Mid-aortic syndrome (MAS) is a very rare disease characterized by stenosis from the distal of the thoracic aorta to the abdominal aorta, in many case it is found as a result of hypertension and the like, and it needs surgical intervention in early childhood to adolescence. Here, we report a case of MAS which recognized prominent left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy from the early stage and needed surgical intervention in the infancy. We selected patch angioplasty using expanded polytetrafluoro ethylene( ePTFE) graft, and after surgery pressure gradient was disappeared.


Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is considered as a standard for enterprise software development. The main characteristics of SOA are dynamic discovery and composition of software services in a heterogeneous environment. These properties pose newer challenges in fault management of SOA-based systems (SBS). A proper understanding of different faults in an SBS is very necessary for effective fault handling. A comprehensive three-fold fault taxonomy is presented here that covers distributed, SOA specific and non-functional faults in a holistic manner. A comprehensive fault taxonomy is a key starting point for providing techniques and methods for accessing the quality of a given system. In this paper, an attempt has been made to outline several SBSs faults into a well-structured taxonomy that may assist developers to plan suitable fault repairing strategies. Some commonly emphasized fault recovery strategies are also discussed. Some challenges that may occur during fault handling of SBSs are also mentioned.


The Monian Supergroup of western Anglesey comprises three major lithostratigraphic units: the South Stack (oldest), New Harbour and Gwna Groups. In northern and western Anglesey, deformation and metamorphism each increase in intensity downward through the Monian Supergroup, especially towards the base of the New Harbour Group. The variation in style and apparent intensity of deformation recorded by the South Stack and New Harbour Groups were governed by gross lithological differences. A correlation is proposed between the deformation histories of the New Harbour and South Stack Groups. Early deformation of the supergroup produced a pervasive bedding-parallel S1 fabric (chlorite) in both the New Harbour and, to a lesser extent, South Stack Groups. Development of the major, SE-verging F2 Penrhyn Mawr and Rhoscolyn anticlines, and associated minor folds also produced an axial planar S2 pressure solution and crenulation cleavage (phengite). The Rhoscolyn anticline was subsequently modified by the localized development of recumbent, mesoscale F3 folds with an axial planar pressure-solution cleavage (phengite to phengitic muscovite). The F3 event may have accompanied an episode of thrust faulting. Deformation of the South Stack and New Harbour Groups was accompanied by a progressive regional greenschist facies metamorphic event. The simplest interpretation of the deformation history of the Monian Supergroup involves a progressive SE-directed shear event which occurred prior to the deposition of an Ordovician overstep sequence on Anglesey.


A recent trend in the development of CO2 pipelines is the shift from the predominance of transport of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to the transportation of CO2 as part of the carbon capture and storage (CSS) process for global warming mitigation. Among the processes of capture, transport, and storage, less attention has been paid to transport as it is assumed to be for granted, existing technology. This paper presents a focused analysis of the problem of structural integrity of CO2 pipelines through reviewing the state-of-the-art literature and practice, and highlights the need for a unified code of practice for the modelling of integrity and, due to the potentially hazardous nature of CO2, safety, in these pipelines.


A challenge for the geochemist is to develop and test transport theories and near surface sampling techniques for use in areas overlain by cover of exotic origin, i.e., where the surficial cover is not in any way related to the underlying bedrock. Selective extraction methods that dissolve certain minerals or attack specific binding sites in soil suppose that some form of upward migration of ions must be taking place. Chemical components related to mineralization must travel from the bedrock-overburden interface to the surface, where they are immobilized, or change the surface chemistry in some detectable fashion. Upward migration is likely caused by a combination of diffusion down a concentration gradient, capillary action or "wicking" from the water table to the dry surface, osmotic action carrying ionic species, vegetation roots carrying elements to the surface portions of the plant, then back to the soil, or electrical fields transporting ions through the soil by cation exchange. A geochemical orientation survey over two buried epithermal gold deposits at Marigold, Nevada was completed during 1994–95 in an attempt to determine the effectiveness of various analytical extractions, and develop a theory to explain observed geochemical responses. The 5 North deposit is covered by 25–40 m of alluvial fill, and the 8 North deposit is covered by about 100 m of fill. Soil gas, CHIM, vegetation, lag, caliche, and soil samples were included in the survey. The soil samples were subjected to a variety of chemical attacks and analyses. This report will present some of the results from the soil samples and propose a theory for the formation of surface geochemical responses. The pH of the soil in the Marigold area was extremely alkaline, but still produced nearly a 100-fold difference in hydrogen ion concentration over the deposits. The alkaline condition suggests that iron and manganese should be stable, but that calcium may move in response to a shift in soil pH conditions. Aqua regia soluble calcium, hydroxylamine hydrochloride soluble calcium and strontium, sodium acetate soluble calcium and strontium and enzyme leach soluble strontium produced clear double-peak responses to mineralization regardless of overburden thickness. In fact, the type of analytical attack used did not really affect results. Low detection limit gold in soil was significantly correlated with calcium and strontium. The proposed geochemical model suggests that the release of H+ during the oxidation of buried sulphide mineralization may migrate directly to the surface, or may react with surrounding carbonate, thus producing CO 2 which migrates to the surface. In either case, a disequilibrium in pH sensitive compounds or elements such as CaCO3, MgCO3, Fe and Mn will occur at the soil surface in places of accumulation of H+ or CO2. This disequilibrium will correct itself over time by the migration of these compounds or elements away from the stimuli toward the ambient pH condition. A precipitation of these pH sensitive components will occur at the positions where chemical stability is re-established—at the margin of the stimuli—thus producing double-peak patterns over the margins of the underlying mineralization. Co-precipitation of ambient ions in the soil will produce element patterns that may appear to have moved through the overburden column, but have not. Calcium and magnesium may be the controlling ions in alkaline soils such as are found in desert environments, whereas iron and manganese may control anomaly patterns in acid to neutral soil conditions found in temperate climates. The use of calcium in closely spaced soil samples in alkaline environments and selected element ratios, together with low detection limit gold, arsenic and antimony, is recommended as an exploration method for buried or blind mineral deposits. In "Proceedings of Exploration 97: Fourth Decennial International Conference on Mineral Exploration" edited by A.G. Gubins, 1997, p. 301–314 302 Exploration Geochemistry


Although mutations in the genes encoding either the protein or RNA component of telomerase have been found in patients with various blood disorders, the impact of telomere length on hematopoiesis is less well understood for subjects from the general population. Here we have measured telomere lengths of genomic DNA isolated from circulating leukocytes of 3157 subjects, ranging from 18 to 85 years of age, enrolled in a large multiethnic population based study, the Dallas Heart Study 2. Shorter telomere lengths are marginally associated with lower red blood cell counts in this cohort, but are significantly associated with larger mean red blood cell size (as measured by the MCV), increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW), higher hemoglobin levels and lower platelet counts, even after correction for age, gender and ethnicity (p-values of <0.0001, <0.0001, 0.0009 and 0.0016, respectively). In a multiple regression model we find that telomere length is a significant covariate of MCV (p = 7.6×10−8), independent of age, ethnicity, BMI, current smoking, alcohol consumption, iron or homocysteine levels. The effect of telomere length on MCV variation is comparable to the effect of smoking or alcohol consumption and is more significant in older individuals (p = 9.2×10−7 for >50 years vs. p = 0.0006 for <50 years of age). To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between telomere length and red cell size in a large urban US population and suggests a biologic mechanism for macrocytosis of aging.


New Zealand's backcountry huts do not stimulate a meaningful connection between the occupant and their surrounding natural environment. Generic solutions provided by the Department of Conservation are dictated by a nostalgic frame of mind, rather than evolving from the intrinsic qualities of nature. This exploration is for those who seek to find and feel a sense of wilderness in our modern times. Despite our inherent desires to be amongst nature, our architecture does not facilitate our fascination. The intimate scale of interiors provides an insight that is detailed and intuitive, allowing for the emotive experience of the occupant to be the primary concern of the design intent. This thesis investigates the potential for a new wilderness experience by exploring and critiquing past and present backcountry huts. By focusing on the necessities needed for survival in a manner that dissolves the physical and mental barriers that these factors can implement, the outcome provides a vison for alternative habitation in the wild.


The idea of harnessing the process that powers the Sun has been a dream of scientists for decades – and it is easy to see why. Generating energy by fusing light nuclei together would produce little radioactive waste and no greenhouse gases. There is an almost limitless supply of fuel in sea-water and there would be no danger of nuclear meltdown. But actually making a practical fusion-energy source is a huge technical challenge, and massively expensive.


Introduction. The severity and nature of periodontal disease depend on a number of factors. An important place is occupied by the general condition of the body, the presence of systemic diseases, environmental influences, and chronic stress and so on. A number of clinical studies have examined the possible relationship between psychological stress and periodontal disease. Objectives. To determine the influence of psychosomatic state on periodontal tissues of the examined residents. Material and methods. To conduct the study, a questionnaire of 350 residents of Kyiv and several other cities of Ukraine was conducted. Diagnosis of anxiety self-assessment was performed by determining the Spielberger-Khanin test of reactive and personal anxiety and DASS-21. The subjects examined the oral cavity and assessed the condition of the periodontium. Results. A higher level of systemic diseases was found in residents with insufficient living conditions. It also affected the higher level of personal anxiety of residents. High levels of personal anxiety affect the prevalence and structure of periodontal disease. Thus, the study of the impact of psychoemotional stress on the course of periodontal disease and further development of appropriate schemes of rational treatment of periodontal disease (periodontitis) in people with psychoemotional stress. Conclusions. Analysis of the levels of reactive anxiety in the subjects depending on the presence and type of periodontal diseases showed that the subjects with the presence of chronic gingivitis, the level of reactive anxiety was quite moderate. A slightly higher level of reactive anxiety was found in patients with periodontitis. The level of personal anxiety is higher if the subjects have periodontitis.


