An application of contra-rotating rotors, consisting of front and rear rotors rotating in the opposite direction from each other, has been proposed against a demand for developing a higher specific speed axial flow pump with a more compact structure, higher efficiency and higher cavitation performance. As axial flow pumps are used for standby operations of air-lock and air/water mixing discharge to prevent floods, air/water two-phase flow performance of the contra-rotating pump has to be also investigated. In the present paper, therefore, experimental results on air/water two-phase flow performance of a test pump with contra-rotating rotors are shown and compared with those of a conventional axial flow pump, consisting of a front rotor and a rear stator. Even under two-phase flow conditions head characteristic curve of the contra-rotating type has a more strongly negative slope than that of the conventional type. The contra-rotating type maintains higher head and higher efficiency even in the low flow rate range and vice versa in the high flow rate range. This result will be discussed by considering the change of outlet flow from front rotor due to two-phase flow with the help of observed air behavior in the rotors. Then effects of changes of rear rotor rotational speed different from front rotor speed, which is an advantage of the contra-rotating axial flow pump, on two-phase flow performance are examined. Under the condition of constant ratio of air to water flow rates, the head rise of the rear rotor linearly increases with rear rotor rotational speed. Air/water two-phase flow performance of the contra-rotating axial flow pump can be improved by this control procedure for the rear rotor rotational speed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


The possibility of embedding optical fiber sensors inside carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) for structural health monitoring purposes has already been demonstrated previously. So far however, the sensitivity of these sensors to transverse load (i.e. out-of-plane load) remained considerably lower than that to axial strain. The design flexibility provided by novel microstructured optical fiber (MOF) technology now allows developing dedicated fibers with substantially enhanced sensitivity to transverse load. We exploited that flexibility and we developed a MOF that, when equipped with a fiber Bragg grating (FBG), leads to a sensor that allows measuring transverse strains in reinforced composite materials, with an order of magnitude increase of the sensitivity over the state-of-the-art. This is confirmed both with experiments on such fibers embedded in CFRP coupons and with finite element simulations. Our sensor brings the achievable transverse strain measurement resolution close to a target value of 1 microstrain (mu epsilon) and could therefore play an important role, not only in the domain of structural health monitoring, but also in the field of composite material production monitoring.


This article suggests that divide the strip surface quality into the damage class, the adhesion class as well as the surface vision class. In order to improve the surface vision quality of the tin plate, the chromaticity of gloss and lightness are used to measure the tin plate surface vision quality. Predictive models of gloss and lightness are established to determine the influencing factors by stepwise regression in the article. The research indicats: the gloss and lightness of tin plate are closely related with tin coating weight and the roughness of tin mill black plate, including profile arithmetic average error and superficial peak density. By enhancing the roughness control accuracy of tin mill black plate, the surface visual quality of tin plate has been greatly improved and the chromatic aberration after printing is solved.


We have conducted a series of experiment to investigate the potential of music communication based on emotion for hearing-impaired people and people with hearing abilities. The purpose of the experiments is to design a performance assistance system to enable hearing-impaired people to enjoy taking part in a music ensemble. In this paper, we describe an experiment on recognizing emotion in two media: moving images of a professional percussionist giving an improvised performance and the sounds extracted from the performance. The experiment was designed to investigate whether the image of a performance is important in recognizing emotion in the performance. The result showed that there was no significant difference in recognition of emotion between the two media. Our results were consistent with those of previous experiments: (1) there was no significant difference in recognizing emotion between hearing-impaired people and people with hearing abilities, and (2) ldquofearrdquo was the least recognized of the four emotions.


The aim of the present study is to support, enrich, and broaden the process of education using concept maps and to determine the effects of concept maps in biology classes on school success, attitude and retention of the knowledge taught. The present study was conducted as an experimental study with pre-test and post-test control groups. The participants of the study were impartially chosen 11 th grade high school students from an Anatolian High School and a Teacher Training Anatolian High School. 45 students, 21 in the control and 24 in the experimental group, participated in the study. In the present study, 'urinary system' unit was taught. Whereas the control group was taught traditionally, the experimental group was taught using concept map based teaching technique. Data was collected using concept map attitude scale and biology achievement test, a 45 item scale with a reliability coefficient of (α = .78). In order to identify the differences among the groups, biology achievement test was used as pre and post test. Data obtained to determine the achievement of both groups were analyzed using t-test analysis model of the SPSS 11.0 package program. At the end of the study, a statistically significant difference (p<.05) between emerged traditional teaching method and using concept map while teaching. The data also indicated that the cognitive support of the concept maps had a positive impact on students' achievement and retention of knowledge. The data furthermore indicated that students have a positive attitude for concept maps. Keywords : concept map, traditional teaching method, academic achievement, urinary system.


The aim of the study was to investigate the attitude change of general practitioners (GPs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina considering the key decision points in the management of treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-associated diseases in 2008, after the four-year period. The first survey was done from February to April 2004. Two hundred and sixty four GPs in B&H responded to questionnaire especially designed for the study. In May 2008, four years after the first survey, data were collected again by same questionnaire from 53 GPs. The most important source of information about the management of treatment of H. pylori-associated diseases in both surveys were symposia sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, but the percent decreased from 53% in 2004 to 34% in 2008. The percent of GPs who named the Internet as the major information source increased from 5% in 2004 to 28% in 2008. Medical journals were used as the most important source of information by every fourth GP in 2008 almost in the same percent as in 2004. In 2008 the percent of GPs who considered that the main obstacle to proper management of H. pylori-related diseases was the patient's low income status which was doubled in relation to 2004 (64%; 31% respectively). Almost all GPs (98%) claimed to eradicate H. pylori in 2008--a significant increase compared to 2004 when 71% of GPs reported eradication. Sixty percent of GP in 2008 claimed confirmation of infection prior to prescribing the eradication therapy which was significant increase in comparison to 2004 when only 9% of GPs confirmed presence of the H. pylori infection before starting eradication. All GPs who claimed to eradicate H. pylori infection used a proton pump inhibitor based on triple drug therapy, while in 2004 18% of GPs chose some other inadequate eradication therapy. As a conclusion, better selection of information sources eliminated management options of questionable value, but scarce economic resources in B&H will probably remain the main obstacle to the comprehensive H. pylori treatment.


Foodborne disease outbreaks are a public health problem for certain population groups in Spain, because of their magnitude and severity. The foods implicated in these outbreaks tend to be prepared with raw shell eggs, and Salmonella serotype Enteritidis tends to be the causative agent. In Spain, foodborne outbreaks due to consumption of eggs and egg products have not declined since 1998, despite the introduction of numerous prevention measures aimed at addressing this problem. Such measures include health education and making it mandatory for food catering facilities that cook and/or serve meals to replace raw shell eggs with pasteurised egg products when food is prepared without heat treatment and for immediate consumption.


In radiotherapy, dose distributions are obtained by using dose calculation algorithms that are implanted in treatment planning systems (TPS). This study aims to compare the surface doses of separate field sizes calculated by different version of The Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) and measured by the parallel-plate ion chamber that is admitted as the most reliable dosimetry system for the surface region dose measurements. In order to measure the near surface dose, water equivalent solid phantom was used and measurements were made for 6MV photon beam at 100 cm source-detector distance for 5×5, 10×10, and 20×20 cm2 field sizes. AAA 8.9 and AAA 15.1 versions of the Varian Eclipse TPS were used for surface dose calculations by generating beams with separate field sizes. The doses were read by considering the effective buildup thickness of Markus parallel-plate ion chamber. The surface doses using 6 MV photon beams for 10×10 cm2 field size at 0.07 mm were found to be 11.04%, 26.25%, and 19.69% for AAA v8.9, AAA v15.1 and Markus chamber, respectively. It was seen that for both of the AAA versions and Markus parallel-plate ion chamber, increasing field sizes also increase surface dose. For all field sizes, surface dose was lowest by using AAA v8.9 at 0.07 mm. The different versions of the same TPS algorithms may calculate the surface doses distinctively. After upgrading of TPS algorithms, surface doses should be calculated and compared by measurements with different dosimetry systems to better understand their calculation behaviors in the near surface region.


Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive disease of multifactorial etiology characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility. The disease often does not become clinically apparent until a fracture occurs . It occurs in the elderly of both sexes but is most pronounced in postmenopausal women .The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of sodium alendronate plus Thyme in treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and compare it's effect with Sodium alendronate alone . Forty postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were randomly divided into two groups( each group include twenty women) .The duration of treatment was 6 months . First group was given Sodium alendronate 70mg weekly and Thyme capsule 500mg twice daily, second group was given Sodium alendronate 70mg once weekly .The following parameters were measured for two groups at baseline and at 6 months intervals bone mineral density(BMD) and t score except ESR and serum ionized calcium were measured at baseline and at 2 months interval . There were a significant increase in BMD and significant increase in t score in group treated with Sodium alendronate plus Thyme after 6 months as compared with baseline  and with group treated with Sodium alendronate . Also there were a significant reduction in mean serum ionized calcium and mean ESR in group treated with Sodium alendronate plus Thyme and group treated with Sodium alendronate alone after 2,4,6 months as compared with baseline(P<0.05) . Keywords: Thyme, BMD, Sodium alendronate, Osteoporosis, t score


Academic community is one of the most vulnerable sectors affected by natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as climate change and extreme related events.  School administrators, professors, students, teaching and non-teaching staff have their own diverse schemes in construing these environmental perils. This study probes the subjects' level of awareness about the risk, the impacts to their learning process and works, the biophysical attributions that the University has experienced, the psychological impacts to every individual in the University community, and the different initiatives that have been introduced by the administrators to address the effects and risks of climate change and other types of disasters. Participatory Action Research is a tool used socially and environmentally that systematically gathers information and helps the subjects to understand and solve the problems existing as well as to reduce the risks of climate change. DPSIR Framework was integrated to University-Based Disaster Risk Management, and following the Hyogo Framework for Action to create a proposal that could help the university to be prepared in times of disasters.


