Leveraging the capabilities of the web, which has become hugely popular among university students since its inception in the 90s, blended learning has been promoted as an alternative to classroom learning. A hybrid of classroom learning and online learning, blended learning offers flexibility in the way students learn – when, what, where, and how to learn. The easy availability of mobile devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, etc.), coupled with web-based services (e.g. digital library, learning management systems, etc.), has further fuelled blended learning. Universities see online learning as complementary to classroom learning so as to give students a better learning experience, and students like the learning flexibility. As blended learning expects students to know how to use digital technology to access the web, to search for and to use information from different sources both online and offline, as well as to be an independent learner, it seems reasonable to presume that to be an effective learner in a blended learning environment, students need to have a certain level of digital literacy. Thus, there remains a question: Do students require digital literacy to be effective in learning in a blended learning environment? Answering this question helps universities to understand if high digital literacy is a prerequisite to more effective learning in a blended learning environment. If it is, universities can provide students with workshops to help raise digital literacy among them. Following a quantitative approach, this study conducted an online questionnaire survey to answer the question by examining the relationships between four digital literacy constructs; i.e. underpinnings, background knowledge, central competencies, and attitudes and perspectives; as conceptualised by David Bawden in his 2008 book chapter entitled "Origins and Concepts of Digital Literacy," and effective learning. This study developed a 5-item scale to operationalise each of the four digital literacy constructs and, using the revised Bloom's taxonomy as a point of departure, a 6-item scale for the effective learning construct. To collect responses from the students who were taking subjects in a blended learning environment at a local university, the students were invited to fill in an online questionnaire. Responses were then analyzed using partial least squares. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the four digital literacy constructs being reduced to three. Subsequent confirmatory factor analysis proved that the three digital literacy constructs each had a statistically significant relationship with the effective learning construct.


Heavy quark and charmonium production as well as their space-time evolution are studied in transport simulations of heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC. In the partonic transport model Boltzmann Approach of MultiParton Scatterings (BAMPS) heavy quarks can be produced in initial hard parton scatterings or during the evolution of the quark-gluon plasma. Subsequently, they interact with the medium via binary scatterings with a running coupling and a more precise Debye screening which is derived from hard thermal loop calculations, participate in the flow and lose energy. We present results of the elliptic flow and nuclear modification factor of heavy quarks and compare them to available data. Furthermore, preliminary results on J/psi suppression at forward and mid-rapidity are reported for central and non-central collisions at RHIC. For this, we study cold nuclear matter effects and the dissociation as well as regeneration of J/psi in the quark-gluon plasma.


Aim:  to study the prevalence, demographics, clinical and histolopathological features of orbital tumors biopsied in Hospital Serdang, a national Oculoplastic referral centre in Malaysia.
Methods: A retrospective, observational study on all the consecutive orbital biopsies performed in Hospital Serdang from January 2008 to December 2014.  Outcome measurement includes demographic data and histological diagnosis of biopsied orbital lesions.
Results:  Among a total of 136 cases, there is slight male preponderence (59.6%). Malay is the commonest racial group (58.8%) followed by Chinese (32.4%).  Lymphoproliferative lesion is the most common category (34.6%) followed by inflammatory (10.3%) and lacrimal lesion (9.6%).  Benign lymphoid hyperplasia (16.9%) and Non Hodgkin lymphoma(BHL) (16.2%) were the most common histology diagnosis.  Those with benign lymphoid hyperplasia developed at a younger age (mean 56 years) compared to those with Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (60.6 years old).    Benign lymphoid hyperplasia occurred at a same frequency at orbit and lacrimal gland whilst those NHL were mostly located within the orbit.  Lymphoproliferative disorders are more common among male and Chinese.  Our patients develop cavernous haemangioma, pleomorphic adenoma and solitary fibrous tumor at an earlier age than Western counterparts.   Benign orbital lesions whilst being more common, may be associated with significant visual and orbital comorbidities.
Conclusions:  Lymphoproliferative lesions occur at a higher occurrence among Souteast Asian patients, especially among Chinese and male.   Our patients also develop cavernous haemangioma, pleomorphic adenoma and solitary fibrous tumor at an earlier age compared to their Western counterparts.  There is ethnic difference among different orbital pathologies.  Delayed presentation of benign orbital lesions lead to significant morbidity and sometimes exenteration.  Financial restraints may hinder clinicians in developing countries to obtain precise histological diagnosis.


This paper examines the roles and challenges of small holding agriculture in India. It covers trends in agricultural growth, cultivation patterns, participation of small holding agriculture, productivity performance of small holders, linking small holders with markets including value chains, role of small holders in enhancing food security and employment generation, differential policies and institutional support for small holders and, challenges and future options for small holding agriculture including information needs. It also provides lessons from the experience of India on small holding agriculture for other countries. [WP-2012-014]. URL:[http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2012-014.pdf].


Scholars often explain the rise of tax increment financing (TIF) as a natural progression toward localized revenue sources born of devolution, increased interlocal competition for business investment, and fiscal constraint. Although such factors provide important context, our genealogy of TIF in the state of Illinois reveals that critical actors—private real estate consultants—actively promoted the adoption and subsequent promotion of TIF as an economic development tool. Through interviews and a review of primary documents, we uncover a network of private consultants who had prior experience shepherding federal urban renewal dollars to cities and who later mobilized concerns around the 1970s deindustrialization crisis to steer the use of property tax incentives from job creation/retention to real estate development.


Antimicrobial activities of essential oil (EO) of Vietnamese holy basil (Ocimum sanctum L.) were screened against several food-borne bacteria and fungi species. The main volatile components detected in the holy basil EO were eugenol (53.61%), (E)-caryophyllene (25.37%), (β)-elemene (15.86%), germacrene A (2.03%). A significant growth inhibition of this EO with some different concentrations against Escherichia coli ATCC® 25922™ (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC ® 25923 ™ (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis ATCC® 11774™ (B.subtilis), Bacillus cereus ATCC® 13061™ (B.cereus) and Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum were observed by the standard disc diffusion method. The inhibition zone for each isolate by holy basil EO obtained from 5 µl and 10 µl of EO ranged from 15.3 - 16.4 mm and 16.7 – 18.4 mm in diameter, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of holy basil EO was 0.78 µl/ml determined by a micro-dilution method in MHB liquid medium. The bactericidal concentrations (MBC) was 1.56 µl/ml in all isolates tested. The antifungal properties of the holy basil EO were also determined in this study against three important pathogenic fungi such as Candida albicans, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum with the inhibition zone ranges from 20 to 30 mm. The results suggested that holy basil EO can be applied in food industries as natural flavoring preservatives/additives to control food spoilage and food-borne pathogenic bacteria and fungi causing severe destruction in food.


This paper explores the transferability and application of business-driven strategic thinking to that of a public sector context, namely national mapping organisations. These organisations exist throughout the world because the economies of the world require geospatial information to support economic and social growth. As such their strategic positioning within government is of prime importance. In South Africa, however, there is a paucity of knowledge in this regard and consequently triggered the research which forms the basis of this paper. A macro-environmental analysis suggests significant growth opportunities for the South African geospatial industry, fuelled by a micro-industry borne out of the 2010 Soccer World Cup event. A profile description of the characteristics of consequence, boundaries between the private and public the industry and expected changes reflect a large industry which is expanding at a rapid rate but is fragmented and displays a complex network-system of inter and intra-industry relationships. As such it is attracting increasing numbers of competitors but, as an industry, appears to be slow to adjust to technological advancement. An internal analysis of the value chain of the National Mapping Organisation (NMO), the single most important player in the local public sector geospatial industry, reveals significant value creation in its inhouse activities. However, the external deconstructed operations, outbound logistics and procurement processes are not allowing the organisation to realise any benefits from efficiencies it may introduce. Key to achieving efficiencies lies in the human capital, which by all accounts, it is failing to retain. Future strategic thrusts for the NMO have been identified by constructing a SWOT model and by analysing its relative competitive strength. These thrusts were found to concentrate on actions and themes related to staff, communication, marketing, general management, production (cost and capacity) and product (quality and innovation). Interpreting and applying those themes on an interorganisational basis will enable the NMO to best position itself in the industry. In this regard sufficient related strategic fit is evident between the value chains of the NMO, The Satellite Application Centre (SAC) and Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), enabling the NMO to leverage on the sales, marketing and distribution activities of SAC and the financial leveraging capabilities of Stats SA. This paper has presented an example of how delivering an efficient and effective service delivery may be hampered through the inappropriate strategic configuration of South African public sector activities. It is therefore suggested that the government revisits the strategic positioning of public sector organisations engaged in the provision of geospatial information.


A 72-year-old man was referred to our hospital with an endobronchial mass spotted on chest computed tomography (CT). On examination, he was afebrile, but complained of cough and sputum. Laboratory test results were normal. His chest CT showed an ovoid fat attenuation nodule in the left upper lobe bronchus (Fig. 1A). Flexible bronchoscopy was performed to investigate the endobronchial lesion, and a polypoid tumor was found in the left upper lobe bronchus that was leading to total obstruction (Fig. 1B). Because left upper bronchus obstruction could lead to recurrent postobstructive pneumonia, cryotherapy was performed. The tip of the cryoprobe was placed in direct contact with the tumor and was pulled and withdrawn with the frozen tissue using a bronchoscope (Fig. 2A--2C).2C). The mass was successfully removed after repeated procedures. Histopathological examination showed mature cartilage and adipose tissue in the deeper layer, and the patient was diagnosed with an endobronchial hamartoma (Fig. 2D). At 1-month follow-up, a bronchoscopic examination showed no remnants of the mass and no tumor recurrence.

