This paper reports a study, from a chemical arid microcheniical point of view, of the soil potassium in the type of soil originating from the Arenito Bauru. A mechanical separation of the soil was carried out in order to study the potassium distribution in the soil. The fractions 0.250 to 0.105 mm, 0.105 to 0.053 mm, 0.053 to 0.020 mm, 0.020 to 0.010 mm and 0.010 to 0.002 mm were isolated. The chemical data, i. e., the exchangeable and the total potassium content pointed out the occurrence of primary minerals of potassium in the fractions, 0.250 to O.105 mm, 0.105 to 0.053 mm and 0.053 to 0.020 mm. A simple microchemical technique was performed by which it was possible to differentiate the potassium bearing mineral from quartz, ilmenite, magnetite and other minerals. Primary minerals of potassium were found in those fractions and this fact indicated that the total potassium content in the samples studied was due to the presence of those minerals.


SUMMARY Paper examines the contribution and effectiveness of the community in land use planning decisions for sustainable forest management. Using participatory rural appraisal methodologies targeted at eight forest management committees (FMCs) and sixteen villages in the Cross River State, it highlights the structure of present and proposed community land uses in the context of community forest management, as well as evaluates the validity of these land use decisions. The result demonstrates that community land use decisions are valid and could constitute a reliable basis for community level forest management. and of community efforts at land use planning for community forest management in Cross River obtained facilitating the carrying out of eight community land Abstract This paper is a critical presentation of Kwame Nkrumah's socio-political theory of socialism as it affects Africans. The thesis of the paper is that Socialism is the only viable way forward for the newly-emerging African countries.. The paper shows that Nkrumah's reflections on socialism were genuine provocations and impetus to the development of scholarship and socio-political theory. The paper also shows that most of the critical reactions to Nkrumah's postulations and practice of socialism stem from misrepresentations of his views and actions. It is hoped that by clarifying some confusions and correcting some misrepresentations, this paper will contribute to a better understanding of Nkrumah's socialism.


D face" S3D can be utilized to generate the 3D facial caricature Q3D as given in the eq. (1). This general idea of We proposed a method of 3D caricature generation 3D caricaturing is shown in Fig. 1. which is based on the automatic extraction of the facial parts for the 3D facial image. This method is likely to suf- fer sometimes fatal degradations in the feature extraction 81, = &D +b(L -S~D) (1) from a variation of the head pose (roll, pitch and yaw). Therefore, we propose a method of facial image modifica- tion by rotation (roll) which is based on the irises position extracted by Hough transform of the circle from gray scale image. We improved the facial feature extraction rate and the quality of the caricature generated by the improved 3D face data. We proposed a method of 3D facial caricature genera- tion which is based on the automatic extraction of the facial parts for the 3D facial image (I). This method is likely to suffer sometimes fatal degradations in the feature extraction from a variation of the head pose (roll, pitch and yaw). This system uses 3D range finder for measuring 3D facial images which are the range images and the gray scale images. Our method to generate the caricature is based on the processing of the range image, and the gray scale image is only mapped to the surface of the 3D face data. Therefore, we propose a calibration method of facial image (range image-and gray scale image) by modifying the rotation (roll) on the basis of the irises position ex- tracted by Hough transform of the circle from the gray scale image. In section 2, the principle of the PICASSO system is summarized. In section 3, the details of a method to extract the feature points is presented. In section 4, a method to estimate the pose of the head is proposed. This method utilizes 2D gray images together with 3D facial data. Some experimental results are shown in sections 5 and 6. 2 "Mean Face" assumption and PICASSO We are developing a facial caricaturing system PI- CASSO which extracts a facial characteristics of the facial image and deforms these characteristics. As for the basic principle of PICASSO, the facial caricature QzD could be generated by comparing the input face PzD with the mean face SzD that is defined by averaging input faces. We call this idea the "Mean face assumption" for facial caricatur- ing. The individuality features can be expressed by the vector ( P2D - SZD ), and the deformation parameter b. The facial data is measured by the range finder (VOXELAN). The difference between the input data P3D and "the mean 3 Automatic detection of facial feature points Feature points are extracted from the range image. As shown in Fig. 2, the nose vertex is extracted by investigat- ing the value of neighborhood gradient to the candidates which are extracted as the maximum peaks from the range image. Some local feature points (peaks) are found by searching above (2 points) and below (5 points) from the nose vertex. An example is shown in Fig. 3.


This work studies how the visual system encodes information in the firing patterns of retinal ganglion cells. We present a visual scene to a retina, obtain in-vitro recordings from a multi-electrode array, and attempt to identify or reconstruct the scene. Our approach uses the well-known linear-nonlinear Poisson model to characterize neural firing behavior and accounts for stochastic variability by fitting parameters using maximum likelihood. To characterize cells, we use white noise analysis followed by numerical optimization to maximize the likelihood of the experimentally observed neural responses. We then validate our method by keeping these fitted parameters constant and using them to estimate the speed and direction of moving edges, and to identify a natural scene out of a set of possible candidates. Limitations of our approach, including reconstruction fidelity and the validity of various assumption are also examined through simulated cell responses. Thesis Supervisor: John L. Wyatt Title: Professor


Objective: To establish CIA rat model and observe the effects of herbs of curcuma genus on synovitis of CIA rats.Methods: A total of 50 rats were randomized into five groups : Normal control group,model group,Jianghuang group,Yujin group and Ezhu group.Arthritis model was established by injecting collagen and Complete Freund's Adjuvant(CFA).After 3 weeks,Jianghuang group,Yujin group and Ezhu group with 100% boiled Jianghuang,Yujin,and Ezhu solution.Control group and model group with equal normal sodium.The size of the swelling joints were measured and compared among groups to define the degree of arthritis grades and the histopathologic features of synovitis tissue of the rats were observed.Results: In model group,the rats′ ankle joint swelling degree increased significantly in comparison with that of rats in Normal control group(P0.01),while the rats′ankle joint swelling degree in Jianghuang group and Ezhu group were lower than that of model group(P0.05).The results of HE staining pathological morphology of synovitis tissue show that the herbs of curcuma genus can inhibit the quantity of inflammatory cell infiltration.Conclusion: All of the herbs of curcuma genus have favorable effects in anti-arthritis and Jianghuang is the most obviously.


Objective: Goals for winning in sports can overshadow the virtues of fair play, friendship and unity among competitors. Adolescent athletes are using substances to achieve these goals, often at the expense of their health. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of performance enhancing substance (PES) use in South African male adolescents and to determine which substances are regularly used. Moreover, the study investigated whether the subjects were using legal or illegal substances, and also determined the reasons for using these in sports.  Design: The study used a cross-sectional study design, using a self-administered questionnaire adapted from a previous South African study that investigated doping in elite athletes. The questionnaire included questions on high school sport participation, nutritional supplements and doping substances used to enhance performance. The sample of subjects was obtained from male adolescent high school athletes involved in regular competitive sports at the 1st and 2nd sports team levels.  Results: The results indicated that the prevalence of PES use in this sample was reasonably low (30/100). The subjects indicated a variety of substances used for performance enhancement, including banned substances, (namely, growth hormone (5/100), anabolic androgenic steroids (4/100)), and adrenaline/ephedrine (4/100), and permissible supplements, (namely, creatine (32/100), vitamins (61/100), protein (61/100), caffeine (57/100) and carbohydrates (54/100)). Conclusion: The findings indicate that the use of banned substances for performance enhancement is present. A holistic approach to educational interventions and behaviour change may help to reduce the prevalence of banned substance use in adolescents.


Background : Prediction of complications is an essential part of risk management in surgery. Knowing which patient to operate and those at high risk of developing complications contributes significantly to the quality of surgical care and cost reduction in surgery. The physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) was used to score and predict the outcomes of Laparotomy in Mulago Hospital. The main objective of this study was to determine the morbidity and mortality POSSUM scores for patients who underwent Laparotomy in Mulago Hospital, between September 2003 and February 2004. Methodology : Consecutive patients, who underwent a Laparotomy in the three surgical wards in Mulago Hospital, were scored using POSSUM system. For each patient the predicted risk of mortality and morbidity was calculated from POSSUM equation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationships between the predicted and observed morbidity and mortality rates. Postoperative complications and mortality within 30days were described. Results : Seventy-six patients were studied. The observed and expected mortality and morbidity rates were 14.5%, 2.6% and 35.4%, 0% respectively. Physiological scores, operative scores, co morbid condition such as Diabetes Mellitus significantly determined the outcomes. Conclusion : POSSUM scoring system can be used to predict the risk of mortality but not morbidity for patients admitted to a surgical ward in Mulago Hospital. Recommendations : The POSSUM scoring system can be used in decision-making process before a Laparotomy is carried out.


Book reviewed in this article:

Grzegorz Ekiert and Jan Kubik, Rebellious Civil Society. Popular Protest and Democratic Consolidation in Poland, 1989-1993


The invention relates to an application of acer truncatum bunge stem leaf fiber serving as a free-radical scavenger of a cigarette, as well as a harm-reduction cigarette. The acer truncatum bunge stem leaf fiber is prepared with a method comprising steps as follows: a brown branch growing in the current year is cut out with scissors in November of each year, and then fiber of the brown branch is extracted and trimmed to obtain acer truncatum bunge fiber; the acer truncatum bunge fiber is dipped and starched in acer truncatum bunge leaf extractives; the dipped and starched acer truncatum bunge fiber is aired in a shade place; the aired acer truncatum bunge fiber is oiled, oil comprises acer truncatum buge oil, and the acer truncatum bunge fiber is aired, so that a finished product of the acer truncatum bunge stem leaf fiber is obtained. The finished product of the acer truncatum bunge stem leaf fiber is mixed with cut tobacco for use, so that most of free radical in smoke can be eliminated.


