Search

Purpose of ReviewSuperficial siderosis (SS) of the nervous system is often due to a dural pathology. This review focuses on recent developments related to the management of this subgroup of patients with SS.Recent FindingsThe presence of an epidural ventral spinal fluid collection in patients with SS is a clue to the presence of a diskogenic dural defect. The location of the defect is ascertained by a dynamic CT myelogram, which involves placing the patient in a prone position with hips elevated. This permits gravity-assisted preferential ventral localization of the contrast and active scanning during contrast injection facilitates a precise delineation of the initial point of contrast extravasation which localizes the defect.SummaryDiskogenic dural defects are commonly the underlying etiology for SS in patients with a ventral spinal fluid collection. A dynamic CT myelogram facilitates detection and subsequent repair of these defects, which arrests the continued low-grade subarachnoid bleeding.

Background: Clostridioides difficile, as the main cause of infectious diarrhoea in hospitalised patients, is a considerable challenge for medical personnel (hospital environment) who have direct contact with the patient, as well as being of interest to public health specialists. Financial issues related to the occurrence of the above-mentioned micro-organism are being increasingly raised. Due to the scale of the phenomenon, we are beginning to pay attention to the significant system costs caused by the diagnosis and treatment of CDI infection and its complications. Studies indicate that the nosocomial infection of C. difficile complicates hospitalisation, by increasing the cost by more than half and extending patient’s stay by an average of 3.6 days. Material and methods: The aim of this study was to attempt to calculate the estimated costs associated with the prolonged hospitalisation of patients with nosocomial CDI infection, using the example of a hospital in Lodz. A total of 53 completed hospitalisations of patients treated in the period of January–August 2018 were analysed, during which hospital Clostridioides difficile infection was identified. For the purposes of this study, statistical data collected in the hospital’s IT system were also analysed, covering 44,868 hospitalisations in the Jan–Aug 2018 period, during which no hospital infection occurred. They was a control group, in which the analysed cases were compared. The obtained data in the study determined how long each patient with Clostridioides difficile infection stayed in the hospital (from the moment infection was diagnosed until the day of hospital discharge), and which diagnosis related groups (DRG) (according to National Health Fund guidelines) were assigned. The average length of patient stay without infection within a given DRG group in each hospital ward was also determined. The collected materials became the initial point for the final analysis of hospital costs and the length of hospital stay caused by Clostridioides difficile infection. Results: Clostridioides difficile infection extended the hospital stay by an average of almost 12 days. The average cost of prolonged hospitalisation due to CDI infection (according to the average cost per person-day) was about PLN 7148 (1664 EUR), which gave a total value of about PLN 378,860.6 (88,240.5 EUR) in the examined period. At the same time, the average expenditure from the National Health Fund for hospitalisation due to CDI infections increased by about PLN 6627 (1542.8 EUR), which in the analysed period translated into over PLN 351,232.0 (81,505.5 EUR) (according to settlements with the National Health Fund). The outcome indicates that there is a clear relation between CDI and the anticipated length of hospitalisation of patients without an infection.

Variation potential (VP) is an important long-distance electrical signal in higher plants that is induced by local damages, influences numerous physiological processes, and participates in plant adaptation to stressors. The transmission of increased hydraulic pressure through xylem vessels is the probable mechanism of VP propagation in plants, however, the rates of the pressure transmission and VP propagation can strongly vary. We analyzed this problem on the basis of a simple mathematical model of the pressure distribution along a xylem vessel, which was approximated by a tube with a pressure gradient. It is assumed that the VP is initiated if the integral over pressure is more than a threshold one, taking into account that the pressure is transiently increased in the initial point of the tube and is kept constant in the terminal point. It was shown that this simple model can well describe the parameters of VP propagation in higher plants, including the increase in time before VP initiation and the decrease in the rate of VP propagation with an increase in the distance from the zone of damage. Considering three types of the pressure dynamics, our model predicts that the velocity of VP propagation can be stimulated by an increase in the length of a plant shoot and also depends on pressure dynamics in the damaged zone. Our results theoretically support the hypothesis about the impact of pressure variations in xylem vessels on VP propagation.

