A recent single-topic issue of this journal (JRRD, 49(7)) gave forum to common--yet often overlooked--sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI): sensory and communication dysfunction. The issue gave excellent context not only for the diffuse and idiosyncratic nature of these deficits but also for their prevalence. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of sensory and communication disorders following TBI is that impairment of these compartments frequently affects perception and cognition as well. This phenomenology was addressed directly in some of the articles [1-3] and tacitly in others. The high association of sensory and communication deficit with TBI presents a quandary for the care provider, who relies on oral communication in assessing, managing, and monitoring therapies. Particularly for specialists treating TBI--and especially so for those treating Veterans with service-connected injury--discourse with the patient is an integral aspect of history-taking, assessing tolerability and compliance, and counseling. More broadly, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regularly incorporates patient feedback in its continual effort to provide cutting-edge care. The dilemma is how to give a voice to those who are challenged in speaking to their own needs. Furthermore, what roles do these associated disorders play in the widely reported estrangement of brain-injured patients from proper therapy [4-5]? As with any condition, there are many reasons why treatment might elude persons with head trauma [6-7]. For our Veterans with brain injuries, obstructions to care may also involve, among other things, factors of a personal (e.g., fear of stigmatization [8]), circumstantial (e.g., lack of full appreciation for the severity of their injury or awareness that diagnosable and treatable conditions exist [9]), or operational nature (e.g., difficulty in managing complex activities associated with a multistaged rehabilitation and restoration [10]). These considerations compound the problems arising from the organic consequences of the original physical insult, viz. the impairments of higher cortical function, i.e., sensory perception, cognition, and emotional management. Bridging this gap in care delivery would equate to greater success rates in rehabilitation of head trauma, and for our service personnel greater faculty for repatriation. We should ask ourselves whether we fully appreciate the barriers that constrain our ability to provide effective care for patients with TBI, and if not, we should ask whether the unique challenges posed by TBI and its associated disorders could be more facilely identified by the patients themselves in cooperation with their support network. Could a crowd-sourced approach facilitate our stewardship of care? A COMMUNITY ISSUE CALLS FOR A COMMUNITY SOLUTION More so than most other clinical issues facing our Veterans, TBI presents a spectrum of consequences with a complex, diachronic evolution. Though TBI of itself often associates with impaired executive function, Veterans with brain injuries also have a high comorbidity with posttraumatic stress disorder (perhaps as many as 65% of TBI patients) [5,11], suggesting an even greater likelihood of stress on maintenance of employment, interpersonal relationships, and community integration [12]. These are matters central to the quality of life of TBI patients and rank highly among the primary objectives of our returning soldiers and separated Veterans [13]. Moreover, they are burdens borne not by the Veteran alone, but by the entire community. Though perhaps unpredicted, it may be that the distributed effect of brain injury creates a unique opportunity for improved utilization of available healthcare opportunities. Family members often attend VA appointments and can articulate the patient's needs with great cogency; it is not unusual for loved ones to advocate vociferously when their Veteran demures [14]. This paradigm is not unique to TBI [15], but TBI may be among the circumstances where this facilitated communication is of the greatest potential effect: members of the family and the patient's support network may be the more effective agents in articulating the special needs of the Veteran with brain injury. …


Clouds have pivotal influence on the Earth's hydrological cycle and climate system because they are intricately involved in the dynamical, chemical, and radiative processes within the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Cirrus clouds occur at high altitude around the tropopause level and, despite their thin appearance and low optical thickness, they contribute to the radiative balance of the atmosphere. The processes in this region of the atmosphere have become increasingly important for a clear understanding of feedback mechanisms in the climate system. The Canadian designed and built Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) satellite instrument measures the spectrum of sunlight scattered from the Earth's atmosphere at wavelengths from the ultraviolet (280 nm) to the near infrared (810 nm). The limb scattering measurement technique allows OSIRIS to collect information on the vertical profile of atmospheric chemical and particle composition at a resolution of approximately 2 km with nearly global daily coverage. In this work, a technique characterizing the distribution of cirrus cloud top occurrences from OSIRIS limb scattering radiance profiles is presented. The technique involves computing residual profiles by comparing normalized measured radiance and modelled molecular density profiles where mismatches between the two traces indicate the presence of clouds. Probability density functions of scattering residuals show the distribution is not a continuum measurement; there is a clear distinction between the cloudy and cloud-free conditions. Observations show high cloud top occurrences in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere region above Indonesia and Central America. Results obtained using the high altitude cloud detection technique and OSIRIS measurements are compared to those by Sassen et al. (2008) who used CALIPSO nadir measurements and to those by Wang et al. (1996) who used SAGE II solar occultation measurements of cirrus clouds. The cloud detection technique is applied to three case studies. Cloud top detections are used to support results presented in Dessler (2009) who theorized the local relative humidity controls either dehydration or hydration of the lower stratosphere through the efficiency of evaporation of ice lofted by deep convection. The second study makes use of the cloud detection technique to eliminate cloud-containing scans as to identify an Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer in support of Vernier et al. (2011). Finally, the technique is used to track the dispersion and evolution of the volcanic plume following the Sarychev eruption in June 2009 since monitoring volcanic plumes is an effective way to help mitigate aviation hazards.


In my PhD I actively participated the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of CERN. My work over the three years of the PhD encompassed several aspects of the experiment, including participation to data taking activities, performance studies of the detector and data analysis finalized to the measurement of single top quark production. During the first year of my Ph.D. program I had the chance to participate in the commissioning effort of the CMS Muon System, studying the performances of the Resistive Plate Chambers detectors using cosmic ray data collected in 2008-2009 and early collision data taken in 2010. The second and third years of my Ph.D. program were devoted to the study of the production of single-top events in proton-proton collisions at LHC. The LHC has been successfully running since the end of 2009 and is
providing 7 TeV center of mass proton-proton collision data since March 2010, collecting data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 inverse pb . With the data taking of 2011, the instantaneous luminosity of the machine was constantly upgraded, allowing to collect 5.73 inverse fb of integrated luminosity. The CMS detector has successfully collected collision data through 2010 and 2011, collecting a total integrated luminosity of 5.22 inverse fb . The LHC is often considered to be a "top quark factory", allowing for a production of top quarks through several mechanisms: tt pair production, mainly occurring through processes which involve the strong interaction, and single top quark production, which occurs through electroweak interactions and has been object of study of my thesis. There are three mechanisms of production of single top, known as t,s, and tW channels. The study of single top processes provides the unique opportunity to explore the electroweak sector of top quark physics, allowing for example a direct measurement of Vtb as well as the study of Flavour Changing Neutral Currents. On the other hand single top channels offer a window for searches for physics beyond standard model, being for instance sensitive to W resonances. Amongst the three channels, I focused my work on the t channel, which yields a production cross section of 64.6 pb, the highest amongst the single top processes. I developed and deployed an analysis which focused on the top quark decay channel t → W b → μνb aiming at early observation of single top events with the 2010 dataset. I was successful in achieving the first experimental evidence of single top at the LHC, which resulted in a paper published on PRL . With 2011 data incoming, I developed and deployed a new analysis, adapting the strategy to a different goal: the new analysis should have minimized the systematic uncertainty and at the same time be model-independent to allow for further studies of single top polarization and beyond standard model physics searches. The results have been updated with a luminosity of 1299 inverse pb , and a combination with the electron channel results has been performed to increase the precision of the measurement.


This work reports on the use of different strategies of calibration transfer to determine crude protein and fiber properties in samples of functional flours analyzed with benchtop (primary) and portable (secondary) NIR instruments. For this purpose, methods of direct standardization (DS) and reverse standardization (RS) were used on a different number of transfer samples. Calibration models based on the following regression strategies were evaluated: partial least squares using a full spectrum (PLSfull spectrum); PLS with significant regression coefficients selected by the Jack-Knife algorithm (PLS/JK) and multiple linear regression (MLR) with previous selection of variables by the successive projection algorithm (MLR/SPA). The performance of calibration models was assessed according to Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) values obtained in a prediction subset measured on a secondary instrument before and after standardization procedures. Before standardization, all the calibration models presented high RMSEP values for the prediction samples measured on the secondary instrument to determine both crude protein and fibers. After the direct standardization, a considerable decrease of the RMSEP values was observed in the PLSfull spectrum and MLR/SPA calibration models developed for crude protein determination. For fiber determination, the lowest RMSEP value was obtained using the PLSfull spectrum model with RS, although no statistically significant difference was found between the RMSEP values obtained for PLS/JK and MLR/SPA models.


Calmodulin (CaM) binds in a Ca2+-dependent manner to the intracellular C-terminal domains of most group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Here we combined mutational and biophysical approaches to define the structural basis of CaM binding to mGluR 7A. Ca2+/CaM was found to interact with mGluR 7A primarily via its C-lobe at a 1:1 CaM:C-tail stoichiometry. Pulldown experiments with mutant CaM and mGluR 7A C-tail constructs and high resolution NMR with peptides corresponding to the CaM binding region of mGluR 7A allowed us to define hydrophobic and ionic interactions required for Ca2+/CaM binding and identified a 1-8-14 CaM-binding motif. The Ca2+/CaM·mGluR 7A peptide complex displays a classical wraparound structure that closely resembles that formed by Ca2+/CaM upon binding to smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase. Our data provide insight into how Ca2+/CaM regulates group III mGluR signaling via competition with intracellular proteins for receptor-binding sites.


