According to recent studies, antioxidant supplementation on gamete processing and/or storage solutions improvesgamete quality parameters, after cooling or storage at sub zero temperature. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of antioxidant supplementation on pig and horse gamete storage.
The first study aimed to determine the effects of resveratrol (RESV) on the apoptotic status of porcine oocytes vitrified by Cryotop method, evaluating phosphatidylserine (PS) exteriorization and caspases activation. RESV(2µM) was added during: IVM (A); 2 h post-warming incubation (B); vitrification/warming and 2 h post-warming incubation (C); all previous phases (D). The obtained data demonstrate that RESV supplementation in the various steps of IVM and vitrification/warming procedure can modulate the apoptotic process, improving the resistance of porcine oocytes to cryopreservation-induced damage.
In the second work different concentrations of RESV (10, 20, 40, and 80µM) were added during liquid storage of stallion sperm for 24 hours at either 10°C or 4°C, under anaerobic conditions. Our findings demonstrate that RESV supplementation does not enhance sperm quality of stallion semen after 24 hours of storage. Moreover, the highest RESV concentrations tested (40 and 80µM) could damage sperm functional status, probably acting as pro-oxidant.
Finally, in the third work other two antioxidants, ascorbic acid (AA) (100 µM) and glutathione (GSH) (5mM) were added on boar freezing and/or thawing solutions. In our study different sperm parameters were evaluated before freezing and at 30 and 240 minutes after thawing. Our results showed that GSH and AA significantly improved boar sperm cryotolerance, especially when supplemented together to both freezing and thawing media. This improvement was observed in sperm viability and acrosome integrity, sperm motility, and nucleoprotein structure. Although ROS levels were not much increased by freeze-thawing procedures, the addition of GSH and AA to both freezing and thawing extenders significantly decreased intracellular peroxide levels.


The artificial membranes used in haemodialysis and haemofiltration are either cellulosic or made of synthetic polymers, such as polyacrylonitrile, polysulfone, polycarbonate, polymethylmetacrylate and ethyvinylalcohol. During dialysis the water and solute transfer primarily depends on hydraulic permeability and sieving coefficients. At present, high-flux membranes have sieving coefficients for urea (Mol. wt 60) to inulin (Mol. wt 5,200) that are similar to those of the glomerular basal lamina, whereas their hydraulic permeability remains well below that of the renal filter. Bioincompatibility factors responsible for acute, anaphylactoid-like reactions and chronic inflammatory complications have been identified. The choice of the correct dialysis membrane must rest not only on performance criteria but also on biocompatibility and economic criteria.


This paper deals with several combinatorial optimization problems. The most challenging such problem is the quadratic assignment problem. It is considered in both two dimensions (QAP) and in three dimensions (Q3AP) and in the context of communication engineering. Semidefinite relaxations are used to derive lower bounds for the optimum while heuristics are applied to either find upper bounds or good feasible solutions. Semidefinite relaxations also yield bounds for questions related to binary and spherical codes including for the kissing number problem. Finally, two combinatorial problems are solved exactly, a Q3AP from communications and a directional sensor location problem.


This paper explores the use of a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) to model ecosystem services valuation. It links the stages of the process from the functioning of the natural ecosystems through the delivery of service to the human stakeholders to the valuation stakeholders put on the service delivery. The BBN is a graphical decision tool with nodes representing the states of the system and links encapsulating the evidence for dependence between parent and child nodes. A BBN differs from other decision tools because it uses probabilistic reasoning throughout, and so these networks can propagate uncertainty and can adjust for differing spatial and temporal scale dependences. The framework has been developed through application to case studies and through consideration of the requirements of one of Scotland's National Parks. Further developments to improve the use of the tool for ecosystem services and environmental impact assessment are discussed.


In this report a design method for a servo controller with a disturbance feedforward is presented. A conventional controller with feedforward often generates an excess output as a result of the addition of the integrator signal and the feedforward signal. The additional feedback can be inserted to canncel the integrator signal. The controller can be implemented by the same configuration as a two degrees-of-freedom LQI servo system. Experimental results show availability and practicablity to a real plant.


In this paper, we propose a new scheme to provide multiservice transmission on generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) networks using optical code-division multiplexing (OCDM) in each wavelength of a wavelength-division multiplexing system. To provide multiservice transmission in a typical GMPLS network, we propose to classify the fiber bandwidth into a number of waveband and consider the wavelengths of each waveband for a specific class-of-service such that the corresponding codes to be used are designed based on the characteristics of the class-of-service. The traffic behavior of the network is examined using Erlang's model, and the probability density functions (PDF) of the number of occupied labels in a link are obtained. To evaluate the PDF of the number of occupied labels in each wavelength, two scenarios are considered: path establishment without traffic management and path establishment with traffic management. In the first scenario, connected paths are divided among wavelengths randomly; while in the second scenario, a controlling mechanism manages distribution of the connected paths so that all wavelengths have the same number of connected paths. To analyze the performance of the system, end-to-end bit error rate, probability of outage, and blocking probability are investigated. The obtained results reveal that path establishment with traffic management results in better performance. Furthermore, to guarantee the desired quality of service (QoS), a controlling mechanism is proposed to limit the number of connected paths based on the activity coefficient of the connections. We show that using such controlling mechanism the desired QoS is guaranteed.


This research examines the experiences and perceptions of some emergency service volunteers of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and the New South Wales State Emergency Service. In particular in investigates their motivation for joining their organisation of choice, their affiliation, commitment and identity formation. There is very little research regarding the NSW State Emergency Service volunteers but there is a growing body of knowledge regarding Rural Fire Service volunteers inAustralia. Significant research has been undertaken by McLennan and colleagues at La Trobe University and the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.
The substantive findings of the research presented in this thesis about emergency service volunteers' affiliation, commitment and identity reveal many complex issues that require careful consideration. This research found that emergency service volunteers are very strongly affiliated with their fellow unit or brigade members and with their local community. This affiliation is strengthened through the belief that the members of a brigade or unit constitute a 'family unit'. Feelings of family, a sense of belonging to a team, camaraderie, friendships, being part of a group, trust and being one of the 'locals' are the emotive responses to the question about their affiliation with one another at the unit and brigade level. Close ties are also formed between the volunteers and their local community and this has a profound influence on the commitment of emergency service volunteers. An emergency service volunteer's commitment is largely parochial. It is influenced to a high degree by their identification to their primary group, their local community, the parent organisation and positive media reports. The sense of identity of individual emergency service volunteers and of the collective primary group is formed and strengthened by the tendency to recruit like-minded people, by positive social opinion and by meaningful symbolism.
A number of theoretical perspectives from the disciplines of sociology and psychology have been used to inform this research. The methods adopted included participant observation, document analysis including media reports, and semi-structured interviews.
This research investigates a wide range of responses from emergency service volunteers about their subjective world and the issues they feel strongly about. A thematic analysis is made from the responses to the questions posed. The importance of this research can be attributed to its contributions to several bodies of knowledge. In the broad sense it adds to the knowledge bases regarding the 'work' of the NSW SES and the NSW RFS emergency service volunteers. More specifically, it adds to an understanding of the issues of emergency service volunteers' subjectivity and the fields of recruitment, motivation, commitment, affiliation and identity formation.
A major contribution of this research is the detailed analysis of the complexities and subjective nature of emergency service volunteering. From a theoretical perspective,…


Engine knock has long been a well recognized phenomenon in the automotive industry. Detecting engine knock opens up the possibility for an indirect feedback of the engine's internal combustion without installing a pressure transducer inside the cylinder. Knock detection has mainly been used for spark advance control, making it possible to control the engine close to its knock limit in search for the optimal ignition timing. This application has to a lesser extent been applied to lightweight two-stroke engines, which is the focus of this study. The investigation features a modern chainsaw engine whose knock characteristics were first determined with a pressure transducer. The structural vibrations originating from the engine knock are filtered out of the signal from a remote located accelerometer. The knock intensity is compared with the signal from the pressure transducer which shows a correlation with an accepted extent between the two sensors. Parameters that affect the knock intensity have also been investigated. These include engine temperature, different types of fuel and ignition timings.


Abstract The article deals with the problem of fighting the drug trafficking and drug abuse within the European Union. It describe the background of the issue and deals with the impact of the abolition of border controls within the Union on the increase and character of the drug turnover. She moreover points on the other negative side-effect, i.e. the increase of criminality caused by the abuse of drugs. Th en she analysis the contemporary legal regulation of the drug trafficking and drug abuse in Poland and within the European Union and compare both regulations. She critically calls for the establishment of the comprehensive common strategy to avoid the negative outcomes of the "free drugs turnover" within the territory of the Union.


