Several studies on the pharmacokinetic parameters of antidementia drugs have reported that plasma concentration is linked to the drugs' efficacy and adverse effects. At present, there is no quantitation method that is highly sensitive and can be applied to simultaneous monitoring of the pharmacokinetics of rivastigmine and its metabolites (NAP 226-90) in rat plasma. No methods fulfilling the assay validation requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency was also established. Therefore, this study developed a quantitative method for measuring rivastigmine and NAP 226-90 concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, examining plasma samples after rivastigmine administration. Rat plasma samples were prepared via the protein precipitation method. The methods for measuring rivastigmine and NAP 226-90 concentrations showed good fit over wide ranges of 1–100 ng mL−1 and 0.5–50 ng mL−1, with lower limits of quantification at 1 ng mL−1 and 0.5 ng mL−1, respectively. The plasma concentrations of rivastigmine and NAP 226-90 in six healthy rats were successfully determined, demonstrating the feasibility of applying the developed method. Thus, this research has successfully developed a sensitive, selective method, to simultaneously quantify rivastigmine and NAP 226-90 concentrations in rat plasma and be applicable to a pharmacokinetic study.


Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) represent a growing number of patients in the cardiac catheterization laboratories worldwide. This is a consequence of the growing absolute number of ESRD patients in developed countries, better noninvasive diagnostic tools, better catheterization facilities and last-but-not-least better education of referring physicians about the incidence and prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) for patients with ESRD. There is growing evidence of the positive impact of coronary revascularization on long-term outcome of these patients. ESRD patients have a high comorbidity and are therefore better candidates for the less invasive approach using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) rather than coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). From the view of the interventional cardiologist, ESRD patients represent one of the most challenging patient cohort concerning technical challenges and potential risk of complication for the patient. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) including debulking techniques and stent implantation is the current standard therapy for patients with symptomatic single-vessel disease (SVD) and the preferred therapy for most patients with focal, polyfocal or even diffuse multi-vessel disease (MVD). Coronary bypass surgery is reserved for a decreasing number of patients with mechanically untreatable coronary lesions and unprotected left main stem stenosis. The problem of restenosis and subsequent target lesion revascularization has been decreased to a minimum by the use of drug-eluting stents (DES), even though prospective randomized trials including ESRD patients are lacking. In case of acute coronary syndromes, the need for immediate coronary angiography and subsequent revascularization by means of PCI should be pointed out.


Two aspects of memory defects following circumscribed neocortical lesionare considered. First, the selective impairment involving one category of stimuli (e.g. faces, colours) or a specific mnestic ability (spatial orientation). The deficit affects "new" as well as "old" memories and suggests that engrams are located in discrete cortical areas. The second issue concerns the relation of the hemispheric side of lesion to memory of non-verbal visual material, as a function of the differential utilization of the visual and verbal code in carrying out the task. Short-term memory tests are performed poorly by aphasics. In long-term memory tests, the performance depends on the nature of the task; in the early stages of paired-associate learning aphasics are impaired, on recurring figure recognition no hemispheric difference emerges, on sequential memory right brain-damaged patients have the poorest scores.


Social media enable marginalized activists to create alternative narratives that challenge mainstream discourse through personal storytelling, a performance that emphasizes personalization and visibility. Disabled activists, however, struggle in creating their online counter-narrative due to inability to conform with able-bodied notions of activism. These notions mark online disability activism as separated from able-bodied activism, ignoring the individual considerations of disabled activists. This paper addresses these gaps by presenting the individual decision-making process of users with concealable communicative disabilities regarding activist performance of disability in social media. The three stages of this process were raised during a thematic analysis of 31 in-depth interviews with autistics, stutterers and hard of hearing users, of whom seven also kept social media diaries. First, interviewees had different perceptions of disability activism in social media. These perceptions mirror the inseparable connection between a person's self-perception as dis/abled, and one's perceived risk of performing a disabled identity in public, which differed between experienced activists and other interviewees. Second, the interviewees' motivations manifested their risk-benefit calculations regarding public disability exposure for the potential benefit of other disabled people, and the different forms of 'private' disability activism in social media. Third, the design of the activist performances was influenced by interviewees' constant awareness of the presence of their offline acquaintances on social media, and by seeing disability as a social, rather than political, issue. This three-staged process demonstrates personalization, visibility and representation not only as essential to social media activism, but also as conflictual for activists with concealable communicative disabilities.


An epidemiological survey was carried out of among staff members of the Catholic University of Louvain. A total of 402 subjects, age 35 to 65, were examined. Periodontal lesions were estimated using the CPITN index (WHO). Only one subject presented no signs of gingival bleeding in any part of the mouth. 41.4% of the subjects presented a deep periodontal pocket in at least one sextant. Many subjects, although not presenting deep or moderately deep periodontal pockets (28.5%) needed scaling and rootplanning or other treatments to eliminate plaque retentive factors. In this sample, representing a socio-economically favoured segment of the population, we revealed a significant prevalence of periodontal disease from mild chronic gingivitis to deep pockets. Requirements in terms of care are considerable, ranging from oral hygiene instruction to control plaque to specialised care.


Legionella pneumophila causes life-threatening pneumonia culminating in acute lung injury. Innate and adaptive cytokines play an important role in host defense against L. pneumophila infection. ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila causes life-threatening pneumonia culminating in acute lung injury. Innate and adaptive cytokines play an important role in host defense against L. pneumophila infection. Interleukin-36 (IL-36) cytokines are recently described members of the larger IL-1 cytokine family known to exert potent inflammatory effects. In this study, we elucidated the role for IL-36 cytokines in experimental pneumonia caused by L. pneumophila. Intratracheal (i.t.) administration of L. pneumophila induced the upregulation of both IL-36α and IL-36γ mRNA and protein production in the lung. Compared to the findings for L. pneumophila-infected wild-type (WT) mice, the i.t. administration of L. pneumophila to IL-36 receptor-deficient (IL-36R−/−) mice resulted in increased mortality, a delay in lung bacterial clearance, increased L. pneumophila dissemination to extrapulmonary organs, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Impaired lung bacterial clearance in IL-36R−/− mice was associated with a significantly reduced accumulation of inflammatory cells and the decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Ex vivo, reduced expression of costimulatory molecules and impaired M1 polarization were observed in alveolar macrophages isolated from infected IL-36R−/− mice compared to macrophages from WT mice. While L. pneumophila-induced mortality in IL-36α- or IL-36γ-deficient mice was not different from that in WT animals, antibody-mediated neutralization of IL-36γ in IL-36α−/− mice resulted in mortality similar to that observed in IL-36R−/− mice, indicating redundant and overlapping roles for these cytokines in experimental murine L. pneumophila pneumonia.


Background Psychological factors have been shown to be associated with the recovery and rehabilitation period following sports injury, but less is known about the psychological response associated with returning to sport after injury. The aim of this review was to identify psychological factors associated with returning to sport following sports injury evaluated with the self-determination theory framework. Study design Systematic review. Method Electronic databases were searched from the earliest possible entry to March 2012. Quantitative studies were reviewed that included athletes who had sustained an athletic injury, reported the return to sport rate and measured at least one psychological variable. The risk of bias in each study was appraised with a quality checklist. Results Eleven studies that evaluated 983 athletes and 15 psychological factors were included for review. The three central elements of self-determination theory—autonomy, competence and relatedness were found to be related to returning to sport following injury. Positive psychological responses including motivation, confidence and low fear were associated with a greater likelihood of returning to the preinjury level of participation and returning to sport more quickly. Fear was a prominent emotional response at the time of returning to sport despite the fact that overall emotions became more positive as recovery and rehabilitation progressed. Conclusions There is preliminary evidence that positive psychological responses are associated with a higher rate of returning to sport following athletic injury, and should be taken into account by clinicians during rehabilitation.


Human capital is no doubt one of the most important factors for future economic growth and well-being. However, human capital is also prone to becoming obsolete over time. Skills that have been acquired at one point in time may perfectly match the skill requirements at that time but may become obsolete as time goes by. Thus, in the following paper, we study the depreciation processes of the human capital of workers performing different types of tasks with different skill requirements over a period of more than twenty years. We argue that two types of tasks must be distinguished: knowledge-based tasks and experience-based tasks. Knowledge-based tasks demand skills depending on the actual stock of technological knowledge in a society whereas experience-based tasks demand skills depending on personal factors and individual experience values. We show, by applying Mincer regressions on four different cross sections, that the human capital of people performing knowledge-based tasks suffers more from depreciation than the human capital of individuals performing experience-based tasks.


Coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is a large-scale geometrical detecting instrument. It is of high accuracy, high efficiency simple operation and automation. So, it can ensure the product quality for modern mechanical manufacture industry, and is widely used in the industry such as aircraft, automobile, military and national defense. However, it does not meet gradually the requirement of modern industry because of its measuring accuracy. How to monitor geometrical error rapidly and high accurately is a key research project. To solve the problem, some studies have been carried out. In this paper, a coordinate measuring machine was firstly designed by modern design method. Three dimensional model is built using PRO/E software. And some key components were optimized by using finite element analysis method. The simulating results show that the size and structure of the designed coordinate measuring machines are optimized and improved relate to previous CMM. This study will play an important instructing role for us in studying a novel CMM.