Child health services in Israel have focused historically on three areas. Preventive services have been delivered in maternal child centres; these originally belonged exclusively to the Ministry of Health, and subsequently expanded into services provided by local municipalities, and new centres were established by the health funds, following the National Health Insurance Law in 1995. The paediatric departments of hospitals were responsible for managing serious paediatric pathology, with increasing numbers of subspecialties developing over the years. The hospitals have also held the exclusive right for accrediting paediatric training. The management of paediatric problems in the community is done by paediatricians who had not completed subspecialty training and by family practitioners.

Three service models exist in community paediatrics in Israel. The first model is a long-standing one, involving salaried paediatricians working in primary care clinics together with general practitioners or specialist family physicians or internists. In the second model, groups of primary care paediatricians work in comprehensive paediatric service centres, where various paediatric subspecialists are also available. Third, a large body of independent paediatricians work on a modified fee-for-service basis for one or more number of health funds, with many working in solo practise. The remuneration of independent physicians is based on the volume of children seen, which may be seen as a disincentive for proper assessment and management of non-acute developmental, behavioural and well-being problems, which almost invariably are more time consuming.

While the paediatric services as described seemed to cover adequately the needs of children and their families, it has become apparent that the sorts of conditions described by Haggerty1 as comprising the 'new morbidity', especially developmental, behavioural and psychosocial problems, have not been appropriately managed. As parents began turning increasingly to paediatricians for concerns about their children's development and behaviour, as well as chronic illnesses, paediatricians found …


General James Longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the Civil War, from Manassas (the first battle of Bull Run) to Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, Gettysburg, and was present at surrender at Appomattox. Yet, he was largely held to blame for the Confederacy's defeat at Gettysburg. "General James Longstreet" sheds new light on the controversial commander and the man Robert E. Lee called "my old war horse."


The Software Capability Maturity Modelsm (SW-CMM)sm is serving as the foundation for a major portion of the process improvement being undertaken in the software industry. It is composed of two volumes: the Capability Maturity Model for Software, and the Key Practices of the Capability Maturity Model. The key practices of the SW-CMM are expressed in terms that reflect normal practices of organizations that work on large, government contracts. There is, however, a significant population of software-producing and -acquiring organizations, operating in different environments, for which the key practices require significant interpretation and/or tailoring prior to application. This report presents a tailoring framework that identifies process artifacts, tailoring processes, and their relationships to project artifacts, and explores the nature of various kinds of tailoring used in the definition and development of software process descriptions. Techniques appropriate to each type of tailoring are then discussed. The general approach utilizes and builds upon the Software Process Framework, whose purpose is to provide guidance for designing, analyzing, and reviewing software processes for consistency with the SW-CMM.


Irrespective of the forum in which they teach, it is necessary for all educators to receive proper training before they can truly be effective teachers. This study investigated the current methods used to train the outreach educators working in the Philadelphia Zoo's Zoo on Wheels (ZOW) department. Using a combination of employee surveys and quiz, and interviews, this study examined the three areas which outreach staff need to be trained in order to be effective educators: animal handling, scientific knowledge, and the development of teaching and presentation skills. The results indicated that areas with defined training protocols had the highest levels of educator confidence and efficacy. Outreach employees indicated that knowledge acquisition is the weakest area in terms of formal training, with educators being responsible for developing their knowledge base on their own.


This paper exploits discontinuous grade mixing rules in Norwegian junior high schools to estimate how classroom grade composition affects pupil achievement. Pupils in mixed grade classrooms are found to outperform pupils in single grade classrooms on high stake central exit tests and teacher set and graded tests. This effect is driven by pupils benefiting from sharing the classroom with more mature peers from higher grades. The presence of lower grade peers is detrimental for achievement. Pupils can therefore benefit from de-tracking by grade, but the effects depend crucially on how the classroom is balanced in terms of lower and higher grades. These results reconcile the contradictory findings in the literature.


—The Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeus) is a poorly studied songbird species that breeds within the interior western United States and Mexico. We studied the breeding behavior of Plumbeous Vireos within pinyon-juniper habitats in northeastern New Mexico in 1996 and 1997. Over both years we located and monitored 40 nests and conducted behavioral observations throughout the nesting cycle. From these observations we described and compared basic behavioral traits of male and female vireos during their nest-building, egg-laying, incubation, and nestling stages, and their response to potential predators near the nest. Male vireos displayed potential nest sites to females, but the females selected the site to be used and built most of the nest. Vireos often did not initiate egg-laying until 2-3 d after nest completion. The female tended to incubate eggs and brood nestlings more than the male, but both parents contributed equally in provisioning the young. Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) parasitized 77% of nests in 1996, 63% in 1997, and parasitism was the primary cause of nest failure in this population. The conspicuousness of vireos around the nest, particularly during the nest-building stage, may contribute to high parasitism levels. Vireo aggression near the nest may also act as a cue to help cowbirds locate nests.


Laboratory experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Imo State University, Nigeria to assess the inhibitory substances in the seed coat of 15 cowpea cultivars for resistance against Callosobruchus maculatus. Fifty (50) seeds of the cowpea cultivars were collected from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA) Ibadan and placed in 15 different Petri-dishes with perforated tops and infested with 10 adult C. maculatus pest (4 males : 6 females). The Petri-dishes containing the seeds and the insects were allowed to stay undisturbed for 4 weeks. Another set of 50 seeds of the cowpea cultivars were soaked in water to allow for easy removal of the seed coats. The seed coats were dried in the oven at 65oC for about 25 min, and then ground into a fine powder. It was observed that the adult C. maculatus did not attack the cowpea. However, after 4 weeks, new C. maculatus adults were observed on the cowpea seeds. The number of emerged adult C. maculatus and the number of insect exit holes observed in the IT97K-568-18 and IT98K-131-2 cultivars were lower and significantly different from the other cultivars. The quantity of tannin and saponin in the seed coat of the cultivars IT97K-568-18 and IT98K-131-2 were significantly higher than the other cultivars. The ability of these two cowpea cultivars to resist the attack of C. maculatus was attributed to the presence of tannin and saponin in the seed coats. It is recommended that IT97K-568-18 and IT98K-131-2 cultivars be incorporated in the cowpea breeding programmes involving insect resistance.

Key words: Cowpea, Callosobruchus maculatus, Cultivars, Tannin, Saponin,Seed coat


Optical media are ideal for storing sensitive information as they can be removed and secured. DataPlay's technology takes advantage of this; encrypted keys are stored on the media itself, content is separately encrypted and accessed through key exchange. Web enabled versions (ContentKey®) and password based systems (PassPlay®) have been developed and introduced using the DataPlay 32 mm small form factor optical drive & media.


We used growth rates of juvenile winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, to assess habitat quality in 3 of Rhode Island's coastal salt ponds that had differing levels of nutrients and human development. In each pond, 1 m 2 cages were placed in vegetated and unvegetated habitats and growth rates of individually marked fish were measured in three 10 to 15 d experiments from 4 June to 7 July 1997. Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and benthic food were also measured. Stable isotopes of C and N were measured in experimental and wild fish. Growth rates were 0.06 to 0.76 mm d -1 and decreased through the experiments. Growth rates of wild fish (0.19 mm d -1 in Point Judith Pond and 0.21 in Ninigret Pond) were similar to the average of the 2nd and 3rd experiments (0.24 mm d -1 ). Growth rates were the same in vegetated and unvegetated sites. They were also the same in Point Judith and Ninigret ponds but lower in Green Hill Pond. An ANCOVA suggested that Green Hill's lower rates were caused by its higher temperatures, particularly during the 3rd experiment. Benthic food was similar in the different ponds, different habitat types, and in cores taken inside and outside cages. Categories of food consumed by fish were not affected by the presence of vegetation in a cage, although food consumed did differ from pond to pond. Amphipods were the preferred food in all ponds; fish consumed proportionately more amphipods and fewer polychaetes in Ninigret Pond than in the other ponds. Values of δ 15 N in the fish varied with the degree of development in the watershed but not with total nitrogen in the water column. The results of this study indicate that growth rates of fish can be used as indicators of habitat quality.


ABSTRACT In order to obtain a microemulsion that is stable at skin temperature, the regions of existence of microemulsions of water and isopropyl myristate were studied as a function of hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of nonionic surfactant mixtures. The microemulsion dissolves large amount of the local anaesthetic - lidocaine. The amount of dissolved lidocaine in the microemulsion was proportional to the isopropyl myristate content and limited to its solubility in this solvent. The addition of lidocaine lowered the phase inversion temperature (PIT) of the system and increased the temperature range for microemulsion stability. The structure of the microemulsion, as investigated by proton Fourier transform pulsed-gradient spin-echo NMR spectroscopy, was found to be bicontinous. The physico - chemical properties of the microemulsion as well as the low toxicity of its components result in formulation intendend for topical administration.


Resource constraints and peaking of the epidemic should lead to a rebalancing of health assistance for developing countries. In 2007, the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) concluded that "Global HIV incidence likely peaked in the late 1990s" (1), due to "natural trends in the epidemic as well as the result of prevention programmes" (1). The slow decline in new infections together with a recent rise in antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) halted the rise in the estimated number of AIDS deaths at about 2.2 million per year—equivalent to 4% of all global deaths (2). Among adults 15 to 49, the proportion currently infected with HIV (HIV prevalence) plateaued at just under 1% before declining to 0.8% worldwide (1, 3). These trends raise the question of how global health funding should be rebalanced between AIDS treatment and HIV prevention, as well as other health-care investments.


