In this paper, we provide finite-sample convergence guarantees for an off-policy variant of the natural actor-critic (NAC) algorithm based on Importance Sampling. In particular, we show that the algorithm converges to a global optimal policy with a sample complexity of $\mathcal{O}(\epsilon^{-3}\log^2(1/\epsilon))$ under an appropriate choice of stepsizes. In order to overcome the issue of large variance due to Importance Sampling, we propose the $Q$-trace algorithm for the critic, which is inspired by the V-trace algorithm \cite{espeholt2018impala}. This enables us to explicitly control the bias and variance, and characterize the trade-off between them. As an advantage of off-policy sampling, a major feature of our result is that we do not need any additional assumptions, beyond the ergodicity of the Markov chain induced by the behavior policy.


In the present work, an adsorptive stripping voltammetric method using a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) was described in order to determine the ultra trace of thiosemicarbazide in different real samples. The method is based on accumulation of thiosemicarbazide on mercury electrode. The potential was scanned to the negative direction and the differential pulse stripping voltammogramswere recorded. The instrumental and chemical parameters were optimized. The optimized conditions were obtained in pH of 10.0, accumulation potential of 0.00 mV, accumulation time of 60 s, scan rate of 80 mV/s and pulse height of 50 mV. The relationship between the peak current versus concentration was linear over the range of 0.50-100.00 ng/ml. The limits of detectionwere 0.03 ng/ml and the relative standard deviation at 5.00 and 50.00 ng/ml of thiosemicarbazide ion were obtained 2.1 and 1.7%, respectively (n = 8).


This paper offers an empirical analysis of the impact of capital structure on firm performance in the context of an emerging market—Sri Lanka. The study applies both pooled and panel data regression models for a sample of 155 Sri Lankan-listed firms. The results demonstrate that most of the Sri Lankan firms finance their operations with short-term debt capital as against the long-term debt capital and provide strong evidence that the firm performance is negatively affected by the use of debt capital. The study also finds a significant negative relationship between tangibility and performance indicating inefficient utilization of non-current assets. The negative performance implications associated with over-utilization of short-term debts and the under-utilization non-current assets provide corporate managers with useful policy directions.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the participation motives of female university athletes at a university sport championship. It was hypothesized that the participation motives would not differ significantly based on the athletes' age, sport participation experience and year of study. Data were collected through participation motivation questionnaire (PMQ) from 132 female athletes participating in university sport championship. Results indicated that the primary motives for participation were to improve skills, physical fitness and team spirit. The motives did not differ (p>0.05) based on age, sport participation experience and year of study. It is concluded that female athletes participate in sports due to intrinsic reasons and therefore coaches and administrators need to structure training bearing in mind the participants' motives. Future studies should be conducted from a developmental perspective to test the notion that socio-cultural environments e.g., a coach's gender, athletes' sexual orientation, student athletes'residence and as well as the influence of friends/family, could affect participation of female athletes in university sport.


ABSTRACT Osborne, P.D. and Forest, A., 2016. Sediment dynamics from coast to slope – Southern Canadian Beaufort Sea. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 537-541. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Profound changes in cross-shelf sediment fluxes are anticipated in coming decades in the southern Canadian Beaufort Sea where an accelerated increase in temperature could lead to large changes in Arctic river hydrology and coastal-marine geomorphologic processes. In the past decade sediment exported to the Beaufort Shelf has increased while sea level pressure has increased accelerating the Beaufort Gyre, strengthening coastal upwelling and expanding the Mackenzie River plume offshore. Sea-ice extent has decreased while storminess has increased increasing wave action, coastal downwelling, current surge and resuspension and transport on the shoreface and shelf. This paper investigates mechanisms, quantities and rates of sediment transport operating in this cold continental shelf-slope environment. Past studies from more than 2 decades of research are compared with recent measurements to develop improved estimates of sediment sources, pathways, fate and fluxes across the shelf and slope. In particular, we explore connections between data from a long term mooring observatory deployed over the continental shelf and slope during the ArcticNet-Industry Partnership (2009–2011) and Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment (BREA 2011–2015) to those acquired in studies focusing on nearshore and shoreface. Sediment fluxes from the Mackenzie River and erosion of permafrost coasts are compared with outer shelf-slope measurements of settling particles and near-bottom fluxes. In turn, the role of atmospheric and cryospheric processes in forcing sediment transfer from coast to slope is investigated to assess system response to changing climate and evaluate implications for marine hydrocarbon resource development along the continental margin of the Arctic Ocean.


A new idea of guiding an unmanned vehicle is proposed. This is a variation of optical systen with discrete marks. The vehicle is made to follow discretely set marks, which is optically detected. The marks are retro-reflective "spots" which will be irradiated by a set of light source on the vehicle, and its reflection will be detected by a camera, also on the vehicle. The vision system vi11 process this camera signal to calculate its position. The marks are easy to set, remove or replace, so great flexibility in designing the vehicle's route is provided. In this paper, first the basic geometry of nark detection is explained, and then we refer to the vehicle architecture to describe how it is made to travel along the desired path.


Watch the VIDEO of the presentation. In this talk I provide the background on the transition of a top journal in Linguistics to open access and discuss open access publishing in Linguistics and the problems of this particular transition. The journal Lingua was hosted and marketed by Elsevier which charges substantial subscription fees for its journals and charges authors who want to have their articles published as open access. In the fall of 2015, the editors of the journal wrote a letter to their publishing house Elsevier to express their discomfort with the pricing policy for their journal and asking for a more reasonable policy. Elsevier's reaction to this letter led to the stepping-down of the editors, followed immediately by the complete editorial board. The entire academic Lingua team immediately founded a new journal, Glossa: a journal of general linguistics, which is completely Open Access, published by Ubiquity Press and funded through the Open Library of Humanities. This new foundation was necessary since Elsevier regards Lingua as one of their products and is continuing to publish the journal with a new editorial team. The case received quite some media attention, among others Times Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, The Independent, Slate, and Wired reported. In this talk I will provide the details of the story and discuss commercial and open access publishing in the relatively small field of Linguistics. The conclusion is that it is doable to move even a high profile journal out from behind a huge paywall. Apparently, the Norwegian higher education system isn't quite rigged for this kind of fast change yet if it involves movement of expertise from one label to another rather than movement of the label. While the NSD has approved Glossa this fall, it was granted only the lower level of the system, while Lingua was, and still is, at the top level.


The polynomial invariants of a certain classical linear group of order 336 arise naturally in studying error-correcting codes over GF(7). An incomplete description of these invariants was given by Maschke in 1893. With the aid of the Poincare series for this group, found by Edge in 1947, we complete Maschke's work by giving a unique representation for the invariants in terms of 12 basic invariants. A conjecture is made concerning the relationship between the Poincare series and the degrees of the basic invariants for any linear group. A partial answer to this conjecture, due to E. C. Dade, is given.


The volatile constituents of the essential oils from the flower, leaf, and stem of Verbascum wiedemannianum were analysed by GC and GC-MS. A total of forty-three compounds were identified, constituting over 99.1%, 94.3%, and 98.7% of oil composition of the flower, leaf, and stem of V. wiedemannianum, respectively. Hydrocarbons were shown to be the main group of constituents of the flower and stem part in the ratio of 83.3% and 32.1%, respectively. But, the major group in the leaf oil was found to be aldehydes (46.8%). The main components of the flower, leaf and stem oils of V. wiedemannianum were pentadecane (58.2%), (2E)-hexenal (33.2%), and hexadecanoic acid (24.6%), respectively.


This promises to be an era of remarkable change for patients afflicted with NHL. Although the cause of NHL remains unknown, there is greater understanding of 'these diseases' at the molecular level. Insights into genetic aberrations that interrupt apoptosis or that promote proliferation have profound implications for the future management of NHL (and other malignancies). Ongoing trials of immunotherapy and RIT continue to show excellent response rates in patients with relapsed or refractory NHL and remarkably favorable safety and toxicity profiles. More drug approvals can be anticipated. As antibody engineering progresses, formerly theoretical questions regarding optimized targeting and antibody affinity, take on relevance and practicality [65]. The ability to generate new constructs, such as bivalent antibodies, or fusion proteins incorporating two disparate functional proteins, presents exciting opportunities for radiopharmaceutical development. The role of bifunctional antibodies in tumor targeting is likely to increase in importance, both as a means of targeting, and as a technique for increasing MAb specificity [66,67]. Pretargeting approaches are in development as a way of decreasing the amount of time that the radionuclide circulates in the blood (radiating normal tissues) thereby allowing the administration of higher doses of radionuclide (radioactivity and radiation) [67-69].


Adaptive iterative reconstruction techniques (IRs) can decrease image noise in computed tomography (CT) and are expected to contribute to reduction of the radiation dose. To evaluate the performance of IRs, the conventional two-dimensional (2D) noise power spectrum (NPS) is widely used. However, when an IR provides an NPS value drop at all spatial frequency (which is similar to NPS changes by dose increase), the conventional method cannot evaluate the correct noise property because the conventional method does not correspond to the volume data natures of CT images. The purpose of our study was to develop a new method for NPS measurements that can be adapted to IRs. Our method utilized thick multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) images. The thick images are generally made by averaging CT volume data in a direction perpendicular to a MPR plane (e.g. z-direction for axial MPR plane). By using this averaging technique as a cutter for 3D-NPS, we can obtain adequate 2D-extracted NPS (eNPS) from 3D NPS. We applied this method to IR images generated with adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR-3D, Toshiba) to investigate the validity of our method. A water phantom with 24 cm-diameters was scanned at 120 kV and 200 mAs with a 320-row CT (Acquilion One, Toshiba). From the results of study, the adequate thickness of MPR images for eNPS was more than 25.0 mm. Our new NPS measurement method utilizing thick MPR images was accurate and effective for evaluating noise reduction effects of IRs.


