The balance of human capital supply and industry demands are crucial to sustain a competitive advantage in order to ensure stability of economic growth. Unfortunately, companies often find it hard to recruit the right people. Many ideas obviously relate to connect human capital to education because human capital is created through education. In the education sector, there is a critical need to develop an effective planning mechanism to distribute the students into the most suitable area in the industry. In order to achieve this, the student's pathway needs to be planned systematically in school by identifying the student's streaming based on their academic performance. In this case, students who have the same performance will be grouped in the same cluster using a data mining technique. However, the problem is that, it is difficult to identify real potential for the students, because their performance is not well monitored, and current assessment systems do not support the student's academic planning activities. Besides, there is no specific technique used to group students into clusters based on their performance. This study aims to overcome the problem by grouping the students according to their performance using clustering techniques and to propose a suitable model. This study aims to overcome the problem by identifying a suitable clustering model that can be used to analysis an educational data. The data involves is student performance data. Based on the data, two clusters of students are created which is science and arts. A novelty in the method of study is the use of three clustering models and a comparison among them in order to find a suitable clustering model to be used with student academic performance data. The study was conducted in five schools in Malaysia to support students' grouping in two different academic streams, which are science and art. The result demonstrated the best model of clustering technique that is suitable for mining the educational data. Moreover, suitable streaming based on the students' performance and education policy was created from the results. It can be used to assist schools and students in determining the appropriate streaming for the students, and support for the human capital needs by the country in the future .


The characteristic marks left by firearms on cartridge cases (CCs) during firing are used by forensic experts to identify CCs fired from the same firearm; however, the nature of the tool marks on the CCs is not well understood. The objective of this study is to separate the tool marks i.e., the signal, from the background signal and the noise and thereby understand its peculiarities. To extract the signal, which is much weaker than the noise, second-order derivatives of three-dimensional images of the surfaces of a series of CCs fired from the same firearm were used. Instead of using rigid body transformation, the images are first registered based on estimated planar homographies; then unwanted areas, including the headstamp are masked out. Aligned images are merged by weighted averaging using estimated signal and noise variances, which are also used for calculating signal and noise spectra. Wiener filtering is applied to further increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated on real data. It is also shown that breech face marks exist on the outer ring, a feature typically ignored in automatic matching. In addition, visual results obtained by reconstructing the surface from second-order derivatives are presented.


Fiber-optic communication systems using semiconductor laser amplifiers are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The noise and bit-error-rate characteristics of lightwave systems with optical amplifiers are calculated and the dependence of system performance on amplifier characteristics such as optical bandwidth, noise figure, gain, etc., is shown. Experimental results for both a 4-Gb/s optical preamplifier as well as coherent and direct detection systems with four inline amplifiers are presented. >


Included in this paper is a discussion of the operating principle, design, construction and testing of a stroke-limited, transistorized, pneumatic pressure cycling system for a single-chambered artificial heart. The system is free of valve-stiction catastrophes, and reveals that conventional calculations of heart power based on mean blood pressure, cardiac output and kinetic energy of the aortic blood should be augmented substantially to account for turbulence, valve resistance and pneumatic feedline distensibility. Graphs are presented to illustrate the over-all performance data.


Impacts of Multiple Stressors on Dryland Vulnerability and Land Conflict on the Border Communities of Southeast Kenya Alvin Maingi Solomon This study examines how individuals and groups respond to prevailing politicoeconomic and biophysical changes and how the adjustments they make influence and are influenced by their social relations and material condition in spatial and temporal terms. This dissertation comprises of three parts: The first part is a critique of the climateconflict relationship debate and the problems associated with studies pushing for a causal relationship between climate variables and conflict. I argue that scholars lack of attention on varying institutional capacities and the focus solely on environmental factors as trigger mechanisms for conflict leads to misleading arguments about conflict distribution and frequency which may ultimately hinder the understanding of why conflicts occur, are exacerbated or resolved, recur or not. I find that as scholars focus on climatic variables in pursuit of narrow causations, they ignore known weaknesses in both theory and methodology. In addition, shifting from a human vulnerability approach to a human security one in climate conflict studies advances a functionalist conservative discourses that pay the most attention to securing the states of the global north and global capital circulation rather than helping vulnerable groups deal with risk and the impacts of climate change. The second part of the dissertation examines how social relations around land allocation and tenure in Africa have changed over time and how the existence of a dual system of tenure in many African countries produces a third system of informal land transfers. I argue that these often-unregulated informal transfers may help circumvent protections provided within law and policy. I find that, in Kenya as in many other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the existence of many plots of land held as freehold without title coupled with an expensive and deeply bureaucratic process of titling produces and maintains unregulated land transfers that often cement inequalities that are addressed in formal policy and law. The third part of this dissertation utilizes the concept of "ecological gradient" to examine the social benefit of material relations for different livelihood groups living along the Mt Kilimanjaro altitudinal gradient. I find evidence of increased diversification and interdependence between the different livelihoods that occupy the ecological zones along the gradient. Consequently, livelihood groups living within the various ecological gradients along the mountain gradient adjust to changing biophysical and politico-economic factors by extracting social benefits from increased contact with each other.


In muscle fibers which have been exposed for 1 hour to a Ringer solution containing 400 millimolar glycerol and then returned to plain Ringer solution, the transverse tubular system is disrupted. At the same time the membrane capacitance is markedly reduced and hyperpolarizing current pulses no longer produce a slow, progressive increase in potential (creep). The large capacitance of muscle and the phenomenon of "creep" must both depend on an intact transverse tubular system.


Background Neonatal mortality due to preterm birth and low birthweight remains a significant challenge in Pakistan. Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a unique, low-cost intervention proven to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity and increase exclusive breastfeeding rates. However, KMC has not been attempted in community settings in Pakistan. We aim to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based KMC package to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality among preterm and low birthweight (LBW) infants, which will provide evidence for policy development and the large-scale implementation of KMC across the country. Objective The primary objective of this trial is to reduce neonatal mortality among preterm and LBW infants. The secondary objectives are growth (measured as weight gain), reduced incidence of possible serious bacterial infection, and increased exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding practices. Methods We designed a community-based cluster randomized controlled trial in one rural district of Pakistan. Stable, LBW babies (weighing 1200 grams to 2500 grams) are included in the study. The community KMC package, consisting of the KMC kit, information and counseling material, and community mobilization through KMC champions (village volunteers), was designed after preliminary research in the same geographical location and implemented in intervention clusters. The standard essential newborn care is offered in the control clusters. Infants are recruited and followed up by independent teams of data collectors. Data are collected on the duration of skin-to-skin contact, growth, breastfeeding practices, morbidities, neonatal mortality, and neurodevelopment status. Data analysis will be conducted based on the intention to treat principle. The Cox regression model will be used to assess the primary outcome of neonatal mortality. The secondary outcomes will be evaluated using linear or logistic regression. Results The Ethics Review Committee of Aga Khan University, Pakistan, approved the study protocol in February 2017. Data collection began in August 2019 and will be completed in December 2021. Data analyses are yet to be completed. Conclusions This intervention may be effective in preventing sepsis and subsequently improve survival in LBW newborns in Pakistan and other low-income and middle-income countries worldwide. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov NCT03545204; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03545204 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/28156


Abstract The extant literature on Jewish Holocaust survivors' experiences of receiving aged care services typically focuses on the risk that formal care settings may reactivate traumatic memories. Absent from previous research have been the viewpoints of older survivors themselves regarding their aged care experiences. An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to investigate Jewish Holocaust survivors' lived experience of using community aged care services. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. The credibility of the findings was ensured by methodological triangulation and peer debriefing. Four major themes emerged from the analysis: wanting carers to do their job well; being supported to maintain autonomy; having a good relationship with the carer; and being understood as an individual. Although Holocaust survivors described the lived experience of using community aged care services in terms of universal themes similar to those identified with other groups of care recipients, the data revealed that this experience is intertwined with individual earlier-life traumatic experiences. This study has implications for training age care staff who work with Holocaust survivors and older trauma survivors from other refugee backgrounds.


In the first part of this paper, we explain the basic concept of left-handed material and we will look at the history of implementing LHM materials at high frequency. In this part we have investigated the characterization process of metamaterials, the effective dielectric and magnetic properties are retrieved from the scattering parameters. Moreover, we provide a detailed study about the effective parameters such as the refractive index, permeability, permittivity and the group delay. For this purpose we have designed special LHMs that resonate in X-band frequency which is around 8GHz–12GHz. In the second part of this paper, a new topology for designing a circularly polarized 2 × 4 linear antenna array composed of circular Split Ring Resonator SRR for X-band is discussed. The design of metamaterial antenna array based Circular Split Ring Resonator operating at about 10.75 GHz and present a gain of 5.2 dB and the aperture at −3dB is 58°.


Urban African-American youth residing in poorly resourced communities are at a heightened risk of peer victimization, which consequently increases their likelihood of risky behaviors such as substance use. The present study examined whether there was a direct relationship between peer victimization and substance use and whether it was mediated by negative peer norms, internalizing problems, and bullying perpetration. African-American youth (n = 638) completed a self-administered questionnaire on age, biological sex, socioeconomic status, lifetime substance use, peer victimization and bullying perpetration, negative peer norms, and internalizing problems. There were no direct effects between peer victimization and substance use. However, negative peer norms and bullying were both independently associated with substance use, although internalizing problems were not significant. In addition, peer victimization increased the odds of internalizing problems. Social services must be expended in low-income communities to effectively address peer victimization and substance use among urban African-American youth.


