Elemental fluorine, F2, is used in the nuclear fuel cycle for the isotopic separation of uranium-235 and 238, as well as for the purification of LiF-BeF2 in molten salt reactors. F2 is generated on an industrial scale by an electrochemical process using carbon electrodes in a KF-2HF molten salt. Carbon electrodes are used for industrial F2 generation due to its chemical stability, high conductivity, and relatively low cost. One of the main issues faced when using carbon electrodes in this chemical system is passivation through the formation of C-F compounds on the surface of the electrode. This results in a loss of anode wettability to the electrolyte and diminished charge transfer rate. The voltage needed for the fluorine evolution reaction increases which negatively impacts the safety of the system, increases the operating costs, and leads to faster degradation of the electrode.The degradation of electrical properties during passivation is progressive, eventually leading to electrode deactivation. The process of deactivation begins with a passivating C-F layer at potentials above the equilibrium potential (2.92 V). The layer is both non-wetting to the KF-2HF media and insulating. Deactivation begins with inhibited F2 bubble detachment, formation of a persistent gas layer, and finally deactivation as the electrode surface is completely covered by a thick, insulating C-F layer causing charge transfer to cease. Only a small current is able to flow, even at high potentials (up to 9 V), indicating F2 generation is completely inhibited. The purpose of this study is to manufacture and test model carbon electrodes and, to examine the non-wetting properties of a partially fluorinated surface. The electrodes will be prepared by mixing PTFE-particles with Vulcan carbon powder and then pressing to form pellets. These electrodes should have a reproducible surface for electrochemical performance studies that will lead to a better understanding of the surface chemistry. The research will develop novel electrodes with a goal to minimize the voltage required for F2 production. This will enhance the efficiency in the overall process and lower the manufacturing costs for F2.Carbon electrodes with different PTFE-content (20 w.% and 35 w.%) were synthesized. Electrochemical fluorination was then carried out at different potentials in the F2 generation region (4 to 8 V) in molten KF·2HF electrolyte at ∼90 °C. The electrochemical behaviour of the carbon-PTFE electrodes was examined and compared for both fluorine passivated and non-passivated graphite, amorphous carbon, and vitreous carbon electrodes. The growth of the electrical double-layer capacitance between the carbon electrodes and the KF·2HF molten salt was studied. The effects of composition of fluorinated and non-fluorinated carbon on electrode performance are presented.© 2013 ASME


Pseudomonas aeruginosa makes and secretes massive amounts of rhamnolipid surfactants that enable swarming motility over biogel surfaces. But how this rhamnolipids interact with biogels to assist swarming remains unclear. Here I use a combination of optical techniques across scales and genetically-engineered strains to demonstrate that rhamnolipids can induce agar gel swelling over distances > 10,000x the body size of an individual cell. The swelling front is on the micrometric scale, and is easily visible using shadowgraphy. Rhamnolipid transport is not restricted to the surface of the gel, but occurs through the whole thickness of the plate and, consequently, the spreading dynamics depends on the local thickness. Surprisingly, rhamnolipids can cross the whole gel and induce swelling on the opposite side of a two-face Petri dish. The swelling front delimits an area where the mechanical properties of the surface properties are modified: water wets the surface more easily, which increases the motility of individual bacteria and enables collective motility. A genetically-engineered mutant unable to secrete rhamnolipids (DrhlA), and therefore unable to swarm, is rescued from afar with rhamnolipids produced by a remote colony. These results exemplify the remarkable capacity of bacteria to change the physical environment around them and its ecological consequences. Significance statement Living organisms have the ability to interact mechanically with their environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a motile bacterium, can spread collectively on biogels, a behavior called swarming. Rhamnolipids, surfactant molecules P. aeruginosa make and secrete, are required for swarming. Here, I demonstrate rhamnolipids not only physically alter the biogel in the vicinity of the secreting cells, but also over distances much greater than the bacterial cell size, through gel swelling. This long-distance physical alteration can even rescue a remote colony which would not produce rhamnolipids. This work illustrates the remarkable ability of bacteria to change the mechanical property of the world surrounding them.


Based on a contingent valuation study in Shanghai the authors assess people's willingness to contribute personally to the alleviation of environmental problems occurring in distant parts of the country. One split of survey assessed Shanghai residents' willingness to pay for the preservation of rainforest in Yunnan, while the other split referred to the willingness to pay for the preservation of a single plant species (i.e. eaglewood) growing in this rainforest. The objectives of this study were twofold. Firstly, the authors wanted to find out if people living in big Chinese cities like Shanghai take an interest in the environmental problems existing in some remote parts of the country and if they are willing to contribute personally to remedy these problems. Secondly, the authors wanted to learn more about the motivation behind this kind of empathy, if it exists. The researchers were especially interested in the question if this empathy refers to the specific environmental problems addressed in the surveys or if it is motivated more by a general feeling of obligation towards environmental issues.


We describe the extraction of an impacted tooth from a bronchiole of a ventilated, critically ill patient. Following failed attempts using flexible and rigid bronchoscopy a radiological approach was explored. The successful method described below used guiding catheters, an extraction basket and an occlusion balloon, deployed under fluoroscopic guidance.


Monochromatic plane‐wave illumination of a randomly stratified, laterally homogeneous sediment layer is considered. The deposition process creating the stochastic layering is assumed to be a continuous parameter, finite state Markov chain. A Riccati equation for the plane‐wave reflection coefficient is formulated and first‐order partial differential equations for relevant probability density functions are subsequently obtained. These equations are solved numerically for a two‐material turbidite model similar to the one considered by Gilbert [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 68, 1454–1458 (1980)]. Statistical moments of the reflection coefficient are computed at 25 and 250 Hz as a function of overall sediment thickness. These equations are also used to derive the nonrandom or ''smooth'' geoacoustic model that is appropriate in the low‐frequency limit.


BACKGROUND
Relationships between child quality of life (QOL), maternal well-being and parenting were explored in a questionnaire study.

METHOD
Mothers of 126 full-term (FT) and 91 pre-term (PT) infants during the child's second year of life completed measures of their own and the child's quality of life and behavioural difficulties. We developed a measure of parenting style derived from Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), to distinguish greater reported use of promotion as opposed to prevention strategies (emphasising gains rather than losses, and encouraging pursuit of goals rather than prevention of harm).

RESULTS
The two groups of mothers showed no differences on the parenting measure, but those in the PT compared with the FT group described their infant as having lower QOL and more behavioural and mood problems, and rated their own well-being as less satisfactory. Greater use of promotion was associated with reports of fewer difficulties (better QOL) for the child and better mothers' well-being. Differences in mothers' well-being as a function of group (FT vs. PT) and promotion were strongly mediated by mothers' perceptions of their child's difficulties. At the same time, associations with child difficulties were partly mediated by mothers' well-being, suggesting that maternal distress may have partly contributed to higher perceptions of such difficulties. Among PT infants, the degree of prematurity predicted child difficulties, but was not consistently related to mothers' well-being.

DISCUSSION
Mothers of PT infants report more physical health and behavioural difficulties than mothers of FT infants, but specific parenting styles can contribute to child difficulties and QOL in both infants and their mothers.

CONCLUSION
We conclude that RFT has potential for understanding the conflicts experienced by parents caring for vulnerable children.


The phenomenon of child labor which denies children in their rights comparatively to possible outcomes and which seats them over inexpressible torments need to stop current in as irritable a period as suitable. Meanwhile, actions are being ended toward this path and administration has taken various errands to battle and expel little child labor from the general public. The task of halting and disposing of child labor needs certain separation additional devotion than most extraordinary formative games and demands for purposeful and orchestrated endeavors from every single public accomplice. The present study was noble as the child labor risk in Quetta. It is basic to commit a sign of the study area jointly through its demographic data and general data of the shared characteristics. Present contemplate was accepted in Quetta. The sample size was one hundred family units which were selected through sample random sampling technique. Children rouse the change way thusly it should be propelled with the goal that their folks could be followed and restrained precisely. With this, the general public can dishearten road peddling by methods for children. Besides, government ought to edify the general population at the appalling impacts of street selling by children. The edification must be intended for demoralizing individuals from looking for from adolescent


Facial dimensions and the circumference of the head can be used in evaluating age, sex, and racial differences within a population. This study determined the mean head circumference and facial dimensions of 1120 children and adolescents of purely Ijaw origin. Male and female subjects with no anomalies in their facial features and head circumference were randomly selected from schools in Portharcort of Rivers State and Yenegoa of Bayelsa State in Nigeria; ages ranged from 3 to 18 years (560 males and 560 females). Nasal height, maxillary height, mandibular height, orofacial height, fa-cial height and head circumference were measured with a sliding caliper and measuring tape. Ijaw male subjects pre-sented with a mean facial height of 10.34 ± 2.3 cm, a nasal height of 3.99 ± 1.33 cm, a maxillary height of 2.14 ± 1.09 cm, a mandibular height of 4.21 ± 1.45 cm, an orofacial height of 6.36 ± 1.85 cm, and a head circumference of 53.6 ± 2.48 cm. In Ijaw female subjects the mean values for facial, nasal, maxillary, mandibular and orofacil heights were 9.90 ± 1.29 cm, 3.88 ± 0.55 cm, 1.97 ± 0.29 cm, 4.00 ± 0.56 cm, 5.97 ± 0.75 cm, respectively; the mean value for head circum-ference was 53.0 ± 03.22 cm. Statistical analysis (using the z score) demonstrated that males had significantly higher val-ues than females for all parameters ( P < 0.05), indicating a sexual dimorphism. The data presented in this study could be potentially useful in forensic medicine, craniofacial surgery, and anthropology.