Modern field-effect transistors or laser diodes take advantages of band-edge structures engineered by large uniaxial strain εzz, available up to an elasticity limit at a rate of band-gap deformation potential azz (= dEg/dεzz). However, contrary to aP values under hydrostatic pressure, there is no quantitative consensus on azz values under uniaxial tensile, compressive, and bending stress. This makes band-edge engineering inefficient. Here we propose SEM-cathodoluminescence nanospectroscopy under in situ nanomanipulation (Nanoprobe-CL). An apex of a c-axis-oriented free-standing ZnO nanorod (NR) is deflected by point-loading of bending stress, where local uniaxial strain (εcc = r/R) and its gradient across a NR (dεcc/dr = R(-1)) are controlled by a NR local curvature (R(-1)). The NR elasticity limit is evaluated sequentially (εcc = 0.04) from SEM observation of a NR bending deformation cycle. An electron beam is focused on several spots crossing a bent NR, and at each spot the local Eg is evaluated from near-band-edge CL emission energy. Uniaxial acc (= dEg/dεcc) is evaluated at regulated surface depth, and the impact of R(-1) on observed acc is investigated. The acc converges with -1.7 eV to the R(-1) = 0 limit, whereas it quenches with increasing R(-1), which is attributed to free-exciton drift under transversal band-gap gradient. Surface-sensitive CL measurements suggest that a discrepancy from bulk acc = -4 eV may originate from strain relaxation at the side surface under uniaxial stress. The nanoprobe-CL technique reveals an Eg(εij) response to specific strain tensor εij (i, j = x, y, z) and strain-gradient effects on a minority carrier population, enabling simulations and strain-dependent measurements of nanodevices with various structures.


According to rule-consequentialism, we ought to follow the principles that would result in the best consequences if they were generally accepted. These principles constitute the ideal code. My aim is to make clear what the ideal code says about what we owe to animals. I argue that it accords moral status to them: the rule-consequentialist should acknowledge both general duties and special obligations to animals. However, in the ideal code there is no place for animal rights, conceived as deontological constraints. Within the animal rights debate, I conclude, rule-consequentialism is superior to some of the most prominent ethical theories in its agreement with widely shared moral intuitions. But some of its practical implications regarding the proper treatment of animals remain unclear. This point is illustrated by a discussion of what Jeff McMahan called 'benign carnivorism'.


The southwest Florida continental slope, bordering the northern Straits of Florida, consists of a thick accumulation of carbonate sediments. High-resolution seismic data show oblique prograding clinoforms oriented offbank indicating large amounts of shelf-derived material are being transported off the shelf and deposited on the slope. No evidence of mass wasting was found, suggesting deposition occurred by a continuous influx from the adjacent shelf. Sediment cores show an upward gradation from medium to coarse carbonate sands and granules to fine muds. The sand and granule fraction, dominated by coralline algae, mollusks, and benthic foraminifera, is typical of sediments found on the adjacent shelf. The fine fraction, however, is a foram or pteropod ooze containing only minor amounts of shelf-derived material. The fining-upward sequence indicated the greatest input of shelf material occurred during lowered sea level. During these periods, large quantities of shelf sediments were funneled through breaks in the shallow banks to the north and deposited on the slope. As sea level continued to rise, less shelf sediment was transported offbank. Under current conditions of high sea level, very little shelf material is being contributed to the slope. The slope therefore acts as a sink during sea level lowstands, for shelf-derived carbonate material produced during sea level highstands. The existence of at least 5 such sequences implies a cyclicity of similar depositional episodes that may be correlated with sea level fluctuations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 240------------


This paper characterizes a contract signing protocol with high efficiency in Internet of Things. Recent studies show that existing contract-signing protocols can achieve abuse-freeness and resist inference attack, but cannot meet the high-efficiency and convenience requirement of the future Internet of things applications. To solve this problem, we propose a novel contract-signing protocol. Our proposed protocol includes two main parts: 1) we use the partial public key of the sender, instead of the zero-knowledge protocol, to verify the intermediate result; 2) we employ two independent Trusted Third Parties (TTPs) to prevent the honest-but-curious TTP. Our analysis shows that our double TTP protocol can not only result in lower computational cost, but also can achieve abuse-freeness with trapdoor commitment scheme. In a word, our proposed scheme performs better than the state of the art in terms of four metrics: encryption time, number of exponentiations, data to be exchanged and exchange steps in one round contract-signing.


Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (Mendelian inheritance in man Catalog No *225750) is an autosomal recessive encephalopathy which causes developmental arrest, intracerebral calcification, and white matter disease in the presence of chronic cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis, and a raised level of cerebrospinal fluid interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). Diagnosis requires the presence of progressive encephalopathy with onset shortly after birth, and characteristic clinical neurological and neuroimaging signs together with chronic CSF lymphocytosis. The syndrome has superficial resemblance to the neurological sequelae of congenital infection, thus a rigorous search for microbiological and serological evidence of embryopathic infections should be carried out in each case.


The Second High-Level United Nations (UN) Conference on South-South Cooperation (also known as BAPA+40), held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 20 to 22 March 2019, promised to reinvigorate efforts to further achieve and implement South-South cooperation (SSC). Forty years on, the Global South is shaping its image as a solutions provider. Immense strides have been made in improving access to allow a multitude of state and non-state actors to cooperate, while broadening and deepening modes of cooperation and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and transfer of technology, thus moving beyond the simplistic view that developing countries require aid to function and move forward. However, noting these symbolic strides, the Global South should move forward by building understanding of monitoring and evaluation (ME integrating multi-stakeholder models; improving the visibility of peace and security in South-South programming; and building effective communications systems.


A new (electronic) health insurance card for Germans could eliminate errors in documenting exemption from charges. Electronic prescribing, if introduced nationally, would lead to improved medication-related information and the availability of structural and control data. An analytical model for Germany has shown that DM1 billion would be saved from improved prescription information simply in terms of the number of avoided hospital stays now paid for by the health-care system. However, the distribution of costs and benefits among the participants in health-care would be very uneven. For example, doctors would have the largest investment and operating costs, but would enjoy only marginal savings (less than 2% of investment).


With the development of Internet marketing, virtual CSR co-creation has attracted the attention of enterprises. This paper explores the influence mechanism of different routes of interactivity of virtual CSR co-creation on consumer identity by introducing interaction theory and self-construal theory. The experimental results show that routes of interactivity have a positive impact on consumer identity, and experiential route has a stronger impact on consumer identity. Routes of interactivity and self-construal have an interactive effect on consumer identity: When virtual CSR co-creation is structural route, the interdependent self show a higher consumer identity; On the contrary, when virtual CSR co-creation is experiential route, the independent self show a higher consumer identity. The results also indicate that CSR perception plays a mediating role in the interaction effect between routes of interactivity and self-construal on consumer identity.


Objective The purpose of this study was to develop geometric indices, based on morphologic measurements, of contrast-enhanced breast lesions using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that can statistically differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. Methods Thirty-three patients with abnormal mammograms were scanned using three-dimensional MRI. The lesion was then extracted from the volume data set using interactive volume-rendering software. From the extracted region of interest, the surface boundary corresponding to the lesion was extracted using an isosurface method. The boundary was represented as a triangular mesh, from which the surface area and volume enclosed by the surface were computed. The following variables were tested for discrimination ability between benign and malignant lesions: 1) the volume-to–surface area (V/S) ratio, 2) spherical shape index (SSI), and 3) resolution reduction for V/S and SSI values (100%, 16%, 8%, 4%, 2%, and 1% resolution). In addition, comparisons were made between the V/S and SSI values at 100% versus their reduced resolutions. Results Thirty-three subjects (15 malignant tumors and 18 benign tumors) were studied. The SSI index (P = 0.0063) was a significant discriminator for malignancy. The V/S ratio (P = 0.9280) did not seem to be a useful variable in distinguishing benign and malignant masses. The V/S resolution comparisons (P > 0.5897) and the SSI resolution comparisons (P > 0.05) were also not useful discriminating variables. Conclusion The SSI seems to be a useful factor in differentiating between benign and malignant lesions. Current clinical interpretation of breast lesions using MRI may be enhanced by the adjunctive use of this objective postanalysis method.


This document is part III of a series of documents providing a lowdown on image processing in the context of understanding satellite images of earthquakes.


Biological effects from electromagnetics are discussed. The leading interactions are summarized, and an electrical model is presented. The model explains the biological interactions in electrical terms. Methods of mitigating the effect of power systems on biological systems are noted. An appendix provides an comprehensive mathematical development of a universal systems model. >


Background & Aim: Moral distress could lead to psychological problems. The aim of this study was to determining the relationship between moral distress and mental health in female nurses. Material & Methods: It was a descriptive cross- sectional study. The study population consisted of all female nurses working in hospitals of Tabriz city in 2014. A total of 180 nurses were recruited by stratified random sampling using Cochran formula. Data was collected by Moral distress Corley and the (GHQ) General Health Questionnaire and analyzed by Pearson correlation and regression analysis using SPSS-PC (v.20). Results: There was significant direct relationships between moral distress and GHQ subscales of, somatic symptoms, anxiety and sleep disorders, social dysfunction and depression (P =0.001). The results of Regression analysis showed that moral distress could predict nurses' mental health. Conclusion: Given that female nurses' mental health is predictable by their moral distress, it seems that the results of this study could have important implications regarding the preventive interventions for nurses.


This paper examines the role of the "principles of cooperation†in shaping the methods used by farmer cooperative associations for the provision of equity capital by members. Cooperative principles and financing practices based on them are evaluated in the context of some common issues and conflicts among patrons. The characteristics of a cooperative are compared with those of a patron-owned corporation, and two case studies in which patrons chose to organize businesses as patron-owned corporations are discussed. The paper concludes by making recommendations for patron-owned businesses operating within the cooperative framework.