This paper presents an application of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model to the Fraser River basin (FRB) of British Columbia (BC), Canada, over the latter half of the twentieth century. The Fraser River is the longest waterway in BC and supports the world's most abundant Pacific Ocean salmon populations. Previous modeling and observational studies have demonstrated that the FRB is a snow-dominated system, but with climate change, it may evolve to a pluvial regime. Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate the changing contribution of snow to the hydrology of the FRB over the latter half of the twentieth century. To this end, a 0.25° atmospheric forcing dataset is used to drive the VIC model from 1949 to 2006 (water years) at a daily time step over a domain covering the entire FRB. A model evaluation is first conducted over 11 major subwatersheds of the FRB to quantitatively assess the spatial variations of snow water equivalent (SWE) and runoff (R). The ratio of the spatially averaged maximum SWE to R (RSR) is used to quantify the contribution of snow to the runoff in the 11 subwatersheds of interest. From 1949 to 2006, RSR exhibits a significant decline in 9 of the 11 subwatersheds (with p < 0.05 according to the Mann–Kendall test statistics). To determine the sensitivity of RSR, the air temperature and precipitation in the forcing dataset are then perturbed. The ratio RSR decreases more significantly, especially during the 1990s and 2000s, when air temperatures have warmed considerably compared to the 1950s. On the other hand, increasing precipitation by a multiplicative factor of 1.1 causes RSR to decrease. As the climate continues to warm, ecological processes and human usage of natural resources in the FRB may be substantially affected by its transition from a snow to a hybrid (nival/pluvial) and even a rain-dominated system.


REPORT OF A CASE A 45-year-old black man presented to the dermatology clinic complaining of a tender pink nodule on the instep of his left foot. Two years previously, he had noted a blister in the same area after wearing a new pair of Army boots. The blister resolved but a small papule developed in its place. There were no symptoms until 2 months before presentation, when he experienced occasional bleeding and pain when wearing certain types of shoes. He denied ulceration, drainage, or itching. He noted the lesion had grown. He was otherwise in good health, not receiving any medications, and had an unremarkable medical history. Findings from his physical examination revealed a wellcircumscribed exophytic nodule arising within a shallow cuplike invagination of the skin. It measured 0.8 cm at its greatest diameter (Fig 1). A saucerized shave biopsy of the lesion was performed. Tissue culture of the lesion


First-person games often support the player's gradual accretion of knowledge of the game's rules during gameplay. They thus focus on challenging and developing performative skills, which in turn supports the player in attaining feelings of achievement and skills mastery. However, an alternative disruptive game design approach is proposed as an approach that encourages players to engage in higher-order thinking, in addition to performative challenges. This requires players to cognitively engage with the game at a deeper level. This stems from the player's expectations of game rules and behaviours being disrupted, rather than supported, requiring players to learn and re-learn the game rules as they play. This disruptive approach to design aims to support players in satiating their needs for not only achievement and mastery at a performative level but also, their needs for problem-solving and creativity.
Utilising a Research through Design methodology, a model of game space proposes different stages of a game's creation, from conceptualisation through to the final player experience. The Ludic Action Model (LAM), developed from existing game studies and cognitive psychological theory, affords an understanding of how the player forms expectations in the game as played. A conceptual framework of game components is then constructed and mapped to the Ludic Action Model, providing a basis for understanding how different components of a game interact with and influence the player's cognitive and motor processes. The Ludic Action Model and the conceptual framework of game components are used to construct the Disruptive Game Feature Design and Development (DisDev) model, created as a design tool for 'disruptive' games. The disruptive game design approach is then applied to the design, development, and publication of a commercial game, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (The Chinese Room, 2013). This application demonstrated the suitability of the design approach, and the proposed models, for establishing disruptive game features in the game as designed, developing those features in the game as created, to the final resolution in the game as published, which the player will then experience in the game as played.
A phenomenological template analysis of online player discussions of the game shows that players tend to evaluate their personal game as played (i.e. their personal play experience) in relation to their a priori game as expected (i.e. the experience that they expected the game to provide). Players reported their play experiences in ways that suggested they had experienced cognitive engagement and higher-order thinking. However, player attitudes towards this type of play experience were highly polarised and seemingly dependent on the correspondence between actual and expected play experiences. The discussion also showed that different methods of disruption have a variable effect on the player experience depending on the primacy of the game feature being disrupted. Primary features are more effectively disrupted when the game's responses to established player actions are subsequently altered. Secondary game features, only present in some sections, are most effectively disrupted when their initially contextualised behaviour is subsequently altered, or recontextualised. In addition, story-based feature disruption is most effected when the initial encoding stage is ambiguous, thus disrupting players' attempts to form an initial understanding of them. However, these different methods of disruption may be most effective when used in conjunction with each other.


We review the history and previous literature on radical equations and present the rigorous solution theory for radical equations of depth 2, continuing a previous study of radical equations of depth 1. Radical equations of depth 2 are equations where the unknown variable appears under at least one square root and where two steps are needed to eliminate all radicals appearing in the equation. We state and prove theorems for all three equation forms with depth 2 that give the solution set of all real-valued solutions. The theorems are shown via the restriction set method that uses inequality restrictions to decide whether to accept or reject candidate solutions. We distinguish between formal solutions that satisfy the original equation in a formal sense, where we allow some radicals to evaluate to imaginary numbers during verification, and strong solutions, where all radicals evaluate to real numbers during verification. Our theorems explicitly identify the set of all formal solutions and the set of all strong solutions for each equation form. The theory underlying radical equations with depth 2 is richer and more interesting than the theory governing radical equations with depth 1, and some aspects of the theory are not intuitively obvious.


This paper presents an efficient interval-analysis-based algorithm to solve the direct geometrico-static problem (DGP) of underconstrained cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs). Solving the DGP for a generic CDPR consists of finding all possible equilibrium poses of the end effector for the given cable lengths. Since cables impose unilateral constraints, configurations with one or more slack cables may occur. When the number of taut cables is smaller than six the robot is underconstrained and the DGP solutions must be found considering loop-closure and mechanical equilibrium equations simultaneously. The presented algorithm can find all DGP solutions of a generic CDPR in a numerically robust and safe way. By using interval analysis the proposed procedure can directly search for real solutions with non-negative cable tensions and it can take advantage of the physical constraints of the robot. The implemented procedure is discussed in detail, and the testing and experimental validation on working prototypes are presented.


In 1992 and 1993, pastures of WW-Spar Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum L.) were maintained at 2 levels of soil water, rainfall and rainfall plus 25 mm/week of supplementary irrigation. At both moisture levels the grass was maintained at 2 levels of standing crop, averaging 1,548 and 2,154 kg ha(-1), using continuous variable stocking. Measurements were made to determine how different levels of soil moisture interacted with grazing intensity to change leaf area index, leaf-stem and live-dead ratios, tiller density, and the proportion of gross leaf production that was grazed (harvest efficiency). The proportions of live to dead, and leaf and stem biomass, remained constant under the different levels of soil water content. Soil water content alone had no effect on leaf area index, tiller density and the proportion of live or dead, leaf and stem. Winter tiller survival was significantly higher in the pastures with higher soil water content. Increasing soil water content and increasing grazing intensity interacted to reduce the proportion of dead leaf, increase production of new tillers, and increase the proportion of leaf grazed by decreasing leaf that died and was not grazed. This study indicates that if continuously grazed Old World bluestem was maintained at a standing crop of 1,500 kg ha(-1), harvest efficiency would be higher in wet years or under irrigation than if standing crop was higher. DOI:10.2458/azu_jrm_v55i3_teague


BACKGROUND
Within the scope of the programmes to be developed by the primary health care parties, we consider it interesting to investigate the sewage management in our health area because of its impact on the population health and welfare and the main socioeconomic local activities: agriculture and tourism.

METHOD
We carry out an epidemiological descriptive study: we review the most important structural and functional characteristics of the sewage depuration and collection in the municipality of S. Javier (Murcia).

RESULTS
The evaluation of the collected data made it obvious that deficiencies exist in the collection system as well as in the sewage processing; both deficiencies were shown in some places of the locality and in particular periods of the year, with a consequent risk of environmental contamination and enteric diseases transmission among population and summer holidaymakers.

CONCLUSIONS
A positive corrective action on the installations by the organisms responsible for the local sanitation as a response to these conclusions, which we informed due time, constitutes a good stimulant to go on investigating this question of such a great sanitary and general interest, which is almost unknown in medical literature.


1H magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy of intact viable malignant cells yields high resolution spectra from lipid. In previous studies we have provided evidence that these signals are generated by neutral lipid located in the plasma membrane in unique domains. We show that intracellular lipid droplets do not contribute to the MR signal. Two malignant Chinese hamster ovary cell lines, EOT and its parental line WT were studied. The EOT cells have a more highly resolved lipid spectrum than the WT, a result which correlates with slightly increased levels of triglyceride in highly purified plasma membranes. The intracellular lipid droplets of both lines were quantified using both fluorescence and electron microscopy but no significant differences were observed. Together these results provide evidence that narrow 1H MR signals from malignant cells arise from neutral lipid in the plasma membrane, rather than from intracellular lipid droplets.