Figure 1.

(A) A chest computed tomography (CT) shows a 1.1-cm ovoid fat attenuated nodule in the left upper lobe bronchus (arrow). (B) Bronchoscopic examination shows an intrabronchial tumor in the left upper lobe bronchus.

Figure 2.

(A-C) Tumor resection using cryotherapy. (D) Histopathology of the tumor shows mature cartilage and adipose tissue (H&E, ×40).

Hamartomas can occur in any region of the lung, but are rarely identified as endobronchial. A majority of patients with parenchymal hamartoma are asymptomatic; the possibility of endobronchial hamartomas as a cause of postobstructive pneumonia should be considered. In a Korean study that reviewed 24 cases of endobronchial hamartoma, 10 (42%) showed obstructive pneumonia. Thus, treatment should also be administered to asymptomatic cases. Because hamartomas rarely recur or become malignant, minimally invasive procedures should be chosen. Bronchoscopy is a modality currently used for diagnosis and treatment. Various bronchoscopic techniques, such as those using YAG laser or argon, electrocautery, cryotherapy, argon, and plasma coagulation are used for benign endobronchial tumors. We herein reported a successfully-treated endobronchial hamartoma using cryotherapy.

In conclusion, endobronchial hamartomas are benign tumors of the tracheobronchial tree that potentially can cause morbidity due to bronchial obstruction and recurrent pneumonia. Endoscopic treatment with a flexible bronchoscope and cryotherapy provide excellent outcomes for these patients.


The expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli, a valuable field of biotechnology, is the basic method for protein source in several research models. The Neospora caninum actin fragment had been unsuccessfully expressed in pET28 in E. coli. To overcome this problem, we ligated the expression region of pET28 to pGEM-T Easy Vector. The new hybrid plasmid, named pGEM-pET28, was able to express for the first time an actin fragment from N. caninum that was subsequently purified in a nickel sepharose column. The pGEM-pET28 plasmid kept the N-terminal His-Tag/thrombin/T7/Tag configuration, but it is 1.577 bp smaller than the original pET28 vector and the drug selection is made with ampicillin. The plasmid pGEM-pET28 offers a new option for gene cloning directly in the plasmid for protein expression, demonstrating that the ligation of components from distinct vectors is feasible and advantageous.


The small war between Georgia and Russia from 8 to 22 August 2008 has shattered any remaining illusions over the frontiers of the normative map of Europe. All the primary parties have to be criticised: Russia for setting a trap for Saakashvili to fall into, the Georgian leadership for its astounding military and political blunder in falling into it, and the United States for having failed to restrain its protege. The first consequence is that Georgia has paid the price of Saakashvili's folly, with the definitive loss of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The second consequence is triggered by Russia's continued occupation of strategic points in Georgia-proper, which means not peacekeeping but threatened strangulation of the Georgian economy and its role in the transit of oil and gas from the Caspian to the West. It also means that business as usual has become impossible, as already announced between NATO and Russia, and with more important decisions pending in both the EU and US. The third consequence is that the EU should immediately step up its policies to integrate Ukraine, with real perspectives of membership subject to the standard criteria. The fourth unknown consequence is how far this deteriorating process between Russia and the West will go. Russia may pretend, with its petro-power and wealth, to be immune from any actions by the West, but beyond the short-term it is vulnerable. Whatever these unknowns, already Russia has crossed a red line with its strategic occupation of Georgia-proper, rather than the option just to push Georgia out of South Ossetia. This latter option would have met with widespread understanding internationally. But with its chosen option Russia has placed itself in another category, which is a throwback to earlier times, and totally incompatible with the political and moral principles of modern Europe.


This article proposes a novel technique to generate natural language descriptions for a wide class of relational database queries. The approach to describing queries is phrasal and is restricted to a class of queries that return only whole schema tuples as answers. Query containment and equivalence are decidable for this class and this property is exploited in the maintenance and use of a phrasal lexicon. The query description mechanism is implemented within the Schema Tuple Query Processor (STEP) system (http://www.cs.umu.se/∼mjm/step). Because the said query class is also closed over elementary set operations, it may be reasoned with in a relatively unrestricted manner. This enables a modular separation between a reasoning component and a 'tactical' realization component. To demonstrate this modularity, this fragment is shown to be adequate for several cooperative reasoning techniques. Thus the cooperative information system serves as the 'strategic' component, deciding what to say, while the generation system acts as the 'tactical' component, deciding how to say it. Naturally expressions within the said query language are the interchange language between these two components.


STUDY QUESTION
What is the current guideline adherence by general practitioners (GPs) for work-up and subsequent referral from primary to secondary care for patients suffering from infertility?

SUMMARY ANSWER
Guideline adherence by GPs concerning infertility was 9.2% in couples referred.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Adherence to recommendations can decrease unnecessary referral, diagnostics and treatments, and consequently result in lower expenditures. Moreover, patients can be saved from unnecessary hospital visits, emotional burden and out of pocket costs.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, AND DURATION
A retrospective cohort study among 306 patients referred for basic fertility work-up between January 2011 and June 2013 from primary care to a secondary care teaching hospital or a tertiary hospital with IVF facilities.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING AND METHODS
Couples were eligible to participate when there was no previous referral for fertility problems and the duration of the child wish was <2 years. Data to assess guideline adherence were collected from the referral letter and the medical records. A patient questionnaire was used to determine patients' general and fertility-related characteristics.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
The GP performed a Chlamydia Antibody Titre (CAT) testing and semen analysis as recommended in 15.9% and 42.2% of the referred patients, respectively. According to the guideline, 39% of the couples were under referred (i.e. not immediately referred as recommended), 8.8% were unnecessarily referred and the CAT and semen analysis were unnecessarily repeated in secondary care in 80.0% and 57.1% of cases, respectively.

LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION
We could not include non-referred patients with expectant management in primary care, an unknown number of whom became pregnant in this period. This may have resulted in an underestimation of primary care performance.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Our findings show that guideline adherence concerning work-up and subsequent referral for fertility problems is low. The influence of patient demands for referral remains largely unknown. Barriers and facilitators for guideline adherence should be determined to develop interventions to improve guideline adherence in the areas of work-up and referral for fertility care and to diminish duplicate tests in secondary care.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
Funded by CZ, a Dutch healthcare insurer (grant number AFVV 11-232). CZ had no role in designing the study, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data or writing of the report. Competing interests: None.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
Not applicable.


This article examines a little-known body of material, the remains of Cretan houses from the fifth to the first century B.C.E., to extend our understanding of Cretan society beyond the scanty evidence from literary and epigraphic sources and to test the hypothesis that the communal social institutions described by ancient authors might have led to differences in the nature and functions of the household and thus in the architectural form of houses. Analysis of the plans, circulation patterns, and use of space in houses at the two best-preserved Cretan sites of this period, Lato and Trypetos, reveals significant differences from contemporary courtyard houses elsewhere in the Greek world, which could be interpreted as the product of different patterns of social relations within the household and between the household and the community. In particular, it seems women may have been less restricted in these Cretan households than elsewhere. A survey of houses in other areas of Crete shows that this pattern of domestic organization is found at some sites but is not universal. Various possible explanations for this diversity are explored, including the possibility that the unusual house type is related to the existence of the communal system.*


Abstract Studies of extinction in the fossil record commonly involve comparisons of taxonomic extinction rates, often expressed as the percentage of taxa (e.g., families or genera) going extinct in a time interval. Such extinction rates may be influenced by factors that do not reflect the intrinsic severity of an extinction trigger. Two identical triggering events (e.g., bolide impacts, sea level changes, volcanic eruptions) could lead to different taxonomic extinction rates depending on factors specific to the time interval in which they occur, such as the susceptibility of the fauna or flora to extinction, the stability of food webs, the positions of the continents, and so on. Thus, it is possible for an extinction event with a higher taxonomic extinction rate to be caused by an intrinsically less severe trigger, compared to an event with a lower taxonomic extinction rate. Here, we isolate the effects of taxonomic susceptibility on extinction rates. Specifically, we quantify the extent to which the taxonomic extinction rate in a substage is elevated or depressed by the vulnerability to extinction of classes extant in that substage. Using a logistic regression model, we estimate that the taxonomic susceptibility of marine fauna to extinction has generally declined through the Phanerozoic, and we adjust the observed extinction rate in each substage to estimate the intrinsic extinction severity more accurately. We find that mass extinctions do not generally occur during intervals of unusually high susceptibility, although susceptibility sometimes increases in post-extinction recovery intervals. Furthermore, the susceptibility of specific animal classes to extinction is generally similar in times of background and mass extinction, providing no evidence for differing regimes of extinction selectivity. Finally, we find an inverse correlation between extinction rate within substages and the evenness of diversity of major taxonomic groups, but further analyses indicate that low evenness itself does not cause high rates of extinction.