Named entity recognition (NER) and relation extraction (RE) are two important tasks in information extraction and retrieval (IE \& IR). Recent work has demonstrated that it is beneficial to learn these tasks jointly, which avoids the propagation of error inherent in pipeline-based systems and improves performance. However, state-of-the-art joint models typically rely on external natural language processing (NLP) tools, such as dependency parsers, limiting their usefulness to domains (e.g. news) where those tools perform well. The few neural, end-to-end models that have been proposed are trained almost completely from scratch. In this paper, we propose a neural, end-to-end model for jointly extracting entities and their relations which does not rely on external NLP tools and which integrates a large, pre-trained language model. Because the bulk of our model's parameters are pre-trained and we eschew recurrence for self-attention, our model is fast to train. On 5 datasets across 3 domains, our model matches or exceeds state-of-the-art performance, sometimes by a large margin.


Many interesting human actions involve multiple interacting agents and also have typical durations. Further, there is an inherent hierarchical organization of these activities. In order to model these we introduce a new family of hidden Markov models (HMMs) that provide compositional state representations in both space and time and also a recursive hierarchical structure for inference at higher levels of abstraction. In particular, we focus on two possible 2-layer structures - the Hierarchical-Semi Parallel Hidden Markov Model (HSPaHMM) and the Hierarchical Parallel Hidden Semi-Markov Model (HPaHSMM). The lower layer of HSPaHMM consists of multiple HMMs for each agent while the top layer consists of a single HSMM. HPaHSMM on the other hand has multiple HSMMs at the lower layer and a Markov chain at the top layer. We present efficient learning and decoding algorithms for these models and then demonstrate them first on synthetic time series data and then in an application for sign language recognition.


Study Design. A cross-sectional survey. Objective. The aim of this study was to compare patients' and physiotherapists' views on triggers for low back pain (LBP) and to identify any novel factors not previously reported. Summary of Background Data. Most research on risk factors for LBP is guided by the views of clinicians and researchers, not patients. Consequently, potentially valuable information about risk factors for LBP is not available from those suffering the condition. This study aimed to compare patients' and physiotherapists' views on triggers for LBP and to identify any novel factors not previously reported. Methods. One hundred two physiotherapists and 999 patients with a sudden, acute episode of LBP participated in this study. Participating physiotherapists were asked to nominate the most likely short-term risk factors to trigger a LBP episode. Similarly, patients were asked what they thought had triggered their onset of LBP. Responses were coded into risk factor categories and subcategories by 2 independent researchers. Endorsement of each category was compared using the Pearson Chi-square statistic. Results. Both patients and physiotherapists endorsed biomechanical risk factors as the most important risk factor category (87.7% and 89.4%, respectively) and had similar levels of endorsement for 3 of the top 5 subcategories (lifting, bending, and prolonged sitting). There were significant differences in endorsement of awkward postures (13.4% vs 1.2%; P < 0.001) sports injuries (15.9% vs 4.7%; P < 0.001), physical trauma (3.4% vs 9.2%; P < 0.001), and unaccustomed activity (2.3% vs 7.3%; P < 0.001) by patients and physiotherapists, respectively. Conclusion. Overall, patients' and physiotherapists' views were remarkably similar. Both patients and physiotherapists endorsed lifting as the most important trigger for LBP and agreed on 3 of the top 5 (lifting, bending, and prolonged sitting). No new risk factors were suggested by patients. Level of Evidence: 2


Antisense oligonucleotides (oligos) have been employed against in vivo and in vitro prostate cancer models. While most oligos target growth factors or their receptors, others are directed against inhibitors of apoptosis or mediators of androgen activity. In previous experiments, mono- and bispecific oligos directed against bcl-2 suppressed both the targeted bcl-2 protein (an inhibitor of apoptosis) and non-targeted caspase-3 (a promoter of apoptosis), potentially negating the effect of therapeutic bcl-2 inhibition. Subsequently we reported that AR and p300 expression were significantly enhanced by these oligos. In a continuation of this study, we now report that the expression of another androgen receptor co-stimulatory protein, CREB binding protein (CREBBP), is not similarly increased. These data suggest that oligo treatment directed against bcl-2 can be evaded through compensatory increases in AR and p300 expression. Increased AR and p300 expression may transition the tumor to a more dedifferentiated and aggressive phenotype. However, not all co-stimulating proteins (CREBBP) are involved, and this may be important when controlling unanticipated (compensatory) effects of gene therapy.


Context-aware applications use personal information to provide appropriate services for people. This personal information is often involved in personal privacy. In order to balance the personal privacy concerns against enjoying context-aware services, we propose a conceptual framework and privacy role to control access personal information. Privacy disclosure policy can be learned from people's interaction history about personal information disclosure using rough set theory. According to deducing from the privacy disclosure policy and context information, a context-aware application is assigned to an adequate privacy role. A case analysis and the initial performance evaluation show that the proposed method is effective.


Abstract Fundamental understanding of the origin, geometry, extension and scale dependence of fluid pathways in fractured rock is still incomplete. We analysed fracture networks on different scales, based on data from fluorescent thin sections and borehole televiewer (BHTV) images, to obtain geometrical network parameters and to estimate fracture permeability in the vicinity of a mantle plume (Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project, HSDP). In the depth interval between 814 and 1088 m below sea-level, we observed microfractures in the fluorescent thin sections, and macroscopic fractures in the corresponding BHTV data from the same depth range. Initial modelling of the microscopic network from the fluorescent thin section taken at 1088 m below sea-level gives a clear indication that in this particular case the preferential hydraulic pathways on the microscopic scale are the microfractures in the olivine crystals. This is the only plausible explanation of high porosity (16.6%, based on core measurement), due to the observed vesicles and the corresponding low permeability of 10 µdarcy. Modelling hydraulic flow and calculation of permeability leads to similar values of permeability of 12.3 µdarcy, assuming a mean fracture aperture of 1 µm and an exponential distribution function of the fractures. Detected structures from BHTV measurements were used to construct a macroscopic stochastic network to simulate the hydraulic flow. We found 337 fractures in the depth section from 783.5 to 1147.5 m below sea-level, which result in a linear frequency of 0.927 m−1. Assuming horizontal layers and constant fracture apertures of 100 µm for all structures, leads to a first estimate of permeability of 77 mdarcy (7.7 × 10−14 m2) in this depth section. In a recent work, we showed that for data from the Continental Deep Drilling Project (KTB), the fracture density versus fracture length follows a power law. First results from the Hawaiian data suggest a similar relationship, despite all of the differences in the lithological conditions between both sites.


Background: Lhermitte Duclos Disease (LDD) is a rare disorder of unknown pathogenesis. It generally affects middle-aged patients and is categorized as a WHO grade 1 tumor. LDD commonly presents with symptoms related to increased intracranial pressure. Magnetic resonance imaging is the appropriate technique allowing preoperative diagnosis with the characteristic striated pattern of exaggerated folia appearance on T2 weighted image. The principal histological abnormalities are expansion and massive replacement of the internal granular cell layer by large neurons with vesicular nuclei and proeminent nucleoli. Surgery is the treatment of choice. The prognosis is excellent. Case report: A 41-year-old male was referred to our hospital with loss of consciousness and dizziness lasting for one week. Physical examination revealed left cerebellar signs. In the ophthalmological examination, bilateral papillary oedema was observed. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed a non enhancing striated lesion in the right side of the cerebellum with Hydrocephaly. A subtotal craniectomy and partial resection of the left cerebellar tumor were performed. The histological and immunohistochemical profile was that of a dysplastic gangliocytoma. Conclusions: LDD or dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma is a rare benign cerebellar mass, probably hamartomatous, with a characteristic aspect magnetic resonance imaging. Surgery is the only treatment approach that avoids the complications.


Graphene-enhanced Raman scattering (GERS) is emerging as an important method due to the need for highly reproducible, quantifiable, and biocompatible active substrates. As a result of its unique two-dimensional carbon structure, graphene provides particularly large enhanced Raman signals for molecules adsorbed on its surface. In this work, the GERS signals of a test molecule, 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), with reproducible enhancement factors are discussed and compared with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals from highly active substrates, covered with spherical silver nanoparticles. It is shown that chemical interactions between the molecule and graphene can result in a frequency shift in the graphene-enhanced Raman signal of the molecule.


ABSTRACT We propose an approach for automatic generation of building models by assembling a set of boxes using a Manhattan-world assumption. The method first aligns the point cloud with a per-building local coordinate system, and then fits axis-aligned planes to the point cloud through an iterative regularization process. The refined planes partition the space of the data into a series of compact cubic cells (candidate boxes) spanning the entire 3D space of the input data. We then choose to approximate the target building by the assembly of a subset of these candidate boxes using a binary linear programming formulation. The objective function is designed to maximize the point cloud coverage and the compactness of the final model. Finally, all selected boxes are merged into a lightweight polygonal mesh model, which is suitable for interactive visualization of large scale urban scenes. Experimental results and a comparison with state-of-the-art methods demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.


