Monovalent cations enable efficient ion exchange processes due to their high mobility in silicate glasses. Numerous properties can be modified in this way, e.g., mechanical, optical, electrical or chemical performance. In particular, alkali cation exchange has received significant attention, primarily with respect to introducing compressive stress into the surface region of a glass, which increases mechanical durability. However, most of the present applications rely on specifically tailored matrix compositions in which the cation mobility is enhanced. This largely excludes the major area of soda lime silicates (SLS) such as are commodity in almost all large-scale applications of glasses. Basic understanding of the relations between structural parameters and the effective diffusion coefficients may help to improve ion-exchanged SLS glass products, on the one hand in terms of obtainable strength and on the other in terms of cost. In the present paper, we discuss the trends in the effective diffusion coefficients when exchanging Na+ for various monovalent cations (K+, Cu+, Ag+, Rb+ and Cs+) by drawing relations to physico-chemical properties. Correlations of effective diffusion coefficients were found for the bond dissociation energy and the electronic cation polarizability, indicating that localization and rupture of bonds are of importance for the ion exchange rate.


After the Tet Offensive of early 1968, Hanoi agreed to hold talks with U.S. representatives in Paris. The North Vietnamese, however, used the resulting talks with the Johnson administration not to negotiate in any traditional sense but to probe the intentions of Washington and to manipulate domestic and world opinion. Hanoi continued this charade for approximately a year, until domestic and international circumstances forced a meaningful reassessment of its position on a negotiated settlement of the war with the United States. This article explores that reassessment, as well as the evolution of North Vietnam's diplomatic strategy thereafter. Specifically, it considers the factors that conditioned the thinking and policies of Vietnamese Communist leaders, including the balance of forces below the seventeenth parallel and the behavior of close allies in Beijing and Moscow vis-à-vis the United States. The article proposes that military and economic setbacks in the South and in the North combined with recognition of the limits of socialist solidarity forced Hanoi to talk secretly and then to negotiate seriously with the Nixon administration and, ultimately, to accept a peace settlement that fell far short of the goals set by the Vietnamese Communists at the onset of the war.


Emx1 is a mouse homologue of the Drosophila homeobox gene empty spiracles. Its expression is limited to the neurons in developing and adult cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Because of the highly restricted expression pattern of the Emx1 gene, it would be quite desirable to characterize the promoter of the Emx1 for directing foreign gene expression in the transgenic mouse. We report here that we have achieved the Emx1-specific expression in transgenic mice by inserting the lacZ reporter and cre genes directly into the exon 1 of the Emx1 gene using embryonic stem (ES) cell technology. The distribution of the beta-galactosidase activity in the transgenic mice was consistent with the published results obtained using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that Cre protein was present in the cerebral cortex of the transgenic mice and was able to mediate loxP-specific recombination in vitro. The creation of this line of cre transgenic mice, and the demonstration that the insertion site located in the exon 1 of the Emx1 gene could render foreign genes a specific expression pattern restricted to the developing and adult cerebral cortex and hippocampus, should be conducive to further studies of the effect of a gene mutation or overexpression upon the development and plasticity of cerebral cortex and hippocampus.


Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are commonly known to regulate cell proliferation. However, previous reports suggest that in cultured postmitotic neurons, activation of CDKs is a signal for death rather than cell division. We determined whether CDK activation occurs in mature adult neurons during focal stroke in vivo and whether this signal was required for neuronal death after reperfusion injury. Cdk4/cyclin D1 levels and phosphorylation of its substrate retinoblastoma protein (pRb) increase after stroke. Deregulated levels of E2F1, a transcription factor regulated by pRb, are also observed. Administration of a CDK inhibitor blocks pRb phosphorylation and the increase in E2F1 levels and dramatically reduces neuronal death by 80%. These results indicate that CDKs are an important therapeutic target for the treatment of reperfusion injury after ischemia.


A.G. Lafley and P&G leaders decided to approach the Gillette integration differently from previous mergers. Using P&G's purpose, values, and principles (PVP) it treated the acquisition as a merger which sought to take the "best of both" from each company. In the integration's first phase, prior to the change of control, the strategy achieved successes while creating some unexpected challenges. How should the integration leaders address these challenges moving forward?


We investigated the changes induced in crossed extensor reflex responses after peripheral nerve injury and repair in the rat. Adults rats were submitted to non repaired sciatic nerve crush (CRH, n = 9), section repaired by either aligned epineurial suture (CS, n = 11) or silicone tube (SIL4, n = 13), and 8 mm resection repaired by tubulization (SIL8, n = 12). To assess reinnervation, the sciatic nerve was stimulated proximal to the injury site, and the evoked compound muscle action potential (M and H waves) from tibialis anterior and plantar muscles and nerve action potential (CNAP) from the tibial nerve and the 4th digital nerve were recorded at monthly intervals for 3 mo postoperation. Nociceptive reinnervation to the hindpaw was also assessed by plantar algesimetry. Crossed extensor reflexes were evoked by stimulation of the tibial nerve at the ankle and recorded from the contralateral tibialis anterior muscle. Reinnervation of the hindpaw increased progressively with time during the 3 mo after lesion. The degree of muscle and sensory target reinnervation was dependent on the severity of the injury and the nerve gap created. The crossed extensor reflex consisted of three bursts of activity (C1, C2, and C3) of gradually longer latency, lower amplitude, and higher threshold in control rats. During follow-up after sciatic nerve injury, all animals in the operated groups showed recovery of components C1 and C2 and of the reflex H wave, whereas component C3 was detected in a significantly lower proportion of animals in groups with tube repair. The maximal amplitude of components C1 and C2 recovered to values higher than preoperative values, reaching final levels between 150 and 245% at the end of the follow-up in groups CRH, CS, and SIL4. When reflex amplitude was normalized by the CNAP amplitude of the regenerated tibial nerve, components C1 (300-400%) and C2 (150-350%) showed highly increased responses, while C3 was similar to baseline levels. In conclusion, reflexes mediated by myelinated sensory afferents showed, after nerve injuries, a higher degree of facilitation than those mediated by unmyelinated fibers. These changes tended to decline toward baseline values with progressive reinnervation but still remained significant 3 mo after injury.


Added Value Services (AVS) for road based freight transportation have gained the attention of public authorities, industry and the private sector. It is accentuated by systems developed or be-ing under development for road user charging, which have the potential to support additional ser-vices through sharing of functionalities (e.g. communication, positioning and payment). To de-sign telematic systems with many services, the relationships underlying such services and neces-sary functionalities is challenging to analyze. The aim of this paper is to develop a map or guide between important AVS and their functionalities that can be used as a foundation for analyzing potential system architectures for achieving such services. The paper attempts to address differing interest between commercial stakeholders and public authorities in deploying telematic systems for AVS. An analytical method for studying synergy behaviour between road-based telematic services, and required functionalities is proposed. The method is based on a modified hierarchical cluster agglomeration and is inspired by multiuse component based software design. Results of applying the method on AVS in the Swedish Road User Charing system shows that the choice of functionalities play an important role in estimating the synergy for a group of AVS, and hence in the architecture.


Current instruments used in epidemiological studies suffer serious methodological problems, one being the failure to properly conceptualize the constructs of problem and pathological gambling. The purpose of this study is to develop a brief single purpose survey instrument to identify prevalence rates and estimates for treatment services. The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) and Sydney Laval Universities Gambling Screen (SLUGS) were administered to a sample of 2069 college and university students in Scotland. Results showed that 4% of respondents met criteria for probable pathological gambling. SOGS scores correlated significantly with rated level of problems but less than half (44%) of those meeting SOGS criteria indicated a need for treatment. Responses on the SLUGS indicated that impaired control and spending more time and money is a feature commonly reported among non-problem gamblers. The SLUGS may represent a useful brief single purpose screen for problem gambling and self-reported need for treatment.


Human epidemiological studies have indicated that the risk of developing non-communicable diseases in later life may be related to exposures during the developmental period. Developmental life is a vulnerable period of the lifespan during which adverse environmental factors have the potential to disturb the processes of cell proliferation and differentiation or to alter patterns of epigenetic remodelling. Animal models have been instrumental in demonstrating the biological plausibility of the associations observed in human populations, providing proof of principle to the theory of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). A variety of largeand small-animal models have made important contributions to the field, providing strong evidence of a causal relationship between early-life exposures and metabolic risk factors in later life. Studies of animal models are continuing to contribute to improving the understanding of the mechanisms of the developmental origins of disease. All models have their advantages and disadvantages, and the model that is most appropriate for any particular study is hypotheses dependent. The present review aims to briefly summarise the contributions that animal models have made to the DOHaD field, before reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of these animal models. It is proposed that the integration of evidence from a variety of different models is required for the advancement of understanding within the field.


Nowadays most researchers agree on the idea that nouns, like verbs or adjectives, are predicative categories. However, there are also some differences between nouns and verbs, the most relevant of which being related to case assignment. Unlike verbs, nouns seem unable to assign direct case to their arguments. This is crucial for the materialization of argument structure of nouns and nominalizations. Whereas some arguments are identically expressed in verbal and nominal structures (cf. 1a and 2a for the case of Catalan), others show multiple possibilities of variation (1b and 2b): (1) a. Telefonare a la mare (I will call mum.) b. Odio aquesta gent. (I hate these people.) (2) a. la telefonada a la mare (the call to my mother) b. el meu odi {per/cap a/vers/contra} aquesta gent (my hatred against these people) The aim of this paper is to present a study about the syntactic properties of argument structure of nouns in Catalan. Amongst other things, it will be shown that the realization of NP in Catalan depends basically on three factors: (i) the kind of argument; (ii) the number of expressed arguments in the same phrase, and (iii) the semantic factors involved. Although based on a syntactist approach to argument structure, empiric data will be given so as to provide evidence for the main assumptions, since the analysis has taken into consideration all the occurrences of 200 nouns extracted from the Corpus textual informatitzat de la llengua catalana (CTILC).


