The function of the C4 mechanism of photosynthesis depends on the strict compartmentation of the enzymes involved. Here, we investigate the regulatory mechanisms that ensure the mesophyll-specific expression of the C4 isoform of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. We show that 2 kb of the 5[prime] flanking region of the Flaveria trinervia C4 PpcA1 gene is sufficient to direct mesophyll-specific expression of the [beta]-glucuronidase reporter gene in transgenic F. bidentis (C4) plants. In young leaves of seedlings, the activity of this promoter is dependent on the developmental stage of the mesophyll cells. It is induced in a basipetal fashion (leaf tip to base) during leaf development. The promoter region of the orthologous nonphotosynthetic Ppc gene of F. pringlei (C3) induces reporter gene expression mainly in the vascular tissue of leaves and stems as well as in mesophyll cells of transgenic F. bidentis plants. Our experiments demonstrate that during the evolution of the C4 Flaveria species, cis-acting elements of the C4 Ppc gene must have been altered to achieve mesophyll-specific expression.


The purpose of our study was to assess the effect of cold, dry air (CDA) on the nasal mucosa of selected individuals in relation to the release of inflammatory mediators associated with mast cells. 12 subjects with a history of nasal symptoms of rhinorrhea and congestion upon cold or dry environmental exposure were challenged by nasal breathing of CDA and warm, moist air (WMA). Each subject was tested on two occasions with the order of the challenges reversed. Symptom scores were recorded, and the levels of histamine, prostaglandin (PG) D2, kinins, and [3H]-N-alpha-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME)-esterase activity in nasal lavage fluids were measured. CDA caused a significant increase in mediator levels and in symptom scores as compared to baseline or to WMA. No significant increase in symptom scores or mediators was noted after WMA challenge, with the exception of a marginal increase in kinins. The response to CDA was similar, regardless of challenge order. Changes in mediators correlated with one another, and symptom scores correlated significantly with the levels of histamine, kinins, and PGD2. Five subjects without a history of nasal symptoms on cold air exposure had no change in mediators or symptom scores after CDA or WMA challenge. We conclude that CDA causes the release of inflammatory mediators possibly associated with mast cells and speculate that such a mechanism may be involved in the bronchospasm induced by CDA in asthmatics.


Macroeconomics: Understanding the Global Economy, 3rd Edition   is to help students – and indeed anyone – understand contemporary and past economic events that shape the world we live in, and at a sophisticated level.  But it does so without focusing on mathematical techniques and models for their own sake.

 Theory is taken seriously – so much so that the authors go to pains to understand the key aspects of theories in a way that will not put people off before they see how theories are useful to analyse issues.  The authors believe that theories are essential to better understand the world, thus the book includes a wealth of historic and current episodes and data to both see how theories can help interpret the world and also to judge their validity.

 Economies today are very inter-connected; what happens in China matters pretty much everywhere; and what happens in one (even small) country in the euro zone has implications for the whole euro area and beyond, consequently Macroeconomics, 3rd Edition adopts a very international focus.

 For further information, to hear the authors view, and to see a sample chapter please visitwww.macroeconomics3rdedition.com


Segmentation of the lumbar spine in 3D is a necessary step in numerous medical applications, but remains a challenging problem for computational methods due to the complex and varied shape of the anatomy and the noise and other artefacts often present in the images. While manual annotation of anatomical objects such as vertebrae is often carried out with the aid of specialised software, obtaining even a single example can be extremely time-consuming. Automating the segmentation process is the only feasible way to obtain accurate and reliable segmentations on any large scale. This thesis describes an approach for automatic segmentation of the lumbar spine from medical images; specifically those acquired using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). The segmentation problem is formulated as one of assigning class labels to local clustered regions of an image (called superpixels in 2D or supervoxels in 3D). Features are introduced in 2D and 3D which can be used to train a classifier for estimating the class labels of the superpixels or supervoxels. Spatial context is introduced by incorporating the class estimates into a conditional random field along with a learned pairwise metric. Inference over the resulting model can be carried out very efficiently, enabling an accurate pixelor voxel-level segmentation to be recovered from the labelled regions. In contrast to most previous work in the literature, the approach does not rely on explicit prior shape information. It therefore avoids many of the problems associated with these methods, such as the need to construct a representative prior model of anatomical shape from training data and the approximate nature of the optimisation. The general-purpose nature of the proposed method means that it can be used to accurately segment both vertebrae and intervertebral discs from medical images without fundamental change to the model. Evaluation of the approach shows it to obtain accurate and robust performance in the presence of significant anatomical variation. The median average symmetric surface distances for 2D vertebra segmentation were 0.27 mm on MRI data and 0.02 mm on CT data. For 3D vertebra segmentation the median surface distances were 0.90 mm on MRI data and 0.20 mm on CT data. For 3D intervertebral disc segmentation a median surface distance of 0.54 mm was obtained on MRI data.


Hyperbaric (HBO) or normobaric oxygen (NBO) therapy applied in acute ischemic stroke aims to increase oxygen supply to the ischemic tissue and to reduce the extent of irreversible tissue damage. Over the past decade, multiple studies have clarified the potential and limitations of oxygen therapy in preclinical stroke models. Considering that the reduction of the infarct size amounts to 30-40%, the cerebroprotection induced by HBO is moderate. In the experimental setting, the effective time window of HBO initiation is only a few hours. Higher pressures (2.5-3 ATA) are more effective. Even though oxygen therapy has some effectiveness in permanent cerebral ischemia without vascular recanalization, it appears more promising for bridging of a transient ischemic period until reperfusion of the penumbra takes place. Compared to HBO, the implementation of NBO to the clinical setting would be substantially less demanding. Although recent experimental NBO-studies are promising, significant effectiveness of NBO was only shown in transient cerebral ischemia and if started within a narrow time window of maximum 30 minutes. Some studies suggest that the effect of HBO is superior to NBO both during transient and permanent cerebral ischemia, even if treatment initiation is delayed. Limited experimental studies do not support an additive effect of a sequential combination of both therapies at present. While the therapeutic potential of oxygen therapy in ischemic stroke was considerably better defined over the past years, the underlying cerebroprotective mechanisms of oxygen therapy remain to be fully elucidated. Recent studies have demonstrated that physical oxygen therapy indeed improves oxygen supply of the ischemic penumbra as well as the cellular bioenergetic metabolism. Therefore, the mitochondria including their role in apoptotic cell death pathways as well as the modification of the cellular hypoxia sensor HIF-1alpha are considered as potential "downstream pathways" of oxygen therapy. Finally, its beneficial effects on the ischemic microcirculation suggest an important modification of various cell types within the neurovascular unit.


Aim. To study association of the complex of polymorphic markers of ACE genes (ACE complex), aldosteron synthetase gene (CYP11B2) and endothelial synthetase of nitric oxide (NOS3) with onset,
course and progression of chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN).
Material and methods. 117 CGN patients were examined. Genetic predisposition to CGN development was studied by comparison of distributions of alleles and genotypes of polymorphic markers of
genes ACE, CYP11B2 and NOS3 in CGN patients and controls (n = 80) free of renal diseases and
arterial hypertension (AH). The course of CGN was analysed with consideration of the following factors: AH severity, proteinuria persistence, nephritic level for 6 months and longer, immunosuppressive
therapy and response to it, therapy with ACE inhibitors and/or blockers of antiotensin II receptors
(ARB). CGN progression rate end point was doubling of initial blood creatinine level.
Results. Significant differences in the incidence of the above alleles and genotypes in the patients and
controls were not found. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 25 patients
carrying the combination of alleles D+C+4a, group 2 consisted of the rest 92 patients. The groups did
not differ by CGN course parameters, but renal survival was significantly lower in carriers of the allele
combination D+C+4a. Cox's mono- and multifactorial regression analysis has shown that carriage of
the allele combination D+C+4a is an independent risk factor of renal survival deterioration.
Conclusion. No association was detected between polymorphic markers of genes ACE, CYP11B2 and
NOS3 and onset of CGN. Carriage ofD+C+4a allele combination is an independent factor of risk for
fast progression of chronic renal failure.


Inhaled corticosteroids reduce airway inflammation and bronchial hyper-responsiveness in asthma. Their regular use is associated with a reduction in morbidity and mortality from asthma. International guidelines recommend their use as first-line treatment in asthma and the dose should be increased stepwise in accordance with asthma severity Short-acting Pz-agonists are recommended for use as reliever medication for the acute relief of symptoms. Long-acting b2-agonists have a sustained bronchodilator action but are not recommended for use as monotherapy in asthma, particu- larly because they laclc clinically relevant anti-inflammatory action.The seminal observation in a controlled trial that the addition of salmeterol to low-dose inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate was superior to doubling the dose ofthe be- clomethasone dipropionate was followed by several well-controlled studies that confirmed this observationThese in- cluded multinational and multicentre trials in large numbers of patients and the use of different inhaled corticosteroids and the two long-acting Pl-agonists, formoterol and salmeterol.Therefore level Aevidence (randomized controlled trials with a rich body ofevidence) is available for this recommendation. Based on this, updated asthma guidelines recommend the addition of long-acting /&agonists for chronic asthmathat is at least moderately severe or mild asthmathat is not well controlled with low-dose inhaled corticosteroids. Attention was therefore focused on developing combination inhalers that included inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting /Il-agonists in order to simplify asthma treatment and improve adherence to prescribed medication. Symbicort @ Turbuhaler@ (budesonide/formoterol in a single inhaler) is one such development. Studies to date in over 800 adult patients have confirmed that budesonide/formoteroI is superior to double the dose of budesonide monotherapy and at least as effective and safe as budesonide and formoterol in separate inhalers. These studies also demonstrate thatthere are no physico-chemical interactionswhen thetwo medications are combined in a single inhaler. Symbicort @in its easy to use formulation and inhaler device represents avaluable addition tothe phar- macological management of asthma.


