We estimate a model of the joint participation and mobility along with the individuals' wage formation in France. Our model makes it possible to distinguish between unobserved person heterogeneity and state-dependence. We estimate the model using state of the art bayesian methods employing a long panel (1976-1995) for France. Our results clearly show that returns to seniority are small, and for some education groups are close to zero. The specification here is the same as that used in Buchinsky, Fougere, Kramarz and Tchernis (2002), where the returns to seniority were found to be quite large. This result also holds when using the method employed by Altonji and Williams (1992) for both countries. It turns out that differences between the two countries relate to firm-to-firm mobility. Using a model of Burdett and Coles (2003), we explain the rationale for this phenomenon. Specifically, in a low-mobility country such as France, there is little gain in compensating workers for long tenures because they tend to stay in the firm for most, if not all, of their career. This is true even in cases where individuals clearly possess substantial amount of firm-specific human capital. In contrast, for a high-mobility country such as the United States, high returns to seniority have a clear incentive effect, and firms are induced to pay the premium associated with firm-specific human capital to avoid losing their most productive workers.


Increasingly, applications of technology are being developed to provide care to elderly and vulnerable people living alone. This paper looks at using sensors to monitor a person's wellbeing. The paper attempts to recognise and distinguish falling, sitting and walking activities from accelerometer data. Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) is used to extract information from collected data. The low-cost accelerometer is part of a Texas Instruments watch. Our experiments focus on lower sampling rates than those used elsewhere in the literature. We show that a sampling rate of 10Hz from a wrist-worn device does not reliably distinguish between a fall and merely sitting down.


ABSTRACT The western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a hotspot of rapid recent regional 'climate change'. This has resulted in a 0.4°C rise in sea temperature in the last 50 years, five days of sea ice lost per decade and increased ice scouring in the shallows. The WAP shallows are ideal for studying the biological response to physical change because most known Antarctic species are benthic, physical change occurs mainly in the shallows and most research stations are coastal. Studies at Rothera Station have found increased benthic disturbance with losses of winter sea ice and assemblage-level changes coincident with this ice scouring. Such studies are difficult to scale up as they depend on SCUBA diving – a very spatially limited technique. Here we report attempts to broaden the understanding of benthic ecosystem responses to physical change by replicating the Rothera experimental grids at Carlini Station through collaboration between the UK, Argentina and Germany across Signy, Rothera and Carlini stations. We argue that such collaborations are the way forward towards understanding the big picture of biota responses to physical climate changes at a regional scale.


System evaluation and testing of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) in their destined environment can be tedious, error prone, time consuming and consequently, expensive. However, pre-real world testing facilities, such as Hard- ware-in-the-loop (HIL), are not always available. This is due to the time and expense required to create a specific test environment for the vehicle. Thus the system is not as fault tolerant as it could be since problems can remain undetected until the real- world testing phase. Debugging and fixing errors in the real- world testing phase is much more time consuming and expensive due to the nature of the harsh underwater environment. This paper introduces a novel framework for the rapid construction of virtual environment testing scenarios for remote platforms with embedded systems such as AUVs. The framework provides testing facilities across all stages of the reality continuum providing capabilities for pure simulation, HIL, Hybrid Simulation (HS) and Real world testing. The framework architecture is both very generic and flexible and allows mixing of real and simulated components. The framework is supported by a distributed communications protocol to provide location transparency of systems which is key to providing mixed reality testing facilities.


Abstract. Weather index insurance is an innovative tool in risk transfer for disasters induced by natural hazards. This paper proposes a methodology that uses
machine learning algorithms for the identification of extreme flood and drought events aimed at reducing the basis risk connected to this kind of
insurance mechanism. The model types selected for this study were the neural network and the support vector machine, vastly adopted for
classification problems, which were built exploring thousands of possible configurations based on the combination of different model parameters. The
models were developed and tested in the Dominican Republic context, based on data from multiple sources covering a time period between 2000 and
2019. Using rainfall and soil moisture data, the machine learning algorithms provided a strong improvement when compared to logistic regression
models, used as a baseline for both hazards. Furthermore, increasing the amount of information provided during the training of the models proved to
be beneficial to the performances, increasing their classification accuracy and confirming the ability of these algorithms to exploit big data and
their potential for application within index insurance products.


Thermal therapies have strong potential for improving outcomes for patients suffering from cardiac arrest, neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or medically refractory intracranial hypertension. We propose a novel tool to manipulate blood temperature through extravascular thermoelectric heat exchange of blood vessel walls and flowing blood. This tool is a concentrated cooling probe with several thermoelectric units combined to focus cooling at the application site. Using this tool, we aim to achieve desired levels of temperature control and potentially reduce complications associated with traditional intravascular or systemic thermal therapies. Leveraging the feedback control, speed, and reversible operation of thermoelectric cooling modules, the device can adapt to cool or heat as desired. Pre-clinical testing on rodent models confirmed rapid, significant reduction of intravenous jugular blood temperature when a prototype device was brought in contact with the left carotid artery (change in blood temperature of -4.74 ± 2.9 °C/hr and -4.29 ± 1.64 °C/hr for 0 °C and -5 °C cooling trials respectively). Declines in rectal temperature were also noted, but at lesser magnitudes than for jugular blood (0 °C: -3.09 ± 1.29 °C/hr; -5 °C: -2.04 ± 1.08), indicating proof-of-concept of thermoelectric extravascular blood cooling within a relatively localized region of the body. With further improvements in the technique, there is potential for selective organ cooling via reduction in flowing blood temperature.


High prevalence of poor mental health is a major public health problem. Natural environments may contribute to mitigating stress and enhancing health. However, there is little evidence on whether community-level interventions intended to increase exposure to natural environments can improve mental health and related behaviours. In the first study of its kind, we evaluated whether the implementation of a programme designed to improve the quality of, and access to, local woodlands in deprived communities in Scotland, UK, was associated with lower perceived stress or other health-related outcomes, using a controlled, repeat cross-sectional design with a nested prospective cohort. Interventions included physical changes to the woodlands and community engagement activities within the woodlands, with data collected at baseline (2013) and post-intervention (2014 and 2015). The interventions were, unexpectedly, associated with increased perceived stress compared to control sites. However, we observed significantly greater increases in stress for those living >500 m from intervention sites. Visits to nearby nature (woods and other green space) increased overall, and moderate physical activity levels also increased. In the intervention communities, those who visited natural environments showed smaller increases in stress than those who did not; there was also some evidence of increased nature connectedness and social cohesion. The intervention costs were modest but there were no significant changes in quality of life on which to base cost-effectiveness. Findings suggest factors not captured in the study may have contributed to the perceived stress patterns found. Wider community engagement and longer post-intervention follow-up may be needed to achieve significant health benefits from woodland interventions such as those described here. The study points to the challenges in evidencing the effectiveness of green space and forestry interventions to enhance health in urban environments, but also to potential benefits from more integrated approaches across health and landscape planning and management practice.


Programming assistance, automation concepts, and their application to a message-passing system program development tool called Hypertool are discussed. Hypertool performs scheduling and handles the communication primitive insertion automatically, thereby increasing productivity and eliminating synchronization errors. Two algorithms, based on the critical-path method, are presented for scheduling processes statically. Hypertool also generates the performance estimates and other program quality measures to help programmers improve their algorithms and programs. >


Elevated oleic acid concentration increases the quality and shelf-life of peanut and their derived products. Incorporation of this character is an important objective of most peanut breeding programs. The objectives of this study were to examine the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects for oleic acid concentration and identify promising crosses for developing high oleic peanut varieties. Twenty crosses in the F2 and F3 generations from a full diallel matting of five parental genotypes and their parents were evaluated under field conditions in a randomized complete block design with four replications for two seasons along with the original parental lines. Seed samples were analyzed for fatty acid compositions by gas liquid chromatography. The GCA effects were significant for oleic acid and O/L ratio in both F2 and F3 generations. The SCA and reciprocal effects were also significant, but their relative contributions to variation among crosses were much smaller than those of the GCA effects. The results suggested that additive gene action was important in the inheritance of oleic acid concentration, and selection for high-oleic acid should be effective. The crosses of the line [(NC17090 × B1)-9-1 × KK 60-3]F6-8-3 with SunOleic 97R and Georgia-02C are most promising to exploit genetic variation for oleic acid, which in this population appears to be beyond the genetic control of the ol genes.


Abstract Formation and deepening of submarine canyons are typically attributed to erosion. We present data from an industry-grade seismic volume located offshore Brunei Darussalam illustrating how topography typically associated with erosion can be produced under conditions of net sediment deposition. These data were generated via subsurface mapping in the vicinity of a shale-cored anticline on the Quaternary continental slope. The shale ridge is located 20 km down slope from the present-day continental shelf edge in ~ 900 m of water. Its crest line runs for 18 km and is oriented perpendicular to the regional slope. Three canyons traverse the structure at right angles to the crest line, with maximum canyon relief of 165 m. Subsurface mapping reveals that the structure is a site of net sediment deposition and defines a background sedimentation pattern that decreases gradually with distance from the shelf edge. Profiles down canyon axes reveal several local minima in deposit thickness over the anticline hinge that are associated with high downstream gradients. Deposition on ridges adjacent to canyons also displays local minima at the anticline hinge, but these minima are not correlated with gradient. A comparison of canyon axis and ridge deposition shows that somewhat higher rates of sedimentation on the ridges resulted in the preservation and growth of the submarine canyons with time. Laterally persistent seismic reflectors and depositional packages suggest that the canyon forming currents were sheet-like flows, extending for many kilometers in the strike direction. This interpretation is consistent with minima in ridge deposition being correlated with maximum canyon relief. The currents drained into canyons as they approached the anticline hinge, leaving only a small supra-canyon fraction available to deposit sediment on the nonchannelized zones. We use the cross-sectional area of the confined flow over the anticline crest to estimate a minimum thickness of 20 m for the sheet-like currents as they approached the anticline.


