The unsupervised classification by the Isodata algorithm is closely dependent on the two parameters: the threshold to divide one class and the other threshold to merge two classes. Poor optimization of these two parameters leads the algorithm to escape any control retaining only one class in the end. The objective of this work is to make improvements to this algorithm; we used genetic algorithms (GA). We have designed a GA that will estimate the two optimal thresholds. These two parameters thus found will then be used by the Isodata algorithm. This approach is tested on simulation examples. The experimental results obtained confirm favorably the good performances of the proposed algorithm. Keyword (s): Classification, Genetic Algorithms (GA), Isodata, Xie-Beni criterion. INTRODUCTION The classification is usually to partition a set of objects into groups or classes so that objects belonging to the same class are more similar to each other than those belonging to different classes. Classification with more parameters requires the choice of one or more criteria for determining the appropriate parameters to the algorithm. The problem of classification with ISODATA algorithm becomes a problem of optimization of parameters.[1] The Isodata algorithm suffers of adjustment of its parameters. This is a step that is always difficult as you want towards the expected solution. This algorithm converges in a finite number of iterations, but the resulting solution depends on the values of the parameters chosen. Indeed if the algorithm resets a second time with other parameters, it will converge to a solution completely different from the first or escape out of control leaving at the end one alone class.[2] In this work we present improvements to this algorithm, based on genetic algorithm to overcome these drawbacks. With benefits such as generality, parallelism and genetic operations, we have designed genetic algorithm is made to delve into an area of research to finally give the optimal parameters which are then used by ISODATA. The ISODATA algorithm manipulates a single standard solution at each iteration, for against the proposed algorithm manipulates a population of solutions at the same time. These solutions suffer from the mutation operator, and as the iterations, a Gaussian disturbance which prevents local solutions and reduce the time of convergence to the global solution. In Section 2, we give some definitions, and then we recall the ISODATA algorithm. In Section 3, we present an introduction to genetic algorithm. Section 4 describes the proposed genetic algorithm. In Section 5, we evaluate the performance of our method by experimental results. Finally, we give a conclusion. ISODATA CLASSIFICATION The Isodata method is the method developed by Ball, Hall and others in the 1960s. The Isodata method is a method which added division of a cluster, and processing of fusion to the K-means method. The individual density of a cluster is controllable by performing division and fusion to the cluster generated from the K-means method. The individual in a cluster divides past [a detached building] and its cluster, and the distance between clusters unites them with past close. The parameter which set up division and fusion beforehand determines. The procedure of the Isodata method is shown as follows: 1) Parameters, such as the number of the last clusters, a convergence condition of rearrangement, judgment conditions of a minute cluster, branch condition of division and fusion, and end conditions, are determined. 2) The initial cluster center of gravity is selected. 3) Based on the convergence condition of rearrangement, an individual is rearranged in the way of the k-means method. 4) It considers with a minute cluster that it is below threshold with the number of individuals of a cluster, and excepts from future clustering. 5) When it is more than the threshold that exists within fixed limits which the number of clusters centers on the number of the last clusters, and has the minimum of the distance between the cluster center of gravity and is below threshold with the maximum of distribution in a cluster, clustering regards it as convergence and ends processing. When not converging, it progresses to the following step. 6) If the number of clusters exceeds the fixed range, when large, a cluster is divided, and when small, it will unite. It divides, if the number of times of a repetition is odd when there International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 5 (2018) pp. 2163-2167 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com 2164 is the number of clusters within fixed limits, and if the number is even, it unites. If division and fusion finish, it will return to 3 and processing will be repeated.  Division of a cluster: If it is more than threshold with distribution of a cluster, carry out the cluster along with the 1st principal component for 2 minutes, and search for the new cluster center of gravity. Distribution of a cluster is re-calculated, and division is continued until it becomes below threshold.  Fusion of a cluster: If it is below threshold with the minimum of the distance between the cluster centers of gravity, unite the cluster pair and search for the new cluster center of gravity. The distance between the cluster center of gravity is re-calculated, and fusion is continued until the minimum becomes more than threshold. Although the Isodata method can adjust the number of certain within the limits clusters, and the homogeneity of a cluster by division and fusion, global optimal nature cannot be guaranteed. Since the Isodata method has more parameters than the K-means method, adjustment of the parameter is still more difficult.[2][3][4] GENETIC ALGORITHMS Genetic Algorithms (GA) are particular methods for optimizing functions. These techniques are based on the evolution of a population of solutions which under the action of some precise rules optimize a given behavior, which initially has been formulated by a given specified function called fitness function. [5][6][7] A GA algorithm manipulates a population of constant size. This population is formed by candidate points called chromosomes. Each of the chromosomes represents the coding of a potential solution to the problem to be solved, it is formed by a set of elements called genes, and these are real. At each iteration, called generation, a new population is created from its predecessor by applying the genetic operators: the crossing, the mutation and the selection. The first two operators change the chromosomes (previous generation) of the population in order to produce new chromosomes (next generation) to optimize selective function further and avoid local optima. The selection operator consists in constructing the next generation. This new population is constituted by the pertinent individuals [8] [2]. Fig1 illustrates the different operations to be performed in a standard GA algorithm [8][9][5][6] : Figure 1. Standard GA algorithm. GENETIC ALGORITHM PROPOSED Descriptive elements Consider a set of M objects {O1, O2,..., OM} characterized by N attributes, grouped in a line vector form V = (a1 a2 ... aN). Let Ri = (aij) 1<j<N be a line vector of RN where aij is the value of the attribute aj for the object Oi. Let mat_obs be a matrix of M lines (representing the objects Oi) and N columns (representing the attributes aj): mat_obs = (aij)1≤i≤M 1≤j≤N V is the attribute vector, Ri is the observation associated with Oi or the realization of the attribute vector V for this object, RN is the observations space [1][8][9][10][11] and mat_obs is the observation matrix associated with V. The ith line of mat_obs is the observation Ri. Ri belongs to a class CLs, s=1,..., C. Proposed coding The proposed algorithm consists of selecting among all of the possible partitions the optimal partition by minimizing a criterion. This yields the optimal parameters (ps)1<s<np. Thus, the real coding following is suggested:


Lightning shielding failure is a key problem affecting operation safety of transmission lines,and reducing shielding angles is an important measure to restrain shielding failure rate.The shielding failure rate analyzing method for very high voltage transmission lines based on the leader progress model was introduced.By this method,effects of reducing shielding angles on different types of towers in various terrains were calculated and compared.An improved scheme of reducing shielding angles was proposed,and mechanical properties of the tower were analyzed.The cost of reducing shielding angle was evaluated,and its technical economy was compared to other lightning protection measures.Results show that shielding failure rate is closely related with tower types and terrains.In general,for the same tower,the shielding failure rate decreases with the decreasing of shielding angle,while for different towers,the shielding failure rates under the same shielding angle can be quite different.Effects of reducing shielding angle depend on the terrains.By comparing effects and costs of different lightning protection measures,it can be seen that increasing the distance of the ground lines is the optimal choice.


Abstract : The female, male, pupa, and fourth instar larva of Culex (Culiciomyia) ceramensis n. sp. from Ceram, Indonesia are described. The main diagnostic features of this new species are summarized and its relationship with the other known forms in the Oriental and Australasian regions is discussed.


Using the behaviour of related primates to provide analogies for early humans has a long tradition in archaeology. But these primates too have a past, and experienced particular contexts for the adoption of tool-using. In this pioneering review, the author explores distinctions among chimpanzees in ecology, diet and innovation, sets a wider agenda for a prehistory of primates and explains how archaeology could serve it.


: 10 Visible, Near-Infrared and Short Wave Infrared (VNIR/SWIR, 350-2500 nm) hyperspectral 11 imaging spectroscopy may provide estimated soil properties maps. The performance of the 12 estimations is usually assessed with figures of merit such as the Standard Error of Calibration, 13 the Standard Error of Prediction or the Ratio of Performance Deviation. All of these 14 parameters are estimated during model building and validation stages to evaluate global 15 model performance. Beyond these global indicators, evaluation of uncertainty affecting each 16 prediction is a major trend in analytical chemistry and chemometrics, but not yet in 17 hyperspectral imagery. Several approximate expressions and resampling methods have been 18 proposed for the estimation of prediction uncertainty when using multivariate calibration from 19 laboratory spectra. Based on these works, this paper proposes a mapping and analysis of the uncertainties affecting predictions obtained from VNIR/SWIR airborne data, using several 21 methods. An application to real VNIR/SWIR airborne data related to clay content allowed us 22 to compare these different methods. A focus on different specific cases yielded some insights on the uncertainty sources and showed that uncertainty analysis could guide the user to better 24 sampling, better calibration and finally better mapping.