Abstract Subsurface volume and pressure increases triggering surface inflation at active calderas are generally deduced by inverting ground-deformation time-series using isotropic and homogeneous half-space models (IHM). These models represent simplified mathematical analogues of the mechanical behaviour of the Earth's crust. Using three-dimensional numerical modelling, we show that lateral discontinuities such as intracaldera- or caldera-ring-faults can significantly amplify and distort the ground deformation pattern during unrest. As a consequence, data inversions using IHMs, which do not consider lateral discontinuities, can provide erroneous results on causative source parameters. We also find that the degree of amplification and distortion in the form of abrupt changes in displacement/distance gradients in proximity to faults is dependent on source geometry. Prolate bodies represent a particularly critical geometry for which pressure increases may be overestimated by a factor of up to three. Our 3D analysis suggests that amplification effects can be much larger than predicted by earlier 2D models. We validate theoretical results by applying our model to investigate the effect of boundary faults and source geometries on the displacement field during ground uplift at the restless calderas of Campi Flegrei (Italy) and Sierra Negra (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador). Based on the discrepancy in results from IHMs and our numerical model, we argue that employing IHMs for inversion of ground displacement and gravity time-series may in some cases lead to a biased assessment of hazards associated with ground uplift.


97.7% of children in Indonesia evidently consume less vegetables and fruits but eat more snack and instant drinks. Some of those snacks sometimes contain microbes, additives and harmful substances such as formalin, borax, artificial coloring, flavor enhancer, artificial sweeteners which lead to several illness like typhoid (2.7%), diarrhea (4.9%), hepatitis (1.9%), etc. This study aims to describe the eating and drinking habits of children at Kudus. This study was qualitative research with a phenomenological method. This study was conducted from July to September 2018 in Kudus in which it involved 12 participants. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. In-depth interview and triangulation were done to collect the data. The result of this study stated that not all children were accustomed to having breakfast and they did not carry packed lunch from home. Moreover, schools did not have healthy canteens and the students were not used to washing hands cleanly appropriately. In fact, the children were not used to eat eating vegetables and fruit everyday and at school they brought pocket money to buy snacks and beverages containing lots of sweeteners, artificial coloring, preservatives, borax, and flavor enhancer in which some snacks were eaten using unhealthy sauces and spices. Teachers told the students not to buy unhealthy snacks and beverages, but they kept doing that secretly. Conclusion: the children habits in consuming unhealthy snacks and beverages must be immediately eradicated because it has the potential cause to nutritional disorders and health problems such as malnutrition, obesity and typhoid, sore throat, diarrhea etc. Keywords— the children's habit, consume, snacks,


We simulate static memory materials on a two-dimensional lattice. The bulk properties of such materials depend on boundary conditions. Considerable information can be stored in various local patterns. We observe local probabilities oscillating with the distance from the boundary. The dependence of the local statistical information on this distance can be described by a linear evolution of classical wave functions, including the superposition principle and classical interference. We speculate that these new phenomena could open new algorithmic possibilities analogous to quantum computing.


This special issue aims at understanding "expatriate" mobility with a special focus on the role of family and intimacy, and brings together different case-studies, built through different theoretical perspectives. These allow approaching "expatriate" mobile families along two main lines: as part of the making of life trajectories, and as these are shaped by, and are shaping, professional trajectories. This editorial highlights the contributions of the various articles, before addressing a series of emerging issues. Among these, it questions the very notion of "expatriate" in the light of family life, shows the evolution of families in repeated mobility, and brings to the fore the importance of temporality and timing in these family lives, as well as that of reflexivity in mobility. As a whole, the various contributions of this special issue complement each other in illustrating the complexities of expatriates' migration and family life in times of increasing global mobility, but also, they raise theoretical discussions, point to possible empirical implications, and suggest avenues for further investigations.


The high spectral dimensionality in hyperspectral images causes the reduction of accuracy for common statistical classification methods in these images. Hence the generation and implementation of more complicated methods have gained great importance in this field. One of these methods is the Artificial Immune Systems which is inspired by natural immune system. Despite its great potentiality, it is rarely utilized for spatial sciences and image classification. In this paper a supervised classification algorithm with the application of hyperspectral remote sensing images is proposed. In order to gain better insight into its capability, its accuracy is compared with Artificial Neural Network. The results show better image classification accuracy for the Artificial Immune method.


Advanced Design Approaches to Emerging Software Systems: Principles, Methodology and Tools provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the area. This book will help to clarify the present chaotic and confusing literature of the current state of the art and knowledge in the areas of the design and engineering of the many emerging software systems. This book also facilitates the exchange and evolution of software engineering advances among multiple disciplines, research, industry, and user communities.


Both central diabetes insipidus (DI) and a high rate of excretion of sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) contributed to the development of polyuria and dysnatremia in two patients during the acute postoperative period after neurosurgery. To minimize difficulties in diagnosis and projections for therapy, two available (but not often used) clinical tools were helpful. First, the osmole excretion rate early on revealed the co-existence of central DI and an osmotic diuresis. The osmoles excreted were largely Na salts; after antidiuretic hormone acted, this electrolyte diuresis caused the urine flow rate to be much higher than otherwise anticipated. Interestingly, part of this saline diuresis occurred when the extracellular fluid volume was contracted. The tool to explain the basis for the dysnatremias was a tonicity balance. Hypernatremia, which developed before treatment of central DI, was primarily a result of a positive balance for Na rather than a large negative balance for water. Moreover, hyponatremia that developed once antidiuretic hormone acted was primarily a result of a negative balance for Na; the urine volume was large and its Na concentration was hypertonic. To prevent a further decline in the plasma Na concentration, either the Na concentration in the urine should be decreased by provision of urea or a loop diuretic while replacing all unwanted water and electrolyte losses; alternatively, the fluid infused should have a similar Na concentration and volume as the urine (infuse hypertonic saline).


Reduced responsiveness to reward has been associated with both risk-prone and risk-averse behavior, common features of externalizing and internalizing psychopathology, respectively. Thus, evidence has suggested a potential quadratic relationship (i.e., inverted U) between reward sensitivity and risk-taking propensity. Blunted response to reward compared to loss may therefore demonstrate transdiagnostic utility as it relates to different patterns of maladaptive risk behavior. The current study sought to disentangle the relationship between risk and reward in a clinically diverse sample. In a sample of 210 adults (aged 18-30), the RewP (an ERP indexing differentiation between rewards and losses) was measured during a monetary guessing game, and risk-taking propensity was measured with a behavioral task (i.e., BART) that simulates real-world risk taking. Participants also completed clinical assessments to assess for lifetime psychopathology. Results indicated that there was no linear association between the RewP and risk-taking propensity; however, there was a significant quadratic relationship. Thus, a reduced sensitivity to reward receipt was associated with both risk-prone and risk-averse behavior. There was also a significant quadratic relationship between the RewP and money won during the BART, indicating that being too risk prone or risk averse is disadvantageous and leads to missed reward. Overall, these findings suggested that blunted neural differentiation between gains and losses may contribute to deficits in effectively weighing reward and loss and result in maladaptive risk-taking behavior. These findings support continued examination of reward dysfunction dimensionally in order to better characterize behavioral profiles implicated in clinical phenotypes.


In this paper, we describe the formatting requirements for the CHI Conference and offer a number of suggestions on writing style for the worldwide CHI readership.


What is it that makes members of Shi`i communities distinct from other communities? This is the question that lies at the heart of the contributions to this volume. They range across a number of diverse settings precisely to bring out those features of the social and political life of the Shi`a that may be recognisably Shi`i, but are also the outcome of their interactions with specific social contexts. However volatile forms of difference might be, they may well be found within socio-religious categories such as 'Shi'a' and produce seemingly irreconcilable interpretations of 'being Shi'i'. Some of the contributions indicate that in liberal democracies these are likely to affect practices of everyday living but do not carry as much political import as in autocracies fashioned by religious nationalism. While such forms of nationalism tend to discourage the creation of in-between spaces where religious and political categories are re-negotiated, armed conflict between the state and marginalised categories such as the Shi'a may nonetheless be temporarily replaced with reconciliation and patronage. Several authors investigate the degree to which Shi`i rituals reveal, endorse or challenge local, national and political identifications, and whether they are usefully analysed in terms of contestations over affective, physical and social spaces. For some of the authors, this raises the question of the effect upon the identity of the Shi`i subject. In order to answer these questions and to understand the markers, the reproduction and the effects of distinction, as well as the nature of relations with other communities, most of the chapters address the situation of Shi`i communities in non-Shi`i environments. This is the main focus of the essays brought together in this volume.


