the citrus production in Florida during the past few years. No effective treatment has been reported for this disease yet; therefore, rapid diagnosis and removal of the affected trees can protect the entire grove from further infection. One of the early symptoms of HLB is the accumulation of starch in affected citrus leaves which appears as an uneven yellow blotch mottled pattern on the leaf surface. This symptom looks highly analogous to some nutrient deficiency symptoms; however, starch accumulation in the HLB symptomatic area has a unique capability of rotating the polarization planar of light at a certain waveband. A computer vision approach was employed in this study to highlight the starch accumulation and differentiate it from nutrient deficiency symptoms. This system was examined under a real in-field condition to detect HLB positive, HLB negative, and zinc deficient samples. Two simple image descriptors (mean and standard deviation) were extracted from the sample images and utilized in a step-by step classification model. The overall accuracy of 97% was achieved for identification of citrus leaves in three classes using this method.


I analyze two instances in German where coordinations seem to violate Ross's (1967) Coordinate Structure Constraint. I follow Schwarz 1998 and argue that the two constructions are underlyingly the same, one deriving from the other through gapping. Using the thesis that the verb-final word order in German involves a short leftward movement of the finite verb or verb phrase, I provide a method of avoiding the Coordinate Structure Constraint violation that would otherwise be expected.


More than 67% of deaths in breast cancer patients occur after the initial 5-year survival period while residual disease can be dormant for periods longer than 20 years. Patients are asymptomatic because circulating tumor cells (CTCs) remain dormant and are undetectable by current clinical tools. Dormant CTCs may retain their long-term tumor-initiating (LTI) potential by adhering to their original genome, unlike rapidly cycling cancer cells that are known to have increased genomic instability. We hypothesized that hyperactive mechanisms of DNA repair preserve the genomic make-up of dormant CTCs allowing them to retain their LTI potential, ultimately causing disease relapse. We isolated and characterized EpCAM-negative breast cancer CTCs by mutiparametric flow cytometry and DEPArrayTM. Individually isolated breast cancer CTCs had a large proportion (>40%) of dormant (Ki67-/PCNA-) cells. Dormant CTCs had a lower incidence of double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) than proliferating cells as assessed by the phosphorylation status of Serine139 on gamma H2AX. This observation was further validated in a panel of eight genetically distinct breast cancer cell lines. Second, to understand whether dormant cells are inherently more resistant to DSB, we induced DSB in breast cancer cells by UV radiation and bleomycin treatment, and measured residual DSB at regular intervals. Results showed that besides being more resistant to DSB de novo, dormant breast cancer cells were also more efficient in repairing their DNA. There are two distinct phases of DSB repair - early [within 2 hours of DSB using Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) methods] and late [evident after 24 hours using Homologous Recombination (HR)]. Unlike proliferating (S-G2M) cells, dormant (G0) cells lack the sister chromatid and repair their DNA exclusively by NHEJ methods. Therefore, and third, we investigated key players of the NHEJ pathway and examined their roles in maintaining genomic integrity. We found that the human telomere-associated protein RIF1, a mediator of alternative NHEJ, was significantly up-regulated in a dormant CTC subset. Dormant sub-populations of breast cancer cells confirmed RIF1 foci formation in areas of DNA damage. Fourth, mis-sense mutation of RIF1 in CAMA-1 cells (ΔRIF1 E1598K) attenuated resistance of the dormant subset to UV and bleomycin treatment. Collectively, these findings suggest that RIF1 may play functional roles in maintaining the genomic integrity of dormant CTCs. Further investigations are being pursued to assess RIF1 contributions to retain CTC LTI potential leading to CTC-driven metastasis. Citation Format: Debasish Boral, Haowen N. Liu, Wei Yin, Monika Vishnoi, Antonio Scamardo, Goldy C. George, David S. Hong, Dario Marchetti. Deciphering mechanisms of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer dormancy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3143.


An isomerically pure, C2-symmetric Ni(II) complex was synthesized and found to be living for propylene polymerization. The regioselectivity of the catalyst varied greatly with reaction temperature, with regioregular, highly isotactic polypropylene (PP) produced at low temperatures, and regioirregular PP produced at high temperatures. Regioblock PP was formed by changing the reaction temperature during the polymerization.


Menopause complications such as cardiovascular and bone diseases represent a major public health concern. We sought to determine whether a high-fat diet (HFD) can augment ovariectomy-induced bone resorption in a rat model of menopaus e possibly via the upregulation of the inflammatory biomarkers and dyslipidemia. Rats were either ovariectomized and fed a standa r laboratory chow (model group) or were ovariectomized and fed with a HFD for 15 weeks before being sacrificed. Ovariectomy significantly (p<0.05) increased body weight, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis facto r-a (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and biomarker of bone resorption, nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), which were augmented by feeding animals with a HFD. This was confirmed through immunohistochemical study, where ovariectomy induced expression of p65/NF-kB protein in tibia bone sections of the model group, which were augmented by HFD. HFD augments ovariectomy-induced bone resorptio through increased inflammatory biomarkers and NF-kB in rats.


BACKGROUND
Planar ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scintigraphy is a validated tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE). Nevertheless, given the high rate of nonconclusive V/Q, further investigation is often necessary. V/Q single-photon emission CT (SPECT) scan could improve V/Q performance, but sparse data are available on its accuracy. This study assessed the diagnostic performance of V/Q SPECT scan in a cohort of consecutive patients with suspected PE.

METHODS
Three hundred twenty-one consecutive patients with a clinical suspicion of PE were prospectively included. Patients suspected of having PE were managed according to a reference diagnostic strategy validated by a 3-month follow-up. In addition to the reference strategy, patients had a V/Q SPECT scan, the results of which were compared with the initial work-up results.

RESULTS
Prevalence of PE was 0 of 41 (0%; 95% CI, 0%-9%), six of 134 (4%; 95% CI, 2%-9%),15 of 36 (42%; 95% CI, 27%-58%), and 28 of 32 (88%; 95% CI, 72%-95%) in the normal, low,intermediate, and high V/Q SPECT scan probability groups, respectively. The combination of V/Q SPECT scan with clinical probability was diagnostic in 88% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS
V/Q SPECT scan results show satisfactory accuracy for PE diagnosis. Validation of dedicated interpretation criteria is required, followed by outcome studies that use V/Q SPECT scan as part of a diagnostic strategy to rule out PE.

TRIAL REGISTRY
ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01183026; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov


Exposure can affect labor productivity and human capital Nearly every country in the world regulates air pollution. But how much pollution control is enough? Answering that question requires considerable information about the costs as well as the benefits of regulation. Historically, efforts to measure benefits have focused on averting major health insults, such as respiratory or cardiovascular events that result in hospitalizations or death, which typically only afflict the most vulnerable segments of the population. These health episodes are clearly consequential—e.g., the U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 avert an estimated 160,000 deaths and 86,000 hospitalizations annually (1)—but may only represent the tip of the proverbial iceberg, compared to the number of cases of respiratory impairment and other health insults that affect many healthy people every day but do not require hospitalizations or even formal health care encounters. The ubiquity of these less lethal impacts, revealed by emerging economic research on labor productivity and human capital accumulation, suggests that even modest impacts at the individual level can add up to considerable, society-wide impacts across the globe.


