The following papers were presented at the seminar: Trends in demand for public transport and policy implications (Blackledge, DA); The national travel surveys (Charles, GS); Census data-some facts relevant to public transport (Bentley, RC); Converting census travel to work by bus data to passenger-journey units (Bentley, RC); Special work place statistics-the role of the Saspac extension (Dugmore, K); The use of postcodes in identifying potential public transport passengers (Hamilton, TD); Concessionary fares in non-metropolitan counties (Glover, J); Urban and rural transport: Some definitions and differences (Hibbs, J).


Structured real canonical forms for matrices in R n×n that are symmetric or skew- symmetric about the anti-diagonal as well as the main diagonal are presented, and Jacobi algorithms for solving the complete eigenproblem for three of these four classes of matrices are developed. Based on the direct solution of 4× 4 subproblems constructed via quaternions, the algorithms cal- culate structured orthogonal bases for the invariant subspaces of the associated matrix. In addition to preserving structure, these methods are inherently parallelizable, numerically stable, and show asymptotic quadratic convergence.


Rasulullah SAW-style treatment is a trend today is a ruqyah who not only treat physical diseases but also non-physical. Ruqyah is the solution the Prophet offered in overcoming all sorts of diseases, and ruqyah is allowed as long as it does not contain shirk elements. This study aims to explain the definition of ruqyah in the hadith of the Prophet, and the verses and prayers used at the time of ruqyah. Even explaining the existence of capitalist elements and the influence of ruqyah on mental health. This research uses the risearch library method using descriptive approach and socio-historical critique analysis to understand the hadith of the Prophet. The findings are: First, ruqyah is a treatment ala Rasulullah by taking refuge in Allah from all diseases both physical and non physical. Second, the way of ruqyah is by putting the right hand to the painful part of the limb while reading the reading of prayers, letters of al-Fatihah, al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and al-Nas. Thirdly, the ruqyah should be based on a complete belief in God, pleading for protection to Him because He is the Essence that Heals all sicknesses. Fourth, ruqyah can give positive influence that is heal mental health or soul. Fifth, ruqyah is one of the solemn acts against the sickness of society which is far from Allah without capitalization by commercializing to serve as a livelihood in fulfilling the necessities of life except on the willingness of the patient or ruqyah sufferer by giving wages as a form of gratitude and meruqyah people may take wages by not looking at the size and size of the wage on the basis of sincere intentions.


The article examines the effects of social factors such as social support for debt, economic socialization, and social comparisons on financial decision making. In particular, it deals with questions about when, how and why an individual feels the need for a loan. In this paper we considered the first three stages of the consumer decision making: awareness of needs; search for information; evaluation of suitable options. Data were collected inMoscowin spring 2004 using in-depth qualitative interviews. The number of participants was 35. These individuals were selected to reflect the spectrum of attitudes to money, debt and savings revealed by our previous survey (2002). A set of indicators determining the relationship between material well-being of individuals, standards of living of their relatives, and their reference groups was defined. According to these indicators eight options for the life strategy were analytically identified. Substantive conclusions concern the changes in the system of values and structure of needs of the Russian population. The results show that life success is often identified with high income and the possession of certain expensive goods as an indicator of high social status. People with lower income tend to live in the same social environment of poor people, they rare communicate with those who are richer than them. On the contrast, people with middle and even high income, significantly more likely find among people they know those that go beyond their standard of living. They are more likely use loans to achieve their goals. Thus the loan status in modern Russian society is changing.


Introduction The feeding of whole maize to feedlot cattle is generally practiced. A study by Lofgreen et al. (1988) comparing different proportions of steam flaked and whole shelled maize indicated no significant differences in gain due to grain treatment. Digestibility studies in the same experiment indicated no differences among diets in the digestibility for dry matter organic matter, protein and starch. Galyean et al. (1992) also found that gains were almost identical regardless of maize processing method. Northern KwaZulu-Natal is primarily a maize and soyabean producing area. The question arose whether unprocessed soyabeans could be used as protein source in a finisher feed for cattle in conjunction with whole maize.


Sufficient bonding between the hot mix asphalt (HMA) layers is essential to ensure the desired structural capacity of a pavement. Delamination or debonding problems are particularly more severe where heavy traffic loads are applied. Further progression of delamination and associated cracks may result in stripping of the lower layers due to the intrusion of moisture or may develop other dangerous distresses that will require frequent maintenance, and may lead to premature need for major rehabilitation. Rapid nondestructive test (NDT) methods to determine the existence and extent of debonding in asphalt pavements are needed. Promising NDT procedures and equipment that have the potential to address the problem and their effectiveness and capability for success were investigated. The most promising NDT methods, which included the Ground Penetrating Radar, Ultrasonic Surface Seismic Waves, Falling Weight Deflectometer and Impulse Response were extensively evaluated on a controlled pavement section that was specifically constructed with various levels of debonding at different depths and with different asphalt mixes. Based on the outcome of this study, Impulse Response and seismic methods were determined to be the most successful methods, followed by the Falling Weight Deflectometer. The most promising methods were also evaluated under actual field conditions at two different major airports to assess the capabilities and convenience of the methods. Some of the theoretical and practical strength and limitations of the different methods are also discussed in this paper.


This article aims to present a clinical case of a diastema closure with densely sintered alumina crowns using the Procera® system, highlighting its sequential steps and technical requisites for success. The case presented the protocol that follows: diagnostic waxing, chamfer preparations with a 1,5 mm axial reduction and a 2,0 mm of incisal reduction, temporary restorations, impression with the double cord technique, substructure wax up for double scanning, ceramic application, and cementation with a resin cement. Results obtained were judged as satisfying esthetically and biologically by the patient and the dentist.


Using PCR,The Sox gene of Dinodon rufozonatum were amplified with a pair of degenerate primers based on the Human HMG-box gene. By cloning and sequencing the amplification products,we get 3 different Sox genes,among them,only one were amplified from both male and female body. The result indicated that there are different between them. The 3 Sox genes show high homology to Human SOX genes,and the identities to human SOX genes in the DNA sequence and the amino acid sequence are 89%?91%?92% and 96%?98%?96%,respectively. This may be concluded that Sox gene is highly conservative in phylogenetic. This paper provides molecular data for the study of Sex-determining mechanism of Dinodon rufozonatum .


A survey of city noise in the Chicago area was initiated in 1947. This report describes traffic, industrial, and residential area noise which was investigated as a part of the work. Levels of traffic noise were 35 to 45 db, 45 to 65 db, and 65 to 75 db in the 400–800‐cps band for light, average, and heavy traffic conditions, respectively. Industrial noise ranged from 50 to 60 db in the same band for fifty percent of the cases measured. Ninety percent were below 65 db. A limiting spectrum for noise which is considered not objectionable is presented. Residential area noise ranged from 38 to 47 db in the mentioned band for fifty percent of the cases measured. At night and for winter conditions, traffic noise was 10 db lower in the mentioned band than in the daytime. At night, industrial area noise dropped to levels of existing traffic conditions, and in winter it was lower by about 5 db in octave bands mainly because factory windows were closed. At night, residential area noise was 5 to 10 db less in octave ...


In the Neutrino Factory and Muon Collider, muons are produced by firing high energy protons onto a target to produce pions. The pions decay to muons which are then accelerated. This method of pion production results in significant background from protons and electrons, which may result in heat deposition on superconducting materials and activation of the machine preventing manual handling. In this paper we discuss the design of a secondary particle handling system. The system comprises a solenoidal chicane that filters high momentum particles, followed by a proton absorber that reduces the energy of all particles, resulting in the rejection of low energy protons that pass through the solenoid chicane. We detail the design and optimization of the system and its integration with the rest of the muon front end.


This paper considers the problem of state of charge (SOC) estimation in rechargeable batteries. Traditionally, the SOC is estimated based on quantifiable measures such as current, voltage, or both. The current and voltage-based approaches are, in general, susceptible to several uncertainties as well as practical limitations. Meanwhile, the fusion of both approaches through nonlinear filtering techniques tends to preserve respective benefits and improves the overall SOC estimation process. However, there are no general solutions to the nonlinear filtering problem but only sub-optimal approximations, which compels the selection of appropriate filter to be a concern while designing SOC algorithms. Additionally, practical implementation of filter-based approaches would require high-precision storage systems to store the model parameters. For restrictive computational scenarios, the round-off errors could induce numerical instabilities. Therefore, this paper presents a novel table-based Kalman filter (TKF) that describes the usual nonlinear functional relationship between the open-voltage voltage (OCV) and the SOC through inflection points of the OCV-SOC curve. The table-based approximation is advantageous as the system model can be described linearly in terms of the table components. The resulting linear system model would allow us to apply the Kalman filter directly rather than its computationally expensive nonlinear variants. The results show that a 16-point table can have a maximum error of approximately 0.01. Further, it highlights that the TKF with 32 points has a comparable error performance to the state-of-the-art nonlinear filtering approach.


The thermal, mechanical, dielectric, and dynamic mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites strongly depend on nanoparticles' content and aspect ratio. In this study, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/cellulose nanowhisker (CNW) composite films with various CNW concentrations (0–4.6 wt %) were prepared by solution casting. Bulge, tensile, and dynamic mechanical tests showed that mechanical properties of the films increased with increasing CNW content until the content reached 2.3 wt %. Real permittivity of the composites also peaked at 2.3 wt % CNWs over a wide spectrum of frequencies (0.01–106 Hz). These property transitions occurring at 2.3% CNW content were due to the transition of CNW dispersion from homogeneous dispersion to agglomeration. Rheological results of the composites, however, indicated a transition point lower than 2.3%. This was attributed to the existence of a polymer–CNW network in the composite melt, which required no physical touching or geometrical overlapping ...