The interplay of BCS superconductivity and nontrivial band topology is expected to give rise to opportunities for creating topological superconductors, achieved through pairing spin-filtered boundary modes via superconducting proximity effects. The thus-engineered topological superconductivity can, for example, facilitate the search for Majorana fermion quasiparticles in condensed matter systems. Here we report a first-principles study of Mg$_2$Pb and predict that it should be a superconducting topological material. The band topology of Mg$_2$Pb is identical to that of the archetypal quantum spin Hall insulator HgTe, while isostructural and isoelectronic Mg$_2$Sn is topologically trivial; a trivial to topological transition is predicted for Mg$_2$Sn$_{1-x}$Pb$_x$ for x~0.77. We propose that Mg$_2$Pb-Mg$_2$Sn quantum wells should generate robust spin-filtered edge currents in analogy to HgTe/CdTe quantum wells. In addition, our calculations predict that Mg$_2$Pb should become superconducting upon electron doping. Therefore, Mg$_2$Pb is expected to provide a practical material platform for studying emergent phenomena arising from the interplay of superconductivity and band topology.


This thesis studies the implications of using public key cryptographic primitives that are based in, or map to, the multiplicative group of finite fields with small extension degree. A central observation is that the multiplicative group of extension fields essentially decomposes as a product of algebraic tori, whose properties allow for improved communication efficiency. Part I of this thesis is concerned with the constructive implications of this idea. Firstly, algorithms are developed for the efficient implementation of torus-based cryptosystems and their performance compared with previous work. It is then shown how to apply these methods to operations required in low characteristic pairing-based cryptography. Finally, practical schemes for high-dimensional tori are discussed. Highly optimised implementations and benchmark timings are provided for each of these systems. Part II addresses the security of the schemes presented in Part I, i.e., the hardness of the discrete logarithm problem. Firstly, an heuristic analysis of the effectiveness of the Function Field Sieve in small characteristic is given. Next presented is an implementation of this algorithm for characteristic three fields used in pairing-based cryptography. Finally, a new index calculus algorithm for solving the discrete logarithm problem on algebraic tori is described and analysed.


In this paper, a novel Commutative Watermarking and Partial Encryption (CWPE) algorithm using single level 2-Dimension Discrete Wavelet Transform (CWPE 2D DWT) and Multi-Map Orbit Hopping Chaotic System (MMOH-CS) is proposed. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is robust against common signal processing attacks such as Salt & Pepper noise, Gaussian noise, Wiener filter, JPEG compression, Resizing and Cropping. The proposed scheme is able to reduce encryption to one quarter of the image information. Statistical analysis, differential analysis and key sensitivity test are performed to estimate the security strength of the proposed algorithm. The results of the security analysis show that the proposed algorithm provides a high security level for real time application.


Since their introduction into clinical medicine 20 years ago, the glucocorticoids have become therapeutic agents of major importance. They have become associated with numerous clinical consequences involving every system of the body', including the gastrointestinal tract2'3. It now seems pertinent and valuable to review critically the clinically relevant consequences of glucocorticoid therapy for the gastrointestinal tract. This study will concentrate upon those sequelae that can be attributable to the glucocorticoids per se rather than to the possible effects of the basic underlying disease for which the steroids were prescribed, or to their possible androgenic and/or mineral corticoid actions.


Iteration is unavoidable in the design process and should be incorporated when planning and managing projects in order to minimize surprises and reduce schedule distortions. However, planning and managing iteration is challenging because the relationships between its causes and effects are complex. Most approaches which use mathematical models to analyze the impact of iteration on the design process focus on a relatively small number of its causes and effects. Therefore, insights derived from these analytical models may not be robust under a broader consideration of potential influencing factors. In this article, we synthesize an explanatory framework which describes the network of causes and effects of iteration identified from the literature, and introduce an analytic approach which combines a task network modeling approach with System Dynamics simulation. Our approach models the network of causes and effects of iteration alongside the process architecture which is required to analyze the impact of iteration on design process performance. We show how this allows managers to assess the impact of changes to process architecture and to management levers which influence iterative behavior, accounting for the fact that these changes can occur simultaneously and can accumulate in non-linear ways. We also discuss how the insights resulting from this analysis can be visualized for easier consumption by project participants not familiar with simulation methods.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


Green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important sources of vegetable proteins in the world and it is cultivated all year round, but the light availability, during the dark season, limited its growth. Nevertheless, recent studies conducted on greenhouse horticulture demonstrated that, with the application of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as supplementary light (SL) technology, it is possible to overcome this limitation. Consequently, during the experiment conducted, two cultivars of green bean ('Saporro' and 'Maestrale') were grown with a soilless system in a cold greenhouse during the fall-winter period. To increase the photoperiod and the daily light integral (DLI), early in the morning, four hours of red (R), blue (B) and red+blue (R + B) supplementary light were supplied by LEDs at 180 μmol·m−2·s−1 (PPFD) at plants level. Plants grown under LEDs improved the yield and the gas exchange system compared with the plants grown under natural light; when B light was supplied as a sole source of SL, it increased the dry matter content and the brightness (L*) of the pods. Between the cultivars, 'Maestrale' produced 20 g∙plant−1 of pods more than 'Saporro' but the latter's colour was brighter (L*) and greener (a*), and 'Saporro' also showed the highest photosynthetic efficiency (ΦPSII). In conclusion, 'Maestrale' and 'Saporro' obtained encouraging out-of-season yields under different LED spectra, but among those B light seems to improve overall crop performances and pods quality.


Limber pine (Pinus flexilis James) stands along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, California, experienced significant mortality from 1985 to 1995 during a period of sustained low precipitation and high temperature. The stands differ from old-growth limber pine forests in being dense, young, more even-aged, and located in warmer, drier microclimates. Tree growth showed high interannual variability. Relative to live trees, dead trees over their lifetimes had higher series sensitivity, grew more variably, and had lower growth. Although droughts recurred during the 20th century, tree mortality occurred only in the late 1980s. Significant correlations and interactions of growth and mortality dates with temperature and precipitation indicate that conditions of warmth plus sustained drought increased the likelihood of mortality in the 1985-1995 interval. This resembles a global-change-type drought, where warming combined with drought was an initial stress, trees were further weakened by dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium cyanocarpum (A. Nels. ex Rydb.) A. Nels.), and proximally killed by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins). However, the thinning effect of the drought-related mortality appears to have promoted resilience and improved near-term health of these stands, which suffered no additional mortality in the subsequent 1999-2004 drought.


Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed in 80 cats with thyroid scintigraphy using technetium pertechnetate. These cats were subsequently treated with radioiodine using a modified fixed dose method based on the volume of hyperfunctioning thyroid tissue calculated from the pertechnetate scans. The medical records and thyroid scintigrams were evaluated retrospectively. Follow-up was obtained on the cats to evaluate treatment success. Several parameters were evaluated in an attempt to identify a difference between treatment success and failure. Cats that failed to become euthyroid after one dose of radioiodine had a significantly higher pretreatment serum thyroxine level, had a significantly larger volume of hyperfunctioning thyroid tissue on scintigrams, and cats receiving oral versus intravenous radioiodine were over represented. Based on our results we conclude: 1) the administration of a dose of radioiodine based solely on the volume of hyperfunctioning thyroid tissue as estimated from the pertechnetate scan may be inadequate for those patients with extremely elevated serum thyroxine levels or large thyroid glands, and 2) oral administration of radioiodine is not recommended for the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism.


Spring snowmelt is a critical resource in mountainous and alpine regions. Accurate representation of snowmelt processes in hydrological models is thus necessary for water managing purposes, flood prediction and resource allocation, among others. This task, however, remains a challenge because of the complexity of the interactions between the different controlling processes. In this study, we combine local and distributed measurements of snowpack ablation at the Dischma river basin ( 40 km2) near Davos, Switzerland, to study relationships between snow ablation, basin morphology, subsurface water routing and watershed response with the overarching objective of improving snowmelt representation in distributed hydrological models. Weekly terrestrial laser scans were performed to reveal spatial ablation patterns at slope scales throughout the melting season. Four local stations installed in representative slopes are used to continuously monitor snowpack temperature profiles, snowpack output, and soil moisture throughout the melting season. Basin response was captured at three stream gages, one at the outlet and two at smaller tributaries within the basin. Results for the 2015 spring season will be presented, including 9 weekly terrestrial laser scans and the continuous snowmelt and streamflow measurements. These measurements are compared to modeling results from the spatially distributed and physically based Alpine3D model to evaluate model accuracy and detect areas that require improvement in model representation of snowmelt processes. Insights of these comparisons and future directions will be discussed.


In recent years, there has been a great deal of debate about the ethical questions associated with "nudges," understood as approaches that steer people in certain directions while maintaining their freedom of choice. Evidence about people's views cannot resolve the ethical questions, but in democratic societies (and nondemocratic ones as well), those views will inevitably affect what public officials are willing to do. Existing evidence, including a nationally representative survey, supports six general conclusions. First, there is widespread support for nudges of the kind that democratic societies have adopted or seriously considered in the recent past; surprisingly, that support can be found across partisan lines. While people tend to have serious objections to mandates as such, they do not have similar objections to nudges. Second, the support evaporates when people suspect the motivations of those who are engaged in nudging, and when they fear that because of inertia and inattention, citizens might end up with outcomes that are inconsistent with their interests or their values. Third, there appears to be somewhat greater support for nudges that appeal to conscious, deliberative thinking than for nudges that affect subconscious or unconscious processing, though this conclusion is highly qualified, and there can be widespread approval of the latter as well (especially if they are meant to combat self-control problems). Fourth, people's assessment of nudges in general will be greatly affected by the political valence of the particular nudges that they have in mind (or that are brought to their minds). Fifth, transparency about nudging will not, in general, reduce the effectiveness of nudges, because most nudges are already transparent, and because people will not, in general, rebel against nudges. Sixth, there is preliminary but suggestive evidence of potential "reactance" against certain nudges.