To investigate the magnetic properties of $\mathrm{Sm}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{12}$, we construct an effective spin model, where magnetic moments, crystal-field (CF) parameters, and exchange fields at 0 K are determined by first-principles calculations. Finite-temperature magnetic properties are investigated by using this model. We further develop an analytical method with strong mixing of states with a different quantum number of angular momentum $J$ ($J$-mixing), which is caused by a strong exchange field acting on the spin component of $4f$ electrons. Comparing our analytical results with those calculated by Boltzmann statistics, we clarify that the previous analytical studies for Sm transition-metal compounds overestimate the $J$-mixing effects. The present method enables us to perform a quantitative analysis of the temperature dependence of magnetic anisotropy (MA) with high reliability. The analytical method with model approximations reveals that the $J$-mixing caused by the exchange field increases the spin angular momentum, which enhances the absolute value of the orbital angular momentum and MA constants via spin-orbit interaction. It is also clarified that these $J$-mixing effects remain even above room temperature. Magnetization of $\mathrm{Sm}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{12}$ shows a peculiar field dependence known as the first-order magnetization process (FOMP), where the magnetization shows an abrupt change at a certain magnetic field. The result of the analysis shows that the origin of FOMP is attributed to competitive MA constants between positive ${K}_{1}$ and negative ${K}_{2}$. The sign of ${K}_{1(2)}$ appears due to an increase in the CF potential denoted by the parameter ${A}_{2}^{0}\ensuremath{\langle}{r}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ (${A}_{4}^{0}\ensuremath{\langle}{r}^{4}\ensuremath{\rangle}$) caused by hybridization between $3d$-electrons of Fe on the $8i$ ($8j$) site and $5d$ and $6p$ valence electrons on the Sm site. It is verified that the requirement for the appearance of FOMP is given as $\ensuremath{-}{K}_{2}l{K}_{1}l\ensuremath{-}6{K}_{2}$.


Systemic risk is the risk of a collapse of the entire financial system, typically triggered by the default of one, or more, large and interconnected financial institutions. In this paper we estimate the systemic risk contribution of each financial institution in a large sample of European banks. We follow a recent methodology first proposed by Adrian and Brunnermeier (2011) based on the CoVaR and find that size is a predictor of a bank contribution to systemic risk, but it is not the only one. Leverage is important as well. Also, banks that have their headquarters in countries with a more concentrated banking system tend to contribute more to European wide systemic risk, even after controlling for their size. Therefore, any financial regulation designed only to curb banks' size would not completely eliminate systemic risk. On average, balance sheet variables are very weak predictors of banks' contribution to systemic risk, if compared to market based variables. Accounting rules provide enough degrees of freedom to make balance sheet less informative than market prices. As a result, measures of risk based on higher frequency market prices are more likely to anticipate systemic risk.


Samuel Lakeou, University of the District of Columbia Samuel Lakeou received a BSEE (1974) and a MSEE (1976) from the University of Grenoble (Universite Joseph Fourier), and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale d'Electronique et de Radioelectricite de Grenoble of the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble, France, in 1978. He is currently a Professor and Chair of the department of electrical engineering at UDC. He was formerly staff member at the New Products Laboratory of RCA's Consumer Electronics Division in Indianapolis, IN (1984-86).


Previous studies on the difference in phenotypes and disease course between familial and sporadic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have resulted in heterogenous conclusions. However, a positive family history is considered the strongest recognizable risk factor for developing IBD and is present in 8-12% of cases. We aimed to compare the frequency of a positive family history between patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) and additionally to evaluate possible clinical parameters that may influence the clinical course of familial IBD cases, based on retrospectively-prospectively collected data of a cohort of IBD patients followed in daily clinical practice.

 Patients with biopsy-confirmed IBD aged 10–90 years old were included in the study. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to collect data on each site visit from July 2018 to March 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine clinical parameters that may influence the clinical course of familial IBD cases and the chi-squared test to compare the frequency of a positive family history between patients with UC and CD.

 We collected 300 patients diagnosed with IBD (180 with CD, 113 with UC, and 7 with indeterminate colitis). About 10% of IBD patients had a first degree relative with IBD (13% in CD and 4% in UC group, P< .05), as summarized in table 1. Female IBD patients had a 4-fold increased risk to have a first degree relative with IBD (OR 3.79; 95% CI: 1.44-9.98; P< .01). Similarly, CD patients had a 3-fold increased risk (OR 3.31; 95% CI: 1.08-10.18); P< .05). IBD patients who had a first degree relative with IBD were at greater risk for hospitalization for IBD flare or other complications (OR 3.07; 95% CI: 1.12-8.38; P< .05), to undergo a surgical procedure, mainly colectomy (OR 5.20; 95% CI: 1.98-13.68; P< .01), to develop perianal disease (OR 3.42; 95% CI: 1.25-9.35; P< .05), to develop sacroiliitis (OR 3.72; 95% CI: 1.40-9.91; P< .01), and to being treated with anti-TNF agents (OR 3.21; 95% CI: 1.14-9.08; P< .05). Furthermore, in patients with a family history of IBD there was a trend for extraintestinal manifestations (OR 2.47; 95% CI: 0.91-6.74; P= .078), especially from the musculoskeletal system (OR 2.45; 95% CI: 0.94-6.34; P= .066), skin (OR 2.83; 95% CI: 0.94-8.45; P= .065) and ocular system (OR 4.92; 95% CI: 0.89-27.26; P= .068), as shown in table 2.

 In this retrospective-prospective cohort study, family history of IBD in first degree relatives was present in 13% of patients with CD and 4% of patients with UC, and was associated with increased risk for hospitalization, surgical procedures, occurrence of perianal disease, treatment with anti-TNF agents, and a trend for developing EIMs.


The Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor has been widely used in computer vision fields since it can provide depth information in real time. However, the depth map obtained from ToF sensor is distressed with error, and has a lower resolution than general cameras. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to fuse and upsample multi-view depth maps obtained from multiple ToF sensors. The proposed method can be robust to the camera calibration error and effectively applied to the Multi-view Video plus Depth (MVD) system. For that, we perform depth balancing and confidence map based multi-view depth fusion. The depth balancing adjusts the distribution of depth values between multiple ToF sensors. It can provide a coherent depth for the corresponding points between depth maps. Confidence map based multi-view depth fusion technique can restore the depth acquisition error and align multiple depth maps well with the corresponding color image by using only reliable depth values. Experimental results show that the proposed method using multiple ToF sensors is superior to the conventional method based on the 2D-plus-depth system consisting of one color camera and one depth sensor.


The increased attention being devoted to the formal models of market equilibrium with taxes, does suggest that the Modigliani-Miller perfect world models have become assimilated. Like their counterparts in physics, they have served to define the boundary limits within which acceptable solutions are constrained to lie. So far finance theory is the branch of economics which has made most progress on optimal behaviour in dynamic models with uncertainty.


This paper investigates the system identification and stability analyses of a turbojet engine in start-up mode. Stability analyses are performed for automatic feedback control algorithm which switches engine from start-up to operational mode. This process requires engine rotational speed and acceleration data which are obtained via extensive engine tests. Those tests are carried out on an altitude testbed at sea level static conditions to obtain above mentioned data with respect to the fuel control command. The process consists of construction of a gain scheduled engine dynamics model and Lyapunov stability analyses. Engine dynamics are described as transfer functions. Mathematical model parameters are identified from test data to perform feasible stability analyses and to define feasible stability regions. The contribution of this study for a turbojet engine is the determination of stability maps in start-up mode and stability region or so-called strip for enabling strategy of the automatic feedback control law. The theoretical results are supported by simulations and an engine test example. Results show that the reference speed of the feedback control algorithm should be NREF ≤ NTJ + 10% for a successful stabilization while switching from start-up to operational mode.


Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: We reviewed outcomes of 71 patients treated with SBRT for pancreatic cancer between July 2004 and January 2009. Forty patients (56%) had locally unresectable disease, 11 patients (16%) had local recurrence following surgical resection, 8 patients (11%) had metastatic disease, and 12 patients (17%) received adjuvant SBRT for positive margins. The median dose was 24 Gy (18–25 Gy), given in a single-fraction SBRT (n = 67) or fractionated SBRT (n = 4). Kaplan-Meyer survival analyses were used to estimate freedom from local progression (FFLP) and overall survival (OS) rates. Results: The median follow-up among surviving patients was 12.7 months (4–26 months). The median tumor volume was 17 mL (5.1–249 mL). The overall FFLP rates at 6 months/1 year were 71.7%/48.5%, respectively. Among those with macroscopic disease, FFLP was achieved in 77.3% of patients with tumor size <15 mL (n = 22), and 59.5% for ≥15 mL (n = 37) (P = 0.02). FFLP was achieved in 73% following 24 to 25 Gy, and 45% with 18 to 22 Gy (P = 0.004). The median OS was 10.3 months, with 6 month/1 year OS rates of 65.3%/41%, respectively. Grade 1–2 acute and late GI toxicity were seen in 39.5% of patients. Three patients experienced acute grade 3 toxicities. Conclusions: SBRT is feasible, with minimal grade ≥3 toxicity. The overall FFLP rate for all patients was 64.8%, comparable to rates with external beam radiotherapy. This shorter treatment course can be delivered without delay in adjuvant systemic therapy.