For the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by PCR, the IS6110 sequence was used. A modified target was constructed by insertion of 56 nucleotides in the IS6110 insertion element of Mycobacterium bovis BCG. This modified insertion sequence was integrated into the genome of Mycobacterium smegmatis, a mycobacterium species which does not contain the IS6110 element. When DNA from the modified M. smegmatis 1008 strain was amplified with IS6110-specific primers INS1 and INS2, a band of 301 bp was seen on agarose gel, whereas the PCR product of M. tuberculosis complex DNA was a 245-bp fragment with these primers. The addition of a small number of M. smegmatis 1008 cells to clinical samples before DNA purification enables the detection of problems which may be due to the loss of DNA in the isolation procedure or to the presence of inhibitors. The presence of inhibitors of the amplification reaction can be confirmed by the addition of M. smegmatis 1008 DNA after the DNA isolation procedure. Furthermore, competition between the different target DNAs of M. smegmatis 1008 DNA and M. tuberculosis complex DNA enables the estimation of the number of IS6110 elements in the clinical sample.


Space flight experiment test results of a prototype space station Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) are presented. The purpose of ARIS is to isolate microgravity sensitive science experiments mounted in the International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) from the structural vibrations present on the large space station orbital structure. Space flight testing was necessary because ARIS cannot be tested in all six degrees-of-freedom simultaneously on the ground. The foremost objectives of the experiment were (1) to determine if the system would be stable when all six axis are controlled, (2) to determine if the systems position response to accelerometer drift would result in excessive motion, (3) to measure isolation performance and determine the impact of attaching umbilicals, and (4) to measure the quiescent background acceleration levels induced by the controller itself. Results related to these objectives are presented along with a description of the control architecture. A brief historical perspective, a description of ARIS, and a flight test summary are also presented.


In order to overcome a large variety of run-time constraints, robots are being designed to be more resourceful by incorporating more sensory and motor options for any given task. The added flexibility provides a basis for dexterous problem solving, but challenges planners by increasing the complexity of search. Moreover, the cost of functionally equivalent options can vary dramatically. In the worst case, naive approaches to planning avoid expensive actions until inexpensive options are explored exhaustively leading to poor overall search performance. We present a dexterous robot that introduces multiple types of locomotor actions with significant differences in cost and situational value and apply standard search techniques to demonstrate the additional challenges that arise in the context of dexterous mobility. Results highlight incentives, opportunities, and impact for overcoming these challenges. Additionally, we present a prototype for a path planner that uses environmental features to define an efficient set of subgoals for dexterous motion planning.


This research examines impoliteness aspects presented in Carrie movie using pragmatic approach. The objectives of this research are to describe the types of impoliteness strategies addressed to the characters, to explain the functions of the impoliteness strategies addressed to the characters, and to describe the characters' responses to the impoliteness strategies addressed to them in Carrie movie.
This research used mixed method, a combination of qualitative and quantitative method. The data were in the form of utterances spoken by the characters in Carrie movie, while the contexts of the data were dialogues. The data sources of this research were the script of the dialogues spoken by the characters in Carrie movie and the video of the movie. The primary instrument of this research was the researcher herself, while the secondary instrument was the data sheet. The researcher used analysis of documents by note-taking to collect the data. Referential analysis was used to analyze the data. Finally, the data were triangulated by experts and those interested in the same field of the study to gain the reliability of the research.
The results of this research are described as follows. First, four types of impoliteness strategies occur in the characters' utterances in Carrie movie. They are bald on record impoliteness, positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, and sarcasm. Positive impoliteness becomes the most dominant type used by the characters. Meanwhile, withhold politeness does not exist in the characters' utterances. Second, affective function becomes the highest function which is used by the characters in Carrie movie. Meanwhile, no response becomes the most dominant response which is chosen by the characters. To sum up, the responses of impolite acts are influenced by the way the face attacks are conveyed and the relationship between the persons doing the face attacks and the addressees.


The concepts of economic development and economic growth differ significantly, but are in some instances used as interchangeable notions. It is important for policy formulators and decision makers to understand the relationship between the two. Development strategies should be formulated to achieve sustainable inclusive economic growth and economic development. These two economic concepts influence each other; however, there is limited clarity on the relationship. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between these in the Vaal Triangle region, South Africa. Economic development is a broad concept and various methods can be used to measure it. For the purpose of this research, an economic development index was developed, which consists of employment, poverty levels and human development index (HDI). This index assists in the measurement of the relationship between economic development and economic growth. A time series econometric model was used to measure the relationship between the two variables. The results indicated that economic development causes economic growth in the long and short run. Therefore, it is important to focus on economic development, through improved HDI, increased employment and poverty alleviation, in order to achieve inclusive economic growth.


This paper presents an approach for repairing word order errors in English text by reordering words in a sentence and choosing the version that maximizes the number of trigram hits according to a language model. A possible way for reordering the words is to use all the permutations. The problem is that for a sentence with length N words the number of all permutations is N!. The novelty of this method concerns the use of an efficient confusion matrix technique for reordering the words. The confusion matrix technique has been designed in order to reduce the search space among permuted sentences. The limitation of search space is succeeded using the statistical inference of N-grams. The results of this technique are very interesting and prove that the number of permuted sentences can be reduced by 98,16%. For experimental purposes a test set of TOEFL sentences was used and the results show that more than 95% can be repaired using the proposed method. Keywords—Permutations filtering, Statistical language model N-grams, Word order errors, TOEFL


Faithful cellular differentiation requires precise coordination of changes in gene expression. However, the relative contributions of transcriptional and translational regulation during human cellular differentiation are unclear. Here, we induced forebrain neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and characterized genomewide RNA and translation levels during neurogenesis. We find that thousands of genes change at the translation level across differentiation without a corresponding change in RNA level. Specifically, we identify mTOR complex 1 signaling as a key driver for elevated translation of translation-related genes in hESCs. In contrast, translational repression in active neurons is mediated by transcript 3′ UTRs, through regulatory sequences. Together, our findings identify a functional role for the dramatic 3′ UTR extensions that occur during brain development, and provide insights to interpret genetic variants in post-transcriptional control factors that influence neurodevelopmental disorders and diseases.


Background: The relationship between the parental tree' physiological age and the clonal offspring's lifespan is unclear. White oak (Quercus fabri Hance) has a high sprouting capability after harvest, with the regenerated sprouts being typical clonal individuals. To determine whether regenerated sprouts undergo rapid senescence compared with the parent, the senescence levels of 5-, 10-, 20- and 40-year-old regenerated stump sprouts in a natural forest were evaluated. The antioxidative abilities and transcriptomes in these leaves and shoots were compared.Results: Older regenerated sprouts still had robust antioxidative systems, with 40-year-old sprouts having lower peroxidation product levels but similar antioxidative enzyme activity levels compared with 5-year-old sprouts. Older leaves had greater transcriptional activities in pathways related to cell growth and division than younger leaves. However, older sprouts had a few unhealthy characteristics, such as increased base excision repair levels and upregulated phagosome, proteasome and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways in 40-year-old leaves, indicating that DNA damage and tissue remodeling occurred more frequently than in younger leaves. Additionally, plant–pathogen interactions and MAPK signals pathways were upregulated in older shoots, indicating that older shoots suffered from more pathogen-related biotic stress.Conclusions: The 40-year-old sprouts still had the same vitality level as the 5-year-old sprouts, although the former had some unhealthy characteristics. We conclude that during their first 40 years of growth regenerated stump sprouts do not begin to senesce, and that the parental tree's physiological age does not significantly affect its clonal offspring's lifespan.


Interactive multimedia documents (or systems) can be characterized by active user participation and the diversity of multimedia information accessed at various levels of granularity. They need to support extensive user participation in selecting and tailoring the information and its presentation. Multimedia information fragments may vary from portions of video, pieces of audio, newspaper quotations or chapters of a book. Effectively managing the creation, evolution and complexity of multimedia documents formed by combining media fragments is an essential capability. We consider the hyperstory model of a multimedia document, where a document is structured hierarchically in three dimensions: time, space and asynchrony. The model provides a layered approach in structuring multimedia documents, thus reducing the complexities of large systems. The hyperstory model supports user interactions that are timed, and also supports preemptive resuming. Timed user interactions with the document are modeled with a newly introduced timed Petri-net (TPN*). TPN* is used to infer the behavior of the system. This paper describes TPN*'s modeling and analysis and its application to the hyperstory model.


We have studied carbyne as a promising hydrogen storage material. Density functional theory simulations with vdW corrections have been used to investigate lithium sorption on carbyne and the interaction of pristine and Li-functionalized carbon chains with molecular hydrogen. We showed that Li adatoms at small concentrations stay atomically dispersed on carbyne, donating 0.9e to the chain. Moreover, in the presence of Li, hydrogen adsorption energy increases by more than 5 times in comparison with pristine carbyne. Overall, up to three hydrogen molecules per Li adatom have an adsorption energy close to the range of 200–600 meV per H2, which is necessary for effective sorption/desorption cycles. The resulting theoretical uptake (7.1 wt%) is higher than the U.S. Department of Energy's ultimate goal (6.5 wt%). The calculated van't Hoff desorption temperatures exceed considerably the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. Our results confirm the potential of Li-decorated carbyne for hydrogen storage.