L.A. Syuzyumova, syuzyumovala@gmail.com South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation. Сюзюмова Людмила Анатольевна, аспирант кафедры безопасности жизнедеятельности, Южно-Уральский государственный университет, г. Челябинск, syuzyumovala@gmail.com. In a modernized economy, there is an increased need for quality training of company's chief executives with a high level of professional flexibility. The aim of this study is to identify sociohistorical and theoretical-pedagogical preconditions for the formation and development of this quality in chief executives. This study analyses baseline data for further structuring and improving educational practices for professional flexibility formation. The understanding of the pedagogical assistance issue of professional flexibility formation of company's chief executives is based on a retrospective analysis. The historical retrospective is established on the following research subjects: “supplementary adult education”; “professional flexibility”; “pedagogical facilitation”; “targeting company's chief executives”. Representing the historiography of the problem the author reveals three historical periods: the 1st one is from the beginning of the 60s to the end of the 80s of the XX century; the 2nd period is from the end of the 80s of the XX century to the beginning of the 2000s; the 3rd period is from the beginning of the 2000 up to the present. The period before the 1960s is regarded as a preparatory one. It created social, scientific, and practical conditions for pedagogical assistance to the development of professional flexibility among company's chief executives. В условиях современной экономической ситуации растет потребность в качественном обучении руководителей с высоким уровнем профессиональной гибкости. Цель данного исследования выявить социально-исторические и теоретико-педагогические предпосылки становления и развития данной проблемы. В исследовании анализируются исходные данные для дальнейшего структурирования и совершенствования образовательной практики с целью развития профессиональной гибкости у руководителей. Проблема педагогического содействия развитию профессиональной гибкости у руководителей высшего звена анализируется с помощью ретроспективного анализа. Были идентифицированы четыре содержательных компонента исследования: «дополнительное образование взрослых»; «формирование профессиональной гибкости»; «педагогическое содействие»; «актуальность роли руководителя», которые рассматриваются в аспекте исторического развития. Представляя историографию проблемы, автор выделяет ряд периодов. Выявлены исторические периоды развития проблемы развитию профессиональной гибкости у руководителей: 1-й – с начала 60-х годов до конца 80-х годов ХХ века; 2-й – с конца 80-х годов ХХ века до начала 2000-х годов; 3-й – с начала 2000-х годов до настоящего времени. Период до 1960-х годов считается подготовительным. Он создал социальные, научные и практические условия для педагогического содействия развитию профессиональной гибкости руководителей.

espanolLa investigacion en emprendimiento esta evolucionando mas que nunca (Carlsson et al., 2013). Como una linea de investigacion que esta ganando cada vez mas atencion, es imperativo entenderla mas profundamente, dada la relevancia del emprendimiento, el emprendedor y las empresas en la economia global actual y bajo una lente multidimensional. A traves de una extensa revision de la literatura, se realizo una vision exploratoria de su perspectiva evolutiva, tomando como punto de partida aquella darwiniana, donde se encontro la falta de un marco formal y, por tanto, se propone un modelo teorico tridimensional (Emprendimiento, Emprendedor y Empresa, EEE) para su estudio, donde el contexto multidimensional y la participacion que generalmente tiene la familia influyen en las relaciones ida y vuelta e iterativas que aparecen entre las dimensiones y que estan influenciadas por la perspectiva evolutiva. Los resultados sugieren que existe un gran interes en la academia en esta vision evolutiva, una necesidad de explorar mas este enfoque, teorica y empiricamente bajo las relaciones que el modelo propone entre las diversas lineas de investigacion en emprendimiento, empresa familiar, economia y teoria de la empresa, ecologia de la poblacion y la eleccion estrategica, asi como en el propio emprendedor y en su cognicion y aprendizaje emprendedor, para desarrollar estrategias y politicas publicas que apoyen a las empresas y al ecosistema emprendedor. EnglishEntrepreneurship research is evolving more than ever (Carlsson et al., 2013). As a research stream that is gaining more and more attention, it is imperative to understand it more deeply, given the relevance of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, and businesses in today’s global economy, and under a multidimensional lens. Through an extensive literature review, an exploratory view of its evolutionary perspective was made, from a Darwinian initial point, where the lack of a formal framework was found and therefore a 3-dimensional theoretical model (Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur and Firm, EEF) is proposed for its study, where the multidimensional context and the involvement that the family generally has, influence the back and forth and iterative relationships that appear between the dimensions, and that is influenced by the evolutionary perspective. The results suggest that there is great interest in the academic field in this evolutionary view, a need to further explore this approach, theoretically and empirically under the relationships the model proposed among the various lines of research in entrepreneurship, family business, economics, and firm theory, population ecology, and strategic choice, as well as in the entrepreneur himself and its entrepreneurial cognition and learning, to develop strategies and public policies that support the organizations and the various stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