The 21st century's Great Game is about the creation of a new Eurasia-centred world. It locks China, Russia, India, Japan and Europe into what is an epic battle. Yet, they are not the only players. While US President Donald J. Trump's policies are still largely shrouded in mystery, early indications suggest a closer alliance with India in a bid to counter potential Chinese dominance.
Middle Eastern rivals, Saudi Arabia and Iran, are key players too. As they vie for big power favour, they compete to secure the ability to shape the future architecture of Eurasia's energy landscape, enhance leverage by increasing energy and oil product market share, and position themselves as the key nodes in infrastructure networks.
With China and a US-backed India as the heavy weights, the Great Game is unlikely to produce an undisputed winner. Nor do key players perceive it as a zero-sum-game. The stakes in the game are about ensuring that China despite its vast resources, economic leverage, and first starter advantage in infrastructure linkage, does not emerge as the sole dominant power in Eurasia's future architecture.
For players, such as Europe, Russia and Japan, the game is about ensuring that they remain influential stakeholders. Efforts to restrain China's rise are enhanced by growing anti-China resentment in key nodes of the Middle Kingdom's 65-nation, $3 trillion One Belt, One Road initiative and increased questioning of China's business practices.
Some of the alliances in the shaping of Eurasia's future are opportunistic rather than strategic. This is particularly true for Russian ties to China and Iran. The contours of potential conflicts of interest are already evident and likely to impact the degree to which China will have a free reign.


Despite vast investments and strenuous efforts, malaria has been never totally eradicated on the southern borders of the former USSR and Turkey. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, malaria outbreaks and epidemics were registered in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Tadjikistan. Although they were contained, it proved impossible to completely interrupt malaria transmission in the countries in question. The present malaria situation illustrates once again that the achievements of malaria eradication programmes in the countries of Europe could not be maintained indefinitely. Since the early 1990's, the incidence of malaria has been on the rise due to the aggravated political and socioeconomic situation, mass population movements, the deployed extensive development projects, and a near-complete discontinuation in activities for malaria prevention and control. Nowadays, we witness a massive return of malaria into the areas of Europe where it has been previously eradicated. The paper discusses the malaria situation in the countries of the Transcaucasian Region and Turkey with particular emphasis on successes and failures of the recent global eradication efforts, on the reasons for and the extent of resurgence of this disease; and on operational research findings concerning the management and prevention of malaria.


An important question in emotion research is what elicits emotions and causes variations in their quality and intensity. Appraisal theories propose a cognitive process through which stimuli are evaluated on a number of different criteria. The combination of results on these criteria determines which specific emotion is elicited. In the present study, we addressed several questions regarding the mechanisms underlying this process, specifically whether appraisal criteria are processed (a) in a fixed sequence, (b) independently of each other, and (c) by different neural structures or circuits. Two appraisal criteria, stimulus novelty and pleasantness, were manipulated with a 3-stimulus oddball paradigm with affective pictures. Electroencephalographic (EEG) markers for the appraisal processes were distinguished using a spatiotemporal clustering analysis. Consistent with theories that assume a fixed sequence of the appraisal process, the analyses revealed early effects of novelty on global field power and the topographical pattern of EEG activity, followed in time by effects involving pleasantness. Moreover, both measures showed significant interactions of novelty and pleasantness in late processing stages (650 ms-800 ms), indicating that the processing of pleasantness depends on the preceding appraisal of novelty. The results of spatiotemporal clustering suggest that the late processing of highly relevant stimuli is not based on a single mechanism, but consists of the initial activation of distinct neural processes to evaluate novel stimuli, followed by activation of different neural mechanisms for the combined evaluation of both novel and highly valenced (i.e., unpleasant or pleasant) stimuli (a distinction that is not apparent in conventional event-related potential measures).


In May 2019 the photographic cellphone application Snapchat released two company-generated image filters that were officially dubbed "My Twin" and "My Other Twin," though users and media labeled them as feminine and masculine, respectively. While touted in most commentary as a "gender swap" feature, these digital imaginaries represent a unique opportunity to consider what features contribute to classification of faces into binary gender buckets. After all, the commonly considered "male" filter makes various modifications—including a broader jaw and addition of facial hair—to whichever face is selected in the photograph. It does not ask and cannot detect if that face belongs to a man or woman (cis- or transgender) or to a non-binary individual. Instead, the augmented reality that it offers is a preprogrammed algorithmic reinscription of reductive gendered norms. When interacting with a novel face, humans similarly implement algorithms to assign a gender to that face. The Snapchat "My Twin" filters—which are not neutral, but rather human-designed—offer an analyzable projection of one such binarization, which is otherwise rarely articulated or visually recreated. Here I pair an ethnographic exploration of twenty-eight transgender, non-binary, and/or gender diverse individuals' embodied experiences of facial gender legibility throughout life and with digital distortion, with a quantitative analysis of the "My Twin" filter facial distortions, to better understand the role of technology in reimaginations of who and what we see in the mirror.


Background Informed estimates claim that 80% to 99% of alarms set off in hospital units are false or clinically insignificant, representing a cacophony of sounds that do not present a real danger to patients. These false alarms can lead to an alert overload that causes a health care provider to miss important events that could be harmful or even life-threatening. As health care units become more dependent on monitoring devices for patient care purposes, the alarm fatigue issue has to be addressed as a major concern for the health care team as well as to enhance patient safety. Objective The main goal of this paper was to propose a feasible solution for the alarm fatigue problem by using an automatic reasoning mechanism to decide how to notify members of the health care team. The aim was to reduce the number of notifications sent by determining whether or not to group a set of alarms that occur over a short period of time to deliver them together, without compromising patient safety. Methods This paper describes: (1) a model for supporting reasoning algorithms that decide how to notify caregivers to avoid alarm fatigue; (2) an architecture for health systems that support patient monitoring and notification capabilities; and (3) a reasoning algorithm that specifies how to notify caregivers by deciding whether to aggregate a group of alarms to avoid alarm fatigue. Results Experiments were used to demonstrate that providing a reasoning system can reduce the notifications received by the caregivers by up to 99.3% (582/586) of the total alarms generated. Our experiments were evaluated through the use of a dataset comprising patient monitoring data and vital signs recorded during 32 surgical cases where patients underwent anesthesia at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. We present the results of our algorithm by using graphs we generated using the R language, where we show whether the algorithm decided to deliver an alarm immediately or after a delay. Conclusions The experimental results strongly suggest that this reasoning algorithm is a useful strategy for avoiding alarm fatigue. Although we evaluated our algorithm in an experimental environment, we tried to reproduce the context of a clinical environment by using real-world patient data. Our future work is to reproduce the evaluation study based on more realistic clinical conditions by increasing the number of patients, monitoring parameters, and types of alarm.