Due to a high cost of 3D IC process technology, the semiconductor industry is targeting 2.5D ICs with interposer as a fast and low-cost alternative to integrate dissimilar technologies. In this paper, we propose an independent network-on-chip die, called Network-on-Die (NoD), for 2.5D ICs that operates as a communication backbone for heterogeneous many-core systems on interposer. NoD is responsible for routing packets from a source router to a destination router, and the connections between routers and cores pass through the interposer. This technique eliminates the complexity of the routing algorithms in heterogeneous systems by turning the irregular form of NoC in 2.5D ICs into a regular/optimized one in NoD. The performance evaluation is verified through RTL simulations for a heterogeneous many-core system of varying die sizes and with asymmetric shapes. We provide the theoretical justification for our simulation results.


: The authors report a case of 180 degrees torsion of the pregnant uterus. Torsion has been defined as a rotation of more than 45 degrees of the uterus around its long axis and is rare in humans. Clinical diagnosis is difficult since symptoms are either absent or non specific (cervical dystocia, painful uterine contractions, dynamic hypertonia...). Uterine torsion is often associated to pathologies of the uterus such as uterine myomas or congenital deformities, abnormal fetal presentations, pelvic tumours or abnormal pelvis. Maternal prognosis is good after surgical treatment, however, perinatal mortality remains high.


This new series about the diversity of regional interior design starts with two titles, this one about French interiors. The volume opens the doors to the inner worlds of this country to reflect on the private and the public realms. "French Interior Design" is showing the similarities as well as the differences between the French regions in terms of the interior styles. The typical is preserved and blended with the contemporary. The book is a compilation of interior inspiration, from classic to contemporary looks.


Purpose

Rugby union's late move to professionalism in 1995 has led to concerns about the financial development of the game. The purpose of this paper is to extend the knowledge base on professional team sports in the UK by analysing the financial and sporting performance of rugby union clubs.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained by dissecting the annual accounts of nine English Premiership rugby clubs between 2006 and 2015. Analysis was performed using the performance assessment model, which analyses both financial and sporting areas of performance and is devised through statistical analysis procedures to provide a holistic measure of overall performance for each club.

Findings

There is financial disparity amongst clubs that has widened over the period of the study. In terms of sporting performance, the data suggest that competition is more equal, something that is less evident in other UK professional team sports such as football and rugby league. Correlation analysis reveals that overall performance varies over time in cycles.

Research limitations/implications

The study has implications for the clubs competing in the English Premiership and for the league organisers themselves, particularly with reference to regulatory procedures such as raising the salary cap and increased broadcasting deals.

Originality/value

The paper has demonstrated the importance of balancing multiple performance objectives in professional team sports and has expanded the academic discussion on the financial health of professional team sports in the UK, particularly with reference to the financial health of rugby union where research has historically been scarce.


A cholera vaccine containing killed vibrios and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) was used to compare mucosal immunization routes for induction of systemic and mucosal Ab. Four groups of women were given three monthly immunizations by the rectal immunization (Rimm) route, nasal immunization (Nimm) route, or vaginal immunization route during either the follicular (V-FPimm) or luteal (V-LPimm) menstrual cycle phase. Nimm was performed with 10-fold less vaccine to determine if administration of less Ag by this route can, as in rodents, produce mucosal Ab responses comparable to those induced by higher dose Rimm or vaginal immunization. Concentrations of Ab induced in sera and secretions were measured by ELISA. None of these routes produced durable salivary Ab responses. Nimm induced greatest levels of CTB-specific IgG in sera. Rimm failed to generate CTB-specific IgA in genital tract secretions. Nimm, V-FPimm, and V-LPimm all produced cervical CTB-specific IgA responses comparable in magnitude and frequency. However, only V-FPimm induced cervical IgA2-restricted Ab to the bacterial LPS vaccine component. V-FPimm, but not V-LPimm, also induced CTB-specific IgA in rectal secretions. Nimm was superior to V-FPimm for producing rectal CTB-specific IgA, but the greatest amounts of CTB-specific IgA and LPS-specific IgA, IgG, and IgM Ab were found in rectal secretions of Rimm women. These data suggest that in women, Nimm alone could induce specific Ab in serum, the genital tract, and rectum. However, induction of genital tract and rectal Ab responses of the magnitude generated by local V-FPimm or Rimm will likely require administration of comparably high nasal vaccine dosages.


Broiler breeder pullets were divided into two groups at 21 wk of age. One group was given free access to feed (ad libitum) and the other fed a limited amount of feed (restricted). At 22 wk, all birds were photostimulated and maintained throughout an egg-laying cycle ending at 36 wk. Samples of liver and abdominal fat pad were collected just before photostimulation (prelight), after photostimulation at first egg and at peak egg production (plateau). Hepatic expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1, ATP-citrate lyase, fatty acid synthase, malic enzyme, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and stearoyl-CoA (Delta9) desaturase 1 genes in ad libitum birds declined from their highest levels just before photostimulation as the birds came into and maintained egg production. In contrast, the restricted birds had significant (P < 0.05) increases in the expression of these genes after photostimulation at first egg with a subsequent decline as they reached peak egg production. Hepatic expression of fatty acid binding protein, VLDL apolipoprotein (apoVLDL-II) and apoB genes increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both ad libitum and restricted breeders after photostimulation, whereas apoA1 gene expression declined during this time. Abdominal fat pad weights were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the ad libitum compared with restricted birds after photostimulation. Lipoprotein lipase in this tissue showed a pattern of expression similar to that observed for the hepatic lipogenic enzyme genes. In conclusion, feed restriction during the pullet-to-breeder transition period significantly (P < 0.05) altered hepatic lipogenic gene expression in broiler breeders.


Abstract The BOXER3 code was developed in the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre during the 1980s as a three-dimensional code for the analysis of a pressurized heavy water reactor supercell containing fuel, moderator, and a reactivity device inserted perpendicular to the fuel channel, with options for carrying out calculations in a general two-dimensional geometry (infinite and homogeneous in one direction) and a one-dimensional plane geometry. Taking into account the computing resources available then, the code was run in few groups after obtaining condensed group cross sections for various materials from a one-dimensional multigroup calculation. In this paper, we describe various developments carried out recently for enabling its use as an assembly-level lattice-burnup code. In addition to the collision probability method originally available, the method of characteristics for solving the multigroup transport equation has been added. This development permits the treatment of anisotropic scattering wherever necessary and available in cross-section libraries. Other developments include coupling of the code to the WIMS 69/172-group library, a method for the evaluation of the pin-dependent Dancoff factor, and the introduction of burnup. The transport equation in the collision probability method is cast in a form more suitable for iterations as well as for the method of renormalization of collision probabilities used in the work. The analysis of several benchmark problems has been carried out and the results obtained using the new code are presented.


Few matters are more subjected to a variety of opinions and perceptions than gambling. This is particularly true in South Africa where gambling, which was legalized in 1994, is often accused of having a negative impact on household welfare levels and retail sector activities. This article looks at South Africans' opinions on questions involving participation in gambling, gambling expenditure and views on gambling. A national survey among a sample of 2050 respondents reveals that gambling is popular and acceptable. The propensity to gamble is calculated at close to 2% and displacement is effected from a variety of items. These range from household necessities to savings. The volatility of the South African gambling market is expected to continue for a number of years, thus a follow-up study would allow detection of new trends in a more mature market.


An apparatus that operates with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer to automatically perform nitrogen isotope analyses by the Rittenberg technique was modified to permit the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) instead of Freon (CCl2F2 or CHClF2) for the purging of air prior to hypobromite oxidation of ammonium-N to N2 in a plastic microplate. Analytical performance was unaffected by the modifications. Up to 768 samples can be processed in a single loading, at a rate of 6 to 12 samples/h. Within the range of 0.2 to 20 atom % 15N, isotope-ratio analyses of 50 to 200 μg of N using the automated Rittenberg apparatus (ARA) with a double-collector mass spectrometer were accurate to within 0.7%, as compared to manual Rittenberg analyses of 1 mg of N using the same mass spectrometer with a dual-inlet system. Automated analyses of 20μg of N were accurate to within 2%, and automated analyses of 10 μg of N were accurate to within 7%. The relative standard deviation for measurements at the natural abundance level (10 analyses, 20-200 μg of N) was < 0.04 %.


Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent cells with great therapeutic potentials. The in vitro differentiation of ESC was designed by recapitulating embryogenesis. Significant progress has been made to improve the in vitro differentiation protocols by toning soluble maintenance factors. However, more robust methods for lineage-specific differentiation and maturation are still under development. Considering the complexity of in vivo embryogenesis environment, extracellular matrix (ECM) cues should be considered besides growth factor cues. ECM proteins bind to cells and act as ligands of integrin receptors on cell surfaces. Here, we summarize the role of the ECM and integrins in the formation of three germ layer progenies. Various ECM–integrin interactions were found, facilitating differentiation toward definitive endoderm, hepatocyte-like cells, pancreatic beta cells, early mesodermal progenitors, cardiomyocytes, neuroectoderm lineages, and epidermal cells, such as keratinocytes and melanocytes. In the future, ECM combinations for the optimal ESC differentiation environment will require substantial study.


