Infectious diseases are considered a major cause of morbidity and/or mortality worldwide, despite the development of preventive and control strategies. Infectious diseases result from the invasion of body tissues by disease-causing microorganisms. The occurrence and development of infectious diseases are closely associated with the functional state of the immune system. Interleukins play significant roles in modulating the immune response of the host during the course of an infectious disease, contributing to the maintenance of the homeostasis of the immune system. The use of biosensors for the detection of interleukins is a new and important strategy for the diagnosis of the infection and the immunological response profile that occurs for specific diseases, thus helping in the effective diagnosis, and allowing physicians to design treatment in a faster way, which contributes to better prognosis. For example, in the oral environment there are two major infectious diseases: caries and periodontitis. The microbes involved are respectively, Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonasgingivalis. The presence of specific interleukins in saliva or crevicular fluid will indicate that there is potentially an infectious disease, which could be connected with either caries or periodontal disease. For instance, an indicative for caries could be the presence of IL-6 in saliva, while periodontal disease would be confirmed by the presence of IL-17 in crevicular fluid. In addition, both diseases could be confirmed by the detection of higher levels of each of one of the pathogens. Considering the development of biosensor design and construction, the answer to all these question could be obtained in a single analysis. Mini Review


Chromium and its compounds are among the most well known strategic and critical materials in the world having a wide range of uses in the metals and chemical industries accompanied with chromium containing byproducts resulted in pollution of the environment. Chromium exists in the environment commonly in two oxidation states; Chromium (III) and chromium (VI), the later with the most toxic. The level of chromium contamination of water and soil samples in the peripheral of Abbay River were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Horiba Scientific Ultima 2. The level of total chromium at the riparian of upper Abbay River both in the water and soil samples indicated higher concentrations near the wastewater discharge points from industries compared to the control site (above the industries). A sample taken near the discharge point of Habesha Tannery wastewater (S7), an average of 8.420 ± 5.409 mg/L total chromium was analysed, which is beyond the permissible limit to the surface water discharge set by WHO. It was also at this point, maximum chromium contamination in the soil was identified with an average of 232.465 ± 56.219 mg/kg. This was much higher than the control 7.60 ± 0.47 mg/kg. This study showed that the two tanneries discharge high chromium containing wastewater resulted from low treatment potential of the existing treatment plants established by the industries.


When the ranges of two hybridizing species overlap, individuals may 'waste' gametes on inviable or infertile hybrids. In these cases, selection against maladaptive hybridization can lead to the evolution of enhanced reproductive isolation in a process called reinforcement. On the slopes of the African island of São Tomé, Drosophila yakuba and its endemic sister species D. santomea have a well-defined hybrid zone. Drosophila yakuba females from within this zone show increased postmating-prezygotic isolation towards D. santomea males when compared with D. yakuba females from allopatric populations. To understand why reinforced gametic isolation is confined to areas of secondary contact and has not spread throughout the entire D. yakuba geographic range, we studied the costs of reinforcement in D. yakuba using a combination of natural collections and experimental evolution. We found that D. yakuba males from sympatric populations sire fewer progeny than allopatric males when mated to allopatric D. yakuba females. Our results suggest that the correlated evolution of male and female reproductive traits in sympatric D. yakuba have associated costs (i.e., reduced male fertility) that prevent the alleles responsible for enhanced isolation from spreading outside the hybrid zone.


Quantitative fluorescence microscopy is becoming an increasingly important tool in the study of cell biology. Fluorescence microscopy has long been used for qualitative characterizations of subcellular distributions of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and ions, but quantifying these distributions is complicated by a variety of optical, biological, and physical factors. Many factors that complicate quantification of fluorescence in cells can be circumvented by analyzing fluorescence ratios derived from pairs of fluorescence images. In this review we will discuss the factors that affect fluorescence quantification, the advantages of quantifying fluorescence as a ratio, and give examples of how fluorescence ratio microscopy is being applied in studies of cell biology.—Dunn, K. W., Mayor, S., Myers, J. N., Maxfield, F. R. Applications of ratio fluorescence microscopy in the study of cell physiology. FASEB J. 8: 573‐582; 1994.


Ivermectin has been widely acknowledged to cause neurotoxicity in chelonians even at a dose of 50 µg/kg body weight. Interestingly, another member of the macrocyclic lactone family namely milbemycin, did not induce any observable toxic effects when administered to chelonians at therapeutic doses. However, injectable milbemycin is currently not available in the market and has to be prepared from technical grade materials. There is a need for injectable endo- and ecto-parasiticides that can be used safely in chelonians, which have a unique anatomy that makes it difficult to administer oral medication. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not doramectin given at twice the usual therapeutic dose (600 µg/kg body weight) will result in toxicity in the red-eared sliders. For this study, the sliders were distributed into 4 groups and doramectin was administered intramuscularly to the sliders according to dose group; low dose group (100 µg/kg body weight, n=4), medium dose group (300 µg/kg body weight, n=4), and a high dose group (600 µg/kg body weight, n=4), while the control group (n=4) was given 0.9% NaCl injections. They were monitored for signs of neurotoxicity, particularly paresis and paralysis for 4 weeks following doramectin administration. Blood samples were taken before treatment and at the conclusion of the study. The red-eared sliders were then humanely euthanised and samples of the liver and brain examined histopathologically. No clinical sign was observed throughout the 4-week study, and the blood results and histopathology did show significant findings. This indicates that doramectin can be used with no obvious adverse effects in red-eared sliders even at a high dose of 600 µg/kg body weight.


The foremost and fundamental of human society is the family unit. A family is established by the coming together of a man and woman, and their contact brings into existence a new generation. This then produces ties of kinship and community, which, in turn, gradually develop further ties. The family is an instrument of continuity, which prepares the succeeding generation to serve human civilization and to discharge its social obligations with devotion, sincerity and enthusiasm, This institution does not merely recruit cadets for the maintenance of human culture, but positively desires that those who are to come will be better members of society. In this respect the family can be truly called the source of the progress, development, prosperity and strength of human civilization. Islam therefore devotes much attention to the issues relating to the family and strives to establish is on the healthiest and strongest possible foundations.

According to Islam the correct relationship between man and woman is marriage, a relationship in which social responsibilities are fully accepted and which results in the emergence of a family. Islam does not dismiss sexual permissiveness and other similar types of irresponsible behavior as mere innocent pastimes or ordinary transgressions. Rather, they are acts which strike at the very roots of society. Hence, Islam holds all extra-marital sex as sinful and forbidden (Haram) and makes it a criminal offence. Severe punishments are prescribed to deter would-be offenders.

Veil, which regulates the free association of men and women, restriction on erotic music and obscene pictures and the discouragement of the spread of all forms of pornography, are other weapons used in the fight to protect and strengthen the institution of the family. Islam does not look on adult celibacy simply with disfavor; it calls on every young man to take upon himself the social responsibilities of married life just as his parents did in their time. Nor does Islam regard asceticism and lifelong celibacy merely as being of no benefit; it sees them as departures from the nature of man and as acts of revolt against the Divine scheme of things. It also strongly disapproves of those rites, ceremonies or' restrictions which tend to make marriage a difficult affair. Islam tries to make; marriage the easiest and fornication the most societies today. Hence, after debarring certain blood relatives from entering into matrimony with one another, it has legalized marriage with all other near and distant kith and kin. It has removed all distinctions of caste and community, and permitted matrimony of any Muslim with any other Muslim. It has urged that the mehr (dower) should be fixed at a figure, which can be easily borne by both sides. It has dispensed with the necessity of priests and register offices. It has dispensed with the necessity of priests and register offices. In an Islamic society marriage is a plain and simple 'ceremony, which can be, performed anywhere before two witnesses, though it is essential that the proceedings should not be kept secret. Society must know that the couples are now going to live as husband and wife.

Within the family itself Islam has assigned to the man a position of authority so that he can maintain order and discipline as the head of the household. Islam expects the wife to obey her husband and look after his well-being, and it expects the children to behave accordingly to their parents. Islam does not favor a loose and discipline. Discipline can only be maintained through a central authority and, in the view of Islam, the position of. father in the family is such that it makes him the fittest person to have this responsibility.

But this does not mean that man has been made a household tyrant and woman has been handed over to him as a helpless chattel. According to Islam the real spirit of material life is love, understanding and mutual respect. If woman has been asked to obey her husband the latter has been called on make the welfare of his family his top priority.

Although Islam places great emphasis on the marital bond, it only wants it to remain intact as long as it is founded on the sweetness of love or there exists at least the possibility of lasting companionship. If neither of these two conditions obtain, it gives man the right of divorce and won1an the right of separation, and under certain conditions, where married life has become a source of misery, the Islamic courts of justice have the authority to annul the marriage. Islam recognizes family as a basic social unit. Along with the husband-wife relationship the parent-child relationship is the most important one. To maintain any social relationship both parties must have some clear-cut Rights as well as obligations. The relationship is reciprocal. Duties of one side are the Rights of parents are the obligations (duties) of the children and vice versa, the Rights of children are obligations (duties) of parents. Islam clearly defines the Rights of parents (which mean duties of children) and obligations of parents (which means Rights of children), and same like the rights (duties) of spouse. In this thesis have to analyze family system of Islam in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah. Thesis divided into six chapters (abwab), each chapter has sub sections (fasool).