Enrollment rates for Latino male students continue to increase at community colleges; unfortunately, compared to their other racial and/or ethnic male counterparts they are less likely to earn a college credential or degree. This qualitative study explores the narratives of six presidents at Texas community colleges designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions. We asked these presidents to describe their perceptions of their institution's awareness and commitment to improve degree completion outcomes of Latino male students. We utilized cultural and social-cognition theories to help understand how these presidents may change or shift their institution's efforts to address this pressing issue. Based on the findings, three key themes emerged that described how these leaders perceived their respective institution. Our findings suggest these presidents are concerned with the low completion rates for Latino male students; however, their institutions need to better align their institution's core values, mission, and culture to support educational outcomes of Latino male students. Lastly, we highlight how other community college presidents could enhance their institution's commitment to improve degree completion rates of Latino male students.


Organismal life histories evolve as syndromes, resulting in correlated evolutionary differentiation of key traits that ultimately aid in discerning species. Reproductive success depends both on the absolute body size of an individual and its size relative to the opposite sex: sexual size dimorphism. In an attempt to further elucidate their coexistence and ecological diversification, we compared standard life history (first reproduction, clutch size, egg size) and associated reproductive trait differentiation of 15 widespread European sepsid fly species (Diptera: Sepsidae) under laboratory common garden conditions. Despite relatively uniform body sizes, sexual dimorphism ranged from femaleto male-biased, and development time varied twofold across species. We expected, and found, the abundant and relatively large species (Sepsis cynipsea, punctum, thoracica) with often male-biased SSD to lay larger but fewer eggs and show fast-developing, fastreproducing life histories with aggressive (coercive) mating behavior characterized by short mating latencies and male conflict. In contrast, the smaller and more dispersed species with female-biased SSD (S. flavimana, orthocnemis, violacea) laid smaller but more eggs, showing a generally slower life history with long and delayed copulation and oviposition, high mating reluctance fostering extensive inter-sexual conflict, and more elaborate male (pre-)copulatory courtship. Two Saltella species were exceptional, being large, developing slowly, nevertheless copulating soon after adult emergence, profusely and briefly. The documented life history differentiation seems partly driven by sexual selection leading to male-biased dimorphism, rather than undetermined ecological selection, but regardless appears insufficient to explain the coexistence and diversification of these sepsid species in European pastoral landscapes.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
HIV has reached high prevalence in many non-injecting drug user (NIDU) populations. The aims of this study were to (1) examine the trend in HIV prevalence among non-injecting cocaine and heroin NIDUs in New York City, (2) identify factors potentially associated with the trend and (3) estimate HIV incidence among NIDUs.

DESIGN
Serial-cross sectional surveys of people entering drug treatment programs. People were permitted to participate only once per year, but could participate in multiple years.

SETTING
Mount Sinai Beth Israel drug treatment programs in New York City, USA.

PARTICIPANTS
We recruited 3298 non-injecting cocaine and heroin users from 2005 to 2014. Participants were 78.7% male, 6.1% white, 25.7% Hispanic and 65.8% African American. Smoking crack cocaine was the most common non-injecting drug practice.

MEASURES
Trend tests were used to examine HIV prevalence, demographics, drug use, sexual behavior and use of antiretroviral treatment (ART) by calendar year; χ2 and multivariable logistic regression were used to compare 2005-10 versus 2011-14.

FINDINGS
HIV prevalence declined approximately 1% per year (P < 0.001), with a decline from 16% in 2005-10 to 8% in 2011-14 (P < 0.001). The percentages of participants smoking crack and having multiple sexual partners declined and the percentage of HIV-positive people on ART increased. HIV incidence among repeat participants was 1.2 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval = 0.03/1000-7/1000).

CONCLUSIONS
HIV prevalence has declined and a high percentage of HIV-positive non-injecting drug users (NIDUs) are receiving antiretroviral treatment, suggesting an end to the HIV epidemic among NIDUs in New York City. These results can be considered a proof of concept that it is possible to control non-injecting drug use related sexual transmission HIV epidemics.


Unsteady dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) plasma aerodynamic actuation technology is employed to suppress airfoil stall separation and the technical parameters are explored with wind tunnel experiments on an NACA0015 airfoil by measuring the surface pressure distribution of the airfoil.The performance of the DBD aerodynamic actuation for airfoil stall separation suppression is evaluated under DBD voltages from 2000 V to 4000 V and the duty cycles varied in the range of 0.1 to 1.0.It is found that higher lift coefficients and lower threshold voltages are achieved under the unsteady DBD aerodynamic actuation with the duty cycles less than 0.5as compared to that of the steady plasma actuation at the same free-stream speeds and attack angles,indicating a better flow control performance.By comparing the lift coefficients and the threshold voltages,an optimum duty cycle is determined as 0.25 by which the maximum lift coefficient and the minimum threshold voltage are obtained at the same free-stream speed and attack angle.The non-uniform DBD discharge with stronger discharge in the positive half cycle due to electrons deposition on the dielectric slabs and the suppression of opposite momentum transfer due to the intermittent discharge with cutoff of the negative half cycle are responsible for the observed optimum duty cycle.


Parafilariosis is a vectorborne parasitic disease caused by the development of the nematode Parafilaria bovicola in the subcutaneous and intermuscular connective tissues of cattle. On February 28, 2012, the so-called bleeding spots were observed in two heifers and one bull in a cattle herd close to Namur (Belgium). The animals had been treated in December with an injectable ivermectin/closantel solution (Closamectin pour-on, Norbrook Lab) at the recommended dosage. Samples of serohaemorrhagic exudate and blood, as well as skin biopsies, were collected. Embryonated eggs of P bovicola in the serohaemorrhagic exudate and high levels of creatine phosphokinase were detected. Clinically affected animals were treated with injectable ivermectin (Ivomec, Merial) at 200 μg/kg. Two epidemiological phone surveys were carried out in the south of Belgium (Wallonia) in order to estimate the geographical distribution of this condition since it was first described and published in 2009. A standardised questionnaire was used and the results were analysed. Most outbreaks were recorded in the provinces of Liege and Luxembourg. The initial source of infection is still unknown, but this parasitic infection is clearly spreading from the initial Belgian outbreak site.


A new facility has been developed to investi- gate the formation of new particles from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds emitted from vegetation. The fa- cility consists of a biogenic emissions enclosure, an aerosol growth chamber, and the associated instrumentation. Using the facility, new particle formation events have been induced through the reaction of ozone with three different precursor gas mixtures: an -pinene test mixture and the emissions of a Holm oak (Quercus ilex) specimen and a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) specimen. The results demonstrate the variability be- tween species in their potential to form new aerosol products. The emissions of Q. ilex specimen resulted in fewer particles than did -pinene, although the concentration of monoter- penes was roughly equal in both experiments before the addi- tion of ozone. Conversely, the oxidation of P. taeda specimen emissions led to the formation of more particles than either of the other two gas mixtures, despite a lower initial terpenoid concentration. These variations can be attributed to differ- ences in the speciation of the vegetative emissions with re- spect to the -pinene mixture and to each other. Specifically, the presence of -pinene and other slower-reacting monoter- penes probably inhibited particle formation in the Q. ilex experiment, while the presence of sesquiterpenes, including -caryophyllene, in the emissions of the P. taeda specimen were the likely cause of the more intense particle formation events observed during that experiment.


The concentration and its dynamics of the amin acid in serum and pancreatic juice were observed comparatively among the diabetics the chronic pancreatitis and the pancreas cancer, together with the endocrine and exocrine function of pancreas. Patients with the chronic pancreatitis and/or the pancreas cancer were pointed out their abnormal exocrine function of the pancreas. On the contrary, the diabetics was proved to have an abnormal endocrine function and a disorder of the free amino acid metabolism in serum and pancreas juice, as followed. 1. Glutamic acid, valine and lysine were highly increased in the fasting serum amino acid of the diabetics. The dynamic change of amino acid concentration fluctuated more strongly in the course after P-S stimulation of the diabetics than of the normal control. 2. The time at which the concentration of amino acid would reach the maximal level, delayed significantly in the pancreas cancer as well as in the diabetics. Alternatively, in the chronic pancreatitis all the amino acids diminished their concentraion in pancreas juice. 3. In regard with the concentration of the free amino acid recovered from pancreas juice after P-S stimulation, the diabetics reduced all of them other than alanine, glutamic acid and lysine which were inversely increased.


The new edition of a bestseller, Information Technology Control and Audit, Fourth Edition provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of IT governance, controls, auditing applications, systems development, and operations. Aligned to and supporting the Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT), it examines emerging trends and defines recent advances in technology that impact IT controls and auditsincluding cloud computing, web-based applications, and server virtualization. Filled with exercises, review questions, section summaries, and references for further reading, this updated and revised edition promotes the mastery of the concepts and practical implementation of controls needed to manage information technology resources effectively well into the future. Illustrating the complete IT audit process, the text: Considers the legal environment and its impact on the IT fieldincluding IT crime issues and protection against fraud Explains how to determine risk management objectives Covers IT project management and describes the auditors role in the process Examines advanced topics such as virtual infrastructure security, enterprise resource planning, web application risks and controls, and cloud and mobile computing security Includes review questions, multiple-choice questions with answers, exercises, and resources for further reading in each chapter This resource-rich text includes appendices with IT audit cases, professional standards, sample audit programs, bibliography of selected publications for IT auditors, and a glossary. It also considers IT auditor career development and planning and explains how to establish a career development plan. Mapping the requirements for information systems auditor certification, this text is an ideal resource for those preparing for the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) exams. Instructor's guide and PowerPoint slides available upon qualified course adoption.