Misfolding and self-assembly of proteins in nanoaggregates of different sizes and morphologies (nanoensembles, primary nanofilaments, nanorings, filaments, protofibrils, fibrils, etc.) is a common theme unifying a number of human pathologies termed protein misfolding diseases. Recent studies highlight increasing recognition of the public health importance of protein misfolding diseases, including various neurodegenerative disorders and amyloidoses. It is understood now that the first essential elements in the vast majority of neurodegenerative processes are misfolded and aggregated proteins. Altogether, the accumulation of abnormal protein nanoensembles exerts toxicity by disrupting intracellular transport, overwhelming protein degradation pathways, and/or disturbing vital cell functions. In addition, the formation of inclusion bodies is known to represent a major problem in the production of recombinant therapeutic proteins. Formulation of these therapeutic proteins into delivery systems and their in vivo delivery are often complicated by protein association. Thus, protein folding abnormalities and subsequent events underlie a multitude of human pathologies and difficulties with protein therapeutic applications. The field of medicine therefore can be greatly advanced by establishing a fundamental understanding of key factors leading to misfolding and self-assembly responsible for various protein folding pathologies. This article overviews protein misfolding diseases and outlines some novel and advanced nanotechnologies, including nanoimaging techniques, nanotoolboxes and nanocontainers, complemented by appropriate ensemble techniques, all focused on the ultimate goal to establish etiology and to diagnose, prevent, and cure these devastating disorders.


The acute oral toxicity (LD50) of chlorfenvinphos (Chl) showed no significant difference between Wistar rats (males and females) aged 42 days kept for 30 days on 4.5% or 26%-protein diet, but a twofold difference appeared after 60 days on these diets (LD50 was lower in low-protein rats) showing that a longer period of protein deficiency more increases the susceptibility of rats to the lethal action of Chl.

During acute poisoning produced by intragastric administration of single convulsive dose of Chl (30 mg/kg body weight) to rats kept for 30 days on low-protein or optimal-protein diet, changes were observed in the activity of some enzymes in the serum and brain.

Protein deficient diet increased the Chl-produced inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain; the augmented activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) and alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) and glucosephosphate isomerase (PHI) appeared only in the serum of low-protein rats - these changes were more marked in females. Other enzymatic alterations caused by Chl were similar independently of the diets and also more evident in females; for comparison the rats received also standard Murigran diet. Activity of the brain aromatic amino acids aminotransferases (AAA) showed a decreasing trend in Chl-poisoned rats, while in the liver the activity of these enzymes rose, but chiefly in the rats receiving previously the diet with 26% of protein or standard diet.

In the rats surviving the acute Chl poisoning, with the evidently seen convulsions, the activity of nearly all enzymes was normal after 14 days.


The asymptotic distributions of augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) unit root tests for autoregressive processes with a unit or near-unit root are discussed in the presence of multiple stochastic level shifts of large size occurring independently in time. The distributions depend on a Brownian motion and a Poisson-type jump process. Due to the latter, tests based on standard critical values experience power losses increasing rapidly with the number and the magnitude of the shifts. A new approach to unit root testing is suggested which requires no knowledge of either the location or the number of level shifts, and which dispenses with the assumption of independent shift occurrence. It is proposed to remove possible shifts from a time series by weighting its increments according to how likely it is, with respect to an ad hoc postulated distribution, a shift to have occurred in each period. If the number of level shifts is bounded in probability, the limiting distributions of the proposed test statistics coincide with those of ADF statistics under standard conditions. A Monte Carlo experiment shows that, despite their generality, the new tests perform well in finite samples.We are grateful to Pentti Saikkonen (the co-editor) and two referees for their helpful and constructive comments on earlier versions of this paper. We also thank Søren Johansen, Helmut Lütkepohl, Anders Rahbek, Robert Taylor, and seminar participants at the European University Institute, the University of Copenhagen, and the URCT Conference held in Faro, Portugal, September 29 to October 1, 2005, for useful comments. Both authors are grateful to the Danish Social Sciences Research Council, project 2114-04-001, for financial support.


The study presented herein focused on the change in hysteretic force-deformation behavior of lead rubber bearings (LRBs). The material model used to idealize response of LRBs under cyclic motion is capable of representing the gradual attrition in strength of isolator unit on account of lead core heating. To identify the effect of loading history on the hysteretic response of LRBs, a typical isolator unit is subjected to cyclic motions with different velocity, amplitude and number of cycles. Furthermore, performance of an LRB isolated single degree of freedom system is studied under different seismic input levels. Finally, the significance of lead core heating effect on LRBs is discussed by considering the current design approach for base isolated structures. Results of this study show that the response of an LRB is governed strongly by the amplitude and number of cycles of the motion and the considered seismicity level.


There is a continued need for enhancing the productivity and keeping the natural resources sustainable. The biggest challenge for agriculture research and development is to suggest solutions that can best match the multiple and often-conflicting development objectives of various stakeholders, such as increased income and employment, improved natural resource quality and food security. Soil survey data and geographic information system (GIS) are important tools in land use planning and to improve crop management. Three villages, located in block Daurala, tehsil Sardhana and district Meerut of Uttar Pradesh were selected in the study. Data of crops and cropping systems were collected by survey of the individual farmers and their fields. A simulation model was applied to evaluate the effects of various conservation agriculture practices and their impact on crop yield and environment. The climatic data were recorded from the nearest weather station. The GIS maps were generated for soil properties. The maps can be used to improve and update the soil and fertilizer information for the villages and assist the planning process to provide comprehensive, accurate and visual information. The users can use these GIS maps for any future land-use planning and to improve crop management in their future agricultural research endeavors.


As low cost and highly portable sensors, inertial measurements units (IMU) have become increas-ingly used in gait analysis, embodying an efficient alternative to motion capture systems. Mean-while, being able to compute reliably accurate spatial gait parameters using few sensors remains a relatively complex problematic. Providing a clinical oriented solution, our study presents a gy-rometer and accelerometer based algorithm for stride length estimation. Compared to most of the numerous existing works where only an averaged stride length is computed from several IMU, or where the use of the magnetometer is incompatible with everyday use, our challenge here has been to extract each individual stride length in an easy-to-use algorithm requiring only one inertial sensor attached to the subject shank. Our results were validated on healthy subjects and patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). Estimated stride lengths were compared to GAITRite© walkway system data: the mean error over all the strides was less than 6% for healthy group and 10.3% for PD group. This method provides a reliable portable solution for monitoring the in-stantaneous stride length and opens the way to promising applications.


The prediction of strong ground motion with high resolution is a challenging task. In this article, the authors propose a multiscale analysis based on a singular perturbation and a new finite-element method with a hybrid of structured and unstructured elements, for a full 3D numerical simulation of earthquake wave propagation from fault to surface, including soft surface layers. The multiscale analysis refines a solution of lower resolution by considering effects of ground structures on wave propagation, and the hybrid grid radically reduces the amount of numerical computation. Several numerical experiments are carried out to show the validity and usefulness of the finite-element method with the hybrid grids, by comparing the results with those obtained using existing methods. An exemplary problem of wave propagation is solved using the proposed method. The potential usefulness of the proposed method is discussed, with particular attention paid to the accuracy of computing strong ground motion with higher spatial resolution.


PURPOSE
This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of water-activated zinc polycarboxylate cement with adjunctive 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate on the subgingival microbiota in fixed partial dentures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-six teeth prepared as fixed partial denture abutments in 9 patients were cemented randomly using water-activated zinc polycarboxylate cement (control group) or water-activated zinc polycarboxylate cement, including 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (test group). A total of 108 subgingival plaque samples were analyzed at baseline, immediately before permanent cementation (5 weeks), and 8 weeks later (at 13 weeks).

RESULTS
In the control group, the subgingival microbiota altered to closely resemble the flora of chronic gingivitis (increased proportions of gram-negative anaerobes such as Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum) by 13 weeks. In contrast, the microflora at test sites comprised predominantly gram-positive facultative cocci and rods at 13 weeks.

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated that the addition of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate may enhance the antimicrobial action of polycarboxylate cements to ensure the maintenance of a microflora compatible with periodontal health, at least up to 13 weeks post-cementation.


Older people have been disproportionately vulnerable to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, with an increased risk of severe complications and death compared to other age groups. A mix of underlying factors has been speculated to give rise to this differential infection outcome, including changes in lung physiology, weakened immunity, and severe immune response. Our study focuses on the impact of biomechanical changes in lungs that occur as individuals age, i.e., the stiffening of the lung parenchyma and increased matrix fiber density. We used hydrogels with an elastic modulus of 0.2 and 50 kPa and conventional tissue culture surfaces to investigate how infection rate changes with parenchymal tissue stiffness in lung epithelial cells challenged with SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein pseudotyped lentiviruses. Further, we employed electrospun fiber matrices to isolate the effect of matrix density. Given the recent data highlighting the importance of alternative virulent strains, we included both the native strain identified in early 2020 and an early S protein variant (D614G) that was shown to increase the viral infectivity markedly. Our results show that cells on softer and sparser scaffolds, closer resembling younger lungs, exhibit higher infection rates by the WT and D614G variant. This suggests that natural changes in lung biomechanics do not increase the propensity for SARS-CoV-2 infection and that other factors, such as a weaker immune system, may contribute to increased disease burden in the elderly.