This paper examines from the perspective of New Jersey agricultural producers, whether the US should continue to pursue trade agreements. The study uses data from the 2005 National Agricultural Food and Public Policy Preference Survey. Twenty seven states participated in the survey. The New Jersey component of survey was mailed to 700 randomly selected farm operators. This number represents approximately 7% of all the farm operators in the state. A total of 162 farm operators responded to the survey, giving a response rate of 23%.
The paper hypothesizes that farm and ranch operator preferences regarding trade agreements are influenced by such factors as age, farm sales, income, education, and tenure or duration of farm ownership. In particular the paper hypothesizes that there exists a positive relationship between those variables and the free trade variable. To test that hypothesis the paper uses logistic regression.
The results show a positive relationship between the dependent variable and age, tenure, income and education but a negative relationship between the dependent variable and sales. The negative relationship with sales is surprising. The authors conjecture that the recent trade pact between the U.S. and Colombia is being greeted with some apprehension by respondents.


The present investigation concerns the development of mucoadhesive tablets of Captopril which were designed to prolong the gastric residence time after oral administration. Matrix tablets of Captopril were formulated using different mucoadhesive polymers such as guar gum, xanthan gum, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose K4M and K15M in various ratios. The tablets were evaluated for physical properties, content uniformity, swelling index, bioadhesive strength and in-vitro drug release. Swelling was increased as the concentration and viscosity of HPMC increases. Tablets formulated using guar gum and xanthan gum alone were eroded faster and dissolved completely within 5-7 hr, while tablet containing HPMC remain intact and provided slow release up to 11-12 hr. It was evident from the study that the formulation F10 containing HPMC K15M and xanthan gum (1:1) exhibited maximum bioadhesive strength of 31.59±0.05 gm and in vitro drug release was found to be 91.85 % at the end of 12 hr with non-fickian diffusion mechanism. The stability studies of optimized batch showed that there was no change in bioadhesive strength and in-vitro release when stored at different temperature condition for 60 days. It was concluded that formulation F10 shows the better bioadhesive strength and drug release.


Recently there has been a surge of interest in designing graph embedding methods. Few, if any, can scale to a large-sized graph with millions of nodes due to both computational complexity and memory requirements. In this paper, we relax this limitation by introducing the MultI-Level Embedding (MILE) framework – a generic methodology allowing contemporary graph embedding methods to scale to large graphs. MILE repeatedly coarsens the graph into smaller ones using a hybrid matching technique to maintain the backbone structure of the graph. It then applies existing embedding methods on the coarsest graph and refines the embeddings to the original graph through a graph convolution neural network that it learns. The proposed MILE framework is agnostic to the underlying graph embedding techniques and can be applied to many existing graph embedding methods without modifying them. We employ our framework on several popular graph embedding techniques and conduct embedding for real-world graphs. Experimental results on five large-scale datasets demonstrate that MILE significantly boosts the speed (order of magnitude) of graph embedding while generating embeddings of better quality, for the task of node classification. MILE can comfortably scale to a graph with 9 million nodes and 40 million edges, on which existing methods run out of memory or take too long to compute on a modern workstation.


This paper mainly focuses on ruggedness evaluation and design improvement of automotive power MOSFETs with a low voltage rating (50 V). The ruggedness of two types of power MOSFETs, i.e. planar and trench MOSFETs, have been investigated, simulated and compared under unclamped inductive switching (UIS) conditions by using industry-standard Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) tools. Additionally, the improvement to the ruggedness of the trench MOSFET due to gate corner smoothing is evaluated.


When observations of the same source are made by several instruments, the sources of apparent discrepancies in the results of these measurements are likely to be (1) differences in the operational definitions of the terms involved in the calibration procedure and (2) various sources of errors in the execution of the step wise procedure of calibrating the instrument. In this paper we discuss the major factors responsible for large errors such as the use of a low brightness source (LBS), bandwidths of the instruments, transmission characteristics of the optical interference filter, the effect of stray and scattered light by the instruments, as well as a step-wise procedure for minimizing the errors in a calibration of the instruments. In a test of these procedures the consideration of these factors resulted in minimizing the discrepancies in observations with photometers and spectrometers, yielding an accuracy of 20% or better in the measurements.


Abstract: Population viability analysis ( PVA) has become a commonly used tool in endangered species management. There is no single process that constitutes PVA, but all approaches have in common an assessment of a population's risk of extinction (or quasi extinction) or its projected population growth either under current conditions or expected from proposed management. As model sophistication increases, and software programs that facilitate PVA without the need for modeling expertise become more available, there is greater potential for the misuse of models and increased confusion over interpreting their results. Consequently, we discuss the practical use and limitations of PVA in conservation planning, and we discuss some emerging issues of PVA. We review extant issues that have become prominent in PVA, including spatially explicit modeling, sensitivity analysis, incorporating genetics into PVA, PVA in plants, and PVA software packages, but our coverage of emerging issues is not comprehensive. We conclude that PVA is a powerful tool in conservation biology for comparing alternative research plans and relative extinction risks among species, but we suggest caution in its use: (1) because PVA is a model, its validity depends on the appropriateness of the model's structure and data quality; (2) results should be presented with appropriate assessment of confidence; (3) model construction and results should be subject to external review, and (4) model structure, input, and results should be treated as hypotheses to be tested. We also suggest (5) restricting the definition of PVA to development of a formal quantitative model, (6) focusing more research on determining how pervasive density‐dependence feedback is across species, and (7) not using PVA to determine minimum population size or (8) the specific probability of reaching extinction. The most appropriate use of PVA may be for comparing the relative effects of potential management actions on population growth or persistence.


Snakes suffer from a bad reputation, and few human allies stand to prevent their extirpation. Yet more rhetorically powerful than any ethical injunction halting human violence upon nature, a sensuous moment of intertwining with the serpent can enact onto-epistemological shifts and dispositional transformations. Through a serpentine mêtis and mythopoetics of cunning wisdom and knowledge production, we can imaginatively, transversally, re-member the feeling of raising serpentine energy along the spine, sloughing off old skin, and slithering down among the roots and rhizomes into the depths of uncertainty. Opening up a space for the otherwise, responding to the hum of rhetorical energy coursing through our more-than-human relations, we may still live to tell new stories with the snakes and the rest of our strange kin.


The economic model of corporate law could, with a few simple moves, be seen as potentially having cultural limits. Or, better put, the economic model works well in the United States because not much impedes Coasean-style re-bargaining among the corporate players. Begin with the economic model without limit: Takeovers persisted in the face of anti-takeover law, one can argue, due to executive compensation that paid senior managers to stop strongly opposing takeovers. But executive compensation cannot be varied everywhere as easily as it can be raised in the Untied States. Where it cannot be easily varied, this kind of a Coasean re-bargain is harder than it is here. More generally, culture a) could affect the quality of institutional substitutes, b) could degrade some organizational-types but not others, and c) could reconfigure even a persisting economic model by choosing among equally effective arrangements. Other basic structures of corporate law - indeed, one could imagine even the public firm with diffuse ownership itself - could be subject to the degree to which local norms (and culture) allow parties to vary their deals smoothly. When norms make key variations costly, boundaries to the economic model of a type rarely present in the American corporation appear. I sketch out, with the help of the Symposium's papers, where those boundaries can be glimpsed.


This article investigates the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the structure of factors of life satisfaction in the city of Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. The dataset is based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Subsequent data analysis is conducted using ordinal logistic regression models. The results show that the emergence of the pandemic had a significant impact on life satisfaction factors. Firstly, the importance of family came to the fore: being in a relationship or being married proved to be a significant factor of life satisfaction during the pandemic but not before the pandemic. Secondly, a negative association between drinking alcohol and life satisfaction emerged during the pandemic. Alcohol probably started to be the tool for stress relief. Thirdly, sport became a significant positive factor of women's life satisfaction. Sport most likely became an effective way of keeping oneself in balance. Results indicate that during a difficult time period there are different ways of how to deal with it. In this way doing sports and drinking alcohol seem to be substitute activities.


Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome is a condition in which compression of the popliteal neurovascular structures results in symptoms of lower extremity claudication by way of a constricting anatomic structure or a hypertrophied surrounding musculature. This diagnosis is often missed or misdiagnosed because popliteal artery entrapment syndrome has a presentation similar to that of exertional compartment syndrome. Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome may result in persistent disability or unnecessary morbidity or prevent athletes' return to sport. A female collegiate athlete presented with bilateral popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. She had successful surgical treatment and returned to a high level of sport. This article describes popliteal artery entrapment syndrome, emphasizes the importance of a thorough history and physical examination to elucidate the diagnosis, and provides information that may lead to the identification of individuals who will benefit from surgical intervention. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(2):e295-e298.].


: Patients with HIV infection have a high risk of bacterial infection. A high index of suspicion for common and less common bacterial infections is needed, together with a flexible approach to diagnosis and therapy. Many infections are characterized by relapse after therapy; long-term treatment is frequently required.