INTRODUCTION: Identification of dental implant types can be a complex process for inexperienced health care professionals. Dental implants can have subtle differences in their morphology, which make it difficult to distinguish them from one another The unique appearance of dental anatomy and the placement of custom restorations ensure accurate identification of bodies or human remains when radiographic techniques are correctly applied. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To develop a radiographic dental implant guide for ten common dental implant types currently used in the Western Cape, South Africa; using their morphological characteristics observed on pantomographs. DESIGN: The methodology considered for this research study was a positivist approach through a quantitative, exploratory, non-experimental research design. METHODS: Ten commonly used dental implants were radiographed at straight tube (ST), off-centre (OC) and severe off-centre (SOC) angles to create a reference instrument Two reviewers used the morphologies of the different dental implant types, namely the apex, thread and neck, observed on ante-mortem pantomographs, and compared it to the appearance of the dental implants in the reference instrument to make a positive identification match. The straight tube image of all ten dental implant types in the reference instrument was used as the initial point of reference to positively identify the morphological characteristics of each dental implant type on the pantomographs. RESULTS: A total of 380 dental implants could be identified on 105 pantomographs reviewed. Of the 380 dental implants, 350 dental implants (91%) were identified as dental implant types listed in the reference instrument while 30 dental implants were identified as another type of dental implant type not listed in the reference instrument A total of 208 dental implants (54.2%) could be positively identified on the ante-mortem pantomographs using the straight tube images in the reference instrument. The morphological characteristics of the dental implant types were described using x-ray imaging of dental implants. The ten commonly used dental implants types could be positively identified by two independent reviewers and based on this a radiographic dental implant guide was developed. CONCLUSION: Each dental implant type had unique morphological characteristics as well as similarities which enabled distinction between the different dental implant types. The dental implant guide developed could be used by dentistry and radiography students. The dental implant guide may be useful in the field of forensic dentistry and forensic radiology.

N=3 super-Schwarzian and N=(3,0) super-Liouville theories are formulated by the coadjoint orbit method. We study the coadjoint orbit dependence of the respective theories, represented by a superfield b. We show that it is renormalized into the N=3 super-Schwarzian derivative when the b field takes an appropriate configuration at the initial point of the orbit. Then the renormalized actions of the respective theories are invariant under OSp(2$|$3) transformations. If the configuration gets further specified, the initial point of the orbit turns out to be stable under one other kind of OSp(2$|$3) transformations as well., 25 pages,v2: published version, streamlined argument on the Kirillov-Kostant two-form by reorganizing Secs 3, 6 and Appendix B, added evaluation of the N=3 super-Schwarzian theory at the stable point in Sec. 5 and comment on the Duistermaat-Heckman formula in Sec. 7, improved Appendix C