10th anniversary edition of the bestselling AutoCAD Bible Even AutoCAD developers turn to this book for answers! Find out what fans of all the previous bestselling editions of this book already know: this is the top all-in-one guide to everything you need to master AutoCAD. Whether you're a novice looking to start with the basics and progress to programming, or an AutoCAD veteran exploring what's new or seeking a quick refresher, every feature is covered. Start drawing today in AutoCAD 2010 with the one book you need to succeed. Start drawing right away with a Quick Start project Draw, view, and edit in 2D, then add text and dimensions Reference other drawings and link data to objects Build, view, and present complex 3D drawings Customize commands, create shortcuts, and use scripts and macros Program AutoCAD using AutoLISP and VBA What's on the DVD? Trial versions of both AutoCAD 2010 and AutoCAD LT 2010 Over 300 before-and-after drawings from working AutoCAD professionals A selection of helpful add-on programs The entire book in searchable PDF Videos on the two big new features of AutoCAD 2010 Parametric Constraints and Mesh Solids System Requirements: Please see the DVD appendix for details and system requirements. Control your drawings with the new parametric constraints Draw and display sophisticated 2D and 3D models Create organic, molded solids with 3D meshes Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.


We formalize and illustrate the general concept of algorithmic anti-differentiation: given an algorithmic procedure, e.g., an approximation algorithm for which worst-case approximation guarantees are available or a heuristic that has been engineered to be practically-useful but for which a precise theoretical understanding is lacking, an algorithmic anti-derivative is a precise statement of an optimization problem that is exactly solved by that procedure. We explore this concept with a case study of approximation algorithms for finding locally-biased partitions in data graphs, demonstrating connections between min-cut objectives, a personalized version of the popular PageRank vector, and the highly effective "push" procedure for computing an approximation to personalized PageRank. We show, for example, that this latter algorithm solves (exactly, but implicitly) an l1-regularized l2-regression problem, a fact that helps to explain its excellent performance in practice. We expect that, when available, these implicit optimization problems will be critical for rationalizing and predicting the performance of many approximation algorithms on realistic data.


At the beginning of Love's Labor's Lost, the King of Navarre and his courtiers form a "little academe, still and contemplative in living art." In modern terms, these vows constitute a gentlemen's club of sorts, defined by the rejection of the mundane world of work and domesticity in favor of a particular kind of homosociality born of esoteric engagement. This intentionally anachronistic consideration of Navarre's private society provides context for two early twentieth-century Canadian productions of Love's Labor's Lost and Cymbeline directed by Roy Mitchell at Hart House Theatre in Toronto. Mitchell was a visionary bent on dragging Toronto, Canadian theater, and Shakespeare into the modern world. He was also a founding member of a gentlemen's club: the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, established in 1908 to provide a retreat from the growing metropolis in a merry "fusion of the arts." This essay uses the texts of Shakespeare's plays to connect some of the ideals of the Arts and Letters Club to Mitchell's directorial practice, in order to unfold an understudied piece of Canadian cultural history. The essay argues that the esoteric engagements of private societies had genuine influence upon the public sphere. As David Shields observes, it is "the occult motives of aesthetics" that "explain the formation of national politics," it is not, as we tend to assume, the other way around.


In order to optimize strategies to remove airborne contaminants in residences, it is necessary to determine how contaminant concentrations respond to changes in the air exchange rate. The impact of air exchange rate on the indoor concentrations of 39 target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was assessed by measuring air exchange rates and VOC concentrations at three ventilation settings in nine residences. Active sampling methods were used for VOC concentration measurements, and passive perfluorocarbon tracer gas emitters with active sampling were used to determine the overall air exchange rate corresponding to the VOC measurements at each ventilation setting. The concentration levels and emission rates of the target VOCs varied by as much as two orders of magnitude across sites. Aldehyde and terpene compounds were typically the chemical classes with highest concentrations, followed by alkanes, aromatics, and siloxanes. For each home, VOC concentrations tended to decrease as the air exchange rate was increased, however, measurement uncertainty was significant. The indoor concentration was inversely proportional to air exchange rate for most compounds. For a subset of compounds including formaldehyde, however, the indoor concentration exhibited a non-linear dependence on the timescale for air exchange


Biofuels and -chemicals can be produced from carbohydrates in lignocellulosic biomass. For an efficient total enzymatic hydrolysis of the plant cell wall polysaccharides, a pretreatment step is required. Ionic liquids (ILs) have recently gained considerable interest as solvents for cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass and pretreatment of lignocellulose with ILs is currently an extensively studied concept. However, the applicability of ILs in an integrated process, in which enzymatic hydrolysis is done in the same vessel as the IL pretreatment without IL removal and substrate washing between the process steps, suffers from the fact that cellulose-dissolving ILs severely inactivate the cellulases used to catalyse the polysaccharide hydrolysis. This article reviews research on cellulase activity, stability and action in hydrolysis in cellulose-dissolving ILs, and different routes to increase the cellulase performance in these reaction systems. Impressive advances have recently been made in discovering and developing cellulases and other glycosyl hydrolases with increased IL-tolerance. Different cellulase stabilisation techniques and the design of enzyme-friendly cellulose-dissolving ILs are also discussed. In light of the recent developments, the integrated enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides in the presence of ILs may well prove to be a potential route for utilizing lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock in biofuel and -chemical production.


This Article argues that courts should adjust the scope of copyright protection by considering time as a factor in fair use analysis. More specifically, the longer it has been since a copyrighted work was published, the greater the scope of fair use should be. Up to now, most of the debate over the role of time in copyright law has focused on the controversial issue of copyright duration and term extension. By focusing so narrowly on the end of the copyright term, however, this debate has neglected the more significant issue of how time should affect the scope of copyright protection during the copyright term. This Article argues that exceptionally strong justifications exist for considering time expressly in setting the scope of copyright protection, and that fair use provides an ideal vehicle for such consideration, both doctrinally and theoretically. By considering time in fair use analysis, courts can adjust the scope of copyright protection to respond more dynamically to the changes that occur in authorial incentives, public access, and other copyright interests over the length of the copyright term. Consideration of time also provides a legitimate way for courts to inject public-regarding values into the process of setting the scope of copyright protection.


When economics is taught, the moral dimensions of markets are commonly ignored. The result is that superficial, misleading, and highly emotional views on the morality of markets are given free rein. Furthermore, these views are reinforced by politicians and others to create a widespread moral bias against market incentives and in favor of government programs as the most moral approach to addressing economic problems. We consider the challenge this presents to effective economic education and the importance of considering the morality of markets and comparing it in a realistic and evenhanded way with the morality of the political process. Dwight R. Lee and Mark C. Schug, "The Political Economy of Economic Education: The Moral Dimensions," Journal of Markets & Morality 14, no. 1 (Spring 2011): 71-84


Abstract. Since the beginning of 2012, the first Pleiades-HR satellite of the program conducted by the French National Space Agency, CNES, delivers 20 km wide color scenes with a 70 cm ground sampling distance. A second satellite should be launched in 2013 which will achieve an almost world-wide coverage with a revisit interval of 24h. The assessment of the image quality and the calibration operation have been performed by CNES Image Quality team during the 6 month commissioning phase that followed the satellite launch. The geometric commissioning activities consist in improve the geometric quality of the images in order to meet very demanding specifications as localization accuracy, local coherence, dynamic stability, length alteration … This goal has been achieved through the implementation of new methods of calibration and performance assessment. Some of these methods are based on the exploitation of very specific satellite acquisitions that have been achieved thanks to the amazing agility of the Pleiades satellite. Thus, many stars acquisitions and very slow earth pictures have been processed to characterize dynamic phenomena. Similarly, "along-cross track" pairs have been exploited to improve the accuracy of the focal plane description. This paper deals with these new methods. It describes their accuracy and their operational interests.


More than 60% of common bean production worldwide is derived from cultivars of Middle American origin. Understanding the diversity of these will facilitate their use in genetic improvement. The objective of this study was to analyze a collection of 269 landraces of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by correspondence analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data to determine the genetic structure of the Middle American gene pool of cultivated bean. One hundred eighty landraces originating in Mexico, the remainder in Central America and secondary centers of diversity within the Americas, and two checks were studied. DNA was extracted, RAPD reactions carried out, and polymorphic bands were scored as present or absent on the basis of 39 primers. Groups were formed which in part corresponded to races defined previously by morphological and agroecological criteria. However, tropical small-seeded Race M was composed of two groups: one largely Mexican that included most small-seeded black beans of upright plant habit, and one Central American with landraces of various seed colors. Most non-black small-seeded germplasm of Race M phenotype from secondary centers grouped with the Central American landraces, except for cream-seeded and purple-seeded accessions from Brazil. Races D and J could be distinguished and within races D and J further divisions could be recognized which were related to geographic origin. The more commercial Race D landraces formed a genetic group that was predominant in the western part of the Mexican highland plateau. Another Race D group was concentrated at the eastern extreme of the neovolcanic axis and was differentiated morphologically as well. Guatemalan germplasm contained accessions of climbing bean that did not group with any of the previously defined races and should be considered a separate race. Thus, Middle American germplasm of common bean is more complex than previously thought, and contains diversity that remains to be explored for its practical value.


