The administration of a high-protein diet to rats, from the end of lactation until they reached a weight of 150 g., produced significant changes in the concentrations of insulin in the plasma and pancreas. Compared with controls, the animals receiving this diet had higher plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and a higher hormone content in the pancreas. The levels of hepatic glycogen were similar to those in the control rats, but the muscle glycogen was significantly lower. Adipose tissue in vitro was less sensitive to the action of insulin on glucose uptake.


In a randomized multicenter study the influence of hydroxyurea versus busulfan on the duration of the chronic phase and on survival of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) was determined. In addition cross resistance and adverse reactions of the drugs were analyzed. From July 1983 to January 1991, 441 CML patients were randomized to receive hydroxyurea or busulfan. Of these, 90.7% were Philadelphia positive; 25.7% were low, 38.2% intermediate, and 36.2% high risk patients according to Sokal's score. The median survival of the busulfan treated Philadelphia-positive patients is 45.4 months and of the hydroxyurea group 58.2 months (P = .008). The survival advantage for the hydroxyurea treated patients is recognized in all risk groups. Sixty four patients reached therapy resistance before blast crisis and were crossed over to the alternative drug. The 23 patients with primary hydroxyurea had a median survival of 5.6 years, the 41 patients with primary busulfan therapy a median survival of 2.7 years (P = .02). Adverse reactions were less frequent with hydroxyurea with no severe adverse effects (lung fibrosis, long lasting bone marrow aplasia). The analysis of white blood cell counts in the course of treatment showed lower counts in the hydroxyurea patients. We conclude that hydroxyurea is superior to busulfan in therapy of CML in chronic phase and should be used as first line therapy. Busulfan may have a role as secondary therapy after hydroxyurea resistance or intolerance.


Melanoma is the most common tumor to metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract, commonly affecting the small intestine, colon, and anorectum. Primary mucosal melanoma can arise in any gastrointestinal site, most frequently affecting anorectal mucosa. Melanoma involving the gastric mucosa, specifically, is exceedingly rare and carries a poor prognosis with a median survival of 5 months. The presence of atypical melanocytes exclusively within gastric epithelium has not been previously described. We report a case of a 52-year-old man with widespread BRAFV600E mutant metastatic melanoma who was referred to our institution for immune checkpoint antibody-blockade therapy. The patient had previously been treated with BRAF inhibitors, and despite initial response to therapy, developed resistance leading to disease progression and multiorgan involvement including the liver, spleen, and axial skeleton. Immune checkpoint antibody blockade with ipilimumab and pembrolizumab has been shown to induce significant tumor regression in patients with melanoma by upregulating T-cell activity and removing the natural check on the host immune response. After his first dose of combination therapy, the patient underwent an upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy for severe nausea and was found to have 2 pigmented lesions within the gastric body, one of which was biopsied. The biopsy showed gastric body-fundic type mucosa with melanophages and scattered atypical intraepithelial melanocytes within the lamina propria, which were strongly positive for S100, HMB45, SOX10, and MITF. A Fontana-Masson silver stain was performed for confirmation. The finding of predominantly atypical intraepithelial melanocytes associated with melanin pigment was interpreted as metastatic melanoma to the stomach with some regression in response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.


Rice farming has received considerable attention in developing countries and particularly in Kenya due to its impact on smallholders' income and food security. Irrigated rice is the largest consumer of water, and its sustainability is threatened by water shortage. This has necessitated the development of alternative irrigation water technologies, such as the system of rice intensification (SRI), which are efficient in water use with improved yields. This study analyzed the determinants of adoption of SRI in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme where stratified sampling was used to obtain 364 smallholder rice farmers. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect primary data, which was then analyzed using a binary logistic regression model. The results showed that age (−0.3%) was significant but with a negative effect on adoption of SRI. Farm size (2.499%), household size (1.895%), distance from the canal (1.354%), off-farm work (3.953%), access to credit services (8.714%), access to extension services (7.809%), and years in rice farming (0.409%) were found positively and significantly influencing factors to the adoption of SRI. Therefore, this study concludes that smallholders attempt to improve rice productivity through adoption of SRI should give a special priority to all significant factors.