ABSTRACT In this article, a novel Scan mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging method for maritime surveillance is presented. Conventional Scan SAR is generally operated with severe azimuth resolution loss in order to cover a large area. The proposed imaging method changes the way Scan SAR illuminates sub-scenes and presents a new radar illuminating strategy based on ships' spatial distribution in each sub-scene. To gain ships' spatial distribution, a scene sensing algorithm based on radar range profiles together with a peak-seeking and clustering algorithm is introduced. After that, a Markov transfer-probability matrix is generated to make sure that radar illuminates each sub-scene randomly under the probability we calculated before. Finally, an imaging algorithm within the Lp (0 < p ≤ 1) regularization framework is utilized to reconstruct each sub-scene; the regularization problem is solved by an improved iterative thresholding algorithm. The whole wide swath image is joined by putting all the sub-scenes together. Experimental results support that the proposed imaging method can perform high-resolution wide swath SAR imaging effectively and efficiently without reducing the image resolution.


Recent reports 1,2 that β-hemolytic streptococci have been recovered from cultures of throats of subjects who are receiving antibiotic therapy as prophylaxis against recurrent rheumatic fever, led us to consider the possibility that such organisms may remain in some location where the antibiotics are unable to exert their bactericidal effects. Observations among patients of the National Children's Cardiac Hospital indicated that these unaffected streptococci might be recoverable from the tonsillar tissues. Because of the histological structure of tonsils, organisms might remain within deep crypts, secure from contact with, and hence action of, antibiotics. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis. Materials and Methods Materials .—Between 1957 and 1959, children who were scheduled for tonsillectomy constituted the source of material for study. These children, up to 16 years of age, were recruited through the efforts of several otolaryngologists and general practitioners, who notified us of their surgical schedules for


The intensity of
recent droughts and the uncertainty of moisture variability in the context of
increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation have affected the
Mongolian grassland. Mongolia typifies the steppe terrain and semiarid to arid
continental climate that extends across much of Central Asia. In semi-arid
areas like Mongolian steppe, vegetation type and distribution are directly
relate to the amount of water that plants can extract from the soil. An index
for assessment of moisture availability (ma:
defined as the ratio of actual to reference evapotranspiration) was developed,
namely NTDI [1]
 08D0C9EA79F9BACE118C8200AA004BA90B02000000080000000E0000005F005200650066003400300031003800340037003500380031000000
. NTDI (Normalized Day-Night Surface
Temperature Difference Index) is defined as the ratio of the difference between
the maximum daytime surface temperature and the minimum nighttime surface
temperature, to the difference between the maximum and minimum surface
temperatures estimated from meteorological data by applying energy balance
equations. A verification study conducted at Liudaogou River Basin of the Loess
Plateau, China, indicated the capability of NTDI to estimate ma accurately, (R2=0.97,p
 08D0C9EA79F9BACE118C8200AA004BA90B02000000080000000E0000005F005200650066003400300031003800340037003500380031000000
. In Bayan Unjuul, Mongolia, application of
NTDI during the growing season showed a significant inverse exponential
correlation with ma (R2=0.86,p<0.001).
This result indicates that the NTDI is potent to be used as a surrogate of
moisture availability in steppe terrain of Central Asia.


Using density-functional theory in the local-density approximation and spin-fluctuation theory, the Curie temperatures of the zinc-blende half-metallic ferromagnets VAs, CrAs, MnAs and the Heusler compound NiMnSb have been estimated, the lower bounds obtained being ah initio. The orders of magnitude are the same as the Curie temperature of the half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb with T c = 701 K. Of the three compounds VAs, CrAs, and MnAs, the highest T c is calculated for CrAs, for which the Fermi energy is in the middle of the minority-spin electron gap; its Curie temperature might be as high as 1000 K. The Curie temperature drops sharply when the Fermi energy moves into the minority-electron conduction band as in the case of MnAs.


This paper examines the correlation of cultural parameters and the spread of Covid-19. Included were subjective as well as objective attributes, while all of which relied on quantitative research. I will be assessing for correlation using various machine learning models, as well as general data analytics. Given the underlying characteristics of the data and target feature, I will be using regression models, more specifically KNN, Elastic Net, Ridge, and Random Forest. Concluding on some of the major findings of this paper; culture overall, and specifically features as Indulgence vs Restraint as well as LongTerm Orientation and a nations Democracy Index, have predictive value when modeling the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, I will argue that culture has predictive power for the general assessment of global pandemics.


Congestive heart failure is the most common and costly medical problem in the modern world. Current disease management procedures are mostly limited to treating the symptoms of this disease. The effective treatment, however, needs a deep understanding of the normal structure-function relationships of the myocardium. The research of this study is concerned with the relationship between the structure and function of the myocardium in both embryonic and adult hearts. This relationship was investigated through an in-depth analysis of the spatial distribution of the local contractile function in the myocardium. The analysis is based on the heart kinematics captured through the tissue tracking of the myocardium. Advanced imaging techniques, such as DENSE MRI and confocal microscopy, were used for tissue tracking in adult and embryonic myocardium, respectively. The acquired data, together with continuum mechanics concepts and computational methods, were exploited in a Lagrangian framework to measure appropriate characteristic parameters that describe local contribution of the myocardium in its global functionality. This method resulted in novel understandings of the local and global functions in each of these hearts. In particular, it was observed in the adult heart that the left ventricle functionality is not uniformly distributed. Instead, the regions with higher effect on the pumping process form a helical band which wraps around the heart. This is the first time that such a myocardium macro-structure, which is supported by the established histological evidence, is revealed from its function in a beating heart. It can be considered as a landmark in connecting the structure and function of the heart through imaging. Furthermore, the compatibility of this model with microscopic observations about the fiber direction is investigated. A similar approach was applied to embryonic zebrafish heart with GFP labeled myocytes. It identified distribution of regions that play an active role in functionality of the heart tube. This new understanding has provided better insights into the pumping mechanism of the embryonic heart.


The invention discloses a method for preparing rock wool by utilizing cinder and phosphate tailings. The rock wool is prepared from the cinder and the phosphate tailings as raw materials. 60 to 85 parts by mass of cinder, 10 to 35 parts by mass of phosphate tailings and 0 to 5 parts by mass of auxiliary material are measured and uniformly mixed, and the raw materials are conveyed by a conveyor belt to a cupola to be melted into a melt at a temperature of 1300 DEG C to 1750 DEG C; and the melt flows out of a discharge opening of the cupola, is guided into a centrifugal fiber forming machine by a melt runner, and is blown into fibers under the action of centrifugal force or the combined action of the centrifugal force and airflow blowing to obtain rock wool fibers, and then the rock wool fibers are collected, cured and molded to produce rock wool products. According to the method, the problem that no basalt region exists to produce raw materials of the rock wool is solved, and the comprehensive utilization range of industrial solid wastes cinder and phosphate tailings is expanded; and requirements of related policies of recycling economy, energy saving and emission reduction are met, and the economic benefits and environmentally friendly benefits are also good.


Two-dimensional porous Co–CoO nanosheets act as an efficient cocatalyst to reduce the HER overpotential and boost the charge separation of Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanocrystals.


The problem of building a computer model of a small language was under solution. The relevance of this task is due to the following considerations: the need to eliminate the information inequality between speakers of different languages; the need for new tools for the study of poorly understood languages, as well as innovative approaches to language modeling in the low-resource context; the problem of supporting and developing small languages.There are three main objectives in solving the problem of small natural language processing at the stage of describing the problem situation: to justify the problem of modeling language in the context of resource scarcity as a special task in the field of natural languages processing, to review the literature on the relevant topic, to develop the concept of language acquisition model with a relatively small number of available resources. Computer modeling techniques using neural networks, semi-supervised learning and reinforcement learning were involved.The paper provides a review of the literature on modeling the learning of vocabulary, morphology, and grammar of a child's native language. Based on the current understanding of the language acquisition and existing computer models of this process, the architecture of the system of small language processing, which is taught through modeling of ontogenesis, is proposed. The main components of the system and the principles of their interaction are highlighted. The system is based on a module built on the basis of modern dialogical language models and taught in some rich-resources language (e.g., English). During training, an intermediate layer is used which represents statements in some abstract form, for example, in the symbols of formal semantics. The relationship between the formal recording of utterances and their translation into the target low-resource language is learned by modeling the child's acquisition of vocabulary and grammar of the language. One of components stands for the non-linguistic context in which language learning takes place.This article explores the problem of modeling small languages. A detailed substantiation of the relevance of modeling small languages is given: the social significance of the problem is noted, the benefits for linguistics, ethnography, ethnology and cultural anthropology are shown. The ineffectiveness of approaches applied to large languages in conditions of a lack of resources is noted. A model of language learning by means of ontogenesis simulation is proposed, which is based both on the results obtained in the field of computer modeling and on the data of psycholinguistics.


The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool with the aim to identify, predict, evaluate, and prevent or, if necessary, correct and communicate the impacts of a project on the environment [1]. The EIA is regulated by the environmental laws of each country, where commonly an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required to obtain an environmental license. Colombian legislation, as in several other countries, does not determine what EIA methodology is used (rather it is limited to suggesting a few parameters). Ultimately, the decision is left to the work group responsible for developing the EIS. For this reason, many methodologies and variants are created, thereby affecting the process quality. It was determined that the best option is to adjust an already established methodology, taking advantage of its experience. The Qualitative Methodology was selected based on criteria such as legislation, technical aspects, methods comparison and background. Adjustments to qualitative evaluation are proposed based on careful consideration of every aspect affecting the importance of an impact. These components were aligned with the suggestions of the Colombian legislation. Finally, they were checked with a focus on the environmental impacts of the electrical sector. This paper presents the main results of the development of a master thesis.