The main algorithm of computer-assisted absorption and emission photometry of samples on a microplate is presented. The software can be used for the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and other virological tests. The performances of an SPF-500 (Aminco) spectrofluorometer/Felix M18 microcomputer system are discussed on the ground of some results obtained by using the implemented programs.


Women face unique pathologies and challenges related to the female genital tract (FGT), including vaginal infections and gynecologic cancers. Vaginal infections faced by women include bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VC), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Curcumin, a component of the dietary spice turmeric, has immense biological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects. It has no side effects and is well-tolerated, making it an ideal treatment modality highly desired by women. Recently, our laboratory showed, for the first time ever, that curcumin exhibits a spermicidal and broad-spectrum microbicidal activity against several species of bacteria and yeast involved in vaginal infections. Thus, it could provide a novel, non-steroidal contraceptive having both spermicidal and microbicidal properties and can be panacea in women for treatment of several FGT pathologies, including gynecologic cancers.


Described in this paper is a method to obtain equivalent modal viscous damping ratios from stiffness and energy dissipation properties of structural components. Specifically, modal viscous damping ratios are computed as the weighted sum of component energy ratios (ratio of energy dissipated to peak potential energy per cycle of motion) weighted by the ratios of component to total peak potential energies. Component energy ratios may be estimated from vibration studies of the individual components or similar structures made exclusively of the component materials. Component potential energies may be computed from component stiffness matrices and modal deflections. A great simplification is that total peak potential energy may be computed as half the natural circular frequency squared for mode shapes normalized such that the generalized mass equals unity. Modal viscous damping ratios are computed for four example structures all having reinforced concrete frames with gypsum wallboard partitions. Damping ratios predicted and measured vary from 2% to 5%.


Malignant tumours are the second main cause of mortality worldwide, with haematological malignancies representing 10%. Current treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and stem cell transplantation, are mostly effective but may induce serious side effects. In addition, tumours are developing resistance against most of these conventional therapies. Immunotherapy is a promising investigational approach, especially hybrid cell vaccination, in which a professional APC is fused to a tumour cell, and the fusion product mostly combines the antigenicity of the tumour cell partner, processed and presented through the relevant APC-machinery, and associated with co-stimulatory molecules CD80, CD86, and CD40 expression, for proper induction of anti-tumour immune responses. I investigated the phenotypic and functional characteristics of a group of previouslymade hybrid cell lines, generated by in vitro fusion of a human APC (HMy2; EBV Blymphoblastoid cell line) with haematological ex vivo or immortalized tumour cells. On co-culture with allogeneic (normal donors) peripheral blood lymphocytes, hybrid cell lines induced elevated levels of T-cell proliferation compared with their relevant tumour cells, which was dependent on expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86, and MHC class I and class II antigens. The hybrid cell lines induced proliferation of naive, central memory, and effector memory populations of CD4 + , CD8 + T-cells. Moreover, the hybrid cells expressed a range of tumour associated antigens not expressed by HMy2 cells, or by normal PBMC. Depending on that, tumour-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes were induced in vitro by stimulation of allogeneic or autologous PBMCs for multiple rounds with selected hybrid cell lines in the presence of rhIL-2. Tumourand antigen-specificity of the activated T cells were assessed by IFN-γ releasing ELISpot, MHC class I (HLA-A2)-restricted tumour peptide-specific pentamer staining, and 51 Cr-release cytotoxicity assays. Hybrid cell vaccines generated in this way may therefore represent a novel strategy for use in immunotherapy of haematological malignancies, and possibly in other forms of cancer as well.


To manage a metastatic cancer patient in a rural setting is a daunting task owing to the lack of resources and infrastructure. Intravenous chemotherapy (CT), with its debilitating side effects, often causes a decrease in the quality of life (QOL) of the patient. When the treatment is of palliative intent, efforts should be made to provide maximum symptom relief to the patient, striking a balance between the patient's wishes and a sound scientific rationale. We describe our experience with a patient with extensively metastatic breast cancer treated in our rural center with single-agent oral capecitabine, without development of any severe toxicity and with a significant improvement in disease process and patient's performance status (PS).


Is the seniority structure of sovereign debt neutral for a government's decision between defaulting and raising surpluses? In this paper, we address this question using a model of debt crises where a discretionary government endogenously chooses distortionary taxation and whether to apply an optimal haircut to bondholders. We show that when the size of senior tranches is small, a version of the Modigliani-Miller theorem holds: tranching just redistributes government revenues from junior to senior bondholders, while taxes and government borrowing costs remain unchanged. However, as senior tranches become sufficiently large, default costs on senior debt transpire into a stronger commitment to repay not only the senior tranche, but also the junior one. We show that there is a lower threshold for senior bonds above which tranching can eliminate default on both junior and senior debt, and an upper threshold beyond which the government defaults also on senior debt.


Dickeya species are causal agents of soft rot diseases in many economically important crops, including soft rot disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum). Using random barcode transposon-site sequencing (RB-TnSeq), we generated genome-wide mutant fitness profiles of Dickeya dadantii 3937, Dickeya dianthicola ME23, and Dickeya dianthicola 67-19 isolates collected after passage through several in vitro and in vivo conditions. Though all three strains are pathogenic on potato, D. dadantii 3937 is a well-characterized model while D. dianthicola strains ME23 and 67-19 are recent isolates. Strain ME23 specifically was identified as a representative strain from a 2014 outbreak on potato. This study generated comparable gene fitness measurements across ecologically relevant conditions for both model and non-model strains. Tubers from the potato cultivars "Atlantic," "Dark Red Norland," and "Upstate Abundance" provided highly similar conditions for bacterial growth. Using the homolog detection software PyParanoid, we matched fitness values for orthologous genes in the three bacterial strains. Direct comparison of fitness among the strains highlighted shared and variable traits important for growth. Bacterial growth in minimal medium required many metabolic traits that were also essential for competitive growth in planta, such as amino acid, carbohydrate, and nucleotide biosynthesis. Growth in tubers specifically required the pectin degradation gene kduD. Disruption in three putative DNA-binding proteins had strain-specific effects on competitive fitness in tubers. Though the Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae can cause disease with little host specificity, it remains to be seen the extent to which strain-level variation impacts virulence.


Connecting melatonin receptor variants to signaling differences reveals paths to type 2 diabetes therapy. Melatonin meets diabetes Some of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) occur in the gene encoding the melatonin receptor MT2, a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR). Karamitri et al. measured the spontaneous and melatonin-stimulated signaling of 40 different MT2 variants. Computational analysis of these signaling profiles and assessment of genetic association data showed that those MT2 variants with defective melatonin-stimulated G protein signaling and reduced spontaneous β-arrestin recruitment were associated with the greatest risk for T2D. These data may aid in the development of specific treatments for T2D depending on the patient's MT2 variant. Moreover, the experimental approach may be applied to assess the impact of other GPCR mutations on disease associations. Melatonin is produced during the night and regulates sleep and circadian rhythms. Loss-of-function variants in MTNR1B, which encodes the melatonin receptor MT2, a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR), are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). To identify specific T2D-associated signaling pathway(s), we profiled the signaling output of 40 MT2 variants by monitoring spontaneous (ligand-independent) and melatonin-induced activation of multiple signaling effectors. Genetic association analysis showed that defects in the melatonin-induced activation of Gαi1 and Gαz proteins and in spontaneous β-arrestin2 recruitment to MT2 were the most statistically significantly associated with an increased T2D risk. Computational variant impact prediction by in silico evolutionary lineage analysis strongly correlated with the measured phenotypic effect of each variant, providing a predictive tool for future studies on GPCR variants. Together, this large-scale functional study provides an operational framework for the postgenomic analysis of the multiple GPCR variants present in the human population. The association of T2D risk with signaling pathway–specific defects opens avenues for pathway-specific personalized therapeutic intervention and reveals the potential relevance of MT2 function during the day, when melatonin is undetectable, but spontaneous activity of the receptor occurs.


Replication or even modelling of consciousness in machines requires some clarifications and refinements of our concept of consciousness. Design of, construction of, and interaction with artificial systems can itself assist in this conceptual development. We start with the tentative hypothesis that although the word 'consciousness' has no well-defined meaning, it is used to refer to aspects of human and animal information processing. We then argue that we can enhance our understanding of what these aspects might be by designing and building virtual- machine architectures capturing various features of consciousness. This activity may in turn nurture the development of our concepts of consciousness, showing how an analysis based on information processing virtual machines answers old philosophical puzzles as well enriching empirical theories. This process of developing and testing ideas by developing and testing designs leads to gradual refinement of many of our pre-theoretical concepts of mind, showing how they can be construed as implicitly 'architecture-based' concepts. Understanding how human-like robots with appropriate architectures are likely to feel puzzled about qualia may help us resolve those puzzles. The concept of 'qualia' turns out to be an 'architecture-based' concept, while individual qualia concepts are 'architecture-driven'.


Cod and pollock abundances and distributions shift as climate and ocean conditions change The cold-temperate regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans, from about 40°N latitude to the Arctic fronts, support large and productive fisheries (1), particularly in the northernmost regions: the Bering Sea in the Pacific and the Barents Sea in the Atlantic. The two main near-bottom fish species in the Bering and Barents seas are walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) and Atlantic cod (G. morhua), respectively. In the past decade, the two species have responded differently to ocean warming. These response patterns appear to be linked to a complex suite of climatic and oceanic processes that may portend future responses to warming ocean conditions.


