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ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the acceptability, feasibility, usability, and preliminary effect of an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) intervention for patients with breast cancer in Mexico.DesignWe conducted a multimethod non-randomised pilot study. We used a pre-test/post-test design for quantitative assessment of the intervention's effect on patients' supportive care needs and quality of life. We conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with participants and healthcare workers to explore the intervention's benefits and barriers and understand its feasibility.Participants50 women aged 20-75 diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer were enrolled within 2 weeks of starting neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. We excluded illiterate women and those with visual impairment, cognitive disability or severe depression. IDIs were conducted with 18 participants and 10 healthcare providers.SettingOncology services in three public hospitals of the Mexican Social Security Institute.InterventionThe ePRO intervention consisted of a responsive web application for weekly symptom reporting combined with proactive follow-up by nurses guided by predefined clinical algorithms for 6 weeks.Results50 women were enrolled out of 66 eligible patients approached (75.8%). All 50 completed the 4-week follow-up assessment (100% retention). Completion of the symptom registry declined from 100% in week 1 to 66% in week 6. Participants experienced decreases in supportive care needs and increased quality of life. The ePRO application was rated highly usable. Participants and health professionals both perceived intervention benefits. Drawbacks included poor fit for women receiving radiotherapy and challenges using the application for women with low digital literacy or experiencing severe symptoms.ConclusionsThis pilot study provided evidence of the high usability and potential efficacy of a web-based ePRO intervention. We revised recruitment during the p

Honeybee products arouse interest in society due to their natural origin and range of important biological properties. Propolis (P) and royal jelly (RJ) attract scientists' attention because they exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory abilities. In this study, we tested whether P and RJ could mitigate the adverse effects of cadmium (Cd) exposure, with particular emphasis on the reproductive function in female rats. In this line, one week of pretreatment was established. Six experimental groups were created, including (i) the control group (without any supplementation), (ii) the Cd group (receiving CdCl2 in a dose of 4.5 mg/kg/day), (iii) the P group (50 mg of P/kg/day), (iv) RJ group (200 mg of RJ/kg/day), (v) P + Cd group (rats pretreated with P and then treated with P and Cd simultaneously), (vi) RJ + Cd group (animals pretreated with RJ before receiving CdCl2 simultaneously with RJ). Cd treatment of rats adversely affected a number of measured parameters, including body weight, ovarian structure and ultrastructure, oxidative stress parameters, increased ovarian Cd content and prolonged the estrous cycle. Pretreatment and then cotreatment with P or RJ and Cd alleviated the adverse effects of Cd, transferring the clusters in the PCA analysis chart toward the control group. However, clusters for cotreated groups were still distinctly separated from the control and P, or RJ alone treated groups. Most likely, investigated honeybee products can alter Cd absorption in the gut and/or increase its excretion through the kidneys and/or mitigate oxidative stress by various components. Undoubtedly, pretreatment with P or RJ can effectively prepare the organism to overcome harmful insults. Although the chemical composition of RJ and P is relatively well known, focusing on proportion, duration, and scheme of treatment, as well as the effects of particular components, may provide interesting data in the future. In the era of retu

Optimal investment decisions by institutional investors require accurate predictions with respect to the development of stock markets. Motivated by previous research that revealed the unsatisfactory performance of existing stock market prediction models, this study proposes a novel prediction approach. Our proposed system combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with data from Virtual Investment Communities (VICs) and leverages VICs’ ability to support the process of predicting stock markets. An empirical study with two different models using real data shows the potential of the AI-based system with VICs information as an instrument for stock market predictions. VICs can be a valuable addition but our results indicate that this type of data is only helpful in certain market phases.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes containing hydrophobic graphene nanofillers were prepared and tested for membrane distillation applications. The nanofillers were obtained by a two-step process: 1st) chemical grafting of hydrophobic molecules, either octylamine (OA) or perfluoroctylamine (PFOA), to graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, and 2nd) chemical reduction of functionalized GO (rGO) to remove unreacted oxygen-containing functional groups. This resulted in OA-functionalized reduced GO (OA-rGO) and PFOA-functionalized rGO (PFOA-rGO). The addition of these nanomaterials to PVDF membranes prepared by the phase inversion process led to an increase in the membrane contact angle, and therefore higher hydrophobicity, as well as an increase in the membrane porosity. When comparing both nanofillers, OA-rGO and PFOA-rGO, the latter was more efficient in achieving higher contact angles due to the presence of fluorine atoms, whereas OA-rGO led to a greater enhancement in membrane porosity as compared to PFOA-rGO. MMMs containing 0.7 wt% nanofiller loadings of OA-rGO and PFOA-rGO achieved the highest water fluxes of 9.1 and 8.8 L m−2 h−1, respectively and salt rejection above 99.9%, which was monitored for at least 162 h of operation for the former. In comparison with pure PVDF (flux of 5 L m−2 h−1), the addition of OA-rGO and PFOA-rGO nanofillers results in a flux increment of 82% and 76%, respectively.