The invention discloses a bridge anti-collision equipment, which comprises an upper ring plate and a lower ring plate covered on the outside of bridge piers, a plurality of buffers arranged between the upper and the lower ring plates in parallel, wherein the buffers are provided with rotary shafts vertically fixed between the upper and the lower ring plates, more than one buffer cylinder is fixed in radial direction of the rotary shaft, the buffer cylinder is filled with mediums which can effectively absorb collision energy, the front end of the buffer cylinder is connected with an arc guide plate, the buffers can rotate and make a ship deviate to collide adjacent buffers one after another when the piers are collided, which orderly absorbs collision energy through the buffers and absorbs more collision energy than single-point collision and protects piers with more reliability and safety. Simultaneously, the ship which is made to deviate can continuously move not in the collision direction, the piers only bear part of collision energy and obtain better protection. Besides the buffer cylinder can release the collision energy for recovery after being collided, has no damage and can be repeatedly used with good economy benefits.


: To promote-equality it will be necessary to provide for equal opportunity to all not only on access. But also in the conditions for success' (NPE. 1986). The concept of national system of education envisages access for all students. Irrespective of caste, Creed, location and sex. To educate comparable quality the DIETs in all aspects of their work would have to give primary attention to promotion of education of the Minorities, Handicapped. Other educationally disadvantaged groups working children, slum dwellers, inhabitants of hilly areas, desert and other inaccessible areas etc. DIET has been created with the view to bring qualitative transformation in the quality of life of the community. It will be an attempt to energize the educational priorities of the following groups: (1) Girls and women. (2) Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. (3) Climate of the district by providing rich training and resources and improving the professional competence of teachers and other educational functionaries. The mission of the institute is to ensure sustainable quality education to all and also to enhance and review the teacher education in line with the needs and aspiration of society.


The present work searches for articulating the concept of bibliographical rarity and the importance of the establishment of criteria of rarity in university libraries. It presents the criteria established and adopted by the Central Library of the University of Caxias do Sul (UCS).


We analyse worker self-selection, with a special focus on teachers, to explore whether worker composition is generally endogenous. We analyse laboratory experimental data to provide causal evidence on particular sorting patterns. Our field data analysis focuses specifically on selection patterns of teachers. We find that teachers are more risk averse than employees in other professions, indicating that relatively risk averse individuals sort into teaching occupations under the current system. Using survey measures on trust and reciprocity we find that teachers trust more and are less negatively reciprocal than other employees, and establish differences in personality based on the Big Five concept.


Infectious diseases have threatened human civilization for more than 2000 yr. Hippocrates seems to have been the first observer to record an influenza pandemic in 412 B.C. (UW-Madison 2004). In addition, a major plague epidemic likely occurred in Egypt in 540, and then spread to Europe and Asia in the 14th century (Smith 1996-1997). The latter, known as the "Black Death," devastated the peoples of the Old World on multiple occasions and is an oft-cited example of infectious disease. More insidious and equally profound in contemporary times has been the steady increase of human immunodeficiency virus, which now infects 38 million people, with 5 million new cases per year worldwide, and has caused 20 million deaths since its first diagnosis (UN AIDS 2004). Malaria afflicts 300 million people globally, with 1 to 1.5 million deaths annually (WHO 2004). Yet these statistics pale in comparison with tuberculosis, from which one third of the world population is infected, with 2 to 3 million deaths annually, and antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis is on the increase (WHO 2004). The influenza pandemic of 1918 occurred on a global scale and resulted in 40 million deaths. It was the most devastating epidemic in world history, and the origin of the 1918 virus remains undetermined. What is known is that epidemics of influenza occur annually, and the likelihood of another pandemic is certain (Reid and Taubenberger 2003). Recent outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) elicit concern that a similar event might occur with this newly emergent zoonotic coronavirus. Of the last 12 emerging infectious diseases, 11 have been zoonotic, or transmitted from animals to people (F. A. Murphy, University of California-Davis, personal communication, 2004). Increasing populations, poverty, politics, religious zealotry, despair, travel, environmental degradation, intensive farming, and many other factors are creating a virtual "witches brew" of opportunity for emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Iatrogenic introduction (a.k.a. bioterrorism) is simply another means of transmission and spread of infectious agents, which, in the current political climate, evokes considerable fear among the populace. Through the dark side of the human condition, pathogens can now be elegantly engineered genetically, although in many cases, this process is not necessary because relatively primitive means can be used to utilize them for malicious intent. Bioterrorism, which was on the agenda of the cold war for decades, has taken on totally new dimensions with the realization that the geopolitics of detente between super powers can no longer contain the possibility of a bioterrorist event from happening. The US anthrax scare showed us that a simple anonymous postal envelope can serve as a fomite of terror. Remarkably, 22 cases and five deaths from anthrax, which are certainly not trivial, have effectively terrorized the politics of research in the United States, and in many ways have overshadowed the much more sobering but paradoxically accepted terror of AIDs, tuberculosis, malaria, influenza, and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which was established in 1949, has been an American success story. It fostered innovative research and individual initiative within the scientific community, which in turn created a vital biomedical research infrastructure for academia, including robust scientific environments for training the next generation of scientists in hypothesis-driven research. The system allowed funding of a broad range of subjects, with peer review and funding based on merit and relatively unencumbered by politics. This broad base of science fostered interdisciplinary discovery as research results were openly published in peer-reviewed journals. Advances in one field often fostered advances in others. Congress recognized the enormous impact of NIH-funded research on both the economy and the health of the nation, with unprecedented bipartisan support that resulted in doubling of the NIH budget over the last 5 yr. This investment has ended, and the modest increases that are projected for the NIH budget cannot keep pace with increasing costs of performing science, sustaining excellence, and solving complex diseases that require basic research. Those days are indeed over, and they ended even more abruptly after September 11, 2001. Almost immediately, $1.7 billion became available for biodefense research. The Stephen W. Barthold, D.V.M., Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Comparative Medicine, University of California, Davis, and a member of the Institute of Medicine.


approved: _______________________________________ Dawn J. Wright The analysis of material and energy exchange between the marine and terrestrial components of island ecosystems enables research into the impact of human population and land use on the health of coral reef habitat. Satellite and acoustic remote sensing technologies enable the collection of data to produce high resolution bathymetry for integration with terrestrial digital elevation models (DEMs) into coastal terrain models. An integrated terrain surface that incorporates the land-sea interface, grounded by a geographic information system, is a powerful analytical tool for geomorphic studies of watersheds and coastal processes. The island of Tutuila, American Samoa is an ideal case study due to its high relief terrain, data availability and local interest in impacts to coral reef resources. The Tutuila model integrates a USGS DEM, multibeam bathymetry from 15 to 500 m and near shore bathymetric data from 0 to 15 m derived from IKONOS satellite imagery. The high spatial resolution of IKONOS imagery is suitable for detection of features with subtle relief and intricate structure. Shallow water bathymetry is derived by quantifying the relative attenuation of blue and green spectral band radiance as a function of depth. The procedure used to derive bathymetry, Lyzenga (1985), is identified as the most effective of several proposed in the recent literature. The product is error-checked using control points extracted from multibeam sonar data and collected during recent field surveys, as well as terrain profiles. The coastal terrain model provides morphological detail of fine resolution and high accuracy for terrain and land use analysis to enhance the study of ecosystem interconnectivity and the effects of anthropogenic inputs to coral reef habitats. Subsequent topographic analyses of the Tutuila model use drainage patterns to identify contiguous marine/terrestrial basins within which the marine environment is most directly impacted by land use through freshwater inputs from affiliated catchments. Human population density serves as an indicator of intensified land use and urbanization, which has been shown to increase pathogen and sediment loads in runoff, while percent coral cover, coral colony density and coral genera diversity are used as indicators of reef health. Spatiotemporal correlation analyses of population density against the three reef health indices within each of the marine/terrestrial basins reveal a decline in reef health associated with increased population density. This paper integrates and builds upon established methods of satellite imagery analysis and terrain modeling to create the Tutuila coastal terrain model and uses it to refine the scale of other studies linking human terrestrial activities to the physical condition of coral reefs. ©Copyright by Kyle Richard Hogrefe June 5, 2008 All Rights Reserved Master of Science thesis of Kyle Richard Hogrefe presented on June 5, 2008.


The UK Government will continue to pay for the UK coal industry for problems which occurred when the UK coal industry was nationalised. For some years yet, there will be compensation required for subsidence, land and water pollution and most importantly, paying adequate compensation to mineworkers suffering from ill health due to their work which is well overdue. Throughout the history of coal mining in the UK, the miners were underpaid for the tasks they performed compared with wages paid for less strenuous and far safer jobs. When hundreds of miners were killed each year, in several key regions no death benefits were paid. One of the saddest aspects of UK Government policy is that whilst the Labour Party in particular has promoted employment in the mines, no party has paid prompt and adequate compensation for death, injuries and ill health nor for pollution caused by coal mining. This review provides a statistical background to the UK coal industry to put in perspective the recent actions of the UK Government's.


Mathematic equations considering the real-gas to simulate the pressurization system diagram for launch vehicle tanks were established with the Beattie - Bridgeman equation of state (EOS) due to the issue that the gas character cannot be accurately described by ideal-gas equation. The simulated time histories of pressure and temperature results on both gas EOSs during the starting process of a typical pressurization system were obtained. The influence of real-gas effect to the pressure and temperature were discussed. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.