Australian vegetation, much like that on other continents, is characterised by evergreen forests in humid climates, savannas in the seasonal tropics, desert shrublands and grasslands in arid climates, and wetland vegetation where water accumulates. While continental plant diversity is intermediate on a global scale, Australian vegetation is characterised by high endemism at species and genus levels, a number of biodiversity hotspots and some structurally and physiognomically unique forms. We propose a continental model of vegetation assembly in which autochthonous and intrusive species pools are exposed to resource ilters dominated by water and nutrients, other abiotic drivers such as temperature and disturbance regimes (particularly ire and loods), as well as local biotic ilters, most notably competition and predation. We present a new high-level ecological typology of Australian vegetation and evaluate how ecological processes and legacies shape and differentiate major types of vegetation across the continent. Some key plant traits apparently enable persistence and turnover of species groups that characterise vegetation types inhabiting different environments. We conclude that Australian vegetation relects a broad ensemble of evolutionary ilters, varying combinations of which may come to the fore under particular conditions. Advances in Australian plant ecology over more than a century increasingly relect the complex relationships between ecological legacy, directional selection by contrasting agents under varying environments, and stochasticity.


The advancement in wireless communication in recent years requires a telecommunication system which is capable of maximizing connectivity. Reconfigurable multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) antennas with the ability to radiate more than one radiation pattern at different frequencies and polarizations, significantly improves their channel capacity and throughput. Improved system gain and security are achieved by their capability to adapt to the changes in surrounding conditions, and to avoid noisy environments. In this paper, state-of-the-art reconfigurable antennas in terms of radiation pattern, frequency and polarization are presented. Reconfiguration is performed by using techniques such as radio-frequency microelectromechanical system (RF-MEMS), PIN diodes, varactors, photoconductive elements, physical alteration of the radiating structure, or by using material such as ferrites and liquid crystals. The effect of mutual coupling in MIMO system by integrating more than one reconfigurable antenna is discussed. An important observation is that mutual coupling effect reduction will optimize the performance of reconfigurable antennas.


This study aims to analyze: (i) the level of efficiency of regional spending of educational functions; (ii) the impact of fiscal decentralization on the spending efficiency; and (iii) the implications of education spending efficiency on the level of welfare in the region. The research used quantitative approach with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Dinamic Generalized Method of Moment (DGMM) analysis techniques. The results showed that the realization and utilization of education function spending in the aggregate in South Sulawesi Province is quite good, although the spending is still more allocated to government bureaucracy spending. However, the results of efficiency testing by DEA method show that in most districts/cities in South Sulawesi Province, the realization and utilization of such spending is relatively less efficient. From the results of Dynamic Panel Data Testing (DGMM), the findings were obtained that fiscal decentralization in the form of  Local Own-Source Revenue had a positive and significant impact on the education spending efficiency, while the fiscal decentralization policy in the form of Balance Fund, negatively influential but insignificant. In terms of good governance, the variable interaction between fiscal decentralization in the form of  Local Own-Source Revenue and opinion from BPK on LKPD in districts/cities negatively and significantly affects the efficiency of education spending. While the variable interaction between fiscal decentralization both in the form of Balance Fund and opinion from BPK on LKPD in districts/cities has a positive and significant effect on the efficiency of education spending. The increase in the efficiency of education spending will be significantly followed by the improvement of the welfare of the community. Meanwhile, fiscal decentralization policy in the form of  Local Own-Source Revenue has a positive and significant effect.


This paper studies the job matching market in Kelso and Crawford(1982) with one exception that co-workers may generate utility or disutility in the workplace. We provide a simple idea to show how a great number of sufficient condiions for a nonempty core in the literature can be extended to this labor market. We also provide a deterministic and a stochatic recursive dynamic system each of which converges to an efficient core outcome as long as the core is nonempty.


Children's self-imposed isolation in the company of others (social withdrawal due to shyness or unsociability) and active isolation due to direct aggressive behaviors can challenge successful engagement in the peer group. The developmental attributional perspective acknowledges that children's intended affiliative responses are, in part, guided by their emotions and beliefs toward peers' social behaviors and may differ depending on children's sex, age group, and social behavior. This study aimed to (1) describe preschoolers' beliefs, emotions, and intended affiliative preferences toward aggressive, shy, and unsociable peers, depending on children's sex and age group, and (2) explore the associations between preschoolers' beliefs, emotions and intended affiliative preferences, depending on children's social behaviors and children's sex or age group. A total of 158 preschoolers aged 3–6 years were interviewed, using the Child Attributions Interview to assess their beliefs, emotions and intended affiliative preferences toward peers. Teachers completed the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale to assess children's prosocial behaviors, aggressive-anger, and anxious-withdrawal. Preschoolers' perspectives toward shy and unsociable peers were less negative than toward aggressive peers. However, participants in our sample were not fully aware of the different intentionality and social motivations of shy and unsociable peers. Higher levels of perceived social standing, social motivation and sympathy predicted higher affiliative preferences toward shy, unsociable, and aggressive peers. However, the magnitude of the associations between preschoolers' beliefs, emotions and intended affiliative preferences differed, depending on children's sex, age group and prosocial behavior, especially toward aggressive and shy peer behaviors. These findings are in line with the developmental attributional perspective, but highlight the need to account for developmental specificities, sex differences in peer relationships and children's individual differences in social behaviors.


prognostic indicators for progression of HIV Janice M. Zelle~, PhD, RN, is Professor, Department of Medical Nursing, and Associate Professor, Department of immunology~Microbiology; and Nancy L. McCain, DSN, RN, is Associate Professor, School of Nursing Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Barbara Swanson, DNSc, RN, is Study Coordinator, Women's Interagency HIV Study, University of Illinois at Chicago.


(3) Abstract Intrathoracic foreign bodies are considered an infrequent condition. Their evolution is favorable in most cases; but depending on their location in the thoracic cavity, they can have severe sequels. We now present the unusual case of a patient with a wooden foreign body in the chest.


In 1848, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels declared that "the Communists are... reproached with desiring to abolish countries." 1 Their theoretical communism is opposed to nationalism fundamentally. How, then, to explain the various actions of the Soviet Union towards several national minorities, which might be described as ethnic cleansing? Should the Ukrainian hunger-famine of 1931-33 be considered a logical outcome of Marxist ideology, Stalinist paranoia, or simply an accident? Should the deportations of Crimean Tatars, Chechen-Ingushetians, 2 Volga Germans, and Meshketian Turks in 1944 be viewed as the result of Marxist thoughts on nationalism, or a war effort gone mad? Are these actions, in fact, even comparable? Despite the differing nature of what actually occurred as a result of these policies, I contend that both of these policies were fundamentally similar, and were first and foremost examples of ethnic cleansing. In this paper, I am defining ethnic cleansing as


Most scholarship on Japan's cultural policy towards modern China reflects the paradigm of cultural imperialism. In contrast, this study demonstrates that Japan - while motivated by pragmatic interests, international cultural rivalries, ethnocentrism, moralism, and idealism - was mindful of Chinese opinion and sought the cooperation of the Chinese government. Japanese policy stressed cultural communication and inclusivness rather than cultural domination and exclusiveness, and was part of Japan's search for an East Asian cultural order led by Japan. China, however, was not a passive recipient and actively sought to redirect this policy to serve its national interests and aspitations. See Heng Teow argues that it is time to move away from the framework of cultural imerialism towards one that recognizes the importance of cultural autonomy, internationalism, and transculturation.


With the continuous development of the world economy, the development and utilization of environmentally friendly and renewable energy have become the trend in many countries. In this paper, we study the dynamic economic dispatch with wind integrated. Firstly, we take advantage of the positive and negative spinning reserve to deal with wind power output prediction errors in order to establish a dynamic economic dispatch model of wind integrated. The existence of a min function makes the dynamic economic dispatch model nondifferentiable, which results in the inability to directly use the traditional mathematical methods based on gradient information to solve the model. Inspired by the aggregate function, we can easily transform the nondifferentiable model into a smooth model when parameter p tends to infinity. However, the aggregate function will cause data overflow when p tends to infinity. Then, for solving this problem, we take advantage of the adjustable entropy function method to replace of aggregate function method. In addition, we further discuss the adjustable entropy function method and point out that the solution generated by the adjustable entropy function method can effectively approximate the solution of the original problem without parameter p tending to infinity. Finally, simulation experiments are given, and the simulation results prove the effectiveness and correctness of the adjustable entropy function method.


The latest Basel Accord, which relies on the New Capital Accord (i.e. Basel II) and whose basic goals have been, from a normative standpoint, enhancing the banking sector's ability to absorb the losses arising from economic distresses like the global financial crisis (2007-2009), improving risk management and governance, and strengthening the bank's transparency and disclosures, operationally emphasises the need to improve the quality and quantity of capital components, liquidity standards, and leverage ratio. The implementation of the Accord in developed economies started at the beginning of 2013 and the overall transition period from the Basel II framework should end by the year 2019. But as far as emerging economies are concerned, there are several issues on the road of implementation, such as necessary (technical) skills and expertise of bank staff as well as their supervisory institutions, sophisticated internal rating mechanisms and capacity, significant amount of new information and recordkeeping, etc. This paper discusses real and potential effects of Basel III in both developed and emerging economies. A special emphasis is given to the banking sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Keywords: International banking standards, Basel accords, Basel III, effects, developed economies, emerging economies, Bosnia and Herzegovina


From the two dimensions of opportunities and incentives of earnings management,this paper analyzes the causes of quarterly distribution characteristics of earnings management and examines them,using a sample of Chinese listed companies during 2003 -2008.The authors find that quarterly distribution characteristics of earnings management in Chinese listed companies is distinct,quarterly earnings management between the fourth and the first three quarters is significantly different,which is mainly caused by the incentives of earnings management.This study added research literature about interim earning quality and provides some references for securities regulators to strengthen supervision of interim financial information.