According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 37,660 deaths will occur in 2011 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. The onset of pancreatic cancer is often devoid of symptoms and is mostly diagnosed at a stage where survival rate is less than 5%. Thus, chemoprevention could play an important role in the fight against this silent yet deadly disease. The objective of our study was to use combinations of chemopreventive agents namely piroxicam (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), curcumin (a natural spice with significant cancer chemopreventive properties) and sulforaphane (a potent broccoli extract) in very low doses to inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis on two human pancreatic cancer cell lines, MIA PaCA-2 and Panc-1. More importantly, we compared the effects of the chemopreventive combinations in both, unmodified (free drug) and modified forms, encapsulated within solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). SLNs were prepared using a process of hot-melt oil in water (o/w) emulsion technique using stearic acid as the lipid backbone to which the chemopreventive agents were added and then recovered as nanoparticles (∼200 nm size) after a process of freeze-drying. MTS cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell colony forming assays were conducted on cultured cells. For the MTS assay, upon 75 % confluence, 2.5 × 103 cells for MIA PaCa-2 and 4 × 103 cells for Panc-1 were transferred into each well of 96-well plates. The PCS chemopreventive agents alone or in combination were added to the cells and incubated for 72 h. Absorbance was recorded at 490 nm using an ELISA plate reader. For the apoptosis assay, 3 × 105 cells were cultured in 6-well plates for both MIA PaCa-2 and Panc-1 cell-lines. PCS, individual or combinations, were added and the plates were incubated for 72 h. Cells were analyzed using flow cytometry, measuring the fluorescence emission at 530 nm (FL1) and >575 nm (FL3). For the cell colony formation assays, MIA PaCa-2 and Panc-1 cells were seeded at a density of 1 ml containing 3 × 104 cells, incubated for a period of 24 h. After treatment with PCS alone and in combinations, cells were trypsinized then incubated for a period of 10 days. The number of colonies with >50 cells were counted under a dissecting microscope. IC50 values obtained for the unmodified and modified forms of piroxicam were (663.1μM; 52.85μM), curcumin (16.05μM; 4.93μM) respectively and free sulforaphane at 11.82 μM/L for MIA PaCa-2 cells. For Panc-1 cells, the IC50 values for unmodified and modified piroxicam were (389.3μM; 66.96μM), curcumin (24.01μM; 7.5μM) respectively and free sulforaphane at 17.81μM/L. For MIA PaCa-2 cell line, unmodified combinations of piroxicam (250μM) with curcumin (10μM) and sulforaphane (5μM) showed significant reduction in cell viability of > 60% using MTS assay. In comparison, lower concentrations of piroxicam SLN (25μM) and curcumin SLN (2.5μM) with free sulforaphane (5μM) mixtures showed decrease in cell viability by >47.4%. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated apoptosis of 71% (unmodified) and 38.4% (modified) for the combinations, at the same concentration ranges as above. Panc-1 cell line treated with similar concentrations of unmodified and modified SLN combinations showed a >82% and >45.79% decrease in cell viability and 91% and 54.6% apoptotic cells, respectively. Colony formation assays in both cell lines showed a significant decrease (p value Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):B64.


A new approach for unwrapping phase maps, obtained during the measurement of 3-D surfaces using sinusoidal structured light projection technique, is proposed. "Takeda's method" is used to obtain the wrapped phase map. Proposed method of unwrapping makes use of an additional image of the object captured under the illumination of a specifically designed color-coded pattern. The new approach demonstrates, for the first time, a method of producing reliable unwrapping of objects even with surface discontinuities from a single-phase map. It is shown to be significantly faster and reliable than temporal phase unwrapping procedure that uses a complete exponential sequence. For example, if a measurement with the accuracy obtained by interrogating the object with S fringes in the projected pattern is carried out with both the methods, new method requires only 2 frames as compared to (log2S +1) frames required by the later method.


ABSTRACT A new, simple, specific, and rapid ultra high performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of aripiprazole and its active metabolite dehydroaripiprazole in rat plasma. The analysis was performed on a Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 µm particles) column using gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and acetate buffer (30 mM, pH 5). Plasma samples were analyzed after a simple, one-step protein precipitation with acetonitrile. The method was validated and the specificity, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, precision, accuracy, recoveries, matrix effect, stability and robustness were determined. The analytes and internal standard were separated in 3.5 min and the total analysis time including the clean-up step was 8 min. Limit of detection was 0.012 µg mL -1 and 0.009 µg mL for aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole, respectively. Limit of quantitation was 0.039 µg mL -1 and 0.029 µg mL for aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole, respectively.The intra- and inter-day assay variability was less than 2% for the analytes. The proposed method is rapid, reproducible and accurate to quantify both aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole. It involves a simple plasma deproteination technique using one step protein precipitation with acetonitrile. This validated method was successfully used to quantify plasma concentrations of the analytes in rat plasma.


Success of a teaching learning process is influenced by a method of learning that is used in a class. A method can support the teaching learning process. Therefore a teacher must choose an appropriate method. There is a new method that is recently talked in Indonesian educational world. It is called hypnoteaching. "Hypnoteaching forms of a learning method which is creative, unique and also imaginative"[1]. The purpose of this research is to observe whether the hypnoteaching influences students in learning English vocabulary. Moreover a researcher also wants to know how this method influences students in vocabulary teaching learning process. The research is a qualitative research that uses 15 second semester students as samples. It is held in Bandar Lampung University.The research uses interview, observation and test in collecting data. The research finds thathypnoteaching influences the teaching learning process. Hypnoteaching can create happy, relaxed and enthusiastic condition in vocabulary class so it can improve student's vocabulary mastery.


REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY
Hyperinsulinaemia is known to induce laminitis experimentally in healthy ponies with no history of the condition. Horses are more insulin sensitive than ponies and whether prolonged hyperinsulinaemia and euglycaemia would have a similar laminitogenic effect requires study.

OBJECTIVES
To determine if laminitis results when the prolonged euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique (p-EHC) is applied to clinically normal Standardbred horses, and to monitor hoof wall temperature seeking an association between vascular activity and laminitis development.

METHODS
Eight young, clinically normal Standardbred horses were assigned into 4 pairs and within each pair, one was assigned randomly to either treatment (n = 4) or control (n = 4) groups. Treated horses received continuous infusions of insulin and glucose until clinical signs of laminitis developed, at which point the horses were subjected to euthanasia. Control horses received an equivalent volume of a balanced electrolyte infusion for the same period. Hoof wall surface temperature (HWST) was monitored continuously throughout the experimental period.

RESULTS
All horses in the treatment group were calculated to have normal insulin sensitivity. All treated horses, and none in the control group, developed laminitis (P = 0.01). Pronounced digital pulses were a feature of the treatment group, while insignificant digital pulses occurred in control horses. HWST was higher and less variable in treated horses once hyperinsulinaemia was established.

CONCLUSIONS
Healthy Standardbred horses subjected to prolonged hyperinsulinaemia develop laminitis within 48 h, demonstrating that laminitis in horses can be triggered by insulin.

POTENTIAL RELEVANCE
Insulin resistance and the associated hyperinsulinaemia place horses and ponies at risk of developing laminitis. This study demonstrates a need for prompt management of the persistent hyperinsulinaemia seen in some endocrinopathies.


Abstract Kochia plants resistant (R) to field rates of dicamba were characterized for their frequency of occurrence and levels of resistance and for the physiological fate of applied 14C-dicamba. Of 167 randomly sampled fields and seven fields identified by producers to contain R kochia, 19 contained plants that produced 1% or more R progeny. The maximum percentage of R progeny produced by parental plants from any field was 13%. An inbred R line derived from a field collection was 4.6-fold more resistant to dicamba than an inbred susceptible (S) line. Rates of 14C-dicamba uptake and translocation were similar in R and susceptible (S) plants up to 168 h after treatment (HAT). Concentrations of the primary metabolite, 5-hydroxy dicamba, were similar in R and S tissues up to 60 HAT, although amounts were significantly greater in R treated leaves by 96 and 168 HAT. However, because there were negligible levels of dicamba metabolites in R shoots and because the rate of metabolism was relatively slow, the observed changes were inadequate to account for observed resistance levels. Thus, dicamba resistance in kochia cannot be attributed to differential herbicide absorption, translocation, or metabolism. These findings, together with our field observations on the unusually slow spread of resistance within and among fields may indicate that dicamba resistance is a quantitative trait. Nomenclature: Dicamba; kochia, Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad KCHSC.


The overall goal of the analysis presented in this report is to advance the understanding and integration in operational terms of environmental water allocation into integrated water resources management. The specific objectives of this report are the following: 1) document the changing understanding of environmental flows, by both water resources practitioners and by environmental experts within the Bank and in borrowing countries; 2) draw lessons from experience in implementing environmental flows by the Bank, other international development organizations with experience in this area, and a small number of developed and developing countries; 3) develop an analytical framework to support more effective integration of environmental flow considerations for informing and guiding: (a) the planning, design, and operations decision making of water resources infrastructure projects; (b) the legal, policy, institutional, and capacity development related to environmental flows; and (c) restoration programs; and 4) provide recommendations for improvements in technical guidance to better incorporate environmental flow considerations into the preparation and implementation of lending operations.