When interacting on a learning task, which is typical of several academic situations, individuals may experience two different motives: Understanding the problem, or showing their competences. When a conflict (confrontation of divergent propositions) emerges from this interaction, it can be solved either in an epistemic way (focused on the task) or in a relational way (focused on the social comparison of competences). The latter is believed to be detrimental for learning. Moreover, research on cooperative learning shows that when they share identical information, partners are led to compare to each other, and are less encouraged to cooperate than when they share complementary information. An epistemic vs. relational conflict vs. no conflict was provoked in dyads composed by a participant and a confederate, working either on identical or on complementary information (N=122). Results showed that, if relational and epistemic conflicts both entailed more perceived interactions and divergence than the control group, only relational conflict entailed more perceived comparison activities and a less positive relationship than the control group. Epistemic conflict resulted in a more positive perceived relationship than the control group. As far as performance is concerned, relational conflict led to a worse learning than epistemic conflict, and – after a delay – than the control group. An interaction between the two variables on delayed performance showed that epistemic and relational conflicts were different only when working with complementary information. This study shows the importance of the quality of relationship when sharing information during cooperative learning, a crucial factor to be taken into account when planning educational settings at the university.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Immunodominance is an important feature of antiviral, antitumor, and antibacterial cellular immune responses, but it is not well demonstrated in the immune responses against Helicobacter pylori. Antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells protect mice against infection with H pylori. We investigated the immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell response to neuraminyllactose-binding hemagglutinin (HpaA), which is a conserved, H pylori-specific colonization factor that is being investigated as an antigen for vaccination strategies.

METHODS
HpaA-specific CD4(+) T cells were expanded with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells that had been incubated with recombinant HpaA and characterized using overlapping synthetic peptides. We compared the percentage of CD4(+) T cells with specificity for HpaA(88-100), restricted to HLA-DRB1*1501, among 59 H pylori-infected subjects with different gastric diseases.

RESULTS
We identified and characterized several immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell epitopes derived from HpaA. The immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell responses specific to HpaA(88-100) were observed in most H pylori-infected individuals who expressed HLA-DRB1*1501 and were significantly more abundant in patients with less severe diseases (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS
The HLA-DRB1*1501-restricted immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell response to HpaA(88-100) is associated with reduced risk of severe gastric diseases. Further study of these and other immunodominant CD4(+) T-cell responses to H pylori will provide insight into mechanisms of protective immunity and aid in vaccine design.


There exists one experimental result that cannot be explained by the Standard Model (SM), the current theoretical framework for particle physics: non-zero masses for the neutrinos (elementary particles travelling close to light speed, electrically neutral and weakly interacting). The SM assumes that they are massless. Therefore, particle physicists are now exploring new physics beyond the SM. There is strong anticipation that we are about to unravel it, in the form of new matter and/or forces, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), presently running at CERN. We discuss a minimal extension of the SM, based on a somewhat larger version of its symmetry structure and particle content, that can naturally explain the existence of neutrino masses while also predicting novel signals accessible at the LHC, including a light Higgs boson, as evidenced by current data.


Attempts to imagine a shift beyond capitalism often tend to fixate on the terms of the old socialist calculation debate: plan versus market. At its deepest level, though, capitalism is not fundamentally a matter of the distribution of goods, for underlying this is the possession of land. In thinking about the end of capitalism it is thus useful to return to the question of its origin as the second agricultural revolution in human history. If capitalism finds its roots in an agrarian transition, we might also locate its supersession at this level—in a third agricultural revolution.


The construction of a community of shared future for mankind requires each country to take into account the reasonable concerns of other countries while pursuing its own interests and promote the common development of all countries in the pursuit of its own development. In view of the fact that teaching of Marxism in Chinese colleges and universities has started late in the study of community of shared future for mankind and lacks the trend of advancing with the times, in this paper, the author proposes to ensure the trend of a community of shared future for mankind in the education of Marxism in colleges and universities from three aspects, namely, the establishment of educational channels, the optimization of educational approaches and the construction of educational mechanisms. It has been proved that the proposed scheme is of great guiding value in effectively improving the understanding of the human community and a macroscopic view of Marxism in colleges and universities.


At the present day core infrastructure and the whole society is dependent on information technology. IT has, however, caused unexpected and increased troubles in information systems. The economical losses caused by faulty software and failing information systems are enormous. This research estimates the general level of problems based on the number of information system failures reported in the media. Features of nowadays infrastructure, coupled and interconnected systems, require accurate design. However, we found that systems fail too often because of a lack of comprehensive system design and dependability. We found that almost half of problems reported in media relate to issues inside the information systems. Solely one quarter is caused by people and a third of problems are related to environment and community.


CONTEXT
Despite evidence that patients with acute lung injury (ALI) have pulmonary surfactant dysfunction, trials of several surfactant preparations to treat adults with ALI have not been successful. Preliminary studies in children with ALI have shown that instillation of a natural lung surfactant (calfactant) containing high levels of surfactant-specific protein B may be beneficial.

OBJECTIVE
To determine if endotracheal instillation of calfactant in infants, children, and adolescents with ALI would shorten the course of respiratory failure.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS
A multicenter, randomized, blinded trial of calfactant compared with placebo in 153 infants, children, and adolescents with respiratory failure from ALI conducted from July 2000 to July 2003. Twenty-one tertiary care pediatric intensive care units participated. Entry criteria included age 1 week to 21 years, enrollment within 48 hours of endotracheal intubation, radiological evidence of bilateral lung disease, and an oxygenation index higher than 7. Premature infants and children with preexisting lung, cardiac, or central nervous system disease were excluded.

INTERVENTION
Treatment with intratracheal instillation of 2 doses of 80 mL/m2 calfactant or an equal volume of air placebo administered 12 hours apart.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Ventilator-free days and mortality; secondary outcome measures were hospital course, adverse events, and failure of conventional mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS
The calfactant group experienced an acute mean (SD) decrease in oxygenation index from 20 (12.9) to 13.9 (9.6) after 12 hours compared with the placebo group's decrease from 20.5 (14.7) to 15.1 (9.0) (P = .01). Mortality was significantly greater in the placebo group compared with the calfactant group (27/75 vs 15/77; odds ratio, 2.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-4.85), although ventilator-free days were not different. More patients in the placebo group did not respond to conventional mechanical ventilation. There were no differences in long-term complications.

CONCLUSIONS
Calfactant acutely improved oxygenation and significantly decreased mortality in infants, children, and adolescents with ALI although no significant decrease in the course of respiratory failure measured by duration of ventilator therapy, intensive care unit, or hospital stay was observed.


This paper discusses the application of activity sampling in work and performance analysis in a tourist services company. Abnormal job delays were observed based on mainly employee observation studies at the tourist company in South Africa. A detailed account of the data collected is presented, assessed and analysed for three departments, the administration department, marketing department and the reception. The importance of activity sampling in organizations was demonstrated by its use in identifying idle and ineffective time in these departments. A large number of observations were made over a period of time to afford the results and findings the necessary statistical significance. Observations enabled recording of what was happening at given instances to determine activities undertaken and to capture delays. The study shows the importance of activity sampling in diagnosing problems and supporting decision making and taking in a service organisation.


The clinical material is used to substantiate the advantage of the technic of uneven irradiation of patients with primary locally spread tumors of the retroperitoneal space, in whom all the routinely used methods of treatment proved to be infective. Uneven distribution of the dosage is provided by using a grid diaphragm and conducting gamma-therapy only from one static field during the whole course of irradiation. This pattern of radiotherapy is shown to increase radioresistance of normal tissues and allows 1.5--4 times large focal dose to be applied to tumor compared with gamma-therapy via moving lead strips, thus rendering an enhanced antitumor effect of radiation. These data are confirmed by the results of clinical observations over 30 patients with locally spread inoperable tumors of the retroperitoneal space.


An algorithm has been developed to calculate the collimator jaw motions required to generate intensity-modulated fields for use in conformal radiotherapy. The dynamic technique allows arbitrary intensity profiles to be generated using a single unidirectional sweep of the collimators. The collimator jaws have independent motion, so that an aperture of variable width is scanned across the field. The algorithm has the form of a constrained optimization problem and jaw motions are optimized such that the treatment time for the field at a given dose rate is minimized. The application and results of this technique are presented, and it is shown that this approach provides an efficient practical implementation of conformal radiotherapy plans based on the use of intensity-modulated fields. The technique can be extended to 3D treatment plans and fields through the use of computer-controlled multileaf collimators.


The business value of information technology (IT) is increasingly being cocreated by multiple parties, opening opportunities for new research initiatives. Previous studies on IT value cocreation mainly focus on analyzing sources of cocreated IT value, yet inadequately accommodating the influence of competition relationships in IT value cocreation activities. To fill the gap, this in-progress paper suggests an agent-based modeling (also simulation) approach to investigating potential influences of the dynamic interplay between cooperation and competition relationships in IT value cocreation settings. In particular, the research proposes a high-level conceptual framework to position general IT value cocreation processes. A relational network view is offered, aiming at decomposing and systemizing several typical cooperation and competition scenarios in practical IT value cocreation settings. The application of a simulation approach to analytical insights and to theory building is illustrated.