We derive an alternative representation for the relativistic nonlocal kinetic energy operator and we apply it to solve the relativistic Salpeter equation using the variational sinc collocation method. Our representation is analytical and does not depend on an expansion in terms of local operators. We have used the relativistic harmonic oscillator problem to test our formula and we have found that arbitrarily precise results are obtained, simply increasing the number of grid points. More difficult problems have also been considered, observing in all cases the convergence of the numerical results. Using these results we have also derived a new representation for the quantum mechanical Green's function and for the corresponding path integral. We have tested this representation for a free particle in a box, recovering the exact result after taking the proper limits, and we have also found that the application of the Feynman-Kac formula to our Green's function yields the correct ground state energy. Our path integral representation allows us to treat Hamiltonians containing nonlocal operators and it could provide to the community a new tool to deal with such class of problems.


Objective: Central venous catheterization is an important skill for doctors working in the departments ofmedicine, surgery, critical care, anesthesiology, and emergency. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, USA named ultrasound guidance of central venous catheter placement as one of 11 most underutilized practices that can enhance patient safety with greatest strength of evidence to provide clear opportunities for safety improvement. In this study, we compare the success of ultrasound-guided insertion of central venous catheter versus landmark technique.
Study Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial.
Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Jul to Dec 2016.Methodology: One hundred twenty patients admitted in its wards and undergone CVC were included. Patientswere divided into group A & group B containing 60 patients each. In 'group A' CVC was done with ultrasoundassistance while in 'group B' CVC was done with landmark technique. The primary study outcome was No. ofattempts at which CVC was done.
Results: In this study, 120 patients were enrolled. There was no difference in demographic data comparison.Success rate was found to be 28 (46.67%) in-group A while 16 (26.67%) in-group B with the p-value of 0.042 which is significant.
Conclusion: We concluded that CVC with ultrasound guidance is more successful than landmark technique.


Objective To investigate the effect of Qiankundan Ⅶ on diabetes pruritus.Methods 81 diabetes pruritus patients were randomly divided into two groups.41 cases in control group were treated by oral administration of loratadine,10 mg,once a day.40 cases in treatment group were treated by Qiankundan Ⅶ,12 g,thrice a day on the basis of conventional hypoglycemic therapy.The course was four weeks in two groups.The total effective rate and recurrence rate were observed.Results The total effective rate in treatment group(95.0%) was higher than that in control group after two courses(39.0%,P 0.05).The recurrence rate in treatment group(2.5%) was lower than that in control group(12.2%,P 0.05).The cure rate in treatment group(92.5%) was lower than that in control group(26.8%,P 0.05).Conclusion Qiankundan Ⅶ has definite effect and lower recurrent rate on the treatment of diabetes pruritus.


Despite the importance of firm level training in the MENA region for alleviating the issues of high youth unemployment rates, skills mismatches in the labor market, and the long transition periods between the education and labor markets, the incidence of firm level training in the region is lower than the global average. Given the prevalence of state capture by politically connected firms in the Middle East and North Africa, it is important to examine the role of political connections in training. Since state capture enables politically connected firms to gain advantage over non-connected firms by gaining easier access to subsidies, finances, land, and infrastructure, these firms are able to allocate more resources to firm level training than non-connected firms. Using a Probit model to estimate the probability of provision of training in a firm given its political connections, this paper finds that politically connected firms in the Middle East and North Africa that capture the state have a higher probability of providing formal training to their employees than non connected firms. These results indicate that politically connected firms are able to allocate more resources to training, thereby increasing their productivity and crowding out competition from non-connected firms, resulting in economic stagnation.


I explore the debate about causal versus evidential decision theory, and its recent developments in the work of Andy Egan, through the method of some simple games based on agents' predictions of each other's actions. My main focus is on the requirement for rational agents to act in a way which is consistent over time and its implications for such games and their more realistic cousins.


Software version control platforms such as GitHub host millions of open-source software repositories. Due to the diversity of such projects and the public availability of data, these platforms are an appealing realm for discovering previously unseen technology trends, thereby fostering collaboration among programmers and researchers. To this end, advanced search tools are necessary to explore the vast amount of available information. Users can already explore repositories by searching via keyword queries, which fetch seemingly shallow results. Furthermore, collaboration in software development platforms has been supported by recommendation systems focusing on similarities between repositories. Keyword search and similarity-based recommendation are valuable means for exploring related projects in one's area of expertise, but are of limited use for discovering something new which can inspire new trends. Instead, innovations in technology often emerge from the synthesis of existing solutions in novel ways. This contribution presents an approach to identifying synergies between software projects using text mining and network analysis techniques, which exploits not only their similarities but also their complementary features. The idea is inspired by Literature-Based-Discovery (LBD) [1], which was originally developed to uncover implicit knowledge in scientific literature databases by identifying new associations between scientific terms. In this work we adapt the concept of LBD to software project descriptions available on GitHub in order to discover potential synergies. Synergy between two software repositories is given if one can benefit from the other. In the example in Figure 1, repository A has two features: (1) "pre-process data for significance tests" and (2) "conduct significance tests". Repository B, in contrast, has feature (2) and an additional feature: (3) "conduct post-hoc analysis". As we see, these two repositories complement each other because they share a common feature, and each is missing one feature from the other: Repository A can benefit from Repository B and vice versa. Accordingly, we ask the question: How can one discover repositories that are similar to some extent but different enough to expand each other's functionality.


SAR interferometry(InSAR) technology uses the phase information of single look complex(SLC) SAR data to get three-dimensional information of the earth surface. This technology has been in the front line of radar field since last decade. In recent years, this technology has been widely used in many remote sensing fields. To research the effect of wavelength to InSAR DEM, in the test site of Jiagedaqi district, Heilongjiang province, DEMs are generated from SIR-C/X-SAR C-band and L-band single look complex(SLC) data. There are some differences between them. Then the analysis are taken with interferometric coherence, phase unwrapping etc. So the relationships between accurate of DEM generated from InSAR and coherence, wavelength are illustrated, which also demonstrates the feasibility and affecting factor of DEM generated from InSAR. At last, 1∶50 000 topographic map is used to evaluate the accurate of DEM. The effects of ground control points'(GCP) accurate are analyzed to InSAR DEM.


Structural estimation of matching games with transferable utility, including matching games of trading networks and many-to-many matching, is increasingly popular in empirical work. I explore several modeling decisions that need to be made when specifying a structural model for a matching game. One decision is the choice of a game theoretic solution concept to impose in the structural model. I discuss pairwise stability, competitive equilibrium, and noncooperative games such as auctions. Another decision is whether to work with a continuum of agents or a finite number of agents. I explore other issues as well.


Geographically distributed storage is an important method of ensuring high data availability in cloud computing and storage systems. With the increasing demand for moving file systems to the cloud, current methods of providing such enterprise-grade resiliency are very inefficient. For example, replication based methods incur large storage cost though they provide low access latencies. While erasure coded schemes reduce storage cost, they are associated with large access latencies and high bandwidth cost. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme named CAROM, an ensemble of replication and erasure codes, to provide resiliency in cloud file systems with high efficiency. While maintaining the same consistency semantics seen in today's cloud file systems, CAROM provides the benefit of low bandwidth cost, low storage cost, and low access latencies. We perform a large-scale evaluation using real-world file system traces and demonstrate that CAROM outperforms replication based schemes in storage cost by up to 60% and erasure coded schemes in bandwidth cost by up to 43%, while maintaining low access latencies close to those in replication based schemes.


Dermatophilus congolensis is a bacterium that causes exudative dermatitis with scab formation in bovines and is characterized by typical focal (or) localized lesions with "paintbrush" aspect and occasionally as disseminated cutaneous disease. Humidity and ticks like Amblyomma variegatum are the predisposing factors. As this organism also affects human beings, Dermatophilosis is considered as zoonotic disease with public health importance. This study describes skin lesions in 30 bovines from a herd of grazing livestock in Pagadapally village, Jagtial district, Telangana state, India. Lesions were noticed all over the body especially at the dorsum, neck and shoulders consisting thick grayish to dark brown scabs with exudates and blood. Blood samples were collected from all affected animals. Impression smears were prepared from 10 animals with typical lesions taken from the base of the freshly removed scabs along with the collection of crusts, exudates and pustules under proper aseptic precaution. The smears were stained with Giemsa stain and samples were processed for isolation and its colonial morphology and growth characteristics were examined on blood agar. The microbiological diagnosis enabled the identification of Dermatophilus congolensis. Among affected 30 animals were considered for the study and randomly divided into three different groups as group 1, 2 and 3 and three different antibiotic therapeutic regimens were given. In terms of recovery rate and preventing death, Gentamicin was found to be the most effective antibiotic, followed by Amoxirum forte and finally Enrofloxacin. However, all group animals were treated with Meloxicam injection and topical scrubbing of the lesions with equal mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride and topical spray of Povidone iodine solution. Treatment was not only effective in early, mild cases but also useful among moderately and heavily affected cattle.


Proposed new Federal regulations could prevent Medicaid programs in all States from funding medical tests that are not FDA approved. Ultrasensitive viral load testing and HIV resistance testing could be affected. These regulations are in response to a Federal law that addresses balancing the budget and that requires Medicaid to rewrite its rules. More information is available through Project Inform's Treatment Action Network. Contact information is provided.