This paper represents a new dimension of the Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) called a Distributed Power-Flow Controller (DPFC). The present paper describes the introduction and control of power in transmission line equipped with FACTS (DPFC) devices. Detailed simulations are carried out to illustrate the control features of DPFC and its influence to increase power transfer capability and improve system reliability. The DPFC is derived from the unified power -flow controller (UPFC) and DPFC has the same control capability as the UPFC. The DPFC can be considered as a UPFC with an eliminated common dc link. The active power exchange between the shunt and series converters, which is through the common dc link in the UPFC, is now through the transmission lines at the third -harmonic frequency.


The two northward jumps of summer West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) are defined based on the pentad-scale ridge data of the WPSH ridge in 1951 to 2012. The times of the northward jumps are found to have obvious inter-annual and decadal characteristics, i.e., the occurrence of the first northward jump of WPSH shows a "consistently early—consistently late" decadal pattern, with the transition around 1980; the occurrence of the second northward jump of WPSH shows a "consistently late—consistently early—consistently late" decadal pattern, with the transitions about 1955 and 1978, respectively, which is consistent with global warming. In the meantime, the times of the two northward jumps not only have a good correspondence to the beginning and ending dates of the rainy season, but also greatly influence the position of the main rain belt in Eastern China. When the first northward jump occurs early, the main rain belt is located from just north of 30° N to the south of North China, while the opposite situation appears when the first jump occurs late. When the second jump occurs early, more rain falls over North China and South China, but less falls in the Yangtze River region, while the opposite situation appears when the second jump occurs late. In the four cases when abnormalities occur in the same year as early or late northward jumps, the position of the main rain belt can be considered as a superposition of isolated abnormal effects of the two northward jumps. Moreover, the prophase and synchronous forces of the sea surface temperature in the Pacific has great influence on the times of the northward jumps, and the driving forces of the two jumps differ.


Background:  The clinic was established in 1998 in response to the need for a local service for patients with obesity. It offers a multidisciplinary approach to managing obesity in a secondary care setting. Key members of the team include doctors, dietitians, physiotherapists and nurses. Referral criteria were a body mass index (BMI) >40 or BMI > 35 with two or more comorbidities. Referrals were accepted from primary or secondary care. The aims of the clinic are to halt further weight gain and promote 5–10% weight loss and then weight maintenance over 2 years. There are few published studies looking at the outcomes of hospital-based obesity clinics. Patients referred to such clinics are likely to have made several attempts at weight loss and be considerably heavier than patients presenting in primary care for weight management. The aims of this study were to assess weight change and initial nonattendance rates in patients referred to a multidisciplinary weight management clinic.

Methods:  Data were collected from 103 consecutive patients referred to the weight management clinic over 7 months starting in March 2005. The data were collected retrospectively from clinical letters. Data collected included initial weight and BMI, weight at 6 and 12 months and the latest weight available if after 12 months. Absolute weight change and percentage change were calculated as well as the number of patients achieving clinically significant weight losses at each of the time points.

Results:  Initial nonattendance rates to the clinic was 15%. Table 1 shows the weight change at each of the time-points audited:

Table 1.   Weight change in the Aintree Weight Management Clinic [mean (SD)] Time after attendance Mean weight change Kg (SD) Mean % weight change % (SD) ≥ 10% initial weight loss n (%) ≥ 5% initial weight loss n (%) Some weight loss n (%) No weight loss or weight gain n (%)
6 months (n = 58) –3.1 (5.8) –2.6 (4.4) 4 (7) 16 (28) 43 (74) ss15 (26)
12 months (n = 47) –5.2 (8.1) –4.3 (6.5) 8 (17) 16 (34) 34 (72) 13 (28)
>12 months (n = 34) –8.9 (14.7) –6.9 (10.4) 9 (27) 16 (49) 24 (71) 10 (29)

Discussion:  The multidisciplinary clinic resulted in approximately a third of patients continuing to attend the clinic losing a clinically significant amount of weight of 5% or more (Goldstein, 1992). At any time-point most patients continuing to attend lost weight which is encouraging as there is evidence that even lesser degrees of weight loss can be advantageous to health (Stevens et al., 2001). Only 15% of those referred did not attend the initial appointment and approximately 53% of those patients who attended the initial appointment were continuing to attend at 1 year and 39% at approximately 18 months to 2 years.

Conclusions:  A multidisciplinary clinic is effective in facilitating significant weight loss in patients with morbid obesity.

References  Goldstein, D.J. (1992) Beneficial health effects of modest weight loss. Int. J. obes. Relat. Meta. Disord. 16, 397–415.

Stevens, V.J., Obarzanek, E., Cook, N.R., Lee, I.-M., Appel, L.J., Smithwest, D., Milas, N.C., MaHfeldt-Beman, M., Belden, L., Bragg, C., Millstone, M., Raczynski, J., Brewer, A., Singh, B. & Cohen, J. (2001) Long term weight loss and changes in blood pressure: results of the Trials of Hypertension Prevention, phase II. Ann. Intern. Med.134: 1–11.


This paper is an attempt to assess the use pattern of electronic journals among the scientists of select Plantation Crops Research Institutes of South India. The data collected from the survey through a structured questionnaire is analysed and interpreted to realise the objectives and test the formulated hypothesis. The findings reveal that majority of the scientists hailing from rural areas (66.18%) have posses Ph.D. degree in the respective field of the study. Among the population of 207 scientists, 194 (93.28%) use e- journals and other 13 (6.28%) do not consult them. Most of the scientists make use of 'Open Access' journals (91.66%) and also e-journals subscribed through CeRA consortium (75.49%). Besides, that majority of the scientists consult full text and abstract of the research articles 'to a larger degree' and 'Table of Contents" and Bibliographical Description 'to a smaller level. The absence of full coverage, unfamiliarity with e- journals and difficulty in reading from a computer screen etc. are cited as a reason for their non-use. The hypothesis tested using chi-square is found as null type.


We investigate the possibility that freely rotating cylinders with an aspect ratio L/D=0.9 exhibit a cubatic phase similar to the one found for a system of cut spheres. We present theoretical arguments why a cubatic phase might occur in this particular system. Monte Carlo simulations do not confirm the existence of a cubatic phase for cylinders. However, they do reveal an unexpected phase behavior between the isotropic and crystalline phase.