Asexuality confers demographic advantages to invasive taxa, but generally limits adaptive potential for colonizing of new habitats. Therefore, pre‐existing adaptations and habitat tolerance are essential in the success of asexual invaders. We investigated these key factors of invasiveness by assessing reproductive modes and host‐plant adaptations in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, a pest recently introduced into Chile. The pea aphid encompasses lineages differing in their reproductive mode, ranging from obligatory cyclical parthenogenesis to fully asexual reproduction. This species also shows variation in host use, with distinct biotypes specialized on different species of legumes as well as more polyphagous populations. In central Chile, microsatellite genotyping of pea aphids sampled on five crops and wild legumes revealed three main clonal genotypes, which showed striking associations with particular host plants rather than sampling locations. Phenotypic analyses confirmed their strong host specialization and demonstrated parthenogenesis as their sole reproductive mode. The genetic relatedness of these clonal genotypes with corresponding host‐specialized populations from the Old World indicated that each clone descended from a particular Eurasian biotype, which involved at least three successful introduction events followed by spread on different crops. This study illustrates that multiple introductions of highly specialized clones, rather than local evolution in resource use and/or selection of generalist genotypes, can explain the demographic success of a strictly asexual invader.


Seventy-five adults who reported witnessing at least 1 animal being killed inhumanely participated in a study of 5 measures of empathy from the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis, 1980) and the Animal Attitude Scale (AAS) (Herzog, Betchart, & Pittman, 1991): Perspective Taking (PT), Fantasy (FS), Emotional Concern (EC), Personal Distress (PD), and Animal Attitudes (AA). Females showed greater sensitivity (4 of 5 scales) on a 2-way MANOVA with Sex (male, female) and Witnessing Killing (never, once, multiple) as independent variables. Individuals who witnessed multiple killings were higher on PT and lower on PD scales. Lower PD for those who witnessed multiple killings suggests hardening or habituation related to exposure. Alternatively, they may lack resistance to involvement in situations leading to animal violence. Higher PT scores related to multiple killings may indicate a natural leaning toward the cognitive—rather than affective—or dissociation between cognitive and affective. A shift to the cognitive, as a defense mechanism, suggests a dissociation hypothesis. Implications extend to the need for refined research in the developmental sequence of animal abuse and empathy, and humane education.


The main objective of this study is to define service level equation with a different approach in the forward-reserve models. In this article within the forward-reserve model, in order to ensure service level optimization, a heuristic sequential solution procedure is proposed. A global model is presented and solved for evaluating and decision making of warehouse and inventory decisions. The proposed method is related to service level and inventory decisions as well as warehouse decisions and shortage cost. Two stages are followed with the proposed method. While in the first stage inventory decisions along with the constant service level decision being taken in the second part the results obtained in the first stage being kept constant and with this regard warehouse decisions being taken. Since the main purpose in this article is to develop a new equation for a service level, the results of the second stage are not shown in detail. It has been shown with an application of a real example that we could reach the solution in less time for the new developed service level equation comparing to simple service level search procedure. The main contribution of this study to literature is to develop a new service level equation for forward-reserve models.


BACKGROUND
Health utility data often show an apparent truncation effect, where a proportion of individuals achieve the upper bound of 1. The Tobit model and censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) have both been used as analytic solutions to this apparent truncation effect. These models assume that the observed utilities are censored at 1, and hence that the true utility can be greater than 1.We aimed to examine whether the Tobit and CLAD models yielded acceptable results when this censoring assumption was not appropriate.

METHODS
Using health utility (captured through EQ5D) data from a diabetes study, we conducted a simulation to compare the performance of the Tobit, CLAD, ordinary least squares (OLS), two-part and latent class estimators in terms of their bias and estimated confidence intervals. We also illustrate the performance of semiparametric and nonparametric bootstrap methods.

RESULTS
When the true utility was conceptually bounded above at 1, the Tobit and CLAD estimators were both biased. The OLS estimator was asymptotically unbiased and, while the model-based and semiparametric bootstrap confidence intervals were too narrow, confidence intervals based on the robust standard errors or the nonparametric bootstrap were acceptable for sample sizes of 100 and larger. Two-part and latent class models also yielded unbiased estimates.

CONCLUSIONS
When the intention of the analysis is to inform an economic evaluation, and the utilities should be bounded above at 1, CLAD, and Tobit methods were biased. OLS coupled with robust standard errors or the nonparametric bootstrap is recommended as a simple and valid approach.


In November 2017, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, chief of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division, gave a speech at University of Southern California provocatively entitled "Take it to the Limit: Respecting Innovation Incentives in the Application of Antitrust Law". In this speech, Mr. Delrahim announced a new DOJ policy approach to the antitrust analysis of collaborative standard setting and standards-development organizations (SDOs) -- the trade associations and other groups in which industry participants cooperate to develop interoperability standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G and 5G, USB and the like. He explained that the DOJ had "strayed too far" in its focus on single firm conduct concerning standards, particularly the assertion of patents essential to the implementation of standards in technology products ("standards-essential patents" or "SEPs"), and that antitrust authorities should be more concerned with potential collusion by competitors within SDOs (i.e., an apparent shift in doctrinal focus from unilateral conduct under Section 2 of the Sherman Act to concerted action under Section 1 of the Sherman Act). One commentator described the DOJ policy shift announced by Mr. Delrahim as "a 180 degree turn" on SEP issues. The new policy also seems to put the enforcement priorities of the Antitrust Division at odds with those of the other principal U.S. antitrust enforcement agency, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and jeopardizes reliance of a long line of DOJ Business Review Letters outlining acceptable approaches to conduct such as forming patent pools. This article analyzes the contours of the emerging divide among U.S. antitrust agencies, as well as reactions to the "Take it to the Limit Speech" by industry, academics and Mr. Delrahim's subsequent public statements.


The article "LncRNA BX357664 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells, by J. Yang, Y.-M. Du, B. Li, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (2): 660-669-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201901_16880-PMID: 30720174" has been withdrawn from the authors due to data miscalculation, p-value (Distance metastasis in Table I) should be 0.161, not 0.034. So the low level of BX357664 was not correlated with distant metastasis of NSCLC. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/16880.


How do threats of terrorism affect the opinions of citizens? Speculation abounds, but until now no one had marshaled hard evidence to explain the complexities of this relationship. Drawing on data from surveys and original experiments they conducted in the United States and Mexico, Jennifer L. Merolla and Elizabeth J. Zechmeister demonstrate how our strategies for coping with terrorist threats significantly influence our attitudes toward fellow citizens, political leaders, and foreign nations. The authors reveal, for example, that some people try to restore a sense of order and control through increased wariness of others - especially of those who exist outside the societal mainstream. Additionally, voters under threat tend to prize 'strong leadership' more highly than partisan affiliation, making some politicians seem more charismatic than they otherwise would. The authors show that a wary public will sometimes continue to empower such leaders after they have been elected, giving them greater authority even at the expense of institutional checks and balances. Having demonstrated that a climate of terrorist threat also increases support for restrictive laws at home and engagement against terrorists abroad, Merolla and Zechmeister conclude that our responses to such threats can put democracy at risk.


Abstract : The cryogenically pumped vacuum chamber has made it possible to generate gas dynamic flows of much lower density than conventional wind tunnels. In the process of calibrating these flows since 1964, pitot tube data have been obtained in a regime that corresponds to very high altitude flight, low Reynolds numbers (100/cm), or high Knudsen numbers (mean-free-path 40X pitot diameter) . Under these conditions, pitot pressures may be four times the inviscid stagnation pressure. Therefore, a substantial correction must be applied to the measured pitot tube data to use it for gas stream calibrations. The available pitot data are correlated in concise form with Reynolds number evaluated behind a normal shock, Re2, and total temperature as a parameter. The physical variables are combined in a form of presentation that permits direct determination of stream properties in nozzle or free-jet expansions without the usual successive approximations. The data are presented in a form that permits selection of pitot tube size, transducer range, and applicability of the instrument in specific flow conditions. The use of the pitot tube to survey the rarefied flow of jet from a rocket motor in a space chamber is discussed. The low density nozzles used in Aerospace Chamber (10V) are probably unique in the low density limit, and the pitot pressure data provide an insight into the gas dynamics of rarefied flows.


One of possible ways of obtaining continuous-space sentence representations is by training neural machine translation (NMT) systems. The recent attention mechanism however removes the single point in the neural network from which the source sentence representation can be extracted. We propose several variations of the attentive NMT architecture bringing this meeting point back. Empirical evaluation suggests that the better the translation quality, the worse the learned sentence representations serve in a wide range of classification and similarity tasks.


This paper considers the potential managerial benefits that a small business taxpayer may derive as a result of undertaking tax compliance work. Managerial benefits are expected to come in the form of improved information systems, improved controls, or savings on accountant costs or other compliance costs. The scarce empirical evidence on managerial benefits suggests that they may be significant and that they are more likely to arise in small businesses with less developed accounting systems. Several theoretical issues have hampered research on managerial benefits: tax and accounting related activities are often entangled and managerial benefits are difficult to measure because of their ambiguous nature. The paper concludes by outlining a research project on managerial benefits in the form of research hypotheses and research questions.


Self-heating has already been proven to be one of the key sources to memory effects in RF power amplifiers (PAs). However, mechanisms behind the generation of memory effects, as caused by self-heating have not been well documented. On basis of transistor physical properties this paper proposes a simple electro-thermal model and shows how self-heating can generate different types of memory effects, such as bandwidth dependent intermodulation components and hysteresis loops. In addition, it is shown that self-heating can result in generation of new spectral components even in an otherwise linear PA. A time domain modeling framework is implemented to investigate memory effects generated by self-heating and simulation results are shown to agree with theoretical analysis.