The mantle rocks from Kadaboura and Madara areas represent sections of dismembered ophiolitic complexes developed during the Neoproterozoic in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, which is located in the northwestern corner of the Arabian–Nubian Shield. The Kadaboura mantle rocks comprise serpentinites and serpentinized dunites, whereas those of the Madara consist of serpentinites and serpentinized pyroxenites. Despite the serpentinization of the studied mantle rocks, few relicts of primary chromite, olivine and pyroxene are preserved. Chromite is partly altered having unaltered Al-rich chromite cores surrounded by Fe-rich chromite and Cr-rich magnetite rims. The unaltered Al-rich chromite cores show compositions equilibrated at temperatures mostly below ~500-600°C, which is a temperature comparable to that estimated for primary chromite in greenschist up to lower amphibolite facies rocks. The high Cr# [100×Cr/(Cr+Al)= 47-76] of the unaltered chromite cores and the Mg-rich nature of the olivine relicts (Fo91–94) indicate that the studied mantle rocks were produced from a highly depleted mantle that experienced high degrees of melt extraction (mostly ~30-40%). This range of melt extraction resembles that estimated for supra-subduction zone peridotites, but higher than that in abyssal and passive margin peridotites. Furthermore, the clinopyroxene relicts show compositions comparable to those from the Mariana forearc peridotites. Bulk-rock geochemistry also reflects derivation from an extremely depleted and a highly refractory mantle source. Modelling of rare-earth elements suggests that the studied mantle rocks were possibly formed by the interaction of their highly depleted harzburgitic mantle precursors with subduction-related melts/fluids during their evolution in a fore-arc basin of the supra-subduction zone. The proposed geodynamic model suggests that the oceanic lithosphere generated during the seafloor spreading of the Mozambique Ocean was emplaced in the upper plate o

Advances in Machine Learning (ML) led organizations to increasingly implement predictive decision aids intended to improve employees’ decision-making performance. While such systems improve organizational efficiency in many contexts, they might be a double-edged sword when there is the danger of a system discontinuance. Following cognitive theories, the provision of ML-based predictions can adversely affect the development of decision-making skills that come to light when people lose access to the system. The purpose of this study is to put this assertion to the test. Using a novel experiment specifically tailored to deal with organizational obstacles and endogeneity concerns, we show that the initial provision of ML decision aids can latently prevent the development of decision-making skills which later becomes apparent when the system gets discontinued. We also find that the degree to which individuals 'blindly' trust observed predictions determines the ultimate performance drop in the post-discontinuance phase. Our results suggest that making it clear to people that ML decision aids are imperfect can have its benefits especially if there is a reasonable danger of (temporary) system discontinuances.

Research about alkali-activated materials or geopolymers has increased in the past decade as they are regarded as a potential replacement to cement-based materials. This is due to the fact that alkali-activated materials possess several advantages over cement-based materials, and the most important one is that they are more sustainable to the environment, as they have less CO2 emissions, less energy consumption during the production process, and the use of byproducts as a binder. The main aim of this work is to develop a mixture that has superior buildability properties with an open time of two hours or more. In order to achieve this, the effect of admixtures, specifically retarders and viscosity modifying admixtures had to be studied. The use of admixtures in geopolymer has been regarded as a complex subject because multiple factors influence their effect on the mixture, like: binders used and their percentages, alkaline activator used, and liquid to binder ratio. In this work, the effect of 3 retarders: sucrose, sodium chloride, and sodium borate on the setting time, flowability, and yield stress development was studied. Moreover, the effect of those retarders was studied with the addition of viscosity modifying admixtures: nano-clay (attapulgite), xanthan gum, sodium carboxymethyl starch, and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose on the same properties. The binders and the alkaline activator used were fixed through out the entire work. the binder composed of 60% fly ash, 20% blast furnace slag, and 20% glass wool. The alkaline activator consists of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate with a SiO2/Na2O ratio of 1.5. The addition of sucrose didn’t lead to any delay in the setting time. While both sodium chloride and sodium borate delayed the setting time, increased the flowability, and improved the extrudability of the mixtures. Out of the viscosity modifying admixtures, attapulgite had the most positive effect as it improved the thixotropic behaviour of, Wool2Loop, Civil Engineering

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a complex disease comprising molecularly distinct tumor types, each with a unique biology that is becoming increasingly better characterized. The aim of this review is to present an optimized treatment schema and the accompanying diagnostic testing approach for patients with advanced NSCLC. There are a number of therapies currently approved for patients with advanced NSCLC, including agents that target particular oncogenic drivers, as well as immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) that elicit an antitumor response. Identification of genetic alterations (e.g., epidermal growth factor receptor, anaplastic lymphoma kinase, reactive oxygen species proto-oncogene 1, B-Raf proto-oncogene) or programmed cell death ligand-1 expression levels in NSCLC requires diligent molecular testing at initial diagnosis and, in some cases, at disease progression to ensure the most efficacious treatment is delivered. Accurate molecular diagnostic testing, along with the careful selection of currently approved targeted agents, ICBs, or systemic chemotherapy, provides therapy that is personalized according to patients' needs to achieve the best possible outcome. Enrollment in clinical trials that further the development of tailored therapies is highly recommended at all stages of treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockers provide effective and tailored options for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Careful molecular analysis of tumor samples is necessary to identify the genetic alterations that are present, to ensure that each patient receives the most efficacious treatment for their specific tumor type. Personalized therapy provides each patient with the best probability for prolonged survival. Enrolling patients in clinical trials should be the first consideration before making each treatment decision.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and categorize the survival benefit of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in lung cancer patients based on systematic computational drug repositioning data. METHODS: Data were retrospectively extracted from the medical records of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients from the University of Cincinnati Cancer Medical Center database. Patients receiving antidepressants during their course of anti-cancer treatment were compared with those without antidepressants. Data were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves with the log-rank test, and overall survival (OS) was calculated from the date of diagnosis until last follow-up or death. RESULTS: The median OS at 2 and 5 years for patients on antidepressants was 20.3 months (54.7% and 42%) vs 44.3 months (47.6% and 43.2%), which was not significant. The median OS for patients receiving TCAs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and other antidepressants was 3.17 months, 31.33 months, and 18.50 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: We found no significant survival benefit for TCA use in combination with anti-cancer agents in NSCLC patients.

