A higher water reserve in animals given rbST would not only provide a higher reservoir of soluble metabolites for biosynthesis of milk but would be also useful in slowing down the elevation in body temperature during lactation in hot conditions (Chaiyabutr et al., 1997) . The decrease in TBW of the control animals from early to mid-lactation occurred rather rapidly which may be attributed to a relatively lower efficiency in the water retention mechanism (Chaiyabutr et al., 1997) . In the present study, the rbSTtreated animals showed no significant change in water turnover rate per body fat free wet weight (kg 0.82 ) or the biological half-life of tritium in all periods of experiment in comparison to control animals. This indicates that increased losses of water with increase in milk yield with rbST treatment might be compensated by a larger body water pool, which animals could restore their body fluids to equilibrium in lactating period with no significant change of body water turnover rate and water half-life. Short persistency of lactation may not occur in rbST-treated animals during the transition period from early to mid lactation. This is a case in which a response pattern in milk yield of rbST-treated animals differed from that in early lactation of crossbred cattle containing 87.5% Holstein genes (Chaiyabutr et al., 1999) .

A higher water reserve in animals given rbST would not only provide a higher reservoir of soluble metabolites for biosynthesis of milk but would be also useful in slowing down the elevation in body temperature during lactation in hot conditions.

The decrease in TBW of the control animals from early to mid-lactation occurred rather rapidly which may be attributed to a relatively lower efficiency in the water retention mechanism.

This is a case in which a response pattern in milk yield of rbST-treated animals differed from that in early lactation of crossbred cattle containing 87.5% Holstein genes.


The environmental consideration is viewed as important not only in business like electronic industry, for example, Toshiba, Motorola, IBM, Dell, and Panasonic, proactive on greening the supply chains, aiming to reduce the raw material consumption and lowers the waste generation (Zhu and Sarkis, 2006) . Similarly, the manufacturing organisations for instance, Ford, GM, Xerox, etc. introduces the green component in managing their supplier(s) related decisions (Zhu et al., 2007) . In addition, the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substance Directive, which prohibits the use of certain hazardous substance, is also noteworthy in direction to lower the overall ecological impact (Hu et al., 2009) . To accomplish the environment and ecological responsibilities in business, the perception of greening the supply chain or green supply chain (GSC), and green supply chain management (GSCM) has been evolved. The GSC and GSCM involves an exhaustive view in a product life cycle by adding environmental component exactly from design phase of the product to till it reaches the end users, and finally its end-of-life management (Rao and Holt, 2005; Srivastava, 2007) .

The environmental consideration is viewed as important not only in business like electronic industry, for example, Toshiba, Motorola, IBM, Dell, and Panasonic, proactive on greening the supply chains, aiming to reduce the raw material consumption and lowers the waste generation.

Similarly, the manufacturing organisations for instance, Ford, GM, Xerox, etc. introduces the green component in managing their supplier(s) related decisions.

In addition, the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substance Directive, which prohibits the use of certain hazardous substance, is also noteworthy in direction to lower the overall ecological impact.

The GSC and GSCM involves an exhaustive view in a product life cycle by adding environmental component exactly from design phase of the product to till it reaches the end users, and finally its end-of-life management.


The term 'risk assessment' is quite effective in identification, estimation and evaluation of the risks in GSC, yet, major hindrance in analysing risks is the inclusion of subjectivity since input from experts mainly comes in the form of subjective assessments. Thus, under this scenario use of fuzzy logics may be quite helpful (Chang et al., 1998; Tseng et al., 2009) . Therefore, it has been planned to use fuzzy set theory to handle the imprecise judgement of experts, in conjunction with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), i.e., fuzzy AHP approach for prioritising risks in GSC. However, for identification and analysis of risk causes and sub-causes or risk criteria and sub-criteria in GSC, the fault-tree analysis (FTA) method can be used. The FTA is a risk estimation tool that has ability to model interactions between the events (Lee et al., 1985) . In view of the above, the present research is aimed at providing an integrated FTA-fuzzy AHP model for prioritising and analysing risks in GSC.

Thus, under this scenario use of fuzzy logics may be quite helpful.

The FTA is a risk estimation tool that has ability to model interactions between the events.


Nonetheless, any production and business activity in GSC includes some objective risk factors, and inescapably these risk factors add to the unforeseen activities, and lower the overall performance (Ruimin et al., 2012) . Hence, the issue of considerate risk, risk analysis and research is the imperative subject matter of GSCM research. Despite, there is insufficiency of literature focusing risks and risk issues especially in GSC, and very few publications or research has presented a solid identification, prioritisation and analysis and/or assessment of risks in the context of GSC (Ruimin et al., 2012) . In that way, the present study is an attempt to fill this gap of research in GSC direction. Additionally, it should be noted that the term risk assessment and risk analysis are being used interchangeably in the present study.

Nonetheless, any production and business activity in GSC includes some objective risk factors, and inescapably these risk factors add to the unforeseen activities, and lower the overall performance.

Despite, there is insufficiency of literature focusing risks and risk issues especially in GSC, and very few publications or research has presented a solid identification, prioritisation and analysis and/or assessment of risks in the context of GSC.


Lower dissolved oxygen concentration was usually observed at the height of wet seasons during which nutrients and debris are flushed into the Batticaloa lagoon with influx of fresh water from the adjoining rivers. Also oxygen depletion also noticed in the two eutrophic areas during the latter part of August. The dissolved oxygen levels water pH affects metabolism and physiological processes of fish and also exerts considerable influence on toxicity of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide as well as solubility of nutrients and thereby water fertility [23] . But in the case southern part at the sampling points 15 and 16 accumulation of seasonally abundant water hyacinth might cause deteriorating water quality by means of altering the DO and pH.

The dissolved oxygen levels water pH affects metabolism and physiological processes of fish and also exerts considerable influence on toxicity of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide as well as solubility of nutrients and thereby water fertility.


The system evidenced temporal variations in salinity, having observed five different regimes: freshwater (0 to <0.5‰), oligohaline (0.5 to <5.0‰), mesohaline (5.0 to<18.0‰), polyhaline (18 to 30.0‰) and Euhaline (30 to 40‰). Sampling points 1 and 13 greatly influenced by sea water intrusion through the bar mouth. Expectedly, the salinity of northern sector of this lagoon was 3 times higher than the southern sector, which has limited and intermittent contact with Bay of Bengal. These salinity gradients greatly influence the species composition and migration of fish. Northern sector consists of marine seasonal JBES an open access journal and estuary dependent species but only fresh water species abundant in southern tail of this lagoon. Salinity is also an important factor in determining the amount of oxygen that a body of water can hold. As the amount of dissolved salt in water increases, the amount of oxygen the water can hold decreases [22] . Mean richness and diversity indexes achieved their highest values during the mesohaline period. On the other hand, mean abundances were highest during the oilgohaline period.

As the amount of dissolved salt in water increases, the amount of oxygen the water can hold decreases.


Diabetes is one of the common medical disorders complicating pregnancy and its incidence in women of reproductive age group is increasing globally. Gestational diabetes constitutes *88 %, and Type 2 diabetes accounts for eight percent of all cases of diabetes in pregnancy [1] . The overall incidence of gestational diabetes is 3-6 % with a variation of 2-15 % observed, depending on the diagnostic criteria used. The incidence is three percent in South America, five percent in the United States, and fifteen percent in India [2] [3] [4] .

Gestational diabetes constitutes *88 %, and Type 2 diabetes accounts for eight percent of all cases of diabetes in pregnancy.

The incidence is three percent in South America, five percent in the United States, and fifteen percent in India.


Interest in solar energy has been growing in recent years and is considered one of the main promising alternative sources of energy to replace the fossil energy resources [1] [2] . Solar water heating systems are one of the major applications of solar energy and can be used for various purposes, such as heating in apartments, family houses, schools, agricultural farms, hospitals, restaurants and different industries. Solar water heating systems, in some cases, can decrease indoor water heating costs within 70% [3] .

Interest in solar energy has been growing in recent years and is considered one of the main promising alternative sources of energy to replace the fossil energy resources.

Solar water heating systems, in some cases, can decrease indoor water heating costs within 70%.


These modes add to the knowledge on the 'content' of mass customization -what MC is and what the activities within MC are. Given that MC is an emerging paradigm, content based research is essential (Thietart and Wauchope 2001) . However, the modes also forge a route for exploring the 'process' of MC and pave a way towards understanding issues including why enterprises evolve into one mode rather than another and how the infrastructure and processes within an enterprise must change if it is to move between modes.

Given that MC is an emerging paradigm, content based research is essential.


A question to address is whether each mode is an end in itself, or whether one or more of the modes are steps toward other modes? At this time it is expected that all five modes are legitimate stand-alone modes rather than intermediate stages. For example, Mode A in which customers select from a catalogue of pre-engineered options is a mode that would be difficult to implement by enterprises who supply mass merchants (McDermott and O'Connor 1995) . Mass merchants are keen to differentiate themselves from other sales channels and one approach is to stock products not available elsewhere. Consequently mass merchants can frequently push suppliers to go beyond their catalogue significantly. For these enterprises Mode D or E is preferable and attempting to operate in Mode A would lead to conflict and inefficiencies. In the case of the commercial vehicle manufacturer, even though its customers are not mass merchants and so do not seek differentiation for differentiations sake, it is unlikely to switch from Mode E. Its customers' needs are too diverse to be predicted and the cost of developing product variants before an enquiry does not make it worthwhile to attempt to do so, as the risk of wasted investment is high.

