Background: Obesity correlates with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, cardiovascular diseases. Meal replacement (MR) products offer a possible strategy for weight management and subsequent reduction in obesity-related risk factors. Aims/Methods: twenty-seven healthy overweight subjects (6M/21F, age range 21-70, BMI range 25.0-43.8 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled to test the efficacy of a MR supplement (GoJuvo®). Main aims: a) short-term: to compare glycaemic status and triglycerides levels at baseline (T0), after MR supplementation and after a standard Mediterranean meal taken 4 hours after MR; long-term: to evaluate, in 20 out of the 27 subjects, over three months (T1), the effects of the MR, b) taken together with a standard prescribed diet, and to compare it with the effects on the parameters of 20 controls only on the standard diet. Anthropometric parameters, lipid and glycaemia profile, oxidative status (oxidized LDL concentrations) and homocysteine metabolism were measured at T0 and T1. Results: Short-term aim: overweight/obese subjects' post-prandial MR insulin and triglycerides values were significantly lower than values after the standard meal (mean delta values p=0.0001 and p=0.006, respectively); long-term aim: at T1, subjects showed a significant improvement in anthropometric indices (p<0.05), a considerable decrease in ox-LDL levels and a significant improvement in Hcy metabolism (p<0.001). Conclusions: GoJuvo® modulated metabolic indices associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, possibly due to its fibre content. Subjects at T1 showed a significant decrease in homocysteine mia with an increase in folate levels and an anti-oxidative action on lipid peroxidation, most likely contributing to a reduction in cardiovascular risk.


The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS), one of four science experiments on board ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) mission has started science operations in March 2018. ACS consists of three infrared spectrometers targeting the unambiguous detection of trace gases of potential geophysical or biological interest. ACS channels feature very high accuracy (ppt level), very high resolving power (>10,000) and broad spectral coverage (0.7 to 17 μm). The near-infrared (NIR) channel covers the 0.7-1.6 μm spectral range with a resolving power of ≥20,000. This channel is operated in solar occultation and nadir. In nadir NIR is mostly measuring water vapor and dayside oxygen emission. In solar occultation NIR demonstrates profiling of CO2, H2O with high accuracy and in a broad altitude range, and also the molecular oxygen O2, the first ever profiling in the lower atmosphere. NIR observes occultations together with the two other ACS channels MIR and TIRVIM, either together with another spectrometer aboard TGO, NOMAD, and TIRVIM. The mid-infrared (MIR) channel is a high spectral resolution (resolving power of 50,000) instrument dedicated to solar occultation measurements in the 2.2-4.4 μm range. MIR is conceived to accomplish the most sensitive measurements of the trace gases in the Martian atmosphere, allowing also parallel profiling of the abundant components such as CO2, H2O and their isotopologues. The thermal-infrared channel (TIRVIM) is a Fourier-transform spectrometer with cryogenically-cooled detector encompassing the spectral range of 1.7-17 μm. Observing the CO2 15-µm band in nadir TIRVIM returns temperature profiles from the surface up to 50-60 km, together with the dust and water ice optical depth. Also the surface temperature is measured. In solar occultation TIRVIM delivers profiles of CO2, CO, H2O and aerosols, as well allowing to distinguish between mineral and condensate aerosols. ACS has monitored the state of the martian atmosphere before and during the dust event 2018A. The status of the experiment and key findings available by the time of the conference will be reported.


Cellular migration is a fundamental process linked to diverse pathological states such as diabetes and its complications, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and cancer. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a multiligand cell surface macromolecule which binds distinct ligands that accumulate in these settings. RAGE-ligand interaction evokes central changes in key biological properties of cells, including proliferation, generation of inflammatory mediators, and migration. Although RAGE-dependent signal transduction is critically dependent on its short cytoplasmic domain, to date the proximate mechanism by which this RAGE domain engages and stimulates cytoplasmic signaling pathways has yet to be identified. Here we show that the RAGE cytoplasmic domain interacts with Diaphanous-1 (Dia-1) both in vitro and in vivo. We employed the human RAGE cytoplasmic domain as "bait" in the yeast two-hybrid assay and identified the formin homology (FH1) domain of Dia-1 as a potential binding partner of this RAGE domain. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed that the RAGE cytoplasmic domain interacts with the FH1 domain of Dia-1. Down-regulation of Dia-1 expression by RNA interference blocks RAGE-mediated activation of Rac-1 and Cdc42 and, in parallel, RAGE ligand-stimulated cellular migration. Taken together, these findings indicate that the interaction of the RAGE cytoplasmic domain with Dia-1 is required to transduce extracellular environmental cues evoked by binding of RAGE ligands to their cell surface receptor, a chief consequence of which is Rac-1 and Cdc42 activation and cellular migration. Because RAGE and Dia-1 are implicated in the regulation of inflammatory, vascular, and transformed cell migration, these findings highlight this interaction as a novel target for therapeutic intervention in inflammation, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer.


Reported work on financial time series prediction using neural networks often shows a characteristic one step shift relative to the original data. This seems to imply a failure of the neural network (NN), because a shift corresponds to a random walk prediction. Our systematic analysis of different time delay neural networks predictors applied to the detrended S&P 500 time series, indicates that this prediction behavior is not a limitation of the network, but may be a characteristic of the time series. This suggests that there are no short-term correlations in this stockmarket time series, which is consistent with conventional statistical analysis.


There have been changes in the Chinese grain economy in recent years which have significant ramifications for China's domestic and international grain demand and supply. This paper surveys some of the major changes in the Chinese grain economy since 1990 and points out current difficulties and emerging problems in the reforms of the Chinese grain economy. Areas to which research attention should be directed are discussed.


We have examined 21 samples of crude oils accumulated in the Middle Cambrian sandstone reservoirs from the Polish part of the Baltic region. All the crude oils have similar parameters and indices, which suggests generation from the same source rock. Evaporative fractionation and biodegradation processes were detected in oil collected from the B4-N1/01 borehole. All crude oils have high gravities and low-sulphur contents, less than 0.3 wt.%, which suggests that their source rock contained low-sulphur kerogen deposited in a clastic environment. A low asphaltenes content (below 0.3 wt.%) and high saturate/aromatic hydrocarbon ratios indicate long migration distances or high thermal maturities. The longest migration distance was probably attained by oils from the arnowiec and B16 deposits. The biomarker data indicate an algal origin for the source organic matter deposited under conditions of clastic sedimentation. The stable carbon isotope data support this observation. The maturity of the oils analysed varies from ca. 0.75 to ca. 1.05% on the vitrinite reflectance scale. Unlike the B6, B16, Debki and Żarnowiec accumulations, oils from the B3 and B4 accumulations reveal the lowest maturity.


Carbon-offset donations provide a way to mitigate the environmental damage caused by carbon emissions from aviation, but the number of fliers who choose this option is low. Information systems can support environmentally friendly decision-making in the context of carbon-offset payments. In this research in progress, we describe the research background and a prototypical online environment we developed to conduct a series of online experiments with a variety of "nudges" to promote environmentally friendly decisions. We present the results of an experiment with 150 participants, which show that proposing higher levels of default payments (presented as a slide bar) on an online flight-booking platform significantly increases the amount of carbon-offset payments. Our research contributes to the emergent body of knowledge on green information systems and behavioural economics in IS and has important practical implications, as the results may help airlines and travel agents design online flight-booking processes such that more people decide in favour of offsetting the carbon emissions caused by their air travel.


A number of security-related research topics are based on the monitoring of dark IP address space. Unfortunately there is large administrative overhead associated with the dynamic assignment of a specific subnet for monitoring purposes, such as the deployment of a honeypot farm or a distributed intrusion detection system. In this paper, we propose a system that enables the dynamic allocation of an unadvertised IP address subnet for use by a monitoring sensor. The system dynamically selects network subnets that have been allocated to the organization but are not being advertised, advertises them, and subsequently forwards all received traffic destined to the selected subnet to a monitoring sensor.


Person re-identification (reID) aims at retrieving an image of the person of interest from a set of images typically captured by multiple cameras. Recent reID methods have shown that exploiting local features describing body parts, together with a global feature of a person image itself, gives robust feature representations, even in the case of missing body parts. However, using the individual part-level features directly, without considering relations between body parts, confuses differentiating identities of different persons having similar attributes in corresponding parts. To address this issue, we propose a new relation network for person reID that considers relations between individual body parts and the rest of them. Our model makes a single part-level feature incorporate partial information of other body parts as well, supporting it to be more discriminative. We also introduce a global contrastive pooling (GCP) method to obtain a global feature of a person image. We propose to use contrastive features for GCP to complement conventional max and averaging pooling techniques. We show that our model outperforms the state of the art on the Market1501, DukeMTMC-reID and CUHK03 datasets, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach on discriminative person representations.


Many researchers, however, found that the flow of both liquid and gas through nanoscale pores is one to even seven orders of magnitude faster than that would be predicted from the classic Newton's mechanic theories, such as the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, the Bernoulli's principle, the Knudsen theory. Here, for the first time, we propose a possible explanation for the ultra-fast flow of substance through the nano-confined pores based on the Wave-Particle Dualism. Since the mass of the substance is a constant, the velocity of the substance in the nanopores is very important. The molecule behaves like a particle above the critical velocity, while could reduce its velocity to the critical value in the nanopores, which, then, behaves like the wave inducing the tunneling transfer. The critical velocities in 18 different study cases from the literatures have been calculated. The role of quantum effect for ultrafast flow could possibly provide new ideas for studying the nature of the physiological processes with the ion and molecule channels, which are the backbones for the biology, and possibly promote the development of new method for energy conversion, desalination of sea water and even for information systems.