In this paper we present an approach to the task of generating and resolving referring expressions (REs) for conversational mobile robots. It is based on a spatial knowledge base encompassing both robot- and human-centric representations. Existing algorithms for the generation of referring expressions (GRE) try to find a description that uniquely identifies the referent with respect to other entities that are in the current context. Mobile robots, however, act in large-scale space, that is environments that are larger than what can be perceived at a glance, e.g. an office building with different floors, each containing several rooms and objects. One challenge when referring to elsewhere is thus to include enough information so that the interlocutors can extend their context appropriately. We address this challenge with a method for context construction that can be used for both generating and resolving REs - two previously disjoint aspects. Our approach is embedded in a bi-directional framework for natural language processing for robots.


The concept of intellectual property is taking hold. A new Federal appeals court is expanding the power of patents. Billion-dollar infringement cases are making their way through the lower courts, e.g., Kodak is being sued by Polaroid. This short article, reprinted by permission from The New York Times, 13 May 1990, discusses the idea and the belief held by some that the new court is biased.


The Late Cretaceous to Paleogene Sevier hinterland of east-central Nevada is widely regarded as an orogenic plateau that has since undergone topographic collapse. New U-Pb detrital zircon age data consisting of 1296 analyses from the Lower Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation and the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene Sheep Pass Formation indicate that Precambrian detrital zircon populations recycled from local Paleozoic strata are dominant. Subordinate Mesozoic zircon populations are derived mainly from local backarc volcanic centers of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age, while ca. 38–36 Ma detrital zircon age peaks record the local onset of Eocene volcanism. Sevier hinterland deposits of east-central Nevada lack significant Triassic, Early Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous populations common in terranes of western Nevada and the Sierra Nevada magmatic arc. These data suggest that long-term evolution of the Sevier Plateau involved geographic isolation through a combination of high relief and rugged topography related to Early Cretaceous shortening, and continued isolation through development of latest Cretaceous to Eocene internally drained, extensional basins. The (U-Th)/He zircon ages obtained from the Sheep Pass Formation record late Paleo zoic, Early Cretaceous, and Late Cretaceous cooling through 180 °C. Preservation of late Paleozoic (ca. 265 Ma) cooling ages indicates that much of the Upper Paleozoic section within east-central Nevada that contributed detritus to the Sheep Pass basin was unaffected by deep thrust burial, or by burial beneath thick Mesozoic sedimentary cover. Early Cretaceous (ca. 135 Ma) cooling ages are potentially coeval with shortening along the central Nevada fold-and-thrust belt, although ca. 80 Ma cooling ages within the Sheep Pass Formation are coeval with hinterland midcrustal extension. Together, these new data provide support for previous interpretations that the Sevier hinterland represents an ancient high-elevation orogenic plateau, and that the latest Cretaceous locally marks a transition from contraction to extension.


PURPOSE
To demonstrate normal MR anatomy of the substantia innominata and its changes in Alzheimer disease on MR imaging.

METHODS
Using a 1.5-T superconductive MR unit, thickness of the substantia innominata was measured on coronal thin-section images obtained in 22 patients with Alzheimer disease and 14 age-matched control subjects. Comparison of these images with postmortem specimens of human brain was also performed.

RESULTS
On T2-weighted images through the anterior commissure, the substantia innominata was clearly identified between the globus pallidus and the anterior perforated substance. In Alzheimer disease, thinning of the substantia innominata was more frequently observed than in the age-matched controls.

CONCLUSION
Thin-section T2-weighted coronal MR images can demonstrate shrinkage of the substantia innominata, a finding that may aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.


Earth has lately been suffering from unforeseen catastrophic phenomena related to the consequences of the greenhouse effect. It is therefore essential not only that sustainability criteria be incorporated into the everyday lifestyle, but also that energy-saving procedures be enhanced. According to the number of wind farms installed annually, wind energy is among the most promising sustainable-energy sources. Taking into account the last statement for energy-saving methods, it is essential to value the contribution of wind energy not only in eliminating CO 2 emissions when producing electricity from wind, but also in assessing the total environmental impact associated with the entire lifetime of all the processes related with this energy-production chain. In order to quantify such environmental impacts, life-cycle analysis (LCA) is performed. As a matter of fact, there are a very limited number of studies devoted to LCA of onshore wind-energy-converter supporting towers—a fact that constitutes a first-class opportunity to perform high-end research. In the present work, the life-cycle performance of two types of tall onshore wind-turbine towers has been investigated: a lattice tower and a tubular one. For comparison reasons, both tower configurations have been designed to sustain the same loads, although they have been manufactured by different production methods, different amounts of material were used and different mounting procedures have been applied; all the aforementioned items diversify in their overall life-cycle performance as well as their performance in all LCA phases examined separately. The life-cycle performance of the two different wind-turbine-tower systems is calculated with the use of efficient open LCA software and valuable conclusions have been drawn when combining structural and LCA results in terms of comparing alternative configurations of the supporting systems for wind-energy converters.


Background and Aim: The drug Fucus vesiculosus is used in alternative system of medicine and homoeopathy, for the treatment of obesity. But in homoeopathic literature survey, we found no substantial pharmacological evidence to prove its safety and efficacy. So, the study was taken up on this drug and evaluated it on different animal models (diet-induced and chemical-induced models) of obesity. Material and Methods: Obesity was induced in adult female Wistar albino rats (100-120 g) by feeding the rats with cafeteria diet for 42 days in diet-induced model and by administration of single intraperitoneal injection of Triton X-100 in chemical-induced model. In the diet-induced model, weight of the animals was measured every week and parameters like total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were measured on 0, 21 and 43 days. Further, locomotor activity was assessed for all the animals on 43 rd day. On the same day, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and their organ and fat pad weights were recorded. In the chemical-induced model, the above parameters were assessed on day 0 and day 8. Results: Feeding cafeteria diet for 42 days resulted in significant increases in the body weight, TC, TG, LDL and VLDL levels and a reduction in the HDL level. Further, the locomotor activity was found to be reduced significantly. Treatment with Fucus vesiculosus significantly protected the cafeteria diet fed animals from all these changes and helped to maintain normal locomotor activity. Similar results were observed in chemical-induced obesity model also. Conclusion: Fucus vesiculosus treatment prevented the rats from becoming obese and the biochemical and physical parameters were maintained to normal levels. So, the drug Fucus vesiculosus can be taken up for further research on human subjects.


Despite low plant diversity and structural simplicity, mangroves offer various ecosystem services to local human communities, including sheltering coastal social-ecological systems from high-energy storm damage. The expected increasing intensity of hurricanes due to climate change raises questions concerning the capacity of mangroves to resist and recover from such disturbances. Herein, this study contributes to a better understanding of (1) the relation between storm intensity and damage to mangrove vegetation, (2) the contributions of species-specific as well as stand-specific components of mangrove vegetation to ecosystem resistance, and (3) the recovery of pre-hurricane forest structure through time. The first two issues have been addressed using a stand-level approach implemented at two east Caribbean mangrove sites in response to three storm events. The third was addressed through a 23-yr survey of forest recovery following the passage of a high-energy storm across one of the two study sites. Generally, hurricane damage was primarily controlled by wind velocity, followed by the hydro-geo-morphic context of mangrove forests and species-specific composition, respectively. The relationship between damage to trees and wind velocity evidenced a sigmoidal trend, with a maximum slope at a wind velocity averaging 130 and 180 km/h for higher vs. lower canopy stands, respectively. The red mangrove , Rhizophora mangle, was significantly less resistant to hurricane damage than was the black mangrove , Avicennia germinans. Unlike the fringe and scrub stands, inner, tall-canopy stands fully recovered by the end of the study (23 yr). These stands were more resilient because of their growth performances. Finally, the time for east Caribbean mangroves to recover from high-energy storms seems to fall within the range of the average return time of such disturbances. This may prevent such ecosystems from ever reaching a steady state.


Populations of temperate-nesting Canada geese (Branta canadensis) have increased in Nebraska, USA, resulting in an increased number of nuisance and damage complaints. September hunting seasons were initiated in southeastern Nebraska in 2004 to reduce populations of Canada geese. We analyzed band recoveries from Canada geese banded in southeastern Nebraska during their hatch-year (HY) or after-hatch-year (AHY) to determine whether September hunting seasons affected survival, harvest, and recovery rates. Survival analyses revealed that HY geese had higher survival than AHY geese (SAHY = 0.696, 95% CI = 0.679–0.713; SHY = 0.896, 95% CI = 0.786–0.953) and September seasons did not affect survival of geese in southeastern Nebraska. Geese banded in the geographic zone with the September seasons (southeastern Nebraska) had the same survival as did geese outside the hunt zone (northeastern Nebraska; S = 0.711, 95% CI = 0.666–0.752). September hunting seasons affected timing of band recovery; 23–49% of annual band recoveries occurred during the month of September. Prior to the initiation of the September seasons, the highest percent of recoveries occurred during November. The September seasons appeared to temporally redistribute harvest but did not reduce survival for populations of Canada geese in southeastern Nebraska. Continuation of the season may not be warranted, because management does not appear to be affecting AHY survival, which is needed to reduce the population. Additional or new methods are likely needed to control populations of temperate-nesting Canada geese in Nebraska and managers should evaluate the effectiveness of these methods as they are implemented. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.