For example, Mode A in which customers select from a catalogue of pre-engineered options is a mode that would be difficult to implement by enterprises who supply mass merchants.


The plant Calotropis gigantean belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae, also called as Akra, Shwet akra, and Madara, is distributed throughout India, especially in dry vast land. The different parts of the plant are used in Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of painful muscular spasm, dysentery, fever, rheumatism, asthma, and as an expectorant and purgative. Bioactive compounds such as 15b-hydroxycardenolides (1,2) and a 16a-hydroxycalactinic acid methyl ester (3) along with eleven known compounds including 16a-hydroxycalotropagenin, coroglaucigenin, 16a-hydroxycalotropin, calactinic acid, calotoxin, desglucouzarin, 12b-hydroxycoroglaucigenin, frugoside, calotropagenin, dienoic acid, and mevalonolactone are found in the leaves of this plant (Singh et al. 2011) . Calotropis yields a durable fiber that is useful for ropes, carpets, fishing nets, and sewing thread. Floss, obtained from seeds, is used for stuffing purposes. Extracts of different plant parts such as root, stem, and leaf affect germination and seedling vigor of many agricultural crops. It is also used as green manure and improves soil nutrients and improves moisture binding capacity of soil. The plant is tolerant of dry and salty conditions and can easily be established in over-cultivated areas to help improve the soil conditions and reinvigorate the land (Seeka and Sutthivaiyakit 2010) . Moreover, this plant is widely distributed predominantly in Thar Desert area of Rajasthan. Hence, such medicinal and commercial uses of Calotropis plants have increased our interest and lead us to work on this plant species. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles is an exciting recent addition to the large repertoire of nanoparticle synthesis methods and now nanoparticles have entered a commercial exploration period.

Bioactive compounds such as 15b-hydroxycardenolides (1,2) and a 16a-hydroxycalactinic acid methyl ester (3) along with eleven known compounds including 16a-hydroxycalotropagenin, coroglaucigenin, 16a-hydroxycalotropin, calactinic acid, calotoxin, desglucouzarin, 12b-hydroxycoroglaucigenin, frugoside, calotropagenin, dienoic acid, and mevalonolactone are found in the leaves of this plant.

The plant is tolerant of dry and salty conditions and can easily be established in over-cultivated areas to help improve the soil conditions and reinvigorate the land.


It turns out that there is a specific class of ultrafilters which is particularly suitable for this classification work, namely the regular ultrafilters. Definition 1.1 (Keisler [10] ). Let κ be an infinite cardinal. A filter F over a set I is κ-regular iff there exists a family { X α | α < κ } ⊆ F such that for every infinite I ⊆ κ we have α∈I X α = ∅.

Definition 1.1 (Keisler).

Let κ be an infinite cardinal.


Recently, a general scheme has been proposed to describe the role of oxyradicals during the initiation and promotion stages of carcinogenesis [37] . An increase in the reactive oxygen metabolites (superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide, precursors of a number of oxygen-derived radicals including hydroxyl radicals) in tumor cells is noted in the early stages, and the overproduction and/or the inability to destroy them may result in severe damage to cell molecules and structures [38] . Despite this aspect, we observed a decrease in the activity of catalase in all DMH-treated groups, as can be seen in Table 2 .

Recently, a general scheme has been proposed to describe the role of oxyradicals during the initiation and promotion stages of carcinogenesis.

An increase in the reactive oxygen metabolites (superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide, precursors of a number of oxygen-derived radicals including hydroxyl radicals) in tumor cells is noted in the early stages, and the overproduction and/or the inability to destroy them may result in severe damage to cell molecules and structures.


Currently there is great deal of interest in the design of structurally efficient aerodynamic structures constructed of advanced composite materials. In the aerospace sector these are defined as a number of chemically distinct materials being macroscopically bonded with the resultant amalgamation being superior than original chemically distinct constituents [1] . The emphasis in the renewable and aerospace communities is to embed a strong (though usually brittle) ceramic material such as glass or carbon fibre in a polymeric material such as epoxy or more recently the biodegradable polypropylene [2] . The resulting composite material is a heterogeneous anisotropic material with a reality high strength-to-weight ratio. The consequence is that the polymeric material is made a couple of orders of magnitude stronger in addition to significantly increasing the displacement at failure when compared to the original ceramics employed as the reinforcement.

In the aerospace sector these are defined as a number of chemically distinct materials being macroscopically bonded with the resultant amalgamation being superior than original chemically distinct constituents.

The emphasis in the renewable and aerospace communities is to embed a strong (though usually brittle) ceramic material such as glass or carbon fibre in a polymeric material such as epoxy or more recently the biodegradable polypropylene.


Then, we have T = 2(2 − p). Then, the Kantorovich condition is not satisfied, since h K > 1 for all p ∈ (0, 0.5). We set I K = ∅ to be the set of point satisfying Equation (3) . Hence, there is no guarantee that Newton's sequence starting at z 0 converges to z * = 3 √ p.

Then, we have T = 2(2 − p).

We set I K = ∅ to be the set of point satisfying Equation.


Currently, Thailand has a population of approximately 66 million, in which 55 percent of the population live in rural areas [17, 18] . In these areas, the number of specialized personnel is limited and work burden is overwhelming, good clinical care and equal accessibility to the care may be too difficult to achieve. Utilizing renal physicians, or even internists, to take care of CKD patients in rural area is rather far from reality. To combat these problems, we try to search for an appropriate CKD care model which could provide optimal treatment to the rural population. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first large-scale, community-based cluster randomized controlled trial to study the effect of employing an integrated CKD care which is comprised of multidisciplinary CKD care program in conjunction with well-trained paramedical personnel on delaying CKD progression. In addition to conventional CKD treatment, the two key processes will be added into the intervention group. Firstly, the multidisciplinary team of district hospital staffs will provide demonstration about essential knowledge CKD care during each hospital visit. We hypothesized that this interactive activity will provide better understanding of essential medical knowledge and increase awareness of burden of CKD and ESRD. The second process is quarterly home visit by the CCN. We trained the CCN and endorsed them to work as the escorts (as the abbreviation name of the study) to protect CKD patients. The important roles of CCN is monitoring compliance to the treatments and instantly feedback to the patients. These important informations will be used to modify lifestyle of CKD patients and may improve compliance to the treatments.

Currently, Thailand has a population of approximately 66 million, in which 55 percent of the population live in rural areas.


Population dynamics is another indispensable internal factor that influences economic changes in history (Aceleanu 2010) . The population of the late imperial China has rapidly increased since the 17th century (Ho 1959) . Based on Malthusian thought, population growth is frequently regarded to negatively affect socioeconomic development when explaining the history of China (Deng 2000) . However, statistical analysis is scant regarding the effect of population pressure on the early Chinese agrarian economy, not to mention the quantitative comparison between climate change and demographic pressure. The fundamental mechanisms of climate change, agrarian economy, and population pressure in China have also been ignored, particularly in quantitative research.

Population dynamics is another indispensable internal factor that influences economic changes in history.

The population of the late imperial China has rapidly increased since the 17th century.

Based on Malthusian thought, population growth is frequently regarded to negatively affect socioeconomic development when explaining the history of China.


We have also demonstrated differences in the prevalence of heart disease between males and females, with a higher rate of cardiac anomalies in males in both groups including those with significant lesions. Other studies have demonstrated differences between the prevalence rates of cardiac anomalies in male and female newborns, with more than double the rates in males [21] . There was a mild excess of valvar cardiac anomalies in those children of a higher birth order. It is possible that older parental age might have contributed to this effect [22] . Although in this study parental age at birth was not associated with cardiac anomalies, birth order compared the youngest child to his/her own older siblings, thus controlling for family specific genetic risk of congenital heart disease. Another interesting observation was a lower prevalence of valvar cardiac anomalies among families with more than four children. Having a child early on with cardiac problems may have influenced the parents' decision to have further children.

Other studies have demonstrated differences between the prevalence rates of cardiac anomalies in male and female newborns, with more than double the rates in males.

It is possible that older parental age might have contributed to this effect.


Adolescents in Israel are obliged to enlist by law. The National Military Service Act requires all 17-year-old Israelis to present themselves to a local recruitment center (Appendix 1). At the end of their medical process, a medical profile and appropriate Functional Classifications Codes (FCCs) describing the medical status and its severity, are assigned to each recruit and stored in a computerized database (Appendix 2). The FCCs are similar to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding, but also include an element of occupational classification [12] . Definitions of the relevant common medical conditions are described in Appendix 3. No self-reported measurements were used in this study.

The FCCs are similar to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding, but also include an element of occupational classification.


While much of the literature on post-Soviet transition has focused on the experiences of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation, the Central Asian countries (CACs) have received relatively less attention 2 . There is no study focusing on the trade determinants and performance of CACs, even though it has been recognised that there is a strong correlation between success in transition from plan to market and foreign trade performance (Kaminski, Wang, & Winters, 1996) . In addition, the international business (IB) literature has not paid enough attention to the developments in Central Asia after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and there is no study focusing on the business environment in CACs and their trade performance 3 .

There is no study focusing on the trade determinants and performance of CACs, even though it has been recognised that there is a strong correlation between success in transition from plan to market and foreign trade performance.