We show here that a purely kinetic approach to the excitation of waves by cosmic rays in the vicinity of a shock front leads to predict the appearance of a non-alfvenic fastly growing mode which is the same that was found by Bell (2004) by treating the plasma in the MHD approximation. The kinetic approach we present is more powerful in that it allows us to investigate different models for the compensation of the cosmic ray current in the background upstream plasma.


Auditory evoked potential (AEP) data are commonly obtained in air while sea lions are under gas anesthesia; a procedure that precludes the measurement of underwater hearing sensitivity. This is a substantial limitation considering the importance of underwater hearing data in designing criteria aimed at mitigating the effects of anthropogenic noise exposure. To determine if some aspects of underwater hearing sensitivity can be predicted using rapid aerial AEP methods, this study measured underwater psychophysical thresholds for a young male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) for which previously published aerial AEP thresholds exist. Underwater thresholds were measured in an aboveground pool at frequencies between 1 and 38 kHz. The underwater audiogram was very similar to those previously published for California sea lions, suggesting that the current and previously obtained psychophysical data are representative for this species. The psychophysical and previously measured AEP audiograms were most similar in terms of high-frequency hearing limit (HFHL), although the underwater HFHL was sharper and occurred at a higher frequency. Aerial AEP methods are useful for predicting reductions in the HFHL that are potentially independent of the testing medium, such as those due to age-related sensorineural hearing loss.


Recurrent neural networks empirically generate natural language with high syntactic fidelity. However, their success is not well-understood theoretically. We provide theoretical insight into this success, proving in a finite-precision setting that RNNs can efficiently generate bounded hierarchical languages that reflect the scaffolding of natural language syntax. We introduce Dyck-($k$,$m$), the language of well-nested brackets (of $k$ types) and $m$-bounded nesting depth, reflecting the bounded memory needs and long-distance dependencies of natural language syntax. The best known results use $O(k^{\frac{m}{2}})$ memory (hidden units) to generate these languages. We prove that an RNN with $O(m \log k)$ hidden units suffices, an exponential reduction in memory, by an explicit construction. Finally, we show that no algorithm, even with unbounded computation, can suffice with $o(m \log k)$ hidden units.


The nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is the most important host plant for the phytoplasma associated with the Bois noir (BN) disease of the grapevine and for its vector, Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret. A higher abundance of the vector inside the vineyards is favoured by the nettle growing in edge rows and surrounding ditches. Foliar applications of insecticides appeared not an effective measure for vector and disease control, whereas nettle control could be useful to reduce BN incidence in vineyards. In particular the efficacy of nettle control by selective herbicide applications in early autumn and early
spring was demonstrated. Many authors have suggested that the nettle control applied during H. obsoletus flight could have negative effects, because the vector adults could be forced to migrate onto grapevines. The aim of this research was to evaluate if nettle cutting during the adult flight favours the colonisation of the vineyards by the vector. For this purpose, three different weed managements (no cut, one cut during adult flight, frequent cuts) were applied on the herbaceous
vegetation of a ditch bordering a vineyard. In this ditch, nettle was one of the principal components.
The flight dynamic of H. obsoletus was recorded by yellow sticky traps placed on herbaceous vegetation along the ditch and at different positions inside the vineyard. Results showed that nettle cutting induced a reduction in vector presence in the ditch, but favoured its dispersion inside the vineyard. The implications of these observations on disease control are discussed.


Various scholars defend the idea that leadership is something accomplished between the leader and the led, rather than something that coincides with the role of an individual manager. Even so, we argue that shared leadership implies a relational ontology grasping leadership as an ever-changing series of events that is thoroughly processual in nature. Supplementing existing analyses and expanding the possibilities for relational leadership research, we propose a view from the perspective of process philosophy, in which relations determine individual leaders and followers, and not the reverse. The process perspective invites us to see and to feel leadership subjectively within ourselves, instead of simply looking at it objectively from the outside. Understanding leadership in this way, as an internally related complex occasion of experience, has implications for expanding the possibilities for what is known in management as relational leadership research.


Purpose. The role of macroeconomic variables in shaping the economic status has been debated in the literature. The management of these factors has been epileptic and sometimes contradictory with consequential implications for sustainable economy. This study therefore examined the relative significance of macroeconomic factors (inflation rate, interest rate, exchange rate and unemployment rate) on current national income. In addition, it sought to ascertain the relative importance of prior income (past GDP) on current national income (current GDP) based on data obtained between 1975 and 2015. Methodology. The study deployed pre-estimation descriptive statistics and stationarity tests using the Augmented Dickey Fuller test and Phillip Perron tests. Johansen cointegration test was applied for establishing the long run relationship of the variables. The final phase is the post estimation tests to confirm the robustness of the estimated model. These are the Breusch-Godfrey test to check for any form of auto correlation among the variables, the heteroskedasticity test and the Impulse Response analysis of the dependent variable with respect to shocks in the explanatory variables. Findings. The result findings revealed that inflation contributes negatively to economic growth. Interest rate, exchange rate and unemployment impact economic growth positively. The entire explanatory variables have no short-run effect. The result of the Breusch-Godfrey LM and Breusch-Pagan-Godfrey test indicated the absence of serial correlation and heteroscedasticity respectively. In effect, by itself, macroeconomic stability does not guarantee sustainable high rates of economic growth in the absence of key institutional and structural measures. The study recommended diversification of the economy and the use of inflation targeting which would be commensurate with the level of economic growth should be pursued by policy makers Limitations. This research examined the impact of the various macroeconomic variables on the economy over a period of 41 years. A structural break analysis of the impact before and after major policy shifts like Structural Adjustment Programme (1986), Financial Sector reform (2004), Global Financial Crisis (2007 2008) etc. should be explored by new studies. Originality. This study is an original work. It has not been published in any other journal and is not being considered for publication by another channel


Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum [Willd. ex Spreng.] Schum) is a species of high economic importance in Brazil with great potential at international level due to the multiple uses of both its seeds and pulp in the industry of sweets and cosmetics. For this reason, the cupuassu breeding program focused on the selection of genotypes with high pulp and seed quality—selection associated with the understanding of the mechanisms involved in fruit formation. Gene expression is one of the most used approaches related to such understanding. In this sense, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a powerful tool, since it rapidly and reliably quantifies gene expression levels across different experimental conditions. The analysis by qPCR and the correct interpretation of data depend on signal normalization using reference genes, i.e. genes presenting a uniform pattern of expression in the analyzed samples. Here, we selected and analyzed the expression of five genes from cupuassu (ACP, ACT, GAPDH, MDH, TUB) to be used as candidates for reference genes on pulp and seed of young, maturing and mature cupuassu fruits. The evaluation of the gene expression stability was obtained using the NormFinder, geNorm and BestKeeper programs. In general, our results indicated that the GAPDH and MDH genes constituted the best combination as reference genes to analyze the expression of cupuassu samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report of reference gene definition in cupuassu, and these results will support subsequent analysis related to gene expression studies in cupuassu plants subjected to different biotic or abiotic conditions as well as serve as a tool for diversity analysis based on pulp and seed quality.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship of telomerase genes and the malignant transformation of atypical mammary ductal hyperplasia.

METHODS
Telomerase genes hTR and hTRT in 50 cases of mammary hyperplasia (the cases included 6 benign hyperplasia, 9 mild atypical hyperplasia, 12 medium atypical hyperplasia, 23 severe atypical hyperplasia) and 26 cases of breast carcinoma were detected by in situ hybridization.

RESULTS
The expression of hTR and hTRT mRNA were weak or negative in benign hyperplasia (1/6, 0), weaker in mild-moderate atypical hyperplasia (2/9, 1/9, 4/12, and 3/12), strong in severe atypical hyperplasia (14/23, 60.9% and 12/23, 52.1%), while very strong expression (23/26, 88.5% and 21/25, 80.8%) in carcinoma of the breast. The difference between mild-moderate atypical hyperplasia, invasive ductal carcinoma and severe atypical hyperplasia was significant (P < 0.05) and the difference between severe atypital hyperplasia and intraductal carcinoma was not significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Telmerase genes (hTR, hTRT) expression is closely related to the malignant transformation of atypical hyperplasia. The reactivated telomerase may play a crucial role in the development of breast cancer.


The interactions among humans, their environment, and the trillions of microbes residing within the human intestinal tract form a tripartite relationship that is fundamental to the overall health of the host. Disruptions in the delicate balance between the intestinal microbiota and their host immunity are implicated in various chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is no known cure for IBD, therefore, novel therapeutics targeting prevention and symptoms management are of great interest. Recently, physical activity in healthy mice was shown to be protective against chemically-induced colitis, however the benefits of physical activity during or following disease onset is not known. In this study, we examine whether voluntary wheel running is protective against primary disease symptoms in a mucin 2 deficient (Muc2-/-) life-long model of murine colitis. We show that 6 weeks of wheel running in healthy C57BL/6 mice leads to distinct changes in fecal bacteriome, increased butyrate production, and modulation in colonic gene expression of various cytokines, suggesting an overall primed anti-inflammatory state. However, these physical activity-derived benefits are not present in Muc2-/- mice harboring a dysfunctional mucosal layer from birth, ultimately showing no improvements in clinical signs. We extrapolate from our findings that while physical activity in healthy individuals may be an important preventative measure against IBD, for those with a compromised intestinal mucosa, a commonality in IBD patients, these benefits are lost.