Grime music emerged at the turn of the millennium in the United Kingdom. While grounded and street-level at its outset, the form has since become global in reach. This article focuses on performance practice in the East Australian grime scene and its development over time. Principally, it attends to how MCs and DJs articulate a sense of belonging to both the UK and their local communities in Melbourne and Sydney, through lyrical and musical signification. These articulations are shown to be an example of ‘glocal’ performance practice, which is locally situated yet globally rendering. The article also demonstrates how these artists’ conceptions of legitimate practice are heavily mediated by YouTube videos of canonical UK practice, owing to their geographical dislocation from the genre’s initial point of origin. As a result, radio performances – known as ‘sets’ – and live shows are often prioritized over recorded releases. These findings are supported by interviews with Australian artists, and musical analysis of two key performances: a radio set on Australian broadcaster Triple J from November 2018 and a global grime showcase on London’s Rinse FM from January 2019.

The following case report documents the presentation of a 28 year old male who presented to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) trauma unit following a single gunshot wound to the spine. He presented walking, with no neurological dysfunction. On further investigation he was found to have a retained bullet at the L3 level of the spinal canal, which migrated within the canal from its initial point of entry. He was subsequently taken for a laminectomy and bullet removal under fluoroscopic guidance. Post operatively he was noted to have reduced proprioception bilaterally., Highlights • Intrathecal bullet migration is a rare but documented complication of gunshot injuries to the spine • Retained bullets may result in progressive neurology which may be precipitated by radiological investigations or surgery. • Fluoroscopy guides the site of incision, as bullets may migrate cranially when patients are prone.

International crop exchange always brings the risk of introducing pests to countries where they are not yet present. The invasive pest Tuta absoluta (Meyrick 1917), after taking just a decade (2008&ndash, 2017) to invade the entire Africa continent, is now continuing its expansion in Asia. From its first detection in Turkey (2009), the pest has extended its range of invasion at a very high speed of progression to the southeast part of Asia. This study adopted the cellular automata modelling method used to successfully predict the spatiotemporal invasion of T. absoluta in Africa to find out if the invasive pest is propagating with a similar pattern of spread in Asia. Using land cover vegetation, temperature, relative humidity and the natural flight ability of Tuta absoluta, we simulated the spread pattern considering Turkey as the initial point in Asia. The model revealed that it would take about 20 years for the pest to reach the southeast part of Asia, unlike real life where it took just about 10 years (2009&ndash, 2018). This can be explained by international crop trade, especially in tomatoes, and movement of people, suggesting that recommendations and advice from the previous invasion in Europe and Africa were not implemented or not seriously taken into account. Moreover, some countries like Taiwan and the Philippines with suitable environmental condition for the establishment of T. absoluta are not at risk of natural invasion by flight, but quarantine measure must be put in place to avoid invasion by crop transportation or people movement. The results can assist policy makers to better understand the different mechanisms of invasion of T. absoluta in Asia, and therefore adjust or adapt control measures that fit well with the dynamic of the invasive pest observed.

During an epidemic outbreak it is useful for planners and responsible authorities to be able to plan ahead to estimate when an outbreak of an epidemic is likely to ease and when the last case can be predicted in their area of responsibility. Theoretically this could be done for a point source epidemic using epidemic curve forecasting. The extensive data now coming out of China makes it possible to test if this can be done using MS Excel a standard spreadsheet program available to most offices. The available data is divided up for whole China and the different provinces. This and the high number of cases makes the analysis possible. Data for new confirmed infections for Hubei, Hubei outside Wuhan, China excluding Hubei as well as Zhejiang and Fujian provinces all follow a log-normal distribution that can be used to make a rough estimate for the date of the last new confirmed cases in respective areas. In the version 2 continuation work, 9 additional days were added for the Chinese data to evaluate the previous predictions. The extra data then available from China follows the previous predicted trend supporting the usefulness of this simple technique. In the version 2 we also tested the feasibility for a non-specialist to make similar predictions using additional data from S Korea now available. In this third continuation the predictions for Version 2 are evaluated for S Korea and fits well the beginning of the decline but it seems to be difficult to bring down numbers of cases per day under about 100 new cases per day, potential reasons for this is discussed. To further evaluate when in a prediction becomes reliable the Chinese data was used to evaluate to make predictions for each day around the peak in number of cases and after2-3 consecutive days of decreasing new cases per day the prediction becomes reliable. In version 3 data for Italy just reaching this point was used to make further predictions for that country. A second new analysis was also added to use the fitted equation to detect when the acceleration of new cases per day stopped increasing exponentially. In the Chinese case this measured point coincides with the date of the complete Hubei lockdown and in the new Italian analysis it coincides with the mandatory Italian lockdown. Predicted dates for the end of the Italian outbreak is also added.