This article deals with the widespread use of open-street close-circuit television (CCTV) systems as a safety policy tool in French cities. To investigate this diffusion, we suggest tackling CCTV as a socio-technical device able to enrol allies beyond the initial circle of technology promoters, including former opponents. Through an empirical analysis of three case studies, we show that a device can spread on a site provided that the actors in charge of the device appropriate it and discover new practical uses. As appropriation practices give CCTV supporters new arguments to justify its use, CCTV is therefore more legitimized by the possible combinations of different arguments and uses than by its strictly speaking effectiveness to fight against crime.


The clinical presentation of Influenza in children varies from subclinical illness to complicated disease with multiorgan involvement [1]. Many bacterial and viral infections present with a rash in the pediatric patient, which is not a common presentation of Influenza. We present a case of Influenza infection presenting with a generalized erythematous rash.


Time division multiple access (TDMA) is suitable for the energy efficiency requirement of wireless sensor networks (WSN) since it avoids idle listening and collisions. We introduce a two-tier-TDMA structure to describe and analyze a TDMA-based convergecast WSN. In our model, each cluster head is responsible for forwarding data from ordinary nodes of its cluster to a super cluster head. This paper presents derivations and simulations of the two-tier TDMA performance in terms of throughput. We consider scenarios with different cluster sizes, signal fading and inter-cluster interference.


Road traffic sensors provide rich multivariable datastreams about the current traffic conditions. Occasionally, there are unusual traffic events (such as accidents, jams, and severe weather) that disrupt the expected road traffic conditions. Detecting the occurrence of such events in an online and real-time manner is useful to drivers in planning their routes and in the management of the transportation infrastructure. We propose a new method for detecting traffic events that impact road traffic conditions by extending the Bayesian robust principal component analysis (RPCA) approach. Our method couples multiple traffic datastreams so that they share a certain sparse structure. This sparse structure is used to localize traffic events in space and time. The traffic datastreams are measurements of different physical quantities (e.g., traffic flow and road occupancy) by different nearby sensors. Our proposed method processes datastreams in an incremental way with small computational cost; hence, it is suitable to detect events in an online and real-time manner. We experimentally analyze the detection performance of the proposed coupled Bayesian RPCA (BRPCA) using real data from loop detectors on the Minnesota I-494. We find that our method significantly improves the detection accuracy when compared with the traditional PCA and noncoupled BRPCA.


Abstract The transient pressure field around a moderately thick airfoil is studied as it undergoes ramp-type pitching motions at high Reynolds numbers and low Mach numbers. A unique set of laboratory experiments were performed in a high-pressure wind tunnel to investigate dynamic stall at chord Reynolds numbers in the range of $0.5\times 10^6\leq Re _c\leq 5.5\times 10^6$ in the absence of compressibility effects. In addition to variations of mean angle and amplitude, pitching manoeuvres at reduced frequencies in the range of $0.01\leq k\leq 0.40$ were studied by means of surface-pressure measurements. Independently of the parameter variations, all test cases exhibit a nearly identical stall behaviour characterized by a gradual trailing-edge stall, in which the dynamic stall vortex forms approximately at mid-chord. The location of the pitching window with respect to the Reynolds-number-dependent static stall angle is found to define the temporal development of the stall process. The time until stall onset is characterized by a power law, where a small excess of the static stall angle results in a drastically prolonged stall delay. The reduced frequency exhibits a decrease in impact on the stall development in the case of angle-limited pitching manoeuvres. Beyond a critical reduced frequency, both load magnitudes and vortex evolution become reduced frequency independent and instead depend on the geometry of the motion and the convective time scale, respectively. Overall, the characteristics of vortex evolution induced by dynamic stall show remarkable similarities to the framework of optimal vortex formation reported in Gharib et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 360, 1998, pp. 121–140). The data from this study are publicly available at https://doi.org/10.34770/b3vq-sw14.


The ignition delay of biogas in mixing layers is investigated using a one-dimensional combustion model, with its application in Moderate or Intense Low oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion being the focus. The current study reveals the key aspects of the ignition of biogas in a nonpremixed, igniting mixing layer with a hot oxidizer of low oxygen content. The observed characteristics are contrasted against the existing studies on ignition in homogeneous mixtures under similar conditions. Biogas is considered here as a mixture of CH4 with variable amounts CO2. The influence of reactive, thermal, and transport properties of CO2 on the ignition is evaluated using artificial species to mimic the respective characteristics of CO2. While the ignition delay in homogeneous mixtures shows a strong dependence on CO2 content in the fuel, the ignition delay predictions from one-dimensional mixing layers show no significant influence of CO2 levels in biogas. In addition, the influence of oxidizer composition and temperature on ignition delay is determined for CO2 levels ranging from 0% to 90%. A sensitivity analysis of chemical reactions on the ignition delay shows a negligible effect of CO2 concentration in biogas. The current study emphasizes the role of oxidizer composition and temperature on the ignition characteristics of a MILD biogas flame.


The morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes during seed development of Lesquerella fendleri were investigated from 7 days after pollination (DAP) to desiccation. The entire course of seed development lasted ≈49 days and it can be divided into seven sequential stages (I to VII). During the early stages (I to III, 7 to 21 DAP), seed grew rapidly, showing a dramatic increase in size and fresh weight. They contained ≈75% water. During midmaturation stages (IV to V, 28 to 35 DAP), storage lipids, proteins, and other components of dry weights accumulated at maximum rates. The accumulation curves followed a sigmoidal pattern during seed development. As a result of water loss, fresh weight dropped significantly when seed progressed to late-maturation/desiccation stages (VI to VII, 42 to 49 DAP). The size of the seed decreased slightly and the color changed from green to orange-brown. Seed proteins were also analyzed using SDS-PAGE. Proteins with high molecular weights were prominent in developing seed at early stages (I to III). At Stage IV (28 DAP), proteins with low molecular weight appeared, whereas the high-molecular-weight proteins decreased in proportion. These low-molecular-weight proteins became predominant throughout the remaining stages of seed development. Forty-seven percent of freshly harvested seed at 35 DAP were able to germinate after 7 days incubation. The germination percentage increased to a maximum of 95% at 42 DAP after 7 days incubation. The relationships among seed morphology, reserve synthesis, and germination are discussed.


Sustainability of the built environment is a topic that is receiving much attention in recent times. This is mainly because the concept is inextricably linked with several key global issues e.g. economics, environmental, housing and construction etc. Sustainable construction is necessary for the sustainability of the industry and it has been identified as a key aspect of sustainable development. An important aspect of these has to do with the assessment of the performance of the industry's quest for sustainability. For a complex industry pursuing such a global objective, it should be appropriate that a well laid out approach of performance assessment be followed. This form of assessment would necessarily have to satisfy the multidimensional, multi-criteria concept. Hence, the need to identify the key measures, criteria, and the stakeholders becomes necessary. For effective promotion of sustainable construction, industry, and hence, development, the authors believe that it should be addressed at the local (national) levels first, then, regional, continental, and finally at the global level. In addition, it is submitted that the client as the promoter of construction should be an active partner in ensuring sustainability during the entire process of implementing construction projects. If sustainability issues start with the project, and with the client, it is should be a step the direction leading to the bigger picture of sustainable construction at the global level.


Abstract - Rapid technological developments in contemporary times also affected the development of the toolsin an industry.Equipment in an industry that was once driven manually by humans are now beginning to be controlled automatically. One of the automatic controller system that is widely used in an industrial controller system is proportional integral derivative (PID). PID controller consists of three kinds of methods that the controller proportional controller, the integral controller, and derivative controller. Controlling the height levels of the system is done through LabView 2013. Arduino UNO board is used to process the data on the flow sensor and height sensor.Data obtained from the height sensor and flow sensor is used to set the input and output water tank so that the water level in accordance with the desired height. From the test results, using Ti as an input parameter in the integral action zigler – Nichols method. Condition stable and constant oscillation at the output level elevation will be obtained, when the conditions given parameter value Ti is getting bigger and parameter values Kp given increasingly smaller. By using the parameters obtained from the calculation using the method zigler – Nichols, obtained results faster output stable when using a PI controller. Keyword : Controller, Proportional Integral Derivative, Ziegler-Nichols, LabView


The purpose of a referral is to enable a given entity in a multiparty
Internet application to pass information to another party. It enables
a communication initiator to be aware of relevant information of its
destination entity before launching the communication. This memo
discusses the problems involved in referral scenarios.


ABSTRACT Structural characterization of Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharides (CPS) is a prerequisite for unraveling both antigenic and genetic relationships that exist between different serotypes. In the current study, comparative structural studies of S. pneumoniae CPS serogroup 10 (CPS10) were extended to include genetically related S. pneumoniae CPS34, CPS39, and CPS47F. High-resolution heteronuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed the published structure of CPS34 and, in conjunction with glycosyl composition analyses, revealed the following repeat unit structures of the other serotypes, which have not been previously characterized: Common and unique structural features of these polysaccharides, including different positions of O-acetylation, were unambiguously associated with specific genes in each corresponding cps locus. The only exception involved the gene designated wcrC, which is associated with the α1-2 transfer of Gal pyranoside (Galp) to ribitol-5-phosphate in the synthesis of CPS10A, CPS47F, and CPS34 but with α1-1 transfer of Gal to ribitol-5-phosphate in the synthesis of CPS39. The corresponding gene in the cps39 locus, although related to wcrC, more closely resembled a previously identified gene (i.e., wefM) of Streptococcus oralis that is associated with α1-1 transfer of Galp to ribitol-5-phosphate. These and other recent findings identify linkages from α-Galp to ribitol-5-phosphate and from this residue to adjacent Gal furanoside (Galf) as important sites of CPS structural and genetic diversity.