The effects of characteristic condition number on the convergence of preconditioned Euler equations were investigated. The two-dimensional preconditioned Euler equations adopting Choi and Merkle`s preconditioning and the temperature preconditioning are considered. Preconditioned Roe`s FDS scheme was adopted for spatial discretization and preconditioned LU-SGS scheme was used for time integration. It is shown that the convergence characteristics of the Euler equations are strongly affected by the characteristic condition number, and there is an optimal characteristic condition number for a problem. The optimal characteristic condition numbers for the Choi and Merkle`s preconditioning and temperature preconditioning are different.


Museums are massive repositories of complex, heterogeneous and multi-faceted information on materal culture; many museums are aleady creating large computerised archives, storing this information. Yet, if museum information systems are to be used effectively for cultural research and for the dissemination of knowledge to the public, they must overcome the limitations of currently used museum documentation and collection management systems. For this purpose, it is argued, firstly, that museum information systems should provide adequate support for the complexity of museum information, demonstrated in such traits as specialisation, part aggregation, temporality, spatiality, dense conceptual relationships, sujectivity and context dependency, multimediality and textuality; secondly, that they should provide access to existing, currently paper-bound information, not just normalised descriptions; thirdly, that the same integrated system should cater equally for scholarly research as for communication with the museum visitor.


In 2000, the United Nations (UN) made a Millennium Declaration that commits governments across the globe to develop the lives of the people by 2015. This declaration is known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This paper will examine the role that every government has to play in achieving the goals by focusing on Goal number 8, which encourages global partnerships for development. It will interrogate the agreements that respective countries enter into in the quest to achieve the MDGs and what these agreements mean. There are only five years left for the MDGs to be met. This paper will refl ect on the progress of Africa and its agreements on a country level to achieve the MDGs; evaluate the agreements that each country enters into with another country; and discuss the level of benefi ciation each country has on the other for the development of each country


Overlay networks are virtual networks residing over the IP network; consequently, overlay links may share hidden lower level bottlenecks. Previous work has assumed an independent overlay model: a graph with independent link capacities. We introduce a model of overlays that incorporates correlated link capacities and linear capacity constraints (LCC) to formulate hidden shared bottlenecks; we refer to these as LCC-overlays. We define metrics to qualitatively measure overlay quality in terms of its accuracy (in representing the true network topology) and efficiency (that is, performance). Through analysis and simulations, we show that LCC-overlay is perfectly accurate and, hence, enjoys much higher efficiency than the inaccurate independent overlay. We discover that even a highly restricted LCC class-node-based LCC-yields near-optimal accuracy and significantly higher efficiency. We study two network flow problems in the context of LCC-graphs: widest path and maximum flow. We prove that Widest Path with LCC is NP-complete. We formulate Maximum Flow with LCC as a linear program and propose an efficient distributed algorithm to solve it. Based on the LCC model, we further study the problem of optimizing delay while still maintaining optimal or near-optimal bandwidth. We also outline a distributed algorithm to efficiently construct an overlay with node-based LCC.


The spin transfer torque model applied in the context of a Fokker–Planck analysis (Li and Zhang 2004 Phys. Rev. B 69 134416) is shown to account for a complete set of statistical data for switching times obtained with pseudo spin-valves (Fábián et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 91 257209). Current densities of the order of 107 A cm−2 injected in Co/Cu/Co bilayers electrodeposited in nanoporous membranes gave rise to magnetization switching. Statistics could be accumulated on one single nanowire at a time: the field at which the average residence times in parallel and antiparallel configurations were equal, these times as a function of current, and the ratio of the times as a function of current and field.


Abstract For chemical and physical tests samples of homogeneous tobaccos of uniform humidity are required. To this end a curing chamber was constructed allowing conditioning of cigarettes and tobacco in very short time. The new apparatus can also be used for determining the hygroscopic compensation of different blends. Compared with conventional machines operating according to the same principle with pressure reduction, saturated salt solutions and air circulation it offers considerable improvements regarding duration and uniformity of conditioning


The concentration of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), which may effect human health and the health of the aquatic system were determined in the rivers Ganga on four sample station at Gazipur using Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Spectra AA220G Varian Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad. The levels of heavy metals were compared with BIS 2005 and WHO 1993. All the heavy metals at all the sampling stations were found above the permissible limits. The concentration of these heavy metals in the study area indicates that the river is highly polluted. The possible sources of these heavy metal pollutions are diverse, originated from natural or anthropogenic sources and point sources.


Target-driven visual navigation is a challenging problem that requires a robot to find the goal using only visual inputs. Many researchers have demonstrated promising results using deep reinforcement learning (deep RL) on various robotic platforms, but typical end-to-end learning is known for its poor extrapolation capability to new scenarios. Therefore, learning a navigation policy for a new robot with a new sensor configuration or a new target still remains a challenging problem. In this paper, we introduce a learning algorithm that enables rapid adaptation to new sensor configurations or target objects with a few shots. We design a policy architecture with latent features between perception and inference networks and quickly adapt the perception network via meta-learning while freezing the inference network. Our experiments show that our algorithm adapts the learned navigation policy with only three shots for unseen situations with different sensor configurations or different target colors. We also analyze the proposed algorithm by investigating various hyperparameters.


This paper describes the contention scheduling/supervisory attentional system approach to action selection and uses this account to structure a survey of current theories of the control of action. The focus is on how such theories account for the types of error produced by some patients with frontal and/or left temporoparietal damage when attempting everyday tasks. Four issues, concerning both the theories and their accounts of everyday action breakdown, emerge: first, whether multiple control systems, each capable of controlling action in different situations, exist; second, whether different forms of damage at the neural level result in conceptually distinct disorders; third, whether semantic/conceptual knowledge of objects and actions can be dissociated from control mechanisms, and if so what computational principles govern sequential control; and fourth, whether disorders of everyday action should be attributed to a loss of semantic/conceptual knowledge, a malfunction of control, or some combination of the two.


Injuries to the iliopsoas muscle are rarely mentioned in the literature dealing with soccer-related trauma. This report describes our experience in the successful diagnosis and treatment of iliopsoas injury in 40 professional soccer players. These injuries were not associated with direct external trauma to the muscle. Anatomical and functional characteristics of the iliopsoas are reviewed as they relate to the diagnosis and to the treatment by direct local injection with corticosteroids. A safe anatomical approach to the iliopsoas below the inguinal ligament is described.


The study seeks to provide a distributed database using the Middleware-based Database Server Allocation (MDSA). The MDSA allocates available servers to cluster computers and search for the best cluster that caters to a query. There were eight experiments performed using MDSA and were compared to the sequential and random search method, which include controlled CPU utilization and random CPU utilization in terms of access time, single query and multiple queries. Experiment al results show ed that with MDSA, there is a reduction of data response time under varying number of nodes, ranging from 1 to 8 clustered servers.


Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial, facultative intracellular pathogen, which secretes a pore‐forming toxin called listeriolysin O (LLO). LLO mediates the dissolution of the phagosomal membrane allowing L. monocytogenes to reach and grow in the host cytosolic compartment. In this study we report the localization of LLO secreted in infected cells. We described that LLO (i) forms small perinuclear aggregates, (ii) accumulates in large autophagosome‐like structures and (iii) sequesters to large protein aggregates. The formation of protein aggregates required full LLO activity. Further characterization of protein aggregates indicated that they not only contained the active form of LLO but also polyubiquitinated proteins and p62, which are both common components of protein aggregates found in neurological diseases. Hence, a protein of bacterial origin could potentially follow the same fate as a toxic protein associated with neurodegenerative disease.


In an effort to provide an experimental model for future experiments examining the effect of neuroendocrine hormones on early T cell development, it was questioned whether or not serum free media (SFM) could provide suitable growth conditions for fetal thymic organ culture (FTOC). An initial concern was that the recommended use of a 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) containing media in FTOC may interfere with the analysis of neuroendocrine hormone effects on thymocyte development due to potential cross species reactions of bovine hormones. Defined, serum free assays will permit unequivocal analysis of hormone influence on thymocyte development in vitro. In order to determine the suitability of SFM for FTOC, we have conducted experiments to determine the cellular recovery during the peak of CD4+CD8+ thymocyte expansion in FTOC. Embryonic mouse day 14 fetal thymi were collected and cultured in Costar 6-well Transwell plates for 5 days using Stemspan H3000 SFM (StemCell Technologies, Vancouver, BC, Canada). The cellular contents of each thymic lobe were then counted by a Coulter cell counter and assayed for cellular markers by flow cytometry. The flow cytometry was performed using anti-mouse antibody labels for CD45, CD4, CD8, with gating on the CD45, in order to exclude non-bone marrow derived cells. At FTOC day 5 of culture, the organs cultured in SFM contained 1.0 × 106 cells per lobe, while the cell recovery from the organs cultured in 10% FBS media available in the lab was 3.0 × 105 cells per lobe. Flow cytometry indicated a CD4+CD8+ double positive population of 8.2 × 105 cells per lobe in SFM conditions and 1.0 × 105 cells per lobe in serum containing conditions. The experiment was repeated with similar results. Based on these data, the use of serum free condition in FTOC is permissive for thymocyte development from CD4-CD8- double negative to CD4+CD8+ double positive phenotype. These results indicate that SFM is a suitable substitute for FBS containing media in the FTOC assay. In addition, use of SFM can overcome the need to screen for FBS lots that support FTOC and minimize FBS associated variation in the assay. Future use of SFM in FTOC will allow analysis of the effects of individual neuroendocrine hormones on the development of early T cells, while preventing potential influence by hormones present in FBS containing media.


