Aramid fibers form an important group of fibers for composite applications. These applications range through light-weight shell structures, protective structures in ballistic applications such as helmets and various shields, protective clothing, and car tires, for instance. For structural applications, the composites of aramid fibers and high performance resins must form integral and strong parts. Therefore, the fiber-matrix interface places a significant role. Numerous surface treatments and fiber modifications have been applied over the years to adjust aramid fibers. On the way to improve and optimize these interfaces, various test methods have been applied. The recent studies apply microtesting, e.g., in the form of microdroplet tests. Furthermore, the material properties of the resin, fiber, and interface are used to create numerical models. However, the current challenge is to collect statistically reliable data as well as the necessary parameters to validate the simulations on different length scales.


In this paper we present a method to characterize the acoustic trapping efficiency of nanoparticles and bacteria when using seeding particles. Through the use of fluorescent microscopy and video analysis, single particles/bacteria were counted as they entered the acoustic trap at different flow focusing ratios and by comparing the amount of trapped objects to the amount of objects that were lost from the trap, the trapping efficiency could be calculated. Using fluorescent 780 nm polystyrene particles, an optimization of the hydrodynamic sample pre-focusing could be performed. For a flow focusing ratio of 1:10 or 5:6 (sample:sheath flow), a trapping efficiency of around 90% could be achieved at a total flow rate of 11 μl/min. At a flow focusing ratio of 1:10, GFP-producing E. coli could be trapped at an efficiency of above 95%. Using this characterization technique, important aspects of the acoustic trapping method (e.g. transducer frequency and voltage, size and type of seeding particle, amount of flow focusing, total flow rate etc.) can be characterized and optimized. (Less)


DFT calculations have been carried out to study the mechanisms for reactions of O2 with a series of metal complexes, including d6 CpRuL2, d6 ML5, and d8 ML4 complexes. The calculation results indicate that the reaction is initiated by an end-on coordination of O2 to the metal center, which gives an (η1-O2)[M] intermediate. The uncoordinated oxygen atom of the η1-O2 ligand then approaches the metal center to give a new η1-O2 intermediate in which the η1-O2 ligand is oriented approximately the same as the one defined in the product. An intersystem conversion from the triplet to singlet energy surface (MECP) then occurs to enable the metal peroxide product to be formed.


The coastal and offshore fishery to manage from a fishery permit system in our country at present seems to be a sign of lots problem, which are illegal fishing, a permit rent, non fishing vessel the purpose of vessel reduction, fishery compensation, tax exemption oil, the excessive occurrence of administrative cost due to differences during a period of a fishery permit. All the readjustment system for the permit has suggested an effective solution for a fishery permit management, the maintenance of a fishery order(the prevention of illegal fishery), the prevention of unused fishery, the entrance of new vessel in coastal fishery and it`s system has prevent this problems in ahead. This paper has estimated an prevention convenience for an illegal spill of the tax exemption oil, actual effects of vessel reduction, the conservation of fishery resource for the future value and carried out an economic analysis to estimate compliance cost for the system introduction. Also, this study have analyzed throughly the coastal fishery situation and catched lots of issues on the management for the permit system. Especially, the problems improving the readjustment introduction for the permit have estimated the social and economic effects quantitatively and qualitatively with a calculated technique to classify various scenarios. This paper has judged correctly the term of validity for the permit to shorten as a result of the estimation and it will be to take the net convenience cost 1,655thousand million won. The results of this study have expect to provide a basic data to introduce the readjustment system for the permit.


We report and discuss the results of x-ray radiation measurements in the Sino-Russian joint Z-Pinch experiments on Angara-5-1 facility with a load current of 2.5-3.6MA. The measurements were conducted by using an x-ray power meter (XRPM) and a time-resolved one-dimensional x-ray imaging system developed in China Academy of Engineering Physics. The experimental results indicate that an x-ray power-platform prior to a main peak and a less intensive sub-peak after the main peak in the waveform exist for the nested-wire array implosions, and the radiation process is relatively faster than that in the case of the single array. Laser shadowgraph of the imploding plasma suggests that the prior power-platform is a result of the collision of the inner-outer plasma layers. The faster radiation process of nested array implosion can be explained by analysing the corresponding result of the time-resolved one-dimensional imaging system, which demonstrates a better axial imploding uniformity and synchronization. In comparison with x-ray diode, the XRPM yields a higher height of x-ray power-platform due to its fiat energy response. The sub-peak after the main peak is proposed to be a result of the later-time additional implosion of plasma.


BACKGROUND
Although the use of human saliva for diagnosing disease has been known to be of great clinical potential, few attempts have been made so far to develop its use. In this work, we developed an MRM-MS approach for 35 plasma biomarkers using human saliva in a clinical environment.

METHODS & RESULTS
A 30-min micro LC-MS/MS run in MRM mode was conducted in order to quantify the 35 plasma proteins in human saliva. Sample preparation procedures were performed in quadruplicate and analyzed in duplicate. Results show that 32 of the 35 plasma proteins were quantified in human saliva using calibration curves in the 2- log10 dynamic ranges with excellent linearity.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
Our MRM method is compatible with routine measurements in daily clinical practice.


Molecular details concerning the induction phase of milk fouling on stainless steel at an elevated temperature range were established to better understand the effect of temperature on surface fouling during pasteurization. The liquid–solid interface that replicates an industrial heat exchanger (≤75°C), including four stages (preheating, heating, holding, and cooling), was investigated using both a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) and a customized flow cell. We found that the milk fouling induction process is rate-limited by the synergistic effects of bulk reactions, mass transfer, and surface reactions, all of which are controlled by both liquid and surface temperatures. Surface milk foulant becomes more rigid and compact as it builds up. The presence of protein aggregates in the bulk fluid leads to a fast formation of surface deposit with a reduced Young's modulus. Foulant adhesion and cohesion strength was enhanced as both interfacial temperature and processing time increased, while removal force increased with an increasing deposit thickness. During cleaning, caustic swelling and removal showed semilinear correlations with surface temperature (TS), where higher TS reduced swelling and enhanced removal. Our findings evidence that adsorption kinetics, characteristics of the foulant, and the subsequent removal mechanism are greatly dependent on the temperature profile, of which the surface temperature is the most critical one.


Stochastic games are a classical model in game theory in which two opponents interact and the environment changes in response to the players' behavior. The central solution concepts for these games are the discounted values and the value, which represent what playing the game is worth to the players for different levels of impatience. In the present manuscript, we provide algorithms for computing exact expressions for the discounted values and for the value, which are polynomial in the number of pure stationary strategies of the players. This result considerably improves all the existing algorithms, including the most efficient one, due to Hansen, Kouck\'y, Lauritzen, Miltersen and Tsigaridas (STOC 2011).


The β-decays of neutron-rich carbon, nitrogen and fluorine isotopes have been systematically studied using the OXBASH shell Model. In the psd, spsd and spsdpf model space, we use the WBP interaction to calculate the half-lives and neutron emission probabilities of neutron-rich carbon and nitrogen isotopes, respectively. With the USD (W) and CW interactions, we calculate the half-lives and neutron emission probabilities of neutron-rich fluorine isotope in the sd model space, respectively. The calculated half-lives and neutron emission probabilities reproduce recent experimental data very well. It seems to show that the particles of the neutron-rich carbon and nitrogen isotopes are mainly excited in the spsd space. The β-decay of 21N to the neutron bound states in 21O is mostly the first forbidden transition which makes the neutron emission probability increase. The theoretical calculation of β-decay of 25F to 25Ne with CW interaction shows that CW interaction is better than USD interaction.


CD4 + CD25 + T cells (Treg) entry into secondary lymphoid organs (SLO) and local expansion after activation is at least in part responsible for their immunosuppressive action. Thus we hypothesized that trapping of adoptively transferred Treg in SLO would be an effective means to tip the balance towards a more immunosuppressive milieu within the LN microenvironment. Systemic application of the sphingosine-phosphate receptor agonist FTY720 has been proven to trap harmful effector T cells in SLO, thereby inhibiting their migration and destruction of target tissue. Here we provide first evidence that selective entrapment of adoptively transferred Treg in inflammatory LN can be achieved by blockade of SP-receptors upon ex vivo exposure of Treg to FTY720 before adoptive transfer. FTY720 exposure did not interfere with proper Treg localization within the T-cell areas of SLO as determined by immunofluorescent microscopy after co-transfer of either FTY720- or solvent exposed and subsequently differentially labelled Treg. However, despite the fact that the in vitro phenotype (including expression of adhesion and chemokine receptors), function (including anergy and suppressive activity) and survival (determined by Annexin/PI staining) of Treg remained unaltered by FTY720, it abrogated their protective effect after adoptive transfer in a murine model of acute experimental glomerulonephritis (determined by quantification of proteinuria and histological analysis) as well as in an acute GvHD model (determined by survival analysis and quantification of the in vivo expansion of luciferase-transgenic effector T cells by bioluminiscence technology). Notably, adoptive transfer of CFSE-labelled Treg revealed a markedly impaired proliferation of Treg in inflammatory SLO when pre-exposed to FTY720 ex vivo . Accordingly, FTY720 blocked Treg-proliferation induced by TCR-stimulation in combination with IL-2 in vitro . In line with this observation, FTY720 completely abolishes IL-2 induced phosphorylation of STAT-5. Thus, SP-1P receptors induce Treg trapping in inflammatory SLO but abrogate their in vivo immunosuppressive potential by inhibition of local Treg expansion.