During the past years, due to the energy crisis and environmental concerns, electric vehicles (EVs) have become a fast-growing hotspot [1] . With the improvements on the electric motor and motor controller technology, many possibilities of power train configurations have been proposed [2, 3] . One of the latest configurations is known as distributed drive electric vehicles (DDEVs), which employ four motors that are integrated to each wheel and controlled independently. This configuration has many advantages such as quick and accurate torque response, easier torque and revolutions per minute (RPM) measurement, and independent control for one single motor, which provides a broad prospect for vehicle dynamic improvement [4] .

During the past years, due to the energy crisis and environmental concerns, electric vehicles (EVs) have become a fast-growing hotspot.

With the improvements on the electric motor and motor controller technology, many possibilities of power train configurations have been proposed.

This configuration has many advantages such as quick and accurate torque response, easier torque and revolutions per minute (RPM) measurement, and independent control for one single motor, which provides a broad prospect for vehicle dynamic improvement.


The link between sleep and health is influenced by a complex array of (neuro)biological and social factors. As we discuss in the next section of this paper, there are strong indications that these factors vary across the life course, as well as being affected by transitions, such as parenthood, caregiving and widowhood (Williams et al 2010) . Further to this, sleep for most adults is a dyadic experience, yet there has been little quantitative (survey) analysis to examine the effects of partner behaviours on each others' sleep; nor how these couple effects vary across the trajectory of the couple relationship.

As we discuss in the next section of this paper, there are strong indications that these factors vary across the life course, as well as being affected by transitions, such as parenthood, caregiving and widowhood.


During IVF, women with PCOS have theoretically an increased risk of cycle cancellation and developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, while usually a poorer outcome is expected. Despite this, previous data has presented similar pregnancy and live birth rates per cycle, although cancellation rates tend to be higher, as opposed to the lowered fertilization rates [7] . Elevated E 2 , LH and androgen levels appear to play a key role, as these possibly exert a detrimental effect in oocyte maturation and embryonic development [27] . During IVM, ovarian stimulation is minimal or even absent and this partially explains the findings of the current review.

Despite this, previous data has presented similar pregnancy and live birth rates per cycle, although cancellation rates tend to be higher, as opposed to the lowered fertilization rates.

Elevated E 2 , LH and androgen levels appear to play a key role, as these possibly exert a detrimental effect in oocyte maturation and embryonic development.


As a reliable and more cost-efficient way to access space, airbreathing hypersonic vehicle (AHV) has been investigated by many researchers in recent decades [1] . This type of vehicle has a unique design, incorporating a supersonic combustion scramjet engine located beneath the fuselage, which enable it quick response and global reach [2] . In practice, the AHV always fly within a wide flight envelope (range of flight conditions). However, for the AHV with fixed geometry inlet(AHV-FGI), once it is running at a low Mach number, the shockwave would deviate away from the scramjet lip. This leads to the scramjet engine could not get sufficient air stream, so that the thrust would be insufficient. In order to solve the above issue, AHV with variable-geometry inlet(AHV-VGI) are popularly studied. For example, NASA investigates a rotary lip VGI for the X-43A hypersonic aircraft [3] . The Space and Astronautical Science institution of Japan developed a variable geometry axisymmetric inlet for the ATREX engine [4] . Besides, the Russian scholar Kuranov investigated the Magneto Hydrodynamic controlled inlet [5] .

As a reliable and more cost-efficient way to access space, airbreathing hypersonic vehicle (AHV) has been investigated by many researchers in recent decades.

This type of vehicle has a unique design, incorporating a supersonic combustion scramjet engine located beneath the fuselage, which enable it quick response and global reach.

For example, NASA investigates a rotary lip VGI for the X-43A hypersonic aircraft.

The Space and Astronautical Science institution of Japan developed a variable geometry axisymmetric inlet for the ATREX engine.

Besides, the Russian scholar Kuranov investigated the Magneto Hydrodynamic controlled inlet.


A second, less likely alternative is the classic predictive strategy. In this strategy, the pursuer runs in a straight line to a spot the ball carrier will go and waits until the ball carrier gets there to tackle him without having to look at the ball carrier once they started running. Archer fish catching their dislodged prey use this strategy [10, 11] . This requires a ballistic trajectory that will not change course due to the pursuee (e.g., a dead insect). In the case of a ball carrier, this would be the case if the pursuer knew exactly where the ball carrier was going to run along a ballistic path and ran to that spot and waited without having to use instantaneous direction of locomotion. In times past, mariners used a similar strategy, called 'dead reckoning'; it was their only way to map a course when the sky was overcast and a celestial observation was not possible.

Archer fish catching their dislodged prey use this strategy.


The worldwide incidence rate of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is approximately 9.1 per 100 000 person-years but varies widely between countries. Incidences are much higher in Finland (19.7 per 100 000 person-years 95% CI; 18.1-21.3) and Japan (22.7 per 100 000 person-years CI 95%; 21.9-23.5) and lower in South and Central America (4.2 per 100 000 person-years; CI 95%; 3.1-5.7) [1] . With a 30-day case fatality of 35% to 45%, subarachnoid hemorrhage is the most deadly and debilitating subtype of stroke. Similarly to incidence, casefatalities for SAH also show potentially important regional differences [2] . While incidence disparities around the world can be related to genetic and environmental factors, differences in the disease's severity are linked to quality of and access to healthcare.

Incidences are much higher in Finland (19.7 per 100 000 person-years 95% CI; 18.1-21.3) and Japan (22.7 per 100 000 person-years CI 95%; 21.9-23.5) and lower in South and Central America (4.2 per 100 000 person-years; CI 95%; 3.1-5.7).

Similarly to incidence, casefatalities for SAH also show potentially important regional differences.


We obtained better test results supporting our hypothesis and confirmed that the proposed discriminator performed more accurately than the baseline one. This approach takes advantage of the shorter time needed to detect cognitive distraction because it focuses on only the important scene for the detection but needs to trigger the gaze reaction to the overtaking event. The Bayesian rule-based method excels in application. It can be naturally integrated into the stateof-the-art method based on Bayesian networks using hybrid measures [30] .

It can be naturally integrated into the stateof-the-art method based on Bayesian networks using hybrid measures.


During the experiment, the air velocity stayed constant at 0.15 ± 0.015 m/s and thus the influence of air velocity on moisture absorption was not investigated. The value did not exceed typical indoor air velocities of around 0.40 m/s [10] . Figure 3 shows the time series of surface temperature for the spruce and reference samples during the first hour of the measuring period. The initial temperature conditions on the spruce sample's surface was T spruce = 20.5°C. At t = 500 s, T spruce had increased by 2.1°C to the maximum of 22.6°C. Even at t & 1200 s, the surface of spruce was still heated by 0.8°C.

The value did not exceed typical indoor air velocities of around 0.40 m/s.


A hygrothermal model accounting for moisture and heat transport in a solid wood envelope directly exposed to an indoor climate has been presented by Hameury [8] . The model incorporates the moisture diffusion process through a wood structure. The results show that the migration of moisture through the wood layer of a solid timber building envelope generates heat which leads to an increase or decrease of the wood temperature.

A hygrothermal model accounting for moisture and heat transport in a solid wood envelope directly exposed to an indoor climate has been presented by Hameury.


With the emerging concept of smart grid, communication infrastructures used in the power grid have received much research interest recently. Compared with other communication systems, power line communication (PLC) technology has been considered as a competitive candidate for smart grid for its unique advantage-power cables are preexisting almost in every town of the world. In smart grid, the power cables are used as medium, in addition to electricity delivery, to support information exchanges between appliances, power meters, and/or transformers [1] .

In smart grid, the power cables are used as medium, in addition to electricity delivery, to support information exchanges between appliances, power meters, and/or transformers.


Over the last century, considerable decadal variability exists in the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation. The period from the 1900s to early 1940s is characterized by frequent NAO+ regimes, which contrasts with decades of rare NAO+ occurrences from the 1950s to late 1970s ( figure 4(a) ). From the 1980s, NAO+ dominates again and explains a significant fraction of the temperature and precipitation trends observed in Europe (Hurrell 1995) . Frequent NAO+ decades are also characterized by stronger variance (figure 4(b)) leading to a complete change of the NAO + probability density function (pdf). As expected, decades with frequent NAO+ led to a higher mortality rate compared to decades of rare NAO+ ( figure 4(c) ). But more importantly, beyond mean changes, the upper tail of the distribution of the reconstructed mortality appears to be the most altered due to an increase of interannual variability: the probability of extreme mortality events (beyond the 90th percentile of the pdf computed over the entire 115 years of hindcasts) exceed 15% during the decades of frequent and high NAO+, whereas it is only 0.5% during the decades of rare and weak NAO+.

From the 1980s, NAO+ dominates again and explains a significant fraction of the temperature and precipitation trends observed in Europe.


Thus motivated, this paper presents the main findings of a specially designed resurvey of 30 villages in upland Orissa, which had been the subject of an earlier study of how households respond to, and cope with, fluctuations in the state of nature in this drought-prone region (van Dillen, 2008) . The original survey covered three seasons, starting in kharif 2000, 1 when only two of the villages surveyed had an all-weather road. As time passed, PMGSY began to make itself felt; it turned out that, starting in 2007, a further 9 villages had been provided with such a connection by the end of 2009. This development offered an opportunity to investigate the effects of PMGSY on the lives and doings of the villagers so served. In particular, a re-survey of the original households promised to provide certain empirical underpinnings for an economic analysis of PMGSY in connection with a proposed World Bank loan.