The role of dietary sodium intake in the development, and its impact on the treatment, of hypertension are well recognized. However, many other nutritional compounds have been shown, or are believed, to influence blood pressure. Some compounds, such as caffeine and fructose, may raise arterial blood pressure, whereas others might lower arterial blood pressure, for example garlic, dark chocolate, fibers and potassium. In this article, we review several alimentary compounds and their (hypothesized) mechanisms of action, as well as the available evidence supporting a role of these compounds in the "non pharmacological" treatment and prevention of hypertension.


Flaxseed oil has abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important to health but are oxidized easily during storage. These bioactive lipids are susceptible to chemical deterioration causing nutrient loss and development of undesirable off-flavors. Oil-in-water emulsions could be used as an effective tool to protect these functional active lipids from degradation by engineering the emulsion droplet interfacial layer. Engineering oil/water interfaces of emulsions has been studied extensively, but practical technologies are still demanded by the food industry. Emulsions are a category of encapsulation systems applicable to various bioactive compounds in food formulations. Emulsions have a fluidic oil phase which facilitates the mobility and release of bioactive compounds. Emulsion based encapsulation systems has been exhibited to have potential applications in functional food formulation. They have been used to inhibit lipid oxidation, triggered or controlled release during different processing and storage conditions. Biopolymer characteristics (e.g., molecular weight, charge density, and conformation) and droplets characteristics (e.g., size, charge, and concentration) are most significant aspects in the formulation of stable emulsions.
In this study natural biopolymer pectin and chitosan has been used to produce oil-in-water emulsions. In first part of study, primary emulsion was produced from pectin and influence of sonication time, pH, NaCl, surfactant to oil ratio was studied. It was found that pectin emulsion at a pH primarily had less charge density and then changing the pH conditions to where they had more charge density (4.0 to 8.0) led to the development of less stable primary emulsion. The pectin layered droplets in the primary emulsions were stable to creaming and droplet aggregation at temperatures at 100 oC and NaCl concentrations up to 120 mM. However, droplets were more prone to instability due to coalescence at less pectin concentration.
In the next part of the thesis, bi-layered emulsions were created using layer-by-layer approach. Pectin was used to stabilize a primary emulsion with less droplet size, then, a cationic chitosan biopolymer was coated to the primary emulsion to produce secondary emulsions with cationic charge around the droplet. The interface of pectin and chitosan as a function of pH, NaCl and biopolymer concentration was studied with the anticipation of drawing conclusion for their interaction at droplets surfaces. Chitosan and pectin interaction to form insoluble or soluble polyelectrolyte complex at the droplet interface was dependent on the pH. At pH conditions where chitosan and pectin have opposite droplet charges (pH 3.5, 4.0 and 5.0) they interact intensely to form polyelectrolyte complexes. Stable and tailored pectin-chitosan secondary emulsions however could be formulated. But, confined range of chitosan concentration (between depletion concentrations and saturation) and protonation of chitosan are important factors in preparation of pectin-chitosan bi-layered emulsion.
The objective of this research was therefore to understand how emulsion interface properties and interactions among emulsion droplets influence lipid oxidation in food emulsions. In addition, this study delivers valuable evidence on practice of the layer-by-layer approach for production of bi-layered food grade emulsions with an emphasis on the effects of formulation conditions and biopolymer properties on long term emulsion stability.


: In the article on discusses the problems of origin and duration of chlamydia and herpes-virus infection in children with chronic somatic pathology and different degrees of radiation stress in contaminated territories of Brianskaya region (the level of contamination according to 137Cs = 9.37-19.73 Ci/km2).


ABSTRACT Land use and the management of our natural resources such as soils and water offer great opportunities to sequester carbon and mitigate the effects of climate change. Actions on forestry, soil carbon and damaged peatlands each have the potential to reduce Scottish emissions in 2020 by hundreds of thousands of tonnes. Most actions to reduce emissions from land use have beneficial effects on other ecosystem services, so if we can cut emissions we can in many circumstances improve the environment. The cost of reducing emissions through land use change can be low in relation to other means of cutting emissions. The Scottish Land Use Strategy and the Ecosystem Approach it calls for, employing the concept of ecosystem services, offers a way of balancing environmental, social and economic demands on the land. Scotland's land, soils, forests and waters are all likely to be significantly altered by future climate change. Each of these components of the land-based environment offers opportunities for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The emerging new imperatives for securing food, water and energy at a global level are equally important for Scotland, and interact with the need for environmental security and for dealing with climate change.


SOLON, incorporated as a village in 1917 and as a city in 1961, operating under the mayor-council form of government. It is 18 miles from Cleveland in the southeast corner of Cuyahoga County and occupies 22 sq. mi. Solon is bounded by Geauga County on the east, Summit County on the south, ORANGE, MORELAND HILLS, and BENTLEYVILLE on the north, and BEDFORD HTS., OAKWOOD, and GLENWILLOW on the west. The earliest white settlers in Solon Twp. arrived from Connecticut in 1820. The township was named after Lorenzo Solon Bull, son of Isaac Bull, one of these settlers. Swampland and drainage problems confronted the pioneers. Once the land was cleared and drained, corn and wheat became the staple crops (see AGRICULTURE). In addition, 5 cheese factories were built, creating a profitable dairy business (see BUSINESS, RETAIL). In 1850 the population was 1,034. RAILROADS contributed to Solon's growth; in 1857 the Cleveland-Youngstown section of the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad opened through the village. The main road was SOM Center Rd., so named because it passed through Solon, Orange, and Mayfield townships. The first INDUSTRY to locate in Solon was the Bready Cultimotor tractor company (1929). By the 1987, more than 150 businesses had located there; small industry traditionally contributed to more than 50% of the tax base. The largest employers in 1985 were TECHNICARE CORP., STOUFFER FOODS, and the WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. In 2003, the Solon Chamber of Commerce, in its 76th year, included over 500 industrial, commercial, retail and professional businesses. With its commercial district concentrated at the central intersection, Solon maintained a small-town appearance. In 2002 over 50% of the land remained undeveloped. City parks and recreational areas in 2003 totaled 9 with 695 acres, and the city enclosed 360 acres of regional metroparks. Nevertheless, population increased steadily from 6,333 in 1960 to 11,519 in 1970, 14,341 in 1980, 18,548 in 1990, and 21,802 in 2000. The Solon public school district has 4 elementary, 2 junior high, and 1 senior high. The city is also home to a branch of the CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM.