Although they were probably already used in ancient Mesopotamia, catapults became increasingly common in the Mediterranean area from the 4th century B.C. Their design was improved over time through a combination of trial-and-error and geometrical procedures. By the 1st century A.D., it was possible to compile accurate tables of specifications for catapults of different size, and to build engines capable of hurling heavy projectiles at a distance of more than a hundred meters. In her essay, [Cuomo][1] asks who the men behind these machines were. What motivated the ancient military engineers, and how did they relate to their artifacts? And who did they work for? The author shows that ancient catapults provide unique insights into the interface of science and war, theory and practice, politics and knowledge.

 [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/303/5659/771


This paper highlights an aspect of mega-events that has been neglected: the changing composition of tourist arrivals during and after the event. The change happens because, in the FIFA World Cup, a quota of countries participates from each continent and this opens up new tourism markets. We show that the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa had a smaller growth effect on South Africa's traditional tourism markets but attracted a large increase from non-traditional ones. However, the size of the effect, we find, is partly due to randomness: it depends on match results in the qualification phase of the tournament. We use a new longrun dataset of tourism flows to South Africa and a gravity model for tourism flows and run counterfactual examples of play-off matches during the qualification phase to estimate how much more South Africa could have benefited had larger or richer countries qualified. We conclude that the random results of a few play-off games significantly affect the extent to which the World Cup benefits the host country's economy.


Microgrids are emerging as an important constituent of large-scale smart grids. They are equipped with the controls necessary for managing the operation in islanded or grid connected mode and serve the loads with clean, reliable, and uninterruptible power. Microgrid must be equipped with a robust grid synchronization (GS) algorithm so as to allow a smooth transfer from islanded mode to grid tied mode. This gets even more critical when the availability of the power grid is irregular or the power grid is weak. This paper proposes a simple yet highly reliable GS technique based on controller area network (CAN) communication. The grid synchronizer block senses the three phase grid voltages, derives the phase angle (θ) using synchronously rotating reference frame-based phase lock loop, and transmits this information on the CAN network to all microsources (MS). The local controller associated with each MS receives the data with small but known and definite time latencies. This allows each MS to energize simultaneously in synchronization with the grid, facilitating easy GS of all the MS, minimizing the time required for GS of the complete microgrid. All the analytical, simulation, and hardware results related to this paper are presented.


Abstract The present research examines how quantitative and qualitative aspects – volume and valence – of eWOM on various social media platforms in the movie industry, along with other forms of marketing communications (e.g. advertising expenditure), predict box office and DVD sales for pre- and post-periods of movie releases. The analysis of aggregated big data from multiple sources – 65,665,859 social media postings from blogs, forums, news, and Twitter, Nielsen's ad expenditure data, and Rotten Tomatoes ratings for 170 movies—revealed that the explanatory power of the model for box office revenue and DVD sales mostly comes from the volume, rather than valence, of eWOM.


SUMMARY The present study aimed to analyze adiposity heterogeneity and the role of liver X receptor (LXRα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) as targets of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.). The screening of 20 fish at the beginning of the warm season identified two major groups with fat and lean phenotypes. Fat fish showed increased liver and mesenteric fat depots. This increased adiposity was concurrent in the adipose tissue to enhanced expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) whereas mRNA levels of the hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) remained almost unchanged. The resulting LPL/HSL ratio was thereby highest in fat fish, which suggests that this group of fish has not reached its peak fat storage capacity. This is not surprising given the increased expression of PPARγ in the absence of a counter-regulatory raise of TNFα. However, this lipolytic cytokine exerted dual effects in primary adipocyte cultures that differ within and between lean and fat fish. One set of fat fish did not respond to TNFα treatment whereas a second set exhibited a lipolytic response (increased glycerol release) that was apparently mediated by the downregulated expression of PPARβ. In lean fish, TNFα exerted a strong and non-transcriptionally mediated lipolytic action. Alternatively, TNFα would inhibit lipid deposition via the downregulated expression of adipogenic nuclear factors (PPARγ and LXRα). TNFα targets are therefore different in fish with lean and fat phenotypes, which is indicative of the complex network involved in the regulation of fish lipid metabolism.


Objective: The objective of this study was to increase knowledge regarding long-term prognosis of mild to moderate elbow dysplasia (ED) using a canine orthopedic index. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Sample Population: Sixty dogs randomly selected from each of five different breeds and three ED groups: ED0 (control), ED1, and ED2, based on the Kennel Club's screening results. The total number of selected dogs was 900 (60*5*3). Methods: Questionnaires were administered to owners by telephone interview. Bayesian network modeling was used to assess the relation between ED grade, treatment options, dog demographics, and quality-of-life indicators. Results: Seven hundred sixty-five questionnaires were collected (85% response rate), of which 61 concerned dogs euthanized due to osteoarthritis. There was no direct association between ED grade and owner's perceived quality of life, but ED1 and ED2 dogs were more likely to receive veterinary care and subsequent NSAID treatment compared to ED0 dogs. A significant association was found between the occurrence of euthanasia due to orthopedic disease and ED scores 1 and 2 in the sample (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The degree of osteoarthritis was not directly associated with the canine orthopedic index, except for ED2 and lameness score. It can be speculated that owners who paid closer attention to orthopedic symptoms and perceived them as impairing their dogs' lives were also more likely to seek veterinary care and get treatment, irrespective of the ED grading. Impact: ED1-graded dogs had a lower risk than might be expected to develop visible clinical symptoms and showed a similar quality of life as dogs with ED0. ED2-graded dogs were more likely than ED0-graded dogs to have their lives impaired by lameness, according to the owners' perception.


Despite efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality in breast cancer, Latinas continue to have lower 5-year survival rates than their non-Latina white counterparts. All along the cancer continuum from screening to follow-up of abnormal screening to diagnosis and treatment to survivorship, Latinas fare poorer than non-Latina whites. To close this gap, a number of research projects across the continuum have attempted to improve breast cancer outcomes. In this review, we examine studies that have been carried out in breast cancer along the cancer continuum. We focus not only on randomized, controlled trials, but also on quasi-experimental, and pre- and post-test studies that provided interventions for positive breast cancer outcomes. We examine not only the intervention outcomes, but also the type of intervention targets and type of intervention implementation. In future breast cancer research among Latinas, more emphasis should be placed on the steps in detection and treatment that occur after screening.


We show that in silico design of DNA secondary structures is improved by extending the base pairing alphabet beyond A–T and G–C to include the pair between 2-amino-8-(1′-β-d-2′-deoxyribofuranosyl)-imidazo-[1,2-a]-1,3,5-triazin-(8H)-4-one and 6-amino-3-(1′-β-d-2′-deoxyribofuranosyl)-5-nitro-(1H)-pyridin-2-one, abbreviated as P and Z. To obtain the thermodynamic parameters needed to include P–Z pairs in the designs, we performed 47 optical melting experiments and combined the results with previous work to fit free energy and enthalpy nearest neighbor folding parameters for P–Z pairs and G–Z wobble pairs. We find G–Z pairs have stability comparable to that of A–T pairs and should therefore be included as base pairs in structure prediction and design algorithms. Additionally, we extrapolated the set of loop, terminal mismatch, and dangling end parameters to include the P and Z nucleotides. These parameters were incorporated into the RNAstructure software package for secondary structure prediction and analysis. Using the RNAstructure Design program, we solved 99 of the 100 design problems posed by Eterna using the ACGT alphabet or supplementing it with P–Z pairs. Extending the alphabet reduced the propensity of sequences to fold into off-target structures, as evaluated by the normalized ensemble defect (NED). The NED values were improved relative to those from the Eterna example solutions in 91 of 99 cases in which Eterna-player solutions were provided. P–Z-containing designs had average NED values of 0.040, significantly below the 0.074 of standard-DNA-only designs, and inclusion of the P–Z pairs decreased the time needed to converge on a design. This work provides a sample pipeline for inclusion of any expanded alphabet nucleotides into prediction and design workflows.


Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) is a singularity in the history of science. Whereas other scientists may have kept lifelong interests in some artistic field, he was unique in pursuing with great success two parallel careers in both chemistry and music, managing to excell in both to the end of his life. Although he considered himself primarily a chemist, present-day appreciation of his powerful music has greatly surpassed interest for his chemistry. This article treats the life and the unusual double career of the Russian chemist-musician.