CONTEXT
Direct observation of medical trainees with actual patients is important for performance-based clinical skills assessment. Multiple tools for direct observation are available, but their characteristics and outcomes have not been compared systematically.

OBJECTIVES
To identify observation tools used to assess medical trainees' clinical skills with actual patients and to summarize the evidence of their validity and outcomes.

DATA SOURCES
Electronic literature search of PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, and Web of Science for English-language articles published between 1965 and March 2009 and review of references from article bibliographies.

STUDY SELECTION
Included studies described a tool designed for direct observation of medical trainees' clinical skills with actual patients by educational supervisors. Tools used only in simulated settings or assessing surgical/procedural skills were excluded. Of 10 672 citations, 199 articles were reviewed and 85 met inclusion criteria.

DATA EXTRACTION
Two authors independently abstracted studies using a modified Best Evidence Medical Education coding form to inform judgment of key psychometric characteristics. Differences were reconciled by consensus.

RESULTS
A total of 55 tools were identified. Twenty-one tools were studied with students and 32 with residents or fellows. Two were used across the educational continuum. Most (n = 32) were developed for formative assessment. Rater training was described for 26 tools. Only 11 tools had validity evidence based on internal structure and relationship to other variables. Trainee or observer attitudes about the tool were the most commonly measured outcomes. Self-assessed changes in trainee knowledge, skills, or attitudes (n = 9) or objectively measured change in knowledge or skills (n = 5) were infrequently reported. The strongest validity evidence has been established for the Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX).

CONCLUSION
Although many tools are available for the direct observation of clinical skills, validity evidence and description of educational outcomes are scarce.


OBJECTIVES
The growing popularity of diets that restrict the consumption of animal-based foods is an important new challenge for the public healthcare system in Czechia. While the environmental and health-related benefits of plant-based diets are widely discussed in the media, people who follow these diets may lack professional support in terms of nutritional advice and even access to healthcare. The present study aims to map the nutritional practices and experiences with the healthcare system of people in Czechia who follow vegan diets.

METHODS
In a qualitative study we conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty-one self-reported adult vegans (14 women and 7 men; 18 with university education) who were on a vegan diet for at least a year. We were specifically interested in their motivation for why and how they became vegans; their everyday diet and eating routines; their use of health care and experiences with medical professionals; their nutritional knowledge and use of supplementation; and their perception of their health and embodiment.

RESULTS
The primary motivations for going vegan are ethical, environmental and health-related. Vegans see themselves and their diet as generally healthier, but for this to be true they must spend a considerable amount of time researching nutritional requirements and what dietary supplements they need. To this end, they tend to rely mainly on non-medical sources of information. Because of the lack of acceptance of veganism among primary-care physicians, vegans tend not to seek out medical advice or tell their doctor about their eating habits in order to avoid conflicts and negative experiences.

CONCLUSIONS
We identified a perceived lack of accessible educational materials and potentially limited access to primary healthcare recommendations for people who eliminate the consumption of animal-based foods. These findings deserve further research and public health risk-mitigation strategies.


Over the past decade, renewables-based technology and sustainability assessment methods have grown tremendously. Renewable energy and products have a significant role in the market today, and the same time sustainability assessment methods have advanced, with a growing standardization of environmental sustainability metrics and consideration of social issues as part of the assessment. Sustainability Assessment of Renewables-Based Products: Methods and Case Studies is an extensive update and sequel to the 2006 title Renewables-Based Technology: Sustainability Assessment. It discusses the impressive evolution and role renewables have taken in our modern society, highlighting the importance of sustainability principles in the design phase of renewable-based technologies, and presenting a wide range of sustainability assessment methods suitable for renewables-based technologies, together with case studies to demonstrate their applications. This book is a valuable resource for academics, businesses and policy makers who are active in contributing to more sustainable production and consumption. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs Topics covered include: The growing role of renewables in our society Sustainability in the design phase of products and processes Principles of sustainability assessment Land use analysis Water use analysis Material and energy flow analysis Exergy and cumulative exergy analysisCarbon and environmental footprint methods Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), social Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Case studies: renewable energy, bio-based chemicals and bio-based materials.


The use of magnetic Barkhausen Noise Analysis (BNA) has been proven to be an effective tool for the non-destructive detection of microstructural anomalies in ferrous materials. Used as an in-process tool for the detection of grinding burn, heat treat defects and stresses, BNA is a quick comparative and quantitative alternative to traditional destructive methods. Applications of BNA as a quality control tool in gear production have existed for nearly two decades. This paper presents examples that demonstrate how BNA is used to evaluate changes in microstructural properties. Quantitative results correlate BNA test values to X-Ray diffraction values for the detection of changes in surface residual stress. Other quantitative analysis correlates BNA test values to surface hardness values for the detection of re-tempering burn. Qualitative results correlate BNA test values to acid etch patterns/colors for the detection of grinding burn defects. Robotically automated systems can test gear teeth and provide immediate feedback for process control and quality assurance.


Somatically acquired mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been linked to aging, degenerative diseases, cancer and organ dysfunction. mtDNA alterations were investigated in matched atrial tissues and blood samples from four patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (cAF) and two matched patients without cAF. Nine novel mtDNA mutations were observed in mtDNA control and coding region. Interestingly, two patients with cAF had tissue-specific length heteroplasmic mutations from nucleotide 16184 to 16193 of the polyC tract and CA repeats starting at nucleotide 514. A 9 bp deletion (nucleotides 8271–8279) in the mtDNA COII gene was only found in tissues and blood cells from two patients with cAF. In patients with cAF, mtDNA mutations, including small deletions and tissue-specific length heteroplasmic mutations, occurred in both mtDNA control and coding regions. These findings strongly suggest that mtDNA mutations may play a crucial role in atrial dysfunction in patients with cAF.

Mitochondria are both the power plant of human cells and the target of reactive oxygen species and free radicals. With ageing and excess (ROS) stress, free radicals and (ROS) can overwhelm the antioxidant system and result in damage to cellular constituents such as lipids, proteins and DNA.1 A few papers have reported that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion mutation in human atrial tissue is associated with chronic atrial fibrillation (cAF).2,3 However, these studies only checked mtDNA deletion in atrial tissue and did not examine the corresponding blood samples. Therefore, we analysed the mtDNA control region and cytochrome c oxidase (CO) I, COII, COIII, ATPase 6 and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes in matched atrial tissues and blood samples from patients with cAF and in two matched patients with normal sinus rhythm and no history of cAF.

Atrial tissue samples and corresponding blood samples were taken from four patients with cAF and from two matched …


Although our country has wastewater treatment plant, the main problem is it
cannot be classified as world class standard. It means some compounds which can
harm the environment still exist in the river although wastewater was treated by
treatment plant. For example the amount of the nutrient components which are
nitrogen and phosphorus still contain in our UTP sludge treatment plant eftluent.
The main effect is the rivers become toxic to aquatic organisms and polluted to
environment life.

Eutrophication is frequently a result of nutrient pollution (means an increase
in chemical nutrients typically compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus in an
ecosystem) such as the release of sewage eftluent and run-off from lawn fertilizers
into natural waters (rivers or coasts), where the water becomes cloudy, colored a
shade of green, yellow, brown, or red and then the river becomes toxic to aquatic life
like fish. Beside that, human society is impacted as well, where health-related
problems can occur where eutrophic conditions interfere with drinking water
treatment. The main problem which occurs before deciding to have this project is
because our UTP Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) effiuent still discharged to the
nearest river with nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. If we don't take any action
to remove this type of compounds, this problem maybe can cause eutrophication to
occur.

Nitrogen exists in many forms because of the high number of oxidation states
it can assume. In ammonia and organic nitrogen compounds, which are forms most
closely associated with plants and animals, its oxidation state is -3. At the other
extreme, when nitrogen is in the nitrate form, its oxidation state is +5 [2]. The
presence of nitrogen in a wastewater discharge can be undesirable as free ammonia it
is toxic to fish and many other aquatic organisms; as ammonia it is an oxygenconsuming
compound which will reduce the dissolved oxygen in the river. In all
forms, nitrogen can be available as a nutrient to aquatic plants and consequently
contribute to eutrophication. Where the nitrate ion it is a potential public health
hazard in water consumed by infants [2].
The standard criteria limit for Nitrate-nitrogen in the river according to US
Environmental Protection Agency is 10 mg/L, but according to State of the
Minnesota River the limit is 6.5 mg/L.


Arguing formally about the correctness of on-chip communication protocols is an acknowledged verification challenge. We present a generic framework that tackles this problem using an incremental approach that interleaves model construction and verification. Our protocol models are based on abstract state machines formalized in Isabelle/HOL. We provide abstract building blocks and generic composition rules to support incremental addition of protocol features to a parameterized endpoint model. This structured approach controls model complexity. We can refine data structures and develop control independently, to create a concrete instantiation. To make the verification effort feasible, we combine interactive theorem proving with symbolic model checking using NuSMV. The theorem prover is used to reason about generic correctness properties of the abstract models given some local assumptions. We can use model checking to discharge these assumptions for a specific instantiation. We show the utility and breadth of the framework by sketching two case studies: modelling a bus protocol, and modelling the PCI Express point-to-point protocol.