The IEA's publications have a reputation for challenging established ideas and Dr Kurt Schuler's research in central banking is in that tradition. In this field the conventional view is that every independent country should have its own central bank so that it can conduct an independent monetary policy. And on this basis many developing countries have established central banks. In this publication Schuler gathers evidence to determine whether or not countries with central banks can claim superior economic performance to those with other monetary systems. Schuler's evidence is unusual in that it relates to virtually the whole population of countries, rather than a statistical sample: 155 countries included in his study have over 99 per cent of the world's population and produce over 99 per cent of its output. By using only the most straightforward statistical techniques he produces results which will surprise many policy-makers: Almost all the currency quality measures indicate that central banking in developing countries has performed worse than other monetary systems and worse than central banking in developed countries. Monetary policy in most developed countries yields a low-quality product at unnecessarily high cost to consumers. Poor monetary performance has cost many developing countries much-needed growth.


Serotonin neurons of the dorsal and median raphe nuclei (DR, MR) collectively innervate the entire forebrain and midbrain, modulating diverse physiology and behavior. To gain a fundamental understanding of their molecular heterogeneity, we used plate-based single-cell RNA-sequencing to generate a comprehensive dataset comprising eleven transcriptomically distinct serotonin neuron clusters. Systematic in situ hybridization mapped specific clusters to the principal DR, caudal DR, or MR. These transcriptomic clusters differentially express a rich repertoire of neuropeptides, receptors, ion channels, and transcription factors. We generated novel intersectional viral-genetic tools to access specific subpopulations. Whole-brain axonal projection mapping revealed that DR serotonin neurons co-expressing vesicular glutamate transporter-3 preferentially innervate the cortex, whereas those co-expressing thyrotropin-releasing hormone innervate subcortical regions in particular the hypothalamus. Reconstruction of 50 individual DR serotonin neurons revealed diverse and segregated axonal projection patterns at the single-cell level. Together, these results provide a molecular foundation of the heterogenous serotonin neuronal phenotypes.


Introduction 'Stealth vaping' is the practice of vaping discreetly in places where electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is prohibited. While anecdotal evidence suggests that stealth vaping is common, there have been no formal studies of the behaviour. The purpose of this study is to examine stealth vaping behaviour among experienced e-cigarette users. Methods Data were collected from the follow-up survey of a large longitudinal cohort study of adult experienced e-cigarette users conducted in January 2017. To measure stealth vaping behaviour, participants were asked 'Have you ever 'stealth vaped', that is to say, used an e-cig in a public place where it was not approved and attempted to conceal your e-cig use? (yes/no)'. Participants indicating yes completed additional questions about the frequency of stealth vaping and were asked to select all the locations where they commonly stealth vape. Frequencies were used to examine the overall prevalence, frequency and common locations for stealth vaping. A logistic regression model was run to predict stealth vaping. Results Approximately two-thirds (64.3%, n=297/462) of the sample reported ever stealth vaping, of which 52.5% (n=156/297) reported stealth vaping in the past week. Among stealth vapers (n=297), 31% reported owning a smaller device solely for stealth vaping. The most common places to stealth vape included at work (46.8%), followed by bars/nightclubs (42.1%), restaurants (37.7%), at the movies (35.4%) and in airports/on airplanes (11.7%). Predictors of stealth vaping were greater dependence and owning a smaller device solely for stealth vaping. Conclusions Stealth vaping is a common behaviour for many experienced e-cigarette users. More research is needed to understand the reasons for stealth vaping and its potential health and safety implications. This information could help researchers and regulators to design interventions to minimise the public health impact of stealth vaping.


Fault ruptures in the Earth's crust generate both elastic and electromagnetic (EM) waves. If the corresponding EM signals can be observed, then earthquakes could be detected before the first seismic waves arrive. In this study, I consider the piezomagnetic effect as a mechanism that converts elastic waves to EM energy, and I derive analytical formulas for the conversion process. The situation considered in this study is a whole-space model, in which elastic and EM properties are uniform and isotropic. In this situation, the governing equations of the elastic and EM fields, combined with the piezomagnetic constitutive law, can be solved analytically in the time domain by ignoring the displacement current term. Using the derived formulas, numerical examples are investigated, and the corresponding characteristics of the expected magnetic signals are resolved. I show that temporal variations in the magnetic field depend strongly on the electrical conductivity of the medium, meaning that precise detection of signals generated by the piezomagnetic effect is generally difficult. Expected amplitudes of piezomagnetic signals are estimated to be no larger than 0.3 nT for earthquakes with a moment magnitude of ≥7.0 at a source distance of 25 km; however, this conclusion may not extend to the detection of real earthquakes, because piezomagnetic stress sensitivity is currently poorly constrained.


Although toxic effects of microcystins (MCs) in mammals and fish have been extensively studied, the effects of MCs on the immune system and gut microbiota of amphibians have not received sufficient attention. As MCs cause general damage to the vertebrate liver and immune system and trigger an inflammatory response, and the gut microbiota is closely related to host metabolism and immunity, we speculated that MCs can cause changes in the immune system and gut microbiota of amphibians. To verify this, we examined the intestinal and liver injury of Xenopus laevis exposed to different microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) concentrations and the effects on the gut microbiota through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA of the gut microbiota combined with histopathological analysis, enzyme activity determination, and qRT-PCR. Our results showed that MC-LR caused focal infiltration of inflammatory cells and increased the number of T cells and local congestion and vacuolization in X. laevis liver, but reduced the number, density, height, and regularity of villi. These liver and intestinal injuries became more obvious with an increase in MC-LR concentration. MC-LR significantly decreased the activities of malondialdehyde and alkaline phosphatase and the expression of TGF-β in the liver. Moreover, MC-LR significantly altered the gut microbiota of X. laevis. The relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in high-concentration MC-LR groups was significantly reduced compared to that in low-concentration MC-LR groups, whereas Fusobacteria was significantly enriched. The metabolic gene composition of the gut microbiota in low-concentration MC-LR (≤5 μg/L) groups was significantly different from that in high-concentration MC-LR (≥20 μg/L) groups. These results deepen our understanding of the toxicity of MCs to aquatic organisms and assessment of the ecological risk of MCs in amphibians.


CRISPR-based genome editing using ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes and synthetic single stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (ssODN) donors can be highly effective. However, reproducibility can vary, and precise, targeted integration of longer constructs – such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) tags remains challenging in many systems. Here we describe a streamlined and optimized editing protocol for the nematode C. elegans. We demonstrate its efficacy, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness by affinity-tagging all twelve of the Worm-specific Argonaute (WAGO) proteins in C. elegans using ssODN donors. In addition, we describe a novel PCR-based partially single-stranded "hybrid" donor design that yields high efficiency editing with large (kilobase-scale) constructs. We use these hybrid donors to introduce fluorescent protein tags into multiple loci achieving editing efficiencies that approach those previously obtained only with much shorter ssODN donors. The principals and strategies described here are likely to translate to other systems and should allow researchers to reproducibly and efficiently obtain both long and short precision genome edits.


Ownership reform was introduced to Chinese state-owned enterprises in the early 1990s, to allow employees to own a share of their enterprises and to bring changes to the underlying structure of governance. However, effectiveness of this reform has yet to be ascertained. This study examines the effects of the new employee stock ownership scheme and board compositions on the attitudes employees hold towards their jobs and organizations, as well as their perceptions of ownership. We developed a theoretical model on how participation in a stock ownership scheme (an employee's characteristic) and the composition of the board of governance (a firm characteristic) may be linked to job satisfaction and, in turn, to outcome variables such as psychological ownership and organizational optimism. This model was tested on 510 employees randomly sampled from ten stock-holding enterprises in urban Shanghai. Results indicate that participation in a stock ownership scheme has a positive effect on attitudes towards ownership, but that a board dominated by senior managers leads to gloomy perception of a firm's future. These effects were partially mediated by the satisfaction that employees felt in their jobs. The implications of these findings for management practices in China are discussed.


In this work, solvent exfoliated molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) has been exploited for the electrochemical (EC) sensing of mercury(II) ions (Hg2+). A 30-fold increase in peak current compared to that of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and a detection limit (LOD) of 0.000001 nM, i.e. in parts per quadrillion (0.2 ppq) levels, which satisfactorily meets the sensitivity requirement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were exhibited by the MoS2/GCE. Furthermore, the MoS2 electrode demonstrated an excellent selectivity towards Hg2+ with almost nil current response for most other metal ions except Ag+. No interference was observed from Ag+ during simultaneous determination of Hg2+ and Ag+ as the latter peak was observed at a higher peak potential with a ΔE of ∼0.4 V. The MoS2/GCE extended the remarkable sensing of Hg2+ to real water samples such as tap and sea water. The sensitivity of MoS2 for Hg2+ was found to be superior than that of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and graphene oxide (GO) (∼4 & 30 times, respectively). The superior sensing of Hg2+ by MoS2 was assigned to the synergy of the affinity (between the Hg2+ and S2− groups) and the semiconducting properties of MoS2. It is notable that this performance of MoS2 is without any modifications except for simple solvent ultrasonication.