Lids are a seldom discovered type of Neolithic vessels, which explains the lack of analyses of this category of ceramic assemblage. This study includes 41 unpublished fragments found at the settlements Samovodene, Kachitsa, Hotnitsa-Kashlata, Hotnitsa-Kaya bunar, situated in the Yantra river valley, as well as Koprivets which is located in the Rusenski Lom basin. They reveal certain changes in typology and decoration throughout the entire Late Neolithic period (according to the Bulgarian chronological system – 5400/5300-5000/4900 BC), namely the Hotnitsa and Dudesti cultures in the Lower Danube region, plus some Early Vădastra elements. The absence of any Boian-Bolentineanu traces is not surprising, considering its vague specifics and even questionable existence. Most of the forms described come from Samovodene (34 pieces), as it is one of the few extensively excavated sites. The majority have cylindrical (with straight or bulging walls) and slightly conical lids with planar top surfaces. The few pieces from Kachitsa, the sites in the vicinity of Hotnitsa and the single from Koprivets show different shapes, characteristic of the very end of the period. Various ornamentations are encrusted with white or, at rare occasions, red, pastes. Moreover, due to the diverse decorations, every single fragment included has its own specific appearance. The lids from North Central Bulgaria, as well as parts of the ceramic assemblage, find their closest parallels in the Dudesti and Vădastra material from the Western Muntenia and Eastern Oltenia regions in Southern Romania.


Within the last decade, the phrase "gut feelings" has taken on a whole new meaning. Traditionally, scientistshavefocusedontheroleof the central nervous system in regulating our moods and behaviors, but a paradigm shift is afoot, with new research revealing a unique role of our gut microbiota in influencing emotion. A seminal study published in 2004 provided some of the first evidence of bidirectional interaction between gut bacteria and the brain, demonstrating that germfree (GF) mice without commensal microorganisms have an exaggerated response to stress, accompanied by altered brain chemistry and elevated stress hormones, which could be normalized by administration of a single type of bacterium, Bifidobacterium infantis (Sudo N et al. J Physiol. 2004;558[pt 1]:263-275).


In the present work we report design, simulation, fabrication and characterization of thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR). The FBAR has been modeled as a single port device with two terminals. The FBAR has been fabricated using Si-SiO2-Al–ZnO-Al structure. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using Ceramic ZnO target in Ar-O2 (1:1) ambient without external substrate heating. The XRD result confirms the preferred C-axis orientation of the films required for good piezoelectric properties. These ZnO films have been used to fabricate air gap type resonator. A four mask process sequence was used for this purpose. Lift-off process was used to pattern Al top electrode. In order to create the air cavity under the active device area, the bulk Si was etched in 40 % KOH at 80 °C. A specially designed mechanical jig was used to protect the front side of the device during anisotropic etching. Vector network analyzer was used to measure the reflection coefficient (S11: Return Loss) of the device. The resonant frequency of the resonator was measured to be 2.89 GHz as compare to the simulated frequency of 2.85 GHz with a return loss of 14.51 dB.


In autonomous agent systems, internal memory can be an important element to overcome the limitations of purely reactive agent behaviour. This paper presents an analysis of memory requirements for T-maze tasks well known as the road sign problem. In these tasks, a robot agent should make a decision about turning left or right at the T-junction in the approach corridor, depending on a history of perceptions. The robot agent in simulation can sense the light intensity influenced by light lamps placed on the bank of the wall. We apply the evolutionary multiobjective optimization approach to finite state controllers with two objectives: behaviour performance and memory size. Then the internal memory is quantified by counting internal states needed for the T-maze tasks in noisy environments. In particular, we focused on the influence of noise on internal memory and behaviour performance, and it is shown that state machines with variable thresholds can improve the performance with a hysteresis effect to filter out noise. This paper also provides an analysis of noise effect on perceptions and its relevance on performance degradation in state machines.


The right ventricle (RV) is of lesser importance in acquired heart disease, but its role is of increasing importance in congenital heart disease (CHD). Despite major progress being made, precise measurements of the RV are challenging because of its peculiar anatomical structure that is not adaptable to any planar geometrical assumption. This is particularly true in adult patients with CHD where the RV shape eludes any standardization, it may assume various morphologies, and its modality of contraction depends on previous surgical treatment and/or pathophysiological conditions. However, reliable and repeatable quantification of RV dimensions and function for these patients are essential to provide appropriate timing for intervention to optimize outcomes. In this population, echocardiographic evaluation should not be limited to an observational and subjective functional assessment of the RV but must provide quantitative values repeatable and clinically reliable to help the decision‐making process. The aim of this review was to discuss the echocardiographic approach to the RV in adult patients with CHD in general and in specific cases of pressure or volume overload.


The lack of an effective medical treatment for gastroparesis has pushed the research of new techniques of gastric electrical stimulation (GES) for nearly half a century of experimentation with a large variety of electrical stimuli delivered to the gastric wall of animals and patients with gastroparesis. Three principal methods are currently available: gastric low-frequency/high-energy GES with long pulse stimulation, high-frequency/low-energy GES with short pulse stimulation and neural sequential GES. The first method aims to reset a regular slow wave rhythm, but has variable effects on contractions and requires devices with large and heavy batteries unsuitable for implantation. High-frequency/low-energy GES, although inadequate to restore a normal gastric electro-mechanical activity, improves dyspeptic symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, giving patients a better quality of life together with a more satisfactory nutritional status and is suitable for implantation. Unfortunately, the numerous clinical studies using this type of GES, with the exception of two, were not controlled and there is a need for definitive verification of the effectiveness of this technique to justify the cost and the risks of this procedure. The last method, which is neural sequential GES, consists of a microprocessor-controlled sequential activation of a series of annular electrodes along the distal two thirds of the stomach and is able to induce propagated contractions causing forceful emptying of the gastric content. The latter method is the most promising, but has been used only in animals and needs to be tested in patients with gastroparesis before it is regarded as a solution for this disease.


Invisible colleges - researchers' networks of communicating academic work - are power-generating actors shaping research fields. A key question concerns the relation between local research communities and their dependence on global actors. A key arena is articles and citations in academic journals. An actor-network-inspired empirical investigation of the geographical origin of articles and references in the journal "Studies in the Education of Adults" and a check of references to journals in "Adult Education Quarterly" was made. The origin of articles and study objects in the International journal of Lifelong education was also analysed. Some conclusions can be drawn from the material. One is the heavy impact of "real" geographical location, i.e. the origins of texts and references are located in very specific areas on the map, i.e. in spite of the possibilities of cyberspace and global mobility. Another conclusion is the unilateral relation between an Anglo-American centre and a periphery in the distribution systems of texts. Adult education is faced with a contradictory situation between culturing invisible colleges in adult education and getting resources in the emerging economy of publications and citations through membership in other invisible colleges.


The paper discusses B. Cambourne's (1988; 1995) "Conditions of Learning" from an engineering perspective. Examples of how these conditions translate in an engineering environment are presented. Based on the author's experience, when these conditions are met in engineering classes, the learning process of the students as well as their enjoyment and appreciation of the subject are greatly enhanced.


Three player quantum Kolkata restaurant problem is modelled using three entangled qutrits. This first use of three level quantum states in this context is a step towards a N-choice generalization of the N-player quantum minority game. It is shown that a better than classical payoff is achieved by a Nash equilibrium solution where the space of available strategies is spanned by subsets of SU(3) and the players share a tripartite entangled initial state.


Model-based intrusion detection compares a process's execution against a program model to detect intrusion attempts. Models constructed from static program analysis have historically traded precision for efficiency. We address this problem with our Dyck model, the first efficient statically-constructed context-sensitive model. This model specifies both the correct sequences of system calls that a program can generate and the stack changes occurring at function call sites. Experiments demonstrate that the Dyck model is an order of magnitude more precise than a context-insensitive finite state machine model. With null call squelching, a dynamic technique to bound cost, the Dyck model operates in time similar to the contextinsensitive model. We also present two static analysis techniques designed to counter mimicry and evasion attacks. Our branch analysis identifies between 32% and 64% of our test programs' system call sites as affecting control flow via their return values. Interprocedural argument capture of general values recovers 32% to 69% more arguments than previously reported techniques.


Using a seniority lottery in U.S. House of Representatives I show that committee seniority dictates where government contracts are allocated and causes geographic heterogeneity in firm-level economic activity. Valuable government contracts to randomly selected lottery-winner districts drive within district investment spillovers and firm-level profitability. Although the stock market positively prices firms in lottery-winner districts, it underreacts to the ramifications of predictable shifts in government contracting under the aegis of senior political representation.


Aims. Within a cluster, gravitational effects can lead to the removal of stars from their parent galaxies and their subsequent dispersal into the intracluster medium. Gas hydrodynamical effects can additionally strip gas and dust from galaxies; both gas and stars contribute to intracluster light (ICL). The properties of the ICL can therefore help constrain the physical processes at work in clusters by serving as a fossil record of the interaction history. Methods. The present study is designed to characterise this ICL for the first time in a similar to 10(14) M-circle dot and z similar to 0.53 cluster of galaxies from imaging and spectroscopic points of view. By applying a wavelet-based method to CFHT Megacam and WIRCAM images, we detect significant quantities of diffuse light and are able to constrain their spectral energy distributions. These sources were then spectroscopically characterised with ESO Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) spectroscopic data. MUSE data were also used to compute redshifts of 24 cluster galaxies and search for cluster substructures. Results. An atypically large amount of ICL, equivalent in i' to the emission from two brightest cluster galaxies, has been detected in this cluster. Part of the detected diffuse light has a very weak optical stellar component and apparently consists mainly of gas emission, while other diffuse light sources are clearly dominated by old stars. Furthermore, emission lines were detected in several places of diffuse light. Our spectral analysis shows that this emission likely originates from low-excitation parameter gas. Globally, the stellar contribution to the ICL is about 2.3 x 10(9) yr old even though the ICL is not currently forming a large number of stars. On the other hand, the contribution of the gas emission to the ICL in the optical is much greater than the stellar contribution in some regions, but the gas density is likely too low to form stars. These observations favour ram pressure stripping, turbulent viscous stripping, or supernovae winds as the origin of the large amount of intracluster light. Since the cluster appears not to be in a major merging phase, we conclude that ram pressure stripping is the most plausible process that generates the observed ICL sources. Conclusions. This is one of the first times that we are able to spectroscopically study diffuse light in such a distant and massive cluster, and it demonstrates the potential of MUSE observations for such studies.