In 61 patients (38 adults and 23 children) with surgically treatable tumors of the posterior fossa and obstructive hydrocephalus the following treatment for hydrocephalus was employed: a high dose of steroids was given after diagnosis; a frontal ventricular catheter with a subcutaneous fluid reservoir (Rickham) was inserted within 2 to 5 days; a temporary external ventricular drainage system was attached to the reservoir if, despite the steroids, intracranial pressure was over 30 cm H2O; and tumor excision was performed within 5 days to reopen the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways. In view of the wide range of potential complications, it was decided not to use a shunt before craniotomy. A shunt was inserted only if the CSF pathways remained obstructed after tumor removal. With this regimen, 93% of all patients (100% of the adults and 83% of the children) were shunt-free after the operation, without fatal complications. The infection rate was 4.9%. It was concluded that the severity of symptoms of raised intracranial pressure from hydrocephalus, the intraventricular pressure, and the size or location of the tumor prior to surgery do not have prognostic value as to which patients will require a shunt after surgery.


The khaen is constructed with free reeds mounted in bamboo pipe walls inside a carved wooden windchest. Each reed of the khaen sounds for both directions of air flow (inhaling and exhaling). The reed vibration is strongly coupled to the pipe resonance, and the reed will sound only if a small hole near the reed is closed, causing the resonant frequency of the pipe to be near that of the reed. For some examples of khaen made in northeastern Thailand, variations in frequency and sound spectrum with blowing pressure have been studied, with both positive and negative blowing pressures considered. The relationship between frequency of reed vibration and pipe length has been studied to determine the range of pipe length over which the reed can be made to sound, as well as the amount of frequency shift associated with changes in resonance frequency of the pipe. A comparison is made with a previously reported result that the sounding frequency of the reed‐tube combination is higher than the natural resonance frequ...


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the association between public social expenditure (PSE) and suicides in the 27 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 1980 to 2003.

METHODS
The age-standardized suicide rates and their annual change (%) were obtained from the OECD Health Data 2007. As a measure of social protection, the PSE (% GDP) was used. The covariates included the annual divorce rate (/100,000 population), fertility rate (number of children/woman aged 15 to 49 years), GDP per capita (US$PPP), male unemployment rate (%), life expectancy (years) and alcohol consumption (liter/capita) for each country, which were all obtained from the OECD Health Data 2007 and the OECD Social Indicators 2006. Using hierarchical linear models that included these covariates, the effects of PSE on suicides (Model 1) and the annual percent change (Model 2) were examined (Model 3). Also, sub-sample analyses were done for six countries that experienced political/economic transition.

RESULTS
We could not find significant effects of PSE on suicides (Model 1), but we observed significantly negative effects on the annual percent change for men and women (Model 2). Such findings were replicated in the sub-sample analysis, and moreover, the effect size was much larger (Model 3).

CONCLUSIONS
Our finding suggests that social welfare protection can be a pivotal factor for suicide epidemiology, and especially in countries experiencing a social crisis or transition.


Lawyers traditionally claim that they are not morally accountable for the goals or activities of their clients that are within the bounds of the law. This essay explores this concept of non-accountability in the context of corporate transactional representation. We argue that corporate lawyers, whose practice is forward looking, undertaken on behalf of corporate clients who have legally impaired ability to engage in independent moral reasoning, and who function in a world of relatively minimal legal oversight (i.e. whose work is furthest from the model of the adversary system) cannot persuasively claim that they are not morally responsible for the work on behalf of their corporate clients. This conclusion is, in fact, heartening if it encourages corporate transactional attorneys to focus more deeply on the value of their work to society.


Nurse practice in today's world requires that nurses be adept at directing a multi-skilled and diverse workforce. In the U.S. the registered nurse must be clinically competent while simultaneously be knowledgeable of their practice guidelines to ensure safe and effective patient care delivery. In South Africa nurses practice under the South Africa Nursing Council Nursing Act guidelines; in the United States the National Council for State Board of Nursing provides rules and regulations for nurse practice. Nursing care practice guidelines, including delegation, are regulated by individual state boards of nursing with written nurse practice acts in the United States of America. The shortage of nurses may have an impact on safe and effective care to individuals with complex, acute, and chronic health care. Delegation of nursing procedures must be done in both countries to facilitate prudent use of the nurses' time for higherlevel duties. In the United States increased longevity and expensive interventions directed toward preventable disease, and in South Africa the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome epidemic are taxing health delivery resources in our respective countries. Clearly, the nurse must include management expertise, and especially nurse delegation in their practice skills repertoire. This article will share delegation via patient care management and decision-making models; review the nurses' role in specialty nursing areas; and offer strategies to best use the existing workforce, which includes unlicensed health care workers.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Cancer initiating cells (CICs) have been shown to be responsible for primary tumor formation, drug resistance and metastatic dissemination. We previously demonstrated that the subset of CD133+ lung CICs co-expressing the chemokine receptor CXCR4, is resistant to chemotherapy and endowed with high metastasis initiating ability using in vivo experimental metastasis assay.

To investigate the role of the subset of CD133+CXCR4+ cells in the in vivo spontaneous tumor dissemination process, we analyzed lungs of mice bearing subcutaneous implants of lung cancer patients derived xenografts (PDXs). Using FACS and Real Time PCR analysis a small fraction of lung disseminated tumor cells (DTCs: 0.001% to 0.01%) was detected in 9/11 different PDX models, likely remaining at single cells state as suggested by the lack of histologically apparent metastasis. In particular, compared to parental subcutaneous tumors, lung DTCs were enriched for CD133+CXCR4+ CICs not expressing the epithelial antigen EpCAM. Modifying an innovative cancer cells culture method that allows the recovery of highly purified and viable tumor cells (Kondo J. et al. 2011, PNAS), we also generated murine lung tissue spheroids that were 100 fold enriched in DTCs. Real Time PCR analysis of lung spheroids consistently revealed an up-regulation of stemness and EMT-associated genes compared to the parental tumor, in accordance with the enrichment for disseminating CD133+CXCR4+EpCAM- CICs subset observed by FACS. Subcutaneous injection in SCID mice of lung spheroids containing approximately 200 DTCs, generated tumors resembling the original PDX, but also showing an increased fraction of CD133+ stem like cells and particularly of the CD133+CXCR4+EpCAM- subset. Moreover, cells recovered from DTCs-originated tumors were able to grow in vitro as spheres in anchorage independent condition, up-regulated EMT-genes and showed an enhanced tumorigenic potential and increased ability to disseminate to murine lung compared with original PDX in in vivo serial transplantation assay, indicating that the fraction of CD133+CXCR4+EpCAM- CICs enriched in DTCs was able to efficiently originate tumors with distinctive traits. We also found that the fraction of CD133+ cells and particularly the CD133+CXCR4+EpCAM- subset were increased in patient's metastatic lymph nodes compared to primary tumors, confirming in a clinical setting the role of CD133+CXCR4+EpCAM- cells as metastasis initiating cells.

Our data functionally proves that lung DTCs contain a specific subset of tumor initiating cells that is able to generate tumors showing distinct properties and enrichment in the mesenchymal-like CICs compartment. The relevance of this finding is confirmed in clinical setting, identifying a new possible target for novel therapies aimed at interfering with metastatic dissemination, which represents the main reason for lung cancer poor outcome..

Citation Format: Giulia Bertolini, Massimo Moro, Monica Tortoreto, Roberto Caserini, Ugo Pastorino, Luca Roz, Gabriella Sozzi. Disseminated cells from primary lung cancers contain a distinct cancer initiating subpopulation with mesenchymal-like features. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3898. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3898


One hundred children presented over 40 days with BMX bike injuries, 40 of which had been sustained while trying to perform stunts. Injuries in this series were compared with previously reported injuries from accidents on ordinary bicycles. BMX bike injuries differed little from ordinary bike injuries except in the greater proportion of injuries due to stunts and the smaller incidence of head injuries.


A bidirectional isolated DC-DC converter with high efficiency and static gain, formed by the combination of a FBZVS-PWM and a current fed push-pull converter is presented in this paper. These features are accomplished through a partial regeneration of the energy stored in the transformer's leakage inductance with an active clamping voltage circuit performed by a buck converter. Normally, current-fed push-pull converters have an energy loss in passive snubber circuits. The converter description, operation principles, waveforms, modeling, design and the experimental results of a 2000 Watts prototype are presented. The proposed converter can be implemented in high power applications that require bidirectional power flow and galvanic isolation, such as DC microgrids and electric vehicle battery chargers.