The mechanical properties of ceramic injection molded (CIM) components are largely influenced by microstructural inhomogeneities that result from the interaction of rheological properties of the thermoplastic feedstock with machine parameters and the design of mold and injection gate. These inhomogeneities (e. g. texture, turbulences, joints, and density gradients) can form weak spots in the material or lead to anisotropy of the material properties. Additionally, they can influence the local sinter shrinkage behavior and thereby lead to the formation of residual stresses in the component. For this reason, it is of great importance to analyze these inhomogeneities in order to improve CIM processes and CIM components. A method has been developed for the investigation of preferred crystal orientation and microstructural defects, applying polarization microscopy of ceramic thin sections and colorimetry. Polarization microscopy is used in order to visualize the crystal orientation of the single grains. Different orientations of the optical axes will result in different colors of interference for optically uniaxial materials. The polarization micrographs themselves are already suitable for the analysis of the microstructure of CIM components regarding texture, separation planes, etc. Colorimetry is used in order to measure and describe the colors in a standardized color system. By means of color/orientation calibration curves that are measured with single crystal references, a quantitative description of the orientation of single grains as well as texturized areas can be obtained.


Design hourly factor is defined as the "Design hourly factor determines the certain amount of traffic as design hour volume of target year among hourly traffic distribution on a specific road". Design hourly factor is very important design factor in aspect of road construction and operational efficiency. This study is intended to evaluate the specific estimate process which is in conformity with the definition of design hourly factor and analyze the priority of estimated design hourly factors so as to review the feasibility of annual average daily traffic ratio for 30th hourly volume or K30 which has been applied as design hourly factor domestically and internationally. Moreover, based on hourly traffic data of national highway and expressway in operation, the cases of design hourly factor analysis were proposed after classifying them by major factor that have effect on traffic demand variation characteristics, thereby providing appropriate design hourly factors to help determine the factor in designing the road.


This report is based on a thesis that was carried out during spring 2012. The report covers the development of a preliminary study to Performance Sk8. The purpose of the study is to facilitate and contribute inspiration to Performance Sk8 to run an automation project to bring home their production to Sweden from China. The reason is to gain a greater ability to control quality, produce smaller batches and reduce the cycle time to reduce costs.The goal is that the preliminary study shall meet the requirements and wishes Performance Sk8 and other partners defined. The pre study will contain different cost proposals for the automation of selected process and serve as a basis for procurement of the equipment.The pre study has resulted in some proposed solutions to the various steps required to automate Performance Sk8 s production. In addition to the proposed solutions are also concept proposal which has developed with suggestions for flows, prices and other information that can help Performance Sk8 in its ongoing automation project.


Benchmarking is the process of improving performance by continuously identifying, understanding, and adapting outstanding practices and processes found inside and outside the organization. Many companies and large organizations have embraced benchmarking as an important, systematic methodology for achieving the organization's strategic objectives. Benchmarking focuses on how to improve any given business process by exploiting best practices rather than merely measuring the best performance. Studying best practices provide the greatest opportunity for gaining a strategic, operational, and financial advantage. The Benchmarking System, named BMS2, was established by Indonesian Association Water Companies (PERPAMSI) during 2003 when 79 PDAMs contributed data to provide 29 indicators. The two key objectives of BMS2 are to understand the ability to achieve and maintain cost recovery and the community satisfaction with the service provided by their PDAM.Keywords : Benchmarking, Best Practice, Key Performance Indicators (KPI)


Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of clinical tests for detecting focal lesions in a prospective blinded study. Methods: 46 patients with a focal cerebral hemisphere lesion without obvious focal signs and 19 controls with normal imaging were examined using a battery of clinical tests. Examiners were blinded to the diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of each test were measured. Results: The upper limb tests with the greatest sensitivities for detecting a focal lesion were finger rolling (sensitivity 0.33 (95% confidence interval, 0.21 to 0.47)), assessment of power (0.30 (0.19 to 0.45)), rapid alternating movements (0.30 (0.19 to 0.45)), forearm rolling (0.24 (0.14 to 0.38)), and pronator drift (0.22 (0.12 to 0.36)). All these tests had a specificity of 1.00 (0.83 to 1.00). This combination of tests detected an abnormality in 50% of the patients with a focal lesion. In the lower limbs, assessment of power was the most sensitive test (sensitivity 0.20 (0.11 to 0.33)). Visual field defects were detected in 10 patients with a focal lesion (sensitivity 0.22 (0.12 to 0.36)) and facial weakness in eight (sensitivity 0.17 (0.09 to 0.31)). Overall, the examination detected signs of focal brain disease in 61% of the patients with a focal cerebral lesion. Conclusions: The neurological examination has a low sensitivity for detecting early cerebral hemisphere lesions in patients without obvious focal signs. The finger and forearm rolling tests, rapid alternating movements of the hands, and pronator drift are simple tests that increase the detection of a focal lesion without greatly increasing the length of the examination.


The Talking Cure examines four nationally syndicated television talk shows--Donahue, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Geraldo and Sally Jessy Raphael--which are primarily devoted to feminine culture and issues. Serving as one of the few public forums where working-class women and those with different sexual orientations have a voice, these talk shows represent American TV at its most radical. Shattuc examines the tension between talk's feminist politics and the television industry, who, in their need to appeal to women, trades on sensation, stereotypes and fears in order to engender product consumption. However, this genre is not a one-way form of social interaction. The female audience complies and resists in a complex give-and-take, and it is this relationship which The Talking Cure aims to understand and reveal.


In an attempt to identify and intervene with students in need of services, the South Korean government has implemented national mental health screening. However, concerns raised about the unintended stigmatization of the screening assessment that focuses on student deficits prompts the need for additional research. This study evaluated the potential utility of an alternative screening approach that considers student strengths, in addition to symptoms of distress. Using a sample of 1,190 Korean adolescents enrolled in grades seven to nine, two latent profile analyses were conducted to identify underlying mental health strength and distress subtypes. Results identified five subtypes of psychological strengths and three subtypes of psychological distress. As hypothesized, students with higher levels of strengths and lower levels of distress reported better quality of life, academic performance, and higher life satisfaction. Implications for school based mental health screening and future directions for researchers and practitioners are discussed.


The study, conducted in 2005 in Darchula district of the far western region of Nepal, aimed at assessing the distribution of Lokta plants (Daphne species) and the sustainable availability of their bark as a raw material for Nepali handmade paper. Stratifi ed random sampling design was adopted for collecting primary data from 340 circular shaped sample plots. The study revealed asymmetric distribution and production of Lokta in different Range post areas of Darchula district. While the tree diameter at 30 cm from base (D30) varied from 1 to 18 cm, the maximum tree height varied from 2.1 to 6 m. On the basis of diameter class, about 87 % of the bark weight was found to be of exploitable category. For the entire district of Darchula, the annual yield of Lokta bark for six years rotation amounted only to about two-third of the four years rotation. The study concludes that the stock of Lokta bark that prevails in the district can sustain promotion of Nepali paper production enterprises. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v21i2.9126 Banko Janakari Vol. 21, NO. 2, 2011 Page: 24-30 Uploaded date : 10 November, 2013


The article deals with e-learning? cultural challenges. The first part emphasizes the notion of e-learning.
E-learning means learning in a virtual world where technology cooperates with human creativity to accelerate and facilitate deep knowledge of the area studied. In a broad sense, e-learning means all learning situations where the resources of information and communication technology are used. Online education is, to a certain extent, different from traditional education that we are all accustomed to. Once the access to a computer is done, who wants to study online must be used to search the Internet, e-mail, send and receive attachments, word processing. Writing is the main method of communication in online classes. I also underlined the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning in comparison to the traditional education system. One of the major advantages of e-learning is the geographical independence, mobility, accessibility, flexibility; the user can decide the time he/she will involve in training activities. A disadvantage of e-learning is the fact that the trainees can drop out online courses easier due to a lack of motivation. Finally, the article ends up with the concept of blended learning, a combination of e-learning and traditional education. Blended learning responds to a wide variety of learning styles and needs through flexibility, high adaptability, economy of space and time, taking advantage both of cognitive resources and human resources. The conclusion is that the new information and communication technologies change the perspective on educational practice, completing the education system with modern learning methodologies specific to the information society.


Fetal electrocardiography, an infant but vigorous young discipline, seems to be rapidly emerging as a useful tool for that biological research and medical practice which concerns the unborn heart. Based upon wide experience, it will be useful to survey the status of fetal electrocardiography, pointing out the possibilities as well as limitations. The significance in terms of capability for early study of the developing heart, the diagnosis of fetal life, multiple pregnancy, origins of congenital heart disease, as well as the study of intrauterine difficulties as in labor is presented and discussed in detail. On the basis of a discussion of present-day instruments and the types of "noise" encountered, it is suggested that improved low-noise amplifiers are desirable; it is suggested further that the use of averaging, correlation, and other computer-based techniques may hold substantial promise. 9152.


Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the commonest cause of death worldwide. It is a multifactorial disease caused by interplay between genes and environment. Defining genes that affect CAD risk and understanding their mechanisms may help to improve its prevention and treatment. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified several novel loci associated with CAD. In this thesis I examined two of these loci. The first was a locus on chromosome 1p13.3. I showed that this locus was also associated with LDL-cholesterol. Fine-mapping of the locus and in silico analyses suggested that SNP rs12740374, where the risk allele disrupts binding of a liverspecific transcription factor, is probably the causal variant at the locus. Finally, I showed that the lipid-lowering effect of statin is independent of this locus, suggesting that targeting the mechanism by which this locus affects LDLcholesterol may provide additional therapeutic benefit. The second locus was on chromosome 13q34 located near the COL4A1 and COL4A2 genes which code for collagen Type 4, a key component of the arterial wall. In silico analyses identified an intronic 4-SNP haplotype within a bidirectional promoter that was likely to include the causal variant(s). A putative kidney expression QTL was identified with the CAD risk allele associated with lower expression of COL4A1 and COL4A2. Functional experiments showed DNA-protein binding to the SNPs in the haploblock. However, there were no differences in level of DNA-binding between the alleles or a differential impact on gene expression. In a clinical study, there was no difference between the 13q34 genotype groups in restenosis rates in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty. In conclusion, the work on locus 1p13.3 shows that it is possible to identify a causal SNP from a GWA study signal, and elucidate its mechanism, but the studies on locus 13q34, indicates that this is a challenging process.