Thus motivated, this paper presents the main findings of a specially designed resurvey of 30 villages in upland Orissa, which had been the subject of an earlier study of how households respond to, and cope with, fluctuations in the state of nature in this drought-prone region.


In the past decade, researchers have been able to develop many types of rehabilitation equipment that have been enhanced with robotic technology. One such piece of equipment is the Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO), which is usually used to hold in position an ankle that is weak due to spasticity or foot drop, and in some cases, to relieve pain in the foot of the patient [13, 14] . Initially, a rigid AFO was developed to assist with dorsiflexion, thereby removing unnecessary restrictions on the plantar flexion direction. The material used was changed to thermal plastic material such Conventionally, walking gait training is performed manually with the assistance of a stroke therapist. Two to three therapists may be involved in helping the patient to maintain balance and to perform walking by moving the foot. Ancillary equipment, such as a cane, orthosis, walker, theraband, and so on, can also be used to support the patient during the training [9] . The equipment should fit (not be over-sized nor too tight) the user's anatomy to ensure the user's comfort, especially the fixing of the foot and shank to the footplate and the AFO strut [10, 11] . Nowadays, the ancillary equipment is enhanced with robotic technologies, such as an orthosis and exoskeleton, to make it more sophisticated for rehabilitation sessions. Not only can the bio-physical data be monitored, but the training process can also be automated with the addition of robotic technology with an emphasis on assist-as-needed training [12] . Therefore, it is now possible to replace most of the work of therapists in conventional training through the use of robotics-enhanced ancillary equipment. The good news is that therapists can now focus more on monitoring and improving the quality of rehabilitation [4] .

One such piece of equipment is the Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO), which is usually used to hold in position an ankle that is weak due to spasticity or foot drop, and in some cases, to relieve pain in the foot of the patient.

Ancillary equipment, such as a cane, orthosis, walker, theraband, and so on, can also be used to support the patient during the training.

The equipment should fit (not be over-sized nor too tight) the user's anatomy to ensure the user's comfort, especially the fixing of the foot and shank to the footplate and the AFO strut.

Not only can the bio-physical data be monitored, but the training process can also be automated with the addition of robotic technology with an emphasis on assist-as-needed training.

The good news is that therapists can now focus more on monitoring and improving the quality of rehabilitation.


Stroke (brain attack) is caused by the interruption of blood flow to the brain, leading to damage to the nerves in the brain and disrupting the exchange of information through the normal path between the limbs and the brain. Fortunately, the exchange of information can be redirected to another path through learning, which requires the limb to repeat a certain task [1] . This series of repetitions is known Conventionally, walking gait training is performed manually with the assistance of a stroke therapist. Two to three therapists may be involved in helping the patient to maintain balance and to perform walking by moving the foot. Ancillary equipment, such as a cane, orthosis, walker, theraband, and so on, can also be used to support the patient during the training [9] . The equipment should fit (not be over-sized nor too tight) the user's anatomy to ensure the user's comfort, especially the fixing of the foot and shank to the footplate and the AFO strut [10, 11] . Nowadays, the ancillary equipment is enhanced with robotic technologies, such as an orthosis and exoskeleton, to make it more sophisticated for rehabilitation sessions. Not only can the bio-physical data be monitored, but the training process can also be automated with the addition of robotic technology with an emphasis on assist-as-needed training [12] . Therefore, it is now possible to replace most of the work of therapists in conventional training through the use of robotics-enhanced ancillary equipment. The good news is that therapists can now focus more on monitoring and improving the quality of rehabilitation [4] .

Fortunately, the exchange of information can be redirected to another path through learning, which requires the limb to repeat a certain task.


Based on the estimation method for the controller output reference, the control strategies can be categorized into two groups, namely, subject-oriented ( Figure 2a ) and phase-oriented (Figure 2b ) control types. The subject-oriented control strategy considers that the subjects will have different output references. For instance, patient A will have a different body weight from patient B, and thus, the output reference for the ankle stiffness of the AFO for each patient will not be the same [16] . On the other hand, the phase-oriented control strategy considers the gait to be divided into several phases. Then, the control output reference is treated differently according to the current ongoing phase selected by the selector. For example, the ankle stiffness is maximized to lock the foot in the swing phase, and is minimized to allow forward propulsion in the stance phase [17] . Both control strategies have their own pros and cons. The subject-oriented control strategy is more complex, but it involves only one calculation, because it must consider the entire walking gait. On the other hand, the phase-oriented control has more calculations due to the number of gait phases, but these are relatively simpler calculations. These must be considered because they will affect the type of equipment, sensing units, and actuators.

For instance, patient A will have a different body weight from patient B, and thus, the output reference for the ankle stiffness of the AFO for each patient will not be the same.

For example, the ankle stiffness is maximized to lock the foot in the swing phase, and is minimized to allow forward propulsion in the stance phase.


Recent studies of distinct Eucalyptus nitens reaction zones ( formed in response to decay associated with naturallyinfected pruning wounds) found a number of dierences in various properties compared to the reaction zones reported from other angiosperms [3] . For example, potassium levels, pH and water content were lower in the E. nitens reaction zone than healthy sapwood. These traits are typically increased in reaction zone tissue of other angiosperms. These dierences may be re¯ected in the initial stages of host±pathogen interaction. Attributes of the reaction zone that were common to other angiosperms included signi®cantly higher phenol levels than the healthy sapwood and abundant tyloses [2] . Concurrent studies have recently revealed the nature of these phenols, which are dominated by hydrolysable tannins [2] .

Recent studies of distinct Eucalyptus nitens reaction zones ( formed in response to decay associated with naturallyinfected pruning wounds) found a number of dierences in various properties compared to the reaction zones reported from other angiosperms.

Attributes of the reaction zone that were common to other angiosperms included signi®cantly higher phenol levels than the healthy sapwood and abundant tyloses.

Concurrent studies have recently revealed the nature of these phenols, which are dominated by hydrolysable tannins.


Each provider will have private function to interact and design the process to use in different ways. Depending on the GAIN and LOSS mechanism outcome is evaluated. The cost of the mechanism will be varied according to the design of the provider. There will be a conflict between the providers. To overcome these issues truthful mechanism is implemented to make the providers tell the truth of the resources. For computational services workflow application is an attractive paradigm. In commercial multi-cloud environment the workflow scheduling is reported using mechanism design. An efficient equipoise of scheduling is required in a response time [6] .

An efficient equipoise of scheduling is required in a response time.


Samples have been collected from August to December 2008. Fourteen measurements were carried out and each lasted about a week. Dust was collected using a thirteen stage DEKATI low pressure impactor (DLPI) [13] .

Dust was collected using a thirteen stage DEKATI low pressure impactor (DLPI).


Hybrid materials of graphene and semiconductor nanomaterials have received much attention due to their high potential in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of semiconductor nanomaterials [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] . There are a variety of materials that show photocatalytic properties, among which titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is one of the most widely used heterogeneous photocatalysts [7] . TiO 2 has excellent physical and chemical stabilities and electronic and optical properties and is inexpensive. In the hybrid system, graphene acts as an electron acceptor to ensure the fast charge transfer to the current collector. Effective charge separation can therefore be achieved to reduce the electron-hole recombination, and as a result, the photocatalytic activity of the hybrid materials is enhanced [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] . Like in many other graphene-based applications, the quality of graphene is important for making highefficiency hybrid materials. Many methods have been developed to prepare graphene; however, it remains challenging to make high-quality graphene on a large scale [13] .

Hybrid materials of graphene and semiconductor nanomaterials have received much attention due to their high potential in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of semiconductor nanomaterials.

There are a variety of materials that show photocatalytic properties, among which titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is one of the most widely used heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Effective charge separation can therefore be achieved to reduce the electron-hole recombination, and as a result, the photocatalytic activity of the hybrid materials is enhanced.

Many methods have been developed to prepare graphene; however, it remains challenging to make high-quality graphene on a large scale.


In robotics, automating the grasping of ordinary objects is an important open problem (Redmon and Angelova, 2015) . Much progress has been made both on the hardware side (the gripper itself) and on the perception side. The development of compliant or under-actuated mechanical grippers -often referred to as "mechanical intelligence" -which passively adapt their shape to the Figure 1 : The grasp rectangle is a five-dimensional grasp representation. The 2D rectangle is fully determined by its center coordinates (x, y), width, height and its angle θ from the x-axis. The blue edges indicate the gripper plate location and the red edges show the gripper opening, prior to grasping.

In robotics, automating the grasping of ordinary objects is an important open problem.


High-risk, high-function, and high-involvement products are often involved in consumer complex buying behavior [18] . Consumers pass through a learning process characterized by first developing beliefs about the product, then attitudes, and then making a thoughtful purchase choice. Thus, marketers of high-involvement products should employ humorous advertising to relieve the individual emotional tension of consumers engaged in complex buying behavior, because humor lowers audience defenses, making them more receptive to the message.

High-risk, high-function, and high-involvement products are often involved in consumer complex buying behavior.


Examination of broadcast and print advertising suggests that humor is a widely adopted form of commercial appea and general used in election debate [2, 3] . Underlying this popularity is the belief that humor can increase the effectiveness of advertising. The use of humor in advertising has its origins in the early days of business. Studies have shown that audiences are more open to a humorous message, because humor lowers audience defenses, making them more receptive to the message [4] . Funny communication messages are more memorable and can also be shared more frequently than more serious messages [5] .