This paper presents a review of the presentations and synthesis of the discussion during a Symposium on 'Transformation of rural-urban cultural landscapes in Europe: Integrating approaches from ecological, socio-economic and planning perspectives' held at the European IALE conference 2009 in Salzburg, Austria. The symposium addressed an extended and much debated subject of the landscape dynamics in Europe. The papers presented during the symposium showcased a broad spectrum of cutting edge research questions and challenges faced by the cultural landscapes of Europe. During six sessions, 18 presentations (besides 20 posters) were made by 36 scientists (including co-authors) from 14 countries, representing 25 institutions of Europe. A glance at the presentations revealed that the state-of-the-art focuses on driving forces and selected aspects of transformation processes, methods of its analysis and planning support as dimensions of research in this field. However, inter- and transdisciplinary research and integrative approaches to the development of rural-urban cultural landscapes are needed. The extended discussion session at the latter part of the symposium highlighted some critical and unaddressed research questions which remained a pending agenda for future research.


Georgia Tech offers one of the best campus recreation facilities in the country. If you haven't visited the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) yet, then you are missing out on one of the biggest benefits of attending or working at Georgia Tech!
From a world class aquatics facility to a state-of-the-art fitness center, the CRC offers aerobics, martial arts classes, intramural sports, sport clubs, and much more! Come and play in the leisure pool, take a yoga class, join an intramural team, or test your skills on our indoor rock climbing wall. Whatever your style, the CRC has an activity for you!


In the present work the variation in ionospheric height observed during the dawn or dusk hours is used to develop an electromagnetic imaging system for extremely low frequencies (ELF). The description concerns the mathematical principles of the proposed method rather than a realistic implementation of the technique. The scattering of ELF waves emanating from a point source on the Earth surface by a cylindrical underground formation is studied analytically with use of a Green's function method. The ionospheric discontinuity is treated with the help of mode matching technique and the subterranean scatterer by application of the method of auxiliary sources. Numerical results are presented and discussed for several cases.


In March 2010, a North Korean submarine fired a torpedo against the South Korean ship Cheonan, which resulted in the deaths of 46 sailors. Is its surprise attack justified? The academic examination has rarely been made over whether North Korea's use of military force is justified in this battle. As the just war theory to date has dealt mostly with major wars, it also can guide us to judge whether this limited warfare is just or not. The just war principles are composed of three axes: before, in and after wars. First, North Korea's provocation had neither right cause nor right intension because it attacked the Cheonan preventively, not preemptively, and was intended to achieve its domestic objective, the stable succession of the Kim regime. Second, North Korea also did not observe in-war principles in the sense that it attacked and sank the Cheonan unproportionally to maximize the effectiveness of revenge. Third, North Korea was not interested in post-battle settlements but intended to aggravate tensions in the region, which is not compliant with post-war principles. The examination sheds some light on the need to expand the scope of just war principles from war to limited warfare and battles particularly in the sense that it helps restrain unethical warfare and maintain the rules-based international order. This expansion also will contribute to not only the richness of the just war theory but also further leading it to evolve into a grand theory of war.


Abstract Food losses can occur during production, postharvest, and processing stages in the supply chain. With the onset of worldwide food shortages, interest in reducing postharvest losses in cassava has been increasing. In this research, the main goal was to evaluate biochemical changes and identify the metabolites involved in the deterioration of cassava roots. We found that high levels of ascorbic acid (AsA), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), dry matter, and proteins are correlated with overall lower rates of deterioration. On the other hand, soluble sugars such as glucose and fructose, as well as organic acids, mainly, succinic acid, seem to be upregulated during storage and may play a role in the deterioration of cassava roots. Cultivar Branco (BRA) was most resilient to postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD), while Oriental (ORI) was the most susceptible. Our findings suggest that PPO, AsA, and proteins may play a distinct role in PPD delay.


To understand how social media are reshaping the public relations profession, it is vital to examine the perceptions of public relations leaders who are typically involved in decisions integrating social media into communication programs. This study explored how social media use has affected leadership behaviors of 43 public relations leaders in the United States. Four key dimensions emerged from interview results on how public relations leaders can strategically use social media to establish leadership roles: exhibiting expert power, gaining decision power by demonstrating tangible outcomes, displaying leadership vision in social media use, and establishing leadership among peers. This study made theoretical contributions to the area of public relations leadership by developing three mechanisms for public relations managers to build their leadership through developing leadership capabilities in strategic social media management, gaining expert power to exert upward influence, and paralleling relationship building with peer leaders from other organizational functions. Suggested future research directions included how public relations leaders' engagement in social media management has affected the whole leadership structure within the organization and to what extent public relations leaders could influence the ethical use of social media or the issue of social media governance.


There is a growing recognition of the importance in using online communities of practice (CoPs) in the field of adult learning and education.
How do adults learn is a key question to answer in the context of long life learning. But how can learning be enhanced in the context of a community of practice? This is the question I aimed to answer through the ethnographic research I have been conducted on adult learners, professionals in architecture field.
The general hypothesis I have formulated is that social software offers facilities that support the process of learning within communities of practice. The focus of the paper is to follow two main concepts: communities of practice and social software (especially virtual worlds as Second Life). My work proposes a theoretical framework based on social learning theory (E. Wenger) and distributed cognition approach (Hutchins) to develop a learning architecture that was implemented in the context of a community of practice in Second Life virtual world.
Thus, the research objective is to explain how and to what extend social software can enhance learning in a community of practice, by analyzing the effects of virtual worlds on the engagement, imagination and alignment.
The context of the study can be characterized by a small online community of practice, where core members already know each other and work together in the real life.
The research I propose can be defined by two parts: secondary data and literature analysis and empirical study. Based on Wenger?s (2002) understanding of the communities of practice, I designed the architecture of learning based on engagement, imagination and alignment, the three main process that support the objectives of a community of practice, according to Wenger (2002): learning, meaning making, participation, and engaging. To conduct empirical research virtual worlds (Second Life) were selected to support the community of practice. Secondly, a wiki and a blog were used to support and facilitate communication. The secondary data and literature analysis argues that social software and CoPs share several important characteristics, which makes it interesting to deeply approach this relation.
Besides this theoretical approach of the research, I have been conducted an empirical study, based on a qualitative research strategy (bulletin boards focus groups, in-depth interviews, netnographies (Kozinets, 2010), focus groups and case study research methods were used to conduct the research).
This study aimed to refine the secondary analysis mentioned earlier, which explains the facilities created by Second Life to support the engagement, imagination, and alignment. Furthermore, these insights were summarized in a conceptual framework, which was the main topic in a focus group interview with a group of experts on the subject (adult learning, communities of practice, educational sciences, and social software). The participants of the focus group validated the conceptual framework, but they also underlined various interesting implications of using Second Life in adult learning.
Important results were revealed after conducting this research. In the first way, the research proves that virtual worlds can be applied within small communities of practice. Secondly, this study shows that the usage of social software does offer facilities that support the engagement, imagination, and alignment. Thirdly, this study shows that every single social software example offers its unique contribution to the implementation of the architecture of learning, which results in a optimal combination of three services.