Chitosan (CS, molecular weight (MW) 20.2 kDA, stability of 210 °C and degree of deacetylation (DD) 73.31%) was obtained by deacetylation of chitin extracted from shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei) shell wastes. The encapsulation of the studied bioactive natural product, toussaintine A (TA) isolated from the leaves of Toussaintia orientalis, on a chitosan-tripolyphosphate (CS/TPP) nanoformulation was attained through ionotropic gelation. Characterization of pure CS, CS/TPP and TA-CS/TPP nanocomposites was carried out by FTIR and SEM. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the TA were 69.33 and 0.46%, respectively. The in vitro release kinetics established an initial release of 27% of TA in the initial six hours followed by a slow and maintained release up to 72 h. The in vivo antimycobacterial acitivities of both TA and TA-CS/TPP nanocomposites against Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) employing Galleria mellonella larvae as an infection model were evaluated. TA-CS/TPP nanocomposite formulations exhibited remarkable effectiveness against MIP than free TA. Keywords: Toussaintine A; chitosan; nanocomposites, antimycobacterial; Galleria mellonella


Although acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) stimulates utilization of long-chain fatty acyl-CoA by a variety of membrane-bound enzymes, it is not known whether ACBP directly interacts with membranes. To test this hypothesis, mouse recombinant (mr) ACBP was engineered to contain the native mouse ACBP amino acid sequence expressed as a fusion protein at high levels (>150 mg/L) in Escherichia coli. Purification and cleavage of the fusion tag resulted in mrACBP identical to native ACBP as shown by mass (10000.5 Da) and amino acid sequence (peptide mapping after proteolysis) determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectroscopy. The mrACBP was functionally active as shown by binding of cis-parinaroyl-CoA with high affinity, K(d) = 12 +/- 2 nM, at a single binding site, stimulating oleoyl-CoA utilization by microsomal glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3.2-fold and protecting oleoyl-CoA from microsomal acyl-CoA hydrolase. Direct interaction of mrACBP with membranes was demonstrated by two independent methods: (i) Circular dichroism showed an 8% increase in alpha-helix content of mrACBP in the presence of anionic phospholipid-rich, but not neutral, small unilamellar vesicles (SUV). (ii) Membrane filtration confirmed that mrACBP bound to anionic phospholipid-rich SUV but only weakly interacted with neutral SUV or large unilamellar vesicles (LUV), regardless of charge. (iii) The mrACBP-oleoyl-CoA complex transferred 2-3-fold more oleoyl-CoA to anionic phospholipid-rich SUV than to anionic phospholipid-rich LUV and neutral SUV or LUV. Conversely, mrACBP extracted less oleoyl-CoA from anionic phospholipid-rich SUV. Taken together, these data indicated for the first time that mrACBP interacted preferentially with anionic phospholipid-rich, highly curved membranes to facilitate transfer of ACBP-bound ligands.


Increases in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) have been recorded to occur globally, with the Mediterranean SSTs rising about twice as much as those of the global oceans. Here we analyse and compare satellite remote sensing SST data with in-situ data for the period 1996-2012 in the Eastern Mediterranean, Levantine basin. Further, temperature profiles from oceanographic cruises and autonomous underwater vehicles (gliders) in this region, we processed to study the interannual variability at the surface layer (0-10m). These data were collected during the several CYBO (Cyprus Basin Oceanography) oceanographic cruises that the Oceanography Centre, University of Cyprus has conducted over the years, as well as during the missions of the two gliders owned and operated by the Oceanography Centre. We show that the Levantine basin has undergone SST increases, during the last 16 years. The SST variability is characterized by a broad, basin-wide warming occurring at both seasonal and interannual time scales. Further, satellite SST data are correlated with in-situ SST data, especially during the summer months. The driving mechanisms of these changes need to be investigated, in order to understand the future trends and impacts of climate change in the region.


During co-manipulation involving humans and robots, it is necessary to base robot controllers on human behaviors to achieve comfortable and coordinated movement between the human-robot dyad. In this paper, we describe an experiment between human-human dyads and we record the force and motion data as the leader-follower dyads moved in translation and rotation. The force/motion data was then analyzed for patterns found during lateral translation only. For extended objects, lateral translation and in-place rotation are ambiguous, but this paper determines a way to characterize lateral translation triggers for future use in human-robot interaction. The study has 4 main results. First, interaction forces are apparent and necessary for co-manipulation. Second, minimum-jerk trajectories are found in the lateral direction only for lateral movement. Third, the beginning of a lateral movement is characterized by distinct force triggers by the leader. Last, there are different metrics that can be attributed to determine which dyads moved most effectively in the lateral direction.


The research is an analysis about conditions and regulatory forms of internship, providing empirical evidence on the case of postgraduate internships carried out in Italy in the last two years, trying to assess the quality of the learning environment where the interns worked and the effectiveness of internship in guiding and promoting the employability of graduates. The study is based on the results collected through a sample of graduates between 2011 and 2012 (N = 1154) using the CAWI method. First, data highlight how interns are in a condition of "role ambiguity" in which there is a clear contrast about the clearness of information and conditions in which they operate and the expectations of bosses and colleagues about the tasks to be performed. Nevertheless, interns do not get adequate training input, they remain confined to limited aspects of their job and they do not got an overall knowledge of business activities, that in some way could limit their operational capacity and understanding of the "production" processes in the company. More problematic, however, is the impact of internship on employability. The weak capability of post graduate internship to promote employability has to be contextualized considering the peculiarities of the local labor market of a SouthEuropean country, mostly characterized by microentrepreneurship, family business, above all in the service sector with low added value and with a high tendency to use informal work.


A facile two-step method is developed for large-scale growth of hierarchical mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays on Ni foam with robust adhesion as a high performance electrode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The as-prepared mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays consist of numerous highly crystalline nanoparticles, the Ni foam supported NiCo2O4 nanowires promote fast electron and ion transport, and alleviate the volume change during the charge–discharge processes. When evaluated as a binder-free electrode for LIBs, the NiCo2O4 electrode exhibits a greatly enhanced charge capacity of 1520 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1. The mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays exhibit great potential as an anode material for LIBs with the advantages of unique performance and facile preparation.


An array of methodologies to quantify blue, green, and grey water have emerged in recent years and are still evolving rapidly, as are efforts to come up with reliable indicators of human appropriation of freshwater resources. This study provides an overview of recent blue, green, and grey water quantification approaches by analyzing publications extracted from the Web of Science database utilizing the Network Analysis Interface for Literature Studies (NAILS) bibliometric analysis tool, covering the period 2000-2018. A steep increase in the number of blue, green, and grey water publications was observed from the year 2009, with the United States and China among the top contributing nations. Blue, green, and grey water quantification approaches used in the analyzed publications were broadly categorized into Water Footprint Assessment, Life Cycle Assessment, and Hybrid methodologies. The Water Footprint Network was the most influential hub in terms of providing the most productive and cited authors. "Water footprint" and "virtual water" were unsurprisingly the trendiest and most cited keywords associated with the sample of analyzed publications. The study provides important insights that are helpful in understanding the diversity of techniques that have been applied to quantify blue, green, and grey water in recent assessment studies.


Using original data collected from a survey of Brussels-based Government Affairs Managers (GAMs) in May and June 2010, we explore the political actions of firms in the European Union during the 2007–10 financial crisis. Findings suggest that the financial constraints imposed by the crisis had a significant impact on whether GAMs entered into short-term or long-term relationships with policy makers and whether they engaged in individual or collective action. Significant crosscountry differences were also observed between the political objectives pursued by firms, their propensity to engage in collective political action, and the tactics they use to influence policy makers. Taken together, these findings challenge institutional explanations of EU lobbying, which suggest that the EU system of policy making provides powerful incentives for firms to adopt specific lobbying behaviours in order to gain a seat at the EU policy-making table.


Alpha lactalbumin, a good marker of functional differentiation, has been demonstrated in 51 of a 100 human breast carcinomas examined using the immunoperoxidase technique. There is no relationship between production of alpha lactalbumin and histological differentiation, and the absence or presence of lymph-node metastases.


There have been serious concerns about students' learning difficulty in geometry worldwide, including Indonesia. Research findings suggest that such phenomenon is best explained by the established van Hiele model of learning of geometry which associates the learning difficulties with the missing of predictable sequence of levels of development of knowledge and understanding geometry concepts. The model has been widely adopted as framework in the design and development of various technology-related applications designed to help learners to learn geometry effectively. However, the suitability and effectiveness of such applications among most of the post-SMP Indonesian school children is very likely to be dampen due to the lack of suitable infrastructure and inappropriate educational emphasis and practices. In addition, most of the applications were designed to help learners to develop knowledge and understanding across the spectrum of geometric topics rather than to help them to progress through their van Hiele geometry thinking on the level-by-level basis. This research paper discusses the needs to develop alternative learning instructions which address these discrepancies. A conceptual framework of the design and development of such instructions would also be discussed. The ultimate goal of the research is to develop interactive learning instructions (called Interactive Visual Tools or IVT) which assist post-SMP students in the region of Parepare to progress through van Hiele levels of geometry thinking via utilization of limited local resources over a minimal technology-oriented educational environment.


The field of data mining is receiving significant attention in today's information-rich society, where data is available from different sources and formats, in large volumes, and no longer constitutes a bottleneck for knowledge acquisition. This rich information has paved the way for novel areas of research, particularly in the crime data analysis realm. Data Mining Trends and Applications in Criminal Science and Investigations presents scientific concepts and frameworks of data mining and analytics implementation and uses across various domains, such as public safety, criminal investigations, intrusion detection, crime scene analysis, and suspect modeling. Exploring the diverse ways that data is revolutionizing the field of criminal science, this publication meets the research needs of law enforcement professionals, data analysts, investigators, researchers, and graduate-level students.


. We study the rationality problem for nodal quartic double solids. In particular, we prove that nodal quartic double solids with at most six singular points are irrational, and nodal quartic double solids with at least eleven singular points are rational.