Advanced Traveller Information Systems (ATIS) are generally expected to be efficient in reducing travel time and parking search time uncertainties. This article presents a mixed-behaviour multi-class equilibrium model for investigating heterogeneous drivers' responses to route guidance and parking information systems in stochastic and time-dependent networks. The proposed model simultaneously considers the drivers' choices of departure time, route and parking location under network uncertainty. All drivers are differentiated by their values of time and values of reliability, and each class of them is further divided into two groups, equipped and unequipped with ATIS, respectively. Suppose that the equipped drivers can predict travel disutility more accurately than the unequipped ones due to the information services provided by ATIS. The model is formulated as a fixed-point problem and is solved by a heuristic solution algorithm via a combination of the Monte Carlo simulation approach and the method of successive averages. The effectiveness of the modelling framework is illustrated by a numerical example and some new insights about the complex travel and parking behaviour under ATIS are obtained.


The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C16H10N2O2, contains one half-molecule, the complete molecule being generated by twofold rotation symmetry. The plane of the pyrazine ring forms a dihedral angle of 64.87 (6)° with that of the benzene ring, and the planes of the two benzene rings are inclined to one another by 54.20 (6)°. The O atom deviates from the plane of the benzene ring by 0.1549 (8) Å. There are no significant intermolecular interactions in the crystal.


The topic of this thesis, focused on cognitive sensor monitoring of machining processes for zero defect manufacturing, has been addressed within the framework of the international research project EC FP7 CP-IP "IFaCOM – Intelligent Fault Correction and self Optimizing Manufacturing systems" (2011-2015; FoF NMP – 285489) and the national MIUR PON Project on "Development of eco-compatible materials and technologies for robotised drilling and assembly processes – STEP FAR" (2014-2016).
The vision of the IFaCOM project is to achieve near zero defect level of manufacturing with particular emphasis on the production of high value, large variety and high performance products.
This goal is achieved through the development of improved methodologies for monitoring and control of the performance of manufacturing processes with the aim to detect abnormal process conditions leading to defects on the produced parts.
The overall aim of the STEP FAR project is the study of issues related to drilling and cutting techniques of advanced lightweight components, such as composite material parts, and their relative assembly, using cooperating anthropomorphic robots. The use of innovative materials and processes developed in this research will lead to a reduction in weight and environmental impact in the construction and maintenance of primary aircraft structures. At least a 5% reduction in weight of the structures is foreseen without increase of costs (a possible rise in the cost of raw materials is compensated with the reduction of process costs).
In aeronautical industry the reduction of the weight of the aircraft is becoming an increasingly important aim both for environmental requirements (lower emissions) and contraction of the management costs (lower fuel consumption). Therefore new structural architectures through the use of innovative materials and technologies have been developed.
One of the innovative processes analysed in this project is the drilling via machining of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) stack-ups.
In the framework of these projects, this thesis work is focused on the development of cognitive condition monitoring procedures for zero defect machining processes with reference to two different industrial manufacturing applications.
The thesis is organized as follows:
Chapter 2 reviews the general concept of sensor monitoring of manufacturing processes and provides a comprehensive survey of sensor technologies, advanced signal processing techniques, sensor fusion approach, and cognitive decision making strategies for process monitoring.
In Chapter 3, the Strecon industrial case, as a partner of the IFaCOM project, is discussed and analysed. The STRECON end-user case is focused on improving repeatability and predictability of the surface finish produced by a Robot Automated Polishing (RAP) process.
In order to establish a robust method for the detection of the polishing process end-point, i.e. the determination of the right moment for tool and abrasive paste change, STRECON sensor system selection focuses on monitoring the progress of the surface quality during the polishing process by means of variation in VQCs (Vital Quality Characteristics), i.e. roughness and gloss of the polished surface.
The output data have been used to train a neural network. The employed NN learning procedure was the leave-k-out method where k cases from the training set are put aside in turn, while the other cases are used for NN training.
In Chapter 4, the Alenia Aermacchi industrial case, as coordinator and partner of the STEP FAR project, is discussed and analysed. The Alenia Aermacchi user case is based on the analysis of drilling of stacks made of two overlaid carbon fibre reinforced plastic composite laminates. In this case, a neural network based cognitive paradigm based on a bootstrap procedure has been used for the identification of correlations with tool wear development and product hole quality.
Finally, Chapter 5 reports the concluding remarks and future developments of this work.


Background: Rapid response team (RRT) is becoming an essential part of patient safety by the early recognition and management of patients on general hospital wards. In this study, we analyzed the usefulness of screening criteria of RRT used at Asan Medical Center. Methods: On a retrospective basis, we reviewed the records of 675 cases in 543 patients that were managed by RRT (called medical alert team in the Asan Medical Center), from July 2011 to December 2011. The medical alert team was acted by requests of attending doctors or nurses or the medical alert system (MAS) criteria composed of abnormal vital sign, neurology, laboratory data and increasing oxygen demand. We investigated the patterns of MAS criteria for targeting the patients who were managed by the medical alert team. Results: Respiratory distress (RR > 25/min) was the most common item for identifying patients whose condition had worsened. The criteria consist with respiratory distress and abnormal blood pressure (mean BP < 60 mmHg or systolic BP < 90 mmHg) found 70.0% of patients with deteriorated conditions. Vital sign (RR > 25/min, mean BP < 60 mmHg or systolic BP < 90 mmHg, pulse rate, PR > 130/min or < 50/min) and oxygen demand found 79.2% of them. Vital signs, arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA) with lactate level (pH, pO2, pCO2, and lactate) and O2 demand found 98.6% of patient conditions had worsened. Conclusions: Vital signs, especially RR > 25/min is useful criteria for detecting patients whose conditions have deteriorated. The addition of ABGA data with lactate levels leads to a more powerful screening tool.


Due to the evaluation of mobile devices and applications in the current decade, a new direction for wireless networks has emerged. The general consensus about the future 5G network is that the following should be taken into account; the purpose of thousand-fold system capacity, hundredfold energy efficiency, lower latency, and smooth connectivity. The massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), as well as the Millimeter wave (mm Wave) have been considered in the ultra-dense cellular network (UDN), because they are viewed as the emergent solution for the next generations of communication. This article focuses on evaluating and discussing the performance of mm Wave massive MIMO for ultra-dense network, which is one of the major technologies for the 5G wireless network. More so, the energy efficiencies of two kinds of architectures for wireless backhaul networks were investigated and compared in this article. The results of the simulation revealed some points that should be considered during the deployment of small cells in the two architectures UDN with backhaul network capacity and backhaul energy efficiency, that the changing the frequency bands in Distribution approach gives the same energy efficiency reached to 600 Mb/s at 15 nodes while the Conventional approach results reached less than 100 Mb/s at the same number of nodes.


People with hearing impairment find competing voices scenarios to be challenging, both with respect to switching attention from one talker to the other, as well as maintaining attention. With the Danish competing voices test (CVT) presented here, the dual-attention skills can be assessed. The CVT provides sentences spoken by three male and three female talkers, played in sentence pairs. The task of the listener is to repeat the target sentence from the sentence pair based on cueing either before or after playback. One potential way of assisting segregation of two talkers is to take advantage of spatial unmasking by presenting one talker per ear after application of time-frequency masks for separating the mixture. Using the CVT, this study evaluated four spatial conditions in 14 moderate-to-severely hearing-impaired listeners to establish benchmark results for this type of algorithm applied to hearing-impaired listeners. The four spatial conditions were as follows: summed (diotic), separate, the ideal ratio mask, and the ideal binary mask. The results show that the test is sensitive to the change in spatial condition. The temporal position of the cue has a large impact, as cueing the target talker before playback focuses the attention toward the target, whereas cueing after playback requires equal attention to the two talkers, which is more difficult. Furthermore, both applied ideal masks show test scores very close to the ideal separate spatial condition, suggesting that this technique is useful for future separation algorithms using estimated rather than ideal masks.


The immunisation of children against communicable diseases is a crucial public health intervention with both individual and collective outcomes. Current New Zealand immunisation policy prioritises parental autonomy, but has not succeeded in actively targeting all of the factors that prevent parents from ever making informed immunisation decisions. Consequently, our coverage rates are unsatisfactory both in absolute (by reference to the goal of 'population immunity') and relative terms. In order to have a realistic chance of meeting the Ministry of Health's optimistic coverage targets, it is necessary to consider whether New Zealand's comparatively weak immunisation law could be strengthened to eliminate the phenomenon of 'passive' non-immunisation without fatally undermining the decision-making capacity of parents. If this is not possible, then either the goal of population immunity or the prioritisation of individual choice must be abandoned. Of the three options for law reform explored by this paper, two are thought to be unworkable because they would, or should, be perceived as failing to achieve the delicate balance between individual freedom and public good. These are, first, a universal mandatory immunisation requirement, which may be justifiable in principle but would almost certainly encounter prohibitive public opposition; and, secondly, a targeted law that would require beneficiaries to make active decisions about immunisation, and (it is submitted) represents an unwarranted misuse of the vulnerability of those dependent upon taxpayer support. The reform option recommended is more moderate and more equitable. Creating a legal presumption in favour of immunisation, at the point of entry into primary school, would shift New Zealand from its current paradigm of 'informed consent' - whereby parents must actively opt in to immunisation - to a United States-style model that required parents who wished to opt out of immunisation to undergo a 'informed refusal' process. The stringency of this process would depend upon the degree to which policy-makers were satisfied that only those parents whose deeply held convictions prevented them from being open to persuasion were attempting to invoke it. Unless the size of the anti-immunisation lobby significantly increases, it is suggested that an informed refusal requirement could successfully tackle the problem of passive non-immunisation, thereby discharging the State's responsibility to further the interest of all New Zealanders in achieving and maintaining population immunity levels.


The Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model ensures that an organisation charged withthe task of preserving information (here, digital information) makes it accessible to the designated communityin the long-term. It elucidates the functions and processes so as to promote interoperability amongst digitallibraries, archives and other institutions and provides a framework for describing and comparing differentlong-term digital preservation strategies and techniques. This paper discusses what it means to be OAIScompliant for the pilot institutional repository at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG). It maps the six entitiesof an OAIS-compliant repository (Ingest, archival storage, administration, data management, preservationplanning and access) onto a pilot institutional repository (IR) structure of the IIG. It discusses the policies andprocedures required for effective OAIS implementation within the IIG institutional repository and ways toeffectively develop these based on experiences from abroad. The paper further assesses how the institute'soperational structure can be informed by the OAIS and vice versa. It establishes the role of the preservationservice provider for the IIG IR, and explores the potential for interaction between IIG and such service providers.Itidentifies the rights and responsibilities, services and actions, and apportions these between the IR and thethird-party preservation repository service. It identifies the tools and develops the processes to implementthe preservation services and actions. It is expected that this study can be of use to other organisations thatmight want to undertake implementation of the OAIS reference model. http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/djlit.32.4.2527


This thesis examines the concept of teachers acting as moral models in education and how the role of empathy in teacher-pupil relationships plays a part in this process. In particular it examines how teachers understood these issues and whether those same understandings could be seen at work in classroom practice. The thesis integrates the traditional literature in this field with recent research into neuroscience. This combination highlights the effect of emotion on engagement in learning, decision-making and a sense of attachment and responsibility in interaction and relationships.

Following a pilot study and exploratory work with both methodology and subject, grounded theory was chosen as the methodology and a conceptual framework was created from the data. Empathic teachers and student teachers were interviewed and observed, in different contexts in both primary and secondary phases, including teachers who support special needs students and students of English as another Language.

The thesis presents a detailed exposition and classification of empathy at work in teaching and learning. Empathy is revealed as a highly complex phenomenon, which develops over time and with frequency of interaction and which is highly dependent on the actors and the context of the interaction. The thesis confirms and expands the powerful effects of profound empathy on self-esteem, relationships and learning. Empathic teachers are revealed as highly moral individuals who attach themselves mentally and emotionally to their pupils generating similar responses in return, in effect modelling and evoking morality in their personal interactions with pupils and colleagues. Positive personal interaction supports high quality learning, engagement and behaviour in valuing relationships. This has implications for both face to face and e-learning.

However, the constraints of class size, time, curriculum, policy and management distort the moral model offered by teachers. These constraints are conditioned to a large extent by economic and competitive considerations. The thesis identifies a phenomenon entitled functional empathy, which teachers use to create mental connections with whole classes. Functional empathy is of a lower moral order and in conjunction with shallow levels of personal empathy and feigned empathy has implications for the moral model offered to large numbers of students, throughout their education. The thesis therefore has significant implications for the moral order in general.


This research attempts to investigate the impacts of monetary variables (such as money supply and interest rates) on food prices in China using a vector error correction (VEC) model approach. Evidence indicates that monetary variables and the food price index (FPI) have a long-run equilibrium relationship in China. Furthermore, the direction of Granger-causality moves from the money supply to the FPI and then to interest rates, rather than the reverse. Monetary impacts on food prices in China mainly stem from the money supply rather than interest rates.


BACKGROUND
Hemoglobin electrophoresis (HBE) is a part of the preoperative routine requested by anesthetists. However, the prevalence of hemoglobinopathy in the population is low. This study aims to determine the clinical risk factors for hemoglobinopathies and propose clinical guidelines for preoperative screening of patients for pediatric day care surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A prospective study carried out over 12 months. Consecutive patients aged 6 months and older who had day case surgery were recruited to the study. Biodata and relevant clinical data were collated and documented in a proforma and analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences version 17.

RESULTS
There were 124 patients106 boys and 18 girls. The median age was 3 years. Scrotal lesions were the most common conditions managed (71.7%). Seventy-eight percent of patients had HbAA, 15.3% had HbAS, and 4.8% had HbAC while 0.8% each had both HbSC and HbSS. At least one parent of 78.2% knew their Hb phenotype, of which, 79% were HbAA. A history of jaundice (P = 0.0001), hand and foot syndrome (P = 0.0001), frontal bossing (P = 0.0001), and low packed cell volume at surgery (P = 0.001) were found significant in predicting hemoglobinopathies. There was no mortality.

CONCLUSION
Risk factors for hemoglobinopathies from this study included a positive history of jaundice, hand and foot syndrome, frontal bossing, and anemia. Proposed guidelines for HBE screening include the presence of hemoglobinopathy in one parent if one parent has sickle cell trait, and the other parent's genotype is unknown or if any of the risk factors is present.


The population density in European cities and the increasing of car flows are the main reason of bottlenecks, congestions in cities and disaggregation of quality of life in these cities. Road transportation is not the best way for respecting environmental improvements. Cities like Paris, take political decisions for decreasing this high level of road transportation and changing gasoil consumption. Economic advantages for alternative to road transportation have to be shown to companies in order to accelerate their switching decision. This paper focuses on the optimization of restaurant waste management by using fluvial transportation. The idea is to adapt complex systems modeling to this case and show how this activity sector companies could be competitive. Formalisms and tools of GRAI methodology has been used for elaborating appropriated concepts to this sector optimization. An example integrating real data (with a simulation by using Anylogic tool) will be presented for illustrating theoretical propositions.


Environmental concern is at the centre of 'Environmentally Sustainable Banking' or 'Green Banking' policies and strategies. Policy makers in many economies have been undertaking initiatives and formulating rules to support green banking activities by the financial sectors throughout the world. In response to various legislative and regulatory bindings and incentives, a good number of banks in developed countries have been demonstrating their commitment to the earth through incorporating environmental risk in banking. In contrast, the status of environmental management has not been satisfactory in most developing countries, largely due to poor enforcement of existing laws and policies, lack of incentives and inadequate pressure from interest groups. Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country, has been helping government in implementing provisions of key environmental regulations in the financial sector and from time to time it has issued a few environmental circulars and introduced refinance facilities to encourage banks for environmental financing mainly in renewable power generation. Especially, the circular issued in 2011 on 'Policy Guidelines for Green Banking' is a remarkable step on the way to developing green banking practices in the banking sector of Bangladesh. Commercial banks' responses are crucial for positive outcomes of these initiatives and for ensuring environmentally sustainable banking. The paper attempts to examine the impact of the Central Bank's initiative on the environmental banking in Bangladesh. The paper identified that though remarkable changes have taken place in terms of green awareness, banks could not attained a number of milestone targeted by the Bangladesh Bank.


Copyright © 2016 by Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 9, No. 3: 282-283, September 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.21053/ceo.2015.01760


The present collection is a selection of the most important instruments. It is meant to guide students and practitioners through the labyrinth. Its focus is on international (universal) and European instruments.


Brachial plexus Injury causes severe and long-term upper limb deficits at any age. The outcome from current reconstructive options depends on the severity of nerve injury and timing of intervention. This chapter summarises the differing biological responses to nerve injury that occur during neonatal, young adult and mature adult life. The central and peripheral reactions to nerve injury, the effects of timing of repair on both motor and sensory neuronal survival and basic science evidence to support early intervention are discussed.


Planar vacuum deposited p–i–n methyl ammonium lead tri-iodide perovskite solar cells are prepared with different electron and hole transporting layers, either doped or undoped. The effect of these layers on the solar cells performance (efficiency and stability) is studied. The main benefit of using doped layers lies in the formation of barrier free charge extraction contacts to the electrodes. However, this comes at the cost of increased residual absorption (reducing the current density and efficiency of the cells) and a decreased stability. A generic solar cell structure using undoped charge extraction layers is presented, containing a thin layer of a strong electron acceptor in between the transparent electrode and the hole transport layer, that leads to efficiencies of 18% and a significant (>5 times) improvement of the stability.


Cesari argues that both religious and national communities are defined by the three Bs: belief, behaviour and belonging. By focusing on the ways in which these three Bs intersect, overlap or clash, she identifies the patterns of the politicization of religion, and vice versa, in any given context. Her approach has four advantages: firstly, it combines an exploration of institutional and ideational changes across time, which are usually separated by disciplinary boundaries. Secondly, it illustrates the heuristic value of combining qualitative and quantitative methods by statistically testing the validity of the patterns identified in the qualitative historical phase of the research. Thirdly, it avoids reducing religion to beliefs by investigating the significance of the institution-ideas connections, and fourthly, it broadens the political approach beyond state-religion relations to take into account actions and ideas conveyed in other arenas such as education, welfare, and culture.


Background: The IκB kinase subunit γ (IKKγ) is an essential modulator of the IKK signalosome whose solution structure is unsolved. Results: IKKγ is a parallel coiled-coil comprising two registers accommodated by a twist. Conclusion: The response of IKKγ to binding of signaling partners is twisting and stiffening, rather than major rearrangement. Significance: Viral activation of IKKγ exploits the structural motif of the twist. Viral flice-interacting protein (vFLIP), encoded by the oncogenic Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV), constitutively activates the canonical nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway. This is achieved through subversion of the IκB kinase (IKK) complex (or signalosome), which involves a physical interaction between vFLIP and the modulatory subunit IKKγ. Although this interaction has been examined both in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism by which vFLIP activates the kinase remains to be determined. Because IKKγ functions as a scaffold, recruiting both vFLIP and the IKKα/β subunits, it has been proposed that binding of vFLIP could trigger a structural rearrangement in IKKγ conducive to activation. To investigate this hypothesis we engineered a series of mutants along the length of the IKKγ molecule that could be individually modified with nitroxide spin labels. Subsequent distance measurements using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy combined with molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that IKKγ is a parallel coiled-coil whose response to binding of vFLIP or IKKβ is localized twisting/stiffening and not large-scale rearrangements. The coiled-coil comprises N- and C-terminal regions with distinct registers accommodated by a twist: this structural motif is exploited by vFLIP, allowing it to bind and subsequently activate the NF-κB pathway. In vivo assays confirm that NF-κB activation by vFLIP only requires the N-terminal region up to the transition between the registers, which is located directly C-terminal of the vFLIP binding site.


