This study is the first report to suggest a morphological phylogenetic framework for the seven varieties of Ficus deltoidea Jack (Ficus: Moraceae) from the Malay Peninsula of Malaysia. Several molecular-based classifications on the genus Ficus had been proposed, but neither had discussed the relationship between seven varieties of F. deltoidea to its allies nor within the varieties. The relatio...

BACKGROUND Periprosthetic bone loss is considered to be a potentially contributing factor in aseptic loosening of acetabular hip components, but no studies have shown this association. The lack of association might be caused by insufficient image quality because of metal artifacts and challenges in measuring bone density (BMD) in complex anatomic structures which might be overcome using dual-en...

BACKGROUND To investigate the feasibility of using dual-energy CT (DECT) for tissue segmentation and kilovolt (kV) dose calculations in pre-clinical studies and assess potential dose calculation accuracy gain. METHODS Two phantoms and an ex-vivo mouse were scanned in a small animal irradiator with two distinct energies. Tissue segmentation was performed with the single-energy CT (SECT) and DE...

Recent work on the nature of luck widely endorses the thesis that an event is good or bad luck for an individual only if it is significant for that individual. In this paper, I explore this thesis, showing that it raises questions about interests, well-being, and the philosophical uses of luck. In Sect. 1, I examine several accounts of significance, due to Pritchard (2005), Coffman (2007), and ...

Opuntia ficus-indica belongs to the Cactaceae family and is widespread in semi-arid and arid regions. Cactus pears are known for their health promoting properties which are due to a variety of bioactive molecules. This study aims to identify and quantify phenolic acids, flavonoids and betanin from spineless Opuntia ficus-indica fruits. Fresh mature samples were crushed, and extracted with 50% a...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Microsatellite primers were developed to investigate population genetic structure in Ficus hirta (Moraceae). METHODS AND RESULTS Sixteen microsatellite primers were developed and optimized for F. hirta using Illumina paired-end sequencing of pre-receptive and receptive developmental-phase female flowers. Out of 16 primers, nine were found to be polymorphic in four populat...

The genus Torulomyces was characterised by species that typically have conidiophores consisting of solitary phialides that produce long chains of conidia connected by disjunctors. Based on the phylogenetic position of P. lagena (generic ex-neotype), the genus and its seven species were transferred to Penicillium and classified in sect. Torulomyces along with P. cryptum and P. lassenii. The aim ...

This article presents an overview of the design process of an interconnection network, using the technology proposed by Arteris. Section 2 summarizes the various features a NoC is required to implement to be integrated in modern SoCs. Section 3 describes the proposed top-down approach, based on the progressive refinement of the NoC description, from its functional specification (Sect. 4) to its...

From the spectra and light curves it is clear that SNIa events are thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs. However, details of the explosion are highly under debate. Here, we present detailed models which are consistent with respect to the explosion mechanism, the optical and infrared light curves (LC), and the spectral evolution. This leaves the description of the burning front and the struc...

What is the Problem of Universals? In this paper we take up the classic question and proceed as follows. In Sect. 1 we consider three problem solving settings and define the notion of problem solving accordingly. Basically I say that to solve problems is to eliminate undesirable, unspecified, or apparently incoherent scenarios. In Sect. 2 we apply the general observations from Sect. 1 to the Pr...