Simplified procedures for determining amino acid sequences in proteins and nucleotide sequences in DNA have rapidly expanded the number of MHC molecules for which primary amino acid structure is known. These molecules will be especially valuable as tools to study the structure-function relationships of globular proteins because of the extensive polymorphism of genes coding the MHC genes products. The general three-dimensional structure of class I MHC molecules was recently deduced, but the more subtle topographical microconformations are still undefined. Definition and topographical mapping of epitopes, defined by serological or cellular immune effector products, will be critical probes for these three-dimensional studies. Comparative studies of amino acid sequences among various MHC and molecules have revealed distinct regions of hypervariability in the alpha-1 and -2 domains of class I heavy chains and the alpha-1 and beta-1 domains of most class II molecules. Mutant MHC molecules that differ from each other by no more than one to three amino acids can have structural changes which may result in a loss of the private epitopes that defined the allelic gene product. On the basis of these studies, the private epitopes are thought to be determined by one or more of the hypervariable regions. Similar studies of the relationships between specific regions of the molecule and public epitopes are not fully explored. Because public epitopes are partially conserved structures, one might expect that their structure is not principally determined by hypervariable region. In fact, however, some public epitopes, such as A2/B17 and BW4/Bw6, do map to diversity regions. Epitope mapping as a means of identifying specific topographic sites and relating these sites to specific functional regions of the molecule will be difficult unless the epitopes themselves are better defined. Thus, the capacity to distinguish spatially distinct public epitopes from cross-reactive homologous private epitopes will be important if epitope-specific immunological probes are use to map specific regions of an MHC molecule. Many investigators are interested in the possibility that some components of HLA alloimmunization are regulated through idiotypic networks. Suciu-Foca and colleagues have provided preliminary evidence that epitope-specific HLA alloantibodies bear dominant idiotypic determinants. Antibodies to these determinants appear during pregnancy, following blood tranfusion, and following renal allograft transplantation, also, the antibodies have been correlated with renal allograft survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Abstract. In this paper, we present a solution-region-based
synthesis approach for selecting optimal four-bar linkages with a
Ball–Burmester point. We discuss both general and special cases of the
Burmester point that coincide with the Ball point at the pole of the
inflection circle. Given the coordinates of one fixed joint, any point on
the target's straight line, and the direction of this straight line, we can
synthesize an infinite number of mechanisms using a coupler curve with
five-point contacts with its tangent by adopting the proposed approach. Each
initial parameter corresponds to three side links that can generate three
four-bar mechanisms. We generate different mechanism property charts by
developing mechanism software that enables users to intuitively identify
relevant linkage information and select the optimal linkage. This novel
approach is a visualized analytical method for synthesizing and selecting
optimal four-bar linkages with one Ball–Burmester point on its coupler
curve.


The parameter estimation problem in neutron diffusion is investigated for a critical reactor. This case is considered as inverse to the classical criticality problem. In this work, a one-dimensional, two-group case is examined in a multiregional core. The flux distributions in a discrete basis, a multiplication factor, region wise fractional powers and group diffusion coefficients of one region are the known data of the inverse problem. It is assumed that no adjoint solution information is available. A non-iterative direct approach is developed to reconstruct nuclear parameters of each region. The numerical results for test cases are given.


In this paper, we study the performance of different classifiers on the CIFAR-10 dataset, and build an ensemble of classifiers to reach a better performance. We show that, on CIFAR-10, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), on some classes, are mutually exclusive, thus yield in higher accuracy when combined. We reduce KNN overfitting using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and ensemble it with a CNN to increase its accuracy. Our approach improves our best CNN model from 93.33% to 94.03%.


OBJECT
The aim of this study was to develop an algorithm for the integration of time-resolved contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography into dosimetry planning for Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in the brain.

METHODS
Twelve patients harboring brain AVMs referred for GKS underwent intraarterial digital subtraction (DS) angiography and time-resolved MR angiography while wearing an externally applied cranial stereotactic frame. Time-resolved MR angiography was performed on a 1.5-tesla MR unit (Achieva, Philips Medical Systems) using contrast-enhanced 3D fast field echo sequencing with stochastic central k-space ordering. Postprocessing with interactive data language (Research Systems, Inc.) produced hybrid data sets containing dynamic angiographic information and the MR markers necessary for stereotactic transformation. Image files were sent to the Leksell GammaPlan system (Elekta) for dosimetry planning.

RESULTS
Stereotactic transformation of the hybrid data sets containing the time-resolved MR angiography information with automatic detection of the MR markers was possible in all 12 cases. The stereotactic coordinates of vascular structures predefined from time-resolved MR angiography matched with DS angiography data in all cases. In 10 patients dosimetry planning could be performed based on time-resolved MR angiography data. In two patients, time-resolved MR angiography data alone were considered insufficient. The target volumes showed a notable shift of centers between modalities.

CONCLUSIONS
Integration of time-resolved MR angiography data into the Leksell GammaPlan system for patients with brain AVMs is feasible. The proposed algorithm seems concise and sufficiently robust for clinical application. The quality of the time-resolved MR angiography sequencing needs further improvement.


The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the effectiveness of wellness counseling on increasing wellness among law enforcement officers. The study also examined whether position in the Transtheoretical Model (J. O. Prochaska & C. C. DiClemente, 1982) and self-efficacy influenced the effectiveness of counseling on wellness. These findings indicate that counseling may increase wellness among law enforcement officers.


Data collections often have inconsistencies that arise due to a variety of reasons, and it is desirable to be able to identify and resolve them efficiently. Set similarity queries are commonly used in data cleaning for matching similar data. In this work we concentrate on set similarity selection queries: Given a query set, retrieve all sets in a collection with similarity greater than some threshold. Various set similarity measures have been proposed in the past for data cleaning purposes. In this work we concentrate on weighted similarity functions like TF/IDF, and introduce variants that are well suited for set similarity selections in a relational database context. These variants have special semantic properties that can be exploited to design very efficient index structures and algorithms for answering queries efficiently. We present modifications of existing technologies to work for set similarity selection queries. We also introduce three novel algorithms based on the Threshold Algorithm, that exploit the semantic properties of the new similarity measures to achieve the best performance in theory and practice.


There is a long history of using videogames in a therapeutic capacity including rehabilitation for stroke patients, people with traumatic brain injuries, burns victims, wheelchair users, Erb's palsy sufferers, children undergoing chemotherapy, children with muscular dystrophy, autistic children and individuals looking to overcome real-life challenges (including symptoms of depression) and boost their wellbeing (including boosting life satisfaction, self-efficacy and social support). This paper briefly and selectively examines a number of areas including: (1) videogames as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, (2) videogames as distractors in the role of pain management, (3) videogames and cognitive rehabilitation, (4) videogames and the development of social and communication skills among the learning disabled, (5) videogames and impulsivity/attention deficit disorders, (6) videogames and therapeutic benefits in the elderly, (7) videogames in psychotherapeutic settings, (8) videogames and health care, (9) videogames and anxiety disorders, and (10) videogames and psychological wellbeing. It is concluded that there has been considerable success when games are specifically designed to address a specific problem or to teach a certain skill. However, generalizability outside the game-playing situation remains an important consideration.


As equipment cost continues to grow in the capital investment of a fab, tool performance optimization has been critical to fab productivity and competitiveness. This paper addresses the optimization of tool operation sequence for efficiency, in specific, the design of a standard modeling process. The process consists of (1) Petri net (PN)-based modular modeling, which exploits an easily accessible freeware, (2) automatic synthesis of modules into a complete tool model and for simulation validation, and (3) conversion of the PN model to a mathematical formulation for optimization. A case study of a PVD cluster tool and its operation sequence control demonstrates that the standard modeling process enables engineers to systematically and quickly construct both simulation and mathematical models for tool sequence optimization and performance evaluation.


Using count data on the number of bank failures in US states during the 1960 to 2006 period, this paper endeavors to establish how far sources of economic risk (recessions, high interest rates, in ation) or differences in solvency and branching regulation can explain some of the fragility in banking. Assuming that variables are predetermined, lagged values provide instruments to absorb potential endogeneity between the number of bank failures and economic and regulatory conditions. Results suggest that bank failures are not merely self-fulfilling prophecies but relate systematically to inflation as well as to policy changes in banking regulation. Furthermore, in terms of statistical and economic significance, the distribution and development of bankruptcies across US states depends crucially on past bank failures suggesting that contagion provides an important channel through which banking crises emerge.


Newly emerging African communities (NEAC) in Australia face challenges in accessing employment, with consequences for both the immigrant and Australian host communities. This article presents a systematic review of literature on challenges to employment for NEAC in Australia. It gathers together, synthesises and analyses previously fragmented evidence that should be used to inform social policy change and social program improvement. It focuses on African refugees and immigrants from the Horn of Africa region (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan) who have settled in Australia in the past ten years. The review documents the challenges to employment for this group and highlights policy and practice implications including: streamlining the qualification recognition process; introducing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) specialised job networks; resisting anti-NEAC sentiments, challenging stereotypes and promoting diversity; introducing incentives to undertake volunteer work; revitalizing existing English as a Second Language (ESL) pedagogy; empowering CALD specialised counselling services; and establishing CALD-specialised research and advocacy entities.


Barrett's syndrome is a rare serious ulcerative inflammation of the middle or distal parts of esophagus, characterized by heterotopic gastric mucosa within the esophagus. In 4 cases, diagnosis of Barrett's syndrome suspected by means of x-ray examination was confirmed endoscopically and by taking biopsies under vision. The etiology of the disease is not clear. Alcoholism is common. In our patients, conservative treatment has been used without a great deal of benefit. Only by resection of the parts of esophagus lined by columnar epithelium a beneficial result can be expected, this surgical procedure certainly being a high risk.


