Objective: Atherosclerosis as bakbone of Cardiovascular disease have increase burdenly in world wide. Dyslipidemia, oxidative process and inflammation either free radical were cornerstone to advancing atherosclerotic process. Ganoderma Lucidum has acceptance and widely use since 2000 years ago in asia. Polysaccharide peptide Ganoderma Lucidum have numerous effect as anti inflammation, anti oxidant, anti lipidemia, and anti diabetic. The aim for this study is to determined and examined sub chronic toxicity of Polysaccharide peptide administration in aorta rattus novergicus strain wistar. Design and Method: This study design as animal experimental study with control in 4 group of rattus novergicus strain wistar both male and female rats and give Polysaccharide peptide with dose of 0, 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg once daily for 90 days. Parameter measured were clinical symptoms of toxicity, evaluation of histopathological structure and blood chemistry with descriptive statistic with t-test and non parametric with ANOVA One way with p < 0.05 was significant. Furthermore Tuckey test is used to determine between 2 groups. Results: Polysaccharide Peptide Ganoderma Lucidum affect in physical obervation clinical symptoms of toxixity and gross organ were no significant toxicity symptoms and from gross examination found that condition of aortic organ remain unchanged and from organ pathology found no change in histopathological aortic organ even after a dose of 1200 mg/kg. Conclusions: Polysaccharide peptide ganoderma lucidum has negatve toxicity in sub chronic test and there are not found any changes in morphology of both group. Polysaccharide peptide has good safety profile to next use in human trial.


This study investigates the perceptions of policy elites (researchers/scientists and members of the affected governments, industries, and environmental groups) in the United States and Canada with respect to the formation and implementation of environmental policy. The setting is the debate over acid rain policy that was carried out between Canada and the United States from the late 1970s until the signing of the 1991 Air Quality Accord. The findings suggest that despite the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and the signing of the 1991 Air Quality Accord, there exists little faith on both sides of the border that the implementation of these acts will effectively deal with the acid rain problem.


Refractories with low thermal conductivity, high porosity and good mechanical strength are desirable to control the heat losses during high temperature processing. Locally produced insulating firebricks cannot be used at high temperatures due to poor refractoriness and low hot strength. In the present experimental work, locally available cheap raw materials, namely, clay, rice husk and saw dust were used to manufacture light-weight refractory bricks using different ratios of raw materials. Various process parameters were investigated and the bricks with optimized properties were produced which can be used upto 1200 °C. Moreover, the bricks produced will be lower in price and also beneficial from energy conservation point of view due to low heat losses.


Pineapple is an important edible fruit in the family Bromeliaceae popularly grown in the tropical and subtropical countries. Commercial prodution of pineapple requires large volume of planting materials which could not easily be obtained using conventional method of propagation. A protocol for mass propagation of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. var.smooth cayenne) using temporary immersion bioreactor system has been developed.The protocol involves four immersion cycles in Murashinge and Skoog (MS) media fortified with 1mg/L or 2mg/L 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) with or without 0.25g/L activated charcoal (AC). The highest multiplication rate (120 -130 plants/bottle) was obtained when media was fortified with 1mg/l or 2mg/L BAP alone. The presence of activated charcoal (AC) promoted root morphogenesis, resulting in significant increase in roots formation in BAP suplemented media. A combination of BAP with AC significantly increased the number of competent plants(20 – 30 plants/bottle) after four weeks of culture in temporary immersion system. The system is recommended for rapid and efficient micropropagation of pineapple.


Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a multiorgan hyperinflammatory condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data on COVID-19 vaccine adverse events and vaccine attitudes in children with prior MIS-C are limited. We described characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine adverse events and vaccine attitudes in children with a history of MIS-C or COVID-19 and their parents/guardians. Methods: We enrolled children previously hospitalized for MIS-C or COVID-19 from 3 academic institutions. We abstracted charts and interviewed children and parents/guardians regarding vaccine adverse events and acceptability. Results: Of 163 vaccine-eligible children enrolled with a history of MIS-C and 70 with history of COVID-19, 51 (31%) and 34 (49%), respectively, received mRNA COVID-19 vaccine a median of 10 (Interquartile Range 6–13) months after hospital discharge. Among 20 children with MIS-C and parents/guardians who provided interviews, local injection site reaction of brief duration (mean 1.8 days) was most commonly reported; no children required medical care within 2 weeks postvaccination. Vaccine survey results of interviewed, vaccinated children and their parents/guardians: of 20 children with MIS-C and 15 children with COVID-19, 17 (85%) and 13 (87%), respectively, listed doctors in the top 3 most trusted sources for vaccine information; 13 (65%) and 9 (60%) discussed vaccination with their doctor. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination was well tolerated in children with prior MIS-C or COVID-19 participating in our investigation. Parents/guardians regarded their children's doctors as a trusted source of information for COVID-19 vaccines, and most vaccinated children's parents/guardians had discussed COVID-19 vaccination for their child with their doctor.


In this paper it is shown that incubation with 2 mM caffeine enhanced significantly the MN (micronucleus) formation in both the 1 cGy α-particle irradiated and non-irradiated bystander regions. Moreover, caffeine treatment made the non-irradiated bystander cells more sensitive to damage signals. Treated by c-PTIO(2-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide), a nitric oxide (NO) scavenger, the MN frequencies were effectively inhibited, showing that nitric oxide might be very important in mediating the enhanced damage. These results indicated that caffeine enhanced the low dose α-particle radiation-induced damage in irradiated and non-irradiated bystander regions, and therefore it is important to investigate the relationship between the radiosensitizer and radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE).


The writers record a severe case of renovascular hypertension resulting from fibromuscular dysplasia which appeared in the only main left renal artery. The first clinical symptoms were noticed at five months. The failure of medical treatment led to exploratory surgery at seven months with renal revascularisation by an aortorenal by-pass using a hypogastric arterial autograft. The writers stress the scarcity of hypertension symptoms among infants of less than one year and conclude the impossibility of prognosis in spite of an apparent cure after six months.


In this article a lead Herakles statue found in Pisidia is evaluated. Exhibiting pretty rough workmanship the statue presents a supra-regional iconographic appearance with lion post on the left arm and gnarled stick on the right hand put on ground. However, it is surprisingly similar to past rock carvings, stele or reliefs found in Pisidia region with apple she hold in his right hand. In addition, Herakles has a regional character both in small and big works in Pisidia in general with stocky, big-headed and thick-necked appearance. In this study, a part of Herakles descriptions made of different material were compared under the light of lead statue dated back to 2 – 3th centuryAD in Pisidia and iconographic features of Herakles have been revealed. Architecture sculpture, stellar, rock carvings, inscriptions and coins were found related to the cult of Kakasbos/Herakles generally in Pisidia region. Archaeological data belong especially to post 1st century AD when the cult started to spread. These dates in coins date back to Early Hellenistic period.


We have investigated the distribution of virus and the pathology in the spinal cords of bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) with experimental paralytic poliomyelitis induced by inoculating poliovirus type 1 (Mahoney) into the right ulnar nerve. Viraemia and alimentary tract infection due to the inoculated virus were found in all monkeys. Between two and seven days after the onset of limb paralysis, the animals were killed and the spinal cord examined. Virus was isolated from the cervical enlargement, thoracic region and lumbar enlargement in titres ranging from 10(2.5) to 10(6.4) TCID50/gram of tissue. Cellular infiltrate, perivascular cuffing, early and late neuronal damage such as chromatolysis, nuclear pyknosis, retraction of the cytoplasm and neuronophagia were seen distributed throughout the spinal cord. This experimental animal model resembles human paralytic poliomyelitis clinically and pathologically.


Recent evidence suggests that PPARγ agonists may promote anti-tumor immunity. We show that immunogenic PDV cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) tumors are rejected when injected intradermally at a low cell number (1 × 106) into immune competent syngeneic hosts, but not immune deficient mice. At higher cell numbers (5 × 106 PDV cells), progressively growing tumors were established in 14 of 15 vehicle treated mice while treatment of mice with the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone resulted in increased tumor rejection (5 of 14 tumors), a significant decrease in PDV tumor size, and a significant decrease in tumor cell Ki67 labeling. Rosiglitazone treatment had no effect on tumor rejection, tumor volume or PDV tumor cell proliferation in immune deficient NOD.CB17-PrkdcSCID/J mice. Rosiglitazone treatment also promoted an increase in tumor infiltrating CD3+ T-cells at both early and late time points. In contrast, rosiglitazone treatment had no significant effect on myeloid cells expressing either CD11b or Gr-1 but suppressed a late accumulation of myeloid cells expressing both CD11b and Gr-1, suggesting a potential role for CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells in the late anti-tumor immune response. Overall, our data provides evidence that the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone promotes immune-mediated anti-neoplastic activity against tumors derived from this immunogenic CSCC cell line.


The article substantiates the efficiency of selecting methodological principles for the study of modern Russian literature reception by Chinese readers. The author refers to the tradition of comparative literature, receptive aesthetics, analyses the concept that emerged within the framework of communication theory. The methodological «sieve» allows considering the reception of the texts produced in other cultures with regard to the factors (interference, stereotypes) that cause interpretation conflicts and communication failures.