Objective: We compared the efficacy of an antiacne hydrogel formulated with a combination of Aloe barbadensis leaf extract, Garcinia mangostana peel extract, and Camellia sinensis leaf extract (AGC) at a ratio of 50:25:1 with a marketed 1% clindamycin gel (CG) formulation on antiacne and antiblotch activities. Methods: A single-center, parallel-arm, randomized controlled trial was performed from November 2017 to April 2018. Sixty subjects with mild–moderate acne severity according to the the American Academy of Dermatology were enrolled for the study. Outcome end points were total acne lesions (TALs) and acne-severity index (ASI) by counting the inflamed lesions and comedones and skin colors using erythema and melanin values. Results: For TALss, a decrease (P<0.0001) in the number of total inflamed lesions from baseline was evidenced in AGC group, but not in the CG group. Higher reduction in mean ASI in the AGC group was seen than in the CG group. However, there was no statistically significant difference regarding reduction in ASI between the AGC and CG groups. For erythema, a remarked reduction in skin redness from baseline was clearly seen at day 3 (P<0.05) in the AGC group. No significant decrease in erythema values from baseline was seen in the CG group. A significant decrease (P=0.037) in mean melanin value from baseline was seen in the AGC group after 14 days of twice-daily use, but not in the CG group. Both products were well tolerated, with no reports of severe adverse events. Conclusion: An anti-acne hydrogel containing a combination of mangosteen rinds, aloe vera gel, and green tea–leaf extracts was superior to 1% clindamycin gel in antiacne and antiblotch activities when measured by TALs and erythema and melanin values.


Intelligible communication between different groups and classes in a society is a precondition for the existence of a 'public' in the classical, political sense of that term. The importance of such communication for a democratic policy was highlighted in the sixties when both reformers and revolutionaries generally failed in their efforts to educate or politicize tow-income groups. In this essay we discuss sociolinguistic theories as they bear on this question. First, we critically assess theories that bring the methods of linguistics to micro-sociological studies of speech behaviour Then we relate this work to the rich ethnographic literature on low-income culture, placing this amalgam of linguistics and ethnography in a larger political economic context We conclude by suggesting some moral and political implications of such a project.


In this paper, the author addresses spatial injustices in Tunisia, and seeks to understand to what extent social and territorial inequalities could hamper democracy. Indeed, urban disparities and social anomalies such as informal sector, terrorism, unemployment, and unsustainable development policymaking threaten vulnerable ongoing democratic processes in modern Tunisia. The author described and analyzed the previous urban planning processes, which had been undertaken by the nation's mono party state since independency. The top-down development policies implemented up until now in Tunisia entailed the deepening of the large gap between coastal and inland areas. In fact, the former benefitted from their location across the seashores, and their proximity to the central power and economic growth. However, the latter had been left behind due to their austere geographical neighbourhood (e.g. desert, drought, lack of livelihood…). Urban disparities and social inequalities in Tunisia join in a networked society where local and global unfold in a globalized world of flows and nodes. Local societies are subsystems within a global neo-liberal capitalist system. Hence, the current social movements triggered in Tunisia are not cyclical. They are amongst global social networked movements. Terrorism, pollution, and inequalities are not per se, but they are the negative results of a myriad of factors: economic, politics, cultural, emotional, social, and urban morphologies syndromes. The author method is theoretical drawing into literature review of documents (i.e. town planning documents, reviewed and un-reviewed papers) on sustainability, democracy, territorial and social inequalities in Tunisia since independency. Data collected on the topic are worthy of the analyses but the author tried to make sure of their credibility. The author objective is to demonstrate that without a sustainable urban governance development, democracy faces many hindrances and could be undermined in Tunisia.


This article discusses two academic events devoted to Holocaust studies in which participants became unconsciously involved in reenacting the behaviour respectively of Holocaust perpetrators, and of victims turning aggressively on each other in a manner reminiscent of ghetto life. In one conference an outgroup was created and silenced, while in another an individual became the object of projected guilt and was victimized. These projections were mediated by implied competition between film, sculpture and literature as the medium best suited to Holocaust memorialization. A description of each event is followed by analyses of the dynamics involved, with the support of psychoanalytic literature. Factors which led to the author's twentyyear delay in publishing the article, which was drafted in 1995, are also examined psychologically.


Rapid strides are being made to bring to reality the technology of wearable sensors for monitoring patients' physiological data. We study the problem of automatically detecting anomalies in the measured blood glucose levels. The normal daily measurements of the patient are used to train a hidden Markov model (HMM). The structure of the HMM-its states and output symbols-are selected to accurately model the typical transitions in blood glucose levels throughout a 24-hour period. The learning of the HMM is done using historic data of normal measurements. The HMM can then be used to detect anomalies in blood glucose levels being measured, if the inferred likelihood of the observed data is low in the world described by the HMM. Our simulation results show that our technique is accurate in detecting anomalies in glucose levels and is robust (i.e., no false positives) in the presence of reasonable changes in the patient's daily routine.


There is an increase in the number of construction projects experiencing extensive delays leading to exceeding initial time and cost budget. This paper reviews 41 studies around the world which surveyed the delay factors and classified them into Groups. The main purpose of this paper is to review literature, each of which have categorized the causes that are responsible for time delays and cost overrun in projects. The collected list has 113 causes for delays categorized in to 18 different groups. Most of the researches have analysed the responses from the Questionnaire survey. The collected data are used to rank the problem. The data are further used to investigate and analyse Important Index, Frequency Index, Severity Index, Relative Important Index, Relative Importance Weight, Weighted Average, Mean, Standard Deviation and Variance. The collective comparison has revealed that the ranking given by all the researchers is not the same. Further each and every study has different rank ratings for the different group of the delays. This review paper attempts to provide an updated compilation of the earlier studies on ranking of the delay causers, which are never similar and constant for universal projects. It is concluded that a separate study is required for identifying the factors causing delay for projects operated in Sabah, East Malaysia.


Background Plasma levels of imipramine vary widely between individuals. They are probably due to genetic polymorphism and inter-individual differences in the metabolism of imipramine. Purpose The objective of this study was to obtain pharmacokinetic data and compare the relative bioavailability of generic imipramine 25 and 50 mg tablets (Sobhan Pharmaceuticals, Iran) with the reference product (Tofranil, Ciba Geigy Pharmaceuticals, England). Materials and methods Fourteen healthy male volunteers received a single oral dose (100 mg) of the generic and reference formulations following overnight fasting in a double blind, randomised, crossover study. Blood samples were collected and the plasma concentrations of imipramine were determined by using a rapid and selective reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. Plasma data was used to evaluate relative bioavailability and other pharmacokinetic parameters such as AUC, Cmax, Tmax, etc. Results The mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of imipramine for different tablet formulations, A (reference) and B (test), were 95.83±14.00 ng/ml (A50), 144.33±30.17 ng/ml (A25), 112.70±9.31 ng/ml (B50) and 141.00±26.86 ng/ml (B25) at 3.25±0.24 h (A50), 2.83±0.24 h (A25), 3.25±0.25 h (B50) and 2.90±0.28 h (B25) respectively. The mean AUC0-∞ of the different formulations, A and B, were 511.22±58.99 ng h ml-1 (A50), 770.49±132.40 (A25), 512.9±75.82 (B50) and 821.06±159.00 (B25). Conclusions Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the various pharmacokinetic parameters of the different formulations. The 90% CI for the mean ratios (the test against the reference formulation) of the Cmax, AUC0-24 and AUC0-∞ were within the FDA requirements (80-125%). There was a significant difference between the dissolution rates of the different dosage forms (p<0.001). Results of this study showed that despite of a lower dissolution rate, the generic formulation of imipramine tablets are bioequivalent to the reference product with respect to the rate and extent of absorption.


The Epidermal Growth
Factor system is present in human organs and plays an important role in cell
proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis during embryogenesis and postnatal
development. It has four receptors (EGFR, ErbB-2, ErbB-3 and ErbB-4) and
numerous ligands. Dysregulation of the Epidermal Growth Factor signaling
network is implicated in the pathogenesis of various disorders. Especially in cancer,
the Epidermal Growth Factor system becomes hyperactivated with various
mechanisms (ligand overproduction, receptor overproduction, constitutive
receptor activation). EGFR overexpression may have a dual role in endometrial
cancer. It seems that in type I endometrial cancer, EGFR overexpression did not
affect disease progression. However in type II endometrial cancer, EGFR
overexpression associated with high grade disease and adverse clinical outcome.
Moreover ErbB-2 overexpression especially in type II endometrial cancer, is an
indicator of a highly aggressive disease with poor overall survival. The
potential role of ErbB receptors (especially EGFR and ErbB-2) as targets for
cancer therapy has been investigated for over 20 years. There are 2 major classes
of ErbB targeted therapies: anti-ErbB monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) and
ErbB-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). ErbB targeted therapies have
still shown modest effect in unselected endometrial cancer patients. However,
they may be clinically active as adjuvant therapy in well-defined subgroups of
type II endometrial cancer patients with EGFR and ErbB-2 overexpression.


In semiarid apple (Malus domestica) growing regions, high temperatures and excessive solar radiation can increase the risk of sunburn development. Protective netting is increasingly used as a cultural practice under these conditions to mitigate fruit sunburn losses. However, fruit skin color development can be negatively affected under protective nets due to the reduction in light availability. Reflective groundcovers have been previously reported to increase fruit color development, particularly in the inner parts of the tree canopy. Here, we compared two types of reflective groundcover: a woven polyethylene fabric and a film material with a grassed control without reflective material under a protective netting installation that reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by 17%. The experiment was conducted in a semiarid climate on a 5-year-old 'Cameron Select Honeycrisp' apple orchard near Quincy, WA. Light penetration into the canopy was measured with a PAR sensor. At harvest, fruit quality, yield, and size were assessed. The use of reflective groundcover between the rows significantly increased reflected PAR into the lower canopy. Moreover, reflective groundcovers significantly increased the amount of fruit with greater than 25% skin red color compared with the control. Reflective groundcover did not affect fruit weight, yield, and fruit number. The use of reflective groundcover under protective netting can increase light penetration into the canopy, thereby improving fruit skin red coloration in apple.