KRAS is the most commonly mutated oncogene in NSCLC and development of direct KRAS inhibitors has renewed interest in this molecular variant. Different KRAS mutations may represent a unique biologic context with different prognostic and therapeutic impact. We sought to characterize genomic landscapes of advanced, KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a large national cohort to help guide future therapeutic development.Molecular profiles of 17,095 NSCLC specimens were obtained using DNA next-generation sequencing of 592 genes (Caris Life Sciences) and classified on the basis of presence and subtype of KRAS mutations. Co-occurring genomic alterations, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and PD-L1 expression [22C3, tumor proportion score (TPS) score] were analyzed by KRAS mutation type.Across the cohort, 4,706 (27.5%) samples harbored a KRAS mutation. The most common subtype was G12C (40%), followed by G12V (19%) and G12D (15%). The prevalence of KRAS mutations was 37.2% among adenocarcinomas and 4.4% in squamous cell carcinomas. Rates of high TMB (≥10 mutations/Mb) and PD-L1 expression varied across KRAS mutation subtypes. KRAS G12C was the most likely to be PD-L1 positive (65.5% TPS ≥ 1%) and PD-L1 high (41.3% TPS ≥ 50%). STK11 was mutated in 8.6% of KRAS wild-type NSCLC but more frequent in KRAS-mutant NSCLC, with the highest rate in G13 (36.2%). TP53 mutations were more frequent in KRAS wild-type NSCLC (73.6%).KRAS mutation subtypes have different co-occurring mutations and a distinct genomic landscape. The clinical relevance of these differences in the context of specific therapeutic interventions warrants investigation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are currently hot topics in industry and business practice, while management-oriented research disciplines seem reluctant to adopt these sophisticated data analytics methods as research instruments. Even the Information Systems (IS) discipline with its close connections to Computer Science seems to be conservative when conducting empirical research endeavors. To assess the magnitude of the problem and to understand its causes, we conducted a bibliographic review on publications in high-level IS journals. We reviewed 1,838 articles that matched corresponding keyword-queries in journals from the AIS senior scholar basket, Electronic Markets and Decision Support Systems (Ranked B). In addition, we conducted a survey among IS researchers (N = 110). Based on the findings from our sample we evaluate different potential causes that could explain why ML methods are rather underrepresented in top-tier journals and discuss how the IS discipline could successfully incorporate ML methods in research undertakings.

COVID-19 HAS AGAIN TIGHTENED ITS GRIP AROUND THE WORLD AND THE HEALTH SYSTEM. THIS ARTICLE GIVES AN INTRODUCTION TO EXPLAINABLE INTERACTIVE MACHINE LEARNING AND PROVIDES INSIGHTS ON HOW THIS METHOD MAY NOT ONLY HELP IN ENGINEERING MORE POWERFUL AI SYSTEMS, BUT ALSO HOW IT MAY HELP TO EASE THE BURDEN OF VIRAL STRAINS ON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

The current research aims to identify (the effect of the fishbowl strategy using the electronic classroom (Google classroom) on the achievement of fifth-grade students in the science of biology), and to achieve the goal of the research, the researcher adopted the experimental design with partial control for two equal groups, and the research sample was chosen randomly from scientific fifth-grade students from (Imam Al-Sadiq Junior High School for Boys) affiliated to the General Directorate of Education in Baghdad , Rusafa Al-Awla, as it reached (61) students by (30) students in the experimental group, and (31) students in the control group, the two groups of research were rewarded in the variables (chronological age, intelligence, past information test, previous achievement), and the scientific material was specified in the first four chapters of the biology book to be taught, and the behavioral objectives of the chapters were formulated and reached (315) a behavioral purpose representing the six levels of Bloom's classification of the cognitive domain, and the teaching plans were prepared for the two research groups, and the research tool was prepared, which is the achievement test, as it consisted of (50) objective paragraphs, the validity and reliability of the tool was confirmed, as the data were analyzed and processed statistically, using (t-test for two independent samples, alpha Cronbach's coefficient, Kioder Richshadson's equation 20, paragraph difficulty coefficient, discrimination coefficient, and the effectiveness of false alternatives) In light of this the researcher made a number of recommendations And proposals.