ABSTRACT Three forms of tobacco leaf curl (termed classes I, II, and III, based on symptomatology) recently have been described in southern Africa. Numerous attempts to isolate virus particles responsible for a nongeminivirus-induced leaf curl disease (class I) of tobacco in South Africa have been unsuccessful. Recently, 12 dsRNA segments were isolated from tobacco exhibiting class I leaf curl symptoms, suggesting a possible reovirus genome. The objective of our study was to confirm whether the dsRNA segments are associated with a reovirus. Isolation of icosahedral particles with an outer core 60 to 65 nm in diameter and an inner core 40 to 45 nm in diameter was achieved. Twelve distinct nonpolyadenylated dsRNAs were isolated from purified virions, and the total molecular masses of the dsRNAs ranged from 17.86 to 18.40 x 10(6) Da in polyacrylamide and agarose gels, respectively. Using hybridization analysis, dsRNAs were identified as non-homologous distinct segments. Comparisons with other known reoviruses revealed a unique banding pattern that was most similar to the wound tumor virus (WTV), the type species of the genus Phytoreovirus. Hybridizations of WTV cloned DNA probes (segments S4 and S6 to S9) and dsRNAs from infected tobacco indicated no significant sequence similarity, whereas indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a polyclonal antiserum to WTV showed strong positive cross-reactivity to tobacco virions. Our results indicate a virus with features consistent with those of phytoreoviruses. This is the first report of a plant reovirus in tobacco, the first record in Africa, and the second example of a field-isolated dicot phytoreovirus.


This thesis presents a nationwide survey of selected phonemic and phonetic variables used by New Zealand school children. New Zealand English (NZE) is often described as homogeneous compared to other varieties. However, the discovery of dialect regions for playground vocabulary in New Zealand (Bauer & Bauer 2003) and reports of regional dialects in Australian English justify exploring variation in pronunciation across New Zealand.
The data set for this research is a set of anonymous group interviews from 33 schools around the country. The relatively small amount of data from each location is a primary factor in determining the study's methodology. Tokens from each school are tagged with socio-economic class and ethnicity ratings, based on the characteristics of the school as a whole. Both social and regional factors are considered as potential explanations for the patterns of variation that are revealed. All data sets have variation of some kind, as this was a criterion for including them as part of the research.
The nature of the data set limits the number and type of variables suitable for investigation. The completed research consists of auditory studies of four features and acoustic analyses of two. These are, respectively, non-pre-vocalic /r/, linking /r/, TH-fronting, voicing of the final segment in with, FOOT fronting, and FOOT and THOUGHT neutralisation before /l/. The study also includes six small surveys of lexical pronunciations, though these do not contain enough data to contribute to findings about regional and social variation among the young speakers. Factors affecting the variables' distributions in the data set are complex, and often appear to interact as explanations for the findings. Two variables, non-pre-vocalic /r/ in Otago and Southland and voicing in the final segment of with, are best described as regionally variable, while ethnicity is a primary factor in the distributions of three variables: TH-fronting, linking /r/ and non-pre-vocalic /r/ in the North Island. Socio-economic class appears to influence the distributions of linking /r/ and TH-fronting.
The final discussion explores potential sources for future regional variation in NZE. Social factors such as socio-economic class and Māori and Pasifika populations are unevenly distributed in New Zealand, and are predictable catalysts for potential regional variation in NZE. The statistical analyses presented in this thesis indicate that both these factors contribute to regional differences in the data set. The discussion also considers borrowing, geographic isolation and variables' stigma and prestige as factors in their distributions.


In this paper, we present results on the equivalence of some coding strategies for the general relay channel. Cover & El Gamal described two basic coding strategies for the relay channel, more commonly known as decode-and-forward and compress-and-forward. These two strategies were combined in a mixed strategy that employed irregular encoding and successive forward decoding to give a tighter lower bound for the capacity of the general relay channel. Recently, the authors presented two different mixed strategies, SeqBack decoding and SimBack decoding, that make use of regular encoding and backward decoding. We identify a termination problem in SeqBack/SimBack decoding and present a simple fix. Next, we compare the rates achievable with the various mixed strategies. We first show that SeqBack decoding and SimBack decoding achieve the same rate. We then present alternative characterizations, without feasibility constraints, for the rates achievable with the various mixed strategies. Comparing the alternative characterizations, we note that the rate of SeqBack/SimBack decoding contains the rate of Cover & El Gamal's mixed strategy since there is a more relaxed inequality in the rate expression. We also prove that simultaneously decoding all unknown quantities in each block at the receiver does not increase the achievable rate for backward decoding. Hence, successive decoding in each block proves to be just as effective as simultaneous decoding. Finally, we present a sliding-window decoding strategy that achieves the same rate as SeqBack/SimBack decoding. The sliding-window decoding strategy also avoids the aforementioned termination problem as the receiver commences decoding after three block decoding delay.


This paper reviews the evidence base that underpins contemporary approaches to the resolution of violent conflict, in an effort to improve the lives of conflict-affected populations. By means of a systematic literature review, the paper explores both academic work and grey literature focusing on the experiences of the 'end-users' of conflict resolution efforts. It finds that current approaches to conflict resolution are often based on weak evidence and normative objectives and make problematic assumptions regarding the actors and conflict structures involved as well as on the conflict resolution strategies employed. The conclusion highlights the need to strengthen the evidence base of conflict research in order to bring conflict resolution practice into line with empirical realities.

The paper forms part of a series of systematic evidence reviews undertaken by the JSRP. Other papers in the series include a review of evidence on Security, Justice, Resources, and Climate Change.


The hydroxylapatite was synthesized by wet co-precipitation and slow digestion having as precursor reagents such as orthophosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide. In this way the synthesis of the deficient hydroxyapatite is started, the metal-based synthesis artifact is assembled in a Becker with calcium hydroxide solution (CaOH) with phosphoric acid drip at the rate of 5 drops per minute in constant flow in a total of 5 hours on a magnetic stirring heating plate. The obtained mass was dried, crushed and sieved in sieves and the powders were pressed by uniaxial pressing using a 500Kg force in a steel die with a diameter of 15mm and a height of 3-4mm. Then the pellets obtained were calcined at 1100 degrees Celsius and characterized by DRX, FTIR, Raman, AFM, in addition to dilatometer and hysterimeter analysis. After this step the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized on the surface and analyzed by SEM and EDS. The results showed that it was possible to obtain the matrix of hydroxyapatite and to cover with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs).


BACKGROUND
The distal radius fracture is the most frequent fracture in the adult patient. The wide spectrum of different types of fracture and the coexisting factors make the choice for the optimal treatment difficult. As an interne quality control we retrospectively evaluated all patients with distal radius fractures treated in 1995 at our institution.

METHODS
The study included 69 adult patients with 71 distal radius fractures. After on average 26 months 58 patients with 59 fractures were clinically and radiologically evaluated. The patients were asked to give supplementary information about their follow-up treatment as well as any remaining physical difficulties and limitations in the daily life. All x-rays of the broken radius were carefully analysed and compared with the opposite side. The final results were evaluated according to the "Demerit Point System".

RESULTS
Patients were treated with five different therapeutical methods. 76.3% of the patients showed a very good/good final result. In 56.7% of the cases secondary fracture dislocation occurred; the dislocation-rate of fractures treated with percutaneous k-wires was 93.3%! A clear correlation between secondary displacement and final results was found.

CONCLUSION
A main factor for an optimal outcome is the anatomic restoration of length and axis of the distal radius as well as of joint congruency, also moderate angular deformities are well tolerated. Our collective showed an unexpected high rate of secondary displacement, especially in the k-wire group. The reasons for this unsatisfactory event are manifold: too optimistic indication, insufficient follow-up examination in the first four to six weeks, inconsequent change to a more stable fixation method in case of a secondary dislocation. The results of this retrospective evaluation had a major impact on our concept of treatment. The dorso-radial double-plate technique combined with bone graft will be more used in the future especially in younger patients. The new standardised concept is the base of a present prospective study.


The subject of this thesis is the analysis of discontinuous Galerkin methods for linear partial differential equations of first or second order. Discontinuous Galerkin methods are known to satisfy a local mass conservation property. Taking a closer look one can observe that this property often depends on the method itself, i.e. on some method-dependent parameters. The main objective of this work is to design discontinuous Galerkin schemes satisfying a method-independent local mass conservation property still ensuring full stability and optimal convergence of the approximations. Depending on the problem and the choice of the approximation space, the strategy to reach this goal might be different. We give a precise characterization of what type of stabilization term is needed in order to obtain a stable and optimally convergent numerical scheme. Both high order and low order approximation spaces are treated. We present strategies for the scalar hyperbolic, first and second order elliptic, parabolic problems and the Stokes equations. In each case we establish an analysis proving stability and optimal convergence of the approximations. Some numerical examples illustrate the theoretical results.


The long-term strategic objectives of the EU Rural Development Policy in the next (2014-2020) programming period are as follows: the competitiveness of agriculture, the sustainable management of natural resources and the balanced territorial development. In this strategy agriculture seems to remain one of the key element as solution for lagging rural areas. However parallel to the decreasing role of agriculture in employment, searching for the possibilities of local economic development (LED) for disadvantaged, peripherical rural settlements suffering from the lack of employment, basic services, infrastructure, and strong local communities is essential as well. Based on LED theories and our primary research in four villages of Nograd county in Hungary firstly the social functions of traditional agriculture based on local resources, the increasing importance of diversification and the labor-intensive products with high added-value have to be emphasized in the new rural policy. However, as main point, besides agriculture the expansion of local economy, strengthening of local communities, development of the infrastructure and the improvement of urban-rural connections are essential for lagging rural areas as well, especially in terms of employment, availability of basic services and allocation of local rural products to urban markets. So LED also means the development of the micro-regional centrums nearby the lagging rural settlements.