Students travel from all over the world to study in the Philippines, and that number is significantly increasing. This may be due to affordability, high quality education, and its early progress toward the integration of cultural diversity. They are from different races, religions, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, gender, ideology, and socio-economic status, but most, if not all, have to adapt to their new life in the new country. In the process, many of them may feel isolated. That feeling can go on for a long time without the knowledge of the schools, relatives, or friends and can negatively affect their quality of life during the time they spent studying in the Philippines. Using a sample of 34 students from 19 different countries, 23 individual interviews and five focus group discussions were conducted to examine the experiences of international students in the host country. Some of the major findings revealed that participants spent little or no time on social activities; participants were more comfortable making friends with persons of similar faith or persons from their geographic regions; feelings of isolation did not have the same impact on all participants academic performance-some positively because they were focused on academics – and others negatively. The findings can inform administrators in developing appropriate strategies to assist international students in dealing with their new cultural context.


A case is presented of generalized skin hyperpigmentation due to α‐MSH hypersecretion from the pituitary that was most marked in the light‐exposed areas. The patient also had secondary adrenal dysfunction, peripheral lymphadenopathy, streptococcal glomerulonephritis and malabsorption. Analysis of this patient's α‐MSH using high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed a novel acetylation profile compared to normal individuals and to patients with Cushing's disease and Nelson's syndrome. Glucocorticoid replacement therapy resulted in suppression of α‐MSH hypersecretion and complete resolution of the illness.


Unfreedom for All-Thomas J. Donahue-Ochoa 2019-08-14 It is often said that we live under systems of injustice. But if so, who ought to combat them, and why? Many in the world's liberal elite hold that only the perpetrators or the victims have such duties, because of their special connections to the injustice. Others hold that all of the privileged have them, because they have duties to relieve suffering or to redress their complicity in the injustice. This book challenges those answers. It argues that everyone living under such injustices ought to combat them: victim, perpetrator, and bystander alike. Moreover, they all have the same reason for doing so: such injustices suppress everyone's resistance to their workings. But there is a name for such suppression: "authoritarianism." Hence such injustices make everyone unfree, because they subject everyone to authoritarian tactics. The book thus reinterprets and defends a core doctrine of the global left, "No one is free while others are oppressed!" For it shows how oppression subjects everyone--including you--to arbitrary power. The book argues that systematic injustice occurs when one group finds that its political voice is unjustly marginalized, its members exploited and subject to systematic violence, and that society's dominant norms unjustly favor a privileged group. It diagnoses three global injustices of this kind: gender, race, and poverty. It then shows how such injustices always suppress everyone's resistance to them, making everyone unfree. But if so, it argues, then this shared unfreedom should be the ground on which victims, bystanders, and perpetrators unite in solidarity against injustice.


We propose a scalable approach to learn video-based question answering (QA): to answer a free-form natural language question about the contents of a video. Our approach automatically harvests a large number of videos and descriptions freely available online. Then, a large number of candidate QA pairs are automatically generated from descriptions rather than manually annotated. Next, we use these candidate QA pairs to train a number of video-based QA methods extended from MN (Sukhbaatar et al. 2015), VQA (Antol et al. 2015), SA (Yao et al. 2015), and SS (Venugopalan et al. 2015). In order to handle non-perfect candidate QA pairs, we propose a self-paced learning procedure to iteratively identify them and mitigate their effects in training. Finally, we evaluate performance on manually generated video-based QA pairs. The results show that our self-paced learning procedure is effective, and the extended SS model outperforms various baselines.


The article describes the causes of serious road accidents, as well as the analysis of the influence of the environment on the safety in circulation. In addition, the road network schemes are subject to analysis, ie to what extent they influence the safety of the road. The geometric elements of the road, the layout, the curves in profile. The route of a road has to provide good guidance through its geometry in space and through the elements in the environment and the longitudinal profile, transversal profile, intersections, visibility analysis during the driving process of a vehicle. Influence of road function on traffic safety. For developed countries, the road network is defined on the basis of the road classification in terms of the function it performs, with a focus on the ability to collect or transit traffic. Influence of road equipment on traffic safety. Influence of running surface characteristics on traffic safety. The ruggedness, flatness and waterproofness of the road surface are absolutely indispensable, ensuring the comfort and safety of the traffic. The influence of the human factor on the safety in circulation. Traffic participant is the first link in the road safety chain. Whatever the technical measures adopted, the effectiveness of road safety policy ultimately depends on the behavior of the traffic participants. Violation of pedestrian traffic rules. The circulation of the means of transport is accompanied by energy waste, in the form of noise and vibration, which also has an influence. The forecasts for the development of the transport network show that the sudden increase in the number of transport units increases the risk of an increase in the number of accidents. The vehicle, its influence on the safety in circulation. According to the data on the distribution of accidents by types of vehicles, we can see that the group with the highest number of accidents is that of cars. Conclusions and recommendations are outlined. KEYORDS: ACCIDENT RUTIER, PIETON, REȚIEUA STRADALĂ, INTENSITATEA TRAFICULUI, DRUMURI


A genetic predisposition to aortic aneurysms and dissections can occur as part of a genetic syndrome, such as Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndrome, or as an isolated manifestation without other systemic features, referred to as familial thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. These genetic disorders are inherited as autosomal dominant conditions with reduced penetrance and variable expressivity in terms of aortic disease presentation, age of onset and extent of cardiovascular and other systemic involvement. Mutations in the FBN1, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, SMAD3, SMAD4, TGFB2, ACTA2, MYH11, MYLK and PRKG1 have been identified in patients with syndromic and non-syndromic TAAD, emphasising the important roles of the transcription growth factor beta signalling pathway and smooth muscle contraction in aortic disease development.

Key Concepts

Thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections or TAAD can occur as part of a genetic syndrome, such as Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome or as an isolated manifestation without syndromic features.
Approximately 20% of patients with TAAD who do not have Marfan syndrome or related disorder have a similarly affected relative, referred to as familial thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection or FTAAD.
Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome and FTAAD are primarily inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with reduced penetrance and variable expressivity.
FTAAD is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of disorders caused by mutations in several genes, including FBN1, TGFBR1, TGFBR2, SMAD3, SMAD4, TGFB2, ACTA2, MYH11, MYLK and PRKG1.

Keywords:

aortic aneurysm;
aortic dissection;
genetics;
transcription growth factor beta signalling;
smooth muscle;
actin;
myosin


A journal of the: International Statistical Institute Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability International Association for Official Statistics International Association for Statistical Computing International Association for Statistical Education International Association for Survey Statisticians International Environmetrics Society International Society for Business and Industrial Statistics


Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is an osteoblast-enriched transcription factor that regulates osteocalcin transcription and osteoblast terminal differentiation. To identify functional partners of ATF4, we applied ROS17/2.8 osteoblast nuclear extracts and purified recombinant His-ATF4 onto a Ni+ affinity matrix chromatography column. Vimentin was identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Coimmunoprecipitation and pulldown assays revealed that vimentin interacted with ATF4 with its first leucine zipper domain. DNA cotransfection and gel retardation demonstrated that vimentin inhibited the transactivation activity of ATF4 on osteocalcin by preventing it to bind OSE1, the ATF4 binding site on the osteocalcin promoter. Northern hybridization revealed that vimentin was expressed at a high level in immature osteoblasts and a low level in fully differentiated osteoblasts. Down-regulation of vimentin by small interfering RNA induced endogenous osteocalcin transcription in immature osteoblasts. Conversely, ectopic overexpression of vimentin in osteoblasts inhibited osteoblast differentiation as shown by lower alkaline phosphatase activity, delayed mineralization, and decreased expression of osteoblast marker genes such as bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin. Together, our data uncover a novel mechanism whereby a cytoskeletal protein, vimentin, acts as a break on differentiation in immature osteoblasts by interacting with ATF4.


MAPPING OF THE ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF METALLOPROTEINS ONTO MULTI-ORBITAL ANDERSON MODEL USING THE DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY In this thesis, an effective Haldane-Anderson model is constructed in order to describe the electronic properties of a system where a the transition-metal impurity atom is added into a semiconductor host material. Metalloenzymes and metalloproteins are proteins which contain a transition metal. Vitamin B12 is a metalloenzyme which contains a cobalt (Co) atom. The vitamin B12 exhibits semiconducting properties due to the presence of a semiconductor gap in the electronic density of states. Thus, we argue that the electronic properties of vitamin B12 can be studied within the framework of the HaldaneAnderson model. In this thesis, firstly, the electronic structure of vitamin B12, which is known as cyanocobalamin, is obtained by using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) via the Gaussian program. By using the DFT results, the energies of the host and the 3d orbitals, and the hybridization terms between them are calculated. The final HaldaneAnderson Hamiltonian is obtained by adding the onsite Coulomb repulsion at the impurity 3d orbitals. The Haldane-Anderson Hamiltonian which has been constructed in this way from the DFT results can be studied by using the exact techniques many-body physics such as quantum Monte Carlo. Perturbative mean-field treats can also be used to study this Hamiltonian. Hence, the DFT calculations presented in this thesis represent the first step of thorough investigation of metalloproteins using these techniques of many-body physics.