From a casual observation that the form of degraded fault scarps resembles the error function, this investigation proceeds through an elementary diffusion equation representation of landform evolution to the application of the resulting equations to the modern topography of scarplike landforms. The morphologic observations can be analyzed either in the form of one or more cross-strike elevation profiles or in the form of the slope-offset plot, a point plot of maximum scarp slope versus scarp offset. Working with either or both of these data representations for nine geologic structures, which range in age from 3 to 400 ka B.P. and in offset from 1 to 50 m, we apply analytical solutions for the vertical initial value scarp, the vertical continuous offset scarp, and the finite slope, initial value scarp. The model calculations are intrinsically ambiguous, yielding as the final answer only the product κt (in the case of the initial value problem) or the product κA−1 (in the case of the repeated faulting problem); here t is the age of a single scarp-forming event, 2A is the vertical slip rate, and κ is the "mass diffusivity." A single profile across three sea cliffs along the Santa Cruz, California, coast is analyzed as three separate initial value problems. A reasonably constrained age for the sea cliff standing above the Highway 1 platform returns κ = 11 GKG (1 GKG = 1 m2/ka). With this κ, we can date the two older sea cliffs. In fact, we do the converse: age estimates for these two older sea cliffs based on a uniform rate of uplift both yield the same κ as for the lower sea cliff. We treat a single profile of the Raymond fault in Pasadena/San Marino in terms of the repeated faulting problem; for it the uplift rate of R. Crook and others yields κ = 16 GKG. The very substantial preexisting offset across the Raymond fault must have been buried/leveled some 230 ka B.P., when the modern topography began to form. Our analysis of the Lake Bonneville shoreline scarps reveals a dependence of κt on 2a, suggestive of nonlinear modification processes. This appearance is treated with the finite slope initial value scarp model to determine κ=1.1 GKG for the Lake Bonneville shoreline scarps. The suggestion of M. N. Machette that approximately 100,000-year-old, meter-high scarps are "unobservable" in weakly consolidated alluvial terranes of the Basin and Range and Rio Grande Rift Valley provinces can be formulated as κ ≳ 1 GKG. The coincidence between this inequality and the Lake Bonneville shoreline κ is striking, and it suggests that the value of κ = 1 GKG may be generally applicable, as a good first approximation, to the modification of alluvial terranes within the semiarid regions of the western United States. The Lake Bonneville shoreline κ is the basis for dating four sets of fault scarps in west-central Utah. The Drum Mountains fault scarps can be modeled in several different circumstances, but the most likely interpretation is that these fault scarps formed as the result of a single episode of normal faulting 3.6 to 5.7 ka B.P. The younger age is associated with quite low initial slope angles (25°). The other three sets of fault scarps show no evidence for finite initial value slopes. Fault scarps along the eastern base of the Fish Springs Range are very young, 3 ka B.P. We estimate the age of fault scarps along the western flank of the Oquirrh Mountains to be 32 ka B.P., which meets the weak geologic constraint that they be older than the Lake Bonneville shoreline. Fault scarps along the northeastern margin of the Sheeprock Mountains are even older, 53 ka B.P. An intriguing consequence of our single-event analysis of these scarps is that an 11.5-m offset occurred in a single earthquake.


Mixed models combining random coefficient effect and covariance patterns were used to investigate mechanical property variations in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) trees. Modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) were measured by conducting three-point bending tests on small defect-free samples selected from different radial positions and at a height of 2.5 m above ground within the stems. The objective of the paper was to build statistical predictive models describing the radial variations in stems for wood mechanical properties using easily measurable explanatory variables that are typically available in the wood manufacturing industry: distance from pith, tree height and diameter, and spacing. The explanatory variables integrated into the models explained MOE adequately, whereas MOR appeared harder to predict with only these variables and at this resolution. For white spruce, the best mixed-effects models explained 80% and 61% of the variat...


A 54-year-old man presented to surgical outpatients with a 3-month history of rectal bleeding with no change in bowel habit or abdominal pain. He had a medical history of gastroenteritis. He had no family history of bowel cancer.

Colonoscopy to the terminal ileum revealed a broad-based smooth polypoid mass in the transverse colon (figure 1). Palpation …


We know that food that contains a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and mineral salts, but does not contain vitamins, cannot meet the needs of the body and, with prolonged use of such food, painful disorders develop. We observe such changes in animals fed with "artificial food", when eating natural but denatured foods, as well as with one-sided feeding with natural foods. ad libitum "with millet or oats, after a long time, degenerative changes were found in the intestines and organs of internal secretion; the chickens that ate this way died (cited by Prof. BA Lavrov).


Hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle (ASM) within the bronchial wall of asthmatic patients has been well documented and is likely due to increased muscle proliferation. We have shown that ASM cells obtained from asthmatic patients proliferate faster than those obtained from non‐asthmatic patients. In ASM from non‐asthmatics, mitogens act via dual signaling pathways (both ERK‐ and PI 3‐kinase‐dependent) to control growth. In this study we are the first to examine whether dual pathways control the enhanced proliferation of ASM from asthmatics. When cells were incubated with 0.1% or 1% FBS, ERK activation was significantly greater in cells from asthmatic subjects (P < 0.05). In contrast, when cells were stimulated with 10% FBS, ERK activity was significantly greater in the non‐asthmatic cells. However, cell proliferation in asthmatic cells was still significantly higher in cells stimulated by both 1% and 10% FBS. Pharmacological inhibition revealed that although dual proliferative pathways control ASM growth in cells from non‐asthmatics stimulated with 10% FBS to an equal extent ([3H]‐thymidine incorporation reduced to 57.2 ± 6.9% by the PI 3‐kinase inhibitor LY294002 and 57.8 ± 1.1% by the ERK‐pathway inhibitor U0126); in asthmatics, the presence of a strong proliferative stimulus (10% FBS) reduces ERK activation resulting in a shift to the PI 3‐kinase pathway. The underlying mechanism appears to be upregulation of an endogenous MAPK inhibitor—MKP‐1—that constrains ERK signaling in asthmatic cells under strong mitogenic stimulation. This study suggests that the PI 3‐kinase pathway may be an attractive target for reversing hyperplasia in asthma. J. Cell. Physiol. 216: 673–679, 2008, © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This thesis describes a procedure for evaluating the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral and presents applications of it which involve the interpretation of amplitude and travel time anomalies of body waves. The method of integration is a summation of single point evaluations of the integrand and requires that spacing of these evaluations on the surface be small compared to the wavelength of the incident disturbance. The technique predicts amplitudes, travel times and waveforms of acoustic potentials that propagate through a homogeneous medium and interact with three-dimensional curved boundaries. Results from test models compare well with optical solutions for reflections off planar interfaces and rigid spheres and transmissions through planar interfaces. The reflected integral solution is used to simulate the effect of an idealized mountain on the amplitude and waveforms on pP. This structure causes multiple arrivals, phase shifts, and amplitude anomalies in the synthetic reflection profile. Also the effects of spall on pP waves generated by explosions are simulated by specifying position dependent reflection coefficient on the surface of integration. These experiments predict frequency dependent amplitude anomalies and travel time delays of the reflections. The transmitted solution is used to model the effect of several idealized crust-mantle boundary structures on teleseismic P waves generated by explosions. The structures are upwarps and product travel time residuals as a function of delta and azimuth which have the same magnitude as residuals observed for NTS tests within Pahute Mesa. The structure causes early complicated low amplitude waveforms and late simple high amplitude waveforms. Thus they cause systematic amplitude variations with azimuth, delta, and source location. The magnitude of predicted variation is less than the observed ab amplitude variation with azimuth of Pahute Mesa tests; however, it is approximately the same as the observed ab variation at a given station as a function of test location within the mesa. The integral method is extended to include a symmetric velocity function in the medium and is used to model ScS waves which propagate through a JB Earth and reflect off a bumpy core-mantle boundary. Solutions with this extension establish that isovelocity Kirchhoff solutions are sufficient to predict the relative amplitude and travel time anomalies of ScS arising from core-mantle boundary relief. Isovelocity modeling shows that upwarps 300 to 600 kilometers wide and at least 10 kilometers high cause precursors to ScS and amplitude reductions of the same magnitude as the observations. However, the height is not mechanically feasible; therefore, the anomalous observations must originate elsewhere.


Thanks to a grant from AZA's Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF), Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ) is providing the Northern Cheyenne Reservation (NCR) in Montana with essential support, expertise, and resources to ensure the successful recovery of black-footed ferrets in the region. This joint partnership between the zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and key NCR community leaders is poised to address various challenges, opportunities and needs that exist on the reservation. Some of these areas of focus include scientific expertise and resources, as well as the critical need for enhanced community engagement in the recovery effort through new professional development programs for educators and a summer program for youths.


With the increase in the amount of data and documents on the web, text summarization has become one of the significant fields which cannot be avoided in today's digital era. Automatic text summarization provides a quick summary to the user based on the information presented in the text documents. This paper presents the automated single document summarization by constructing similitude graphs from the extracted text segments. On extracting the text segments, the feature values are computed for all the segments by comparing them with the title and the entire document and by computing segment significance using the information gain ratio. Based on the computed features, the similarity between the segments is evaluated to construct the graph in which the vertices are the segments and the edges specify the similarity between them. The segments are ranked for including them in the extractive summary by computing the graph score and the sentence segment score. The experimental analysis has been performed using ROUGE metrics and the results are analyzed for the proposed model. The proposed model has been compared with the various existing models using 4 different datasets in which the proposed model acquired top 2 positions with the average rank computed on various metrics such as precision, recall, F-score.
HIGHLIGHTS

Paper presents the automated single document summarization by constructing similitude graphs from the extracted text segments
It utilizes information gain ratio, graph construction, graph score and the sentence segment score computation
Results analysis has been performed using ROUGE metrics with 4 popular datasets in the document summarization domain
The model acquired top 2 positions with the average rank computed on various metrics such as precision, recall, F-score

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and WHO have estimated that worldwide the number of people living with HIV has increased from 29 million in 2001 to 33.4 million in 2008, while the annual number of new infections has decreased from 3.2 to 2.7 million during the same period [1]. The increased prevalence of HIV infection has been recorded in all regions of the world and this can be attributed partly to improvements in the longevity of HIV-infected people as a result of increased access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). The incidence of HIV infection appears to have declined in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Oceania and Europe, whereas it has stabilized or slightly increased in Latin America, North America, theCaribbean, theMiddleEast andNorthAfrica.