The rise in mortgage interest rates in March-April 1996 was followed by predictions that housing sales and the volume of residential construction would contract. Through June, however, sales of existing and newly built homes and starts of new homes held at the highest rates in two years. This is longer than can be explained by a rush to buy before mortgage rates rose even higher. The relationship between interest rates and housing activity is not as powerful as assumed. Back when the Federal Reserve's Regulation Q put a ceiling on the interest rates banks and thrifts could pay for more deposits, housing activity declined swiftly once interest rates rose above those ceilings. Depositors turned away from the banks and thrifts to seek higher yields by investing directly in money markets. Deprived of new deposits and faced with withdrawals, housing lenders were forced to turn down new mortgage applications. Sales of existing homes slowed and new construction nose-dived. Reg Q was phased out in the 1980s, and with it has gone a predictable response in the housing market to increases in rates. The chart indicates the correlation of rising rates and falling housing starts has not been close over the last 15 years with the exception of 19811984, when interest rates first soared and then dropped sharply and Regulation Q was still partially in effect. That housing activity does not move in lockstep with every change in mortgage interest rates is not surprising given that the monthly mortgage payment is only one determinant of a household's ability to buy a house. Trends in household income and wealth and changes in attitudes play major roles as well. In this regard, it is not surprising to find the steepest declines in housing starts during the period covered by the chart coincided with recessions, the first in 1981-82 and the second in 1990-1991. Slower growth in real incomes and rising unemployment discouraged home buyers. Another factor that blunts the impact of higher rates is the greater choice homebuyers have in the mortgages they select than was available during the days of Reg Q. When rates on conventional, fixed-rate mortgages rise, homebuyers display a preference for adjustable-rate mortgages with their lower rates. There are a number of reasons to expect housing sales and starts to be resilient in the face of the recent rise in rates. As the chart illustrates, the rise of more than one percentage point in the interest rate on 30-year conventional mortgages since February is moderate compared to the steep rise of the early 1980s or the 1994 increase. …


Due to the ever-increasing need for production efficiency and reliability as well as cost saving, assembly industries have been looking for a better solution compared to current methodologies. It is critically important to know that there is a solution this industry had not paid much attention and can benefit a lot due to not only historical reason but also limited knowledge management or awareness. This chapter examines and qualifies the effect of a couple of special adhesive bonding solutions on various glass plate bonding applications at appliance industry using a total solution such as dispensing system and robot. The result clearly shows its benefit over current methodologies, and also as industry trend moves toward more exterior decoration for high-end image products, this chapter should contribute on glass bonding industry not only for faster production, better efficiency, less production space, and better reliability but also for lower manufacturing cost using special adhesive bonding solutions.


Any science deals with the study of certain models of the real world. However, a model is always an abstraction resulting in some uncertainty, which must be considered. The theory of fuzzy sets is one way of formalizing one of the types of uncertainty that occurs when modeling real objects. Fuzzy sets have been applied in various real-world problems such as control system engineering, image processing, and weather forecasting systems. This research focuses on applying the categorical framework of abstract Lfuzzy relations to L-fuzzy topology with ideas, concepts and methods of the theory of L-fuzzy sets. Since L-fuzzy sets were introduced to deal with the problem of approximate reasoning, t − norm based operations are essential in the definition of L-fuzzy topologies. We use the abstract theory of arrow categories with additional t − norm based connectives to define L-fuzzy topologies abstractly. In particular, this thesis will provide an abstract relational definition of an L-fuzzy topology, consider bases of topological spaces, continuous maps, and the first two separation axioms T0 and T1. The resulting theory of L-fuzzy topological spaces provides the foundation for applications and algorithms in areas such as digital topology, i.e., analyzing images using topological features.


DNA damage often causes an arrest of the cell cycle that provides time for genome integrity to be restored. In bacteria, the classical SOS DNA damage response leads to an inhibition of cell division resulting in temporarily filamentous growth. This raises the question as to whether such a response mechanism might similarly function in naturally filamentous bacteria such as Streptomyces. Streptomyces exhibit two functionally distinct forms of cell division: cross-wall formation in vegetative hyphae and sporulation septation in aerial hyphae. Here, we show that the genotoxic agent mitomycin C confers a block in sporulation septation in

 Streptomyces venezuelae

 in a mechanism that involves, at least in part, the downregulation of ssgB. Notably, this DNA damage response does not appear to block cross-wall formation and may be independent of canonical SOS and developmental regulators. We also show that the mitomycin C-induced block in sporulation can be partially bypassed by the constitutive expression of ssgB, though this appears to be largely limited to mitomycin C treatment and the resultant spore-like cells have reduced viability.


In our pursuit of mixed chalcogen-bridged cluster complexes, solids of the compositions Mo(3)SSe(6)Br(4) and W(3)SSe(6)Br(4) were prepared using high-temperature synthesis from the elements. Treatment of Mo(3)SSe(6)Br(4) with Bu(4)NBr in a vibration mill yielded (Bu(4)N)(3){[Mo(3)(mu(3)-S)(mu(2)-Se(2))(3)Br(6)]Br} (I). Its all-selenide analogue (Bu(4)N)(3){[Mo(3)(mu(3)-Se)(mu(2)-Se(2))(3)Br(6)]Br} (II) was prepared from Mo(3)Se(7)Br(4) in a similar way. Both compounds were characterized by IR, Raman, and (77)Se NMR spectroscopy. The structure of II was determined by X-ray single-crystal analysis. Compound I is isostructural with II and contains the new Mo(3)(mu(3)-S)Se(6)(4+) cluster core. By treatment of a 4 M Hpts solution of I with PPh(3) followed by cation-exchange chromatography, the new mixed chalcogenido-molybdenum aqua ion, [Mo(3)(mu(3)-S)(mu(2)-Se)(3)(H(2)O)(9)](4+), was isolated and characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy and, after derivatization into [Mo(3)(mu(3)-S)(mu(2)-Se)(3)(acac)(3)(py)(3)](+), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. From HCl solutions of the aqua ion, a supramolecular adduct with cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]), {[Mo(3)(mu(3)-S)(mu(2)-Se)(3)(H(2)O)(6)Cl(3)](2)CB[6]}Cl(2) x 11 H(2)O (III), was isolated and its structure determined using X-ray crystallography. W(3)SSe(6)Br(4) upon reaction with H(3)PO(2) gave a mixture of all of the [W(3)S(x)Se(4-x)(H(2)O)(9)](4+) species. After repeated chromatography, crystals of {[W(3)(mu(3)-S)(mu(2)-Se)(3)(H(2)O)(7)Cl(2)](2)CB[6]}Cl(4) x 12 H(2)O (IV) were crystallized from the fraction rich in [W(3)(mu(3)-S)Se(3)(H(2)O)(9)](4+) and structurally characterized.


This paper traces the history of the development and applications of Doppler radar navigation systems from their inception in the mid-1940s to the present. The early design concepts, problems, tribulations, and obstacles are discussed. With only noncoherent pulse radar transmitters available at that time, a unique technique of self-coherence had to be invented and implemented in order to allow Doppler signal extraction. Similarly, the severe leakage problems of continuous wave (CW) radars had to be overcome. In spite of these problems, both pulse Doppler and CW Doppler radar navigation systems were successfully developed and produced. The next problem needing a solution was the measurement of negative velocity as required in helicopter operation. This lead to the development of coherent pulse and frequency modulated (FM)-CW Doppler radars and new frequency trackers, with wide application for navigation and hovering indication over land and water.

The development and production of Doppler systems for the commercial airlines followed, and these systems were used for civil over-ocean navigation for many years. A Doppler radar was used for velocity measurement on the Surveyor and the Appollo Lunar Excursion Module for the achievement of soft landing on the moon. Most modern military helicopters and strategic aircraft, as well as many drones, are currently implemented with Doppler navigation radars, and this is. likely to continue. In addition, the Doppler navigation radar concepts have been applied to the so-called precision velocity update (PVU) mode of conventional military airborne search and tracking radars.


This is the first climatological analysis of precipitable water vapor (PWV) from GPS data over Africa. The data reveal significant modulations and variability in PWV over a broad range of temporal scales. GPS PWV estimates are compared to ECMWF reanalysis ERA40. Both datasets show good agreement at the larger scales (seasonal cycle and inter‐annual variability), driven by large scale moisture transport. At intra‐seasonal (15–40 days) and synoptic (3–10 days) scales, strong PWV modulations are observed from GPS, consistently with ECMWF analysis. They are shown to be correlated with convection and the passage of equatorial waves and African Easterly waves. The high‐frequency GPS observations also reveal a significant diurnal cycle in PWV, which magnitude and spectral content depends strongly on geographic location and shows a seasonal modulation. The diurnal cycle of PWV is poorly represented in ERA40 reflecting weaknesses in the water cycle of global circulation models at this timescale.