During an epidemic outbreak it is useful for planners and responsible authorities to be able to plan ahead to estimate when an outbreak of an epidemic is likely to ease and when the last case can be predicted in their area of responsibility. Theoretically this could be done for a point source epidemic using epidemic curve forecasting. The extensive data now coming out of China makes it possible to test if this can be done using MS Excel a standard spreadsheet program available to most offices. The available data is divided up for whole China and the different provinces. This and the high number of cases makes the analysis possible. Data for new confirmed infections for Hubei, Hubei outside Wuhan, China excluding Hubei as well as Zhejiang and Fujian provinces all follow a log-normal distribution that can be used to make a rough estimate for the date of the last new confirmed cases in respective areas. In this continuation work 9 additional days were added for the Chinese data to evaluate the previous predictions. We also tested the feasibility for a non-specialist to make similar predictions using additional data from S Korea now available. The extra data now available from China follows the previous predicted trend supporting the usefulness of this simple technique.

Based on the work of Atangana-Baleanu [Open Math. 13 1 (2015)] we obtain new solutions of space-time fractional nonlinear Schrodinger equation, where G ' G 2 -expansion and generalised Kurdyashov methods are suggested. The results obtained here include the hyperbolic, rational and trigonometric functions. Also, the behavior of the solutions is tested with changing of the values of fractional order, we can note that the obtained solutions reduced back to the results reported previously to the normal case i.e, α = 1 and β = 1, that we can say that the fractional order can be used as a controlling parameter of the system solutions. We can see from the obtained results the all solutions almost same, the difference only on the initial point, where we can say that the proposed methods and the steps to find the solutions are more efficient and accurate.

Implications and improvements of edge brightening effects led by $Q$ factor minimization restricted to keep the same level of directivity for high efficiency continuous circular aperture distributions are here reported. In this manner, an optimization strategy for a minimum $Q$ value–keeping the same level of efficiency and restricting the maximum sidelobe level ( SLL )– is envisaged. As application of the method, a design procedure devoted to reduce the $Q$ factor of the antenna aperture distributions while keeping a high level of efficiency is outlined. Then, these optimal Taylor distributions are used as initial point to develop an optimization strategy. This procedure is devoted to search Taylor-like distributions which offer a good compromise between low $Q$ factor and high efficiency values with potentials for the antenna design scenario, based on a decrease in edge brightening effects led by the minimization of the aforementioned $Q$ ratio.

R.Z. Elsakova, sultanbekovarz@susu.ru South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation. Елсакова Рената Загитовна, аспирант кафедры безопасности жизнедеятельности, Южно- Уральский государственный университет, г. Челябинск, sultanbekovarz@susu.ru. The problem of getting future masters ready for professional communication in the scientific community is considered on the basis of a retrospective analysis. This problem is influenced by the processes of internationalization in education and integration of scientific, educational and production areas. The historical retrospective is made on the basis of the following criteria: 1) the formation of masters' education, 2) the development of scientific communication, 3) the development of foreign language education, 4) the formation of language for professional purposes. Representing the historiography of the problem the author reveals three main periods: from 45th to 60s of the 20th century; from 70th to 90s of the 20th century; from the beginning of the 2000s to the present. The period before 1945 is considered a preparatory one. It created social, scientific and practical conditions for training future masters for professional communication in the scientific community. В статье представлен ретроспективный анализ проблемы подготовки будущих магистров к профессиональному общению в научном сообществе. Актуальность данной проблемы обусловлена процессами интернационализации в сфере образования и интеграции науки, образования и производства. Историческая ретроспектива обозначена на основе следующих критериев: 1) становление магистерского образования, 2) развитие научной коммуникации, 3) развитие иноязычного образования, 4) становление языка для профессиональных целей. Представляя историографию проблемы, автор выделяет три основных периода: 45–60-е годы XX века – первый этап, 70–90-е годы XX века – второй этап, с начала 2000-х годов до настоящего времени – третий этап. Период до 1945 года назван подготовительным, создавшим нормативные, социальные, научные и практические условия для актуализации проблемы подготовки студентов магистратуры к профессиональному общению в научном сообществе.