The paper examines the most recent empirical studies on the impact of university patenting on the economics of public research. Most contributions discuss the controversial effects of the Bayh-Dole Act in the US, or attempt to measure the scope of university patenting in Europe. We highlight two main research lines. The first one deals with the possibility that patenting research tools may slow down scientific progress, whose cumulative nature requires free access to the stock of existing knowledge. The second comprises works that attempt to test the impact of patenting on the scientists' publication activity, at the individual level. It is shown that academic inventors publish more frequently than their peers who do not contribute to patenting; and that no apparent trade-off exists between publishing and patenting activities. On the contrary, a moderate trade-off exists at the systemic level, due to the fact that the existence of patents in given research field discourages other scientists to join the field, thus limiting the cumulative process of scientific advancement.


Abstract— A specimen easily identified as an iron meteorite was first authenticated at the University of Toronto. Although the finder, Karl Heinz, is deceased, it is believed that the meteorite was found on a canoe trip in the Province of Québec. The 2.715 kg main mass is weathered and has no preserved heat‐affected zone, although the external shape has a suggestion of regmaglypts, providing evidence that the specimen is a new find. The meteorite is a coarse octahedrite, with kamacite bandwidth 1.64 ± 0.56 mm. Neutron activation analysis yielded Ni 70.4 mg/g, Ge 372 μg/g, Ga 87 μg/g, and Ir 2.55 μg/g, clearly indicating that it is a member of group IAB with composition similar to that of Canyon Diablo. However, of 13 minor and trace elements, As, Au, Ir, Pt, Re, and Sb are more than three standard deviations from well‐established Canyon Diablo means, and Ge differs by nearly three standard deviations. The meteorite thus appears to be a new find. The name is in recognition of the University of Toronto, where the meteorite was first examined.


Conventional image denoising algorithms attempt to remove noise on the basis of spectral separation between signal and noise. However, in practice, the spectra of signal and noise usually overlap. As a result, conventional denoising algorithms often suppress noises at the cost of losing details in fine texture and causing blurring in output images. This paper formulates the image denoising problem by adopting a new model of sparse and low-rank matrix decomposition. Based on this model, the alternating direction method(ADM) is utilized to obtain the restored image. Our experiment demonstrates that the ADM suppresses salt-and-pepper noise more efciently and better preserves detail information in the input image, as compared to the commonly used median filtering method.


Dissociative adsorption has been widely simplified as part of the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth model. We found that the addition of specific carrier gases can critically modify the growth rate and growth density of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). These results were explained by dissociative adsorption of C2H2 molecules and a solid-core VLS growth model. Based on these integrated mechanisms, vertically aligned MWNTs were grown with an initial growth rate as high as ∼800μm∕h. This efficient growth process results at temperature and C2H2 partial pressures at which the decomposition and segregation rates of carbon are balanced. Appropriate use of carrier gas is one of the factors that could facilitate efficient and continuous growth of carbon nanotubes in the future.


The study of biomolecules on a single molecule level enables the investigations of dynamic, mechanistic as well as heterogeneous behavior of the biomolecules. For studying the features of DNA-protein interactionsinvolved in DNA-repair, on the single-molecule level, the combination of microfluidics, surface preparations and fluorescence microscopyis usedby the single molecule biophysics group at the physics department at the University of Gothenburg. In addition, traditional biochemical techniques, Polymerase Chain Reaction and agarose-gel electrophoresis, are also used to produceand analyze various types of DNAused in the single molecule experiments. The workis interdisciplinary and combines physics, surface science, biochemistry and micro/nano science, which motivatedme to finish my master thesis project in the field of single molecule biophysics.
In order to investigatethe repairofthe double-stranded break (DSB), we tried to simulate the homologous recombination (HR) process in vitro to study the interaction between DNA and the protein Rad51 through single molecule experiments. The objective of thisthesis project was to prepare DNA structures to mimic the damaged DNA with processed DSBs. The damaged and processed DNA structuresare double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with a 3'-single-stranded DNA(ssDNA)overhang ofvariouslengths. These DNA structureswillwork as the substrates for the study of the DNA-protein interaction that are involved in the repairof DSBs. Short pieces of ssDNA (140nt) were designed and bought directly. Long pieces of ssDNA (5kb) were produced via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) followedbylambda-exonuclease treatment using lambda-phage DNA(48 kbp)as template. The optimal conditions were acquired after repeated experiments and the results were verified by agarose gel electrophoresis. Finally, these ssDNA molecules were ligated to the originallambda-DNA. Fluorescently labeled Replication Protein A (RPA) that preferentially binds ssDNA, was used to confirm that the DNA samples contained the desired structure, dsDNA with 3'-ssDNA overhang. The interaction betweenDNA and RPA was studied inmicrofluidicflowcellsusingfluorescence microscopy where the DNA sampleswereattached to a functionalized lipid bilayer surfacewithin the microfluidic flowcells.


One by-product of steel making, granulated blast furnace slag, is often wasted. When it is used, it is used in civil engineering and building engineering and mostly applied to road-building. It will soon have many other environmental uses. The granulated blast furnace slag has similar characteristics to glue, and low resistivity was found. With a cement-hydrate catalyst, it can be used to produce glue and, as such, it should be used as a grounding resistance reduction agent. Adding different proportions of water, cement, and salt, the resistivity and clot strength of the grounding resistance reduction agent was studied to find an optimal combination. This finished product can be used in a grounding resistance reduction agent, within which the grounding bar is buried. Our measurements have shown that this method can effectively reduce grounding resistance.


The broadband generated by the inclusion of dispersion shifted fiber, highly nonlinear fiber, and their combinations in the cavity of a filterless erbium-doped fiber ring laser is experimentally studied in this work. The gain spectrum of erbium-doped fiber and the nonlinear effects due to low-dispersion specialty fibers govern the spectral broadening. The experimental results are compared and analyzed with the aid of the dependence of the spectrum on the input pump power provided to the gain medium.


The aim of this study was to model, as well as monitor and assess the surface water quality in the Eastern Black Sea (EBS) Basin stream, Turkey. The water-quality indicators monitored monthly for the seven streams were water temperature (WT), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC), as well as luminescent dissolved oxygen (LDO) concentration and saturation. Based on an 18-month data monitoring, the surface water quality variation was spatially and temporally evaluated with reference to the Turkish Surface Water Quality Regulation. First, the teaching–learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm and conventional regression analysis (CRA) were applied to three different regression forms, i.e., exponential, power, and linear functions, to predict LDO concentrations. Then, the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) method was employed and three performance measures, namely, mean absolute error (MAE), root means square error (RMSE), and Nash Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NSCE) were used to evaluate the performances of the MARS, TLBO, and CRA methods. The monitoring results revealed that all streams showed the same trend in that lower WT values in the winter months resulted in higher LDO concentrations, while higher WT values in summer led to lower LDO concentrations. Similarly, autumn, which presented the higher TDS concentrations brought about higher EC values, while spring, which presented the lower TDS concentrations gave rise to lower EC values. It was concluded that the water quality of the streams in the EBS basin was high-quality water in terms of the parameters monitored in situ, of which the LDO concentration varied from 9.13 to 10.12 mg/L in summer and from 12.31 to 13.26 mg/L in winter. When the prediction accuracies of the three models were compared, it was seen that the MARS method provided more successful results than the other methods. The results of the TLBO and the CRA methods were very close to each other. The RMSE, MAE, and NSCE values were 0.2599 mg/L, 0.2125 mg/L, and 0.9645, respectively, for the best MARS model, while these values were 0.4167 mg/L, 0.3068 mg/L, and 0.9086, respectively, for the best TLBO and CRA models. In general, the LDO concentration could be successfully predicted using the MARS method with various input combinations of WT, EC, and pH variables.