Examination of broadcast and print advertising suggests that humor is a widely adopted form of commercial appea and general used in election debate.

Studies have shown that audiences are more open to a humorous message, because humor lowers audience defenses, making them more receptive to the message.

Funny communication messages are more memorable and can also be shared more frequently than more serious messages.


The media environment has changed dramatically in recent years. Traditional advertising media such as TV, magazines and newspapers are losing their power on catching consumers. Instead, online advertising, such as web banner, social media marketing, mobile advertising are gaining power and growing rapidly. With the power of internet connections and ubiquitous mobile devices, advertisers are forced to rethink and create on-line approach practices to be going viral. Websites, on-line ads/videos, and blogs/bulletin boards are three on-line media often being used by marketers to communicate their brand message [1] . Humorous advertising is a good tool to use in internet and mobile environments for going viral. When advertisement makes audiences laugh, they are more likely to want to share it with others. Thus, humorous appeals are the means by which marketers attempt to inform, persuade and remind consumers -directly or indirectly -about the brands they market.

Websites, on-line ads/videos, and blogs/bulletin boards are three on-line media often being used by marketers to communicate their brand message.


See also [1, (5) , (6) , (21)]. In this paper we investigate some families of Heun functions containing F n (x), G n (−x) and K n (x) as particular cases. From the general results we deduce properties of these three functions. Clearly, each property of F n (x), G n (x) and K n (x) can be translated as a property of the associated Rényi and Tsallis entropies.

See also [1, (5) ,, (21)].


Incheon takes its tap water from Paldang Dam via a single pipeline, thus making it vulnerable to pipe breakage due to accident or disaster [4, 5] . This makes consumers likely to suffer damage due to suspension of water supply. To prevent this, the management of hydraulic pressure in the pipe network and regular evaluation of pipe deterioration are recommended measures. A decrease in the NRW ratio correlates to the reduction of leak quantity by optimal operation management in a district metered areas (DMA).

Incheon takes its tap water from Paldang Dam via a single pipeline, thus making it vulnerable to pipe breakage due to accident or disaster.


Major ANN studies applied to water distribution systems in recent years are as follows. A procedure to devise a general operating policy toward reservoir operation from a dynamic programming using neural network (DPN) was suggested [19] . Relatively new technique of using ANNs researched for forecasting short-term water demand [20] . ANNs in water quality modeling, as well as for the process and control of treating drinking water used in water distribution systems [21] . Research on the application of ANNs for analysis of data from sensors measuring hydraulic parameters are presented [22] . Additionally, the efficiency of computational intelligence techniques was compared in water demand forecasting [23] .

A procedure to devise a general operating policy toward reservoir operation from a dynamic programming using neural network (DPN) was suggested.

Relatively new technique of using ANNs researched for forecasting short-term water demand.

ANNs in water quality modeling, as well as for the process and control of treating drinking water used in water distribution systems.

Research on the application of ANNs for analysis of data from sensors measuring hydraulic parameters are presented.

Additionally, the efficiency of computational intelligence techniques was compared in water demand forecasting.


In addition, studies have been carried out on the parameters of a water distribution system. A regression equation for predicting the NRW ratio was developed using statistical analysis by acquiring main parameter and statistical data on the analysis of water distribution system [14] . And water supply and the operating and maintenance cost of a water distribution system was suggested [15] . The system for performance indicators revised for small water supply utilities. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of the original data [16, 17] .

A regression equation for predicting the NRW ratio was developed using statistical analysis by acquiring main parameter and statistical data on the analysis of water distribution system.

And water supply and the operating and maintenance cost of a water distribution system was suggested.

Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of the original data.


Natural fibers are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Generally, the EFB fiber contains about 40-50% cellulose, 20-30% hemicellulose, and 20-30% lignin with moisture content of about 10-15%, which has highest composition of cellulose compared to coir, corn, bagasse, and kenaf fiber. Furthermore, a comprehensive research and review article dealing with isolation of cellulose fiber in nanoparticle size by sulfuric acid hydrolysis was published by many researchers [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] .

Furthermore, a comprehensive research and review article dealing with isolation of cellulose fiber in nanoparticle size by sulfuric acid hydrolysis was published by many researchers.


Useful research has been carried out concerning cooling and ventilation of motors [4] . In the motors with the axial and radial ventilation system, axial fans are placed on both sides of the motor. Cooling air, taken in from the exterior to the interior by axial fans, is sent to exothermic parts. Then, the air is vented through the radial paths inside the iron core. Moreover, the influence of centrifugal force and Coriolis force caused by rotation upon air-flow in the air gap must be considered [3] . However, according to no-slip boundary condition in fluid dynamic theory, rotation velocity on interface between air gap and rotor cannot be applied directly. To deal with this problem in fluid field analysis, we proposed a novel multi-component fluid model, which all rotor parts are taken as fluids under some constraint conditions.

Useful research has been carried out concerning cooling and ventilation of motors.

Moreover, the influence of centrifugal force and Coriolis force caused by rotation upon air-flow in the air gap must be considered.


In the last decade years, the 2-D finite element method (FEM) is usually used to analyze the coupled electromagnetic-thermal fields, or coupled thermal-fluid fields in various motors [4] - [8] . Seldom, researches were carried out on coupled electromagnetic-thermal-fluid fields with 3-D FEM. The rotor rotation-effects on air convection have been investigated by equivalent thermal circuit [2] .

In the last decade years, the 2-D finite element method (FEM) is usually used to analyze the coupled electromagnetic-thermal fields, or coupled thermal-fluid fields in various motors.

The rotor rotation-effects on air convection have been investigated by equivalent thermal circuit.


The embedded software is subject to very high quality requirements as often embedded systems are safetycritical systems where faults can result in severe consequences, e.g., injuries or loss of peoples' lives. Thus, faults of the system have to be avoided as much as possible. Currently, the rate of defects from mechanical parts decreases while the defect rate in electrical parts including software increases [4] . Therefore, appropriate validation and verification activities, e.g., simulation, have to be employed to detect and remove all faults. Model-driven development approaches allow to perform these activities already on the model level in early phases of development. Thus, on the one hand, a verification approach can exploit the abstraction provided by the model to improve the scalability and, on the other hand, verification can already be performed early in the process where no implementation yet exists.

Currently, the rate of defects from mechanical parts decreases while the defect rate in electrical parts including software increases.


Essentially conformally symmetric manifolds with d = 1 are all Ricci-recurrent, in the sense that, for every tangent vector field v, the Ricci tensor ρ and the covariant derivative ∇ v ρ are linearly dependent at each point. The local structure of essentially conformally symmetric Ricci-recurrent manifolds at points with ρ ⊗ ∇ρ = 0 has already been determined by the second author [16] . Our new contribution settles the one case still left open in the local classification problem, namely, that of essentially conformally symmetric manifolds with d = 1 at points where ρ ⊗ ∇ρ = 0.

The local structure of essentially conformally symmetric Ricci-recurrent manifolds at points with ρ ⊗ ∇ρ = 0 has already been determined by the second author.


The introduction of endoscopes to otologic surgery has opened a new avenue of access to the temporal bone. The utility of endoscopes was first recognized as a means of visualizing the sinus tympani, a region of the retrotympanum common for harboring residual cholesteatoma [1] . In the last decade, the utilization of endoscopes for middle ear surgery has been steadily increasing. Compared with microsurgery, endoscopic surgery offers a wider operative view, superior magnification, and the ability to seamlessly change the operative view during dissection [1] [2] [3] .

The utility of endoscopes was first recognized as a means of visualizing the sinus tympani, a region of the retrotympanum common for harboring residual cholesteatoma.

Compared with microsurgery, endoscopic surgery offers a wider operative view, superior magnification, and the ability to seamlessly change the operative view during dissection.


Unlike agronomic crop growth models and CGE models, statistical models are generally simple to implement and have minimal data requirements. This is particularly true for statistical studies estimating production functions, since the most parsimonious model requires only historical information on crop yields and climate conditions. But while statistical models are generally the least data-intensive of these methods, they are often limited in their spatial resolution, using aggregated data on average yields or average climate conditions for administrative units. As was the case with CGE analyses, such aggregations potentially cause ecological bias, since such interpretations imply that relationships that hold for grouped data hold for lower-level units (Haining, 2003) . In addition, yield responses for a country (or some other administrative unit) are based on observed yields within that administrative unit, assuming that the observed yields are randomly drawn from a population of yields within that administrative unit. If the observed yields are actually drawn from a different unobserved distribution, there is the potential for sample selection bias, and the inferences drawn from these observations should not be extrapolated to the entire administrative unit.

As was the case with CGE analyses, such aggregations potentially cause ecological bias, since such interpretations imply that relationships that hold for grouped data hold for lower-level units.