Our study, based on observations and captures of reptiles (Sauria) from northern Sahara Algerian, we selected five different ecological habitats (erg, palm grove, reg, seline, and urban site) over a 3 years period (July 2011 - July 2014). Sampling carried out using two methods, namely: hand capture method and trapping method.We have identified 12 species (with a total of 514 individuals); distributed over 6 families and 9 genera. Among the species listed 6 are protected in Algeria, by Decree No. 35 of 10 June 2012, according to the official journal of the Algerian Republic. From the point of view of endemism, 3 species are endemic by U.I.C.N. Report the mediterranean. (T. deserti, T. neglecta and T. tournevillei). The number of species in the different categories of the UICN Red List shows that 11 are considered to be of less concern, one species is considered to be insufficient data (S. fasciatus). Lacertidae is the family the most abundant in the REG and the erg with rates respectively of 81.5% and 77.8%, while Phyllodactylidae is the most abundant in urban site (92.3%) and palm grove (64.7%). The morpho metric study and enumeration scales of some Sauria species has allowed us to obtain results very close to those cited in the literature. The positive relationship between morphological variable (snout-vent length 'SVL', vent tail length 'VT') against total length (TL), which was positively correlated with all species, TL and SVL (r =0.77; p = 0.003: r = 0.97; p =<0.0001) and TL and VT ( r = 0.64; p =<0.0001: r = 0.98; p =<0.0001), the correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between : snout-vent length and foreleg ( r = 0.66; p =< 0.0001: r = 0.88; p =<0.0001) and snout-vent length with hindleg ( r =0.66; p = <0.0001: r =0.93; p =<0.0001).

In this Ph.D. we present a framework for predicting the remaining time of a business process. Our framework consists of building an Extended Annotated Transition System (EATS) model which extends the baseline Annotated Transition System considering eight structural features of the traces, where each state in the EATS is annotated with a partitioned list of attributes of these features. Linear regression is applied to each partition to predict the remaining time. Experimental validation of our model has been conducted with ten real-life benchmark datasets, confronting our estimations to the state of the art. Results show that our model not only outperforms the baseline but also other approaches in the literature. We have also addressed the scalability of our model, by introducing two attribute selection methods which allow us to keep a good balance between the computational cost and acceptable prediction accuracy.

Optimal investment decisions by institutional investors require accurate predictions with respect to the development of stock markets. Motivated by previous research that revealed the unsatisfactory performance of existing stock market prediction models, this study proposes a novel prediction approach. Our proposed system combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with data from Virtual Investment Communities (VICs) and leverages VICs’ ability to support the process of predicting stock markets. An empirical study with two different models using real data shows the potential of the AI-based system with VICs information as an instrument for stock market predictions. VICs can be a valuable addition but our results indicate that this type of data is only helpful in certain market phases.

This article discusses the counterpart of interactive machine learning, i.e., human learning while being in the loop in a human-machine collaboration. For such cases we propose the use of a Contradiction Matrix to assess the overlap and the contradictions of human and machine predictions. We show in a small-scaled user study with experts in the area of pneumology (1) that machine-learning based systems can classify X-rays with respect to diseases with a meaningful accuracy, (2) humans partly use contradictions to reconsider their initial diagnosis, and (3) that this leads to a higher overlap between human and machine diagnoses at the end of the collaboration situation. We argue that disclosure of information on diagnosis uncertainty can be beneficial to make the human expert reconsider her or his initial assessment which may ultimately result in a deliberate agreement. In the light of the observations from our project, it becomes apparent that collaborative learning in such a human-in-the-loop scenario could lead to mutual benefits for both human learning and interactive machine learning. Bearing the differences in reasoning and learning processes of humans and intelligent systems in mind, we argue that interdisciplinary research teams have the best chances at tackling this undertaking and generating valuable insights.

Using experimental data from a comprehensive field study, we explore the causal effects of algorithmic discrimination on economic efficiency and social welfare. We harness economic, game-theoretic, and state-of-the-art machine learning concepts allowing us to overcome the central challenge of missing counterfactuals, which generally impedes assessing economic downstream consequences of algorithmic discrimination. This way, we are able to precisely quantify downstream efficiency and welfare ramifications, which provides us a unique opportunity to assess whether the introduction of an AI system is actually desirable. Our results highlight that AI systems’ capabilities in enhancing welfare critically depends on the degree of inherent algorithmic biases. While an unbiased system in our setting outperforms humans and creates substantial welfare gains, the positive impact steadily decreases and ultimately reverses the more biased an AI system becomes. We show that this relation is particularly concerning in selective-labels environments, i.e., settings where outcomes are only observed if decision-makers take a particular action so that the data is selectively labeled, because commonly used technical performance metrics like the precision measure are prone to be deceptive. Finally, our results depict that continued learning, by creating feedback loops, can remedy algorithmic discrimination and associated negative effects over time.

This paper develops a framework to study multi-hop relaying in a vehicular network consisting of vehicles and Road Side Units (RSUs), and the effect of this relaying on the network coverage and the communication delay. We use a stochastic geometry model that consists of a combination of Poisson Line Process (PLP) and 1D Poisson Point Process (PPP) to reliably characterize the vehicular network layout and the locations of the vehicles and the RSUs. Using this model, we analyze the effect of the different network parameters on the coverage provided by the RSUs to the vehicles. Then, we investigate how the uncovered vehicles can receive their intended packets by relaying them through multiple hops that form connected paths to the RSUs. We also analyze the delay introduced to packet delivery due to multi-hop relaying. Namely, we present results that illustrate the coverage gains achieved through multi-hop relaying and the delays induced. Such results could be used by network planners and operators to decide on the different configurations and operational parameters of the vehicular network to suit particular scenarios and objectives., Comment: Addendum for a paper

This study aimed to discover the level of psychological pollution among Irbid university college female student in light of some variables, the sample of the study consisted of (146) female students from Irbid university college. The researchers used the psychological pollution scale that was developed by them and consisted of (40) items. The results of the study revealed that the level of psychological pollution among Irbid university college female student was intermediate with an average (2.51). also, the results revealed that there were statically significant differences related to the psychological pollution due to major variable and in favour of English students. and the results revealed that there were statically significant differences related to the psychological pollution due to level of study and in favour of fourth year students. The study didn't reveal differences in the level of psychological pollution due to the variable of parents education Keywords: psychological pollution, Irbid University College. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-20-09 Publication date:July 31st 2019