For particles diffusing in a potential, detailed balance guarantees the absence of net fluxes at equilibrium. Here, we show that the conventional detailed balance condition is a special case of a more general relation that works when the diffusion occurs in the presence of a distributed sink that eventually traps the particle. We use this relation to study the lifetime distribution of particles that start and are trapped at specified initial and final points. It turns out that when the sink strength at the initial point is nonzero, the initial and final points are interchangeable, i.e., the distribution is independent of which of the two points is initial and which is final. In other words, this conditional trapping time distribution possesses forward-backward symmetry.

We study various weaker forms of inverse shadowing property for discrete dynamical systems on a smooth compact manifold. First, we introduce the so-called Ergodic Inverse Shadowing property (Birhhoff averages of continuous functions along the exact trajectory and the approximating one are close). We demonstrate that this property implies continuity of the set of invariant measures in Hausdorff metrics. We show that the class of systems with Ergodic Inverse Shadowing is quite broad, it includes all diffeomorphisms with hyperbolic nonwandering sets. Secondly, we study the so-called Individual Inverse Shadowing (any exact trajectory can be traced by approximate ones but this shadowing is not uniform with respect to selection of the initial point of the trajectory). We demonstrate that this property is closely related to Structural Stability and $\Omega$-stability of diffeomorphisms., Comment: 19 pages, no figures

In this paper we investigate the two dimensional dynamical system generated by the floor function with a parameter $\lambda\in \R$. We describe all limit points of the dynamical system depending on $\lambda$ and on the initial point., Comment: 7 pages

For a linear dynamical switching system, we analyse maximal asymptotic growth of trajectories depending on the initial point. Both discrete and continuous time systems in R d are considered. We prove the existence of a Lyapunov norm in R d with the following property: for every invariant linear subspace L ⊂ R d of the system, the restriction of the norm on L provides a tight upper bound for the growth of trajectories on L . For this, we introduce the concept of the spectral normal form of a family of matrices. Properties of the comprehensive Lyapunov norms are analysed and methods of their construction are discussed.

This work deals with intersection points: conjugate points and cut points, of timelike geodesics emanating from a common initial point in special spacetimes. The paper contains three results. First, it is shown that radial timelike geodesics in static spherically symmetric spacetimes are globally maximal (have no cut points) in adequate domains. Second, in one of ultrastatic spherically symmetric spacetimes, Morris--Thorne wormhole, it is found which geodesics have cut points (and these must coincide with conjugate points) and which ones are globally maximal on their entire segments. This result, concerning all timelike geodesics of the wormhole, is the core of the work. The third outcome deals with the astonishing feature of all ultrastatic spacetimes: they provide a coordinate system which faithfully imitates the dynamical properties of the inertial reference frame. We precisely formulate these similarities., Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure

Injury to the central nervous system is characterized by damage that spreads from the initial point of impact into the surrounding adjacent tissue, in a phenomenon referred to as secondary degeneration. The optic nerve can be used to effectively model injury and secondary degeneration to white matter tracts. Partial transection of the dorsal aspect of the nerve leaves the ventral aspect initially undamaged but vulnerable to secondary degeneration, allowing study of tissue exclusively vulnerable to secondary degeneration. Thus the partial optic nerve transection model of secondary degeneration is a valuable tool to study the pathology of spreading damage following neurotrauma and can be used to assess potential efficacy of therapeutic strategies.