Photodirected oligonucleotide synthesis uses either direct or indirect light-dependent 5'-deprotection. Both have been reported to give lower stepwise synthetic yields than conventional methods. The deficiency appears to be due to incomplete deprotection at the oligonucleotide 5'-position and, additionally in the case where photodirection is indirect and uses photogenerated photoacid to effect 5'-detritylation, the depurinating effects of strong acid. We have developed novel photosensitive-2-nitrobenzyl esters that on irradiation with near UV light generate alpha-chloro-substituted acetic acids, such as trichloroacetic acid, which are widely and successfully used in conventional solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis. alpha-Phenyl-4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyltrichloroacetate and alpha-phenyl-4,5-dimethoxy-2,6-dinitrobenzyltrichloroacetate showed appropriate photochemical characteristics and were used for photodirected synthesis of a variety of oligonucleotides, including (T)(5), TATAT, TGTGT, (T)(10), (AT)(5), (CT)(5) (GT)(5), and (TGCAT)(2) on a modified Millipore Expedite DNA synthesizer. The outcomes were compared with those obtained by use of directly added trichloroacetic acid (conventional synthesis). The stepwise yields for the two methods were essentially identical.


In an attempt to reduce Carbon Dioxide production, lighting technologies are aiming toward the developing of energetically efficient illumination sources as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps emit light at shortwavelengths close to the sensitivity peak of melatonin suppression and expected to further exacerbate circadian disruption and cancer risk from increasing exposure to artificial light-at-night (ALAN). We report the effect of ALAN (1×30 min per night) emitted from yellow incandescent or blue-white LED bulbs and melatonin treatment on urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SMT), tumor growth (volume and mass), and global DNA methylation in 4T1 inoculated Balb/c female mice. Blue ALAN significantly decreased 6-SMT, increased tumor growths, and promoted metastasis formation verses yellow exposure. In blue-treated mice, DNA methylation levels were decreased in tumor and liver cells but not in lung and spleen cells compared with yellow-treated mice. Melatonin treatment inhibited tumor growth, reduced metastasis formation, and equally induced hypermethylation under the two spectral compositions. 6-SMTshowed strong inverse and direct correlations with tumor volume and methylation level, respectively. Finally, melatonin treatment increased relative spleen mass with no spectral differences compared with controls. We demonstrate for the first time that LED lighting can result in aggressive and rapid tumor growth compared with the counterpart incandescent technology, and our results strongly suggest that the mechanism of action by which this occurs is altering DNA methylation levels by ALAN-induced melatonin suppression. These findings further support evidence for the possible association between ALAN and hormone dependent cancer incidences and subsequently advance the need for developing sustainable lighting solutions which are more efficient but less harmful.


Induction of long-term potentiation in a few dendritic spines signals to the nucleus to activate transcription factors. Persistent maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) of glutamatergic synapses and long-term memory requires neuronal nuclear signaling that leads to gene transcription. It is unclear whether signaling produced at a single dendritic spine can be transmitted into the nucleus to regulate gene transcription. Using two-photon glutamate uncaging in combination with two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging, Zhai et al. show that induction of LTP in only three to seven dendritic spines in a hippocampal pyramidal neuron can trigger activation of nuclear extracellular signal–regulated kinase and downstream transcription factors cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element–binding protein and E26-like transcription factor-1. Thus, signaling initiated in each dendritic spine can be transmitted into the nucleus to regulate gene transcription. Furthermore, biochemical signaling in multiple dendritic branches was integrated to activate the nuclear signaling. S. Zhai, E. D. Ark, P. Parra-Bueno, R. Yasuda, Long-distance integration of nuclear ERK signaling triggered by activation of a few dendritic spines. Science 342, 1107–1111 (2013). [Abstract][Full Text]


High-speed motion pictures were taken of fuel sprays injected into the combustion chamber of the N.A.C.A. combustion apparatus. Three fuels, ethyl alcohol, gasoline, and fuel oil, which differed considerably in volatility were tested. By maintaining the engine temperature below that required for ignition the spray could be studied from soon after the start of injection until 130 crank degrees later. The results show that the sprays vaporize appreciably so that it is possible for the ignition in high speed compression-ignition engines to take place from the vapor phase.


This paper seeks to shine a light on some glaring economic problems of contemporary society. Too often economic issues are framed in the context of moral wedges that divide people. Here we select issues for discussion that likely can be solved and do not strictly require the resolution of any difficult moral quandaries. We show that certain popular debates are not so interesting because sufficient evidence exists to identify the relevant premises as true and false. We suggest an economic program based in part on hypothetical new energy resources that should guide the United States and the Earth's other national states towards a more equitable valley in the space of all economic configurations. This paper is intended to be persuasive and not purely expository.


Cultivated strawberries ( Fragaria L.), raspberries ( Rubus L.), and several other berries belong to the Rosaceae . Fragaria as well as Rubus are comprised of a highly heterozygous series with a range of ploidy levels. Blackcurrants, red currants and gooseberry belong to the Saxifragaceae , whereas blueberry ( Vaccinium L.) crops belong to the Ericaceae . Domestication, breeding, and the transition from small-scale production to intensive production in specialized farms have resulted in a reduction of both morphological and genetic diversity. Therefore, retaining the variability available today to limit the decrease of the genetic base is important. Most of the temperate fruit species are genetically heterozygous and vegetatively propagated. In Europe, collections of berry genetic resources are maintained in the field as active plantations where the accessions are available for characterization, evaluation, and distribution. Backups for the plant material are needed to provide security in case of a disease or an environmental disaster. A long-term coordinated work with extending collaborative actions of berry genetic resources on the European level is necessary. In March 2019, the new Berries Working group was established under the umbrella of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (http://www.ecpgr.cgiar.org/ working-groups/berries/). At present, 85 members from 22 European countries have accepted collaboration within this working group. The main goal of the working group is to coordinate the activities between the national collections based on a continuous long-term network cooperation. This includes different activities for harmonizing and enhancement of management of existing ex situ collections of berry genetic resources. The European Search Catalogue for Plant Genetic Resources will be used for the documentation.


In visual backward masking, a target is followed by a blank screen (ISI) and, then, a mask which deteriorates target processing. Schizophrenic patients show strong but complex processing deficits in visual masking compared to healthy controls. There is evidence for a shared genetic etiology in bipolar disorders and schizophrenia prompting the question whether both groups of patients show also analogous information processing deficits. Here, we examined whether the complex masking effects we found previously in schizophrenic patients are also found in bipolar patients. Eleven bipolar, twenty-three schizophrenic patients, and fifteen healthy controls participated in various variants of the shine-through masking paradigm. Both groups showed a very similar pattern of masking deficits. (i) Masking was strongly prolonged compared to controls: schizophrenic patients needed ISIs of 110 ms, bipolars of 95 ms, and controls of only 27 ms. (ii) These prolonged As two further experiments show, ISIs were not caused by deteriorated spatial or temporal resolution. We suggest that schizophrenic as well as bipolar patients suffer from similar dysfunctions in early visual processing. These similar dysfunctions may also have similar genetic causes.


On the basis of category, the surgical equipment market is fragmented into disposable surgical equipment and reusable surgical equipment. The reusable surgical equipment segment was the highest revenue contributor in 2016 and is expected to continue this trend throughout the forecast period. Reusable surgical equipment is majorly adopted by the surgeons across the globes to reduce overhead costs, especially surgeons operating in small medical set-ups or ambulatory surgical center (ASC) setting. This has significantly contributed to growth of the segment. Whereas, the disposable surgical equipment segment is anticipated to register the highest growth rate from 2017 to 2023, owing to the increasing penetration of disposable equipment during surgeries. In addition, use of reliable and high-strength medical grade engineered polymers or plastics for constructing disposable surgical equipment is expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the market.


This paper surveys the nexus between development and armed conflict in sub-Saharan Africa from 1980 to 2005. It focuses on war trends, impact of war on development, socio-economic structures as war risks, and policy responses. Several findings emerge that challenge widely held state-centric assumptions that underpin contemporary analyses, data collection and policy priorities. These wars defy conventional analytical frameworks as they commingle state and non-state actors and political with economic and private motives. As the findings illustrate, the state is not a sufficient unit of analysis: more research, data collection and policy attention should be directed to non-state actors and wars and sub-national and cross-border impacts. War is development in reverse, yet in many of these wars, the national economy continued to grow and social indicators improved. At the same time, the destructive impacts were localised, implying that development gaps and horizontal inequalities worsened. Structural risk factors – horizontal inequalities, youth bulge and unemployment, environmental pressure and natural resource dependence – have played a causal or perpetuating role in the wars surveyed. Economic, social and governance reform policies can play a role in conflict prevention by addressing these risk factors, yet at present national and international policy priorities do not systematically address these risks.