The implementation of high tunnels has shown to increase marketability and/or yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) crops compared with open-field systems. These structures provide the opportunity to alter light intensity and spectral quality by using specific polyethylene (poly) films and/or shadecloth, which may affect microclimate and subsequent crop productivity. However, little is known about how specific high tunnel coverings affect these parameters. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of various high tunnel coverings on the microclimate and crop productivity of tomato and lettuce. The coverings included standard, ultraviolet (UV)-stabilized poly film (standard); diffuse poly (diffuse); full-spectrum clear poly (clear); UV-A/B blocking poly (block); standard + 55% shadecloth (shade); and removal of standard poly 2 weeks before initial harvest to simulate a movable tunnel (movable). Microclimate parameters that were observed included canopy and soil temperatures, canopy growing degree-days (GDD), and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), and crop productivity included yield and net photosynthetic rate. Hybrid red 'BHN 589' tomatoes were grown during the summer, and red 'New Red Fire' and green 'Two Star' leaf lettuce were grown in both spring and fall in 2017 and 2018. Increased temperature, GDD, and PAR were observed during the spring and summer compared with the fall. The soil temperatures during the summer increased more under the clear covering compared with the others. For tomato, the shade produced lower total fruit yield and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) compared with the other treatments, which were similar (P < 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). The greatest yield was 7.39 kg/plant, which was produced under the clear covering. For red leaf lettuce grown in the spring, the plants under the clear, standard, and diffuse coverings had significantly greater yield than the movable and shade coverings (P < 0.001). The coverings had less effect on the yield during the fall lettuce trials, which may have been attributed to the decrease in PAR and environmental temperatures. The findings of this study suggest that high tunnel coverings affect both microclimate and yield of lettuce and tomato.


Hsp70 members occupy a central role in proteostasis and are found in different eukaryotic
cellular compartments. The mitochondrial Hsp70/J-protein machinery performs multiple functions vital
for the proper functioning of the mitochondria, including forming part of the import motor that
transports proteins from the cytosol into the matrix and inner membrane, and subsequently folds these
proteins in the mitochondria. However, unlike other Hsp70s, mitochondrial Hsp70 (mtHsp70) has the
propensity to self-aggregate, accumulating as insoluble aggregates. The self-aggregation of mtHsp70 is
caused by both interdomain and intramolecular communication within the ATPase and linker domains.
Since mtHsp70 is unable to fold itself into an active conformation, it requires an Hsp70 escort protein
(Hep) to both inhibit self-aggregation and promote the correct folding. Hep1 orthologues are present in
the mitochondria of many eukaryotic cells but are absent in prokaryotes. Hep1 proteins are relatively
small and contain a highly conserved zinc-finger domain with one tetracysteine motif that is essential
for binding zinc ions and maintaining the function and solubility of the protein. The zinc-finger domain
lies towards the C-terminus of Hep1 proteins, with very little conservation outside of this domain.
Other than maintaining mtHsp70 in a functional state, Hep1 proteins play a variety of other roles in the
cell and have been proposed to function as both chaperones and co-chaperones. The cellular
localisation and some of the functions are often speculative and are not common to all Hep1 proteins
analysed to date.


The spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP), or monopedal hopper, is an archetypal model for running in numerous animal species. Although locomotion is generally considered a complex task requiring sophisticated control strategies to account for coordination and stability, we show that stable gaits can be found in the SLIP with both linear and ``air'' springs, controlled by a simple fixed-leg reset policy. We first derive touchdown-to-touchdown Poincare maps under the common assumption of negligible gravitational effects during the stance phase. We subsequently include and assess these effects and briefly consider coupling to pitching motions. We investigate the domains of attraction of symmetric periodic gaits and bifurcations from the branches of stable gaits in terms of nondimensional parameters.


It might have been starting the strimmer that did it - hold it at arm's length in the left hand and tug hard at the cord with the right. Ouch.


Programming is one of the most important factors in the education of computer literacy. However, in the initial learning of programming, many students often have faced a simple problem, like syntax-errors by carelessness or mis-typing. Therefore, they feel that programming is too hard. The most important problem is the student can't take advantage of the error messages displayed by the computer. These messages are difficult to understand for beginners because the message only indicates a syntactic error and where it occurred. The authors propose a support system for C language programming on UNIX by using agent technology. This system monitors the error messages from the compiler. It analyzes, rewrites the acquired message, and reports to the student and the teacher on the network. The teacher can improve the teaching method by finding the category of error. The student customizes these messages, and they can use the suitable one at each level. Moreover, these messages are sent to other students by the communication line of each agent. Consequently, many students are able to use these useful messages; they can select the most preferable message from the collection of the agent. The authors executed a preliminary experiment and the improvement of efficiency to the complication work was confirmed.


Abstract. The paper traces my career as a climatologist from the 1950s and that of most of my graduate students from the late 1960s. These decades were the formative ones in the evolution of climate science. Following a brief account of the history of climatology, a summary of my early training, my initial teaching and research in the UK is discussed. This is followed by new directions at the University of Colorado, Boulder from October 1968. The history of the World Data Center for Glaciology/National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder from 1977 is described and climate-cryosphere initiatives at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). International activities and links are then reported, followed by a section on national and international committees. I then describe my activities during sabbaticals and research leaves. The paper concludes with discussion of my "retirement" activities and an epilogue. The paper is based on a lecture given at the Roger Barry Symposium: A Chronicle of Distinction: From the Arctic to the Andes, at the University of Colorado, 10 August 2004 and updated to 2014.


Background A recent pooled analysis of randomised trials found an increased risk of myocardial infarction with use of the antiosteoporotic drug strontium ranelate. We conducted a nationwide cohort study in Denmark, 2005–2011, to investigate the risk of acute coronary syndrome among postmenopausal women treated with strontium ranelate. Methods The study involved two analytic setups. The first analysis included new users of either strontium ranelate (n=1798) or one of the two first-line bisphosphonates in Denmark (alendronate and risedronate; n=65 236). The second analysis included patients who had first been treated with a first-line bisphosphonate and subsequently switched to either strontium ranelate (n=1219) or ibandronate (n=2290). The primary outcome was acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina or myocardial infarction). The secondary outcome was any-cause mortality. Cox regression was used to estimate HRs, with adjustment using a disease risk score. Results Compared with use of alendronate/risedronate, use of strontium was not associated with significantly increased risk of acute coronary syndrome (rate per 1000 person-years 5.7 for strontium vs 6.3 for alendronate/risedronate; adjusted HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.55) or any-cause mortality (adjusted HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.21). In the analysis of switchers, strontium was not associated with significantly increased risk of acute coronary syndrome (rate per 1000 person-years 9.9 for strontium vs 9.9 for ibandronate; adjusted HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.49 to 2.05) or of any-cause mortality (adjusted HR 1.45, 95% CI 0.95 to 2.21). Interpretation These real-world data of antiosteoporotic drug users do not support a significant association between use of strontium ranelate and acute coronary syndrome.


Background/Context Despite calls for equity in education, the dominant mode of schooling reproduces hierarchies, positioning some students as bright, gifted, or fast learners and others as lazy, in need of remediation, or slow. A number of studies have shown that teachers' professional communities and networks can address this problem and enhance outcomes for all students. However, more research is needed not only to show the structure of supportive networks but also to explain the mechanisms through which they foster teacher learning. Research Questions This paper addresses three questions: (a) Where do teachers encounter resources that support their engagement with nondominant, equity-oriented teaching practice? (b) What kinds of resources support teachers' engagement with nondominant teaching practice? and (c) How do different kinds of resources come together to support teachers' patterns of engagement with communities of nondominant teaching practice? Research Design A multisite case study was conducted over the course of an academic year. The study involved extensive observations in routine teacher meetings and professional development settings, as well as classroom observations and teacher interviews. Participants Participants included 18 mathematics teachers from two diverse urban high schools. The mathematics departments at both schools expressed commitments to professional learning and collaboration in order to better serve their diverse student bodies, in particular, to support students who had previously been unsuccessful. Six teachers were selected as focal teachers for more in-depth observation and interviewing. This paper describes the contrasting cases of four teachers. Findings Two of the focal teachers maintained close engagement with nondominant, equity-oriented practice throughout the period of the study, while two did not. A comparison of teachers' professional support networks showed that their patterns of engagement were related to their connections to sources outside their school-based communities and the access that these connections provided to four distinct types of resources. The two teachers who maintained their engagement with reforms were found to have abundant and personally significant identity resources, which were critical for their ongoing learning. Although the other two teachers had technical resources for engaging with reforms, they did not have such identity resources. Conclusions/Recommendations Research and practice have tended to focus on technical aspects of teacher learning in service of reform. This paper suggests that teachers need not only more resources, but also more kinds of resources in order to sustain the learning that student-centered, equity-oriented reforms require.