With the advent of thermal flying-height control (TFC) technology the physical spacing in magnetic hard disk drives is now reduced to sub-1 nm. At this spacing the tribological flyability and reliability become critical issues for the performance of the read-write head. In this paper a numerical approach is applied to study the touchdown dynamics of TFC sliders by expanding a 3-degree-of-freedom slider dynamics model to a 250-degree-of-freedom head-gimbal assembly dynamics model and considering several significant tribological effects at this ultra-low clearance (adhesion, tribo-charge, friction, contact, etc.). The simulation results show that the slider's vibration amplitude increases substantially at the beginning of touchdown, and it gets suppressed with further reduction in flying height. Analysis in the frequency domain shows the excitation of the second air-bearing pitch mode when instability occurs. The expansion of the dynamic system to include a realistic model of the suspension is shown to be important in determining the frequency of the excited mode. Adhesion force is shown to play an essential role in exciting the second air-bearing pitch mode and causing instability, while electrostatic force and friction force affect only some details of the slider's dynamics at instability. Friction force is also shown to be related to the excitation of the first air-bearing pitch mode.


We consider the problem of estimating high-dimensional covariance matrices of $K$-populations or classes in the setting where the sample sizes are comparable to the data dimension. We propose estimating each class covariance matrix as a distinct linear combination of all class sample covariance matrices. This approach is shown to reduce the estimation error when the sample sizes are limited, and the true class covariance matrices share a somewhat similar structure. We develop an effective method for estimating the coefficients in the linear combination that minimize the mean squared error under the general assumption that the samples are drawn from (unspecified) elliptically symmetric distributions possessing finite fourth-order moments. To this end, we utilize the spatial sign covariance matrix, which we show (under rather general conditions) to be an asymptotically unbiased estimator of the normalized covariance matrix as the dimension grows to infinity. We also show how the proposed method can be used in choosing the regularization parameters for multiple target matrices in a single class covariance matrix estimation problem. We assess the proposed method via numerical simulation studies including an application in global minimum variance portfolio optimization using real stock data.


Any cause that negatively affects mortality, positively affects mortality, negatively affects survivorship, and positively affects survivorship is tetraeffective (i.e., having four kinds of effects). However, until now, tetraeffective causes of mortality and survivorship have been undescribed, unidentified, unnamed, unrecognized, unclear, misconceived, unspecified, and unexplained. Here I describe, identify, name, recognize, elucidate, conceptualize, and explain these tetraeffective causes. I show that every tetraeffective cause of mortality and survivorship combines corresponding at least one mortacause and at least one vitacause; "mortacause" refers here to a cause that positively affects mortality and negatively affects survivorship, and "vitacause" refers to a cause that positively affects survivorship and negatively affects mortality. I present strong rationales that suggest that every cause of mortality and survivorship is tetraeffective, and I present references to considerable previous evidence that I interpret to be suggestive evidence of tetraeffective causes of mortality and survivorship. Moreover, rigorous and thorough multivariable analyses of mortality and survivorship of humans and medflies provide here direct evidence of tetraeffective causes of mortality and survivorship, revealing best-fitting specifications dY/d(X) = a + bX such that sign(a) = -sign(bX), where: Y indicates mortality or survivorship; X indicates age, lifespan, contemporary aggregate size, lifespan aggregate size, or historical time; dY/d(X) indicates composite effects of X on Y; a indicates an X-specific mortacause or vitacause; bX indicates the corresponding opposite X-specific mortacause or vitacause; and coefficients a, b, and p denote respective X-specific and entity-specific constants. Thus description, identification, naming, recognition, elucidation, conception, specification, explanation, and demonstration of tetraeffective causes of mortality and survivorship usher a new paradigm of causes of mortality and survivorship and enable and promote further scientific research and practical


—The use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) / Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) to produce biomedical devices has recently become more interesting because of environmental benefits and the fact that it has been done using computer simulations. However, CAD / CAM operating costs are a major obstacle to product commercialization. High specification computers are used as a raw material for design, customizing the processes of transferring continuous digital images and small-size and high-quality manufacturing tools are major options to reduce the cost of CAD / CAM operations. The most widely used method is to optimize how CAD and CAM devices work through an algorithm. This optimization will contribute to the rapid development of the ability to produce better products and reduce operating costs. The case study to be conducted is the development of CAD / CAM optimization over the past years (2013, 2018) towards the production of biomedical devices.


Learning a new language is a challenging process. It requires learners to devote time and effort to communicate effectively in the target language. One of the main issues in teaching English is not having enough exposure to the language as it is spoken in the real world. That is a major reason why teaching English in a non-English speaking environment can be challenging. Students need to be exposed to native-like resources to develop their language skills. One of the most significant skills to develop is pronunciation. The present paper explores some of the teaching and learning strategies that can be used by foreign language teachers to improve their students' pronunciation skills.


The bumetanide-sensitive Na+/K+/2Cl- cotransporter and the thiazide-sensitive Na+/Cl- cotransporter are present in a wide variety of tissues, and appear to serve physiological cell functions such as volume control, particularly the phenomenon known as regulatory volume control, and net secretion or absorption of salt. The recent cDNA cloning of these two cotransporters suggests that they are members of the same new family, because they exhibit a topology featuring 12 potential membrane-spanning helices flanked by large hydrophilic domains at the NH2- and COOH-termini. The transporters are regulated by phosphorylation directly via protein kinase and dephosphorylation via phosphatase, and perhaps secondary to decrease of Cl concentration in the cell by activated Cl channel.


Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that is initiated by the presence of microorganisms in the bloodstream. In the United States, sepsis due to ExPEC and other pathogens kills well over a quarter of a million people each year and is associated with tremendous health care costs. A high degree of heterogeneity in the signs and symptomology of sepsis makes this disease notoriously difficult to effectively diagnose and manage. Here, using a zebrafish model of sepsis, we find that similarly lethal but genetically distinct ExPEC isolates can elicit notably disparate host responses. These variances are in part due to differences in the levels and types of flagellin that are expressed by the infecting ExPEC strains. A better understanding of the variable impact that bacterial factors like flagellin have on host responses during sepsis could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these often deadly infections. ABSTRACT In individuals with sepsis, the infecting microbes are commonly viewed as generic inducers of inflammation while the host background is considered the primary variable affecting disease progression and outcome. To study the effects of bacterial strain differences on the maladaptive immune responses that are induced during sepsis, we employed a novel zebrafish embryo infection model using extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) isolates. These genetically diverse pathogens are a leading cause of sepsis and are becoming increasingly dangerous because of the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. Zebrafish infected with ExPEC isolates exhibit many of the pathophysiological features seen in septic human patients, including dysregulated inflammatory responses (cytokine storms), tachycardia, endothelial leakage, and progressive edema. However, only a limited subset of ExPEC isolates can trigger a sepsis-like state and death of the host when introduced into the bloodstream. Mirroring the situation in human patients, antibiotic therapy reduced ExPEC titers and improved host survival rates but was only effective within limited time frames that varied, depending on the infecting pathogen. Intriguingly, we find that phylogenetically distant but similarly lethal ExPEC isolates can stimulate markedly different host transcriptional responses, including disparate levels of inflammatory mediators. These differences correlate with the amounts of bacterial flagellin expression during infection, as well as differential activation of Toll-like receptor 5 by discrete flagellar serotypes. Altogether, this work establishes zebrafish as a relevant model of key aspects of human sepsis and highlights the ability of genetically distinct ExPEC isolates to induce divergent host responses independently of baseline host attributes. IMPORTANCE Sepsis is a life-threatening systemic inflammatory condition that is initiated by the presence of microorganisms in the bloodstream. In the United States, sepsis due to ExPEC and other pathogens kills well over a quarter of a million people each year and is associated with tremendous health care costs. A high degree of heterogeneity in the signs and symptomology of sepsis makes this disease notoriously difficult to effectively diagnose and manage. Here, using a zebrafish model of sepsis, we find that similarly lethal but genetically distinct ExPEC isolates can elicit notably disparate host responses. These variances are in part due to differences in the levels and types of flagellin that are expressed by the infecting ExPEC strains. A better understanding of the variable impact that bacterial factors like flagellin have on host responses during sepsis could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these often deadly infections. Podcast: A podcast concerning this article is available.


ABSTRACT Many attempts, which were aimed at promoting Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) in Sri Lanka failed due to poor acceptance by farmers. This situation still exists in spite of the formidable scientific evidence that supports the physical effectiveness of these systems to solve the respective problems. Factors that lead to poor acceptance of SAS by farmers can be broadly categorized as system specific factors and general factors that affect all systems commonly. This paper argues that although the general factors are less apparent, indirect, and difficult to recognize, they could be more important in Sri Lanka's case as the poor acceptance exists with many systems. The paper briefly discusses five such factors suggesting that major adjustments in the overall agriculture system are inevitable if the benefits of SAS are to be reaped by society. Such adjustments include strengthening of farmer participation at all levels; modification of research and extension systems and changing their priorities; proper land use and planning and screening of existing policies for their inconsistencies. Here, the challenge is to re-orient these policies and institutes to generate appropriate incentives, which will help to promote these systems among farmers.