Thiophenium pentadiene (TPD) and pyridinium pentadiene (PPD) salts with hexafluoroantimonate counteranion were prepared by reacting 5-bromo-1,3-pentadiene with thiophene and pyridine, respectively, and subsequent counteranion exchange with sodium hexafuoroantimonate, and characterized. The cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) containing one of the dienic salts (TPD or PPD) and a respective free radical initiator was initiated upon thermolysis at 70°C or photolysis at λ > 300 nm. Benzoyl peroxide (BP), 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), phenylazotriphenylmethane (PAT), benzoin (B) and trimethoxybenzoyl dipenylacylphoshine oxide (TMDPO) were used as thermal and photochemical sources of free radicals. The contribution of addition-fragmentation and electron transfer meachanisms for the initiation is discussed.


The plastic sheet forming technique is simple and easy to realize, that is why, it is widely used for packaging commodities. Similarly, in In-Mold-Decoration (IMD) molding technology, due to the complex geometry of the membrane and the high requirement of the dimensional accuracy, geometric design and molding technique for the product should be focused on controlling the thickness distribution of shell or membrance plastic products in order to achieve high precision manufacturing. This paper started with analyzing the performance data of the plastic sheet molding material, using nonlinear finite element method and multi-physics coupling method to simulate the plastic sheet forming process, and the result gives the required parameters for product design and quality control. For the thickness deviation, the experimental testing shows that the maximum discrepancy between the simulation and actual result is less than15%. The research proved that computer simulation can contribute to control the inhomogeneity of the shell or membrane so as to improve the design and the quality of manufacturing.


The location of phreatic line of a tailings dam is of significant importance on the stability of the tailings dam. In this study, extensive numerical analysis in ABAQUS have been performed to study the influences of loading mode and construction speed on position of the phreatic line of tailings dam in the process of construction from the existing elevation of 59 m to the final elevation of 100 m. The results show that the location of the phreatic line changes very little at the lower part of the dam; by contrast, the location of phreatic line dramatically changes at the upper part of the dam. At a certain construction speed, loading mode has negligible influence on the position of the phreatic line during the duration of one rising round for the tailings dam. The construction speed has more significant influences on the position of phreatic line in the middle term in the service duration of the tailings dam than in the later period.


Abstract The purposes of this study were to identify the cognitive status of cancer survivors, determine the effect of cognitive status on function and participation in daily activities, and explore how cancer survivors perceive changes in their cognition. The study used a quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional design. The participants included 35 cancer survivors from two different sites. Instruments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Reintegration to Normal Index-Postal Version (RNLI-P) in the measurement of cognitive impairment and functional performance respectively. Data were also collected with a supplemental questionnaire to explore participants' perspectives on their cognitive difficulties and current function. The participant scores on the MoCA indicated cognitive impairment (µ= 25) and their scores on the RNLI-P demonstrated subpar reintegration (µ=9.64). Twenty-one participants answered the supplemental questionnaire. In content analysis of questionnaire responses, 17/21 participants reported some level of cognitive change related to cancer and cancer treatment. Data from an open-ended question were organized into four categories: decreased participation, more selective in activities, balance in activities, and cognitive changes. Study results indicate a large percentage of cancer survivors demonstrate mild cognitive impairment as well as changes in participation in instrumental activities of daily living.


The aging of the United States population will influence the economy for many years to come. The Census Bureau projects that in 2050, the population aged 65 and older will be 83.7 million, almost double its estimate of 43.1 million in 2012. This article examines the spending patterns of households with a reference person age 55 and older. Age 55 was chosen because the article focuses on spending changes that occur as household members age and transition to retirement as well as during retirement. Understanding expenditure patterns in later life is crucial to evaluating financial security in retirement. This analysis uses integrated data from the 2014 Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE), which separates the 55-and-older age range into three groups: ages 55–64, 65–74, and 75 and older.


In late 2021, the highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged, raising concerns about its potential extensive immune evasion, increased transmissibility and pathogenicity. Here, we used organoids of the human airways and alveoli to investigate Omicron's fitness and replicative potential in comparison with earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants. We report that Omicron replicates more rapidly in the airways and has an increased fitness compared to the early 614G variant and Delta. In contrast, Omicron did not replicate productively in human alveolar type 2 cells. Mechanistically, we show that Omicron does not efficiently use TMPRSS2 for entry or spread through cell-cell fusion. Altogether, our data show that Omicron has an altered tropism and protease usage, potentially explaining its higher transmissibility and decreased pathogenicity.


Orthodontic care increases the difficulty in maintaining good oral hygiene. For this reason demineralized enamel areas, termed "white spot lesions," frequently occur. White spot lesions can be remineralized, which is much more desirable than having to progress to restorative dental care. Enamel can be remineralized with meticulous toothbrushing, twice per day, with fluoridated dentifrice. Additional fluoride can further enhance the remineralization process. This would include higher dose fluoridated dentifrice, over-the-counter 0.05% sodium fluoride rinses, topical fluoride gels, fluoride varnishes, and professionally applied topical fluoride such as 2% sodium fluoride, 8% stannous fluoride, and 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride. Enamel can also be remineralized with casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate preparations. Chewing gums and pastes are available that contain casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate. When white spot lesions are remineralized, the white appearance of the remineralized lesion may remain. Bleaching can successfully camouflage these white enamel areas. If bleaching alone does not camouflage the white appearance of the remineralized areas, enamel microabrasion can be performed. Enamel microabrasion abrades the enamel surface, leaving a highly polished surface with calcium phosphate packed into the interprismatic enamel surface space. This highly polished enamel surface can then be bleached. This technique has been demonstrated to improve the appearance of enamel surfaces that had white spots.


This paper proposes a procedure for preventing saturation in series transformers from Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) systems. Power quality has been an issue that is becoming increasingly pivotal in modern industrial and commercial applications. Voltage disturbances especially the voltage sag and swell are the most common power quality problems due to increased use of a large numbers of sophisticated and sensitive electronic equipment in industrial systems. The method consists in correcting the voltage which is injected through the transformers into the power system to compensate voltage sags. To overcome this problem, custom power devices are used. One of the devices is the Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR), which is the most efficient and effective modern custom power device used in power distribution networks. It is a series connected power electronic based device that can quickly mitigate the voltage sags in the system and restore the load voltage to the pre-fault value. Moreover, the technique allows a certain level of sag compensation even when the estimated flux is expected to exceed the saturation limit. The voltage sag level and phase are computed through an adaptive Recursive Least Squares (RLS). In RLS Method we have to use 4-leg voltage source inverter and it can be slow process to compensate the voltage sag occur in the power system. In extension method, the Adaptive Network based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is used to reduces the voltage sag in the power system network. In these method, the 3-leg voltage source inverter as comparing to the RLS algorithm. The ANFIS system is faster and accurate to compensate voltage sags in power system. Total harmonics distortions is half of the deduced in the system.


A new low-profile broadband dual-frequency planar antenna is developed for wireless handsets. The dual-frequency antenna consists of a two-strip monopole for the 2-GHz band and a planar monopole for the 5-GHz band. The developed antenna features a low profile due to the introduction of an S-strip and a T-strip which are separately printed on the two sides of a thin substrate (no via process is involved in the fabrication), forming the two-strip monopole. The bandwidth of the dual-frequency planar antenna is enhanced by taking advantage of the two-strip configuration and the mutual coupling between the planar monopole and the two-strip monopole. The dual-frequency planar antenna achieves a bandwidth of ~35% at the 2-GHz band (1.6-2.3 GHz) and ~15% at the 5-GHz band (5.0-5.9 GHz) with an antenna height of 7-8 mm, which may find applications in mobile/wireless communication devices. A theoretical analysis and verifying experimental results are presented.


Foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been a problem for the Brazilian livestock since the XIX century. Once it affects the livestock productivity and has always been a problem for the country exports due to the imposition of sanitary barriers. In 1992, when no state was free from FMD, the National Program for Eradication of FMD (PNEFA) was implemented. Since then good results has been obtained with control and eradication of the disease in some states. However, in other states the problem still persists. It is important to determine why some states have faced difficulties in reaching the status of free from FMD while others not. This work aimed to identify the factors which discriminate the populations of states free from FMD from those not free. The results showed that the private efforts in controlling the disease are the most important variables for differentiating the states free from the non-free ones, together with the lack of public investment. The bad climatic conditions of most of the non-free states seem to contribute to the lack of interest to eradicate the disease. It is suggested attention of the authorities in relation to the state of Alagoas which has presented sufficient scores to be considered free from FMD.


This paper discusses adaptation of the declarative diagnosis techniques for the use in constraint logic programming The objective is to show how the well known concepts are to be modi ed in this setting In particular the paper outlines basic algorithms for diagnosing incorrectness errors and insu ciency errors for constraint programs over arbitrary domains The main focus is on de ning kinds of assertions needed to facilitate the task of answering of debugger queries The examples illustrate the use of the proposed assertions in the declarative diagnosis algorithms for nite domain constraint programs


Fullerene bisadducts have emerged as promising electron‐accepting materials because of their ability to increase the open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of polymer solar cells (PSCs) due to their relatively high lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels. It should be noted that the as‐prepared fullerene bisadducts are in fact a mixture of isomers. Here, the effects of fullerene bisadduct regioisomers on photovoltaic performance are examined. The trans‐2, trans‐3, trans‐4, and e isomers of dihydronaphthyl‐based [60]fullerene bisadduct (NCBA) are isolated and used as acceptors for P3HT‐based PSCs. The four NCBA isomers exhibit different absorption spectra, electrochemical properties, and electron mobilities, leading to varying PCE values of 5.8, 6.3, 5.6, and 5.5%, respectively, which are higher than that based on an NCBA mixture (5.3%), suggesting the necessity to use the individual fullerene bisadduct isomer for high‐performance PSCs.