Online social networks [1] (OSNs) have experienced tremendous growth in recent years and become a de facto portal for hundreds of millions of Internet users. These OSNs offer attractive means for digital social interactions and information sharing, but also raise a number of security and privacy issues. While OSNs allow users to restrict access to shared data [2], they currently do not provide any mechanism to enforce privacy concerns over data associated with multiple users. To this end, we propose an approach to enable the protection of shared data associated with multiple users in OSNs. We formulate an access control model to capture the essence of multiparty authorization requirements, along with a multiparty policy specification scheme and a policy enforcement mechanism. Besides, we present a logical representation of our access control model that allows us to leverage the features of existing logic solvers [3][4] to perform various analysis tasks on our model. We also discuss a proof-of-concept prototype of our approach as part of an application in Facebook and provide usability study and system evaluation of our method. KeywordsSocial network [13], multiparty access control [5][6][7], security model[8], policy specification and management[9]


LNA is one of the key components in the receiver system. With the development of millimeter wave (MMW) wireless communication, more and more high performance MMW LNAs are required for the MMW systems. Balanced LNA is widely used because of better return loss, stability and linearity, comparing to the single-ended LNA. Most of the balanced LNAs are structured by Lange couplers, and the performance of the balanced LNA is largely affected by the Lange coupler.


A method of fractionating proteins by high-performance liquid partition chromatography has been developed and used for isolation and purification to homogeneity of one of the species of human leukocyte interferon. The homogeneous interferon exhibited a sharp peak on high-performance liquid chromatography and a single narrow band on sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. Extraction of the gel gave a single sharp peak of antiviral activity coinciding with the protein band. The specific activity of pure interferon was found to be 2--4 X 10(8) units/mg, based on amino acid analysis. The molecular weight is 17,500--18,000.


: To determine whether AIDS surveillance misses a substantial number of persons who die with unreported AIDS, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of decedents examined by the San Francisco (SF) Medical Examiner. Decedents who received toxicology screening were tested for HIV antibody and examined for evidence of AIDS. Names of decedents with positive or indeterminate HIV antibody test results were cross-referenced against the SF AIDS registry to identify previously reported AIDS cases. Medical records of unreported cases were reviewed to determine whether AIDS had been diagnosed prior to death. Of 1959 decedents tested, 176 (9%) were HIV positive; 105 (60%) were identified as having AIDS by the Medical Examiner. Of the 105 AIDS cases, 101 (96%) had been previously diagnosed; 98 (97%) had been previously reported. Overall, diagnosis and reporting were 93% complete. HIV-infected decedents were more likely than those uninfected to be men and <45 years old, and less likely to be Asian/Pacific Islander or Native American (p <.001). They were more likely to have died of suicide (p <.05) or drug abuse/overdose (p <.001). In SF, AIDS case reporting is highly complete. Current surveillance activities, which identify cases from health care settings, are appropriate. To decrease deaths among HIV-infected persons, suicide prevention and substance abuse treatment programs are needed.


Despite rapid growth in literacy-related programmes and evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa, little critical attention has been paid to the relevance of assumptions that underlie existing assessment methods. This study focuses on the issue of timing in the assessment of oral reading fluency, a critical component of successful reading (Chard, Vaughn, & Tyler, 2002; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 2000; Pikulski & Chard, 2005). Within the context of the Primary Math and Reading Initiative, a randomized controlled trial of several instructional interventions in Kenya, timed and untimed Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) oral reading fluency and reading comprehension tasks were administered to 4385 students in 95 government and 125 informal schools. Using the data from the EGRA – whose administration has expanded within sub-Saharan Africa recently – we found that students did not perform significantly better on the assessments when they had more time. This pattern largely held when we examined the effects disaggregated over student ability level. This suggests that timed assessments, which are faster to administer and logistically easier, are appropriate for use in Kenya.


Advancement of human civilization has led to rapid industrialization going in hand with urbanization and globalization, which have elevated energy demand worldwide. Conventional energy sources with the fear of being exhausted at a rapid pace seem to fail to quench inflated energy demand alone. Solar being a ubiquitous and eco-friendly source of renewable energy has become one of the most dominant forms of power generation implemented in diverse applications. To maximize the efficacy of the solar photovoltaic (SPV) system, it must be operated at maximum power point (MPP) that incorporates the use of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. MPPT algorithm is a self-automated control technique that compels the SPV system to operate at MPP thereby harnessing maximum obtainable power under time-varying environmental conditions such as solar intensity, temperature, SPV module characteristics, and module shading. This paper puts forward an elaborated study on 27 MPPT techniques that are pervasive in the SPV system. The entire assessment deals with MPPT techniques employed under uniform solar insolation varying from time to time as well as global maximum power point tracking (GMMPT) techniques employed under partial shading (PS) conditions. Vivid comparisons among all the MPPT techniques along with their brief discussion, merits, and demerits have been done. Moreover, a detailed structure of error-based incremental conductance MPPT has been proposed.


The aim of this study is, in a narrow sense, to analyze organizational principles and practices concerning the breakthrough and institutionalazation of a State alcohol policy, connected with the introduction of temperance interests and organizational ideals in Sweden during the 1800s. But it is not these issues in themselves that are at stake, but rather different models and modes for organizing the whole of society.The analysis centers on the organizing of the alcohol trade from the late 1700s and up to 1900, the growing fears and insights in an alcohol and drinking problem during roughly the same period, what organizational choices that were made and the introduction of voluntary associations as a mode of solving it. Finally a discussion takes place concerning the rapid decline of voluntary associations during the second half of the Century, in the light of the growing mass organizing of temperance in Sweden.


While virtual worlds share common technologies and audiences with games, they possess many unique characteristics. Particularly when compared to massively multiplayer online role-playing games, virtual worlds create very different learning and teaching opportunities through markets, creation, and connections to the real world, and lack of overt game goals. This chapter aims to expose a wide audience to the breadth and depth of learning occurring within Second Life (SL). From in-world classes in the scripting language to mixed-reality conferences about the future of broadcasting, a tremendous variety of both amateurs and experts are leveraging SL as a platform for education. In one sense, this isn't new since every technology is co-opted by communities for communication, but SL is different because every aspect of it was designed to encourage this co-opting, this remixing of the virtual and the real.


Monoclonal antibody 69/25, specific for the Salmonella enteritidis fimbrial antigen (SEF14), was used to screen a pUC-based S. enteritidis gene library and a positive clone was identified. Subcloning experiments demonstrated that a 584 bp DraI DNA fragment was the minimal chromosomal segment capable of directing SEF14 antigen expression. Western blotting of Escherichia coli recombinants identified a gene product of M(r) 16000 as a precursor to the M(r) 14300 mature fimbrial subunit protein. The DNA nucleotide sequence of the DraI fragment was determined and was shown to contain a single open reading frame with two potential f-Met start codons and a hydrophobic signal sequence. Downstream of a putative peptidase cleavage site, the deduced amino acid sequence showed considerable homology with the N-terminal amino acid sequence of what was originally described as the type 1 fimbrial subunit of Salmonella enteritidis and later redefined as SEF14. The gene encoding SEF14, designated as sefA, was shown to be limited in distribution to Salmonella blegdam, S. dublin, S. enteritidis, S. gallinarum, S. moscow, S. pullorum, S. rostock, S. seremban and S. typhi, all belonging to Salmonella group D. However, expression of the SEF14 antigen was limited to S. dublin, S. enteritidis, S. moscow and S. blegdam. The nucleotide sequence of the sefA gene shared no homology with the Salmonella fimA gene encoding type 1 fimbriae, and these genes showed distinct patterns of distribution within salmonellae.


In the rat medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL), hyperosmolality inhibits transepithelial HCO3− absorption (JHCO3−) by inhibiting apical membrane Na+/H+exchange. To examine signaling mechanisms involved in this regulatory response, MTALs were isolated and perfused in vitro with 25 mM HCO3− solutions (290 mosmol/kg H2O). Osmolality was increased in lumen and bath solutions by addition of 300 mM mannitol or 75 mM NaCl. Addition of mannitol reduced JHCO3− by 60% and addition of NaCl reduced JHCO3− by 50%. With the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor genistein (7 μM) or herbimycin A (1 μM) in the bath, addition of mannitol reduced JHCO3− only by 11% and addition of NaCl reduced JHCO3− only by 15%. Staurosporine (10−7 M) or forskolin (10−6 M) in the bath had no effect on inhibition of JHCO3− by hypertonic NaCl. Genistein had no effect on inhibition of JHCO3− by vasopressin (a cyclic AMP-dependent process) or stimulation of JHCO3− by prostaglandin E2(a protein kinase C-dependent process). Under isosmotic conditions, addition of genistein or herbimycin A to the bath increased JHCO3− by 30% through stimulation of apical membrane Na+/H+exchange. Addition of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor molybdate (50 μM) to the bath reproduced the inhibition of JHCO3− observed with hyperosmolality. These data indicate that 1) the effect of hyperosmolality to inhibit MTAL HCO3− absorption through inhibition of apical membrane Na+/H+exchange is mediated via a PTK-dependent pathway that functions independent of regulation by cyclic AMP and protein kinase C, and 2) a constitutive PTK activity inhibits apical membrane Na+/H+exchange and HCO3− absorption under isosmotic conditions. Our results suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation is a critical step in inhibition of the apical Na+/H+exchanger isoform NHE-3 by hyperosmolality.


An automatic identification method for obtaining the critical depth-of-cut (DoC) of brittle materials with nanometric accuracy and sub-nanometric uncertainty is proposed in this paper. With this method, a two-dimensional (2D) microscopic image of the taper cutting region is captured and further processed by image analysis to extract the margin of generated micro-cracks in the imaging plane. Meanwhile, an analytical model is formulated to describe the theoretical curve of the projected cutting points on the imaging plane with respect to a specified DoC during the whole cutting process. By adopting differential evolution algorithm-based minimization, the critical DoC can be identified by minimizing the deviation between the extracted margin and the theoretical curve. The proposed method is demonstrated through both numerical simulation and experimental analysis. Compared with conventional 2D- and 3D-microscopic-image-based methods, determination of the critical DoC in this study uses the envelope profile rather than the onset point of the generated cracks, providing a more objective approach with smaller uncertainty.