We proposed a method for effective population transfer in an atomic vapor with Doppler effect and collision. Using this method, we have demonstrated that an efficient population transfer occurs in 238U vapor produced in a hollow-cathode discharge tube. A numerical calculation with density matrix agrees well with our experimental result and indicates that the method can be used to raise the efficiency of atomic vapor isotope separation.


Companies are searching for IT solutions to improve management process. Increasingly information re-sources are regarded as the key determinant to make appropriate decisions, that have impact on strategic position of the company. Functions including acquisition, gathering, processing and delivering of information support optimal company management. There are many IT solutions supporting enterprise management available on the market. Business analysis tools transforming data into useful information have developed dynamically in recent years. They are known today as Business Intelligence. The aim of this article is to present various functions of BI system. The article describes datawarehouse, data mining and data drilling, among other things. Author compares transaction and analytical systems. Finally, an example of implemen-tation of BI in the Berendsen Textile Services company is presented.


Urticarial vasculitis is characterised by inflamed itching or burning red patches or wheals that resemble urticaria but persist for greater than 24 hours. It is often idiopathic but is sometimes associated with collagen-vascular disease, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus. Treatment options include oral antihistamines, oral corticosteroids, dapsone, colchicine or hydroxychloroquine. We describe a male patient with urticarial vasculitis who was treated with omalizumab (anti-IgE) with convincing results and provide a review of previous reports of patients with urticarial vasculitis treated with omalizumab.


A new Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm that allows parallel processing has been described in a previous paper ("Markov Chain Monte Carlo Calculations Allowing Parallel Processing Using a Variant of the Metropolis Algorithm") that appeared in this journal in 2010. In this second follow-on paper, the problem of calculating the normalization integral of the distribution function is considered. In the usual Markov Chain Monte Carlo calculations this normalization integral is not necessary; however, this integral is needed for Bayesian hypothesis testing and is a key quantity (the partition function) in statistical physics. Three different methods of calculating this integral are considered: an importance-sampling method, a reference-hypothesis method, and a direct method of integration over the random-walk region. This latter method is shown to provide the normalization integral in situations where the other methods fail.


Hear the story about the conception of our Endpoint Engineering team that brought together a diverse group of high-potential individuals from within our organization to focus their efforts on maximizing our efficiencies. This cross-functional team was charged with reimagining desktop support and lab management across the entire university. Their prime directive was to bridge the centralized and decentralized IT organizations to deliver a collaborative service. The result of this effort, we anticipate, will offer a level of service that exceeds anything that either organization alone has delivered in the past, and support Lehigh University's Path to Prominence vision [1].


When a picture is shot all the information about the distance between the object and the camera gets lost. Depth estimation from a single image is a notable issue in computer vision. In this work we present a hardware and software framework to accomplish the task of 3D measurement through structured light. This technique allows to estimate the depth of the objects, by projecting specific light patterns on the measuring scene. The potentialities of the structured light are well-known in both scientific and industrial contexts. Our framework uses a picoprojector module provided by STMicroelectronics, driven by the designed software projecting time- multiplexing Gray code light patterns. The Gray code is an alternative method to represent binary numbers, ensuring that the hamming distance between two consecutive numbers is always one. Because of this property, this binary coding gives better results for depth estimation task. Many patterns are projected at different time instants, obtaining a dense coding for each pixel. This information is then used to compute the depth for each point in the image. In order to achieve better results, we integrate the depth estimation with the inverted Gray code patterns as well, to compensate projector-camera synchronization problems as well as noise in the scene. Even though our framework is designed for laser picoprojectors, it can be used with conventional image projectors and we present the results for this case too.


Insulin resistance (IR) in chronic renal failure (CRF) is well-known. In this randomized-controlled study, we aimed to compare the effect of doxazosin and amlodipine on IR in patients with CRF. Fifteen patients with CRF (male/female: 5/10, mean age: 46 +/- 13 years) and 9 controls (male/female: 3/6, mean age: 35 +/- 8 years) were included. Patients and controls had no family history of diabetes mellitus. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was calculated as a marker of IR. Patients were grouped randomly to doxazosin (n = 8; 2-4 mg/day) and amlodipine (n = 7; 5-10 mg/day) arms. Baseline biochemical analysis (fasting serum glucose, BUN, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol and cholesterol subgroups) and parameters related with insulin metabolism (insulin, C peptide, HOMA) were similar between amlodipine and doxazosin groups. There was no difference in age, gender and body mass index among study groups. The follow-up time was 12 weeks. Patients with CRF had higher HOMA (1.83 +/- 0.55 vs 1.00 +/- 0.36, p = 0.001), fasting insulin (8.06 +/- 1.98 vs 4.46 +/- 1.31 IU/l, p < 0.001) and serum triglyceride levels (197 +/- 136 vs 112 +/- 67 mg/dl, p = 0.04) as compared to controls. Serum HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower in patients with CRF than controls (40 +/- 10 vs 57 +/- 14 mg/dl, p = 0.02). HOMA significantly decreased after doxazosin (1.91 +/- 0.45 vs 1.41 +/- 0.21, p = 0.02), however, no difference was found after amlodipine. Also, fasting insulin levels were decreased after a 12-week doxazosin therapy from 8.17 +/- 1.22 vs 6.58 +/- 0.84 IU/l, p = 0.02), but no change was seen after amlodipine. Lipid parameters did not significantly change during the study period in 2 groups. No adverse effect requiring drug discontinuation was observed during the 12-week period in the study groups. In conclusion, doxazosin decreases IR in patients with CRF, whereas amlodipine has no effect. This may be of advantage in the treatment of hypertension in this group of patients for preventing some long-term complication of IR.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to investigate whether the entry site of acute type B aortic dissection affects late outcomes.

METHODS
Inpatient and outpatient records were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS
We identified 224 cases of acute type B aortic dissection between 1998 and 2013. Of these 224 patients, 168 were men and the age was 64.2 ± 12.6 (range 23-94) years, from which 130 presented with the entry at a location downstream of the distal aortic arch, 67 with the entry at the outer curvature of the distal aortic arch and 27 with the entry at the inner curvature. At the initial presentation, 127 patients had descending false lumen thrombosis. The 30-day mortality rate was 2%, and 8% of patients had malperfusion. The entry at the outer curvature was associated with a higher risk of 30-day mortality. Patients with the entry at a location downstream were significantly older, and had a higher chance for primarily thrombosed descending false lumen and a lower risk of malperfusion. At follow-up (6.0 ± 4.1 years), the actuarial survival rates were 97, 83 and 60%, freedoms from open aortic surgery were 96, 91 and 86%, aortic intervention were 73, 66 and 63% and aortic events were 71, 60 and 52% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the outer curvature entry and maximum aortic diameter were correlated with open aortic surgery, aortic intervention and aortic events. Of the 127 patients with primarily thrombosed false lumen, the outer curvature entry was significantly correlated with aortic events.

CONCLUSIONS
The primary entry at the outer curvature of the distal aortic arch, as well as the large aortic diameter, is associated with a higher risk of late open aortic surgery, aortic intervention and aortic events in acute type B aortic dissection. Thus, the entry site should be taken into consideration in the establishment of an appropriate treatment indication of type B aortic dissection.


The local agricultural sector is not ready to defend itself against negative publicity from abroad. This has been the only conclusion I could draw after witnessing the manner in which the wine industry scrambled to put out fires after the release of the controversial documentary film on the South African wine industry, Bitter Grapes, in Sweden and Denmark in October this year.


By the methods of fixed point, line intercept, and random investigation, the vertical distribution and community diversity of butterflies in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve were investigated from 2005 to 2008. A total of 3681 specimen were collected, belonging to 111 species, 69 genera, and 10 families, among which, Nymphalidae had the higher species number, individual's number, and diversity index than the other families. The butterflies in the study area were a mixture of Oriental and Palaearetic species, with the Oriental species diminished gradually and the Palaearetic components increased gradually with increasing altitude. Among the three vertical zones ( <800 m, 800-1200 m, and >1200 m in elevation), that of 800-1200 m had the most abundant species of butterflies; and among the six habitat types (deciduous broad-leaved forest, evergreen conifer forest, conifer-broad leaf mixed forest, bush and secondary forest, farmland, and residential area), bush and secondary forest had the higher species number, individual's number, and diversity index of butterflies, while farmland had the lowest diversity index. The similarity coefficient of butterfly species between the habitats was mainly dependent on vegetation type, i.e., the more the difference of vegetation type, the lesser the species similarity coefficient between the habitats, which was the highest (0.61) between conifer-broad leaf mixed forest and bush and secondary forest, and the lowest (0. 20) between evergreen conifer forest and bush and secondary forest.


Seventy-five consecutive patients with pilonidal sinus disease were randomized to receive either Eusol dressings or Silastic foam dressings. Patients were divided into those with pilonidal sinus and pilonidal abscess. There was no significant difference between time to hospital discharge or time to full healing in either group. The cost benefits and simplicity of Silastic foam dressing are discussed.