The global population is at present suffering from a pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The goals of this study were to use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict blueprints for designing universal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, that contain a sufficiently broad repertoire of T-cell epitopes capable of providing coverage and protection across the global population. To help achieve these aims, we profiled the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome across the most frequent 100 HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DR alleles in the human population, using host-infected cell surface antigen presentation and immunogenicity predictors from the NEC Immune Profiler suite of tools, and generated comprehensive epitope maps. We then used these epitope maps as input for a Monte Carlo simulation designed to identify statistically significant "epitope hotspot" regions in the virus that are most likely to be immunogenic across a broad spectrum of HLA types. We then removed epitope hotspots that shared significant homology with proteins in the human proteome to reduce the chance of inducing off-target autoimmune responses. We also analyzed the antigen presentation and immunogenic landscape of all the nonsynonymous mutations across 3400 different sequences of the virus, to identify a trend whereby SARS-COV-2 mutations are predicted to have reduced potential to be presented by host-infected cells, and consequently detected by the host immune system. A sequence conservation analysis then removed epitope hotspots that occurred in less-conserved regions of the viral proteome. Finally, we used a database of the HLA genotypes of approximately 22 000 individuals to develop a "digital twin" type simulation to model how effective different combinations of hotspots would work in a diverse human population, and used the approach to identify an optimal constellation of epitopes hotspots that could provide maximum coverage in the global population. By combining the antigen presentation to the infected-host cell surface and immunogenicity predictions of the NEC Immune Profiler with a robust Monte Carlo and digital twin simulation, we have managed to profile the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome and identify a subset of epitope hotspots that could be harnessed in a vaccine formulation to provide a broad coverage across the global population.


Worldwide bats play an essential role in the ecosystems they inhabit. The use of pesticides, large scale wind power plants, and habitat degradation has all led to a decline in native bat populations (Jones et al. 93). As natural roosting locations continue to be destroyed or otherwise disturbed by humans, local bats are left with even fewer quality roosting locations. North American bats are also dealing with the novel disease known as White Known Syndrome, which has caused massive fatalities as well as local extinctions in native bats. This is a fungal pathogen that attacks bats while they are in a torpor state, and ultimately results in the death of the bat host. As bat populations continue to decrease there is potential for major economic impacts to the agricultural industry, many of the insects bats prey on we consider agricultural pests. It is believed that habitat modifications are one solution to bolster locals bat populations. This project aims to identify, as well as implement ways habitat modifications can be used to increase bat diversity at a local level.


Wood trusses with traditional bolted or nailed connections are generally modeled as pinned joints, and the forces on the wooden members are directly transmitted to the connections by shear plane contact. Other methodologies recommend that the analysis should be done more rigorously, taking into account the wood behavior and the evaluation of stress distribution within the connection area. There is a wide range of related data to pin-type connections, but the mechanical analysis of punched metal plate fasteners (nail plates) is still under developed. Nail plate connections are capable of transfer moments, therefore, appropriated modeling should be applied. The present paper compares two methodologies for the stress distribution in the rupture lines of nail plates, using an analytical approach and a numerical method with the commercial software Midas/Gen. The results show a quantitative parity for the proposed analytical model in the case of a single joint line, but the stresses diverge in both methods for zones that presents more than one joint line.
Keywords: Timber, nail plate, structural analysis


Abstract. We report attempted validation of Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) sulfur dioxide (SO2) retrievals in the stratospheric volcanic cloud from Sarychev Peak (Kurile Islands) in June 2009, through opportunistic deployment of a ground-based ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer (FLYSPEC) as the volcanic cloud drifted over central Alaska. The volcanic cloud altitude (~12–14 km) was constrained using coincident CALIPSO lidar observations. By invoking some assumptions about the spatial distribution of SO2, we derive averages of FLYSPEC vertical SO2 columns for comparison with OMI SO2 measurements. Despite limited data, we find minimum OMI-FLYSPEC differences within measurement uncertainties, which support the validity of the operational OMI SO2 algorithm. However, our analysis also highlights the challenges involved in comparing datasets representing markedly different spatial and temporal scales. This effort represents the first attempt to validate SO2 in a stratospheric volcanic cloud using a mobile ground-based instrument, and demonstrates the need for a network of rapidly deployable instruments for validation of space-based volcanic SO2 measurements.


Despite on-going efforts over the past decade, mobile payments are yet to take off successfully. Repeated failures show that mobile payment platforms are complex to launch. The objective of this paper is to unveil factors explaining the failure of past mobile payment platforms. The use of a multi-level framework aims at enriching the variety of issues investigated. In order to explore the reasons of failure, we selected four cases from different countries happening at different times. Our results show that these cases share many of the same failure factors: lack of collaboration between the stakeholders, no technology standard, and low value-added for consumers and merchants compared to existing payment solutions. Even though the list is not exhaustive, the uncovered factors in our study seem to be necessary (but not sufficient) for the further developments of mobile payment platforms.


In our paper we discuss how elements of algebraic hyperstructure theory can be used in the context of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSN). We present a mathematical model which makes use of the fact that when deploying nodes or operating the network we, from the mathematical point of view, regard an operation (or a hyperoperation) and a binary relation. In this part of the paper we relate our context to already existing topics of the algebraic hyperstructure theory such as quasi-order hypergroups, E L -hyperstructures, or ordered hyperstructures. Furthermore, we make use of the theory of quasi-automata (or rather, semiautomata) to relate the process of UWSN data aggregation to the existing algebraic theory of quasi-automata and their hyperstructure generalization. We show that the process of data aggregation can be seen as an automaton, or rather its hyperstructure generalization, with states representing stages of the data aggregation process of cluster protocols and describing available/used memory capacity of the network.


The existence of a central security authority is too restrictive for pervasive computing environments. Existing distributed security schemes fail in a pervasive computing environment with limited terminals. Better fitted are schemes, that do not rely on the presence of a central security authority, yet allows for the application of a common security policy. This paper presents such a distributed security scheme, where pieces of information of the same sensitivity are grouped together and protected by a pair of private encryption/decryption keys. Users gain access to certain information by obtaining the key pair of the corresponding group. Depending on the security policy applied in a given environment, the keys can be obtained either directly by the security authority which issues the keys or by another user that possesses them. Similarly, depending on the applied security policies, the access to information may require the user to authenticate himself. In the scheme we present, the authentication is based on certificates that users may obtain from the security authority at an unsuspected time prior to the information access.


Cyclosporin A in combination with low-dose steroid therapy and azathioprine was given to 50 children who received 53 renal transplants. In spite of a limited period of observation, the use of cyclosporin A, either on a post operative intravenous regime or on oral regime when primary graft function is achieved, has no significant influence on graft survival rate, which is 82% after 1 and 2 years, utilising cadaver donors. Vascular complications were responsible for the loss of 4 grafts and were associated with the use of kidneys from young donors, rather than the type of immunosuppressive agents used.


While in the United States lender liability actions have recently increased year after year, in Japan arguments have been developed regarding the legal liability/duties of financial institutions parallel with further deregulation and internationalization. This article reviews and analyzes certain new types of legal liability/duties to which Japanese financial institutions are now, or may hereafter be, subject under Japanese law and which are attracting significant attention in banking and legal circles. Legal liability of financial institution can be classified into two: (i) liability/duties arising under general laws (the Civil Code and Commercial Code) which include (a) the liability of a lender to make a loan; (b) the liability of a lender to properly evaluate collateral; (c) the liability of a lender to provide clients with appropriate information; and (d) the "network liability" of a financial institution; and (ii) those under special statutes regulating financial institutions or their business which include (e) the duties of a financial institution under special laws and regulations prohibiting money laundering activities (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the "Money Laundering Prevention Law"); and (f) the liability/duties of a financial institution under the Anti-Monopoly Law. At the end, Ipresent my own view on why lender liability arguments have suddenly become topical in Japan and suggest a practical approach Japanese lenders can take to properly deal with their liability/duties.


This article examines how participants collaboratively achieve projection of adjournments in TV audience interaction in Turkish. Adjournments are lapses in continuing states of incipient talk (CSIT) when the participants are not just talking but engaged in another activity. Adjournments during CSIT are neither attributable silences nor are they treated as accountable by the participants. Adopting the ethnomethodological tool of conversation analysis, the article reveals two types of episodes of talk in TV audience interaction: (1) adjacency pairs and (2) extended sequences. In adjacency pairs, an adjournment is projected through absence of mutual gaze and providing minimal agreements. In extended sequences, however, gaze aversion and demonstrable establishment of mutual alignment (e.g. using proverbial expression) are employed by the participants to hold the transition relevance place and project adjournments.