Two levels of power - the structure of power in exchange networks, and the strategic use of power resources by actors - affect the frequency and distribution of exchange outcomes. Theories of power and exchange suggest alternative hypotheses about how structural power and strategic action are related to each other and to outcomes. These are tested with data from a series of experiments in which power relations are based on control over rewards and punishments. Both structural power and its strategic use have substantial effects on exchange outcomes, but structure and action are related only weakly to each other. Their relative effects on exchange outcomes vary with the base of power. Structural power has stronger effects on reward exchange, and strategic action on punishment exchange. The asymmetry of reward exchange in the relation, the traditional measure of power use in powerldependence theory, is affected by both. Social scientists have conceptualized power in various ways: as a structural potential (Bierstedt 1950; Wrong 1968; Emerson 1962), as a process of behavioral or tactical influence (Rubin and Brown 1975; Michener and Suchner 1972; Tedeschi and Bonoma 1972), and as the successful outcome of influence (Dahl 1957; Mayhew, Gray, and Richardson 1969; Simon 1957). I argue that a complete analysis of power must include all three facets. Understanding the relations among them requires integrating concepts at "micro" and "macro" levels of analysis (Alexander 1987; Munch and Smelser 1987). The "macro" level of power is the structure of control that provides the opportunities and constraints within which the "micro" level of power, the strategic behavior of actors, operates. Together, structure and action produce outcomes of consequence for actors and relationships. I investigate how structure and action affect the amount and distribution of exchange in power/dependence relations. Previous research on power and exchange has studied only the relations between power structure (the struc* This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (SES-84 19872). I am


Research indicates that 45% t
o 75% of mergers throughout all in
dustrial sectors fail. The
literature indicates i
ncreasing rates for hi
gher education inst
itution (HEIs) mergers. Researchers
do not share common definitions of success for HEI mergers. One
 common and generally
accepted definition for HEI succe
ss does exist through world cl
ass university ranking
organizations lists of top HEIs
. This study utilized WCU rankin
g criteria and found that HEIs are
ranked based upon research strength, teaching quality, and glob
al outlook to determine HEI
rankings. This study adapted repre
sentative metrics used by the
se ranking organizations which
served as the DVs in this study. T
he study adopted the Event St
udy theoretical framework to
serve as the lens to evaluate
the data and utilized a quantitat
ive methodology with a causal-
comparative research design. Data was obtained from the IPEDS d
atabase. The study utilized
time as the within-subjects IV
 represented by Period 1 and Peri
od 2 measures beginning the year
of merger and 5 years subsequent t
o the merger. The between-sub
jects IV was merger status. The
study sample included 80 HEI
s which merged between 1988 - 2013
and 80 matching pair non-
merging HEIs. The study used a two-way mixed design ANOVA to an
swer the following three
research questions: "Are there i
nteraction effects between time
 and merger status upon the DVs
of revenues, fall en
rollment rates, and nonr
esident alien rates
?" The study found no statistically
significant main effects between
time and merger status upon re
venues and nonresident alien
rates and a statistically si
gnificant effect upon fall enrollme
nt rates.


One of the important goals of the universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) in India must be the improvement of the teaching–research (T&R) nexus, which relates to the ways in which research supports teaching and teaching supports research. 'Teaching–research nexus' can be used to describe the multiple links that can be made between T&R to benefit student learning and outcomes. Improving the T&R nexus undoubtedly contributes towards quality teaching and learning. This article seeks to consider on reconsidering the T&R nexus in the Indian higher education (HE) system to bring about and ensure quality and excellence in all its academic endeavours. It focuses on different strategies for improving the T&R nexus and also designing a curriculum for transmitting research-based knowledge for effective teaching and learning in HEIs. The article also throws light on 'Scholarship', the missing link between T&R. In addition to this, it suggests ways of motivating students in practising research in learning, as student involvement in research is an efficient way to educate throughout the education system—the great mass of students as well as the elite performers, for the inquiring society into which the academic community is rapidly moving. The article puts forth an agenda for constructive synergies between T&R to be pursued by individuals and institutions for advancing in this area.


Objective:To investigate the effect of o n the micro-flora in younger infant.Methods:30 wide-spectrum antibiotics treated infant less than 3 months old(experiment group) and 32 age m ahched normal infant were enrolled We analyzed the stool coccid and bacteria af t er excrement gram dying under microscope Results:The infant int estinal flora was confused after using wide-spectrum antibiotic for 3~5 days.T h e G - bacilli decreased significantly (P0 05),G + bacteria increased re markblely(P0 05). It suggests that the rcoimminonurition should be used ea rly in infant who receives wide-spectrum antibiontic treatment.Conclusi on:Stool bacteria counting after gram dying under microscope is a simpl e practical and economical method on the evaluation of intestinal flora in infan t.Which can be used in clinic works.


In large, and often distributed, environments, where access control information may be shared across multiple sites, the combination of individual specifications in order to define a coherent access control policy is of fundamental importance. In order to ensure non-ambiguous behaviour, formal languages, often relying on firstorder logic, have been developed for the description of access control policies. We propose in this paper a formalisation of policy composition by means of term rewriting. We show how, in this setting, we are able to express a wide range of policy combinations and reason about them. Modularity properties of rewrite systems can be used to derive the correctness of the global policy, i.e. that every access request has an answer and this answer is unique


Mechanical interactions between cells and their microenvironment play an important role in determining cell fate, which is particularly relevant in metastasis, a process where cells invade tissue matrices with different mechanical properties. In vitro, type I collagen hydrogels have been commonly used for modeling the microenvironment due to its ubiquity in the human body. In this work, we analyze the combined influence of the stiffness of these hydrogels and their ultrastructure on the migration patterns of HCT-116 and HT-29 spheroids. For this, we prepared six different types of pure type I collagen hydrogels by changing the collagen concentration and the gelation temperature. We measured the stiffness of each sample and characterized its ultrastructure. We then performed cell migration studies by seeding the spheroids in three different spatial conditions. We show that changes in the aforementioned parameters lead to differences in the mechanical stiffness of the matrices as well as the ultrastructure. These differences, in turn, lead to distinct cell migration patterns of HCT-116 and HT-29 spheroids in either of the spatial conditions tested. Based on these results, we conclude that the stiffness and the ultrastructural organization of the matrix can actively modulate cell migration behavior in colorectal cancer spheroids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Academic Information System is a tool to support academic activities in implementing education in institutions effectively and efficiently. Institut Teknologi Telkom Surabaya is an institution that already has an integrated academic information system called I-Gracias. I-Gracias uses a single-user system for all applications. Most users of I-Gracias are students, so student satisfaction with integrated academic information system services can be used as benchmarks in determining I-Gracias improvement plans. One method used for the I-Gracias improvement process is the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method. This method determines the student's desire for I-Gracias using the House of Quality (HOQ) matrix. The result of this research is that the QFD method can prioritize technical responses to the main obstacles for students in using I-Gracias by correlating Voice of Consumer (VOC) and technical response. The highest priority for technical response is coordinating with other units with a technical importance rating of 620.9 and a relative weight value of 21%. Next is to update the module regularly, socialize i-Gracias, meet management targets, receive criticism and suggestions, carry out regular checks and recruit HR if needed as a sequence of improvements to i-Gracias.


A computerized tomographic (CT) scanner has been assembled with a geometric resolution of [approximately]25 to 50 [mu]m. This CT scanner, designed and built at the University of Rome [open quotes]La Sapienza[close quotes] has the following components: (1) X-ray tube working between 20 and 55 key with a maximum current of 30 mA; this tube used bremsstrahlung radiation and filtered the primary radiation with absorbers composed of an element or elements to quasi monochromatize the primary radiation; (2) single X-ray Nal(TI), high-purity germanium detector, or an array of detectors; (3) electronic chain with an amplifier, a single-channel analyzer, and a programmable timer-scaler; (4) translation-rotation system allowing for [approximately]1-m error for linear positioning and the equivalent for rotation; (5) IBM-compatible 286 personal computer, which drives both the translation-rotation system and the timer-scaler; and (6) reconstruction program, written in turbo-Pascal, which is able not only to give the reconstructed matrix of linear attenuation coefficients but also to simulate the matrix and the related tomography.


To the Editor: —My attention has been called to a communication inThe Journal, Dec. 3, 1932, from Dr. Walter B. Lancaster commenting on an eye speculum for cataract extraction which I described and illustrated inThe Journal. Oct. 8, 1932, page 1252. Dr. Lancaster says that the eye speculum is a good illustration of how far one can go afield if one starts from an erroneous premise. I started from the premise that a patient with a cataract incision and an unsupported speculum in the eye can expel vitreous by a contraction of the orbicularis muscle. If that premise is erroneous, I have indeed gone far afield. I agree fully with Dr. Lancaster when he says, "Expulsion of vitreous during cataract operations may come from either or both of two causes: pressure on the eyeball by the surgeon, or pressure on the eyeball by the patient through muscular action."