Siddha system of medicine believes herbometallic formulation to be potent than herbal formulation alone. So far, fewer studies have been conducted on standardization of such preparations. Mega sanjeevi mathirai (MSM), a traditional Siddha herbometallic drug was prepared as per the procedures mentioned in a siddha literature. The chemical finger print was taken by using modern analytical techniques like Inductive coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Fourier transform infra-red
spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, the particle size of mega sanjeevi mathirai was also assessed by High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (HR SEM). The results confirmed the absence of lead, arsenic and cadmium. Reports showed the presence of inorganic elements such as mercury (2.96ppm), sodium (6.26ppm), potassium (4.22ppm), calcium (15.10ppm), phosphorous (3.63ppm) and sulphur (6.25ppm). FTIR confirmed the presence of organic moieties as follows; IR (KBr, cm-1), 3399 (-OH structure of –COOH group), 1716 (C=O structure of carboxylic acid), 1618 (C=N structure), 1214 (Asymmetric C-O-C structure), 1047 (Symmetric C-O-C structure). The range of particle size varies between 3 -10 μ. These findings could be used as a chemical fingerprint for future reference of Mega sanjeevi mathirai in chemical standardization.


This dissertation consists of three studies that examine whether speakers can adjust their speech when their knowledge differs from their addressee's. In the following work, information that speakers and addressees jointly know is categorized as common ground information; information that only one person knows is categorized as privileged information. To investigate speakers' referential behavior, seven experiments employed a referential communication paradigm whereby speakers made direct reference to objects for addressees. To be maximally effective, speakers should avoid making implicit references to privileged objects when making direct references to common ground objects. However, past reports have revealed that speakers often violate this standard (Wardlow Lane & Ferreira, 2003). The three reported studies examine influences on speakers' productions to reveal the forces that compel speakers to violate this standard. Study 1 examines whether speakers can avoid making implicit references to privileged information with instruction. Results show that speakers make implicit references to privileged information more often when instructed not to, suggesting that speakers have little control over the degree to which they make such implicit references. Study 2 examines the role of salience of privileged information. In a series of experiments, speakers were forced to cope with a speaker-internal (cognitive) pressure that made privileged information salient along with a speaker-external (communicative) pressure to avoid making implicit references to privileged information. Results show that speakers are more likely to make implicit references to privileged information when that information is salient even though doing so can result in communicative failure. This suggests that speaker-internal pressures exert the greatest influence on speakers' productions even at the cost of effective communication. Study 3 examines the role of context and incentive on speakers' productions. The task was reframed as a buying-selling task. Results show that sellers made implicit references to privileged objects more often when provided with instruction and monetary incentive to avoid doing so. This suggests that grounding the task in a more practiced context and using a monetary incentive do not change speakers' productions. All three studies suggest that if speakers want to avoid mentioning something, their best tactic is to avoid thinking about it


Notes for strategic thinking are the result of an analysis of the conditions of inequity in which Latin America is right now.  In first instance, the region is characterized as the most unequal on the planet and discusses the conditions that posed the need for a new debate to overcome inequality. It  identifies the impact on social cohesion and democratic govemance. Besides influencing poverty, the difficulties to confront it, and social cohesion and governability, Inequality has multiple regressive effects on the efficiency of the economy, and the possibilities of sustained growth. On one hand reduces the opportunities for large segments to be able to develop their innovation and investment ski lis. On the other hand creates conditions for privileged sectors to intensify market imperfections, and promotes mechanisms for monopolization, protecting privileges, catches of income, instead of incentives for investment and innovation. In second instance, characterized the conditions of inequality in Latin America by examinating indicators in specific sectors. From the recognition of the disparities in income, participation in the labour market, education, health, productive assets, access to credit, "birth accident" is Configured, increasingly rigid traps of inequality, ifpublic policies don't get actively involved providing opportunities to the disadvantaged. Finally proposed elements of response to the question, is inequity improvable? It  identifies a scenario conducive to the development of active proequity policies that should act structurally on the two sides of inequity, the "birth accidents" and the "spaces of privilege ". It's  in trus direction the new generation of social policies on track in several countries ofthe region that has as one of its axes, decentralization of programs, aided community involvement, the growth of its social capital, the shielding of the programs against its cJient instrumentation, good social management, and access to credit, technology and market opportunities.


Phylogenies, i.e., evolutionary histories, play a major role in representing the relationships among groups of entities, such as species, genes, and languages. Their pervasiveness has led scientists, mainly biologists, mathematicians, and computer scientists, to develop methods and tools for their accurate reconstruction. Most of these tools, however, assume that the underlying model of speciation is a tree. While a good first approximation, trees fail to model the evolutionary histories in the presence of complex evolutionary events, such as lateral gene transfer and hybrid speciation among biological entities, and borrowing of linguistic features among natural languages. These events lead to "networks", rather than trees, of relationships.
In this dissertation, we present two methodologies for reconstructing phylogenetic networks. In the biological context, our method is based on the observation that contained within the branches of a (species) phylogenetic networks are phylogenetic trees that model the evolution of individual genes. To study the accuracy of our new method, as well as existing methods, we have developed a suite of simulation tools and error measures. Our simulation studies show a clear outperformance of existing methods.
In historical linguistics, we extend the Ringe-Warnow model of language evolution, to incorporate non-treelike evolutionary events; our new methodology is called "perfect phylogenetic networks". We have implemented a reconstruction method, based on the new methodology, and analyzed a dataset of Indo-European languages.


Background: Food labeling is one of the information promotion policies designed to support necessary information of the products that consumer purchase. However, food labeling giving incentives to the food industry to reformulate their products with healthier nutrients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted as a point-of-purchase survey on 550 customers in chain stores in Tabriz, Iran. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire that assessed the respondents' knowledge, perception, and behaviors towards the information on food labels. Results: The results showed that 91.8% of the consumers had knowledge about food label information. Among all the nutritional information included on food labels, the participants were most aware of the information about the calories and fat content of the foods. Most of the respondents (84.7%) paid attention to food labels to observe the expiration and production dates, 51.6% were looking at food prices in food labels, and only 8.7% of the participants read food labels to obtain information about the food additives and artificial color contents. Conclusion: Our study suggests that food labeling could be an effective measure in health policy when the consumers' nutrition knowledge and awareness regarding how to use and interpret the information on food labels increases.


To develop a highly active calcium oxide high-temperature desulfurization sorbent, a method of preparation of macroporous calcium oxides from lime was studied. This method is composed of two steps:  swelling of the lime and calcination of the swelled sample. Swelling occurred when lime was exposed to the vapor of acetic acid. The swelling resulted from calcium acetate formation in the sample. The swelling rate was at a maximum in the presence of acetic acid and depressed by the presence of water vapor. The swelled sample was converted to macroporous calcium oxide by heating to 850 °C. The reactivity of the macroporous calcium oxide for the removal of SO2 or H2S in the presence of H2O vapor was higher than that of the calcined raw limestone. In particular, its SO2 removal capacity and the oxidative character of CaS to CaSO4 and CaO were greatly improved by this swelling method. These characteristics were also compared with those of a sample prepared from limestone by this swelling method.


An adaptive generalized predictive control (GPC) algorithm was formulated and applied to the cavity flow-tone problem. The algorithm employs gradient descent to update the GPC coefficients at each time step. The adaptive control algorithm demonstrated multiple Rossiter mode suppression at fixed Mach numbers ranging from 0.275 to 0.38. The algorithm was also able to maintain suppression of multiple cavity tones as the freestream Mach number was varied over a modest range (0.275 to 0.29). Controller performance was evaluated with a measure of output disturbance rejection and an input sensitivity transfer function. The results suggest that disturbances entering the cavity flow are colocated with the control input at the cavity leading edge. In that case, only tonal components of the cavity wall-pressure fluctuations can be suppressed and arbitrary broadband pressure reduction is not possible. In the control-algorithm development, the cavity dynamics are treated as linear and time invariant (LTI) for a fixed Mach number. The experimental results lend support this treatment.


Zoledronic acid is an approved FDA once yearly injection for the treatment of osteoporosis. Although it is widely prescribed in our institution (Hamad Medical Corporation) in Qatar, yet there is no available data covering the efficacy and safety profile in Qatar. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of Zoledronic acid 5 mg in the treatment of Osteoporosis regarding the change in BMD (primary end point) and B-CTX (secondary end pint) from baseline and evaluate the safety and tolerability of this medication by assessing the reported ADRs. This is a retrospective observational study, a total of 108 patients with confirmed diagnosis of Osteoporosis were identified, and received at least one dose of Zoledronic Acid 5 mg annual infusion for treatment of Osteoporosis, through Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) during the study period between January 2009 and May 2011. Patient's medical profile was reviewed for Bone Mineral Density (BMD), and for the bone turnover marker (B-CTX). Additionally, to identify the adverse drug reactions, the nurse's records of IV admixture room, patients profile and drug information center were reviewed. Patients who received Zoledronic acid 5 mg annual infusion showed significant increase in BMD values for the lumbar spine at (L2-L4) after the first dose and the second dose as well by (6.63 and 20% and P values of 0.039 and 0.024 respectively), the values of lumbar spine at (L2) trend to be increased over the two years (% P>0.05). After the second dose, femoral neck and total hip BMD values tend to be decreased without reaching significant values. The biochemical markers were improved post-Zoledronic acid 5 mg annual dose by 17.9% and 10.9% (p values 0.161 and 0.14 respectively). A headache, flue-like symptoms, and fever were the most common adverse drug reaction associated with Zoledronic acid 5 mg IV administration. The once-yearly injection of Zoledronic acid 5 mg improves BMD at the lumbar spine, shows good tolerability and favorable safety profile. No evidence was found that the IV administration of Zoledronic acid 5 mg showed improvement in the BMD of femurs and bone turnover marker (B-CTX), or proves its association with severe ADR.