Through the field survey of construction of garden landscape in residential areas, combined with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), this paper established a reasonable and feasible suitability evaluation system for garden landscape in residential areas. Researches indicated that the environment of garden landscape in residential areas of Chizhou City in Anhui province remains at the level of intermediate and lower level, and there are great differences between different areas. In the later period of the construction, it is recommended to strengthen the construction of soft physical environment for new residential areas, and speed up the improvement of the physical environment of the residential areas already built and under construction, so as to create a livable space with beautiful environment, excellent ecology, deep community culture, and outstanding regional characteristics.


Background: The present study focuses on the nature of the population's financial decisions carried out under the personal financial planning process by people. Method: The methodological basis of the study is constituted by such methods of scientific research as statistical monitoring and comparative analysis, synthesis and forecasting. The authors have presented a model of consumer choice. Findings: The authors have analyzed the financial public decisions made in the context of economic instability; personal finance structure and consumer sentiment level dynamics have been covered; Russian citizens' income differentiation trends have been shown. The main results of the study provide insights into the tendencies in the economic behavior of citizens that can be characteristic of the population of any state at times of macroeconomic parameters volatility. In particular, the authors identified comparative structure of the attracted credit resources and the citizens' savings accumulated in commercial banks; it shows the ratio of savings and the amount of mandatory expenditures of the population; the Russians' consumer sentiment index dynamics has been traced; the population has been arranged by quintile groups on the basis of the existent income differentiation trends in the Russian society. Key findings of the study are identification of very weak signs of the population's adaptation to the economic and the geopolitical situation volatility, which is reflected in the discernible consumption bursts. Improvements: The authors have proved that the motivation for the population's financial decisions and the socio-economic stratification in Russia are crucially influenced by such factors as the loss of a source of income (job) and the devaluation shocks.


Evolutionary adaptation and the connected acclimation capacity of species to changing environmental conditions represent key factors in the composition and dynamics of any ecosystem. In marine environments temperature is one of the major driving forces defining the plasticity of the aquatic fauna. Species adapted to stable environmental conditions seem to be especially vulnerable as a trade-off for being specialized to certain conditions. To characterize molecular trends in thermal adaptation, the cold-stenothermal Antarctic eelpout Pachycara brachycephalum was studied by means of sequence analysis of a normalized cDNA library. DNA/RNA sequences and respective translations were compared to orthologs from a eurythermal congener, the Northsea eelpout Zoarces viviparus. Besides a different repertoire of genes in normalized transcriptomes, position-specific interchanges in the amino acid sequence highly conform with the flexibility hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, a protein may be destabilized in its three-dimensional structure by minimal changes within the amino acid sequence. This destabilization sustains reaction kinetics in the cold. In addition, differences were noted in the encoding of amino acids at DNA level. Within homologous proteins of both zoarcid fish, amino acids of P. brachycephalum are encoded with a preference for AT-richer triplets on the third codon position. This trend promotes less stable transitional states at this level, too, as the base pairing of AT is less stable than that of GC. This may facilitate transcription and translation in the cold and thus constituting an adaptation to the cold habitat conditions of the Antarctic eelpout. The observed trends in fish transcriptomes resolve molecular adaptations that differ significantly on the scale of a whole transcriptome even since the mean annual habitat temperature of both fish differ only by 10°K. Such adaptation may also limit cold-stenothermal organisms in their capacity to successfully acclimate to higher temperatures that are nowadays expected also in the Antarctic realm.


We propose a new software-defined security service -- SENSS -- that enables a victim network to request services from remote ISPs for traffic that carries source IPs or destination IPs from this network's address space. These services range from statistics gathering, to filtering or quality of service guarantees, to route reports or modifications. The SENSS service has very simple, yet powerful, interfaces. This enables it to handle a variety of data plane and control plane attacks, while being easily implementable in today's ISP. Through extensive evaluations on realistic traffic traces and Internet topology, we show how SENSS can be used to quickly, safely and effectively mitigate a variety of large-scale attacks that are largely unhandled today.


To investigate the role of integrin signaling and the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced microvessel hyperpermeability in tumor cell adhesion in intact microvessels, we used video microscopy to measure the adhesion rates of normal mouse mammary epithelial cells (Nmumg), mouse wild type (WT) and beta4 integrin signaling defective mammary tumor cells (1355T) in the post-capillary venules of rat mesentery in vivo. Individual post-capillary venule was perfused with cells (2-4 million/ml) at a rate of ~1000 mum/s 1) under conditions of normal and increased vessel permeability by 1 nM VEGF, and 2) after pretreatment of cells with antibody blocking alpha6 integrin. Our results showed that a) 1355T cells adhered 2.2-fold as much as the WT tumor cells under the normal permeability condition in ~60 mins. This indicates that beta4 signaling has differential roles in tumor cell adhesion and in its progression; b) 1 nM VEGF increased WT and 1355T cells adhesion by 1.9 folds and 1.4 folds in ~60 mins, respectively; c) pretreatment with anti-alpha6 antibody decreased the WT cell adhesion by 33%, 1355T cell adhesion by 55% under normal permeability condition, and by 36% and 47% under increased permeability by 1 nM VEGF in -60 mins; d) the increased permeability by VEGF and blocking alpha6 integrin have no visible effects on the normal cell adhesion.


This paper describes the control software together with the operational hardware, which successfully realizes the operation of a new fully programmable imaging system with high spatial and temporal resolutions on the KT5D magnetic torus, for observing the visible light emission from the plasma discharge.


Background. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a therapy-resistant adverse effect of neuroleptics. Although the exact pathophysiology of TD is unknown, oxygen radicals have been speculated to play a role in TD based on several lines of evidence. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a key enzyme which scavenges oxygen radicals. The authors investigated the association between erythrocyte SOD activity and TD. Methods. Erythrocyte SOD activities were measured, blinded as to the presence or absence of TD, in 30 patients with schizophrenia who had been on typical neuroleptics for more than 10 years. TD severity was independently assessed, using the abnormal involuntary movement scale (AIMS), by two raters. Results. There was a significant decrease in erythrocyte SOD activity in the definite TD group (N=10) as compared with the no TD (N=8) and questionable TD (N=12) groups. Erythrocyte Cu,Zn-SOD activities correlated with AIMS scores. Conclusions. Patients with TD had low SOD activities as compared to those without TD. As a causal link between SOD activity and TD was not established in this study, larger prospective studies are warranted to determine whether patients with low SOD activity are susceptible to neuroleptic-induced TD.


Abstract The distinctive tool called 'tula' is an endemic adaptation, which was adopted by Aboriginal people across central and western Australia, encompassing some two-thirds of the continent. The tula is a hafted tool used for working hardwoods as well as other tasks including butchery and plant-processing. The geographic spread of tulas appears to have been rapid and no antecedent form has been identified. The sudden appearance of tulas was coincident with the onset of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions. While we do not yet have the data to establish an unequivocal causal link, in this paper we hypothesise that the appearance of this new and specialised tool at c.3700 BP was very likely a human response to the intensification of ENSO. This intensification resulted in increased aridity and climatic variability lasting almost 2000 years. We posit that this technological adaptation, an element of a risk minimisation toolkit, was part of a wider economic and social strategy adopted by Aboriginal people to cope with increasing climatic uncertainty. This possibility has implications for the diversity of innovation processes operating in Australia during the Holocene, which is further explored in this paper with concluding suggestions for future research. We offer this discussion as a platform for these future, and what we believe, are very necessary critical studies.


This paper explains the design and evaluation of an optimized spatial audio system for a close quarters combat virtual training system. The study explained herein compared performance levels of participants training with the system based on the auditory spatialization fidelity level that sound was presented at. The three levels of fidelity that were evaluated were nonspatialized audio, and the use of a generalized HRTF model, or best-fit HRTF models to present audio. This study focused on the capability of spatialized audio to direct a search and detection task in an applied training environment. The results demonstrate that the use of spatialized audio systems lead to better performance on applied search and detection tasks over nonspatialized audio or systems lacking sound altogether. On the other hand, the results do not show performance differences between participants using generalized HRTF's when compared to best-fit HRTF's. The results help to extend studies evaluating the use of 3D audio systems [1,2,3,4,5] to a more applied setting and may be of interest to those designing virtual training systems with an integrated audio component.


Conventional microelectrodes were used to measure the basolateral membrane potential (VBL) in isolated perfused superficial proximal convoluted (sPCT) and superficial proximal straight (sPST) tubules of the rabbit kidney. Stable recordings for periods up to 2 h can be obtained. The mean +/- SE (n = number of cells) values of VBL were sPCT = -51.0 +/- 1.63 (24) and sPST = -47.0 +/- 0.97 (94) mV. Inhibitors of active transport, ouabain (10(-5) M) and low bath potassium (0.1 mM), caused a significant depolarization of VBL in sPST. In contrast, short-duration bath cooling (10 degrees C) had no significant effect. Removal of luminal glucose caused a larger hyperpolarization in sPCT (-13.9 +/- 1.77 (9) mV) than in sPST (-3.8 +/- 1.02 (5) mV). Removal of luminal glucose and alanine resulted in an even larger hyperpolarization of VBL in sPCT (-19.0 +/- 0.44 (6) mV). Perfusion of the lumen with a solution resembling late proximal tubular fluid in sPST resulted in hyperpolarization of VBL (-4.3 +/- 0.85 (4) mV). Reducing bath pH to 6.7 depolarized VBL (39.9 +/- 1.77 (13) mV). This effect can be associated with a decrease in the relative potassium permeability of the basolateral membrane. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using intracellular electrical measurements to determine both luminal and basolateral membrane characteristics in isolated proximal tubular segments.