An industrial enterprise is a complex technical system that interacts with the external environment. The structure and activities of an enterprise are subject not only to technical, economic, legal laws, but also to the laws of general systems theory. This article explores possible ways to improve the efficiency of a large industrial enterprise from the standpoint of system-wide principles.


It is the people who are the creative force of world history;the power of war lies deeply in the mass;the Party members should always put the nation and the people's interests first;the Chinese Communist Party distinguishes itself from other parties by its close contact with the mass;the unified front is a magic power to defeat the enemy;come from the mass and serve for the mass,all these important ideas are included in Mao Zedong's view on the mass during the Anti-Japanese War period.Therefore it is of great historic significance for us to summarize seriously,realize deeply and master Mao Zedong's view on the mass formed in the Anti-Japanese War period.It is also of realistic guiding significance to consolidate the Party's ruling position and accomplish the Party's ruling mission at present.


the"Scaffolding Instruction"has drawn extensive attention in the field of applied linguistic in recent years.This paper explores the model of scaffolding instruction in business English course,by applying five elements of the complete structure of the modern teaching pattern(theoretical basis,teaching objectives,teaching procedures,conditions and teaching evaluation) and combining the basic instructional scaffolding teaching,with aims to transform and optimize the old teaching philosophy and traditional teaching patterns,and to provide a theoretical reference for the development of business English teaching reform.


Summary form only given. Telecommunication applications are inherently distributed and the interface provided to third party applications is often complex and also distributed. Usually, these third party components need only a subset of the provided data, therefore a simple and standardized access method would be preferred. Such an interface is provided by the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and we designed an LDAP to CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) gateway acting as a bridge between the involved technologies.


Contrary to the suggestion that voluntary targets for the food industry won't work,1 2 evidence shows that the gradual, voluntary approach to reformulation can be successful. Between 2001 and 2011 sodium intake in the UK fell significantly as the result of a national salt reduction programme.3 The programme encouraged reformulation of foods and was supported by a …


f ( d i r a h i n c p m P t c b t w h ( e h a s e a i h w v PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PH) is a life-threatening disease with a complex pathophysiology that if undiagnosed culminates in progressive increases in the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), which inevitably lead to right ventricular (RV) failure and death.1-5 Unfortunately, significant delays in diagnosis and treatment occur because of nonspecific disease symptomatology, relative low incidence (2-5 persons/million/y in the United States), and general unfamiliarity with the disease. The perioperative management of these patients is complex and requires a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of PH and RV function. A greater understanding of this condition has grown beyond considering it as a single disease entity; instead, it is acknowledged that its main pathophysiologic components of vasoconstriction, thrombus in situ and vascular remodeling, are shared by various disease states. This review discusses the historic perspective, epidemiology, classification, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy of PH. To conclude, the mechanism and management of acute perioperative RV decompensation also are discussed. The normal pulmonary vascular bed is a high-flow, lowresistance circulation because of the pulmonary precapillary arterioles having a thinner media and fewer smooth muscle cells, making them highly compliant, distensible, and recruitable so as to accommodate an increase in blood flow. With a surface area of 200 m2, the pulmonary arterial endothelial cells are exposed to the entire cardiac output (CO). They sense local shear stress and initiate nitric oxide (NO) production and vasodilatation to accommodate rapid changes in blood flow.6 Under normal circumstances, increases in CO distend open pulmonary arteries and recruit previously closed vessels so that PVR actually decreases with an increase in CO. The normal systolic, diastolic, and mean PAP is 25 mmHg, 10 mmHg, and 15 mmHg, respectively; the normal range for PVR is 0.9 to 1.4 Wood units or 90 to 120 dynes · s · cm 5. The PVR is the quotient represented by PVR ( P)/flow, where P represents the mean PAP (mPAP) minus the left atrial pressure (LAP). This gradient commonly is referred to as the transpulmonary gradient (TPG). If the TPG is elevated, there is an increase in the PVR. On the contrary, if the TPG is not elevated, the increase in PAP is caused by an elevated LAP (implicating left-heart pathology). Flow is the blood flow through the pulmonary circulation or CO. Thus, PVR (mPAP LAP) CO. Transposed, this yields an expression


This paper deals with non-perturbed and perturbed systems of nonlinear differential systems of first order with multiple time-varying delays. Here, for the considered systems, easily verifiable and applicable uniformly asymptotic stability, integrability, and boundedness criteria are obtained via defining an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskiĭ functional (LKF) and using the Lyapunov–Krasovskiĭ method (LKM). Comparisons with a former result that can be found in the literature illustrate the novelty of the stability theorem and show new contributions to the qualitative theory of solutions. A discussion of two illustrative examples and the obtained results are presented.


Abstract Preinhibitor is believed to be the phosphatide precursor of an active renin inhibitor. Its concentration rises in canine erythrocytes within 48 hours after bilateral nephrectomy. In anephric patients maintained by hemodialysis for 56 to 305 days, preinhibitor content of plasma and erythrocytes doubles, without a commensurate increase in total lipid or phospholipid. In a woman with severe hypobetalipoproteinemia, plasma and erythrocyte preinhibitor content is also significantly above normal. Analysis of lipoprotein fractions obtained from her plasma by preparative ultracentrifugation indicates that the high density α-lipoproteins are the major "carriers" of preinhibitor. Both α- and β-lipoproteins are enriched in phospholipids. Similar studies on a normal man confirm the α-lipoproteins as major "carriers" of preinhibitor. The significance of these findings in relation to the physiologic role of renin preinhibitor remains to be elucidated.


This paper provides a context and then analysis of Kendrick Lamar's albums as they relate to advocating and affecting social change. The purpose is to show through example how hip-hop (and music in general) can act as an avenue towards creating positive change for oppressed peoples.


HEMICAL anticancer agents are now availc able that offer some measure ol palliation for patients with advanced carcinoma. In contrast to cancers of the hematopoietic system, for which chemical therapy has been available for approximately ten years, drugs have only recently been developed for the palliation of epithelial cancers. Because certain ethyleneimines have been shown to have a carcinolytic action against a few carcinomas,ll 8 , 53 6 , 9 a clinical study of the effects of triethylenephosphoramide (TEPA) and triethylenethiophosphoramide (TSPA) has been undertaken at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, the Veterans Administration Hospital, and the Minneapolis General Hospital. Thirty-four patients with various cancers have been treated during 1955 and 1956. Studies have been made that relate tumor response to leukopenia and cffects of thc drugs on the purine metabolism of the body. 411 patients had Par-advanced cancer, considered to be beyond control with the usual methods of therapy. The patients were hospitalized for constant observation and laboratory study during the course of TEPA and TSPA therapy.


For current and future cellular networks, small cell structure with licensed and unlicensed bandwidth, caching content provisioning, and device-to-device (D2D) communications is seen as a necessary architecture. Recently, a series of control methods have been developed to address a myriad of challenges in next-generation small cell networks. In this study, we focus on the design of novel D2D-enabled small cell network control scheme by allowing caching and unlicensed D2D communications. Motivated by game theory and learning algorithm, the proposed scheme adaptively selects caching contents and splits the available bandwidth for licensed and unlicensed communications. Under dynamically changing network environments, we capture the dynamics of the network system and design a new dynamic Stackelberg game model. Based on a hierarchical and feedback based control manner, small base stations and users can be leaders or followers dynamically while improving 5G network performance. Simulations and performance analysis verify the efficiency of the proposed scheme, showing that our approach can outperform existing schemes by about 5%15% in terms of bandwidth utilization, cache hit ratio, and system throughput.


Optical switching is a fundamental element in all-optical integrated circuits and networks with ultrahigh speed and low energy consumption compared to their electronic counterparts. Switching on/off the waveguiding with another light beam demands large optical nonlinearity to compactify device footprint and decrease energy consumption, which is difficult to achieve in photonic systems. By introducing strong light-matter coupling in an optical cavity, all-optical switching has been realized in ultracold-atom gases[1], and cavity quantum electrodynamics of a single atom and a quantum dot[2, 3], where giant optical nonlinearity stems from the matter part. Exciton polaritons, half-light, half-matter quasiparticles formed by strong coupling of excitons and photons in a semiconductor microcavity[4, 5], represent a promising platform for all-optical logics and computations with considerable nonlinearity and on-chip integratability. Writing in Science Advances (https://doi.org/10.1126/ sciadv.abj6627), Feng et al. reports all-optical switching on the basis of exciton polaritons in self-assembled metal-halide perovskite microwire arrays[6]. In this work, research group led by Prof. Qihua Xiong realized non-local and strongly interacting exciton polaritons in self-assembled halide perovskites at room temperature, which represents an important step towards on-chip integration of polaritonic devices. The concept of optical logics and circuits based on exciton polaritons was firstly proposed by Liew et al. in 2008[7]. Then, experimental demonstration of polariton switching were realized in GaAs quantum wells by using spin-dependent polariton–polariton interactions[8], propagating polariton condensates[9], resonant tunneling of polaritons[10], phase-controlled interferometers[11] and polariton transistors[12]. These polariton switches on the basis of GaAs quantum wells are restricted by their cryogenic operational temperature because of the small exciton binding energy. In 2019, polariton transistors were demonstrated by Lagoudakis and his colleagues in organic semiconductors at room temperature, but the localized exciton polaritons in organics restrict the on-chip integratability[13]. From 2017, Xiong and his colleagues demonstrated exciton–polariton Bose–Einstein condensation[14], propagating polariton condensates[15], and polariton lattices[16, 17] at room temperature in single-crystalline inorganic perovskites grown by chemical vapor deposition. Their recent work also showed that strong and robust optical nonlinearity exist in those devices[18]. These works provide fundamental insights into exciton polaritons on the basis of perovskite materials. The authors developed all-optical switching based on self-assembled CsPbBr3 microwire arrays embedded in distributed Bragg reflector cavity. This optical switching is designed and fabricated based on three advantages. Firstly, single crystallinity of microwires suppresses the defect-induced localization and scattering of exciton polaritons and 1D morphology permits directional waveguiding of polariton fluids. Secondly, Wannier-Mott excitons with binding energy of ca. 40 meV and Bohr radius of ca. 3.5 nm in CsPbBr3 underpin stable and delocalized exciton polaritons with strong interactions at room temperature. Thirdly, the developed self-assembly method provides a platform for direct patterning and integration of polaritonic devices. The configuration of all-optical switching based on exciton polaritons is shown in Fig. 1(a). This optical switching leverages propagating and interacting exciton polaritons in CsPbBr3 microwires. The propagating polariton fluids with a defined momentum of 4.4 μm–1 is realized by an obliquely incident source beam, which is resonant with the lower polariton branch. To switch on/off the polariton propagation, the authors introduce localized polaritons with a zero momentum by a block beam. Because of strong polariton–polariton interactions, the polariton dispersion is blue-shifted in the block beam region, which can serve as an energy barrier to turn off the polariton propagation. The on/off of optical switching can be controlled by tuning the delay time of two beams. In such optical switch, the propagation length and interaction strength of exciton polaritons play important roles. The authors have determined a propagation length of around 25 μm. This propagation distance benefits from the self-assembly method, which can fabricate microwires with single crystallinity and smooth surface to suppress the optical loss (Fig. 1(b)). The exciton-exciton interaction coefficient has been determined as 4.1 ± 0.6 μeV·μm2, which is comparable with ca. 6 μeV·μm2 in GaAs at cryogenic temperature. On the basis of strong interactions and delocalization of exciton polaritons, ultrafast all-optical switching with response time of less than 2 ps has been realized (Figs. 1(c)–1(e)). This study employ waveguide exciton polaritons to construct all-optical switching at room temperature, which highlights its importance for onchip integration. For the practical applications of exciton polaritons in integ-