Creatine supplements may transitorily rise serum creatinine levels and mimic a kidney disease. If its use is associated with a high protein diet, the resulting increase in blood urea nitrogen will increase the confusion. Since clinical laboratories usually inform the estimated glomerular filtration rate based on serum creatinine, its elevation may lead to over diagnose a chronic renal failure, with the inherent personal and public health consequences. Creatine supplements are safe and do not cause renal disease. Reports of kidney damage associated with its use are scanty. However, creatine supplements should not be used in people with chronic renal disease or using potentially nephrotoxic medications.


According to a recent trend, robotic technologies will be included into domestic environments in the form of simple, networked robotic devices able to cooperate in the performance of tasks. These devices may take the form of smart appliances, distributed sensors, or robotic furniture. In this paper, we describe the design of an autonomous robotic table and its inclusion in a smart environment, the PEIS Ecology. The design takes into account the constraints posed by the domestic environment. The robotic table can perform autonomous point-to-point navigation, and it can collaborate with the other devices in the ecology to perform complex tasks that go beyond simple navigation.


Utilizing an original data set containing annual salaries and peer-reviewed publication histories for 328 faculty members we examine the labor market for academic agricultural economists. Our descriptive analysis shows that while the profession remains male-dominated, females are making significant inroads at the lower academic ranks, the profession is relatively top-heavy, with nearly two-thirds of the faculty in our data set currently holding the rank of full professor, differences in annual salary exist primarily for faculty at Top 6 programs, and then primarily for full professors. Our regression analysis suggests that controlling for publication history there are neither statistically significant negative returns to increased tenure nor statistically significant negative returns to gender, holding all else constant.


In this paper we discuss Falcon, an interactive, deterministic, and declarative data cleaning system. Unlike traditional rule-based system, Falcon does not rely on the existence of a set of pre-defined data quality rules, but it encourages users to explore the data, identify possible problems, and make updates to fix them. The main technical challenge consists in finding a set of rules, expressed as sql update queries, that are semantically correct and that fixes the largest number of errors in the data. Falcon navigates the lattice by interacting with users to gradually checking the correctness of a set of rules. We have conducted extensive experiments using both real-world and synthetic datasets to show that Falcon can effectively communicate with users in data repairing.


Wave field synthesis (WFS) aims at recreating virtual sound sources in a predefined enclosure using loudspeaker arrays. The technology was first developed at TU Delft. The wave-fronts of many virtual sources are created according to the Huygens principle. The applications of WFS require a large scalability in signal processing. Absolute synchronicity among all processing elements is a mandatory requirement for WFS. Further, in many applications, a controlled synchronicity to other modalities, such as vision, is desired. A complete signal processing framework including a synchronous network is introduced. The system includes a low-latency network to create a distributed database. The applicability of standard network protocols are illustrated and required accuracy and achievable performance are discussed.


1. Repeated trans-synaptic stimulation of the giant neurone in the abdominal ganglion from Aplysia californica produced decrements of nervous activity.

2. Although the EPSP amplitude decreased during the stimulation, the firing probability of the post-synaptic neurone continued to decrease after the amplitude had reached a constant low value.

3. When the cell was hyperpolarized and stimulated until the EPSP had decreased to a constant low value, the firing probability immediately after removal of the hyper polarization was the same as with no previous stimulation.

4. These results and previous work suggest that a process occurring in the post-synaptic neurone, independent of synaptic modification, may contribute significantly to habituation-like phenomena.


The use of C-shaped reinforced concrete (RC) core walls as the main lateral force resisting system for building structures is a popular choice for medium- to high-rise buildings. These cores are typically closed on three sides (C-shaped) and are either open or partially open on the fourth side. Despite the frequent use of C-shaped RC core walls as the primary seismic force resisting system (SFRS) for multi-story buildings, there are still challenges in estimating their inelastic seismic response, whether they are separate or coupled C-shaped walls. The eccentricity between the centre of mass and the centre of rigidity tends to induce a significant torsional seismic demand on such walls. To address this issue, several design codes have proposed recommendations for evaluating the effect of this eccentricity. Although National Building Code of Canada (NBCC, 2015) specifies provisions to consider the accidental eccentricity and the torsional sensitivity of the structure in the design, there is a gap in the knowledge of the inelastic structural response of C-shaped RC core walls for new buildings. On the other hand, many existing RC C-shaped walls are in need for retrofitting in order to meet current seismic design codes, or to meet increased demands due to change in the use and occupancy of the building, or to retrofit post-earthquake damages. In recent years, application of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in retrofitting of RC walls has considerably increased due to its advantages such as high strength to weight ratio and its fast and easy installation.
The objectives of this thesis are to: (i) investigate, numerically, the effectiveness of FRP retrofitting on the seismic performance of RC shear wall systems, (ii) evaluate the deficiency of seismic design provisions of C-shaped shear wall structures with high torsional sensitivity, (iii) examine, experimentally, the seismic response of FRP-retrofitted C-shaped RC walls to quantify the efficiency of the FRP retrofitting in repairing the RC core walls.
To achieve the first objective, a simplified modelling approach was proposed for analyzing the FRP retrofitted RC walls in order to be used as a simple and efficient method in practice. Nonlinear Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) of a typical twelve story RC building structure, following the FEMA P695 methodology, showed that although the increase of torsional sensitivity has no significant effect on the inter-story drift ratios of the building, it could significantly decrease the Collapse Margin Ratio (CMR).
To achieve the second objective, building structures with different levels of height and torsional sensitivity were studied. Results showed that although response spectrum analysis (RSA) provides consistent predictions for story shear demand in regular buildings, significant underestimation of design forces might be obtained for buildings with a torsional sensitivity of B ≥ 2.0. Dual Plastic Hinge (DPH) method was found to be an efficient alternative in reducing the story shear demand in structures with high torsional sensitivity, compared to structures designed based on the common Single Plastic Hinge (SPH) method.
To achieve the third objective, a previously tested large-scale C-shaped RC wall was retrofitted using carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite sheets and was tested under the same condition and loading protocol of the original wall to quantify the efficacy of FRP retrofitting on the wall's response. Furthermore, multi-directional cyclic tests were conducted in order to evaluate the complete nonlinear response of the FRP retrofitted C-shaped wall up to failure. The assessment was based on experimental measurements and observations in terms of 3D displacements, strains (both from strain gauges and Digital Image Correlation, DIC, system), crack pattern, ductility, curvature profiles and mode of failures. The test showed that the FRP retrofitting scheme used in the current work performed very well by enhancing both the strength and ductility of the retrofitted wall from its damaged state, while holding its stiffness very close, compared to those of the control wall.


The Keggin polyoxometalates (POM) H3PW12O40 (PW) electrostatically complexed with poly(styrene-block-2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) in DMF, and ordered microphase separation occurred through solvent evaporation. The phase behaviors of PS-b-P2VP/PW in bulk were systematically investigated by using SAXS and TEM to discover the effect of POM content and molecular weight of the block copolymers. Computational simulation was also performed to reveal the same phase transition sequence as the experimental results. As the POM content increases, the PS-b-P2VP/PW complex with a low molecular weight changed from lamellar phase (LAM) to hexagonal cylindrical phase (HEX), and finally transited into spherical phase (SPH). Unexpectedly, PS-b-P2VP/PW complexes with a high molecular weight were inclined to form a kinetic-trapped intermediate phase (inverted HEX). The mechanism of formation of inverted phases was proposed based on simulation that asymmetric swelling in the concentrated DMF solution would result in the ultimate kinetic-trapped nanostructure in the bulk.


In order to provide effective communication link between two robots while physical link did not exist in unknown environments, a method of active communication link building on demand was proposed. Based on some model assumptions and definitions, a strategy named SSS was presented to build communication link in unknown environment by using link-increasing and link-rotating. Then the corresponding basic algorithm and improved algorithm were discussed and compared in simulation. The simulation indicated that communication link could be built successfully by employing these algorithms. And the improved algorithm had more optimal performances than basic one by estimating energy consumption and time consumption in link building process.