Thermodynamics properties of heavy mesons are calculated within the framework of the N-dimensional radial Schrodinger equation. The Cornell potential is extended by including the quadratic potential plus the inverse of quadratic potential. The energy eigenvalues and the corresponding wave functions are calculated in the N-dimensional space using the Nikiforov-Uvarov (NV) method. The obtained results are applied for calculating the mass of spectra of charmonium, bottomonium, bc, and cs mesons. The thermodynamics properties of heavy quarkonia such as, the mean energy, specific heat, free energy, and entropy are calculated. The effect of temperature and the dimensionality number on heavy mesons masses and thermodynamics properties is investigated. The obtained results are improved in comparison with other theoretical approaches and in a good agreement with experimental data. We conclude that the present potential well describes thermodynamic properties in the three-dimensional space and also the higher dimensional space., Comment: 17 pages, 10 Figures, 4 Tables

In this paper, we deal with one of the current challenges in process mining enhancement: the prediction of remaining times in business processes. Accurate predictions of the remaining time, defined as the required time for an instance process to finish, are critical in many systems for organizations being able to establish a priori requirements, for optimal management of resources or for improving the quality of the services organizations provide. Our approach consists of i) extracting and assessing a number of features on the business logs, that provide a structural characterization of the traces; ii) extending the well-known annotated transition system (ATS) model to include these features; iii) proposing a partitioning strategy for the lists of features associated to each state in the extended ATS; and iv) applying a linear regression technique to each partition for predicting the remaining time of new traces. Extensive experimentation using eight attributes and ten real-life datasets show that the proposed approach outperforms in terms of mean absolute error and accuracy all the other approaches in state of the art, which includes ATS-based, non-ATS based as well as Deep Learning-based approaches

During the Algerian-French SPIRAL survey aimed at investigating the deep structure of the Algerian margin and basin, two coincident wide-angle and reflection seismic profiles were acquired in central Algeria, offshore Greater Kabylia, together with gravimetric, bathymetric and magnetic data. This ~260 km-long offshore-onshore profile spans the Balearic basin, the central Algerian margin and the Greater Kabylia block up to the southward limit of the internal zones onshore. Results are obtained from modeling and interpretation of the combined data sets. The Algerian basin offshore Greater Kabylia is floored by a thin oceanic crust (~4 km) with P-wave velocities ranging between 5.2 and 6.8 km/s. In the northern Hannibal High region, the atypical 3-layer crustal structure is interpreted as volcanic products stacked over a thin crust similar to that bordering the margin and related to Miocene post-accretion volcanism. These results support a two-step back-arc opening of the west-Algerian basin, comprising oceanic crust accretion during the first southward stage, and a magmatic and probably tectonic reworking of this young oceanic basement during the second, westward, opening phase. The structure of the central Algerian margin is that of a narrow (~70 km), magma-poor rifted margin, with a wider zone of distal thinned continental crust than on the other margin segments. There is no evidence for mantle exhumation in the sharp ocean-continent transition, but transcurrent movements during the second opening phase may have changed its initial geometry. The Plio-Quaternary inversion of the margin related to ongoing convergence between Africa and Eurasia is expressed by a blind thrust system under the margin rising toward the surface at the slope toe, and by an isostatic disequilibrium resulting from opposite flexures of two plates decoupled at the continental slope. This disequilibrium is likely responsible for the peculiar asymmetrical shape of the crustal neck that may thus b

The exact solution of N- dimensional radial Schr\"odinger equation with the generalized Cornell potential has been obtained using the Laplace transformation (LT) method. The energy eigenvalues and the corresponding wave functions for any state have been determined. The eigenvalues for some special cases of the generalized Cornell potential are obtained. The present results are applied to calculate the mass spectra of heavy quarkonium systems such as charmonium and bottomonium and the bc meson. A comparison is discussed with the experimental data and recent works. The present results are improved in comparison with other recent studies and are in a good agreement with the experimental data. The effect of the dimensional number (N) on the meson masses has been studied. We note that the meson masses increase in higher dimensions., Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-positive, pleomorphic, facultative intracellular pathogen that causes Oedematous Skin Disease (OSD) in buffalo. To better understand the pathogenic mechanisms of OSD, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of 11 strains of C. pseudotuberculosis isolated from different buffalo found to be infected in Egypt during an outbreak that occurred in 2008. Sixteen previously described pathogenicity islands (PiCp) were present in all of the new buffalo strains, but one of them, PiCp12, had an insertion that contained both a corynephage and a diphtheria toxin gene, both of which may play a role in the adaptation of C. pseudotuberculosis to this new host. Synteny analysis showed variations in the site of insertion of the corynephage during the same outbreak. A gene functional comparison showed the presence of a nitrate reductase operon that included genes involved in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis, which is necessary for a positive nitrate reductase phenotype and is a possible adaptation for intracellular survival. Genomes from the buffalo strains also had fusions in minor pilin genes in the spaA and spaD gene cluster (spaCX and spaYEF), which could suggest either an adaptation to this particular host, or mutation events in the immediate ancestor before this particular epidemic. A phylogenomic analysis confirmed a clear separation between the Ovis and Equi biovars, but also showed what appears to be a clustering by host species within the Equi strains.