Identification of areas exposed to storm-tide inundation is of importance for coastal flood risk management. In June 2016 the coincidence of a storm surge with a high spring tide caused severe inundation across the coast of NSW. Settlements in low-lying areas of estuarine environments were particularly at risk due to the potential enhancement of extreme water levels by riverine flooding. Traditional flood risk assessments do not account for the latter driver, even though the degree of impact on flood extent can vary with the catchment size of an estuarine environment. This study compares flood extent generated from static ("bathtub") and dynamic (Delft3D) modelling approaches in two wave-dominated barrier estuaries (Shoalhaven Estuary and Lake Illawarra) at different stages of infill, tidal modification and catchment size. Observed water levels of the June 2016 storm surge were used to force the models, whereas observational data such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, tidal gauges and water level logger measurements were used to validate modelling results. Modelling differences in flood extent between the two approaches were smallest in Lake Illawarra (0.2 km2), where riverine discharge appeared to be negligible. At the Shoalhaven estuary modelling differences were larger (11 km2) and the consideration of river discharge through dynamic modelling techniques was shown to be crucial for the modelling of observed water levels and flood extents, because storm-tide inundation and riverine flooding appeared to coincide. In conclusion, results show that the static "bathtub" modelling is an efficient management approach to map flood extent at low cost and low computational expenses in wavedominated barrier estuaries at youthful/intermediate stages of infill and similar catchment area (<1000>km2) to Lake Illawarra, such as Lake Macquarie or St. Georges Basin.


This paper studies the impact of an unfunded social security system on the distribution of altruistic transfers in a framework where savings are due to both life cycle and random altruistic motivations. We show that the effect of social security on the distribution of these transfers depends crucially on the strength of the bequest motive in explaining savings behaviour. We measure this strength by the expected weight that individuals attach to the utility of future generations. On the one hand, if the bequest motive is strong, then an increase in the social security tax raises the bequests left by altruistic parents. On the other hand, when the importance of altruism in motivating savings is sufficiently low, the increase in the social security tax could result in a reduction of the bequests left by altruistic parents under some conditions on the attitude of individuals toward risk and on the relative returns associated with private saving and social security. Some implications concerning the transitional effects of introducing an unfunded social security scheme are also discussed. Copyright 2003, Wiley-Blackwell.


Wetlands have received considerable interest globally during recent years due to their ecological significance and biodiversity values. Mapping of wetlands is carried out using remotely sensed data from various sensors data and techniques. Present paper describes a knowledge-based classifier to identify the wetlands in Gujarat state using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor data onboard Terra satellite. Spectral knowledge of Blue, Red and NIR bands in conjunction with Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have been used to define the thresholding ranges for wetland classes (water, mud flats, aquatic vegetation and salt flats). A comparative study of the performance of this classifier in comparison to two traditional classifiers namely Minimum distance to mean, and Maximum Likelihood classifiers was carried out for a small area. Results of the classification indicates better performance of knowledge based classifier in terms of overall accuracy as well as kappa statistic which are 84% and 0.79 respectively. The results indicate the feasibility of the development of a generalized knowledge based classifier for automated extraction of wetlands at regional scale using coarse spatial resolution data by using optical as well as thermal characteristics of the targeted area.


Concentrations of LH in female rats do not increase to concentrations seen in the male at 24 h after castration until up to one week after ovariectomy, while FSH concentrations increase rapidly in both sexes. We hypothesized that the lag in LH rise is due to the imposition of a prolonged suppression by the high concentrations of oestradiol seen during each cycle at pro-oestrus, which prevents a rapid response to the removal of negative feedback. This hypothesis was tested by studying the effect of exposure to pro-oestrus oestradiol concentrations, administered in Silastic capsules, for 24 h on the pulsatile release of LH and FSH. In the first experiment, treatment with oestradiol for 24 h began on day 3 after ovariectomy and resulted in a significant suppression of LH pulse frequency, which appeared to persist for up to 4 days after removal of the implant. In the second experiment, exposure for 24 h to high, pro-oestrous oestradiol concentrations beginning on day 3 or 7 after ovariectomy significantly suppressed mean LH concentrations and LH pulse amplitude compared with vehicle-treated controls, while FSH secretion did not differ between the two treatments. These results suggest that the acute lag in the rate of LH rise after ovariectomy depends on a prolonged suppressive effect of oestradiol and that the rise in oestradiol during the cycle, which exerts a positive feedback to trigger the preovulatory gonadotrophin surges, also exerts a negative feedback for 3-4 days, and this contributes to the relative stability of cycle duration in female rats.


Extended Bergman projections from Lebesgue classes onto all Besov spaces on the unit ball are defined and characterized. Right inverses and adjoints of the projections share the property that they are imbeddings of Besov spaces into Lebesgue classes via certain combinations of radial derivatives. Applications to the Gleason problem at arbitrary points in the ball, duality, and complex interpolation in Besov spaces are obtained. The results apply, in particular, to the Hardy space H2, the Arveson space, the Dirichlet space, and the Bloch space.


Visual Cryptography is a special encryption technique that encrypts the secret image into n number of shares to hide information in images in such a way that it can be decrypted by the human visual system, without any cryptographic knowledge and computation devices. To reveal the secret information at least a certain number of shares (k) or more are superimposed. Visual Cryptography using color Error Diffusion objective of this scheme is to apply the VCS for color image and get better quality decrypted image with the size of decrypted image should be same as original image. Visual Cryptography using Random number generator and digital Watermarking where divided shares are enveloped in other images using invisible digital watermarking. The shares are generated using Random Number.


Abstract. Mixing layer height (MLH) is one of the key parameters in describing lower tropospheric dynamics and capturing its diurnal variability is crucial, especially for interpreting surface observations. In this paper we introduce a method for identifying MLH below the minimum range of a scanning Doppler lidar when operated at vertical. The method we propose is based on velocity variance in low-elevation-angle conical scanning and is applied to measurements in two very different coastal environments: Limassol, Cyprus, during summer and Loviisa, Finland, during winter. At both locations, the new method agrees well with MLH derived from turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate profiles obtained from vertically pointing measurements. The low-level scanning routine frequently indicated non-zero MLH less than 100 m above the surface. Such low MLHs were more common in wintertime Loviisa on the Baltic Sea coast than during summertime in Mediterranean Limassol.


Elaine Showalter's A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists From Brontë to Lessing is a pioneering masterpiece in feminism studies. The book impresses the reader with Showalter's groundwork to revive the interest in long-forgotten women writers in British literature history. Showalter's work is indeed a kind of rediscovery, mapping widely rather than mining deeply the territory of women's writing. In a sense, feminist criticism came of age with this book.


The real challenge of e-Learning is to produce content that
brings a general improvement in the way students learn and teachers
teach. For that, "intelligent" interactivity is the single most important
feature that such content should have. But the design and production
of content with this kind of interactivity has turned out to be harder
than expected, the main reason being that it requires the convergence
of many kinds of experts in parallel to the convergence of the several
technologies involved. In the case of mathematics, the least amount of
expertise asks for the presence of professional mathematicians,
software engineers, publishers, and perhaps learning theorists, that
can productively talk to each other. In this paper we want to examine
afresh, with a view to the future, what is (or can be) meant by
interactivity; the reasons why interactivity should play a role in
optimizing general mathematical learning and in making possible, and
viable, that mathematics teachers at large embrace a role that is
congruent with their present day mission. Finally we propose a check
list for desirable features that advanced mathematical learning
systems should have, state some guiding principles for their design,
and describe what is involved in their production.


This study examines cattle producers' work in conventional U.S. beef production. Producers express emotional connection to cattle, but also treat cattle as economic assets. Balancing these perspectives is central to their work. This article introduces the concept of "boundary labor" to describe the way producers' emotion management separates cattle physically and emotionally from products derived from their bodies. Producers have three central emotional skills that make this labor possible. They include (1) a sense of responsibility, (2) sentiments of dominion, and (3) faith in the cycle of production.