This thesis considers sparse modeling and estimation of multi-pitch signals, i.e., signals whose frequency content can be described by superpositions of harmonic, or close-to-harmonic, structures, characterized by a set of fundamental frequencies. As the number of fundamental frequencies in a given signal is in general unknown, this thesis casts the estimation as a sparse reconstruction problem, i.e., estimates of the fundamental frequencies are produced by finding a sparse representation of the signal in a dictionary containing an over-complete set of pitch atoms. This sparse representation is found by using convex modeling techniques, leading to highly tractable convex optimization problems from whose solutions the estimates of the fundamental frequencies can be deduced.In the first paper of this thesis, a method for multi-pitch estimation for stationary signal frames is proposed. Building on the heuristic of spectrally smooth pitches, the proposed method produces estimates of the fundamental frequencies by minimizing a sequence of penalized least squares criteria, where the penalties adapt to the signal at hand. An efficient algorithm building on the alternating direction method of multipliers is proposed for solving these least squares problems.The second paper considers a time-recursive formulation of the multi-pitch estimation problem, allowing for the exploiting of longer-term correlations of the signal, as well as fundamental frequency estimates with a sample-level time resolution. Also presented is a signal-adaptive dictionary learning scheme, allowing for smooth tracking of frequency modulated signals.In the third paper of this thesis, robustness to deviations from the harmonic model in the form of inharmonicity is considered. The paper proposes a method for estimating the fundamental frequencies by, in the frequency domain, mapping each found spectral line to a set of candidate fundamental frequencies. The optimal mapping is found as the solution to a minimimal transport problem, wherein mappings leading to sparse pitch representations are promoted. The presented formulation is shown to yield robustness to varying degrees of inharmonicity without requiring explicit knowledge of the structure or scope of the inharmonicity.In all three papers, the performance of the proposed methods are evaluated using simulated signals as well as real audio. (Less)


It has been suggested that iron depletion before anemia may impair performance. Karate players have risk factors for iron depletion. This study reviewed the related literature with respect to the iron nutritional status of karate players and dietary treatments. Examining iron intake in related studies indicated that the iron intakes of female players were lower than those of male players. A high prevalence of iron deficiency was reported only in female karate players. A high prevalence of hemolysis was found not only in sparring players, but also in kata (forms performed alone) players. Dietary modification is the preferred strategy to ensure adequate iron intake, maintenance of iron levels, and as the first line of action to prevent iron deficiency. Because most reports on iron nutrition status of karate players are from Japan and all studies are cross sectional, future research investigating the iron nutritional status of karate players should include (i) Studies from Western countries and (ii) Longitudinal studies. These studies should focus on adolescents since there is a paucity of information in the literature in this area.


Background. In bulimic syndromes, binge episodes are thought to be caused by dietary restraint and negative moods. However, as central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5-HT) mechanisms regulate appetite and mood, the 5-HT system could be implicated in diet- and mood-based binge antecedents. Method. We used hand-held computers to obtain repeated 'online' measurements of eating behaviors, moods, and self-concepts in 21 women with bulimic syndromes, and modeled 5-HT system activity with a measure of platelet [3H]paroxetine-binding density. Results. Mood and self-concept ratings were found to be worse before binge episodes (than at other moments), and cognitive restraint was increased. After binges, mood and self-concept deteriorated further, and thoughts of dieting became more intense. Intriguingly, lower paroxetine-binding density predicted poorer mood and self-concept before a binge, larger post-binge decrements in mood and self-concept, and larger post-binge increases in dietary restraint. Conclusions. Paroxetine binding thus seemed to reflect processes that impacted upon mood-related antecedents to binge episodes, and consequences implicating mood and dietary restraint.


Abstract. In this work, we propose a classification method designed for the labeling of MLS point clouds, with detrended geometric features extracted from the points of the supervoxel-based local context. To achieve the analysis of complex 3D urban scenes, acquired points of the scene should be tagged with individual labels of different classes. Thus, assigning a unique label to the points of an object that belong to the same category plays an essential role in the entire 3D scene analysis workflow. Although plenty of studies in this field have been reported, this work is still a challenging task. Specifically, in this work: 1) A novel geometric feature extraction method, detrending the redundant and in-salient information in the local context, is proposed, which is proved to be effective for extracting local geometric features from the 3D scene. 2) Instead of using individual point as basic element, the supervoxel-based local context is designed to encapsulate geometric characteristics of points, providing a flexible and robust solution for feature extraction. 3) Experiments using complex urban scene with manually labeled ground truth are conducted, and the performance of proposed method with respect to different methods is analyzed. With the testing dataset, we have obtained a result of 0.92 for overall accuracy for assigning eight semantic classes.


A new method for finding tight object-support bounds using the cross correlation information is addressed. These bounds are used by the generalized projections method to reconstruct photon-limited atmosphere-degraded images. The iterative Fourier transform (IFT) algorithm or the generalized projections method using the autocorrelation function only, has not been the preferred method for phase retrieval problems. The reason is that the use of the autocorrelation function only does not usually give tight object support bounds. The tight object bounds constraint is crucial for the uniqueness of phase retrieval by the generalized projections. The authors find that the information contained in the average cross correlation of the image and a truncated sub-image of it gives the required tight object bounds.<<ETX>>


A sequential algorithm for edge detection using a line-byline detector of edge elements connected to a recursive edge-following scheme is presented. On each line, edge elements are detected by means of a filtering operation in order to follow the slow variations of the gray level and some sequential and recursive estimators for locating jumps in this level. The edge-following problem is solved by a Kalman filter, the state model corresponding to a noisy straight line. In this first part, the complete edge detection algorithm is presented after a brief survey of edge detection methods available in the literature. Two main examples of applications are given: detection of white and black targets in the landscape in order to perform automatic driving of vehicles and detection of blood vessels in stereographic images of the brain. In the second part, a detailed study of the sequential estimators for change in mean, which are used in the line-by-line detection, will be found.


This paper adopts the ANSYS software to establish the profiled steel sheet and concrete composite slab finite element model. Numerical simulation is made to the composite slab in the whole process from initial loading to loading failure with reasonable Stimulation material and constitutive relations. The result of the calculation shows that promoting the strength of the concrete can largely promote the bearing capacity of the concrete, and the influence of the strength grade of the profiled steel sheet to the bearing capacity of the composite slab is smaller. The experimental result and test result accord well, testifying the reasonability of the established finite element and provide new method and way for simulating the load bearing process of composite slab.


The sequence of DNA is a code that contains all the information that is required for life (as we know it). DNA is stored inside the nucleus of cells and its sequence is replicated during cell division to ensure that the genetic information is transmitted to the daughter cells. The information contained in DNA is copied into RNA by a process called transcription. RNA acts as a messenger (mRNA) to carry the information between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, where it is used as a template to produce proteins through a process called translation. Proteins are the main effectors of all biological functions in the cell. However, the information required to make proteins (called "coding DNA sequence") comprises only a small portion (~2%) of the entire human genome sequence. For several decades, it was generally accepted that the remaining 98% of the genome sequence had no biological function and, because of that, it was dubbed "junk DNA". The discovery of non-coding DNA sequences that control the expression of genes challenged this idea, and revealed that there is biological function beyond protein-coding sequences. These non-coding sequences are called "regulatory elements" and they are classified into four classes according to their function: promoters, enhancers, insulators and silencers. Among them, enhancers play a critical role in activating the expression of genes in response to intra- and extra-cellular stimuli – which is essential for the development of complex organisms. Previous studies suggest that the human genome might contain more than one million enhancers – a much higher number compared to the number of protein-coding genes (~22.000). However, not much is known about the biological function of most enhancers since only a handful of them were studied in detail to present date.
In recent years, the use of next-generation sequencing technologies (e.g. RNA-seq) revealed that the vast majority of the human genome is transcribed into non-coding RNA species. Initially, it was thought that these transcripts were "junk RNA" transcribed from "junk DNA". This hypothesis was refuted by thousands of studies reporting that non-coding RNAs regulate a remarkably broad spectrum of cellular processes – including transcription and translation. Moreover, it was shown that the dysregulation of regulatory elements (and the non-coding RNAs transcribed from them) is associated with different human pathologies such as cancer. In this work, we describe a detailed protocol of Global Run-on sequencing (GRO-seq), which is a high-throughput sequencing technique that measures nascent RNA transcription. We applied GRO-seq to detect enhancer-associated RNAs (eRNAs), which are non-coding RNAs transcribed from active enhancers. Our experiments identified thousands of enhancers that are activated by critical transcription factors (e.g. p53 and ER) and might play a role in cancer development. In order to characterize their function, we used a recently developed technology called CRISPR-Cas9. This system is composed of a protein that can cleave DNA (Cas9) and a nucleic acid sequence that can guide Cas9 to the target site (CRISPR). CRISPR-Cas9 triggered a revolution in biology because it allows editing specific DNA sequences in a very fast and easy way. Importantly, Cas9 can be directed to virtually any sequence of the human genome, thus allowing to study the function of enhancers and other regulatory elements in a comprehensive manner. We pioneered the application of CRISPR-Cas9 to test the function of enhancers by mutating them and examining the resulting phenotype in a high-throughput manner (i.e. genetic screening). Our experiments led to the identification of several enhancers that regulate the expression of critical genes (e.g. CCND1) and poorly-characterized genes (e.g. CUEDC1) in human cells. In both cases, we showed that these enhancers are absolutely required for the growth of cancer cells, and our findings provide the basis for better diagnosis and therapies of human cancer.


Delusion-prone individuals may be more likely to accept even delusion-irrelevant implausible ideas because of their tendency to engage in less analytic and less actively open-minded thinking. Consistent with this suggestion, two online studies with over 900 participants demonstrated that although delusion-prone individuals were no more likely to believe true news headlines, they displayed an increased belief in "fake news" headlines, which often feature implausible content. Mediation analyses suggest that analytic cognitive style may partially explain these individuals' increased willingness to believe fake news. Exploratory analyses showed that dogmatic individuals and religious fundamentalists were also more likely to believe false (but not true) news, and that these relationships may be fully explained by analytic cognitive style. Our findings suggest that existing interventions that increase analytic and actively open-minded thinking might be leveraged to help reduce belief in fake news.