Dentist Background and Aims: Thermal changes in the oral cavity can be transferred to the implants placed in bone and affect the prognosis of the treatments. Furthermore, some investigators proposed improvement of habitual consumption of hot or cold beverages. The aim of the present study was to measure the effect of temperature changes in the oral cavity following consumption of hot and cold drinks on the temperature of implant. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 3 eligible patients were selected. Two months after implant insertion, temperature of the implants was measured following the drinking of hot and cold beverages using a sensor connected to a thermometer. The thermal changes of the implants through the different time intervals were analyzed using Friedman non-parametric test. Results: The implant temperatures were significantly increased in the time following drinking of the hot beverages (P=0.009). Furthermore, the implant temperature were statistically decreased in the time after drinking cold beverage (P=0.004). When drinking hot beverages, the maximum and minimum temperatures were 41.57 0 C and 36.77 0 C, respectively. The maximum and minimum temperatures of the implants were also 34.13 0 C and 26.83 0 C , respectively, when drinking cold beverages. Conclusion: It seems that the temperatures noted in the implants in the current study cannot weaken the prognosis of implant restorations; however, habitual consumption of hot and cold beverages can lead to debilitating implant prognosis and therefore, should be given the necessary warnings to


The currents through single Na+ channels from the sarcolemma of ventricular cells dissociated from adult rat hearts were studied using the patch-clamp technique. All patches had several Na+ channels; most had 5-10, while some had up to 50 channels. At 10 degrees C, the conductance of the channel was 9.8 pS. The mean current for sets of many identical pulses inactivated exponentially with a time constant of 1.7 +/- 0.6 ms at -40 mV. Careful examination of the mean currents revealed a small, slow component of inactivation at pulse potentials ranging from -60 to -30 mV. The time constant of the slow component was between 8 and 14 ms. The channels that caused the slow component had the same conductance and reversal potential as the fast Na+ currents and were blocked by tetrodotoxin. The slow currents appear to have been caused by repeated openings of one or more channels. The holding potential influenced the frequency with which such channel reopening occurred. The slow component was prominent during pulses from a holding potential of -100 mV, while it was very small during pulses from -140 mV. Ultraslow currents through the Na+ channel were observed occasionally in patches that had large numbers of channels. They consisted of bursts of 10 or more sequential openings of a single channel and lasted for up to 150 ms. We conclude that the single channel data cannot be explained by standard models, even those that have two inactivated states or two open states of the channel. Our results suggest that Na+ channels can function in several different "modes," each with a different inactivation rate.


Obligate social parasites, or inquilines, exploit the colonies of free-living social species and evolved at least 80 times in ants alone. Most species of the highly specialized inquiline social parasites are rare, only known from one or very few, geographically isolated populations, and the sexual offspring of most inquiline species mates inside the maternal colony. Therefore, inquiline popula- tions are believed to be small and genetically homogeneous due to inbreeding. To comparatively study the genetic diversity of the socially parasitic fungus-growing ant, Mycocepurus castrator, and its only known host species, Mycocepurus goeldii, and to infer the parasite's conser- vation status, we developed 21 microsatellite markers for the host species, M. goeldii, and evaluated whether these markers cross-amplify in the social parasite, M. castrator. We isolated and characterized a total of 21 microsatellite loci for M. goeldii. The loci were screened for 24 indi- viduals from geographically distant and genetically diver- gent populations in Brazil. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 18 to 4, the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.25 to 0.636, and the probability of identity values ranged from 0.011 to 0.146. Preliminary analyses show that these markers cross amplify in the closely related social parasite species M. castrator. These newly developed loci provide tools for studying the genetic diversity and the evolution of social parasitism in the Mycocepurus host- parasite system.


A case of septuplet pregnancy secondary to ovarian hyperstimulation followed the administration of human menopausal gonadotropin (Pergonal). All babies died within 12 hours and the maternal psychological reaction was reviewed in detail. Specific factors contributing to the subsequent favorable adjustment of the mother are discussed and recommendations for psychiatric consultation in cases of loss of multiple births are being made to facilitate the necessary grief process that is part of the course toward recovery and future motherhood.


Obesity is characterized by abnormal or excessive fat accumulation, which leads to the development of metabolic syndrome. Because oxidative stress is increased in obesity, antioxidants are regarded as suitable agents for preventing metabolic syndrome. Here, we examined the impact of cranberry, which contains various antioxidants, on metabolic profiles, including that during the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice. We observed that oxidative stress was diminished in mice that were fed HFD diets supplemented with 1 and 5% cranberry powder as compared with that in HFD-fed control mice. Notably, from 1 week after beginning the diets to the end of the study, the body weight of mice in the cranberry-treatment groups was significantly lower than that of mice in the HFD-fed control group; during the early treatment phase, cranberry suppressed the elevation of serum triglycerides; and adipocytes in the adipose tissues of cranberry-supplemented-HFD-fed mice were smaller than these cells in HFD-fed control mice. Lastly, we examined the effect of cranberry on NAFLD, which is one of the manifestations of metabolic syndrome in the liver. Histological analysis of the liver revealed that lipid-droplet formation and hepatocyte ballooning, which are key NAFLD characteristics, were both drastically decreased in cranberry-supplemented-HFD-fed mice relative to the levels in HFD-fed control mice. Our results suggest that cranberry ameliorates HFD-induced metabolic disturbances, particularly during the early treatment stage, and exhibits considerable potential for preventing the progression of NAFLD.


were assessed during the actual induction of anesthesia in the OR. Results and Discussions: The baseline HR values before the simulationbased training and before induction in the operating room were similar (97 16 and 93 14, respectively). The maximal HR values during the performance of first (112 16) and second (105 18) scenarios were significantly higher than baseline measurements. Maximal HR during the third, fourth and fifth scenarios were not different from baseline values (102 13, 99 13 and 99 13, respectively). The HR during the induction of anesthesia was 113 15, higher then baseline values. The subjective stress score was not changed during the simulation-based training and was 4.8 1.9 before training, 5.1 2.1 during the training and 4.2 1.9 at the end of training (all values are on a Likert scale of 1 to 8). The subjective stress during the induction of anesthesia was significantly lower (3 1.3). Conclusion(s): Compared to the actual induction of anesthesia in the OR, simulation-based anesthesia training is a stressful situation as indicated by a similar increase in HR and by higher subjective stress scores. Adaptation to the simulative environment may account for the decrease in HR during consecutive scenarios.


In a collection of reptiles from the Dutch colonies, given to me for identification by Mr. L. Dollo of the Zoological Museum at Brussels, I found two specimens of a Typhlops from Batavia, very much agreeing with Boulenger's description of T. polygrammicus Schl., but in some points differing from our typical specimen from Timor. The snout is depressed, rounded and strongly projecting, nostrils just visible from below. Rostral about 1/3 the width of the head, nearly extending to the level of the eyes, the portion visible from below a little more long than broad, nasal incompletely divided, the cleft extending from the second labial to the surface of the snout; praeocular present, in both specimens as broad as the nasal, in specimen a broader, in specimen b narrower than the ocular, in contact with the 2nd and 3rd labial. Four upper labials. Diameter of the body 40 to 42 times in the total length. Tail in specimen a 1 2/3 as long as broad, in specimen b only a little longer than broad, ending in a spine. 22 scales round the body. Specimen a measures 365 mm., specimen b only 340 mm.


Most immigrant groups experience higher rates of unemployment than the host countries native population, but it is as yet unclear whether differences in job search behaviour, or its success, can help explain this gap. In this paper, we investigate how the job search methods of unemployed immigrants compare with those of the native born, using panel data from the UK Quarterly Labour Force Survey. We explore the relative effectiveness of different job search methods, between the main native born and immigrant groups, in terms of their impact on the duration of unemployment. Our main finding is that immigrant job search in the UK is less successful than that of UK born whites. However their relative failure to exit unemployment cannot generally be explained by differences in the choice of main job search method or in observable characteristics. We find no support for a policy that would constrain immigrants to use verifiable job search methods.


Aspergillus niger is a filamentous ascomycete fungus that is ubiquitous in the environment and has been implicated in opportunistic infections of humans. In addition to its role as an opportunistic human pathogen, A. niger is economically important as a fermentation organism used for the production of citric acid. Industrial citric acid production by A. niger represents one of the most efficient, highest yield bioprocesses in use currently by industry. The genome size of A. niger is estimated to be between 35.5 and 38.5 megabases (Mb) divided among eight chromosomes/linkage groups that vary in size from 3.5-6.6 Mb. Currently, there are three independent A. niger genome projects, an indication of the economic importance of this organism. The rich amount of data resulting from these multiple A. niger genome sequences will be used for basic and applied research programs applicable to fermentation process development, morphology and pathogenicity.


With the problem of global energy shortage and people's awareness of energy saving, electric vehicles receive world-wide attention from government to business. Then the load of the power grid will rapidly increase in a short term, and a series of effects will bring to the power grid operation, management, production and planning. With the large-scale penetration of electric vehicles and distributed energy gradually increased, if they can be effectively controlled and regulated, they can play the roles of load shifting, stabling intermittent renewable energy sources, providing emergency power supply and so on. Otherwise they may have a negative impact, which calls for a good interaction of electric vehicles and power grid. Analyzed the status of the current study on the interaction between the electric vehicles and the power grid, this paper builds the material basis, information architecture and the corresponding control method for the interaction from the aspect of the energy and information exchanging, and then discusses the key issues, which makes a useful exploration for the further research.


