The first decade of the new millennium has seen the introduction of a suite of production disciplines known collectively as Design for Manufacturability (DFM). While there has been no formal definition of DFM, we can regard it broadly as the techniques used to co-optimise design, layout, and processing to reduce variability and improve manufacturing parameters, with the aim of increasing yield and reliability. Retrospectively, we can view design rule checking, and the dummy features used to improve CMP, as early forms of DFM.


We estimate a hedonic pricing model to quantify the relationship between clean price of lots of wool and individual lot characteristics for all superfine, fine, medium and broad wool types. We expand on existing literature by controlling for key macroeconomic conditions at the time of sale and are able to examine the longer term trend in global demand for wool by utilizing data over a number of selling seasons. Our results indicate fibre diameter, strength, breed group, vegetable matter base and fleece contamination play a key role in the purchase decision. Premiums accrue for finer, strong wool which has been grower classed, while discounts have been identified for wool tainted by branding contamination, unscourable colour or the presence of skin pieces. Key market conditions such as world economic growth, price of substitutes and exchange rates with key trading partners have been found to significantly affect Australia's competitiveness in the global market for wool.


In 2011 the protests in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were not only unprecedented in terms of scale and political consequences for the region, they also highlighted a number of long-standing analytical and theoretical misconceptions about Arab politics. In particular, the conventional thesis privileging the idea of a "durable authoritarianism" in the Arab world was partially undermined by a cross-regional civil society that confronted the formidable security and military apparatus of the state. Although in some countries democratic transitions have continued, since they first occurred in Tunisia, other Arab states continue to witness a resilient authoritarianism and strong state repression of civil society activism. These historic events have also set the stage for a new teaching agenda in important ways. Specifically, an agenda for teaching the "new Middle East" must incorporate two important general components: first, a critical review of the influential scholarship on persistent authoritarianism with the objective of addressing past theoretical and methodological misconceptions, and second, the introduction of new conceptual and analytical frameworks relevant to contemporary political developments in the Arab world and the MENA region more generally.


Complex-oxide heterostructures exhibit rich physical behavior such as emergent conductivity, superconductivity, and magnetism that are intriguing for scientific reasons as well as for potential technological applications. It was recently discovered that in-plane magnetism at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) interface can be electronically controlled at room temperature. Here, we employ magnetic force microscopy to investigate electronically controlled ferromagnetism at the LAO/STO interface with LAO thickness t varied from 4 unit cell (u.c.) to 40 u.c. Magnetic signatures are observed only within a thickness window 8 u.c. ≤ t ≤ 25 u.c. Within this window, the device capacitance corresponds well to the expected geometric value, while for thicknesses outside this window, the capacitance is strongly suppressed. The ability to modulate electronic and magnetic properties of LAO/STO devices depends on the ability to control carrier density, which is in turn constrained by intrinsic tunneling mechanisms.


ABSTRACT Defective viruses often have pivotal roles in virus-induced diseases. Although Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is etiologically associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), defective KSHV has not been reported. Using differential genetic screening methods, we show that defective KSHV is present in KS tumors and PEL cell lines. To investigate the role of defective viruses in KSHV-induced pathogenesis, we isolated and characterized a lytic replication-defective KSHV, KV-1, containing an 82-kb genomic deletion of solely lytic genes. Cells harboring KV-1 escaped G0/G1 apoptosis induced by spontaneous lytic replication occurred in cells infected with regular KSHV but maintained efficient latent replication. Consequently, KV-1-infected cells had phenotypes of enhanced cell proliferation and transformation potentials. Importantly, KV-1 was packaged as infectious virions by using regular KSHV as helpers, and KV-1-like variants were detected in cultures of two of five KSHV cell lines and 1 of 18 KS tumors. These results point to a potential role for defective viruses in the regulation of KSHV infection and malignant transformation.


Literature review papers could be regarded as the foundation of academic research and the basis of theoretical development. It is significant for the improvement of the current theory, and the construct of the new theory. However, it is a vital challenge for scholars to write an excellent literature review paper, and it is important for them to choose a proper writing paradigm.  In order to promote the academic quality of domestic review papers and enhance the depth and breadth of the application of the writing paradigm, our paper is based on the reading and analyzing of a large number of literature review papers, and comprehensively compares these paradigms from multiple perspectives. The concentrated and representative top journals of literature review papers are the Academy of Management Annals(AMA), Academy of Management Review(AMR), and Academy of Management Perspectives(AMP). In addition, our paper also selects the Academy of Management Journal(AMJ)and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice(ETP)commonly recognized by the international management community. At home, the Foreign Economics and Management" journal has the largest literature review capacity, providing scholars with a best platform for publishing management literature review papers. Therefore, our paper summarizes the writing paradigms of literature review papers in management science on the basis of papers published in AMA, AMR, AMP, AMJ, ETP and Foreign Economics and Management" from 2010 to 2018.  Our paper innovatively summarizes nine writing paradigms from the two dimensions of the research theme and theoretical contribution, and proposes the future prospects. It is of great significance to develop and improve the quality and quantity of literature review papers and enhance the innovation of indigenous research. Different writing paradigms are suitable to different research topics. Choosing an appropriate writing paradigm scientifically can achieve the best fit among the research subject, research content and writing paradigm, and greatly improve the quality and level of papers., hoping to provide some useful suggestions for scholars.


The performance of Australian snapper, Pagrus auratus, larvae from 4 to 33 days posthatch (dph) under two environmental rearing regimes was evaluated in 2000-L commercial-scale larval rearing tanks (N = 3 tanks/treatment). The treatments were the following: (1) a varying regime of salinity (20–35 ppt), temperature (24 C), and photoperiod (12 light [L] : 12 dark [D] to swim bladder inflation and then 18L : 06D) and (2) a constant regime of salinity (35 ppt), temperature (21 C), and photoperiod (14L : 10D). The final total length (TL) and wet and dry weights (mean ± SEM) of larvae grown in the varying regime were greater (15.6 ± 0.5 mm; 42.4 ± 3.4 mg wet weight; and 7.3 ± 0.6 mg dry weight) than those of larvae grown in the constant regime (11.1 ± 0.2 mm; 12.9 ± 0.8 mg wet weight; and 2.1 ± 0.2 mg dry weight). By 33 dph, larvae in the varying regime were fully weaned from live feeds to a formulated pellet diet and were suitable for transfer from the hatchery to a nursery facility. In contrast, larvae in the constant regime were not weaned onto a pellet diet and still required live feeds. Neither survival (Treatment 1, 14.2 ± 3.0% and Treatment 2, 13.3 ± 1.9%) nor swim bladder inflation (Treatment 1, 70.0 ± 17.3% and Treatment 2, 70.0 ± 11.5%, by 13 dph) was affected by rearing regime. The incidence of urinary calculi at 7 dph was greatest initially in the varying regime; however, by 19 dph, when larvae were 8.0 ± 0.28 mm TL, very few larvae in this treatment had urinary calculi. In contrast, many larvae in the constant regime had developed urinary calculi and this continued until the end of the experiment. The incidence of urinary calculi was not associated with larval mortality. Extrapolation of the snapper larval growth curves for the constant larval rearing regime predicts that a further 15–18 d, or approximately 1.5 times longer, will be required until these larvae attain the same size and development of larvae reared in the varying regime.


Ovarian cancer is deadly if not detected early, but it is only one of many causes of pelvic masses, which are common. The physician's job is to determine if a mass is likely to be malignant and needing surgical evaluation. The best predictors of malignancy are a combination of factors that include the patient's age, family history, menopausal status, symptoms, findings on physical examination and imaging studies, and blood level of the cancer biomarker CA125.


Background. Transplant rejection has generally been considered a CD4+ T–cell-dependent immune process. CD4-independent, CD8+ T-cell rejection pathways have recently gained attention because of their relative resistance to immunosuppression. In the current study, the role of the allograft tissue in activation of these distinct pathways was examined by comparing host-immune responses with allogeneic pancreatic islets or hepatocytes transplanted across the same genetic disparity. Methods. To compare activation of CD4-dependent versus CD8-dependent alloimmunity, islets or hepatocytes retrieved from FVB/N (H-2q) mice were transplanted into CD8+ or CD4+ T–cell-reconstituted severe combined immunodeficiency mice, CD4 or CD8 knockout (KO) mice, and anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) or anti-CD8 mAb treated C57BL/6 mice (all H-2b). The ability to immunomodulate CD4-dependent allograft rejection (in CD8 KO mice) was examined in the context of several mechanistically distinct immunotherapeutic strategies, including anti-CD4 mAb, donor-specific transfusion and anti-CD154 mAb, and anti-lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 mAb. Results. The studies demonstrate that, whereas hepatocytes evoke alloreactive CD4-dependent and (CD4-independent) CD8+ T-cell immune responses, allogeneic islets only activate CD4-dependent immune pathways. CD4-dependent host-immune responses initiated by pancreatic islet allografts were readily suppressed by a variety of short-term immunotherapies, whereas hepatocyte-initiated CD4-dependent alloimmune responses were not. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that immune characteristics of the specific allograft tissue uniquely influence the pattern of host immune responses such that the propensity to activate CD4- or CD8-dependent alloimmune responses can be distinguished. Furthermore, CD4-dependent immune responses activated by different tissues from the same donor strain are distinguished by their susceptibility to specific immunotherapy.