The N-dimensional radial Schr\"odinger equation has been solved using the analytical exact iteration method (AEIM), in which the Cornell potential is generalized to finite temperature and chemical potential. The energy eigenvalues have been calculated in the N-dimensional space for any state (n, l). The present results have been applied for studying quarkonium properties such as charmonium and bottomonium masses. The binding energies and the mass spectra of heavy quarkonia are studied in the N-dimensional space. The dissociation temperatures for different states of heavy quarkonia are calculated in the three dimensional space. The influence of dimensionality number (N) has been discussed on the dissociation temperatures. A comparison is studied with other recent works. We conclude that the AEIM successes to predict the heavy-quarkonium properties at finite temperature and chemical potential., Comment: 17 Pages, 9 Figures, and 3 Tables

This study focuses on determining the effects of demographic, socioeconomic and migration network factors on illegal migration from North Africa to Southern Europe using logistic regression model. The results indicated that migrants who thought it is easier to find a job in destination countries, had job before migration, had high level of financial situation before migration and had high level of education were more likely to migrate legally. However, migrants who had children before migration and migrated with others were more likely to migrate illegally. These findings can be useful for migration legislations in both sending and receiving countries.

The N-dimensional radial Schrodinger equation with an extended Cornell potential is solved. The analytical exact iteration method is applied. The energy eigenvalues are calculated in the N-dimensional space. The charmonium meson, the bottomonium meson and the bc meson masses are calculated in the N-dimensional space. The special cases are obtained from the general case. The study of the effect of dimensionality number is studied. The mean value of the radius and the mean square velocity of charmonium meson, bottomonium meson, and bc meson are calculated. The present results are improved in comparison with other recent studies and are in good agreement with the experimental data. Therefore, the present method with the present potential gives successfully description of heavy quarkonium properties., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, and 6 tables

For the first time, actual data regarding an evacuated tube SWH has been collected from an implemented system in Lebanon. The data collected was based on a number of sensors installed at various points in the system. The results indicated real hot water use of the household and operational temperatures throughout the year. The system provided more than 98% of the household needs indicating a clear over sizing of the system. Other findings include excessive heat generated in the summer, necessitating forced shadowing of the collectors. The system provided 3049 kWh/y and saved the family around $195. More significant savings are obtained by the electricity company since electricity in Lebanon is subsidized. This case study provides a reference point for the observed savings rather than estimated savings.

In this project, our target is to numerically determine the flame transfer function of a conical flame, analyze the flame dynamics in response to the acoustic perturbations and try to find the connection between them. We start by introducing the thermo-acoustic systems as a sim- ple model of several elements and briefly describe the flame transfer function. An analytical representation of the FTF is also represented. Regarding the flame dynamics we introduce the fundamental theories of laminar premixed flames. Moreover, we explain the flame instability and introduce two analytical models describing its growth rate. We then review some litera- ture include experimental determination of the Darrieus-Landau instability of V-Flames. We briefly describe our numerical setup before showing the results. In the results, we start by introducing two excitation approaches, velocity and base tem- perature, and verify their similarity according to the flame heat release response. We then discuss the gain and phase of the FTF where the gain appears to reach a maximum value of higher than unity at around 80 Hz. We switch afterwards to looking at the flame front behavior for different harmonic frequencies and analyze the one with highest instability also at around 80 Hz. Results from the simulation are compared to theoretical relations from literature to ver- ify the growth rates at different harmonics. We then try to find the reason for this instability using an impulsive excitation test, with an attempt to draw a conclusion from the observed unusual behavior of the FTF and the flame dynamics. The impulsive excitation produces a secondary wrinkle that lags the primary one with a time lag that is equivalent to 83 Hz. Fur- ther observations are then made with respect to the flame tip response which shows that the wrinkles are propagated with the convection velocity along the flame front. Another analysis in this chapter includes comparing results from the simulation to one of the ana

This paper deals with the improvement of energy efficiency in wireless sensor networks (WSN).Taking into consideration the power saving problem which is of crucial importance when the sensors are supplied by a limited power source, this paper proposes a method that optimizes as much as possible the transmission power of the sensors. Under the assumption of perfect channel between the Base Station (BS) and the Sensor Nodes (SN's) and with sufficient power resources at the BS, transferring the effort of transmission power to the BS will not be a peculiar issue. This paper proposes a method that reduces the transmitted data at the SN's and compensate this by requesting the variance of the measured value form predicted values. Furthermore, a request management algorithm (RMA) is developed to reduce the amount of requested data based on consecutive successive predictions. The result of this method reveals a major impact on reducing the transmission power at the SN's. Keywords: Wireless Sensor Networks, Data Reduction, Time Series Forecasting, Artificial Neural Networks.

Most of the IEEE 802.16e Mobile WiMAX scheduling proposals for real-time traffic using Unsolicited Grant Service (UGS) focus on the throughput and the guaranteed latency. The delay variation or delay jitter and the effect of burst overhead have not yet been investigated. This paper introduces a new technique called Swapping Min-Max (SWIM) for UGS scheduling that not only meets the delay constraint with optimal throughput, but also minimizes the delay jitter and burst overhead., Comment: IEEE Systems Journal, August 2010

Mobile video is considered a major upcoming application and revenue generator for broadband wireless networks like WiMAX and LTE. Therefore, it is important to design a proper resource allocation scheme for mobile video, since video traffic is both throughput consuming and delay sensitive.