Polymer optical waveguides are viewed as a potential interconnect solution in board-level optoelectronic systems. In this paper, the optical loss changes in siloxane polymer waveguides during thermal aging conditions are studied for the wavelengths of 850 and 1310 nm. The optical loss in waveguides during intended operation and temperature exposure can increase due to factors such as oxidation of waveguides, increased absorption, and scattering. In addition to these inherent changes in the optical properties of the waveguides, physical failures such as delamination and cracking of waveguides will also increase the optical loss. This paper focuses on the first set of parameters that affects the optical loss and as a first step; the optical absorption of the polymer material is characterized through spectroscopy experiments. The thermal-aging dependent optical loss is determined for waveguide samples at several different accelerated temperature conditions. The temperature contours in a polymer waveguide with an embedded laser are determined from experiments as well as finite-element modeling. Using experimental data, analytical models have been developed that relate the optical loss with temperature and time, and provide a practical way of determining the reliability of the optical waveguides during field-use conditions.


We examine numerically the behavior of liquid layers on horizontal patterned surfaces with hydrophobic and hydrophilic stripes. To this aim we use a phase field model as a mathematical tool with the density as the order parameter. The theoretical description is based on the Navier–Stokes equation with extra phase field terms and the continuity equation. The surface heterogeneity is controlled through the boundary conditions for the density field at the liquid–solid interface.


Controller design procedure for prototype tracking mount of Movable SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging), ARGO-M is presented. Tracking mount of ARGO-M is altitude-azimuth type and it has two axes of elevation and azimuth to control its position. Controller consists of velocity and acceleration feed-forward controller, position controller at outer loop, velocity controller at inner loop. There are two kinds of position control modes. One is the pointing mode to move from one position to the other position as fast as possible and the other one is tracking mode to follow SLR trajectory as precise as possible. Because the requirement of tracking accuracy is less than 5 arcsec and it is very tight error budget, a sophisticated controller needs to be prepared to meet the accuracy. Especially, ARGO-M is using the cross-roller bearing at each axis to increase the mechanical accuracy, which requires add-on controller DOB (Disturbance observer) to suppress friction load and low frequency disturbances. The pointing and tracking performance of the designed controller is simulated and visualized using MATLAB/ Simulink & SimMechanics and the experimental results using test are presented as well.


Background The novel group treatment program Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action (TARA) was developed to target specific mechanisms based on neuroscience findings in adolescent depression and framed within the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria. TARA contains training of autonomic and emotional self-regulation, interoceptive awareness, relational skills, and value-based committed action. Methods We performed a single-arm trial to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of TARA in reducing depression and anxiety levels and assessed whether the specific targeted domains of function reflected the hypothesized symptom change. Twenty-six adolescents (14–18 years old, 7 males and 19 females) participated in the 12-week group program. Assessment was performed before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 3 months after the end of TARA (T2). Results Significant improvement was seen in depression symptoms (Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale Second Edition) between T0–T1 (t-value = −3.56, p = 0.002, CI = −6.64, −1.77) and T0–T2 (t-value = −4.17, p < 0.001, CI = −11.20, −3.75) and anxiety symptoms (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children) between T0–T1 (t-value = −2.26, p = 0.033, CI = −4.61, −0.21) and T0–T2 (t-value = −3.06, p = 0.006, 95% confidence interval = −9.02, −1.73). Significant improvements in psychological flexibility, sleep, and mindfulness skills were also found between T0 and T2. Limitations The sample size was small without a control condition. The pilot design did not allow for testing the hypothesized brain changes and effect of TARA on relevant systemic biomarkers. Conclusion TARA is feasible in a sample of clinically depressed and/or anxious adolescents and preliminary efficacy was demonstrated by reduced depression and anxiety symptoms. The specific symptom and behavioral outcomes corresponded well with the hypothesized mechanisms of change.


The play of a breeding colony of captive harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) was documented over a four-year period to identify changes associated with seasonal variations in energy use, and to corroborate previous field studies which were restricted to observations at the hauling grounds during breeding and moulting. Outside the breeding/moulting period, play was more frequent and in some animals average daily food intake was higher. Thyroid hormones did not vary seasonally in any clear manner. The adults increased their daily activity markedly during the breeding/moulting period. It is argued that these changes in play rate were a reflection of constraints on time rather than energy, since the animals played most when mass and fat were being accumulated for the winter. Field observations were confirmed in the laboratory, showing most play to be solitary, with significant amounts of adult play which was more stereotyped than that of younger seals. Behaviour in captivity was less ebullient and sometimes truncated in comparison to that seen in the wild; however, nine new types of play and a more elaborate repertoire of object play were seen in the laboratory, where seals could be observed throughout the year and underwater.


The purpose of this study was to examine in rats the histologic alterations of the submandibular glands and testicles induced by soy diets and zinc deficient diet. The zinc deficiency produced testicles alterations including seminiferous tubulus atrophy, germinative epithelium degeneration, spermatogenesis alterations and a significant atrophy of the submandibular glands which presented no much delimitated acines. The soy diet without complementations also compromised the spermatogenesis by showing seminiferous tubulus atrophied and a reduction of the germinative epithelium. The soy diet complemented by saline and vitaminic mixtures didn't produced testicles alterations but its induced in the submandibular glands a hypertrophy of the ductal component mainly in relation to the granular component.


In this paper a non isolated, non inverting, single switch, high gain modified SEPIC with voltage multiplier dc-to-dc converter is proposed. The proposed circuit is a combination of modified version of conventional SEPIC converter and voltage multiplier unit. The voltage gain of proposed converter is increases to n time of (1/ (1-D) by extending the voltage multiplier unit by n time. The advantage of proposed topology is reduced voltage stress across switching device, which results into better efficiency and voltage gain is increased without disturbing the main circuit. In this paper, the detail operation of proposed converter with mathematical analysis is done. The proposed converter is simulated in MatLab R2016a for three level with 120W power. The mathematical analysis and simulation results validates the functionality of proposed converter.


The Sagamore Parkway Bridge consists of twin parallel bridges over the Wabash River in Lafayette, IN. The old steel-truss eastbound bridge was demolished in November 2016 and replaced by a new seven-span concrete bridge. The new bridge consists of two end-bents (bent 1 and bent 8) and six interior piers (pier 2 to pier 7) that are founded on closed-ended and open-ended driven pipe piles, respectively. During bridge construction, one of the bridge piers (pier 7) and its foundation elements were selected for instrumentation for monitoring the long-term response of the bridge to dead and live loads. The main goals of the project were (1) to compare the design bridge loads (dead and live loads) with the actual measured loads and (2) to study the transfer of the superstructure loads to the foundation and the load distribution among the piles in the group. This report presents in detail the site investigation data, the instrumentation schemes used for load and settlement measurements, and the response of the bridge pier and its foundation to dead and live loads at different stages during and after bridge construction. The measurement results include the load-settlement curves of the bridge pier and the piles supporting it, the load transferred from the bridge pier to its foundation, the bearing capacity of the pile cap, the load eccentricity, and the distribution of loads within the pier's cross section and among the individual piles in the group. The measured dead and live loads are compared with those estimated in bridge design.


Apoptosis is the most common form of physiological cell death and a necessary process to maintain cell numbers in multicellular organisms. Eosinophils are constantly produced in the bone marrow and the same numbers die, under normal circumstances, within a relatively short time period. In many eosinophilic inflammatory diseases, reduced eosinophil apoptosis has been described. This mechanism may contribute to increased eosinophil numbers, a phenomenon called eosinophilia. Overexpression of interleukin-5 appears to be crucial for delaying eosinophil apoptosis in many allergic disorders. Survival factor withdrawal leads to the induction of apoptosis. Besides survival cytokines, eosinophil apoptosis is also regulated by death factors. Recent observations suggest a role for mitochondria in conducting eosinophil apoptosis, although the mechanisms that trigger mitochondria to release proapoptotic factors remain less clear. Drugs that specifically induce eosinophil apoptosis might be useful for triggering the resolution of unwanted eosinophilic inflammatory responses.


Exercise intolerance, unwillingness to perform and/or back pain in sports horses are frequently associated with bad saddle fit. Generally, saddles and saddle pads are fitted subjectively and exclusively on the standing horse and rely on the expertise of the saddler. However, for over 16 years, it is possible to objectively assess the pressure distribution underneath the saddle by using a pressure sensitive mat connected to a data logger system. The examination can be carried out in the standing horse as well as while the horse is ridden in different gaits. Saddle pressure measurements were not only performed in the context of saddle fitting, but also to study the interaction between rider and horse. Furthermore, mean and peak saddle pressures were correlated with clinical signs of saddle soreness and back pain in order to define the upper limit pressure values which are still tolerated by the horse. With the help of this device, the critical zones of the saddle area can be detected selectively and the results can be used to convince the rider or saddler of the necessary changes which have to be carried out on the saddle. The respectful co-operation between veterinarians, saddlers and riding instructors is an important prerequisite for an effective and sustainable resolution of the problems encountered in horses with back pain.


This thesis examines the use of ripple correlation control as a maximum power point tracking algorithm with an interleaved SEPIC converter for use with a solar array. The suitability of existing topologies for use with photovoltaic applications and the tradeoffs involved are discussed. The advantages of interleaving in converters are examined and the benefits it provides to photovoltaic applications are discussed. An interleaved SEPIC converter operated in interleaved mode with a photovoltaic array is studied. The operation of ripple correlation control as a maximum power point tracking technique applied to the interleaved SEPIC converter is examined and simulations with results are presented.