The major morphological types of conjoined twins had all been described by 1600, often in publications that included details of the time and place of birth, morphology, outcome, behaviour, and, on occasion, autopsy findings. These descriptions differ from modern reports in emphasizing the twins' supposed "meaning" rather than their cause. Understanding the symbolic aspects of these accounts is important for their interpretation. This article summarizes the records of 53 cases of conjoined twins born in 16th-century Europe and examines the cultural background of these accounts and the use of the pediatric autopsy as a means of investigating the pathology of twins. Studies of conjoined twins were central to the debate over whether the possession of separate hearts was a prerequisite for individuality.


This paper explores the U.S. agricultural production systems, focusing on the interactions between the crop and livestock sectors. The estimation results of the differential input demand system suggest that the demand for hired labor, self-employed labor, intermediate goods, capital, and land significantly increases as crop outputs increase. In addition, the results show that the demand for inputs (except for hired labor) is very inelastic, suggesting that agricultural producers may have little flexibility in adjusting the demand for inputs in response to rapid changes in the prices of inputs. The substitutable relationships among hired labor, self-employed labor, intermediate goods, and capital contribute to alleviating the pressure on production cost in response to a surge in input prices. Statistical evidence also reveals the complementary relationship between capital and land, suggesting that an investment in durable equipment increases proportionally to the expansion of agricultural areas. Furthermore, the estimation results of the differential output supply system suggest that agricultural supply is not very responsive to the respective price changes. There also exists statistical evidence that relative changes in the prices of crop and livestock products alter the composition of crop and livestock supply due to the substitutable relationship.


Serrated lesions represent a group of lesions with different genetic and biological features causing important clinical repercussions. Three types of serrated lesions are identified: hyperplastic, sessile adenomas (with and without dysplasia) and traditional serrated adenomas. Such lesions are now recognized as precancerous lesions.The carcinogenic process of serrated lesions follows a pathway including: alterations concerning activation of mitogen and protein kinase regulating the extracellular signal of other intracellular kinases (MAPK-ERK), inhibition of the apoptosis and hypermethylation of DNA and instability of microsatellites. Like for adenomatous polyps, the risk factors for serrated lesions are environmental factors, related to lifestyle and diet. The cancerogenic risk is increased by excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and poor intake of folate. When a high number of colorectal polyps with architecture serrated is diagnosed, it could be considered as serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS). According the most recent ESGE guidelines, the diagnostic criteria of the SPS, are: at least 5 polyps resected proximal to the sigmoid colon, 2 of which> 10 mm, or >20 serrated lesions of any size distributed in the entire colon. This condition presents a high risk for personal and/or familiar CRC, for this reason a regular screening colonoscopy should be performed in these patients and in their first-degree relatives.


Dragonflies and damselflies (the Odonata) are among the most efficient flying insects. However, fragmentation of the landscape can increase distance between habitats and affect costs of dispersal, thus shaping phenotypic patterns of flight-related traits, such as wing shape, wing loading and wing size. Urban landscapes are highly fragmented, which limits dispersal among aquatic habitats. Hence, strong selective pressures can act upon urban populations in favour of individuals with increased flight performance or may lead to the reduction in dispersal traits. Here, we explore differentiation in morphological flight-related traits among urban, suburban, and rural populations of the damselfly Ischnura elegans, which is one of the most abundant species in both urban and rural ponds in Europe. We sampled 20 sites across Leeds and Bradford, UK, in an urban-to-rural gradient from June to August 2014 and 2015 (Nmales = 201, Nfemales = 119). We compared wing shape among different land use types using geometric morphometrics. Other wing properties analysed were wing aspect ratio, wing loading and wing centroid size. Unexpectedly, no significant effect of urban land use was found on wing shape. However, wing shape differed significantly between males and females. Additionally, females showed significantly larger wing centroid sizes (P < 0.001), increased wing loading (forewings: P = 0.007; hind wings: P = 0.002) and aspect ratio (P < 0.001) compared to males across all land use types. Possible mechanisms driving these results are further discussed.


Despite the title, this work stretches beyond the confines of England's Industrial Revolution and situates Africans as the prime labor force which built the modern world. Based on more than thirty years of research and drawing on a vast array of primary and secondary sources, Professor Inikori has produced a masterpiece arguing for the centrality of Africans not only in the Industrial Revolution, by itself a bold claim, but more broadly in the rise of the Atlantic world economy between 1650 and 1850. In addition, Inikori continues the recent historiographic trend, of which he notes, by placing slavery at the core for understanding the rise of western Europe and the United States. traditional division into periods and regards the period as a unity. Filtzer's brought us an important step forwards in this direction. Rich in illustrative photographs and equipped with an excellent index, this book is the result of Tamara K. Hareven's visits to the Nishijin weaving district of Kyoto that began in 1981 and continued for thirteen years. These included one sabbatical year but were otherwise of three or four months in duration. Through interpreters, the author interviewed 110 men and 90 women, most of whom were weavers in the district, although their numbers included others associated with Nishijin textiles as well as farming and fishing family wives on the Tango Peninsula who wove for Nishijin manufacturers.


In this work we show that under Actinomycin D (ActD) treatment, several RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs) involved in mRNA metabolism are relocalized into the nucleolus in Trypanosoma cruzi as a specific stress response. ATP depletion as well as kinase inhibition markedly reduced the nucleolar localization response, suggesting that an energy-dependent transport modulated by the phosphorylation status of the parasite might be required. Deletion analyses in one of such proteins, TcSR62, showed that a domain bearing basic amino acids located in the COOH terminal region was sufficient to promote its nucleolar relocalization. Interestingly, we showed that in addition to RBPs, poly(A)+ RNA is also accumulated into the nucleolus in response to ActD treatment. Finally, we found out that nucleolar relocalization of RBPs is also triggered by severe heat shock in a reversible way. Together, these results suggest that the nucleolus of an early divergent eukaryote is either able to sequester key factors related to mRNA metabolism in response to transcriptional stress or behaves as a RBP processing center, arguing in favour to the hypothesis that the non-traditional features of the nucleolus could be acquired early during evolution.


INTRODUCTION: chronic hepatitis C has reached the category of pandemic. The hepatitis C virus is the main cause of chronic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, hepatocarcinoma and liver transplantation worldwide. OBJECTIVE: to identify the side effects of a combined therapy of recombinant interpheron alpha 2b plus ribavirin during the treatment and up to 8 weeks afterwards, as well as the main effects related to temporary or definitive withdrawal. METHODS: a pharmacological surveillance study was performed in which 122 patients with chronic hepatitis C, who had been seen at the Institute of Gastroenterology from May 2001 to May 2006, were included. Recombinant interferon alpha 2b (3 million units administered 3 times a week) plus ribavirin (1 000 or 1 200 mg daily depending on the body weight) was the therapy used for 48 weeks. RESULTS: of the total number of cases, 88.5 % had side effects; 79.5 % of which corresponded to pseudocold syndrome followed by hematological, neuropsychiatric and gastrointestinal manifestations, and other less frequent ailments. In the studied group, 6.6% had to interrupt their treatment temporarily due to some side effect different from anemia whereas 4 patients gave up the study, three affected by severe hemolytic anemia and one with uncontrollable hyperthyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: the combined therapy of recombinant interferon alpha 2b plus ribavirin proved to be safe; the most frequent side effect was pseudocold syndrome in the majority of cases. The hematological manifestations that made the patients to give up the study led to recommend a strict follow-up of hemoglobin levels and thorough diagnosis and treatment of the main side effects found in other systems and associated to this combined therapy.


Epigenetic alterations such as promoter hypermethylation may drive cancer through tumor suppressor genes inactivation. However, we have limited ability to differentiate driver DNA methylation (DNAme) changes from passenger events. We developed DNAme driver inference - MethSig - accounting for the varying stochastic hypermethylation rate across the genome and between samples. We applied MethSig to bisulfite sequencing data of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple myeloma, ductal carcinoma in situ, glioblastoma, and to methylation array data across 18 tumor types in TCGA. MethSig resulted in well-calibrated Quantile-Quantile plots and reproducible inference of likely DNAme drivers with increased sensitivity/specificity compared to benchmarked methods. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of selected candidate CLL DNAme drivers provided a fitness advantage with and without therapeutic intervention. Notably, DNAme driver risk score was closely associated with adverse outcome in independent CLL cohorts. Collectively, MethSig represents a novel inference framework for DNAme driver discovery to chart the role of aberrant DNAme in cancer.


A parasitic survey on vegetables collected from markets and vegetable gardens in Taegu area was conducted for the discovery of human parasitic eggs and larvae. Three species of vegetable, lettuce (Lactuca sativa), young radish(Raphanus sapivus) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis) were selected. All vegetable leaves were washed with a hard brush, and then species of parasites and the approximate mean number of parasitic eggs per 200 grams of vegetable leaves were investigated. When vegetables collected from markets were examined, 5 species of parasite eggs (ascarid, trichurid, Trichostrongylus, Clonorchis and hookworms) and 2 larvae (filariform and rhabditoid ) were found. Furthermore, a number of eggs and larvae of undetermined species were also observed. Of the parasites studied, ascarid egg was found to be highest (49.0%), followed Trichostrongylus egg(18.0%) as well as filariform larva of hookworms (19.7%), and the least often observed was rhabditoid larva of hookworms(0.7%). The recovery rate of parasites among lettuce, young radish and Chinese cabbage collected from markets ranged from 23.2 to 91.9 percent and was similar to that from vegetable gardens, where Chinese cabbage showed the highest (91.1%) and lettuce being next(49.0%) in positivity of ascarid eggs. In the case of filariform larva, the rate of Chinese cabbage was twice as high as that of lettuce and young radish. There was a significant reduction in the rate of filariform larva, suggesting that a single washing of vegetables at the vegetable washing stand would reduce the number of parasites attached to vegetable leaves, when young radish washed at the stand was compared with that unwashed. In the monthly rate of parasites recovered from young radish, there was significant fluctuations between the eggs and filariform larva of hookworms. The mean number of ascarid egg per 200 grams of vegetable was 7.5 in young radishes, 3.1 in lettuces, and 0.5 in Chinese cabbages, in decreasing order. It is noteworthy that young radish contained more than 10 times more than Chinese cabbage. These results would seem to indicate that one of the important routes of infection is due to consumption of pickled young radishes in summer than pickled Chinese cabbages in winter.