ABSTRACT Heterochromatin is characteristically the last portion of the genome to be replicated. In polytene cells, heterochromatic sequences are underreplicated because S phase ends before replication of heterochromatin is completed. Truncated heterochromatic DNAs have been identified in polytene cells of Drosophila and may be the discontinuous molecules that form between fully replicated euchromatic and underreplicated heterochromatic regions of the chromosome. In this report, we characterize the temporal pattern of heterochromatic DNA truncation during development of polytene cells. Underreplication occurred during the first polytene S phase, yet DNA truncation, which was found within heterochromatic sequences of all fourDrosophila chromosomes, did not occur until the second polytene S phase. DNA truncation was correlated with underreplication, since increasing the replication of satellite sequences with thecycE1672 mutation caused decreased production of truncated DNAs. Finally, truncation of heterochromatic DNAs was neither quantitatively nor qualitatively affected by modifiers of position effect variegation including the Y chromosome,Su(var)2052, parental origin, or temperature. We propose that heterochromatic satellite sequences present a barrier to DNA replication and that replication forks that transiently stall at such barriers in late S phase of diploid cells are left unresolved in the shortened S phase of polytene cells. DNA truncation then occurs in the second polytene S phase, when new replication forks extend to the position of forks left unresolved in the first polytene S phase.


Linear energy system models are often a crucial component of system
design and operations, as well as energy policy consulting. Such models can lead to large-scale linear programs, which can be intractable even for state-of-the-art commercial solvers|already the available memory on a desktop machine might not be sufficient. Against this backdrop, this article introduces an interior-point solver that exploits common structures of
linear energy system models to efficiently run in parallel on distributed memory systems. The solver is designed for linear programs with doubly bordered
block-diagonal constraint matrix and makes use of a Schur complement
based decomposition. Special effort has been put into handling
large numbers of linking constraints and variables as commonly observed
in energy system models. In order to handle this strong linkage, a distributed
preconditioning of the Schur complement is used. In addition, the
solver features a number of more generic techniques such as parallel matrix
scaling and structure-preserving presolving. The implementation is
based on the existing parallel interior-point solver PIPS-IPM. We evaluate
the computational performance on energy system models with up to 700
million non-zero entries in the constraint matrix, and with more than 200
million columns and 250 million rows. This article mainly concentrates on
the energy system model ELMOD, which is a linear optimization model
representing the European electricity markets by the use of a nodal pricing
market clearing. It has been widely applied in the literature on energy
system analyses during the recent years. However, it will be demonstrated
that the new solver is also applicable to other energy system models.


Knitted fabric is widely used in clothing because of its unique and stretchy behavior, which is fundamentally different from the behavior of woven cloth. The properties of knits come from the nonlinear, three-dimensional kinematics of long, inter-looping yarns, and despite significant advances in cloth animation we still do not know how to simulate knitted fabric faithfully. Existing cloth simulators mainly adopt elastic-sheet mechanical models inspired by woven materials, focusing less on the model itself than on important simulation challenges such as efficiency, stability, and robustness. We define a new computational model for knits in terms of the motion of yarns, rather than the motion of a sheet. Each yarn is modeled as an inextensible, yet otherwise flexible, B-spline tube. To simulate complex knitted garments, we propose an implicit-explicit integrator, with yarn inextensibility constraints imposed using efficient projections. Friction among yarns is approximated using rigid-body velocity filters, and key yarn-yarn interactions are mediated by stiff penalty forces. Our results show that this simple model predicts the key mechanical properties of different knits, as demonstrated by qualitative comparisons to observed deformations of actual samples in the laboratory, and that the simulator can scale up to substantial animations with complex dynamic motion.


This paper describes how Measurement Assisted Determinate Assembly (MADA) can facilitate the lean production of aerospace structures, provided that the structure is designed for MADA. A novel wingbox design and production process is used to illustrate this. The aerospace industry has not benefited from the significant reductions in production cost and cycle time that can result from greater assembly efficiency, part-to-part interchangeability and the use of flexible automation. This is largely due to the very high accuracies required across large scale assemblies. The use of metrology can reduce process steps, reduce the reliance on costly hard tooling, reduce the requirement for manually intensive and time consuming re-working at late stages of assembly, and allow low cost flexible automation to place tools to the required accuracies. The generic MADA process is presented together with guidelines for the design of structures to enable MADA.


Aims and Background This study evaluates 3 different imaging modalities—ultrasound (US), stereoscopic X-ray imaging of implanted markers (Visicoils) (X-ray), and kV cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)—to assess interfraction and intrafraction localization error during conformal radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Methods and Study Design The study population consisted of 186 consecutive prostate cancer patients treated with an image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) hypofractionated protocol using 3 techniques: 32 with X-ray, 30 with CBCT, and 124 with US. Treatment dose of 70.2 Gy was delivered in 26 fractions with a conformal dynamic arcs technique. Interfraction prostate localization errors were determined for the 3 techniques. Moreover, interfraction and intrafraction prostate motion in terms of translations and rotations, as well as residual errors, were determined with X-ray. Results The systematic and random components of the prostate localization errors were as follows: (1) with X-ray 3.0 ± 3.4, 2.3 ± 2.7, 1.8 ± 2.3 mm in anterior-posterior (AP), superior-inferior (SI), and left-right (LR) directions and 1.8° ± 1.2°, 2.3° ± 1.5°, 2.7° ± 3.1°, for the yaw, roll, and pitch rotations; (2) with CBCT3.5 ± 4.2, 3.3 ± 3.3, 2.5 ± 3.1 mm in AP, SI, and LR directions; (3) with US 3.7 ± 4.7, 3.4 ± 4.3, 2.3 ± 3.5 mm in AP, SI, and LR directions. Residual errors with X-ray were less than 1 mm in all directions. Intrafraction prostate motion of less than 0.5 mm in LR and of the order of 1 mm in AP and SI directions was found. This led to a significant reduction of the margins, potentially important for dose escalation studies. Conclusions Daily on-line IGRT with stereoscopic X-ray imaging allowed a consistent PTV margin reduction considering residual interfraction prostate localization error and intrafraction motion. X-ray offers the best compromise among accuracy, reliability, dose to the patient, and time investment for daily IGRT treatment of prostate.


Geoffrey Chaucer's moral ballade, which begins "Fle fro be pres & dwelle wib sobefastnesse," (1) has been known since the late nineteenth century, from Frederick Furnivall's Chaucer Society reprints onwards, (2) by the title Truth. (3) As the later printing period of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries began to produce more uniform, quasi-critical editions of medieval works, a trend for retitling those works was also established. Many of the titles of Chaucer's lyrics, such as Gentilesse and Lak of Stedfastnesse, are, like Truth, from Chaucer Society reprintings or, as with Womanly Noblesse and Merciles Beaute, from Walter Skeat's volumes. (4) The effort to invent or reformulate titles for these works intimates that there was something potentially deficient or problematic about them. A closer look at the manuscript witnesses of Truth appears to shed some light on the possible motivations behind the retitlings of later periods. Over a third of Truth's manuscript authorities have no titles. Of these seven, the copies of Truth in British Library MS Cotton Cleopatra D.VII and MS Additional 22139 are particularly exemplary. In both chirographs, Truth is transcribed alongside three other Chaucerian lyrics, all of which are untitled. The Huntington Library Ellesmere text of Truth, found on the final flyleaves of this famous Canterbury Tales manuscript, is similarly transcribed without any form of accompanying title. (5) This is especially significant considering the attention to presentation, particularly in terms of illumination and decoration, evident throughout the rest of the Ellesmere manuscript. (6) One need not look too far for other examples, as a lack of manuscript titles characterizes many of Chaucer's other lyrics. An ABC appears untitled in nine of its sixteen manuscripts, and of the fifteen manuscript witnesses to Lak of Stedfastnesse, six are titleless. An argument concerning the minor status and/or brevity of the lyric as a genre could be made to explain such prevalence, but the phenomenon is not solely confined to lyric poems. Titular omission is also manifest in a longer poem such as The Legend of Good Women, which appears untitled in at least one of its manuscripts. (7) Certainly, as Priscilla Bawcutt points out in her edition of William Dunbar's poems, the untitled work was common beyond Chaucer's oeuvre: "During the Middle Ages many poems, particularly short ones, circulated without a title." (8) Titles, then, did not always constitute part of a Middle English manuscript's ordinatio. Perhaps the titles of a specific piece were unknown to the scribe(s) or rubricator(s); maybe they were accidentally omitted. It is also possible that for some works or certain types of manuscript, they were deemed unnecessary; equally, however, titles may have been less significant, more tangential, in medieval literary processes than they are nowadays. When viewed against these frequent absences, the importance of the title for Middle English texts appears uncertain. The remaining two thirds of Truth's manuscripts raise further questions about the significance of the title in the Middle Ages. While the lyric is titled in some form or another--whether opening, closing, marginal, or otherwise--in seventeen of its manuscript manifestations, not one of these titles is exactly the same. Some of the differences are the result of subtleties of word configuration, situation, and/or spelling. A number of the titles, though, are so dissimilar that it is hard to reconcile them. Consequently, Truth has chirographic titles as idiosyncratic as "A balade of Geffrey Chaucier vppon his dethe bedde lyinge in grete Anguysse," from British Library MS Cotton Otho A.XVIII and as seemingly misleading as "Prouerbium Scogan," a title unique to Oxford, Corpus Christi College MS 203. (9) Even so, these two examples represent the extremes. The bulk of the manuscript witnesses tend to contain variations on the "good counsel" titles, which were a popular choice among the early printers. …


Summary In order to measure the potential of apple pomace as a raw material for manufacturing food-related products (such as lactic acid, fiber-rich concentrates and pectin), samples from cider industry were assayed for composition and enzymatic digestibility. Alcohol-soluble compounds (monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and malic acid) accounted for 32–45 mass percent of oven-dry pomace. Glucose and fructose were the major components of this fraction. The alcohol-insoluble fraction accounted for 55–68 mass percent of oven-dry pomace and was mainly made up of neutral detergent fiber (62–69 percent of the mass fraction) and pectin (16.2–19.7 percent of the mass fraction). The feedstock content of N, P and metal ions (K, Mg, Fe and Mn) was favourable for further manufacture of lactic acid fermentation media. Apple pomace showed a high susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis: in media with a cellulase loading of 8.5 FPU/g of apple pomace and a cellobiase loading of 5 IU/FPU, about 80 % of the total glucan was converted into glucose after 15 h. Considering the low enzyme charge, liquor to solid ratio employed, reaction time needed to achieve the maximal sugars concentration and N, P and metal ion (K, Mg, Fe and Mn) content of samples, it can be concluded that apple pomace is a promising raw material for lactic acid production.