Background: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) may be classified as lower (cystitis and asymptomatic bacteriuria) or upper urinary tract infections (pyelonephritis). The recommended antibiotics for use in pregnancy for management of ASB include amoxicillin, oral cephalosporins and nitrofurantoin; and for the treatment of lower UTI during pregnancy include penicillins, oral cephalosporins. Data from the antibiotic usage study in UTI during pregnancy will help in establishing a proper antibiotic utilisation guideline and promotes rational prescribing of medicines. Aim: To study the antimicrobial prescription practices for urinary tract infection during pregnancy. Materials & Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology and Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), Dehradun, over a period of 12 months. This was an observational cross sectional study done in 45 pregnant women with or without symptoms of UTI. Results: 29.4% of the pregnant women with symptomatic UTI were culture positive while all were culture positive who had asymptomatic UTI. Cephalosporins were most frequently prescribed followed by nitrofurantoin. Conclusion: Urine culture should be performed as a screening and diagnostic tool for UTI during pregnancy. Various classes of antimicrobials were being prescribed for UTI during pregnancy.


In this preliminary investigation we examine the uses of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops for (a) non-academic and (b) academic purposes in the post-secondary classroom, as well as for (c) academic tasks outside the class by post-secondary students with disabilities. Integration of smartphones and other mobile devices into the learning process is innovative, challenging and highly relevant for post-secondary education. Also, research shows that post-secondary students like courses where use of their personal mobile devices in class is allowed. To explore how students with disabilities use their mobile devices we held four focus groups, with six to eight participants each: two in Canada (one for students with disabilities, one for professionals who assist students with disabilities) and two in Israel. The findings show that students with disabilities use their mobile devices for all the same reasons as nondisabled students. In addition, students with disabilities use general purpose mobile device features and apps as assistive aids. Implications of the blurring of the distinction between assistive and general use mobile device features and apps for the academic inclusion of post-secondary students with disabilities is discussed. It appears that for many students with disabilities, access to their personal mobile devices for academic purposes, both in and out of the classroom, is essential to ensure their full inclusion.


J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings consistently tops polls as the best-loved literary work of all time. Now medieval scholar and Tolkien expert Christopher Snyder presents the most in-depth exploration yet of Tolkien's source materials for Middle-earth - from the languages, poetry and mythology of medieval Europe and ancient Greece to the halls of Oxford and the battlefields of World War I. Fuelled by the author's passion for all things Tolkien, this richly illustrated book also reveals the surprisingly pervasive influence of Tolkien's timeless fantasies on modern culture.


vThis exegesis explores two questions concerning the adventure hero depicted in island fiction and answers them through an analysis of two works—the early eighteenth-century classic, Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe, and the contemporary, self-authored "Ile du Coeur". Robinson Crusoe is chosen as a baseline text as it inspired genre rules for the series of Robinsonades which followed and which have continued to influence all forms of subsequent island narrative, particularly those containing an adventure element. Well known
examples of Robinsonades include The Coral Island and Treasure Island and many of the tropes replicated in these novels continue to appear in modern island narratives, including Lord of the Flies, Muriel Sparks' 1958 novel Robinson, Sam Selvon's Moses Ascending, Michel Tournier's Friday, Douglas Glover's Elle and J.M Coetzee's Foe. Emulating Loxely, I therefore focus on Robinson Crusoe's "implicit legacy... and the importance of its meanings and motifs" (6) specifically in relation to the construction of the island adventure hero.

The first question driving this research project is what is the heroic template set by Defoe? Analysis reveals a male hero representative of a colonising and hegemonic discourse in relation to both masculinity and heroism. I argue that in these two areas, Defoe's hero is rendered, from a contemporary perspective, severely 'bound' or limited. In turn, the parameters of his construction reciprocally bind and limit not just female readers but readers of all genders in relation to performances of gender and heroism. I argue that the ideologies inherent within the hero's construction are, in some ways, paradoxically antithetical to definitions of heroism itself.

The composition of Defoe's hero, and its remnant traces in contemporary island fiction, leads to the posing of a second question, an interesting authorial challenge: what do I want my island hero to be? The motivation to rewrite the island adventure hero is twofold, being personal in the first instance and political in the second. From a personal perspective, it is a creative and playful response to all those reading years where I, as a female and gay reader, was not represented. It also reflects, and indulges, a long held fascination with islands both real and imagined, and with island metaphor in general. In summary, I am writing an island narrative that I might have wished to read, with the sort of adventure hero that interests me. From a political perspective, however, underscoring the writing is a belief that the modern western notion of heroic behaviour is outmoded and requires a subtle but conscious metamorphosis in order to remain culturally relevant. Underpinning "Ile du Coeur" is the particular assertion that diverse and multiple heroisms are required of twenty-first century adventure heroes.

These authorial aims are principally achieved by destabilising both the conventions and tropes of "island narrative" (Weaver-Hightower ix) and, in particular, the colonising phallocentrism of the island adventure hero. Accordingly, four characteristics traditionally associated with Robinson Crusoe and the hero of the Robinsonade—maleness, heterosexuality, violence and action—are overtly reworked in order to "inscribe other values without sacrificing richness" (Hourihan 205). In addition, a new heroic behaviour, that of 'conscious silence', is written into "Ile du Coeur" in which the hero seeks self-mastery as opposed to mastery over the other. The trope of conscious silence is used to destabilise the destructive mythologies usually associated with the hero of the Robinsonade, and exemplifies a new performance possibility for the twenty-first century adventure hero.


Preeclampsia is characterized by abnormal placentation that is thought to arise from inadequate cytotrophoblast migration and invasion of the spiral arteries. The resulting reduced perfusion of the utero-placental unit promotes the development of hypertension in preeclampsia. Beta Epithelial Na+ Channel (βENaC) protein, a mediator of cytotrophoblast migration in vitro, is decreased in placentas of preeclamptic patients. We have recently reported that hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and its by-products reduce blood pressure in placental ischemic rats. Since HO and its byproducts can regulate ENaC expression, including βENaC, are important mediators of migration, the goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that HO-1 induction 1) stimulates βENaC expression and migration in cultured cytotrophoblasts and 2) restores βENaC expression in ischemic placentas. Cobalt protoporhyrin (CoPP, 1 - 10 μM, 48 hrs) stimulated HO-1 induction in cultured cytotrophoblasts (BEWO cells), upregulated βENaC expression, and increased spontaneous migration by 39.2 ± 6.0% (n=7, p<0.001). To determine if HO-1 induction increased placental βENaC expression and prevented hypertension, CoPP was injected subcutaneously (5mg/kg) on gestational day 14 in timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats with placental ischemia. MAP was increased on gestational day 19 in placental ischemic rats (141 ± 4 vs.101 ± 1 mmHg, p<0.001; n=4 per group). While HO-1 induction did not affect MAP in normal pregnant rats (101 ± 5 mmHg), MAP was significantly attenuated (p<0.01) in placental ischemic rats treated with CoPP (117 ± 1 mmHg). Western blot analysis revealed a 62 ± 22% decrease in βENaC expression in ischemic placentas, which was restored by HO-1 induction (n= 4, p<0.05). These findings suggest that HO-1 induction stimulates βENaC expression in cultured cytotrophoblasts and ischemic placentas. Future studies will determine if the beneficial effects of HO-1 occur through βENaC-mediated cytotrophoblast migration and spiral artery remodeling in ischemic placentas. Targeting the HO-1 pathway presents a potential therapeutic approach for improving placentation in preeclamptic women.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of regulatory focus (promotion vs prevention) and mixed valence attributes (positive imagery and negative analytical vs negative imagery and positive analytical) on consumers' evaluation and purchase intention for a product.

Design/methodology/approach

A pre-test followed by a single between subject's experiment was conducted to test the major hypotheses in the study.

Findings

Results show that promotion (prevention) focus prefers the product when it is described in terms of positive imagery but negative analytical (positive analytical but negative imagery) attributes in terms of both evaluation and purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

Future research may validate and extend the current findings with other product or service categories, and study the underlying processes that guide decision making.

Practical implications

Findings from this study will help managers devise a range of marketing strategies in the areas of advertising, segmentation and product positioning.

Originality/value

The current research is novel as it addresses lack of research that engages imagery and analytical attributes with different valences, and fills in a gap as to how regulatory focus will rely on imagery (analytical) attributes with different valences while making product decisions.


An incremental technique and a fast algorithm FUP have been proposed previously for the update of discovered single-level association rules(SLAR). In this study, a more efficient algorithm FUP*, which generates a smaller number of candidate sets when comparing with FUP, has been proposed. In addition, we have demonstrated that the incremental technique in FUP and FUP* can be generalized to some other kdd systems. An efficient algorithm MLUp has been proposed for this purpose for the updating of discovered multi-level association rules(MLAR). Our performance study shows that MLUp has a superior performance over ML-T2 in updating discovered MLAR.


In this paper, we study time-optimal trajectories for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to provide convoy protection to a group of stationary ground vehicles. The UAVs are modelled as Dubins vehicles flying at a constant altitude. Due to kinematic constraints of the UAVs, it is not possible for a single UAV to provide convoy protection indefinitely. In this paper, we derive time-optimal paths for a single UAV to provide continuous ground convoy protection for the longest possible time. Furthermore, this paper provides optimal trajectories for multiple UAVs to achieve uninterrupted convoy protection. The minimum number of UAVs required to achieve this task is determined.