While supervising a small group of interns at a major New York medical center, Dr. Robert Marion asked three of them to keep a careful diary over the course of a year. Andy, Mark, and Amy vividly describe their real-life lessons in treating very sick children; confronting child abuse and the awful human impact of the AIDS epidemic; skirting the indifference of the hospital bureaucracy; and overcoming their own fears, insecurities, and constant fatigue. Their stories are harrowing and often funny; their personal triumph is unforgettable.


A recent paper suggests that Deep Neural Networks can be protected from gradient-based adversarial perturbations by driving the network activations into a highly saturated regime. Here we analyse such saturated networks and show that the attacks fail due to numerical limitations in the gradient computations. A simple stabilisation of the gradient estimates enables successful and efficient attacks. Thus, it has yet to be shown that the robustness observed in highly saturated networks is not simply due to numerical limitations.


Autophagy is the main catabolic process in eukaryotes and plays a key role in cell homeostasis. In vivo measurement of autophagic activity (flux) is a powerful tool for investigating the role of the pathway in organism development and stress responses. Here we describe a significant optimization of the tandem tag assay for detection of autophagic flux in planta in epidermal root cells of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. The tandem tag consists of TagRFP and mWasabi fluorescent proteins fused to ATG8a, and is expressed in wildtype or autophagy-deficient backgrounds to obtain reporter and control lines, respectively. Upon autophagy activation, the TagRFP-mWasabi-ATG8a fusion protein is incorporated into autophagosomes and delivered to the lytic vacuole. Ratiometric quantification of the low pH-tolerant TagRFP and low pH-sensitive mWasabi fluorescence in the vacuoles of control and reporter lines allows for a reliable estimation of autophagic activity. We provide a step by step protocol for plant growth, imaging and semi-automated data analysis. The protocol presents a rapid and robust method that can be applied for any studies requiring in planta quantification of autophagic flux.


In this article, we explicitly derive the limiting degree distribution of the shortest path tree from a single source on various random network models with edge weights. We determine the asymptotics of the degree distribution for large degrees of this tree and compare it to the degree distribution of the original graph. We perform this analysis for the complete graph with edge weights that are powers of exponential random variables (weak disorder in the stochastic mean-field model of distance), as well as on the configuration model with edge-weights drawn according to any continuous distribution. In the latter, the focus is on settings where the degrees obey a power law, and we show that the shortest path tree again obeys a power law with the same degree power-law exponent. We also consider random r-regular graphs for large r, and show that the degree distribution of the shortest path tree is closely related to the shortest path tree for the stochastic mean-field model of distance. We use our results to shed light on an empirically observed bias in network sampling methods. This is part of a general program initiated in previous works by Bhamidi, van der Hofstad and Hooghiemstra [ Ann. Appl. Probab. 20 (2010) 1907–1965], [ Combin. Probab. Comput. 20 (2011) 683–707], [ Adv. in Appl. Probab. 42 (2010) 706–738] of analyzing the effect of attaching random edge lengths on the geometry of random network models.


The rise of new economic powers in Asia and Latin America has changed the size and direction of cross-border investment flows. Emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and India have become major destinations of foreign direct investment (FDI) within the past decade, and they are also assuming the role of investor themselves. The unprecedented shifts in global investment flows have revived the debate over the effects of foreign investment on growth, employment, and income distribution. In this book, leading experts analyze the most important trends in FDI, from the increasingly active role emerging economies play as investors in Africa to the rising U.S. and Europe suspicions of Chinese takeovers. They also focus on how global challenges including climate change and the aging of societies will act as new drivers of foreign investment, reshaping the patterns of globalization once again. Contributors include Daniel M. Firger (Environment & Climate Change Group at Linklaters, LLP ), Helmut Hauschild (Bertelsmann Stiftung), Yi Liu (M.A. student, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies), Melanie Luhrmann (Royal Holloway College, University of London, and Institute for Fiscal Studies), Peter Nunnenkamp (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), Jonathan D. Ostry (International Monetary Fund), Joachim Pohl (OECD), Helmut Reisen (OECD and Chatham House), Jan Rielander (OECD), Joachim Winter (Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich) and Ting Xu (Bertelsmann Foundation North America's Global Project).


The proto-oncogene c-myb, whose expression is usually limited to cells of the hematopoietic lineages, can be expressed in fibroblasts if placed under the control of a constitutive promoter, such as the simian virus SV40 early promoter. 3T3 cells carrying a constitutively expressed human c-myb were found to grow in 1% serum or in a serum-free, platelet-derived growth factor-supplemented medium, whereas the parent cell line, BALB/c 3T3, needed insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in addition to platelet-derived growth factor for growth. myb-carrying cells, however, could not grow in platelet-poor plasma. In fibroblasts, therefore, a constitutively expressed c-myb can abrogate the requirement for platelet-poor plasma or IGF-1. When 3T3 cells constitutively expressed both c-myc and c-myb, they could grow in serum-free medium without added growth factors. The ability of c-myb to abrogate in fibroblasts the IGF-1 requirement seems to be due to its ability to induce overexpression of IGF-1, as indicated by an increase in steady-state levels of IGF-1 mRNA. These results have some important implications; for instance, they suggest a commonality of pathways for entry into S phase in different cell types and the possibility of a myb-like or myb-equivalent gene product of critical importance for entry of fibroblasts into S phase.


Abstract Seismic refraction data and results from receiver functions were used to compile the depth to the basement and Moho in the NE Atlantic Ocean. For interpolation between the unevenly spaced data points, the kriging technique was used. Free-air gravity data were used as constraints in the kriging process for the basement. That way, structures with little or no seismic coverage are still presented on the basement map, in particular the basins off East Greenland. The rift basins off NW Europe are mapped as a continuous zone with basement depths of between 5 and 15 km. Maximum basement depths off NE Greenland are 8 km, but these are probably underestimated. Plate reconstructions for Chron C24 (c. 54 Ma) suggest that the poorly known Ammassalik Basin off SE Greenland may correlate with the northern termination of the Hatton Basin at the conjugate margin. The most prominent feature on the Moho map is the Greenland–Iceland–Faroe Ridge, with Moho depths >28 km. Crustal thickness is compiled from the Moho and basement depths. The oceanic crust displays an increased thickness close to the volcanic margins affected by the Iceland plume.


BACKGROUND
Coronary artery disease due to atherosclerosis is an epidemic in India. An estimated 1.3 million Indians died from this in 2000. The projected death from coronary artery disease by 2016 is 2.98 million.

OBJECTIVE
To build an effective model which assorts the individuals, whether they belong to the normal group, risk group and pathologic group regarding atherosclerosis in real time by doing necessary preprocessing techniques and to compare the performance with other state-of-the-art machine learning techniques.

METHODS
In this work we have employed STULONG dataset. We have made a deep case study in selecting the attributes which contributes for higher accuracy in predicting the target. The selected attributes includes missing values. Initially our work includes imputation of missing values using Iterative Principal Component Analysis (IPCA). The second step includes selecting best features using Fast Correlation Based Filter (FCBF). Finally the classifier Multiclass Support Vector Machine (SVM) with kernel Radial Basis Function (RBF) is used for classification of atherosclerotic community.

RESULTS
For the subjects belonging to the classes of normal, risk and pathologic, our methodology has outperformed with an accuracy of 99.85%, 99.80% and 99.46% respectively.

CONCLUSION
The combined optimization methods such as Iterative Principal Component Analysis (IPCA) for missing value imputation, Multiclass SVM for classifying normal, risk and pathologic community in real time has performed with overall accuracy of about 98.97%. The essential pre-processing technique, Fast Correlation Based Filter (FCBF) was employed to further intensifying the target.


The distribution, abundance, and types of micro-organisms attached to littoral and sublittoral sand grains have been described. Micro-organisms are present in colonies, ranging from 5 to 150 cells per colony. Many colonies consist of one species. Some colonies are in or surrounded by staining material, others are on flat unstained surfaces. Colonies in staining material often occur in hollows. Large areas of surface between the colonies and staining material are completely bare. Evidence suggests that abrasion may stop micro-organisms colonizing flat or convex surfaces. On grains from the sediment surface, bacteria, blue-green algae (Cyanophyceae), and diatoms (Bacillariaceae) are common. The microbial flora may alter only slightly to depths of 15 cm below the sediment surface, or may change within a few mm. It is sparse towards high water, but differs little between lower littoral and sublittoral sands. The results are discussed in relation to substrate selection by marine invertebrates.


The Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) is a nutrient-poor ocean with unusually
high nitrate to phosphate ratio (up to 28: 1) and relatively depleted 15N/14N ratios (expressed as d15N) in deep-water nitrate and sediments, compared to other oceanic settings.
Up to now the principal hypothesis for the depleted d15N values observed in the region was the biological nitrogen fixation. The nutrient budgets and the surveys that were conducted in the EMS favoured the idea of nitrogen fixation since there was no direct and measurable evidence for the isotopic fingerprint of the atmospheric NOx as there was the case in other oceanic environments. Furthermore other possible procedures in the marine environment that could reasonably explain the low d15N values were perhaps underestimated because of this hypothesis. In order to elucidate the possible reasons and to provide new information on the biogeochemical nitrogen cycling in the EMS, this thesis uses stable isotopic ratios (d15Ν-ΝΟ3, d18O-ΝΟ3) to investigate sources and processes that could provide a
comprehensive data set for the N-cycling in the region. For this reason atmospheric samples (rain and dry deposition as well as aerosol samples) were collected as part of a one-year field programme and analysed for their d15Ν composition. Furthermore, samples of dissolved total reduced nitrogen (DON+NH4), inorganic nitrogen (DIN in nitrate), the suspended particulate (Νsusp) as well as the sinking particulate N (intercepted by sediment traps, SPN), were isolated from multiple depths of the water column at 17 stations, in a sampling cruise conducted on January 2007 across the EMS with R/V METEOR (M71-3 cruise). N isotope data in both dry and wet deposition samples showed constantly negative δ15N values compared to air N2, implying a strongly depleted atmospheric source calculated to be -3.1 ‰. The low d15Ν of wet deposition is in agreement with data from other environments, but the consistently depleted nature of dry deposition is unusual and supports the formation of atmospheric NO3 - compounds with dust and sea-salt particles. In the water column of the EMS, ongoing nitrate assimilation showed depleted nitrate concentrations in the mixed layer, causing an enrichment in both d15N-NO3 (average 3.1‰ ±2.0 ‰) and d18O-NO3 (average 6.0‰ ±2.4 ‰) of residual nitrate over the deep-water nitrate pool (d15N-NO3 average 2.1‰ ±0.3 ‰; d18O-NO3 average ii
4.0‰ ±1.3 ‰). Products of assimilation (PNsusp and dissolved organic nitrogen, DON) were more abundant in the mixed layer than below the thermocline (below 200 m), and δ15Nsusp of suspended matter (average 2.3‰ ±2.3 ‰) and 15(DON+NH4) (average 1.6‰ ±2.2 ‰), were isotopically more depleted in the mixed layer than in deeper water (15PN average 7.3‰ ±0.8 ‰; 15(DON+NH4 -) average 5.1‰ ±4.0 ‰). SPN intercepted by sediment traps at two depths (1600 m and 2700 m) at one station (deployed during the cruise and recovered 216 days later) had an average d15SPN of 0.9‰ ±0.8‰ in the shallow trap and 0.8‰ ± 1.0‰ in the deep trap.
Altogether the obtained data will provide additional insights and will present a
different prospect for the depleted d15Ν values reported in the nitrogen cycling of EMS. In addition they underline the importance of continuing to make measurements in order to evaluate a) the eventual fate of anthropogenic nitrogen entrained to the EMS and b) the contribution of the deep water mass to thed 15Ν of the region.


Portugal is working on the reform of its local government. Although amalgamation was one of the recommended strategies, as a consequence of the European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout process, an alternative approach has been suggested. This reform is mostly a development of inter-municipal cooperation mechanisms combined with partial devolution strategies. However, as the bailout agreement was its main catalyst, the urgency to cut public administration costs required in the memorandum and the imposed deadlines gave a perverse incentive for central government to produce ad hoc and fragmented modifications. I argue that these political and economical demands, which sanctioned the argument for rushed measures, together with the country's strong local identities, historical municipalism, political centralism and the political costs of significant territorial changes, can explain the absence of a comprehensible reform strategy and the singularities of its policies. This article explores the framework that justifies the reform and assesses the impacts of the bailout agreement.


We have studied the dimerization of a-chymotrypsin as an example of a typical self-associating system in order to show how such a reaction may be characterized. a-Chymotrypsin has also been suggested as a model system to ensure the proper operation of the analytical ultracentrifuge. An ideal model system should be a well-characterized association where a single equilibrium reaction is being observed with little effect from solution conditions such as pH, ionic strength and temperature. Such a system probably does not exist. However, a-chymotrypsin has been well-characterized and has been used to test the consistancy of instrument measurements over time.(1) At about pH 4, a-chymotrypsin exhibits a monomer-dimer equilibrium, but the association constant can vary with different lots and different buffer conditions.(2-4) Therefore, it is a good idea to have a standard lot number and buffer for repeated examination. In 0.01 M acetate, 0.2 M KCl, pH 4.4 at 20°C, the dimerization constant has been reported to vary about two-fold between lots of a-chymotrypsin purchased from Worthington Biochemicals with a maximum of 44×103 L/mol.(4) The variation appears to be a function of lot number and not of experimental error since the same lot showed less than 10% variation over a period of four years.


The operation of compact power units at low Reynolds environments is constrained by the boundary layer detachment in the low pressure turbines stages. Flow separation is prompt by the lack of momentum on the near wall region when exposed to adverse pressure gradients. Transient flow conditions or periodic flow perturbations induced to the near wall flow may delay or prevent the flow detachment. The present investigation experimentally analyzes the behavior of separated flows based on ad-hoc wall mounted hump. The test article mimics the performance of the aft portion of the suction side of a low pressure turbine where flow separation occurs at low Reynolds and fully attached flow takes place at high Reynolds. The inception of separated flow under sudden flow release was investigated in a linear wind tunnel. The extension of the separated region and its transient development was monitored through surface pressure and temperature measurements and hotwire traverses. The inlet flow conditions to the test article were interrogated with total pressure, total temperature and hotwire traverses. A fast opening valve upstream of the settling chamber was sequentially actuated at low frequency to study the behavior of the recirculation bubble under sudden flow acceleration. Due to the sudden flow release, the near wall region overcomes the adverse pressure gradient. As the flow acceleration dilutes the boundary layer detaches and the separated flow region grows in the stream-wise direction. The comparison of the experimental results with 2D and 3D transient Computational Fluid Dynamic simulations demonstrates the ability of Unsteady Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes models to predict the dynamics of this phenomenon. However, CFD over-predicts the extension of the recirculated flow region. The integration of this research towards future control strategies will enable efficient operation of turbine-hybrid systems operating at high power.


In this paper we study fluid flow in fractures using numerical simulation and address the challenging issue of hydraulic property characterization in fractures. The methodology is based on Computational Fluid Dynamics, using a finite-volume based discretization scheme. Steady-state, viscous, laminar flow simulations for a Newtonian fluid are carried out in both 2D and 3D fracture models. In 2D, flow is analyzed in single fractures, series and parallel combination of fractures, inclined fractures, intersecting fractures, mixed networks, and in real (rough-surface) fractures. In 3D, flow is simulated in both uniform and variable aperture fracture models. To characterize each fracture model with an equivalent hydraulic aperture, equations are derived for all possible scenarios followed by comparison and validation with results derived from flow simulation. Based on the fracture models analyzed, the following are some of the important findings: 1) For fractures connected in series, the equivalent hydraulic aperture is a weighted harmonic mean of cubed apertures of all fractures. 2) For fractures connected in parallel, the equivalent flow is simply the sum of all flows through individual fractures. 3) If a fracture is inclined with respect to the axis of pressure gradient, then the amount of flow will be reduced by a factor of cosine of the inclination angle. 4) Any network of randomly intersecting fractures can be replaced by a single fracture to give flow equivalence; the aperture of that equivalent fracture will roughly be close to the aperture of the fracture in the network that cuts across the boundaries (inlet and outlet) in the most continuous fashion and have the smallest inclination (with respect to the pressure gradient axis). 5) For hydraulic characterization purposes, fluid flow in fractures can be sufficiently modeled using both Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations for flow Reynolds number upto approximately 100.


This paper presents an environmental sustainability assessment of residential user-scale energy systems, named solar home systems, encompassing their construction, operation, and end of life. The methodology adopted is composed of three steps, namely a design phase, a simulation of the solar home systems' performance and a life cycle assessment. The analysis aims to point out the main advantages, features, and challenges of lithium-ion batteries, considered as a benchmark, compared with other innovative devices. As the environmental sustainability of these systems is affected by the solar radiation intensity during the year, a sensitivity analysis is performed varying the latitude of the installation site in Europe. For each site, both isolated and grid-connected solar home systems have been compared considering also the national electricity mix. A general overview of the results shows that, regardless of the installation site, solid state nickel cobalt manganese and nickel cobalt aluminium lithium-ion batteries are the most suitable choices in terms of sustainability. Remarkably, other novel devices, like sodium-ion batteries, are already competitive with them and have great potential. With these batteries, the solar home systems' eco-profile is generally advantageous compared to the energy mix, especially in on-grid configurations, with some exceptions.


Matrix induration and deformation style denote relative time and process of melange origin related to subduction. Mappable melange units contain chiefly blocks of greenstone, chert, and graywacke dispersed in weakly indurated argillite. Emplacement of these units as olistostromes is indicated by depositional contacts and lateral inter-tonguing with turbidites. Some blocks in sheared olistostromes are in themselves complexly mixed. These include breccias of gabbro, plagiogranite, diabase, basalt, tuff, chert, graywacke, and argillite variously combined and brittlely deformed. Blocks of intercalated tuff and argillite and of diamictite containing rounded clasts of tuff, chert, and graywacke dispersed in highly indurated, foliated argillite exhibit primary ductile and secondary brittle deformation. All block material was indurated, brecciated, and/or foliated during underplating at the base of a trench slope and later uplifted to provide olistostrome detritus. The Elk Head and Klamath coast terranes are highly indurated and compositionally similar to the mixed-lithology blocks in olistostromes. They are interpreted to form an accretionary prism consisting of tectonic melange slabs separating slope-basin rocks.


