The problem of partitioning an input rectilinear polyhedron P into a minimum number of 3D rectangles is known to be NP-hard. We first develop a 4-approximation algorithm for the special case in which P is a 3D histogram. It runs in O(m log m) time, where m is the number of corners in P. We then apply it to compute the arithmetic matrix product of two n x n matrices A and B with nonnegative integer

SU-8 is the preferred photoresist for development and fabrication of high aspect ratio (HAR) three dimensional patterns. However, processing of SU-8 is a challenging task, especially when the film thickness as well as the aspect ratio is increasing and the size of the features is close to the resolution limit of photolithography. This paper describes process optimization for the fabrication of den

A structural affinity between republican freedom as non-domination and human rights claims accounts for the relevance of republicanism for cosmopolitan concerns. Central features of republican freedom is its institution dependence and the modal aspect it adds to being free. Its chief concern is not constraint, but the way in which an agent is constrained or not. To the extent I am vulnerable to so

In this work we have used simple microfabrication techniques and chemical de-alloying of co-sputtered AgAu alloys to create nanoporous gold (np-Au) electrodes. The physical properties of the np-Au electrodes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and profilometer. The electrochemical performance of the np-Au ele

P>Lilja M. School attainment of children who had a single umbilical artery at birth. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2010; 24: 166-170. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first registry study of school achievements among children born with a single umbilical artery (SUA). A total of 1600 infants born with SUA during 1983-86 were studied. We linked the Swedish Medical Birth Registry wi

We present the first measurement of elliptic (v(2)) and triangular (v(3)) flow in high-multiplicity He-3 + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. Two-particle correlations, where the particles have a large separation in pseudorapidity, are compared in He-3 + Au and in p + p collisions and indicate that collective effects dominate the second and third Fourier components for the correlations observe

Background: Little is known of the association between thyroid hormones in the central nervous system and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We determined thyroid hormone levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a well-defined homogeneous mono-center population. Methods: Fifty-nine consecutive patients under primary evaluation for cognitive impairment were recruited. The participants included patie

Cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) measurements performed at 14 locations around the world within the European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions (EUCAARI) framework have been analysed and discussed with respect to the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation and hygroscopic properties of the atmospheric aerosol. The annual mean ratio of activated clou

How do females decide which males to accept or reject as potential mates when the individuals encountered are unfamiliar and may be either heterospecifics or conspecifics? Learning often influences the development of mate preferences. Experience with particular phenotypes often positively biases preference for that phenotype. However, experience can also induce aversion. We studied the effect of s

To explore changes in performance in daily activities (self-care and mobility) 10 years after selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR).

We discovered a symbiotic lactic acid bacterial (LAB) microbiota in the honey stomach of the honeybee Apis mellifera. The microbiota was composed of several phylotypes of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene analyses and phenotypic and genetic characteristics revealed that the Lactobacillus phylotypes isolated represent seven novel species. One is grouped w

Despite the popularity of the social investment approach, there remain ambiguities regarding how to design an effective social investment policy. We review evaluations of conditional cash transfers (CCTs) in Latin America in order to draw out lessons for how to improve the effectiveness of social investment. CCTs share many of the objectives of the social investment approach and are targeted at po

Background: 21-Hydroxylase autoantibodies (21OHAb) are markers of an adrenal autoimmune process that identifies individuals with autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD). Quality and inter-laboratory agreement of various 21OHAb tests are incompletely known. The objective of the study was to determine inter-laboratory concordance for 21OHAb determinations. Methods: Sixty-nine sera from 51 patients with A

A study was undertaken to measure carbon dioxide degassing in a cascade column operating with both fresh (0‰) and saline water (35‰ NaCl) at 15 ◦C. The cascade column contained bio-block type packing material, was 1.7m long in each dimension, and was tested both with and without countercurrent air exchange. The CO2 concentration of the influent and effluent water was measured using submersible inf

In this paper, we present geochronological, geochemical and palaeomagnetic results from the Hlagothi Complex and a NW-trending dolerite dyke swarm on the southeastern region of the Kaapvaal Craton in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Hlagothi Complex consists of layered sills of meta-peridotite, pyroxenite and gabbro intruding into the Pongola Supergroup. U-Pb baddeleyite ages on the Hlago

Hearing screening has been proposed to promote help-seeking and rehabilitation in adults with hearing impairment. However, some longitudinal studies point to low help-seeking and subsequent rehabilitation after a failed hearing screening (positive screening result). Some barriers to help-seeking and rehabilitation could be intrinsic to the profiles and needs of people who have failed a hearing scr

To review and update the evidence on predictors of poor outcome (death, persistent vegetative state or severe neurological disability) in adult comatose survivors of cardiac arrest, either treated or not treated with controlled temperature, to identify knowledge gaps and to suggest a reliable prognostication strategy.

Most of the traditional technicolor-based models are known to be in a strong tension with the electroweak precision tests. We show that this serious issue is naturally cured in strongly coupled sectors with chiral-symmetric vectorlike gauge interactions in the framework of the gauged linear sigma model. We discuss possible phenomenological implications of such a nonstandard chiral-symmetric techni