Background and Aim: Hearing is one of the most vital sensational abilities. Learning, which is the most basic ability for human compatibility to mental development, is affected by hearing ability. The main goal of this article was to review the effect of hearing impairment on educational achievement of hearing-impaired students, especially in the field of basic learning skills (reading, writing, and mathematics). Methods: In this article, the researches on the effect of hearing impairment on educational achievement were reviewed. There were 37 articles extracted from different databases such as Iran Medex, Scopus, PubMed, Magiran, Iran Journal, Google Scholar, and 12 credible books published from 1944 to 2013. In order to search in these databases, educational achievement and other related keywords were used. Conclusion: Hearing impairment affects listening skills, which is a mental process and is known as the first lingual skill. Subsequently, other lingual skills and learning abilities like educational achievement are affected as well. In order to decrease the educational gap in hearing-impaired students, it is very important to interfere in early stages and use of presentation methods to improve lingual skills in educational system.


Two new measures of network performance, namely, the incremental distance sequence and the incremental diameter sequence, are introduced for application in network topology design. These sequences can be defined for both vertex deletions and edge deletions. A complete characterization of the vertex-deleted incremental distance sequence is presented. Proof of this characterization is constructive in nature. A condition for the feasibility of an edge-deleted incremental distance sequence and a procedure for realizing such a sequence are given. Interrelationships between the elements of incremental distance sequences and incremental diameter sequences are studied. Using these results, it is shown that a graph that has a specified diameter and a specified maximum increase in diameters for deletions of vertex sets of given cardinalities can be designed. >


Two recent applications for a heavy duty industrial gas turbine engine are discussed. The principal design requirements for both cases are compared and the design changes necessary to meet the requirements are illustrated. In the case of a main pipeline compressor driver, the need for high thermal efficiency over a wide range of loads is met by use of a regenerative cycle and by reprogramming the loading sequence. Long term step increases in engine capability were provided by incorporating a unique engine convertability feature.In the case of a process air compressor driver with exhaust heat recovery, the engine exhaust temperature and gas flow imposed constraints on engine capability during high ambient temperature operation and on engine operation at low ambient temperature conditions. The constraints were met by the use of steam injection to augment power at high ambient temperature conditions and by the use of variable inlet guide vanes to control exhaust flow at the low temperatures.Copyright © 1983 by ASME


"Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember" is one of the most famous beginnings of all books. Doctors who believe that only psychiatrists could benefit from reading Don Quixote would be surprised to hear that the 17th century English physician Thomas Sydenham advised the poet and royal physician Richard Blackmore that, to learn medicine, he should read it. And this is because, apart from the famous madness of its main character, plenty of medical knowledge is to be found in its pages.

Miguel de Cervantes was writing at the same time as William Shakespeare. In the early 17th century Spain was going through a particularly dark period in which the Inquisition made sure that no scientific ideas were allowed in from the rest of Europe. While in Flanders Vesalius was developing new anatomical and surgical concepts, in Spain doctors continued to use primitive techniques like purges, blood letting, and hot cloths. The public was in general sceptical of the medical profession, and other contemporary writers wrote very harshly about doctors. Cervantes was always fair and praised good practice at the same time as criticising what he viewed as irresponsible actions: "There are physicians that, after killing the infirm they treat, still want to be paid after their work, which is nothing else apart from signing a prescription for some medication."

This impartial attitude towards the profession, together with his extensive knowledge of medicine, has given rise to various hypotheses—some even suggesting that Cervantes was a doctor himself. However, what it is known is that his father was a barber surgeon, and young Cervantes was probably expected to continue his father's trade. Barber surgeons, of lower rank than physicians, gave enemas, applied cups, sold unguents, and pulled teeth. Witnessing these practices and reading his father's books, combined with his immense ability as an observer, no doubt contributed to his masterly descriptions. Cervantes' excellent nosological ability is evident when he describes symptoms and signs of illness. A good example is one of his character's descriptions of pica: "I suffer from an illness that is usual in some women, who fancy eating soil, plaster, coal, and even worse things, so disgusting to look at, so much so to eat them." We can also find many examples of preventive medicine in the conversations between Don Quixote and Sancho, in which spiritual Don Quixote advises earthy Sancho against eating or drinking too much, giving good summaries of what health is all about. The novel has plenty of examples of treatments, the most famous the balm of Fierabras, which contains rosemary among other components and which has terrible consequences for Quixote and Sancho in a famous episode.

Much has been written about Don Quixote from a psychological and psychiatric point of view. Different schools over the years have diagnosed various conditions from paranoia, persistent delusional disorder, and folie a deux to a "healthy reaction to a mad world." In describing Don Quixote's physical appearance as a predisposing factor for his condition Cervantes seems to have been influenced by Huarte de San Juan's Examen de Ingenios para las Ciencias (1575), the first attempt to link physiology and psychology. In terms of factors that led to the illness Cervantes is clear: because Don Quixote read so many chivalry novels, "his brain dried up and this way he came to lose his sanity," which he only recovers at the end of his life. Maybe this is why popular culture compares Don Quixote with passionate love, because, "when love recovers sanity, it is about to die."

Not surprisingly the novel has influenced famous physicians such as Freud and Santiago Ramon y Cajal. I hope that your love for this book, like mine, never recovers sanity.


In this paper, we first propose a diffusive pathogen infection model with general incidence rate which incorporates cell-to-cell transmission. By applying the theory of monotone dynamical systems, we prove that the model admits the global threshold dynamics in terms of the basic reproduction number ($\mathcal{R}_{0}$), which is defined by the spectral radius of the next generation operator. Then, we derive a discrete counterpart of the continuous model by nonstandard finite difference scheme. The results show that the discrete model preserves the positivity and boundedness of solutions in order to ensure the well-posedness of the problem. Moreover, this method preserves all equilibria of the original continuous model. By constructing appropriate Lyapunov functionals for both models, we show that the global threshold dynamics is completely determined by the basic reproduction number. Further, with the help of sensitivity analysis we also have identified the most sensitive parameters which effectively contribute to change the disease dynamics. Finally, we conclude the paper by an example and numerical simulations to improve and generalize some known results.


Flies homozygous for the mutant gene fused (fu) are characterized by fused wing veins, a maternal effect upon embryogenesis, and ovarian tumors. A number of mutant alleles have been studied and all exhibit this same syndrome. The rate at which ovarian tumors develop is characteristic for each allele. This rate was shown to be independent of modifying genes and unaffected by the maternal cytoplasm. The rate is also temperature-sensitive, tumors appearing more slowly at 18 than at 25 degrees C. Females heterozygous for all possible combinations of these alleles were produced, and, in all 21, tumors were observed in the compound females. Cases of dominance, complementarity, and interference were observed with reference to certain allelic combinations. A model is proposed to explain the diverse effects on development of the fused gene and also the interaction of the alleles in ovarian development. Females homozygous for fused and either heterozygous or homozygous for the second chromosomal recessive gene female-sterile (fes) were also studied. The fes gene was shown to be epistatic to fu in fu/fu; fes/fes females, and the rate of tumor production was greater in fu/fu; fes/+ females than in fu/fu; +/+ females. A mechanism for the action of fu and fes in controlling cell division is presented.


Fresh catalyst samples of 100Fe/5.26Cu/4.76K/18.2SiO2 in part per weight were synthesized by using a combination of a co-precipitation technique and spray-drying method and were activated in situ by using syngas (H2/CO/xCO2) with different amounts of CO2 (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0). All activated catalyst samples showed similar XRD patterns, a combination of ferrihydrite, magnetite, χ-carbide, and ε′-carbide, regardless of the CO2 contents. From the Mössbauer spectra, we also observed a combination of ferrihydrite, magnetite, χ-carbide, and ε′-carbide in all activated catalyst samples. The main compound of the activated catalyst sample activated by using CO2-free syngas (H2/CO) was magnetic χ-carbide, and the main compound changed from χ-carbide to ferrihydrite with increasing CO2 concentration, confirmed by both, Mössbauer spectra and XRD pattern.


The northern two-thirds of Sudan are in the arid, semi-arid and low rainfall savanna with an annual maximum rainfall of 500 mm. The majority of population in this area depends on subsistence-agriculture and pastoralism. Studies showed that due to the ongoing land degradation per capita food production has declined significantly over the last decades and there is on-going debate on how to reverse this trend. Indigenous plant species can play a vital role in land reclamation and enhanced food production. Ziziphus spina-christi and Grewia tenax are two multipurpose fruit species which are not only adapted to high temperatures and dry conditions, but also produce edible fruits and have deep roots which stabilize sand dunes. However, little is known about how to increase their propagation and early seedling establishment under the harsh conditions of northern Sudan. Due to their hard seed coats Z. spina-christi seeds have a strong mechanical dormancy. In this study, besides untreated seeds, two mechanical and three acid scarification methods were used namely, scratching with sand paper at the hilum, cracking of the seedcoat and immersion in sulphuric acid for 30, 60 and 120 min to enhance germination. Final emergence was highest after immersing seeds in acid for 120 minutes. Mechanical and acid scarification, with the exception of the 30 min acid treatment, improved germination of Z. spina-christi by decreasing days to first emergence (E1st) by 4 to 2 days, days to 50% emergence (E50) by 12 to 10 days, and mean days to germination (MDG) by 4 to 2 days. Cracking of the seedcoat resulted in lowest E1st, E50 and MDG. To study the salt tolerance of G. tenax, seedlings (6 weeks old) were grown in a sand culture and supplied with nutrient solution to which 0, 20, 40 and 80 mM NaCl was added. As after 4 weeks of salt stress treatment no visible symptoms were observed, salt levels were doubled to 0, 40, 80 and 160 mM NaCl. Weekly measurements of leaf number showed significant reductions for the 80 and 160 mM NaCl treatments as compared to the salt-free control, however the reduction of plant height was only significant for the 160 mM salt level. The highest salt treatment reduced leaf chlorophyll content by 21%. Measurements of leaf gas exchange showed that stomatal conductance was most sensitive to salt stress. After 3 weeks of salt application, this parameter was reduced by 29% for the 80 mM salt treatment. Net photosynthesis was reduced by 29% and 42% at the 80 and 160 mM NaCl, respectively, while leaf internal CO2 was increased by 72% at the 160 mM salt level.