In order to study the effect of geometrical parameters of magnetic drive coupling on magnetic torque and magnetic eddy current loss, based on the basic theory of electromagnetic field, the influence factors of magnetic performance of combined push-pull magnetic drive coupling are analyzed and optimized by means of finite element numerical calculation and orthogonal experiment. The optimal geometrical parameter scheme of magnetic drive coupling was obtained, and the magnetic performance of the optimal geometrical parameter model was studied experimentally. The geometrical parameters of the optimal scheme of magnetic drive coupling are internal radius of magnet r = 80 mm, thickness of permanent magnet tm = 8 mm, axial length Lb = 144 mm, and thickness of yoke iron ti = 10 mm. The research shows that the optimization design method proposed in this paper is reliable in the design of magnetic drive coupling and can provide some theoretical reference for the design of magnetic drive coupling and the optimization of magnetic torque and magnetic eddy current loss.


With the global economic concerns putting pressure on many national and international trade concerns and entities, especially in the trade of high-value luxury goods, it is important to consider the South African diamond industry in modern times. The mining sector and the diamond industry have traditional relevance to the South African economy. This paper will consider diamond law in light of the licensing processes pertaining to mineral rights and diamond trade in modern South Africa. The purpose of this analysis is to consider whether or not the policy considerations of modern diamond law in South Africa have been supportive of the growth and development of the industry, especially in light of the more humane and inclusive provisions of the Diamonds Act 56 of 1986 and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002, which seek to enhance local mining and beneficiation of diamonds.


Since 1995, our objective is to set up the extracorporeal circulation (ECC) in a manner that is both safe and versatile with a holder system which makes possible to install the oxygenator and vacuum-assisted venous drainage (VAVD) hard-shell venous reservoir (HSVR) together with the external pumps, at a distance from the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) console but at the same height as the patient's shoulder. The aim is to reduce the effects of ECC by reducing surface of air/blood, blood/materials contact, the dead space of the system and priming volume of the circuit. Our ECC systems have a biocompatible sur- face treatment, the oxygenator and HSVR are adapted to the patient (body surface area, pathologies, etc.) and circuit includes short 3/8 in arterial and venous line (adult patients). We introduced into routine VAVD, retrograde autologous priming (RAP), including arterial line, arterial filter and antegrade autologous priming of the venous line (VAP) before the start of ECC. To confirm this development strategy of the ECC, we conducted a series of studies that have permitted to demonstrate the positive impact on postoperative out - comes of patients. Since September 2007, our objective was attained through the creation of a holder system (System U. Borrelli).


In this paper, the use of Jenkins under the Docker and Container environment for the building, deployment and validation of HLR (Home Location Register) is presented. The proposed scheme shows how to use Jenkins, which is an open source automation server under the Docker and Container environment rather than using the virtual machine. This paper explores the Continuous integration of Jenkins Pipeline to build, deploy, test and validate the HLR, wherein the total project is divided into smaller jobs. Each job performs the sub tasks of the project present in the pipeline. Home Location Register (HLR) is a database that contains the administrative information, which includes the details about each subscriber and also their last known location. HLR includes the information regarding international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and the mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) for each subscription. IMSI number is the primary key that is uniquely identifies every entry in the HLR. The list of the telephone numbers regarding each subscription is stored in the MSISDN. The other information stored in the HLR is of the services that are requested by the corresponding subscriber. HLR serves as a major part of the GSM Architecture.


(76) Inventors: Naser Faramarzpour, Kitchener (CA); (57) ABSTRACT Matthias Egbert Sonder, Waterloo ACMOS time delay and integration image sensoris disclosed (CA) having analog sampling stages coupled to the column bus that correspond to a pixel in the column. The analog sampling (21) Appl. No.: 13/592,419 stages have a first memory element that stores the pixels reset y x9 level signal and a second memory element that stores an output signal of a previous analog sampling stage in the column. The analog sampling stage integrates the signal of the previous analog sampling stage with the sampled photo (22) Filed: Aug. 23, 2012


The Centers for Disease Control reported 14,511 confirmed tuberculosis (TB) cases in the United States for the year 2004, with a rate of 4.9/100,000 representing a 3.3% decline from the previous year. This finding indicates that although the 2004 TB rate was the lowest recorded since 1953, the rate of decline was the smallest since 1993. In the pre-AIDS era, the annual decline of the TB case rate was approximately 7%. In 2004, Hispanics, Blacks and Asians had TB case rates of 7.5, 8.3, and 20.0 times higher than whites respectively. While multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB posed a great challenge in 2002, MDR TB cases represented only 1% of the total cases in 2004. It is a sad reality that TB continues to remain a major health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates 8 million new cases in 2004 with one million deaths from a disease that is both treatable and preventable. In 2003, 20.4% of all TB cases in the U.S. were extrapulmonary, a proportion that is higher than that noted in the preAIDS era. One hundred and fifty-nine of 3,029 (5.2%) cases of extrapulmonary TB had meningeal involvement. The central nervous system (CNS) TB rate was higher in children and the elderly, thus affecting the two extremes of the human life span. In this issue of the Journal, Blaivas reports a case of CNS TB with two sequelae despite appropriate anti-TB therapy. The patient was a 22-year-old Hispanic male with a negative HIV test. They raise an appropriate question: Why did this patient develop complications, in spite of the adequate therapy? Farinha reported a 20-year survey from a British pediatric tertiary center. Out of 38 children with CNS TB, five patients developed tuberculoma during treatment. Neurosurgical procedures were required in 76% of the cases. Appropriate anti-TB therapy and steroids did not prevent tuberculoma formation. Titone (of Palermo, Italy) identified 80 patients with CNS TB over a 32-year period. Thirty-two percent of the total cases had permanent sequela and 15 subjects (19%) died. Earlier treatment reduces the chance of complications. Clinical staging based on neurologic findings may help in predicting the prognosis. In stage I, patients are fully conscious and, except for meningismus, have a normal neurologic examination. In stage II, patients have confusion and a focal neurologic abnormality. Stage III patients are comatose or delirious. Neurologic examination is likely to show hemiplegia. Most patients in stage I recover without complications. Stage II and III patients have high mortality and morbidity in spite of adequate therapy. Sequelae of CNS TB include tuberculoma, brain abscess, hydrocephalus, syringomyelia, radiculomyelitis, and encephalopathy. MRI seems to be more sensitive than CT in detecting tuberculoma. In recent studies, tuberculoma is a prominent manifestation of neurotuberculosis in AIDS patients with a worldwide range of 37 to 80% of all CNS TB cases. Clearly, adequate chemotherapy does not guarantee freedom from complications. These and many such studies indicate that complications are common in CNS TB, in spite of appropriate medical treatment. The "take home messages" can be summarized as follows: Immune status of the host and virulence of the mycobacterium are important in determining the outcome. • Age of the patient is also important. Younger children have higher morbidity and mortality. • In addition to anti-TB drug therapy, corticosteroids are beneficial to those in stages II and III. Some patients require surgical intervention. • Diagnosis is difficult because cerebrospinal fluid findings are nonspecific, and acid-fast bacillus smears are frequently negative. • Stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis or at the beginning of therapy plays a very important role in influencing the outcome. TB is an ancient disease. The tuberculosis case rate is declining in the US, but TB continues to remain a public health problem, both in the US and the world at large. Atypical presentation and complications are rapidly changing the clinical picture of tuberculosis. HIV infection and emergence of drug resistance adds to this complexity. Our old foe now has many atypical presentations, perhaps like a new mask on the old face. As the disease becomes rare and clinicians lose their skill in recognizing it, there is a risk of delay in diagnosis. Routine cerebrospinal fluid examination is frequently useful but nonspecific. Potential benefits of newer tests like tuberculous antigens by ELISA, latex agglutination, radioimmunoassay, and polymerase chain reaction, are reported in several case studies, however, their true sensitivity and specificity remain to be established. Unless there is a drastic improvement in the diagnostic technology, CNS TB will continue to have a high morbidity and mortality. A high threshold of suspicion, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment are absolutely essential to success.