Two objections at once occur. Surely to talk thus is to underplay the Trinity in Unity? The Triune God is still the God of the Shema can this God, therefore, ground different accounts of fulfilment? Again, Christianity has affirmed both cultural pluralism and also a belief in one human nature made in the image of God which has underpinned objections to slavery, class politics, racism, and so on. The impact of Christian missions, in India for example, has been to change an ancient account of what it


The paper attempts to present a tentative study of John Wain's Hurry On Down in view of Sigmund Freud's theory for the purpose of exploring Lumley's psychological process. In Hurry On Down, there are many Freudian elements such as the libidinal energy, illusion, and anxiety; etc. These elements embodies the worldviews towards love.His two processes of falling in love reflect the two different attitudes towards love and morality.Charles Lumley's personal experience after graduation is constantly a process of knowing himself, self-fulfillment and self-realization. In this process his id, ego and superego conflict with each other. Eventually, it can be concluded that human being exists in the society, and you cannot escape the society you belong to. In order to live, you must learn to adapt to the society even if you don't like, even hate the society. Because human beings live in the society, and you have no choice.


The filtrates or centrates from dewatering of digested sludges cause high internal nitrogen loads on sewage treatment plants. Especially at poor inflow C:N ratios separate treatment of these sludge liquors can significantly relieve the biological treatment stage. We developed a new process for a biological sidestream treatment with primary sludge as the carbon source for denitrification. The process has beeen tested in laboratory-scale tests and by computer simulations. The stability of the process is being investigated in a full-scale application under practical conditions.


With the pervasiveness of mobile devices and the development of wireless communication technique, location-based services (LBSs) have made our life more convenient, and the polygons spatial query, which can provide more flexible LBS, has attracted considerable interest recently. However, the flourish of polygons spatial query still faces many challenges including the query information privacy. In this paper, we present an efficient and privacy-preserving polygons spatial query framework for location-based services, called Polaris. With Polaris, the LBS provider (LP) outsources the encrypted LBS data to cloud server (CS), and the registered user can query any polygon range to get accurate LBS results without divulging his/her query information to the LP and CS. Specifically, an efficient special polygons spatial query (SPSQ) algorithm over ciphertext is constructed, based on an improved homomorphic encryption technology over composite order group. With SPSQ, Polaris can search outsourced encrypted LBS data in CS by the encrypted request, and respond the encrypted polygons spatial query results accurately. Detailed security analysis shows that the proposed Polaris can resist various known security threats. In addition, performance evaluations via implementing Polaris on smartphone and workstation with real LBS dataset demonstrate Polaris' effectiveness in term of real environment.


We designed, fabricated, and characterized a thin metalens in an amorphous silicon film of diameter 30 µm, focal length equal to the incident wavelength 633 nm. The lens is capable of simultaneously manipulating the state of polarization and phase of incident light. The lens converts a linearly polarized beam into radially polarized light, producing a subwavelength focus. When illuminated with a linearly polarized Gaussian beam, the lens produces a focal spot whose size at full-width half-maximum intensity is 0.49λ and 0.55λ (λ is incident wavelength). The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation, with the simulated focal spot measuring 0.46λ and 0.52λ. This focal spot is less than all other focal spots obtained using metalenses.


It is a challenge to design single-mode transmission lines for above 100 GHz following strict design rules of modern CMOS processes. This paper reports characteristics of three types of microstrip lines in 65 nm CMOS up to 325 GHz, designed with or without using an auto-dummy exclusion layer. The lowest-loss design among the three is a shielded microstrip protected with an exclusion layer. The metal density requirement is met, as is commonly done, by placing sidewalls as far from the signal line as allowed by the design rules. The other two designs are microstrips without sidewalls or the exclusion layer. One of them has high-density auto dummy fill inserted by the foundry and shows significantly higher attenuation than the shielded microstrip. The other is filled with low-density fill that prevents auto dummy fill from being inserted. It is only marginally lossier than the shielded microstrip. The microstrips without sidewalls are found to exhibit more well-behaved attenuation especially above 100 GHz. The frequency dependence of the attenuation of the shielded microstrip, on the other hand, exhibits ripples, indicating possible presence of spurious modes. Attenuation constants estimated by multiline TRL (thru-reflect-line) from lines of various lengths indicate that the longest line measured should be very long, perhaps 2mm or longer, for the estimates to be reliable.


In the prefrontal cortex, NMDA receptors are important for normal prefrontal functions such as working memory, and their dysfunction plays a key role in the pathological processes of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Little is known, however, about the synaptic properties of NMDA receptors in the local circuits of recurrent excitation, a leading candidate mechanism underlying working memory. We investigated the NMDA receptor-mediated currents at monosynaptic connections between pairs of layer 5 pyramidal neurons. We found that NMDA receptor-mediated currents at prefrontal synapses in the adult, but not young, rats exhibit a twofold longer decay time-constant and temporally summate a train of stimuli more effectively, compared to those in the primary visual cortex. Experiments with pharmacological, immunocytochemical, and biochemical approaches further suggest that, in the adult animals, neurons express significantly more NR2B subunits in the prefrontal cortex than the visual cortex. The NR2B-rich synapses in the prefrontal circuitry may be critically implicated in online cognitive computations and plasticity in learning, as well as psychiatric disorders.


www.spectrum.ieee.org As I Clearly Stated...Loser when accused of inconsistency, the British economist John Maynard Keynes is supposed to have responded, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" It's a fallback position for every politician, publicist, and pundit, says Senior Editor Philip E. Ross [above], who now invokes it to explain his own change of posi tion on Nantero. He's called the Woburn, Mass., company a win ner three times over five years, for three magazines, including this one. This month, though, he places it in the unfortunate second half of IEEE Spectrum's "Winners and Losers" list. In 2002, writing in Red Herring magazine, Ross extolled Nantero's idea of using carbon nanotubes to store data perma nently, as flash memory does, while packing in far more data and accessing it far faster. He quoted the company as saying it would have a commercial pro totype within "one to two years." Sure, Ross also quoted skep tics, but only in the "to be sure" paragraph that generally follows a long passage arguing in the opposing direction. Two years later, in another science magazine, Ross lauded Nantero for finally setting up a production line for its nanotube chip. He also wrote up the com pany at greater length for Spectrum [see "10 Tech Companies for the Next 10 Years," November 2004], saying that "these little tubes could turn out to be very big indeed." He notes that Nantero's tech nology still seems as ingenious as it ever did. Rather than specify the structure and placement of particu lar tubes—a problem nobody has come close to solving—the com pany's device averages the elec tronic properties of many tubes. So, what change does Ross cite to justify his change of mind? "The passage of time," he responds. "It has been six years since Nantero started saying its chip would be out in just another year or two, and I just don't believe it anymore." o EditoriAl


Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
INTRODUCTION
"Precision psychiatry" is one aspect of the growing field of precision medicine.  Precision psychiatry will provide individualized care tailored to certain biomarkers. The patient's unique mental health profile is at the core of advancing machine learning models for clinical practice. Traditionally psychiatrists used a "trial-and-error" approach to standardized drugs, whereas precision psychiatry integrates objectivity with the diagnosis and treatment.[1] The long-term benefits of precision psychiatry include generating effective therapeutic plans for a person, eliminating the emotional burden of the trial-and-error process, and optimizing medications currently on the market for sustained use. To take advantage of the many benefits of precision psychiatry, more mental health practitioners, an effective allocation plan, and the continuation of traditional psychiatry are necessary. Precision psychiatry should not supplant traditional psychiatry as not all practitioners and patients will have access to it.
ANALYSIS
The National Institute of Mental Health is working on the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project intending to establish an updated classification system for mental health disorders based on a combination of observational and neurobiological findings.[2] While this effort is working toward the goal of providing a research-based classification system, the technological tools necessary to arm a physician with a well-endowed toolbox may not be cost-effective in the initial phase.[3] To reap the rewards of precision psychiatry, physicians should eventually circumvent the trial-and-error approach to psychiatric care, with its hefty financial burden often thrust upon the patient and family.
a.     Emotional and Financial Benefits
The usual course of diagnosis for mental health disorders involves analyzing symptoms according to the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) developed by the World Health Organization.[4] The promising advances in the accuracy of neuroimaging will prove to be an asset to the field of precision psychiatry. For example, several studies showcase the increased responsiveness to lithium therapy as a predictor of the efficacy of bipolar disorder treatment.[5] Ultimately, one of the greatest benefits of precision psychiatry is the ability to predict whether a particular person with major depressive disorder will develop antidepressant resistance by the course of their proposed treatment. 5 For 30 percent of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder, the treatment trajectory often ends with treatment resistance.[6] By circumventing the trial-and-error algorithm to psychiatric care, the patient's emotional and financial burden may be reduced.
b.     Justice and Access
Successfully implementing precision psychiatry is no easy feat; it requires interconnectedness, including "big data" storage, research analyzing molecular biosignatures, "computational psychiatry," communication with experts in the field of neuroimaging and neuroscience, and electronic health records.[7] The success of precision psychiatry would revolutionize the field altogether, with the goal being "to improve the diagnostic process and the choice of a specific treatment using biomarkers derived from peripheral blood, imaging…or neuropsychological tests."[8] However, the success of precision psychiatry is contingent on modifying the healthcare infrastructure, which cannot currently provide equitable access to basic mental health care.[9]
For example, mental health disorders are the leading cause of lost productivity and disability, with the US incurring an economic cost of $42-53 billion per year.[10] One goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to increase insurance coverage for mental health care. However, the US still possesses "one of the highest mental health burdens among high-income countries."[11] Access and affordability of psychiatric care in the US is already of utmost concern as one in six adults seeks out care; however, due to the lack of affordability, such required care is unattainable.[12] The mismatch between the volume of individuals requiring mental health care and the number receiving it may be due to the relatively low workforce capacity in comparison to other high-income countries.[13] The US has a staggeringly low number of mental healthcare professionals compared to Canada, including nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, with 105 and 277 professionals per 100,000 individuals, respectively.[14] The gap in mental health care is prominent in the US, where one-third of the indigenous population diagnosed with a mental health disorder does not receive any treatment.[15] Inequity in access to mental health care is still of paramount concern, with basic mental health care needs remaining unmet for many Americans.[16] Precision psychiatry involving advanced technology and interdisciplinary care teams provides individualized psychiatric care, which could prove beneficial. However, the inability to guarantee equitable access to such care calls into question distributive justice and whether the benefits will accrue to those in need.
c.     Saves Time
Precision psychiatry is costly, and communities with limited psychiatric resources may potentially become further disadvantaged. If precision psychiatry is readily available to the masses and is used instead of trial and error, the willingness of people to seek mental health care may rise. A faster route to the discovery of medication combinations optimized for the patient would contribute to building trust and rapport. Targeting both the biological and physical manifestations of mental illness not only provide rapid improvement but also decreases the risk of losing patients due to frustration over lack of improvement with pharmacological intervention. Providing precision psychiatry decreases the time required for each person to achieve a successful therapeutic regimen, ultimately allowing the physician to invest time in a greater number of patients. The redistribution of mental health care and eliminating mental healthcare deserts are necessary to reap the benefits.
d.     A Humanistic Approach
Establishing rigorous evidence-based criteria for precision psychiatry will not only involve decades of research but may also impact the humanistic aspects of psychiatry. Psychiatry involves a humanistic approach to medical care. Building a trustworthy patient-physician relationship is the foundation of exemplary care. Precision psychiatry provides the crucial benefit of tailoring medical treatments to the predicted response rate of the person.[17] However, one must be wary of falling into the trap that precision psychiatry is the answer for mental health disorders. Without active intercommunication between varying healthcare disciplines, including social work, the person may be "reduced to an object of big data."[18] A humanistic approach will properly include the ongoing relationship with the psychiatrist and may include some trial and error as well to reflect patient preferences based on side effect profile rather than efficacy alone.
CONCLUSION
Reducing people to either their brain or their computed contribution to "big data" will not benefit precision psychiatry. While it is helpful to understand the root of a patient's mental illness through neuroimaging and neurological biomarkers, such intrinsically evidence-based medicine must coexist with traditional psychiatric care. Precision psychiatry could benefit people with treatment-resistant mental illness by integrating neurological biomarkers as a tool for retrofitting existing medications to the person. Used under ethical standards, precision psychiatry is a positive development.  Distributive justice should be included in the goals of all health care, especially in the distribution of precision psychiatry as it becomes more finetuned and garners broad appeal. During the phasing-in period of precision psychiatry, the gap in equitable access to standard mental health care should be resolved. The US needs to better its mental health diagnosis and treatment options to offer both traditional and precision psychiatry to people in need. Although it may take several years, even decades for a rigorous set of tools capable of foreseeing medication responsiveness to come to fruition for physicians, such precision psychiatry will be a game-changer.
[1] Evers, Kathinka. "Personalized medicine in psychiatry: ethical challenges and opportunities." Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience vol. 11,4 (2009): 427-34.
[2]  Menke, Andreas. "Precision pharmacotherapy: psychiatry's future direction in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental disorders." Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine vol. 11 211-222. 19 Nov. 2018, doi:10.2147/PGPM.S146110.
[3] Manchia, et al., p131
[4]  Menke, p 211
[5] Manchia, Mirko et al. "Challenges and Future Prospects of Precision Medicine in Psychiatry." Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine vol. 13 127-140. 23 Apr. 2020, doi:10.2147/PGPM.S198225.
[6] Manchia, et al., p 131
[7] Fernandes, Brisa S et al. "The new field of 'precision psychiatry'." BMC Medicine vol. 15,1 80. 13 Apr. 2017, doi:10.1186/s12916-017-0849-x.
[8] Menke, p211
[9] Fernandes, p80
[10] Williams, Leanne M. "Precision psychiatry: a neural circuit taxonomy for depression and anxiety." The Lancet. Psychiatry vol. 3,5 (2016): 472-80. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00579-9.
[11]  Tikkanen, Roosa et al. "Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use: Comparing U.S. Needs and Treatment Capacity with Those in Other High-Income Countries." Commonwealth Fund. 21 May. 2020, doi:10.26099/09ht-rj07.
[12] Fernandes, p 80
[13] Fernandes, p 80
[14] Fernandes, p 80
[15] Kohn, Robert et al. "Mental health in the Americas: an overview of the treatment gap." Revista panamericana de salud publica =


Human derived T98G glioblastoma has long been utilized as an in vitro model for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated growth regulation. Recently, T98G has been employed to develop new types of therapy directed at limiting EGFR expression such as by administration of antisense oligonucleotides directed against EGFR encoding mRNA. A major limitation to extending this model for in vivo application is that T98G implanted s.c. or intracerebrally has been reported not to grow in nude mice. In an effort to extend this model to permit in vivo studies, we evaluated the use of Matrigel and orthotopic (intracranial) implantation techniques. When equal volumes of Matrigel were mixed with T98G cell suspensions, tumors developed at both flank and orthotopic locations. Four groups of nude mice were inoculated into the flanks with either 10(5), 10(6), 4 x 10(6) or 10(7) T98G cells in a 150 microliters total volume with Matrigel. In 1/5, 3/5, 1/5 and 1/3 mice receiving 10(5), 10(6), 4 x 10(6) and 10(7) cells, respectively, tumors developed 11, 15, 15 and 15 weeks, respectively, following inoculation. Out of 4 mice inoculated orthotopically (intracranially into the frontal lobe) with only 4 x 10(4) cells and Matrigel, 2 developed tumors. However, all mice (4/4) inoculated orthotopically with 4 x 10(5) cells in a 10 microliters total volume with Matrigel developed tumors. Two were identified histologically following a scheduled sacrifice at 36 and 60 days and two more at 103 and 118 days after sacrifice following abnormal behavior. The best tumor establishment efficacy combined orthotopic implantation of 4 x 10(5) T98G cells with Matrigel. These techniques permit the use of T98G glioblastoma as an in vivo model for new forms of therapy.


Demain on Demenage is a gloriously comic queering of reproduction that claims as its foundation heterosexual sexuality and the stability of the hetero-normative unit of the couple. Akerman's decision to cast Aurore Clement in the role of a mother in  Demain on Demenage , over two decades after playing a daughter in  Les Rendez-vous d'Anna , encourages a reading of the 2005 film as a reprise of concerns first explored in 1978. If  Les Rendez-vous d'Anna  has moments in common with Lee Edelman's uncompromisingly provocative polemic against the ideology of 'reproductive futurism', this paper argues that  Demain on Demenage  figures the 'matrixial' movement Bracha Ettinger theorises as opening on to a different concept of futurity, symbolised not in post-natal terms by the child or the mother, but rather as a corporeal- psychic imprint of the 'originary prenatal encounter event, with-in pregnancy' common to all human beings, which offers another model of communal relations.


This paper discusses the visualization of microdevice dynamics using high-speed cine photomicrograph. The visualization results in image sequences, which contain the kinematic position data of the moving parts in a microsystem. Utilizing a mathematical model, it is shown in this paper how to extract information about the forces and torques acting on the microdevice. Furthermore, the values of system parameters can be calculated if a dynamic model of the process is available and the identification of the parameters is unambiguous. In this paper, the model-based evaluation of high-speed-cinematographic image sequences is demonstrated for a microturbine and a microrelay. The measurements on the microturbine have been performed with a setup, which allows an image frequency up to 100 million frames per second for nonreproducible processes. The measurements of the microrelay have been taken with a second experimental setup using the stroboscopic principle. In the case of the microrelay, the complete identification of the dynamic model used by us is carried out. A first application of our identified model is the design of an optimal current pulse for the microrelay to damp oscillations.


With the aim to increase the knowledge of the broadcasting properties under circumstances like time reversal, change on refractive index, presence of random obstacles, and so on, we developed new type of hybrid equations named Maxwell-Fredholm equations. These new equations fuse the Maxwell equations' description of the electromagnetic fields with the Fourier transform of the Fredholm integral equations appropriate for a broadcasting process. Now we have a new tool, which resembles the Maxwell equations but including contributions from the Fredholm formulation like the resonant behaviour of the left-hand material conditions. To illustrate the usefulness of this new class of equations, we include an academic example that shows the deflection of an electromagnetic beam traveling among a highly anisotropic and left-handed behaviour media.


"This paper presents an analysis of the determinants of the age of marriage and the probability of divorce among women in the United States." The author hypothesizes that the possibility of divorce enters into women's decision to marry. "As expected, empirical results indicate that in the United States, where it is easier to obtain divorce, women tend to marry earlier. Furthermore, Catholic women tend to marry later....Results seem to indicate the age at marriage and education should not be considered to be exogenous in the study of the probability of divorce. Another important result is that women who marry earlier...show a lower probability of divorce...."