 Abstract — Several factors contribute to success in sport and diet is one of them. Evidence-based sport nutrition guidelines underline the importance of macro- and micro-nutrients' balance and timing in order to improve athlete's physical status and performance. Nevertheless, a high content of proteins is commonly found in resistance training athletes' diet with carbohydrate intake that is not enough or not well planned. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of different protein and carbohydrate diet contents on body composition and sport performance on a group of resistance training athletes. Subjects were divided as study group (n=16) and control group (n=14). For a period of 4 months, both groups were subjected to the same resistance training fitness program with study group following a specific diet and control group following an ab libitum diet. Body compositions were evaluated trough anthropometric measurement (weight, height, body circumferences and skinfolds) and Bioimpedence Analysis. Physical strength and training status of individuals were evaluated through the One Repetition Maximum test (RM1). Protein intake in studied group was found to be lower than in control group. There was a statistically significant increase of body weight, free fat mass and body mass cell of studied group respect to the control group. Fat mass remains almost constant. Statistically significant changes were observed in quadriceps and biceps circumferences, with an increase in studied group. The MR1 test showed improvement in study group's strength but no changes in control group. Usually people consume hyper-proteic diet to achieve muscle mass development. Through this study, it was possible to show that protein intake fixed at 1,7 g/kg/d can meet the individual's needs. In parallel, the increased intake of carbohydrates, focusing on quality and timing of assumption, has enabled the obtainment of desired results with a training protocol supporting a hypertrophic strategy. Therefore, the key point seems related to the planning of a structured program both from a nutritional and training point of


Left ventricular echocardiograms performed within ninety-six hours of ad mission were prospectively correlated with the clinical course in 87 consecutive patients admitted with acute pulmonary edema. Patients were stratified into four groups based on their two-dimensional echocardiogram: hyperdynamic, normal, mildly reduced, and severely reduced. Echocardiographic estimates of left ventricular function were compared with their ejection fraction measured by the gated radioisotope technique. The authors found that 48% of the patients were either normal or hyperdynamic (38% and 10% respectively). Patients in these two groups had a greater incidence of left ventricular hypertrophy (wall thickness > 13mm) (66% vs 39%, p < .05), hypertension on admission (BP > 160/100) (66% vs 41%, p=.05), and smaller end-diastolic dimension (p < .05) than those with decreased left ventricualr function. The authors con clude that echocardiography is a good screening test of left ventricular function in patients presenting with pulmonary edema. Patients with normal or in creased left ventricular systolic function should be evaluated for correctable or treatable causes of acute pulmonary edema.


The number of cycles of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) performed increased by ~9.5 % globally between 2008 and 2010. In spite of this, the success rate in terms of delivery was only ~19.0 % (Dyer et al., 2016). This discrepancy between the demand for, and success of, these technologies necessitates the development of tools to improve ART efficiency. To facilitate this, a better understanding of how the microenvironment changes within the developing follicle to culminate in a mature, developmentally-competent oocyte is required. This study employed an in vivo and in vitro ovine model to investigate the relationship between the surrounding microenvironment and oocyte maturation, and in particular, the attainment of oocyte developmental competency and high-quality embryos.  The first objective of this PhD study was to comprehensively investigate the changing microenvironment of in vivo matured, presumptive preovulatory (PPOV) follicles from wild-type (++) and high ovulation rate (OR; I+B+) ewes. The high OR ewes were heterozygous carriers of mutations in BMP15 (I+) and BMPRIB (B+). Functional differences in follicular somatic (granulosa and cumulus) cells between these genotypes, including differential gonadotropin responsiveness of granulosa cells, composition of follicular fluid and gene expression profiles in cumulus cells were evident. These differences emerged as part of a compensatory mechanism by which oocytes from smaller follicles, containing fewer granulosa cells, achieved developmental competency in I+B+ ewes.  The second objective of this PhD study was to develop new approaches for improving current in vitro maturation (IVM) strategies. The first approach utilised in this study focused on developing biomarkers that could be used to improve prediction of developmental competency in oocytes and in vitro produced embryos. This involved interrogating the hypothesis that a combination of molecular and morphokinetic biomarkers would better predict the developmental competency of oocytes and embryos compared to using these biomarkers alone. The second approach utilised in this PhD study tested the effects of modulating IVM conditions to better mimic the follicular microenvironment of a high, compared to a low, OR species on oocyte developmental competency and embryo quality. This involved supplementing IVM media with different ratios of two oocyte-secreted growth factors, i.e. GDF9:BMP15, that were representative of low or high OR species. These approaches demonstrated significant potential and warrant further investigation.  The most significant finding of this study was that despite variances in the surrounding microenvironment during in vivo and in vitro oocyte maturation that culminated in differential gene expression patterns in cumulus cells, and divergent gonadotropin-responsiveness of granulosa cells, the gene expression signatures of developmentally-competent oocytes and the morphokinetics of high-quality embryos were unaltered. This confirms the value of developing such biomarkers for oocyte development competency and embryo quality that remain unaltered despite a changing surrounding environment. Interestingly, simulating the ratio of GDF9:BMP15 that oocytes from high OR species are exposed to during maturation improved developmental competency in oocytes as demonstrated by increased blastocyst rates. Furthermore, this study has demonstrated that combinations of molecular (cumulus cell gene expression) and morphokinetic biomarkers improved the ability to predict developmental competency in oocytes and embryos. Overall, this study revealed novel information regarding the follicular microenvironment during final maturation and identified several novel approaches to improving the efficiency of ART.


Background. Half of the patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) do not achieve a complete remission with first-line therapy. No clear recommendations are available regarding second-line treatments. Methods. We retrospectively report our single-center experience of low-dose thoracoabdominal irradiation (1-Gy TAI) in 41 patients with refractory extensive chronic GvHD from 1983 to 2000. Median time from extensive chronic GvHD to TAI was one year (median GvHD episodes before TAI, n=4). Results. Eighty-two percent of the patients achieved a clinical response at a median of 34 days after TAI (range, 15-180). Best response rates were observed in fasciitis (79%), and oral GvHD lesions (73%). A complete clinical response was achieved in 11 patients by 2 years postTAI. Fifty-seven percent of the patients had at least a 50% reduction of their corticosteroid daily dose by 6 months postTAI. Probability of corticosteroid discontinuation was 38% by 2 years postTAI (95% CI, 23-56%). Two-year chronic GvHD relapse incidence was 34%. Ten-year survival from irradiation was 57% (95% CI, 42-78%); patients with fasciitis, lymphocytes >1.0 × 109/L, and platelets >200 × 109/L had a better outcome. Conclusions. TAI is a safe and efficient option in patients with refractory chronic GvHD, leading to a significant tapering of systemic corticosteroid dose in most cases.


Abstract Jinping II hydropower station is located in a high in-situ stress region in Southwest China. During the excavations of the transportation and drainage tunnels, more than 460 rockburst events were recorded in the transportation tunnel and 110 in the drainage tunnel, which has a serious and negative influence on the tunnels' construction and the safety of staff and equipment. In the paper, the characters of rockburst patterns are analyzed for the transportation and drainage tunnels. The results are illustrated as follow: (1) Most of intensive rockbursts occur in the layer T2b, and continuous occurrences of rockbursts are more frequently observed than those in other layers. (2) The critical overburden depth of rockburst in the transportation tunnel is 600 m, and the length of the continuous occurrence section of rockburst is smaller than 25 m. The damaged depth of the rockburst has the tendency to increase with the increasing overburden depth, and the maximum damaged depth is over 3.5 m. (3) From east to west (west to east) in Jinping II hydropower station, the rockburst usually takes place in the right (left) side of tunnel working face, and then the left (right) or roof of the tunnel. The total length of the continuous occurrence section of rockburst is 57.4%–62.2% of the overall rockburst length, followed by the rockbursts of flake-splitting type and other types. (4) Compared with the transportation tunnel, the intensity of rockburst in the drainage tunnel is higher while the length of the continuous occurrence section of rockburst is smaller. The rockburst section with length less than 10 m and depth of 1 m mainly occurs in the layer at a depth of 1 800–2 000 m. The influences of opening geometry and excavation method on the characteristics of the adjacent zone are great, but the influence of the stress among the tunnel group induced by excavation is relatively low.


A new imaging technique for solids with lines broadened by inhomogeneous dipolar interactions is described. A model of loosely coupled spin-1/2 pairs is used to explain how the technique works. Using this technique, the radiofrequency pulse sequence induces a solid echo which effectively prolongs the lifetime of a transverse signal because of the independence of the echo amplitude from the dipolar interactions. In addition the refocused gradients turned on throughout the echo formation are capable of encoding spatial information. The imaging technique is illustrated with one-dimensional images of calcium phosphate mineral distribution in solid bone samples.


Software testing often targets natural language specification documents. Creating test cases depends on engineer skills, then automation of creating test cases from natural language specification is important. Logics retrieval is a required technique to automate creating test cases, because once logics are retrieved we can transform them into decision tables and also create test cases from the decision tables. Furthermore, Japanese language structure is different from English. If we target Japanese natural language, a new technique is also required. We propose a Semantic Analysis Technique of Logics Retrieval for Software Testing from Japanese Public Sector's Specification Documents. This technique is a new logics retrieval from harmonization between natural language processing technique and software testing. Applying the analysis technique to total 25 files, 1,218 pages and a million double bytes characters, the precision reached 0.93 to 0.97 and recall reached 0.65 to 0.79.