The use of new techniques and advanced materials is of major interest to automobile and aerospace manufacturing industries for reduce weight, cost and improve part performance. For this purpose, techniques for joining lightweight dissimilar materials, particularly aluminum, steel and plastics are becoming increasingly important in the manufacturing of hybrid structures and components for engineering applications. The choice of proper joining technology is an essential aspect of designing and manufacturing parts. This paper is a review the state of the art in scientific research concerning of joining techniques of dissimilar materials. The review presents the potentials of the technology and chances for further scientific investigations. KeywordsDissimilar Material Joining, Mechanical Joining, Clinching, Self-Pierce Riveting, Friction Welding, Laser Welding.


Papers were presented at the last two AMTA meetings reporting on the effect of rotator system alignment on the results of spherical near-field measurements. When quantifying the effect of non-intersection errors on the AUT directivity, these two papers presented very different results. One AMTA paper1 and an earlier study at The Technical University of Denmark2 found that the directivity error was extremely sensitive to non-intersection errors while the other AMTA paper3 found a very small sensitivity. During the past year, scientists at the Technical University of Denmark, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Nearfield Systems Inc. have been working together to determine the reasons for these differences. It now appears that the major reason for the difference is due to the method used to acquire data on the sphere. Theta scans that pass through the pole, or equivalently, phi spans of 180 degrees, produce both plus and minus phase errors that tend to cancel in the on-axis direction. Theta scans that do not pass through the pole, or equivalently phi spans of 360 degrees, produce phase errors of the same sign over the sphere which are concentrated in the on-axis direction. Examples of measurements and recommendations for using this information in spherical measurements will be presented.


This article presents an experiential activity organised around a contemporary socio-scientific controversy about the use of antibiotics in livestock. Such controversies can help students develop skills to engage in evidence-based discussions about modern societal challenges. Even though the activity was initially set up and tested with in-service science teachers, it can be customised so that it is appropriate for use with secondary school students. The goal of the activity was to help teachers appreciate how different stakeholder opinions give rise to controversy, and for them to experience how students might engage in democratic dialogue with others, while respecting their right to hold differing viewpoints.


Thirty-two specimens of Apodemus in Thrace were evaluated. Ten specimens of A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus were karyotyped. Eighteen specimens were electrophoresed to determine patterns of the esterase enzyme system. Morphometric analysis showed that A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus were the closest species in a comparison between A. agrarius. A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus with the same karyotypic values of 2n = 48, Nfa = 46, and NF = 48. Patterns of the esterase enzyme system clearly separated A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus and A. agrarius.


Virus adsorption to colloidal particles is an important issue in the water quality community, and it is a particularly important issue for conventional wastewater treatment plants that accept biohazardous waste. Colloids impact the transport of viruses in engineered treatment systems, and they also provide protection against oxidants and other destructive mechanisms. This study evaluated the adsorption of bacteriophage MS2 to colloidal suspensions of kaolinite (KAO) and fiberglass (FG). A series of laboratory batch tests were carried out over a range of experimental conditions to determine kinetic rate constants and characterize bond strength, and computational experiments were done to assess both adsorption and aggregation of MS2. First order removal rate constants were faster by an order of magnitude than previously reported values, and between 2.5 – 2.8 min-1 and 0.4 – 2.8 min -1 for KAO and FG, respectively. By the first sampling time following inoculation, significant MS2 adsorption was observed across all experimental conditions. Qualitative evidence of MS2 adsorption was collected with a large panel of fluorescent and bright field microscopic images, which showed clusters of MS2 on and around the colloidal particles. At the end of the two-hour FG experiment, 55.2% 80.8% of the adsorbed MS2 was tightly bound, meaning that it was not readily removed during the wash step. For KAO, 54.8% 87.9% of the adsorbed MS2 was tightly bound. This implies MS2 has a stronger affinity for KAO than FG. MS2 aggregation was also observed experimentally and was predicted on the basis of XDLVO models. These results show that clusters of viruses can quickly and strongly attach to colloids in a dynamic system, potentially leading to colloidal particles transporting and protecting viruses. Water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) need to pay attention to colloidal particles when treating biohazardous wastes.


Attributes of shoots and their female reproductive organs from six ramets of a single loblolly pine clone were assessed in 2015 and 2016 at a Louisiana seed orchard. Seasonal developmental patterns were similar between years. Female strobilus buds were visible in December of year 1, and female strobili were pollinated in early March of year 2. Conelets (pollinated female strobili) stopped increasing in length from June of year 2 until March of year 3 when rapid expansion occurred over the next 4 months. In March and April of 2016, 61 percent of female strobili and conelets of the 2017 crop were aborted whereas a few conelets of the 2016 crop were lost. Competition for carbohydrate among various actively growing sinks in the spring may play a critical role in the abortion of female strobili and conelets. Balancing the carbon sink-source relationships among vegetative and reproductive organs should be considered when the goal is to enhance the production and retention of female reproductive organs.


Denmark, Germany and Sweden are along with 24 other countries members of the European Union. Being part of the European Union also means being part of a European market. Within the union barriers for trade has been abolished in order to create more open market. This open market has also contributed towards a more globalized market for dairy products. What used to be a domestic market has become globalised with increasing trade among the members. The membership also includes a common agricultural policy (CAP) which regulates rules for animal welfare, the environment and subsidies. The common agricultural policy provides a framework for laws and legislation within the European Union. The idea of these common policies is to provide similar conditions for the market players irrespective of member country.

However, each member state applies the policies a bit differently but still within the framework which affect the conditions for the producers differently. In addition to the European framework each county has its own individual system of laws, taxation and reimbursements which affect the competitiveness. Subsidies and tax reductions given to dairy farmers can be viewed as cost reducers rather than ensuring a minimum income. The subsidies enable the farmers to maintain production even if the market price is lower than the variable costs. The effect from the subsidies then make the marginal cost lower which gives the farmers a competitive advantage in form of cost advantage.

The aim of this study is to investigate how subsidies and tax systems affects the competitiveness for dairy producers in Denmark, Germany and Sweden. To illustrate the effects of the different systems a case farm located in southwest Sweden has been used. The farm has 220 dairy cows and 205 hectares of agricultural land. The theory used to measure the effects from the three different systems has its basis from a dissertation by Ola Flaten (2001).

The results show that there are differences in the result for the case farm when the different rules are applied. The most profitable system when applied to the case farm is the German which generates a net farm income of 277 940 Euros. The second most profitable system when applied to the case farm is the Danish which generates a net farm income of 272 870 Euros. The Swedish system generates the lowest net farm income of 271 542 Euros.

In order to measure competitiveness the average cost per delivered ton milk has been used. The most competitive system when applied to the case farm is the Danish which has an average cost per delivered ton milk of 248,6 Euros. The second lowest average cost has the Swedish system which is 251,3 Euros per delivered ton milk. The highest average cost is generated by the German system which amounts to 256,3 Euros per delivered ton milk.


Understanding the evolution of species and speciation, the mechanism producing the diversity of life on Earth, has always fascinated scientists. In recent years, advances in next generation sequencing techniques, together with the development of data analyzing software tools, allow us to sequence and analyze genomes of many species and reconstruct their evolutionary history. We can detect the evolutionary changes of a group of species or of different populations of a single species. In this thesis, we perform studies on three spider mite genomes, Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus evansi and Tetranychus lintearius. The spider mites belong to the Chelicerata, the second largest group of arthropods after insects. While many insect genomes were sequenced and analyzed already, Tetranychus urticae represents the first complete chelicerate genome.
This thesis has been organized into five chapters. The introductory Chapter 1 provides an overview of the explosion of genome sequences in times of the fast development of next generation sequencing techniques, describes genome annotation information, methods and pipelines to give biological meaning to these genomes, and explains the importance of genome based research for the evolution of arthropod-plant interactions. In addition, a short overview of the chemosensory receptors is provided since in the thesis we have particularly studied the annotation and evolution of this gene family in three different spider mites. Chapter 2 provides the results of annotation and analysis of the Tetranychus urticae genome (London strain). T. urticae represents one of the most polyphagous arthropod herbivores, feeding on more than 1,100 plant species including species known to produce toxic compounds. We have annotated the T. urticae genome with support of RNA-seq data and made it publicly available to the research community. The T. urticae genome sequence reveals herbivorous pest adaptations with strong signatures of polyphagy and detoxification in gene families associated with feeding on different hosts and in new gene families acquired by lateral gene transfer. Moreover, how this pest responds to a changing host environment is shown by deep transcriptome analysis of T. urticae feeding on different plants. Thus, the T. urticae genome sequence opens up new avenues for understanding the evolution of arthropods as well as the fundamentals of plant–herbivore interactions.
The next two chapters (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4) present studies on the annotation and evolution of chemosensory receptors (CRs) in three different spider mites. Chemosensory receptors help animals to detect certain chemical components in their environment to find food, to locate shelter, mates and offspring, and to avoid danger. In Chapter 3, starting from Daphnia and insect chemosensory receptors, we describe mining the T. urticae genome for putative chemosensory receptors, including the ones related to insect gustatory receptors (GRs), the ionotropic receptors (IRs) and the epithelial Na+ channels (ENaCs). T. urticae has a huge repertoire of GRs, many more than the total number of GRs and odorant receptors (ORs) found to date in any other arthropod. Similar to Daphnia pulex, we observed the complete lack of ORs in T. urticae. This is consistent with the hypothesis that ORs are an insect-specific class of GR-related chemosensory receptors. Futhermore, we compare chemosensory receptor genes among three strains (London, Montpellier, and EtoxR). We find that GR genes that are intact in some T. urticae populations appeared to be inactived in other populations. Next, in Chapter 4, we describe the annotation of GR genes in T. evansi and T. lintearius, and the evolutionary analysis of this gene family in the three spider mites. We identify many GR gene expansions in the polyphagous T. urticae, a few gene expansions and many gene losses in the oligophagous T. evansi, and no gene expansion but also many gene losses in the monophagous T. lintearius. Finally, general remarks are discussed in the Chapter 5.