The Portuguese landscape and its rural areas are the result of thousands of years of human presence, particularly since the late nineteenth century, when protectionist public policies were put in place to promote food self-sufficiency. During the Estado Novo regime, four main agricultural policies were enforced: wheat campaigns, internal colonization, agricultural hydraulic systems and reforestation. Nevertheless, there was a massive rural exodus, starting mainly in the 1960s, which resulted in the depopulation of 80 per cent of the territory. Nowadays, less than 20 per cent of the Portuguese population inhabits interior regions. This demographic change presents huge socio-economic challenges. Recently there have been new trends, based on land concentration and super intensive monoculture, which are incompatible with central and local governments' policies and strategies to reverse depopulation. The sustainability of Portugal's rural world, its landscape and the quality of life of its population are at risk. Four items were identified in this article: eucalyptus and pine forests, olive plantations, greenhouses and mining.


BACKGROUND
Aortic arch plaques are associated with increased risk of stroke recurrence. The atherosclerotic process also affects aortic stiffness. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate aortic arch stiffness by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and its effect on recurrence of stroke.

METHODS AND RESULTS
TEE was performed in 201 patients with stroke and the aortic stiffness parameter beta was measured as an expression of the elasticity of the aortic arch wall. Patients were followed during a median follow-up period of 459 days with the endpoint as stroke recurrence. There were 21 cases of stroke recurrence (10%) during the follow-up period and the stiffness parameter beta was significantly higher in those cases (16.8+/-4.6 vs 12.5+/-3.3 [no recurrence], p<0.01). Cox multivariate hazard analysis revealed that stiffness parameter beta was the only independent predictor for stroke recurrence (hazard ratio 1.683, p<0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that stiffness parameter beta effectively risk stratified patients for stoke recurrence. Furthermore, in 3 groups based on the value of beta, the 3rd tertile had the highest stroke recurrent risk (relative risk 5.473, p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
The value of beta in the aortic arch, assessed by TEE, may be a sensitive indicator of stroke recurrence.


The effects of acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, on acid-base parameters in the endolymphatic sac of the guinea pig were investigated using ion-selective microelectrodes. Bicarbonate concentration was reduced and pH shifted to being acidic immediately after administration of acetazolamide. Chloride concentration in the endolymphatic sac increased after carbonic anhydrase inhibition. These findings provide evidence of an active function of carbonic anhydrase in the endolymphatic sac and suggest that carbonic anhydrase activity is involved in the formation of endolymphatic sac fluid.


A polar coding scheme is proposed for the multiple description coding (MDC) problem and is shown to be able to achieve a certain rate pair on the dominant line of the achievable rate region determined by El Gamal and Cover. This scheme is an adaptation of the one developed by ŗaşoğlu et al. for the multiple access channel (MAC) to the MDC setting. The analysis of the proposed scheme contains two new ingredients: 1) a certain MDC-MAC duality and 2) an auxiliary random process that involves both the mutual information and the Bhattacharyya parameter. The decorrelation effect of the polar transform is also investigated.


Exposure to HCl vapor of highly organized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkanoic acids on native oxide-covered Ag, Cu, and Al surfaces results in a variety of structural changes strongly dependent on the specific SAM. Using infrared spectroscopy (IRS) and wetting measurements, it was observed that while SAMs on Al surfaces show no effects of HCl exposure over periods of minutes, exposure of SAMs on Ag and Cu over just periods of seconds induces protonation of the carboxylate head groups and severe reorganization of the film into different structural forms of the initial n-alkanoic acid. For the Ag SAMs of n-tridecanoic acid (C13) and shorter chains, disordered states of the acid are produced which upon ambient storage revert back to a carboxylate state with much less order than the initial SAM. However, for C14 and longer chains, protonation occurs to give crystalline forms of the acid. For the C16 SAM, the original structure of all-trans chains, tilted at 19−20° from the surface normal, converts ...


In this paper, a novel structured pruning approach for learning efficient long short-term memory (LSTM) network architectures is proposed. More specifically, the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix associated with the responses of each LSTM layer are computed and utilized to quantify the layers' redundancy and automatically obtain an individual pruning rate for each layer. Subsequently, a Geometric Median based (GM-based) criterion is used to identify and prune in a structured way the most redundant LSTM units, realizing the pruning rates derived in the previous step. The experimental evaluation on the Penn Treebank text corpus and the large-scale YouTube-8M audio-video dataset for the tasks of word-level prediction and visual concept detection, respectively, shows the efficacy of the proposed approach1.


The connections between religion and violence are complex and multifaceted. From the conflicts in Middle East and the Balkans to those in Southeast Asia and beyond, religion frames and legitimates political violence. Moreover, in international relations since 9/11, religious language and metaphors have acquired a new significance. In this context the emerging consensus appears to be not only that violence is intrinsic to religion, but also that religions incite, legitimate, and intensify political violence. However, such an unambiguous indictment of religions is incomplete in that it fails both to appreciate significant counter examples and to recognize the diversity that exists within religions on the issue of violence, particularly the religious roots of pacifism and the ethics of non-violence. This collection explores aspects of this ambivalence between religion and violence. It focuses on traditions of legitimation and pacifism within the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and concludes with an examination of this ambivalence as it unfolds in each tradition's engagement with the politics of gender.


Russia has greatly benefited both from exporting more energy commodities in volume terms and from the improvement of its terms of trade due to the rise in oil and other commodity prices in the 2000s. To study the impacts, the counterfactual simulation for the years 2001-2006 and the usual oil price rise simulations for the future were made. According to the counterfactual simulations, the role of oil has been a key driver in the recent Russian economic development in the 2000s. The average GDP growth in 2001-6 would have been around 4 per cent, around 2.5 percentage points lower than in the actual case. The effect was strongest in the last years of the period bringing the growth even below one per cent in 2006 instead of more than 6 per cent. The strong effect is due to large and rising price difference between the actual and counterfactual oil prices especially in the years 2003-6, which would have meant pronouncedly smaller oil income into the economy than actually took place. In the other simulations, the effects of the permanent 20 USD price rise to the baseline was compared. The economy reacted initially strongly to the shocks with e.g. raising GDP growth and current account strongly. The effect was, however, quickly vanishing after the rise. The temporary end of the current commodity boom would cause serious difficulties in the Russian eco-nomic development as the fuel for the engine would dry. The more robust growth would necessitate drastic changes in the economic structure from resource based economy towards more normal economic structure. Given the short and rather undeveloped Russia time series and from this reason also rather undeveloped models, the results contain large uncertainty. However, simulations provide one useful benchmark on the size of the effects of the energy price rise on the Russian economy.


We study the coherent spin dynamics of a ferromagnetic spinor Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) in its domain formation process with an arbitrary spin configuration. Through a simplified schematic view of the domain structure, a semiclassical theory that captures the essential dynamics of the system is presented, and the coherent spin mixing dynamics can be understood in terms of oscillation in the phase space diagram. Using the phase diagram analysis method, we identify new phases, including the π phase oscillation and the running phase for the spin-imbalanced ferromagnetic spinor BEC.


Non-Poissonian bursty processes are ubiquitous in natural and social phenomena, yet little is known about their effects on the large-scale spreading dynamics. In order to characterize these effects, we devise an analytically solvable model of susceptible-infected spreading dynamics in infinite systems for arbitrary inter-event time distributions and for the whole time range. Our model is stationary from the beginning, and the role of the lower bound of inter-event times is explicitly considered. The exact solution shows that for early and intermediate times, the burstiness accelerates the spreading as compared to a Poisson-like process with the same mean and same lower bound of inter-event times. Such behavior is opposite for late-time dynamics in finite systems, where the power-law distribution of inter-event times results in a slower and algebraic convergence to a fully infected state in contrast to the exponential decay of the Poisson-like process. We also provide an intuitive argument for the exponent characterizing algebraic convergence.


We consider the semiclassical (zero-dispersion) limit of the one-dimensional focusing Nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLS) with decaying potentials. If a potential is a simple rapidly oscillating wave (the period has the order of the semiclassical parameter e) with modulated amplitude and phase, the space-time plane subdivides into regions of qualitatively different behaviors, with the boundary between them consisting typically of collection of piecewise smooth arcs (breaking curve(s)). In the first region, the evolution of the potential is ruled by modulation equations (Whitham equations), but for every value of the space variable x there is a moment of transition (breaking), where the solution develops fast, quasi-periodic behavior, that is, the amplitude becomes also fastly oscillating at scales of order e. The very first point of such transition is called the point of gradient catastrophe. We study the detailed asymptotic behavior of the left and right edges of the interface between these two regions at any time after the gradient catastrophe. The main finding is that the first oscillations in the amplitude are of nonzero asymptotic size even as e tends to zero, and they display two separate natural scales: of order in the parallel direction to the breaking curve in the (x,t) plane, and of order in a transversal direction. The study is based upon the inverse-scattering method and the nonlinear steepest descent method.