The stable carbon isotope composition of animal tissues represents the weighted sum of the variety of food sources eaten. If sources differ in digestibility, tissues may overrepresent intake of more digestible items and faeces may overrepresent less digestible items. We tested this idea using whole blood and faeces of goats (Capra hircus L., 1758) fed different food mixtures of C3 lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and C4 grass (Themeda triandra Forssk.). Although blood and faecal d13C values were broadly consistent with diet, results indicate mismatch between consumer and diet isotope compositions: both materials overrepresented the C3 (lucerne) component of diets. Lucerne had lower fibre digestibility than T. triandra, which explains the results for faeces, whereas underrepresentation of dietary C4 in blood is consistent with low protein content of the grass hay. A diet switch experiment revealed an important difference in 13C-incorporation rates across diets, which were slower for grass than lucerne diets, and in fact equilibrium states were not reached for all diets. Although more research is needed to link digestive kinetics with isotope incorporation, these results provide evidence for nonlinear relationships between consumers and their diets, invoking concerns about the conceptual value of "discrimination factors" as the prime currency for contemporary isotope ecology.


Considering their reduced size and weight, low cost and portability, self-powered photodetectors that can be functioned independently of an external power supply are extremely important for developing future sensor networks and Internets of Things. Here, we present a self-powered photodetector with a broadband wavelength photoresponse from the ultraviolet to near-infrared region based on GaN microwire array/Si heterojunctions. Due to the highly efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers, the photodetector shows ultrahigh EQE, responsivity and detectivity, reaching up to 71%, 4.7 × 102 mA W−1 and 9.5 × 1012 Jones, respectively, at zero bias in the 320–850 nm range. A fast response is observed with rise/decay times as low as 2/2 ms. The LDR values are over 80 dB. The performance characteristics are competitive with commercially available biased photodetectors and other reported heterojunction self-powered broadband photodetectors in the literature. In addition, a binary photoresponse is observed under small bias voltages. The heterostructures are fabricated by directly heteroepitaxially growing GaN microwires on patterned Si, enabling large-area device applications, and stand out from low-dimensional semiconductor photodetection systems. The overall high performance coupled with large-scale production makes GaN microwire array/Si heterojunctions promising for practical self-powered broadband photodetectors.


Homeodomain transcription factors of the Sine oculis (SIX) family direct multiple regulatory processes throughout the metazoans. Sine oculis (So) was first characterized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, where it is both necessary and sufficient for eye development, regulating cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Despite its key role in development, only a few direct targets of So have been described previously. In the current study, we aim to expand our knowledge of So-mediated transcriptional regulation in the developing Drosophila eye using ChIP-seq to map So binding regions throughout the genome. We find 7,566 So enriched regions (peaks), estimated to map to 5,952 genes. Using overlap between the So ChIP-seq peak set and genes that are differentially regulated in response to loss or gain of so, we identify putative direct targets of So. We find So binding enrichment in genes not previously known to be regulated by So, including genes that encode cell junction proteins and signaling pathway components. In addition, we analyze a subset of So-bound novel genes in the eye, and find eight genes that have previously uncharacterized eye phenotypes and may be novel direct targets of So. Our study presents a greatly expanded list of candidate So targets and serves as basis for future studies of So-mediated gene regulation in the eye.


The current state-of-the-art generative models for open-domain question answering (ODQA) have focused on generating direct answers from unstructured textual information. However, a large amount of world's knowledge is stored in structured databases, and need to be accessed using query languages such as SQL. Furthermore, query languages can answer questions that require complex reasoning, as well as offering full explainability. In this paper, we propose a hybrid framework that takes both textual and tabular evidences as input and generates either direct answers or SQL queries depending on which form could better answer the question. The generated SQL queries can then be executed on the associated databases to obtain the final answers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that applies Text2SQL to ODQA tasks. Empirically, we demonstrate that on several ODQA datasets, the hybrid methods consistently outperforms the baseline models that only takes homogeneous input by a large margin. Specifically we achieve the state-of-the-art performance on OpenSQuAD dataset using a T5-base model. In a detailed analysis, we demonstrate that the being able to generate structural SQL queries can always bring gains, especially for those questions that requires complex reasoning.


The sensitivity of various features that are characteristics of machine performance may vary significantly under different working conditions. Thus it is critical to devise a systematic feature extraction (FE) approach that provides a useful and automatic guidance on using the most effective features for machine performance recognition without human intervention. This paper proposes a locality preserving projection (LPP)-based FE approach for machine performance degradation recognition. Different from principal component analysis (PCA) that aims to discover the global structure of the Euclidean space, LPP is capable to discover local structure of the data manifold. This may enable LPP to find more meaningful low-dimensional information hidden in the high-dimensional observations compared with PCA. This experimental result on a bearing test-bed shows that LPP-based FE improves the performance of recognizers for identifying performance degradation of bearings.


The objective of this study is to assess the adsorption potential of activated carbon prepared from almond shell for removal of malachite green (MG) from anaqueous waste. Almond shell based activated carbon was prepared chemically using ortho-phosrphoric acid at 700-800°C in a modified muffle furnace. Prepared activated carbon was characterised for proximate and ultimate analysis, Iodine number, N2-BET surface area, Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FT-IR & SEM results strongly support significant spectral and chemical changes occurring due to the activation of the almond shells by phosphoric acid treatment. Batch isotherm and kinetic study experiments were conducted to determine the adsorption of the malachite green from aqueous solution with almond based activated carbon (ABAC). It is inferred from the results that ABAC is very effective and economically viable adsorbent for removal of malachite green from aqueous solution.


IMPORTANCE
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is responsible for substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost in the United States. Early detection and lifestyle risk factors associated with HNC, both determinants of disease burden and outcomes, are interrelated with public knowledge of this disease. Understanding of current public knowledge of HNC is lacking.

OBJECTIVE
To assess awareness and knowledge of HNC among US adults.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Online survey of 2126 randomly selected adults in the United States conducted in 2013.

INTERVENTIONS
Online survey administration.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Subjective and objective assessment of knowledge of HNC including symptoms, risk factors, and association with the human papillomavirus.

RESULTS
Self-reported respondent knowledge of HNC was low, with 66.0% reporting that they were "not very" or "not at all" knowledgeable. This did not vary significantly with tobacco use (P = .92), education (P = .053), sex (P = .07), or race (P = .02). Regarding sites comprising HNC, 22.1% of respondents correctly identified throat cancer, 15.3% mouth cancer, and 2.0% cancer of the larynx, with 21.0% incorrectly identifying brain cancer as HNC. Regarding symptoms, 14.9% of respondents identified "red or white sores that do not heal," 5.2% "sore throat," 1.3% "swelling or lump in the throat," and 0.5% "bleeding in the mouth or throat." Smoking and chewing or spitting tobacco were identified by 54.5% and 32.7% of respondents as risk factors for mouth and throat cancer, respectively. Only 0.8% of respondents identified human papillomavirus (HPV) infection as a risk factor for mouth and throat cancer, but specific questioning revealed that 12.8% were aware of the association between HPV infection and throat cancer whereas 70.0% of respondents were aware of the vaccine targeting HPV.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Self-reported and objective measures indicate that few American adults know much about HNC including risk factors such as tobacco use and HPV infection and common symptoms. Strategies to improve public awareness and knowledge of signs, symptoms, and risk factors may decrease the disease burden of HNC and are important topics for future research.


Today's cancer therapy has made substantial progresses. Recent success in immuno-oncology (IO) has generated enormous excitement and expectation. With the existing and novel therapies, combination therapies provide opportunities to coordinate actions on multiple targets, and could enhance activity in broader population with less drug resistance. However, these advances also raised tremendous challenges to balance efficacy and safety in oncology drug development. Hence, dose finding has become more urgent than ever in cancer therapy. This review summarizes the challenges and opportunities in dose selection in oncology and IO. The opportunities of utilizing modeling and simulation (M&S) during both early and late phase oncology drug development were highlighted. The need of multi-disciplinary collaboration across functions and affiliations was emphasized.