Objective:To investigate the effect of leptin on the growth of HT-29 colorectal carcinoma cell lines.Methods:HT-29 cells were cultured with leptin at concentration of 0,5×10-6,5×10-5,1×10-4 and 2×10-4 g/L respectively.Meanwhile,epithelial growth factor(EGF) was taken as the positive control.The effect of leptin on the growth and proliferation of HT-29 colorectal carcinoma cell lines was assayed through measuring growth curve and by the MTT(2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method.Results:According to growth curve,the cell amounts from HT-29 cell lines increased in proportion to leptin concentration varying from 5×10-6g/L to 2×10-4g/L at a dose-dependent manner.However,the cell proliferation amounts of 2×10-4g/L leptin group were still less than those of the positive control group(EGF).The MTT results were similar to those from cell counting method.Leptin at different concentration levels promoted the growth of HT-29 cell lines time-and dose-dependently,and the proliferation rate varied from 5.1% to 67.9%.Conclusion:Leptin could promote growth and proliferation of HT-29 cell lines according to the concentration and experimental time.


Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents up to 90% of all kidney tumors, with 30% of patients presenting metastasis at diagnosis while 20-50% of those treated for curable localized disease experience recurrence. A better understanding of RCC biology is necessary to define the most efficient and personalized treatment or develop better antineoplastic drugs. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) have emerged as one of the most promising approaches for that. This tool was generated by using surgical specimens of 87 patients implanted in immunodeficient NOD/SCID/gamma (NSG) mice, 17 of those subcutaneously and 70 at the renal subcapsular space. A total of 19 PDX developed only after orthotopic implantation and included 15 cases of clear cell RCC subtype, 3 cases of papillary subtype, and one unclassifiable tumor. One case of a PDX of a clear cell RCC recapitulated the phenotype of vena cava tumor thrombus extension that had been diagnosed in the source patient. The overall take rate was 27%, and the time to observed tumor growth varied from 5 to 13 months. An association between tumor growth and take rate was suggested by increasing take rates of 18%, 36%, and 100% among pT1 (pT1a + pT1b), pT3a, and pT3b stage tumors, respectively. PDX take rate was unrelated to tumor size (p =0.071). Patients whose tumor fragments engrafted experienced worse overall survival (OS) than those whose tumor fragments did not engraft (p = 0.003). Data also suggested a similar trend of association with metastasis-free survival (MFS) (p = 0.063). The median MFS for patients with successful PDX was 21.6 months (95% CI: 14.9, 28.3;), compared to a median of 34.4 months (95% CI: 30.4, 38.5 p = 0.003) among PDX engraftment-negative patients. PDX characterization by immunohistochemistry and targeted sequencing of the 21 most frequently mutated genes in the kidney indicated that all PDXs preserved RCC identity and major molecular alterations. From 19 PDX, the sequences of 13 patients' tumor samples were compared with their respective PDX. In most patients (92% - 11/12), at least one mutation in patients' tumor was identified in the PDX and in one case, no alterations were mapped. The most frequently mutated genes were VHL (50% - 6/12) and PBRM1 (41.7% - 5/12), followed by SETD2 (25% - 3/12), BAP1 and KDM5C (both 16.7% - 2/12), and ARID1A (8.3% - 1/12), indicating that all PDXs preserved RCC identity and major molecular alterations. These findings suggest that tumor engraftment capacity can identify patients at increased risk of relapse or death. Furthermore, pT1 stage tumors with the ability to engraft could also facilitate the identification of risk factors related to the rare pT1 cases with disease progression. These results suggest that the orthotopic xenograft model of RCC represents a suitable tool to study RCC biology, identify biomarkers, and test therapeutic candidates.
 Citation Format: Vilma Regina Martins, Adriano Beserra, Ethiene C. Estevan, Stephania Bezerra, Giovana T. Torrezan, Amanda Ikegani, Dellê Humberto, Isabela V. Cunha, Isabella T. Meira, Dirce M. Carraro, Primo N. Lara, Stenio Zequi, Tiago G. Santos. Patient-derived renal cell carcinoma xenografts engraftment identifies patients at risk of disease relapse, progression and death [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3097.


By analyzing the influence of V type cocoon cooking machine on filature fold, the resultsshow that V type cocoon cooking machine have the function of enhancing reelability and reducingfrison rate.The V type cocoon cooking machine is obviously better than the 104 cage type,which candecrease the filature greatly.


In this paper an image resolution enhancement technique based on interpolation of the high frequency subband images obtained by discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and the difference image. The edges are enhanced by introducing an intermediate stage by using stationary wavelet transform (SWT). DWT is applied in order to decompose an input image into different Subbands. Then the high Frequency subbands as well as the difference image are interpolated. The estimated high frequency subbands are being modified by using high frequency subband obtained through SWT. Then all these subbands are combined to generate a new high resolution, low contrast satellite image by using inverse DWT (IDWT). The GHE is the contrast enhancement technique applied to high resolution, low contrast satellite image thus we finally obtain high resolution, high contrast satellite image. The quantitative and visual results are showing the superiority of the proposed technique over the conventional and state-of-art image resolution enhancement techniques.


The induction and emergence times in patients who received minor oral surgery under sevoflurane with nitrous oxide or enflurane with nitrous oxide were compared. The induction time required for the loss of eyelid reflex when using sevoflurane (1.6 ± 0.2 min) was significantly shorter than that in the enflurane group (2.9 ± 0.4 min). There was no significant difference in the recovery time in the two groups.


This paper focuses on periodic solutions for a one-degree-of-freedom oscillator with a spring made of shape memory alloy (SMA). However, when periodic solutions are unstable, irregular motion is identified numerically. The shape memory spring is described by a polynomial characteristic in this model. The harmonic balance method (HBM) is employed to find periodic solutions near the primary resonance. The solutions are confronted with results obtained by the multiple time scales method and numerical simulations. Finally, the effect of system parameters and temperature on the system dynamics is discussed.


This short story explores the interaction between voyeurism, music, gender roles, the impossibility of touching, and the attempt to arrest time in Werner Schroeter's 1972 film The Death of Maria Malibran. It dramatizes the space generated by looking at the film's unusual tableaus as part of a theater audience and fictionally details the production itself and the creative impulses of its director.


Economic analyses of democracy often draw an analogy between democratic procedures and the 'consumer sovereignty' of the marketplace. In contrast, normative ideals of democracy often propose that voters should aim at the common good or justice. It is suggested that there is a fundamental difference between the appropriate norms of the market, in which self-interest is permitted, and those of the political forum, in which self-interest is prohibited. These ideals are apt, however, to invite charges of utopianism. While I accept that morality may sometimes be demanding, my aim in this article is to argue that the appropriate norms of the democratic forum are not as demanding as sometimes suggested; the market/forum contrast is often exaggerated. The market is not a state of nature, so some moral constraints apply even there. More importantly, self-interest is allowed some place in the political arena, at least where justice or the common good is indeterminate. There is no need for agents to set aside their private interests entirely in the political arena. Thus, the ultimate guiding principles of the market and the forum are the same: agents are free to promote their self-interest within the constraints established by justice or the rights of other agents. It may be that these constraints are more restrictive in politics than in the marketplace, but the difference between the two arenas is one of degree rather than kind. Unless we think that even constrained pursuit of self-interest is too demanding, we have no reason to regard these norms as utopian.


PURPOSE
Vertically unstable sacral transforaminal fractures can be stabilized with a transiliac internal fixator (TIFI) or two iliosacral screws (IS). This study was designed to compare stiffness between TIFI and IS.

METHODS
Using CT images finite element model of the pelvis was developed. Denis II type fracture was simulated and fixed either with TIFI or two IS. The sacral base was loaded vertically (250-500 N), displacement magnitudes on medial and lateral fracture surface and the maximum bone stress were calculated. The intact pelvis was used as a reference. Stiffness was determined by linear regression of load and displacement, computed stiffness ratio %. The von Mises stress was expressed as % ratio, evaluation of colour mapping was made.

RESULTS
The mean stiffness ratio medially in TIFI was 75.22%, in IS 46.54% (p = 0.00005), laterally in TIFI 57.88%, in IS 44.74% ( p = 0.03996). The von Mises stress ratio of TIFI was 139.27%, of IS 565.35% ( p < 0.00001).

CONCLUSIONS
Significantly higher stiffness and lower stress were found in TIFI model. TIFI provides a lower risk of over-compression of the fracture line in comparison with IS. TIFI thus exhibits superiority for fixation of trans- foraminal fractures, particularly with comminutive zone.