OBJECTIVE
Despite a substantial increase in total methylphenidate (MPH) prescriptions in Germany over the last 20 years, and the introduction of modified release MPH (MR MPH) and atomoxetine (ATX), remarkably little is known about treatment patterns of attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in individual patients.

METHODS
Usage patterns of ADHD drugs in children and adolescents in Germany were analyzed using data from one large German health insurance including >7,200,000 members. Of those, 6210 ADHD patients newly diagnosed in 2005 were followed for a maximum of 4 years. Kaplan-Meier estimates were calculated for onset and discontinuation of ADHD drug treatment. Predictors of time until drug treatment initiation were assessed by Cox regression.

RESULTS
During follow-up, 52.0% of ADHD subjects (53.4% of boys, 47.5% of girls) received ADHD drug treatment. The majority of them (91.6%) were started on MPH, with immediate release MPH (IR MPH) being the initial treatment choice in 75.3%. In these subjects, change to drug treatment with MR MPH in the first year occurred in 48% by switch or addition. Significant predictors of drug treatment were behavioral and emotional disorders (HR=1.13; 95% CI 1.03-1.24) and a diagnosis of ADHD with conduct disorder (HR=1.21, 95% CI 1.12-1.32), whereas young age showed a protective effect. After 6, 12, and 24 months of treatment initiation, 22.4%, 43.4%, and 66.3% of treated girls, and 17.8%, 36.1%, and 54.1% of treated boys had discontinued ADHD treatment.

CONCLUSION
Drug treatment of ADHD was relatively common in Germany and more frequent in boys than in girls. IR MPH was the predominant treatment choice at treatment initiation. Approximately 20% of treated subjects discontinued drug treatment within the first 6 months, with girls stopping drug treatment earlier than boys. The reasons for early drug discontinuation need to be further explored.


The purpose of this document is to describe tests performed to validate Revision 11 of the Tank Monitor and Control System (TMACS) and verify that the software functions as intended by design. This document is intended to test the software portion of TMACS. The tests will be performed on the development system. The software to be tested is the TMACS knowledge bases (KB) and the I/O driver/services. The development system will not be talking to field equipment; instead, the field equipment is simulated using emulators or multiplexers in the lab.


The aim of this study is in radical copolymerization of stimuli-responsive poly(methyl methacrylate/N-isopropyl acrylamide) [P(MMA/NIPAM)] and poly(methyl methacrylate/N-isopropyl acrylamide/acrylic acid) [P(MMA/NIPAM/AAc)] copolymers with an enhanced longevity in aqueous surroundings. [P(MMA/NIPAM)] copolymers are shown to be thermo-responsive, whereas [P(MMA/NIPAM/AAc)] copolymers are shown to be pH-responsive. Such copolymers of NIPAM and MMA or NIPAM, MMA and AAc are synthesized as random polymers, where all monomer units are randomly arranged along the polymer backbone (or as comb-like polymers) and connected by covalent bonds. In distinction from the traditional copolymers based on NIPAM, the copolymers synthesized in the present work possess covalent bonds connecting all the monomers, which enhances their stability in water. In addition, these novel copolymers have sufficiently high molecular weight, which allows for their processing viaelectrospinning. Non-woven materials of these novel copoloymers are of interest for such applications as micro- and nanofluidics, disposable wipers, drug carriers, and tissue engineering.


This article investigates whether a retailer's store brand supply source impacts vertical pricing and supply channel profitability. Using chain‐level retail scanner data, a random coefficients logit demand model is estimated employing a Bayesian estimation approach. Supply models are specified conditional on demand parameter estimates. Bayesian decision theory is applied to select the best fitting pricing model. Results indicate that a vertically integrated retailer engages in linear pricing for brand manufacturers' products while competing retailers make nonlinear pricing contracts with brand manufacturers for branded products and store brands. A simulated vertical divestiture based on real world events provides evidence for improved channel efficiency.


Carbon monoxide oxidation in a porous polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) electrode with PtRu/C catalyst was studied with steady-state polarization curves and open-circuit decay measurements. The Tafel slope was about 210 mV/decade and the reaction order for CO was about 0.45 at 0.4 V vs. RHE. This experimental behavior is explained with a mathematical model with CO adsorbing on Pt and water adsorbing on Ru. Kinetic parameters are determined from a fitting of the model to both the steady-state and the transient measurements. A single rate-determining step cannot account for the polarization curves over the whole potential range. At mid-range potentials the oxidation step is rate-determining but at lower potentials the water adsorption might be rate-determining. The open-circuit decay measurements gave noise-free measurements and confirmed the accuracy of the steady-state measurements. The obtained model for CO oxidation where the coverage of CO a d s on Pt is determined can be used together with a model for H 2 oxidation.


This paper compares the distraction risks and factors causing such distractions between regional and urban transit bus drivers. The objective is to ascertain if the nature and intensity of driver distraction and associated distraction factors are common at the different types of transit agencies. To establish this, an independent driver distraction study was conducted at a regional transit agency and an urban transit agency located at different areas in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA Using accident databases and bus driver surveys, the distracting activities were classified into risk zones according to their severity. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression models were applied to establish relationships between a set of dichotomous and continuous distracting factors and intensity of the multi categorical levels of driver distraction based on risk zones. Among the useful findings was similarity in the highest risk distracting activities for regional and urban transit bus drivers which were mainly due to passengers, pedestrians and other road users. While many of the distraction related factors such as the service area (regional/urban), driver attributes (age, gender, driving experience, educational level, marital status etc.), driving pattern (driving schedule, driving hours per week, service location etc.), and type and age of the buses were significant in either regional and urban models, there were few that impacted both the transit agencies concurrently. The reasons for the resulting differences could be due to significant variations in driver attributes, driving pattern, type and age of buses between the transit agencies. Hence, training needs and policies to curb distracted driving may differ at both agencies.


Abstarct: The main objectives of this paper are the description of hunting funds from Maramures region, analysis of wild stocks in the study area and to identify specific biodiversity of the region with the use of modern tools for monitoring wildlife in the forest seven funds. It also seeks regional wildlife biodiversity assessment and implementation of prospective studies on the development of wildlife biodiversity in the region studied. Methods used for the study of the biodiversity of this paper are: species richness, heterogeneity, anthropogenic factor. Also, we used appropriate methodology for calculating the indicators used in accordance with the generally recognized internationally. As a method for determining the regional wildlife biodiversity systematic study has used cross methods, aiming issues, phenomena and processes at a time and longitudinal methods, seeking processes, while issues. After the number of units taken so we used both statistical methods and methods casuistry (case study, monograph, etc.). Methods of data collection was mainly quantitative, it is an objective method, deductive and generalized in the period of 2 year (20112012). -The forestry funds Cisla, Bistra Petrova and Chioarului Valley, fauna biocenosis is the largest heterogeneity in the studied area. The heterogeneity of the largest deer is the smallest Bistra Petrova is Ruscova forest resources (Simpson index). Equitability highest recorded in the hunting Remetea. The animal genetic resources far exceeds their current use because they provide options for the future, a species of wild animals, which is of little importance today can be extremely valuable in the future to improve specific traits of resistance to diseases, adjustment,


Abstract Making use of Rayleigh and Love wave dispersion data, Santo divided the Pacific into seven regions. From his map and compiled group velocity dispersion curves, upper mantle structure in the Pacific in which the depths of the low velocity layer and the shear wave velocity are changing systematically from continent to ocean is obtained. In orogenic regions such as Japan and its surroundings, extremely low velocity layer in which the shear wave velocity is about 4.3 km/sec is just under the Moho. In the oceanic side of this region, the layer is overlain by the normal mantle material with shear wave velocity of about 4.6 km/sec and in the pure oceanic region this extremely low velocity layer disappears. The so-called 'low velocity layer' which is believed to begin at the depth of about 60 km under the ocean is present in the oceanic region but the shear wave velocity in the layer may be a little higher than that obtained by earlier works.


1, 3, 5, 7 days after the 24-hr immobilisation stress, the concentration of nuclear-segmental neutrophils and basic proteins were determined in peripheral blood of white rats. 4 patterns of the neutrophils dynamics were revealed. Individual character of decationisation and granulocytopoiesis potentiation was suggested by the data obtained.


In the summer of 1966 in Paterson, New Jersey, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and John Artis were arrested on suspicion of triple homicide. Tried and convicted the following year, Carter and Artis would spend almost twenty years in jail, despite evidence of witness tampering and police malfeasance. During and after their incarceration, Carter received an abundance of public support due to his famous boxing career, while Artis often went unnoticed as a secondary character by the media. By examining the details surrounding Carter and Artis's wrongful imprisonment, it is clear to see the institutional racism and systematic criminalization of African Americans, as well as the impact of notoriety in criminal justice. While this case is undoubtedly a gross miscarriage of justice, it is the forgotten story of John Artis that shows the flaws of the criminal justice system and how society is told to remember its history.


We report a retrospective study on serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (betahCG) determination in a series of 30 patients bearing intracranial germ cell tumors. At diagnosis five patients had high serum and CSF AFP levels. No patient had positive serum AFP and negative CSF AFP or vice versa. Twelve of 30 patients had serum betahCG levels above 5 mlU/mL, eight had high betahCG only in CSF, and ten were completely negative. During treatment and follow-up both markers were accurate indicators of the response to therapy, decreasing rapidly and often becoming normal already after the first phase of treatment. We conclude that these two markers, and mostly betahCG, may be useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of the response to therapy of patients with intracranial germ cell tumors.