The extrapancreatic effects of sulfonylurea drugs include increased glucose uptake by certain peripheral tissues. To study this effect, we used BC3H1 myocytes, which are reported to respond to these drugs. Within 30 min, tolbutamide and glyburide increased [3H]-2-deoxyglucose uptake in a dose-dependent manner. The inactive analogue carboxytolbutamide had no effect on glucose transport. Because increases in glucose transport may be mediated by activation of the diacylglycerol-protein kinase C signaling system, we examined the effects of these drugs on lipid metabolism and protein kinase C activity. Unlike insulin, tolbutamide and glyburide failed to increase [3H]glycerol labeling of diacylglycerol or labeling of phospholipids by 32P. After 30 min of treatment with tolbutamide or glyburide, however, membraneassociated and cytosolic protein kinase C activity were each increased. When cells were treated with 12-O- tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) for 48 h to deplete certain isoforms of protein kinase C, glyburide, tolbutamide, and acute TPA treatment failed to increase glucose uptake, suggesting that TPA and sulfonylureas operate through activation of a common pathway. The effect of glyburide was additive to TPA in stimulating glucose uptake at low but not high TPA concentrations. As with insulin and TPA, extracellular Ca2+ was not essential for sulfonylurea-stimulated glucose uptake. Staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, blocked glyburide-, tolbutamide-, and insulinstimulated glucose uptake. In intact cells, glyburide stimulated the phosphorylation of both 80,000-Mr and 40,000-Mr proteins, which are markers for protein kinase C activation. Addition of sulfonylureas directly to the protein kinase C assay system in vitro provoked dioleinlike effects, in that sensitivity of the enzyme to Ca2+ was increased. Our findings suggest that tolbutamide and glyburide increase glucose uptake in BC3H1 myocytes by a postreceptor mechanism, which may involve direct activation of protein kinase C.


In deploying body sensor networks (BSNs), sampling rates might be dynamically tuned to fit application requirements (e.g., monitoring patients' different activities), which helps conserving energy for battery-powered sensors. However, this results in variable data rates among sensors, which further requires an efficient resource allocation to maintain reliable transmission accommodating all traffic loads. We thereby address this joint problem of transmission reliability and energy efficiency by proposing a BSN system that autonomously detects user behaviors, which, in turn, trigger dynamic sampling and resource scheduling via an adaptive MAC scheduling scheme. This cross-layer scheme uses time-slotted channel hopping (TSCH) in IEEE 802.15.4, which is a reliable low-power MAC protocol. Specifically, the proposed solution determines the best TSCH slotframe length for specific application requirements and the number of timeslots to be added/removed according to dynamic sampling rates, and then allocates timeslots via an equally spaced timeslot allocation algorithm. We implement our proposed approach on a BSN testbed, which features both state-of-the-art hardware and software architectures. The experimental results are conducted to evaluate our proposed solution in terms of throughput, packet delivery ratio, and energy per bit, which demonstrates that our cross-layer solution ensures reliable data transmission and energy efficiency compared to existing techniques.


Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder, inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Total blood samples were collected from 20 patients with AT, 13 parents of patients, and 17 healthy volunteers. This study aimed at evaluating the frequency of chromosomal breaks in spontaneous cultures, induced by bleomycin and ionizing radiation, and further evaluated the rates of oxidative stress in AT patients and in their parents, compared to a control group. Three cell cultures were performed to each individual: the first culture did not receive induction to chromosomal instability, the second was exposed to bleomycin, and the last culture was exposed to ionizing radiation. To evaluate the rates of oxidative stress, the markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) were utilized. Significant differences were observed between the three kinds of culture treatments (spontaneous, bleomycin, and radiation induced) and the breaks and chromosomal aberrations in the different groups. The oxidative stress showed no significant differences between the markers. This study showed that techniques of chromosomal instability after the induction of ionizing radiation and bleomycin are efficient in the identification of syndrome patients, with the ionizing radiation being the most effective.


Blood glucose concentration is a significant postnatal survival indicator in newborn piglets. The standard procedure is difficult to perform under field conditions and requires a long period of time for processing. Portable glucose meters have been invented to yield a faster result and utilize a small blood sample. The present study aims to compare glucose concentration mea s u r ed using a portable human glucose meter ( Accuchek® Performa) with the standard protocol. A total of 200 blood samples were collected from the umbilical cord of newborn piglets and were measured using the portable human glucose meter immediately after birth. Serum was extracted from the blood sample and was also analysed using the glucose oxidase method. Both methods were compared for each sample and were analysed for agreement between the two methods. The average blood glucose concentrations in neonatal piglets were 49.1 ± 23.7 and 49.2 ± 23.7 mg/dl, with the 95% confidence intervals between 45.8 and 52.4 mg/dl and 45.9 and 52.9 mg/dl for the portable blood glucose meter and the glucose oxidase technique, respectively. The blood glucose concentrations determined using the two methods highly correlated (r = 0.839, P < 0.001) . The statistical test used to determine the agreement between the two methods indicated that 96. 5% of the difference in blood glucose concentration between the two methods was within the mean ± ( 2×standard deviation) , indicating good agreement between the two methods. In conclusion, a portable human glucose meter can be used to determine blood glucose concentration in neonatal piglets.


The temperature coefficient of resistivity (θT) of carbon-based materials is a critical property that directly determines their electrical response upon thermal impulses. It could have metal- (positive) or semiconductor-like (negative) behavior, depending on the combined temperature dependence of electron density and electron scattering. Its distribution in space is very difficult to measure and is rarely studied. Here, for the first time, we report that carbon-based micro/nanoscale structures have a strong non-uniform spatial distribution of θT. This distribution is probed by measuring the transient electro-thermal response of the material under extremely localized step laser heating and scanning, which magnifies the local θT effect in the measured transient voltage evolution. For carbon microfibers (CMFs), after electrical current annealing, θT varies from negative to positive from the sample end to the center with a magnitude change of >130% over <1 mm. This θT sign change is confirmed by directly testing smaller segments from different regions of an annealed CMF. For micro-thick carbon nanotube bundles, θT is found to have a relative change of >125% within a length of ∼2 mm, uncovering strong metallic to semiconductive behavior change in space. Our θT scanning technique can be readily extended to nm-thick samples with μm scanning resolution to explore the distribution of θT and provide a deep insight into the local electron conduction.


The 2007–09 financial crisis was associated with a huge loss of economic output and financial wealth, psychological consequences and skill atrophy from extended unemployment, an increase in government intervention, and other significant costs. Assuming the financial crisis is to blame for these associated ills, an estimate of its cost is needed to weigh against the cost of policies intended to prevent similar episodes. We conservatively estimate that 40 to 90 percent of one year's output ($6 trillion to $14 trillion, the equivalent of $50,000 to $120,000 for every U.S. household) was foregone due to the 2007–09 recession. We also provide several alternative measures of lost consumption, national trauma, and other negative consequences of the worst recession since the 1930s. This more comprehensive evaluation of factors suggests that what the U.S. gave up as a result of the crisis is likely greater than the value of one year's output.


This paper estimates the effects of media coverage of organic food production on food purchases. Information from several data sources links national and local newspaper coverage to fluid milk purchases. An analysis of weekly store-level scanner data in a differences-in-differences approach results in a 5% increase in organic milk sales relative to conventional milk sales. Increases in intensity of news coverage increase this relative difference in sales. Differentiating effects by media context further suggests that product category specific coverage increases sales more than general coverage. Critical coverage does not result in significant effects on organic milk sales.


ABSTRACT High-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are the causative agents of virtually all cases of cervical cancer and a significant proportion of other anogenital cancers, as well as both oral and pharyngeal cancers. The high-risk types encode two viral oncogenes, E6 and E7, which work together to initiate cell transformation. Multiple steps involving the activities and interactions of both viral and cellular proteins are involved in the progression from HPV infection to cell transformation to cancer. The E6 oncoprotein is expressed as several isoforms: a full-length variant referred to as E6 and a few shorter isoforms collectively referred to as E6*. In this study, we found that expression of E6* increased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative cells. This increased oxidative stress led to higher levels of DNA damage, as assessed by the comet assay, quantification of 8-oxoguanine, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1. The observed increase in ROS may be due to a decrease in cellular antioxidant activity, as we found that E6* expression also led to decreased expression of superoxide dismutase isoform 2 and glutathione peroxidase. These studies indicate that E6* may play an important role in virus-induced mutagenesis by increasing oxidative stress and DNA damage. IMPORTANCE Our findings demonstrate for the first time that an HPV gene product, E6*, can increase ROS levels in host cells. This ability may play a significant role both in the viral life cycle and in cancer development, because an increase in oxidative DNA damage may both facilitate HPV genome amplification and increase the probability of HPV16 DNA integration. Integration, in turn, is thought to be an important step in HPV-mediated carcinogenesis.


In this paper, we propose a new color image retrieval scheme based on color features. The goal of this scheme is to effectively retrieve images similar to a query image in a color image database. In this scheme, a color image is first divided into three planes. Then the local features of the given image can be found by calculating the color difference of each plane. Thereafter, the color difference co-occurrence matrix (CDCOM) of each color image can be derived through these local features. The CDCOM is regarded as the global feature of the color image. Consequently, CDCOM is used to find images similar to the query image. Experiment results show that the proposed scheme can effectively retrieve the desired and similar images.


: The correct identification of basic emotions (joy, fear, disgust, sadness, surprise and anger) plays an important role in social relationships and behaviors linked to one´s survival. In Alzheimer´s disease (AD), the ability to recognize emotions may already be impaired at early stages of the disease. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to carry out a systematic review of the literature on facial emotional recognition in people with AD, identifying possible modulating variables. A search on the Web of Science and PsycInfo databases was carried out. After applying the inclusion-exclusion criteria, a total of 28 articles were selected. Static images were the most used stimuli to evaluate the recognition of basic emotions, especially the photographs developed by Paul Ekman and collaborators. Results of the present review indicate that people with AD generally display deficits in emotional recognition, although data are not conclusive, which could be related to the diversity of methodologies applied. In relation to the variables evaluated (sex and age), the need of further research in order to study how these factors could modulate emotional recognition in AD patients is highlighted.