Recently, HTTP-based adaptive streaming has become the de facto standard for video streaming over the Internet. It allows clients to dynamically adapt media characteristics to network conditions in order to ensure a high quality of experience, that is, minimize playback interruptions, while maximizing video quality at a reasonable level of quality changes. In the case of live streaming, this task becomes particularly challenging due to the latency constraints. The challenge further increases if a client uses a wireless network, where the throughput is subject to considerable fluctuations. Consequently, live streams often exhibit latencies of up to 30 seconds. In the present work, we introduce an adaptation algorithm for HTTP-based live streaming called LOLYPOP (Low-Latency Prediction-Based Adaptation) that is designed to operate with a transport latency of few seconds. To reach this goal, LOLYPOP leverages TCP throughput predictions on multiple time scales, from 1 to 10 seconds, along with an estimate of the prediction error distribution. In addition to satisfying the latency constraint, the algorithm heuristically maximizes the quality of experience by maximizing the average video quality as a function of the number of skipped segments and quality transitions. In order to select an efficient prediction method, we studied the performance of several time series prediction methods in IEEE 802.11 wireless access networks. We evaluated LOLYPOP under a large set of experimental conditions limiting the transport latency to 3 seconds, against a state-of-the-art adaptation algorithm from the literature, called FESTIVE. We observed that the average video quality is by up to a factor of 3 higher than with FESTIVE. We also observed that LOLYPOP is able to reach a broader region in the quality of experience space, and thus it is better adjustable to the user profile or service provider requirements., Comment: Technical Report TKN-16-001, Telecommunication Networks Group, Technische Universitaet Berlin. This TR updated TR TKN-15-001

In this project, our target is to numerically determine the flame transfer function of a conical flame, analyze the flame dynamics in response to the acoustic perturbations and try to find the connection between them. We start by introducing the thermo-acoustic systems as a sim- ple model of several elements and briefly describe the flame transfer function. An analytical representation of the FTF is also represented. Regarding the flame dynamics we introduce the fundamental theories of laminar premixed flames. Moreover, we explain the flame instability and introduce two analytical models describing its growth rate. We then review some litera- ture include experimental determination of the Darrieus-Landau instability of V-Flames. We briefly describe our numerical setup before showing the results. In the results, we start by introducing two excitation approaches, velocity and base tem- perature, and verify their similarity according to the flame heat release response. We then discuss the gain and phase of the FTF where the gain appears to reach a maximum value of higher than unity at around 80 Hz. We switch afterwards to looking at the flame front behavior for different harmonic frequencies and analyze the one with highest instability also at around 80 Hz. Results from the simulation are compared to theoretical relations from literature to ver- ify the growth rates at different harmonics. We then try to find the reason for this instability using an impulsive excitation test, with an attempt to draw a conclusion from the observed unusual behavior of the FTF and the flame dynamics. The impulsive excitation produces a secondary wrinkle that lags the primary one with a time lag that is equivalent to 83 Hz. Fur- ther observations are then made with respect to the flame tip response which shows that the wrinkles are propagated with the convection velocity along the flame front. Another analysis in this chapter includes comparing results from the simulation to one of the ana

The Sufi experience is the encounter with absolute truth. This truth cannot be converted into a stronghold nor into a monopoly by and for anyone, and neither is it limited to a concrete culture, race or belief. According to the Sufi doctrine, man voluntarily offers himself in body and soul to God. Some ascetic and mystic sufis do so individually, while others, collectively, through retreats with mystical associations called turuq. Some sufis are members of associations as followers of a master (Shaykh) who allows them to live a normal and austere life compatible with specific norms and ascetic practices conforming to the criteria of each tariqa (way of mystical initiation). Sufism is thus converted into perfect Islam under the guidance of its experienced masters and spiritual guides (shuyukh), and into pious associations imparting sufi teachings and practices. Arabic-Moslem religiosity reaches its perfection in the mystical experience of Sufism, in which the human being, liberated from the deception of the immediate, offers himself to God and feels united to God who is like an immense light manifesting its greatness in the universe., La experiencia sufí es el encuentro con la verdad absoluta, y esa verdad no puede convertirse en feudo ni monopolio de nadie y para nadie, y tampoco está limitada a una cultura, raza o creencia concreta. La doctrina del sufismo consiste en que el hombre se entrega voluntariamente en cuerpo y alma a Dios. Estos ascetas y místicos sufíes lo hacen, unos en solitario y otros en retiros colectivos de asociaciones místicas llamadas turuq, como miembros seguidores de un maestro (Shaykh) que les permitía llevar una vida normal y austera compatible con determinadas normas y prácticas ascéticas de acuerdo con el criterio de cada tariqa (camino iniciático místico). Así, el sufismo se convirtió en el Islam perfecto, bajo la dirección de sus maestros y guías espirituales (shuyukh) experimentados y en asociaciones piadosas donde se impartían enseñanzas y prácticas sufíes. En la experiencia mística del sufismo llega la religiosidad árabe-musulmana a su perfección: en el ella el ser humano se entrega a Dios, se libera del engaño de lo inmediato y se siente unido a Dios en el universo como inmensa luz que manifiesta su grandeza.