System for Agrotechnology Transfer Cropping System Model (DSSAT-CSM) attempts to incorporate crop growth models with knowledge about the contributions of soil, climate, and agricultural management practices into a unified tool for making better crop management decisions. At its core, DSSAT is a collection of independent crop growth models, but it also incorporates databases describing weather, soil, genetics, pests, experimental conditions, and economic information useful in applying the growth models to various simulations (Jones et al., 2003) . A noted strength of these models is that, because of their process-based nature, crop growth is simulated in stages, and the timing of climatological variations can be modeled in a manner more structurally consistent with true agronomic processes (Hertel and Rosch, 2010) . A criticism of these analyses, particularly amongst economists, is that they do not incorporate adaptation to changing climate conditions. These models implicitly assume that farmers do not switch their cropping patterns in the face of changing climate conditions and yield responses, so economic impacts are generally predicated on the cultivation of the given crop. Consequently, crop growth models tend to overstate the damages of climate change to agricultural production, particularly in developing countries (Mendelsohn and Dinar, 1999) . Agronomic crop models are generally the most data intensive, since they require detailed data on local crop management and climate. Because agronomic crop studies incorporate spatially-explicit climate conditions in controlled settings, resulting yield responses are spatially explicit. While such detailed, local level responses may be advantageous, the incorporation of observed crop responses into global models can be very complex.

At its core, DSSAT is a collection of independent crop growth models, but it also incorporates databases describing weather, soil, genetics, pests, experimental conditions, and economic information useful in applying the growth models to various simulations.

A noted strength of these models is that, because of their process-based nature, crop growth is simulated in stages, and the timing of climatological variations can be modeled in a manner more structurally consistent with true agronomic processes.

Consequently, crop growth models tend to overstate the damages of climate change to agricultural production, particularly in developing countries.


Oxidative stress occurs when the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, and hydrogen peroxide occurs [4] . Normally, the harmful effects of oxidation products are balanced by enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidation defense mechanisms. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase are major enzymatic antioxidants, whereas ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), β-carotene (Vitamin A), α-tocopherol (Vitamin E), albumin, and uric acid are the major nonenzymatic antioxidants. Oxidative stress can cause severe tissue injury by provocating enzyme inactivation, lipid peroxidation, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage [4] . Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) reflects the overall sum of the main antioxidants in the plasma and body fluids of human beings. Vitamins C, vitamin E, albumin, bilirubin, and uric acid are the main antioxidants contributing to the TAC levels of serum. TAC gives important data about the total status of antioxidation events in the body [5] . Paraoxonase (PON) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes paraoxon, a toxic metabolite of organophosphate molecules. In addition to hydrolyzing organophosphate compounds, thereby reducing their neurotoxic effects, PON decreases lipid peroxidation and initiation as well as the progression of atherosclerosis. There are three forms of the PON gene family: PON 1, 2, and 3. PON 1 is carried by high-density lipoproteins in serum, and it has antioxidant effect [6] .

Oxidative stress occurs when the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, and hydrogen peroxide occurs.

Oxidative stress can cause severe tissue injury by provocating enzyme inactivation, lipid peroxidation, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage.

TAC gives important data about the total status of antioxidation events in the body.

PON 1 is carried by high-density lipoproteins in serum, and it has antioxidant effect.


Our discussion has highlighted h n and C D as two pieces of CFT data which characterize twist operators. With this perspective of regarding the twist operator as a conformal defect, we began in section 6 to consider the question of what are the defining characteristics of the twist operator? Certainly the relation (2.14) would be an important feature since, as we noted there, it has an interesting impact on the defect OPE with the stress tensor. However, this relation is not completely universal and, as described in section 2, this property is also shared by Wilson line operators in certain superconformal gauge theories. Another important property discussed in section 2 is that the spectrum of defect operators can contain operators with fractional spins k/n. Certainly, our analysis of the free scalar theory in appendix C explicitly reveals the presence of such operators. But again twist operators are not unique in this regard. Another interesting point that arises in our discussion is that the twist operators are naturally defined for integer n but in discussing h n and C D , as well as the Rényi entropy, one continues the results to real n almost immediately. Here derivatives of correlators with respect to the Rényi entropy index are naturally defined in terms of the modular Hamiltonian [27, 72] . This seems to point to a unique characteristic of twist operators in higher dimensions. In any event, better understanding the definition of the twist operator as a conformal defect remains an open question. Undoubtedly it is a question whose answer will produce a better understanding of the entanglement properties of CFTs, and perhaps QFTs more generally.

Here derivatives of correlators with respect to the Rényi entropy index are naturally defined in terms of the modular Hamiltonian.


In a study of 102 Latino day laborers in Northern California, day laborers who were married or living as married reported higher levels of stress than those who were not (Duke et al., 2010) . Those with children under the age of 18 years reported more stress than those who had no children. No other sociodemographic variables were found to be associated with stress. In a smaller study of 30 Latino day laborers in Seattle, no statistical differences were found in the stress scores of all of the work-related (e.g., years working as a day laborer), economic (e.g., available financial resources), and social stress (e.g., discrimination) indicators measured (de Castro et al., 2010) . This may have been due to the small sample size used by the study.

In a study of 102 Latino day laborers in Northern California, day laborers who were married or living as married reported higher levels of stress than those who were not.

In a smaller study of 30 Latino day laborers in Seattle, no statistical differences were found in the stress scores of all of the work-related (e.g., years working as a day laborer), economic (e.g., available financial resources), and social stress (e.g., discrimination) indicators measured.


Discrimination also takes the form of being victimized by others. The criminal victimization of Latino day laborers has been described as being an increasing yet often underreported phenomenon (Negi, Cepeda, & Valdez, 2013) . In response to such forms of discrimination, many day laborers may choose to intentionally socially isolate themselves in order to avoid encountering experiences of hostility from others (Negi, 2011) .

The criminal victimization of Latino day laborers has been described as being an increasing yet often underreported phenomenon.

In response to such forms of discrimination, many day laborers may choose to intentionally socially isolate themselves in order to avoid encountering experiences of hostility from others.


Higher chronic stress was also found to be associated with having engaged in HIV-related risk behaviors in the previous 12 months. This is consistent with previous research with Latino immigrant men and other populations that has found sexual and other risk behaviors to be associated with reports of stress in one's life. For example, increased stress among immigrant Latino men recently arrived in the United States has been found to be related to sexual risk behaviors (Rhodes et al., 2009) . Such associations between stress and sexual risk behaviors are documented as well among other populations. For example, among HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men, experiencing traumatic stress, such as being physically assaulted because of their race, has been associated with greater sexual risk taking (Fields et al., 2013) . Programs developed to help Latino day laborers lower their stress may have the additional benefit of helping to decrease risk behaviors among them. This can help them to lead healthier lives, which can also benefit their partners, families, and communities at large.

For example, increased stress among immigrant Latino men recently arrived in the United States has been found to be related to sexual risk behaviors.

For example, among HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men, experiencing traumatic stress, such as being physically assaulted because of their race, has been associated with greater sexual risk taking.


These negative experiences can affect the health and mental health of Latino day laborers. For example, over half of 217 day laborers interviewed for a study in San Francisco described their health status as fair or poor (Nelson et al., 2012) . Hopelessness and sadness are also prominent in the lives of such workers (Negi, 2011) . Negative mental health consequences are often associated with discriminatory experiences from others. For example, in a study of 150 Latino day laborers, discrimination and stigma associated with one's ethnicity was found to be related to psychological distress and social isolation (Negi, 2013) . Higher levels of discrimination and social isolation were both associated with more psychological distress.

For example, over half of 217 day laborers interviewed for a study in San Francisco described their health status as fair or poor.

Hopelessness and sadness are also prominent in the lives of such workers.

For example, in a study of 150 Latino day laborers, discrimination and stigma associated with one's ethnicity was found to be related to psychological distress and social isolation.


It is also possible that the choice of the chronic stress scale used in this study may have been problematic. The Cronbach's alpha reliability score of the scale was somewhat below .70, which is considered to be the minimum acceptable score in social science research (DeVellis, 1991) . Using a scale with greater reliability would have provided more confidence in our measure of chronic stress. In addition, as already noted above, using a different scale for measuring chronic stress could have resulted in higher scores relative to the ones obtained with the scale used in this study. Nonetheless, the use of a scale that included both generic items of stress and ones specific to a migrant population resulted in our being able to examine chronic stress from a broader perspective.

The Cronbach's alpha reliability score of the scale was somewhat below .70, which is considered to be the minimum acceptable score in social science research.


Both higher income levels (US$5,000-US$10,000 and greater than US$10,000) were associated with more chronic stress compared with the lowest income category (less than US$5,000). This result was not anticipated as one would have expected that having the lowest income level would have been associated with higher stress compared with having higher income levels (Cummins, 2000; Schulz et al., 2012) . Other literature, however, provides support for such counterintuitive results. It could be that those with higher incomes reported more chronic stress compared with those in the lowest income category because the very fact of obtaining a higher income may have been associated with stress that came with wanting to achieve one's goals (Kahneman, Krueger, Schkade, Schwarz, & Stone, 2006) . Further research with Latino day labor populations should examine the extent to which this may have been the reason for the association that was found between higher income levels and more chronic stress.

This result was not anticipated as one would have expected that having the lowest income level would have been associated with higher stress compared with having higher income levels.

It could be that those with higher incomes reported more chronic stress compared with those in the lowest income category because the very fact of obtaining a higher income may have been associated with stress that came with wanting to achieve one's goals.


Higher chronic stress was associated with having been homeless in the previous 12 months, which was reported by 7% of the sample. Homelessness in this sample was in the low range compared with other studies of Latino day laborers where homelessness has ranged from 4.9% to 25.5% (Duke et al., 2010; Organista & Kubo, 2005; Wong et al., 2003) . Our finding of the association between chronic stress and homelessness is consistent with previous research among Latino day laborers, which has found homelessness to be associated with the stress of feeling instable (Duke et al., 2010) . Such instability is characterized by the feeling of being often on the move and not settled, feeling isolated and finding it hard to meet people, defining one's housing situation as being inadequate to one's needs, and experiencing stress related to having no stores nearby for shopping.