Abstract. The next and current generations of methane-retrieving satellite instruments are reliant on the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) for validation. Understanding the biases inherent in TCCON and satellite methane retrievals is as important now as when TCCON started in 2004. In this study we highlight possible biases between different methane products by assessing the retrievals of the main methane isotopologue 12CH4. Using the TCCON GGG2014 retrieval environment, retrievals are performed using five separate spectroscopic databases from four separate TCCON sites (namely, Ascension Island, Ny-Ålesund, Darwin and Tsukuba) over the course of a year. The spectroscopic databases include those native to TCCON, GGG2014 and GGG2020; the high-resolution transmission molecular absorption database 2016 (HITRAN2016); the Gestion et Etude des Informations Spectroscopiques Atmosphériques 2020 (GEISA2020) database; and the ESA Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions – Improved Atmospheric Spectroscopy Databases (SEOM-IAS). We assess the biases in retrieving methane using the standard TCCON windows and the methane window used by the Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) TROPOspheric Ozone Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) for each of the different spectroscopic databases. By assessing the retrieved 12CH4 values from individual windows against the standard TCCON retrievals, we find bias values of between 0.05 and 2.5 times the retrieval noise limit. These values vary depending on the window and TCCON site, with Ascension Island showing the lowest biases (typically <0.5) and Ny-Ålesund or Tsukuba showing the largest. For the spectroscopic databases, GEISA2020 shows the largest biases, often greater than 1.5 across the TCCON sites and considered windows. The TROPOMI spectral window (4190–4340 cm−1) shows the largest biases of all the spectral windows, typically >1, for all spectroscopic databases, suggesting that further improvements in spectroscopic parameters are necessary. We further assess the sensitivity of these biases to locally changing atmospheric conditions such as the solar zenith angle (SZA), water vapour and temperature. We find evidence of significant non-linear relationships between the variation in local conditions and the retrieval biases based on regression analysis. In general, each site, database and window combination indicates different degrees of sensitivity, with GEISA2020 often showing the most sensitivity for all TCCON sites. Ny-Ålesund and Tsukuba show the most sensitivity to variations in local condition, while Ascension Island indicates limited sensitivity. Finally, we investigate the biases associated with retrieving 13CH4 from each TCCON site and spectroscopic database, through the calculation of δ13C values. We find high levels of inconsistency, in some cases >100 ‰ between databases, suggesting more work is required to refine the spectroscopic parameters of 13CH4.


We present our view of what is necessary to build an engaging open-domain conversational agent: covering the qualities of such an agent, the pieces of the puzzle that have been built so far, and the gaping holes we have not filled yet. We present a biased view, focusing on work done by our own group, while citing related work in each area. In particular, we discuss in detail the properties of continual learning, providing engaging content, and being well-behaved -- and how to measure success in providing them. We end with a discussion of our experience and learnings, and our recommendations to the community.


While exploring unfamiliar concepts and striving to grasp higher level mathematics, secondary and postsecondary mathematics students often ask, "When will we ever use this?" Although this question typically stems from students' frustration, skepticism, and confusion, the question has great potential for teachable moments. Mathematics has countless applications in people's daily lives, but the common person often fails to recognize this; those who realize the worldly importance of applicable mathematics often cannot provide specific examples nor understand the rigorous mathematics involved. It is important for mathematics teachers to have a conceptual understanding of the subject, and to be able to provide specific examples of applicable mathematics to students. Although the limit of applicable mathematics examples is infinite, a few cases are explored in this report.


: We investigated the protective and/or therapeutic effects of a new cholecystokinin receptor antagonist, KSG-504, on different types of experimental pancreatitis in the rat and mouse. The intravenous injection of KSG-504 (10, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) before caerulein administration to the rat inhibited the increases in plasma amylase, lipase and of pancreatic wet weight in a dose-dependent manner. The histological changes due to caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis were also decreased by KSG-504 when KSG-504 (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) was administered after the induction of acute pancreatitis; the increases in plasma amylase, lipase and pancreatic wet weight were reduced, but the histological changes of the pancreas were not decreased significantly. In the second experiment, acute pancreatitis was induced in rats by injecting 0.3 ml of 6% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic interstitial tissue. KSG-504 administered immediately and 1.5 hr after sodium-taurocholate injection at 100 mg/kg reduced the increases of pancreatic enzymes in the plasma, pancreatic wet weight and ascites. Moreover, KSG-504 (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.v., x 2) mitigated the histological changes of taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis. Another type of acute pancreatitis was induced in mice by dl-ethionine (0.5 g/kg, p.o., x 4) and a choline-deficient diet. KSG-504 (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg) was subcutaneously administered five times every 12 hr during the experiment. KSG-504 elongated the survival of mice in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that KSG-504 has potent protective and/or therapeutic effects against acute pancreatitis and that cholecystokinin may be involved in the development of pancreatitis.


Vitamin D insufficiency affects almost 50% of the population worldwide. An estimated 1 billion people worldwide, across all ethnicities and age groups, have a vitamin D deficiency (VDD). This pandemic of hypovitaminosis D can mainly be attributed to lifestyle (for example, reduced outdoor activities) and environmental (for example, air pollution) factors that reduce exposure to sunlight, which is required for ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced vitamin D production in the skin. High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency is a particularly important public health issue because hypovitaminosis D is an independent risk factor for total mortality in the general population. Current studies suggest that we may need more vitamin D than presently recommended to prevent chronic disease. As the number of people with VDD continues to increase, the importance of this hormone in overall health and the prevention of chronic diseases are at the forefront of research. VDD is very common in all age groups. As few foods contain vitamin D, guidelines recommended supplementation at suggested daily intake and tolerable upper limit levels. It is also suggested to measure the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level as the initial diagnostic test in patients at risk for deficiency. Treatment with either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 is recommended for deficient patients. A meta-analysis published in 2007 showed that vitamin D supplementation was associated with significantly reduced mortality. In this review, we will summarize the mechanisms that are presumed to underlie the relationship between vitamin D and understand its biology and clinical implications.


The septins are a conserved family of GTP-binding, filament-forming proteins. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the septins form a ring at the mother-bud neck that appears to function primarily by serving as a scaffold for the recruitment of other proteins to the neck, where they participate in cytokinesis and a variety of other processes. Formation of the septin ring depends on the Rho-type GTPase Cdc42p but appears to be independent of the actin cytoskeleton. In this study, we investigated further the mechanisms of septin-ring formation. Fluorescence-recovery-after-photobleaching (FRAP) experiments indicated that the initial septin structure at the presumptive bud site is labile (exchanges subunits freely) but that it is converted into a stable ring as the bud emerges. Mutants carrying the cdc42V36G allele or lacking two or all three of the known Cdc42p GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs: Bem3p, Rga1p, and Rga2p) could recruit the septins to the cell cortex but were blocked or delayed in forming a normal septin ring and had accompanying morphogenetic defects. These phenotypes were dramatically enhanced in mutants that were also defective in Cla4p or Gin4p, two protein kinases previously shown to be important for normal septin-ring formation. The Cdc42p GAPs colocalized with the septins both early and late in the cell cycle, and overexpression of the GAPs could suppress the septin-organization and morphogenetic defects of temperature-sensitive septin mutants. Taken together, the data suggest that formation of the mature septin ring is a process that consists of at least two distinguishable steps, recruitment of the septin proteins to the presumptive bud site and their assembly into the stable septin ring. Both steps appear to depend on Cdc42p, whereas the Cdc42p GAPs and the other proteins known to promote normal septin-ring formation appear to function in a partially redundant manner in the assembly step. In addition, because the eventual formation of a normal septin ring in a cdc42V36G or GAP mutant was invariably accompanied by a switch from an abnormally elongated to a more normal bud morphology distal to the ring, it appears that the septin ring plays a direct role in determining the pattern of bud growth.


While Marx and Engels wrote little on education, the educational implications of Marxism are clear. Education both reproduces capitalism and has the potential to undermine it. With respect to reproduction, it is informative to look at key texts by Althusser and Bowles and Gintis (and the latter's legacy). As far as challenging capitalism is concerned, considerations are given to both theoretical developments and practical attempts to confront neoliberalism and enact socialist principles, the combination of which Marxists refer to as praxis. There have been constant challenges to Marxism since its conception, and in conclusion we look at two contemporary theories—critical race theory and its primacy of "race" over class—and intersectionality which has a tendency to marginalize class.


Abstract A ring of points that is rotated so rapidly is perceived as a stationary outline circle that can induce an illusory rotation with the same spin direction in a subsequently presented ring of stationary points. This motion bridging effect (MBE) demonstrates that motion information can be conveyed by temporal frequencies generally thought to exceed the processing capabilities of the human visual system. It was first described in displays shown with an analog oscilloscope, but the rapid rotation rates needed to produce the MBE have heretofore prevented it from being investigated with conventional raster scan monitors. Here, we demonstrate the MBE can be reliably generated using the new generation of 240 Hz LCD gaming monitors, and exhibits basic characteristics similar to those reported previously. These monitors therefore provide a readily available resource for research on the MBE and the studies of the visual processing rapid motions in general.


Using high frequency data for the price dynamics of equities we measure the impact that market microstructure noise has on estimates of the: (i) volatility of returns; and (ii) variance–covariance matrix of n assets. We propose a Kalman-filter-based methodology that allows us to deconstruct price series into the true efficient price and the microstructure noise. This approach allows us to employ volatility estimators that achieve very low Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSEs) compared to other estimators that have been proposed to deal with market microstructure noise at high frequencies. Furthermore, this price series decomposition allows us to estimate the variance covariance matrix of n assets in a more efficient way than the methods so far proposed in the literature. We illustrate our results by calculating how microstructure noise affects portfolio decisions and calculations of the equity beta in a CAPM setting.