'This fascinating book presents the work of nine social historians who seek to reconstruct the elusive and highly personal private lives of colonial Latin Americans. The essays analyze a range of issues from sexuality marriage, divorce, and illegitimacy to sexual witch-craft, conceptions of sin, and confession...Uniformly engaging, provocative, and well-written, these essays represent some of the most interesting contemporary work on colonial Latin American society' - "Hispanic American Historical Review".'A very welcome contribution to the study of the hitherto little explored personal dimensions of the formation and reproduction of colonial society. The essays uncover a rich set of illuminating but until now largely neglected archival sources, throwing light not only on the shifting sexual politics of church and state, the evolution of sexual constraints, and the contradictions between institutional norms and individual practice but also on the private, personal aspects of relations between the sexes with special attention to the experience of women' - "Journal of the History of Sexuality".'" Sexuality and Marriage in Colonial Latin America" presents the best work on the subject so far' - "The Village Voice". Asuncion Lavrin is a professor of history at Arizona State University at Tempe. Her 1995 book, "Women, Feminism, and Social Change in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, 1890-1940", won the Arthur P. Whitaker Prize from the Middle Atlantic Council on Latin American Studies.


Purpose of this study is to analyses the impact of job stress on employee performance. A causal research design was adopted to carry out the data collection. For this purpose employees from various sectors were chosen. A questionnaire with 26 items with Likert Scale (1: Strongly Disagree to 5: Strongly Disagree) were developed and tested for its reliability and validity prior to the distribution of questionnaire via social media. 310 respondents were selected from various sectors in Malaysia using convenient sampling technique. The survey questionnaire was sent via Facebook inbox requesting to complete it. The questionnaire includes demographic information and statements to measure four (4) independent variables of time pressure, workload, lack of motivation, and role ambiguity to measure level of stress. The dependent variable is employee performance. Only 136 completed questionnaires were returned (usable sample). Regression analysis was carried out to examine the impact of stress on employee performance using SPSS21. We found that time pressure and role ambiguity have significant and negative influence on employee performance. The other two factors of workload and lack of motivation do not have any significant influence on employee performance. Therefore we concluded that increasing time pressure and role ambiguity would reduce employee performance in all aspects. Therefore it is important for managers to ensure role ambiguity is minimized and clear roles are given and communicated to the employees if they wish to enhance employee performance. Also managers and supervisors are strongly recommended to discuss the time allotment and task completion dates and duration of the task with their subordinates to avoid time pressure. This would possibly enhance employee performance. Future research should consider a larger sample from leading sectors where job natures are similar. Analysis should be more rigorous, where Amos could be used for structural Equation Modelling.


Abstract Literature on diversity in organisations is limited and even fewer studies investigate its impact on innovation. Therefore, the aim of this research is to study how gender diversity within R&D teams, among other factors, impacts innovation, drawing on data from an innovation survey in Spain. Our findings support the assertion that gender diversity within R&D teams generates certain dynamics that foster novel solutions leading to radical innovation. The results indicate that gender diversity is positively related to radical innovation. However it does not promote incremental innovation in the same way. The positive relation occurs under particular conditions of the task (a higher degree of novelty), as the two types of innovation might require different skills for their effective performance. These results have several implications for academics, politicians and practitioners.


Extracted from text ... 2 SA JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY ? December 2005
EDITORIAL
Bounding ahead with our Journal
Savvas Andronikou
MB BCh, FCRad (SA), FRCR (Lond),
PhD (UCT)
Department of Radiology
Tygerberg Hospital
University of Stellenbosch
This will read more like a memo than an editorial but I guess this is the best avenue for
informing our readers.We must extend our gratitude as a Society and as a professional body
to Ian Duncan who served this journal as chief editor and brought it alive. I see Ian is still
active in publishing, with a current paper in Paediatric Radiology. Keep up the good ..


This work aims to analyze the relationship between the quality of institutions and innovation. The available empirical studies have analyzed this relationship for the case of firms. Compared to these studies, we estimate five dynamic panel models by the Generalized Moment Method for a 53-country sample (composed of 17?developed countries and 36?developing and emerging countries) observed over the 1996-2013 period. We focus on three institutional variables, namely: control of corruption, government effectiveness and quality of regulation; and on two synthetic institutional indicators. The estimations results indicate that the intensification of the fight against corruption favors innovation. In addition, innovation is stimulated by an institutional environment characterized by effective government intervention in the economy and the implementation of sound policies and regulations. JEL Codes: O31, O5, O17, H1, K


Basal crevasses extend upwards from the base of ice bodies and can penetrate more than halfway through the ice column under conditions found commonly on ice shelves. As a result, they may locally modify the exchange of mass and energy between ice shelf and ocean, and by altering the shelf's mechanical properties could play a fundamental role in ice shelf stability. Although early studies revealed that such features may be abundant on Antarctic ice shelves, their geometrical properties and spatial distribution has gained little attention. We investigate basal crevasses in Larsen C Ice Shelf using field radar survey, remote sensing and numerical modelling. We demonstrate that a group of features visible in MODIS imagery are the surface expressions of basal crevasses in the form of surface troughs, and find that basal crevasses can be generated as a result of stresses well downstream of the grounding line. We show that linear elastic fracture mechanics modelling is a good predictor of basal crevasse penetration height where stresses are predominantly tensile, and that measured surface trough depth does not always reflect this height, probably because of snow accumulation in the trough, marine ice accretion in the crevasse, or stress bridging from the surrounding ice. We conclude that all features visible in MODIS imagery of ice shelves and previously labelled simply as "crevasses", where they are not full thickness rifts, must be basal crevasse troughs, highlighting a fundamental structural property of many ice shelves that may have been previously overlooked.


Split cuts represent the most widely used class of cutting planes currently employed by state-of-the-art branch-and-cut solvers for mixed integer linear programming. Rank-1 cuts often have better numerical properties than higher rank cuts. In this paper, we study several heuristics to generate new families of strong rank-1 split cuts, by considering integer linear combinations of the rows of the simplex tableau, and deriving the corresponding mixedinteger Gomory cuts. In particular, we propose several cut generation algorithms that share the following aims: reducing the number of nonzeroes, obtaining small coefficients, generating orthogonal cuts. A key idea is that of selecting a subset of the variables, and trying to generate a cut which cuts deeply on those variables. We show that variables with small reduced cost are good candidates for this purpose, yielding cuts that close a larger integrality gap. On a set of test instances where standard split cut generators close on average 28.8% of the integrality gap in the first pass, we can close 35.3% by investing 10 times as much cut generation time. Incorporating our new split cuts into a branch-and-cut algorithm yields an improvement in the overall performance: except on very easy instances, where our procedure is too slow to bring advantage, on average we can save 23% computing time on instances which are solved, and close more integrality gap on unsolved instances in a fixed amount of time.


This paper develops a general theoretical framework within which a heterogeneous group taxpayers confront a market that supplies a variety of schemes for reducing tax liability, and uses this framework to explore the impact of a wide range of anti-avoidance policies. Schemes differ in their legal effectiveness and hence in the risks to which they expose taxpayers - risks which go beyond the risk of audit considered in the conventional literature on evasion. Given the individual taxpayer's circumstances, the prices charged for the schemes and the policy environment, the model predicts (i) whether or not any given taxpayer will acquire a scheme, and (ii) if they do so, which type of scheme they will acquire. The paper then analyses how these decisions, and hence the tax gap, are influenced by four generic types of policy: • Disclosure – earlier information leading to faster closure of loopholes; • Penalties – introduction of penalties for failed avoidance; • Policy Design – fundamental policy changes that design out opportunities for avoidance; • Product Register - the introduction of GAARs or mini-GAARs that give greater clarity about how different types of scheme will be treated. The paper shows that when considering the indirect/behavioural effects of policies on the tax gap it is important to recognise that these operate on two different margins. First policies will have deterrence effects – their impact on the quantum of taxpayers choosing to acquire different types schemes as distinct to acquiring no scheme at all. There will be a range of such deterrence effects reflecting the range of schemes available in the market. But secondly, since different schemes generate different tax gaps, policies will also have switching effects as they induce taxpayers who previously acquired one type of scheme to acquire another. The first three types of policy generate positive deterrence effects but differ in the switching effects they produce. The fourth type of policy produces mixed deterrence effects.