The composite power system has been classified into different operating states in order to recognize security considerations in the system reliability assessment. Annualized indices obtained by considering the load to be constant throughout the year and the annual indices by considering a seven-step load model have been presented. A basic electric power utility objective should be to operate in the normal state with high probability. A system may be capable of operating within constraints but may not be able to withstand outages, even single level. A risk index designated as CSOSR (composite system operating state risk) has been defined and the utilization of this CSOSR for a simple system expansion plan has been demonstrated. It has been shown that composite reinforcement with both generation and transmission gives better results than simple addition of either generation or transmission facilities in the case of the MRBTS. This CSOSR is a new risk index which can be used in a wide variety of system studies. >


A.A.S. Amad1, P.D. Ledger2, T. Betcke3, and D. Praetorius4 1Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, College of Engineering, Swansea University Bay Campus, Wales, UK 2School of Computing & Mathematics, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK 3Centre for Inverse Problems, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK 4TU Wien, Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10 / E101 / 4, 1040 Wien, Austria


In 1968 the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers held a Seminar-in-Depth in San Diego on the subject of Underwater Photo Optics. The papers presented during the two days of the seminar, the keynote speech and a most revealing talk by guest speaker Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau provide a good summary of the state of the art and the future of underwater optics.


Background: Dry eye is a disorder of precorneal tear film frequently present in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) either symptomatic or asymptomatic. It can cause mild symptoms to severe corneal complications affecting the visual quality of life. Objective: To assess the dry eye status among type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients attending Ophthalmology OPD in Sree Mookambika institute Of Medical Sciences, kulasekharam. Materials and methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study where 87 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of age more than 40 years are studied. The dry eye status was evaluated using schirmer's test, Tear Film breakup time (TBUT) measurement. Statistical method of analysis: study parameters entered in Microsoft office Excel 2013.SPSS trail version-20. Result: Among 87 type 2 diabetes mellitus patient above the age of 40 years, 55.3% had significant dry eye, more prevalent in patients aged over 50 years. Conclusion: Dry eye is more prevalent among diabetic patients. Strict glycemic control is important for the prevention of dry eye syndrome and other ocular surface pathology among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to augment heat transfer rates of traditional rib-elements with minimal pressure drop penalties.

Design/methodology/approach

The novel geometries in the present research are conventional cylindrical ribs with rounded transitions to the adjacent flat surfaces and with modifications at their bases. All turbulent fluid flow and heat transfer results are presented using computation fluid dynamics with a validated v2f turbulence closure model. Turbulent flow characteristics and heat transfer performances in square channels with improved ribbed structures are numerically analyzed in this research work.

Findings

Based on the results, it is found that rounded transition cylindrical ribs have a large advantage over the conventional ribs in both enhancing heat transfer and reducing pressure loss penalty. In addition, cylindrical ribs increase the flow impingement at the upstream of the ribs, which will effectively increase the high heat transfer areas. The design of rounded transition cylindrical ribs and grooves will be an effective way to improve heat transfer enhancement and overall thermal performance of internal channels within blade cooling.

Originality/value

The novel geometries in this research are conventional cylindrical ribs with rounded transitions to the adjacent flat surfaces and with modifications at their bases. The combination of cylindrical ribs and grooves to manipulate the turbulent flow.


Abstract The effect of plant age on the development of bacterial wilt of forage grasses was studied by dipping cut roots of Lolinm perenne L. cv. 'Svea' in a suspension of Xanthomonas campestris pv. graminis. The effect of humidity on disease development was studied by cutting leaves with scissors dipped in inoculum, and by spraying inoculum onto unwounded leaves. Young plants were more susceptible to the pathogen than old ones. X.c.graminis was easily isolated from young leaves and tillers, especially from the leaf bases. Disease symptoms were most severe at low humidity. However, high humidity is necessary for infection to take place through stomata and hydathodes.


By analyzing the characteristics of product configuration in mass customization,this paper presents concepts of similarity matching and demand variables.Through product model and BOM,the information model of collar material processing is established,which achieves the collar material processing based on product configuration.A subsystem of collar material processing is exploited,which is applied in electrical equipment manufacturing.


In this paper, a Gysel Power Divider has been designed at 1.5 GHz operating frequency. Two rectangular microstrip patch antennas, operating at the same frequency, has been designed and fed to the power divider to form an antenna array. The proposed array offers significant gain, improved reflection co efficient and lower side lobe level compare to that of the conventional antenna array. The relative position of the two output ports have been varied to excite unequal power distribution of the radiating elements to achieve optimum results.


The aim of this paper is devoted to investigate the duality and existence of solutions for a class of bilevel vector pseudomonotone equilibrium problems without involving the information about the solution set of the lower-level equilibrium problem. Firstly, we propose the dual formulations of bilevel vector equilibrium problems (BVEP). Secondly, the primal-dual relationships are derived under cone-convexity and weak pseudo-monotonicity assumptions. Finally, the existence of solutions of BVEP are established without involving the information about the solution set of the lower-level problem.


Noise modeling in power line communications has recently drawn the attention of researchers. However, when characterizing the noise process in narrowband communications, previous works have only focused on small-scale phenomena involving fine-grained details. Nevertheless, the reliability of the communication link is also affected by long-term noise phenomena, that in turn, can be leveraged to maximize transfer rates in higher layers. This paper introduces the concept of large-scale noise characterization for narrowband power line communications and provides a statistical analysis of the long-term trends of power noise. We introduce a statistical description of the noise process in the large-scale time domain based on real field measurements in the FCC band (10 KHz - 490 KHz). The collected data included more than 1.8 billion samples taken from three different locations over a time period of approximately 10 days. The noise samples were statistically analyzed by considering stationarity, autocorrelation, and independence. Finally, we highlight the presence of time series correlations (up to 30 s) and we prove that the noise level variation can be modeled according to a t-location scale distribution, that is characterized by fluctuations bounded to 3dB {\mu}V.


Synthesis of novel imidazopyrimidines has been reported. These systems contain carbethoxy group at C5 of pyrimidine and bromine at C2 of imidazole. Reactivity of these two groups was studied, and the mobility of the carbethoxy group was confirmed by tracing the formation of the amide product and also with isolation of alkyl analogs while bromine did not react with N-nucleophiles under various reaction conditions employed. New conjugates combine the properties of dihydropyrimidine and imidazole and therefore lead to the expansion of original properties of each heterocyclic moiety within the system.


With rapid development of Chinese economic,to meet the national sustainable development strategies and build a harmonious society,land and resources management departments made a lot of new requirements to mining right owner in the process of mineral resources development supervision and management.In this paper,according to current status of Zhejiang province and domestic mineral resources development,the significance of improving the admittance threshold was analyzed.And how to improve the admittance threshold of mining right owner was discussed to promote the rational exploitation of mineral resources.


As part of the International Astronomical Union Meeting taking place in Manchester in August, the Education Committee of the Royal Astronomical Society is organizing a day conference on using robotic telescopes in schools. `Astronomy research projects for schools and university students' will commence at 10.30 on Friday 18 August 2000. This discussion meeting will explore ways in which students at school and university can participate in research projects, and at the same time increase their understanding of astronomy and develop useful skills. The increase in access to robotic telescopes and to astronomy databases is making research by school and undergraduate students ever more feasible. In addition, useful research can be done with very modest telescope systems, of the sort a school could afford. A range of international speakers will describe and demonstrate the possibilities, as well as leading the discussion. This meeting is being organized by the Education Committee of the Royal Astronomical Society and by Commission 46 of the International Astronomical Union. It is being held at the end of the IAU General Assembly. Those who pay the registration fee for the General Assembly need pay no further fee for attending the discussion meeting; otherwise there is a fee of £10. Refreshments will be provided at no charge. To obtain a registration form for this discussion meeting please contact Alan Pickwick (firstname.lastname@example.com).


A mobile radar system for inspecting bridges. Laser pulses to strengthen metal. A new kind of key that uses lasers. An imaging system that reveals the insides of teeth. A novel method to measure temperature. Computer software that boosts semiconductor production. And a detector to aid optics manufacturing efficiency. These inventions by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers and their industrial partners were recently honored by R&D Magazine as seven of the top 100 technological achievements of the past year.


Locking device for fire doors, consisting of one or more housings (2) on the profile of the door (1), inside which a metal cylinder (3) driven by a spring (4) in compression, which it is retained by a thermo-fuse (5) material. In case of fire or spread of fire on one side of the door, the thermo-fuse (5) material reacts to temperature and consumed, so that releases the metal cylinder (3) and inserted into the inside the frame (6) of the door profile in a hole (7) provided for that purpose, blocking the door leaf on the frame (6). Also, the locking device comprises a screw (8) allowing the deactivation of said device if the user so desires.


The disruption era is a challenge for the education sector because education is one of the areas that can support the quality of Indonesian human resources according to Kemenristekdikti priorities. This article aims to explore the development of personality competencies of preservice teachers in facing the challenges of disruption era. The function of teachers in the disruption era is different from that of teachers in the previous era, which is shifting to the function of cultivating ethical values, character, wisdom, experience, and social empathy because the function is impossible to do by machine. Thus, the challenge of educational institutions is to form the competence of preservice teacher personality which will build suitable exemplary based on expectation of teacher's role revolution in disruption era. There are four things that can be done in developing the personality competence of preservice teachers, some of them are: 1). religious matriculation programs, 2). application of student code of conduct, 3) Real Work Experience (KKN) program, and 4). integration of religious values in lectures.


One's first reaction to the question of whether there is any well-thought-out state migration policy in Russia is an unequivocal "no." No such policy exists—if only because hardly any of the problems of people migrating into the country have been solved, because there are no accurate data on the number of refugees and forced migrants into the Russian Federation, and because there are no accurate figures on the number of Russian emigrants. One could hardly seriously expect positive results from any attempt to develop a migration policy that is based from the outset on unreliable data. Moreover, one may ask, can one predict the development of the migratory situation at all under such conditions?