The West Gallatin River is closed to new surface water appropriations. Montana law recognizes the potential for new ground-water developments to compromise existing surface-water rights. Determining the effects of new ground-water development upon existing surface-water users requires a detailed understanding of the hydrologic system and the surface and ground water exchanges, which is not available in the Four Corners area of Gallatin County Montana. Hydrologic data was collected during the 2006 water year. Data was collected on stream discharge, streambed hydraulic gradients, temperature, ground-water levels, and specific electrical conductance to characterize zones of upwelling ground water and downwelling surface water. The river and aquifer share a complex hydrologic connection. Some reaches of river gained streamflow from the aquifer and contained zones of downwelling surface water. Other reaches of river which lost water to the aquifer, contained zones of upwelling ground water. Water moved back and forth between the river and aquifer through a variety of hydrologic pathways including; seepage below irrigation canals and irrigated land, drainage ditches from irrigated lands, spring channels, and the porous alluvial riverbed. Ground-water discharge to the stream contributed 8% of the streamflow when no irrigation was occurring in November 2005. In August 2006 during the irrigation season, the volume and relative contribution of ground-water discharge increased to 28% of the streamflow. The data collected from this study was compared to historic water-level data collected during the 1950's and later in the 1990's. This study's analysis benefited from the comparison of surface-water levels to ground-water levels, streambed hydraulic gradients, continuous records of ground-water levels and temperatures from near stream wells. Data from this study indicates that a consistent zone of downwelling surface water was present north of Four Corners which had not been identified in past surveys. However, the baseline data was found to be insufficient for a comparison to this analysis due to a lack of surface water data collected in the previous studies. As a result, it remains unclear whether the zone of downwelling has always been present or represents a change to the hydrologic system at Four Corners.


Boston and Leiden: Brill Academic Publisher, 2001. 301 pp. $79.20. This book sets out "to recontextualize the world of Jewish and Christian relations [in fifteenth-century Germany] by focusing on...Jewish and Christian interaction as well as Jewish and Christian forms of communal organization and identity" (p. 1). The author, Dean Phillip Bell, concurs with R. Po-chia Hsia's conclusion that recent scholarship on Jews and medieval Germany falls into two general categories: a) works on internal Jewish communal development, making use of Hebrew and other Jewish sources, and b) works on anti-Judaism, making use of German and Latin sources. He suggests that a serious analysis of Christians and Jews in late medieval Germany must combine both approaches. And it must do so, he argues, taking into account the full range of changing theological conceptions, on the one hand, and changing social, political, and economic conditions, on the other. This would be a truly daunting task for any scholar. One can certainly admire Bell's heroic attempt to carry it out. But the book has serious weaknesses. First and foremost is the lack of a clear methodology. The book purports to "focus on" a dizzying array of issues and questions. It skips with bewildering swiftness from one topic to another -- from musings on Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus, for example, to statistics about medieval town foundations (pp. 27-29). And it presents opinions of other scholars on a multitude of subjects, without integrating them into an overarching picture. Bell does not deal with the entire orbit of the German-speaking lands, as the title might suggest, but rather with "south and central German urban areas" (p. 2). To be sure, dealing even with this more circumscribed area entails enormous difficulties, given the "vastly divergent and individual developments within the various cities of Germany," in the author's own words (p. 34). But instead of confronting these difficulties, the author offers a brief politico-legal history of Augsburg (pp. 34-5), with the hope that this will at least "help to contextualize the main themes to be pursued in this book." Such evasions add to the reader's sense of being left stranded. In his treatment of church and community (Chapter Two), Bell relies heavily on other scholars, as well as on English and German translations of key Latin works. He argues that there is a correlation between late medieval theological shifts (e.g., in the Christian view of sacred law), and social and political developments in the German cities (as manifested, among other things, in changing behavior toward the Jews). In particular, he argues that a new "priesthood" of Christian burghers deemed itself around a concept of moral rather than sacramental law; and that as the political community became increasingly deemed as an exclusive community of Christian burghers, Jews (as well as clerics) were pushed outside its boundaries. …


ARTICLE INFO This article reports a numerical study of fluid flow and heat transfer of mixed convection in a shallow cavity with different aspect ratios subjected to a nanofluid with Temperaturedependent dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity. The side walls of shallow cavity are assumed adiabatic whereas top and bottom walls are kept at low(Tc) and high(Th) temperatures, respectively. Using a developed FORTRAN code, equations of continuity, momentum and energy are solved with associated with boundary condition by a finite volume method (FVM), numerically. The new models proposed by Xue and Jang are used to calculate the thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of nanofluid, respectively. The influence of changes in lids velocity ratios; aspect ratio, Richardson number and existence of nanoparticles on hydrodynamic and thermal characteristics have been investigated. Water and water/Al2O3 nanofluid with particle diameter of 80 nanometers, diameter ratio of 0.006 and T=298(K) have been used as working fluids. Results show that in a constant parametric range, heat transfer in a shallow cavity with Length twice the height (A.R=2) is more than compared to other cases. Also the existence of nanoparticles increases the heat transfer inside the cavity.


The matter in question regards the lawfulness of production, distribution, and use of certain vaccines whose production is connected with acts of procured abortion. It concerns vaccines containing live viruses which have been prepared from human cell lines of fetal origin, using tissues from aborted human fetuses as a source of such cells. The best known, and perhaps the most important due to its vast distribution and its use on an almost universal level, is the vaccine against rubella (German measles).


Research suggests that the most efficient way of improving students' performance, in mathematics and science, is by recruiting and retaining highly qualified mathematics and science teachers. This study augments the body of research aimed at the recruitment of STEM majors to the field of education. The purpose of this study was to determine how a practicum course, developed to recruit freshman and sophomore STEM majors into a teacher preparation program, impacted participants' perceptions of teaching as a profession. The impact of this course, which utilized a reflective cycle framework for evaluating participants'' reflections as the foundation of the program, was studied from a phenomenological research approach that focused on the emic and etic perspectives of the practicum students. This study sought to answer the following research questions: 1) How do STEM majors enrolled in a one-hour practicum course perceive teaching within a high school or middle school classroom environment; 2) How do college students' experiences in the course, and stages of reflection following classroom observations, affect their perception of teaching as a profession and the possible decision to enroll in a teacher preparation program; and 3) How do practicum students relate their participation in the practicum in education course to their past, current, and future career decisions? Data from four cohorts of college students, who took the Practicum in Education Course from 2012 – 2015, (n=54) were collected from reflection journals, precourse information forms, exit surveys, post-course questionnaires, and follow-up interviews. Findings suggest early education practicums should focus on implementing semi-structured reflection journals with feedback from the instructor. College students should be encouraged to participate during classroom observations by helping school-aged students, designing assignments, or co-teaching lessons. Programs should offer the opportunity for college students to observe in two different classroom environments, and also encourage these students to ask questions within journal entries to which the instructor responds. To guide the development of future courses, research should explore the view of participants who do not plan to teach after taking an education practicum course. This exploration will help researchers and course designers in determining why college STEM majors choose not to enter teaching.


Terrorist models often focus on one kind of agent as well as one motive to pursue terrorism. Our model diverges from such standard approaches by taking account of the reasoning of the terrorist-organization leader as well as of the reasoning of the individual terrorist. This allows us to observe the influence of the leader on the individual terrorist. Furthermore, we distinguish different motives which influence the individual agent's activities. More precisely, we consider terrorist support as an impure public good generating different characteristics. Moreover, we allow the leader to influence the individual terrorist's activities via different technologies and finally, we take account of the fact that individual terrorists may develop a strong feeling of belonging-ness to the organization. In our framework, it is possible to explain why rational terrorists support terrorism and even commit suicide attacks. In line with empirical findings, income levels play no decisive factor in terrorists' readiness to commit such attacks.


Shells can hold prospect for adoption in foundation engineering only if they can be projected as economical alternatives to conventional flat foundations. Therefore, the initial enthusiasm for shell foundations, generated by the saving in construction materials, their structural integrity, and the anticipated improvement in their geotechnical behavior, should be tempered by the fact that they need extra expenditure for construction due to the complexity of their geometry. However, with new innovations in construction industry such as robotics and the progress in fabrication process of precast concrete units, the use of shell foundations becomes more competitive and feasible. This paper is part of an extensive experimental and numerical investigations conducted on different types of shell foundations to examine their performance with respect to: settlement, ultimate bearing capacity, contact pressure, stress distribution, and soil displacement. The work presented in this paper was limited to study vertical displacement induced in the soil by conical shell foundations under axial loading condition at working loads level. Parametric study using finite elements technique was performed on four foundation models (one circular flat and three different conical models). The soil behavior was modelled by a perfectly elastic model and soil parameters were defined by modulus of elasticity (E) and Poisson's ratio (ν). The effect of shell configuration, depth of embedment, soil parameters (ν and E) on the distribution of vertical displacement under the models were investigated and the results were presented in graphical format.