Abstract. Coastal areas are subject to flood hazards because of their topographic features, social development and related human activities. The Kujukuri Plain, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, is located nearby the Tokyo metropolitan area and it faces to the Pacific Ocean. In the Kujukuri Plain, widespread occurrence of land subsidence has been caused by exploitation of groundwater, extraction of natural gas dissolved in brine, and natural consolidation of the Holocene and landfill deposits. The locations of land subsidence include areas near the coast, and it may increase the flood hazard potential. Hence, it is very important to evaluate flood hazard potential by taking into account the temporal change of land elevation caused by land subsidence, and to prepare hazard maps for protecting the surface environment and for developing an appropriate land-use plan. In this study, flood hazard assessments at three different times, i.e., 1970, 2004, and 2013 are implemented by using a flood hazard model based on Multicriteria Decision Analysis with Geographical Information System techniques. The model incorporates six factors: elevation, depression area, river system, ratio of impermeable area, detention ponds, and precipitation. Main data sources used are 10 m resolution topography data, airborne laser scanning data, leveling data, Landsat-TM data, two 1:30 000 scale river watershed maps, and precipitation data from observation stations around the study area and Radar data. The hazard assessment maps for each time are obtained by using an algorithm that combines factors with weighted linear combinations. The assignment of the weight/rank values and their analysis are realized by the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. This study is a preliminary work to investigate flood hazards on the Kujukuri Plain. A flood model will be developed to simulate more detailed change of the flood hazard influenced by land subsidence.


During the long 1960s, which includes the culminating phase of the "economic miracle" and the beginning of the protest movement in 1968, the industrial imagination took forceful hold of the collective mind of the Italian people. While corporate films adopted the rhetoric of industrial progress, feature films offered a negative view of industrialization and underlined its problematic aspects: the exploitation of the working class, class struggle, alienation, pollution, the role of criminal enterprise. In both cases music and sound profoundly influenced the representation of the industrial contexts. Corporate films had a tendency to extol the virtues of labor and industrial production and used music extensively to this end. The wide circulation of these films in this period encouraged a critical approach to industrial contexts from feature film directors: in their films music and sound offered critical readings during the industrial sequences: they posed questions, encouraged ironic or tragic reflection, or gave the sequences grotesque or sinister overtones. This article analyzes film music and sound options in feature films against a backdrop of corporate film communication in order to trace the history of industrial imagination in Italian cinema.


1. PhD Candidate, School of Economics, Banking and Finance, University of Utara Malaysia 2. Lecturer, Department of Economics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan 3. Assistant Professor, Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan PAPER INFO ABSTRACT Received: January 12, 2019 Accepted: June 24, 2019 Online: June 30, 2019 In the era of industrialization, the role of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) is more crucial to boost the economy of every nation. Particularly, in line with developed nations, SMEs has also key importance for developing nations like Pakistan. However, the SME's performance in open innovation (OI) is not reached the satisfactory position in Pakistan. That is the reason, the Pakistani SMEs are not achieved the higher performance. In response to this issue, the objective of this study is to investigate the role of maximization of internal innovation and external knowledge incorporation to increase the firm's OI performance. Furthermore, the moderating role of knowledge management is also observed. Managerial staff of SMEs was preferred to get response. After evaluating the data by using Smart PLS 3, it was found that maximization of internal innovation; external knowledge incorporation and knowledge management is the key contributor to enhance OI. Additionally, knowledge management is one of the moderating factors which enhance the positive effect of internal innovation and knowledge management on OI. Thus, the study is significant for SMEs and practitioners to enhance OI performance in SMEs.


BACKGROUND
Individuals with personality disorders-particularly borderline personality disorder-are high users of mental health treatment services. Emergency service responses often focus on crisis management, and there are limited opportunities to provide appropriate longer term evidence-based treatment. Many individuals with personality disorders find themselves in a revolving cycle between emergency departments and waiting for community treatment. A stepped care approach may help to triage clients and allow access to interventions with minimal client, clinician and system burden. This study aims to understand the facilitators and barriers to real-world implementation of a stepped care approach to treating personality disorders.

METHODS
Managers and clinicians of health services engaged in implementation were interviewed to obtain accounts of experiences. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed to generate themes describing barriers and facilitators.

RESULTS
Participants identified personal attitudes, knowledge and skills as important for successful implementation. Existing positive attitudes and beliefs about treating people with a personality disorder contributed to the emergence of clinical champions. Training facilitated positive attitudes by justifying the psychological approach. Management support was found to bi-directionally effect implementation.

CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests specific organizational and individual factors may increase timely and efficient implementation of interventions for people with personality disorders. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


To study the neurohormonal determinism of cellular growth and differentiation and mitochondrial development in brown adipose tissue (BAT), this organ was analyzed in rats bearing uncloned or cloned (PC 12) pheochromocytoma; comparison was made with cold adaptation. Both uncloned and PC 12 tumors induced an enlargement of tissue weight and DNA total content, although smaller than during cold adaptation. The following striking modifications were observed in rats bearing PC 12 tumors: strong vasodilation, increase in protein and phospholipid percentage, alteration of the fatty acid composition of phospholipids, increase in mitochondrial protein, large increase of the GDP binding to isolated mitochondria, and marked rise in specific amount of 32,000-dalton uncoupling protein (ascertained using immunological approach). It is concluded that secretions of PC 12 tumors can induce the same alterations in BAT as does the sympathetic system during cold adaptation of animals. An important contribution of norepinephrine to these effects is evidenced, but a specific function of other trophic factors secreted by PC 12 cells and by sympathetic nerves can be postulated.


This paper studies online signature verification on touch interface-based mobile devices. A simple and effective method for signature verification is developed. An online signature is represented with a discriminative feature vector derived from attributes of several histograms that can be computed in linear time. The resulting signature template is compact and requires constant space. The algorithm was first tested on the well-known MCYT-100 and SUSIG data sets. The results show that the performance of the proposed technique is comparable and often superior to state-of-the-art algorithms despite its simplicity and efficiency. In order to test the proposed method on finger drawn signatures on touch devices, a data set was collected from an uncontrolled environment and over multiple sessions. Experimental results on this data set confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in mobile settings. The results demonstrate the problem of within-user variation of signatures across multiple sessions and the effectiveness of cross session training strategies to alleviate these problems.