. Although Machine Learning (ML) is used already in our daily lives, few are familiar with the technology. This poses new challenges for students to understand ML, its potential, and limitations as well as to empower them to become creators of intelligent solutions. To effectively guide the learning of ML, this article proposes a scoring rubric for the performance-based assessment of the learning of concepts and practices regarding image classification with artificial neural networks in K-12. The assessment is based on the examination of student-created artifacts as a part of open-ended applications on the use stage of the Use-Modify-Create cycle. An initial evaluation of the scoring rubric through an expert panel demonstrates its internal consistency as well as its correctness and relevance. Providing a first step for the assessment of concepts on image recognition, the results may support the progress of learning ML by providing feedback to students and teachers.


Abstract Digital technologies are transforming the economy and society. The dimensionality and scope of the impacts are bewildering and too numerous to cover in a single essay. But of all the concerns around digital technology (and there are many), perhaps none has attracted more attention, and generated deeper anxiety, than the impact of various types of automation on work and on the structure of the economy. I focus on the ways in which the digitization of virtually all data, information, and content is transforming economies. And more specifically, I look at the impacts of automation, augmentation, AI, machine learning, and advanced robotics on economic transformations, on work, and on the distribution of income and wealth.


The sub-MIC effects (SMEs) and the postantibiotic sub-MIC effects (PA SMEs) of vancomycin, roxithromycin, and sparfloxacin for Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae and of amikacin for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated. A postantibiotic effect was induced by exposing strains to 10x the MIC of the antibiotic for 2 h in vitro. After the induction, the exposed cultures were washed to eliminate the antibiotics. Unexposed controls were treated similarly. Thereafter, the exposed cultures (PA SME) and the controls (SME) were exposed to different subinhibitory concentrations (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3x the MIC) of the same drug and growth curves for a period of 24 h were compared. In general, the PA SMEs were much more pronounced than the SMEs. However, for amikacin and E. coli the SME of 0.2 and 0.3x the MIC also had an initial bactericidal effect. The longest PA SMEs were demonstrated for the combinations with the most pronounced killing during the induction and for the combinations which exhibited the longest PAEs.


Using a systems approach, the authors examined the main principles underlying an expert-based system for epidemiological surveillance over HIV infection. The principle objective is to control the processes which precede the occurrence of new infected cases and further spread of HIV infection. Accordingly, the system should address the following: epidemiological diagnosis and prediction of HIV incidence and spread, development of optimal preventive anti-epidemiological measures, research into how the infection spread. This should incorporate a database which is made by the hierarchic principle: the parameters of higher levels include those of lower level. So that the highest level would include two main integral estimates characterizing the risk of HIV from the outside (the first estimate) and the risk of HIV infection (the second estimate).


Abstract:  Currently, the structural integrity of the nuclear graphite reactor components is evaluated using irradiated material properties data obtained from test reactors. These data are applied to numerical or mathematical models to assess the integrity of the graphite components. On the other hand, there is a need to measure internal strains and stresses in reactor core graphite and to explore the potential for in‐situ measurement. The deep hole drilling (DHD) technique is a semi‐destructive method for measurement of the through thickness residual strains or stresses. Previously the technique has been applied successfully to metallic and composite materials. In this paper, the method for internal strain and stress measurement in polygranular graphite is examined particularly when a significant volume fraction of porosity is present. Finite element simulation shows that the method can be used to measure internal stresses generated by a thermal gradient. On the basis of this a series of experiments have been conducted using Pile Grade 'A' (PGA) and PG25 filter graphite; with the latter being a surrogate for service exposed material. Tests were conducted to illustrate that the bulk mechanical response was linear elastic for both graphites and elastic moduli were measured. The DHD method was then used to determine internal strain and stress profiles through the materials. The results were compared with the strain data obtained from strain gauges bonded to the samples. Overall, there was an excellent agreement between the measured through‐thickness internal strains and stresses and the surface strains and stresses determined from the applied loading.


Among the many different kinds of program repair techniques, one widely studied family of techniques is called test suite based repair. Test-suites are in essence input-output specifications and are therefore typically inadequate for completely specifying the expected behavior of the program under repair. Consequently, the patches generated by test suite based program repair techniques pass the test suite, yet may be incorrect. Patches that are overly specific to the used test suite and fail to generalize to other test cases are called overfitting patches. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of test case generation in alleviating the overfitting issue. We propose two approaches for using test case generation to improve test suite based repair, and perform an extensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed approaches in enabling better test suite based repair on 224 bugs of the Defects4J repository. The results indicate that test case generation can change the resulting patch, but is not effective at turning incorrect patches into correct ones. We identify the problems related with the ineffectiveness, and anticipate that our results and findings will lead to future research to build test-case generation techniques that are tailored to automatic repair systems.


Objective: This study aimed to examine and identify specific stressors for charge nurses at a rural Midwestern hospital.Methods: The Charge Nurses Stress Questionnaire (CNSQ) was administered to charge nurses of all units at a small Midwestern hospital. A total of 30 charge nurses completed the survey. The charge nurses completed 25 questions on four stress subscales, in addition to 11 demographic questions.Results: Study results revealed the highest stressors were primarily related to being unable to meet patient needs. This situation includes when a nurse cannot reach the provider when an urgent patient need arises; when the unit is at capacity with high acuity patients and receives notification another patient has been assigned to the unit; and when the patient is in pain or otherwise suffering, and care is delayed because orders are needed.Conclusions: Stress was noted by all charge nurses. The levels of different stressors from subscales correlate with each other, and thus an increase in one subscale of stress directly affects the level of stress of another subscale. The level of stress among charge nurses was not statistically significant among the nurses of different age, different units, different shifts, and different years of experience.


The past decade has seen a renaissance of research interest into the psychotherapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds. In 2019, Oakland and Denver became the first two jurisdictions in the United States to decriminalize the possession of psychedelic-containing organisms. As research and public policy continue to evolve, it becomes increasingly plausible that psychedelics will become viable treatment options for psychiatric conditions. Psychiatrists should be integral to models of psychedelic prescription and patient management. The risk for adverse psychological and medical effects from psychedelic sessions necessitates psychiatric supervision. The literature on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may provide wisdom regarding practical aspects of managing patients' treatment sessions.


This paper introduce novel hybrid optimization algorithm consists from elements of three optimization algorithms. The first algorithm is the particle swarm optimization, in which the element "velocity" is used. This element provides the distance to jump from the current position to the new position. The second element acquired from the pattern search algorithm in which the movement of the solution candidate in the neighborhood performed. This movement called compass movement where the direction of movement is to the up, down, right, or left. The last element obtained from the quantum-inspired algorithm. This element says that if no best solution found after performing the compass movement then the solution candidate will move to one of these positions that have the highest probability. The formula of the probabilities based on quantum computing theory. To investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm, machining economic models are used. The results have showed promising application of this hybrid algorithm to the field of mechanical engineering.


Audio watermarking has been proposed as an effective solution to solve or mitigate the new challenges of audio ownership verification. These challenges arose from easiness of copying and distributing of audio applications. This paper proposes important performance enhancements to a previously-reported audio ownership verification system based upon utilizing a combination of Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) techniques. A new audio signal framing, DWT matrix formation and embedding methods are proposed and successfully implemented to improve the minimum audio-cover period, quality of the watermarked audio and its robustness against various attacks. Performance evaluation of the developed system demonstrated improvements of 69% in the required minimum audio-cover period, 25% in the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and improved robustness against various watermarking benchmark attacks.


The role of robotic assisted surgery in contemporary urolithiasis management is in its infancy. The mainstay in the management of renal tract calculi remains ureterorenoscopy (URS), extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). However, in rare clinical circumstances, such as large impacted pelvic and ureteric calculi, endo-urological techniques may not be adequate. Furthermore, patient may have a synchronous pathology such as pelvi-ureteric obstruction which preferably should be concurrently treated with the renal calculi in a single sitting. Robotic assisted laparoscopic ureterolithotomy (RALU), robotic assisted laparoscopic pyelolithotomy (RPL) with or without concurrent pyeloplasty and Robotic assisted laparoscopic anatrophic nephrolithotomy have all been described for complex stones. Additionally, technical challenges with a flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) have led to the development of robotic assisted flexible ureteroscopes. In the article we summarize the role of robotic assisted surgery in complex renal tract calculi.


A study to assess the impact of partial discharge on the performance of ZigBee equipment in high voltage electricity supply substations is described. The character of partial discharge and ZigBee technology are both briefly reviewed. A field trial system developed for deployment in a 400 kV air insulted substation is described in detail and some preliminary proof-of-system results are presented.


Responses can be achieved with dasatinib or nilotinib after failure of 2 prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We report on 48 chronic myeloid leukemia patients sequentially treated with 3 TKIs: 34 with dasatinib after imatinib/nilotinib failure and 14 with nilotinib after imatinib/dasatinib failure. Before the third TKI, 25 patients were in chronic phase (CP), 10 in accelerated phase (AP), and 13 in blast phase (BP). Best response to third TKI in CP was 5 major molecular responses (MMR), 3 complete cytogenetic (CCyR), 2 partial cytogenetic (PCyR), 3 minor cytogenetic (mCyR), 6 complete hematologic responses (CHR), and 6 with no response (NR). In AP, 1 patient achieved MMR, 1 CCyR, 2 PCyR, 1 mCyR, 4 CHR, and 1 NR. In BP, 1 achieved MMR, 2 CCyR, 1 PCyR, 1 mCyR, 2 returned to CP, and 6 NR. Median CCyR duration was 16.3 months; 3 CP patients achieving CCyR had a response more than 12 months. Median failure-free survival was 20 months for patients in CP, 5 months in AP, and 3 months in BP. Use of second-generation TKI after failure to 2 TKIs may induce responses, but these are usually not durable except in some CP patients. New treatment options are needed.