The recent public policy trend emphasising markets and economic logic among public sector institutions, including universities, has led to the introduction of greater managerialism and formal demonstrations of efficiency and effectiveness. Such moves require a definition of inputs, outputs and outcomes as a means to renderingthese activities visible and measurable.In Australian universities, recent changes to higher education policy (particularly research and science policy) have tightened control by Federal Government over academic professional activities and increased the drive to render professional activities calculable (simple, standardized) for the allocation of scarce resources.This paper focuses on the narrowing of definitions in two particular areas, namely, research publication and the funding of postgraduate research degree completions. The paper argues that such policy strategies reinforce selectivity of styles of research, types of research problems undertaken, and favour the research approaches of some disciplines over others (that is, "big" science over "small" science and science over humanities and social science). A further consequence is tighter central control over both higher education institutions and academic professionals. Academics experience a drive to define their activity as either teaching or research, as opposed to teaching and research. This policy drive leads to a narrowing of professional activity into discreet categories. A further consequence of this drive on the part of the Federal Government may be the definition of higher education institutions into one of three categories, as either "teaching" or "research" universities, with a third group predominately "teaching" but undertaking some "research". As with other performance-based funding mechanisms, this may lead to a significant re-allocation of resources and standing amongst Universities in Australia.


Purpose:Patients with cancer of any origin with preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) are at increased risk for all-cause mortality compared with those without DM. However, the influence of DM on biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) has not been clearly defined for men with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy. Materials and Methods:From April 1995 to May 2006, 1624 consecutive patients underwent brachytherapy with or without supplemental therapies. A prebrachytherapy diagnosis of diabetes was present in 199 patients (12.3%). Median follow-up was 7.8 years. Cause of death was determined for each deceased patient. Patients with metastatic prostate cancer or castrate-resistant disease without obvious metastases who died of any cause were classified as dead of prostate cancer. All other deaths were attributed to the immediate cause of death. Results:In patients without (n=1425) and with (n=199) DM, CSS was 97.2% versus 100% (P=0.168), bPFS was 95.6% versus 95.7% (P=0.960), and OS was 77.3% versus 56.0% at 12 years (P=0.003). In Cox regression analysis, OS in nondiabetic patients was most closely related to patient age, coronary artery disease, tobacco consumption, and androgen deprivation. In patients with diabetes, OS was related to patient age and coronary artery disease. In patients without diabetes, CSS was associated with Gleason score and clinical stage. No patient with diabetes died of prostate cancer. Patients with DM were more likely to die of cardiovascular disease (17.8% vs. 12.4%, P=0.007). Conclusions:DM does not impact CSS or bPFS after brachytherapy. OS is significantly lower in patients with diabetes due to more deaths from cardiovascular disease.


After current zero in a high-voltage SF6 circuit breaker, the recovery voltage heats the remaining electrons, producing departures from thermal equilibrium that may modify the electrical conductivity of the medium and thus the interruption capability of the apparatus. In this study we present a two-temperature hydrodynamic model coupled with a kinetic model, applied to the extinction of a blown SF6 arc in a two-dimensional simplified geometry. The free decay and the post-arc phase with the recovery voltage have been studied. The kinetic part of the modelling allows us to calculate the evolution of the electron number density. A simplified turbulence model has been added to study its influence on the post-arc phase. The main results of this study reinforce the conclusions obtained taking into account only the chemical non-equilibrium: the departures from equilibrium tend to decrease the interruption capability predicted by the model. This effect is due to the weak energy exchange by elastic collisions between the electrons and the heavy particles, leading to an electron temperature higher than the gas temperature which favours the ionization of the medium submitted to a recovery voltage.


We introduce a new declarative language called SELECTSCRIPT. As its name suggests, it is a scripting language inspired primarily by SQL and its relational algebra. It is intended to be used for complex queries on different kinds of world models. Scripts can be dynamically generated and executed, or embedded into the code of foreign programming languages. A first interpreter was therefore developed for Python. Adapting the ideas of language-oriented programming, which enables developers to create their own domain-specific language, we developed a language stub that can be easily adapted and extended to comply with any (discrete) robotic world model or robotic simulator. We will further show how simple SELECT-statements can be used to extract any kind of valuable information in various return formats, thereby going beyond traditional SQL capabilities.


The appearance of hot pixels significantly degrades the image qualities over the image sensor lifetime. In this paper, a robust readout circuitry is proposed to on-chip detect and mask the hot pixels in image sensors. Conventionally, hot pixels modeled as salt and pepper noise are corrected by an low pass filter which is applied to the entire image. However, this results the loss of overall image sharpness. The proposed approach provides the exact hot pixel positions before correction. It does not require extra non-volatile memory to store the map of the hot pixels. In addition, this method allows identification of new hot pixels generated during the sensor lifetime.


New and unseen network attacks pose a great threat to the signature-based detection systems. Consequently, machine learning-based approaches are designed to detect attacks, which rely on features extracted from network data. The problem is caused by different distribution of features in the training and testing datasets, which affects the performance of the learned models. Moreover, generating labeled datasets is very time-consuming and expensive, which undercuts the effectiveness of supervised learning approaches. In this paper, we propose using transfer learning to detect previously unseen attacks. The main idea is to learn the optimized representation to be invariant to the changes of attack behaviors from labeled training sets and non-labeled testing sets, which contain different types of attacks and feed the representation to a supervised classifier. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to use a feature-based transfer learning technique to detect unseen variants of network attacks. Furthermore, this technique can be used with any common base classifier. We evaluated the technique on publicly available datasets, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of transfer learning to detect new network attacks.


Colistin is a last-resort treatment option for infections with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. However, colistin resistance is increasing. A six-month prospective matched case-control study was performed in which 22 Dutch laboratories with 32 associated hospitals participated. Laboratories were invited to send a maximum of five colistin-resistant Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae (COLR-EK) isolates and five colistin-susceptible isolates (COLS-EK), matched on patient location, material of origin and bacterial species. After confirmatory tests, 72 COLR-EK/COLS-EK pairs (75% E. coli and 25% K. pneumoniae) were included. Twenty-one percent of COLR-EK patients had received colistin, in contrast to 3% of COLS-EK patients (OR>2.9). Of COLR-EK isolates, five contained mcr-1 and two mcr-9. One isolate lost mcr-9 after repeated sub-culturing, but retained colistin resistance. Among 46 sequenced COLR-EK isolates, genetic diversity was large and 19 (41.3%) isolates had chromosomal mutations potentially associated with colistin resistance. In conclusion, colistin resistance is not rare in the Netherlands and caused by the mcr gene in a minority of COLR-EK isolates.


The response surface method is the statistical method which can be applied to the non-sensitivity based optimization. The response surface which is constructed by the least square method contains only the polynomial terms so that the global maximum and minimum points are easily obtained. In this paper, this response surface method is utilized to optimize the crashworthiness of auto-body members. As the first step, the thickness of a simple circular tube is optimized to confirm the application of the response surface method to the crashworthiness. Optimization of the thickness on the front side member is, then, performed with the constructed response surface of the absorbed energy and deformation. Optimization results demonstrate that the absorbed energy and the deformation pattern of the front side member is improved in the viewpoint of enhancement of the crashworthiness.


Preface Introduction Western Europe by Dennis A. Kavanagh North America by Martin P. Wattenberg Latin America and the Caribbean by John D. Martz Sub-Saharan Africa by Larry Diamond North Africa and the Middle East by Glenn E. Perry South Asia by Douglas C. Makeig Far East and Pacific by Edward A. Olsen The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe by David E. Powell Conclusion Bibliography Index About the Contributors


The chopper voltage regulators using a diode and an LC filter for output rectification and filtering are widely used in dc-to-dc conversion. Three possible configurations are 1) a series connection of the filter choke and switch with the load, 2) a series connection of the choke and the parallel connection of the switch with the load, and 3) a series connection of a chopper and the parallel connection of a choke with the load. Static characteristics of the regulators vary considerably among the aforementioned circuits. The output-to-input voltage ratios and the output charac- teristics of the circuits listed above are defined in the continuous and discontinuous current domains. An estimate and a comparison of the regulator performances are given.


Recent research has shown that shame activates both a restore and a protect motive (De Hooge, Zeelenberg, & Breugelmans, 2010), explaining the hitherto unexpected finding that shame can lead to both approach and avoidance behaviours. In the present article we show a clear difference in priority and development of restore and protect motives over time. Our experiment reveals that shame mainly motivates approach behaviour to restore the damaged self, but that this restore motive decreases when situational factors make it too risky or difficult to restore. In contrast, the motive to protect one's damaged self from further harm is not influenced by such situational factors. As a consequence, the approach behaviour that shame activates may change over time. These findings add to our understanding of the motivational processes and behaviours following from shame.