Souls contaminated by contact with earth have to be cleansed by the other three of the four elements. Augustine quotes this passage of Virgil in his City of God and adds: ' ut quoniam terris superiora sunt elementa, aqua, aer, ignis, ex aliquo istorum mundetur per expiatorias poenas, quod terrena contagione contractum est' (xxi, 13). The note of Servius on Virgil, with its reference to Liber (Bacchus, Dionysus) might in itself have suggested an Orphic reference:' in sacris Liberi omnibus tres sunt istae purgationes. Nam aut taeda purgantur et sulphure aut aqua abluuntur aut aere (ventilantur).' But we have direct evidence that one form of Orphic initiation included cleansing by water, wind and fire, the idea being that those who passed through this threefold purgation on earth would be spared the corresponding purgation in the beyond. The evidence is found on a drinking-glass of imperial times. F. Cumont includes an illustration of it in his Les religions orientates dans le paganisme romain, 4th ed. (1929), fig. 13, and gives the following description:


The structural organization of nitridic ceramics in the system Si/B/N/C on an intermediate length scale is studied using 29Si{11B} rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) and 11B{29Si} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) NMR spectroscopy. The experiments are performed on a 100% 29Si enriched 29Si3B3N7 ceramic material, obtained by ammonolysis and subsequent pyrolysis of the single-source precursor molecule ((trichlorosilyl)amino)dichloroborane (TADB, Cl329SiNHBCl2). Simulations of the resulting double resonance curves on the basis of multiple spin interactions are presented. The double resonance data is supported by additional 11B and 29Si static dipolar spin−echo experiments. The combined results obtained from the different experimental approaches indicate an unexpected connectivity motif in these ceramics, characterized by regions of mainly Si−N−Si linkages and islands of predominantly B−N−B connectivities.


Using five-year longitudinal data from the AHEAD survey, this study investigated the direction of association between health and wealth among elderly people. In particular, it focused on how this association varied across racial and ethnic groups. The study found that there was a significant nonmonotonic association between health and wealth and the direction of the association was from health to wealth, but not from wealth to health, and that race and ethnicity moderated the effect of health on wealth. Implications for social policy are discussed. Key words: elderly people; ethnicity; health; race; social policy; wealth ********** The impressive improvements in economic status and health among older Americans were two major public policy achievements of the past century. The 1935 Social Security Act and its 1939 amendments provided monthly cash benefits to retired workers and their spouses ages 65 and over. The increase in cash benefits in early 1970s and the automatic cost of living adjustment since then have remarkably improved the economic status of older Americans. Between 1959 and 1999, the poverty rate for the elderly population dropped from 35% to less than 10% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Advancements in medical technology and increased access to medical care through the Medicare and Medicaid programs have significantly improved the health status and life expectancy of older Americans. Life expectancy at age 65 increased from 12 years at the beginning of the 20th century to 18 years in 1998 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2000). In 1992, 75% of noninstitutionalized elderly people ages 65 to 74 years and 67% of those ages 75 years and over considered their health as good, very good, or excellent (U.S. Census Bureau, 1996). Despite of these impressive improvements, many elderly people still reported that poor health and financial worries were their biggest concerns ("American Option," 1999). A long life expectancy means that elderly people need to spread their economic resources over a longer period of time than their parents' generation. It also means that many of them may live the additional years with chronic health problems and functional dependency associated with the aging process. The Medicare and social security programs were designed in an era when life expectancy was shorter and major health problems among the elderly population were acute rather than chronic. These programs may not be able to meet the changing needs of the elderly population in the new millennium. The situation is further complicated by the fact that economic status and health are positively associated. Elderly people who have better health are more likely to have greater economic resources than those with poor health and vice versa (see Feinstein, 1993, and National Institute on Aging [NIA], 1999, for reviews). Although the association between economic status and health is well documented, the direction of the causation is not clear. It is likely that higher economic status leads to better health as people who have more economic resources can afford better medical care, better foods, and better living environments throughout their life course. It is also possible that better health leads to higher economic status as people with good health are able to fully participate in the labor market, earn more income, and accumulate more wealth throughout their life course (NIA; Smith, 1998; Smith & Kington, 1997). Furthermore, many earlier studies on the association between health and economic status used household income as the only indicator for economic status. Although many researchers acknowledged the importance of income, others argued that wealth, measured by household net worth, may be a better measure of economic status for elderly people because it reflects the socioeconomic standing of older people throughout their life course (Hurd, 1989; Mutchler & Burr, 1991; Smith & Kington, 1997). …


The history and use of normalising psychotic symptoms is described. The relative importance of normalising as a technique in cognitive behavioural therapy for schizophrenia has not been investigated. A logistic regression is undertaken on those patients with a good clinical outcome (50% improvement) in overall symptoms to identify the roles of the various components of cognitive behavioural therapy. Normalising as part of the broader process of formulation was the only signi icant predictor of good outcome. When normalising is linked to other formulation techniques such as tracing the antecedents of breakdown, decatastrophising schizophrenia and education about illness, it is seen to be the main factor predicting a good clinical outcome. Normalising techniques should be widely used and taught to front line clinicians who are treating patients with schizophrenia.


High demands concerning comfort are made on modern wheel suspensions, especially in the area of the connecting elements between axle and vehicle body. In order to achieve maximum driving safety and comfort, the chassis engineers are required to introduce high dynamic wheel loads without problems from the body side and to minimize impact sound bridges. Elastogran GmbH, Lemforde, a company of the BASF-Group, belongs to the important enterprises in the polyurethane (PUR) field, operating internationally. The Geschaftsbereich Halbzeug und Bauteile (business division semi-finished parts and elements) develops, produces and sells elements and semi-finished products made of cellular polyurethane elastomers, the brand name being Cellasto®. Spring aids made of Cellasto are applied in the vehicle construction as suspensions and shock absorbers. Besides the production of spring aids, Elastogran develops tailor-made elements and performs the pertinent tests related to service life. Spring aids and elements made of cellular polyurethane elastomers do not only excell by a progressive characteristic but also by particularly interesting combinations of properties, for example extremely high volume compressibility with extremely low lateral expansion and good resilience


The journals of Irish socialite, Katherine Wilmot, who tells of her travels amid the rich and privileged in early 19th century Europe and Russia.


" '… With Profitable and Joyous Converse': An Appreciation from the Other Side of 'The Pond'." David Taylor, Ph.D., FSA, UK Historian and Author


In the last few years, the so-called flyby anomaly has been widely discussed, but remains still an illusive topic. This is due to the harsh conditions experienced during an Earth flyby as well as due to the limited data available. In this work, we assess the possibility of confirming and characterizing this anomaly by resorting to the scientific capabilities of the future Galileo constellation.


SUMMARY 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used in chemotherapeutic treatments of solid tumors. However, adverse events after its administration occur in about 30% of patients. Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the 5-FU catabolic pathway: several studies have focused on its genetics and/or pharmacokinetics in order to explain the wide interpatient variability in the DPD activity, including the rare event of its complete absence of activity. The pretreatment screening for DPD activity with a multiparametric approach (genotyping, phenotyping, clinico–pathological characteristics) shows the greatest specificity and sensitivity to avoid severe early-onset toxicity to fluoropyrimidines. In addition, using the pharmacokinetics of 5-FU, the dose adaptation can be used to properly dose each cycle for optimal efficacy and reduction of early-onset toxicities.


This study aimed at determining the effect of land use on soil degradation, discovering the indicator as a determinant factor of soil degradation, and providing recommendations for land management to improve soil productivity. This study was conducted in agricultural lands in Giriwoyo, Wonogiri, Indonesia, and the observation indicator adopted by the Indonesian Government Regulation concerning Soil Degradation Control for Biomass Production. The methodology used was survey research with purposive sampling points in 12 land mapping units, and each unit was represented three times. The result showed that the study area was slightly and moderately degraded. Land use significantly affected soil degradation, and the paddy field has the highest degradation in the study area. Soil characteristics as degradation factors in the study area were soil texture, bulk density, and total porosity. Strategy for land management can be made by limiting the use of chemical fertilizers, and changing the use of chemical fertilizers into compost, to increase soil organic content, and accelerate the availability of nutrients.


We studyworkers' incentives of reporting problems within an OLG organization consisting of a subordinate and a manager. The subordinate is responsible for reporting a problem, and the manager is responsible for solving the reported problem. The subordinate has an incentive to conceal a detected problem since if he reports it but the manager is too lazy to solve the problem, the responsibility is transferred to the subordinate since he becomes a manager in the next period. We show that concealment is more likely either if subordinates are farsighted or the problem's growth rate increases over time.