Decades of research have shown that experts possess a hierarchical structure of contextualized knowledge organized around principles 1 . This prevents them from focusing on superficial aspects of a problem and allows them to determine relevant information and basic principles, which are the basis for strong conceptual understanding. Unfortunately, such knowledge organization is traditionally acquired tacitly through practice and is rarely emphasized explicitly in engineering courses, which are usually more focused on procedural skills for problem solving. During traditional lecturing, it can be hard for the instructors to gauge how students integrate their newly acquired knowledge with their existing knowledge since the instructors who are experts in the field might have difficulty realizing what concepts are difficult for students and why. Inquiry-based learning activities (IBLAs) help students to strengthen the connections between concepts and help them to build contextualized knowledge. With IBLAs, the focus is on conceptual understanding through the integration of hands-on activities in a cycle of predictions, observations, and explanations. Incorrect predictions create cognitive conflict which must be reconciled with the authority provided by the physical world. This requires the students to provide qualitative explanations based on concepts and principles to support their physical observations. In this paper, we continue our investigation of IBLAs used in undergraduate dynamics by focusing on basic concepts in rolling kinetics. An exploratory study was pursued on a small sample of undergraduate students taking a course in dynamics. Each student participated individually in an IBLA that examined the relationship between forces and the direction of motion of a rolling object. The students drew diagrams and provided qualitative explanations of their reasoning. The responses were coded to highlight important dynamics concepts. The learning objectives of the IBLA were to help students understand that 1) the direction of acceleration of the mass center is in the same direction as the sum of the forces; 2) the direction of angular acceleration is the same as the direction of the sum of the moments about the mass center, 3) the directions of angular and linear accelerations must be compatible according to rolling kinematics, and 4) that the direction of the friction force does not necessarily oppose the direction of rolling. By analyzing the detailed student explanations, it was possible to extract various misconceptions. For example, some students believed that when the spool is pulled vertically, there is no friction force acting on it. The students also seem to have problems determining the magnitude of the moment of a force and connecting the sum of moments to the direction of rolling. This work informs instruction of dynamics and physics courses and the future development of more sophisticated teaching tools to facilitate conceptual understanding.


Six profiles located in the inland valley soils of central Cross River State were studied. The surface horizon colour of the first four were either dark Grey or dark brown. The last two profiles were grey. All subsurface horizons were either greyish or brownish and highly mottled. The structure of all the profiles were either blocky or prismatic with the latter predominating for the subsurface horizons. The textures of the surface horizons ranged from sandy loam to clay while the subsoil soil horizons were predominantly clay. The pH of the soils ranged from acid (4.7). to neutral 7.4 The percent organic carbon content decreased slightly irregularly with increase in depth with the top soils concentration generally high. Similarly, percent total nitrogen was high with most values greater than 0.2%. However, concentration of available phosphorous was moderate. The exchangeable cations Ca. Mg and K were high. Exchange acidity of the soils decreased with increase in profile depth. Cation exchange capacity results were appreciable for four of the six profile with their base saturation values greater than 50% for the surface horizons. Using the criteria of the USDA Soil Taxonomy, profile APT – 1 was classified as Aeric Epiaqulfs, APT – 2 as Typic Epiaqualfs, ABN – 3 as Typic Umbraqualfs and ABN – 4 as Vertic Epiaqualfs. Profiles APP – 5 and APP – 6 were classified as Typic Epiaquults. Using the FAO – UNESCO soil map of the world legend, profiles APT – 1 APT – 2, ABN – 3 and ABN – 4 were classified as Gleyic Luvisols while APP – 5 and APP – 6 as Gleyic Alisols. KEY WORDS: Characterization, classification, inland valley soil, surface horizon, subsoil horizon. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.3(1&2) 2004: 25-34


In recent years, the Republic of Guinea has shed its reputation as one of the most tightly controlled state economies in Africa, leaving behind a cloistered era marked by an extraordinarily closed economic and political system. In breaking with its dismal past, Guinea has launched an ambitious program of reform which has affected the entire range of the country's institutions, regulations, and markets. Culling data from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, and numerous interviews and previously unpublished government data, Jehan Arulpragasam and David E. Sahn here present an overview of the Guinean economy, and its evolution--from independence, through crisis, to reform--and model implications of these changes for economic performance and living standards of the poor. Highlighting the chasm between theory and practice, between well-intentioned program and problematic implementation, the authors reveal how Guinea both parallels and contradicts past experiences of economic reform in Africa. Most notably, reform in Guinea has been hindered by the weighty administrative, managerial, and logistical demands of undertaking a vast battery of economic adjustments, all in one fell swoop. The most detailed and informative study of the Guinean economy to date, Economic Transition in Guinea illustrates not only the successes of the nation's reform agenda, but also the fundamental constraints to development that often lie beyond the reach of such reform.


Using relays in wireless networks can potentially lead to significant capacity increases. However, within an asynchronous multi-user communication setting, relaying might cause more interference in the network, and significant sum-rate deterioration may be observed. In this work the effect of cooperation in an interference limited, narrow-band wireless network is investigated. It is crucial to determine the optimal trade-off between the amount of throughput gain obtained via cooperation and the amount of interference introduced to the network. We quantify the amount of cooperation using the notion of a cooperative region for each active node. The nodes which lie in such a region are allowed to cooperate with the source. We adopt the decode-and-forward scheme at the relays and use the physical interference model to determine the probability that a relay node correctly decodes its corresponding source. Through numerical analysis and simulation, we study the optimal cooperative region size to maximize the network sum-rate and energy efficiency, based on network size, relay availability, node decoding threshold, and destination reception capability. It is shown that optimized system performance in terms of the network sum-rate and the power efficiency is significantly improved compared with cases where relay nodes are not exploited or where the cooperative region size is suboptimal.


Many institutions worldwide are responding to emerging information and communication technologies by adopting web-based education and training. Within the context of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia, the effort to support web-based education and training focuses primarily on online pedagogy, which is seen to be at the heart of successful teaching and learning online. This paper briefly outlines a conceptual framework for student learning consisting of three models: the independent learner, the interactive learner and the collaborative learner. All three models need to be considered in an integrated manner when designing online instruction. The paper provides an analysis of the literature in order to determine the variables that influence learner diversity, with a particular focus on cultural diversity. It is suggested that the integration of models of student learning into web-based instructional design will accommodate learner diversity educators face in a global environment.


The standard approach of using multi-commodity network flow (MCNF) techniques for designing optimal WDM networks often lead to computationally difficult Mixed Integer Linear Programs (MILP) which work only on small networks. Modern Operations Research (OR) techniques may be helpful when developing efficient algorithms for large WDM networks. This paper explores the Branch, Price and Cut techniques for designing optimal WDM optical networks. We have studied a well-known problem in WDM networks - non-bifurcated traffic grooming over a specified logical topology. The standard way to solve this problem is to view it as a MCNF problem and solve the resulting MILP using a commercial MILP solver package, such as the ILOG CPLEX to give us an optimum traffic grooming strategy. The number of binary variables and the number of constraints of the MCNF problems increases with the network size and tools such as the CPLEX solver takes increasingly longer time. We have shown how we can take advantage of the structural properties of this problem and solve it efficiently using modern Operations Research techniques.


The ability of pregnant women to detect early of a high risk pregnancy is still below the average which is one of the causes of complications that can endanger the wellbeing of the mother and fetus. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between factors of parity, knowledge and exposure to information on the independence of mothers in early detection of the risk of pregnancy. This type of analytic observational research uses a cross sectional design. A total sample of 125 pregnant women was chosen by "Stratified Random Sampling" technique. The results of Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis show that the knowledge variable Exp (B) 6.657 is a significant variable, the exposure to danger information variable Exp (B) 7.657 is a significant variable and the parity variable Exp (B) 8.060 is also a significant variable. Midwives and health workers further increase counseling so that pregnant women and families can receive more information about the danger signs of pregnancy, especially the high risk of pregnancy and being able to do early detection.


The study area intendes for agricultural investment and establishment stations of water pumping for human use to the nearby areas, southwest of Samawah city. Twelve Two-Dimension (2-D) survey points were performed by using Wenner-Schlumberger array configuration to take the measurements. The inverse models of two survey point appear the effect of the saline groundwater that raises from Rus Formation, which caused a significant reduction in resistivity of the groundwater-bearing zone within middle Dammam Formation along the fault plane.


6th Regional Health Research Conference by Cordillera Regional Health Research and Development Consortium, University of Baguio – Centennial Hall, Baguio City (2017, April 28).


A low-power comparator is presented. pMOS transistors are used at the input of the preamplifier of the comparator as well as the latch stage. Both stages are controlled by a special local clock generator. At the evaluation phase, the latch is activated with a delay to achieve enough pre-amplification gain and avoid excess power consumption. Meanwhile, small cross coupled transistors increase the preamplifier gain and decrease the input common mode of the latch to strongly turn on the pMOS transistors (at the latch input) and reduce the delay. Unlike the conventional comparator, the proposed structure let us set the optimum delay for pre-amplification and avoid excess power consumption. The speed and the power benefits of the comparator were verified using solid analytical derivations, process–VDD–temperature corners, and Monte Carlo simulations along with silicon measurements in 0.18 μm. The tests confirm that the proposed circuit reduces the power consumption by 50% and provides 30% better comparison speed at the same offset and almost the same noise budgets. Moreover, the comparator provides a rail-to-rail input Vcm range in fclk = 500 MHz.


For the past forty years, pitch-class set theory has served as a frame of reference for the study of atonal music, through the efforts of Allen Forte, Milton Babbitt, and others. It has also been the subject of sometimes furious debates between music theorists and historically oriented musicologists, debates that only helped heighten its profile. Today, as oppositions have become less clear-cut, and other analytical approaches to music are gaining prominence, the time has come for a history of pitch-class set theory, its dissemination, and its role in the reception of the music of Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and other modernist composers."Analyzing Atonal Music: Pitch-Class Set Theory and Its Contexts" combines thorough discussions of musical concepts with an engaging historical narrative. Pitch-class theory is treated here as part of the musical and cultural landscape of the United States. The theory's remarkable rise to authority is related to the impact of the computer on the study of music in the 1960s, and to the American university in its double role as protector of high culture and provider of mass education. Michiel Schuijer teaches at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on topics at the interface between music theory and historical musicology.