Recently, a rising interest in political and economic integration/disintegration
issues has been developed in the political economy field. This growing strand of
literature partly draws on traditional issues of fiscal federalism and optimum
public good provision and focuses on a trade-off between the benefits of
centralization, arising from economies of scale or externalities, and the costs of
harmonizing policies as a consequence of the increased heterogeneity of
individual preferences in an international union or in a country composed of at
least two regions.
This thesis stems from this strand of literature and aims to shed some light
on two highly relevant aspects of the political economy of European integration.
The first concerns the role of public opinion in the integration process; more
precisely, how economic benefits and costs of integration shape citizens'
support for European Union (EU) membership. The second is the allocation of
policy competences among different levels of government: European, national
and regional.
Chapter 1 introduces the topics developed in this thesis by reviewing the
main recent theoretical developments in the political economy analysis of
integration processes. It is structured as follows. First, it briefly surveys a few
relevant articles on economic theories of integration and disintegration
processes (Alesina and Spolaore 1997, Bolton and Roland 1997, Alesina et al.
2000, Casella and Feinstein 2002) and discusses their relevance for the study
of the impact of economic benefits and costs on public opinion attitude towards
the EU. Subsequently, it explores the links existing between such political
economy literature and theories of fiscal federalism, especially with regard to
normative considerations concerning the optimal allocation of competences in a
union.
Chapter 2 firstly proposes a model of citizens' support for membership of
international unions, with explicit reference to the EU; subsequently it tests the
model on a panel of EU countries.
What are the factors that influence public opinion support for the European
Union (EU)? In international relations theory, the idea that citizens' support for
the EU depends on material benefits deriving from integration, i.e. whether
European integration makes individuals economically better off (utilitarian
support), has been common since the 1970s, but has never been the subject of
a formal treatment (Hix 2005). A small number of studies in the 1990s have
investigated econometrically the link between national economic performance
and mass support for European integration (Eichenberg and Dalton 1993;
Anderson and Kalthenthaler 1996), but only making informal assumptions. The
main aim of Chapter 2 is thus to propose and test our model with a view to
providing a more complete and theoretically grounded picture of public support
for the EU.
Following theories of utilitarian support, we assume that citizens are in
favour of membership if they receive economic benefits from it. To develop this
idea, we propose a simple political economic model drawing on the recent
economic literature on integration and disintegration processes. The basic
element is the existence of a trade-off between the benefits of centralisation and
the costs of harmonising policies in presence of heterogeneous preferences
among countries. The approach we follow is that of the recent literature on the
political economy of international unions and the unification or break-up of
nations (Bolton and Roland 1997, Alesina and Wacziarg 1999, Alesina et al.
2001, 2005a, to mention only the relevant). The general perspective is that
unification provides returns to scale in the provision of public goods, but
reduces each member state's ability to determine its most favoured bundle of
public goods.
In the simple model presented in Chapter 2, support for membership of the
union is increasing in the union's average income and in the loss of efficiency
stemming from being outside the union, and decreasing in a country's average
income, while increasing heterogeneity of preferences among countries points
to a reduced scope of the union.
Afterwards we empirically test the model with data on the EU; more
precisely, we perform an econometric analysis employing a panel of member
countries over time. The second part of Chapter 2 thus tries to answer the
following question: does public opinion support for the EU really depend on
economic factors? The findings are broadly consistent with our theoretical
expectations: the conditions of the national economy, differences in income
among member states and heterogeneity of preferences shape citizens' attitude
towards their country's membership of the EU.
Consequently, this analysis offers some interesting policy implications for
the present debate about ratification of the European Constitution and, more
generally, about how the EU could act in order to gain more support from the
European public. Citizens in many member states are called to express their
opinion in national referenda, which may well end up in rejection of the
Constitution, as recently happened in France and the Netherlands, triggering a
European-wide political crisis. These events show that nowadays understanding
public attitude towards the EU is not only of academic interest, but has a strong
relevance for policy-making too.
Chapter 3 empirically investigates the link between European integration
and regional autonomy in Italy. Over the last few decades, the double tendency
towards supranationalism and regional autonomy, which has characterised
some European States, has taken a very interesting form in this country,
because Italy, besides being one of the founding members of the EU, also
implemented a process of decentralisation during the 1970s, further
strengthened by a constitutional reform in 2001.
Moreover, the issue of the allocation of competences among the EU, the
Member States and the regions is now especially topical. The process leading
to the drafting of European Constitution (even if then it has not come into force)
has attracted much attention from a constitutional political economy perspective
both on a normative and positive point of view (Breuss and Eller 2004, Mueller
2005). The Italian parliament has recently passed a new thorough constitutional
reform, still to be approved by citizens in a referendum, which includes, among
other things, the so called "devolution", i.e. granting the regions exclusive
competence in public health care, education and local police.
Following and extending the methodology proposed in a recent influential
article by Alesina et al. (2005b), which only concentrated on the EU activity
(treaties, legislation, and European Court of Justice's rulings), we develop a set
of quantitative indicators measuring the intensity of the legislative activity of the
Italian State, the EU and the Italian regions from 1973 to 2005 in a large
number of policy categories. By doing so, we seek to answer the following
broad questions. Are European and regional legislations substitutes for state
laws? To what extent are the competences attributed by the European treaties
or the Italian Constitution actually exerted in the various policy areas? Is their
exertion consistent with the normative recommendations from the economic
literature about their optimum allocation among different levels of government?
The main results show that, first, there seems to be a certain substitutability
between EU and national legislations (even if not a very strong one), but not
between regional and national ones. Second, the EU concentrates its legislative
activity mainly in international trade and agriculture, whilst social policy is where
the regions and the State (which is also the main actor in foreign policy) are
more active. Third, at least two levels of government (in some cases all of them)
are significantly involved in the legislative activity in many sectors, even where
the rationale for that is, at best, very questionable, indicating that they actually
share a larger number of policy tasks than that suggested by the economic
theory.
It appears therefore that an excessive number of competences are actually
shared among different levels of government. From an economic perspective, it
may well be recommended that some competences be shared, but only when
the balance between scale or spillover effects and heterogeneity of preferences
suggests so. When, on the contrary, too many levels of government are
involved in a certain policy area, the distinction between their different
responsibilities easily becomes unnecessarily blurred. This may not only leads
to a slower and inefficient policy-making process, but also risks to make it too
complicate to understand for citizens, who, on the contrary, should be able to
know who is really responsible for a certain policy when they vote in national,local or European elections or in referenda on national or European
constitutional issues.


Sulfur recommendations are based on avoiding deficiency. Since S may have additional effects, the objective was to determine whether S fertilizers increase yield and reduce tuber defects Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar Atlantic was treated with wettable sulfur (WS), ammonium sulfate (AS), and ammonium thiosulfate (TS) at 0, 28, 56, 84, and 112 kg S ha - 1 applied at planting [in-furrow (IF)], 11 d later [pre-emergence (PE)], 11 d after emergence [postemergence (PT)], and at tuber initiation (TI). Separate trials were conducted for each fertilizer and application. Ammonium nitrate and urea were added to AS and TS to equalize N. Yield of U.S. "A" potato was increased 11 to 34% by fertilizers at S rates greater than 56 kg ha - 1 at IF, PT, and by AS and WS at TL These fertilizers applied IF and at TI reduced the incidence of common scab (Streptomyces scabies) on tubers. When applied PT, AS and TS reduced common scab; WS did not. The incidence of black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani) on tubers was reduced when AS and TS were applied PT but not when applied IF and at TI. Pre-emergence application had no effect. Other tuber characteristics, e.g., specific gravity and vascular discoloration, were unaffected. Plant growth was inhibited by TS applied after emergence but recovered. Yield was increased by S at 56 kg ha - 1 applied IF, PT, and at TI except for TS applied at TI. Common scab and black scurf were reduced depending on application timing and fertilizer.


Adipocytes from white adipose tissue secrete cytokines and other bioactive proteins which are collectively termed adipokines. Adiposity has been linked with increased breast cancer risk as adipokines secreted by adipocytes significantly affect epithelial cells from which breast cancer arises. Measurement of extracellular adipokine concentrations that would be involved in signaling through mammary tissue is therefore of importance. In this work, microdialysis sampling was used to collect adipokines from the interstitial space of the mammary fat pad of female rats under isoflurane anesthesia. The adipokines CCL2 (MCP-1), leptin and IL-6 were quantified from dialysate samples and compared to total tissue concentrations surrounding the implanted probes. After three hours of microdialysis sampling at 1 μL min(-1), the respective median values for these adipokines in dialysate samples were approximately 175 pg mL(-1) (CCL2), 150 pg mL(-1) (IL-6) and 750 pg mL(-1) (leptin). Adipokine protein levels from dialysates were an order of magnitude lower than levels obtained directly from mammary tissue. However, the adipokine concentrations between excised tissue surrounding the microdialysis sampling probes and control tissue without implants did not differ. This work demonstrates the utility of microdialysis sampling to quantify mammary gland adipokine levels, with relevance to understanding mammary physiology.


A thermochromic luminous polyurethane (TLPU), which can reversibly change its color and can exhibit fluorescence emission with the change in temperature, was prepared through incorporating long persistent luminescent phosphors (SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+) and thermochromic pigment (TP). X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves, thermogravimetic analysis results (TG), UV-vis absorption spectra (UV), reflectance spectra and fluorescence spectra were obtained to characterize the properties of the resultant samples. The phosphorescence colors were directly related to the temperature because of the inner phase transition of the thermochromic pigment on heating. TLPU was red in daylight under low temperature conditions and turned white as the temperature rose. After the stoppage of excitation and in the dark, it emitted yellow light while cooling and turned green as the temperature increased.


Current works on facial action unit (AU) recognition typically require fully AU-annotated facial images for supervised AU classifier training. AU annotation is a time-consuming, expensive, and error-prone process. While AUs are hard to annotate, facial expression is relatively easy to label. Furthermore, there exist strong probabilistic dependencies between expressions and AUs as well as dependencies among AUs. Such dependencies are referred to as domain knowledge. In this paper, we propose a novel AU recognition method that learns AU classifiers from domain knowledge and expression-annotated facial images through adversarial training. Specifically, we first generate pseudo AU labels according to the probabilistic dependencies between expressions and AUs as well as correlations among AUs summarized from domain knowledge. Then we propose a weakly supervised AU recognition method via an adversarial process, in which we simultaneously train two models: a recognition model R, which learns AU classifiers, and a discrimination model D, which estimates the probability that AU labels generated from domain knowledge rather than the recognized AU labels from R. The training procedure for R maximizes the probability of D making a mistake. By leveraging the adversarial mechanism, the distribution of recognized AUs is closed to AU prior distribution from domain knowledge. Furthermore, the proposed weakly supervised AU recognition can be extended to semi-supervised learning scenarios with partially AU-annotated images. Experimental results on three benchmark databases demonstrate that the proposed method successfully leverages the summarized domain knowledge to weakly supervised AU classifier learning through an adversarial process, and thus achieves state-of-the-art performance.


Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare condition usually associated with ruptured low-grade mucinous neoplasm of the appendix. Rarely, PMP can originate from mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary. However, the coexistence of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and appendiceal mucinous neoplasm has not been reported. We present the case of a post-menopausal woman with endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma with unexpected low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and PMP.


Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ is an endogenous peptide ligand for the opioid receptor-like 1 (ORL1) receptor. To investigate the structural and conformational requirements of the nociceptin (NC)-receptor interaction, six cyclic analogues containing Cys disulfide linkages were designed and synthesized. Analogues cyclized at the N-terminal part, cyclo[Cys(0), Cys(7)]NC(1-13)-NH(2) (2) and cyclo[Cys(0), Cys(11)]NC(1-13)-NH(2) (4), and their corresponding linear peptides had very low activities in both the receptor binding and the GTP gamma S functional assays using human ORL1 transfected cell membranes. On the contrary, analogues cyclized at the C-terminal parts by the disulfide linkages at positions 6-10, 7-11, 7-14, and 10-14 sustained relatively high potencies in both assays. Notably, cyclo[Cys(10), Cys(14)]NC(1-14)-NH(2) (12) was found to be a potent NC agonist nearly as active as the parent peptide or NC. The maximum efficacy (Emax) of the C-terminally cyclized analogues and their linear counterparts in the GTP gamma S functional assay showed more than 94% (vs NC as 100%), suggesting that these analogues are full agonists. Analogue 12 is the first conformationally constrained NC analogue with almost full activity, and thus may serve to analyze the bioactive conformations of NC at the receptor site as well as serving as a template for more potent NC agonists.