Background/Context Schools are cultural contexts that have the power and potential to promote students' cultural assets or "other" youth in a way that keeps them from creating meaningful academic identities. In this study, we build on existing research and theory by defining "othering" as a personal, social, cultural, and historical experience involving (a) cultural and racial ambiguity, (b) categorization and labeling, (c) hierarchical power dynamics, and (d) limited access to resources. In addition, we further define and understand youths' cultural assets from a collectivistic perspective. We are interested in identifying and understanding community and indigenous strengths of "othered" youth as embedded in social and ecological systems. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study We used an ecological approach to dissect the experiences of "othered" youth through an investigation of their marginalization and assets. The questions guiding this research explore how "othered" students make sense of stereotypes and racism in the school context: How are these incidents handled? What are the norms in school for dealing with racialized and cultural encounters? What are the buffers or factors that may help students maintain a sense of cultural pride in the face of marginalization? What cultural assets emerge in schools and how are they related to students' experiences with "othering?" Research Design This sequential 18-month qualitative study included observations and interviews. Multi-informant data with ten Native Hawaiian adolescents and five teachers and counselors of Native Hawaiian youth were used in an attempt to give voice to their experiences in urban public schools in Hawaii. These two perspectives provide points of convergence and divergence in conceptualizing how schools "other" youth. Grounded theory and Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) were used to generate themes that arose from student interviews that were then compared with interview data from school personnel. These separate, but related data sources offered perspectives across generations, power relationships, and cultural identities. Conclusions/Recommendations Our findings revealed five emergent themes: multiple identities, stereotypes, racism, coping strategies for racism, and cultural pride that highlight cultural assets and experiences with being the "other" at school. We discuss these findings in terms of how they relate to our definition of "othering" and from an ecological and relation-ally informed approach to community and cultural assets that are reciprocal and interactive. We call on practitioners and researchers alike to provide opportunities that promote and reinforce indigenous strengths in schools.


ABSTRACT Periphyton and water were sampled 1 km upstream of the Cookeville Wastewater Treatment Plant (PRupstream), 2 km downstream of the discharge (PRdownstream), and from a tributary (PO) 10 km south of the wastewater treatment plant. Percent composition of 113 algal taxa were documented. Assemblages of soft-bodied algae and diatoms at the PRdownstream site had more eutrophic taxa than assemblages at the other sites. Water at the PRdownstream site had >7-fold higher concentration of total phosphorus (193 µg·L-1), yet <1.5-fold higher concentration of total nitrogen (1900 µg·L-1) than water at the other sites. The total nitrogen to total phosphorous ratio (TN:TP ratio) at the PRdownstream site (9.8) was below the value hypothesized for N-limitation of algae growth (10), whereas the ratios at the PRupstream site (65.9) and PO site (62.4) were above. Phosphorus and nitrogen additions to in vitro growth assays using Raphidocelis subcapitata indicate in vitro carrying capacity for Raphidocelis subcapitata was P limited in water from the PRupstream and PO sites. In vitro carrying capacity for Raphidocelis subcapitata was significantly greater and N-limited in water from the PRdownstream site. The results indicate that reduction of the TN:TP ratio of Pigeon Roost Creek changed the nutrient that limits in vitro carrying capacity for R. subcapitata from P to N, and imply that standard growth assays using Raphidocelis subcapitata to evaluate carrying capacity of P-enriched stream water may not indicate the extent of the impact of the P-enrichment to a watershed due to N-limitation of carrying capacity in vitro.


Enzyme-Accelerated Acid Hydrolysis of Untanned Proteinaceous Wastes from Tanning Industry. ABSTRACT Traditionally, tanning industry has been producing considerable amounts of solid wastes, which raises serious concerns on account of their environmental impact. Out of these, untanned raw trimmings account for about 5-7% of the total quantity of raw materials processed. This waste could be a value-added cheap source of collagen, which has numerous industrial applications if properly and scientifically utilized. This research work deals with the utilization of raw trimmings of solid waste from tanneries in the process of enzymatic hydrolysis, performed by using acetic acid and protease, in order to obtain protein hydrolysate. The hydrolysis was carried out with varying acid concentrations, acid solutions, temperatures and times. The maximum obtained protein hydrolysate was about 88% at 1.5 M acid concentration, 4% enzyme ratio, and 60 ° C.


By the extent of its observation, Aldo Rossi's notion of permanence, from his book "The Architecture of the City", shows the potential for its contemporary application. The paper describes the modern development of Letná using Rossi's concept of permanence. Letná is an area with a well-documented evolution of plans, expectations, and constructions. The paper shows how Rossi's work enables the linking of individual stages of Letná's development, being able to also describe its non-physical artifacts. This case study analysis proves the usability of the applied terminology for further research on permanence in Czech urban structures.


Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine the trajectory of lung function change after exposure cessation to occupational organic dust exposure, and to identify factors that modify improvement. Methods The Shanghai Textile Worker Study is a longitudinal study of 447 cotton workers exposed to endotoxin-containing dust and 472 silk workers exposed to non-endotoxin-containing dust. Spirometry was performed at 5-year intervals. Air sampling was performed to estimate individual cumulative exposures. The effect of work cessation on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was modelled using generalised additive mixed effects models to identify the trajectory of FEV1 recovery. Linear mixed effects models incorporating interaction terms were used to identify modifiers of FEV1 recovery. Loss to follow-up was accounted for with inverse probability of censoring weights. Results 74.2% of the original cohort still alive participated in 2011. Generalised additive mixed models identified a non-linear improvement in FEV1 for all workers after exposure cessation, with no plateau noted 25 years after retirement. Linear mixed effects models incorporating interaction terms identified prior endotoxin exposure (p=0.01) and male gender (p=0.002) as risk factors for impaired FEV1 improvement after exposure cessation. After adjusting for gender, smoking delayed the onset of FEV1 gain but did not affect the overall magnitude of change. Conclusions Lung function improvement after cessation of exposure to organic dust is sustained. Endotoxin exposure and male gender are risk factors for less FEV1 improvement.


The aim of this study was to investigate the relative effectiveness of Transeva and spinal manipulative therapy for mechanical low back pain. The objectives evaluated the effectiveness of only administering Transeva therapy alone, or Spinal manipulative therapy alone as well as Transeva therapy with Spinal manipulative therapy on mechanical low back pain with respect to the patients' subjective and objective responses to the respective treatment group. The final objective was to correlate the subjective and objective data collected to determine the effectiveness of each of the therapies in comparison with another. Design: A sample of thirty patients diagnosed with mechanical low back pain were accepted into the study. These patients were randomly divided into three groups of 10, which received different treatment protocols for mechanical low back pain. Outcome Measure: The following outcomes were measured; a decrease in pain (measured with the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NRS), a decrease in disability (measured with the Roland-Morris Questionnaire), a decrease in local tenderness (measured with the pressure Algometer) and an increase in lumbar range of motion (measured with the Inclinometer). The data was collected prior to treatment one, prior to treatment four and at the sixth follow-up visit. Results and Conclusion: All groups improved with the treatments they received; however, no single treatment was statistically better than any other treatment intervention tested. However, the Spinal manipulative therapy group had a statistically significant faster reduction in pain on the NRS readings with p=0.048.


By considering civil architecture region climatic differences, adopt fuzzy analytic hierarchy process mathematical method to make researches on architectural lighting relative energy saving problems. On the basis of lighting, take comprehensive consideration together with architectural energy saving factors, look for the balance point between the two. Utilize fuzzy mathematics comprehensive evaluation method, according to indicators factors, it defines evaluation system, and makes evaluation research on lighting energy saving design's relative strategy. Conclusion thought that optimize overall architecture layout and optimize architecture form design are more important than daylight opening design. Architectural overall layout is an important method of architectural lighting and energy saving.


BACKGROUND It has been reported that systemic administration of allopurinol improves cell survival. This study was aimed to evaluate effects of allopurinol on skin flaps in dogs. METHODS Twenty dogs underwent one skin flap surgery with a 2-week interval. The first procedure was performed according to the standard protocols. The second phase was started by a 1-week pretreatment with allopurinol. Length of the necrotic zone was measured and recorded daily. At each phase, flaps were removed and sent for histopathological study after 1 week observation. RESULTS Mean length of the necrotic zone in allopurinol treated skin flaps has been significantly less than normal flaps over all 7 days of observation (p<0.0001). Histopathology study showed less inflammation and more normal tissue structure in the allopurinol treated skin flaps. CONCLUSION It was demonstrated that systemic administration of allopurinol significantly improved skin flap survival.


Abstract Administration of N-(phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartic acid (PALA) is ineffective in treating mice bearing the parent P388 leukemia line; however, such treatment becomes highly effective when a cell line, P388/ACIA, derived from P388/0 was selected for resistance to another antimetabolite, acivicin. The observed phenomenon of collateral sensitivity is associated with a significantly higher inhibition of the specific activity of carbamyl phosphate synthetase II, pyrimidine nucleoside kinases, adenine phosphoribosyl transferase, and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase in the PALA-sensitive line, P388/ACIA. Twenty-four hr following administration of PALA, 200 mg/kg, the 10% lethal dose i.p. to tumor-bearing mice, the intracellular concentrations of uridine triphosphate and cytidine triphosphate were decreased in the P388/ACIA, PALA-sensitive cells, whereas no significant change in the corresponding nucleotide pool sizes was observed in P388/0, PALA-resistant line. Moreover, the purine nucleotide pool demonstrated a significant expansion of adenosine triphosphate and guanosine triphosphate only in the P388/ACIA line following a similar treatment with PALA. It is proposed that the imbalance in the generation of pyrimidine and purine nucleoside triphosphate pools may explain the observed collateral sensitivity to PALA in P388/ACIA leukemia line.