Juglans (walnuts), the most speciose genus in the walnut family (Juglandaceae) represents most of the family's commercially valuable fruit and wood-producing trees. It includes several species used as rootstock in agriculture for their resistance to various abiotic and biotic stressors. We present the full structural and functional genome annotations of six Juglans species and one outgroup within Juglandaceae (Juglans regia, J. cathayensis, J. hindsii, J. microcarpa, J. nigra, J. sigillata and Pterocarya stenoptera) produced using BRAKER2 semi-unsupervised gene prediction pipeline and additional tools. For each annotation, gene predictors were trained using 19 tissue-specific J. regia transcriptomes aligned to the genomes. Additional functional evidence and filters were applied to multi-exonic and mono-exonic putative genes to yield between 27,000 and 44,000 high-confidence gene models per species. Comparison of gene models to the BUSCO embryophyta dataset suggested that, on average, genome annotation completeness was 85.6%. We utilized these high-quality annotations to assess gene family evolution within Juglans and among Juglans and selected Eurosid species. We found notable contractions in several gene families in J. hindsii, including disease resistance-related Wall-associated Kinase (WAK) and Catharanthus roseus Receptor-like Kinase (CrRLK1L) and others involved in abiotic stress response. Finally, we confirmed an ancient whole genome duplication that took place in a common ancestor of Juglandaceae using site substitution comparative analysis.


Vehicular communications have received a great deal of attention in recent years due to the demand for multimedia applications during travel and for improvements in safety. Safety applications often require fast message exchanges but do not use much bandwidth. On the other hand, multimedia services require high bandwidth for vehicular users. Hence, to provide mobile broadband services at a vehicular speed of up to 350 km/h, Worldwide interoperable for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) are considered the best technologies for vehicular networks. WiMAX and LTE are Fourth-Generation (4G) wireless technologies that have well-defined quality of service (QoS) and security architectures. However, some security threats, such as denial of service (DoS), an introduction of rogue node, etc., still exist in WiMAX and LTE networks, particularly in multihop networks. Therefore, strong security architecture and hasty authentication methods are needed to mitigate the existing security threats in 4G multihop wireless networks. Conversely, the network QoS should not be degraded while enhancing security. Thus, we propose QoS-aware distributed security architecture using the elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) protocol that has proven security strength and low overhead for 4G wireless networks. In this paper, we first describe the current security standards and security threats in WiMAX and LTE networks. Then, the proposed distributed security architecture for 4G multihop wireless networks is presented. Finally, we compare and analyze the proposed solution using testbed implementation and simulation approaches for WiMAX. From the simulation and testbed results for WiMAX networks, it is evident that the proposed scheme provides strong security and hasty authentication for handover users without affecting the QoS performance. For LTE networks, we present the theoretical analysis of the proposed scheme to show that similar performance can also be achieved.


Abstract Background: The worldwide epidemic of childhood obesity has been accompanied by an increase in the incidence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Objective: To determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other carbohydrate metabolism disorders in obese young people in the Basque Country (Spain). Design: Prospective observational study. Patients: We studied 136 obese Caucasian children and adolescents (body mass index ≥2 SDS above the mean). Measurements: Their severity of obesity was classified as mild <3 SDS or moderate-to-severe ≥3 SDS. Data were collected on clinical and metabolic parameters; insulin resistance (IR) was calculated using the homeostasis model assessment, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was carried out. Results: T2DM was not found. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was found in 9.6% of patients being higher in moderate-to-severe obesity (12.8% vs. 2.4%; p=0.048) and in patients with acanthosis nigricans (27.8% vs. 6.8%; p=0.016). No differences were detected by sex or pubertal development in metabolic results as a function of OGTT's response. IR (13.5%) was higher among those with moderate-to-severe obesity, in patients with acanthosis nigricans and was associated with other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Conclusions: We found no children with T2DM. The prevalence of IGT and IR was related to severity of obesity, to the association of acanthosis nigricans and was associated with cardiovascular risk.


Special rolling is also called rotary forming process, which is an advanced manufacture technology of making workpiece generate deformation in a rotary state by continuous local plastic forming. Disk rotary parts with outer stepped cross-section, such as wheels, flanges, valves and so on, are widely used in engineering machinery. Traditionally, this kind of part is manufactured by forging and cutting, which consumes a lot of energy and materials especially to the large size part. In this paper, a new specific rolling technique called three rolls cross rolling is first presented to produce this kind of part, and the principle and characteristics of this technique are described in detail. Then, base on the principle of the three rolls cross rolling, a 3D coupled thermo-mechanical FE model is developed under ABAQUS software environment. As a result, under the simulation and analyses of a real example, the feasibility of this technique is verified, and the evolutional laws of the strain, temperature and rolling force and power parameters during the process are investigated as well. The obtained results provide valuable guidelines for the further investigation on the forming characteristic of the three rolls cross rolling technique.


BACKGROUND
A factor of potential importance in the failure of islet grafts is poor or inadequate engraftment of the islets in the implantation organ. This study measured the oxygen tension and blood perfusion in 1-, 2-, and 9-month-old islet grafts.

METHODS
The partial pressure of oxygen was measured in pancreatic islets transplanted beneath the renal capsule of diabetic and nondiabetic recipient rats with a modified Clark electrode (outer tip diameter 2-6 microm). The size of the graft (250 islets) was by purpose not large enough to cure the diabetic recipients. The oxygen tension in islets within the pancreas was also recorded. Blood perfusion was measured with the laser-Doppler technique.

RESULTS
Within native pancreatic islets, the partial pressure of oxygen was approximately 40 mm Hg (n=8). In islets transplanted to nondiabetic animals, the oxygen tension was approximately 6-7 mm Hg 1, 2, and 9 months posttransplantation. No differences could be seen between the different time points after transplantation. In the diabetic recipients, an even more pronounced decrease in graft tissue oxygen tension was recorded. The mean oxygen tension in the superficial renal cortex surrounding the implanted islets was similar in all groups (approximately 15 mm Hg). Intravenous administration of glucose (0.1 gxkg(-1)x min(-1)) did not affect the oxygen tension in any of the investigated tissues. The islet graft blood flow was similar in all groups, measuring approximately 50% of the blood flow in the kidney cortex.

CONCLUSION
The oxygen tension in islets implanted beneath the kidney capsule is markedly lower than in native islets up to 9 months after transplantation. Moreover, persistent hyperglycemia in the recipient causes an even further decrease in graft oxygen tension, despite similar blood perfusion. To what extent this may contribute to islet graft failure remains to be determined.


Constraint satisfiability problems, crucial to several applications, are solved on a quantum computer using the Grover's search algorithm, leading to a quadratic improvement over the classical case. The solutions are obtained with high probability for several cases and are illustrated for the cases involving 2 variables for both 3-bit and 4-bit numbers. Methods are defined for inequality comparisons and these are combined according to the form of the satisfiability formula, to form the oracle for the algorithm. The circuit is constructed using IBM Qiskit and is verified on an IBM simulator. It is further executed on one of the Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) processors from IBM on the cloud. Noise levels in the processor at present are found to be too high for successful execution. Running the algorithm on the simulator with a custom noise model lets us identify the noise threshold for successful execution.


Literature is a life expression of human beings in the form of experience, thoughts, idea,
and feeling in concrete description by using a language as the medium. It enriches the
reader's knowledge and experience about life. That is why the writer analyzes literature,
especially novel that focused on conflict as the topic of this study. Conflict is one of the
elements of novel, which can help the readers know what the author wants to tell. Through
this study, the writer wants to know what types of conflict and the most dominant conflict
faced by the main characters in "Kaleidoscope" novel.
This study takes Danielle Steel's novel, "Kaleidoscope" which is a popular one. The purpose
of this study is to analyze and to know the types of conflict and the most dominant type of
conflict faced by the main characters in this novel. The steps of collecting data of this study
are reading and comprehending the novel, identifying the conflict, identifying the types of
conflict, coding the novel pages that have a certain type of conflict, and counting the most
dominant conflict faced by the main characters.
This study used descriptive research method because the writer just wants to find the types
of conflict faced by the main characters and there is no treatment as in experimental
research. This study used objective approach because the writer just analyzes the novel
itself, not the other aspects of novel, such as the background of the author. The population
is the whole events that exist in "Kaleidoscope" novel. The sample is some paragraphs and
dialogues that have a certain types of conflict.
The result of this study shows that "Kaleidoscope" novel covers three types of conflict. They
are social, psychological, and physical conflicts. From the three types of conflicts, there is
one that most dominant faced by the main characters in the novel that is social conflict.


The basis for this task is the RGrad framework developed as part of the Doctoral Thesis of Bjorn Tore Lovfall and the continued development by his supervisor Tore Haug-Warberg. This work focuses on the Application Programming Inter- face(API) used by thermodynamic simulations that uses equations processed by RGrad. The main contribution is a redesign of the C structures and functions exposed by the interface, and rewritten wrappers for Rubyand Python. During the rewrite of the C API it has been important to make flexible so that the RGrad exported code could be changed without changing the API and wrappers.