The "Australians and the Past" survey in the late 1990s showed that the vast majority of people gained their principal historical understanding from some form of entertainment across their lifetime. For over a century the media has been a key source in the development of Australians' historical understanding and historical consciousness. This article explores some of the many ways history has been presented by Australian journalists and other media practitioners, focusing on the press and radio, since World War I. The article surveys the coverage of the 1938 sesquicentenary of the British settlement of Australia, history pages in Australian newspapers, and an unusual historical newspaper published in 1948–9. It traces how the emergence of the Australian Broadcasting Commission and commercial radio during the interwar years created a new outlet for popular historians led by Frank Clune and distinguished professors such as S. H. Roberts. In doing so, it considers the role of journalism, and the media more generally, in creating a national narrative around Anzac Day; recognising indigenous dispossession; and facilitating the emergence of Australian public historians and intellectuals.


THE STUDY to be described was carried out to determine the effect of cortisone in a case of idiopathic epilepsy. McQuarrie and associates 1 had previously demonstrated that desoxycorticosterone reduced the number and severity of seizures provoked by a vasopressin hydration regimen. Aird and Gordon 2 also showed that desoxycorticosterone reduces the severity and frequency of seizures in epileptics on no other treatment and referred to the drug as an anticonvulsant. Both Aird and Gordon 2 and Klein and Livingstone 3 also found that desoxycorticosterone reduced electroencephalographic abnormalities in epileptics. Because of the similarity of desoxycorticosterone and cortisone in structure and in certain metabolic actions, it was thought that cortisone might be similarly anticonvulsant. The decision first had to be made whether to conduct limited observations on a group of epileptics or whether to study one patient intensively. The latter plan was followed. The patient chosen had severe epilepsy, was


Background and aim: Over the past decade, laparoscopy has become the standard surgical approach for a majority of gynecologic procedures, such as ectopic pregnancy management, fallopian tube and ovarian operations, management of cysts, staging of gynecologic cancers, and laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy. The study aim to assess nurses level of knowledge and practices regarding gynecological laparoscopy, To determine the knowledge defect during gynecological laparoscopy, and to determine the difference between demographic characteristics such as (age, level of education, and training courses) with their knowledge and practices. Materials and Method: The researcher adopted a quantitative design where structured closed-ended questions were formulated for both questionnaires. A questionnaire was administered to the Ward and Theatre Nurses using the convenience sampling technique. The study was conducted in two hospitals ( Al Batool and AL-Khansaa Teaching Hospitals ) located in Mosul city. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15 for Windows was used by the Statistician to analyze the data. Results: The findings shows the demographic characteristics of the study sample. The table shows that most of the study sample are from AL-Khansaa Hospital (50.9%). According to the age, the highest percentage was in the age group (18-27 years) (43.6%), and the lowest group are of age (more than 47 years) (8%). According to level of education the highest percentage is of High school (56.4%) (62), and the lowest is (12.7%) (14). In the relation to their Experience, the highest percentage is (74.5%) for the group of (1-10 years), and the lowest percentage is (6.4%) for the group of (more than 30 years). Conclusions: The nurses' had good knowledge about the specific laparoscopic . Recommendation: Ward and theatre nurses should be learn about informed consent taking and the legal implications if not taken correctly and the emphasis on their role and responsibilities during consent taking. This could be done during in-service education.


The Seymour River is a mountainous river located in North Vancouver. Over the past century, this river has been subjected to many anthropogenic activities that have cumulatively altered the natural flow and sediment regime. The Seymour Falls Dam, located in the middle of the watershed, intercepts gravel transport from the upper watershed into the lower reaches. This combined with the intense channelization within the lower 4 km of the river, which has created conditions incapable of gravel deposition and retention, has led the lower reaches to become gravel deficient. This gravel deficiency has caused the degradation of traditional spawning grounds of chum (Oncorhynchus keta), and pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). This study aims to: 1) determine if there is a gravel deficiency for chum and pink salmon spawning in the lower 1.5 km reaches and, 2) provide recommended mitigative treatments of gravel addition to increase suitable spawning area, and therefore increase salmon productivity of the Seymour River. A site assessment was conducted on the lower 1.5 km of the Seymour River and included sampling of the five key parameters that define spawning habitat (i.e., water depth, velocity, dissolved oxygen, water temperature and substrate). A particular focus was given on analysing the substrate as it was expected to be deficient for spawning due to the predetermined conditions in the watershed such as the dam and the channelization. Results of the site assessment confirmed that substrate is a limiting factor for chum and pink salmon spawning in this area as the bed surface is composed of large cobbles and boulders too large for these specific species to move to dig a redd. Therefore, a mitigation plan of gravel addition is proposed to increase spawning habitat and conserve these salmon runs.


Much research has shown that mortgage rates exert a negative influence on housing prices. This study analyses the long- and short-run relationships between housing prices and mortgage rates using advanced nonstructural estimation methods. As expected, a bivariate specification and a four-variable housing demand specification both show that these variables have a long-run relationship, and that there is a rather inelastic response of housing prices to changes in mortgage rates. However, contrary to previous research, the results from Granger non-causality tests, impulse response functions and variance decompositions reveal that there is virtually no short-run influence from mortgage rates to housing prices.


As very important for the materialization of local development and competitiveness policies is regarded the role of local authorities, especially with regards to the planning of and the implementation of local initiatives, promotion strategies and the city image on international level as well. This reflects the drive for growth mixed with the attempt to increase social responsibility, decrease worklessness and increase local entrepreneurship. The main priority of planning and developing these strategies focuses on the viable development of the local societies with an emphasis on more than just the economic development, since the existence of local authorities with entrepreneurial orientation derives as a basic need, mainly the last twenty years. In addition, partnerships are vital to any sustainable redevelopment program because they foster communications and the building of cooperation and trust between relevant stakeholders. Groups such as community development organizations, chambers of commerce, or business councils can contribute to the process of local economic development. The present research investigates the importance of selected local development policies for SME enterprises in Thessaloniki one of the metropolis of south Europe. The field research has been implemented by administering questionnaires on a representative sample of 227 enterprises. These enterprises have been selected through a stratified random sampling where strata are related to the main economic sector. The added value of this research is essential since there are only few similar researches in South east Europe and in Greece. The present research brings on important issues and questions about local economic development because it presents directly the estimations and views of a large number of local enterprises that reflect the image of local economy. Finally, this research gives a satisfactory overview of the inner growth of Thessaloniki and further the results could lead to an evaluation, planning, implementation, rejection or reconstruction of specific actions and policies locally. Further to EFA analysis, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been implemented for two groups of firms: the ones having already developed active partnerships with local groups or actors and the other ones without such an experience. Through CFA, the objective is not only to appreciate which of the initial variables (reflecting alternatives policies) affect intensively the EFA components but also to assess which policies are perceived by firms as the most determinant in terms of partnerships¢ development and improvement of competitiveness according to their sector of operation.


The rates of diabetes and obesity in Navajo communities are higher than national rates. A healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables will help to prevent and reduce such rates. So the project focuses on promoting gardening to make vegetables and fruits more accessible at the comfort of one's own home. Previous research in this area shows that gardeners consume 2 more servings of fruits and vegetables than nongardeners. Thirty participants were recruited by flyer distribution at chapter houses, senior centers, and community centers, from four Navajo targeted areas: Shiprock, NM; Tsaile, AZ; Lukachukai, AZ, and Hogback, NM. With the involvement of the participants, we build gardens at each home. Once the garden is complete, the participants will independently maintain it, and monthly check ups will be conducted. Workshops on gardening techniques will be provided so that participants will be able to independently sustain their garden. Each participant had to sign a consent form prior to conducting any gardening activity. In addition, an interview and a survey was conducted with each participant. The survey questioned the participants' eating habits, focusing on the regularity of fruit and vegetable consumption, the consumption of sodas and other sugary drinks, etc. An additional two surveys will be conducted, one taken midway of the project and the other at the conclusion of the project. The three surveys dispersed throughout the project will document changes in the participants' eating habits. Our long term goal is increasing servings of vegetables and fruits consumed, and to ensure sustainable gardens at homes.


This study investigates how educators as adult learners learn within the higher education sector and how to design for effective professional learning, from the perspective
of the educator. The researcher had observed, and the educational literature suggests, that professional development activities are often perceived by educators as frustrating, irrelevant and time consuming, resulting in resistance to taking part in such events and perpetuating the status quo of professional learning practice in higher education. To add new thinking and new evidence to create a shift in the perception of professional learning, the researcher targeted higher education teachers who may have found professional learning frustrating but had
navigated a pathway through the complexities to grow and develop their professional practice in ways that are personally meaningful to them. Such educators demonstrated a natural motivation to engage in professional learning.