Decision table, consists of conditional attributes and decision attribute may be considered as a knowledge representation. Reduction of decision table plays important roles in the process of rule reduction. This paper discusses a process of rule reduction using an extended concept of logic minimization. First, this paper introduces a concept of weighted decision table which is generated from a relational data table. Here, the weighted decision table may have such situation that several similar values of conditional attributes may have correlation to different value of decision attribute with a certain weight. Therefore in the process of rules reduction, it is necessary to extend the concept of logic minimization in order to process such kind of decision table. An algorithm of rule reduction is proposed along with an extended merge operation. During discussion of the proposed concept, some illustrated examples are given to clearly understand the concept.


This thesis addresses the development of industries manufacturing in the renewable energy sector. As the most mature of the renewable energy technologies, it specifically assesses the development of the wind turbine manufacturing industry up to the present in order to address what lessons may be learned for the future development of the industry and for other renewable energy industries. Data is presented in the form of a number of case studies which detail the comparative successes of Denmark, Germany, Spain and the UK in encouraging the growth of wind turbine industries.

Three areas of study are identified, and the data collected in the case studies applied to each. Firstly, the question of whether it is still possible for countries to stimulate national industries to successfully gain entry to the wind turbine manufacturing industry. Applying the historical data in the context of a typological theory on entrepreneurial success with regard to industrial phase, it is argued that such entry is still possible.

The remaining two areas of study are linked in that they both address what lessons might be learned from the international development of the wind turbine manufacturing industry in order for the UK to replicate the success of other nations. The first of these areas specifically addresses how lessons from elsewhere might enable UK access to the wind turbine manufacturing industry. The second area addresses the extent to which experiences in the wind turbine industry might provide lessons for entrants to the industries of newer, less mature renewable energy technologies.


The transcriptome of nutrient sensing and the regulation of gut motility by nutrients in a stomachless fish with a short digestive tract; the ballan wrasse (Labrus berggylta) were investigated. Using an in vitro model, we differentiate how signals initiated by physical stretch and nutrients modulate the gut evacuation rate and motility patterns, and transcriptomic changes. Stretch on the intestine by inert cellulose initiated fast evacuation out of the anterior intestine compared to the digestible protein and lipid. Stretch on the intestine upregulated genes associated with increased muscle activity, whereas nutrients stimulated pathways related to ribosomal activity and the increase in the expression of several neuropeptides which are directly involved in gut motility regulation. Our findings show that physical pressure in the intestine initiate contractions propelling the matter towards the exit, whereas the sensing of nutrients modulates the motility to prolong the residence of digesta in the digestive tract for optimal digestion. Summary statement Pressure by food speed up peristalsis in the intestine, but the intestines ability to sense nutrients slow down peristalsis for better digestion. This is partly controlled by genetic regulation.


Geese are extremely well-adapted to utilizing plant-derived roughage in their diet, so the grass must be added to commercial diets under intensive rearing systems. However, it is unclear whether the gut microbiota will change significantly when adding different proportions of ryegrass. In this study, 240 healthy male Yangzhou geese (28 days old) with similar body weights were randomly divided into four groups and fed different proportions grass (CK, whole commercial diets; EG1, ryegrass: commercial diets = 1.5:1; EG2, ryegrass: commercial diets = 2:1; EG3, ryegrass: commercial diets = 3:1) respectively. When the geese grew to 70 days old, their intestines were collected and high-throughput sequencing technology was performed to investigate the microbial diversity in the caecum of geese with different dietary supplements. There was no obvious change in the alpha diversity of gut microbiota of geese with ryegrass intake (P > 0.05) and the composition of dominant bacterium (including Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes) was also similar. However, the ratio between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was remarkably reduced with ryegrass intake (P < 0.05), and the relative abundance of 30 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) significantly differed. Additionally, the content of cellulose-degrading microbiota such as Ruminiclostridium and Ruminococcaceae UCG-010 were significantly increased in geese fed with increasing amounts of grass. Finally, the functional profiles of the goose gut microbiota were explored using the PICRUSt tool. Carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism were dominant metabolic pathways. Lipid metabolism was significantly increased in EG3 compared that in the CK group (P < 0.05). Interestingly, Turicibacter and Parasutterella may have affected abdominal fat deposition as grass intake increased. Taken together, although the diversity of bacterial communities was similar in geese fed with different proportions of ryegrass, cellulose-degrading microbiota (Ruminiclostridium and Ruminococcaceae UCG-010) were abundant and the lipid metabolic pathway was enriched, which may reduce abdominal fat accumulation in high-ryegrass fed geese.


Tokenization is fundamental to pretrained language models (PLMs). Existing tokenization methods for Chinese PLMs typically treat each character as an indivisible token. However, they ignore the unique feature of the Chinese writing system where additional linguistic information exists below the character level, i.e., at the sub-character level. To utilize such information, we propose sub-character (SubChar for short) tokenization. Specifically, we first encode the input text by converting each Chinese character into a short sequence based on its glyph or pronunciation, and then construct the vocabulary based on the encoded text with sub-word segmentation. Experimental results show that SubChar tokenizers have two main advantages over existing tokenizers: 1) They can tokenize inputs into much shorter sequences, thus improving the computational efficiency. 2) Pronunciation-based SubChar tokenizers can encode Chinese homophones into the same transliteration sequences and produce the same tokenization output, hence being robust to homophone typos. At the same time, models trained with SubChar tokenizers perform competitively on downstream tasks. We release our code and models at https://github.com/thunlp/SubCharTokenization to facilitate future work.


: Earnings management is a manager's attempt to influence the information in the financial statements to trick stakeholders. Earnings management has two perspectives, namely positive and negative. If earnings management is practiced for a long period, it will be detrimental to the company. Managers have two main tools for performing earnings management: accrual earnings management and real earnings management. This study aims to test and prove the effect of financial difficulties, internal control, and debt structure on accrual and real earnings management. This research is quantitative by using multiple linear regression analysis methods. The sample selection used purposive sampling. The sample of this research is 28 manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with five years of research, namely from 2015-2019. This research indicates that financial difficulties do not affect accrual earnings management but do affect real earnings management. Furthermore, this research suggests that companies experiencing greater financial difficulties carry out low real earnings management. Meanwhile, internal control and debt structure do not affect earnings management. The existing control variable only has an impact on the effect of debt structure on accrual earnings management.


Characterizing inhomogeneous temporal patterns in natural and social phenomena is important to understand underlying mechanisms behind such complex systems, hence even to predict and control them. Temporal inhomogeneities in event sequences have been described in terms of bursts that are rapidly occurring events in short time periods alternating with long inactive periods. The bursts can be quantified by a simple measure, called burstiness parameter, which was introduced by Goh and Barab\'asi [EPL \textbf{81}, 48002 (2008)]. The burstiness parameter has been widely used due to its simplicity, which however turns out to be strongly biased when the number of events in the time series is not large enough. As the finite size effects on burstiness parameter have been largely ignored, we analytically investigate the finite size effects of the burstiness parameter. Then we suggest an alternative definition of burstiness parameter that is unbiased and yet simple. Using our alternative burstiness parameter, one can distinguish the finite size effects from the intrinsic bursty properties in the time series. We also demonstrate the advantages of our burstiness parameter by analyzing empirical datasets.


The disaffection of States towards investment treaties has grown considerably in the last few years and triggered the upgrading of BITs (i.e. BIT between Morocco and Nigeria), the revision of treaty models (i.e. India and Indonesia) or the conclusion of much less ambitious facilitation agreements (i.e. Brazil-Mozambique). South Africa has opted instead for the termination of several investment treaties and adoption of a piece of domestic legislation. The South African Protection of Investment Act (2015) is largely pegged to the Constitution and based on the extension to foreign investors of the protection granted to nationals, including the provisions on expropriation and regulatory powers. This chapter attempts to discuss and compare the protection foreign investors may expect to enjoy under the Act. It argues that from both substantive and procedural standpoints, the Act offers a level of protection definitely lower of that normally provided by international investment treaties. It remains to be seen whether such rather drastic departure from treaty standards is appropriate and what the consequences of the replacement of investment treaties with the Act may be on the flow of foreign investment to South Africa.