A new view of the extended mind thesis argues that a stark binary opposition between really extending and seeming to extend oversimplifies the issue. The extended-mind thesis (EMT), usually attributed to Andy Clark and David Chalmers, proposes that in specific kinds of mind-body-world interaction there emerges an extended cognitive system incorporating such extracranial supports as pencils, papers, computers, and other objects and environments in the world. In Feeling Extended, Douglas Robinson accepts the thesis, but argues that the usual debate over EMT-which centers on whether mind really (literally, actually, materially) extends to body and world or only seems to-oversimplifies the issue. When we say that mind feels as if it extends, Robinson argues, what extends is precisely feeling-and mind, insofar as it arises out of feeling. Robinson explores the world of affect and conation as intermediate realms of being between the physical movements of body and the qualitative movements of mind. He shows that affect is transcranial and tends to become interpersonal conation. Affective-becoming-conative sociality, he argues, is in fact the primary area in which body-becoming-mind extends. To make his case, Robinson draws on a wide spectrum of philosophical thought-from the EMT and qualia debates among cognitivists to the prehistory of such debates in the work of Hegel and Peirce to continental challenges to Hegelianism from Bakhtin and Derrida-as well as on extensive empirical research in social psychology and important sociological theories of face (Goffman), ritual (Connerton), and habitus (Bourdieu).


This paper studies factors that influence the stock return on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) market. To achieve this goal, a stock-fixed effects model is estimated using a panel data sample comprising 100 companies listed on the SSE market during the 72-month period from January 2002 to December 2007. I find that number of trades and book-to-market value in both up and down markets have a significant and positive impact on stock returns during the studied period, whereas stock returns were negatively affected by systematic risk in both up and down markets although less so in up markets. Price to earnings ratio did not show any significant effect on stock returns on the SSE. My overall results indicate that SSE did not satisfy the efficient market hypothesis 1 during the studied period from January 2002 to December 2007.


Abstract This paper describes the first phase of a residential research program to reduce the impact of new construction on the environment through research and education using a Zero Net Energy Test House as a framework. Containing four bedrooms, three and a half baths, the 1,800 square foot house, 1,000 square foot basement, is located in Omaha, Nebraska. It is being used to validate several research projects and provides a platform for applications research of a number of technological advances. Laminated photovoltaic solar panels, a wind turbine, and an occupant monitoring energy control system are some of the sustainable design innovations incorporated. Sustainable features are described that detail the application for LEED Platinum certification. Integrated into several University of Nebraska courses, the house has reached more than 200 students in the past year. Interdisciplinary teaching has involved design, construction, research, monitoring and energy analysis. Education opportunities have reach...


A novel architecture was proposed in [1] to address scalability issues in large, high speed packet switches. The architecture proposed in [1], namely OBIG (output buffers with input groups), distributes the switch fabric across multiple chips, which communicate via high speed interconnects enabled by proximity communication (PC), a recently developed circuit technology [2]. An OBIG switch aggregates multiple input flows inside the switch fabric, thereby significantly reducing the amount of memory required for internal buffers, vis-a-vis a conventional buffered crossbar, which has buffers at every crosspoint. Thus, the OBIG architecture is promising for realizing terabit switches with hundreds of ports. This paper studies packet scheduling algorithms which help realize the potential of OBIG-like switch architectures. The emphasis here is on designing backlog aware scheduling algorithms, while ensuring desirable traits such as low computational complexity and scalability. The efficacy of the proposed scheduling algorithms with respect to performance metrics such as average delay and fairness is demonstrated via simulations under a variety of scenarios.


Pt(II) diynes and polyynes incorporating 5,5'- and 6,6'-disubstituted 2,2'-bipyridines were prepared following conventional Sonogashira and Hagihara dehydrohalogenation reaction protocols. Using Pt(II) dimers and polymers as a rigid-rod backbone, four new heterobimetallic compounds incorporating Re(CO)3Cl as a pendant functionality in the 2,2'-bipyridine core were obtained. The new heterobimetallic Pt-Re compounds were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The solid-state structures of a Re(I)-coordinated diterminal alkynyl ligand and a representative model compound were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Detailed photophysical characterization of the heterobimetallic Pt(II) diynes and polyynes was carried out. We find that the incorporation of the Re(CO)3Cl pendant functionality in the 2,2'-bipyridine-containing main-chain Pt(II) diynes and polyynes has a synergistic effect on the optical properties, red shifting the absorption profile and introducing strong long-wavelength absorptions. The Re(I) moiety also introduces strong emission into the monomeric Pt(II) diyne compounds, whereas this is suppressed in the polyynes. The extent of the synergy depends on the topology of the ligands. Computational modeling was performed to compare the energetic stabilities of the positional isomers and to understand the microscopic nature of the major optical transitions. We find that 5,5'-disubstituted 2,2'-bipyridine systems are better candidates in terms of yield, photophysical properties, and stability than their 6,6'-substituted counterparts. Overall, this work provides an additional synthetic route to control the photophysical properties of metallaynes for a variety of optoelectronic applications.


An overwhelming array of structural variants has evolved from a comparatively small number of protein structural domains; which has in turn facilitated an expanse of functional derivatives. Herein, I review the primary mechanisms which have contributed to the vastness of our existing, and expanding, protein repertoires. Protein function prediction strategies, both sequence and structure based, are also discussed and their associated strengths and weaknesses assessed.


CLAM is a C++ framework that offers a complete development and research platform for the audio and music domain. Apart from offering an abstract model for audio systems, it also includes a repository of processing algorithms and data types as well as a number of tools such as audio or MIDI input/output. All these features can be exploited to build crossplatform applications or to build rapid prototypes to test signal processing algorithms. In this article we will review the main features included in the framework. We will also present some of the applications that have been developed and can be used by themselves. We will finally introduce the newest tools that have been added in order to use the framework as a rapid prototyping tool.


We revisit the causes, welfare consequences, and policy implications of the dispersion in households' labor market outcomes using a model with uninsurable risk, incomplete asset markets, and home production. Allowing households to be heterogeneous in both their disutility of home work and their home production efficiency, we find that home production amplifies welfare‐based differences, meaning that inequality in standards of living is larger than we thought. We infer significant home production efficiency differences across households because hours working at home do not covary with consumption and wages in the cross section of households. Heterogeneity in home production efficiency is essential for inequality, as home production would not amplify inequality if differences at home only reflected heterogeneity in disutility of work.


Tendinopathy refers to the clinical presentation of activity-related pain, focal tendon tenderness, and intratendinous imaging changes. The underlying pathology was once thought to be due to inflammation ('tendinitis'), but is now considered to predominantly result from degeneration ('tendinosis'). While some progress has been made in understanding tendinosis, the condition remains poorly understood and a need exists for suitable exploratory preclinical models. It is unlikely that one suitable model exists because of the complexity of the underlying pathology and myriad of possible causes. This paper provides an overview of current models utilized in tendinopathy research. It progresses hierarchically from in vitro and ex vivo models to in vivo models. For each model, rationale for use, pertinent findings, and advantages and disadvantages are discussed. By improving on these models, new methods for the prevention and treatment of tendinopathy may be explored with the ultimate outcome being a reduction in the occurrence and effects of the condition in humans.


Background. The repair of complications in patients who had undergone hypospadias repair is still an open problem. Patients and Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of patients treated for late complications after hypospadias repair. Study inclusion criteria were patients presenting urethral, corpora cavernosa deformity, and/or penile defects due to previous hypospadias repair. Exclusion criteria were precancerous or malignant lesions and incomplete data on personal medical charts. Preoperative evaluation included clinical history, physical examination, urine culture, residual urine measurement, uroflowmetry, urethrography, urethral sonography, and urethroscopy. The patients were classified into four different groups. Success was defined as a normal functional urethra, with apical meatus, no residual penile curvature or esthetic deformity of the genitalia. Results. A total of 1,176 patients were entered in our survey. Out of the 1,176 patients, 301 patients (25.5%) underwent urethroplasty (group 1), 60 (5.2%) corporoplasty (group 2), 166 (14.1%) urethroplasty and corporoplasty (group 3), and 649 (55.2%) complex genitalia resurfacing (group 4). Mean followup was 60.4 months. Out of the 1,176 cases, 1,036 (88.1%) were considered successful and 140 (11.9%) failures. Conclusion. The majority of patients (55.2%) with failed hypospadias repair require surgical reconstruction to fully resurfacing the glans and penile shaft.


The study reported here was undertaken to devise a method for checking the reasonableness of the apparently high price-earnings ratios of the so-called secular (long-term) growth stocks. The study examined earnings and dividends for 1926 and 1936 (chosen for the similarity of their economic conditions) and used stock prices as of August 1927 and February 1937. Various financial statistics for growth and nongrowth companies led to suggested reasonable price—earnings ratios, in periods of optimism, for various annual secular growth rates (up to 10 percent) and varying proportions of earnings paid out in dividends. Such information is useful in appraising stock prices in rosy market conditions and estimating future earnings of specific companies. The analyst can translate a company's estimated earnings into stock prices by estimating the outlook for earning's growth at the time of analysis.