Prolonged sitting in a mild hypercapnic environment impairs peripheral vascular function. The effects of sitting interruptions using passive or active skeletal muscle contractions are still unclear. Therefore, we sought to examine the vascular effects of brief periods (2 min every half hour) of passive and active lower-limb movement to interrupt prolonged sitting with mild hypercapnia in adults. Fourteen healthy adults (24±2y) participated in 3 experimental visits sitting for 2.5h in a mild hypercapnic environment (CO2=1500 ppm): control (CON, no limb movement), passive lower-limb movement (PASS), and active lower-limb movement (ACT) during sitting. At all visits, brachial and popliteal artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), microvascular function, plasmatic levels of nitrate/nitrate and endothelin-1, and heart rate variability were assessed before and after sitting. Brachial and popliteal artery FMDs were reduced in CON and PASS (P<0.05) but were preserved (P>0.05) in ACT. Microvascular function was blunted in CON (P<0.05) but was preserved in PASS and ACT (P>0.05). Additionally, total plasma nitrate/nitrite was preserved in ACT (P>0.05) but was reduced in CON and PASS (P<0.05), and endothelin-1 levels were decreased in ACT (P<0.05). Both passive and active movement induced a greater ratio between the low frequency and high frequency band for heart rate variability (P<0.05). For the first time, we found that brief periods of passive leg movement can preserve microvascular function, but that an intervention that elicits larger increases in shear rate, such as low-intensity exercise, is required to fully protect both macrovascular and microvascular function and circulating vasoactive substance balance.


We report the dual-frequency and dual-polarization emission of an optically-pumped vertical external-cavity semiconductor laser. Our laser source provides a high-purity optically-carried RF signal tunable in the GHz range, and is specifically designed for the coherent population trapping (CPT) of Cs atoms in compact atomic clocks. The laser spectrum is stabilized onto a Cs atomic transition at 852.1 nm, and the frequency difference is locked to a local oscillator at 9.2 GHz. Special attention has been paid to the evaluation of the frequency, intensity and phase noise properties. A maximum phase noise of -90 dBrad2/Hz has been measured. Finally, we estimate the contribution of the laser noise on the short-term frequency stability of a CPT atomic clock, and predict that a value below 3 × 10-13 over one second is a realistic target.


Abstract This study begins to fill the gap in tourism literature in examining the tourism structures from the perspective of a socialist-market economy with a single-party political system like Vietnam. At present, Central Vietnam (CV) has three different types of administrative layers and existing different tourism structures of destination management organisations (DMOs), like co-operations of public and private stakeholders in juxtaposition with each other, which do not achieve an effective target-oriented co-operation for enhancing the destination's competitiveness. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the existing organisational tourism structures in CV under the aspect of tourism stakeholder co-operation in order to find out which structures and types of co-operation appear as the most efficient ones in CV and which structures would add most value to the region, with the goal for enhancing tourism management in CV. The research process involved a field research as well as in-depth interviews with public and private stakeholders in CV. The findings revealed that all stakeholders perceive CV as one destination. It is recommended to establish one single "DMO CV" as Public Private Partnership, which shall be responsible for CV, with the tasks including sustainable tourism development and to position CV as a strongly competitive destination.


Examining round-trip engineering in the software engineering process, we can realize that they have common parts, which we have to do in all cycles, such as model-code and code-model conversions. This paper presents a method and related algorithms, which generate those parts of model-code relation that can be automated, and makes possible to concentrate solely on the semantic information during the implementation. The method contains an automatic schema generation, which makes possible for the method to be practically adaptable for any models. In the proposed way an Universal Representation is generated which facilitates the separation of the original representation and the transformation steps in an automated yet checked way. A case study based on a complete implementation is provided as well.


ABSTRACT
 Abalone is a highly valued food product in many countries, in large part a result of its unique sensory properties. Wild and cultured abalone both attract premium prices, but generally this is not based on sensory characteristics. Yet, abalone aquaculture is developing to provide an alternative to a dwindling supply of wild abalone, and this provides an opportunity to optimize the sensory properties if they are better understood. In most natural food products, farming practices and growing environment are responsible for the sensory properties of the final product; therefore, the comparison of both wild and aquacultured abalone's sensory characteristics could contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the growing and farming practices on the sensory properties. Our study focused on the development of a descriptive sensory analysis methodology to measure abalone sensory properties, and the observation of differences among the abalone sampled. Wild and aquacultured abalone were prepared according to a standardized cooking protocol. A sensory panel of trained assessors developed and defined a descriptive vocabulary and a method of assessment, and then quantified the sensory properties of abalone. A vocabulary of 16 terms describing aroma, texture, flavor, and aftertaste of the abalone was developed. Very significant differences were found between abalone sourced from the wild and aquacultured abalone from different sources. The wild-caught blacklip abalone, which were larger in size, were perceived as more firm, springy, and chewy, but also rated significantly higher in aroma, flavor, and aftertaste impact as well as earthy and metallic flavors. Significant differences in sensory properties were also found between cultured abalone fed different diets. Compositional analysis showed significant differences between abalone in their content of glycogen (range, 4.8%–23.2% of dry weight (DW)), moisture (69.4%–73.7% live weight), and taste-active free amino acids, especially glycine (3.4–18.2 mg/g DW) and glutamate (1.0–3.6 mg/g DW). Correlations were found between sensory attributes and some chemical compounds. This study indicates that growing conditions as well as growing techniques may have a large influence on abalone sensory characteristics. However, because the design of the study was not balanced for key growth or production variables, additional studies are required to identify and quantify which factors were most influential. The descriptive sensory method developed was successful in measuring the sensory properties of abalone and can now be applied more broadly.


Numerous investigations into music performance anxiety have focused on the conscious mind. However, little research has focused on implicit processes for alleviation of this condition. Cognitive hypnotherapy (CH) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), therapies which target implicit processes, were investigated in an intervention study with advanced pianists (n = 46). Participants were of mixed gender aged 18–26 years (three over 30) and were randomly assigned to a therapy or control group. The therapy groups received two interventions of either CH or EMDR during a two-week period between two concerts. Quantitative data were collected through performance assessment, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a self-report questionnaire (SRQ). The SRQ and a log of performance experience also allowed for qualitative assessment. Results showed that both therapy groups (but not the control) experienced a significant reduction in state anxiety post therapy and a significant improvement in performance. Trait anxiety decreased significantly below baseline levels post intervention in the EMDR group. This is an important area for future research in music psychology and has broader implications in other fields.


The presence of a vernalization requirement can delay floral initiation until the cold requirement of the plant has been satisfied. Breeders attempting to develop early-maturing cultivars should be aware and have an understanding of the genetic basis of factors such as vernalization response to assess potential impact on their programs. The ability to generate doubled haploid (DH) lines from oilseed rape (Brassica napus) has led to the use of DH populations in genetic studies. The objective of this study was to determine the mode of inheritance of the vernalization response in spring B. napus with DH lines. A set of Fl-derived DH lines from crosses between spring oilseed rape parent lines were evaluated for their response to vernalization. The use of DH lines allowed the exposure of the individuals of identical genotype to two different treatments, vernalization and no vernalization. The vernalization treatment consisted of exposure of germinated seeds for 2 wk at 4°C. Seeds of the non-vernalized treatment were germinated at 22°C. Comparison between treatments of the final leaf number on the main raceme (FLN) was used to assess the vernalization response. The results indicated that there is a gene for nonresponse to vernalization in the spring oilseed rape cultivar Karat. FLN offers a direct measure of vernalization response, since leaf initiation ceases when floral initiation begins.


We consider two transceivers equipped with multiple antennas that intend to communicate i.e. both of which transmit and receive data in a TDD fashion. Assuming that the responses of the physical communication channels between these two nodes are linear and reciprocal (time invariant or with very slow time variations), and by exploiting the closed loop conversation between these nodes, we have proposed efficient algorithms allowing to adaptively identify the Best Singular Mode (BSM) of the channel (those algorithms are for training, blind, and semi-blind channel identification). Unlike other proposed algorithms, our proposed adaptive algorithms are robust to noise as the involved step-size allows a trade-off to reduce the impact of the additive noise at the expense of some estimation delay. In practice, however, the reciprocity of the equivalent channels is lost because of the mismatch between the transmit and the receive filters of the communicating nodes. This mismatch causes significant degradation in the performance of the BSM estimation. Therefore, we have also proposed adaptive self-calibrating algorithms (which do not require any additional RF circuitry) that account for such a mismatch. In addition, we have conducted a convergence analysis of the BSM algorithm and extended it to estimate multiple modes simultaneously. Finally, we have also proposed an adaptive, iterative algorithm that is capable of allocating power in such a way that maximizes the capacity of a SISO OFDM communication system.