The paradigm of grid computing has been successfully applied in the domain of computationally-intensive applications supporting scientific research using server-class computers interconnected by wired network. The users of the existing and growing number of wireless mobile devices often demand more computational power than their devices can currently provide. We propose using the computational grid paradigm to build a problem-solving environment for wireless mobile devices.


A control system has been designed to keep a balloon-borne scientific instrument pointed toward a celestial object within an angular error of the order of an arc second. The design is intended to be adaptable to a large range of instrument payloads. The initial payload to which the design nominally applies is considered to be a telescope, modeled as a simple thin-walled cylinder 24 ft (approx.= 7.3 m) long, 3 ft (approx.= 0.91 m) in diameter, weighing 1,500 lb (having a mass of .680 kg). The instrument would be mounted on a set of motor-driven gimbals in pitch-yaw configuration. The motors on the gimbals would apply the control torques needed for fine adjustments of the instrument in pitch and yaw. The pitch-yaw mount would, in turn, be suspended from a motor mount at the lower end of a pair of cables hanging down from the balloon (see figure). The motor in this mount would be used to effect coarse azimuth control of the pitch-yaw mount. A notable innovation incorporated in the design is a provision for keeping the gimbal bearings in constant motion. This innovation would eliminate the deleterious effects of static friction . something that must be done in order to achieve the desired arc-second precision. Another notable innovation is the use of linear accelerometers to provide feedback that would facilitate the early detection and counteraction of disturbance torques before they could integrate into significant angular-velocity and angular-position errors. The control software processing the sensor data would be capable of distinguishing between translational and rotational accelerations. The output of the accelerometers is combined with that of angular position and angular-velocity sensors into a proportional + integral + derivative + acceleration control law for the pitch and yaw torque motors. Preliminary calculations have shown that with appropriate gains, the power demand of the control system would be low enough to be satisfiable by means of storage batteries charged by solar batteries during the day.


IKKα, a subunit of IkBα kinase (IKK) complex, has an important role in the activation of nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), a key regulator of normal and tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, and response to chemotherapy. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of the IKKα gene itself. The present study revealed that the transcriptional induction of the IKKα gene is positively regulated by binding ETS-1, the protein product of the ETS-1 proto-oncogene. Furthermore, ETS-1 mediated activation of IKKα is negatively regulated by p53 binding to ETS-1. By analyzing the genomic DNA sequence, we identified the putative IKKα promoter sequence in the 5′-flanking untranslated region of the IKKα gene. Transfection of EU-4, an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line, with plasmids containing the IKKα 5′-untranslated region sequence upstream of the luciferase reporter showed that this region possessed major promoter activity. Induction or enforced overexpression of p53 represses IKKα mRNA and protein expression as well as IKKα promoter activity. Deletion and mutation analyses as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that ETS-1 binds to the core IKKα promoter and strongly induces its activity. Although p53 does not directly bind to the IKKα promoter, it physically interacts with ETS-1 and specifically inhibits ETS-1-induced IKKα promoter activity. These results suggest that the proximal 5′-flanking region of the IKKα gene contains a functional promoter reciprocally regulated by p53 and ETS-1. Furthermore, loss of p53-mediated control over ETS-1-dependent transactivation of IKKα may represent a novel pathway for the constitutive activation of NF-kB-mediated gene expression and therapy resistance in cancer.


Academia is facing increasing demands in the design and delivery of their degree programmes due to resource constraints and the demands to embrace. The purpose of this article is to examine the requirement for quality education in the field of supply chain management. The approach adopted here is a reflective one, looking at recent trends in postgraduate Supply Chain Management (SCM) education and focusing in particular on a new mode of delivery, that of e-learning. The paper considers the development of SCM education and presents the range of supply chain management programmes and modules being offered across a selection of UK universities. The article also highlights the dynamic character of SCM education and considers whether the e-learning format is capable of responding to the requirements for quality in this field. Through a focus on one particular programme, the wholly online postgraduate programme in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the University of Liverpool. The conclusions are that new forms of teaching and learning are opening up to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The aim of the
research was to discover the real time dynamic of SCM practice and theory, objective and subjective perspectives.


Staphylokinase, a 163 amino aci d bacterial protein from Staphylococcus aureus is reported to have a therapeutic function and used as a potential alternative for the available clot dissolving drugs and some countries proved to be a potent alternative over the available clot dissolving drugs. In the present study, sak gene is isolated from a lysogenically converted S.aureus and expressed in non-pathogenic E.coli expression host. The sak gene is cloned into pET-28a vector and expressed in an IPTG and salt induced E. coli strain (GJ1158). The mature recombinant sak protein expressed in E.coli is also further extracted and analyzed by various methods to demonstrate thrombolytic activity.


Background and purpose: Hearing improvement tools like cochlear implants and hearing aids have largely helped children with hearing loss in terms of the speech production and comprehension by providing them with auditory input. The aim of this study was to investigate the phonological skills in the six-year-old children with cochlear implants and severe hearing aids and normal hearing children. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 60 six-year-old children, selected using convenience sampling. The participants were divided into three groups (n= 20 per group): cochlear implant, hearing aid, and normal hearing. The phonological processes were examined using phonological analysis. Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's test were used to compare the phonological skills in three groups. Additionally, the Kruskal-Wallis test (followed by the Dunn post-hoc test) was used to compare the phonological skills in these three groups. Results: Some phonological processes, percentage of consonants correct, and concurrence between single word and connected speech in disorder group were significantly higher than those in normal hearing (P<0.05), but this difference was not significant between cochlear implanted and hearing aid users (P>0.05). Conclusion: Generally, children with hearing loss that use cochlear implants and hearing aids could not completely accomplish all the phonetics. Therefore, they should reverie hearing and speech rehabilitation which helps them avoid further phonological problems.


This thesis aims at evaluating, in two separate studies, strategies for physiological noise and head motion correction in resting state brain FC-fMRI. In particular, as a general marker of noise correction performance we use the test-retest reproducibility of the DMN. The guiding hypothesis is that methods that improve reproducibility should reflect more efficient corrections and thus be preferable in longitudinal studies. The physiological denoising study evaluated longitudinal changes in a 3T harmonized multisite fMRI study of healthy elderly participants from the PharmaCog Consortium (Jovicich et al., 2016). Retrospective physiological noise correction (rPNC) methods were here implemented to investigate their influence on several DMN reliability measures within and between 13 MRI sites. Each site involved five different healthy elderly participants who were scanned twice at least a week apart (5 participants per site). fMRI data analysis was performed once without rPNC and then with WM/CSF regression, with physiological estimation by temporal ICA (PESTICA) (Beall & Lowe, 2007) and FMRIB's ICA-based Xnoiseifier (FSL-FIX) (Griffanti et al., 2014; Salimi-Khorshidi et al., 2014). These methods differ for their data-based computational approach to identify physiological noise fluctuations and need to be applied at different stages of data preprocessing. As a working hypothesis, physiological denoising was in general expected to improve DMN reliability. The head motion study evaluated longitudinal changes in the DMN connectivity from a 4T single-site study of 24 healthy young volunteers who were scanned twice within a week. Within each scanning session, RS-fMRI scans were acquired once using interleaved and then sequential slice-order acquisition methods. Furthermore, brain volumes were corrected for motion using once rigid-body volumetric and then slice-wise methods. The effects of these choices were then evaluated computing multiple DMN reliability measures and investigating single regions within the DMN to assess the existence of inter-regional effects associated with head-motion. In this case, we expected to find slice-order acquisition effects in reliability estimates under standard volumetric motion correction and no slice-order acquisition effect under 2D slice-based motion correction.
Both studies used ICA to characterize the DMN using group-ICA and dual regression procedures (Beckmann et al., 2009). This methodology proved successful at defining consistent DMN connectivity metrics in longitudinal and clinical RS-fMRI studies (Zuo & Xing, 2014). Automatic DMN selection procedures and other quality assurance analyses were made to supervise ICA performance. Both studies considered several test-retest (TRT) reliability estimates (Vilagut, 2014) for some DMN connectivity measurements: absolute percent error between the sessions, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between sessions and multiple sites, the Jaccard index to evaluate the degree of voxel-wise spatial pattern actiavtion overlap between sessions.