Homelessness in this sample was in the low range compared with other studies of Latino day laborers where homelessness has ranged from 4.9% to 25.5%.

Our finding of the association between chronic stress and homelessness is consistent with previous research among Latino day laborers, which has found homelessness to be associated with the stress of feeling instable.


Latino day laborers have been described as being a "structurally vulnerable population," suggesting that their difficult living situation in society is the result of specific global, economic, and political conditions beyond their control (Organista et al., 2013) . Day workers seek jobs primarily through informal locations, such as standing in front of businesses, home improvement stores, gas stations, and on busy streets (Valenzuela, Theodore, Melendez, & Gonzalez, 2006) . Day labor work can be very precarious and contribute to the stress experienced by a population already struggling to adjust as a mostly immigrant community in the United States. Chief among the struggles experienced by Latino day laborers is the need to obtain sufficient income for their families and themselves.

Latino day laborers have been described as being a "structurally vulnerable population," suggesting that their difficult living situation in society is the result of specific global, economic, and political conditions beyond their control.

Day workers seek jobs primarily through informal locations, such as standing in front of businesses, home improvement stores, gas stations, and on busy streets.


The RS is also related to stand density and depicts a significant contribution to the HDR variations, but less than that of other predictors. The positive sign of the parameter estimates of RS (Table 2) indicate that HDR increases with increasing RS (Figure 6 ), which is biologically logical and interpretable. For a given site quality and development stage of a stand, RS increases with decreasing stem number per hectare and consequently HDR increases, because trees attain a higher rate of height growth than that of DBH under the normal stand density level. However, this trend might not exist in very sparse stands or trees grown in extremely open stands, because trees have attained a higher diameter growth rate relative to that of the height growth to increase their strength against windstorm and ice load. Compared to the suppressed trees, trees with dominant canopy positions can allocate more resources to diameter growth relative to height growth, which may result in smaller HDR and are more stable against the external forces. The inter-tree spacing determines crown shape, crown size, height-to-crown base, and increments of height and diameter attained by trees [55, 60, 77, 101] . The RS incorporates the number of stems per hectare, site quality and stand development stage through HDOM, and, therefore, this can be a very effective measure of stand density [55, 77, 102] .

The inter-tree spacing determines crown shape, crown size, height-to-crown base, and increments of height and diameter attained by trees.

The RS incorporates the number of stems per hectare, site quality and stand development stage through HDOM, and, therefore, this can be a very effective measure of stand density.


In reindeer, both males and females carry antlers. Males have fully-grown antlers just before the rut, shed them during winter and start growing new ones in early spring. As adults, males have the Rangifer, 22 (1), 2002 largest antlers of the two sexes and often possess the most branched sets (Nieminen, 1985) . Non-preg¬ nant females and young animals cast their antlers from March until the calving season, while pregnant females shed their antlers after calving in May. Females generally start antler growth immediately after shedding (Espmark, 1971) . Males develop maximum antler size at 6-7 years of age, whereas females develop their maximum size at 4-5 years of age (Nieminen, 1985) . Calves start their antler growth one month after birth (Nieminen, 1985) .

As adults, males have the Rangifer, 22 (1), 2002 largest antlers of the two sexes and often possess the most branched sets.

Non-preg¬ nant females and young animals cast their antlers from March until the calving season, while pregnant females shed their antlers after calving in May. Females generally start antler growth immediately after shedding.

Males develop maximum antler size at 6-7 years of age, whereas females develop their maximum size at 4-5 years of age.

Calves start their antler growth one month after birth.


Cinnamon bark essential oil (CO) contains a great variety of chemical compounds (mainly cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, coumaric acid, cinnamyl alcohol, and eugenol) that present antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in an individual and collective manner [9] . In the food industry, CO has been used as a flavoring and preservative [10, 11] . However, its direct application to food as a preservative has been limited, as it can be lost during storage due to its high volatility and reactivity with diverse food components [12] . The hydrophobic nature of CO could be exploited to make CF a better barrier against humidity, and in turn the chitosan matrix could conserve the properties of CO, which could improve the physical and antioxidant characteristics of CF. However, the incorporation of CO into CF could also generate undesired changes within the CF. Therefore, the goal of this study was to characterize the physical (solubility, water vapor solubility (WVP), and optical), antioxidant (DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2 -azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)), and protective effects on human erythrocytes) and microstructural properties of CF surfaces containing CO incorporated by an emulsion method.

Cinnamon bark essential oil (CO) contains a great variety of chemical compounds (mainly cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, coumaric acid, cinnamyl alcohol, and eugenol) that present antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in an individual and collective manner.

In the food industry, CO has been used as a flavoring and preservative.

However, its direct application to food as a preservative has been limited, as it can be lost during storage due to its high volatility and reactivity with diverse food components.


Roadmap-based methods are typically used for multiquery purposes, as they maintain a roadmap that can be used to answer different planning queries. The main data structure used is a graph whose nodes are points in the configuration space. Edges in this graph exist between configurations that are close to one another, and the robot can move from one point to the other without collision. A typical algorithm has two phases: a learning phase and a querying phase. In the learning phase, the roadmap is created. Collision-free configurations, called 'samples', are generated randomly and these are the vertices of the roadmap. In the query phase, a number of attempts are made to connect each sample to its nearest neighbours, thus adding edges to the roadmap. To solve a particular query, the initial and goal configurations are added to the roadmap and a graph search algorithm is used to find a path. The efficiency of the algorithm depends on how well the roadmap can capture the connectivity of the configuration space [3] . Moreover, the main performance bottleneck is the construction of the roadmap, since graph search algorithms are fast. One of the most important challenges of this method lies in how to sample useful configurations that will increase the coverage of the roadmap.

The efficiency of the algorithm depends on how well the roadmap can capture the connectivity of the configuration space.


A major problem in the development of autonomous robots is in creating a way to give them the ability to make their own motion plans in a variety of situations. Motion planning is the computational process of moving from one initial position to a goal place in the presence of obstacles. A simple version of the motion planning problem is planning a path for a robot between two initial and goal configurations without any collision with present obstacles. This instance of the problem has been shown to be PSPACE-complete. For more complex problems, it is not clear whether the case is even decidable, except for some specific problems [1] .

For more complex problems, it is not clear whether the case is even decidable, except for some specific problems.


Focal individuals in Kinship family networks have family connections with a variety of more remote kin, such as in-laws, cousins, nephews/nieces, and stepchildren, as well as friends who are considered family members. This diversity is conducive to a rather low level of bonding or bridging social capital. However, the number of potentially supporting significant family members and the overall reciprocity remain fairly high, which shows that family networks based on Kinship feature some social capital. This is not the case for focal persons in Sparse family networks, which show low scores in both bonding and bridging social capital. Approximately one in six focal individuals belongs to this family network, a situation of isolation from family members whose negative consequences have been stressed in the literature (House, 2001; Pinquart & Sörensen, 2000; Shor et al., 2013; Thoits, 2011) . Interestingly, friends who are considered to be family members are overrepresented in Sparse family networks, whereas in other life stages, Friendship family networks were distinct from Sparse family networks (Widmer, 2010) .

Approximately one in six focal individuals belongs to this family network, a situation of isolation from family members whose negative consequences have been stressed in the literature.

Interestingly, friends who are considered to be family members are overrepresented in Sparse family networks, whereas in other life stages, Friendship family networks were distinct from Sparse family networks.


By contrast, and in accordance with H1b, bridging social capital is mainly present in family networks focused on siblings. In these family networks, respondents-who are often single and childless-represent an important source of support within their family networks, as they are actively involved in providing support to their siblings. They actually provide more support to them than they receive from them. Sibling relationships are well known for the provision of emotional support, particularly by older individuals without children or partners (Campbell et al., 1999; Connidis, 2010) . Despite this imbalance between support received and support provided, focal persons in Sibling family networks benefit from a larger structural autonomy, which gives them access to bridging social capital.

Sibling relationships are well known for the provision of emotional support, particularly by older individuals without children or partners.


All existing reports of lumbar hernia repair have involved the use of synthetic mesh. Synthetic mesh for hernia repair has been associated with complications including infection, bowel obstruction, and fistula formation [18] . Using a synthetic mesh in a contaminated wound is contraindicated secondary to high rates of infection and recurrence. More recently, the use of human acellular dermis (Alloderm: LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg NJ) has allowed for a single stage operation for ventral hernia repair in the setting of contamination. This bioprosthesis acts as a scaffold for tissue regeneration, revascularization, and repopulation of cells after implantation. Overtime the material is entirely degraded and is less prone to developing adhesions. The downside to this mesh is cost and several reports in the literature of higher recurrence rates. Traumatic lumbar hernias have associated intra-abdominal injuries and repair may be needed in a potentially contaminated or infected field. Delayed repairs have been reported however, may lead to risks of incarceration or strangulation [19] . A biosynthetic mesh may be an appropriate modality in such instances.

Synthetic mesh for hernia repair has been associated with complications including infection, bowel obstruction, and fistula formation.

Delayed repairs have been reported however, may lead to risks of incarceration or strangulation.