Based upon the landslide permeation and other phenomenon caused by seepage flow in embankment dam,it analyses the embankment dam seepage flow calculation theory,puts forward Darcy Theory,makes a research of seepage flow stability,and summarizes all the technical measures to prevent seepage flow,so as to prevent engineering problems of embankment dam.


In order to eliminate the harmfulness of traditional three-acid polishing method to the environment and human health,an environmental friendly chemical polishing technology composed mainly by phosphoric acid was developed. The influence of solution composition and technological parameters including polishing temperature,polishing time on surface polishing quality were studied,and the polishing process was analyzed by potential-time curves. The optimal formulation and process conditions were obtained as follows: 120mL/L phosphoric acid,60g/L sodium nitrate,60mL/L hydrochloric acid,15 mL/L additive,temperature 60℃,and polishing time 3~5min.


Th is is a theoretical paper providing a comparative overview of wine tourism in the New World and Europe – particularly the Mediterranean region. Th e review is timely because while there has been substantial wine tourism research in Anglophone countries, less has occurred in Europe, despite the fact that it has such a long history of wine production. Th e paper suggests a series of diff erences between the two areas based on both structural factors aff ecting the context in which wine is produced. Th ese contextual factors relate both to wine supply and to demand, and include production factors, appellation systems, attitudes to business, producer commitment, consumption patterns, the search for experience, and the stimulus to wine tourism. Th e paper also considers aspects of the practice of wine tourism, including events, education and the cellar door experience, before off ering some underlying themes and areas for future research.


Two strains of subterranean clover – Yarloop and Mt. Barker – were grown at controlled temperatures ranging from 36/31° to 9/4°C under long-day conditions. Leaf material was analysed for the three isoflavones formononetin, genistein, and biochanin A. In the Mt. Barker strain, the formononetin concentration was low (< 0.2% dry wt.) and varied little with temperature. Otherwise, isoflavone levels generally rose from very low values at 36/31° to a peak at 15/10°, and then decreased again to 9/4°. For both strains the total concentration of the three isoflavones and also the total amount of isoflavones per leaf were highest at 15/10°. This temperature was lower than that at which maximum growth occurred. The data are discussed in relation to evidence on the effects of temperature on the formation of flavonoid (especially anthocyanin) compounds. We conclude that temperature is unlikely to be a major factor in the incidence of "clover disease".


Objective To assess the outcome of schistosomiasis control in Jingzhou City from 2006 to 2010.Methods Retrospective survey was adopted,the coverage situation of comprehensive measures and endemic data in Jingzhou City from 2006 to 2010 were analyzed.Results The control standard of 2008 for schistosomiasis endemic situation was realized,no heavy endemic village(the 1st class or 2nd class village) existed by the end of 2010.Compared with the year of 2006,the number of the 3rd class and 4th class village increased by 166.81% and 82.51% respectively in 2010,while the number of the 5th class village decreased 16.62%.Both human and animal infection rates were controlled below 2.5% in 2010.The village infection rate distribution showed an adverse form of "L" distribution,and the villages reaching critical points showed a high-cut caudate shape.There was no acute schistosomiasis patient reported in 2010.Compared with the data of 2006,the number of advanced schistosomiasis patients in 2010 reduced by 108,and all patients received effective treatment each year.The mortality rate went down from the year of 2007.There was little change about the area with snails and their distribution.The density of infected snails reduced year by year.Conclusion Schistosomiasis prevalence in Jingzhou dropped year by year since 2006,and the comprehensive measures of schistosomiasis control were proved to be effective.However,there is still a long way to go to reach the goal through comprehensive measures.


In this paper a novel supervised offline signal processing methodology is presented for independent separation and control of gain for different percussion instruments in a mixer. Using only three microphones, the amplitude of five instruments (i.e. crash cymbal, 10" tom, 12" tom, snare and kick drum) as part of a set of 8 different sounds played can be enhanced and suppressed independently with a minimum of ±6db gain, whilst maintaining the integrity of the percussive sounds. The methodology is based on a combination of a logical system which extracts timing information and a supervised adaptive separation. In addition to these instruments, the drum rhythms recorded in a real room environment also included a hi-hat, using both open and closed sounds, and a ride bell. The system can also generate a synthetic reconstruction of the rhythm sequences by extracting timing information and using the training signals as samples, and provides an analysis of the precision of the rhythms played to a drummer for training purposes. The drum remixing system has shown flexibility in the correction of amplitude for any particular instrument struck at any particular section of the rhythm.


Strain-engineering in SiGe nanostructures is fundamental for the design of optoelectronic devices at the nanoscale. Here we explore a new strategy, where SiGe structures are laterally confined by the Si substrate, to obtain high tensile strain avoiding the use of external stressors, and thus improving the scalability. Spectro-microscopy techniques, finite element method simulations and ab initio calculations are used to investigate the strain state of laterally confined Ge-rich SiGe nano-stripes. Strain information is obtained by tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy with an unprecedented lateral resolution of ~ 30 nm. The nano-stripes exhibit a large tensile hydrostatic strain component, which is maximum at the center of the top free surface, and becomes very small at the edges. The maximum lattice deformation is larger than the typical values of thermally relaxed Ge/Si(001) layers. This strain enhancement originates from a frustrated relaxation in the out-of-plane direction, resulting from the combination of the lateral confinement induced by the substrate side walls and the plastic relaxation of the misfit strain in the (001) plane at the SiGe/Si interface. The effect of this tensile lattice deformation at the stripe surface is probed by work function mapping, performed with a spatial resolution better than 100 nm using X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy. The nano-stripes exhibit a positive work function shift with respect to a bulk SiGe alloy, quantitatively confirmed by electronic structure calculations of tensile strained configurations. The present results have a potential impact on the design of optoelectronic devices at a nanometer length scale.


The current wave of feminism in the United States, which has grown out of the civil rights movement of the '60s, has had a major impact on the psychotherapy of women. Large numbers of women in the United States came to realize that while they were struggling for the equality of all people, their own contributions and talents were being relegated to second-class status. Slogans such as "Make policy, not coffee" indicated that women were challenging the gender definitions that limited their participation in social change to those functions always granted them: supporting the efforts of men by being the "helpers." Once the movement gained momentum, women began to question not only their role in the civil rights movement but their relationship to аЛ social institutions: marriage, religion, education, and psychiatry, among others. The earliest of the feminists* attacks on the traditional views of


In this paper, a globally optimal state estimation, in light of unbiased minimum‐variance filtering over all linear unbiased estimators, is addressed. This paper is the second part of a comprehensive extension of original work by Hsieh, with the main aim being to develop an untrammeled filtering framework that does not need any transformations for global unbiased minimum‐variance state estimation (GUMVSE) for systems with unknown inputs that affect both the system and the output. The main contributions of this paper are: (i) a more general derivation of the globally optimal state estimator (GOSE) for the GUMVSE is presented; (ii) a more direct proof, verifying the global optimality of the GOSE by finding the global minimum of the trace of the estimation error covariance, is constructed; and (iii) an application of the proposed result to re‐derive a specific transformation‐based GOSE, i.e., the recursive optimal filter proposed by Cheng et al., is illustrated. The relationship with previously proposed results is also addressed. A simulation example is given to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed results.


Abstract 1095 Poster Board I-117 Introduction Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, congenital abnormalities, and an increased risk for cancer and leukemia. Components of the FA-BRCA pathway are thought to function in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). Central to this pathway is the monoubiquitylation and chromatin localization of two FA proteins, FANCD2 and FANCI. Recent reports implicate mismatch repair factors in the repair of ICLs and have shown that FANCJ interacts with the MutLαa complex. Here we show that FANCD2 binds several mismatch repair proteins in vivo and that MSH2 is required for the monoubiquitylation and chromatin localization of both FANCD2 and FANCI. Methods Cell lines used: HeLa, human lung carcinoma cell line H1299, FA-A cell line GM6914 and corrected cell line GM6914 + Flag-FANCA, FA-D2 cell line PD20 and corrected cell lines PD20+Flag-FANCD2 and PD20+FANCD2 K561R, human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line HEC59 (MSH2-deficient) and corrected cell line HEC59+Ch2, and human colon carcinoma cell line HCT116 (MLH1-deficient) and corrected cell line HCT116+Ch3. Cells were treated with the crosslinking agent mitomycin C (MMC). Immunoprecipitation was used to demonstrate the interaction between FANCD2 and MSH2, MLH1, and MSH3. Survival assays were performed by crystal violet staining and extraction. Chromatin loading of FANCD2 and FANCI was determined by cellular fractionation and western blot. Results Through chromatographic purification of FANCD2-containing protein complexes, we identified MSH2 and MLH1 as FANCD2-interacting proteins. Immunoprecipitation using HeLa cell extracts confirmed the interaction between FANCD2, MSH2, MSH3, and MLH1 in vivo. These interactions are all induced upon damage with a DNA crosslinking agent and MSH2 specifically interacts only with the monoubiquitylated form of FANCD2. Additionally, the FANCD2-MSH2 interaction requires ATR, but not ATM, BRCA1, MSH3, or ERCC1/XPF. Human cells lacking MSH2 display increased sensitivity to mitomycin C as compared to their corrected counterparts. FANCD2 and FANCI monoubiquitylation is also greatly diminished in these cells, while cells lacking MLH1 show no effect. Cellular fractionation of MSH2-deficient cells shows that FANCD2 and FANCI are not efficiently loaded onto chromatin after treatment with DNA-damaging agents, while MLH1-deficient cells again show no effect. Interestingly, while knockdown of either MSH2 or FANCD2 in H1299 cells results in increased sensitivity to MMC, double knockdown of both proteins corrects this sensitivity on par with controls. oConclusions These data suggest that mismatch repair proteins play a key role in the activation of the FA-BRCA pathway, likely through recognition of the DNA lesion. Understanding this role could lead to the development of new therapies for the treatment of patients both with FA and cancer. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Through the martingale approach,the construction of coupling operators is explored and coupling methods in multivalued stochastic differential equations are studied.Also Harnack inequality is obtained by applying coupling methods combined with Girsanov's theorem.