The cancer/testis antigen (CTA) genes were identified as human genes preferentially expressed in cancer cells and testis, but the contribution of CTAs to cancer and male germ cell development is unclear. In this study, we comprehensively examined mouse CTA functions and found that the majority of CTAs are involved in growth and/or survival of cancer cells. We focused on one mouse CTA gene, Tekt5, for its detailed functional analysis. ABSTRACT The cancer/testis antigen (CTA) genes were identified as human genes preferentially expressed in cancer cells and testis, but the contribution of CTAs to cancer and male germ cell development is unclear. In this study, we comprehensively examined mouse CTA functions and found that the majority of CTAs are involved in growth and/or survival of cancer cells. We focused on one mouse CTA gene, Tekt5, for its detailed functional analysis. Tekt5 knockdown (KD) in ovarian cancer cells caused G1 arrest and apoptosis, and p27kip1 was concomitantly upregulated. Tekt5 KD also resulted in decreased levels of acetylated α-tubulin and subsequent fragmentation of β-III-tubulin, upregulation of HDAC6 that deacetylates α-tubulin, and nuclear accumulation of SMAD3 that induces p27kip1 expression. Because depolymerization of tubulin is known to cause translocation of SMAD3 to the nucleus, these results together suggested that TEKT5 negatively regulates Hdac6 expression and consequently maintains cell cycle via stabilization of tubulin. We also found that the number of spermatids was significantly decreased and acetylated α-tubulin levels were decreased in vivo by KD of Tekt5 in testis. Because acetylated α-tubulin is required for sperm morphogenesis, these results suggest that TEKT5 is necessary for spermiogenesis via maintenance of acetylated α-tubulin levels.


A National Jewish Book Award Finalist The haftarot are an ancient part of Hebrew liturgy. These supplemental readings are excerpted from the Prophets (Nevi'im) and accompany each weekly Sabbath reading from the Torah as well as readings for special Sabbaths and festivals. Noted Bible scholar Michael Fishbane introduces each haftarah with an outline and discussion of how that passage conveys its meaning, and he follows it with observations on how it relates to the Torah portion or special occasion. Individual comments, citing classical rabbinic as well as modern commentators, highlight ambiguities and difficulties in the Hebrew text, which appears in concert with the JPS translation. The haftarot are also put into biblical context by a separate overview of all prophetic books (except Jonah) that are excerpted in the haftarah cycle.


The known superior properties in aluminium-based composites are being used in a variety of fields. The matrix adopted in this study was Al7075, and the reinforcements were boron carbide (B 4 C) and titanium diboride (TiB 2 ) mixed in different amounts. The titanium diboride percentage was kept constant at 3 wt. % while the boron carbide percentage was changed. The stir casting process used to make the composites and its manufactured composites were evaluated through tests on different material properties, such as the density, hardness, compression, impact, and tensile properties. According to the results, the properties of the samples were improved when they were reinforced with 9 wt. % B 4 C and 3 wt. % TiB 2 . Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was adopted to study the fracture mechanisms. The presence of dimples, cracks, and voids were clearly visible. The brittle type of fracture was also visible due to the better bonding between the matrix and the hybrid reinforcement. The Al7075 sample with 9 % of B 4 C and 3 % of TiB 2 has a higher hardness value of 76HV. A maximum compressive strength of 231 MPa and maximum tensile strength of 233 MPa was achieved in the mixture of 9 wt. % B 4 C and 3 wt. % TiB 2 . Wear studies are used to examine the friction characteristics of manufactured samples. Experiments were conducted using the L'16 Taguchi design, with the aid of input factors such as load, sliding distance, and material type. The known output result was observed to be the coefficient of friction. An ANOVA was used to estimate the effect of the coefficient of friction with respect to the input characteristics. Finally, the morphological study of the worn surface was carried out by using SEM, while the wear track, micropits and absence of grooves were also studied.


Properties of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the eye, heart and muscles of Hemigrapsus sanguineus, Paralithodes camtschatica, Erimacrus isenbeckii, Pandalus latirastrus, Pagurus brachiomastus have been studied with acrylamide gel electrophoresis and kinetics analysis. LDH in all the tissues of all the representatives studied was found to be specific for L-pyruvate and lactate; it migrated in electrophoresis as a single band revealing low mobility towards anode. The isoenzyme from P. camtschatica and P. latirastrus differed from the isoenzymes of other animals studied by higher mobility towards anode that reflected higher negative value of its total charge. The LDH isoenzymes in all the animals studied resembled the A4 (LDH5) of the vertebrates being unstable to the denaturing action of high temperature and being unaffected by high concentrations of pyruvate up to 1.0.10-3M. On the other hand, in conrast to the A4 of mammals, the LDH in question displayed enhancement of the reaction rate and decrease of the Km values upon increase in the NAD+ and NAD.H concentrations both in the presence of high or low lactate and pyruvate concentrations. The isoenzymes displayed catalytic activity also in the presence of NADP, the Km values for pyruvate in the presence of equimolar (2.25 mM) concentrations of NAD.H or NADP.H were practically identical and were found to be within the limits of 14-26.10-5 M. Molecular weight of the LDH studied assessed by the gel filtration method was found to be 130-140,000. It is suggested that the LDH isoenzyme from the representatives of the decapod crayfish studied is homologous in its certain properties to the homotetrameric A4 form of the vertebrates.


Our study involves 8 individuals (0.3–34 yrs) from 6 Irish Traveller families with intermittent liver dysfunction; 4 presented with acute liver failure in infancy. Additional features include chronic microcytic anaemia, developmental delay, and poor growth. During intercurrent febrile illnesses, hepatic decompensation (7/8) and encephalopathy with complex seizures are observed. Two patients died following viral infections; the eldest patient's worst decompensation was triggered by measles aged 4. The youngest patient was diagnosed at 4 weeks of age when he presented with poor tone, low birth weight, poor growth and a positive family history, hepatopathy subsequently developed at 2 months of age. Liver biopsies showed micro and macrosteatosis. Marrow erythroblasts have abnormal iron distribution. Extensive metabolic, genetic and mitochondrial investigations were negative. Exome sequencing has identified leucyl-t RNA synthetase (LARS) as the causative gene. Subsequent testing identified anothe Irish traveller patient who presented at 2 years with status epilepticus and a history of liver dysfunction and anaemia. He had acute Leigh like changes on MRI brain which resolved on follow up. Due to the multisystem nature of this disorder an underlying mitochondrial disorder had been suspected clinically, however knockdown of LARS in HEK293 cells did not impact on mitochondrial function sugesting that the hepatopathy is not primarily due to mitochondrial dysfunction. This in in keeping with the negative mitochondrial investigations. Recently, LARS was shown to activate mTORC1 which regulates autophagy, a process implicated in liver disease and host response to infections raising the possibilty that defective autophagy may be the underlying disease mechanism. Since our discovery, 2 further patients (non-Irish descent) with mutations in LARS have been identified at 2 US centres, reaffirming the cardinal clinical features of this disorder: poor infantile growth, microcytic anaemia, hepatopathy, decompensation and seizures with minor illness. In Ireland, LARS mutations should be suspected particularly in patients from the traveller population who present with liver dysfunction.


Large research efforts have been devoted to optimizing the output of earth-abundant photoabsorbers in solar-to-fuel (S2F) devices. Here, we report a Cu2O/Ga2O3 heterojunction/Si microwire photocathode with an underlying buried radial Si p–n junction, which achieves efficient light harvesting across the visible spectrum to over 600 nm, reaching an external quantum yield for hydrogen generation close to 80%, with a photocurrent onset above +1.35 V vs RHE, a photocurrent density of ∼10 mA/cm2 at 0 V vs RHE, and an ideal regenerative efficiency of 5.51%. We show step-by-step the effects of every photocathode design element (i.e., Si p–n junction, Cu2O layer thickness, microwire length, microwire pitch, etc.) on the overall efficiency of our final microwire Si/Cu2O photocathode by comparing every addition to a baseline Cu2O photocathode. Lastly, we show a stable operation exceeding 200 h at a bias potential of +1.0 V vs RHE, with an average current density of 4.5 mA/cm2.


We investigated the Hirschfeld surface analysis and critical behaviour in La0.5Ca0.4Ag0.1MnO3 near the second-order ferromagnetic phase transition at Curie temperature TC. We determined the critical exponents, β, γ and δ corresponding to the temperature dependence of spontaneous magnetization, initial susceptibility and isothermal magnetization, respectively. The study of Hirshfeld surface reflects that both the electrostatic and intermolecular interactions are short range. The values for critical exponents obtained from magnetic measurements are very close to those predicted by the mean field tri-critical model.  The critical-exponent values deduced here were in a good conform to those obtained using the modified Arrott plot and Widom scaling relation.


Unpredictable and complex developments challenge the application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA), for example, in terms of timing, prediction and relevance of assessments. In particular, multi-actor and unstructured strategic-level decision-making processes often seem to be characterised by unpredictable and complex changes. Despite the apparent implications, explorative investigations about how unpredictability influences SEA application in practice are rare. This article aims to shed light on contextual changes and reactions to such changes in practice by a case study of the specific SEA process of the Danish Natural Gas Security of Supply Plan. Special emphasis is given to the framing of alternatives in the SEA process, since alternatives are directly related to the contextual developments. Based on a participative approach, strategic dynamics are mapped and the reactions and concerns in the SEA team are outlined. The contribution of the article is enhanced empirical understanding of strategic dynamics and how it challenges SEA application.