Background: Plasmodium falciparum and Salmonella typhi are major causes of fever in the tropics. Although these infections are caused by different organisms and are transmitted via different mechanisms, they have similar epidemio-logic and clinical features. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of S. typhi and P. falciparum infections and their associations with fever at 2 sites in Northern Tanzania. Methods: This was a community-based, cross-sectional study, conducted from February to June 2016, involving 128 randomly selected individuals, aged between 1 and 70 years. Sixty-three (49.2%) participants were recruited from Bondo Ward, Tanga Region, and 65 (50.8%) were recruited from Magugu Ward, Manyara Region. Blood samples were collected by venepuncture into sterile microtubes. Detection of pathogen DNA was achieved via a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Data analysis was done using Stata, version 14. Prevalence data were presented as numbers and percentages, and chi-square analysis was used to assess associations. P values of .05 or less were considered statistically significant. Results: Of 128 participants, 31 (24.2%) and 17 (13.3%) tested positive for P. falciparum and S. typhi infection, respectively. Of the 63 participants from Bondo, 31 (49.2%) had P. falciparum parasitaemia. None of the participants from Magugu tested positive for Plasmodium parasitaemia. S. typhi bacteraemia was detected in 11 (17.5%) of 63 and 6 (9.2%) of 65 participants in Bondo and Magugu, respectively. P. falciparum–S. typhi coinfection was only detected in Bondo (n=6, 9.5%). Age was the only variable that showed a significant association with both P. falciparum and S. typhi infection; falling within the 5-to 9-year or 10-to 15-year age groups was associated with both infections (X2=2.1; P=.045). Among the 30 patients with Plasmodium parasitaemia, 7 (23.3%) had fever, whereas 2 (12.5%) of 16 patients infected by S. typhi had fever. P. falciparum infection (X2=12.4, P<.001) and P. falciparum–S. typhi coinfection (X2=5.5, P=.019) were significantly associated with fever, while S. typhi infection alone was not. Conclusion: S. typhi and P. falciparum were considerably prevalent in the area. One-third of the P. falciparum–S. typhi coinfected individuals in Bondo had fever. P. falciparum infection was an important contributor to febrile illness in Bondo. In the presence of coinfections with P. falciparum and S. typhi, the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests should be emphasised to reduce irrational use of medications.


There are many old steel bridges on Chinese transportation lines, which keep their normal traffic service function. The old bridges are often required to carry an increasing volume of traffic and heavier vehicles than the original design, so bridge management departments pay more attention to the actual remaining fatigue life of such structures. Based on probabilistic fracture mechanics theory, the member and the system fatigue failure evaluation models for old steel bridges are all proposed, and the fatigue reliability analysis program is developed using Monte-Carlo. As a case study, the evaluation models are used to predicate the fatigue reliability of Zhejiang Street Bridge. According to evaluation results, the probabilistic remaining fatigue life, safe inspection intervals and maintenance strategy are determined.


In this paper we demonstrate an active polarization drift compensation scheme for optical fibres employed in a quantum key distribution experiment with polarization encoded qubits. The quantum signals are wavelength multiplexed in one fibre along with two classical optical side channels that provide the control information for the polarization compensation scheme. This set-up allows us to continuously track any polarization change without the need to interrupt the key exchange. The results obtained show that fast polarization rotations of the order of 40π rad s−1 are effectively compensated for. We demonstrate that our set-up allows continuous quantum key distribution even in a fibre stressed by random polarization fluctuations. Our results pave the way for Bell-state measurements using only linear optics with parties separated by long-distance optical fibres.


The wheel-legged robot inherits the merit of both the wheeled robot and the legged robot, which can not only adapt to the complex terrain, but also maintain the driving efficiency on the flat road. This paper presents an optimization-based approach that leverage ideas from computational geometric mechanics to generate safe and high-quality wheel-leg hybrid motions among obstacles. The formulation of the proposed motion optimization problem incorporates the Lagrange-d'Alembert principle as the robot's dynamic constraints and an efficient closed-form formulation of collision-free constraints. By discretizing the variational mechanics principle directly, rather than its corresponding forced Euler-Lagrange equation, the continuous trajectory optimization problem is transformed into a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem. Numerical simulations and several real-world experiments are conducted on a wheel-legged robot to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed trajectory generation approach.


The aftereffect field of thermal activation, which corresponds to the fluctuation field of a domain wall, is investigated via specific measurements of the magnetization behavior in Pr2Fe14B nanocrystalline magnets. The thermal activation is a magnetization reversal arising from thermal fluctuation over an energy barrier to an equilibrate state. According to the magnetic viscosity and the field sweep rate dependence of the coercivity, the calculated values of the fluctuation field are lower than the aftereffect field and in a range between those of domain walls and individual grains. Based on these results, we propose that the magnetization reversal occurs in multiple ways involving grain activation and domain wall activation in thermal activation, and the thermal activation decreases the coercivity by ~0.2 kOe in the Pr2Fe14B ribbons.


Thick and hard ceramic coatings were prepared on the Al-Cu-Mg alloy by microarc oxidation in alkali-silicate electrolytic solution. The thickness and microhardness of the oxide coatings were measured. The influence of current density on the growth rate of the coating was examined. The microstructure and phase composition of the coatings were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the tensile strength of the Al alloy before and after microarc oxidation treatment were tested, and the fractography and morphology of the oxide coatings were observed using scanning electron microscope. It is found that the current density considerably influences the growth rate of the microarc oxidation coatings. The oxide coating is mainly composed of α-Al_2O_3 and γ-Al_2O_3, while high content of Si is observed in the superficial layer of the coating. The cross-section microhardness of 120 μm thick coating reaches the maximum at distance of 35 μm from the substrate/coating interface. The tensile strength and elongation of the coated Al alloy significantly decrease with increasing coating thickness. The microarc oxidation coatings greatly improve the wear resistance of Al alloy, but have high friction coefficient which changes in the range of 0.70.8. Under grease lubricating, friction coefficient is only 0.15 and wear loss is less than 1/10 of the loss under dry friction.


Background and Aim: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Studies have shown tumorigenetic and histomorphological differences between IBD-associated CRC and non-IBD CRC, suggesting differences in tumor behavior and response to treatment. We aimed to compare tumor recurrence and survival rates following postoperative chemotherapy in CRC patients with and without IBD. Methods: Search of the Cleveland Clinic's CRC database revealed 65 patients who had IBD-associated CRC and received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy between 1994 and 2010. Twenty-one patients were excluded due to incomplete clinical data. Propensity score-matching based on age, surgery intent, CRC site, tumor grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage and T stage was used to match IBD and non-IBD patients (1:4). Competing risk and Cox regression models were used to analyze differences in disease-free survival and overall survival, respectively. Results: Forty-four patients with IBD-associated CRC were matched to 176 patients with non-IBD CRC. Among IBD patients, 29 (66%) had ulcerative colitis, 14 (32%) had Crohn's disease, and one (2%) had indeterminate colitis. Mean IBD diagnosis age was 28.1 ± 14.5 years, and mean IBD duration at time of CRC treatment was 21.5 ± 12.6 years. Ten (23%) IBD patients had tumor recurrence compared with 34 (19%) non-IBD patients (P = .074). There was no significant difference in disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.35–1.05; P = 0.074) or overall survival (HR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.54–1.4; P = 0.58) between IBD and non-IBD patients. Conclusion: Patients with IBD-associated CRC have comparable rates of tumor recurrence and survival following postoperative chemotherapy as CRC patients without IBD. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and guide therapeutic decisions.


The effect of the lamellar morphology on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of the Ti-22Al-27Nb alloy was investigated. The HCF tests were performed in air at an R ratio of 0.1 in the load-control mode, whereas the LCF tests were performed in vacuum at 923 K in the strain-controlled mode. The specimens with fine lamellar microstructure exhibited a better resistance to HCF than those with coarse lamellar microstructure. The microstructure-insensitive behavior was, however, observed in the LCF tests at 923 K. The fatigue mechanism was discussed based on the concurrent observation of the initiation facet and the underlying microstructure, and the TEM observations.


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Our theoretical model of forced dipole oscillation demonstrates that when the amplitude of the forcing field is changing fast, the oscillations of the bound electron in the atom or molecule initially proceed at two frequencies: the frequency of the natural electron oscillations and the frequency of the forcing field. Particularly, applied to the science of scattering, this model of transient forced atomic and molecular oscillations suggests that accurate interpretation of the laser scattering experiments using short laser pulses must include both the conventionally known scattering at the laser frequency (Rayleigh) and the predicted by our theoretical spectral emission that corresponds to the natural frequency of the electronic oscillations. This article presents the results of numerical simulations using our model performed for the hydrogen atom. The characteristics of the components of scattered radiation, their polarization, and Doppler thermal broadening are discussed.


A novel multiscale anisotropic diffusion method is proposed for ultrasonic speckle reduction. This method, which extends the nonlinear complex diffusion to a nonsubsampled contourlet domain, is called a contourlet transform based complex diffusion (CTCD). The nonsubsampled contourlet transform provides a flexible, multiscale, multidirection, and shift-invariant image decomposition with a good contour capturing and representation. Then, the nonlinear complex diffusion removes noise from the contourlet coefficients with the imaginary values serving as a robust edge-detector. The directionality and multiresolution features of the nonsubsampled contourlet transform and the robust anisotropic smoothing feature of the complex diffusion make the hybrid filter produce satisfactory despeckling results. Both synthetic and real ultrasound images are used to evaluate the performance of the filter, and denoising results are also compared with other three competitive speckle reduction algorithms. It is shown that the proposed method is superior to other methods in both noise reduction and structure preservation.