Objectives The diagnostic criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were broadened by experts in 2003, resulting in the inclusion of women with milder forms. This has contributed to a substantial increase in the number of women diagnosed. PCOS is associated with adverse reproductive, metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes, however not all women fitting the expanded criteria may be at risk. Although signs of PCOS often first appear during adolescence, symptoms of PCOS overlap with normal signs of pubertal development, making diagnosis challenging. Currently there are no clear criteria to differentiate normal variability from the abnormality of PCOS, especially in young women. Although the diagnosis is appropriate and beneficial for some women, such as those with severe forms, the benefit is uncertain for women with milder variants of the syndrome. We aimed to understand clinicians' views about PCOS, and how they manage and communicate these uncertainties with their patients in practice. Method Doctors who diagnose and manage adult and/or adolescent women with PCOS (general practitioners, endocrinologists and gynaecologists) around Australia were recruited via professional organisations, specialist groups and through snowballing. We conducted 30 semi-structured telephone interviews. Topics included challenges and uncertainties with diagnosis and management of PCOS, patient communication, benefits and harms of a diagnosis, and the potential for overdiagnosis. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Results Clinicians expressed a range of views regarding the uncertainties in the diagnosis and management of PCOS. Many clinicians reported difficulties with dispelling women's preconceptions about PCOS (e.g. never able to conceive) as a result of misinformation online, and discussed the challenges with communicating the unpredictability of long-term consequences. Many clinicians expressed the importance of early diagnosis as it provided the opportunity to make lifestyle changes and initiate family planning. On the other hand, others were cautious about labelling women prematurely or inaccurately, and hesitant to discuss long-term consequences in the first consultation out of concern it might cause unnecessary anxiety, especially for adolescents and young women. Conclusions Clinicians who diagnose and manage PCOS provide valuable perspectives regarding the current issues surrounding diagnostic criteria and uncertainties regarding diagnosis and management. The key findings and their implications for future research and clinical practice will be discussed, such as the importance of effective communication and tailored care in minimising the potential harmful impact of the diagnosis and improving patient-centred outcomes.


We report a rare case of a ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) with affected vertebral artery (VA) occlusion. A 66-year-old hypertensive man presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. No cerebeller sign or cranial nerve palsy was found on admission. Initial CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) revealed the right VA occlusion. On the three days after onset, the right VA was recanalized and visualized as a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)-involved VADA. Endovascular internal trapping of the right VA including PICA origin was performed. In conclusion, it is essential that patients of VA occlusion associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage should be carefully diagnosed considering the possibility of VADA.


In vitro proliferative response and gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) production to Pneumocystis carinii antigen were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy volunteers and cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) from umbilical cords after delivery. Twenty three of 25 samples of PBMC had strong proliferative response, and 15 of 25 samples of PBMC produced IFN-gamma. In the samples showing strong proliferative response, CD4 lymphocytes expressed interleukin 2 receptors. None of the 3 CBMC samples had proliferative response nor production of IFN-gamma. When CD4 lymphocytes were depleted in PBMC, the proliferative response was markedly decreased and IFN-gamma production was abolished. In conclusion, the lymphocytes of healthy adults are activated and produce IFN-gamma by stimulation with P. carinii antigen, and these two response are both induced by CD4 lymphocytes.


Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has spread on a large scale around the world, seriously affecting people's physical and mental health. In China, almost all schools have postponed semesters, suspended offline classes, and implemented closed-off management, which has brought significant challenges to the study and life of college students. The study aimed to explore the relationship between risk perception, perceived stress, perceived control, and mental health among Chinese college students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,856 college students. The results showed that risk perception was positively correlated with mental health. After adding the mediating variable of perceived stress, risk perception still significantly predicted mental health. In addition, the interaction term of perceived stress and perceived control significantly negatively predicted mental health. Specifically, perceived stress significantly affected mental health in the low-perceived control group. In contrast, in the high-perceived control group, the predictive effect of perceived stress on mental health disappeared. The present study showed that perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between risk perception and mental health; perceived control moderated the relationship between perceived stress and mental health, and high perceived control could buffer the effect of perceived stress on mental health.


Zhong-Ping Jiang (see ibid. vol.50, no.6, p.927-80, 2005) made some comments on the authors' short remark (see ibid. vol.48, no.3, p.497-500, 2003). Two major points were made in the comment. The main purpose of the reply is to point out that the two points are not really an issue. Another purpose is to correct several inaccurate statements in the comment.


Clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases in Africa has been associated with increased misdiagnosis and mortality, but when laboratory testing is available, it remains underused. We retrospectively compared infectious diagnoses, test results, anti-microbial use, and patient cost with laboratory and physician surveys at a teaching hospital in Ghana to evaluate the potential barriers to laboratory use and financial impact for patients. Laboratory capacity was high, but physician survey results and objective data indicated a reliance on clinical judgment and empirical therapy. For the study period, 9-15% of malaria diagnoses, 34-43% of urinary tract infections (UTIs), and 62% of meningitis cases were supported by abnormal laboratory results. For the same period, 0.82-2.09 units of antibiotics were consumed per patient day, and patient cost for antibiotics was 4.8-21.6 times that of laboratory testing. Physician perception regarding the value of diagnostic testing is potentially a major barrier to laboratory use, resulting in empiricism, disproportionate anti-microbial administration, and cost to patients.


In this paper, the optimal probabilistic neural network (PNN) is proposed as the core classifier to discriminate between the magnetizing inrush and the internal fault of a power transformer. The particle swarm optimization is used to obtain an optimal smoothing factor of PNN which is a crucial parameter for PNN. An algorithm has been developed around the theme of the conventional differential protection of the transformer. It makes use of the ratio of voltage-to-frequency and amplitude of differential current for the determination of operating condition of the transformer. The performance of the proposed heteroscedastic-type PNN is investigated with the conventional homoscedastic-type PNN, feedforward back propagation (FFBP) neural network, and the conventional harmonic restraint method. To evaluate the developed algorithm, relaying signals for various operating condition of the transformer, including internal and external faults, are obtained by modeling the transformer in PSCAD/EMTDC. The protection algorithm is implemented by using MATLAB.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of nuclear factor I-C (NFI-C) on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced up-regulation of TGF-β receptor II (TβRII) in dermal fibroblasts.

METHODS
A lentiviral vector containing NFI-C sequence (Lenti-GFP-NFI-C) was transfected into a human foreskin fibroblast cell line (HFF-1). Cultured HFF-1 cells, cells transfected with Lenti-GFP-NFI-C, and cells transfected with a negative virus were stimulated with PDGF-BB, and Western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression levels of TβRII in the treated cells.

RESULTS
PDGF treatment significantly increased the expression level of TβRII in HFF-1 cells (P<0.05). The cells transfected with Lenti-GFP-NFI-C expressed a significantly lower level of TβRII than non-transfected cells in response to PDGF stimulation (P<0.05), but the negative virus showed no such inhibitory effect (P>0.05). No significant difference was found in the expression level of TβRII protein between cells transfected with Lenti-GFP-NFI-C-transfection before PDGF stimulation and the blank control cells.

CONCLUSION
NFI-C can inhibit PDGF-induced up-regulation of TβRII and thus reduce the sensitivity of the dermal fibroblasts to TGF-β.


Given a pair of graphs $G_1$ and $G_2$ and a vertex set of interest in $G_1$, the vertex nomination problem seeks to find the corresponding vertices of interest in $G_2$ (if they exist) and produce a rank list of the vertices in $G_2$, with the corresponding vertices of interest in $G_2$ concentrating, ideally, at the top of the rank list. In this paper we study the effect of an adversarial contamination model on the performance of a spectral graph embedding-based vertex nomination scheme. In both real and simulated examples, we demonstrate that this vertex nomination scheme performs effectively in the uncontaminated setting; adversarial network contamination adversely impacts the performance of our VN scheme; and network regularization successfully mitigates the impact of the contamination. In addition to furthering the theoretic basis of consistency in vertex nomination, the adversarial noise model posited herein is grounded in theoretical developments that allow us to frame the role of an adversary in terms of maximal vertex nomination consistency classes.


Muscle-bone relationships in healthy pre-pubertal children were investigated using four muscle measures as predictors of tibial strength: 66% tibia cross-sectional muscle area (CSMA) by pQCT; leg lean mass (LLM) by DXA; and muscle power (Power) and force (Force) measured during a two-footed jump. Polar strength strain index (pSSI), a calculated surrogate for bone strength at the 20% distal tibia, was obtained on 105 (54 male) self-assessed pre-pubertal children. The amount of muscle (CSMA, LLM) may influence bone strength more than muscle strength (Power, Force) during periods of rapid growth. Correlations and multiple regression partial-R values from models controlling for age, sex, height and weight were obtained for each muscle predictor. CSMA, LLM, Power and Force were positively correlated with pSSI (R=0.84, 0.92, 0.85; 0.66, respectively, all p<0.01). Partial-R values were highest for LLM (partial-R=0.21), similar for CSMA and Power (0.14, 0.15, respectively) and lowest for Force (0.04) in predicting pSSI. Muscle predictors were associated with total and cortical area (R=0.59 to 0.90; p<0.01 for all), but not cortical vBMD at the 20% distal tibia site. These data support relationships between muscle predictors and bone parameters measured by pQCT in healthy pre-pubertal children.