INTRODUCTION
Potassium and magnesium are the two most abundant intra-cellular cations. They play pivotal roles in many essential biological processes. Deficiencies of these electrolytes are of clinical importance in hospitalised patients.

AIM
To determine the relationship between serum total magnesium and potassium levels in adult patients requiring an emergency intra-abdominal surgery and the clinical utility of this relationship in the care of patients.

METHODS
A cross sectional study was conducted over a five month period at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. All 101 adult patients admitted for emergency intra-abdominal surgery, who met the inclusion criteria and gave informed consent, were consecutively recruited and enrolled into the study. Patients' characteristics preoperative total serum magnesium, serum potassium and albumin levels were determined. Regression analysis and correlation coefficients were used to determine the relation between serum magnesium and potassium. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20.

RESULTS
Mean serum total magnesium and serum potassium were 0.66±0.20mmol/L and 3.79±0.65mmol/L respectively. There was a significant but weak positive correlation between serum hypokalaemia and serum magnesium levels. Pearson's correlation coefficient (2 tailed) was 0.21, R(2)= 0.04, p = value 0.038. Analysis generated a regression model: [Mg] = 0.06[K] + 0.42mmol/L, with a p-value = 0.038.

CONCLUSION
A mathematical relationship was found between serum total magnesium and serum potassium among adult patients who require emergency intra-abdominal surgery. However, it had limited clinical utility.

FUNDING
None declared.


Physical conditions of the interstellar medium in galaxies are closely linked to the ambient radiation field and the heating of dust grains. In order to characterize dust properties in galaxies over a wide range of physical conditions, we present here the radial surface brightness profiles of the entire sample of 61 galaxies from Key Insights into Nearby Galaxies: Far-Infrared Survey with Herschel (KINGFISH). The main goal of our work is the characterization of the grain emissivities, dust temperatures, and interstellar radiation fields (ISRFs) responsible for heating the dust. We first fit the radial profiles with exponential functions in order to compare stellar and cool-dust disk scalelengths, as measured by 3.6 μm and 250 μm surface brightnesses. Our results show that the stellar and dust scalelengths are comparable, with a mean ratio of 1.04, although several galaxies show dust-to-stellar scalelength ratios of 1.5 or more. We then fit the far-infrared spectral energy distribution (SED) in each annular region with single-temperature modified blackbodies using both variable (MBBV) and fixed (MBBF) emissivity indices β, as well as with physically motivated dust models. The KINGFISH profiles are well suited to examining trends of dust temperature T_(dust) and β because they span a factor of ~200 in the ISRF intensity heating the bulk of the dust mass, U_(min). Results from fitting the profile SEDs suggest that, on average, T_(dust), dust optical depth τ_(dust), and U_(min) decrease with radius. The emissivity index β also decreases with radius in some galaxies, but in others is increasing, or rising in the inner regions and falling in the outer ones. Despite the fixed grain emissivity (average β ~ 2.1) of the physically-motivated models, they are well able to accommodate flat spectral slopes with β ≲ 1. An analysis of the wavelength variations of dust emissivities in both the data and the models shows that flatter slopes (β ≲ 1.5) are associated with cooler temperatures, contrary to what would be expected from the usual T_(dust) – β degeneracy. This trend is related to variations in U_(min) since β and U_(min) are very closely linked over the entire range in U_(min) sampled by the KINGFISH galaxies: low U_(min) is associated with flat β ≲ 1. Both these results strongly suggest that the low apparent β values (flat slopes) in MBBV fits are caused by temperature mixing along the line of sight, rather than by intrinsic variations in grain properties. Finally, a comparison of dust models and the data show a slight ~10% excess at 500 μm for low metallicity (12 + log  (O/H) ≲ 8) and low far-infrared surface brightness (Σ500).


Charitable bequests are a major source of income for charities but surprisingly little is known about them. The aim of this paper is to propose a multi-stage framework for analysing the bequest decision and to examine the evidence for Great Britain provided by new data on estates. The novelty of the framework is that it distinguishes between the different steps that lead to a charitable bequest. Our new data for Britain have the advantage of covering the whole population, in contrast to much of the US literature based on the small fraction of the population covered by estate tax returns. We focus on the relationship with wealth at death, on the form of the bequest, and on the different causes to which people bequeath.


This thesis explores the broadband fibre optical parametric amplifiers (FOPAs) to develop the FOPA ability to provide broadband amplification anywhere in the low-loss transmission window and to make FOPA an enabling technology for future ultra-wide bandwidth high-speed optical communications. A number of techniques have been implemented to demonstrate an exceptionally wide and flat FOPA gain of 10.5±0.5 dB over 102 nm bandwidth on a single side of the FOPA pump. A flat gain spectrum is targeted here because FOPA is prone to large gain variation which has a particularly strong negative impact on amplified signals in FOPA. The FOPA dependence on gain fibre length, pump wavelength and pump power has been experimentally investigated. The parametric gain bandwidth enhancement by a forward Raman gain invoked by the same pump has been demonstrated. Gain spectrum shaping by pump polarisation tuning has been explored and has allowed for a significant gain spectrum flatness improvement. A concept of cascading low gain stages has been introduced as a way to achieve a high gain with low variation across a wide bandwidth. It is envisaged that gain of ~20±1.5 dB over >100 nm can be achieved using this approach. Additionally, a reliance of the FOPA on Erbium doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs) for pump amplification, which restricts the FOPA operating range, has been addressed by demonstrating a high pump power (>1 W) EDFA-free FOPA for the first time. In this experiment a Raman amplification was used instead of an EDFA to amplify the FOPA pump and thus to grant a required flexibility for FOPA operation anywhere in the low-loss transmission window. In summary, this thesis has demonstrated the FOPA ability to provide an ultra-wide amplification and


As America grays, and medicine's ability to treat the sickest of patients expands, the legal, medical, and ethical issues in end-of-life care become more numerous, pressing, and intertwined. Because Minnesota's citizens, clinicians, and courts are not far from these concerns, the Hamline University Health Law Institute and the Hamline Law Review hosted an interdisciplinary Symposium entitled "Legal, Medical, and Ethical Issues in Minnesota End-of-Life Care." On November 9, 2012, we welcomed more than 200 participants to the newly opened Carol Young Anderson and Dennis L. Anderson Center on Hamline University's Saint Paul campus. These participants included: attorneys, physicians, nurses, social workers, ethicists, patient advocates, legal aids, government regulators, professors, students, chaplains, and other allied health professionals. These informed participants engaged in a day-long exploration of end-of-life legal, medical, and ethical issues, specifically as they impact Minnesota. They heard from regional and national experts, both scholars and practitioners, who discussed pragmatic and provocative topics. These topics ranged from guardianship and the use of Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment ("POLST"), to medical futility disputes, surrogate decision making, and aid-in-dying. Last November's Symposium brought various legal and healthcare disciplines together to identify problems, challenges, strategies, and solutions for Minnesota end-of-life care. This special issue of the Hamline Law Review is designed to recall, and indeed carry forward, the urgently important dialogues featured at the Symposium. This Introduction summarizes both the oral presentations and the articles in the printed volume.


I develop a model of collaboration between tournament participants in which agents collaborate in pairs, and an endogenous structure of collaboration is represented by a weighted network. The agents are forward-looking and capable of coordination; they value collaboration with others and higher tournament rankings. I use von Neumann-Morgenstern stable sets as a solution. I find stable networks in which agents collaborate only within exclusive groups. Both an absence of intergroup collaboration and excessive intragroup collaboration lead to inefficiency. I provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the stability of efficient outcomes in winner-takes-all tournaments. I show that the use of transfers does not repair efficiency.


To date, analysis of the spatial dimension of New Zealand labour markets has been limited to administrative, rather than appropriately-defined functional, geographic units. This paper presents a preliminary classification of New Zealand into local labour market areas using area unit travel-to-work data from the 1991 Census of Population and Dwellings and drawing on the regionalisation method of Coombes et al. (1986). After assessing the robustness of the preferred set of local labour market areas, the paper provides some illustrative labour market statistics for these zones. Migration between labour market areas is most likely to be accompanied by changes in job, whereas moves within a labour market are largely assumed to be non-work motivated. As a result, this study provides a more appropriate spatial unit of analysis than any administrative classification for studying migration at a subnational level.


High-frequency ultrasound is needed for medical imaging with high spatial resolution. A key issue in the development of ultrasound imaging arrays to operate at high frequencies (⩾30 MHz) is the need for photolithographic patterning of array electrodes. To achieve this directly on 1–3 piezocomposite, the material requires not only planar, parallel, and smooth surfaces, but also an epoxy composite filler that is resistant to chemicals, heat, and vacuum. This paper reports, first, on the surface finishing of 1–3 piezocomposite materials by lapping and polishing. Excellent surface flatness has been obtained, with an average surface roughness of materials as low as 3 nm and step heights between ceramic/polymer of ∼80 nm. Subsequently, high-frequency array elements were patterned directly on top of these surfaces using a photolithography process. A 30-MHz linear array electrode pattern with 50-μm element pitch has been patterned on the lapped and polished surface of a high-frequency 1–3 piezocomposite. Excellent electrode edge definition and electrical contact to the composite were obtained. The composite has been lapped to a final thickness of ∼55 μm. Good adhesion of electrodes on the piezocomposite has been achieved and electrical impedance measurements have demonstrated their basic functionality. The array was then packaged, and acoustic pulse-echo measurements were performed. These results demonstrate that direct patterning of electrodes by photolithography on 1–3 piezocomposite is feasible for fabrication of high-frequency ultrasound arrays. Furthermore, this method is more conducive to mass production than other reported array fabrication techniques.