For this pilot study 349 patients aged between 20 and 64 years were seen following their consultations with their own general practitioners. The recommendations of the recent RCGP report on the prevention of arterial disease in general practice were carried out. An average of seven minutes was spent with each patient. A considerable number of patients had risk factors for arterial disease; 25 per cent of the sample were smokers, 32 per cent were obese and 15 per cent had a single blood pressure reading greater than 150/90. Two new cases of diabetes were discovered.Case-finding for risk factors for arterial disease, as recommended in the RCGP report, was considered worthwhile but might be most effectively carried out by a suitably trained practice nurse.


Aim: To describe the use of mobility devices among people ageing with spinal cord injury (SCI), with a specific focus on use of powered mobility devices (PMD) and housing accessibility. Method: Data on the use of walking aids (cane, crutch/es or rollator), manual wheelchair and powered wheelchair/scooter were utilized. To describe functional limitations, environmental barriers and the magnitude of accessibility problems in the home and the closest exterior surroundings for each individual, the Housing Enabler instrument was used. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Mobility devices: Among participants with paraplegia, the manual wheelchair was the most frequently used mobility device indoors, and among participants with tetraplegia, it was the PMD. The PMD was the most common mobility device used outdoors among those with tetraplegia, and among participants with paraplegia. Housing accessibility: In exterior surroundings, refuse bin difficult to reach was the environmental barrier that generated the most accessibility problems, while at entrances doors that cannot be fastened in open position was identified as the most severe environmental barrier. Indoors, the environmental barrier that generated the most accessibility problems was wall-mounted cupboard and shelves placed high. Conclusion: To enable optimal use of the PMD in the home and close neighborhoods, and support everyday activity and participation for people ageing with SCI, it is vital to take into account not only personal and environmental aspects but also the mobility device in question. Though, it could be discussed if all the environmental barriers identified in this study, actually are problems for users of a PMD, since some of them might be possible to overcome. © 2013 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved.


Mosquito abatement districts and vector control districts in the United States offer a wide variety of programs with emphasis on local problems. Management of these programs is the important factor. The various program elements, program administration, organizational structure, staffing, funding, public education, program evaluation, training, technical guidance, and preventive planning are discussed.


The use and complications of intravenous cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, nitrogen mustard, and cyclosporine are reviewed. Studies have failed to demonstrate superiority of intravenous versus oral cyclophosphamide in rheumatic diseases other than systemic lupus. Azathioprine is a useful immunosuppressive agent in Beçhet's disease. Further studies of cyclosporine in rheumatoid arthritis indicate that efficacy and toxicity are both dose related.


We derive general, yet simple, sharp bounds on the size of the omitted variable bias for a broad class of causal parameters that can be identified as linear functionals of the conditional expectation function of the outcome. Such functionals encompass many of the traditional targets of investigation in causal inference studies, such as, for example, (weighted) average of potential outcomes, average treatment effects (including subgroup effects, such as the effect on the treated), (weighted) average derivatives, and policy effects from shifts in covariate distribution -- all for general, nonparametric causal models. Our construction relies on the Riesz-Frechet representation of the target functional. Specifically, we show how the bound on the bias depends only on the additional variation that the latent variables create both in the outcome and in the Riesz representer for the parameter of interest. Moreover, in many important cases (e.g, average treatment effects and avearage derivatives) the bound is shown to depend on easily interpretable quantities that measure the explanatory power of the omitted variables. Therefore, simple plausibility judgments on the maximum explanatory power of omitted variables (in explaining treatment and outcome variation) are sufficient to place overall bounds on the size of the bias. Furthermore, we use debiased machine learning to provide flexible and efficient statistical inference on learnable components of the bounds. Finally, empirical examples demonstrate the usefulness of the approach.


Tourists seem less interested in the traditional sites of mass tourism, which has damaged local identities. The tourist reclaims the old function of journey, intent on widening his knowledge of the surrounding territory while respecting the social and cultural equality of other members of the population. This study outlines a methodology to identify the generalized cost for a system of non-motorized transport in order to determine the modal choice of users and the route of minimum cost to reach the desired destination. Within the information users, a key role is played by telematics, which are now widely accessible through web interfaces. With the word greenways we mean the network for the non-motorized, constituted by paths inserted in a natural context with particular attention to the historic and cultural patrimony of the territory. The trend of research in the field of greenways today is strongly geared towards the infrastructural design of routes. The specific studies and manuals, such as the Dutch CROW, reported mainly geometric patterns of infrastructure and design criteria for parking areas, to improve the transit of pedestrians and bicycles. From the user's perspective it becomes relevant to bring this to fruition because of its main attributes: physical effort and safety, especially for nonsystematic users who may have knowledge about places but not on the tracks and their level of difficulty. In this sense, the greenways are designed both as continuous long-distance routes and as local networks suitable for systematic trips. The GIS contains layers and topological mapping with tourist and local information and a network of greenways, composed of individual links with a weight corresponding to the generalized cost needed to pass, which coincides with the physical demands of the user. This effort coincides with the energy to


The CO2 solubilities in aqueous TBAB solutions of 20 wt% and 40 wt% have been measured by a PVT system at 17, 20 and 25 °C with CO2 pressure up to 30 bar. CO2 was found to be either salted in or out by the presence of TBAB upon the temperature and TBAB concentration. For example, higher temperature and TBAB concentration resulted in higher CO2 solubility than that in pure water. The Setchenow coefficients, k, for 20 wt% and 40 wt% were calculated. Furthermore, the densities of TBAB aqueous solutions over the TBAB concentration of 10~40 wt% were determined at 8~30 °C and our data was found to agree well with the literature data.


This report presents the use of independent contact and non-graspable regions to generate the grasp space for 2D and 3D discrete objects. The grasp space is constructed via a sampling method, which provides samples of force-closure or non force-closure grasps, used to compute regions of the graspable or non-graspable space, respectively.
The method provides a reliable procedure for an efficient generation of the whole grasp space for n-finger grasps on discrete objects; two examples on 2D objects are provided to illustrate its performance. The approach has several applications in manipulation and regrasping of objects, as it provides a large number of force-closure and non force-closure grasps in a short time.


Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare hematologic disease characterized by intravascular hemolysis, thrombophilia, and marrow failure. Its phenotype is due to absent or reduced expression of GPI‐linked complement regulators and subsequent sensitivity of hematopoietic cells to complement‐mediated damage and lysis. Introduction of the terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab drastically improved outcomes in PNH patients; however, despite this improvement, there remain several challenges faced by PNH patients and physicians who care for them. One of the most important is increasing awareness of the heterogeneity with which patients can present, which can lead to significant delays in recognition. Data from the Canadian PNH Registry are presented to demonstrate the variety of presenting symptoms. In Canada, geography precludes consolidation of care to just a few centers, so management is distributed across academic hospitals, linked together as the Canadian PNH Network. The Network over the last several years has developed educational programs and clinical checklists and has worked to standardize access to diagnostics across the country. Herein, we address some of the common diagnostic and therapeutic challenges faced by PNH physicians and give our recommendations. Gaps in knowledge are also addressed, and where appropriate, consensus opinion is provided.


Defined benefit (DB) plans can provide guaranteed income for life; however, there is no potential for wealth accumulation. Moreover, most DB plans offer little or no death benefit. But defined contribution (DC) plans offer the potential for wealth accumulation; participants might retire quite comfortably and leave a generous bequest for their heirs. However, since the participant bears all of the investment and longevity risk in a DC plan, she also faces the possibility of outliving her accumulated wealth. In this article, we examine hybrids (combinations) of DB and DC plans. We simulate investment returns and the time of death, and we measure the hybrid plans' performance relative to income and bequest goals. Through this analysis, we quantify the trade-offs between the income security of a DB plan and the potential for wealth accumulation in a DC plan, addressing the question, "How much income security will I forfeit by focusing more on wealth accumulation?" and vice versa. In addition, we suggest allocations between DB and DC that perform particularly well relative to given metrics.


SUMMARY

About 1000 blight-infected seed potato tubers, usually of the cultivar King Edward, were planted for 9 yr and the subsequent plants examined until the disease had developed in the plots. Haulm infection originated each year from the seed tubers and occurred first on basal leaves. When tubers were inoculated with a complex race of P. infestans this race was recovered from the leaves and from the soil near the seed tuber.

Transmission of infection from soil to leaves was demonstrated by splash of artificially contaminated soil to leaves suspended above the soil.

In 4 yr, plants were grown on flat rows as well as on ridges. In 2 yr, when emergence was almost complete, infected stems were observed on otherwise normal plants. In the first year 0.6% grew on ridges and 3.0% on the flat and in the second all grew on the flat (5.3%). Only seven of the 43 plants had more than one infected stem. Flat plots had a significantly higher number of stemdplant than ridge plots, but this bore no relation to numbers of infected stems. When flat plots which had developed affected plants had soil replaced as ridge plots, no further infected stems were observed. Such stems continued to develop on flat plots.

No prematurely dead stems were observed below soil level when all plants were dug.

Underground portions of most infected stems showed little evidence of P. infestans which was found only at about soil level. Infection appeared to occur first in this area.