The central argument of this thesis is that designing for effective professional learning needs to take a bottom-up, inside-out approach. This approach recognises that personally meaningful professional learning that challenges and changes how educators learn needs to start from the inside by exploring the educator's inner belief system, ever-changing identity and developing sense of self. However, when investigating how educators learn, attention is also given to the complex, strongly connected relationship between the individual and the institution. Within this study, a way of making sense of the relational nature of the educator and the institution is by using the metaphor of the higher education ecosystem to represent the
inextricably linked system of humans and their environment.

Four key concepts are introduced and developed as the thesis progresses and matures to the point that the concepts themselves evolve in an inter-connected, inter-related manner. First, the researcher introduces, builds and applies the concept of learning mobility to
challenge the status quo of professional learning in higher education. The researcher's concept of learning mobility is the educator's choice to learn, work, communicate,
collaborate and connect in any configuration, across learning contexts and boundaries for continuous professional learning and personal growth. Building on the idea of the educator's learning mobility is the second concept of the wholeness of professional learning, which is
concerned with how educators come to the learning, how educators learn, and what educators do with the learning, to bring about personally meaningful change in professional practice.

The concepts of learning mobility and the wholeness of professional learning led to theorising the third concept of professional learning mobility. This concept provides an
alternative approach to the design of effective professional learning as it shifts the focus towards understanding how individuals experience learning continuously across and within their inner (internal, personal) and outer (external, professional) worlds. Exploring and maturing a deeper understanding of these three concepts throughout the thesis contributed to
theory building about how educators learn.

Finally, this evidence-based theory building introduces the abstract concept of the third space, which was identified after considering the rationalities of the head space and the irrationalities of the heart space, and their powerful influences on the learning process. The third space of professional learning mobility represents the educator's own growth and development that transcends the complexities of institutional structures, conditions and policies that are outside the educator's control. The third space represents the educator's emotional and mental resilience to respond to the disruptive nature of being human as we
become conscious of who we are on the inside. This space is conceived as a transformative space that offers a sense of wholeness, giving individuals the inner motivation and courage to connect to themselves and others. A united revelation emerges across the four concepts to discern that it is the mobility of the learner and the learning which becomes significant to address the educator as adult learner's natural human desire for growth, development and
freedom.From the study, the "7Cs" design principles were derived in order to foster the
educator's professional learning mobility: context, control, connection, complexity, courage, continuity, and creativity. The '7Cs of professional learning mobility' are used to design dynamic learning environments that take into account the educator's inner and outer worlds and their need for choice, autonomy and freedom to authentically engage in their learning. The 7Cs, framed within a conceptual model that encompasses the head space, heart space, and third space provide an opportunity to theorise the educator's learning mobility in professional practice that could be used to transform professional learning in the higher education workplace. Overall, this study represents an evidence-based approach to contribute
to theory in adult learning to support a shift in the practice status quo of professional learning in higher education.


The P versus NP question distinguished itself as the central question of theoretical computer science nearly four decades ago. The quest to resolve it, and more generally, to understand the power and limits of efficient computation, has led to the development of computational complexity theory. While this mathematical discipline in general, and the P vs. NP problem in particular, have gained prominence within the mathematics community in the past decade, it is still largely viewed as a problem of computer science. In this paper I shall try to explain why this problem, and others in computational complexity, are not only mathematical problems but also problems about mathematics, faced by the working mathematician. I shall describe the underlying concepts and problems, the attempts to understand and solve them, and some of the research directions this led us to. I shall explain some of the important results, as well as the major goals and conjectures which still elude us. All this will hopefully give a taste of the motivations, richness and interconnectedness of our field. I shall conclude with a few non computational problems, which capture P vs. NP and related computational complexity problems, hopefully inviting more mathematicians to attack them as well. I believe it important to give many examples, and to underlie the intuition (and sometimes, philosophy) behind definitions and results. This may slow the pace of this article for some, in the hope to make it clearer to others. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). Primary 68Q15; Secondary 68Q17.


Angiogenesis and bone formation are tightly coupled during the formation of the skeleton. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is required for both bone development and angiogenesis. We recently identified endosome‐associated FYVE‐domain protein (endofin) as a Smad anchor for BMP receptor activation. Endofin contains a protein‐phosphatase pp1c binding domain, which negatively modulates BMP signals through dephosphorylation of the BMP type I receptor. A single point mutation of endofin (F872A) disrupts interaction between the catalytic subunit pp1c and sensitizes BMP signaling in vitro. To study the functional impact of this mutation in vivo, we targeted expression of an endofin (F872A) transgene to osteoblasts. Mice expressing this mutant transgene had increased levels of phosphorylated Smad1 in osteoblasts and showed increased bone formation. Trabecular bone volume was significantly increased in the transgenic mice compared with the wildtype littermates with corresponding increases in trabecular bone thickness and number. Interestingly, the transgenic mice also had a pronounced increase in the density of the bone vasculature measured using contrast‐enhanced μCT imaging of Microfil‐perfused bones. The vessel surface and volume were both increased in association with elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in osteoblasts. Endothelial sprouting from the endofin (F872A) mutant embryonic metatarsals cultured ex vivo was increased compared with controls and was abolished by an addition of a VEGF neutralizing antibody. In conclusion, osteoblast targeted expression of a mutant endofin protein lacking the pp1c binding activity results in sustained signaling of the BMP type I receptor, which increases bone formation and skeletal angiogenesis.


We examine the investment behavior of firms before and after being spun off from their parent companies. Their investment after the spin-off is significantly more sensitive to measures of investment opportunities (e.g., industry Tobin's Q or industry investment) than it is before the spin-off. Spin-offs tend to cut investment in low Q industries and increase investment in high Q industries. These changes are observed primarily in spin-offs of firms in industries unrelated to the parents' industries and in spin-offs where the stock market reacts favorably to the spin-off announcement. Our findings suggest that spin-offs may improve the allocation of capital.


We propose a new theoretical model for describing the formation and the phase coexistence in ternary mixtures of phospholipids and cholesterol. This model combines the properties of the liquid-gel phase transition, described with an internal order parameter, with some non ideal mixing behavior accounting for the influence of cholesterol, and inspired by Flory's description of polymer melts. Our thermodynamical approach successfully accounts for the coexistence of binary phospholipid mixtures such as DOPC-DPPC. The order parameter, originally introduced by Doniach, describes in a simplified manner the thermodynamics of the alkyl chains in a lipid bilayer, by analogy with the Ising model under magnetic field. We not only obtain ternary diagrams resembling to experimental diagrams, but also discuss the evolution of these phase equilibria with temperature. This approach is then generalized to other lipid components, namely PSM, POPC and DiphytanoylPC.Our approach, made of a combination of discrete geometry calculations and numerical resolutions of the analytical equations for determining the properties of the Gibbs diagram is novel, and applies to a wide class of thermodynamic models with order parameters. A Landau-Ginzburg extension of the above model allows us to study inhomogeneous systems. A firstimportant application consists in determining the line tension $\tau$ and the profile of an interface separating macrodomains of ordered and disordered liquid phase. We extend Cahn's wetting theory to the case of a circular inclusion of finite radius $R$ in a ``lipid sea'', at coexistence and offcoexistence. We finally discuss the effects of the proximity of a critical point, and the consequences relative to mutual interactions between impurities induced by the wetting process.


Crystal structures and the Bloch theorem play a fundamental role in condensed matter physics. We propose "space-time" crystals exhibiting the general intertwined space-time periodicities in $D+1$ dimensions, which include the Floquet lattice systems as a special case. Their crystal symmetry structures are described by "space-time" groups. Compared to space and magnetic groups, they are augmented by "time-screw" rotations and "time-glide" reflections involving fractional time translations. A complete classification of the 13 space-time groups in 1+1D is performed. Kramers-type degeneracy can arise from space-time symmetries without the half-integer spinor structure, which constrains the winding number patterns of spectral dispersions. In 2+1D, non-symmorphic space-time symmetries enforce spectral degeneracies, leading to protected Floquet semi-metal states. Our work provides a general framework for further studying topological properties of the $D+1$ dimensional space-time crystals.


Nowadays, due to the growing problems of energy supply and the drastic reduction of natural non-renewable resources, the development of new applications in the energy sector and steps towards greater efficiency in energy consumption are required. Since buildings account for a large share of energy consumption, increasing the structural density of buildings causes an increase in energy consumption. This increase in energy consumption means that energy efficiency approaches to building design and the integration of new systems using emerging technologies become necessary in order to curb this consumption. As new systems for productive usage of generated energy are developed, buildings that require less energy to operate, with rational use of resources, need to be developed. One solution for reducing the energy requirements of buildings is through landscape planning, design and application. Requirements such as heating, cooling and lighting can be met with lower energy consumption through planting design, which can help to achieve more efficient and rational use of resources. Within this context, rather than a planting design which considers only the ecological and aesthetic features of plants, these considerations should also extend to spatial organization whereby the relationship between the site and open spaces in the context of climatic elements and planting designs are taken into account. In this way, the planting design can serve an additional purpose. In this study, a landscape design which takes into consideration location, local climate morphology and solar angle will be illustrated on a sample building project. Keywords—Energy efficiency, landscape design, plant design, xeriscape landscape.


This paper presents the parameters optimization by TRIZ theory in the precision lapping of sapphire in order to realize the high efficiency and low damaged lapping. The TRIZ theory was used to optimize processing parameters of sapphire precision lapping based on much experimental data of lapping, then the conflict matrix of internal contradictions was set up and the optimization parameters was obtained. The result of experiment indicated that the face quality of sapphire was improved greatly after optimized by TRIZ. There was a conclusion that TRIZ theory can be used to optimize the processing parameters of sapphire precision lapping which is important to enrich the processing theory of sapphire.