Abstract: An epizootic of coccidiosis in free-ranging green turtles (Chelonia mydas) occurred in Australia in 1991 and the parasites were thought to be Caryospora cheloniae. Recurring outbreaks over an increased geographic range followed. We used medical records and temporal and spatial data of turtles diagnosed with coccidiosis between 1991 and 2014 to characterize the disease and factors associated with outbreaks. Most affected animals were subadults or older. Neurologic signs with intralesional cerebral coccidia were observed. Coccidia associated with inflammation and necrosis were predominantly found in the intestine, brain, kidney, and thyroid. Cases occurred in the spring and summer. Three major outbreaks (1991, 2002, and 2014) were concentrated in Port Stephens, New South Wales (NSW) and Moreton Bay, Queensland, but cases occurred as far south as Sydney, NSW. Coccidiosis cases were more likely during, or 1 mo prior to, El Niño–like events. Molecular characterization of the 18S rRNA locus of coccidia from tissues of 10 green turtles collected in 2002 and 2004 in Port Stevens and Sydney imply that they were Schellackia-like organisms. Two genotypes were identified. The Genotype 3 sequence was most common (in eight of 10 turtles), with 98.8% similarity to the 18S sequence of Schellackia orientalis. The Genotype 4 sequence was less common (in two of 10 turtles) with 99.7% similarity to the 18S sequence of the most common genotype (Genotype 1) detected in turtles from the 2014 Moreton Bay outbreak. Our study will help with the identification and management of future outbreaks and provide tools for identification of additional disease patterns in green turtles.


The authors present the application of feedforward multi-layered perceptron networks as a simplistic means to model the gaseous emissions emanating from the combustion of lump coal on a chain-grate stoker-fired boiler. The resultant 'black-box' models of the oxygen concentration, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in the exhaust flue gas were able to represent the dynamics of the process and delivered accurate one-step-ahead predictions over a wide range of unseen data. This system identification approach is an alternative to the mathematical modelling of the physical process, which although lacking in model transparency and elegance, is able to produce accurate one-step- ahead predictions of the derivatives of combustion. This has been demonstrated not only with data sets that were obtained from the same series of experiments (which also demonstrated the repeatability of the model) but also for data with a temporal separation of almost eight months from the training data set.


Abstract A rapidly exploding body of recent literature recognizes the limitations of modeling travel behavior with the assumption that the traveler faces no risk. More recent models incorporate risk and can be based on expected utility theory (EUT). However, violations of key assumptions of EUT have led to the development of non-EUT models of behavior. This study focuses on managed lane (ML) choice and examines differences in the value of travel time under cumulative prospect theory (CPT) specification versus the EUT. Travelers in our sample are more risk-averse when faced with possibly being late than they are with respect to potential savings in travel time in general. Travelers exhibit optimism (underweight the probability) when the chances of facing a longer travel time are high. The CPT models performed better than traditional models and thus, may prove to be an important tool when considering the benefits of MLs.


In this paper, three dissolution methods using pressure digestion vessels (low-, medium-, and high-pressure vessels) for the determination of metals in plant samples are described. The Plackett-Burman saturated factorial design was used to identify the significant factors influencing wet ashing and to select optimized dissolution conditions. The three methods were statistically compared (on-way ANOVA) on the same sample; no significant differences were obtained. In all cases the relative standard deviation values were <3%. The digestion method based on the use of low-pressure vessels and a microwave oven was validated against CRM GBW07605 tea leaves. This method was applied to the determination of Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Mg, and Ca in 22 different medicinal, aromatic, and seasoning plants by flame-atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration intervals of metal in the plants analyzed were the following: Cu, 4 (Allium sativum)-35 (Thea sinensis) microg g(-1); Zn, 7 (Piper nigrum)-90 (Betula alba) microg g(-1); Mn, 9 (Allium sativum)-939 (Caryophylus aromaticus) microg g(-1); Fe, 33 (Allium sativum)-2486 (Anethum graveolens) microg g(-1); Mg, 495 (Allium sativum)-7458 (Ocimum basilicum) microg g(-1); Ca, 386 (Allium sativum)-21500 (Ocimum basilicum) microg g(-1).


An often fatal disease of American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), known as canker stain, is caused by the fungus, Ceratocystis fimbriata f.sp. platani. This fungus, indigenous to the United States, occurs in urban and forested areas from New Jersey to Georgia and west to Missouri and Louisiana. Other trees affected are the Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) and London plane (Platanus acerifolia). The disease is most devastating to young trees that may die within two years after becoming infected. Older trees, such as large urban sycamores, usually die slowly over many years.


Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common adult primary malignant brain tumor, carries a high morbidity and mortality despite therapeutic advances. GBM's progression is associated with a transition from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis as its main source of energy. Our laboratory recently confirmed that overexpression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 1 (PDK1) positively contributes to GBM progression. Here we report a novel role of mitofusin 1 (MFN1), a mitochondrial outer membrane GTPase that is a key regulator of mitochondrial fusion associated with glycolysis. We have shown that both PDK1 and MFN1 are highly co-expressed in glioblastoma patient specimens. Data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas demonstrated a positive correlation between PDK1 and MFN1 mRNA levels and the survival of GBM patients. The data obtained from the subtyped glioma stem cells corroborated with the datamining studies. To directly explore the potential MFN1-PDK1 interplay, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to suppress MFN1 expression in proneural, classical and mesenchymal subtypes of GBM stem cells (CSC). In another experiment, using ChIP assay, we showed that both PDK1 and MFN1 are under the transcriptional control of Myc oncogene. We present evidence that silencing MFN1 regulates altered metabolism in GBM CSC by increasing ROS levels, altering mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced lactate metabolites via NMR spectroscopy. Taken together, our results indicate that combined targeting of PDK1 and MFN1 shift Warburg effect towards oxidative phosphorylation, and may have increased therapeutic potential for glioblastoma patients. Citation Format: Maheedhara R. Guda, Swapna Asuthkar, Andrew J. Tsung, Kiran K. Velpula. PDK1 is a preferential metabolic target in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3593.


The Bank's Macro-Econometric model has recently been revised. This paper outlines the context within which the model was initially built and the reasons for the revision and re-estimation. Compilation of the data used was a key component of the revision and this is described. The general structure of the model is outlined. Key equations are described and estimation issues noted. A discussion on simulating the model is provided along with results from sample simulations. The paper concludes with a discussion of how future work on the model might evolve.


The history of user behaviors constitutes one of the most significant characteristics in predicting the click-through rate (CTR), owing to their strong semantic and temporal correlation with the target item. While the literature has individually examined each of these correlations, research has yet to analyze them in combination, that is, the quadruple correlation of (behavior semantics, target semantics, behavior temporal, and target temporal). The effect of this correlation on performance and the extent to which existing methods learn it remain unknown. To address this gap, we empirically measure the quadruple correlation and observe intuitive yet robust quadruple patterns. We measure the learned correlation of several representative user behavior methods, but to our surprise, none of them learn such a pattern, especially the temporal one. In this paper, we propose the Temporal Interest Network (TIN) to capture the quadruple semantic and temporal correlation between behaviors and the target. We achieve this by incorporating target-aware temporal encoding, in addition to semantic embedding, to represent behaviors and the target. Furthermore, we deploy target-aware attention, along with target-aware representation, to explicitly conduct the 4-way interaction. We performed comprehensive evaluations on the Amazon and Alibaba datasets. Our proposed TIN outperforms the best-performing baselines by 0.43\% and 0.29\% on two datasets, respectively. Comprehensive analysis and visualization show that TIN is indeed capable of learning the quadruple correlation effectively, while all existing methods fail to do so. We provide our implementation of TIN in Tensorflow.


Background Updated UK guidelines for post exposure prophylaxis following sexual exposure (PEPSE) outline new thresholds for when PEPSE is recommended (R), considered (C) or not recommended (NR). Aim/Objective We compared practice and outcomes according to 2006 and 2011 guidelines. Methods Retrospective review of electronic patient records between 20 January 2011 and 7 November 2011. Information regarding presentation, recommendations and outcomes were collected. Risk estimates were compared with guidelines. Blood abnormalities were classified grades I-IV. Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel. Results Of 325 requests to a London sexual health service, PEPSE was issued on 281 occasions to 268 patients. Gender: male n=258, female n=10, median age: 32 years, sexual orientation: men who have sex with men n=236, heterosexual n=25, not recorded n=7. Risk exposure: unprotected anal (n=263) and vaginal (n=26) intercourse. Source details: HIV+ n=112 (40%), on antiretroviral therapy n=31, viral load known 40 (14%) (<50 n=26, >50 n=14). 71 (26%) reported taking PEPSE ≥ once (range 1–5) previously. 99% commenced PEPSE within 72 h (median 30). Comparing those classified as R (n=258) and C (n=21) according to 2006 guidelines, 27 (10%) were reclassified NR using 2011 guidelines. Completion of 28 days PEPSE was reported in 59% cases, 100% adherence in 87%. Eight stopped early due to side effects (n=4) or the source tested HIV- (n=4). 148/268 (55%) had ≥1 blood abnormality, grade I-II (n=196) and grade III-IV (n=29). 1 patient developed acute interstitial nephritis. 196/268 (73%) underwent ≥1 screen for sexually transmitted infections; chlamydia (n=27), gonorrhoea (n=17), syphilis (n=4) and hepatitis B (n=1). Of 243 due 4-month follow-up, 52% have tested HIV− (n=122) and HIV+ (n=4). Conclusions We report high rates of repeat PEPSE, side effects/blood abnormalities and poor completion rates. Updated guidelines may result in a modest reduction in the use of PEPSE.