Problem: Missed appointments cost primary care facilities money and resources through lack of utilization. When patients fail to attend their scheduled appointment the providers are nonproductive when they could be seeing other patients that are potentially moved to other days, sending patients to other providers, or worse sending patients to the prompt care or the Emergency Department for care. The missed appointment rate at Office A Primary Care is approximately ten percent, while Office B has a nearly 11% missed appointment rate. Both facilities make reminder calls to patients the day before their appointments to remind them of their appointment and still there is a significant missed appointment rate. Methods: This project includes an observational, descriptive design utilizing retrospective data collection from the medical record of patients from the calendar year 2019 with a comparison between the two primary care offices (Office A and B) and evaluation if the prompt care at Office A impacts the missed appointment rates. Results: Results showed a significantly less likely rate of missed appointments at Office A than at Office B. Additionally, those that did miss their appointment at Office A were more likely to have an urgent care visit than those that missed visits at Office B. This is greatest for regular office visits and preventative exams, as well as, for those with a payor source of Medicare. Younger individuals were more likely to miss their appointments than older individuals. Implications for Practice: Further studies and investigation is needed to find ways to reduce missed appointment rates. While both offices have relatively low rates, it would improve productivity and profitability to reduce the missed appointments, as well as improve patient outcomes. Additionally, it is assumed that there are times when the patient misses their appointment and ultimately ends up in the emergency department.


p21 ras protein is the most important component involved in the cell multiplication by participating in cell cycle. Due to point mutation in the gene coding p21 ras which ultimately results in the change in some nucleotide bases changing the confirmation of the protein which resulted in the production of altered ras p21 lacking GTP binding activity, which leads to the occurrence of ras p21 in a permanently activated state, causing uncontrolled multiplication of cells.Single nucleotide polymorphisms have been detected in p21 ras which are making the drug binding difficult and reducing the capacities of in binding of p21 ras with ATP_GTP_A motif. The current study focused in silico approach for identification and variation in drug bindings in association with cancer and ADME studies of the best drug.Six mutagenesis 59-T, 83-T, 119-N, 144-I, 164-A, 165-V have been proved to greatly reduce the GTP binding activity to ATP_GTP_A motif.Docking study has proved variations in drug binding due to the amino acid substitution and structural changes.Six mutated structures are obtained and 5 drugs through docking studies and the toxicity of the best drug is determined.


The assistance to people during rehabilitation has to be adapted to their needs. Too little help can lead to frustration and stress in the user; an excess of help may lead to low participation and loss of residual skills. Robotic rollators may adapt assistance. The main challenge to cope with this issue is to estimate how much help is needed on the fly, because it depends not only on the person condition, but also on the specific situation that they are negotiating. Clinical scales provide a global condition based estimation, but no local estimator based on punctual needs. Condition also changes in time, so clinical scales need to be recalculated again and again. In this paper we propose a novel approach to estimate users' condition in a continuous way via a robotic rollator. Our work focuses on predicting the value of the well known Tinetti Mobility test from spatiotemporal gait parameters obtained from our platform while users walk. This prediction provides continuous insight on the condition of the user and could be used to modify the amount of help provided. The proposed method has been validated with 19 volunteers at a local hospital that use a rollator for rehabilitation. All volunteers presented some physical or mental disabilities. Our results successfully show a high correlation of spatiotemporal gait parameters with Tinetti Mobility test gait (R2 = 0.7) and Tinetti Mobility test balance (R2 = 0.6).


The precise determination of zona pellucida (ZP)
hardness is largely unknown due to the lack of appropriate measuring and
modelling methods. In this study, we have used experimental and theoretical
models to describe the mechanical behavior of a single oocyte cell to improve
the assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes by assessing oocyte/embryo
quality. This paper presents the development of: i) a microinjection model to
estimate the force of ZP penetration, ii) a micropipette aspiration model to
determine the corresponding hardness, and iii) an experimental procedure to
generate the required data for these two models. Our results show that the estimated penetration force provides a performance target for the penetration
process during intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), while the estimated
corresponding hardness serves as an indicator of the extent of deformation
sustained by the oocyte prior to penetration. Evaluation of these results shows
that a routine assessment of ZP hardness under microinjection would allow for
the identification of certain oocyte pools for which further manipulation is
recommended in order to improve injection, hatching and finally ART outcomes.


Since the early 2000s, several intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have advanced the idea that the creative economy could be a 'feasible development option'. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) took the lead by preparing the 2008 and 2010 Creative Economy Reports, whereas the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UNDP executed the 2013 report. The article – based on an actor-centred institutionalism – explores the role IGOs have played in the promulgation of the 'creative economy' policy agenda. Through a socio-political analysis, we reveal how IGOs act and interact with each other vis-à-vis 'creative economy' policy agenda making. On one hand, the article seeks to highlight why and how IGOs include the creative economy within their priorities and use the concept, influence or challenge its orientations. On the other hand, it aims to examine their ability to act in common in order to globalize the 'creative economy' policy agenda and create new forms of cultural industries governance.


We consider the task of training classifiers without fully labeled data. We propose a weakly supervised method—adversarial label learning—that trains classifiers to perform well when noisy and possibly correlated labels are provided. Our framework allows users to provide different weak labels and multiple constraints on these labels. Our model then attempts to learn parameters for the data by solving a zero-sum game for the binary problems and a non-zero sum game optimization for multi-class problems. The game is between an adversary that chooses labels for the data and a model that minimizes the error made by the adversarial labels. The weak supervision constrains what labels the adversary can choose. The method therefore minimizes an upper bound of the classifier's error rate using projected primal-dual subgradient descent. Minimizing this bound protects against bias and dependencies in the weak supervision. We first show the performance of our framework on binary classification tasks then we extend our algorithm to show its performance on multiclass datasets. Our experiments show that our method can train without labels and outperforms other approaches for weakly supervised learning.


Amid the Black Lives Matter Movement and the ongoing struggle for the recognition of Indigenous rights, and in the wake of police murders of racialized minorities and state-sponsored cultural genocide, oppressed and marginalized groups are calling settler Christians to reckon with the legacy of colonialism that continues to haunt their cherished religious traditions. As a settler Christian, I here share my first halting steps to undertaking such a reckoning. It is a story about finally starting to listen, getting unsettled, and staying there. I have also found it to be a lament of sorts— a journey plunging me into a kind of blue that is perhaps different than the blues sung by those who have directly suffered the poverty and violence of colonialism's oppressive legacy. It is, finally, a lament over the destructive "twilight civilization" (to use Cornel West's phrase) this legacy has wrought—an unsustainable civilization that in a variety of ways dehumanizes everyone, whether we share the identity of the oppressor, the victim, or a mixture of both. Perhaps lament, then, is the spiritual practice settler Christians must first take up as we strive to work through and work free from our damaged past. That is, perhaps this reckoning calls settler Christians to perform a certain leavetaking before we may truly join our hearts and voices with those who seek to keep faith with all their fellow humans as well as the rest of God's good Creation.


Experiments were conducted on dogs. A study was made of interrelationship between the rheological, hemodynamic and metabolic indices in hemorrhagic shock. As found, mechanical properties of the blood altered after the blood loss in parallel with the macrohemodynamic disturbances and preceded metabolic acidosis. A conclusion was drawn that determination of blood fluidity threshold could be applied for the establishment of the extent of hemodynamic disturbance in shock.


As the Web is becoming more widely used as the preferred method for critical information exchange, it is necessary to provide differentiated service mechanisms not only at the network level but also at the Web server level. In this paper, we study performance isolation and admission control concepts of heterogeneous cluster-based Web systems and study the availability of primary-backup Web switches. Due to the types of requests of clients, the SLA (service level agreement) between the clients and the service provider is considered


PurposeThis paper aims to examine the experiences of Filipina women business executives occupying top-most leadership roles in male-dominated industries in the Philippines.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research utilized the institutional theory and a phenomenological approach with semi-structured interviews for data collection. The seven women executives were purposively selected and interviewed in-depth. Participants were renowned leaders in six male-dominated industries in the country.FindingsThree phases – growing up years, career advancement and raising a family and becoming and being the chief executive officer (CEO) tracked the career development journey of the Filipina women business leaders that participated in the study. Cultural, organizational and familial factors emerged as contextual dimensions at each phase that the women business executives needed to navigate in their journey to the top. Six sub-themes reflect challenges in their career progression – women as in-charge of households, expectations as mothers, limited representation in the boardroom, discrimination as women leaders, women not seen as leaders and husband's ego. Four other sub-themes served as enablers – equal opportunity culture, career pathing and diversity, male mentors/role models and enlightened husbands. The CEO's personal characteristics surfaced as a critical factor – spirituality, being competitive but not ambitious, speaks her mind, can-do attitude, accountability, openness to learn and continually re-invents self.Research limitations/implicationsThe participants only included top-most Filipina women business leaders. Implications to women executives' career development in organizations are discussed.Originality/valueThis current study contributes a proposed conceptual model in the understanding of the career development journey of Filipina women executives in the Philippines where recent findings found greater recognition of their work in the corporate setting as compared to more developed Asian countries.


This brief forum contribution reflects upon some historical factors in the formation of nineteenth century science and of the literature and science discipline that has since arisen to study its literary receptions. Noting the preponderance of studies focusing upon forms of scientific developmentalism, principally Darwinian biology, and of novels and other prose, and more broadly, on literary figures, rather than the writings of scientists, the paper introduces some poetry on science by scientists. It concentrates principally on those working and writing in the fields of physics and mathematics, areas that have been neglected in literature and science studies.