On August 9, 2008, during the MAREM (Marmara Environmental Monitoring) project survey, a single specimen of an unknown Scyphozoa was caught with a deep-water vertical plankton haul, below the thermo-halocline interface, at maximum 1042 m hauling depth, in the Sea of Marmara (40°44'00″N, 08°00'03″E), Turkey. In the following years, 22 specimens, which ranged in diameter from 18 to 26 mm and had the same characteristics, were caught in the same water mass of the Sea of Marmara during MAREM monitoring surveys. The specimens seem to correspond most closely with the medusae described by Maas (1903), Neppi (1915), and Russell (1956). All these specimens were similar in their essential characteristics, but differed in some details. Likewise, Paraphyllina kubanci sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus in terms of some characteristics, especially in the S-shaped gonads and in the distribution of coloration. It is identified as a new species of the genus Paraphyllina and described here.


Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific T cell responses play an important role in the clearance of HBV infection. Heterologous Hi-8™ PrimeBoost vaccination using HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) is a promising approach for inducing T cell responses in chronic hepatitis B patients and results in viral suppression and liver function normalisation. Cellular immune responses against HBV antigens were determined in PBMC isolated from patients treated with Hi-8™ HBV therapy. Samples were tested by ex vivo IFN-γ ELISPOT assay and after 14 days of culture in the presence of overlapping peptides spanning the HBsAg and HBV core antigen (HBcAg) sequences. Ex vivo HBsAg-specific T cell responses were of very low frequency and transient. However, higher frequency T cell responses that could be correlated with clinical outcome were measured after culture. Notably, HBsAg but not HBcAg-specific responses increased after treatment, indicating that responses were driven by vaccination. Further experiments are being conducted to determine the relative contribution of CD4 and CD8 T cells to the immune response. In conclusion, HBsAg specific IFN-γ producing T cells were detected in PBMC from chronically infected patients and increased in those receiving Hi-8™ HBV therapy. Since the T cell immune responses could only be detected following in vitro culture, they are either of very low frequency in the peripheral blood or of a memory phenotype.


The present-day problems in tuberculosis control are associated with a difficulty in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) in due time and in determining its drug sensitivity by conventional microbiological assays. The determination of the drug sensitivity of MBT takes much time from 2 weeks to 3 months, which fails to initiate and perform specific therapy timely. Molecular genetic techniques, including biochip analysis, yield results in 24-48 hours, which solves the problem of choosing and initiating adequate antibacterial therapy in the shortest possible time after tuberculosis is diagnosed. To assess the situation associated with the prevalence of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, by using the biochip analysis, the authors have examined 501 patients with tuberculosis who live in the Kyrghyz Republic. Drug resistance has been found in 40.3% of the examinees. At the same time, their primary and secondary drug resistance is 25.7 and 61.8%, respectively. In tuberculosis patients living in Kyrghyzstan, rifampicin resistance of MBT is more frequently due to mutations in 531 (59.2%), 526 (20.8%), and 516 (8.0%) codons in the rpoB gene.


Abstract - The process of admitting new students is an annual routine activity that occurs in a university. This activity is the starting point of the process of searching for prospective new students who meet the criteria expected by the college. One of the colleges that holds new student admissions every year is Buana Perjuangan University, Karawang. There have been several studies that have been conducted on predictions of new students by other researchers, but the results have not been very satisfying, especially problems with the level of accuracy and error. Research on ANFIS studies to predict new students as a solution to the problem of accuracy. This study uses two ANFIS models, namely Backpropagation and Hybrid techniques. The application of the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model in the predictions of new students at Buana Perjuangan University, Karawang was successful. Based on the results of training, the Backpropagation technique has an error rate of 0.0394 and the Hybrid technique has an error rate of 0.0662. Based on the predictive accuracy value that has been done, the Backpropagation technique has an accuracy of 4.8 for the value of Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) and 0.156364623 for the value of Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). Meanwhile, based on the Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) value, the Backpropagation technique has a value of 0.5 and 0.09516671 for the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) value. So it can be concluded that the Hybrid technique has a better level of accuracy than the Backpropation technique in predicting the number of new students at the University of Buana Perjuangan Karawang.

Keywords: ANFIS, Backpropagation, Hybrid, Prediction


The various political and technological drivers that are currently prevalent within many educational institutions increasingly encourage educationalists to experiment with tools that promote e-learning. Many then engage in this activity in the belief that this will help in the development of more autonomous, responsible learners. Strategies for the integration of technology are, however, often less well researched. This paper, therefore, explores the relationship between pedagogy, ethics and technology, as three important constructs for the development of an e-learning strategy. It then proposes a framework that will allow future research to define more clearly how each of these concepts overlap, and to identify the impact that they have on each other. As a consequence, the framework provides insight into the mutual dependencies of pedagogy, ethics and technology, with the aim of avoiding ethical risks in developing e-teaching and e-learning.


The internet has taken the new role of community through online groups where youth congregate to interact, exchange ideas and pursue interests. As they engage in self-expression and self-presentation online, it is important to understand how virtual identity is negotiated and formed in those spaces. This research analyzed online group interaction and the development of virtual identity among the youth in Nairobi County. The objectives guiding the study were: 1) To establish the extent to which the youth are part of online groups. 2) To establish the reasons that influence the youth to join online groups. 3) To determine the extent to which online group membership develops the virtual identity of the youth. The independent variable in the study is online group interaction while the dependent variable is virtual identity development. Review of literature in this research is based on various aspects of online group interaction in relation to its potentiality in forming the virtual identity of group members. The communication theory of identity (CTI) and uses and gratification theory (U&G) were adopted to form the theoretical framework for this research. The study employed a mixed method research design in which the main methods used in data collection included; Self-administered questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions, and In-depth interviews. This study comprised four focus group discussions of ten members each sampled from two Universities in Nairobi County, a young professionals group in Kasarani sub-county and a youth support group in Mwiki Nairobi, County. Eight social media experts were interviewed. A cross-sectional survey targeting the youth was conducted in two Universities in Nairobi in which 384 questionnaires were administered to the targeted respondents. The data collected was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively based on the themes derived from the objectives of this study. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS software, while the qualitative data was analyzed using the NVIVO software. The three-dimensional identity model by Crocetti, Rubini, & Meeus, (2008) was also used to analyze objective three of this study. Findings revealed that the independent variable of online interaction influenced the performance of users online leading to the development of a virtual identity that they are associated with. Equally the reasons for interaction online such as bonding and bridging influence the kind of self-expressions that the users exhibit online thus characterizing their virtual identity. The study concluded that because the youth are engaging online, they are performing ever-changing identities. There is therefore a need for them to be guided for positive outcomes. Equally the study made the following recommendations, firstly, online group interactions could be used positively as a platform for social interaction and change. Secondly, more online groups that address youth related matters should be created as a way of addressing this transitional stage in life. The study suggested further research in rural context and the adult segment.


Response diversity and asynchrony are important for stability and resilience of meta-populations, however little is known about the mechanisms that might drive such processes. In salmon populations, response diversity and asynchrony have been linked to the stability of their meta-populations and the fi sheries that integrate across them. We examined how population diversity infl uenced response diversity and asynchrony in 42 populations of Chinook salmon from the Fraser River, British Columbia. We examined diversity in the survival responses to large-scale ocean climate variables for populations that diff ered in life history. Diff erent life-histories responded diff erently to ocean environmental conditions. For instance, an increase of off shore temperature was associated with decreased survival for a population with ocean rearing juveniles but increased survival for a population with stream rearing juveniles. In a second analysis, we examined asynchrony in abundance between populations, which we then correlated with life history, spatial, and genetic diversity. Populations that were more genetically distant had the most diff erent population dynamics. Collectively, these results suggest that fi ne-scale population diversity can contribute to the asynchrony and response diversity that underpins the stability of fior metapopulation dynamics, and emphasize the need to manage and conserve this scale of population diversity.


This paper presents a descriptive investigation on verbal and written use of past-time inflectional marker -ed by Indonesian English majors. Given that English has a foreign language status in Indonesia, acquiring grammatical forms and specific to this study, the –ed inflection, is challenging to learners. Difficulties in acquiring the form is amplified by cross-linguistic influence as the majority of EFL learners in Indonesia speak Javanese as their first language and Indonesian as the second, while exposure to English and to this study's temporal target form is minimal. The salience of –ed and its allomorphs plays a part in determining the learners usage of the form, with syllabic forms predicted to be perceptually more prominent and easier to acquire. Thirty undergraduates who were English Literature and English Education majors in Central Java participated in this study. Due to the two-fold nature of the investigation, data were collated using two instruments; one elicited written usage of the target form while the other stimulated the participants' verbal output. Although there were missing –ed inflections where obligatory, results suggest students' ease and considerable consistency in using the written form of the –ed temporal marker. On the contrary, the English majors generally used the default form of the regular verbs when -ed allomorphs [t], [d] and [ɪd] were required in their speech. To a certain extent, cross-linguistic influence and saliency are relevant in discussing the acquisition of the forms. Instructional intervention should help the English majors and others comparable them, whose closer approximation to Standard English is very important, in completing their university academic programmes as well as in enhancing chances of employability which includes teaching English.