Abstract : We estimate the impact of Title 32 Active Guard Reserve soldiers (T32 AGRs) in the Army National Guard on the deployment availability ofdrilling soldiers located in the same battalion. We focus on Modification Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE) units during periods whenindividuals and units are not mobilized in preparation for deployment, deployed, or recently returned from deployment. The common practice ofmoving troops between units correlates with T32 AGR exposure levels and personal readiness outcomes, and thus introduces selection bias at theunit level. We therefore develop an individual-level approach using 43 million monthly observations of ARNG members in MTOE units from2001-2014. We calculate each individuals cumulative T32 AGR exposure separately, and track investment levels as individuals move betweenunits. We then estimate the impact of T32 AGR exposure on personal readiness levels, holding constant a wide variety of personal and unitcharacteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantitatively estimate the impact of T32 AGRs on personal readiness at the individuallevel. We find that same unit MTOE T32 AGRs have a persistent, robust, positive effect on personal readiness levels that diminishes as the ratioof T32 AGRs to total unit soldiers increases.


1. Acute hypocapnic hypoxia was induced in ten healthy subjects by the inhalation of O 2 +N 2 (10:90) at rest and during exercise. Transient relief of hypoxia by two breaths of O 2 (O 2 test) resulted in a decrease in cardiac frequency which was highly significant about 10 s after the tests and never consistently delayed in comparison with the ventilatory changes. 2. β-Adrenergic blockade with propranolol reduced the magnitude of the changes in cardiac frequency but not their time-course. 3. Cholinergic blockade with atropine sulphate (and double blockade) abolished the early changes in cardiac frequency. During continued O 2 breathing (3 min) small, still significant, changes were observed. 4. It is concluded that the decrease in cardiac frequency within 10 s of relief of hypoxia is dependent on efferent vagal activity.


The aim of this paper is to critically engage with the idea that Therapeutic Communities (TCs) can be promoted in England and Wales as a radical alternative to prison for substance users who have broken the law. After grounding the discussion within the normative framework of an 'abolitionist real utopia' (Scott, 2013), the article explores the historical and theoretical underpinnings of TCs. Existing literature advocating TCs as a radical alternative to imprisonment is then reviewed, followed by a critical reflection of TCs' compatibility with the broader values and principles of an abolitionist real utopia. To conclude, the article suggests that although TCs could be a plausible and historically immanent non-penal real utopia for certain people in certain circumstances, we must not lose focus of wider social inequalities.


In this provocative contribution to the American discourse on race, the newest book of the Issues of Our Time series edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr., William Julius Wilson applies an exciting new analytic framework to three politically fraught social problems: the persistence of the inner-city ghetto, the plight of low-skilled black males, and the fragmentation of the African American family. Though the discussion of racial inequality is typically ideologically polarized--conservatives emphasize cultural factors like worldviews and behaviors while liberals emphasize institutional forces--Wilson dares to consider both institutional and cultural factors as causes of the persistence of racial inequality. He reaches the controversial conclusion that, while structural and cultural forces are inextricably linked, public policy can change the racial status quo only by reforming the institutions that reinforce it. This book will dramatically affect policy debates and challenge many of the leaders.


Infrared observations provide the dust composition in the protoplanetary discs surface layers, but can not probe the dust chemistry in the midplane, where planet formation occurs. Meteorites show that dynamics was important in determining the dust distribution in the Solar Nebula and needs to be considered if we are to understand the global chemistry in discs. 1D radial condensation sequences can only simulate one disc layer at a time and cannot describe the global chemistry or the complexity of meteorites. To address these limitations, we compute for the first time the two dimensional distribution of condensates in the inner Solar Nebula using a thermodynamic equilibrium model, and derive timescales for vertical settling and radial migration of dust.
We find two enstatite-rich zones within 1 AU from the young Sun: a band ~0.1 AU thick in the upper optically-thin layer of the disc interior to 0.8 AU, and in the optically-thick disc midplane out to ~0.4 AU. The two enstatite-rich zones support recent evidence that Mercury and enstatite chondrites shared a bulk material with similar composition. Our results are also consistent with infrared observation of protoplanetary disc which show emission of enstatite-rich dust in the inner surface of discs.
The resulting chemistry and dynamics suggests that the formation of the bulk material of enstatite chondrites occurred in the inner surface layer of the disc, within 0.4~AU. We also propose a simple alternative scenario in which gas fractionation and vertical settling of the condensates lead to an enstatite-chondritic bulk material.


Despite a proliferation of ninety-five transcriptions between the years 1679 and 1895 and two edited versions executed by R.A.S. Macalister in 1903 and 1905 little information has been uncovered to date concerning the origins and authorship of the Modern Irish late vision tale Fís Mheirlíno (FMh). This thesis seeks to redress this state of affairs through the execution of a diplomatic edition of the earliest known instance of the tale – MS. TCD 1399 – which predates Macalister's primary source MS. by thirty-four years. This project is envisaged as a preliminary step towards the eventual creation of a critical edition of FMh. A rigorous examination of this primitive version sheds light on its possible origins and authorship by furnishing a profile of an author of considerable literary and theological skill who appears to have fused elements from wellknown early seventeenth century Irish devotional texts with material of his own composition to create FMh. That this author might be identified as Owen O'Donnelly is argued on the basis of scholarly hypotheses that a figure of this name may have been the scribe of MS. TCD 1399 and the author of the contemporary satirical tale Comhairle Mhic Clamha. This argument is supported by the seemingly deliberate juxtaposition of the poem Aluinn Dún Mhic Muire, by 'Eog[h]an Ó Donnaoile' with FMh in a section of this MS. apparently dedicated to prose material alone. By way of contextualisation a diplomatic edition and translation of this transcription are preceded by consideration of previous editions, the manuscripts consulted and their relationship, along with an account of the process of transcription and the editorial method. The text is complemented by textual notes, an analysis of the language used as well as by appendices covering bibliography, a list of all MSS. containing the tale, the diplomatic transcription of the version found in MS. TCD 1399 and a glossary.


A substantial number of tax cases have gone from national courts to the European Commission of Human Rights or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Locating the domestic tax courts' jurisprudence on taxation and human rights is far harder than accessing the Strasbourg jurisprudence. This special issue of European Taxation attempts to fill that gap and contains country reports providing a survey of domestic case law (and doctrinal writings) on the application of the Convention to tax matters.


Background: The most widely prescribed medications for anxiety disorders are the Benzodiazepines; however, they have prominent side effects. Therefore, the development of new pharmacological agents is well justified and interest in alternative medicine that affects the 'mind' is growing. Among medicinal plants, Mercurialis annua has been recommended for relief of anxiety in Morocco folk medicine. Methods: The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of methanolic extract of Mercurialis annua in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and Open Field (OF) models of anxiety. The Mercurialis annua extract was administered orally to Balb/c mice, at graded doses and diazepam was given intraperitoneally. Results: In the EPM, methanolic extract at 200-400 mg/kg showed an anxiolytic effect by increasing the time spent on open arms and the percentage of open arm entries compared to control group. In an open field test methanolic extract of Mercurialis annua (400 mg/kg) increased the central area crossing, the time spent and number of rearing in the center of arena. Conclusions: These data support that the methanolic extract of Mercurialis annua might possess significant anxiolytic potential to be pursued further for drug development process and provide a scientific evidence for its traditional claim.


The diversity of social, ecological and economic characteristics of small‐scale fisheries in developing countries means that context‐specific assessments are required to understand and address shortcomings in their governance. This article contrasts three perspectives on governance reform focused alternately on wealth, rights and resilience, and argues that – far from being incompatible – these perspectives serve as useful counterweights to one another, and together can serve to guide policy responses. In order to better appreciate the diversity in governance contexts for small‐scale fisheries it puts forward a simple analytical framework focused on stakeholder representation, distribution of power, and accountability, and then outlines principles for identifying and deliberating reform options among local stakeholders.


The current Western criminal justice system, with its emphasis on maintaining a balance between offenders' rights (in their defense) and governmental power (represented by the prosecutorial process) throughout the arrest phase, trial process, and sentencing exercise, has largely ignored restorative justice critiques that have called for a greater emphasis on recognizing emotions, healing injuries, and repairing damage caused by criminal activity. These critiques have come from a number of sources, for example, theological (e.g., Hadley, 2001; Sherman, 2001; Townsend, 1994), legal (e.g., Braithwaite & Pettit, 1990; Christie, 1977; Sarre, 1999), criminological (e.g., Bianchi, 1994; Friedrichs, 2006), psychological (e.g., Eglash, 1977), philosophical (e.g., Mead, 1917/1964), political (e.g., Elias, 1994, 1996), ethical (e.g., Moore, 1993), and historical (e.g., Carr, 1961; Morriss, 2001) sources. These three new books have emerged amid a flurry of contemporary writing on the subject of restorative justice, complementing and adding to the range of critiques mentioned above. Each is quite different. The first one concentrates on the consequences of a more "victim-focused" agenda for justice systems. The second delves into human relations and moral philosophy. The third provides a concise review of the key players and theories in the field. All three admirably succeed in their own right and place renewed pressure on justice policy-maker recalcitrants to take seriously the possibilities offered by restorative justice.


Across the margins offers a comparative, theoretically informed analysis of the cultural formation of the Atlantic Archipelago. In its overall conception and in specific contributions (including an introductory essay), this collection demonstrates the benefits of working across the disciplines of history, geography, literature and cultural studies, but also presents new configurations of cultural forms hitherto associated with specifically national and sub-national literatures. The essays, from both established and new scholars working in the fields of British, Irish and comparative cultural studies, addresses broad questions raised by the interface between language, gender, sexuality and ethnicity in relation to marginal identities, but also includes specific genre-based case studies on contemporary poetry, fiction, drama, popular music and art. This format recognises the importance of specific concerns which emerge from different geographical locations, but also encourages movement beyond traditional formations of national cultures. Responding to recent constitutional developments in Great Britain and Ireland, it explores their implications both for the cultural negotiations of marginality and for established critical paradigms. It is therefore of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics working in the areas of comparative literature, postcolonial theory, Irish, Scottish and Welsh studies, and British political/cultural studies.