The objective of this study is to demonstrate and validate the Dynamic Energy Transport and Integration Laboratory (DETAIL) preliminary scaling analysis using Modelica language system-code Dymola. The DETAIL preliminary scaling analysis includes a multisystem integral scaling package between thermal-storage and hydrogen-electrolysis systems. To construct the system of scaled equations, dynamical system scaling (DSS) was applied to all governing laws and closure relations associated with the selected integral system. The existing Dymola thermal-energy distribution system (TEDS) facility and high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) facility models in the Idaho National Laboratory HYBRID repository were used to simulate a test case and a corresponding scaled case for integrated system HYBRID demonstration and validation. The DSS projected data based on the test-case simulations and determined scaling ratios were generated and compared with scaled case simulations. The preliminary scaling analysis performance was evaluated, and scaling distortions were investigated based on data magnitude, sequence, and similarity. The results indicated a necessity to change the normalization method for thermal storage generating optimal operating conditions of 261 kW power and mass flow rate of 6.42 kg/s and the possibility of reselecting governing laws for hydrogen electrolysis to improve scaling predictive properties. To enhance system-scaling similarity for TEDS and HTSE, the requirement for scaling validation via physical-facility demonstration was identified.


ing of the views of hospital patients. In contrast, both Leavey and Wilson and Baker explain how they have developed instruments to obtain the views of patients about different aspects of general practice. One of the problems with many studies of patient satisfaction is that they tend to focus almost exclusively on the 'hotel' and process aspects of care. There are relatively few studies of satisfaction with clinical care. A welcome addition to this collection, therefore, is Fitzpatrick and Hopkins' study which sets out to investigate the value of a neurological referral for headache from the viewpoint of the patient. The final methodological contribution explores the value of critical incident technique as a way of capturing patient perceptions. This is followed by two general discussions about differences in doctors' and


Aim: Positive mood and cognitive flexibility are known to enhance creativity. The present study examines this important issue in the age range of 8 to 12 years, assuming that positive mood is likely to promote creativity by affecting cognitive flexibility. Methods: The study population included all female students aged 8 to 12 years in districts 4 and 8 of Tehran. From the research population, 60 people in two age groups of 8 to 10 (8/80  0/76) and 10 to 12 (11/20  0/76) years were selected by available sampling method. After randomly placing individuals in research groups based on the induced mood and age, individuals were assessed using the computerized version of Wisconsin Card Sorting (1948) and the Torrance Creative Thinking (1974) test. The collected data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney U and Hayes mediator regression model (2018). Results: Regression model analysis confirmed the mediating role of cognitive flexibility between mood and creativity, where positive mood improves individuals' cognitive flexibility and thereby enhances performance in creativity test. Conclusion: The findings of this study as evidence of the importance of mood on the level of cognitive flexibility and creative performance in children emphasized the need to consider this issue in educational settings with the aim of creating and strengthening creative thinking in children.


Studies of genetic markers of uniparental inheritance, such as mitochondrial DNA have been used successfully to study the settlement, history and origins of human populations. In the Chilean population, most published articles on the subject have been carried out with populations from southern Chile, leaving a gap on our knowledge about northern populations. In order to delve into population dynamics of the coast and interior valleys of the Antofagasta region, we analyzed 207 individuals from the cities of Antofagasta and Calama, to determine the frequency of mitochondrial haplogroups in each one. The results show a significant difference between the coast and the valleys; despite their geographical proximity, the genetic differences between them suggest they can be considered different population units. These differences probably result from the social and cultural patterns of these populations in the past, which, due to their kinship networks, were developing different ways of life over time: the coast and the puna lifestyles, leaving a biological imprint that lasts to this day.


The end of the Cold War has forced the world's military-industrial complex to concentrate on technological niches rather than broad technological thrusts. The decline in defense budgets and the cutbacks in defense production will erode military capabilities in the developed world, allowing the Third World to catch up in key niches. Defense conversion has not succeeded to date, and is unlikely to succeed on anything like the scale of the previous military production or to absorb significant numbers of unemployed defense workers. The military-industrial complex should be allowed to consolidate and contract while new business formation among former defense workers, researchers, and engineers should be encouraged. In the long run, entrepreneurship will likely prove more beneficial and productive than trying to keep alive the kinds of enterprises that served the needs of the Cold War.


Results of experimental investigations and theoretical modeling of THz pulse generation in a laser spark of axicon discharge are presented. Experimental results demonstrate define evidence of Cherenkov cone in radiation pattern of THz radiation, what is in favor of the idea that radiation is generated in the region of ionization front, moving with superlight velocity. Polarization features in generated radiation and weak reaction to the applied external dc electric field give rise to the idea that THz radiation is generated due to internal low frequency electric field excited in the process of laser discharge. The main discrepancy between theoretical expectations and experimental results is a rather low frequency of generated THz radiation which means low ionization rate of ambient air in the generation region and is a matter of theoretical simulations.


extiles, the manipulation and production of fabric from fibre was T originally taken to mean woven fabric. With creativity, industrialization and technological advancement, textiles have gone beyond woven fabrics to include non-woven fabrics and have in recent times served as inspiration to other art forms, which include but not limited to sculpture, painting, pottery and fashion accessories. They are referred to as decorative arts. This paper discussed African textiles as inspiration and an innovative transformational tool to other art forms and crafts for national development. It is at aimed encouraging and sustaining reusing and transformation of discarded textiles and other waste materials to create historic cultural art. It analyzed the works of artists documenting and preserving history and style. They are, El Anatsuiand Yinka Shone bare who are sculptors, Odun Orimolade, an installation artist, Godfrey Williams-Okorodus, a painter, Victoria Udondian and Peju Alatise, mixed media artists, who have carved a niche for themselves in their style of art production using African textiles. African textiles in this paper are those indigenous products and foreign acculturated textiles which include Kente, Aso oke, Adire and Abada also referred to as Hollandis . These fabrics can be incorporated in other art forms depicting African culture in various ways souvenirs and for tourists and historic works housed in museums. The study noted that African textile shave gained recognition worldwide, enhancing and promoting embellishment of other art forms formational development.


The potassium-magnesium salt deposit in Khammouan Province of Laos is located in eastern Khorat Basin which belongs to upper Cretaceous salt sedimentary basin.The formation of the deposit underwent three sedimentary cycles which formed three salt sections,i.e.,upper,middle and lower sections,and every salt section includes two layers,namely salt layer and clay layer.The ore is located in the lower salt layer of lower salt section.This paper mainly studied the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the lower salt layer based on ZK318 well.The results show that halite,sylvite and carnallite are main minerals,with small amounts of boracite and anhydrite.In combination with the characteristics of minerals,major elements and trace elements,the lower salt layer can be divided into five layers in upward order of halite layer→ sylvite layer→ carnallite layer→ thin halite layer→ upper sylvite layer.Bromine(Br) values(higher than 200×10-6) show that the brine came from sea water,and carnallite occurred at the highest stage of brine concentration,as shown by its highest Br value of 2 572×10-6 among five layers.Boron content showed a gradual increase from halite layer through sylvite layer to carnallite layer,suggesting that boron content is in linear correlation with salinity of the brine.Boron value of the upper sylvite layer is up to 890×10-6,which is consistent with the existence of boracite mineral revealed by XRD,indicating that ore brine came from sea water and deep hydrothermal solution.In addition,according to the evaporative order of halide brine,the order of crystallization was halite→sylvite→carnallite,and carnallite seemed to be the last sedimentary period in halide brine.However,in ZK318 well,there appears a thin layer of halite above the carnallite layer,which shows that it underwent a short period of fresh water supply which result in the decrease of brine concentration in the basin,but soon the concentration continued to increase with the replenishment of deep hydrothermal solution,followed by the precipitation of the upper sylvite layer.Thus,the sedimentation of the lower salt layer was over.Therefore,the upper and lower sylvite layers are both primary sedimentary layers because they overlie the halite layer directly,and have the same content of boron,being 1 790×10-6 and 1 792×10-6,respectively.In summary,potassium sources of the ore deposit were sea water and deep hydrothermal solution,and two sylvite layers in the well are both primary sediments.


Formation control problems for time-delayed second-order multi-agent systems with switching topology are investigated in this study. A formation control protocol with time delays and switching topology is presented. A specific expression of the time-varying formation reference function is given to indicate the movement of the formation. Sufficient conditions for time-delayed second-order multi-agent systems with switching topology to achieve time-varying formation are given. Numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the presented results.


The cavity-backed dipole feed has such characteristics as small size,simple configuration,flexible adjustment and good electric performance,which can realize broadband matching performance fed by a board line.It consists of radiating dipoles,a cavity and feeding part which uses board line type and has adjustable short-circuit patches.The experimental results show that the feed has wider bandwidth performance about matching and patterns and it is especially suitable for the L or S band and used as the feed of front-fed reflector antenna.


The independence of history course was achieved through recent curricular amendments. Thus the frame of integrated social studies, a long-time obstacle to the development of history education, had been removed and the designation of History as an independent course was finally fulfilled. The establishment of 'History Course' will be an opportunity to overcome self-centeredness in National History and to enhance awareness in World History by understanding National History in relation to the World History. East Asian History course will serve a better way of realizing East Asian Community to achieve lasting peace and prosperity through resolving serious historical conflicts. History education in Korea has now reached a turning point. With the adoption of History as an independent course, the dichotomy system of National History with regard to World History over many decades has been brought to an end. Nevertheless considerable changes have been made in the overall history education with further amendments of National Curriculum. I believe international discussions on various topics including the curriculum, textbooks, and history classes on the field, will contribute to the enhancement of history education.


Spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) and mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks have impacted millions of acres of conifer forest from Alaska to northern Mexico. These species are native to North America, and periodic outbreaks have shaped the structure and composition of conifer forests for millennia. However, the extent and severity of current outbreaks, fueled by favorable climatic conditions and increased susceptibility of forests, are unmatched in recorded history. To characterize the response of a suite of mammalian species to beetle‐induced changes in vegetation in the southern Rocky Mountains, we deployed cameras at 300 randomly selected sites during summer 2013–2014. Selected sites spanned gradients of years elapsed since bark beetle outbreaks (YSO) and severity. We fit single‐season occupancy models to detection/non‐detection data collected for each species to examine a variety of plausible relationships between use of a given stand and YSO, severity, or both. Ungulates exhibited a positive association with bark beetle activity, although the nature of these associations varied by species. Elk (Cervus canadensis) were positively associated with severity, but not YSO; mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) exhibited the opposite relationship. Moose (Alces alces) responded in a quadratic fashion; use of forest stands adjacent to preferred willow habitat peaked 3–7 yr after an outbreak commenced, but only at high severity. Similarly, yellow‐bellied marmot use of impacted stands adjacent to rock outcroppings followed a quadratic trend, but only at high severity. Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) use declined in severely impacted stands, likely as a response to diminished cone crops. Golden‐mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) and chipmunks (Neotamias spp.) exhibited a shallow negative relationship with YSO, as did coyotes (Canis latrans). Contrary to our hypotheses, black bears (Ursus americanus), American marten (Martes americana), snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), and porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) did not appear to be substantially influenced by beetle activity. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) use was positively associated with YSO, but overall use declined as severity increased. Note that changes in probability of use described here could reflect changes in abundance, home range size, habitat use, or some combination, and in several cases, there was considerable uncertainty across competing models.


ABSTRACT Stock analyst reputation bridges the gap between technical knowledge of the high-technology and the investor's response to its stock, implying that the reputation of the stand-alone analyst serves this purpose. However, global firms have a stronger influence on their stock analysts than do small firms with 2 personnel. Does firm reputation affect the individual analyst and attract investor attention to forecasted stocks? Evidence from SAFs (security analyst firms) in the biotechnology sector supports this question and proposition. Four moderators (interactive predictors of organisational reputation) show positive correlations. They are the SAF's age, size, performance, and media coverage. These organisational level measures contribute to the institutional theory compared to the literature that focuses on the individual analyst without their organisations. In line with institutional theory, we make three explicit points. First, high uncertainty in the biotechnology sector turns investors to the organisational legitimacy and reputation of the analyst. Second, the organisational age, size, performance and media coverage of the security firm reduces uncertainty of the investor in the biotechnology sector. Third, the reputation of security firm flow to its individual analysts as well as from the individual analyst to the security firm. Thus, the organisational context matters in a social setting.


The interference of incident laser light with light reflected from dielectric interfaces is important in the completeness with which a laser beam vaporizes thin metal films, even though the dielectric layers lie underneath the metal film being vaporized. A structure consisting of titanium-platinum links on a two level dielectric consisting of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide on a silicon substrate was used to demonstrate the effect. The resistance of laser vaporized titanium-platinum links varied by more than seven orders of magnitude as the thickness of the silicon dioxide, the lower dielectric, was varied. The thicknesses of underlying dielectric layers are, therefore, parameters which must be taken into account when using a laser beam to produce high resistance open circuits in metal films.


Epidemiology is widely perceived as a public health discipline within which methodology matters .1 Methods dominate educational curriculums and influential textbooks.2 3Epidemiological societies regularly feature methods sessions at their national and international meetings and, at least informally, the discipline recognises the methodologists who study the methods and the practitioners who use them. It follows that epidemiological methods, whether quantitative (for example, meta-analysis or logistic regression) or qualitative (for example, causal inference or narrative reviews), have a theoretical side and a more practical side. The theory behind a method and especially how that method should be practised "in theory" are discussed in textbooks and journal articles; methodological standards and guidelines are good examples. How a method is actually practised is found in its applications, in analytical studies, reviews, and other publications. The relation between these accounts—the extent to which practice matches theory—is the starting point of this paper.

Three methods are of particular interest: meta-analysis, causal inference, and techniques for systematic narrative literature reviews. These methods were selected because serious concerns have been raised about how each is practised.4-6 These are also closely related methods, often appearing together in the same publication, typically a review paper, textbook chapter, or technical report within which a body of evidence is summarised and interpreted.7 8 Nevertheless, each of these methods is distinct enough to have a recognisable theoretical literature and observable practice patterns.

Perhaps the most important reason for looking carefully at the relation between how these methods are practised and how they are "supposed" to be practised is the key part they play in the assessment and interpretation of scientific evidence. These methods are central to the search for causal determinants of disease and for ways to use that knowledge to improve public health.

Public health and clinical …


A dichotomy of hair‐cell types has been found in the bullfrog sacculus, and considerable evidence supports the view that one type ("peripheral") is transformed during macular growth to the other type ("central"). Between the periphery and the center of the macula, one finds a gradation of form from "peripheral" to "central" type. Occasionally in adults and more often in stage‐26 tadpoles one finds the presumably younger peripheral type of hair cell occurring well beyond the limits of the macula proper. The apparent morphogenic sequence for saccular hair cells is (1) development of a kinocillum on an endolymphatic epithelial cell, (2) gradual transformation of microvilli into stereocilia, (3) growth of the stereocilia and development of kinociliary bulb, (4) achievement of final size and form.


In the CryoEM‐structure of the hSkMNaV1.4 ion channel (PDB:6AGF), the 59‐residue DIS5‐S6 linker peptide was omitted due to absence of electron density. This peptide is intriguing – comprised of unique sequence and found only in mammalian skeletal muscle sodium ion channels. To probe potential physiological and evolutionary significance, we constructed an homology model of the complete hSkMNaV1.4 channel. Rather than a flexible random coil potentiating drift across the channel, the linker folds into a compact configuration through self‐assembling secondary structural elements. Analogous sequences from 48 mammalian organisms show hypervariability with between 40% and 100% sequence similarity. To investigate structural implications, sequences from 14 representative organisms were additionally modelled. All showed highly conserved N‐and C‐terminal residues closely superimposed, suggesting a critical functional role. An optimally located asparagine residue within the conserved region was investigated for N‐linked glycosylation and MD simulations carried out. Results suggest a complex glycan added at this site in the linker may form electrostatic interactions with the DIV voltage sensing domain and be mechanistically involved in channel gating. The relationship of unique sequence, compact configuration, potential glycosylation and MD simulations are discussed relative to SkMNaV1.4 structure and function.


The development of science and technology that is increasing rapidly at the time causes the development of information to grow rapidly. Dukuh Kalitan is one area that has a young generation with low interest in reading. One of the reasons for this lack of interest in reading is the lack of education about the importance of reading for the younger generation. Another factor is found in the field is the unavailability of reading facilities in Dukuh Kalitan. The solution offered from these problems is the procurement of an ergonomic reading chair. The reading chair will be made based on the user's body dimensions. The goal is to make users feel comfortable, prevent risks that occur due to workloads, and increase user satisfaction. The method used through a combination of empowerment includes methods: increasing knowledge in the form of counseling and procuring products in the form of an ergonomic reading chair. The procurement of ergonomic reading chairs is carried out by measuring the user's body dimensions using anthropometry and percentile calculations. The design of this ergonomic reading chair uses a design type for adjustable use. The conclusions that can be drawn are as follows: (1) the principle of ergonomics is very relevant in designing an ergonomic reading chair that fits the dimensions of the user's body; (2) there are 7 dimensions for designing an ergonomic reading chair for teenagers in Dukuh Kalitan, namely: popliteal height, popliteal buttocks, hip width, sitting shoulder height, shoulder width, sitting elbow height and forearm length.


Potentially important reasons for why many studies have rejected the law of one price (LOP), are that goods in different locations differ in attributes and that costs of local inputs are important for prices. For many goods, transport costs are also likely to be high so that arbitrage can not be expected to equalize prices. Much recent interest has focused on how nominal price rigidities interact with deviations from LOP. By examining duty-free outlets, where the same physical product is sold at the same location but in (at least) two different currencies, we are able to provide a benchmark of the importance of deviations from LOP where the "identical goods assumption" holds and there are no transport costs. We find that the duty-free outlets allow deviations from LOP of up to 7-10 percent. Deviations below this level can be very persistent and last up to a decade. Even after accounting for costs of exchanging currency, there are periods with arbitrage opportunities. However, if exchange rate movements bring prices further out of line then nominal prices are adjusted as to reduce the deviations. Our findings are consistent with costly arbitrage and fixed costs of adjusting nominal prices.


A stunning documentary film titled "Mardi Gras: Made in China" provides an insightful and engaging perspective on the globalization of desire for material consumption. Tracing the life cycle of Mardi Gras beads from a small factory in Fuzhou, China to the streets of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans the viewer grasps the near universal human desire to strive for an affluent lifestyle. David Redmon, an independent film maker, follows the beads' genealogy back to the industrial town of Fuzhou, China, to the factory that is the world's largest producer of Mardi Gras beads and related party trinkets. He explores how these frivolous and toxic products affect the people who make them and those who consume them. Redmon captures the daily reality of a Chinese manufacturing facility. It's workforce of approximately 500 teenage girls, and a handful of boys, live like prisoners in a fenced-in compound. These young people, often working 16-hour days, are constantly exposed to styrene, a chemical known to cause cancer — all for about 10 cents an hour. In addition to indoor pollution, the decrepit coal-fired manufacturing facilities are symbolic of China's fast rise to the world's top producer of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.1 Themore » process of industrialization and modernization in China is happening at an unprecedented rate and scale.« less


Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage are highly involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Some mitochondrial antioxidants/nutrients that can improve mitochondrial function and/or attenuate oxidative damage have been implicated in PD therapy. However, few studies have evaluated the preventative effects of a combination of mitochondrial antioxidants/nutrients against PD, and even fewer have sought to optimize the doses of the combined agents. The present study examined the preventative effects of two mitochondrial antioxidant/nutrients, R‐α–lipoic acid (LA) and acetyl‐L‐carnitine (ALC), in a chronic rotenone‐induced cellular model of PD. We demonstrated that 4‐week pretreatment with LA and/or ALC effectively protected SK‐N‐MC human neuroblastoma cells against rotenone‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage and accumulation of α‐synuclein and ubiquitin. Most notably, we found that when combined, LA and ALC worked at 100–1000‐fold lower concentrations than they did individually. We also found that pretreatment with combined LA and ALC increased mitochondrial biogenesis and decreased production of reactive oxygen species through the up‐regulation of the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator 1α as a possible underlying mechanism. This study provides important evidence that combining mitochondrial antioxidant/nutrients at optimal doses might be an effective and safe prevention strategy for PD.