In multiple input switching (MIS) analysis, input signal alignment is one of the key factors which determines the quality and the accuracy of the approach. In this paper, we propose a new signal alignment methodology for MIS analysis based on a transistor level simulator at the core of the static timing analysis. Our proposed methodology searches through the possible input vectors in an efficient order to reduce the number of simulations and finds a true worst case signal alignment for both the MIN and the MAX analysis. In our 180 nm simulation setup, the worst-case delay is predicted within 0.5% error for more than 97% of test cases performing an average of less than two simulations per logic gate.


Heat exchanger tubes are usually loosely supported at intermediate points by plates or flat bars. Flow-induced vibrations result in fretting wear tube damage due to impacting and rubbing of tubes against their supports. Prediction of tube response relies on modelling the nonlinear tube/support interaction. The evaluated response is used to predict the resultant wear damage using experimentally measured wear coefficients. An accurate of prediction of impact forces and the work rate is therefore paramount. The analytical models available assume tube/support contact occurs over a single point. In this paper, a computational algorithm is proposed to describe the tube/support impact considering a finite support width. The new model provides a means of representing tube/support contact as a combination of edge and segmental contact. The proposed model utilizes a distributed contact stiffness to describe the segmental contact. The formulation also incorporates a stick/slip friction model. The model developed is utilized to simulate the dynamics of loosely-supported tubes.Copyright © 2003 by ASME


The WFIRST coronagraph is being designed to detect and characterize mature exoplanets through the starlight reflected from their surfaces and atmospheres. The light incident on the detector from these distant exoplanets is estimated to be on the order of a few photons per pixel per hour. To measure such small signals, the project has baselined the CCD201 detector made by e2v, a low-noise and high-efficiency electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD), and has instituted a rigorous test and modeling program to characterize the device prior to flight. An important consideration is detector performance degradation over the proposed mission lifetime due to radiation exposure in space. To quantify this estimated loss in performance, the project has built a detector trap model that takes into account detailed trap interactions at the sub-pixel level, including stochastic trap capture and release, and the deferment of charge into subsequent pixels during parallel and serial clocking of the pseudo-two-phase CCD201 device. This paper describes recent detector trap model improvements and modeling results.


This paper presents a vision based SLAM method by using stereo SFM technique. The proposed method is based on the stereo SFM presented in our former paper. The method do not need stereo correspondence but, nevertheless, can determine absolute scale factor, which is an important factor for long term navigation and SLAM. The method use only motion correspondence basically, which is easier to solve than stereo correspondence because the SFM algorithm can use a sequence of images taken at short time intervals. However, we infer the stereo correspondence inversely from the absolute estimates of structure and motion parameters and utilize this information to improve the performance of our method. Consequently, the method maintain the robustness to the stereo correspondence ambiguity and can avoid the degenerate configuration reported in the former paper. We also propose a simple initialization technique for the proposed method based on extended Kalman filter, which is critical issue for the methods using bearing-only measurements. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.


The superior vena cava syndrome associated with an intraluminal vascular proliferative lesion is extremely rare. A case of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia of the superior vena cava causing obstructive symptoms is reported that was successfully managed by surgical excision.


In this work, a novel 2D depth-integrated numerical model for highly sediment-laden shallow flows over non-uniform erodible beds is presented, including variable density and exchange between the bed layer and the water–sediment mixture flow. The system of equations is formed by the 2D conservation equations for the mass and momentum of the mixture, the mass conservation equation for the different sediment size-classes transported in the flow and the bed evolution equation. The depth-averaged mixture density varies according to the volumetric concentration of the different sediment size-classes that can be incorporated from the bed to the flow and transported as suspended materials. The rheological behaviour of the flow is directly controlled by the properties of the mixture. A new x-split augmented Roe (xA-Roe) scheme is derived to solve the coupled flow and suspended solid-phase equations in both structured and unstructured meshes. The numerical scheme is defined to properly include density variations and momentum source terms, retaining a well-balanced flux formulation in steady states and the correct treatment of the wet–dry fronts. The numerical scheme is assessed with steady and transient cases involving highly sediment-laden flows, demonstrating its accuracy, stability and robustness in the presence of complex bed topography, wetting–drying fronts and rapid morphological changes.


Neural networks have been proposed as an ideal cognitive modeling methodology to deal with the symbol grounding problem. More recently, such neural network approaches have been incorporated in studies based on cognitive agents and robots. In this paper we present a new model of symbol grounding transfer in cognitive robots. Language learning simulations demonstrate that robots are able to acquire new action concepts via linguistic instructions. This is achieved by autonomously transferring the grounding from directly grounded action names to new higher-order composite actions. The robot's neural network controller permits such a grounding transfer. The implications for such a modeling approach in cognitive science and autonomous robotics are discussed.


In this document it is described the implementation of the flux driven automatic centerline extraction algorithm proposed by Bouix et al. in 2004. This is based on a skeletonisation algorithm initially proposed by Siddiqi et al. in 2002, using properties of an average outward flux measure to distinguish skeletal points from non-skeletal ones. This information is combined with a topology preserving thinning procedure to obtain the final result. This implementation combines this skeletonisation algorithm with other techniques as described in the paper of Bouix et al. to produce an ITK filter that generates as output the skeleton, as a binary object represented in an image, of the input surface, represented as a distance transform image. In this work is described this medial curve extraction procedure following the ITK philosophy.


Shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) can be used to treat stones at any position within the ureter, as long as the stone is radio‐opaque and there is a path for the shockwave to reach the stone. However the results of SWL to distal ureteric calculi, with the patient in a prone position, were inferior to those of treating stones within the upper ureter. The transguteal approach allows the lithotripsy shockwave to reach the lower ureter via the greater selatle foramen. This study shows that this approach for SWL to distal ureteric calculi is more effective than the prone approach.


Abstract Gastric carcinoma is one of the most prevalent malignancies and is associated with a high mortality. Chemotherapy is the principal therapeutic option in the treatment of gastric cancer, but its success rate is restricted by severe side effects and the prevalence of chemo-resistance. Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound derived from turmeric that has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. There is accumulating evidence that curcumin may prevent gastric cancer through regulation of oncogenic pathways. Furthermore some curcumin analogues and novel formulation of curcumin appear to have anti-tumor activity. The aim of this review was to give an overview of the therapeutic potential of curcumin and its derivatives against gastric cancer in preclinical and clinical studies.


On a warm July evening in 1994, Thomas Keller threw open the doors to The French Laundry. It had taken him 19 months to raise the money to buy it, exponentially longer than he'd expected, during which time he constantly dreaded losing it. Some smart chef or real estate investor, he knew, could sweep in and snatch up the 19thcentury building where he hoped to create a restaurant and find success at last.


Aim. The present population-based study aimed to assess prevalence of metabolic syndrome and itsrelated components in Iranian youth in the different sex, age, and residential subgroups. Method. Overall, 1039 junior high school and 953 high school students were selected using multistage random sampling. Fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were determined. Trained individuals measured waist circumference and blood pressure. Subjects with MetS were selected according to two definitions provided by the IDF and de Ferranti. Results. Among girls in intervention area, hypertriglyceridemia was more prevalent in rural than in urban areas using IDF definition. Significant differences were observed between boys in rural and urban areas regarding some components of metabolic syndrome including hypertriglyceridemia and high waist circumference. Besides, boys who are residents in urban areas had higher blood pressure, as well as higher waist circumference, than boys in rural areas. Conclusion. Our youth population is at significant risk of developing metabolic syndrome, and the pattern of this phenomenon seems to be discrepant in boys as well as in rural and urban areas probably due to the different lifestyle aspects, genetic factors, and racial differences.


Energy efficiency is an important issue in computing systems and operating within a safe power budget is a necessary constraint. This paper presents a simple and practical solution both for energy minimization and peak power reduction, called Single Voltage Approximation (SVA) scheme, for periodic real-time tasks on multicore systems with a shared supply voltage in a voltage island. SVA is inspired by the Single Frequency Approximation (SFA) scheme, in which all the cores in the island run at a single voltage and frequency such that all tasks can meet their deadlines. In SVA, all the cores in the island are also executed at the same single voltage as in SFA. However, the frequency of each core is individually chosen, such that the tasks in each core can meet their deadlines, but without running at unnecessarily high frequencies. Thus, all the cores are executing tasks all the time and there is no need for any Dynamic Power Management (DPM) technique for reducing the energy consumption for idling. For task partitioning, SVA is combined with the Double Largest Task First (DLTF) partitioning scheme. Most importantly, this paper provides comprehensive analysis for combining DLTF and SVA, deriving its worst-case behavior both for energy minimization and peak power reduction, compared against the optimal solutions. Our analysis shows that, depending on the hardware, the energy consumption by combining DLTF and SVA is at most 1.95 (2.21, 2.42, and 2.59, respectively), compared to the optimal solutions, when the voltage island has up to 4 (8, 16, and 32, respectively) cores, which outperforms the worst-case factors of SFA when the cores fail to sleep efficiently. For peak power reduction, due to running at slower frequencies, combining DLTF and SVA always outperforms SFA, both in average and corner cases. Finally, we extend our analysis considering multicore systems with discrete voltage and frequency pairs and multiple voltage islands.


Resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) of spelt wheat was investigated in field trials carried out at three European locations between 2016 and 2018. Resistance was assessed after artificial inoculation by visual scoring of symptoms and the determination of the contamination of grains and glumes with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). It was found that typical spelt traits such as tall plant height, lax spikes, and tough glumes play a role as passive resistance factors. Across all test environments, modern spelt varieties with a significantly reduced plant height showed a significantly higher susceptibility to FHB and a higher contamination of the grains with DON compared to old landraces/varieties and plant genetic resources. Similarly, the lowest mycotoxin levels in grains were found only in old landraces and varieties, while the highest DON concentration was observed mainly in modern varieties. The results obtained can be used for the selection of suitable parental material for breeding spelt with improved FHB resistance.


This chapter aims at exploring some theoretical issues associated with the impact of technology companies on the market structure in the financial industry with the special focus on capital markets. Based on the industrial organization theory, as well as on an extensive literature review, research to date, and industry reports, the attempt was made to identify main structural changes resulting from FinTech's activity in this market segment. It was found that, in contrast to the banking sector, BigTechs are not interested in entering into capital markets. This can be explained by complexity of investment services and weak synergies between them and non-financial services offered by technology giants. As a result, digitalization in capital markets is driven rather from inside and supported by FinTechs. In the stock market, the development of high-frequency trading resulted in the increasing centralization of trade that neither facilitated market access nor eliminated the market asymmetry. Nonetheless, FinTech solutions allowed reductions in transaction costs and increase in short-term market efficiency. In the asset management and mutual funds industry digital platforms, developed mostly by incumbents, by lowering transaction costs and reducing communication frictions made investing easier and cheaper for individuals, however their decisions became more speculative.


This paper will be investigate to what extent the right to be forgotten as proposed by the European Commission is already recognized in Dutch tort law. The focus of this paper will be on the existence and the desirability of such a right and not on questions of enforcement. It is submitted that although Dutch law does not recognize the right to be forgotten as such, several judicial decisions can be identified that afford protection to interests that are also protected by the proposed right to be forgotten. This indicates that in the Netherlands a right to be forgotten in some form or another might have developed over time but this would have been a lengthy affair. A more precise formulation of this right by the legislator is therefore welcomed. It has been remarked that the name 'right to be forgotten' may give rise to unrealistic expectations but the Dutch experience shows that people do not seem to be very aware of their rights. 'A right to be forgotten' – however imprecise from a legal viewpoint – might be catchy enough to remedy this.


Background Impaired walking limits function after spinal cord injury (SCI), but training-related improvements are possible even in people with chronic motor incomplete SCI. Objective The objective of this study was to compare changes in walking speed and distance associated with 4 locomotor training approaches. Design This study was a single-blind, randomized clinical trial. Setting This study was conducted in a rehabilitation research laboratory. Participants Participants were people with minimal walking function due to chronic SCI. Intervention Participants (n=74) trained 5 days per week for 12 weeks with the following approaches: treadmill-based training with manual assistance (TM), treadmill-based training with stimulation (TS), overground training with stimulation (OG), and treadmill-based training with robotic assistance (LR). Measurements Overground walking speed and distance were the primary outcome measures. Results In participants who completed the training (n=64), there were overall effects for speed (effect size index [d]=0.33) and distance (d=0.35). For speed, there were no significant between-group differences; however, distance gains were greatest with OG. Effect sizes for speed and distance were largest with OG (d=0.43 and d=0.40, respectively). Effect sizes for speed were the same for TM and TS (d=0.28); there was no effect for LR. The effect size for distance was greater with TS (d=0.16) than with TM or LR, for which there was no effect. Ten participants who improved with training were retested at least 6 months after training; walking speed at this time was slower than that at the conclusion of training but remained faster than before training. Limitations It is unknown whether the training dosage and the emphasis on training speed were optimal. Robotic training that requires active participation would likely yield different results. Conclusions In people with chronic motor incomplete SCI, walking speed improved with both overground training and treadmill-based training; however, walking distance improved to a greater extent with overground training.


The paper makes a stylistic Analysis of Okpewho's The Last Duty . The framework of the analysis is based on style as a choice which is one of the six rubrics identified by Azuike (1992). In this case, an individual has the freedom to deviate from the normal way of writing to have a unique presentation. This paper exposes the stylistic idiosyncrasies embraced by Okpewho in passing his message. The writer uses individualistic narrative style. Dash and ellipsis are punctuation marks also used in special ways. Figures of speech like anaphora, litotes, and rhetorical questions among others are used to beautify the work. Varieties of sentences are also displayed in the novel.


With the popularity of mobile wireless devices equipped with various kinds of sensing abilities, a new service paradigm named participatory sensing has emerged to provide users with brand new life experience. However, the wide application of participatory sensing has its own challenges, among which privacy and multimedia data quality preservations are two critical problems. Unfortunately, none of the existing work has fully solved the problem of privacy and quality preserving participatory sensing with multimedia data. In this paper, in this proposing description, which is the first k-anonymous privacy preserving scheme for participatory sensing with multimedia data? Description integrates a data coding technique and message transfer strategies, to achieve strong protection of participants' privacy, while maintaining high data quality. Specifically, we study two kinds of data transfer strategies, namely transfer on meet up (TMU) and minimal cost transfer (MCT). For MCT, in this paper proposing two different but complimentary algorithms, including an approximation algorithm and a heuristic algorithm, subject to different strengths of the requirement. Furthermore, we have implemented description and evaluated its performance using publicly released taxi traces. The evaluation results show that description achieves high data quality, with low computation and communication overhead.


Point mutations and deletions in the SRY gene result in XY sex reversal in pure gonadal dysgenesis. To date, a majority of these affect the high-mobility group (HMG) domain of SRY, which plays a key role in its DNA binding activity. We carried out molecular genetics studies in three Turner syndrome patients all presenting with 45,X/46,XY mosaic karyotype. Case 1 demonstrated an insertion of T (thymine) within helix I of HMG box leading to frame shift mutation (N82X). In case 2, insertion of A (adenine) downstream of HMG box resulted in a nonsense frame shift mutation (L159fsX167). These mutations resulted in truncated and altered proteins. In case 3, G>C missense mutation is found at codon 74 within helix I of HMG box (Q74H). No other mutations were found in the SRY gene of these patients. An allele-specific oligonucleotide study further confirmed that these variants are not common polymorphisms. To our knowledge, this is the first time these mutations are described at these codons resulting in mutated SRY proteins. Lack of a second sex chromosome in a majority of cells [mosaic karyotype and mutation(s) in the SRY gene] in these patients may have triggered the short stature.


Teacher's innovation is an important element related to the achievement of educational goals, namely to produce good quality human resources, both in terms of science, knowledge, skills and personality. From the initial survey, it was shown that the teacher's innovation was still not as expected. Therefore, the teacher's innovation is interesting to be studied. The study was conducted using correlation statistical methods to determine whether other variables, namely organizational climate and emotional intelligence, had a positive relationship with the teacher's innovation. Based on these results, an analysis is performed using the Sitorem Method to make recommendations and determine the priority sequence of improvements that need to be done. The Population in this research was teachers of civil servants in the city of Bogor, amounting 250 people with sample determined from population randomly amounted to 154 people. The results of the research showed that there was a positive relationship between organizational climate and the teacher's innovation with correlation coefficient ρyx1 = 0.515 and there was a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and the teacher's innovation with the correlation coefficient ρyx2 = 0.552. This shows that the teacher's innovation can be improved through the development of organizational climate and emotional intelligence and from the components of the teacher's innovation itself. The results of the Sitorem Analysis show that the components of organizational climate, emotional intelligence, and teacher's innovation that are found to be good and only need to be maintained include: 1) emotional recognition of others, 2) physical condition of the workplace, 3) leadership, 4) management policies, 5) management practices, and 6) use of learning media. Components that still need to be increased are 12 components with the following priority sequence of improvements: 1) fostering social relations, 2) self-control, 3) selfmotivation, 4) accuracy in problem solving, 5) facilities to work, 6) relationships between organizational members, 7) school relations with the community, 8) reward system, 9) idea creation, 10) acceptance of new ideas, 11) implementation of ideas in learning, and 12) evaluation of implementation results. Keywords—teacher's innovation; organizational climate; emotional intelligence; sitorem analysis


For courses in Problem Solving/Programming Logic and Programming Concepts and Logic. Using a concept-oriented, language-independent approach, Tools for Structured and Object-Oriented Design explores and illustrates introductory programming concepts and problem-solving tools. The text's three-part structure is supported by an exceptionally clear narrative and a host of step-by-step examples, sample problems, enrichment sections, and exercises. The password protected Instructor's Resource Center includes: *Test files for all chapters (Multiple Choice/True-False)*Instructor's Manual (Objectives, Teaching Strategies, Key Terms, Answers to end-of-chapter exercises)*Source Code*Power Point Lecture Slides For more information please go to www.prenhall.com/bohl-rynn


Gareth Evans proposes that there are semantic natural kinds of words. In his development of this theory, he argues for two constraints on the identification of these kinds. I argue that neither of these constraints are justified. Furthermore, my argument against Evans' second constraint constitutes a direct argument for the existence of semantic natural kinds, something Evans himself never offers. I conclude by sketching some positive details of a more plausible theory of semantic natural kinds.