Abstract This article tries to escape orthodox analysis of children's rights analysis by engaging in a grounded examination of the core principles of Africa's core document on children's rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. There are four cross-cutting principles that may be thought of as underpinning the entire instrument. These are: the rule against discrimination; the 'best interests' rule; the rule promoting the child's survival and development; and the rule requiring the child's participation. The paper attempts to present a picture of these principles in action in the lives of the children and adults in areas of Southern Malawi where fieldwork was conducted among predominantly Lomwe people. It is found that narratives that support non-discrimination perspectives are not only based on children's rights discourse but also on an eclectic mix of cultural, religious and spiritual arguments. Non-discrimination perspectives are not the preserve of human rights advocates alone but also that of ordinary people who claim no special knowledge of children's rights. Attempts to analyse the 'best interests' principle encounter theoretical problems and difficulties of translation into the vernacular languages. It is found that, while there is a clear recognition that children's interests are an important issue in the management of the family, the customary processes for mediating those interests tend to serve interests 'larger' than those of the individual children. There is a clear acceptance of the survival and development rights of the child, but the manner in which these will be realised in relation to each individual child depends on the strength of the resource network to which such child has access, and in modern conditions some traditional resource networks are breaking down. Participation rights can be achieved by children using the channels of communication available in traditional society. Again changes in socio-economic patterns and the resultant mobility of rural folk have affected these, but it is concluded that arguments about the exact nature of the participation structures in the society studied are essentially non-fatal, and sooner or later there will be a resolution. The article shows that, in seeking to determine the cultural legitimacy of the rights and welfare of the child, a methodology is required which focuses on detailed case studies so that an analysis of child rearing practice and its intersection with culture and children's rights is not formulated in abstract forms but is located in specific, concrete experiences derived from the lives of children and their families. The African Children's Charter's insistence on culture and context is supportive of this type of methodology which is sensitive to context, raises the legitimacy of the principles underlying the children's rights system, and gives rise to a pluralism that is neither universalist nor relativist but grounded in the reality of children's daily lives


Abstract The 28 October 2012 M w  7.8 Haida Gwaii earthquake was the second largest earthquake instrumentally recorded in Canada's territory and was strongly felt across the British Columbia north coast (BCNC) region. Data from the Haida Gwaii sequence and other events in the region are compiled for 56 earthquakes between moment magnitude M w  4.6 and 7.8 that occurred between 1996 and 2014. Pseudospectral accelerations (PSA) at 5% damping are calculated and compared against several modern ground‐motion models (GMMs) using different binning criteria (e.g., distance, magnitude, mechanism, source‐to‐site azimuth, and event chronology). Overall, no single model is found to be appropriate for the BCNC region, with GMMs generally overestimating recorded near‐source (i.e., Earthquake motions recorded prior to and including the 2012 M w  7.8 earthquake were generally more comparable with some GMMs at longer spectral periods but still possessed significant biases based on residual analyses. Additionally, earthquakes with normal mechanisms gave less short‐to‐mid‐period shaking relative to strike‐ and reverse‐slip events. Online Materials: Summary of the candidate ground‐motion prediction equations, indicating their distance metrics and conditions of use.


The Siberian Traps large igneous province (STLIP) was the likely trigger for the ca. 252 Ma latest Permian mass extinction (LPME), but direct evidence for global volcanic effects on land remains rare. Here, we used mercury (Hg) enrichments, a proxy for ancient volcanic activity, to assess volcanic inputs to two terrestrial Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) sections that were separated by thousands of kilometers and represent different latitudinal zones—the peri-equatorial Lubei section (South China craton) and the high-latitude (40–60°N) Dalongkou section (Junggar terrane). Both sections exhibit strong Hg enrichment within a discrete (≤40 m) stratigraphic window representing the LPME. At Lubei, this interval is also characterized by negative mass-independent fractionation (MIF) of odd Hg isotopes, consistent with massive volcanogenic and/or terrestrial Hg inputs. These findings are significant in documenting Hg spikes and negative MIF excursions near the PTB in terrestrial sections for the first time, providing evidence of the global influence of the STLIP, as well as in demonstrating at high stratigraphic resolution its synchronicity with the PTB negative carbon-isotope excursion (CIE), supporting a common global cause for these anomalies.


Archives are the physical manifestations of our collective understanding of history, a way of proving and so legitimising the existence of cultures, practices, and peoples. However, for queer and trans people of colour (QTPOC), entrance into the archive is not easily permitted; the truths of their lives have been, and are presently, excluded, claimed as contingent and/or rendered "folk"—lesser forms of knowledge. "Hiraeth" is a Welsh word that is difficult to translate into English. It speaks of a longing or homesickness for a place that is no longer, or never was. For QTPOC, the archive is this, a hiraeth space. We use "hiraeth" to describe the liminal space in which experiences of home, media practices, and a relationship to the archive can exist. As two Black queer artists who in their work have been exploring ways to implode the archive, in this article we look at how our practices can expand what the archive holds and further provide a space to render the untranslatable, the im/possible, as archive material. It is a strategy of both redefinition and defiance.


In France, since the beginning of 20th century, rural landscapes have been completely modified by humans' activities. These practices had resulted in profound sedimentary and morphological alterations (channel bed incision, deposition of fine sediment, bank erosion, etc.), detrimental to the achievement of good water status. The present study takes place in this context. The linear (21 km) of small stream ("La Ligoire") was studied. It drains a watershed of 82 km², occupied nearly 90 % of arable lands. The objectives of the study were threefolds: (1) quantify incision and deposition processes since the channelization of the stream (1970), (2) quantify the deposition rates of fine sediment in the channel, and (3) explain the spatial distribution of these deposits. At first, compilation of historical documents (longitudinal profile, cross sections, plan profile) allowed the stream original topography reconstruction, just after channelization. In a second time, cross sections and sediment thickness were measured at the same locations. The results show that over the 1970 -2012 period; 60% of the stream linear was incised on average by 34 cm (- 0.8 cm/y) and the total volume of corresponding sediment amounted to 16 300 m3 (390 m3/y); 40 % of the stream linear had increased of + 31 cm on average (0.7 cm / y), corresponding to a volume of sediment of 12 400 m3 (300 m3/y). The process of incision and sedimentation are also related to the channel topographic evolution over the same period (longitudinal slope, width, etc.) Moreover, the volume of rather fine-grained sediments deposited on the bed of the stream channel, measured over the April-May 2012 period, amounted to 12 130 m3, an average thickness of 19 cm. The distribution of sediments is partly influenced by the presence of five water obstacles


To handle the thousands of new students expected to flood the nation's community colleges, many more master teachers will be needed if the potential of high-risk students is to be maximized. 5uch teachers are not being created by present pre-service and in-service training or being developed at colleges and universities. The place to make subject-area specialists into talented instructors is the community college itself. A first year of teaching can be a metamorphosis into quality teaching through a highly instructive internship. This internship model suggests that first-year teachers spend an intensive month in pre-service training'under the direction of a Professional Development Officer. They should then have a light teaching load the first semester to allow time for extensive in-service training with a master teacher and progress in the second semester to more teaching responsibilities with exposure to additional master teachers and training. An example of dollar cost and long-term savings applied to Contra Costa Junior College District (Califo, lia) is provided along with specifications for implementation of the plan. (Mt .U.S, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION ME DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO.4* DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION PCVITION OR POLICY THE INDUCTION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS:


We investigate input pricing regimes that induce efficient make-or-buy decisions by entrants when there is constant returns in the production of the input(s) and simultaneous noncooperative price competition in downstream retail markets. A necessary and sufficient condition for efficient make-or-buy decisions is derived. This condition shows that input prices are relevant for make-or-buy decisions except under restrictive and often unverifiable assumptions on the demand structure, and that the least informationally-demanding way to ensure efficient make-or-buy decisions is to price inputs at marginal cost. The extent to which input prices can depart from marginal cost while still inducing efficient make-or-buy decisions depends on the relative efficiency of the incumbent and the demand displacement ratio, with significant departures possible even for modest efficiency differences when products are nearly homogeneous.


In this paper, we will describe and discuss an intervention research currently carried out in an Italian medium sized athenaeum. In addition, we will try to identify the appropriate path to assess it. The intervention research at hand aims at changing the existing ways of organizing the administrative work process of the athenaeum, in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the administrative action which supports the implementation of the political decisions made by the athenaeum's academic bodies. We will first draw on the existing organizational literature in order to identify the main features which distinctively characterize intervention research, and differentiate it from other forms of research in organizations. After having described the implications of the recourse to the epistemological choice, and ontological standpoint put forward by Weber for intervention research in organizations, we will describe the empirical case of intervention research at hand. We will highlight the main points that mean it can be regarded as an intervention research prevailingly directed by the epistemological choice put forward by Weber, and the related ontological standpoint according to which the organized work situation is seen as a form of social Handeln. Finally, we will address the issue concerning the most appropriate criterion which should be used to assess intervention research prevailingly directed by Weber's epistemological choice and ontological standpoint.


In this work, an macro-micro model has been developed for the melting and resolidification of thin Si films induced by excimer-laser annealing. The macro-micro model, considering the formation of microstructures: nucleation and growth, can obtain the better results than macro-models. Except temperature distributions, the macro-micro models can offer more information about solidification process, such as undercooling, grain size, grain density etc. These data could help to predict the physical properties of materials. In this study, the finite difference method is utilized to solve the heat transfer problem. The specific heat/enthalpy method and the source term scheme are employed to handle the absorbed and released latent heat. The algorithm that allows for nucleation is based on classical nucleation theory. Accordingly, the model enables the prediction of grain size, as well as the calculation of other critical responses of the a-Si film, such as undercooling. From the computational results, it can be found that when the laser fluence is higher, the cooling rate after laser irradiation is lower, the maximum undercooling is smaller and the grain size is larger or the grain density is lower. The average grain sizes, obtained from the simulation results of the proposed model, agree fairly well with those from the experimental data reported in the literature. It can also be found that the reflectivity of the surface gives a good way to observe the phase changes and the melting duration.


156 patients with chronic alcoholism revealed chronic liver lesions of alcoholic and viral genesis as evidenced by comprehensive clinical and laboratory evaluation. All examinees had significant immune and microhaemocirculatory disorders. Employment of antral in the complex therapy of 82 patients with chronic hepatitis (ChH) of viral and alcoholic genesis made for improvement of immunologic and microcirculatory indices, which fact permits recommending the drug in a complex of therapeutic measures to be instituted in ChH patients.