We report the first results of imaging the Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope, providing a photometry catalog of over 44,000 point sources as well as a catalog of over 900 candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) based on fits to their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We discuss several aspects of the extended emission, including the structure of dozens of dust pillars that result when a clumpy molecular cloud is shredded by feedback from massive stars. There are surprisingly few of the "extended green objects" (EGOs) that are normally taken as signposts of outflow activity in Spitzer data, and not one of the dozens of Herbig-Haro jets detected optically are seen as EGOs. EGOs are apparently poor tracers of outflow activity in strongly irradiated environments, due to the e!ects of massive star feedback. A population of "extende dr ed objects" tends to be found around late O-type and early B-type stars, some with clear bow-shock morphology. These are dusty shocks where stellar winds collide with photoevaporative flows o! nearby clouds. Finally, the relative distributions of O-type s tars, small star clusters, and sub-clusters of YSOs as compared to the dust pillars shows that while some YSOs are located within dust pillars, many more stars and YSOs reside just outside pillar heads. We suggest that pillars are transient phenomena, part of a continuous outwardly propagating wave of star formation driven by feedback from massive stars. As the pillars are destroyed, they leave newly formed stars in their wake, and these are then subsumed into the young OB association. The YSOs are found predominantly in the cavity between pillars and massive stars, arguing that their formation was in fact triggered. Altogether, the current generation of YSOs shows no strong deviation from a normal initial mass function (IMF). The number of YSOs is consistent with a roughly constant star-formation rate over the past ! 3 Myr, implying that propagating star formation in pillars constitutes an important mechanism to construct unbound OB associations. These accelerated pillars may give birth to massive O-type stars that, after several Myr, could appear to have formed in isolation.


Unit cohesion has been identified as a strong factor in the way soldiers overcome their fear of death in battle. Imperial Roman soldiers felt loyalty to the legion and its standard was more than a signal to rally towards in battle; British soldiers show similar loyalty to their regiment and Colours. Historians of a strong military background often write of the British regimental system as particularly effective in maintaining ethos and fighting spirit. Yet, reading any one of their descriptions of the regimental system offers only a vague insight of the structures and character of a uniquely military organisation. Identifying a regimental system is a particularly difficult task, even for those who are part of one. Although New Zealand has inherited the idea of regimental system from the British, it is a much smaller nation with a correspondingly smaller all-volunteer armed force and a more egalitarian society. The size of the New Zealand Army, with fewer regiments, seems to suggest that it has escaped both the benefits of regimental cohesion and the damaging effects of aggressive tribalism between its units. This thesis will challenge that assumption by showing that the New Zealand Army has a strong cultural history with definite characteristics of a regimental system. It will be seen that the New Zealand Army's regimental system adapts its values according to its own particular cultural pressures and legacies. Read More Date 2006 Author Phillips, Carol J


In recent years the precision ultra-high strength quenching steel plates (PUHSQS) have been widely used in the automobile production to reduce weight and improve passive safety. This paper investigates the spot welding performance of PUHSQS EN 1029TL4225, a kind of advanced high strength steel, whose tension strength can attain 1 500 MPa after being quenched. Using the intermediate frequency (IF) spot welding process, two kinds of welded joints are made: the joint of two PUHSQS plates and the joint between PUHSQS EN 10292TL4225 and the micro-alloy steel H340 LAD. The mechanical performances of welded joints, such as the tension strength, the hardness distribution, are tested. Besides, the macrostructure and microstructure are also analyzed. From the results, we can see that both of two kinds of welded joints have perfect properties and internal quality, and also the mechanical performances meet the actual production requirement completely. So we conclude that the steel EN 10 292 TL4225 has good spot welding performance.


ABSTRACT The ABC drug transporters, including ABCG2, are well known for their ability to efflux a wide spectrum of chemotherapeutic agents, thereby conferring a multidrug-resistant phenotype. However, studies over the past several years suggest that the ABC transporters may play additional role(s) in cell survival in the face of stress inducers that are not ABCG2 substrates (i.e., nutrient deprivation, ionizing radiation, rapamycin). The mechanism by which this occurs is largely unknown. In the present study, using several cancer cell lines and their ABCG2-overexpressing sublines, we show that cells overexpressing ABCG2 were more resistant to these stressors. This resistance was associated with an elevated level of autophagy flux, as measured by a higher rate of SQSTM1/p62 degradation and greater accumulation of LC3-II when compared to parental cells. Knockdown of ABCG2 reduced autophagic activity in resistant cells to a level similar to that observed in parental cells, confirming that the enhanced autophagy was ABCG2-dependent. Moreover, using cell viability, apoptosis, and clonogenic assays, we demonstrated that the ABCG2-expressing cells were more resistant to amino acid starvation and radiation-induced cell death. Importantly, knockdown of the critical autophagy factors ATG5 and ATG7 greatly reduced cell survival, verifying that enhanced autophagy was critical for this effect. Taken together, these data indicate that autophagy induced by various stressors is enhanced/accelerated in the presence of ABCG2, resulting in delayed cell death and enhanced cell survival. This defines a new role for this transporter, one with potential clinical significance.


Abstract. We address the question of the ability of empirical and general circulation model neutral wind profiles in the lower thermosphere to reproduce the observed characteristics of the winds in that part of the atmosphere. The winds in that altitude range are critical for electrodynamic processes, but evaluations of the model winds are generally difficult because of the sparse observational data, which makes an evaluation of the wind predictions over large areas difficult or impossible. In this paper, we use a recently identified characteristic of the winds in the lower thermosphere, namely the enhanced winds and strong shears between 95 and 115 km altitude, as a test of the models, at least in a statistical sense. Our results show that the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM) significantly underestimates the maximum winds and shears in the lower thermosphere, although it has reasonable agreement with the average winds. The NCAR general circulation model used in this study also underestimates the maximum winds and shears significantly when run with standard resolution, as well as producing an unrealistic increase of the wind speed with height. The agreement between the model and the observations improves significantly however, in a statistical sense, when the altitude resolution is increased. The improved height resolution in the model appears to produce a greater improvement in the model predictions than any of the other factors that we examined, such as improving the geomagnetic forcing or the forcing at the lower boundary.


Page Learner-Centered Nature Walks details the research of Heather van der Grinten in supplementing Junior Ranger Walks with a learner-centered mindset. The approach was intended to reflect her personal growth as a museum educator, demonstrate the viability of the Bank Street praxis of progressive education in an environmental education setting, and highlight potential growth for future Junior Ranger lesson-planning. The methodology involved experimenting with lesson plans, keeping a detailed reflection journal, and asking for voluntary feedback from peers, supervisors, and participants from June to September 2018. The samples of student work as shown in Appendix A and B were voluntarily given to van der Grinten to be used as part of her analysis. The research has found that asking for input as an initiation to an experience creates an immediate sense of engagement on the part of the participants. The research also concluded that inviting learners to create a visual artifact after a direct sensory experience provided an opportunity for reflection, group discussion, and an informal evaluation tool for the educator to monitor the program's effectiveness. These findings support the ideal conclusion of a Junior Ranger Walk – an empowered youth who has the skill and desire to engage meaningfully in public lands.


Several bone diseases, including arthritis, fracture and osteoporosis, have a pathophysiologically important inflammatory component. Sustained inflammation can result in delayed bone healing. Therefore, to promote bone repair, it is important to inhibit inflammatory bone erosion and suppress pro-inflammatory mediators. In this study, aspirin significantly enhanced immunomodulation and osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Additionally, an osteogenic BFP-1 peptide-decorated substrate (PS-PEP) enhanced osteogenic differentiation of aspirin-treated hMSCs compared to a pristine substrate. Alkaline phosphatase assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunostaining and Alizarin Red S staining revealed that aspirin-treated hMSCs cultured on PS-PEP exhibited enhanced osteogenesis compared with untreated cells. Thus, we report here that the anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects of aspirin promote the activity and osteogenesis of hMSCs. The combination of aspirin and an osteogenic BFP-1 peptide-decorated substrate suppresses the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and promotes osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs; therefore, this novel strategy has potential for application in cell therapy and bone tissue engineering.


We apply and compare three model-based Q-compensation approaches. The first two approaches rely upon ray-based attenuated traveltime (t*) modelling operators. One is applied prior to migration, the other one is embedded into a Kirchhoff depth migration algorithm (KDM). The third approach is based on wavepath-consistent t* modelling and is embedded into reverse time migration (RTM). Benefits and drawbacks of each of these methods are discussed and illustrated on a visco-acoustic version of the complex BP 2004 model. While ray-based Q-compensation performs well, especially when embedded within KDM, wavepath-consistent Q-compensation within RTM compensates more complex events and seems worthwhile in highly complex media. However, all approaches are prone to noise amplification issues which must be accounted for.


Descriptive and inferential statistics are two main methodologies used in statistical data analysis. Descriptive statistics summarize data sets obtained as a result of an experiment, whereas inferential statistics enables generalization of observed data properties on a larger population. The present article is the outcome of the statistical analysis of results of time measurements of water outflow on the soil surface after the failure of a buried water pipe during laboratory investigations. During each of the 28 experiment variants, the pipe under internal water pressure was intentionally damaged causing the leakage. The time between the moment of the breakage and the moment of the water outflow on the soil surface was measured. A pressure head in the pipe and a leak area were two parameters varying during investigations. The first part of the statistical analysis included calculations of a mean, a mode, quartiles, a range, a standard deviation, a dispersion, a skewness and an excess kurtosis for data obtained in laboratory investigations. The normality of the results distribution was verified with Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests – original and modified by Lilliefors as well as the Shapiro–Wilk test. Relationships between varying analysed time and parameters during investigations were estimated on the basis of the regression analysis. All needed parameters were calculated with the Statistica 12 (StatSoft, Inc.) and MS Excel software. Results of analyses enabled to determine average values of time for investigated conditions, necessary in further studies. Laboratory investigations indicated that higher pressure head in a pipe results in tendency of time of water outflow to be lower (as per expectations), but no regularity between time and the leak area was proved during the analysis.