OBJECTIVES: a) To determine the rate of H. pylori reinfection after successful eradication in a 4-year follow-up study; and b) To evaluate the contribution of different factors in the infection relapse. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 208 patients (age range 18-81 years; average 50 years; 87 women) who had been successfully treated for H. pylori infection were included. Annually, urea breath test was assessed to determine H. pylori status after eradication. Age, sex, rural/urban environment, smoking habit, treatment regimens against H. pylori and urea breath test values were evaluated. RESULTS: reinfection occurred in 9,6% of patients observed, 6,7% (14/208) in the first year, 1,9% (4/208) in the second year, 1% (2/208) in the third and 0% in the forth. Risk factors for infection recurrence were younger age and higher values of urea breath test in the multivariante analysis. CONCLUSIONS: annual reinfection rate was 2,4 pacients-year. Younger patients and higher values of urea breath test were factors associated with a higher rate of reinfection relapse. Annually, urea breath test should be performed to detect reinfection in order to avoid ulcer complications.


To investigate the underlying molecular mechanism for connexin 26 (Cx26) knockout-induced apoptosis, we performed TUNEL assays to detect apoptosis in the cochlear sensory epithelium in Cx26 knockout mice. We also compared the miRNA expression profiles of Cx26 knockout and wild-type mice using microarray technology and bioinformatic analyses. Real-time PCR, luciferase reporter gene assays, and scala media microinjections were performed to identify the effect of a specific miRNA and its targets. The results showed that apoptosis increased in the cochlear sensory epithelium of Cx26 knockout mice. The abnormal expression of mir-27a and sgk1 in Cx26 knockout mice was verified with real-time PCR. Luciferase reporter gene assays showed that overexpression of mir-27a significantly decreased sgk1 reporter gene activity; an inhibitor of mir-27a blocked the effect. Mir-27a lentivirus also inhibited sgk1 expression in cultured cochlear tissue. Mir-27a shRNA treatment inhibited Cx26 knockout-induced apoptosis in the cochlear sensory epithelium of mice and increased the expression of sgk1 mRNA. Thus, mir-27a was identified as an apoptotic molecule that participates in Cx26 knockout-induced apoptosis in the cochlear sensory epithelium of mice by downregulating sgk1 expression.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is today precluded to patients bearing active implantable medical devices AIMDs). The great advantages related to this diagnostic modality, together with the increasing number of people benefiting from implantable devices, in particular pacemakers(PM)and carioverter/defibrillators (ICD), is prompting the scientific community the study the possibility to extend MRI also to implanted patients.
The MRI induced specific absorption rate (SAR) and the consequent heating of biological tissues is one of the major concerns that makes patients bearing metallic structures contraindicated for MRI scans. To date, both in-vivo and in-vitro studies have demonstrated the potentially dangerous temperature increase caused by the radiofrequency (RF) field generated during MRI procedures in the tissues surrounding thin metallic implants. On the other side, the technical evolution of MRI scanners and of AIMDs together with published data on the lack of adverse events have reopened the interest in this field and suggest that, under given conditions, MRI can be safely performed also in implanted patients. With a better understanding of the hazards of performing MRI scans on implanted patients as well as the development of MRI safe devices, we may soon enter an era where the ability of this imaging modality may be more widely used to assist in the appropriate diagnosis of patients with devices.
In this study both experimental measures and numerical analysis were performed. Aim of the study is to systematically investigate the effects of the MRI RF filed on implantable devices and to identify the elements that play a major role in the induced heating. Furthermore, we aimed at developing a realistic numerical model able to simulate the interactions between an RF coil for MRI and biological tissues implanted with a PM, and to predict the induced SAR as a function of the particular path of the PM lead.
The methods developed and validated during the PhD program led to the design of an experimental framework for the accurate measure of PM lead heating induced by MRI systems. In addition, numerical models based on Finite-Differences Time-Domain (FDTD) simulations were validated to obtain a general tool for investigating the large number of parameters and factors involved in this complex phenomenon. The results obtained demonstrated that the MRI induced heating on metallic implants is a real risk that represents a contraindication in extending MRI scans also to patient bearing a PM, an ICD, or other thin metallic objects. On the other side, both experimental data and numerical results show that, under particular conditions, MRI procedures might be consider reasonably safe also for an implanted patient. The complexity and the large number of variables involved, make difficult to define a unique set of such conditions: when the benefits of a MRI investigation cannot be obtained using other imaging techniques, the possibility to perform the scan should not be immediately excluded, but some considerations are always needed.


Checkpointing and rollback recovery is a very effective technique to tolerate faults, provided the application is able to recover from a previous checkpoint and proceed with a failure-free computation. However, this technique may fall short if the checkpoint files are somehow contaminated by errors. This paper presents two mechanisms that may be used to determine if a committed checkpoint is error-free or not. These techniques can be used simultaneously for error detection and failure recovery. Both of them are based on checkpoint duplication: one makes use of spatial redundancy while the other is based on temporal redundancy. We discuss the main problems and trade-offs that have to be dealt with to implement these techniques. We then present a performance study that clearly shows the pros and cons of each one. As far as we know, this paper presents the first implementation of these mechanisms in a standard parallel computing system.


It is now clear that the mast cell's functional response to IgE-dependent stimulation can be influenced significantly by the level of expression of the high-affinity IgE receptor (Fce RI) on the cell's surface. Thus, modulation of FceRI surface expression represents a potentially important mechanism for regulating mast cell activity in allergic reactions. In this study, we examined whether a glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), can influence levels of mast cell FceRI expression either in the presence or absence of IgE, an up-regulator of the mast cell surface FceRI level. In the absence of IgE, DEX decreased the surface FceRI levels in mouse peritoneal mast cells, mouse bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells and a mouse mast cell line, Cl.MC/C57.1. Moreover, DEX also partially suppressed the ability of IgE to enhance surface expression of FceRI in these cells. Three different glucocorticoids, DEX, methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone, suppressed FceRI expression in mast cells, whereas sex steroids, i.e. estradiol, progesterone and testosterone, did not, indicating that the FceRI-suppressing effect is glucocorticoid specific. On the other hand, DEX did not affect levels of FceRI α, β or γ mRNA, suggesting that its ability to decrease surface FceRI reflects a post-transcriptional mechanism. Finally, DEX-treated mast cells showed a reduced degranulation response to antigenic stimulation through down-regulation of surface FceRI expression in addition to DEX-induced changes in downstream signals. These results show that mast cell surface FceRI expression is suppressed by glucocorticoids in both the presence and absence of IgE, and suggest that reduction of mast cell surface FceRI levels may be one of the favorable anti-allergic actions of glucocorticoids.


The biology of the gray-sided vole Clethrionomys rufocanus in Hokkaido, concerning taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, distribution, and natural history, is reviewed. Applied issues in forest management (damage, control and census) are also mentioned. Although Clethrionomys rufocanus of Hokkaido was originally identified as a distinct species, Evotomys (=-now Clethrionomys) bedfordiae Thomas, 1905, current literature generally refers to the gray-sided vole of Hokkaido as Clethrionomys rufocanus or as C. rufocanus bedfordiae (vernacular name, the Bedford's red-backed vole). The gray-sided vole is the most common small mammal in Hokkaido. It inhabits open areas as well as forests, and mainly feeds on green plants. The gray-sided vole has a high reproductive potential; litter size: 4-7; gestation period: 18-19 days; maturation age: 30-60 days old. Although spring-born individuals usually attain sexual maturity in their summer/fall of birth, their maturation is sometimes suppressed under high densities. The breeding season is generally from April to October, but with some regional variation. Clethrionomys rufocanus has a rather specialized diet (folivorous), particularly during winter when it feeds on bamboo grass. Many predators specialize on the grey-sided vole in Hokkaido; even the red fox, which is a typical generalist predator, selectively feeds on this vole. Damage by voles' eating bark used to be sever on forest plantations in Hokkaido. Censuses of small rodents have been carried out for management purpose since 1954.


In this paper, we highlight how including technology, movement or play can boost a design process but with unbalanced amounts can also hamper the process. We provide a set of examples where we miscalculated the amount of technology, movement, or play that was needed in a design activity in such a way that it became counterproductive and for each example mention possible adaptations. Finally, we highlight three existing approaches that can balance the overabundance of technology, movement, and play in design processes: activity-centered design, somaesthetic design, and perspective-changing movement-based design.


Multiplex optical systems are designed to mix information channels on sensors. This paper considers the use of multiplex sensors to embed scene analysis in the optical layer of imaging systems. The goals of embedded analysis are to reduce the system data and processing load and to improve analytic accuracy by low-level filtering. We show specifically that filtering on the cross spectral density during detection allows the construction of sensors that integrate spatio-spectral patterns from specific volumes and that coded illumination patterns can structure the radiated cross spectrum to enable digital focusing on particular source characteristics.


A multiple laser having one or more gaseous laser stages and one or more free electron stages is described. Each of the free electron laser stages is sequentially pumped by a microwave linear accelerator. Subsequently, the electron beam is directed through a gaseous laser, in the preferred embodiment, and in an alternative embodiment, through a microwave accelerator to lower the energy level of the electron beam to pump one or more gaseous lasers. The combination laser provides high pulse repetition frequencies, on the order of 1 kHz or greater, high power capability, high efficiency, and tunability in the synchronous production of multiple beams of coherent optical radiation.