The cell division cycle of both mammalian cells and microorganisms, which apparently has both deterministic and probabilistic features, is a clock of sorts in that the sequence of events that comprise it measures time under a given set of environmental conditions. The cell division cycle may itself be regulated by a programmable clock that, under certain conditions, can generate circadian periodicities by interaction with a circadian pacemaker. These clocks must insert time segments into the cell division cycle in order to generate the observed variability in cellular generation times.


The Fourier element method, which was developed for rapid calculation of magnetic fields in the end regions of generators, has been transformed by automatic mesh generation and algebraic manipulation. The first allows the entire geometry to be specified by the coordinates of the cross-sectional corners, presented in any order. The second, applied especially to combinations of modified Bessel functions, has divided by five the computation in setting up the stiffness matrix. Experience in applying the method to the end regions of large generators bas shown it to be easy to use, fast, and in accord with measurements.


Background: In problem-based learning (PBL), high-quality discussions are crucial for student learning. The quality of the discussion is affected by the quality of the contributions students make during PBL tutorials. Aim: This study investigated whether students are able to evaluate the activities of their peers in PBL groups in a reliable and valid way. Method: For this purpose, the Maastricht-Peer Activity Rating Scale (M-PARS) was developed. The M-PARS was well-founded on the literature about effective tutorial performance. With this scale, students (N = 196) were evaluated by their peers on three main aspects: their constructive, collaborative, and motivational contributions to the group. Results: A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the data fitted the three-factor model reasonably well. The generalizability studies demonstrated good internal consistency when students were evaluated by, at least, four of their peers. Furthermore, Hancock's coefficients indicated good construct reliability. Conclusions: The results prove that peers are able to provide reliable and valid information about a student's active participation in the tutorial group, if at least four peer ratings are attainable, out of a group of eight students. In conclusion, the M-PARS is a valid and reliable instrument.


Flood is the most critical natural disaster in Asia. It is also the most affected disaster in Cambodia. The solution must be made to manage the disaster from being interrupting people. The purposes of the study are to identify the 2011 flood impact spatial distribution, evaluate how RS has been applied to flood analysis, and assess the gaps of RS for flood analysis over Cambodia. The flood impact can be calculated by using a weighted arithmetic mean (WAM). The flood studies can be accessed through several literary databases. The 2011 flood impacts commonly located in the regions of Tonle Sap and Mekong River. Furthermore, other regions were affected. Fourteen articles have been found, which are six flood hazard mappings, seven flood risk assessments, and one flood damage assessment. Most of the study covered the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake catchments; however, there are still lacking studies over other affected areas. Besides, flood forecasting and flood early warning were not paid attention. Due to the limitation of rain gauge stations, RS is very important to apply for flood studies. Likewise, the radar composite with the neighboring countries is useful since some parts of the borders were blocked by the mountains. In brief, this review could generate greater ideas and solutions for further flood studies efficiency. Key-words: Flood, Remote Sensing, GIS, TRMM, Cambodia


Purpose: To evaluate the application of AAPM‐TG53 to the Cyberknife MultiPlan™ treatment planningsoftware with additional use of an inhomogeneity phantom to QA the new Monte Carlo algorithm, and using motion phantom for QA of the 4D treatment planning algorithm. Method and Materials: An inhomogeneous Quasar phantom (Modus Medical Devices Inc) and a 4D‐motion phantom (Accuray Inc) with known density inserts were used in this study. Both phantoms accommodate film loading. The Quasar phantom also has an insert for a PTW 0.6cc farmer chamber. Both phantoms were scanned using GE PET/CT scanner with 1.25 mm thickness. The 4D phantom was scanned and planned with a full 4D scan. The Quasar phantom was scanned in 3D with a variety of density inserts with defined volumes. These known volumes were compared with the calculated volumes which were contoured using different drawing tools. The treatment plans for the inhomogeneous MC plan and the 4D plan was done using both the pencil beam and Monte Carlo algorithms.Results: The volumetric information differed from the actual volume based on the contouring tools. The contours made with the ellipse, bumper and rescale tool showed <25% error in volume in 8 out of 9 structures. For the MC plan with a prescription dose of 10 Gy, the measured dose with the farmer chamber was 9.99 Gy. The dose measured in the 4D delivery agreed with the 4D plan dose, whereas the 3D plan overestimated the dose to a static critical structure. Conclusion: TG‐53 offers basic guidance for software QA, but additional QA must be added to cover new software components. The choice of contouring tools affects the calculated volume of the structures contoured in MultiPlan™. Both MC algorithm QA and 4D planning QA can be implemented in a comprehensive clinical software QA program with commercially available phantoms.


In this paper we describe how existing software developing processes, such as Rational Unified Process, can be adapted in order to allow disciplined and more efficient development of user interfaces. The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate that standard modeling environments, based on the UML, can be adapted and efficiently used for user interfaces development. We have integrated the HCI knowledge into developing processes by semantically enriching the models created in each of the process activities of the process. By using UML, we can make easier use of HCI knowledge for ordinary software engineers who, usually, are not familiar with results of HCI researches, so these results can have broader and more practical effects. By providing a standard means for representing human computer interaction, we can seamlessly transfer UML models of multimodal interfaces between design and specialized analysis tools. Standardization provides a significant driving force for further progress because it codifies best practices enables and encourages reuse, and facilitates inter working between complementary tools. Proposed solutions can be valuable for software developers, who can improve quality of user interfaces and their communication with user interface designers, as well as for human computer interaction researchers, who can use standard methods to include their results into software developing processes.


Effects of extrusion with varying barrel temperature, moisture content, and screw speed on hempseed oil cake were studied for the first time. Extrusion at lower moisture (30%) and higher screw speed (300 rpm) significantly increased the proportion of free polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenylpropionamide content, and α -glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. Full factorial design confirmed the three-way interactions among all extrusion parameters for all chemical assays with the bound phenolic fraction, total flavonoid content, and DPPH inhibition activity of the free phenolic fraction. HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis tentatively identified 26 phenylpropionamides, and the contents of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (66.26 µg/g) and total phenylpropionamides (85.77 µg/g) were significantly increased after extrusion at the lower moisture and higher screw speed extrusion conditions. The higher α -glucosidase inhibition activity at higher screw speed could be due to the N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (r = 0.99, p < 0.01), while the AChE inhibition activity appeared to be influenced more by the cannabisins A-C, M (r > 0.8, p < 0.01). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Hempseed oil cake is a byproduct of oil extraction, with high protein and high fiber contents. The results of this research could be used directly in food industry to improve the nutritional and commercial value of hempseed oil cake by extrusion technology.


<http://kritikakultura.ateneo.net> Abstract Despite or precisely because of the fact that it is being increasingly globally invoked, the LGBT signifier bids us to understand its discursive performances in various localities, particularly in the global south, whose conservative traditions this form of politics most visibly challenges, at the same time that it can only do so translationally—which is to say, as a form of transcultural syncretism. More specifically, this paper offers a postcolonial reading of LGBT discourse in the Philippines, examining the confluence between the discourse of Western "psychospirituality" and the local idiom of interiority (kalooban), as evinced, in particular, in the minoritized identity of the bakla. This conceptual history concludes with the proffering of a theoretical argument about the usefulness of a moderate nativist perspective, that allows for the inclusion of hybridity in the analysis of heteronormative sexual and gendered constructions in sites outside the sexological tradition from which they originally arose.


In this paper, an efficient method is proposed to deal with short-term load forecasting with the Gaussian Processes. Short-term load forecasting plays a key role to smooth power system operation such as economic load dispatching, unit commitment, etc. Recently, the deregulated and competitive power market increases the degree of uncertainty. As a result, it is more important to obtain better prediction results to save the cost. One of the most important aspects is that power system operator needs the upper and lower bounds of the predicted load to deal with the uncertainty while they require more accurate predicted values. The proposed method is based on the Bayes model in which output is expressed in a distribution rather than a point. To realize the model efficiently, this paper proposes the Gaussian Processes that consists of the Bayes linear model and kernel machine to obtain the distribution of the predicted value. The proposed method is successively applied to real data of daily maximum load forecasting.


Ammonia (NH3) emissions from dairy liquid storage systems can be a source of reactive nitrogen (N) released to the environment with a potential to adversely affect sensitive ecosystems and human health. However, there has been little on-farm research conducted to estimate these emissions and determine the factors that may affect these emissions. Six lagoons in south-central Idaho were monitored for one year, with NH3 emissions estimated by inverse dispersion modeling. Lagoon characteristics thought to contribute to NH3 emissions were also monitored over this time period. Average daily emissions from the lagoons ranged from 5.7 to 45 kg NH3 /ha or 5.7 to 96 kg NH3. There was a general trend for greater emissions during the summer, when temperatures were greater, in addition high wind events and agitation of the lagoons created temporary increases in NH3 emissions irrespective of temperature. Lagoon physicochemical characteristics such as total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) were highly correlated with emission. Ammonia emission prediction models were developed using TKN, TAN, wind speed, air temperature and pH as independent variables. An on farm N balance suggests that lagoon NH3-N losses represented 9% of total N lost from the facility, 65% of the total lagoon N and 5% of dairy herd N intake. A process based model estimated similar values for N excretion and NH3-N loss from the lagoon. On-farm work is necessary to better refine both process based models and emission factor estimates in order to more accurately account for NH3 emissions from lagoons on dairies in the western US.