Making large automatic device for polishing freeform surface of large mold has many disadvantages. We propose a new thinking of polishing large freeform surface with small mobile robot, and develop a novel small mobile polishing robot which has good maneuverability for moving on and polishing curved surface continuously. By analyzing its kinematics model, algorithm for tracking polishing path is designed, in which discrete points along planed polishing path on surface are taken as robot's navigation points. And virtual robot view methods are designed in the tracking algorithm to avoid the oscillate phenomena. Both the simulation and field experiments prove that this type robot can satisfy the requirement of polishing process.


Entrepreneurship is usually identified as an important determinant of aggregate productivity and long-term growth. The determinants of entrepreneurship, nevertheless, are not entirely understood. A recent literature has linked entrepreneurship to the development of the justice system. This paper contributes to this literature by evaluating the role of access to justice in determining the incidence of entrepreneurship. We explore the creation of special civil tribunals in the Brazilian state of São Paulo during the 1990s. Special civil tribunals increased the geographic presence of the justice system, simplified judicial procedures, and increased the speed of adjudication of disputes. Using census data and an instrumental variables strategy, we find that implementation of special civil tribunals led to increased entrepreneurship among individuals with higher levels of education. Results do not seem to be related either to other changes in public goods provision at the local level or to preexisting trends.


Polymer brushes are promising many applications as smart materials and biocompatible surfaces. Surface-initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is one of the most effective techniques for synthesis of well-defined polymer brushes. Herein, a biocompatible, uniform and stable poly(N-acryloylmorpholine)-silicon hybrid system was achieved using surface-initiated RAFT polymerization. Evidence of a well-controlled surface-initiated RAFT polymerization was confirmed by a linear increase of number average molecular weight (Mn) with overall monomer conversions. Water contact angle, ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy verified the presence of poly(N-acryloylmorpholine) (poly(NAM)) on silicon wafers. The grafting density (σ) and the average distance between grafting points (D) were estimated to be 0.58 chains/nm2 and 1.5 nm, respectively. The ratio of D value to radius of gyration (Rg) value is smaller than 1 (D/2Rg < 1), which corresponds to the brush regime of all grafted poly(NAM) films.


Generative adversarial imitation learning (GAIL) demonstrates tremendous success in practice, especially when combined with neural networks. Different from reinforcement learning, GAIL learns both policy and reward function from expert (human) demonstration. Despite its empirical success, it remains unclear whether GAIL with neural networks converges to the globally optimal solution. The major difficulty comes from the nonconvex-nonconcave minimax optimization structure. To bridge the gap between practice and theory, we analyze a gradient-based algorithm with alternating updates and establish its sublinear convergence to the globally optimal solution. To the best of our knowledge, our analysis establishes the global optimality and convergence rate of GAIL with neural networks for the first time.


This article has used the ADINA numerical calculus software to simulate the deep foundation excavation and supports process, as well as analyzing the analogue result in the project of the Xia Gong in ShenYang City. The results illustrate that (1) it is essential to optimize the pile earth's horizontal displacement and the mechanical situation of anchor rod. (2) It makes soil's horizontal displacement and the mechanical situation of anchor rod more reasonable by changing the anchor rod vertical spacing and length ,hence obtains that the anchor parameter change has the great influence on the distortion of the support structure.


Aim: An inverse association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and aortic dilatation has recently been reported. However, little is known about the association between DM and the progression of aortic dilatation/calcification as atherosclerosis progresses. Methods: We identified 216 patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and abdominal computed tomography (CT) during the PCI and follow-up phases. The patients were classified into two groups: those with DM (DM+ group; n = 107) and those without DM (DM− group; n = 109). The infrarenal aortic diameter and aortic calcification index (ACI) were measured, and annual changes were calculated using measurement results obtained during the PCI and follow-up phases. Results: Infrarenal aortic diameters were significantly shorter in the DM+ group than in the DM− group during the PCI phase, and no significant ACI differences were observed between the DM+ and DM− groups. The median duration between the PCI and follow-up phase CT was 3.0 years. The growth rate of the infrarenal aortic dilatation from the PCI phase in the DM+ group was similar to that in the DM− group. Annual ACI changes were significantly larger in the DM+ group than in the DM− group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the prevalence of DM was an independent predictor of rapid aortic calcification progression (odds ratio: 2.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.23–5.14; p = 0.01). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that DM negatively affects aortic dilatation during an earlier phase of atherosclerosis progression and positively affects the progression of aortic calcification in a later phase.


In this paper presents, a new steganographic technique for embedding messages in palette-based images, such as GIF files. Steganography is a method of secret communication wherein the very existence of communication is hidden. During the last few decades there has been a tremendous development in digital image steganography the new technique embeds one message bit into one pixel (its pointer to the palette). The pixels for message embedding are chosen randomly using a pseudo-random number generator seeded with a secret key. For each pixel at which one message bit is to be embedded, the palette is searched for closest colors. The closest color with the same parity as the message bit is then used instead original color. it has the advantage that both the overall change due to message embedding and the maximal change in colors of pixels is smaller than in methods that perturb the least significant bit of indices to a luminance-sorted palette, such as EZ Stego [1]. Indeed, numerical experiments indicate that the new technique introduces approximately four times less distortion to the carrier image than EZ Stego. The maximal color change is 4 to 5 times smaller for the new technique than that of EZ Stego. This method introduces less distortion to the carrier image will generally cause changes that are more difficult to detect, and will therefore provide more security.


Graffiti tagging, the inscription of an individual graffiti writer's unique mark in public space, is considered to be an antisocial behaviour and is a criminal offense. Due to the costs involved in the removal of graffiti tags it would be desirable to deter tagging. A searchable database of graffiti images could be an integral part of the policing system aimed at deterring graffiti vandalism. In order to index the database, an algorithm must be used that is capable of describing and comparing images. There are various approaches to object recognition and shape matching. The two methods that have been examined in this thesis are the ScaleInvariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and the Shape Context. These techniques were chosen based on their suitability to deal with the types of inconsistencies that are common in graffiti tag recognition, compared with the variances that occur in generic object recognition. Shape Context was found to be better suited as it was more robust than SIFT with regard to small shape distortions that are natural in graffiti writing. An empirical measure for the correctness of a searchable graffiti database was devised. Using this measure, it was found that retrieval results using Shape Context were considerably more accurate than retrieval results using SIFT. This thesis introduces the problem of recognising graffiti tags into the areas of object recognition and shape matching. Results are presented based on a collection of photographed graffiti tags.


Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the upper breast border (UBB) in determining the new location of the nipple and to objectively analyze long-term nipple position compared to pre-operative markings. Patients and Methods: Thirty-eight patients (76 breasts) patients who underwent superomedial pedicle, reverse-T scar breast reductions and who had long-term (>12 months) follow-up data were included. The sternal notch to the nipple, nipple to inframammarian fold (N-IMF), nipple to chest midline, and areola diameter were measured and recorded at the time of preoperative, markings, and long-term follow-up visit. Statistical Analysis Used: The differences in measurements were compared using a paired, two-tailed T-test, and a P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average follow-up time was 17.9 months (range 12–41 months). The nipple was located, on average, 0.95 cm lower on postoperative assessment compared to preoperative marking (P = 0.060). The nipple was located, on average, 0.75 cm lateral on postoperative assessment compared to preoperative marking (P < 0.001). The average postoperative increase in the N-IMF distance between marking and the long-term follow-up visit was 1.75 cm (P < 0.001). The areola diameter was increased 0.21 cm on postoperative assessment compared to preoperative marking (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The nipple position moved down and the N-IMF distance was greater than planned. However, the nipple was usually located at the area of the greatest projection of the breast due to almost equal elongation of the superior and inferior poles. The outcome of breast reduction procedures in which the postoperative nipple position is planned using the UBB was good.


A research program in tropical/subtropical agriculture is being funded by Special Research Grants (under Public Law 89-106) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS). For the U.S. Caribbean Area the program is coordinated and operated by the Caribbean Basin Administrative Group (CBAG). CBAG membership consists of the Directors and/or representatives of each of the Agricultural Experiment Stations of the land-grant universities of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the Executive Director for the Southern Region of Agricultural Experiment Stations, and representatives for USDA-CSRS and for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Up to the present, 54 CBAG projects in areas of high-priority research have been conducted by staff members of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus, College of Agricultural Sciences. During a span of 14 years, more than $5.4 millions have been invested in Puerto Rico to support research related to land use planning; tissue culture on plantains, bananas and pineapples; biological control of nematodes and insects; development of new value-added shelled bean products; irrigation requirements; virus diseases of taniers and passion fruit; and others. Results, findings and recommendations have been disseminated through publications in local and international journals and oral presentations in annual technical meetings of scientific organizations in the Wes tern Hemisphere, Europe and Asia. In addition, funds have been used to train graduate students and support their M.S. thesis research work based on high-priority research needs in tropical agriculture.


In nineteen essays illustrating its many aspects, this book offers an argument for what it takes to construct a complete rhetorical education.The editors take an approach that is pragmatic and pluralistic, based as it is on the assumptions that a rhetorical education is not limited to teaching freshman composition (or any specific writing course) and that the contexts in which such an education occurs are not limited to classrooms. This thought-provoking volume stresses that while a rhetorical education results in the growth of writing skills, its larger goal is to foster critical thinking.