: The case of a male infant who was found to have hyperferritinemia was made at the age of 3 months is described. The patient and several members of his family from three generations were diagnosed with hereditary hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome with a new point mutation in the iron-responsive element of the L-ferritin gene. Differential diagnosis of hyperferritinemia is discussed with emphasis on the need for the knowledge of this entity to avoid unnecessary investigations.


The incidence of candidemia due to the uncommon non-albicans Candida species appears to be increasing, and certain species such as Candida (C.) membranaefaciens have been reported in some clinical researches. Vascular catheters are considered the likely culprit for the sudden emergence of hospital-acquired candidemia. The identification of C. membranaefaciens can be problematic in clinical practice owing to its phenotypic resemblance to C. guilliermondii. We report the first case of C. membranaefaciens in Iran, which occurred in a 70-year-old woman, who had coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We isolated germ-tube negative yeast from both blood culture and central venous catheter (CVC) tip culture on brain-heart infusion agar, Sabouraud dextrose agar plates, and biphasic brain-heart infusion media bottle; it developed smooth, pink colonies on CHROMagar Candida. By using the polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of theinternal transcribed spacer region of rDNA, we identified C. membranaefaciens. After the removal of the CVC and initiation of Fluconazole treatment, the patient's condition gradually improved and she was discharged from the hospital. The early detection of organisms in the catheter, removal of the catheter, and treatment with anti-fungal antibiotics have an important role in controlling disease and preventing septicemia after CABG. As C. membranaefaciens is an opportunistic Candida species, both clinicians and microbiologists should be aware of the factors that confer fast diagnosis and appropriate treatment.


The Triple P training model has been carefully developed to maintain the fidelity of the program, that is, to maximize the probability that the suite of programs delivered to parents globally closely matches those described and evaluated in the research literature. Three main areas of challenge are discussed: the recruitment, training, and support of Triple P trainers; the development, revision, and quality management of the training courses offered to practitioners; and the development, revision, and quality control of the resources provided to practitioners to support their delivery of the programs. Additional challenges are discussed, including adapting training protocols to changes in the workforce, ensuring practitioners maintain delivery fidelity over time, and exploring opportunities provided by developments in technology, particularly the potential for online training.


Habitat fragmentation, the process by which relatively continuous habitats is broken into smaller pieces, occurs in natural systems but is to a high degree also human-induced through landscape use. Fragmentation of the landscape produces a series of habitat patches surrounded by a matrix of different habitats and land use regimes. The major landscape consequences of fragmentation are loss of habitat, reduction in habitat patch size, and increasing isolation of habitat patches. In general, population performance declines in response to habitat loss but size of remaining area and isolation effects is known also to influence the population trend. Small mammals are well suited for examination of population responses to habitat
fragmentation as they have modest spatial requirements and short generation times.

In theory, organic farms could play an important role in the agricultural landscape as refuges for some small
mammal species, as the lack of pesticide and fertiliser treatment, less weed control, more diversified crop structure and a general environmental friendly attitude, form a basis for habitats that provide cover and food
for small mammals, and thus for larger predators of these species. Furthermore, density and area of small biotopes could be expected to be higher in the organic farms, thus leading to a decreased distance between optimal habitats.

This study compares species diversity and abundance of small mammals in conventional farms and intensively and extensively grown organic farms. In a wide range of different fields in conventional and organic farms, the diversity and density of small mammals were investigated by live-trapping sessions, comprising trap lines with 15 meters between each trap. We studied the responses of populations (belonging to 11 species of small mammals) to habitat patches of different size and different surrounding management strategies (ecological and conventional farming). We found a general correlation between the number of small mammal individuals and small biotope size.

This correlation applies in autumn as well as in spring. There is only a weak tendency for more small mammals in small biotopes within organic farms compared within conventional farms. The number of small mammal species stabilises at small biotope sizes around 1000 square meters. The value of organic farms in respect to small mammal biodiversity depends mainly upon the number and area of small biotopes, and only to a minor degree upon the treatments of the fields.


Strategic information systems planning (SISP) has been defined as the process of identifying a portfolio of computer-based applications that will assist an organization in executing its business plans and realizing its business goals. SISP is an important activity for helping information executives and top management identify strategic applications and align IT with business needs. Previous researchers and practitioner observers have identified measures of successful SISP and have recommended many prescriptions for achieving success.In this research, the SISP experiences of 105 planners contribute a new perspective on these prescriptions and the success of SISP. Planners extensively follow the prescriptions that promote the efficient management of the SISP study. Although they also extensively follow those prescriptions that lead to their own greater satisfaction, they do not so rigorously follow those that meet SISP objectives. However, the fit between information technology capabilities and the needs of the organization is important to them. Furthermore, plan implementation remains critical to meeting SISP objectives.Combined, these generalizations suggest the central contribution of this research-planner's paradox: The planner must complete the SISP study rapidly to facilitate its implementation but in doing so risks compromising its fit to the organization and therefore reduces its chances of implementation. The planner must thus plan rapidly enough to produce the plan quickly but carefully enough to produce a relevant one.


A commonly used cheoretical definition of superfluidity in the ground scate of a Bose gas is based on the response of the system to an imposed velocity field or, equivalently, to twisted boundary conditions in a box. We are able to carry out this program in the ease of a dilute interacting Bose gas in a trap, and we prove that a gas with repulsive interactions is 100% superfluid in the dilute limit in which the Gross-Pitaevskii equation is exact. This is the first example in an experimentally realistic continuum model in which superfluidity is rigorously verified.


Fluid homeostasis, which maintains a stable internal environment, is critical for survival. Body fluid is tightly monitored and regulated through its main components, water and salt. Here, I focus on the aspect of sodium regulation when sodium is the main cation in the extracellular fluid and is also required for primary metabolism. The depletion of sodium induces the retention of sodium but also a central mechanism to obtain sodium from the external sources. This need for sodium specifically drives animals towards sodium consumption, called sodium appetite. Even though sodium appetite is specific for only sodium ion, sodium appetite observed as an innate behavior across the animal kingdom. Sodium appetite is strictly regulated by both peripheral sensory signals and central appetite signals. Due to the development of genetic tools, I was able to investigate the neural basis of sodium appetite from searching sodium appetite dedicated neurons. Here, I identify two genetically defined neural circuits in mice that control sodium intake. The activation of these neurons drives robust sodium intake in sated animals. Particularly, prodynorphin expressing neurons in the pre-locus coeruleus shown specific consumption to sodium compounds, including rock salt. In terms of loss-of-function, inhibition of these neurons selectively reduced sodium consumption. It was further shown that these neurons receive sodium depleted signals by aldosterone-sensitive neurons. Previously, it was suggested that taste signals have a central role in sodium satiation. I demonstrate that the oral detection of sodium rapidly suppresses sodium appetite neurons. The blockage of the sodium taste or gastric infusion of sodium abolished the sodium suppression in the sodium appetite neurons. Consistently, gastric infusion of sodium did not cause sodium satiation. Moreover, retrograde-viral methods showed that specific inhibitory neurons partially mediate sensory modulation in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Together, I identified a specific neural population as a functional unit for sodium appetite. By knowing the dedicated circuits for sodium appetite, I demonstrated chemosensory and physiological signals regulate the neural circuits. The genetically defined neural population can be handle as an entry point of further investigation of the neural basis of sodium appetite.


The objective of this study was to determine whether the effects of low Mg content and/or cracks that typically populate olivine grains can explain why P and S wave velocities in samples of oceanic gabbro do not increase with increasing olivine content. The Mg content of olivine in these rocks is known to be appreciably less than Fo90, and optical, SEM, and electron microprobe analyses indicate that the "olivine" is actually an aggregate of olivine and 5–15% crack fill consisting of talc and/or serpentine plus magnetite. Voigt average models show that there is a strong, positive correlation between P wave velocities and Fo90 content but no correlation with Fo73. Because of its Mg content, olivine that is typical of oceanic gabbros does not influence seismic velocities. Adding 11% alteration of olivine to serpentine plus magnetite in the form of crack fill to the Fo73 model yields a nearly exact match between the model and measured P and S wave velocities. The fact that the crack fill consists largely of talc and/or serpentine indicates that these minerals formed by hydrothermal alteration in young, hot (>150°C) lower crust. Hence our results apply to gabbros in situ, as well as to the laboratory samples; seismic velocities in lower oceanic crust produced at high and intermediate spreading rates are controlled principally by the degree of hydrothermal alteration of the gabbros that compose the lower crust.


Fetal patency of the ductus arteriosus is an active state maintained by the relaxant action of a prostaglandin, most probably prostaglandin E2. This PG mechanism is most active in the immature ductus and decreases toward term. The ductus closes when this prostaglandin effect if withdrawn. Indomethacin may induce closure of the patent ductus arteriosus of prematurity. It is most likely to be successful if given intravenously and early in postnatal life. Prostaglandin E1, to maintain patency of the ductus, is now established in the emergency management of several congenital heart defects causing problems in the newborn.


All-optical wavelength conversion and signal regeneration based on cross-absorption modulation in an InGaAsP quantum well electroabsorption modulator (EAM) is studied at different bit rates. We present theoretical results showing wavelength conversion efficiency in agreement with existing experimental results, and the signal regeneration capability of the device is investigated. In particular, we demonstrate the dependence of the extinction ratio of both the converted signal and the control signal on the device length and on the power level of the control signal. We also show how the sweep-out dynamics influences the results.