Our focus is on the issue of decision making in risky situations. We discuss the need for using decision functions to aid in capturing the decision maker's preference among these types of uncertain alternatives. The use of fuzzy rule based formulations to model these functions is investigated. We discuss the role of perception based granular probability distributions as a means of modeling the uncertainty profiles of the alternatives. Various properties of this method of describing uncertainty are provided. Tools for evaluating rule based decision functions in the face of perception based uncertainty profiles are presented. Consideration is given to the situation in which our uncertainty profiles are expressed in terms of a cumulative distribution function. We introduce the idea of a perception based granular cumulative distribution and describe its representation in terms of a fuzzy rule-based model


The new technique of interspecific hybridization was created in Gossypium which could remarkably overcome abortion of interspecific hybridization and hybrid sterility of F1. A large number of germplasm resources were obtained from seventy cross combinations among the cultivated species and between the cultivated and the 14 wild species, respectively. 8 varieties have been developed, of which 4 were from the cross combination of G. hirsutum × G. arboretum and the other are the first breed from the hybrids between G. hirsutum and 4 wild species, respectively. Of them Shiyuan 321 (jimian 24) is a new variety which had the highest increase in the national Yellow River Valley Regional test, with planting area added up to 933333 ha in the recent three years. The breeding system of interspecific hybridization was established.


1  Significant areas of temperate bogs have been damaged by peat harvesting but may regenerate. These secondary mires, if well managed, may act as strong C sinks, regulate hydrology and buffer regional climate. 2  The potential effects of bog regeneration will, however, depend on the successful establishment of the principal peat formers –Sphagnum mosses. The influence of hydrology and microclimate on Sphagnum re‐growth is well studied but effects of elevated CO2 and N deposition are not known. 3  We carried out two in‐situ experiments in a cutover bog during three growing seasons in which we raised either CO2 (to 560 p.p.m.) or N (by adding NH4NO3, 3 g m−2 year−1). The two treatments had contrasting effects on competition between the initial coloniser Polytrichum strictum (favoured by high N) and the later coloniser Sphagnum fallax (favoured by high CO2). 4  Such changes may have important consequences for bog regeneration and hence for carbon sequestration in cutover bogs, with potential feedback on regional hydrological and climatic processes.


Defending against distributed denial-of-service attacks is one of the hardest security problems on the Internet today. One difficulty to thwart these attacks is to trace the source of the attacks because they often use incorrect, or spoofed IP source addresses to disguise the true origin. In this paper, we present two new schemes, the advanced marking scheme and the authenticated marking scheme, which allow the victim to trace-back the approximate origin of spoofed IP packets. Our techniques feature low network and router overhead, and support incremental deployment. In contrast to previous work, our techniques have significantly higher precision (lower false positive rate) and fewer computation overhead for the victim to reconstruct the attack paths under large scale distributed denial-of-service attacks. Furthermore the authenticated marking scheme provides efficient authentication of routers' markings such that even a compromised router cannot forge or tamper markings from other uncompromised routers.


A temperature programmed treatment of MoO3 in flowing N2 + H2 has been employed to prepare β-phase molybdenum nitride (β-Mo2N) which has been used to promote, for the first time, the catalytic hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene. The reduction/nitridation synthesis steps have been monitored in situ and the starting oxide, reaction intermediates and nitride product have been identified and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance UV-Vis (DRS UV-Vis), elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET/pore volume measurements. Our results demonstrate that MoO3 → β-Mo2N is a kinetically controlled process where an initial reduction stage generates (sequentially) MoO2 and Mo as reaction intermediates with a subsequent incorporation of N to produce β-Mo2N. SEM analysis has established that the transformation is non-topotactic with a disruption to the platelet morphology that characterizes MoO3 and an increase in BET area (from 1 m2 g−1 to 17 m2 g−1). Moreover, temperature programmed desorption measurements have revealed a significant hydrogen uptake (0.71 μmol m−2) on β-Mo2N. This has been exploited in the hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene where p-chloroaniline was generated as the sole product with an associated rate constant (k = 2.0 min−1) that is higher than values recorded for supported transition metals. Our study establishes the reaction mechanism involved in the synthesis of β-Mo2N and demonstrates its viability to promote selective –NO2group reduction as an alternative sustainable, high throughput route to commercially important haloamines.


We present here a fast and flexible software –SimPhy– for the simulation of multiple gene families evolving under incomplete lineage sorting, gene duplication and loss, horizontal gene transfer –all three potentially leading to the species tree/gene tree discordance– and gene conversion. SimPhy implements a hierarchical phylogenetic model in which the evolution of species, locus and gene trees is governed by global and local parameters (e.g., genome-wide, species-specific, locus-specific), that can be fixed or be sampled from a priori statistical distributions. SimPhy also incorporates comprehensive models of substitution rate variation among lineages (uncorrelated relaxed clocks) and the capability of simulating partitioned nucleotide, codon and protein multilocus sequence alignments under a plethora of substitution models using the program INDELible. We validate SimPhy's output using theoretical expectations and other programs, and show that it scales extremely well with complex models and/or large trees, being an order of magnitude faster than the most similar program (DLCoal-Sim). In addition, we demonstrate how SimPhy can be useful to understand interactions among different evolutionary processes, conducting a simulation study to characterize the systematic overestimation of the duplication time when using standard reconciliation methods. SimPhy is available at https://github.com/adamallo/SimPhy, where users can find the source code, pre-compiled executables, a detailed manual and example cases.


The ubiquitous nature of the media in modern times makes it quite easy f or one to be unhappy with one"s body as media portray all forms of "ideal" images through platforms such as movies, social media, advertisements, music videos, celebrity/gossip magazines, fashion programmes on TV. Contemporary trends in fashion, such as hairstyles, clothing, makeup and accessories have been popularized through both new and traditional media. It has been estimated that young women now see more images of exceptionally beautiful women in one day than their mothers saw throughout their entire adolescence. Through survey, this study seeks to find out if , among young Ghanaian corporate women, the media had influence on their beauty perceptions, beauty choices and their self -body image. The study gathers that the majority of respondents (88.4%) believed that beauty portrayals in the media are attainable with a lot of them comparing themselves with media ideals and more than half (54%) having attempted to create looks of media icons. Peer comparison was another influential factor, which 46 % of respondents engaged in. It was recommended that media influence should not be overlooked when deciding on media content so as not to project idealised images which may be typical of "foreign" culture Keywords: Media Consumption, Mediated Beauty, Body image, Media influence, Social comparison, Media Portrayals, Ghanaian women, foreign culture


We study the problem of learning a generalizable action policy for an intelligent agent to actively approach an object of interest, in an indoor environment, solely from its visual inputs. While scene-driven or recognition-driven visual navigation has been widely studied, prior efforts suffer severely from the limited generalization capability. In this letter, we first argue the object searching task is environment-dependent while the approaching ability is general. To learn a generalizable approaching policy, we present a novel solution dubbed as Generalizable Approaching Policy LEarning, which adopts two channels of visual features: depth and semantic segmentation, as the inputs to the policy learning module. The empirical studies conducted on the House3D dataset and on a physical platform in a real-world scenario validate our hypothesis, and we further provide in-depth qualitative analysis.


The occurrence of myocardial infarction during a pregnancy is rare event and it is even less frequent during the puerperium. The literature reports only 23 cases of myocardial infarction during the puerperium. We report a case of a woman of 26 years of age without coronary risk factors, who on the seventh day postpartum presented an acute myocardial infarction of the anterior and lateral walls. On the ninth day postpartum by means of cardiac catheterization we were able to demonstrate the presence of normal coronary arteries and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 50%. Laboratory and other diagnostic tests did not demonstrate the presence of known etiological factors associated with myocardial infarction.


ABSTRACT Samples of sediments from just above the bedrock of the valley bottom of the ancient Teays and Mahomet Rivers were taken in unglaciated regions of West Virginia and Ohio, and from beneath glacial drift in Ohio and Illinois and analyzed for heavy mineral content. Analysis of the West Virginia samples showed a mature suite of minerals characterized by rounded grains of tourmaline and zircon, some epidote, a high muscovite content, and the absence of pyroxenes. The Ohio samples contained abundant angular grains of hornblende, a few pyroxene grains, as well as much angular zircon and tourmaline. Analysis of the Illinois samples showed an abundant garnet content with much hornblende, epidote, a small amount of pyroxene, and in general displayed mineralogy typical of the Pleistocene tills. he mature mineralogy of the sediments in the unglaciated area of West Virginia indicates derivation of these sediments from the Paleozoics of the folded Appalachians rather than from the Piedmont. Mineralogy of the sediments in the valley bottom beneath the glacial drift suggests that the Teays-Mahomet alluvium has been scoured from these locations and has been replaced by glacial drift.


Building a good feature space is essential for the metric-based few-shot algorithms to recognize a novel class with only a few samples. The feature space is often built by Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). However, CNNs primarily focus on local information with the limited receptive field, and the global information generated by distant pixels is not well used. Meanwhile, having a global understanding of the current task and focusing on distinct regions of the same sample for different queries are important for the few-shot classification. To tackle these problems, we propose the Cross Non-Local Neural Network (CNL) for capturing the long-range dependency of the samples and the current task. CNL extracts the task-specific and context-aware features dynamically by strengthening the features of the sample at a position via aggregating information from all positions of itself and the current task. To reduce losing important information, we maximize the mutual information between the original and refined features as a constraint. Moreover, we add a task-specific scaling to deal with multi-scale and task-specific features extracted by CNL. We conduct extensive experiments for validating our proposed algorithm, which achieves new state-of-the-art performances on two public benchmarks.