Background Blood blister type aneurysms (BBAs) and pseudoaneurysms create a unique treatment challenge. Despite many advances in open surgical and endovascular techniques, this subset of patients retains relatively high rates of morbidity and mortality. Recently, BBAs have been treated with flow-diverting stents such as the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) with overall positive results. Methods Four patients presented with dissecting internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms treated with the PED (two BBAs presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), two pseudoaneurysms after injury during endoscopic trans-sphenoidal tumor surgery). Results Three patients had a successful angiographic and neurological outcome. One patient with a BBA re-ruptured during initial PED placement, again in the postoperative period, and later died. Primary PED treatment involved telescoping stents in two patients and coil embolization supplementation in one patient. Conclusions The PED should be used selectively in the setting of acute SAH. Dual antiplatelet therapy can complicate hydrocephalus management, and the lack of immediate aneurysm occlusion creates the risk of short-term re-rupture. PED treatment for iatrogenic ICA pseudoaneurysms can provide a good angiographic and neurological outcome.


The competition of two Rhodocyclaceae-affiliated bacterial populations was assessed during the formation and maturation of aerobic granular sludge in two different types of anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactors. Zoogloea spp. (57%) were predominant in the bacterial community of aerobic granules cultivated in a 2.5-L bubble-column SBR under wash-out conditions selecting for a fast-settling biomass. Zoogloea spp. were favored over "Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" relatives by high transient biomass specific organic loads leaking into the aeration phases. Accumulibacter proliferation over Zoogloea spp. and enhanced dephosphatation were observed after 80 days, as soon as the granular sludge concentration (>7 gVSS•L-1) and the sludge blanket (>30 cm) were sufficiently high to ensure full anaerobic carbon uptake. Formation of up to 2-mm granular aggregates was also observed in a 2.0-L conventional stirred-tank SBR operated at biomass steady-state for Accumulibacter enrichment from activated sludge. Granules formed in this reactor showed a low abundance of Zoogloea spp. (<5% during the first 20 days). The bacterial community was predominated by Accumulibacter (50-60%) and exhibited enhanced orthophosphate cycling profiles. Ensuring full anaerobic carbon uptake by progressively adapting the food-to-microorganism ratio and the anaerobic contact time is proposed to be the key for cultivating dephosphatating aerobic granules.


The effects of different harvesting strategies and increased fish biomass on the feasibility of ranching wild cod in 'herds' formed with anthropogenic feeding were studied. The five following scenarios using purse seine as the method of capture were considered: I. Basic harvesting, II. Harvesting with size-grading and selling the smaller cod for on-growing, III. Harvesting with size-grading and on-growing the smaller cod in sea cages within the company, IV. Intensive harvesting at the end of the growth period, and V. Ranching larger biomass with basic harvesting. For basic harvesting it is assumed that wild cod are fully fed at several feeding stations for 165 days per year and harvested three days a week from September 1 to November 5 without size-grading. It is also assumed that the ranching company owns a suitable fishing vessel and cod quota, 200 tons in Scenarios IAIV and 500 tons in Scenario V. For a 15 year operating period, the net present value (NPV) for the five scenarios is €754 000, €809 000, €819 000, €700 000 and €1 504 000, respectively. Cod ranching is viable in all scenarios but the size of the operation has much greater effect than the harvesting strategy on the feasibility. Although intensive aquaculture will continue to grow globally, well managed fish stocks will always be an important food source for mankind and thus ranching, which basically is a quota multiplier, can increase this food supply, potentially at competitive prices.


Propellant storage in space mi
ssions could be more efficient with the ability to
control the bubbles within the storage tanks. One of the effective options is to control
bubbles using acoustic fields.
The following work
entails the study
of the behaviour of
a wall of a cubic
test
ce
ll containing fluid medi
a
when subjected to acoustic fields of
different parameters
.
These studies are characterized by the change in the
wall
displacement, us
ing a
Laser Doppler Vibrometer, a piezoelectric, a shaker and the
acquisition
instruments.
Follow
ing these experiments, c
alculations are carried out to observe its
displacements
.
These results
are
checked for reliability and repea
tability using a
shaker
at low frequencies
to confirm
the
correct performance of
the Laser Doppler
Vibrometer.
A large part
of this experiment, using the test cell, is carried out using
different
fluid media
; Air, distilled water and
a mix of both.
The results observed from the experimental study
can be reviewed in three
different parts. The first one, regarding the displace
ment, which is bigger in the face
wall than in the back wall of the test cell and the maximum displacement is done
above the focus of the vibration source. The second one, regarding the attenuation of
the acoustic wave,
it is observed that
the attenuation
coefficient is not constant along
the test cell. The
third one is with regards to
the frequency applied in the acoustic
field, where the resonant frequency of the test cell generates more displacement of
the walls than the resonant frequency of the piezoel
ectric used.
The results obtained in this document
are
important for the future of long term
storage of propellant i
n aerospace vehicles
, especially in rigid tanks with a
mixture
liquid
-
gas submitted to
vibrations
.
Also, they
serve
as
an additional refe
rence
to the
future work and development of space storage systems.