Purpose of reviewGenetic disorders can be identified in about 15% of cases of male infertility. With the widespread application of assisted reproductive technology, infertile patients are now given the possibility of having their biological children; however, a genetic risk exists for assisted reproductive technology–born offspring, implying the necessity for future parents to be appropriately informed about potential consequences. In this review, we provide current recommendations on clinical genetic testing and genetic counselling. Recent findingsNew insights are presented concerning Klinefelter syndrome, X and Y chromosome–linked deletions, monogenic diseases and pharmacogenetics. SummaryAs for Klinefelter patients, novel preventive measures to preserve fertility have been proposed although they are not yet applicable in the routine setting. Y-chromosome deletions have both diagnostic and prognostic values and their testing is advised to be performed according to the new European Academy of Andrology/European Molecular Genetics Quality Network guidelines. Among monogenic diseases, major advances have been obtained in the identification of novel genes of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Pharmacogenetic approaches of hormonal treatment in infertile men with normal values of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are promising and based on FSHR and FSHB polymorphisms. X chromosome–linked deletions are relevant for impaired spermatogenesis. In about 40% of male infertility, the cause is unknown and novel genetic factors are expected to be discovered in the near future.


Mind or concept maps have long been viewed as helpful tools to plan texts. The pedagogical focus is often focused on the end product as material artefact, with less pedagogical or assessment attention being paid to the process of mind mapping. A process-product approach to text and text-in-use can fulfil a variety of pedagogical goals that allow participants in a professional communication course to collaboratively negotiate meaning-making. By presenting mind maps in class and receiving immediate peer feedback, students have the opportunity to redesign their work to enhance understanding. This article uses a multimodal social semiotic approach as well as the notion of authorial stance (defined multimodally) to analyse a mind map, as both artefact and presentation. The analysis shows how a particular student transforms her work and thinking during in-class engagement. Besides turn-taking and experiential participation as communicator and audience, this negotiation of meaning-making contributes to graduate work-readiness. We argue that these scaffolding and scaffolded activities act to engage student identity formation as emerging professionals for the workplace.


Organization consists of many people working together to achieve their goals. In the olden days there were only few sets of people belonging to particular type of class, whereas, of late as the market has opened up as a result of globalization, people are not scared to go from one place to another. Globalization has in fact lead to removal of geographical barriers. This saw people joining from different walks of life, wherein different values and beliefs started creeping up, as they try to bring in the values and beliefs they have been taught. However, these values and beliefs are insufficient for helping the individuals to achieve their goals, resulting in individuals trying to adopt to new culture, new values and new beliefs which are inherent in the organization. Some times these values may entirely differ from individual values, as individuals come into contact with organization, they have to adopt to the norms laid down by the organization in terms of dress, formal rules and regulations, code of discipline in terms of behavior, rituals, tasks, pay systems, jargon and jokes and also the stories people tell about what goes on, which are only understood by the insiders, hence a new entrant has to mould himself to understand the very culture of the organization. However when members within the organization attempt to interpret these values, the very meaning of all varies from person to person. These differing interpretations of the same phenomenon gradually leads towards the establishment of organizational culture, which ultimately takes the perfonnance into effect. Thus organizational culture consists of beliefs and values. Beliefs represent the individuals perception of reality. Values are more stable, long lasting beliefs about what is important. They help individuals define what is right or wrong or good or bad.


We present a novel mixed quantum-classical approach to the coupled electron-nuclear dynamics based on the exact factorisation of the electron-nuclear wave function, recently proposed in Abedi A., Maitra N. T. and Gross E. K. U., Phys. Rev. Lett., 105 (2010) 123002. In this framework, the correct classical limit of the nuclear dynamics is worked out by taking the classical limit of the exact time-dependent Schrödinger equation satisfied by the nuclear wave function. The effect of the time-dependent scalar and vector potentials, representing the exact electronic back-reaction on the nuclear subsystem, is consistently derived within the classical approximation. We examine with an example the performance of the proposed mixed quantum-classical scheme in comparison with exact calculations.


Background The many changes in becoming a mother increase the risk of developing a mental illness in the perinatal period. Comprehensive, psychosocial assessment for risk of mental illness is recommended as part of routine perinatal care for all women. In Australia, this assessment was less likely to be undertaken for women who gave birth in a private hospital compared to women who gave birth in a public hospital. Therefore this study aimed to explore the experience of perinatal assessment of risk of mental illness for first-time mothers who gave birth in a private hospital. Method The results are from an explanatory mixed-methods study on the risk of the development of a perinatal mental illness and its relationship with the delivery of, or lack thereof, a parenting support service. Interviews were conducted with first-time mothers, midwives, nurses, obstetricians and paediatricians at two Australian metropolitan private hospitals. Content analysis of the interview data provided exploration and interpret their experience of assessment of risk of mental illness. Results Interview data were gathered from 32 participants. Four themes on assessment of risk of mental illness for these women were described: part of routine perinatal care; comprehensive psychosocial assessment; coordination between care providers and lack of mental health resources. Conclusion For mothers who gave birth in a private hospital, comprehensive psychosocial assessment of risk of mental illness may not have been provided as part of the routine perinatal care and not coordinated between care providers. A lack of mental health resources cannot be regarded as a barrier to provision of these services.


The stratigraphic log is the standard method used to display the vertical succession of rock layers from oldest to youngest. Stratigraphic sections can be constructed based on field data and drilling data. There are two stages when using field data to create a stratigraphic cross-section. The first stage is data correction and the second stage is stratigraphic log depiction. Data correction is done manually using trigonometric empirical formulas and the drawing was done using graphic software such as CorelDraw. These stages of course needs more time and effort. GeoMS is a simple software that was designed and built for drawing sedimentary and stratigraphic logs. The software focus on field data processing, although it can use core data or well logs, so the user can choose the data source correctly. The aim of using GeoMS is to simplify and speed up work with precise and detailed results so that it is more efficient and accurate. The research is explain the new technique of stratigraphic log drawing simpler with any type of data. Beside that, the result is still have an accuracy and detail as good as manually drawn.  The stratigraphic log of Semilir Formation in the Ngoro-oro area was successfully drawn using GeoMS. The results of the stratigraphic logs are more detailed and precise due to computational work. However, additional columns such as lithological composition, fossil, facies, noted, photos, etc have been another advantages .GeoMS was proven to provide maximum results in a faster time.


During oxidative phosphorylation, the production of ATP is driven by the activity of several proton-pumping respiratory protein complexes. In plants, non-proton pumping type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases are also present in the respiratory chain to oxidize cytosolic and matrix NAD(P)H. So far, it has not been fully clear what roles these enzymes play in the cellular metabolism. In Arabidopsis thaliana, there are seven type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases: NDA1-2, NDB1 and NDC1. Through the use of RNAi, A. thaliana plants suppressing both NDA1 and NDA2 (NDA1,2) or NDB1 were produced. NDA1,2-suppressing plants had a decreased biomass compared to WT plants. Metabolic profiling suggested an inhibition of the citric acid cycle and a shift at the level of pyruvate, towards fermentation. Suppression of NDB1 in A. thaliana led to a decreased growth on soil, and on a glucose-containing medium. A number of metabolites, including sugars, were also decreased in the transgenic plants. This suggests a specific connection between NDB1 and sugar metabolism, which needs to be further investigated. Analyses of previously produced Nicotiana sylvestris plants, overexpressing or suppressing the NDB1 gene, revealed a change in bolting time compared to the WT in high light. The transgenic plants displayed changes in the stem NADPH/NADP+ ratio in high light that correlated to changes in the levels of several metabolites, the expression of flowering time-associated genes, and the bolting time. The change in bolting time was not followed by a change in biomass. Under conditions of normal light, NDC1 T-DNA insertion mutants also displayed a change in bolting time, but not in biomass. This indicates additional connections between NAD(P)H dehydrogenases and development. Furthermore, differential phenotypes of the mutants indicate a diversity of functions for the NDC1 gene. (Less)


This correspondence studies the asymptotic performance of output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) for reduced-rank linear receivers with principal component filter. We prove that for code division multiple access (CDMA) systems with random spreading codes, when the number of users and the spreading gain go to infinity with their ratio being fixed, the output SINR converges to a fixed constant with probability 1, which is consistent with the conjecture made in Honig and Xiao, "Performance of reduced-rank linear suppression," IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 1928-1946, May 2001


Background: TRIC channels likely mediate counter-K+ movements during store Ca2+ release, but their roles are unknown in many cell types. Results: Smooth muscle-specific Tric-a-transgenic mice developed hypotension due to facilitated hyperpolarization signaling in vascular muscle. Conclusion: TRIC-A channels facilitate Ca2+ spark generation in vascular muscle. Significance: TRIC-A channels may have unexplained roles in store Ca2+ distribution but provide a potential pharmaceutical target for vasomodulation. The TRIC channel subtypes, namely TRIC-A and TRIC-B, are intracellular monovalent cation-specific channels and likely mediate counterion movements to support efficient Ca2+ release from the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contain both TRIC subtypes and two Ca2+ release mechanisms; incidental opening of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) generates local Ca2+ sparks to induce hyperpolarization and relaxation, whereas agonist-induced activation of inositol trisphosphate receptors produces global Ca2+ transients causing contraction. Tric-a knock-out mice develop hypertension due to insufficient RyR-mediated Ca2+ sparks in VSMCs. Here we describe transgenic mice overexpressing TRIC-A channels under the control of a smooth muscle cell-specific promoter. The transgenic mice developed congenital hypotension. In Tric-a-overexpressing VSMCs from the transgenic mice, the resting membrane potential decreased because RyR-mediated Ca2+ sparks were facilitated and cell surface Ca2+-dependent K+ channels were hyperactivated. Under such hyperpolarized conditions, L-type Ca2+ channels were inactivated, and thus, the resting intracellular Ca2+ levels were reduced in Tric-a-overexpressing VSMCs. Moreover, Tric-a overexpression impaired inositol trisphosphate-sensitive stores to diminish agonist-induced Ca2+ signaling in VSMCs. These altered features likely reduced vascular tonus leading to the hypotensive phenotype. Our Tric-a-transgenic mice together with Tric-a knock-out mice indicate that TRIC-A channel density in VSMCs is responsible for controlling basal blood pressure at the whole-animal level.