In addition, co-occurring problematic behaviors interact to exacerbate clinical symptoms, which can complicate accurate assessment and treatment of other psychiatric disorders [21] . Likewise, disordered gaming may mask problematic substance use which could hinder diagnostic assessment. Alternatively, disordered gaming may exacerbate problematic substance use, causing symptoms of both to alternate which can impact treatment efficacy [22] . This highlights that the assessment and treatment of GD should have a broader focus by not only considering the presenting primary problematic behavior or substance use and symptoms, but also any potential co-occurring addictive behaviors or substance use, which may enforce a cycle of reciprocity.

In addition, co-occurring problematic behaviors interact to exacerbate clinical symptoms, which can complicate accurate assessment and treatment of other psychiatric disorders.

Alternatively, disordered gaming may exacerbate problematic substance use, causing symptoms of both to alternate which can impact treatment efficacy.


A systematic review was employed to examine the cooccurrence of potentially addictive behaviors with disordered gaming. While disordered gaming has been conflated with internet addiction in the past, it is important to note that only papers that considered assessed gaming and/or gaming disorder (i.e., problematic gaming) were considered. A systematic review contains key elements, such as an overview of the literature, summary of the findings, dissemination of outcomes, and identification of gaps in the literature [26] . The present review utilized a five-stage model of conducting a rigorous systematic review, which included (i) identifying the research question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) dissemination of outcomes, and (v) summarizing and reporting the results [26] .

A systematic review contains key elements, such as an overview of the literature, summary of the findings, dissemination of outcomes, and identification of gaps in the literature.

The present review utilized a five-stage model of conducting a rigorous systematic review, which included (i) identifying the research question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) dissemination of outcomes, and (v) summarizing and reporting the results.


Evidence supports the co-occurrence of addiction for both substances and behaviors (i.e., the presence of a behavioral addiction increases the propensity for addiction to develop for other behaviors). Indeed, this may create a cycle of reciprocity, wherein mutual exacerbation occurs between two or more problematic behaviors [16] [17] [18] . Moreover, those who do experience co-occurring problematic and addictive behaviors are at higher risk of poor mental health (e.g., depression) and physical health [18] [19] [20] .

Indeed, this may create a cycle of reciprocity, wherein mutual exacerbation occurs between two or more problematic behaviors.

Moreover, those who do experience co-occurring problematic and addictive behaviors are at higher risk of poor mental health (e.g., depression) and physical health.


Although there has been one previous comprehensive review investigating the co-occurrence of eleven behavioral and substance addictions, this mainly evaluated US studies, did not examine disordered gaming, and was written almost a decade ago [15] . Furthermore, this review was limited to clinical measures in relation to co-occurrence, and did not consider any proxy measures (e.g., time spent engaging in the activity as an indication of problematic or disordered behavior). Consequently, given the large increase in research examining disordered gaming in the past decade, there is a need for a contemporary systematic review examining the cooccurrence of GD with other potentially addictive behaviors.

Although there has been one previous comprehensive review investigating the co-occurrence of eleven behavioral and substance addictions, this mainly evaluated US studies, did not examine disordered gaming, and was written almost a decade ago.


Additional thermal insulation, installation of high-performance glazing systems, and passive measures such as natural ventilation, shading systems, and the use of daylighting are all beneficial interventions in that respect [18] . Some authors suggest that an improved insulation is more important than an increased solar control in existing, poorly insulated office building [12] . There are, however, counter-arguments which suggest traditional means of improving façade thermal performances are likely to increase cooling loads during warm/hot seasons [24] .

Additional thermal insulation, installation of high-performance glazing systems, and passive measures such as natural ventilation, shading systems, and the use of daylighting are all beneficial interventions in that respect.

Some authors suggest that an improved insulation is more important than an increased solar control in existing, poorly insulated office building.

There are, however, counter-arguments which suggest traditional means of improving façade thermal performances are likely to increase cooling loads during warm/hot seasons.


We view skillful mobile operation in three-dimensional environments as a primary topic of study in Artificial Intelligence. We anticipate a renaissance of research on navigation, informed by diverse perspectives and ongoing advances in machine learning, perception, and reasoning. Indeed, the past two years have seen a surge of creative work in the area [1, 3, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 32] .

Indeed, the past two years have seen a surge of creative work in the area.


This creative output comes with a diversity of task definitions, experimental testbeds, and evaluation protocols. While creativity in technique is desirable, a kaleidoscope of incompatible experimental methodologies can be detrimental. Given the importance of the area and the growing amount and diversity of related research, we believe there is a need to coordinate efforts via the common task framework [8] . To this end, we have convened a working group to study empirical methodology in navigation research. The present document summarizes the consensus recommendations of this working group.

Given the importance of the area and the growing amount and diversity of related research, we believe there is a need to coordinate efforts via the common task framework.


The cotton breeding includes several agronomic and fiber traits, whose association may interfere in the selection process. The canonical correlations among these traits are not well addressed in this crop, justifying the importance of this study. The knowledge of these correlations allows measuring the magnitude of the relationship between several traits of the plant and determines the trait on which the selection can be based, to improve yield, earliness, and fiber quality (Iqbal et al., 2003) .

The knowledge of these correlations allows measuring the magnitude of the relationship between several traits of the plant and determines the trait on which the selection can be based, to improve yield, earliness, and fiber quality.


Aimed at building the capacity for evidence-based and self-determined suicide prevention in underresourced communities, PC CARES relies on local facilitators to do much of the vital work. Because the model depends on local AN volunteers with limited formal education to implement PC CARES, the curriculum and materials need to be user friendly, meaningful within the local and cultural context so facilitators do it, and not too time consuming to implement. To implement village LCs, facilitators must be trained enough to feel sufficiently prepared and supported in doing a good job [30] . The training of facilitators is more likely to be successful if it allows for a diversity of learners and perspectives, and integrates practice into training to enhance the skills of participants [31] .

To implement village LCs, facilitators must be trained enough to feel sufficiently prepared and supported in doing a good job.

The training of facilitators is more likely to be successful if it allows for a diversity of learners and perspectives, and integrates practice into training to enhance the skills of participants.


In addition, most suicide prevention trainings target gatekeepers in traditional clinical roles, who tend to be community "outsiders" in rural Alaska. This approach can limit the diffusion of information and resources to the rest of the community where they are most needed and most deployable. Many community health workers, religious leaders, social service administrators and tribal office workers are local people who are well positioned to make use of suicide prevention and intervention tools in their daily lives [3, 5, 6] . Mobilising such an array of local service providers can spur multilevel suicide prevention efforts that build on and extend local support systems -including those outside the bounds and scope of clinical intervention [4, 6] . Such community-based approaches can develop village-based capacity and facilitate community-wide collaboration to address the vulnerabilities of persons -and communities -before individuals become suicidal. This kind of wideranging and multi-sector preventative programming has not been widely utilised in low-resourced rural and remote AN communities, but such an approach could leverage limited resources and have a significant impact.

Many community health workers, religious leaders, social service administrators and tribal office workers are local people who are well positioned to make use of suicide prevention and intervention tools in their daily lives.

Mobilising such an array of local service providers can spur multilevel suicide prevention efforts that build on and extend local support systems -including those outside the bounds and scope of clinical intervention.


The U.S. mortgage market of recent years shows a high rate of both originations and foreclosures, especially in the riskier subprime sector. This trend, which has emerged as a major economic event, has provoked significant discussion of how it occurred and how regulation might prevent its reoccurrence. A particular concern, voiced for example in a 2004 report of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is that many mortgages are "predatory," which the GAO defines as transactions that "contain terms and conditions that ultimately harm borrowers" (GAO [20] , p.3). We consider how such predation can arise, its consequences, and the likely effects of regulatory intervention.

A particular concern, voiced for example in a 2004 report of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is that many mortgages are "predatory," which the GAO defines as transactions that "contain terms and conditions that ultimately harm borrowers" (GAO, p.3).


In addition to the above classical numerical methods the alternative so-called semianalytical approaches to crashworthiness problems were proposed and developed. The methods of this group provide substantial simplification of the crashworthiness problem and corresponding reduction of its computational cost. The examples are the methods based on discretisation of the structure into the so-called macroelements with predefined folding patterns developed by Abramowicz [13] .

The examples are the methods based on discretisation of the structure into the so-called macroelements with predefined folding patterns developed by Abramowicz.


As shown in Fig.1 , FLS images suffer from inhomogeneity caused by the nonuniform sensitivity of the acoustic lens [4, 23] . This property leads to sharp transitions and seams along the boundaries of multiple frames in the mosaic. To improve the quality of the mosaic, the seams caused by the inhomogeneity of different frames need to be eliminated. One of the most commonly used solutions is to take the average of the overlapping regions. But this will lead to undesirable influences, such as reduced contrast since the pixels with high contrast usually contain useful information [24] . In addition, objects that are near the focused regions appear brighter and clearer while objects at a distance from the focused area appear darker and blurred. The change of viewpoint in detection leads to a phenomenon where the same object appears bright and clear in some frames but dark and unclear in some other frames. For further applications, the clear regions are expected to be included in the mosaic to improve the brightness and clarity of every object, for which a simple averaging is obviously not suitable. Based on the above analysis, a fusion method should pay more attention to the combination of the complementary information from the source images to generate a seamless mosaic.

As shown in Fig.1 , FLS images suffer from inhomogeneity caused by the nonuniform sensitivity of the acoustic lens.

But this will lead to undesirable influences, such as reduced contrast since the pixels with high contrast usually contain useful information.