Background: The populations of developing nations are more vulnerable to high heat due to poor public health infrastructure and their sensitiveness towards changing climate. Excess mortalities caused by high temperatures have been reported from many parts of the world, including India. In the recent future, more warming and frequent hot days during summer are expected. Methods: An analysis was carried out to study the effect of maximum temperature (Tmax) on gender-specific all-cause mortality during the summer months (May and June) of 2011 to 2015 in Chandigarh city of India. The mortality is calculated at different thresholds of temperatures of ≤35°C, ≤38°C, <40°C, ≥40°C and ≥42°C. The average number of deaths at temperatures <40°C and ≥40°C were calculated at 99% significance. The Welch t-test is applied to test the significance. Results: Tmax shows a high degree of association with all-cause mortality in both males and females. Male to female all-cause death ratio was found to be 1.67 for the study period. Daily Tmax of 40°C was found to be the point of inflexion as the number of mortalities at Tmax ≥40°C was significantly higher than those at Tmax below 40°C. The analysis also reveals an increase in the number of death among females at the threshold Tmax ≥40°C indicating higher vulnerability of females at higher temperatures of certain threshold. Conclusion: A temperature of 40°C should be considered a threshold temperature for issuing heatwave alerts for Chandigarh, India. The increase in vulnerability at temperatures ≥40°C was more among the females.


Marine natural products chemistry emerging as a multidisciplinary field
drawing attention of chemists, along with pharmacologists and biologists is to explore
compounds of novel features both in structure and biological activities. The recent trend
of more biological screening along with structural identification of the compounds
present in extracts of marine organisms shows that there is increased potential application
of these secondary metabolites. The richness in marine bio diversity as the source of
various biologically active compounds is now felt extensively.
Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GOMMBR) present in South East
Indian Coastal area has the coastal bio diversity housing appreciable number of various
marine organisms. Though the GOMMBR is rich in various flora and fauna, work on the
chemical aspects of its organisms is not well explored. At present, reports on Alcyonarian
corals of this region are coming, but reports on sponges and finfishes are very scarce.
This thesis describes the first chemical investigation of the marine organisms of
Palk Bay, viz. sponges and a puffer fish. The organisms investigated in this thesis include
five genera of sponges viz. Siphollochalina spp., Cervicornia spp., Hippospongia spp.,
Hyrlios spp. and Spongia spp. and puffer fish, Telraodon spp. The analyses have been
carried out using GC-MS and most of the compounds have been characterized by their
mass spectra by comparison with the data of standard compounds.
The third chapter describes the chemical study of Siphonochalina. spp. Three
fractions obtained have been analysed and nine compounds have been characterised from
the first fraction, one each from rhe other two fractions.
The fourth chapter descnbes the identification of compounds from three fractions
collected from Cervicomia spp. Eleven fatty acid methyl esters, eight free fatty acids and
ten other compounds have been found to be present respectively in these fractions.
The fifth chapter deals with the chemical exploration of Hippospongia spp.
isolating four fractions from the petroleum ether extract. There are nine compounds in
first fraction, nine compounds in second fraction, two from the third and five from the
last fraction. Different long chain hydrocarbons, long chain fatty acid methyl esters and
steroids have been identified from these fractions.


Timber roof truss system is one of the major structural application of timber in the
housing industry in the country. Since its introduction into the local roof market in
1975, prefabricated timber roof truss system have earned a good reputation as they
are designed using advanced structural engineering principles. The timber species
such as Balau, Kekatong, Keranji, Resak, Merbatu and Kempas, are commonly
preferred or specified to be used for roof truss fabrication. These species are
belonged to the strength groups of SG 1 to 8G4, in accordance to timber strength
grouping in MS 544 : Part 2 : 2001. However in recent years, the supply of these
excellent strength wood species has been declining due to gradual depletion of
natural forest and the reduction of logs production. On the other hand, the demand
for timber in the prefabricated timber roof truss industry is continue to grow. As a
result, lesser-known timber species and lower strength groups timber, commonly
grouped under 'chap char' in the local timber trade, were 'conveniently' mixed
and supplied into the market. If this situation continue to be unchecked and not
properly addressed, it will bring serious adverse implication to the local timber
trade and industry. Therefore a long term solution, an alternative structural
material for the timber roof truss industry, should draw attention and concern to
conduct research in this area. The purpose of this paper is to determine the
structural properties of LVL made from Rubberwood and Radiata Pine. These
structural LVL were manufactured by CHG Plywood Sdn. Bhd. 's LVL plant and
the specimens were send to UiTM Shah Alam for strength properties test. The test
were conducted in accordance to A8INZ8 4063 : 1992. The results show that
Rubberwood L VL falls in the 8G4 category which is compatible to Resak, Kapur,
Kasai and some of Meranti species, and its bending strength properties is superior
than LVL made from Radiata Pine. The paper conclude that Rubberwood LVL
poses sound structural properties which can provide an alternative material for the
prefabricated timber roof truss industry in the country.


Afferent receptor discharge originating in the atria was recorded from slips of the cervical vagus in the open-chest dog. The activity of two types of atrial receptor endings was identified. Type A receptors exhibited a discharge pattern that was synchronous with the a wave of the atrial pressure pulse in the control recordings, and type B receptors discharged only during the v wave of the atrial pressure pulse in the control recordings. Atrial arrhythmias (flutter or fibrillation) were induced by mechanical stimulation of the area around the sinoatrial node. During atrial arrhythmias, there was a moderate rise in mean left atrial pressure (7.5 ± 0.7 cm H2O to 8.6 ± 0.6 cm H2O during arrhythmias in which type B receptors were studied, 6.1 ± 0.1 cm H2O to 7.8 ± 0.4 cm H2O during arrhythmias in which type A receptors were studied), a fall in aortic blood pressure, and a decrease in right atrial force. Atrial contractions were asynchronous and rapid. Type A atrial receptors showed a relatively greater increase in discharge (184.1%) during fibrillation than did type B atrial receptors (27.5%). These experiments demonstrated that both types of atrial receptors increased their discharge rate during atrial arrhythmias, indicating that they might be involved in a reflex diuresis which occurs during these arrhythmias in humans.


The Web has revealed the immense value and broad applicability of GIS, set the bar for todays user expectations, and introduced flexible architectures for use with modern IT infrastructure. From basic architecture to new frontiers, Web GIS: Principles and Applicationspresents a thoroughoverview of the origins and developments in this emerging platform. New Web technologies addressed include:ArcGIS Server, REST services, JavaScript API/Flex API, and ArcGIS Mobile. This book offers a balance of principles, concepts, and techniques to provide you with an understanding of how Web GIS can revolutionize the way your GIS functions.


Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori are phylogenetically related human gastrointestinal pathogens. C. jejuni colonizes the intestine and is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. H. pylori colonizes the stomach of half the world's population, causing gastritis, gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. Both pathogens express glycoproteins and glycolipids (capsule, lipooligosaccharide or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) that are important in pathogenesis. Sugar units from capsule or LPS can modify proteins in several bacteria. We reasoned that this may occur in C. jejuni and H. pylori as means to diversify their surface glycosylation and aid in colonization, immune evasion and virulence. The putative sugar nucleotide dehydratase of C. jejuni NCTC 11168, Cj1319, has predicted roles in initiating the pathway for capsular heptose modification or participating in legionaminic acid synthesis for flagellin glycosylation. Alternatively, we propose that Cj1319 may use the GDP-manno-heptose precursor normally used for capsular heptose modification in a novel protein glycosylation pathway. We determined through enzymatic reactions with GDP-manno-heptose and compositional analysis of capsule from a cj1319 knockout mutant that Cj1319 does not use GDP-manno-heptose and does not affect capsule. Furthermore, our comprehensive mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of flagellin glycopeptides showed that flagellin glycosylation is highly heterogeneous and includes modification by legionaminic acid. We determined that the cj1319 mutant glycosylates flagellins with more legionaminic acid than WT, thus excluding the direct involvement of Cj1319 in legionaminic acid synthesis. This increase in legionaminic acid correlated with higher colonization of chickens but with lower virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae. H. pylori NCTC 11637 expresses Lewis Y (Le) blood group mimics in the O-antigen of LPS which is important in immune evasion. We determined that the outer membrane protein HopE is glycosylated with Le through a comprehensive MS analysis of outer membrane peptides. This novel level of host mimicry is likely important for colonization and pathogenicity.


A geochemical and petrological study of Miocene to recent alkali basalts, basanites, hawaiites, mugearites, trachytes, and phonolites erupted within the Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field was performed to reconstruct the magmatic evolution of southern Syria. The major element composition of the investigated lavas is mainly controlled by fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, +/- Fe-Ti oxides and +/- apatite; feldspar fractionation is restricted to the most evolved lavas. Na2O and SiO2 variations within uncontaminated, primitive lavas as well as variably fractionated heavy rare earth element ratios suggest a formation by variable degrees of partial melting of different garnet peridotite sources triggered, probably, by changes in mantle temperature. The isotopic range as well as the variable trace element enrichment observed in the lavas imply derivation from both a volatile- and incompatible element-enriched asthenosphere and from a plume component. In addition, some lavas have been affected by crustal contamination. This effect is most prominent in evolved lavas older than 3.5 Ma, which assimilated 30-40% of crustal material. In general, the periodicity of volcanism in conjunction with temporal changes in lava composition and melting regime suggest that the Syrian volcanism was triggered by a pulsing mantle plume located underneath northwestern Arabia.