Objective: The German health care system increasingly incorporates clinical pathways as a tool to organize surgical, intervention or conservative therapies. Does a computerized clinical pathway offer advantages in severity-based surgical therapy of spondylodiscitis? Methods: A hospital has adopted a computerized system based on three severity grades of spondylodiscitis. From 01/01/2012 to 12/31/2013, 32 patients with spondylodiscitis were randomly chosen at admission and prospectively analysed with regard to duration, costs of treatment, pain level and inflammatory markers. Results: Of the 32 patients treated for spondylodiscitis who had not been transferred from another facility, 17 (53%) were treated according to a clinical pathway based on three well-established treatment regimens dependent on severity. The SponDT, as a parameter for the course of disease, was initially slightly higher in the pathway patient's group (6.82) than in the control group (6.2). Compared to a control group (n = 15) there were differences in the total duration of stay (17.2 vs. 26.0) and the number of blood samples taken (7 vs. 10). No differences could be shown for the extent of documentation, the physical and neurological outcome, the level of pain and or the course of inflammatory markers. The most prevalent germ was Staphylococcus aureus (18.8%). In 43.8% of the patients, no infectious agent could be detected. Material costs and personnel-costs were significantly reduced in the pathway group (12,076 €) compared to 21,341 € in the control group. Conclusions: An IT-based clinical pathway is preferable for surgical therapy of spondylodiscitis based on three grades of severity and offers various advantages as a clinical and administrative regulative mechanism. The cost-effective treatment particularly stands out.


Traditional Franciscan history holds that Francis of Assisi (†1226) founded an order of lay penitents, which was given both a rule and official approval by Pope Nicholas IV in 1289. In this accepted version of events, the 1289 rule was followed by houses of men and women until the sixteenth century, and only replaced when a desire for greater unity within the Franciscan third order led Leo X to issue a new rule in 1521.2 Despite not standing up to historical scrutiny, studies of the third order seldom question this official narrative.3 Moreover, although the 1521 rule is generally mentioned, little attention is given to either its context or significance.4 When


Isotopically enriched CH3198HgCl (MeHgCl) has been synthesized from commercially available elemental 198Hg (96% isotopic purity). Elemental mercury is first converted to HgCl2 and subsequently reacted with methylcobalamin to produce MeHgCl. The resulting MeHgCl is isolated from the reaction mixture by successive extractions with toluene and dried over Na2SO4. The product structure was verified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and the isotopic composition was determined by GC–inductively coupled plasma MS. The yield obtained is 99%. The proposed method allows preparation of milligram quantities of MeHgCl in one step, minimizing the cost of this synthesis. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


It is straightforward to construct moment conditions for two-sided censored panel data regression models with strictly exogenous explanatory variables. The contribution of this note is to show that one set of these moment conditions uniquely identify the parameters of the model under a natural full-rank condition.


Chlortetracycline had no effect in prolonging the keeping quality of round and eviscerated freshwater fish when stored at 30 °C. However, the effectiveness of the antibiotic in prolonging the storage life of fish fillets stored under identical conditions was demonstrated.


The mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle are very complex and are not completely understood. Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is of particular importance because muscle is the major site of insulin stimulated glucose uptake. Skeletal muscle is one of the major insulin sensitive organs and it is responsible for 80% of insulin stimulated glucose disposal as well as fatty acid oxidation. Elevated circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) and their derivatives such as endocannabinoids (ECs) have been described in obesity and are thought to be influential in the development of muscle insulin resistance. While several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the mechanisms by which FFAs and ECs may cause insulin resistance, there are still many potential signalling pathways which may be involved that have not yet been examined. The main aim of this thesis was to characterize the role of the cannabinoid receptors and free fatty acid receptor 1 (GPR40) in cell signalling in human and rat skeletal muscle tissue and primary cultured myotubes. Gene expression profiling of human skeletal muscle and cultured myotubes and myoblasts indicated that the cannabinoid receptor CB1 and GPR40 were expressed at low levels and these results were confirmed using Taqman QRTPCR. CB2 receptor expression was only detected in rat tissue and as a result was not further studied in cell culture systems. When global gene expression profiles were further examined it was evident that whilst cultured myotubes retained many characteristics of skeletal muscle tissue, the phenotype appeared to be closer to fetal than adult muscle. Furthermore, when metabolic gene expression networks were analysed using pathway based analysis, it was apparent that expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, insulin signalling and glucose transport were markedly reduced in cultured cells. The most striking example being GLUT4 which was expressed at approximately 3000-fold lower levels in cell culture as compared to tissue.
The functionality of CB1 and GPR40 receptors was demonstrated using selective agonists and antagonists. CB1 activation by both synthetic and endogenous ligands was confirmed using phosphorylation of ERK1 and 2 as was the presence of functional GPR40 protein in myotubes. Neither agonists nor antagonists of CB1 or GPR40 receptors were found to modulate insulin signalling as determined by phosphorylation of downstream targets Akt and GSK3alpha/beta.
Global expression profiling was also carried out on myotubes treated with GPR40 agonists and antagonists obtained from AstraZeneca. No changes in metabolic or insulin signalling genes were observed. Rather, antagonists of GPR40 appear to activate gene expression networks involved in cell proliferation – in particular an elevation in the ERBB2 signalling pathway.


The author makes the argument that the presence of a murder law during the Roman monarchy and the absence of such a law during the republic reflects the difference in the nature of authority in these two political institutions. The centralized authority of the monarchy demanded a control over the right to kill. An act of homicide practised by another infringed upon the king's authority and so a murder law was promulgated. When the Romans expelled their kings, authority devolved onto individual patres and this decentralized leadership under the republic meant that the act of homicide was no longer a matter of concern for the state.


Social movement research has developed a rich tradition of using data on collective action and protest events (hereafter "events") that is culled from various sources (e.g., news reports, police records). Event data has been used by scholars to answer questions about the causes of ethnic violence and collective action (Olzak 1992), citizen protest of various types (Soule & Davenport 2009), and strikes (Biggs 2005). Event data has also been used to analyze the outcomes of social movements (Soule et al. 1999; Olzak & Soule 2009), including the policing of protest (Soule & Davenport 2009). A major benefit of this type of data is that it facilitates both comparative and historical research (Tarrow 1996), while also allowing for quantitative research on social movements (Olzak 1989). Additionally, there is often no better alternative (Franzosi 1987).

Keywords:

collective behavior;
political sociology;
movements


Personalized medicine with the development of targeted therapies toward clinical disorders is predicted to be the future of medicine. Ophthalmology is at the forefront of the development of newer therapies, as the eye forms an excellent target for the development of such therapies given the accessibility of eye to interventions, the immune privilege, and ability to directly monitor response to interventions. Within ophthalmology, inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) form a dynamic area of research, as no definitive therapy exists for such a blinding eye condition. There are various approaches in research, and in early clinical trials for treating IRDs including Food and Drug Administration approved gene therapy Voretegene neparvovec for retinal pigment epithelium 65 gene associated Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, Argus II bionic eye, and regenerative therapies such as stem cells. This narrative review delves deeper into Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats gene editing-based therapies for the management of IRDs, the advantages, limitations, current research, and future direction.


Abstract The main aim of the study was (1) to identify errors committed by pre-service teachers in Mathematical literacy and (2) to understand why pre-service teachers continue to make such errors. Having used Newman's Error Analysis as the theoretical framework for the study, a four-point Likert scale and a content-based structureinterview questionnaire was developed to address the aforestated research objectives. The study was conducted by means of a case study guided by the positivists' paradigm with research sample of 105 pre-service university teachers as respondents. In order to test the reliability and consistency of the questionnaires for this study, Cronbach's Alpha was tested for the reliability of standardised items with α = 0.705, suggesting an above average reliable instrument. There was moderately weak correlation of r = +.40 between reviewing homework before submission and correct answers (p<.01). Even though there was a moderate correlation pre-service teachers could not unanimously agree on the confidence when submitting their work. The majority (56%) were indecisive. There was no distinction between those who always took time to answer test questions (42.9%) and those who sometimes (44.8%) did.


The objective of this research work was to determine the difference of Empowerment levels between the Named workers and CAS of the Regional Education Office of Amazonas, 2018. It was a basic research, with a quantitative approach, non-experimental, comparative design. A sample of 56 workers of the labor regime CAS (D. L. 1057) and 42 named (D.L. 276) was surveyed. The instrument of Empowerment adapted from Díaz, (2009) was used, which was based on Spreitzer, (1995) and Whetten and Cameron, (1996); both cited by Chiang et al, (2014). For the hypothesis test, the U-Mann Whitney statistic (α = 0.05) was used. There is no difference in the levels of Empowerment between the Named Workers and CAS of the Administrative Offices of the Regional Bureau of Education of Amazonas. There was statistical difference (p = 0.008 <0.05) of the meaning of the Empowerment between the Named Workers and CAS of the Administrative Offices of the Regional Bureau of Education of Amazonas, 2018, being higher in the appointed personnel. There are no differences in the powers of empowerment between the Named Workers and CAS of this institution. There is a significant difference (p = 0.040 <0.05) in the self determination of empowerment among these workers. There is no difference in the impact of Empowerment between Named Workers and CAS. There is no difference in the level of security of the empowerment between the Named Workers and CAS of the Regional Bureau of Education of Amazonas, 2018.