Thermoplastic starch composites modified by enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) were prepared via a simple and environmentally-friendly process. Starch and EHL were plasticized with urea and methanamide as plasticizers in the preparation. The effects of the amount of plasticizers and EHL on the mechanical and water-absorption properties were investigated. The fractured surfaces of the composites were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Properties of the composites were improved with adding plasticized EHL into pure thermoplastic starch. It was attributed to the good compatibility of modified EHL with plasticized starch.


Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a necrotizing vasculitis affecting small vessels characterized by nontrombocytopenic purpura. The most characteristic clinical manifestations are purpura, arthritis, abdominal pain, abdominal bleeding and nephritis. Lung hemorrhage is a rare symptom associated with the HSP. Although the subclinical alterations of pulmonary function are frequent in patients with PSH without clinical lung manifestations, the presence of lung hemorrhage is an unusual symptom. We report a case of a patient with hemoptysis and HSP previously asymptomatic.


The technological properties of quartz waste associated with the clay deposit are investigated by way of emission spectral analysis, petrography and X-ray phase analysis. This study considers the possibility of quartz waste utilization in the production of dry building mixtures as a filler, magnesia-quartz proppants as a raw material component, cement as a siliceous component, fine ceramics as a partially fluxing and exhausting component, silicate brick as the main raw material. In the production of glass and glassware it is possible to make use of the quartz waste as a glass-forming component including silicate blocks after refining for the Al2O3 and Fe2O3 content. Quartz waste can be recommended as molding sand after refining for the contents of Fe2O3, Na2O, K2O, MgO, CaO. Improvement of the properties of the quartz waste can be achieved by ways of elutriation to remove the clay component as well as magnetic separation to remove magnetic compounds of iron.


In this study the objective was to determine the changes of the floristic composition under the influence of organic, mineral and organic – mineral fertilizers on the vegetation cover of a hayfield from the hill area of western Romania, respectively Fibiş (Timiş County). In the year 2011 the average of the annual rainfall amount is 484 mm. On the season, the precipitation is rich in summer (30.7%), followed by spring (25.1%), fall (23.9%), and winter with less precipitation (20.3 Soils perdominante in Fibis area are the reddish-brown The experimental field was organized by setting 9 fertilisation variants ( 3 organic, 3 mineral and 3 organic – mineral fertilisation variants) and a control non-fertilised variant. The research plots were set on a homogenous vegetation sector of the hayfield. The fertilisation variants applied were the following: V1 – control;V2-20 t sheep manure,V3-40 t sheep manure,V4-60 t sheep manure,V5-20 t sheep manure+ P50 ;V6-20 t sheep manure+ P50++ K50; V7-20 t sheep manure+ N50 + P50 + K50 ;V8 N100 + P50 + K50 ; V9 N150 + P50 + K50 ; V10 N100+100 + P50 + K50; The plots were set in blocks with ten variants and three replicates, each having a surface of 20 square meters (2m x 5m). The vegetation data were collected using the linear point quadrate method, thus being calculated several vegetation features. After DJUKIC et al., (2008) the manure applied on grassland determinates changes in the floristic composition involving a higher percentage of legumes in comparison with other species and grasses. The vegetation features taken in account were: the botanical composition, the biodiversity (species richness, Shannon and Simpson indexes),). The fertilisation has influenced mainly the biodiversity and the light and soil reaction ecological spectre. In a permanent grassland agroecosystem the floristic composition varied depending on substances flow, soil nutrients availability and climatic conditions (MOISUC et all 2001) The floristic composition studies need long time researches, as in the case of biodiversity, to provide sustainable results (DJUKIC et al., 2008)


Most existing quadrature mirror filters (QMFs) closely match the derived closed-form expression for an efficient class of QMFs. We use the closed-form expressions to derive the relationship between information-theoretic loss and the frequency selectivity of the QMF, by calculating first-order entropy as well as rate-distortion theoretic performance of a two band QMF system. We find that practical QMFs do not suffer a significant information-theoretic loss with first-order autoregressive Gaussian sources. With second-order autoregressive sources we find that practical QMFs suffer a notable information-theoretic loss when the bandwidth of the source is extremely narrow, but incur a small loss when the bandwidth is wider. We suggest that our results broadly apply to higher order autoregressive sources as well.


How can we understand the multiple, intersecting webs of oppression that Palestinian women activists face in their everyday organizing? With a long tradition of counter-hegemonic organizing, the Palestinian context presents opportunities and challenges for women pursuing activist causes in the public domain. Adopting an intersectionality framework, we uncover how gender, class and settler-colonized domination interact, engendering dynamics of oppression differentiated by activists' social positions. Activists' stories captured at interview reveal they were not victims across all categories of difference, experiencing forms of relative privilege, characterized as safeguarded, secured and sheltered. We connect relative privilege to the patchwork nature of Palestinian institutions, whereby women's agency intermingles with a patchwork of historically constituted structures and conditions. Our fine-grained study contributes to literature on feminist and activist organizing and to theorizations of intersectionality by identifying forms of relative oppression and privilege as women actively resist hegemonic gendered structures in Palestine.


Knowing the consumption patterns of the residents related to the occupation of the buildings and the family structure to which they belong. This study is part of central research of the Autonomous University of Barcelona with the collaboration of the city council of Badia del Valles, which studies the urban metabolism of the municipality, being the typical housing estate built in the 70s, and the potential scenarios to use the roofs of buildings to implement agriculture, solar panels or rainwater harvesting in these buildings, to benefit to the municipality environmentally, socially and economically in its urban regeneration. There is the first part of general data: sex, age, employment status, income, type of family unit and number of people in the family unit, and what type of housing they live. The second part is about the consumption patterns, including the expenses in basic needs, water, energy and the shopping basket, and a third part focused on the weekly consumption of different types of vegetables. We want to publish this open-access data so that it can be used by public bodies, the general public or researchers interested in consumption patterns.


Social changes in the past 15 years have had great influence on our nation's economy. Increased numbers of women in the workforce has been one of these changes. As organizations and the nation move forward in the next 15 years, women's positions in the work force and in leadership roles will have increasingly significant influence.