This paper describes a simple methodology for the simulation of flat-fading multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless propagation channels under non-isotropic scattering conditions. The proposed channel simulator is based on the sum- of-sinusoids (SOS) principle and has been developed under the framework of the geometrical one-ring scattering model. All the simulation parameters are computed in a purely deterministic manner, which results in an ergodic channel simulator. By considering that the angle of arrival (AOA) of the received signal follows the von Mises distribution, we will show that the proposed simulator satisfactorily approximates the channel's time and spatial correlation functions.


This paper presents the research and development of knowledge management system for Internet based intellectual assets to leverage the learning process for individual learners. The literature review reveals that corporate solutions of knowledge management are not directly applicable due to the lack of adaptivity needed to provide individualized feedback to the learner, and their localized nature does not directly deal with authentication and verification of distributed information. Architecture has therefore been formulated for the knowledge management system that specifically supports Web-based learning. (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 1 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY


To improve understanding of the biogeographical consequences of species introduction, we examined whether introduced soil macroinvertebrates differ from natives in the relationship between species richness and key environmental predictors, and whether such differences affect the relationship between native and introduced species richness. For North America north of Mexico, we summarized jurisdiction occurrence data for seven macroinvertebrate taxa with strong influences on soil biodiversity or processes. We analysed the relationships of native and introduced species richness to each other using linear regression; to latitude using Gaussian regressions; and, using the residuals of the richness–latitude regressions, to distance from coasts, human population density, and human population size using regression and correlation. We found weak to strong positive relationships between native and introduced species richness. This variation was related to divergent relationships of native and introduced species with latitude, human population density, and distance from coasts. Native species richness declined with increasing latitude for all taxa, as did introduced species richness for taxa with predominantly lower‐latitude origins (ants, termites, non‐lumbricid earthworms). In contrast, introduced species richness peaked at higher latitudes for four taxa of predominantly Palearctic origins (weevils, ground beetles, lumbricid earthworms, isopods). Partitioning introduced taxa within these groups based on region of origin, we found that Palearctic taxa were distributed at higher latitudes than non‐Palearctic taxa. Thus source region appears to strongly influence introduced species richness–latitude relationships. Compared to natives, introduced species exhibited more positive relationships with human population density and negative relationships with distance from coasts, but did not differ in relationships with human population size. Thus coastal, densely populated regions are likely to have a higher proportion of introduced soil macroinvertebrate species. These differences between distribution of native and introduced species tend to weaken positive correlations between native and introduced species richness, especially for taxa dominated by Palearctic introductions.


Nanophotonics is a rapidly evolving field, exploring behaviour of light on the micro/nano scale and the interaction of micro/nano objects with light. The driving force for its development is the promise to go far beyond the conventional boundaries of photonics. Because of the diffraction limit, high-density regular optical components do not have the ability to confine light down to the microscale dimension. The footprint of devices becomes more critical for applications with limited physical space, such as on-chip silicon-based photonic devices.In this paper, a review of some of the most significant accomplishments in the field of stimulated Raman scattering in microstructures is reported. These findings indicate promising perspectives for integrated Raman lasers.


. We prove that the Covering Property Axiom CPA prism , which holds in the iterated perfect set model, implies the following facts. (cid:15) If G is an intersection of ! 1 -many open sets of a Polish space and G has cardinality continuum, then G contains a perfect set. (cid:15) There exists a subset G of the Cantor set which is an intersection of ! 1 -many open sets but is not a union of ! 1 -many closed sets. The example from the second fact refutes a conjecture of Brendle, Larson, and Todorcevic.


Moniliophthora roreri, the cause of moniliasis or frosty pod rot, occurs on the neotropical rainforest genera Theobroma and Herrania. While this basidiomycete has had devastating effects on the cacao tree (T. cacao) in tropical America, where it is confined, little is known of its biogeography and intraspecific genetic variability. Here, AFLP and ISSR profiles of 94 isolates of M. roreri from across its geographic range in Central/South America were analyzed. The study provided limited evidence to support the hypothesis that M. roreri is capable of sexual reproduction. The highest levels of genetic diversity occurred in Colombia and not in Ecuador as originally believed. The fungus was broadly divided into five genetic groups. Two of these have a wide geographic range: Bolivar group (north of Santander in Colombia, eastern Venezuela, peripheral Ecuador, Peru), and Co-West group (western Colombia, central Ecuador, Central America). The other groups are all apparently endemic to Colombia (Co-East and Co-Central groups) or north-western Ecuador (Gileri group). We speculate that central/north-eastern Colombia may represent the centre of origin for M. roreri. Sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear rDNA repeat were congruent with the AFLP/ISSR results, dividing M. roreri into two broad groups: the Orientalis group, comprising most isolates from the Co-East, Co-Central and Bolivar groups, and the Occidentalis group, comprising isolates from the Co-West and Gileri groups. The spread of M. roreri into new areas and countries mediated by human activity is discussed.


The economic theory of marriage suggests that more generous welfare benefits should serve to reduce the probability of marriage among mothers who have given birth out of wedlock. This relationship is explored using data on never-married mothers in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Only very limited evidence indicates that higher welfare payments lower the probability of marriage for nonblack never-married mothers. For black never-married mothers, the results suggest that higher benefits are associated with higher marriage rates.


Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are nowadays one of the hottest topics in coding theory, notably due to their advantages in terms of bit error rate performance and low complexity. In order to exploit the potential of the Wyner-Ziv coding paradigm, practical distributed video coding (DVC) schemes should use powerful error correcting codes with near-capacity performance. In this paper, new ways to design LDPC codes for the DVC paradigm are proposed and studied. The new LDPC solutions rely on merging parity-check nodes, which corresponds to reduce the number of rows in the parity-check matrix. This allows to change gracefully the compression ratio of the source (DCT coefficient bitplane) according to the correlation between the original and the side information. The proposed LDPC codes reach a good performance for a wide range of source correlations and achieve a better RD performance when compared to the popular turbo codes. Author Keywords: Wyner-Ziv video coding; LDPC code


In this paper we propose a new approach of signal conditioning circuits. The circuit is able to handle both electrochemical and bioluminescent sensors, mainly electrochemical sensors. The integrated circuit will convert electrical signal into impulses, making the frequency the carrier of the information. In this way we avoid amplifying stages, reducing circuit complexity and area on chip. The biggest obstacles that we manage to overcome ware the major difference between the currents provided by the sensors and the sense of the currents. We still need to build an interface capable to work not only with one sensor but with 6×6 or 8×8 sensors.


Abstract This article discusses the concept of relative potency of herbicides in bioassays where individual dose–response curves can be similar or nonsimilar, often denoted parallel and nonparallel curves, and have different upper and lower limits. The relative potency is constant for similar dose–response curves and measures the relative horizontal displacement of curves of a similar shape along the dose axis on a logarithmic scale. The concept of similar dose–response curves has been used extensively to assess results from herbicide experiments, for example, with the purpose of adjusting herbicide doses to environmental conditions, formulations, and adjuvants. However, deeming dose–response curves similar when they are not may greatly affect the calculation of the relative potency at response levels such as effective dosage (ED)90, which is relevant for effective weed control, or ED10, which is used in crop tolerance studies. We present a method for calculating relative potencies between nonsimilar dose–response curves at any response level. It also is demonstrated that if the upper, lower, or both limits among response curves are substantially different, then the ED50 or any other ED level cannot be used indiscriminately to compute the relative potency. Rather, the relative potency should be viewed as a function of the response level.


Over the past several decades, psychopharmacological treatments in psychiatry have been subjected to intensive methodological scrutiny in the continual assessment of their efficacy and safety. Although one of the most dramatic and controversial therapeutic approaches in psychiatry, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has not received the same concentrated, systematic attention. Through a comprehensive literature search, the present authors have attempted to provide answers relating to the efficacy and the safety of conventional ECT and some of its more prominent variations. Although specific discernible trends are reported in the text, results of the survey are too disparate for a simplistic summary statement to be made regarding efficacy in all diagnostic categories. As with most somatic treatments in psychiatry, bilateral ECT does present some apparent risk, reduced but not entirely eliminated by precautionary techniques, which must be weighed against the possible benefits to be derived in a given case. Other variations of ECT offer promise of fewer side effects but must be thoroughly evaluated as to effectiveness before they can be accepted as standard clinical practice.


Natural rubber is a renewable resource material with outstanding properties which offers significant advantages over its counterparts, the fossil-resource synthetic rubbers. In fact, a natural rubber tree is an efficient carbon dioxide sequester. Since natural rubber is a natural product, it is subject to seasonal variations. The reinforcement of silica in natural rubber for low rolling resistance truck tires is still a challenge. Hence, this thesis aims to understand the silica reinforcing mechanism in natural rubber compounds. In silica technology, the four essential elements which are: elastomer, silica, coupling agent and mixing conditions, need to be properly optimized to achieve a positive compromise between the tire properties. The controlled nano-scale coupling between rubber molecules and the silica surface via a silane coupling agent, is critical not to be disturbed by other surface-active agents. This work focuses on the role of non-rubber constituents, particularly proteins contained in the natural rubber, on silica-silica and silica-silane interactions. Many areas were investigated such as mixing temperature, morphology and dispersion of silica in the NR-silica system, as well as blending natural rubber with synthetic polybutadiene and polyisoprene to enhance silica and natural rubber interactions. The combination of silica technology with natural rubber will produce more environmentally-friendly tires and increase the usage of natural rubber as an eco-friendly elastomer.