Background and objective There can be adverse effects on health for mothers and fathers when a baby is born, but the focus on morbidity, such as depression detracts from the positive experiences of new parents. Efforts internationally to produce tools to measure postnatal health have focused on parenting stress, problems between couples and bonding. Other lengthy instruments may have limited value in clinical or research contexts. Aim To develop and psychometrically evaluate two instruments to accurately reflect the positive and negative aspects of postnatal health for mothers (M-PHI) and fathers (F-PHI) in the first postnatal year. Methods Two instruments were developed in four main stages: (1) Focus groups for postnatal women and questionnaire to fathers, (2) Qualitative interviews (separately for women and men), (3) Pilot survey, then main survey to 1000 women and separate survey of fathers including the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), (4) Re-survey of mothers and fathers for completion within one week of returning the stage 3 survey questionnaire. Principal component analysis was used; internal reliability was measured using Cronbach's α; construct validity and criterion validity were tested using prehypothesised correlations with the SF-12, EPDS and WEMWBS. Results The mother's postnatal health instrument (M-PHI) contains positive scales: relationship with baby, social support, relationship with extended family, and negative scales: control over life, mood, role transition, sleep. plus some conditional items not relevant to all women: breast-feeding, physical health problem, relationship with partner, and sexual relationship. The father's postnatal health instrument (F-PHI) contains positive scales: relationship with baby, support from partner, support from friends, role as father; and negative scales: relationship with partner, and mood. The Cronbach's α values indicating good internal reliability ranged from 0.66 to 0.87 for the M-PHI and 0.72 to 0.90 for the F-PHI; the ICCs indicating high test-retest reliability ranged from 0.67 to 0.88 (p<0.001) for the M-PHI and 0.60 to 0.88 (p<0.001) for the F-PHI. Spearman's correlation coefficients indicated the strongest positive and negative correlations with the gold standard measures for mood, role transition and control over my life, supporting construct validity and criterion validity. Conclusions These two instruments, generated from the subjective feelings of parents have been found to be valid and reliable measures of the postnatal health of mothers and fathers in the first postnatal year. Further validation studies are recommended.


One-dimensional confined compression tests have been used to investigate the compressibility of granulated rubber-loess mixtures with rubber content of 0,10,20,30,40,50,100%. The purpose is to find the compression probability of their usage as a lightweight fill material. The results indicate that the compression properties of mixtures are between pure compact loess and pure granulated rubber. The coefficient compressibility, elastic strain, and recover strain increase with increasing rubber content. Granulated rubber-loess mixtures showing behavior of modular variation with changing granulated rubber content, can be used as lightweight materials in civil engineering applications to sharply reduce the tire disposal problem and solve problems concerned with stress and deformation.


Learner profiling is a methodology that draws a parallel from user pro- filing. Implicit feedback is often used in recommender systems to create and adapt user profiles. In this work the implicit feedback is based on the learner's answering behaviour in the Android application UnlockYourBrain, which poses different basic mathematical questions to the learners. We introduce an analytical approach to model the learners' profile according to the learner's answering behaviour. Furthermore, sim- ilar learner's profiles are grouped together to construct a learning behaviour cluster. The choice of hierarchical clustering as a means of classification of learners' profiles derives from the observations of learners behaviour. This in turn reflects the similar- ities and subtle differences of learner behaviour, which are further analysed in more detail. Building awareness about the learner's behaviour is the first and necessary step for future learning-aware applications.


A new type of fixation device for the treatment of pertrochanteric fractures of the hip is described. The device has an axial-compression screw to allow compression along an axis parallel to the femoral shaft. As the fracture settles postoperatively, dynamic axial compression continues. This axial-compression device was used in twenty-five patients who had an unstable intertrochanteric or proximal subtrochanteric fracture of the proximal part of the femur. The average extent of axial impaction or settling was five millimeters (standard deviation, 1.3 millimeters) at the most recent follow-up examination, and the relationship between the femoral head and shaft was altered less than with the use of a conventional compression screw-plate device. A larger proportion of the patients who had the new device were able to walk fifteen meters (fifty feet) independently by the time of discharge from the hospital, even though they left the hospital earlier. No technical failures were seen in the patients who were treated with the axial-compression screw device. We believe that the axial-compression screw-plate device is appropriate for the treatment of unstable pertrochanteric fractures of the hip.


PURPOSE
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer provides critical information about tumor response; how best to leverage this for predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS) is not established. The I-SPY 1 TRIAL (Investigation of Serial Studies to Predict Your Therapeutic Response With Imaging and Molecular Analysis) was a multicenter breast cancer study integrating clinical, imaging, and genomic data to evaluate pathologic response, RFS, and their relationship and predictability based on tumor biomarkers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Eligible patients had tumors ≥ 3 cm and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We determined associations between pathologic complete response (pCR; defined as the absence of invasive cancer in breast and nodes) and RFS, overall and within receptor subsets.

RESULTS
In 221 evaluable patients (median tumor size, 6.0 cm; median age, 49 years; 91% classified as poor risk on the basis of the 70-gene prognosis profile), 41% were hormone receptor (HR) negative, and 31% were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive. For 190 patients treated without neoadjuvant trastuzumab, pCR was highest for HR-negative/HER2-positive patients (45%) and lowest for HR-positive/HER2-negative patients (9%). Achieving pCR predicted favorable RFS. For 172 patients treated without trastuzumab, the hazard ratio for RFS of pCR versus no pCR was 0.29 (95% CI, 0.07 to 0.82). pCR was more predictive of RFS by multivariate analysis when subtype was taken into account, and point estimates of hazard ratios within the HR-positive/HER2-negative (hazard ratio, 0.00; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.93), HR-negative/HER2-negative (hazard ratio, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.97), and HER2-positive (hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.01 to 1.0) subtypes are lower. Ki67 further improved the prediction of pCR within subsets.

CONCLUSION
In this biologically high-risk group, pCR differs by receptor subset. pCR is more highly predictive of RFS within every established receptor subset than overall, demonstrating that the extent of outcome advantage conferred by pCR is specific to tumor biology.


Retirement is characterized as a dynamic process that can designate different outcomes: from early retirement to re-entry to the labour force. Recent studies on the Dutch population show that a substantial number of early retirees re-enter the work force after early retirement. Yet others do not succeed, even though they want to return to the labour force. The question arises as what are the factors that affect managers' likelihood of hiring early retirees. In this study we aim at explaining which individual and organisational characteristics affect managers' decisions. To answer this question, a vignette study among Dutch managers and business students was conducted. Profiles of hypothetical early retirees were presented to the respondents who were asked to make specific employment decisions. The results show that hiring early retirees is of low priority to managers and students, and depends to a large extent on organisational forces such as personnel shortages and the age of the retiree. This study suggests that despite equal opportunities policies, age discrimination is still present on the Dutch labour market.


ABSTRACT Analyses of calcite from field-collected and laboratory cultured specimens of the articulated coralline alga Calliarthron tuberculosum indicate that temperature is not an independent factor controlling the magnesium content of the calcite. Growth rate, which appears to be a function of temperature, is probably the mechanism responsible for changes in the magnesium content. Changes in growth rate may effect changes in the magnesium content of the calcite through the interaction of factors such as the diffusion rate of magnesium through the cell wall and the construction of an organic matrix or template.


Objective: Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are used in the treatment of angina, hypertension, arrhythmias, and prevention of migraines. The incidence of accidental or intentional calcium channel blocker intoxication has increased in recent years, which is thought to be related to more frequent use. Calcium channel blockers intoxications may progress to mortality. In our study, we investigated the treatments of suicidal or accidental calcium channel blocker intoxications and the relationships between the complications and these therapies. Material and Methods: The data of this retrospective study were obtained from the patient files. The patients who had been admitted to the Konya Training and Research Hospital with excessive intake of calcium channel blockers and been followed-up in the toxicology and emergency critical intensive care units between 2010 and 2012 were sequentially included in the study. No cases were excluded from the study. Results: A total of 15 patients were included in the study. Eight patients had taken verapamil, 4 patients had taken amlodipine, and 3 patients had taken nifedipine. The treatment included 0.9% normal saline infusion for all patients. Ten patients were given calcium replacement and 4 were given renal replacement therapy. ILE infusion was begun in six patients. Six patients were given glucagon. Five patients had developed hyperglycemia, 4 of whom underwent high-dose insulin-glucose treatment. Various complications were observed in 10 of the 15 cases. Hyperglycemia and non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema were observed in 33.3% of the patients, metabolic acidosis was observed in 40% and block was observed in 26.7%. Cardiac arrest was observed in two patients, one of whom died. Conclusion: According to our results, none of the treatments had any priority over another. In order to prevent the possible complications, we suggest the application of multi-treatment strategies in the early period, particularly in high dose CCB intakes. (JAEM 2013; 12: 189-94)


This volume brings together nine chapters that address the topic of the scale and size of companies, in both legal and economic history, in the Middle Ages, the Early Modern Period, and in the nineteenth century.