The estimation of source and environmental parameters for stationary broadband wave propagation in a slowly time-varying shallow ocean environment is considered. The "model mismatch" problem is avoided by joint estimation of the waveguide and source parameters by an approximate maximum-likelihood function. The advantage of the approach is the physically and statistically justified incorporation of broadband data into the model and reducing the dimension of the parameter space for the required maximization of the log-likelihood function. The algorithm is applied to real sonar data recorded by a horizontally towed receiver array in the Baltic Sea for interpreting the impinging signals. >


The local flow field and wake region over a forward-facing obstacle were experimentally investigated, when the water surface above the obstacle was dipped compared to flow further upstream and further downstream. The obstacle was modelled resembling the shape of an airfoil with a flat top having stoss-side slope and downstream lee-side slope designed for minimal flow separation. The submerged obstacle showed an evolutionary change in the flow field with a dipped water surface shape over the crest; and consequently three distinct flow regions were observed: upstream region, crest region and the downstream. The velocity data were recorded using a three-dimensional micro-acoustic Doppler velocimeter along the flume centreline for three flow Reynolds numbers and different localised Froude numbers. The paper highlights the flow and turbulence prime parameters: second-order statistics, turbulence kinetic energy, eddy viscosity, turbulence production, probability-density functions and the contributions of stress fraction into four quadrants to the total shear stress along the flow. The spectral analysis was performed to examine the energy distributions, vortex-shedding frequencies with corresponding Strouhal numbers. Variations of turbulence integral length scale along the flow passing over the obstacle were investigated to examine the eddy turnover scales. The turbulent features were fairly inspiring since it led to a pronounced acceleration on the crest location like a jet with a potential core region, and elongated deflection in the downside slope. The results provide a basic turbulence in natural environment for various phases of ebb and tide over a submerged smooth obstacle or mountain hills in river/ocean.


The development of molecules able to target protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is of interest for the development of nov-el therapeutic agents. Since a high percentage of PPIs are mediated by α-helical structure at the interacting surface, pep-tidomimetics that reproduce the essential conformational components of helices are useful templates for the develop-ment of PPIs inhibitors. In this work, the synthesis of a constrained dipeptide isostere and insertion in the short peptide epitope EDLFYQ of the ACE2 α-helix 1 domain resulted in the identification of a molecule capable of inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 ACE-2/Spike interaction in the micromolar range. Moreover, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro main protease activi-ty was assessed as an additional inhibitory property of the synthesized peptidomimetics, taking advantage of the C-terminal Q amino acid present in both the ACE2 epitope and the Mpro recognising motif (APSTVxLQ), thus paving the way to the development of multitarget therapeutics towards Coronavirus infections.


OF THE THESIS Evaluation of Nicotine and Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines in Minnesota House Dust by Amanda Paulette Gee Master of Public Health with a Concentration in Environmental Health San Diego State University, 2015 Tobacco is a major public health threat around the world. Toxic tobacco chemicals are distributed via mainstream, secondhand, and thirdhand smoke (THS). THS refers aged tobacco smoke residue, a mixture of gases and particles that deposit and adsorb onto surfaces and dust. This study analyzed Minnesota house dust samples for nicotine and tobacco specific nitrosamine (TSNA) concentrations and evaluated cancer risks associated with the TSNA carcinogens. Twenty-nine settled house dust samples were collected from known smoker's homes using a High Volume Small Surface Sampler (HVS3) vacuum. Twenty-two dust samples had detectable amounts of nicotine and at least 1 TSNA. Our study observed nicotine levels that were relatively lower than other THS studies. Nicotine levels were significantly larger than the most abundant TSNA (NNK) in both concentration (median 0.904ng/g vs. 0.741μg/g; p<0.005) and loading data (median 1.10ng/m2 vs. 0.961μg/m2; p<0.0005). Linear regression tests showed a positive association between nicotine and each individual TSNA (p<0.0005). The results suggest cigarette smoke is a source of TSNA and nicotine is a reliable predictor for TSNA in THS contaminated house dust. Cancer risks through non-dietary exposure to the observed TSNA concentrations did not exceed the upper-bound risk of one cancer case per one million people, set by the U.S. E.P.A. The highest risk was seen in non-dietary lifetime exposure to NNK (0.187 cancer cases per 1,000,000). However, the risk assessment did not include other exposure routes and other carcinogens present in tobacco smoke. Nicotine-to-TSNA ratios were lower in the Minnesota dust than in secondhand and mainstream smoke, suggesting TSNAs persist and become more potent over time. Results from this study provides strong evidence of the persistence of tobacco smoke in indoor environments and highlights the potential short-term and long-term health consequences of THS contaminated house dust.


Many treatment techniques, including exercise, electrical stimulation, biofeed-back, and neuromuscular retraining, have been described for the treatment of patients with facial paresis. The degree of nerve injury determines the recovery of the facial muscles. Patients with a Sunderland third-degree injury benefit most from therapy to maximize facial nerve function. Following a facial nerve palsy, many patients present with facial muscle weakness in addition to aberrant synkinetic movements. Therefore therapy must be directed toward control of voluntary movement and decreasing synkinesis. Neuromuscular reeducation involves selective muscle control to decrease synkinesis and increase muscle excursion. Muscle reeducation using surface electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback and home exercises has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of facial palsies. Neuromuscular retraining can be beneficial in maximizing facial recovery by initially decreasing aberrant synkinetic muscle activity and then increasing voluntary movement and excursion.


Hidden Markov models have been used in a wide variety of wavelet-based statistical signal processing applications. Typically, Gaussian mixture distributions are used to model the wavelet coefficients and the correlation between the magnitudes of the wavelet coefficients within each scale and/or across the scales is captured by a Markov tree imposed on the (hidden) states of the mixture. This paper investigates correlations directly among the wavelet coefficient amplitudes (sign/spl times/magnitude), instead of magnitudes alone. Our theoretical analysis shows that the coefficients display significant correlations in sign as well as magnitude, especially near strong edges. We propose a new wavelet-based HMM structure based on mixtures of one-sided exponential densities that exploits both sign and magnitude correlations. We also investigate the application of this for denoising the signals corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise. Using some examples with standard test signals, we show that our new method can achieve better mean squared error, and the resulting denoised signals are generally much smoother.


Author(s): Sirridge, Marjorie S.; Martin, Jennifer | Abstract: For several years an interdisciplinary course called "Healing and the Arts" has been offered to undergraduates and medical students in a BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Its stated purpose is to give students a theoretical and practical understanding of how the arts can be a healing force in people's lives. Healing is addressed in a broad sense that takes into account the larger factors of health and illness, such as the roles and responsibilities of patients, the cultural perspectives of sickness and health, and the influence of religious or moral beliefs and practices. The three units of the course are: 1) Art and Healing of Self and Others; 2) Art, Healing and Society; and 3) Art, Healing and Spirituality. Each unit includes appropriate literature assignments and art experiences. Oliver Sacks' book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, provides numerous examples of healing through music, art, spirituality and the helpful understanding of care givers. Music such as requiems, the blues and the compositions of Andrew Lloyd Weber provide examples of healing in a different sense. Plays, read or attended, offer additional dynamic experiences. Artists such as Frida Kahlo provide examples of the relation of illness and healing to the creation of visual art. The many art related responses to the 9/11 tragedy show how society sought its own healing. Students' responses to the selections are evaluated through written papers and examinations as well as class discussions. The faculty members believe that, by introducing students to the positive aspects of the arts and how they have universally contributed to the healing of individuals, societies and cultures, they are teaching them the important balance between medical knowledge and the arts in their own lives.