The neuromodulatory system plays a critical role in sensorimotor system function and animal behavior. Its influence on axons, however, remains enigmatic although axons possess receptors for a plethora of modulators, and pathologies of the neuromodulatory system impair neuronal communication. The most dramatic neuromodulatory effect on axons is ectopic spiking, a process common to many systems and neurons during which action potentials are elicited in the axon trunk and travel antidromically towards the site of sensory transduction. We argue that ectopic action potentials modify sensory encoding by invading the primary spike initiation zone in the periphery. This is a particularly intriguing concept, since it allows the modulatory system to alter sensory information processing. We demonstrate that aminergic modulation of a proprioceptive axon that elicits spontaneous ectopic action potentials changes spike frequency, which determines the burst behavior of the proprioceptor. Increasing ectopic spike frequency delayed the peripheral burst, caused reductions in spike number and burst duration, and changes in sensory firing frequency. Computational models show these effects depend on slow ionic conductances to modulate membrane excitability. Thus, axonal neuromodulation provides a means to rapidly influence sensory encoding without directly or locally affecting the sites of stimulus reception and spike initiation.


The decline of most world commodity prices came to an end in recent months. The aggregate dollar price level was 15 per cent lower in the first quarter of 1999 compared to a year previously, and since autumn 1997 it even decreased by about 30 per cent. Oil prices fell particularly sharply, but quotations began to pick up strongly in March in anticipation of further production cuts. The price index for non-energy commodities, on the other hand, decreased only slightly since last October, although prices for food items - oilseeds, sugar and tropical beverages - sank again markedly this year. The decline in industrial commodity prices largely came to a standstill in the final months of last year, but there has as yet been no recovery. This is primarily due to a subdued demand from processors of industrial commodities following the slowdown of world economic growth. In the case of several commodities, weak prices are fostered by abundant supplies. Commodities continue to be available in ample global supply, whereas raw materials demand, in spite of an expected stabilisation of the situation in Asia's emerging economies and the start of recovery in Japan, will expand only slowly. As a consequence only a small increase in commodity prices is expected in the forecast period.


Time series data have been applied for forest disturbance detection. The validation of detected changes is challenging partially because the validation data are often not readily available. Unlike multi-temporal change analysis, time series analysis not only detects areas of change but also reports time of change. Both spatial and temporal accuracy are therefore important for the accuracy assessment. Ayuquila River Basin (ARB) is one of the early action areas in Mexico for the implementation of REDD + initiatives under UNFCCC. In ARB, shifting cultivation and cattle grazing often take place, resulting in degraded forestland. Sub-annual forest disturbance detection and estimation contribution to the improved local forest management and REDD + implementation. Landsat-based NDVI time series data covering 1999-2018 were analysed using linear regression and the breakpoints of change and the magnitude of change were detected. Breakpoints with magnitude of change ranging from (-0.05) to (-0.2) were verified during a field campaign in October 2018. Here the magnitude of change is related with NDVI differences. Areas with magnitude of change higher than (-0.2) were identified as false changes. Verification data were generated by visually interpreting time series Landsat images of 2016-2018. In this way, areas with forest loss were identified. By stratified random sampling, 683 points were applied for the verification including 511 points of forests and 172 points of forest loss. It yields 75.84% for the overall accuracy of the change detection; for the detected forest loss as a category, the user's accuracy is 88.89% and the producer's accuracy is 0.46%. A possible reason for the very low producer's accuracy is that the selected magnitude value (-0.2) is too low and some of the detected changes were filtered out.


In deep space missions, surface- and spacecraft are exposed to extreme low temperatures. For example, calculations indicate that temperatures of about 120 K (- 153degC) at the orbit of Jupiter and about 44 K (-229degC) at the orbit of Pluto. Even the moon, Mars, and asteroids can subject spacecraft to temperatures well below the conventional limit for electronic parts of -55degC. The utilization of electronics designed for and operated at low temperature is expected to increase efficiency and simplify thermal management of electronic systems. In this paper, the performance of engineering samples of silicon germanium (SiGe) power devices consisting of diodes and hetero-j unction bipolar transistors (HBT) were evaluated under low temperature and thermal cycling. The investigations were carried out to establish a baseline on the functionality and to determine suitability of such devices for use in space exploration missions under cryogenic temperatures. The power devices were evaluated in terms of their switching characteristics and DC current gain in the temperature range between -195degC and +85degC. The effects of thermal cycling and cold-restart capability were also investigated. All of the devices were able to maintain good operation between -195degC and +85degC. In addition, the limited thermal cycling had no effect on their switching performance or on their packaging, and they were able to cold start at -195degC.


Background: The plasma glutamine levels are known to decrease after major surgery, which is related to a negative clinical outcome. However, the influence of surgical stress on the decrease in the plasma glutamine concentration is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in glutamine in relation to the types of gastrectomy and approaches as well as the amount of surgical stress evaluated by serum interleukin-6(IL-6) as an objective indicator.
Methods: This was a prospective observational study. The eligibility criteria were (1) gastric adenocarcinoma of the stomach confirmed by pathology and (2) patients scheduled to receive gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer. Blood samples were taken at 7 AM on the day of surgery and at 12 h after surgery to measure the plasma glutamine and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels.
Results: Between May 2011 and December 2011, 81 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. The plasma glutamine level was significantly decreased in all patients, regardless of distal or total gastrectomy and laparoscopic or open surgery. No significant differences were observed in the IL-6 level between total and distal gastrectomy patients or between patients treated via a laparoscopic or open approach. Decreases in the plasma glutamine level were positively correlated with the logarithmically transformed-plasma IL-6 (logIL6) (r =0.471, p<0.001) overall.
Conclusions: Decreases in the glutamine concentration depended on the amount of surgical stress. When conducting a clinical trial to evaluate glutamine administration, personalized adjustment may be key to avoiding glutamine depletion in response to surgical stress.


This paper aims at testing the link between financial development and economic growth on the basis of territorially disaggregated data (NUTS3 and SLL) from Italy. Cost and profit efficiency scores, calculated according to a parametric approach (SFA), as qualitative measures of financial development, and the ratio between credit volume and gross domestic product as its quantitative measure, are used. This paper introduces the interaction between banking and national accounting at a very disaggregated territorial level as a key novel element. Banking data, taken from the BilBank 2000 database distributed by ABI (Associazione Bancaria Italiana) and covering 1998-2005 and 1998-2008, include many cooperative banks that operate at merely local level. A growth model, similar to Hasan et al. (2009) one, is specified and tested in a panel data context. The estimates suggest that financial development has a positive significant impact on GDP per capita.


ABSTRACT.
 A new species, Cremastobombycia chromolaenae, is described from Florida and Texas, USA. The larva is a leaf miner on Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and H. Robinson, a 2–3 m tall perennial shrub of the family Asteraceae, whose native range extends from southern Florida south to northern Argentina (Fig. 1). The plant is also known to occur in Africa, Asia, and Australia where it is considered exotic and in some countries has become a major weed. The larvae of C. chromolaenae are hypometamorphic and possess two distinct larval body forms and feeding behaviors—an early stage sap-feeding form with a flattened body and prognathous mouthparts and a later stage tissue-feeding form with a more cylindrical body and possessing hypognathous mouthparts. Based on head capsule counts and measurements, the larvae undergo five instars, with the first three instars being of the sap-feeding form and the last two tissue-feeding instars. The larval mine begins as a short, serpentine track which enlarges to a rounded, whitish, and eventually tentiform blotch. Cremastobombycia chromolaenae may have value as a biocontrol agent in those areas where the host plant has become a major problem.


While the recent special issue of JCS on machine consciousness (Volume 14, Issue 7) was in preparation, a collection of papers on the same topic, entitled Artificial Consciousness and edited by Antonio Chella and Riccardo Manzotti, was published. The editors of the JCS special issue, Ron Chrisley, Robert Clowes and Steve Torrance, thought it would be a timely and productive move to have authors of papers in their collection review the papers in the Chella and Manzotti book, and include these reviews in the special issue of the journal. Eight of the JCS authors (plus Uziel Awret) volunteered to review one or more of the fifteen papers in Artificial Consciousness; these individual reviews were then collected together with a minimal amount of editing to produce a seamless chapter-by-chapter review of the entire book. Because the number and length of contributions to the JCS issue was greater than expected, the collective review of Artificial Consciousness had to be omitted, but here at last it is. Each paper's review is written by a single author, so any comments made may not reflect the opinions of all nine of the joint authors!


This study aims to assess the impact of computer simulations (CSs) within an inquiry-based learning (IBL) environment on grade 11 students' performance in Newton's second law of motion (NSLOM). The study sample consisted of 90 male and female students selected from a population of two public schools in Al Ain city in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study employed a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design involving four equally distributed grade 11 physics classes: two as experimental groups (EGs) (including 45 CS-bound students studying under scientific inquiry instructions) and the other two as control groups (including 45 CSs-free students studying under traditional face-to-face instructions). Newton's second law of motion achievement test (NSLMAT) was used to evaluate students' performance in NSLOM. Descriptive analysis was conducted using effect sizes and a paired-sample t-test. Overall, results suggested that, compared to face-to-face instruction, CSs were more successful in promoting students' understanding of NSLOM topics. Moreover, EGs showed noticeable conceptual and procedural performance gains. The results indicated that CSs within an IBL environment helped female (d=2.10) and male (d=2.94) students better understand NSLOM conceptual topics. CSs within an IBL environment also helped male (d=0.88) and female (d=0.72) students better understand NSLOM. Finally, if properly designed, CSs within an IBL environment can significantly improve student learning of NSLOM. Therefore, the study recommends creating a supportive learning environment to encourage the use of CSs for purposes other than information presentation. Incorporating simulations into practical activities, problem-solving exercises, or group discussions could improve students' critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Allowing students to practice using the simulation before implementing it in actual learning activities is also crucial.