Recently, HTTP-Based Adaptive Streaming has become the de facto standard for video streaming over the Internet. It allows the client to adapt media characteristics to varying network conditions in order to maximize Quality of Experience (QoE). In the case of live streaming this task becomes particularly challenging. An important factor than might help improving performance is the capability to correctly predict network throughput dynamics on short to medium timescales. It becomes notably difficult in wireless networks that are often subject to continuous throughput fluctuations. In the present work, we develop an adaptation algorithm for HTTP-Based Adaptive Live Streaming that, for each adaptation decision, maximizes a QoE-based utility function depending on the probability of playback interruptions, average video quality, and the amount of video quality fluctuations. To compute the utility function the algorithm leverages throughput predictions, and dynamically estimated prediction accuracy. We are trying to close the gap created by the lack of studies analyzing TCP throughput on short to medium timescales. We study several time series prediction methods and their error distributions. We observe that Simple Moving Average performs best in most cases. We also observe that the relative underestimation error is best represented by a truncated normal distribution, while the relative overestimation error is best represented by a Lomax distribution. Moreover, underestimations and overestimations exhibit a temporal correlation that we use to further improve prediction accuracy. We compare the proposed algorithm with a baseline approach that uses a fixed margin between past throughput and selected media bit rate, and an oracle-based approach that has perfect knowledge over future throughput for a certain time horizon., Comment: Technical Report TKN-15-001, Telecommunication Networks Group, Technische Universitaet Berlin. Updated by TR TKN-16-001, available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1603.00859

Introducción: Las esferas vaginales también son conocidas como bolas chinas, bolas vaginales, bolas del amor, bolas de geisha, Rin no tama, bolas Ben Wa. Ayudan a fortalecer el suelo pélvico. Estas producen una microvibración al moverse la bola del interior, favoreciendo la musculatura del suelo pélvico y aumentando el riego sanguíneo a nivel de la pelvis. Hay esferas de diferente peso, par su indicación el suelo pélvico debe estar tónico. Objetivo: Revisar la literatura sobre la efectividad de las esferas vaginales e incrementar los conocimientos de los profesionales sobre este tipo de tratamiento propioceptivo, que resulta eficaz para muchas mujeres por su fácil utilización. Metodología: Búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos: Cochrane Plus, Medline, Gerion, Scielo, Cuiden, Biblioteca de Salud Reproductiva de la OMS y google académico. Resultados: Las esferas vaginales son eficaces en el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria y fecal y para el entrenamiento del suelo pélvico. La incontinencia urinaria es un problema frecuente y molesto, que puede llegar a interferir en el trabajo, en la vida social y sexual. Hay necesidad de más ensayos para evaluar los métodos y protocolos de entrenamiento adecuados para la prevención de la incontinencia, del prolapso y de la disfunción sexual. Conclusión: Se ha evidenciado que las esferas vaginales son eficaces en el tratamiento de mujeres con incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo e igualmente efectivas, en el entrenamiento muscular del suelo pélvico., Introduction: Vaginal spheres are also known as Chinese balls, vaginal balls, love balls, geisha balls, Rin no tama, Ben Wa balls. Help strengthen the pelvic floor. These produce a microvibration to move the ball inside, favoring the pelvic floor muscles and increasing blood flow to the pelvic region. There are different areas of weight, torque indications pelvic floor should be tonic. Objective: To review the literature on the effectiveness of vaginal balls and increase knowledge of the professionals on this kind of proprioceptive therapy, which is effective for many women for its easy use. Methods: Literature search in databases: Cochrane, Medline, Gerion, SciELO, Take care, Reproductive Health Library WHO and Academic Google. Results: The vaginal balls are effective in the treatment of urinary and fecal incontinence and pelvic floor training. Urinary incontinence is a common and distressing problem, which may interfere in the work, social and sexual life. There is need for further trials to evaluate the methods and protocols of adequate training for the prevention of incontinence, prolapse and sexual dysfunction. Conclusion: It has been shown that vaginal are better than no active treatment in women with stress urinary incontinence and can be equally effective than pelvic floor muscle training and electrical stimulation., Introdução: áreas vaginais são também conhecidos como bolas chinesas, bolas vaginais, bolas de amor, bolas de geisha, Rin no tama, bolas Ben Wa. Ajude a fortalecer o assoalho pélvico. Estes produzem um micro-vibrações para mover a bola para dentro, favorecendo os músculos do assoalho pélvico e aumentando o fluxo de sangue para a região pélvica. Existem diferentes áreas do peso, as indicações de torque assoalho pélvico deve ser tônica. Objetivo: Revisar a literatura sobre a eficácia das áreas vaginal e aumentar o conhecimento dos profissionais sobre este tipo de terapia proprioceptiva, que é eficaz para muitas mulheres para a sua fácil utilização. Métodos: Pesquisa bibliográfica em bases de dados: Cochrane, Medline, Gerion, SciELO, tome cuidado, Biblioteca de Saúde Reprodutiva da OMS e acadêmico google. Resultados: As esferas vaginais são eficazes no tratamento da incontinência urinária e fecal e treinamento do assoalho pélvico. A incontinência urinária é um problema comum e angustiante, que pode interferir no trabalho, na vida social e sexual. Há necessidade de novos estudos para avaliar os métodos e protocolos de treinamento adequado para a prevenção de incontinencia urinária, prolapso e disfunção sexual. Conclusão: Tem sido demonstrado que as áreas vaginal são eficazes no tratamento de mulheres igualmente eficaz na formação da musculatura do pavimento pélvico e incontinência urinária.