Introduction: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technique that has been successfully employed in rehabilitation treatment to mitigate problems after spinal cord injury (SCI). One of the most relevant modules in a typical FES system is the power or output amplifier stage, which is responsible for the application of voltage or current pulses of proper intensity to the biological tissue, applied noninvasively via electrodes, placed on the skin surface or inside the muscular tissue, closer to the nervous fibers. The goals of this paper are to describe and discuss about the main power output designs usually employed in transcutaneous functional electrical stimulators as well as safety precautions taken to protect patients. Methods: A systematic review investigated the circuits of papers published in IEEE Xplore and ScienceDirect databases from 2000 to 2016. The query terms were "((FES or Functional electric stimulator) and (circuit or design))" with 274 papers retrieved from IEEE Xplore and 29 from ScienceDirect. After the application of exclusion criteria the amount of papers decreased to 9 and 2 from IEEE Xplore and ScienceDirect, respectively. One paper was inserted in the results as a technological contribution to the field. Therefore, 12 papers presented power stage circuits suitable to stimulate great muscles. Discussion: The retrieved results presented relevant circuits with different electronic strategies and circuit components. Some of them considered patient safety strategies or aimed to preserve muscle homeostasis such as biphasic current application, which prevents charge accumulation in stimulated tissues as well as circuits that dealt with electrical impedance variation to keep the electrode-tissue interface within an electrochemical safe regime. The investigation revealed a predominance of design strategies using operational amplifiers in power circuits, current outputs, and safety methods to reduce risks of electrical hazards and discomfort to the individual submitted to FES application.


A significant part of the transportation of commercial goods is done by road vehicles. Authorities need to conduct inspections on these vehicles to ensure compliance with laws, for example, to verify food safety and correct animal transportation. Most road transportation companies already collect detailed location and vehicle data of their fleet and are able to access it in near real-time. However, authorities do not have access to this data. Inspectors still use road-side stop operations to select vehicles. When a vehicle is inspected, the relevant information is retrieved from paper documents and is not automatically linked to existing information. In this paper we present the security design and assessment of STOP, a system to improve the inspection of transportation vehicles using mobile devices and location proofs. A system prototype was implemented and evaluated with promising results for better vehicle inspections. The vehicle on-board mobile device reports its GPS location to authorities and, when ordered to stop, interacts with an inspector device to create evidence that the vehicle has been inspected. Additionally, inspectors are able to cross-check information regarding the vehicle and what it is carrying with their authority servers.


BackgroundA rapid transcriptional response under an acute stimulus is common in all cellular systems and is an adaptation that allows tolerance to environmental changes. A gene group that has been studied because of its fast response and cytoprotective effects are the hsp genes (encodingHeat Shock Proteins(HSPs), conserved chaperones).. Under normal conditions, the mRNA and protein levels of the main hsp genes are low but they increase rapidly upon heat shock (HS). This is achieved due to the presence of an RNA Polymerase II pausing complex located +30-50 bp from TSS. This complex maintains a partially synthesized RNA strand of said length, poised to resume synthesis, and undergoes subsequent transcriptional inactivation to restore transcript levels after environmental stabilization.MethodsThe Gal4/UAS system was used to modify dAxud1 expression in a tissue specific manner. A DAxud1-GFP fusion was expressed in salivary glands to perform polytene chromosome immunofluorescence and chromatin immunoprecipitation. DAxud1 genome occupancy data was achieved expressing Dam-DAxud1 in imaginal wing discs using Gal4/UAS (TaDa-seq).ResultsUsing TaDa-seq, we demonstrate that DAxud1 protein is present mainly near the TSS of significant occupied genes, most frequently in the first intron. This results also revealed DAxud1 is present in hsp genes, mainly in promoter zone. Following these results, we found that, under dAxud knockdown, larvae and adults flies have a diminished thermotolerance, despite showing an increase in hsp transcripts in larval tissues. We performed polytene chromosome immunofluorescence for DAxud1-GFP, revealing extensive, but dynamic localization on chromatin in hsp70 loci. This was confirmed with chromatin immunoprecipitation. We also found that DAxud1 overexpression leads to an enrichment of RNA Polymerase II at the 5' end of the hsp70 gene, with a decrease in its transcripts. Importantly, we show interaction of DAxud1 with NELF-B, a component of the transcriptional pausing complex, and knockdown of both genes individually has similar effects on hsp70 transcription.ConclusionDAxud1 protein is a component of chromatin, that relocates under stress conditions such as heat shock, playing a role in maintaining RNA Polymerase II stalled at the 5' of hsp70, possibly through a pausing mechanism based on its interaction with NELF-B.


Stress can affect several behavioural patterns, such as food intake and the general activity level of an animal. The central monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are important in the mediation of both behavioural and neuroendocrine stress effects. This thesis describes studies of two salmonid fish model systems: Fish that become socially dominant or subordinate when reared in pairs, and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) genetically selected for high (HR) and low (LR) stress responsiveness, in terms of stress induced cortisol release. Socially subordinate individuals are often subject to chronic stress, and it was found that plasma cortisol and brain monoaminergic activity rapidly increased in subordinate fish during the initial 24 h period following fights for social dominance in pairs of rainbow trout. In pairs of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), subordinate individuals were characterised by an inhibition of food intake and aggression, and low spontaneous locomotion. Appetite inhibition in subordinate fish was reversed by subsequent rearing in isolation, and this effect was probably related to a concomitant decrease in brain serotonergic activity. Furthermore, differential stress responsiveness in HR and LR rainbow trout was associated with differences in behaviour, as well as changes in brain monoaminergic activity. HR fish displayed higher locomotor activity when challenged by a conspecific intruder. This response was probably related to a larger stress induced activation of brain dopaminergic systems in these fish. Finally it was shown that the steroid 'stress-hormone' cortisol has dose- and context-dependent behavioural effects in fish, as has been described in mammals. Specifically, short- term cortisol treatment elevated the behavioural response to a territorial intruder, while long-term treatment, like chronic stress, had the opposite effect, inhibiting locomotor activity and aggression. It is concluded that the signalling systems involved in behavioural and neuroendocrine control during stress display extensive similarities between teleost fishes and mammals.


We proposed and experimentally investigated a two-ring-resonator composed planar hybrid metamaterial (MM), in which the spectra of guided mode resonance (GMR) and Fano resonance or EIT-like response induced by coherent interaction between MM resonance and GMR can be easily controlled by the size of the two rings in the terahertz regime. Furthermore, a four-ring-resonator composed MM for polarization-insensitive GMRs was demonstrated, where GMRs of both TE and TM modes are physically attributed to the diffraction coupling by two ±45° tilting gratings. Such kind of device has great potential in ultra-sensitive label-free sensors, filters, or slow light based devices.


The current study compared the differential effects of choice and no-choice reinforcement conditions on skill acquisition. In addition, we assessed preference for choice-making opportunities with 3 children with autism, using a modified concurrent-chains procedure. We replicated the experiment with 2 participants. The results indicated that choice-making opportunities increased treatment efficacy for 2 of the 3 participants, and all 3 participants demonstrated a preference for choice-making opportunities.


Objective Mental Health Acts (MHAs) are important pieces of legislation which include essential definitions of mental illness and mental disorder and are used to guide decision-making regarding treatment, including involuntary admissions. In Australia, responsibility for reviewing this legislation falls under the jurisdiction of State and Territory Governments, resulting in interstate variations of legislative definitions and care requirements. In this paper, we outline some of the main differences between MHAs, and argue that it is time for Australia to enact nationally consistent Mental Health Legislation. Conclusions Substantial divergence exists between definitions of mental illness and mental disorder, differing criteria for involuntary treatment and discrepancies between treatment requirements for Indigenous Australians. While variations between MHAs are understandable considering the historical context, in an increasingly integrated society, it is time for Australia to enact nationally consistent mental health legislation.


This paper describes a method for generative player modeling and its application to the automatic testing of game content using archetypal player models called procedural personas. Theoretically grounded in psychological decision theory, procedural personas are implemented using a variation of Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) where the node selection criteria are developed using evolutionary computation, replacing the standard UCB1 criterion of MCTS. Using these personas, we demonstrate how generative player models can be applied to a varied corpus of game levels and demonstrate how different playstyles can be enacted in each level. In short, we use artificially intelligent personas to construct synthetic playtesters. The proposed approach could be used as a tool for automatic play testing when human feedback is not readily available or when quick visualization of potential interactions is necessary. Possible applications include interactive tools during game development or procedural content generation systems where many evaluations must be conducted within a short time span.


Cloud robotics in smart cities is an emerging paradigm that enables autonomous robotic agents to communicate and collaborate with a cloud computing infrastructure. It complements the Internet of Things (IoT) by creating an expanded network where robots offload data-intensive computation to the ubiquitous cloud to ensure quality of service (QoS). However, offloading for robots is significantly complex due to their unique characteristics of mobility, skill-learning, data collection, and decision-making capabilities. In this paper, a generic cloud robotics framework is proposed to realize smart city vision while taking into consideration its various complexities. Specifically, we present an integrated framework for a crowd control system where cloud-enhanced robots are deployed to perform necessary tasks. The task offloading is formulated as a constrained optimization problem capable of handling any task flow that can be characterized by a Direct Acyclic Graph (DAG). We consider two scenarios of minimizing energy and time, respectively, and develop a genetic algorithm (GA)-based approach to identify the optimal task offloading decisions. The performance comparison with two benchmarks shows that our GA scheme achieves desired energy and time performance. We also show the adaptability of our algorithm by varying the values for bandwidth and movement. The results suggest their impact on offloading. Finally, we present a multi-task flow optimal path sequence problem that highlights how the robot can plan its task completion via movements that expend the minimum energy. This integrates path planning with offloading for robotics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to evaluate cloud-based task offloading for a smart city crowd control system.