A novel strategy was developed to prepare silica-coated SYBR Green I (SG)/DNA gelatin nanoparticles (SSDG NPs) for fabricating a self-monitored anti-counterfeiting system. In this system, definite DNA was first entwined with positively charged gelatin to form DNA-loaded gelatin nanoparticles (DG NPs) in acid solution by electrostatic interaction. After changing the DG NPs surface charge to negative by adjusting the pH to neutral, positively charged SG was adsorbed by the electrostatic interaction and high affinity with DNA. Finally, DG NPs were coated with silica to protect the DNA. The SSDG NPs are stable and resistant to DNA degradation. The fluorescence is stable under extreme environments, such as acidic and basic solutions, high temperature and salt, oxidation, exogenous DNA, and photobleaching. The SSDG NPs-based anti-counterfeiting label is stable under the weather test, with a shelf-life of longer than one year. The activity of encapsulated DNA was self-monitored by fluorescence of SG, which can also realize rapidly nondestructive DNA detection for anti-counterfeiting. Further accurate detection was carried out by agarose gel electrophoresis of PCR amplification and even DNA sequencing. The system offers good potential for anti-counterfeiting and long-term DNA storage.


The aim of this work is to evaluate the stability and release of chitosan beads loaded with volatile molecules of Mentha piperita essential oil (E.O.) in a cosmetic formulation. The ability of the beads to quickly release Mentha piperita E.O. during use of a cosmetic formulation such as a bath foam is also assessed. The chitosan beads were produced with three different chitosan dispersions gelled with two different gelling solutions: (a) a 10% solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and (b) a 4% solution of sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). A few properties of six bead samples loaded with Mentha piperita E.O. are assessed. The properties are morphology, size, swelling ability, encapsulation efficiency, stability in time, and fast release of Mentha piperita E.O. during the use phase of the cosmetic formulation.


An achromatic mode-index/diffractive waveguide lens is designed and fabricated on a Corning 7059 waveguide. The lens has a focal length of 10 mm and an F/ Hash of 5 and is designed for a nominal wavelength of 605 nm. conventional mode-index and diffractive lens elements were also fabricated for comparison. The wavelength dependence of the focal length was measured for the three lenses and was found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. The usable wavelength range of the achromatic lens is found to be 49 nm, as compared to 11 nm for the mode-index lens and 5 nm for the diffractive lens. >


The importance of accurate and timely information describing the nature and extent of land resources and changes over time is increasing, especially in mountainous areas. We have developed a methodology to map and monitor land cover change using multitemporal Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and ASTER data in Zagros mountains of Iran for 1990, 1998, and 2006.Land-use/cover mapping is achieved through interpreta-tion of Landsat TM satellite images of 1990, 1998 and TERRA-ASTER image of 2006 using ENVI 4.3. Based on the Anderson land-use/cover classification system, the land-use and land-covers are classified as forest land, rangeland, water bodies, agricultural land and residential land. The unsupervised image classifi-cation method carried out prior to field visit, in order to determine strata for ground truth. Fieldwork carried out to collect data for training and validating land-use/cover interpretation from satellite image of 2006, and for qualitative description of the characteristics of each land-use/cover class. The land-use/cover maps of 1990, 1998 and 2006 were produced by using supervised image classification technique based on the Maxi-mum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) and 132 training samples. Error matrices as cross-tabulations of the mapped class vs. the reference class were used to assess classification accuracy. Overall accuracy, user's and producer's accuracies, and the Kappa statistic were then derived from the error matrices. A multi-date post-classification comparison change detection algorithm was used to determine changes in land cover in three intervals, 1990–1998, 1998–2006 and 1990–2006. To evaluate the change maps for the 1990 to 2006 interval, we randomly sampled the areas that classified as change and no-change and determined whether they were correctly classified. The maps showed that between 1990 and 2006 the amount of forest land de-creased from 67% to 38.5% of the total area, while rangelands, agriculture, settlement and surface water in-creased from 30.8% to 45%, 1.2% to 7.0%, 0.3% to 7.5% and 0.6% to 1.8%, respectively. The area was dominated by 35.9%, 28.9% and 29.3% dense forest, 42.2%, 46.4% and 43.2% open forest and 21.9%, 24.8% and 27.5% degraded forest in 1990, 1998 and 2006, respectively. During 16 years span period (1990-2006) about 10170.3 ha, 2963.4 ha, 351.7 ha and 3039.2 ha of forest lands were converted to range-land, agriculture, water body and settlement. The overall five-class classification accuracies averaged 78.6% for the three years. The overall accuracy of land cover change maps, generated from post-classification change detection methods and evaluated using several approaches, reached to 80.1%. The results quantify the land cover change patterns in the Zagrous highlands and demonstrate the potential of multitemporal Landsat and ASTER data to provide an accurate, economical means to map and analyze changes in land cover over time that can be used as inputs to land management and policy decisions.


Combustion control and optimization is of great importance to meet future emission standards in diesel engines: increase in break mean effective pressure at high loads and extension of the operating range of advanced combustion modes seem to be the most promising solutions to reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions at the same time. Within this context, detailed computational fluid dynamics tools are required to predict the different involved phenomena such as fuel–air mixing, unsteady diffusion combustion and formation of noxious species. Detailed kinetics, consistent spray models and high quality grids are necessary to perform predictive simulations which can be used either for design or diagnostic purposes. In this work, the authors present a comprehensive approach which was developed using an open-source computational fluid dynamics code. To minimize the pre-processing time and preserve results' accuracy, algorithms for automatic mesh generation of spray-oriented grids were developed and successfully applied to different combustion chamber geometries. The Lagrangian approach was used to describe the spray evolution while the combustion process is modeled employing detailed chemistry and, eventually, considering turbulence–chemistry interaction. The proposed computational fluid dynamics methodology was first assessed considering inert and reacting experiments in a constant-volume vessel, where operating conditions typical of heavy-duty diesel engines were reproduced. Afterward, engine simulations were performed considering two different load points and two piston bowl geometries, respectively. Experimental validation was carried out by comparing computed and experimental data of in-cylinder pressure, heat release rate and pollutant emissions (NO x , CO and soot).


Mangiferin is a prominent active component that can be derived from several traditional herbs, including Mangifera indica L., Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge., and Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC., which displays antidiabetic properties. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a serious complication caused by diabetes, is the leading cause of blindness. The present study aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of mangiferin on high glucose (HG)/hypoxia-induced rat retinal capillary endothelial cell (RRCEC) angiogenesis, as well as the underlying mechanisms. To establish an in vitro model of DR, RRCECs were exposed to 30 mM glucose and hypoxia. Following treatment with different doses of mangiferin (0.05, 0.1 or 0.2 µM), RRCEC viability, migration and angiogenesis were assessed by performing Cell Counting Kit 8, immunofluorescence, wound healing, Transwell and tube formation assays. Western blotting was conducted to evaluate protein expression levels. Furthermore, LY294002 and IGF-1, an inhibitor and activator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, respectively, were used to verify the potential mechanisms underlying mangiferin. The results demonstrated that mangiferin notably inhibited HG/hypoxia-induced RRCEC migration and angiogenesis. HG/hypoxia-induced upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)2 and MMP9 expression levels and the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and mTOR in RRCECs was significantly reversed following treatment with mangiferin. Additionally, further activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by IGF-1 inhibited the beneficial effects of mangiferin on RRCECs, whereas deactivation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by LY294002 displayed the opposite results. Collectively, the results of the present study suggested that mangiferin suppressed RRCEC angiogenesis via modulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which could serve as an effective treatment strategy for DR.


Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) is an emerging pathogen of penaeid shrimp in global aquaculture. Tentatively assigned to family Totiviridae, it has a nonsegmented dsRNA genome of 7,560 bp and an isometric capsid of the 901-aa major capsid protein. We used electron cryomicroscopy and 3D image reconstruction to examine the IMNV virion at 8.0-Å resolution. Results reveal a totivirus-like, 120-subunit T = 1 capsid, 450 Å in diameter, but with fiber complexes protruding a further 80 Å at the fivefold axes. These protrusions likely mediate roles in the extracellular transmission and pathogenesis of IMNV, capabilities not shared by most other totiviruses. The IMNV structure is also notable in that the genome is centrally organized in five or six concentric shells. Within each of these shells, the densities alternate between a dodecahedral frame that connects the threefold axes vs. concentration around the fivefold axes, implying certain regularities in the RNA packing scheme.


Tropicamide (muscarinic receptor antagonist) and phenylephrine (α-adrenergic receptor agonist) are commonly used to dilate the pupils by topical application. These two eye drops are often used, singly or in combination, to dilate the pupil and perform acute light-evoked physiological experiments (electroretinography, for example), before and after intravitreal injections of pharmacological agents, as an assay for their affect on retinal activity. This study wanted to determine whether treatment with one of these drugs, or with both, is most effective in maintaining mydriasis after intravitreal injections. Changes in pupillary dilation before and after intravitreal injection of balanced salt solution (0.5 µl) were recorded. Phenylephrine (α-adrenergic agonist) and tropicamide (muscarinic agonist) when combined, but not singly, produced full and stable pupillary dilation following intravitreal injections. Re-instillation of topical mydriatics after intravitreal injections was required for maximal pupillary dilation. A combination of a muscarinic receptor antagonist and an alpha-adrenergic agonist is required for stable mydriasis following intravitreal injection.