* Abbreviations:
 UNEP — : United Nations Environmental Programme
 WHO — : World Health Organization

Vaccines remain one of the most effective ways to prevent infectious disease and deaths globally.1 Universal childhood immunization provides herd immunity against many infectious agents and is a policy that has achieved dramatic reductions in common childhood illnesses. Thimerosal, which contains ethyl mercury, has been used as a preservative in vaccines to prevent contamination of multidose vials from bacteria and fungi since the 1930s.2 Although there are clear neurotoxic effects of methyl mercury absorption, ethyl mercury has not been associated with those consequences. Nevertheless, before data were available on risks of thimerosal in vaccines, in 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Public Health Service recommended moving toward removing thimerosal use in preservatives as a precautionary measure.3 Thus, thimerosal as …

Address correspondence to Walter A. Orenstein, MD, 1462 Clifton Rd, Suite 446, Atlanta, GA 30322. E-mail: worenst{at}emory.edu


Hellström, M. 2015. Chemistry and Physics of Cu and H2O on ZnO Surfaces. Electron Transfer, Surface Triangles, and Theory. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 1207. 50 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-554-9111-6. This thesis discusses the chemistry and physics of Cu and H2O on ZnO surfaces, based primarily on results from quantum chemical calculations. The underlying context is heterogeneous catalysis, where Cu/ZnO-mixtures are used in the industrial synthesis of methanol and in the water gas shift reaction. Electron transfer between small Cu clusters and ZnO is central to this thesis, as are the design and use of models that can describe realistic and very large-scale ZnO surface structures while still retaining the electronic nature of the system. Method and model enhancements as well as tests and validations constitute a large part of this thesis. The thesis demonstrates that the charges of small Cu clusters, adsorbed on the non-polar ZnO(1010) surface, depend on whether the Cu clusters contain an even or odd number of atoms, and whether water is present (water can induce electron transfer from Cu to ZnO). On the polar Zn-terminated ZnO(0001) surface, Cu becomes negatively charged, which causes it to attract positively charged subsurface defects and to wet the ZnO(0001) surface at elevated temperatures. When a Cu cluster on a ZnO surface becomes positively charged, this happens because it donates an electron to the ZnO conduction band. Hence, it is necessary to use a method which describes the ZnO band gap correctly, and we show that a hybrid density functional, which includes a fraction of Hartree-Fock exchange, fulfills this requirement. When the ZnO conduction band becomes populated by electrons from Cu, band-filling occurs, which affects calculated adsorption energy under periodic boundary conditions to the zero coverage (isolated adsorbate, infinite supercell) limit. A part of this thesis concerns the parameterization of the computationally very efficient SCC-DFTB method (density functional based tight binding with self-consistent charges), in a multi-scale modeling approach. Our findings suggest that the SCC-DFTB method satisfactorily describes the interaction between ZnO surfaces and water, as well as the stabilities of different surface reconstructions (such as triangularly and hexagonally shaped pits) at the polar ZnO(0001) and ZnO(0001) surfaces.


Abstract. The extent to which climate, eustasy and tectonics interact to shape the late Quaternary landscape is poorly known. Alluvial fans often provide useful indexes that allow the decoding of information recorded on complex coastal landscapes, such as those of the eastern Mediterranean. In this paper we analyse and date (using infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating) a double alluvial fan system on southwest Crete, an island straddling the forearc of the Hellenic subduction margin, in order to constrain the timing and magnitude of its vertical deformation and discuss the factors contributing to its landscape evolution. The studied alluvial system is exceptional because each of its two juxtaposed fans records individual phases of alluvial and marine incision, thus providing unprecedented resolution in the formation and evolution of its landscape. Specifically, our analysis shows that the fan sequence at Domata developed during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 due to five distinct stages of marine transgressions and regressions and associated river incision, in response to sea-level fluctuations and tectonic uplift at averaged rates of  ∼ 2.2 mm yr−1. Interestingly, comparison of our results with published tectonic uplift rates from western Crete shows that uplift during 20–50 kyr BP was minimal (or even negative). Thus, most of the uplift recorded at Domata must have occurred in the last 20 kyr. This implies that eustasy and tectonism impacted the landscape at Domata over mainly distinct time intervals (e.g. sequentially and not synchronously), with eustasy forming and tectonism preserving the coastal landforms.


The Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP accident contaminated the soil of densely-populated regions in Fukushima Prefecture with radioactive cesium, which poses significant risks of internal and external exposure to the residents. If we apply the knowledge of post-Chernobyl accident studies, internal exposures in excess of a few mSv/y would be expected to be frequent in Fukushima. Extensive whole-body-counter surveys (n = 32,811) carried out at the Hirata Central Hospital between October, 2011 and November, 2012, however show that the internal exposure levels of residents are much lower than estimated. In particular, the first sampling-bias-free assessment of the internal exposure of children in the town of Miharu, Fukushima, shows that the 137Cs body burdens of all children (n = 1,383, ages 6–15, covering 95% of children enrolled in town-operated schools) were below the detection limit of 300 Bq/body in the fall of 2012. These results are not conclusive for the prefecture as a whole, but are consistent with results obtained from other municipalities in the prefecture, and with prefectural data.


Conifer needles are highly effective in screening ultraviolet-B radiation (280–320 nm). This ability is mainly attributed to the presence of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in the epidermal tissue. In two field cabinet experiments with two different clones of Norway spruce we assessed the seasonal accumulation of UV-B screening pigments under near-ambient, and close-to-zero UV-B irradiation. At the beginning of needle development, i.e. in June, kaempferol 3-O-glucoside was the dominant UV-B screening pigment. It was replaced during needle differentiation by the more effective diacylated flavonol glucosides, particulary kaempferol 3-O-(3",6"-O-di-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside, which reached highest concentrations in July. In addition to the soluble pool of diacylated flavonol glucoside derivatives, a cell wall-bound UV-B screen in the epidermal cell walls was formed during needle differentiation, consisting mainly of p-coumaric acid and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside. An effect of UV-B radiation on the accumulation of diacylated flavonol glucosides was only observed in 1996 with clone 2, when the concentrations of kaempferol 3-O-(3",6"-O-di-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside were significantly higher in July and August under field, and near-ambient than under close-to-zero UV-B irradiance. For wall-bound p-coumaric acid and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside UV-B radiation enhanced the concentrations of these compounds by approximately 20% in relation to the concentrations in close-to-zero UV-B-treated plants in both field cabinet experiments.


A fundamental question in metamorphism is: What is the mechanism that converts one mineral assemblage into another in response to a change in the physical and/or chemical environment? The fact that aqueous fluids must be involved in such large-scale re-equilibration has been demonstrated by petrological, mineralogical, micro-structural and isotopic data. Fluid–mineral reactions take place by dissolution–precipitation processes, but converting one rock into another requires pervasive transport of reactive fluid through the entire rock. The generation of reaction-induced porosity and the spatial and temporal coupling of dissolution and precipitation can account for fluid and element transport through rocks and the replacement of one mineral assemblage by another.


CONTEXT
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are under evaluation as a therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Both autologous and allogeneic MSC therapies are possible; however, their safety and efficacy have not been compared.

OBJECTIVE
To test whether allogeneic MSCs are as safe and effective as autologous MSCs in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction due to ICM.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS
A phase 1/2 randomized comparison (POSEIDON study) in a US tertiary-care referral hospital of allogeneic and autologous MSCs in 30 patients with LV dysfunction due to ICM between April 2, 2010, and September 14, 2011, with 13-month follow-up.

INTERVENTION
Twenty million, 100 million, or 200 million cells (5 patients in each cell type per dose level) were delivered by transendocardial stem cell injection into 10 LV sites.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Thirty-day postcatheterization incidence of predefined treatment-emergent serious adverse events (SAEs). Efficacy assessments included 6-minute walk test, exercise peak VO2, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), New York Heart Association class, LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), early enhancement defect (EED; infarct size), and sphericity index.

RESULTS
Within 30 days, 1 patient in each group (treatment-emergent SAE rate, 6.7%) was hospitalized for heart failure, less than the prespecified stopping event rate of 25%. The 1-year incidence of SAEs was 33.3% (n = 5) in the allogeneic group and 53.3% (n = 8) in the autologous group (P = .46). At 1 year, there were no ventricular arrhythmia SAEs observed among allogeneic recipients compared with 4 patients (26.7%) in the autologous group (P = .10). Relative to baseline, autologous but not allogeneic MSC therapy was associated with an improvement in the 6-minute walk test and the MLHFQ score, but neither improved exercise VO2 max. Allogeneic and autologous MSCs reduced mean EED by −33.21% (95% CI, −43.61% to −22.81%; P < .001) and sphericity index but did not increase EF. Allogeneic MSCs reduced LV end-diastolic volumes. Low-dose concentration MSCs (20 million cells) produced greatest reductions in LV volumes and increased EF. Allogeneic MSCs did not stimulate significant donor-specific alloimmune reactions.

CONCLUSIONS
In this early-stage study of patients with ICM, transendocardial injection of allogeneic and autologous MSCs without a placebo control were both associated with low rates of treatment-emergent SAEs, including immunologic reactions. In aggregate, MSC injection favorably affected patient functional capacity, quality of life, and ventricular remodeling.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01087996.