The extent of tumor spread influences on the clinical outcome, and which determine T stage of colorectal cancer. However, pathologic discrimination between pT3 and pT4a in the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)-TNM stage is subjective, and more objective discrimination method for deeply invasive advanced colon cancer is mandatory for standardized patient management. Peritoneal elastic laminal invasion (ELI) detected using elastic staining may increase the objective discrimination of deeply invasive advanced colon cancer. In this study, we constructed ELI study group to investigate feasibility, objectivity, and prognostic utility of ELI. Furthermore, pT classification using ELI was investigated based on these data. At first, concordance study investigated objectivity using 60 pT3 and pT4a colon cancers. Simultaneously, a multi-institutional retrospective study was performed to assess ELI's prognostic utility in 1202 colon cancer cases from 6 institutions. In the concordance study, objectivity, represented by κ, was higher in the ELI assessment than in pT classification. In the multi-institutional retrospective study, elastic staining revealed that ELI was a strong prognostic factor. The clinical outcome of pT3 cases with ELI was significantly and consistently worse than that of those without ELI. pT classification into pT3 without ELI, pT3 with ELI, and pT4a was an independent prognostic factor. In this study, we revealed that ELI is an objective method for discriminating deeply invasive advanced colon cancer. Based on its feasibility, objectivity, and prognostic utility, ELI can subdivide pT3 lesions into pT3a (without ELI) and pT3b (with ELI).


ABSTRACT This article examines empirical resilience interventions to demonstrate how resilience-building is utilised to govern in non-liberal settings and how its political and economic positionality shapes concrete resilience projects, processes of inclusion and exclusion and the hierarchies between them. It argues that the politics and economy that undergird resilience, coupled with the lack of freedom, render empirical resilience less fit for the purpose of governmentality in non-liberal and authoritarian conditions. In these circumstances, resilience-building governs through discipline. Resilience is structurally oriented towards pinpointed interventions directed at specific targets, subjects and fields. It unfolds as a hierarchal and top-down process, which positions local actors and concerns at the bottom. The inclusion or exclusion of subjects, objects and goals and the hierarchies that underpin empirical resilience are not inherent to specific resilience thinking, but rather derive from unfixed and contingent foreign policy rationalities and instruments. This contingency highlights the indeterminate nature of resilience, which opens space for contestation and decoupling. Resilience's meaning and content are dependent on the dynamics of the foreign policy instruments. The policy-driven nature of resilience intervention renders its theorisation as a difficult challenge.


AIM: To define clinical features of systemic sclerosis (SS) in age and sex aspects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study covered 100 patients aged 15 to 83 years with SS (24 males and 76 females) lasting for 1-15 years (mean 6.2 +/- 4.1 years). Groups of females and males, with disease onset age under 50 years (32 years) and over 50 years were compared. RESULTS: Males had a prevalent diffuse clinical form of SS with advanced skin syndrome, primarily indurative alterations, marked disturbances of microcirculation, abnormal heart rhythm and conduction, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis with development of pulmonary hypertension. The patients with late SS onset are characterized by development of visceral pathology within the first 3 years of the disease. CONCLUSION: In making SS diagnosis and in the disease treatment it is necessary to consider the patients' sex and age, peculiarities of the debut, clinical picture, course and prognosis.


Alloantibodies directed against human platelet antigen (HPA) have been involved in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, such as fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT), platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR), and post-transfusion purpura (PTP). Therefore, for the diagnosis of these conditions, the detection and identification of the causative alloantibody is crucial. For many years, the methodologies for the detection of such antibodies were based on the use of intact platelets, however, the appropriate detection sometimes has been hampered due to the unique characteristics of the platelet membrane. In the recent years, an important progress of the serological methodologies has been observed. In this paper, we review the classical and the novel methodologies available for the detection and identification of HPA alloantibodies.


ABSTRACT DESPITE BEING RECOGNIZED AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE, AGILITY DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTHS IS LARGELY UNDER-RESEARCHED. THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE EVIDENCE EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF GROWTH, MATURATION AND TRAINING ON BOTH CHANGE OF DIRECTION SPEED AND COGNITIVE PROCESSING IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, AND HOW COMBINED, THESE FACTORS MAY INFLUENCE AGILITY. TRAINING GUIDELINES ARE PROVIDED TO HELP STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACHES PRESCRIBE AGILITY TRAINING FOR YOUTHS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF MATURATION, IN A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MANNER.


Article type Systematic review article Introduction:Pyelonephritis is known as kidney inflammation due to bacterial infection which should be diagnosed and treated promptly. In this article, we decided to systematically review the diagnostic value and reliability of evaluating urine excretion low molecular weight protein alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M). Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched for the relevant articles about the efficacy of urine alpha-1-micriglobulin assays in the diagnosis of pyelonephritis in children. The search strategy was microglobulin AND pyelonephritis. No language and date limitations were included in this review. Results: A total of 16 articles were retrieved from PubMed and 23 articles from Scopus. After studying the abstracts, only 5 articles were selected, which specifically studied the efficacy of alpha-1-micrglobulin in the diagnosis of pyelonephritis in children. Discussion: A1M is not an acute phase protein but its concentration alters in several clinical conditions. Conclusion: Evaluating the urine concentration of A1M is a noninvasive and cost effective strategy with the diagnostic capability for urinary tract disorders such as early recognition of tubular damages during pyelonephritis.


The US-LHC accelerator research program (LARP) built and tested the first 3.7-m long Nb3Sn quadrupole model of LQ series with a 90 mm bore diameter and a target field gradient of 200 T/m. The LQ series, developed in collaboration among FNAL, LBNL and BNL, is a scale up of the previously tested 1-m long technology quadrupoles of TQ series based on similar coils and two different mechanical structures (shell-based TQS and collar-based TQC), with a primary goal of demonstrating the Nb3Sn accelerator magnet technology for the luminosity upgrade of LHC interaction regions. In this paper, we present the field quality measurements in the first 3.7-m long LQS01 model based on the modified TQS mechanical structure. The results are compared to the expectations from the magnet geometry and magnetic properties of coils and iron yoke. Moreover, we present a comparison between this magnet and the short models previously measured.


The dynamic behavior of electro-hydraulic driven parallel manipulators is highly nonlinear system, the nonlinear behavior arising from load friction as well as the valve flow-pressure drop relationship. This paper is concerned with the robust tracking control of electro-hydraulic driven parallel manipulators with the model uncertainties. An adaptive fuzzy controller is used to estimate the uncertainties of electro-hydraulic system, including the payload variation and stiffness etc. Adaptive fuzzy logic and adaptive backstepping method are employed to provide the solution to the control problem. Simulation results from a electro-hydraulic driven 4-SPS (PS) type parallel manipulator demonstrate its strong robustness against a large of parameters variations and load disturbance and its capability of the trajectories tracking performance.


CoCrFeMnNi high‐entropy alloy (HEA)/AISI 316L stainless steel bimetals were additively fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM). The bimetal structure comprises three regions, i.e., CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA, AISI 316L stainless steel, and an interface between CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA, AISI 316L stainless steel. SLM processing results in the formation of columnar grains extending over many built layers epitaxially in a preferential <100> growth direction. The Vickers microhardness ranges mainly between 250 and 275 HV0.5 in all three observed regions. In addition, only a marginal variation in tensile strength is observed between the CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA, AISI 316L stainless steel, and the CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA/AISI 316L stainless steel bimetal. The unique higher work hardening behavior of the CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA prevents failure along the CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA side in the bimetallic structure during plastic deformation. The CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA shows higher pitting susceptibility than the AISI 316L stainless steel in the bimetallic structure due to its lower pitting potential. Further, the presence of pores and lack of fusion spots further decreases the pitting resistance of the CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA. Hence, the bimetal is prone to more preferential corrosion attack along the CoCrFeMnNi‐HEA side due to its anodic behavior and defects.


Twenty-two plasma amino acids were determined by means of ion-exchange chromatography in 16 previously untreated patients with generalized idiopathic epilepsy and in some of their first-degree relatives (26 subjects), and the results were compared with those obtained from a group of 50 healthy controls. The patients were subsequently treated with valproic acid for one month and then reexamined. In the epileptic subjects, statistical analysis showed significant alterations in the plasma levels of a group of amino acids, including the four associated with neuro-transmission (aspartate, glutamate, glycine, taurine); aspartate, glutamate and glycine levels were also altered in the first-degree relatives. Valproic acid therapy did not affect amino acid levels. If further confirmed, these alterations might be considered possible neurochemical markers of epilepsy.