"Il mal seme d'Adamo" : From Wolfgang Koeppen to Gunter Grass. Insights into dealing with national-socialist fascism and coping with the past in last 50 years
Dealing with the origins as well as the effects of German fascism has changed in (West) German literature over the past five decades, the tendency being towards a more populist approach to the subject matter. The examples used in this text will range from Wolfgang Koeppen (1950s) to Bernhard Schlink's Der Vorleser (1995), Hans-Ulrich Treichel's Der Verlorene (1998), Gunter Grass' Im Krebsgang (2002) and Uwe Timm's Am Beispiel meines Bruders (2003); all authors will be dealt with in some detail and will be linked to historical events, debates as well as some films, and the public's reactions to them.


Convex tilted rear walls in a stage enclosure, an array of circular columns installed in front of walls, and triangular reflectors above the stage were newly adopted as scattering obstacles in an acoustic design of Tsuyama Music Cultural Hall, called "Bell Folet Tsuyama." The fundamental shape of the hall was designed using the theory of subjective preference. To calculate the effects of scattered reflections on a sound field in a real concert hall is extremely laborious. For this reason, the evaluation of effects of scattered reflections on the sound field in the hall was made experimentally by use of a 110 acoustical scale. After construction of the hall, therefore, sound fields of the hall, which involves scattered reflections caused by the tilted convex rear, by the array of circular columns, and by the triangular reflectors, were measured using four orthogonal physical factors (LL, Δt1, Tsub, IACC) described in the theory and the acoustical character of these scattering obstacles was clarified. Resul...


The article attempts to discuss the question concerning the nature of metaphysics as a philosophical
science, to define its subject field, to determine the conditions of its existence. The attempt is made to
consider the possibility of metaphysics, the question formulated by I. Kant but based on the experience
of modern philosophy. The article discusses the traditional view of metaphysics, according to which it
consists of two parts: general metaphysics (metaphysica generalis) or philosophical ontology and
special metaphysics (metaphysica specialis), the subject of which is the World, God and the Soul or
being in its highest, absolute value. In connection with such a characteristic of classical metaphysics,
it appears as onto-theology, or onto-theological nature of philosophy (M. Heidegger). The article
considers typical of the contemporary philosophy critical attitude toward metaphysics, attempting to
revise not only its scientific status, but its significance for philosophy. We consider not only positivism,
but also postclassical philosophy aimed at creating a new non-classical metaphysics (Kierkegaard,
Nietzsche, Bergson, Scheler, Heidegger). The article addresses the rejection of metaphysics as a
unified doctrine about the main principles of being interpreted as a manifestation of the crisis of
contemporary philosophy and culture, as well as suggests that philosophical metaphysics can contribute
to overcoming this crisis. In particular, it can act as a bridge between science and religion. The author
also suggests the importance of metaphysics
to science, the importance of philosophical reflection on
the "metaphysical background", which is surrounded by all scientific theories.
The paper discusses current research in the field of metaphysics, including the work of Emerich Coreth
SJ and Michael J. Loux, with a detailed analysis of the views of Michael J. Loux on the nature of
metaphysics and on its two possible versions: the transcendental and traditional. Also his interpretation
of metaphysics as the theory of categories (ontology) is critically evaluated. It is noted that this limitation
of the subject matter of metaphysics does not allow him to justify the basic principle of realism. The article
is supported by the opinion of Emerich Coreth that metaphysics has the perspective of further existence
only under conditions of open debate: not only the substantive elements of classical metaphysics but all
its objections in contemporary philosophy.


Tunpu memory is a historical memory of Tunpu people's origin and the core and foundation of their ethnic identity. It is of great significance in the construction of this ethnic group. Tunpu memory contains historical,geographical and cultural connotations. Blood,geography and identity,carried by the ancestors of Tunpu people when they entered Guizhou,were taken as the axis of the metaphorical national symbol and integrated into a three-dimensional memory. In communications with surrounding ethnic minorities and the Han immigrants,Tunpu memory has gone through constant changes in history. It is in Anshun,a unique place,that time,space and ideology became interrelated and produced Tunpu people,an ethnic group with distinct regional characteristics.


Acutely unwell hospitalised older people have better outcomes including mortality and functional status when CGA (Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment) is performed. A previous complaint, escalated to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, highlighted issues with CGA documentation and recording MDT discussion. This pilot project's aim was to create a method for documenting CGA MDT plans and to embed this as routine practice for all inpatients on a Geriatrics ward.

 Following consultation with staff on this ward, a sticker was developed detailing status of medical and therapy input, planned discharge date and likely required support on discharge to evidence MDT discussion. This was completed weekly at the board round for each patient. The stickers were implemented over a 2-week roll-out phase, and use (and completion) of stickers were compared to a 2-week period approximately 1 month later. Feedback from ward staff was also collected via questionnaires.

 Initially, 98% of patients had a sticker completed (n=49/50) and 86% of all required information was documented (n=43/50). For the second round of data collection this fell to an 18% completion rate (n=7/38). Ward staff interviewed were aware of the stickers and felt they improved CGA communication (n=100%, n=8/8). Suggestions for improvement included an option to record whether families were updated, clearer options for discharge status and reasons why a patient may not have received occupational or physiotherapy.

 The CGA board round sticker was a positively received, simple and effective intervention to improve documentation. It addressed an area which had been highlighted as requiring improvement. As expected, initial completion rates were high but rotation of staff impacted on subsequent completion rates. Establishing this as routine practice will be challenging but permanent staff present at the board round will facilitate allocation of this task and a poster highlighting this process has been displayed on the ward.


Sensor element, in particular a micromechanical sensor element for use in motor vehicles, having a sensitive area, at least directly to the sensitive area of the sensor element (10) an anti-adhesive, adherent, to at least 200 ° C temperature-stable surface coating (20) is applied as a protective layer containing a having surface energy of 5 mN / m to 50 mN / m and a thickness of 10 nm to 10 nm by a deposition of dirty water, mineral oil, spray water, silicone oil, soot, salts, hydrocarbons, dust particles, or a combination of at least two of these substances to reduce the surface of the sensor element (10).


Constant progress in nanofabrication has been one of the main enablers of Moore's law. However, most state-of-the-art laboratory nanofabrication techniques suffer from poor scalability and low throughput. In this work, we present, as a proof of concept, the fabrication of a ∼10 nm wide and ∼45-50 nm tall silicon nitride spacer, which is then used to define nanogaps in a subsequently evaporated Cr/Au top layer. The entire process is scalable, and the spacer fabrication process is compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, relying on established deposition and etching techniques. Our introduced nanopatterning technique may lend itself to becoming an attractive, cost-efficient alternative to common nanolithographic techniques for applications in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and nanoscale sensing.


The Alphasat Aldo Paraboni Payload incorporates two Q/V-band satellite transponders, which covers three spot beams over Europe placed towards Italy and towards Graz/Austria. JOANNEUM RESEARCH developed and installed the ground station in Graz and operates communication experiments since beginning of 2014. The goal is to optimize the usage of the Q/V-band channel especially with respect to its high rain fades. In the first period of operation, particularly adaptive coding and modulation has been used as fade mitigation technique. In this paper, we present the architecture of the ground station, the setup and configuration of the experiments, as well as the results from the first nine months of operation. This includes a first estimate of the trade-off between the achievable spectral efficiency vs. the residual frame error rate with respect to the properties of the corresponding Q/V-band satellite link.


Background:  Hypsarrhythmia is generally associated with infantile spasms, a combination referred to as West syndrome. It is debatable whether hypsarrhythmia is usefully regarded as a form of non‐convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE).


1. The double refraction of quartz along the optic axis was shown experimentally for the first time in 1822 by Fresnel with his triprism. In 1869 von Lang measured the refractive indices of quartz for sodium light in five directions nearly parallel to the axis (+ 4°39' to - 5°6'); and the best results he obtained were 1·5441887 and 1·5442605.


Centrered on the transformation of data in XML into a database table, the No. 4 type JDBC driver provided by Data Direct Co. Ltd and JDBC API are analyzed. A pure Java application is programmed which can transform the data in XML into a database table. There are two models to choose for the interface between JDBC API and a data management system: the famous JDBC-ODBC bridge model and the No. 4 type JDBC driver. In this paper the No. 4 type JDBC driver provided by Data Direct Co. Ltd is employed to avoid the ODBC layer and to improve the efficiency. According to the DTD grammar of an XML document, BorlandXML API unmarshals data in the XML document and generates some Java class, and the data provided by the XML document can be transformed into a database table. It should be emphasized that the Java class generated by unmarshalling an XML document with BorlandXML API changes in each particular case.