OBJECTIVE
Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is the only essential protein component of lung surfactant, the relationship between localization and function is very close. The localization of rat SP-B and influences of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on it were investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The localization of SP-B protein in lung tissue was detected by immunofluorescence after challenged with intratracheal instillation of LPS. The constructed recombinant plasmid pEGFP-N2-SP-B was transfected with CCl-149 cell lines by liposome to explore the localization of SP-B in alveolar type II epithelial cells. Furthermore, the expression and function of SP-B were analyzed with LPS stimulating.

RESULTS
The proteins SP-B and SP-C showed the same pattern of expression in normal lung, and distributed in the alveolar cavity, LPS can directly affect the expression of SP-B in vivo, contrast to SP-B, the LPS-induced influences on SP-C is little. SP-B had the membrane embedded features and localized on the cell surface of CCL149 in vitro, but was influenced by LPS.

CONCLUSIONS
It is confirmed that the expression and membrane function of SP-B were decreased by stimulating LPS in lung tissue and alveolar type II epithelial cells.


Exchange bias, referred to the interaction between a ferromagnet (FM) and an antiferromagnet (AFM), is a fundamental interfacial magnetic phenomenon, which is key to current and future applications. The effect was discovered half a century ago, and it is well established that the spin structures at the FM/AFM interface play an essential role. However, currently, ad hoc phenomenological anisotropies are often postulated without microscopic justification or sufficient experimental evidence to address magnetization-reversal behavior in exchange-bias systems. We advance toward a detailed microscopic understanding of the magnetic anisotropies in exchange-bias FM/AFM systems by showing that symmetry-breaking anisotropies leave a distinct fingerprint in the asymmetry of the magnetization reversal and we demonstrate how these emerging anisotropies are correlated with the intrinsic anisotropy. Angular and vectorial resolved Kerr hysteresis loops from FM/AFM bilayers with varying degree of ferromagnetic anisotropy reveal a noncollinear anisotropy, which becomes important for ferromagnets with vanishing intrinsic anisotropy. Numerical simulations show that this anisotropy naturally arises from the inevitable spin frustration at an atomically rough FM/AFM interface. As a consequence, we show in detail how the differences observed for different materials during magnetization reversal can be understood in general terms as originating from the interplay between interfacial frustration andmore » intrinsic anisotropies. This understanding will certainly open additional avenues to tailor future advanced magnetic materials.« less


BSS1 forms a complex with a master regulator of brassinosteroid signaling, thereby restricting the regulator to the cytosol and negatively regulating brassinosteroid signaling. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play important roles in plant development and the response to environmental cues. BIL1/BZR1 is a master transcription factor in BR signaling, but the mechanisms that lead to the finely tuned targeting of BIL1/BZR1 by BRs are unknown. Here, we identified BRZ-SENSITIVE-SHORT HYPOCOTYL1 (BSS1) as a negative regulator of BR signaling in a chemical-biological analysis involving brassinazole (Brz), a specific BR biosynthesis inhibitor. The bss1-1D mutant, which overexpresses BSS1, exhibited a Brz-hypersensitive phenotype in hypocotyl elongation. BSS1 encodes a BTB-POZ domain protein with ankyrin repeats, known as BLADE ON PETIOLE1 (BOP1), which is an important regulator of leaf morphogenesis. The bss1-1D mutant exhibited an increased accumulation of phosphorylated BIL1/BZR1 and a negative regulation of BR-responsive genes. The number of fluorescent BSS1/BOP1-GFP puncta increased in response to Brz treatment, and the puncta were diffused by BR treatment in the root and hypocotyl. We show that BSS1/BOP1 directly interacts with BIL1/BZR1 or BES1. The large protein complex formed between BSS1/BOP1 and BIL1/BZR1 was only detected in the cytosol. The nuclear BIL1/BZR1 increased in the BSS1/BOP1-deficient background and decreased in the BSS1/BOP1-overexpressing background. Our study suggests that the BSS1/BOP1 protein complex inhibits the transport of BIL1/BZR1 to the nucleus from the cytosol and negatively regulates BR signaling.


Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) has been established as an important predator of slugs in the laboratory, semi-natural environments and in the field. The current method of choice for studying these predator-prey interactions is using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) coupled with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Recently, DNA-based detection methods have been suggested as a viable alternative in this area of research. DNA-based detection methods proved suitable for investigating predation by P. melanarius on economically damaging slug species. Mitochondrial DNA primers were designed for the 12S ribosomal RNA gene that were specific for Deroceras reticulatum, members of the Arion hortensis aggregate and the Arion genus. The detection limit and rate of decay of slug DNA in the beetle gut was determined using the slug-specific primers in laboratory-based feeding trials. Slug remains could be reliably detected within beetle guts for at least 24 hours following ingestion, suggesting that this technique would be suitable for detecting predation in the field. Direct comparison of immunological and DNA-based detection methods revealed that the sensitivity of MAb-ELISA is greater than amplification of prey DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The implications of these findings are discussed. DNA-based detection methods were suitable for detecting predation by beetles on slugs in the field. The number of slug-positive beetles identified using MAb-ELISA was greater than when PCR and prey-specific primers were used. These results are discussed in the context of the availability of target and alternative prey in the field. Sequence data was also analysed to reveal the population structure and demographic history of A. hortensis aggregate in the British Isles. A high level of differentiation between populations was revealed. The rate of molecular evolution in these species is rapid with high levels of inter-specific divergence. The 12s rRNA gene proved especially useful in phylogenetic reconstruction and corroborated previous results based on morphology and enzyme electrophoresis that the congener, Arion intermedius belongs to the same subgenus (Kobelita) as the aggregate species.


Suppose that a government governed by some treaty regime enacts a measure that authorizes an official to act contrary to the treaty. Suppose further, however, that no action in violation of the treaty has yet occurred. Should beneficiaries of the treaty obligation be allowed to invoke its dispute resolution process to challenge the measure in advance of such a violation? Or should they be required to wait until a violation has actually occurred? These and related questions raise important issues in the WTO and the U.S. Constitutional systems. This paper employs an economic perspective to address these issues. Among the principal conclusions are that various WTO and U.S. "rules" to govern such matters are foolish from an economic standpoint. Interestingly, however, neither system actually follows its own rules consistently. Adjudicators in both systems have deviated significantly, and many of the reported decisions comport with factors that the economic analysis identifies as important.


In this paper, a new methodology consisting of space-varying templates in cellular nonlinear networks (CNNs) for real-time visual pattern recognition in nuclear fusion devices is presented. The development of space-varying templates is a new upgrade, driven by the need to process different parts of the images in different ways. The new approach has been applied to the identification in real time of various objects present in the Joint European Torus videos of both infrared (IR) and visible cameras. IR videos are here used to detect hot spots and the regions of the walls in which dangerously high temperatures are reached, whereas visible cameras provide information about multifaceted asymmetric radiations from the edge, which are dangerous instabilities that can lead to disruptions. Their identification is particularly difficult because of their movement and their shape which is similar to other objects present in the frames. Therefore, in addition to space-varying template CNNs, quite sophisticated morphological operators have to be deployed and their outputs processed by machine learning tools, such as support vector machines. The implementation of the whole methodology was performed in a field-programmable gate array board, obtaining, in both applications, a final success rate close to 100% and a frame rate higher than 200 frames/s.


The authors outline the design of an optimal, computationally efficient, infinite impulse response edge detection filter. The optimal filter is computed based on Canny's high signal to noise ratio, good localization criteria, and a criterion on the spurious response of the filter to noise. An expression for the width of the filter, which is appropriate for infinite-length filters, is incorporated directly in the expression for spurious responses. The three criteria are maximized using the variational method and nonlinear constrained optimization. The optimal filter parameters are tabulated for various values of the filter performance criteria. A complete methodology for implementing the optimal filter using approximating recursive digital filtering is presented. The approximating recursive digital filter is separable into two linear filters, operating in two orthogonal directions. The implementation is very simple and computationally efficient. has a constant time of execution for different sizes of the operator, and is readily amenable to real-time hardware implementation. >


'It is not likely that anything absolutely new can be added to the interpretation of this familiar poem.' So G. L. Hendrickson forty five years ago. It need scarcely be noted that in spite of these cautionary words much has been written on this ode in the intervening years. With hesitation I add here a few words on what seems to me an overlooked yet central aspect of this poem.


Recent advances in the field of Virtual Reality (VR) using Head Mounted Display (HMD) has presented a new medium for immersive experiences. Designing for this medium does have its challenges, and designers and developers must adopt new design processes and pipeline for creating and manipulating virtual spaces in VR. There have been several works of research within similar fields of 3D manipulation with an HMD, but recent technological strides demand new efforts to translate prior knowledge toward the development of new and innovative tools. In this paper, we propose the design and implementation of a web-based authoring tool that exploits VR technology in the creation of the virtual spaces using an immersive Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE). The purpose is a multi-user collaboration platform for the web browser adaptable to a wide variety of cases and purposes and which allows multiple and dissimilar stakeholders to create and manipulate virtual spaces in collaboration, either recreate real-world scenes or construct new digital environments using their imagination.


Technology trends and shrinking power envelopes have forced microprocessor designers to focus on hardware techniques that efficiently improve single-thread performance without superlinear increases in power and silicon area. In this article, we identify hardware atomic execution - the execution of a region of code completely or not at all - as such a feature for simplifying existing and enabling new speculative compiler optimizations. Specifically, we propose that microprocessors expose atomic execution as a hardware primitive to the compiler. Doing so lets the compiler generate a speculative version of the code where infrequently executed code paths are removed.