The implementation of a new tool, the Data Informed Platform for Health, could be feasible in Uttar Pradesh, India, according to a new report published by IDEAS today. The report describes the findings of a feasibility study undertaken in Uttar Pradesh, India. The Data Informed Platform for Health (DIPH) is a framework to guide coordination, bringing together key data from public and private health sectors on inputs and processes that could influence maternal and newborn health. The key data will be synthesised to create a measure of programme implementation strength for each local area, which in turn can be used in the evaluation of the effects of large-scale programmes on health outcomes.


The quantum strategy (or quantum combs) framework is a useful tool for reasoning about interactions among entities that process and exchange quantum information over the course of multiple turns. We prove a time-reversal property for a class of linear functions, defined on quantum strategy representations within this framework, that corresponds to the set of rank-one positive semidefinite operators on a certain space. This time-reversal property states that the maximum value obtained by such a function over all valid quantum strategies is also obtained when the direction of time for the function is reversed, despite the fact that the strategies themselves are generally not time reversible. An application of this fact is an alternative proof of a known relationship between the conditional minand max-entropy of bipartite quantum states, along with generalizations of this relationship.


Essays on Occupational Social Class and Status in Post-Soviet Russia Alexey Bessudnov, St Antony's College Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Hilary Term 2011 The aim of this thesis is to explore several aspects of occupation-based inequality in post-Soviet Russia that have previously been given little attention in the literature. The data sources for statistical analysis are the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) and the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Various statistical techniques have been used, such as regression models with random and fixed effects, nonparametric and semiparametric regression models, survival models and log-multiplicative models for contingency tables. First, the thesis looks at the validity of the application of the European SocioEconomic Classification (ESeC) in Russia. The results show that ESeC classes in Russia are different in respect to several aspects of their employment contract, such as the probability of informal employment, the index of fringe benefits and unemployment risks. This confirms the validity of the ESeC for Russia. Second, the association between earnings and age is analyzed. The shape of cross-sectional age-earnings profiles in Russia is different from the shape in Western countries, especially for men. There is little variation in earnings across age groups, and younger men have higher average earnings than older men. The thesis suggests and discusses several explanations for this, such as age segregation in the labour market and the effect of class structure. Third, the thesis explores the class gap in mortality. Non-manual classes have lower mortality risks than manual classes, both for men and women. The size of the class gap in mortality in Russia is larger than in Western European countries. Fourth, the thesis constructs an occupational status scale and analyzes its properties. The scale is based on the information about intermarriages between occupational groups. The Russian scale is similar to the scales previously constructed for European countries and the USA. Overall, the thesis demonstrates similarity in the patterns of occupation-based inequality in Russia and in Western industrial countries. It also discusses some technical aspects of class analysis and suggests a more clear separation between the descriptive and causal logic within it.


This thesis presents arguments in favour of the expenditure of resources on
additional disclosures in both the private and public sectors, together
with a system of organising the additional reports and other forms of
accountability statements. The study is evolutionary rather than
revolutionary and envisages the gradual development of a more socially
relevant accounting which, on the whole, is guided by the basic principles
of current Anglo-American accounting. The objective of the overall thesis
is to enable a more socially relevant accounting to be developed,
operationalised, practiced and taught within our basic accounting
framework. [Continues].


Out of Date WHEN WE see the name Richard Gordon over an article or on the cover of a book we approach the contents with some apprehension, for this man has the remarkable talent of writing humorously of the medical profession and at the same time sticking closely to the truth. Doctor in the House and its successors convinced us on this point. Thus it was that on 9th January we opened Put.eli and saw that Richard Gordon had contributed a feature 'The Trade Press'. This dealt with the circulation, composition and readership of medical journals. Once again we found much truth, the tendency not to read journals, and yet the rush to them by research workers 20 years after publication, the lack of cohesion that sometimes is seen between editorial content and advertising matter all come in for mention. But one thing was more disturbing than all this: it appears that Richard Gordon does not read his journals either, for he refers to this publication as MEDICINE ILLUSTRATED, a title which was superseded by the BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE in October, 1956. We are displeased that Richard Gordon is so far behind in his reading, yet this must be considered as further evidence of his harmony with the profession in general, and as an attribute to his ability to write about us.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate coping flexibility in patients with newly acquired brain injury and to investigate the influence of problem type, self-efficacy, self-awareness and self-reported executive functions on coping flexibility.

METHODS
Data were collected from a prospective clinical cohort study of 136 patients assessed after discharge home (mean time since injury = 15 weeks) and 1 year later. Situation-specific coping was measured by asking patients to complete the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) for 3 acquired brain injury (ABI)-related situations, which were then categorized into problem types (physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioural, communication, other). Coping consistency (number of strategies used throughout every situation) and variability (range in frequency of use of strategies over situations) were measured. Random effects regression analyses were used.

RESULTS
Patients used more task-oriented coping for cognitive compared with physical problems. Coping variability was limited. Reliance on emotion-oriented coping decreased over time. Higher self-efficacy correlated with increased task-oriented and avoidance coping and decreased emotion-oriented coping. Greater self-reported problems in executive function correlated with greater consistency in task-oriented and emotion-oriented strategies.

CONCLUSION
Patients with acquired brain injury rely on a defined set of coping options across situations and time. High self-efficacy increases active coping. Subjective executive dysfunction might hamper effective strategy selection.


During the first half of the twentieth century, air pollution had a predominantly local character in Europe. But since the late 1960s, Europe has been aware of the threat to the environment from the effects of pollutants from large emission sources transported over long distances. At the end of the 1970s, the air pollution problem (mainly acid rain) was recognized as one of the most severe threats to the environment in Europe. As an effect of the alarming reports on the acidification problem the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution was adopted in 1979 within the framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). A first result of the implementation of this convention was an improvement of the Co-operative Programme for the Monitoring and Evaluation of the LongRange Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP). A second breakthrough for the implementation of the Convention was the Protocol on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Trans boundary Fluxes by at least 30 per cent adopted in Helsinki in July 1985. A third important step in implementing the convention was a protocol conceiving control of emissions of nitrogen oxides, which was signed in Sofia in November 1988. The protocol, signed by 25 countries in Europe and North America, calls for a stabilization of the emissions of nitrogen oxides. In Sofia, 12 countries signed a declaration on a 30 per cent reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions. Thus the abatement of air pollution effects has a high ranking on the political agenda in many European countries.


Environmental effects typically limit the accuracy of large scale coordinate measurements in applications such as aircraft production and particle accelerator alignment. This paper presents an initial design for a novel measurement technique with analysis and simulation showing that that it could overcome the environmental limitations to provide a step change in large scale coordinate measurement accuracy. Referred to as absolute multilateration between spheres (AMS), it involves using absolute distance interferometry to directly measure the distances between pairs of plain steel spheres. A large portion of each sphere remains accessible as a reference datum, while the laser path can be shielded from environmental disturbances. As a single scale bar this can provide accurate scale information to be used for instrument verification or network measurement scaling. Since spheres can be simultaneously measured from multiple directions, it also allows highly accurate multilateration-based coordinate measurements to act as a large scale datum structure for localized measurements, or to be integrated within assembly tooling, coordinate measurement machines or robotic machinery. Analysis and simulation show that AMS can be self-aligned to achieve a theoretical combined standard uncertainty for the independent uncertainties of an individual 1 m scale bar of approximately 0.49 µm. It is also shown that combined with a 1 µm m−1 standard uncertainty in the central reference system this could result in coordinate standard uncertainty magnitudes of 42 µm over a slender 1 m by 20 m network. This would be a sufficient step change in accuracy to enable next generation aerospace structures with natural laminar flow and part-to-part interchangeability.


In this paper, we propose an optimal relay transmission policy by using a stochastic energy harvesting (EH) model for the EH two-way relay network, wherein the relay is solar-powered and equipped with a finite-sized battery. In this policy, the long-term average outage probability is minimized by adapting the relay transmission power to the wireless channel states, battery energy amount, and causal solar energy states. The designed problem is formulated as a Markov decision process (MDP) framework, and conditional outage probabilities for both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) cooperation protocols are adopted as the reward functions. We uncover a monotonic and bounded differential structure for the expected total discounted reward, and prove that such an optimal transmission policy has a threshold structure with respect to the battery energy amount in sufficiently high SNRs. Finally, the outage probability performance is analyzed and an interesting saturated structure for the outage performance is revealed, i.e., the expected outage probability converges to the battery empty probability in high SNR regimes, instead of going to zero. Furthermore, we propose a saturation-free condition that can guarantee a zero outage probability in high SNRs. Computer simulations confirm our theoretical analysis and show that our proposed optimal transmission policy outperforms other compared policies.


This article describes the results of a survey of radiography program directors on positioning competencies for entry-level radiographers. The survey asked program directors to classify projections as essential, important, rarely needed or for reference only. The objective of the study was to rank radiographic projections from most to least important in clinical practice. The data are provided for use by educators and employers in determining which projections are essential entry-level competencies.