Introduction: Only a small rang of medical treatment are available for menorrhagia, of limited or no benefit, usually failing and leaving no option between putting up with the symptoms and hysterectomy. For a while there was an optimism that ablation of endometrium (EA) could reduce the hysterectomy rate dramatically, but enthusiasm waned when it appeared that the procedure was not without complications as bleeding disorders returned in over one third of cases often necessitating hysterectomy. EA was also unsuitable to apply in both virgins and infertile young women, as there was a high chance of serious obstetric complication if pregnancy happened. It is well known that transvaginal procedures in virgins are never accepted in Middle East due to moral and religious reasons.


Root/straw ratios for crops are urgently required by scientists wishing to estimate crop residue inputs to soil and for modeling C and N dynamics in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. In this paper we discuss the influence of moisture and rates of N application on such ratios for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in the semi-arid region of the Canadian prairies. Under natural rainfall root/straw (nongrain aboveground material), ratios decreased with increasing rates of N, but under irrigation these ratios were generally constant. We estimated root/straw ratios for roots measured at anthesis (their maximum mass) and straw measured at maturity, under natural rainfall conditions, to be 0.36–0.58 if roots are assessed for the 0 - to 120-cm depth, 0.21–0.34 for the 0 - to 30-cm depth, and 0.15–0.26 for the 0- to 15-cm depth. Under natural rainfall, if roots are measured at maturity (as is commonly done), the corresponding ratios were 0.29–0.37, 0.15–0.21, and 0.10–0.15, for the respective depths. Under irrigat...


The article contains the systematic analysis of the normative legal acts of 50-ies of XVI century in the field of the land legislation. The necessity of comprehensive analysis of such legal acts as the Sentencing of May 11, 1551, "The Code of Service", 1555 is based on the fact that they cause sufficiently great interest, both from legally and historical points of view. Exactly at that time the substantial changes in land laws took place, which became the integral part of the policy pursued by Ivan IV. Its meaning was to create the new class of landowners in the Muscovite state.


Thousands of soldiers participated in the Artsakh war of 2020 represent a large focus area for doctors and psychologists. For this purpose, groups of volunteer psychologists were created in many hospitals of Armenia․ They expressed readiness to provide psychological support to the soldiers and their families and stay engaged in those activites until now.
The research purpose and issues have mostly centered on the organization of psychological support and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder for soldiers with severe injuries.


Automobiles powered by fossil fuels are one of the major contributors to both criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas—in particular, carbon dioxide (CO2)—emissions. Previous studies revealed that unnecessary acceleration and hard braking in response to sudden changes of traffic signals may cause a significant amount of wasted energy and increased emissions. Altering the behavior of drivers approaching signalized intersections potentially could reduce energy consumption and emissions from motor vehicles without increasing travel time or delay. Two types of advanced driving alert systems (ADAS) are proposed: stationary ADAS [based on roadside infrastructure, such as changeable message signs (CMSs)] and in-vehicle ADAS [driven by advanced communication technology, such as vehicle-infrastructure integration (VII)]. These systems can help drivers avoid hard braking at intersections by providing real-time information on traffic signal status. A state-of-the-art modal emissions model is used to evaluate and compare the effects of these two types of ADAS on the reduction of vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. A numerical analysis of a single vehicle shows that ADAS can help reduce vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 40% in the tested hypothetical conditions. The benefits of these systems are further investigated in a traffic simulation environment with various levels of congestion and posted speed limits. The simulation results reveal that both CMS-based ADAS and VII-driven ADAS can provide fuel and CO2 savings; VII ADAS offer greater savings in most cases.


Neutrophil chemiluminescence was determined in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Twelve patients were randomly assigned either to a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids supplemented with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids or to a diet high in saturated fatty acids. A correlation with clinical and laboratory parameters is also reported. No statistical difference was observed in neutrophil chemiluminescence and in clinical parameters in the group of patients treated with a diet high in saturated fatty acids. Fish oil ingestion resulted in subjective alleviation of active rheumatoid arthritis and reduction of neutrophil chemiluminescence. This study corroborates the hypothesis of an anti-inflammatory role for polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.


Four formulas of the Menzerath–Altmann law are tested from the point of view of their applicability and suitability. The accuracy of related approximations of measured data is examined by the least square method at first. Then the accuracy of calculated parameters in the formulas under consideration is compared statistically. The influence of neglecting parameter c is investigated as well. Finally, the obtained results are discussed by means of an illustrative example from quantitative linguistics.


The typical time-independent view of quantum error correction (QEC) codes hides significant freedom in the decomposition into circuits that are executable on hardware. Using the concept of detecting regions, we design time-dynamic QEC circuits directly instead of designing static QEC codes to decompose into circuits. In particular, we improve on the standard circuit constructions for the surface code, presenting new circuits that can embed on a hexagonal grid instead of a square grid, that can use ISWAP gates instead of CNOT or CZ gates, that can exchange qubit data and measure roles, and that move logical patches around the physical qubit grid while executing. All these constructions use no additional entangling gate layers and display essentially the same logical performance, having teraquop footprints within 25% of the standard surface code circuit. We expect these circuits to be of great interest to quantum hardware engineers, because they achieve essentially the same logical performance as standard surface code circuits while relaxing demands on hardware.


Abstract An experimenter has a sample for estimating the variance σ3 2. Suppose he has two other independent samples which are suspected to have come from the same population with variance σ3 2. Whether to pool the three samples to estimate σ3 2 depends on the outcome of two preliminary tests. This article discusses a sometimes pool estimate of σ3 2 and compares this with the usual estimate of σ3 2, obtained from the first sample only, as regards bias and mean square error.


for microWOPM: Riccardo Cipolletti; Janine Riedrich-Möller ; Robert Rölver ; Tino Fuchs ;Arne Wickenbrock and Dmitry Budker Robert Bosch GmbH, Corporate Sector Research and Advance Engineering, Advanced Technologies and Micro Systems Budker Group – Helmholtz Institute, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz: Table-top precision physics Precise positioning of vehicles is essential for modern mobility solutions. In the case when GPS signals and other systems are temporarily unavailable, high performance inertial sensors become a key component of navigation systems that widely use dead reckoning i.e. localization based on a previously determined position and precise directional sensor signals from accelerometers and gyroscopes. Using magnetic shielding, highly sensitive optical Magnetometers [1, 2] can become precise gyroscopes that can measure the rotation rate of the entire system with much less bias drift and higher precision as compared to state of the art MEMS gyroscopes [3, 4]. We present a system model based on MATLAB and Simulink, which simulates the data of a Gyroscope based on Rubidium and two Xenon Isotopes. Further, the Model includes the electronics and feedback loops, which represent a key component for the sensor operation. MATLAB and Simulink allow the numerical solution of the Optical Bloch Equations for arbitrary fields, this allows parameter studies and signal optimization for arbitrary system conditions. The use of numerical solutions does not rely on a Steady State; therefore, we can also obtain insights into the fast dynamics of processes like spin polarization and precession. [1] H. B. Dang, A. C. Maloof, and M. V. Romalis: Ultrahigh sensitivity magnetic field and magnetization measurements with an atomic magnetometer, Appl. Phys. Lett., 97, 151110 (2019) [2] D. Budker and M.V. Romalis: Optical magnetometry, Nature Phys., 3, 227-234 (2007) [3] T. W. Kornack, R.K. Ghosh, and M.V. Romalis: Nuclear Spin Gyroscope Based on an Atomic Comagnetometer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95,230801 (2005) [4] T.G. Walker, and M.S. Larsen, Spin-exchange pumped NMR gyros, Adv. Atom. Mol. Opt. Phys. 65, 373-401 (2016)


Examples of the following are given: (i) complex spaces whose Caratheodory distances are not inner; (ii) a taut complex space that is not complete hyperbolic; (iii) a complex space that is complete hyperbolic mod A but not taut mod A; (iv) a bounded pseudoconvex domain that is not taut. This note provides negative answers to a few of the problems posed in S. Kobayashi's recent Bulletin survey [8]. All definitions, notation, and terminology follow that paper. In particular, p denotes the Poincare distance on the unit disk D, and cx (resp. dx) denotes the Caratheodory (resp. Kobayashi) pseudodistance on the (reduced) connected complex space X. 1. Inner pseudodistances. Let d be a pseudodistance on the topological space T. (We ignore the topology defined by d; it may have nothing to do with the given topology on T.) The length of a curve -y: [a, b] -* T is L(y) = sup , d (y(ti -1), y(ti)), where the supremum is taken over all partitions a = to < t1 < ... < tk = b of [a, b]; -y is called rectifiable if its length is finite. If T is finitely arcwise connected in the sense that each pair of points of T can be joined by a rectifiable curve, then a new pseudodistance d', called the inner pseudodistance induced by d, is defined by d' (p, q) = inf L(y), where the infimum is taken over all rectifiable curves -y joining p to q. (We emphasize that these curves are continuous as maps into T; we assume nothing about continuity with respect to d.) We say that d is inner if d = d'. A connected complex space X is finitely arcwise connected with respect to cx and dx. Moreover, it is easy to see that dx is inner [7, pp. 483-484]. In spite of his earlier assertion that cx is not always inner [7, p. 484], Kobayashi now asks whether this is true [8, Problem A. 5, p. 400]. In each of the following three examples, the distance cx is not inner. In the second example, X is a bounded domain of holomorphy; in the third, X is finitely compact with Received by the editors September 30, 1976. AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 32H15, 32H20; Secondary 32A17, 32F15.