According to the most recent U.S. census, twice as many black men are involved in interracial relationships as black women. Do black women consciously resist such involvement? What motivates the relatively few women who are in these types of relationships? And how do they navigate the unfamiliar terrain in intimacy? One of the most popular explanations for black women's involvement in interracial intimacy is the unavailability of eligible black men. This explanation focuses on the dismal statistics popularly discussed in reports that forecast lonely futures for African American females. Craig-Henderson explores another, more provocative explanation. She argues that some black women may disassociate from larger social stereotypes by consciously and strategically making choices that distance them from what is considered characteristic of the "typical" African American woman. Scant serious attention has focused upon intimate interracial relationships, perhaps because of a general reluctance to deal with two extremely provocative issues: race and sex. As rates of interracial relationships continue to increase, discussions about interracial intimacy are relevant and timely. Craig-Henderson considers the continuing taboo of interracial relationships involving African Americans, the way this taboo is changing, and the way that contemporary race relations perpetuate longstanding stereotypes about race and sex. The book includes in-depth, unstructured interviews with a wide range of black women currently involved in interracial intimate relationships. Each individual discusses their relationships with family members, beliefs about the influence of race in America, unique problems associated with interracial intimacy, as well as sexual attraction, racial identity, and children. Of particular interest to specialists in race, gender, family, and sexual issues, this work is also accessible and appealing to general readers.


The nutritional value and functional properties of flaxseed Linum Usitatissimum L. are analyzed. There are three groups of compounds in the flaxseeds, characterized by specific biological activity and functional properties: PUFA omega-3 family, soluble dietary fiber in the form of mucus, and lignans, which have phytoestrogen properties. Data on the chemical composition of flaxseed, obtained from various sources, are characterized by high variability. The flaxseeds contain 35-45% oil, which contains 9-10% of saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic), about 20% monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid), and more than 70% alpha-linolenic fatty acids acid. The protein content in seeds of flax varies from 20-30%. Proteins of flaxseeds are limited by lysine, but are characterized by a high coefficient of digestibility (89,6%) and biological value (77,4%). The content of dietary fiber reaches 28% by weight of whole seed, with the ratio of soluble and insoluble fractions from 20:80 until 40:60. According to the content of B-group vitamins and some minerals flaxseeds are close to the crops. Vitamin E in the flaxseeds is mainly in the form of gamma-tocopherol (9,2 mg/100 g of seeds). Flaxseed is the richest in the vegetable world source of lignans (up to 0,7-1,5% of dry weight of seed), among which prevails secoisolariciresinol diglucoside. The chemical composition of flaxseed has identified areas in the study of preventive and functional properties. PUFA omega-3 family, dietary fibers and phytoestrogen lignans determine hypolipidemic and antiatherogenic actions of flaxseed. Flax seeds under the conditions of storage and processing technologies are harmless food product. Consumption of 50 g/day of flaxseed showed no adverse effects in humans.


The effect of the intravenous administration of nitroglycerin on the general course of myocardial infarction as well as on such syndromes as acute left ventricular insufficiency, progressive congestive cardiac failure and the recurring painful syndrome was studied. The assessment of the effect of the drug was carried out in relation to its capacity to limit the extension of myocardial infarction and regulate the blood supply to the organs. The data on the frequency and nature of side-effects following nitroglycerin administration are presented. The conclusion is drawn as to the advisability of the drug employment in patients in the acute period of myocardial infarction when it is indicated as well as on the necessity of predicting adverse hemodynamic response to nitroglycerin with the help of suggested diagnostic tests.


Inspired by recent work on data-driven control, this work presents data-driven event-triggered control strategies for discrete-time linear time-invariant (LTI) systems. The results presented do not require explicit identification of the system parameters and are based on the input and state data collected from the system during an open-loop experiment. The design of event-triggered control consists of two stages: finding a state feedback controller that exponentially stabilizes the system and designing an event-triggered policy that determines the instances at which the control law needs to be updated. The proposed designs in both stages involve solving semi-definite programs with data-dependent linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) as constraints. For the event-triggered implementation, we employ a relative thresholding mechanism and the range of the thresholding parameter is derived using S-procedure. Conditions on the thresholding parameter are derived that ensure both pre-specified exponential convergence and non-trivial event-triggering. We present simulation results for an illustrative example that validates the proposed methods.


Over the past two decades, the epidemic of HIV/AIDS has challenged the public health community to fundamentally rethink the framework for preventing infectious diseases. While much progress has been made on the biomedical front in treatments for HIV infection, prevention still relies on behaviour change. This book documents and explains the remarkable breakthroughs in behavioural research design that have emerged to confront this new challenge: the study of partnership networks. Traditionally, public health research focused on the "knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP)" of individuals, an approach designed for understanding health-related behaviour like seat-belt wearing and cigarette smoking. For HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, however, there are at least two people involved in transmission. This may not seem like a big difference, but in fact it changes everything. First, it means that your risk depends on your partners -- and on their partners, and their partners: it depends on your position in the network of partnerships. Consider, for example, the rise of infections among monogamous women. Second, it means that individuals are not free to simply change their behaviour -- condom use, or abstinence, needs to be negotiated with a partner. both the epidemiology of risk and constraints to behaviour are therefore a function of the partnership network. And our ability to design effective prevention strategies depends on our ability to measure and summarize that network. Using the traditional research designs, you would not see this network at all -- you would only see the unconnected nodes. They key to solving this problem lies in Network Analysis, before now a relatively obscure subfield in Sociology. For empirical studies of networks to become feasible, however, many problems had to be solved. This book documents the rapid progress that has been made. It brings together eight pioneering studies that have sought to map the networks that spread infection around the world. Each chapter reviews the questions that drove the study, the changes in methodology that were needed to implement the network survey, the mistakes and successes encountered, and the central findings that the network design made possible. An introduction provides an overview of network survey design, a glossary provides a summary of network terminology, and example questionnaires from each study provide a template for further research. This is a unique and valuable resource for the international public health research community. Contributors to this volume - Martina Morris University of Washington, Seattle, USA Sevgi O. Aral Associate Director for Science Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Peter S. Bearman Institute for Social and Economic Theory and Research Columbia University M Carael UNAIDS, Switzerland Edward O. Laumann University of Chicago John J Potterat Former Director, STD/HIV Programs El Paso County Department of Health and Environment Now Independent Consultant Ronald R. Rindfuss University of North Carolina Richard Rothenberg Department of Family and Preventive Medicine Emory University School of Medicine


Interest in visualization has grown in recent years, producing rapid advances in the diversity of research and in the scope of proposed techniques. Much of the initial focus in computer-based visualization concentrated on display algorithms, often for specific domains. For example, volume, flow, and terrain visualization techniques have generated significant insights into fundamental graphics and visualization theory, aiding the application experts who use these techniques to advance their own research. More recent work has extended visualization to abstract data sets like network intrusion detection, recommender systems, and database query results. This article describes our initial end-to-end system that starts with data management and continues through assisted visualization design, display, navigation, and user interaction. The purposes of this discussion are to (i) promote a more comprehensive visualization framework; (ii) describe how to apply expertise from human psychophysics, databases, rational logic, and artificial intelligence to visualization; and (iii) illustrate the benefits of a more complete framework using examples from our own experiences.


In the last years, low pressure ozone UVC mercury germicidal lamps have been widely used to decontaminate air, surfaces, and water. This technology is mature, and it has been widely used during the pandemic as a measure against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19; because the exposure of this virus to the wavelength wave of 254 nm has been proven to be an effective way to eliminate it. However, the Minamata Convention in 2013 decided to limit mercury lamps by 2020; therefore, the development of new technology devices based on UVC-LEDs (short-wave ultraviolet, light-emitting diodes) are receiving a lot of attention. Today, this technology is commercially available from 265 to 300 nm peak wavelengths, and recently up to 254 nm. Notwithstanding, due to the characteristics of these LEDs, arrangements with a precisely dosed power supply are regularly required to provide effective decontamination. Thus, this article reports the design and implementation of a power electronic converter for an array of 254 nm UVC-LEDs, which can be used to decontaminate from SARS-CoV-2 in a safe way.


Bud histories, that is, alternating sequences of bud scales and leaf bases remaining on the stem of the fern, Osmunda cinnamomea L., were determined in order to investigate the effects of an abrupt increase in light intensity on leaf primordial utilization. Studies of these increases in light intensity were made on plants growing under natural conditions. Increase in light intensity occurred in 1965 at the site of a newly developed road and also in 1968 at the site of a selective logging operation. Following an increase in light intensity, there is an increase in leaf primordial utilization. This increase occurs in both the bud scale and leaf fractions of the set. That these increases come from a large reservoir of leaf primordia that were initiated several years prior to their utilization indicates that they should be considered strictly as utilization events and not initiation events. Leaf initiation, however, increases as well.


Automated defect inspection is critical for effective and efficient maintenance, repair, and operations in advanced manufacturing. On the other hand, automated defect inspection is often constrained by the lack of defect samples, especially when we adopt deep neural networks for this task. This paper presents Defect-GAN, an automated defect synthesis network that generates realistic and diverse defect samples for training accurate and robust defect inspection networks. Defect-GAN learns through defacement and restoration processes, where the defacement generates defects on normal surface images while the restoration removes defects to generate normal images. It employs a novel compositional layer-based architecture for generating realistic defects within various image backgrounds with different textures and appearances. It can also mimic the stochastic variations of defects and offer flexible control over the locations and categories of the generated defects within the image background. Extensive experiments show that Defect-GAN is capable of synthesizing various defects with superior diversity and fidelity. In addition, the synthesized defect samples demonstrate their effectiveness in training better defect inspection networks.