Purpose: Previous studies suggest that officers' level of rape myth acceptance (RMA) is predictive of their case decision making and judgements towards victim-survivors. However, few studies have directly assessed the relationship between RMA and responsibility and authenticity judgments.\ud Methods: 808 UK police officers categorised as 'high' or 'low' in rape myth acceptance made judgements of victim and perpetrator responsibility, and case authenticity, towards one of 16 vignettes depicting a hypothetical rape scenario varying on victim-perpetrator relationship, victim reputation, and initial point of resistance.\ud Results: Officers categorised as 'high' in RMA rated victims as more responsible, perpetrators as less responsible, and cases as less authentic than those deemed to be 'low' in RMA. When rape-myth related factors were present, both individually and in combination, judgements by officers 'high' in RMA were more negative than those 'low' in RMA.\ud Conclusions: Results suggest that officers 'high' in RMA may judge victims of rape differently to those 'low' in RMA, particularly when rape myth-related extra-legal case factors are present. The potential implications for training and selection are discussed.

In this paper, we use the asymptotic expansions of the binomial coefficients and the weights of the L1 approximation to obtain approximations of order $$2-\alpha $$ and second-order approximations of the Caputo derivative by modifying the weights of the shifted Grunwald–Letnikov difference approximation and the L1 approximation of the Caputo derivative. A modification of the shifted Grunwald–Letnikov approximation is obtained which allows second-order numerical solutions of fractional differential equations with arbitrary values of the solutions and their first derivatives at the initial point.

This photo-essay draws from a three-year collaboration—Site_Seal_Gesture (2013–2016)—between archaeologist Lia Wei and geographer Rupert Griffiths. The initial point of departure was a reflection on the use of creative practice in our respective academic fields, and our shared interest in the relationship between time, materiality, and the human subject. This quickly developed into a shared discursive and artistic practice. Building blocks for a common language emerged through sketch dialogues and shared itineraries, which made connections between abandoned military defence architectures on the southeast coast of the UK and second-century rock-cut tombs in Southwest China. Speculative connections between past, present, and future were drawn out and deposited in models cast in plaster and life-size replicas carved in chalk or stone. Through the entwined actions of dwelling and making, the creative manipulation of archaeological materials constructs a unique tunnel between marginal landscapes and multiple temporalities.

In an optimal variance stopping (O.V.S.) problem one seeks to determine the stopping time that maximizes the variance of an observed process. As originally shown by Pedersen (2011), the variance criterion leads to optimal stopping boundaries that depend explicitly on the initial point of the process. Then, following the lines of Pedersen and Peskir (2016), we introduce the concept of dynamic optimality for an O.V.S. problem, a type of optimality that disregards the starting point of the process. We examine when an O.V.S. problem admits a dynamically optimal stopping time and we illustrate our findings through several examples.

In this paper, we apply the concept of Caputo’s H-differentiability, constructed based on the generalized Hukuhara difference, to solve the fuzzy fractional differential equation (FFDE) with uncertainty. This is in contrast to conventional solutions that either require a quantity of fractional derivatives of unknown solution at the initial point (Riemann–Liouville) or a solution with increasing length of their support (Hukuhara difference). Then, in order to solve the FFDE analytically, we introduce the fuzzy Laplace transform of the Caputo H-derivative. To the best of our knowledge, there is limited research devoted to the analytical methods to solve the FFDE under the fuzzy Caputo fractional differentiability. An analytical solution is presented to confirm the capability of the proposed method.

For an elliptic curve $${E}$$ over a finite field we define the point sequence $$(P_n)$$ recursively by $$P_n=\vartheta (P_{n-1})=\vartheta ^n(P_0)$$ with an endomorphism $$\vartheta \in {{\mathrm{End}}}({E})$$ and with some initial point $$P_0$$ on $${E}$$ . We study the distribution and the linear complexity of sequences obtained from $$(P_n)$$ .

Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America first developed in the Andes, and Peru has long been considered to be the initial point of origin. The recent discovery of an anthropomorphic copper mask in north-west Argentina, however, draws new attention to the southern Andes as a centre of early metalworking. Found in a funerary context c. 3000 BP, at a time of transition from mobile hunter-gatherer bands to agro-pastoral villages, the mask from Bordo Marcial shows that the Cajón Valley and its surrounding region was an important locus for copper metallurgy. To date, the mask is the oldest intentionally shaped copper object discovered in the Andes, and suggests that more than one region was involved in the origin of this technology. Fil: Cortes, Leticia Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de Las Culturas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Las Culturas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico ; Argentina Fil: Scattolin, Maria Cristina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Museo Etnográfico ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de Las Culturas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Las Culturas; Argentina

In this paper, we proposed a registration algorithm based on the combination of pyramid hierarchical idea and graph theory. It can solve the challenging problem of extracting consistent characteristics and matching the infrared and visible images. First, extracting the maximally stable extremal regions (MSERs) in the determining maximum down-sampling images and each MSER is represented by a polygon. Then constructing the gragh features and the mapping relationship of MSERs between the infrared and visible images are determined by the graph matching method. Next we can construct the initial point set for matching according to the mapping relationship. Finally, using the random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm to obtain the optimal parameters and determine the error evaluation parameters. According to the idea of pyramid stratification, the above process is repeated in the high resolution images under the constraint condition of current matching error. The experiment results show that the algorithm can make full use of the visual similarity structures between images, and can achieve a smaller matching error under the premise of ensuring the robustness of the matching.

In this paper a two-stage approach is introduced for optimum path planning of a team of autonomous vehicles in an environment cluttered with obstacles. The vehicles are requested to move in formation from an initial point to a final point. The Bump-Surface concept is used for the representation of the environment while the formation of the vehicles is presented by a deformable Delaunay triangulation. The proposed approach is presented in detail and test cases with multiple vehicles are simulated to demonstrate the efficiency of the method. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49058-8_33 available 29 november, 2017

We consider the Caputo fractional derivative and say that a function is Caputo-stationary if its Caputo derivative is zero. We then prove that any $C^k\big([0,1]\big)$ function can be approximated in $[0,1]$ by a a function that is Caputo-stationary in $[0,1]$, with initial point $a, 19 pages, 4 figures

Social work educators have an obligation to the profession to admit into its ranks those applicants judged to have the requisite knowledge, skills, and values for effective practice. Even though considerable disagreement exists as to what those specifics encompass, there is a general sense that students should be monitored throughout the curriculum and that, by making admission decisions for students, the profession and ultimately the clients are better served. This study presents longitudinal data on an instrument utilized by a small BSW program across five pre-professional courses, yielding scores at mid-term and at the end of the semester that address students’ compatibilities with the demands of the profession.Data are used in a feedback loop for assessing students compatibility with the profession prior to the initial point of entry into the major. Strengths and limitations of the study are addressed.

To investigate mechanical characteristics of rocks under different unloading conditions, triaxial tests are carried out with initial confining pressures of 10, 20, and 30 MPa and unloading rates of 0.05~1 MPa/s in three stress paths. Results show that the increment of axial strain is far less than that of the lateral strain. The unloading rates of confining pressures have less influence on variation of strain and lateral increment in path I. The variation of axial increment strain in the same time is slightly larger than the variation of lateral increment; D-value is influenced by unloading rates of confining pressures in path II. The variation of axial strain increment decreases firstly and then increases with the variation of confining pressures. The relation decreases and then increases with unloading rates increases in path III. The dilatancy angle decreases with initial confining pressures increases. The vary rates of dilatancy angle from initial point of dilatancy angle to peak point of dilatancy angle increase with the unloading rates of confining pressures. In the same rates, the vary rates of dilatancy angle from the initial point of the dilatancy angle to peak point of the dilatancy angle in path I are greater than those in path II.