The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office are addressing groundwater contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area project. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area adjacent to a nuclear test. Ground water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, supported by the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from 51 magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) stations at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in that area. The primary purpose was to refine the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (late Devonian – Mississippian-age siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale) in the Yucca Flat area. The MT and AMT datamore » have been released in separate USGS Open File Reports. The Nevada Test Site magnetotelluric data interpretation presented in this report includes the results of detailed two-dimensional (2 D) resistivity modeling for each profile (including alternative interpretations) and gross inferences on the three dimensional (3 D) character of the geology beneath each station. The character, thickness, and lateral extent of the Chainman Shale and Eleana Formation that comprise the Upper Clastic Confining Unit are generally well determined in the upper 5 km. Inferences can be made regarding the presence of the Lower Clastic Confining Unit at depths below 5 km. Large fault structures such as the CP Thrust fault, the Carpetbag fault, and the Yucca fault that cross Yucca Flat are also discernable as are other smaller faults. The subsurface electrical resistivity distribution and inferred geologic structures determined by this investigation should help constrain the hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development.« less


Given the fast rise of increasingly autonomous artificial agents and robots, a key acceptability criterion will be the possible moral implications of their actions. In particular, intelligent persuasive systems (systems designed to influence humans via communication) constitute a highly sensitive topic because of their intrinsically social nature. Still, ethical studies in this area are rare and tend to focus on the output of the required action. Instead, this work focuses on the persuasive acts themselves (e.g. "is it morally acceptable that a machine lies or appeals to the emotions of a person to persuade her, even if for a good end?"). Exploiting a behavioral approach, based on human assessment of moral dilemmas -- i.e. without any prior assumption of underlying ethical theories -- this paper reports on a set of experiments. These experiments address the type of persuader (human or machine), the strategies adopted (purely argumentative, appeal to positive emotions, appeal to negative emotions, lie) and the circumstances. Findings display no differences due to the agent, mild acceptability for persuasion and reveal that truth-conditional reasoning (i.e. argument validity) is a significant dimension affecting subjects' judgment. Some implications for the design of intelligent persuasive systems are discussed.


The case histories and blood pictures of two patients who had cardiac lesions, septicaemia, and renal failure and terminally developed a leucoerythroblastic anaemia with megloblastic features associated with multinucleate erythroblasts, are described. Though folate deficiency may have made a minor contribution to the blood abnormalities, it is considered that some other disturbance in erythropoiesis was responsible for the bizarre blood and bone marrow changes in these patients. Similar cases reported in the earlier literature are reviewed.


Background: Wonegizi landscape is one of the poorest areas in Liberia; lacks basic social services including road network, or inaccessible. The knowledge of indigenous medicine by these people has not being recorded separately, though some botanical research works have occurred. We conducted this research to record local knowledge on what plant resources are used daily for the wellbeing of Wonegizi people. The main objective is to draw attention to traditional practice of medication, providing a comprehensive list of indigenous medicinal plants of potential for the cure of diseases and wounds in Wonegizi, which will serve as the beginning of a systematic recording of medicinal plants in Ziama Clan separate from the previous works conducted in Liberia by western botanists.
Methods: The survey was conducted during May- June 2014 using photographic documentation of indigenous medicinal plants. The use of keyinformants, community consultations, transects and articles and books on West Africa flora were used.
Results: A total of 101 plants of medicinal potential were surveyed belonging to 48 families and 97 genera. Accessed plants are used for treatment of 11 categories of different diseases and disorder common in Wonegizi area. The majority recorded were cure to internal complications and others for external body parts. Trees were the primary source for treatments of diseases and ailments followed by herbs and liana/climbers.
Conclusion: The Wonegizi survey demonstrated significant role of unique traditional medicinal practitioners whose beliefs prohibited the collection of plant specimens during field work. They believe their ancestral spirits must be consulted on the exclusive collection of medicinal plant parts through sacrificing cattle. Hence, traditional medicine continues to be extremely important for the people of Wonegizi in meeting their basic health services.


Nineteen patients (38 eyes) with low-tension glaucoma were compared with 53 subjects (106 eyes) with ocular hypertension. Comparable for age and sex, the 2 groups were assessed with respect to haematological and biochemical criteria, physical activity, and medical history. Statistical analyses of the differences between the 2 groups highlighted the importance of diastolic ophthalmodynamometry levels, prediagnosis exercise habits, cardiovascular disease status, and possibly systolic blood pressure. Patients with low-tension glaucoma suffered a higher prevalence of multiple abnormalities of these systemic factors than did their ocular hypertensive counterparts. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with respect to the many other factors examined.


Ubiquitin-specific proteases (UBPs) are a family of unique hydrolases that specifically remove polypeptides covalently linked via peptide or isopeptide bonds to the C-terminal glycine of ubiquitin. UBPs help regulate the ubiquitin/26S proteolytic pathway by generating free ubiquitin monomers from their initial translational products, recycling ubiquitins during the breakdown of ubiquitin-protein conjugates, and/or by removing ubiquitin from specific targets and thus presumably preventing target degradation. Here, we describe a family of 27 UBP genes from Arabidopsis that contain both the conserved cysteine (Cys) and histidine boxes essential for catalysis. They can be clustered into 14 subfamilies based on sequence similarity, genomic organization, and alignments with their closest relatives from other organisms, with seven subfamilies having two or more members. Recombinant AtUBP2 functions as a bona fide UBP: It can release polypeptides attached to ubiquitins via either aor e-amino linkages by an activity that requires the predicted active-site Cys within the Cys box. From the analysis of T-DNA insertion mutants, we demonstrate that the AtUBP1 and 2 subfamily helps confer resistance to the arginine analog canavanine. This phenotype suggests that the AtUBP1 and 2 enzymes are needed for abnormal protein turnover in Arabidopsis.


Out-of-sample tests of forecast performance depend on how a given data set is split into estimation and evaluation periods, yet no guidance exists on how to choose the split point. Empirical forecast evaluation results can therefore be di cult to interpret, particularly when several values of the split point might have been considered. When the sample split is viewed as a choice variable, rather than being fixed ex ante, we show that very large size distortions can occur for conventional tests of predictive accuracy. Spurious rejections are most likely to occur with a short evaluation sample, while conversely the power of forecast evaluation tests is strongest with long out-of-sample periods. To deal with size distortions, we propose a test statistic that is robust to the effect of considering multiple sample split points. Empirical applications to predictability of stock returns and inflation demonstrate that out-of-sample forecast evaluation results can critically depend on how the sample split is determined.


In this study, the nucleotide sequence of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase from Plasmodium vivax has been compared to the same enzyme from another malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It was found that the identity between two sequences was 74.8%. The percentage of the GC value was found to be higher in the Plasmodium vivax lactate dehydrogenase (46.6%) than in that of Plasmodium falciparum (33%). The nucleotide sequence that corresponds to the 5 amino acid insertion in Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase is also present in Plasmodium vivax. This site will be targeted in the design of novel antimalarials for Plasmodium vivax as has been for Plasmodium falciparum.


In the face of a libel suit, the head of an organization that tracks the ongoing battle over teaching Darwin in schools has agreed to publicly acknowledge errors in a recent article. This spring, Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) in Oakland, California, published an article in California Wild, the magazine of the California Academy of Sciences, mentioning that lawyer Larry Caldwell had proposed the names of two creationist books to his local school board and quoting a scientist accusing him of "gross misunderstanding" of science. In April, Caldwell slapped Scott and the center with a libel suit. Although it does not mention the magazine, editor Keith Howell agreed to remove the online link to Scott's article and to publish a letter from Caldwell as well as a mea culpa from Scott. The latter acknowledges that Caldwell did not introduce the two books, and that the comment about misunderstanding science referred to someone else. "I think there's a danger in lumping everyone in one category," says Caldwell, complaining that NCSE has in the past wrongly labeled him a "creationist activist." Caldwell says he believes in intelligent design. Scott says she stopped calling Caldwell a creationist after he objected. She points to the suit as contributing to "an absolute explosion" of evolution-related "flare-ups" in state or local education systems. NCSE has counted 71 in 33 states so far this year, compared to a past annual average of between 50 and 60.


We present a semi-analytical model of satellite galaxies, SatGen, which can generate large statistical samples of satellite populations for a host halo of desired mass, redshift, and assembly history. The model combines dark matter (DM) halo merger trees, empirical relations for the galaxy–halo connection, and analytical prescriptions for tidal effects, dynamical friction, and ram-pressure stripping. SatGen emulates cosmological zoom-in hydrosimulations in certain aspects. Satellites can reside in cored or cuspy DM subhaloes, depending on the halo response to baryonic physics that can be formulated from hydrosimulations and physical modelling. The subhalo profile and the stellar mass and size of a satellite evolve depending on its tidal mass-loss and initial structure. The host galaxy can include a baryonic disc and a stellar bulge, each described by a density profile that allows analytic satellite orbit integration. SatGen complements simulations by propagating the effect of halo response found in simulated field galaxies to satellites (not properly resolved in simulations) and outperforms simulations by sampling the halo-to-halo variance of satellite statistics and overcoming artificial disruption due to insufficient resolution. As a first application, we use the model to study satellites of Milky Way (MW)- and M31-sized hosts, making it emulate simulations of bursty star formation and of smooth star formation, respectively, and to experiment with a disc potential in the host halo. We find that our model reproduces the observed satellite statistics reasonably well. Different physical recipes make a difference in satellite abundance and spatial distribution at the 25 per cent level, not large enough to be distinguished by current observations given the halo-to-halo variance. The MW/M31 disc depletes satellites by ${\sim } 20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and has a subtle effect of diversifying the internal structure of satellites, which is important for alleviating certain small-scale problems. We discuss the conditions for a massive satellite to survive in MW/M31.


Peer tutoring has been implemented for two academic years (2017 - 18 and 2018 - 19) to a course and the internship of a postgraduate program of the Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood of the Democritus University of Thrace. Until now fourteen students (eight students and six tutors) have been involved to the method. The purpose of this qualitative study is to research the students' difficulties that were faced with tutoring and the difficulties of the tutors in applying the method, as well as the ways in which they were dealt with. Therefore, this research helps to highlight the importance of this method for the academic development of undergraduate and postgraduate students of the particular University Department and helps to collect data that could support the further development of the method itself in the Department.