ABSTRACT Influenza A virus (IAV) has caused epidemic infections worldwide, with many strains resistant to inhibitors of a surface protein, neuraminidase (NA), due to point mutations on its structure. A novel NA inhibitor named peramivir was recently approved, but no exhaustive computational research regarding its binding affinity with wild-type and mutant NA has been conducted. In this study, a thorough investigation of IAV-NA PDB entries of 9 subtypes is described, providing a list of residues constituting the protein-ligand binding sites. The results of induced-fit docking approach point out key residues of wild-type NA participating in hydrogen bonds and/or ionic interactions with peramivir, among which Arg 368 is responsible for a peramivir-NA ionic interaction. Mutations on this residue greatly reduced the binding affinity of peramivir with NA, with 3 mutations R378Q, R378K and R378L (NA6) capable of deteriorating the docking performance of peramivir by over 50%. 200 compounds from 6-scaffolds were docked into these 3 mutant versions, revealing 18 compounds giving the most promising results. Among them, CMC-2012-7-1527-56 (benzoic acid scaffold, IC50 = 32 nM in inhibitory assays with IAV) is deemed the most potential inhibitor of mutant NA resisting both peramivir and zanamivir, and should be further investigated.


Microleakage continues to be a topic of great interest, despite of advances and various modifications in terms of technique and placement of material in both restorative and endodontics clinical failures still exist. Most of the failure are probably attributed to poor marginal adaptability, proliferation of microorganisms that remain viable after chemical and mechanical preparation and cause periapical tissue irritation. There are various methods used for assessment of microleakage, some of them lack clinical relevance, while others are technique sensitive however all the methods are two dimensional and hence they definitely cannot correlate to the exact clinical leakage occurring in at the tooth restoration interface or apical leakage. Recently a three dimensional microleakage assessment method has be introduced known as the micro computed tomography which enables a three dimensional evaluation of microleakage both coronal and apically. This review describes three dimensional methods for leakage assessment and its advantages over other methods used for microleakage testing along with the predictability of the most popularly used microleakage testing methods.


Custom tooling is an effective method to improve surface roughness, geometrical accuracy, machining efficiency, and consequently the core competitiveness of the final products in very complicated freeform creation and micro/nano machining, such as the propeller, blisk and ductile-mode machining of hard and brittle materials. However, commercially available CAM systems have limitations in generating CNC programs for these customized tools due to considerations for special custom tool fabrication processes. Therefore unique CAM system is needed and consequently dedicated CAD sub-system is the prerequisite for such CAM system. In this paper, the dedicated CAD sub-system design is studied to extend the authors' previous study. The characteristics of customized tools are summarized and analyzed. Then, the functions for the dedicated CAD sub-system are analyzed and defined. Finally, the system is designed and developed by using VC++, Open CASCADE, and ActiveX Data Object techniques.


Abstract This paper reports a cross-case analysis of three summer writing programs for youth in the northeast United States, each a longitudinal study in the tradition of design research. Initially, all three programs were most concerned with leveraging cultural and linguistic diversity as a resource for multilingual participants. As the three principal investigators played the role of critical friend informally for one another, they identified a common commitment to inclusive writing pedagogy—instruction designed to promote writing proficiency and engagement for all students, including but not limited to students with disabilities. Employing lenses from disability studies applied to literacy, they undertook joint analysis with this focus. Common data sources across the sites included documents describing the programs to varied audiences, instructional artifacts, communication among team members in each site, students' print-based and digital writing, and pre- and post-program surveys. Cross-case analysis with a design research heuristic adapted from Bakker yielded two cross-cutting design principles. To construct inclusive writing pedagogy in the context of summer programming, educators are advised to: (1) Build writing communities deliberately, by promoting a sense of belonging, and (2) Promote a broad vision of who can be a writer, by offering varied writing models and exemplar texts. The study concludes that research-based, cognitively-oriented instructional approaches are a necessary but not sufficient condition for supporting writing competence for youth writers with varied needs, including those with disability labels. Emphases on relational and social aspects of writing are essential as well.


There are many strategies that retailers can implement to better serve women shoppers, particularly in the sanitary protection, skin care, and cosmetics categories. This recommendation comes from the recently released Merchandising for Success study by the General Merchandise Distributors Council (GMDC) Educational Foundation.


Abstract : This research developed and validated a generic simulation for a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), using di erential phase shift keying (DPSK) and phase shift keying (PSK) modulations, providing the exibility for assessing intentional interference e ect using DSSS quadrature phase shift keying receiver (QPSK) with matched ltering as a reference. The evaluation compares a comprehensive pool of jamming waveforms at pass-band that include continuous wave (CW) interference, broad-band jamming, partial-band interference and pulsed interference. The methodology for jamming assessment included comparing the bit error rate (BER) versus required jamming to signal ratio (JSR) for di erent interferers using the Monte Carlo approach. This thesis also analyzes the e ect of varying the jammer bandwidth for broad-band jammers including broad-band noise (BBN), frequency hopping interference (FHI), comb- spectrum interference (CSI), multi-tone jamming (MTJ), random frequency modulated interference (RFMI) and linear frequency modulated interference (LFMI). Also, the e ect of changing the duty cycle for pulsed CW waveforms is compared with the worst case pulsed jamming equation. After the evaluation of di erent interferers, the research concludes that pulsed binary phase shift keying (BPSK) jamming is the most e ective technique, whereas the CW tone jamming and CW BPSK interference result are least e ective. It is also concluded that by nding an optimum bandwidth, FHI and BBN improves the required JSR by approximately 2.1 dB, RFMI and LFMI interference by 0.9 and 1.5 dB respectively. Alternately, MTJ and CSI improves their e ectiveness in 4.1 dB and 3.6 dB respectively, matching the performance of the pulsed BPSK jammer.


Stereotyped views of a woman's role lead to inequalities in health for women. Women may be particularly vulnerable to mental health problems at certain ages and in certain social circumstances. Nurses can work with women to combat health inequalities.


The basic form of Duffing equation is firstly analyzed in this paper; and then, it describes the principle of weak signal detection based on the change of phase trace. In view of some key questions existing in weak signal detection based on chaos, a new system is put forward, which detects weak signal utilizing chaotic synchronization characteristics. Utilizing the system, the critical problems of existing in weak signal detection based on chaos can be solved, and that, a imitation experiment validates the project, as a result, the research in the paper provides the foundation of putting chaotic synchronization into practice application to weak signal detection.


Purpose: Delay in identification and treatment of hemorrhagic stroke can result in severe disability and death. Differentiation of acute stroke is essential to successful emergency treatment and patient outcome. A head CT scan is the gold standard for identifying hemorrhagic stroke. This pilot study evaluates utilization of a handheld infra-red screening device for possible detection of hemorrhagic stroke in the pre-hospital setting. Methods: The study involved collaboration with regional emergency medical services. Device education and competencies were completed by all paramedics. A stroke assessment form was utilized in conjunction with the device on all patients experiencing signs and symptoms of acute stroke. Data obtained by the device was compared to the initial head CT scan obtained in the hospital Emergency Trauma Center. Results: A total of 46 patients were enrolled in this pilot study. The device and head CT data were evaluated on ability to detect the presence of hemorrhagic stroke. Of the 46 patients, 7 patients were admitted with hemorrhagic stroke after positive head CT results. Out of these 7 patients, 5 had positive device results. There were 14 patients admitted with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke, 8 of these patients had false positive device results. Stroke mimic enrollment included 25 patients, 15 with false positive device results. Conclusion: The handheld infra-red screening device detected all hemorrhagic stroke cases that were within the detection abilities of the system. Large vessel ischemic strokes scanned by EMS demonstrated increased blood flow and on the opposite side of the ischemic lesion. Stroke mimics included cardiac abnormality, seizure and dehydration. Several challenges in the use of the device are noted. The 2-3 minutes it took EMS to scan correctly, was too long for scanning stroke patients, decreasing this measurement time appeared to contribute to false positive results. Measurements performed during fast ambulance transport appeared to also cause false positive readings. Difficulty to achieve reliable measurement was also noted with combative and epileptic patients. EMS feedback was provided to the device manufacturer. The researchers recommend continued research to support this effort.


Abstract. Quantitative analysis of protein complex stoichiometries and mobilities are critical for elucidating the mechanisms that regulate cellular pathways. Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy (FFS) techniques can measure protein dynamics, such as diffusion coefficients and formation of complexes, with extraordinary precision and sensitivity. Complete calibration and characterization of the microscope instrument is necessary in order to avoid artifacts during data acquisition and to capitalize on the full capabilities of FFS techniques. We provide an overview of the theory behind FFS techniques, discuss calibration procedures, provide protocols, and give practical considerations for performing FFS experiments. One important parameter recovered from FFS measurements is the relative molecular brightness that can correlate with oligomerization. Three methods for measuring molecular brightness (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, photon-counting histogram, and number and brightness analysis) recover similar values when measuring samples under ideal conditions in vitro. However, examples are given illustrating that these different methods used for calculating molecular brightness of fluorescent molecules in cells are not always equivalent. Methods relying on spot measurements are more prone to bleaching and movement artifacts that can lead to underestimation of brightness values. We advocate for the use of multiple FFS techniques to study molecular brightnesses to overcome and compliment limitations of individual techniques.