This is an overview and honest review of the 182 page, paperback edition of LGBTQI Parented Families and Schools: Visibility, Representation, and Pride, authored by Anna Carlile and Carrie Paechter.


Following the legal recognition of subsistence fishers in 1998 through the promulgation of the Marine Living Resources Act, a Subsistence Fisheries Task Group (SFTG) was appointed by national government to provide recommendations on the management of subsistence fishing in South Africa. To achieve effective management, the SFTG recognized that fishers' needs, perceptions and concerns must be understood and incorporated into future management strategies. As a result, information from fishers was gathered through a five-month research programme that included questionnaire surveys, focus-group meetings, a "roadshow" and a national workshop. Research findings indicated that the fishers' responses centred on four key themes related to (1) the criteria for defining a subsistence fisher, (2) current management practices, (3) resource use and (4) livelihood strategies. Feedback from fishers revealed several issues that have led to uncertainty and dissatisfaction among informal and subsistence fishers. However, these perceptions need to be contextualized within the historical circumstances of fisheries management in South Africa, and it must be recognized that attitudes will only change when management approaches embrace the needs, perceptions and concerns of the users. The information outlined in this paper was instrumental in guiding the formulation of the SFTG recommendations regarding the definition of subsistence fishers and their future management in South Africa.


The teaching way using the project actuation is a way the entire teaching process penetration in the project implementation process.This method integrates the knowledge in the project implementation process,this paper takes the VB.Net programming curriculum teaching practice as an example,Discussed the teaching project implementation and results.


Purpose

The purpose of the study presented in this paper is to determine the relationship and effect of built environment on occupants' productivity in green-certified office buildings in Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

Two research hypotheses were tested by approaching the survey method under the quantitative phenomenon. The questionnaire survey was conducted among randomly selected occupants in three selected green-rated office buildings in Sri Lanka. The survey data were analysed by using the Spearman correlation and ordinal logistic regression analysis techniques to model the relationship existing between the variables. The SPSS v20 software was used in data analysis.

Findings

The findings confirm the relationship between built environment and occupants' productivity. As it further proves that, there is a significant effect of built environment on occupants' productivity in green-certified office buildings. Thus, critical built environment factors influencing occupants' productivity and their effect were determined.

Practical implications

The findings could be practically implied as bases to strengthen the evaluation criteria of indoor environmental quality in GREENSL® national green-rating system.

Originality/value

The evaluation of occupants' productivity and the built environment factors has been at the focal point of research; however, most studies have focused on single aspects of the built environment. Further, no evidences were found on "which factors" can critically influence the occupants' productivity in green buildings. The paper, therefore, seeks to fill this gap by proving the relationship between green built environment and occupants' productivity.


Review: Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist By Joan Roughgarden Reviewed by Byron Anderson Northern Illinois University, USA Joan Roughgarden. Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2006. 155 pp. ISBN: 1-59726-098-3 (hardcover); US$15.95. Printed on recycled, acid- free paper. Evolution and Christian Faith is about plants, animals, humans and the Bible existing coherently on one planet. It bridges the gap in understanding between evolutionary biology and Christian beliefs. Roughgarden, professor of biological sciences and geophysics (Stanford), believes that evolutionary biology has been poorly presented to the public and that the Bible is often misrepresented in matters of creation. The book is premised on two facts of evolutionary biology, first, all of life is related, symbolically called the one family tree, and second, species change. These do not conflict with the literal text of the Bible. Roughgarden engages the reader through a first-person account of a Christian teaching evolutionary biology. She insists that evolutionary science is limited to studying the origin of the body, not the soul or the basis for human dignity (p. 55), and that the Bible does not have a scientific end but a religious end (p. 63). Through DNA, we know that we inherit our bodies from ancestors, including ancestors of other species; we do not inherit our souls from ancestors. She believes humanity's evolution is a willful act of God rather than a by-product of evolutionary processes. Roughgarden analyzes Christian thinking on evolution, particularly the Catholic Church's statements on the evolutionary process, including the influences of Cardinal Schinborn and his criticism of atheistic materialism as a dominant philosophy in secular societies. Roughgarden criticizes the intelligent design movement which preaches that evolutionary biologists are foisting anti-religious dogma on innocent children. She views intelligent design as bad science and believes that it should be taught as such. The


We study theoretically the effects of short-range electron-electron interactions on the electronic structure of graphene, in the presence of substitutional impurities. Our computational approach is ...


Present study was conducted to investigate the growth characteristics, carotenoid contents and peroxidase activity of Dendranthema indicum grown under different environmental conditions. Physiological growth characteristics, carotenoid content and peroxidase activity were studied in Dendranthema indicum, which was grown at highland (Daegwalryeng, 800 m above the sea level) and lowland (Gangneung, 20 m above the sea level), and the results were compared with those obtained in greenhouse and field at these sites in 2005. Photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) was the highest at the highland field. The UV A and UV B irradiation in highland wwas found to be significantly higher by 12.6 and 34.8%, respectively, than those in lowland. Average air temperature was 15.9~17.0℃ in the highland field, 20.3~20.8℃ in the highland greenhouse, 21.1~22.0℃ in the lowland field, and 22.5~24.4℃ in lowland greenhouse. Plant height in lowland was significantly greater. Wild flowers grown in highland in autumn flowered earlier than in lowland. Comparing the two environments, the carotenoid concentration of Dendranthema indicum grown at highland was greater than that at lowland. Plants in the higher altitude regions have a much more effective protection mechanism against oxidative damage as compared with plants in the lower altitude regions. The antioxidant protection required high amounts of carotenoids. The leaves of Dendranthema indicum grown in lowland showed the higher peroxidase activity.


AbstractThis study intends to examine the impact of successive wetting and drying cycles on the strength and hydraulic conductivity of lime- and cement-treated soil, with a special emphasis on the ...


DNA encoding the 5-untranslated leader of murine ODC mRNA is 74% G+C and very stable (-93 kcal) hairpin loop structures are predicted to form within this sequencel (Fig 1). Such sequences can potentially pose problems for in vitro DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)2. As shown in Fig. 2, standard PCR reactions designed to specifically amplify this sequence from genomic DNA yielded multiple non-specific bands. In contrast, inclusion of the nucleotide analog 7-deaza-2'deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate (dc7GTP) in the PCR reactions allowed efficient amplification of the expected 310 bp sequence, identified by cleavage with TaqI at position 147. PCR readtions were performed for 30 cycles as described2: each 50 jl reaction contained 0.36 gig of genomic DNA, 10 pmol of each primer (primers indicated in Fig. 1), 200 jiM each dNTP, 1.25 units of 7'aq DNA polymerase (Perkin-Elmer/Cetus), and the thermocycle profile was 30 sec at 95°C, 1 min at 55°C and 1 min at 72°C. In Fig.2, aliquots from each PCR reaction were resolved on 6% acrylamide gels before (-) and after (+) digestion with TaqI as follows: (1) standard PCR with 200 jiM dGTP; (2) 30 cycles of PCR with 200 jM dc7GTP followed by 30 cycles with 100 jiM dc7GTP, 100 jiM dGTP; (3) 100 jiM dGTP, 100 jiM dc7GTP; (4) 150 jiM dc7GTP, 50 jM dGTP; and (5) 200 jM dc7GTP. The structure destabilizing base analog 7-Deazaguanine precludes Hoogsteen bond formation by virtue of replacement of the N-7 of the guanine ring with a methine moiety and, in contrast to inosine, Watson-Crick base pairing is not impaired3. PCR reactions performed with dc7GTP only are typically less efficient than' reactions containing a mixture of dc7GTP and dGTP. We have found the optinmal ratio to be 3:1 dc7GTP to dGTP. In order to examine the fidelity of amplifications using dc7GT P, products from reaction (2) were subcloned into M13:mpl 1, the DNA sequences of 8 independent clones were deter-mined, and no sequence errors were observed.


Several recent studies have disagreed as to whether compensatory ovarian hypertrophy (COH) occurs in rats younger than 20 days of age. In female rats hemiovariectomized at 10 days of age by Ojeda & Ram\l=i'\rez (1972), there was no significant increase in the weight of the remaining left ovary at 12, 15 and 20 days of age when compared to that in animals subjected to sham operation. Baker & Kragt (1969) reported that excising the right ovary at birth did not cause the remaining ovary to be significantly heavier than the left ovary in control rats at 10, 15 and 20 days of age. By contrast, Gerall & Dunlap (1971) and Dunlap, Preis & Gerall (1972) have reported significant COH in the right ovary within 10 days in rats hemispayed at birth. Negative results have been interpreted as indicating either that the neonatal female's gonad does not secrete oestrogen or that its hypothalamic-hypophysial system is not responsive to circulating hormones. Since these results are relevant to understanding the neonatal female's neuroendocrine system, it is important to discern the basis of the discrepancy between these studies and whether, in fact, COH occurs in the female rat before 20 days of age. It is contended that COH is a reliable phenomenon in the neonatal rat and that the major difference between studies, so far as can be ascertained, is based on whether extraneous tissue is removed from the ovaries before weighing them. Including oviduct, fat and connective tissue with the ovary not only produces incorrect large weights but increases the variability of weights across subjects. This variability should decrease the probability that small amounts of COH will be detected statistically. In the following experiment, weights of cleaned and non-cleaned ovaries were compared to determine whether excess tissue could