Combinations: CCI provides guidance on treatment of non-compete clause/ obligations in commercial agreements* Facts of the Case Recently, CCI has approved a proposed sale by Orchid Chemicals…


Reduction of physiologic replication-independent endogenous DNA double strand breaks (Phy-RIND-EDSBs) in chronological aging yeast increases pathologic RIND-EDSBs (Path-RIND-EDSBs). Path-RIND-EDSBs can occur spontaneously in non-dividing cells without any inductive agents, and they must be repaired immediately otherwise their accumulation can lead to senescence. If yeasts have DSB repair defect, retention of Path-RIND-EDSBs can be found. Previously, we found that Path-RIND-EDSBs are not only produced but also retained in chronological aging yeast. Here, we evaluated if chronological aging yeasts have a DSB repair defect. We found a significant accumulation of Path-RIND-EDSBs around the same level in aging cells and caffeine treated cells and at a much higher level in the DSB repair mutant cells. Especially in the mutant, some unknown sequence was found inserted at the breaks. In addition, % difference of cell viability between HO induced and non-induced cells was significantly greater in aging cells. Our results suggested that RIND-EDSBs repair efficiency declines, but is not absent, in chronological aging yeast which might promote senescence phenotype. When a repair protein is deficient, an alternative pathway might be employed or an end modification process might occur as inserted sequences at the breaks were observed. Restoring repair defects might slow down the deterioration of cells from chronological aging.


BACKGROUND
Intrauterine meconium passage in near term or term fetuses has been associated with feto-maternal stress factors and/or infection and is contributing to the increased rate of cesarean section. This study aimed to evaluate effect of mode of delivery on fetal outcome in pregnancy with meconium-stained liquor.

METHODS
A cross sectional study was done in 2019 at a tertiary care center. Data was collected from women in labor, in whom meconium was seen after rupture of membrane. Out of these, 115 cases, who underwent cesarean delivery for meconium-stained liquor were enrolled in one group; while in another group 115 cases who delivered vaginally were enrolled and the fetal outcome was compared in between these two groups.

RESULTS
Out of 230 cases, most participants were from 21 to 25 years age group. Most of patients were primigravida accounting for 63%, and with mean gestational age of 39.4 weeks. Low Apgar score at one and 5 minutes, percentage of respiratory distress, perinatal asphyxia, need of bag and mask ventilation as mode of resuscitation were associated more with vaginal deliveries. Incidence of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission, meconium aspiration syndrome, and neonatal death were seen more in vaginal delivery in comparison to cesarean delivery.

CONCLUSIONS
There was no much difference in Apgar score at 5 minutes in either mode of delivery. Incidence of respiratory distress, perinatal asphyxia, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission, meconium aspiration syndrome and neonatal death were higher in vaginal delivery. Fetal morbidity and mortality were seen more in moderate to thick meconium-stained liquor.


This paper is a methodological reflection on an ongoing covert ethnography I have been undertaking in a luxury brothel in Madrid, Spain. By accident, this study became a research project when I was employed by the manager to review porn forums offering feedback on the women that worked there and taught English to him. For 18 months now, I have worked in the brothel a couple of nights a week doing these duties and have come to know the manager's closest friends and family, the women who work there and the security staff. The context for the work is the expansion of the sex industry in an era of consumer society and self-gratification coupled with austerity politics which has disproportionately affected the opportunities for women in the formal labour market thus catapulting many into precarious situations in which selling sex becomes an option. This has crudely mixed with cultural change in Spain in the wake of increased neoliberal economics which have hollowed out notions of family, tradition and intimacy.


We report a transistor of randomly networked single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) grown on glass by using water plasma CVD. The density of the nanotube on pre-patterned region was more than 50/ mum2 which is much larger than the percolation threshold. The nanotube network transistors were fabricated with Al2O3 for the gate oxide and a conducting and transparent ZnO for the back-gate. These nanotube active devices may be fitted to thin film transistor applications for future opto-electronics.


The authors present the realisation and characterisation of an additively manufactured (AM) microwave resonator cavity for double-resonance (DR) vapour-cell atomic clocks. The design of the compact microwave cavity is based on the loop-gap resonator approach, previously demonstrated for conventionally-machined aluminium components. In the present study, the resonator is fabricated by AM using a metal-coated polymer. A resonance frequency at the desired 6.835 GHz rubidium atomic frequency is obtained. When employed in an atomic clock setup, the AM cavity enables a DR signal of <500 Hz linewidth and of nearly 20% contrast, thus fulfilling the stringent requirements for DR atomic clocks. A clock short-term stability of 1 × 10−12 τ −1/2 is demonstrated, comparable to state-of-the-art clock performances.


Greening flood protection (GFP) is increasingly recognized as an adaptive and flexible approach to water management that is well suited to addressing uncertain futures associated with climate change. In the last decade, GFP knowledge and policies have developed rapidly, but implementation has been less successful and has run into numerous barriers. In this paper, we address the challenge of realizing green flood protection goals by specifically considering knowledge in the decision-making of a Dutch flood protection project in Lake Markermeer. In this project, an ecological knowledge arrangement and a traditional flood protection knowledge arrangement are compared and their interactions analysed. The analysis provides insight into the specific difficulties of implementing GFP measures and identifies ways to realize GFP goals. The primary challenge is twofold: First, a self-reinforcing cycle of knowledge production and decision-making in the flood protection domain inhibits the introduction of innovative and multifunctional approaches such as GFP; second, the distribution of power is severely unbalanced in terms of ecological enhancement and flood protection, favouring the latter. Implementation of GFP requires structural change and the integration of ecological and flood protection knowledge and policy. Potentially rewarding routes towards this integration are the exploration of shared interests in GFP and the creation of mutual dependency between knowledge arrangements. The case study and the insights it provides show that GFP is far from mainstream practice and that implementation requires serious effort and courage to break with historical practices.


Introduction: The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder with a strong neurobiological influence, most common in childhood and characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and / or hyperactivity and impulsivity. The neurobiological origins of ADHD are not fully understood due to presenting an intense complexity of inhibitory and excitatory neurochemical processes. Literature review : The formation of the focus of attention is controlled by thalamocortical circuit. The thalamus selects the external stimuli and then are processed and passes to the cortex where are processed again. The nervous system affects this circuit by via mesothalamic through dopaminergic neurons toward the thalamic reticular nucleus. Dopamine inhibits the thalamic reticular nucleus by modulating inhibitory GABAergic. Thus dopaminergic changes affect the degree of focusing attention held by thalamocortical circuit, which undertakes the processing of attention. It may occur, therefore, the hyper focus in which attention deficit due to the difficulty of moving the focus of attention for several environmental stimuli, or defocus, which is generated by inattention excessive displacement of the focus of attention, not settling in any stimulus. Conclusion: The most appropriate treatment for ADHD is a combination therapy with the use of computer programs, since the medication will affect the internal focus, while the computer affect the external. Virtual environments stimulate the interest of the patient, creating a favorable environment for the training of the use of focus. While drug therapy acts on the dopaminergic pathway, controlling the release of this neurotransmitter. Thus, there is a degree of focus adjustment performed by the thalamocortical circuit.


Acoustic Correlates of Aging and Familial Relationship Samantha Michelle Taylor Department of Communication Disorders, BYU Master of Science The purpose of this study was to examine the potential differences in selected acoustic measures of speech as a function of age, across sexes, and between families. The data used in this study were previously collected for a larger project on voice production at the University of Utah. Participants included 169 individuals, 79 men and 90 women, from 18 Utah families, ranging in age from 17 to 87 years. All participants had no history of articulation disorders, stroke or active neurologic disease, or severe-profound hearing loss. Participants were recorded reading two passages aloud in a sound booth. These two passages were selected as connected speech tasks from which to extract the following acoustic metrics: fricative spectral measures (center of gravity, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis), mean fundamental frequency (F0), semitone standard deviation (STSD), speaking time ratio, and cepstral peak prominence smoothed (CPPS). Results indicated significant aging effects on spectral center of gravity and skewness, mean F0, and STSD. There was a significant sex effect for spectral center of gravity and kurtosis, mean F0, speaking time ratio, and CPPS. Familial relationship had a significant effect for spectral skewness, STSD, and CPPS. Findings from the current study indicate that certain speech and voicing features point to a decline with age and that aging affects the speech of men and women differently. Additionally, these data suggest that related speakers may demonstrate similar patterns for prosody, voicing, and articulation behavior, although the statistical testing did not allow us to draw specific inferences about such similarities. These findings describe some normal variations in the speech production of persons of differing age, sex, and familial background. An understanding of these normal speech differences in healthy individuals is valuable for differentiating between typical and pathological speech patterns in a clinical setting.