: Arthropod vectors of plant pathogens cause enormous economic losses and are a fundamental challenge for sustainable food production. To develop more effective control of plant pathogens and pests, data pertaining to disease systems need to be consolidated, made accessible, searchable and amenable to data mining. The AgriVectors™ platform is an open access and comprehensive resource for growers, researchers and industry who are working on insect-vectored plant pathogens. The portal connects established public repositori es with 'pathosystem - specific' data repositories. Current resources include the Asian citrus psyllid, the potato psyllid and the bacterial pathogens they transmit to citrus and Solanaceous plants. Expansion to include resources for other important Hemipteran vectors (whiteflies, leafhoppers, planthoppers, scale, mealybugs etc.), thrips. and mites is planned. There is also the capacity to set up private and protected databases for protected access as needed. Linking visual data with gene expression profiles using 3D microCT technology will expand the understanding and use of diverse and complex data. The AgriVectors portal will extend this model beyond gene-centric omics-data to the broader Systems Biology Pa-thosystem -wide information, with integrated pest management, behavior, plant health, soil health and climate data so that users can rapidly incorporate phenotyping information from greenhouse and field trials. This will establish a foundation for more effective identification and development of solutions for the control of plant diseases. AgriVectors portal creates a user-friendly platform that fosters interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers of diverse plant pathosystems, to simplify data sharing, ideas, and technologies to develop solutions for managing plant diseases.


Space-based missions such as Kepler, and soon the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), provide large data sets that must be analyzed efficiently and systematically. Recent work by Shallue & Vanderburg successfully used state-of-the-art deep learning models to automatically classify Kepler transit signals as either exoplanets or false positives; our application of their model yielded 95.8% accuracy and 95.5% average precision. Here we expand upon that work by including additional scientific domain knowledge into the network architecture and input representations to significantly increase overall model performance to 97.5% accuracy and 98.0% average precision. Notably, we achieve 15%–20% gains in recall for the lowest signal-to-noise transits that can correspond to rocky planets in the habitable zone. We input into the network centroid time-series information derived from Kepler data plus key stellar parameters taken from the Kepler data release 25 catalog. We also implement data augmentation techniques to alleviate model over-fitting. These improvements allow us to drastically reduce the size of the model, while still maintaining improved performance; smaller models are better for generalization, for example from Kepler to TESS data. This Letter illustrates the importance of including expert domain knowledge in even state-of-the-art deep learning models when applying them to scientific research problems that seek to identify weak signals in noisy data. This classification tool will be especially useful for upcoming space-based photometry missions focused on finding small planets, such as TESS and PLATO.


We evaluate the superposition method for calculating the cogging torque in permanent-magnet brushless machines, the resultant torque being synthesized from cogging torque components associated with a pair of magnets. Although finite-element analyses and measurements show that the resultant cogging torque cannot be synthesized directly from the torque components due to a single magnet, we use the concept of a fictitious single magnet to analytically establish the relationship between the cogging torque and key design parameters. The method is particularly useful in assessing the influence of the slot number and pole number combination.


A number of genetic or acquired conditions in which hemoglobin anomalies occur without detectable modifications of globin genes are reviewed. They include increased fetal hemoglobin (alpha 2 gamma 2), variations in hemoglobin A2 concentration, the presence of Hb H (beta 4), Bart's Hb (gamma 4), Hb Köelliker, glycosylated, carbamylated and acetylated hemoglobins.


The paper aims to identify the determinants that influence entrepreneurial intention among National Economics University graduates. For the sample size, we conducted a questionnaire survey of 250 full-time third-year undergraduates at the National Economics University, with convenience sampling technique. Of those 250 undergraduates, 150 were Business Administration students and 100 Economy Management students. After eliminating invalid responses due to lack of information or low quality information, 215 responses were used (93.07% of respondents) for data analysis. The results show that the factor "Perceived desirability" has the strongest impact on the intention to start a business. It is followed by the factor "Perceived feasibility" in which the "ability to search and plan for start-up" has a stronger influence on undergraduates' entrepreneurial intention than the "leadership and ability to overcome adversity". The hypothesis of a positive relationship between undergraduates' propensity to act and their intention to start a business is also supported in this study. Based on the results, we suggest some recommendations for the university and State management agencies to nurture and develop entrepreneurial intention of undergraduates, forming the young generation of potential entrepreneurs to contribute to the development of emerging countries such as Vietnam, the case study.


Background TZDs (thiazolidinediones) are a class of antidiabetic drugs extensively used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2. As ligands of PPARγ (peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ), TZDs have antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic functions on human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs, also called vessel smooth muscle cells, VSMCs), leading to prevent the formation and progression of atherosclerosis as well as restenosis following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the mechanisms by which TZDs prevent atherosclerosis and restenosis are still unclear. In this study, we determine the effects of the troglitazone, one of TZDs on the apoptosis and proliferation in VSMC. Methods Using the PPARγ agonist troglitazone treated the VSMCs, the authors determined if activation of PPARγ by troglitazone modulated the proliferation and apoptosis in VSMCs. Moreover, using PPARγ antagonist GW9662, overexpressing PPARγ by an adenoviral vector, or silencing PPARγ by PPARγ SiRNA, we further determined the mechanisms whereby troglitazone regulated the proliferation and apoptosis in VSMCs. Results Troglitazone treatment was able to significantly increase proliferation in VSMCs. A similar effect was observed in VSMCs overexpressed PPARγ. In contrast, GW9662 treatment and silencing PPARγ with PPARγ SiRNA were able to markedly inhibit VSMCs proliferation. Furthermore, troglitazone treatment and over-expressing PPARγ caused an increased expression of caspase 3 and 9, and decreased expression of cyclinB1 and cyclinD1, suggesting that troglitazone treatment led to an inhibition of cell cycles. Conclusions Troglitazone treatment increases VSMC cell proliferation by activating the PPARγ signalling. Also troglitazone treatment decreases apoptosis of VSMCs by regulating the cyclins and caspase 3. Together the present study demonstrates troglitazone may be a potential medicine to prevent the restenosis following angioplasty of coronary artery through modulation of PPARγ pathway.


This article discusses critically the problems and significance of the concepts of reincarnation and the resurrection. It focuses on the contemporary debate on this topic between Robert Almeder and Stephen Hales. The Akan understanding of these concepts is invoked showing the contrast and,even comparison between the African and the Western understanding of the concepts. It is suggested in this article that the arguments for these concepts could still be ameliorated. This point is taken up by Ramose's focus on the issues that arise from the critical discussion. Ramose points out that the concept of immortality requires a special place in the discussion since it is the axis around which both reincarnation and resurrection revolve. He  complements the discussion accordingly. He further argues that the topic is as relevant today as it was since the dawn of humankind. Any attempt to exclude or discard the topic from philosophy is both questionable and an arbitrary limitation of the scope and meaning of philosophy.2Keywords: 'God', 'the soul', immortality, reincarnation, resurrection, the body


s, 2001:in press 3. Berger PJ, et al.: Unusual respiratory response to oxygen in an infant with repetitive cyanotic episodes. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2000, 161:2107–2111 4. Simon AJ, Torbati D: Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on heart, brain and lung functions in rat. Undersea Biomed Res 1982, 9:263–275 5. Reid GM, Tervit H: Sudden infant death syndrome: oxidative stress. Med Hypotheses 1999, 52:577–580 6. Mulkey DK, et al.: Oxygen measurements in brain stem slices exposed to normobaric hyperoxia and hyperbaric oxygen. J Appl Physiol 2001, 90:1887–1899 7. Rehncrona S, Hauge HN, Siesjo BK: Enhancement of iron-catalyzed free radical formation by acidosis in brain homogenates: difference in effect by lactic acid and CO2. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 1989, 9:65–70 8. Siesjo BK, et al. Acidosis related brain damage. Prog Brain Res 1993, 96:23–48 9. Waterfall AH, et al.: Acute acidosis elevates malonaldehyde in rat brain in vivo. Brain Res 1996, 712:102–106 Acknowledgement: Many thanks to DK Mulkey, and RA Henderson III. Research supported by ONR N000140110179, NIH R01 HL 56683, and WSU-SOM/Kettering Foundation. POSTERS


Under constant temperature conditions, air relative humidity variations affect hygroscopic objects, such as wood, modifying their moisture content and provoking, at low values, damages and fractures. The parameters (amplitude, counts, and energy) derived from the acoustic emission non-destructive technique are calibrated with respect to equilibrium moisture content values using 14 samplings of Pinus sylvestris. The experimental procedure uses multi-technique approaches involving a universal testing machine, digital image correlation, and acoustic emissions, and notes that the three parameters of acoustic emission strictly depend on the equilibrium moisture content. For a better interpretation, a statistical approach is applied to model the equilibrium moisture content variations radially and longitudinally. Amplitude, counts, and energy are calibrated as a function of the equilibrium moisture content, indicating that all three parameters are necessary to have an integral vision of the conservation of a wooden material. Moreover, the shape of the macro-fractures that occur at the surface can be associated with the level of moisture or dryness of the sample. Finally, the proposed method can be used in situ because, through acoustic emission monitoring, it is possible to quantify the fingerprint of the state of conservation of a material.