Active Shape Models (ASM) is a powerful statistical tool for extracting objects, e.g. face, from images. It is composed of two parts: ASM model and ASM search. In ASM, these two parts are treated separately. First, ASM model is trained. Then, ASM search is performed using this model. However, we find that these two parts are closely interrelated. The performance of ASM depends on both of them. Improvement on one of them does not consequentially improve the overall performance, for it may worsen the other. In this paper, we find the key parameter that relates these two parts: subspace explanation proportion. By optimizing subspace explanation proportion, the overall performance of ASM can improve by a percentage of about 20 in our experiments. Furthermore, this paper proposes to decompose the ASM overall error into ASM model subspace reconstruction error and ASM search error, proving that the square of the subspace reconstruction error is linearly related with the subspace explanation proportion and finding that the square of the search error is a piecewise function of the explanation proportion. This decomposition is a new method for further analysis and possible improvement. Based on this decomposition, we propose a method to estimate the optimal explanation proportion. Experiments show that the estimation is satisfactory.


Ghostyshocks is as jittery as a jellyfish when she gets lost in the forest - and has to go to the hairy, scary bears' house for help.


The accuracy of the absolute calibration of vibration pickups is discussed. The effect of mounting of the laser interferometer and the vibrator is studied for the two conventional calibration methods, i.e. the fringe counting and disappearance methods. The result shows that it is preferable to mount an interferometer and a vibrator on separate heavy blocks independently for highly accurate calibration. The separate mountings make it possible to calibrate vibration pickups within 0.2% total error. A new calibration method using separate mountings is proposed, and effectiveness of this method is examined by comparing with these two conventional methods. This new method covers a wide frequency range including the frequency ranges of the conventional methods. In addition, phase lag from a vibrating surface to a pickup is measured by this method.


AbstractThe success of any analogical reasoner de-pends upon its ability to select a relevantsource. We can improve source selection bymore completely integrating the process ofsource retrieval with analogical inference,and by using experience in solving targetproblems to find properties that effectivelypredict a source's relevance to future tar-gets. This paper describes the design andevaluation of SCAVENGER, an analogicalreasoning program that we have built totest these ideas.1. Inleractk~snl and source retdevalAnalogical inference is the process of reasoningabout similarity: If two things are known to havecertain similarities, we may infer by analogy thatthey are likely to have additional properties incommon. Formally, an analogy is a mapping fromelements of a source, a well understood problem so-lution, theory, plan, etc., to the target, a new prob-lem to be solved. Analogical inference constructsthis mapping, transferring knowledge from thesource to the target in the process.The success of any analogy depends upon the se-lection of a relevant source. Most analogical rea-soners share a common structure (Hall 1989; Kedar-Cabelli 1988) that makes a number of assumptionsabout source selection. These assumptions include:1. The separation of retrieval and inference.Many analogical reasoning programs treatsource retrieval and inference as separateoperations. They choose a source on the ba-sis of known similarities to the target, priorto making any inferences.2. Source oriented approaches to memory or-ganization. To improve efficiency, analogi-cal reasoners organize sources under a hier-archical index. Generally, they constructindices by comparing source descriptions tofind properties that best distinguish them,and use these properties as indices for179source retrieval (Kolodner 1993; Fisher andothers 1991).Our criticism of these assumptions derives fromthe interaction theory of metaphor (Black 1962).This theory views metaphors as complex interac-tions between systems of relations in the source andthe target. These interactions, while primarilytransferring information to the target, can also al-ter the semantics of the source. In particular,metaphors can create notions of similarity wherenone previously existed. Applying the interactiontheory to analogical reasoning leads to the follow-ing criticisms of current source selection methods:1. Source retrieval and inference should becombined. If metaphors and analogies cancreate similarities, how can we use similar-ity to select analogical sources? This circu-larity suggests that retrieval is itself aform of inference concerning the relevance ofa source to a target. An analogical reason-ing system should integrate retrieval andinference, choosing a source by evaluatingthe possible inferences afforded by alterna-tive sources.2. Index hierarchies should be constructedthrough experience in solving target prob-lems. Most systems construct index hierar-chies by comparing sources to find thoseproperties that best distinguish them.Unfortunately, such algorithms can onlyconsider a small number of properties in con-structing hierarchies. The common ap-proach to this problem is for the system de-signer to specify a fixed retrieval vocabu-lary. This ignores the reasoner's experiencein solving target problems. An alternativeapproach uses information gained in solv-ing targets to find properties that will se-lect relevant sources.2. An Interactionist model of source retrievalWe have formalized these ideas in a computer pro-gram, called SCAVENGER, that explains empiri-


When a judgement is marked "not reportable" and "not of interest to other judges" you don't expect to find much in the decision.


The recently developed self-consistent vertex corrected GW method is used to calculate the 5f electronic structure in delocalized $\alpha$-U and localized $\delta$-Pu, each of which is confirmed by the historical experimental approaches of direct and inverse photoemission. Tender X-Ray Emission Spectroscopy (XES), in a novel application to 5f electronic structure, is used to experimentally prove the existence of 5f delocalization in $\alpha$-U.


Metastable austenitic stainless steels change their lattice during forming operations by strain‐induced alpha'‐martensite formation. Temperatures below T = 20° C can accelerate the phase transformation while temperatures above T = 60° C may suppress the formation of martensite during the forming operation. In past investigations, the effect of high‐strength martensitic regions in an austenitic ductile lattice was used in crash relevant parts for transportation vehicles. The local martensitic regions act as reinforcements leading to an increase in crash energy absorption. Moreover, they control the folding behavior as well as the force‐distance‐characteristic and increase the buckling resistance. This paper deals with a concerted thermomechanical drawing process to increase the local formation of alpha'‐martensite caused by low temperatures.


In the field of communication protocol conformance test,automatically generating conformance test sequences satisfying the test need is a critical issue at all times.After studying and comparing two UIO-based communication protocol test sequence generation algorithms,the analysis of test sequence generation procedures and merits of both algorithms is given.According to the experimental results,combing both test sequence generation algorithms,the control part of the communication protocol is tested completely and the test sequences generated have higher fault coverage of tests so that the efficiency of conformance test is advanced.


SUMMARY

Geomagnetic secular variation is caused by flow of fluid in the Earth's core. If electrical diffusion can be ignored, field lines are frozen to the core fluid and can be used as tracers for the flow at the top of the free stream, which lies beneath the diffusive boundary layer. In this paper we assume the flux is frozen-in and investigate the jump in the horizontal field across the boundary layer. Theoretical studies indicate that such a jump will be small (about 1000 nT); we test the hypothesis that the jump is zero within the errors of measurement of the magnetic field. Integral constraints, which are conserved if the horizontal components of field at the base of the mantle can be equated to the components at the top of the free stream, are derived and computed using seven main-field models from epochs 1935.5 to 1980.0. These main-field models have been forced to satisfy all the conditions of frozen-flux theory. The integral constraints are found to be constant within their expected errors, and we conclude that the observations are consistent with zero jump in horizontal field across the boundary layer. This result implies that use can be made of the horizontal components of field in determining core flow. We attempt to compute the flow along null-flux curves, which is not determined at all by the radial component of the field, for epoch 1970. The result is very noisy because of its reliance on gradients of the secular variation at the core-mantle boundary, which are poorly determined. We do not attempt to compute reasonable core flows consistent with these observations, although presumably many such flows exist, because they would be so poorly constrained by observation.


The problematic question of the human forms a background as well as an ethical incentive for post-humanist attempts to think beyond the confining contours of the human. It can also be discerned in the writings of the Swedish author Per Olov Enquist.1 With shifting intensity, the question of what a human being is recurs throughout his literary production, which by now stretches over more than half a century, including novels, dramas, essays, short stories, and children's books. In his 1985 novel, Nedstörtad ängel (2005; Downfall: A Love Story 1990), the severity and complexity with which the question is brought to the fore gives it a particular sense of acuteness.2 In the novel, Enquist turns


Whenever users install a new application on their smart devices with an Android KitKat or Lollipop operating system they are asked to grant the application (app) provider access to features of the device, ranging from data storage to device location and from device identity to the users personal contacts. The implications on users' privacy and security are significant and therefore the users' ability to give informed consent is highly important. Previous work has identified low rates of user attention and comprehension to permission warnings and concluded that these fail to inform the majority of users. Here we focus on how users consider, interpret and react to differences in app permission information which is provided at three different instances of the app installation cycle: 1. Before installation in the Google Play Store 2. During the installation process 3. After installation in the Application Manager. The information provided in these instances varies considerably in its granularity and detail. For this purpose, an online survey was developed in which users were asked questions regarding the installation of a mirror app whose main functionality is to use the user facing camera of the phone to mirror the users face (i.e. display an image of the face) on the phone's screen. The survey participants were shown screen shots of the app description as presented in the Google Play Store as well as of the various permission lists as they appear on the screen of the phone. The questions focused on the respondents' perceptions and their hypothetical choices with regard to the installation of this app. Results show that the various presentations of permission information in Android versions KitKat or Lollipop cause concern and irritate a majority (51.67%) of users, especially those with some basic IT expertise. We conclude that the contextualization of app features and functionalities with the corresponding permissions needs to be improved especially for users with little IT expertise. Further user permission information should be made available at different and consistent levels of granularity.


More people could benefit of Machine Learning (ML) as an increasingly important technology and service, if state-of-the-art ML techniques with training capability were accessible on personal devices. To this end, we report details on how to deploy Tensor-Flow on off-the-shelf mobile and embedded devices and retrain current deep neural networks for image recognition on-device. Our motivation is to both grant privacy and allow users to efficiently personalize image classifiers for their own needs and purposes, and thus contribute towards turning ML into a "social good", which benefits the largest number of people in the greatest possible way.