Ewing's sarcoma (EWS) is a small round-cell tumor typically arising in the bones, rarely in soft tissues, of children and adolescents. Patho-genomic translocations involving the EWS gene on chromosome 22 and an ETS-type gene (Fli1) on chromosome 11, are implicated in more than 95% of Ewing's sarcomas. A chimeric transcript that consists of the N-terminus of EWS i.e., Transcriptional Activation Domain is fused to the C-terminal portion of FLI1 i.e., DNA Binding Domain (DBD). In this present study, the structure of disordered fusion protein, EWS-FLI1 was predicted, modelled and refined. Ligand structures were drawn by using CHEMDRAW and CORINA. Comparative Docking studies were performed for EWS-FLI1 protein with EMODIN and YK-4-279 by using SCHRODINGER. Although, EMODIN and YK-4-279 interacted with the protein by establishing the H-Bonds with SER 316, GLN 326, GLN 328, ASP 430 by the former and with SER 316, ALA 110, and GLN 109 with the later, a common residue of SER 316 was observed to be interacting. However, the docking score and Glide g score of -6.278203 and -6.100573 were observed for EMODIN and YK-4-279 respectively, which revealed EMODIN to be much more effective in presenting the highest value.  Molecular Dynamics Simulation was performed to analyse the stability of Docked structure of protein and ligand. For EMODIN, the stabilized structure was formed at 646 ps whereas for YK-4-279, the stabilized structure was formed at 680 ps and RMSD values for EMODIN was comparatively lower than YK-4-279. Keywords: Ewing sarcoma, disordered fusion protein, natural ligand, comparison, molecular dynamic simulation


Unworldly spaces with equally unworldly names, like the topsy-turvy boutique And A, Beams T or Foot Soldier, shops that feature little conveyor belts for the display of merchandise, or Nowhere *A Bathing Ape 'Busy Work Shop', a Tokyo boutique that stocks and displays garments in an oversized refrigerator that resembles the familiar unit in everybody's local supermarket - all recent additions to Japan's shopping streets - are the work of Masamichi Katayama, founder of Tokyo-based WonderWall. More than just attempts to be futuristic or extravagant, they are highly sophisticated retail outlets. Not to mention great fun! Katayama is the consummate consumer. With his shop designs for *A Bathing Ape, a charismatic apparel brand, Katayama has ventured beyond the streets of Japan to enrich shopping experience in London and New York.


Corporation taxes are under pressure from a number of sources. This paper looks at the arguments for and against corporation tax in the context of Australia, which has had for 30 years a dividend imputation system for corporate-shareholder taxation. Corporation tax is estimated to have a high economic cost relative to the revenue raised; there are worries about base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS); and there are suggestions that dividend imputation should be abolished to allow a lower corporate tax rate. The imputation system and discount for capital gains tax largely eliminates the corporation tax for Australian domestic investors, so that the effective tax on domestic corporate investment is indicated by personal income and capital gains taxes. Hence the Australian corporation tax is mainly a tax on foreign investment. In an era of mobile international capital this role is increasingly problematic. In the long run, the corporation tax may wither away due to international tax competition and BEPS. This may be an acceptable development provided that, as this happens, we put in place a stronger system of personal taxation of capital incomes, with international co-operation in the discovery and valuation of such incomes. We can also rely on consumption tax, such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), or a business cash flow tax, to tax part of corporate sector economic rents.


In this paper, we study various key structural features of sugarcane production and sugar mills in Mexico. Regarding the production of sugarcane: (a) we document a U-shaped relationship between the size of sugarcane cultivation plots and their yield, and show suggestive evidence that this relationship is driven by the more intensive use of inputs in smaller and larger plots relative to those of medium size; (b) we argue that there are factors that complicate the functioning of the land market; and (c) we present evidence refuting the conjecture that the mechanism used to determine payments for sugarcane affects negatively the quality of this crop. With respect to sugar mills, we find that those mills that are able to generate electricity more efficiently tend to observe higher returns in sugar production.


Poverty continues to remain a major challenge during the whole period of transition, since the collapse of communism and which is continuing even today. In this article, the macroeconomic trends in the Balkan region are treated in synthesized way, with a special emphasis on Kosovo for the years of transition. In addition, the paper is focused on some economic indicators that have direct or indirect impact on labour market policies and employment policies. The trend of these indicators is analyzed in terms of nominal and real convergence, aiming at the progress of the Kosovo economy during the years of transition in the process of integration into the current level where it is located, as well as the challenges that has faces in meeting other standards in political and economic system. The focus of this analysis are the employment policies as well as the structural reforms, institutional reforms of the labour market, policies for the reduction of the unemployment rates, generating of new work places, taking into account the fact that in Kosovo the unemployment especially at young people is very high. The purpose of this study is to identify the current state of poverty, considering that the state should take some measures to reduce its level by being based on market instruments of labour and employment policies, migration, remittances and their impact on the labour market, its structuring and their components in the Balkan region, but with particular focus on Kosovo. Poverty is a cycle that is repeated constantly and has negative impacts not only on the economy of a country but also on the lives of its citizens. Its causes are as complex as poverty itself. On the other hand, poverty reduction is as a result of economic growth. In the reduction of poverty, government plays a very important role. So, the government with its policies can cause an increase in the economic growth and then reduce the poverty level. The situation, instead of being relaxed, nowadays, it is experiencing difficult times. This is happing because the world today is undergoing through a global financial crisis which had started in the United States in 2008 and which has spread all around the globe. It can be said that this global financial crisis has been the longest that this world has recognized. For this reason, to the government of a country is added one more task, which is even more difficult, that through its policies to do the impossible in order to overcome this crisis and to send the respective country towards economic development, and thus to reduce poverty. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v413s2p297


Control room operators are faced with frequent security-economy decision-making situations necessitated by stressed system operating conditions, and there is increased need for security-economy decision-support tools. Although probabilistic methods are promising in this regard, they have been mainly used in planning environments. This task force paper explores their use for operational decision-making, comparing them to the more traditional deterministic approach. Two examples are used to facilitate this comparison via overload and low voltage security assessment to identify secure regions of operation for a small 5-bus system and for the IEEE Reliability Test System. The results of this comparison show that the probabilistic approach offers several inherent advantages.


About 50% of an oral dose of griseofulvin passes through the gastro-intestinal tract unabsorbed and is excreted in faeces. Short residence time of the low soluble griseofulvin, in stomach and small intestine, limits its dissolution. Griseofulvin is highly soluble in acidic pH, and so a gastro-retentive floating matrix system was developed to control dissolution rate and thereby enhance solubility to develop an improved and convenient dosage form. Preformulation studies included selection of excipients and evaluation of compatibility with griseofulvin. Tablets were prepared by wet granulation technique with varying ratios of Methocel™, Accurel MP and Polyvinylpyrrolidone as determined by Design Expert software. Buoyancy capability and dissolution studies were carried out to assess the influence of the tablet components. Tablets that float immediately upon contact with dissolution medium and continue floating for over 12 h were achieved with at least 28% of Accurel MP. An increase in tablet hardness reduced the rate of griseofulvin release only up to 120 min. Methocel™ had the most significant influence on griseofulvin release, with an indirect proportion to the rate of griseofulvin release. Using Design Expert software, optimized formulation was achieved with 1% Polyvinylpyrrolidone, 30% Methocel™, 60% Accurel MP and hardness ranging between 8 and 9 N. Tablets produced floated immediately upon contact with the medium and remained floating for at least 12 h. Griseofulvin was released from the optimized tablets in a near zero order fashion, with a total of 80.8% griseofulvin released at the end of the 12-h dissolution test period.


Novel nanostructured sulfur (S)-carbide derived carbon (CDC) composites with ordered mesopores and high S content are successfully prepared for lithium sulfur batteries. The tunable pore-size distribution and high pore volume of CDC allow for an excellent electrochemical performance of the composites at high current densities. A higher electrolyte molarity is found to enhance the capacity utilization dramatically and reduce S dissolution in S-CDC composite cathodes during cycling.


Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) is frequently used for site-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into proteins. Recently, the active site of Methanomethylophilus alvus PylRS (MaPylRS) has been rationally engineered to expand its substrate compatibility, enabling the incorporation of difficult ncAAs. However, mutations beyond the active site that enhance the enzymatic properties of MaPylRS have not been reported. We utilized phage-assisted non-continuous evolution (PANCE) to evolve MaPylRS to efficiently incorporate N ε-Boc-l-lysine (BocK). Directed evolution yielded several mutations outside of the active site that greatly improve the activity of the enzyme. We combined the most effective mutations to generate a new PylRS variant (PylRSopt) that is highly active and selective towards several lysine and phenylalanine derivatives. The mutations in PylRSopt can be used to enhance previously engineered PylRS constructs such as MaPylRSN166S, and PylRSopt is compatible in applications requiring dual ncAA incorporation and substantially improves the yield of these target proteins.


The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan has raised a number of serious issues and choices for the United States. The train of events seem likely to have an important influence on overall American foreign policy in the 1980s. Reassessment of Soviet motives and of U.S. roles in the world are already in progress. Emerging American attitudes, in turn, will shape more specific policy decisions on several issues, which this issue brief discusses.