In this paper we explore EU data protection authorities' (DPAs) role as leaders and educators, particularly in relation to awareness-raising efforts with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The GDPR made awareness raising duties of DPAs explicit whilst SMEs face challenges complying with data protection law. We posit that DPAS should make better strategic use of collaboration with SME Associations as intermediaries to better access and understand the needs of SMEs. This collaboration could facilitate dissemination of guidance and information addressed to SMEs. It could also help to overcome concerns expressed by SME representatives about the existing guidance provided by DPAs as being overly generic, focused on legal theory, and in some states arriving too late for implementation. We suggest that by working together SME Associations and DPAs could increase their own working efficiency as well as the one of SMEs. We build our arguments on the findings of an online survey of 52-60 SMEs representatives and semi-structured qualitative interviews with 18 DPAs, 22 SME Association representatives and 11 SME representatives.


Data comics for data-driven storytelling are inspired by the visual language of comics and aim to communicate insights in data through visualizations. While comics are widely known, few examples of data comics exist and there has not been any structured analysis nor guidance for their creation. We introduce data-comic design-patterns, each describing a set of panels with a specific narrative purpose, that allow for rapid storyboarding of data comics while showcasing their expressive potential. Our patterns are derived from i) analyzing common patterns in infographics, datavideos, and existing data comics, ii) our experiences creating data comics for different scenarios. Our patterns demonstrate how data comics allow an author to combine the best of both worlds: spatial layout and overview from infographics as well as linearity and narration from videos and presentations.


Cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CLC) is an extremely rare malignant liver tumor which was first defined by Steiner, et al. in 1957 (1). CLC is thought to be derived from Hering's canal because tumor glands of CLC are morphologically similar to cholangioles. Recently, Theise, et al. reported that Hering's canal might be composed of hepatic stem cells (3). In addition, CLC sometimes contains a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) component within the tumor. Those findings suggest that CLC might originate from hepatic stem cells. On the other hand, because of its low frequency, clinicopatholigical features of CLC have not been fully clarified yet. We herein report a case of a 71-year old man with CLC. Based on preoperative imagings, the hepatic tumor was diagnosed as HCC, and he underwent a partial hepatectomy. The tumor contained both a HCC and CCC-like area. In immunohistochemistry, cytokeratin (CK) 7, CK20, CAM5.2 was positive, and CK19 was negative, therefore the tumor was diagnosed as CLC. The diagnostic criteria have not been described clearly, so CLC is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Further studies are needed to clarify the clinical and clinicopatholigical features of CLC.


Over much of the past 25 years, the cycles of house price and consumption growth have been closely synchronised. Three main hypotheses for this co-movement have been proposed in the literature. First, that an increase in house prices raises households' wealth, particularly for those in a position to trade down the housing ladder, which increases their desired level of expenditure. Second, that house price growth increases the collateral available to homeowners, reducing credit constraints and thereby facilitating higher consumption. And third, that house prices and consumption have tended to be influenced by common factors. This paper finds that the relationship between house prices and consumption is stronger for younger than older households, and that the consumption of homeowners and renters are equally aligned with the house price cycle. This suggests that neither the wealth nor the collateral channels have been the principal cause of the relationship between house prices and consumption - instead, the most important factor is likely to have been common causality.


Call for submission. This editorial introduces the first issue of 2023 for Embedded Selforganising Systems (ESS) journal. The focus of this issue is the deployment of AI solutions in robotics and embedded systems.
Our journal uses electronic publication, which provides a flexible way to submit and review contributions of authors from all countries. The advantages of such an e-journal are multifarious. In comparison to traditional paper journals, we replace the classic review and creation process with a new sliding issue model. Each issue starts with an initial editorial and an official call for papers. The submitted articles will be reviewed and, if accepted, published as soon as the final version is received by the committee. Based on this process, each sliding issue can be filled successively until the maximum number of articles is reached. During this period, all accepted papers can, already be read by other researchers while other papers are still in the reviewing process. Accordingly, the time to publish shrinks to a minimum. In addition, multiple issues with different focus can co-exist at the same time, which provides completely new possibilities to react on latest research topics. The journal also allows the integration of discussions and other reactions on published articles in the same journal issue.
We are welcoming fresh ideas, on-going research technical reports and novel scientific works. We also intend to create a promising platform for creative and constructive discussions.


Abstract Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the most endangered of the sea turtles. Its female population in the Gulf of Mexico suffered a major setback sometime between the ends of nesting seasons in 2009 and 2010. Prior to that, annual nests (i.e., clutches laid by multiple year-classes of nesters) at the female population's index beach in Tamaulipas, Mexico were increasing exponentially, the result of more than 4 decades of cumulative conservation efforts on land and at sea. Annual nests dropped 35.4% in 2010 and remained well below predicted levels through 2014, and annual hatchlings released (both sexes combined) also were lower in 2010–2014 compared with those in 2009. We conducted novel analyses of an available 1966–2014 time series of annual nests and annual hatchlings released on the index beach. We examined 1) the relationship between time-lagged annual nests during years 1986–2014 and cumulative hatchlings released by years 1976–2004, respectively, assuming female minimum age at maturity of 10 yrs, and 2) the time-series of time-lagged annual nests during 1986–2014 divided by cumulative hatchlings released by 1976–2004, respectively, under the same assumption. Both metrics showed extraordinary downward departures in 2010–2014, instead of expected increases. Although causes of the population's setback have not been determined with certainty, we suggest that the most expedient way to restore this population's growth would be to translocate more clutches to protective corrals, leaving fewer in situ where their survival is reduced. It could take at least 10 yrs before results of such a change in conservation practice become evident.


Exosomes have been suggested as promising targets for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases, including schizophrenia (SCZ), but the potential role of exosome-derived metabolites in these diseases was rarely studied. Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we performed the first metabolomic study of serum-derived exosomes from patients with SCZ. Our sample comprised 385 patients and 332 healthy controls recruited from 3 clinical centers and 4 independent cohorts. We identified 25 perturbed metabolites in patients that can be used to classify samples from patients and control participants with 95.7% accuracy (95% CI: 92.6%-98.9%) in the training samples (78 patients and 66 controls). These metabolites also showed good to excellent performance in differentiating between patients and controls in the 3 test sets of participants, with accuracies 91.0% (95% CI: 85.7%-96.3%; 107 patients and 62 controls), 82.7% (95% CI: 77.6%-87.9%; 104 patients and 142 controls), and 99.0% (95% CI: 97.7%-100%; 96 patients and 62 controls), respectively. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that these metabolites were enriched in pathways implicated in SCZ, such as glycerophospholipid metabolism. Taken together, our findings support a role for exosomal metabolite dysregulation in the pathophysiology of SCZ and indicate a strong potential for exosome-derived metabolites to inform the diagnosis of SCZ.


Effect-directed analysis (EDA) is a commonly used approach for effect-based identification of endocrine disruptive chemicals in complex (environmental) mixtures. However, for routine toxicity assessment of, for example, water samples, current EDA approaches are considered time-consuming and laborious. We achieved faster EDA and identification by downscaling of sensitive cell-based hormone reporter gene assays and increasing fractionation resolution to allow testing of smaller fractions with reduced complexity. The high-resolution EDA approach is demonstrated by analysis of four environmental passive sampler extracts. Downscaling of the assays to a 384-well format allowed analysis of 64 fractions in triplicate (or 192 fractions without technical replicates) without affecting sensitivity compared to the standard 96-well format. Through a parallel exposure method, agonistic and antagonistic androgen and estrogen receptor activity could be measured in a single experiment following a single fractionation. From 16 selected candidate compounds, identified through nontargeted analysis, 13 could be confirmed chemically and 10 were found to be biologically active, of which the most potent nonsteroidal estrogens were identified as oxybenzone and piperine. The increased fractionation resolution and the higher throughput that downscaling provides allow for future application in routine high-resolution screening of large numbers of samples in order to accelerate identification of (emerging) endocrine disruptors.


Abstract In the first application of the developing plate tectonic theory to the pre-Pangaea world 50 years ago, attempting to explain the origin of the Paleozoic Appalachian–Caledonian orogen, J. Tuzo Wilson asked the question: 'Did the Atlantic close and then reopen?'. This question formed the basis of the concept of the Wilson cycle: ocean basins opening and closing to form a collisional mountain chain. The accordion-like motion of the continents bordering the Atlantic envisioned by Wilson in the 1960s, with proto-Appalachian Laurentia separating from Europe and Africa during the early Paleozoic in almost exactly the same position that it subsequently returned during the late Paleozoic amalgamation of Pangaea, now seems an unlikely scenario. We integrate the Paleozoic history of the continents bordering the present day basin of the North Atlantic Ocean with that of the southern continents to develop a radically revised picture of the classic Wilson cycle The concept of ocean basins opening and closing is retained, but the process we envisage also involves thousands of kilometres of mainly dextral motion parallel with the margins of the opposing Laurentia and Gondwanaland continents, as well as complex and prolonged tectonic interaction across an often narrow ocean basin, rather than the single collision suggested by Wilson.


Monoclinic crystal bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) was synthesized by the high temperature solid state reaction after ball milling the materials of Bi2O3 and V2O5. The influences of sintering times on the crystal phases and structures of BiVO4 powders were studied through the XRD、FTIR characterization. Fe-doped BiVO4 was prepared by doping ferric chloride to pure monoclinic crystal BiVO4 to improve the photo absorbance performance of BiVO4 and to promote the isolation of photo-induced carriers. Visible light activity of BiVO4 and Fe-doping BiVO4 were characterized using the UV-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviors of BiVO4 and Fe-doping BiVO4 were investigated under the condition of avoiding light or under light.