Summary

Crustal deformation in the central Mediterranean is modelled by means of 3-D finite element models assuming a viscoelastic rheology. The tectonic mechanisms under investigation are subduction of the Ionian oceanic lithosphere beneath the Calabrian arc and continental convergence between the African and Eurasian blocks. Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) data at the station Noto in Sicily and the results from global models of plate motions are taken as representative of the motion of the African plate with respect to Eurasia, while VLBI solutions at Matera and Medicina, in the southern and northern parts of the Italian peninsula, are geodetic observations that must be compared with modelling results. Vertical deformation rates are taken from geological and tide gauge records. The model that best fits the observations includes the effects of subduction in the southern Tyrrhenian and convergence between Africa and Europe.

The overthrusting of the Tyrrhenian domain onto the Adriatic domain results in an eastward component of the velocity at the eastern border of the Tyrrhenian domain, in agreement with VLBI data from the Matera and Medicina stations and GPS data from northeastern Sicily and the Eolian Islands. The highest subsidence rates are obtainedinthe southern Tyrrhenian, and are of the order of 1.2–1.4 mm yr− 1. Along the whole Adriatic coast of the Italian peninsula, subsidence in the foredeeps is of the order of 0.2–0.5 mm yr− 1. The Apenninic chain is rising with rates of the order of 0.2–0.4 mm yr− 1. Subduction beneath the Calabrian arc is responsible for a roll-back velocity higher than in the northern areas. 2-D models, built for the geological past, indicate the possibility of roll-back velocities of several centimetres per year. In particular, active rifting in the Tyrrhenian and softening of the crust in the back-arc basin result in a trench retreat velocity in agreement with geological estimates. Our results show that numerical modelling can be used to estimate present-day deformation rates and the contribution of active tectonics to sea-level changes along coastal areas.


The major aim of this study was to investigate the effect of literary discussion on critical thinking. To this end, two classes (experimental and control groups) were selected from College of Ferdowsi University. In both groups literature was used as supplementary homework. Students were supposed to read short stories and poems at home and present them in class. The students in the experimental group were discussing the materials in class and the students in the control group only memorized the texts and retold them. At the end of the term, the students were asked to take a questionnaire on critical thinking. The results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between means of two groups, implying that literary discussion can enhance critical thinking. Finally, results were discussed in the context of education in Iran and some suggestions were made.


NGC 5850 is a prototype of double-barred galaxy (Friedli et al. 1996) classified as SBb(sr) I-II (Higdon et al. 1998; Prieto et al. 1997). This kind of system is primordial to understand the physical mechanism responsible for feeding galaxy nuclei and boost the star formation rate. The CO(1-0) emission has been mapped in NGC 5850, i) in the very center, using the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer, to reach a 2.4\arcsec$\times$1.5\arcsec\ (PA$=$$-165^\circ$) spatial resolution, and ii) in the primary bar with the IRAM-30m telescope, with a 22\arcsec beam. We have found CO emission in the center of NGC 5850, located in a single peak on the northern part of the nuclear ring. The high velocity dispersion of the molecular gas may prevent star formation in that region. Gas simulations performed with a single bar pattern and without the tidal influence of the companion NGC 5846 are unable to reproduce the features observed in NGC 5850 (Combes, Leon, Friedli & Buta 1998, in preparation). The decoupling of a second bar appears necessary. The presence of the single molecular peak could be due to an $m=1$ mode excited by the massive companion.


Students in the academe are as much a part of the system that tries to understand the relationship of man to science, technology, society and the environment. For these students, education becomes relevant and meaningful only to the extent that they are able to maximize resources and methods in understanding the subject. In the hope of providing this kind of educational environment the study introduced an approach capitalizing on the relationship of science, technology, society and environment. It is therefore the aim of the study to use the STSE approach in teaching an environmental science course. STSE is an approach using the interactions of four important factors namely; science, technology, society and environment. Using activities derived from the local environment, a learning climate unique to the STSE approach was developed and used to determine the influence such approach on the academic achievement and environmental science self-efficacy of students. Quantitative and qualitative designs were used in the study. An experimental design using Solomon's Four Group Design was used for the quantitative part, while observation and interview were used in the qualitative part. The STSE approach is found to be effective in improving the academic performance as well as the environmental science self efficacy of the students who were exposed to the approach.


Proline (Pro) is one of the most widely distributed osmolytes in water-stressed plants. We previously isolated from Arabidopsis a gene encoding Pro dehydrogenase (ProDH), a mitochondrial enzyme involved in the first step of the conversion of Pro to glutamic acid. The ProDH gene in Arabidopsis is up-regulated by rehydration after dehydration but is down-regulated by dehydration.ProDH is also induced by l-Pro and hypoosmolarity. The induction of ProDH expression under rehydration seems to be caused by both accumulated Pro and hypoosmolarity. We analyzed a DNA region that is located 5′ to the transcription start site (a promoter region) of ProDH to identify cis-acting elements involved in l-Pro-induced and hypoosmolarity-induced expression in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and Arabidopsis plants. We found that a 9-bp sequence, ACTCATCCT, in the ProDH promoter is necessary for the efficient expression of ProDH in response to l-Pro and hypoosmolarity. Moreover, ACTCAT is a core cis-acting element, which we have called Pro- or hypoosmolarity-responsive element (PRE), that is necessary forl-Pro-responsive and hypoosmolarity-responsive expression of ProDH. Microarray and RNA gel-blot analyses showed that 21 l-Pro-inducible genes have the PRE sequences in their promoter regions. These results indicate that the PRE sequence play an important role in the l-Pro-responsive gene expression.


Current study evaluates the supplementation of selenium and vitamin E in the diet on performance, body yields and lipid stability of pacu. Seven hundred and twenty juveniles were distributed in 36 cages installed in a masonry tank. During 100 days, the animals were fed on diets supplemented with four selenium levels (0, 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg), combined with three levels of vitamin E (0, 100 and 200 mg/kg) in a 4x3 factorial arrangement. Selenium combined with vitamin E levels did not affect (P>0.05) growth and body yield of pacu. The interaction between levels of selenium and vitamin E did not influence (P>0.05) the lipid stability of main trunks. When the levels of vitamin E only are evaluated, 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet decreases lipid oxidation in 90 and 120 days of storage. The combination of 0 Se + 0 vitamin E / kg diet was influenced by storage time, and the highest rate of lipid oxidation was observed with 120 days of storage. Level 1 mg selenium + 200 mg vitamin E/kg in the diet of the pacu decreased meat lipid oxidation after 90 days of storage under freezing, coupled to the maintenance of performance and body yields.


It has recently been shown that the dynamic behavior of surface‐supported nanocluster catalysts in realistic reaction conditions defies conventional models used in catalysis. This opens new doors in catalysis by giving more leverage in catalyst design, but also requires a major revision of the understanding of how dynamic heterogeneous catalytic interfaces operate, as well as of the computational approaches of catalyst modeling, and experimental methods of catalyst characterization. Major aspects of the new paradigm include the collective action of many catalyst states that form a statistical ensemble in reaction conditions, the catalytic activity and selectivity being driven by rare and metastable catalyst states, reaction thermodynamics and kinetics being controlled by different states of the catalyst, broken scaling relationships, non‐Arrhenius behaviors, and catalyst dynamic restructuring being an essential part of the reaction mechanism. For computation, this complexity means the departure from the standard density functional theory calculations of reaction mechanisms on a single catalyst structure. For experiment, it calls for the development of operando characterization tools with the per‐site resolution and the ability to find the minority sites that govern the catalytic activity. For catalyst design, the goal becomes the creation of the catalyst state (geometric and electronic) that might not be present in the as‐prepared catalyst, but would develop in the reaction conditions and would have the desired activity then. While cluster catalysts are the most dramatic in their dynamic fluxionality, other amorphous interfaces also exhibit some of it, and thus are also subject to similar paradigm revision.


Detrital rutile is observed in trace amounts in the sub-greenschist facies, graywacke, and argillite lithologies of the Torlesse Terrane-derived Otago Schist, New Zealand. Trace element analyses reveal that mean compositions of detrital rutile grains are characterized by high concentrations (500–3600 ppm) of V, Cr, Fe, Zr, Nb, and W, moderate amounts (100–500 ppm) of Sn and Ta, and minor amounts (50–100 ppm) of Mn and Hf. Recrystallization of detrital rutile to metamorphic titanite is first observed in the prehnite-pumpellyite facies rocks, with recrystallization largely complete by upper chlorite greenschist facies. Dissolution, material transport, and precipitation reactions were crucial in the progression of this recrystallization reaction, with pore spaces generated allowing the transportation of Ca, Si, and O to the titanite-rutile interface. Redistribution of trace elements during the mineral transition of detrital rutile to metamorphic titanite was assessed using mass-balance techniques. These calculations indicate that V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Ta, and W were released during the prograde mineral reaction. The liberation of this suite of trace elements potentially provides a source for the W and Cr enrichment observed in the orogenic deposits of the Otago Schist.