PURPOSE
This study aims to compare the imaging findings of carotid body tumors on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) with the intraoperative Shamblin grade and to evolve an imaging-based scoring system that can accurately predict the Shamblin grade.

METHODS
Preoperative contrast-enhanced CT scans of 40 patients who underwent surgical excision of carotid body tumors in our institution between 2004 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The angle of contact with the internal carotid artery (ICA), tumor volume, presence of peritumoral tuft of veins, loss of tumor adventitia interface and distance from the skull base were assessed and compared with the intraoperative Shamblin grades of the tumor. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine which parameters could be predictors of the Shamblin grades. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to score the tumor volumes.

RESULTS
Among the 42 tumors evaluated, 6 (14.3%) were surgically classified as Shamblin I, 15 (35.7%) as Shamblin II, and 21 (50%) as Shamblin III tumors. Pairwise comparison between the three Shamblin groups showed a statistically significant difference for angle of contact with ICA, maximum tumor dimension, presence of peritumoral tuft of veins and loss of tumor adventitia interface (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.038 and p = 0.003, respectively). However, tumor volumes and distance from skull base were not significantly different between the Shamblin groups (p = 0.136 and p = 0.682). A scoring system, including four of the above mentioned parameters (angle of contact with ICA, tumor volume, presence of peritumoral tuft of veins, and loss of tumor adventitia interface) was developed with a maximum score of 8 and a minimum of 2. A statistically significant difference was found between the final scores among the three Shamblin groups (p < 0.001). Using ROC curves, a final score of ≥6 was found to separate Shamblin grade III tumors from grade I and II tumors (sensitivity, 95.24%; specificity, 71.43%). All patients with documented intraoperative estimated blood loss of >1000 mL had Shamblin grade III tumors. Postoperative complications like stroke, ICA thrombosis and lower cranial nerve palsies were seen only with Shamblin grade II and III tumors.

CONCLUSION
The simple scoring system we have proposed correlates well with the Shamblin grade and helps in identifying patients who have a higher risk of developing complications.


Wet storage is synonymous with ensilage, a simple biotechnology that has been used to preserve forage for livestock feed for millennia. In this natural process, organic acids are produced by anaerobic microbial degradation of a small fraction of the biomass, and these acids reduce the pH to levels that minimize further microbial activity and can preserve the biomass for years as long as anaerobic conditions are maintained. These organic acids also result in mild pretreatment with potential to enhance downstream conversion processes, making this an effective storage strategy. However, the degree and significance of this natural pretreatment capability of ensiled storage on downstream processes has not previously been quantified across a range of storage conditions. In this study, the degree of pretreatment was investigated by measuring the reactivity of corn stover fiber to cellulolytic enzymes. Although the results indicated significant improvement in hydrolytic outcomes after wet storage, by a factor of up to 2.4, saccharification of cellulose to sugar monomers was still limited. The results also show that dominance of lactic acid in the ensilage process is key to wet storage [pretreatment] effectiveness as in the livestock feed industry. Lactic acid pKa value is lower than the pKa of other silage acids and lower than typical silage pH. This gives lactic acid the advantage of being in the more dissociated form, with more protons available to facilitate pretreatment hydrolysis. However, unlike the livestock feed industry, where quality feedstock is attainable within very narrow storage moisture range, for biofuel purposes, a wider range of 35 ―65% is appropriate in achieving a similar quality outcome. This is true both for the immediate fiber response to enzymes and with subsequent pretreatment. This wider moisture range implies more flexibility in harvest schedule without sacrificing feedstock quality, thus alleviating concerns over feedstock quality that biomass suppliers or biorefineries may have.


This laboratory has previously shown that interleukin-1 (IL-1), a putative intermediary in the ovulatory process, is capable of up-regulating PG biosynthesis by cultured whole ovarian dispersates from immature rats. In part, this phenomenon was attributable to the stimulation of ovarian phospholipase A2 activity. In this communication we examine the possibility that the PG-promoting property of IL-1 is also due to the up-regulation of PG endoperoxide synthase (PGS), the rate-limiting step in prostanoid biosynthesis. The in vivo expression of ovarian PGS-2 transcripts in the course of a simulated estrous cycle rose abruptly to a peak (35-fold increase over the control value; P < 0.05) 8-12 h after hCG administration (i.e. before or during projected ovulation). PGS-1 transcripts, in turn, were not significantly altered during the periovulatory period. Treatment of cultured whole ovarian dispersates with IL-1beta resulted in dose- and time-dependent up-regulation of PGS-2 transcripts (as well as of immunoreactive PGS-2 protein and PGE2 accumulation), characterized by an ED50 of 2 ng/ml and a maximal (72-fold) increase at 10 ng/ml. Although treatment with IL-1beta also led to an increase in PGS-1 transcripts and immunoreactive PGS-1 protein, the relative magnitude of the effect was markedly reduced compared with that of PGS-2. Cotreatment with an IL-1 receptor antagonist completely reversed the IL-1 effects, thereby suggesting mediation via the IL-1 receptor. The ability of IL-1 to up-regulate PGS-2 transcripts proved relatively specific, in that other cellular regulators (insulin-like growth factor I, activin A, endothelin-1, transforming growth factor-alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor, leukemia inhibitor factor, hepatocyte growth factor, or keratinocyte growth factor) were not effective. The optimal IL-1 effect required heterologous contact-dependent coculturing of granulosa and thecal-interstitial cells. Taken together, these observations 1) reaffirm (by molecular probing) the granulosa cell as the primary site of ovarian PGS-1 and PGS-2 expression, 2) document an increase in ovarian PGS-2 transcripts before ovulation, and 3) reveal a marked dependence of ovarian PGS (2 >> 1) transcripts, proteins, and activity on IL-1. The effects of IL-1 proved relatively specific, contingent upon somatic cell-cell cooperation, dose and time dependent, and IL-1 receptor mediated. These results are compatible with the proposition that the PG-promoting property of IL-1 is due, in large measure, to the activation of ovarian PGS transcription and translation. The ability of IL-1 to up-regulate ovarian PGS, an obligatory component of ovulation, is in keeping with the idea that IL-1 may constitute an intermediary in the ovulatory process.


. Humans can continuously learn new knowledge. However, machine learning models suffer from drastic dropping in performance on previous tasks after learning new tasks. Cognitive science points out that the competition of similar knowledge is an important cause of forgetting. In this paper, we design a paradigm for lifelong learning based on meta-learning and associative mechanism of the brain. It tackles the problem from two aspects: extracting knowledge and memorizing knowledge. First, we disrupt the sample's background distribution through a background attack, which strengthens the model to extract the key features of each task. Second, according to the similarity between incremental knowledge and base knowledge, we design an adaptive fusion of incremental knowledge, which helps the model allocate capacity to the knowledge of different difficulties. It is theoretically analyzed that the proposed learning paradigm can make the models of different tasks converge to the same optimum. The proposed method is validated on the MNIST, CIFAR100, CUB200 and ImageNet100 datasets. The code is available at https://github.com/bhrqw/ARI .


Cardiometabolic disease refers to the spectrum of chronic conditions that include diabetes, hypertension, atheromatosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and their long-term impact on cardiovascular health. Histological studies have confirmed several modifications at the tissue level in cardiometabolic disease. Recently, quantitative MR methods have enabled non-invasive myocardial and liver tissue characterization. MR relaxation mapping techniques such as T1, T1ρ, T2 and T2* provide a pixel-by-pixel representation of the corresponding tissue specific relaxation times, which have been shown to correlate with fibrosis, altered tissue perfusion, oedema and iron levels. Proton density fat fraction mapping approaches allow measurement of lipid tissue in the organ of interest. Several studies have demonstrated their utility as early diagnostic biomarkers and their potential to bear prognostic implications. Conventionally, the quantification of these parameters by MRI relies on the acquisition of sequential scans, encoding and mapping only one parameter per scan. However, this methodology is time inefficient and suffers from the confounding effects of the relaxation parameters in each single map, limiting wider clinical and research applications. To address these limitations, several novel approaches have been proposed that encode multiple tissue parameters simultaneously, providing co-registered multiparametric information of the tissues of interest. This review aims to describe the multi-faceted myocardial and hepatic tissue alterations in cardiometabolic disease and to motivate the application of relaxometry and proton-density cardiac and liver tissue mapping techniques. Current approaches in myocardial and liver tissue characterization as well as latest technical developments in multiparametric quantitative MRI are included. Limitations and challenges of these novel approaches, and recommendations to facilitate clinical validation are also discussed.


Abstract. One Health brings the powerful interrelationship between human and wildlife health together with ecosystem health. The initial concept of One Health was formulated decades ago and focused on disease transfer from wildlife to human populations. More recently, the concept has been used to associate resilience to disease with the health of the ecosystem and resilience to environmental stressors. The need for a One Health approach is particularly evident in the plight of Old World vultures, which are facing a conservation crisis due to drastic reductions in populations across their entire range. Moreover, vulture conservation exemplifies many contemporary tenets of One Health; vultures are critical to a sustainable and resilient ecosystem, which in turn is essential for the socio-ecological health of human communities. In this review, we examine the complex factors contributing to the demise of Old World vulture populations, using the lens of One Health to conceptualize the primary drivers impacting the health and sustainability of these populations. The One Health concept provides the basis for the development of a framework that incorporates a multidimensional approach and includes human health, wildlife health, environmental and disease-related stressors, disease incidences, societal pressures, and environmental contaminants. Integrating societal needs with management aimed at maintaining healthy vulture populations is key for successfully using a One Health framework to optimize the health of human and wildlife populations and ensure ecosystem health.