Mature fruits and dried seeds of wild member of Cucurbitaceae were analysed with SDS-PAGE electrophoresis for their protein polymorphism and morphometric variations with view to observe how far the protein polymorphism data would help to assess the relatedness as well as differentiation among single species.  2009 Trade Science Inc. INDIA


Our society is faced with grave peril of value deterioration. Crimes in all areas of life are rampant and there is dissatisfaction amongst people. Therefore, it is important to tackle this hazard urgently and seize its growth. There is a pressing need for appropriate educational action to meet this challenge. Value education has been strongly emphasized. Value education is a deliberate programme that works towards the development of values, building holistic individuals. One way in which values can be taught in schools is through developing a module for teachers in Social Science integrated with values. The objectives of the study were to develop, implement and study the effectiveness of the module for teaching Social Science in terms of conceptual knowledge and perception of values of Equality and Peace. The research design was Quasi-experimental in nature. Convenience sampling technique was followed to select the sample which consisted of 30 students from class IX of two schools of Vadodara city thereby forming the experimental and control group. Achievement test, Value Knowledge test, and Perception scale were constructed and administered to gather the data. The study was conducted in five phases. Mean, SD, Mann-Whitney U-test was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that the module developed for teachers for the inculcation of values in students through the teaching of Social Science was effective as the students had a higher conceptual knowledge and a higher perception of the values of Equality and Peace.


For a long time,because we pay much attention to English knowledge tea-ching,neglect the cultivation of the students' intercultural communication competence in higher vocational English teaching,the students can not communicate with each other.The author thinks the permeability of intercultural com-munication in higher vocational English teaching can make the students become higher te-chnology talents who have both professional skills and the ability of allround application of English.


The authoresses have studied experimentally the efficiency of various disinfectants and recommend for beverages the following concentrations: Persteril 0,5%, Septonex from 0,05 to 0,1%. Ajatin from 0,05 to 0,1%.


Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) is an easy-to-run experiment that is widely used to detect the reinforcing property of drugs. Most CPP experiments have employed post-training tests without drug injection. Here, a post-training test with drug injection was employed. C57/BL6 mice received CPP training with 0.3 mg/Kg or 3.0 mg/Kg morphine and were then tested three times: without morphine, with 0.3 mg/Kg morphine, and with 3.0 mg/Kg morphine. The mice trained with 0.3 mg/Kg did not show a significant increase in staying time at the drug-associated compartment in the drug-free test, but a significant increase was found in tests with the drug. The mice trained with 3.0 mg/Kg morphine showed conditioned preference in all tests and displayed enhancement of the conditioned preference in tests with the drug. The animals experienced environmental cues under the influence of the drug during the CPP training but were exposed to cues without the drug in the drug-free test. Thus negative results obtained in the post-training drug-free test may have been caused by differences in the stimuli the animals experienced.


Osteoporosis as a systemic skeletal disorder is characterized by increased bone fragility and the risk of fractures. According to the World Health Organization, osteoporosis is one of the 10 most common diseases and affects approximately 75 million people in Europe, the United States, and Japan. In this context, the identification of specific microRNA (miRNA) signatures is an important step for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The focus of interest on miRNAs as biomarkers came with new publications identifying free circulating extracellular miRNAs associated with various types of cancer. This study aimed to identify specific miRNAs in patients with osteoporotic fractures compared with nonosteoporotic fractures. For the array analysis, miRNAs were isolated from the serum of 20 patients with hip fractures, transcribed, and the samples were pooled into 10 osteoporotic and 10 nonosteoporotic specimens. With each pool of samples, human serum and plasma miRNA PCR arrays were performed, which are able to identify 83 different miRNAs. Subsequently, a separate validation analysis of each miRNA found to be regulated in the array followed with miRNA samples isolated from the serum of 30 osteoporotic and 30 nonosteoporotic patients and miRNA samples isolated from the bone tissue of 20 osteoporotic and 20 nonosteoporotic patients. With the validation analysis of the regulated miRNAs, we identified 9 miRNAs, namely miR‐21, miR‐23a, miR‐24, miR‐93, miR‐100, miR‐122a, miR‐124a, miR‐125b, and miR‐148a, that were significantly upregulated in the serum of patients with osteoporosis. In the bone tissue of osteoporotic patients, we identified that miR‐21, miR‐23a, miR‐24, miR‐25, miR‐100, and miR‐125b displayed a significantly higher expression. A total of 5 miRNAs display an upregulation both in serum and bone tissue. This study reveals an important role for several miRNAs in osteoporotic patients and suggested that they may be used as biomarkers for diagnostic purposes and may be a target for treating bone loss and optimizing fracture healing in osteoporotic patients. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.


Reclamation projects in the shallow Gulf of Bahrain are proceeding, including what would be the world's longest causeway connecting two countries, Bahrain and Qatar. Depending on whether there is a war in Iraq, procurement could start in late 2002 on the connector, estimated to cost $2 billion. It accompanies several other artificial islands being created in the area, including Dubai's $3-billion project that will make a palm-shaped island complex to be occupied by upscale homes, restaurants, resorts and shops. The project is already visible from satellite photos and is expected to require nearly 200 million cu meter of fill. It is called the Jumeirah project and uses a combination of reclaimed spoils from earlier projects and rock from quarries as far as 100 km away. The causeway would be comprised of 22 km of bridges with two cable-stayed spans high enough for marine navigation. It would close a loop between the existing King Fahd Causeway in Saudi Arabia and the island emirate and would stretch 40 km, 60% longer than the current record-holder.


Nickel metal with an unoxidized and an electrochemically oxidized surface can be transferred considerable distances between vacuum systems, without significant surface change, in an anaerobic cell for study by various surface science methods (XPS, Auger, ISS, and SIMS). The SIMS and ISS spectra are very sensitive to hydrocarbon contamination, which can be nearly eliminated by using the transfer cell. Complementary information is obtained using these surface analytical methods. Electrochemically oxidized nickel metal samples show the presence of oxide and hydroxide species. The results are compared with spectral data for a number of nickel compounds.


The present study attempted to replicate the findings of Kolb's research identifying two groups of mediators, which she labeled "Dealmakers" and "Orchestrators." Seventy‐seven mediators were presented with a written dispute and asked to react the likelihood that they would use each of nine different mediation techniques. The techniques corresponded to Sheppard's taxonomy of Process Control, Content Control, and Motivational Control techniques. They also rated the perceived effectiveness of each of these three types of control with the dispute. Based upon their responses, the mediators were separated into groups using average‐link cluster analysis. The results suggested four clusters: Cluster 1 members corresponded to Kolb's "Dealmakers," relying upon Process, Content, and Motivational Control techniques. Cluster 2 members did not correspond to either of Kolb's classifications, choosing to use Content and Motivational Control strategies. Cluster 3 members were similar to Kolb's "Orchestrators;" members of this cluster relied upon Process and Content Control techniques only. Cluster 4 members were reluctant to use any of the control strategies. These findings suggest a partial replication and extension of Kolb's initial work. Implications for future research are discussed.


Reason for withdrawal from publication
This review is one part of a larger systematic review. The other part of the review will be published in the Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews (http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/library.php). Both reviews are funded by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie). A copy of the reviews will be published in the 3ie database of systematic reviews (http://www.3ieimpact.org/en/evidence/systematic-reviews/).

Editorial Note 2 March 2017: This review was published in the Journal of Development Effectiveness, Volume 8, 2016.


Objective To analyze mutations in the PTCH1 gene in a pedigree with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS).Methods Blood samples were collected from a 58-year-old male proband with NBCCS (Ⅱ 5),his brothers (Ⅱ 1 and Ⅱ 3) and son (Ⅲ4),and 50 unrelated healthy human controls.DNA was extracted from these blood samples.PCR and direct DNA sequencing were performed to determine mutation sites in the PTCH1 gene.According to the mutation sites,allele-specific oligonucleotide primers were designed and used to confirm the pathogenic mutations in this pedigree through PCR.Results A nonsense mutation (c.2137C),which leads to the substitution of CAG by TAG with the generation of a premature termination codon (Q714X),was identified in exon 14 in one allele of the PTCH1 gene in the proband and his son,but in none of the healthy human controls.Conclusion The nonsense mutation (c.2137C > T) in the PTCH1 gene may be a specific mutation causing the clinical symptoms in the patient with NBCCS.