Unintentional run-overs occur because the operator of a tractor is unable to physically see all around the machine. Therefore, there is a need to devise an effective blind-spot monitoring system for tractors to prevent unintentional run-overs. The purpose of the study was to identify the locations of blind spots around two types of tractors (i.e., with and without a front-end loader), with the ultimate goal of conceptualizing a blind-spot monitoring system capable of eliminating all existing blind spots. Grids were constructed around all four sides of the tractors to determine the presence of blind spots for drivers of varying sitting height (i.e., 5th, 50th and 95th percentile male for erect and slumped postures) at four horizontal planes representing people of varying stature who might be in the vicinity of the tractor (i.e., standing male, standing female, standing child, kneeling adult). Generally, the proportion of markers not visible decreased as the sitting height increased. Differences between erect and slumped sitting postures were not statistically different suggesting this variable could be ignored in the assessment of blind spots around tractors. The proportion of the markers not visible to the operator varied from 0 to 34%, with higher values observed for the tractor with the frontend loader installed. Values were as high as 42% of the markers not visible for the condition where a passenger was present in the passenger/trainer seat. Use of the existing rear-view mirrors eliminated only a small fraction of the blind spot area around the tractors. Through trial and error, it was determined that five and eight cameras would be required to fully detect the entire blind spot area around the two tractors selected for this study. A blindspot monitoring system composed of five or eight cameras would create substantial additional monitoring burden for the tractor operator and, therefore, is not a feasible solution. A hybrid blindspot monitoring system consisting of cameras and proximity sensors warrants further investigation. CITATION Chen, X., and D.D. Mann. 2018. Understanding the requirements for a blind-spot monitoring system on tractors from the operator's perspective. Canadian Biosystems Engineering/Le génie des biosystèmes au Canada 60: 2.33-2.42. https://doi.org/10.7451/CBE.2018.60.2.33


Objective: To determine frequency and severity of hepatic dysfunction in adult chickenpox patients admitted in our hospital.
Material and Methods: This was a hospital based descriptive study conducted from January 2005 to December 2007 at the Infectious Diseases Unit, Rashid hospital Dubai, UAE. The demographics, clinical information, radiological and biochemical changes observed in each patient were entered in a proforma. Full blood count, liver function tests, blood sugar, urea and electrolytes were done for all the patients, whereas, patients with clinical and/or biochemical evidence of hepatic dysfunction were subjected to viral hepatitis serology, coagulation profile, blood culture and ultrasound abdomen. Management was done as per standard guidelines for the management of chickenpox and its complications.
Results: A total of 105 patients were entered into the study. Serum alanine transaminases (ALT) levels were above the reference range in 50.9%. Among the 52 patients with raised serum ALT levels, 16 (30.7%) had levels >3 times, 4 (7.6%) had >5 times and 5 (9.6%) had >10 times of normal levels. Serum bilirubin was increased above the normal value in 20% and was greater than 3-folds in 4.9%. High frequency of thrombocytopenia (p


: This study aims to show the effect of uncertainty on firms' corporate investment and cash holding in five ASEAN countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The study was conducted using data from non-financial public listed firms in these five ASEAN countries during the 2006 to 2020 period. The uncertainty volatility is measured using the standard deviation of the economic policy uncertainty index. The results of this study find that uncertainty volatility increases corporate investment and decreases corporate cash holding. This result indicates that high uncertainty economic condition cause firms to invest to reduce information asymmetry by giving signals to external investors through investment, and as result, it reduces the corporate cash holdings. Moreover, we also find that uncertainty volatility is more economically significant than Economic Policy Uncertainty itself. It is possible that uncertainty volatility can better capture the real uncertain condition in the economy.


The financial crisis in Romania has expressed in an eloquent manner and meant large negative effects, such as external factors generated by trigger of the financial crisis in Romania in October 2008 and internal factors for society that fundamentally influenced the decreasing of funding in 2009. Promotion of private initiative is, in our opinion, one of the methods that attenuate the financial effort of state for social segment which generates costs and, is producing revenue for the state. In this paper we promote the idea of opening a fundamental process of restructuring the SME's management mentality, that of safeguarding of the enterprises with existing instruments, but also with new proposals to the Government, for regeneration as soon as possible of the country's economic and human factors capable of working.


Intelligent autonomous agents that are acting in dynamic environmentsin real-time are often required to follow long-termstrategies while also remaining reactive and being able to actdeliberately. In order to create intelligent behaviors for videogame characters, there are two common approaches – plannersare used for long-term strategical planning, whereas BehaviorTrees allow for reactive acting. Although both methodologieshave their advantages, when used on their own, theyfail to fully achieve both requirements described above. Inthis work, we propose a hybrid approach combining a HierarchicalTask Network planner for high-level planning whiledelegating low-level decision making and acting to BehaviorTrees. Furthermore, we compare this approach with a pureplanner in a multi-agent environment.


Problems of early diagnosis of maxillary carcinoma are discussed and symptomatology of early and relatively early cases is fully presented. In cases which might be suspected of being malignant thoughtful attention to all details of examination and careful evaluation of seemingly insignificant symptoms and signs are of greatest importance. All methods of early detection of antral cancer are evaluated. The most valuable from among them are: tomography, including panoramic tomography, and sinoscopy. Measures which should be taken to shorten the interval between symptoms onset and the definite diagnosis of maxillary carcinoma are specified.


At most large companies today, the activities and structure of the corporate center are based on a traditional functional support model that is no longer appropriate for maximizing the value of the company. In the modern corporation, thought should be given to organizing the center not around support functions, but around clearly defined value‐creating activities. The resulting structure would look very different from the traditional model, but would give the CEO added leverage for achieving superior performance over time. Most companies actually do recognize the need for change and have attempted, with varying success, to modify or adapt the traditional corporate center structure to contemporary needs. For example, in many companies, some form of a business development function has been added to the center, and IT has been elevated from a narrow technical function to a broader information management role. Some companies have also created corporate‐based centers of excellence, such as marketing and knowledge management, to leverage competitive advantages spanning multiple business units. And in almost all companies, the role of the CFO has been expanded from reporting, treasury, audit and tax to include a more "strategic" scope of responsibilities. In our view, these modifications, while directionally helpful, cannot overcome the inherent shortcomings of the traditional corporate center: it is imperfectly aligned with the objectives, the complexity and the scale of the modern corporation. Consequently, we believe top management should consider redefining the activities and changing the structure of the center to become a powerful enabler of, and not an obstacle to, superior performance. To improve the performance of the corporate center, top management needs to address two challenging tasks: first, how to create a new model of the center and, second, how to replace the old model of the center.


Income differences attributed to differential access to water in irrigation systems are common. Prior studies of farm-level water use in developing areas have typically been limited to using number of irrigations as a proxy for water use. We develop a volumetric measure in Sri Lanka's Kirindi Oya Irrigation System through recent farmer recall and use it in production function estimation and welfare analysis. Findings indicate substantial differences in water use by farms across seasons and across subareas of the irrigation district. Alternative plans for allocating additional water among seasons and subareas to elevate net rice revenues are examined. The recommended plan predicts higher net returns from rice and greater equality in the distribution of household income than would be generated if the additional water were allocated based on the current allocation criteria. Concurrent application of fertilizer at recommended levels would further increase net revenues and reduce income inequality.


The aim of this research is to examine the relation between time perspectives and self-control in final-year high school students. Time perspective refers to the importance an individual gives to their past, present or future. Self-control represents a conscious intention of an individual to control his/her emotions, thoughts and behaviour. The basic research problem which we have set refers to determining the prognostic capabilities of time perspectives in explaining self-control in our sample. The research included 110 fourth-grade students from grammar school, high school of economics and high school of technology. The gender structure consists of 38 (34.5%) males and 72 (65.5%) females. The dimensions of time perspectives are operationalized by a short version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI-short) with 18 items, by Kostal et al. (2015). The scale has six factors – Positive Past and Negative Past, Hedonistic Present and Fatalistic Present and Positive Future and Negative Future. Each factor is determined by three items. The reliability of the entire test on our sample is α=0.73. The construct of self-control is operationalized by a Self-Control Scale, created by Tangney, Baumeister & Boone (2004). The scale has one factor and includes 13 items. The reliability of the test on our sample is α=0.67. The results have confirmed that there is a significant predictor relation (p < 0.05) between time perspectives and self-control in high school graduates. The assumed model explains 21.4% of variance of self-control in final-year high school students. Out of the dimensions of time perspectives, two are statistically significant for explaining the variance of self-control – the Hedonistic Present β = -.404 and a Positive Orientation toward the Future β = .220. The obtained results are logical and they indicate that students who tend to enjoy the present have lower self-control, while those who believe in the positive future have higher self-control.


The distributions of the magnetic field and temperature in a superconducting-disk magnetized by pulse field, and the levitation force between this disk and a permanent magnet are calculated. The calculation is based upon the current motion and the heat diffusion equations in the disk. The critical current density as a function of magnetic field and temperature is taken into account. The dissipation power in the superconducting or the normal state region is distinguished. The trapped field may reach 17 T at 29 K by pulsed field magnetization. The effects of the amplitude of the current pulse on the distributions of magnetic field in the disk and on the levitation force are discussed.


The classical problem of the Hebrew consecutive tenses is here attacked from a different angle: that of comparative language typology. The article explores parallel typological developments between West Semitic and early Indo-European as pertains to the creation of verbal forms by means of adding an "augment" or temporalizing particle to otherwise Aktionsart - or aspect-based morphological constructs. A typological comparison between the consecutive Wāw and the Indo-European augment is used to highlight some of the factors which may have been involved in the genesis of the consecutive forms, as well as to illustrate some of the typological similarities in verbal syntax in the two phyla.


Officially endorsed by the International Olympic Committee, this is a comprehensive companion to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. It provides a history of the Olympic movement and the modern Games, including records established from 1896 to the present. Rules and regulations for each of the events are highlighted with pointers on the athletes to watch as they "go for gold". The coverage includes: contemporary stars - their achievements, aims and hopes for the centennial Games; a history of the Olympic movement and the Games, and a comprehensive guide to the current work of the IOC; stars to watch - profiles and photographs; sports file - a complete guide to each of the 26 Olympic sports, including personalties, background and rules; medallists and results 1896-1992 - highlighting Olympic and world records; and Atlanta 1996 - the city, its background, the structure of the 1996 Games and the venues.