Recent publications have shown that the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles in the Macaca fascicularis brain, in particular the subventricular zone (SVZ), contains neural stem cells throughout adulthood that migrate through a migratory pathway (RMS) to the olfactory bulb (OB). To date, a detailed and systematic cytoarchitectural and ultrastructural study of the monkey SVZ and RMS has not been done. We found that the organization of the SVZ was similar to that of humans, with the ependymal layer surrounding the lateral ventricles, a hypocellular GAP layer formed by astrocytic and ependymal expansions, and the astrocyte ribbon, composed of astrocytic bodies. We found no cells corresponding to the type C proliferating precursor of the rodent brain. Instead, proliferating cells, expressed as Ki‐67 immunoreactivity, were predominantly young neurons concentrated in the anterior regions, and occasional astrocytes of the ribbon. We observed displaced ependymal cells of still unknown significance. New neurons tended to organize in chain‐like structures, which were surrounded by astrocytes. This pattern was highly reminiscent of that observed in rodent RMS, but not in humans. These chains spread from the frontal SVZ along a GAP‐like layer, uniquely composed of astrocytic expansions, to the olfactory bulb (OB). The number of neuronal chains and the number of chain‐forming cells decreased gradually upon reaching the OB. The purpose of this work is to provide a reference for future studies in the field of adult neurogenesis that may lead to an understanding of the fate and functionality of newborn neurons in primates, and ultimately in humans. J. Comp. Neurol. 514:533–554, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This paper provides a game theoretic model of a crowdsourcing contest. Special attention is given to the asymptotic behavior of the contest outcome. We show that all significant outcomes of crowdsourcing contests will be determined by contestants in a small neighborhood (core) of the most efficient contestant type; in particular, the asymptotic structure of the crowdsourcing contests is distribution-free. Our formal analysis yields a managerially implementable and easily understood rule of thumb for the optimal division of the contest budget among multiple prizes. When agents are risk-neutral, the principal should optimally allocate all of its budget to the top prize even if it values multiple submissions. In contrast, if agents are sufficiently risk-averse, the principal may optimally offer more prizes than the number of submissions it desires. Our paper represents the first general analysis of the economics of crowdsourcing contests, provides a simple rule of thumb for determining the optimal prize structure for practitioners who are considering designing such contests, and also discusses the welfare implications of organizing production or R&D as a Web-based contest of this kind.


With the United States' welfare state coming to rely on market-based policies, the notion of choice has come to the forefront of public housing policy. This study investigated choice within a Chicago public housing community slated for redevelopment. In theory, the utilization of the private market creates broader options, empowering citizens to exercise greater autonomy in major life decisions. The housing authority emphasized the choices available to tenants, including the choice to remain on-site during redevelopment. Yet relocatees reported experiencing pressure to relocate, through either explicit actions from housing authority officials or nuanced channels including steering and coercion tactics. The incongruence between the narratives presented by the housing authority and those presented by the public housing residents demonstrates that the distinction between "voluntary" and "involuntary" relocation is not always clear. We offer several areas for consideration moving forward, including substantive inclusion of residents in planning processes, development of a more effective incentive structure to reward public housing agencies for relocating residents into higher quality neighborhoods, and shifting the overall framing of subsidized housing residents from consumers to civic agents who hold the potential to shape the future directions of their communities.


The municipal forests of Sala cover an area of 6 000 hectares, starting in the vicinity of the city and reaching north. At the same time as residents make abundant use of the areas closest to the community for outdoor activities and recreational purposes, the forest is of great economic value and also worth protecting for environmental reasons. These conditions make forestry in periurban woods more complex than conventional forestry, why a good understanding of the needs and demands on the forest and silviculture program is required. The purpose of this study is to depict the usage of the forests owned by the municipality of Sala, to set forth the common view of the silviculture program implemented by the municipality and to chart the expectations the community has on the forests and forestry of the future in the municipality of Sala.
The survey part of this paper consists of the interviews of thirteen individuals representing nine interest groups. As expected the views of these individuals varied widely but some results were expressed by more or less all of them. They prefer full-grown and varied stands of trees. They reject of logging debris such as branches. They have a positive or neutral attitude to the silviculture program conducted by the municipality of Sala. They admission that conflicts have evolved concerning forest operations by the municipality but that at present these seem to have been resolved so that there are no ongoing disputes. In addition all groups viewed the information provided by the municipality of Sala regarding forest operations as something quite positive.
In conclusion, the survey results of this paper are similar to those of previous studies and suggest there is a chance that the opinions given by the respondents reflect the opinions of the general public living within the municipality of Sala. As the results indicate, greater attention ought to be given to the sharing of information regarding the silviculture program implemented by the municipality. Annual information meetings with users and interest groups and the utilization of information boards and newsletters concerning planned forest operations are suggested as a practical means of improving the forestry of the municipality of Sala.


We examine the helium burning phase of the convective core of intermediate mass stars, and investigate the role of the coupling of nuclear burning and mixing on the extension and duration of the blue loop phase. We compare the theoretical scenario with the distribution of stars in the colour-magnitude (CM) diagram of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) cluster NGC 1866, whose densely populated clump of He-burning stars is equally populated on the blue and red side. We compare the distributions expected by adopting either a diffusive scheme within the instability regions, in which nuclear burning and mixing are self-consistently coupled, or the traditional instantaneous mixing approximation. We analyze with particular care the sensitivity of the results to: a) the e-folding distance with which the velocity of convective eddies decays outside the formal border of the convective regions fixed by the Schwarzschild criterion; b) the convective model adopted to evaluate the temperature gradient; c) the rate of reaction 12 C + α → 16 O. Models not including convective overshoot are also commented.


Background: Lack of adequate oral health has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and both the American Dental Association and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists advocate oral health care for women while pregnant, especially women served by health centers serving the underinsured and uninsured. Objective: A Rural, Safety Net Clinic, which provides healthcare to medically underserved persons in the Williamsburg area of Virginia, began offering dental care to pregnant women accessing prenatal care from January 2015. We want to document the clinic's experience with patient acceptance of the free dental care offered. Methods: We reviewed data on the uptake of dental care from January 2015 to June 2018. Results: In 2015, 22.9% of women referred had a dental procedure carried out and in 2016 and 2017, the percentages were 26.4% and 29.3% respectively. The percentage for the first half of 2018 was 32.1%. Their two main reasons for declining was having no dental health problems and having issues with transportation. Conclusion: While the number of pregnant women accepting oral care is rising; less than a third of women in this vulnerable population accepted oral dental care while pregnant. We recommend further exploration of why uninsured and underinsured women decline dental care to determine how to effectively intervene with dental care for low income women to improve pregnancy outcomes.


It is unknown whether and to what extent changes in various endothelial functions and adrenergic responsiveness are related to the development of microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes. Therefore, endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilatation, endothelium-dependent hemostatic factors, and one and two adrenergic vasoconstrictor responses were determined in type 1 patients with and without microvascular complications. A total of 34 patients with type 1 diabetes were studied under euglycemic conditions on two occasions (11 without microangiopathy, 10 with proliferative and preproliferative retinopathy previously treated by laser coagulation, 13 with microalbuminuria, and 12 healthy volunteers also were studied). Forearm vascular responses to brachial artery infusions of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), sodium nitroprusside, acetylcholine (ACh), clonidine, and phenylephrine were determined. The ACh infusions were repeated during coinfusion of L-arginine. Furthermore, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) activity, tissue plasminogen activator antigen levels, von Willebrand factor antigen levels, tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) activity, and endothelin-1 levels were measured. No differences in endothelium-dependent or endothelium-independent vasodilatation or adrenergic constriction were observed between the diabetic patients and the healthy volunteers. In comparison to the first ACh infusion, the maximal response to repeated ACh during L-arginine administration was reduced in the diabetic patients, except in the patients with proliferative and preproliferative retinopathy previously treated by laser coagulation. In these patients, the combined infusion of L-arginine and ACh resulted in an enhanced response. TFPI activity was elevated, and PAI-1 activity was reduced in the type 1 diabetic patients. Furthermore, PAI-1 activity was positively correlated with urinary albumin excretion (r = 0.48, P < 0.01) and inversely correlated with the vasodilatory response to the highest ACh dose (r = -0.37, P < 0.05). The response to the highest ACh and L-NMMA dose were positively correlated with mean arterial blood pressure (r = 0.32, P < 0.01; r = 0.41, P < 0.01, respectively). Forearm endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilatation and adrenergic responsiveness were unaltered in type 1 diabetic patients with and without microvascular complications. Relative to healthy control subjects, endothelium-dependent vasodilatation was depressed during a repeated ACh challenge (with L-arginine coinfusion) in the diabetic patients without complications or with microalbuminuria. In contrast, this vasodilatation was enhanced in the patients with retinopathy. Elevation of TFPI was the most consistent marker of endothelial damage of all the endothelial markers measured.