Key words:
Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome;  PTCH1 gene;  Codon, nonsense


The effect of a static magnetic field on tyrosinase(TYR) activity and its degradation of phenolic compounds was studied. TYR activity was enhanced at a magnetic intensity range of 10~350mT, and an enhancement factor of 27.1% was found at the optimal magnetic field of 150mT. The activity increased with magnetization time-but after 60min the activity began to decline. The thermostability and pH stability of magnetized TYR were also improved, and catalytic activity was promoted between 20~35℃ and pH 5.0~10.0. The optimal pH and temperature were 7.0 and 25℃. The Michaelis constant Km of TYR for catalysis of pyrocatechol was 2.65 mmol·L-1 and that of magnetized TYR was 3.83 mmol·L-1. The reaction rate of TYR for catalysis of pyrocatechol, phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol decreased in sequence, and the magnetic effect of TYR for catalyzing pyrocatechol was most remarkable among these phenolic compounds. The rates of catalytic degradation of phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol by magnetized TYR to the removal rate of phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol on different concentrations were obviously higher than those of TYR, and the removal rate of phenolic compounds was increased with amount of enzyme added. The fluorescence spectrum indicated that the fluorescence intensity of magnetized TYR was enhanced, and its conformation was changed.


Introduction: Psychological first aid (PFA) is an important procedure which is designed and practicedwith an intention to reduce the incidence of disorders related to stress. The use of STP was effective toenhance the level of knowledge regarding the use of psychological first aid, thereby helped in improvingthe quality of life among people. Method: Research approach used for the study is Quantitative researchand the research design used is Pre-experimental research design. 60 samples were selected for the studyusing Probability sampling method. Pre-test was administered to subjects, followed by structured teachingProgramme through AV aid on psychological first aid was given, followed by post-test, which was carriedafter two weeks. Result: Findings revealed in Pre-test, average knowledge score was 12.66 with standarddeviation of 1.78 whereas in post-test average knowledge score was 19.99 with standard deviation of 3.26.This indicates that the structure-teaching programme was effective to enhance the level of knowledge aboutthe psychological first aid among the psychiatric Nurses. Conclusion: The present study enhanced theknowledge on the psychological first aid in psychiatric Nurses. The study found that majority of Nurseshave average knowledge towards psychological first aid


This paper presents several novel acquisition algorithms for time-variant multipath channels. To acquire several closely-spaced multipath channel delays and multipath Doppler frequencies, our novel acquisition methods resort to low complexity high resolution subspace estimators. The low complexity high resolution subspace estimators perform a coherent estimation of the sample covariance matrix, which prevents the squaring loss (SL) and a reduced acquisition probability due to rapidly alternating modulation symbols. We use the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) and the unitary estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariant techniques (ESPRIT) method for the two-dimensional delay and Doppler multipath acquisition. Contrary to MUSIC, unitary ESPRIT enables the first decoupled acquisition of multipath channel delays and Doppler frequencies, which yields a high acquisition probability at low signal to noise ratios (SNRs) with a low acquisition complexity.


This paper investigates the long time behavior of global solutions of nonlocal and doubly nonlinear parabolic equations with the first initial-boundary value problem. The author shows that every global solution is necessarily bounded in L~∞ norm under some conditions.


AbstractA 13-year-old girl, in conjunction with a mild cervical lymphadenitis, the aetiology of which could not be ascertained, had an abnormally high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), diffuse hyperglobulinaemia, sideropenia, and mild parenchymatous liver damage. During the following 3 years she was entirely healthy, but her ESR was constantly elevated (25 and 45 mm/1 h), and likewise the quantities of α2-, β- and γ-globulins in the blood. The tendency to sideropenia also persisted without development of anaemia. The hyperglobulinaemia was caused by pathologically elevated quantities of immunoglobulins IgA and IgG. The bone marrow showed an abnormal plasmacytic reaction. The hyperglobulinaemia was not accompanied by an increased susceptibility to infection. Cortisone had no effect on the levels of the immunoglobulins. No plausible pathogenetic explanation could be found for the plasmacytosis. It was probably of hereditary origin. The patient's father and, though to a lesser degree, her brother exhibit...


EDTA inhibits reversibly the thrombin-fibrinogen reaction by a time-dependent effect on fibrinogen. Utilizing the stability of various metal-EDTA complexes, evidence is presented that EDTA acts by chelating traces of essential metal ions, whereas EDTA itself seems inactive. N-terminal analysis revealed that the effect of EDTA on the thrombin-fibrinogen reaction does not involve the enzymatic part of the reaction, but is restricted to the polymerization process.


The comparative study between the 15th century Arab mathematician al-Kashi's The Key to Arithmetic(1427)and some similar problems in ancient Chinese mathematics has always been a research focus for Chinese mathematicians.In view of previous domestic research proceeding from secondary documents and through the similarity of several issues,it is concluded that the relevant content of The Key to Arithmetic has been influenced by the mathematicians of Song and Yuan Dynasties in China.Based on the interpretation of the original Arabic document and relatively comprehensive and systematic comparative analysis,this article comes to realize that there are some obvious differences among them in terms of its text,method and intention.In the light of the history of Arab mathematics,almost all of the content of the book carry on the early tradition of Arab mathematics from the 10th to the 12th century.Thus,The Key to Arithmetic should not be under the direct impact of the mathematics of Song and Yuan Dynasties in China.


Action Research is increasingly being used on many education and training programmes. As an approach that focuses research on live issues in order to take action, it fits well with action learning. Experience shows, however, that careful consideration needs to be given to selecting, designing and implementing projects. This Guidebook helps the would‐be action researcher to do this. It is part text and part workbook, covering the need for and use of action research, explaining the essential features and pitfalls, and indicating ways in which action research can be developed and put to work. The use of checklists, action plans and examples makes it an effective means of helping to produce a good action research project for those undertaking action oriented learning programmes. It results in a statement of the project, methods, opportunities, learning benefits and further developments. A list of further readings is provided for those who wish to go more deeply into the concepts and ideas underpinning action research, action learning and related matters.


I Sincerely hope that we are sufficiently aware in the colleges of our inheritance from the school teachers' work towards academic freedom. One aspect in which we have won this freedom, whether by chance or design, is in the free choice of course textbooks. We are not bound, though one sometimes still finds it, to a dutiful following of the college 'book list' — which is often chosen by people who will not be doing the job of teaching.


Extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma (EPNEC) is a lethal disease with a poor prognosis. Platinum‐based chemotherapy is used as the standard first‐line treatment for unresectable EPNEC. Several retrospective studies have reported the results of the utilization of temozolomide (TMZ) as a drug for the second‐line treatment for EPNEC. Patients with unresectable EPNEC that were resistant to platinum‐based combination chemotherapy were recruited for a prospective phase II study of TMZ monotherapy. A 200 mg/m2 dose of TMZ was given from day 1 to day 5, every 4 weeks. Response rate (RR) was evaluated as the primary end‐point. The presence of O6‐methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in EPNEC patients was also evaluated as exploratory research. Thirteen patients were enrolled in this study. Primary lesions were pancreas (n = 3), stomach (n = 3), duodenum (n = 1), colon (n = 1), gallbladder (n = 1), liver (n = 1), uterus (n = 1), bladder (n = 1), and primary unknown (n = 1). Each case was defined as pathological poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma from surgically resected and/or biopsied specimens. The median Ki‐67 labeling index was 60% (range, 22%‐90%). The RR was 15.4%, progression‐free survival was 1.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0‐2.7), overall survival (OS) was 7.8 months (95% CI, 6.0‐9.5), and OS from first‐line treatment was 19.2 months (95% CI, 15.1‐23.3). No grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicity had occurred and there was one case of grade 3 nausea. One case presented MGMT deficiency and this case showed partial response. Temozolomide monotherapy is a feasible, modestly effective, and safe treatment for patients with unresectable EPNEC following platinum‐based chemotherapy, especially those with MGMT deficiency.


An electrical contact resistance (ECR) theory is presented for conductive and rough (fractal) surfaces separated by a thin insulating film, which is treated as an energy barrier that impedes current flow due to the electric-tunnel effect. The analysis yields insight into the effects of film properties, current flow, surface topography, mechanical properties, and contact load on the ECR. It is shown that the variation of ECR with the contact load is less pronounced than that observed in the absence of an insulating layer due to the intrinsic voltage dependence of the tunnel resistance and the associated voltage compensation mechanism. The effect of nonohmic behavior on the relationships of the ECR with the contact load and the real contact area is discussed and results are compared with approximate analytical relationships developed herein. The relationship between the real contact area and the ECR depends on the current intensity and film properties and is independent of the surface topography and mechani...


The increasing size and availability of web data make data quality a core challenge in many applications. Principles of data quality are recognized as essential to ensure that data fit for their intended use in operations, decision-making, and planning. However, with the rise of the Semantic Web, new data quality issues appear and require deeper consideration. In this paper, we propose to extend the data quality principles to the context of Semantic Web. Based on our extensive industrial experience in data integration, we identify five main classes suited for data quality in Semantic Web. For each class, we list the principles that are involved at all stages of the data management process. Following these principles will provide a sound basis for better decision-making within organizations and will maximize long-term data integration and interoperability.


A comprehensive acidity study of carbohydrate hydroxy groups has been carried out. Relative acidities (Ke) were determined spectrophotometrically for partially methylated methyl α-D-glycopyranosides. Apparently, the acidity is strongly affected by intramolecular hydrogen bonding as well as stereochemistry and solvation. By comparison with pKe and pKa values of aliphatic alcohols and polyols the first estimation of the pKa values for partially protected glycopyranosides was obtained. These findings contribute to the understanding of the relative reactivities of carbohydrate hydroxy groups.


We demonstrate a hybrid double-layer-crystalline-silicon on silicon nitride platform formed by a two-step of bonding process. We report high Q of 400, 000 for a 40 μm radius microresonator in the platform using evanescent coupling between different layers.