—Packages designed for transport of radioactive material must satisfy rigorous safety regulations specified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Higher Activity Waste (HAW) transport packages have to maintain containment of their contents during normal and accident conditions of transport (NCT and ACT). To ensure containment criteria is satisfied these packages are required to be leak-tight in all transport conditions to meet allowable activity release rates. Package design safety reports are the safety cases that provide the claims, evidence and arguments to demonstrate that packages meet the regulations and once approved by the competent authority (in the UK this is the Office for Nuclear Regulation) a licence to transport radioactive material is issued for the package(s). The standard approach to demonstrating containment in the RWM transport safety case is set out in BS EN ISO 12807. In this document a method for measuring a leak rate from the package is explained by way of a small interspace test volume situated between two O-ring seals on the underside of the package lid. The interspace volume is pressurised and a pressure drop measured. A small interspace test volume makes the method more sensitive enabling the measurement of smaller leak rates. By ascertaining the activity of the contents, identifying a releasable fraction of material and by treating that fraction of material as a gas, allowable leak rates for NCT and ACT are calculated. The adherence to basic safety principles in ISO12807 is very pessimistic and current practice in the demonstration of transport safety, which is accepted by the UK regulator. It is UK government policy that management of HAW will be through geological disposal. It is proposed that the intermediate level waste be transported to the geological disposal facility (GDF) in large cuboid packages. This poses a challenge for containment demonstration because such packages will have long seals and therefore large interspace test volumes. There is also uncertainty on the releasable fraction of material within the package ullage space. This is because the waste may be in many different forms which makes it difficult to define the fraction of material released by the waste package. Additionally because of the large interspace test volume, measuring the calculated leak rates may not be achievable. For this reason a justification for a lower releasable fraction of material is sought. This paper considers the use of aerosol processes to reduce the releasable fraction for both NCT and ACT. It reviews the basic coagulation and removal processes and applies the dynamic aerosol balance equation. The proposed solution includes only the most well understood physical processes namely; Brownian coagulation and gravitational settling. Other processes have been eliminated either on the basis that they would serve to reduce the release to the environment further (pessimistically in keeping with the essence of nuclear transport safety cases) or that they are not credible in the conditions of transport considered.


The fashion photography of Helmut Newton. Helmut Newton once said, "Some people's photography is an art. Mine is not. If they happen to be exhibited in a gallery or a museum, that's fine. But that's not why I do them. I'm a gun for hire" ("Newsweek", 02/02/04). This prosaic proclamation from one of the 20th century's most celebrated photographers is not a little shocking, but nonetheless firmly positions Newton as the no-frills image-maker that he was. His work is so powerful, so striking, that it defies categorization. In refusing to call his work "art," Newton leaves us free to do so, and judging from the amount of museum and gallery shows that have featured his work, it is clear that the option has been widely exercised. This book brings together a selection of Newton's fashion catalog work from as early as 1962 through 2003 and his last editorial photographs for US and Italian Vogue - all work he made as a "gun for hire." The client list includes: BiBA, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Thierry Mugler, Blumarine, "Italian Vogue", "US Vogue", "German Vogue", Villeroy & Boch, Bikini Calendar for "Sportsmagazine", "Absolute Vodka".


Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) in men is an important and common condition in genitourinary medicine (GUM) and other sexual health services. It has a lifetime prevalence of 2%–14%.1–4 The terms CPPS and chronic prostatitis are often used interchangeably to describe a syndrome which causes perineal and genital pain that can be unrelenting and physically, as well as emotionally, exhausting.1–5 The median age of patients affected is 43 years and the syndrome is usually of sudden onset,2 ,4 though classically CPPS is only diagnosed when symptoms have been present for at least 3 months.1 ,5 Due to the nature of CPPS pain, including dysuria, penile tip, perineal, testicular and ejaculatory pain, as well as other commonly associated symptoms such as urinary frequency, patients often present to GUM departments, usually at onset of the acute phase; however no data are available as to the frequency of presentation.1 ,5

Managing men with CPPS is challenging as the aetiology is poorly understood, diagnosis is one of exclusion and management strategies are suboptimal.1 ,4 ,5 A number of hypotheses have been proposed as to the causes of CPPS, both infective and non-infective. It is well recognised that men with acute non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) may go on to develop chronic urethritis.6 Although published data are limited, men with CPPS may have urethritis, and indeed symptom profiles overlap.1 ,6 ,7 W1 W2 Both Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum are associated with chronic NGU although in the majority no infection is detected.6 W3 Chronic bacterial prostatitis is identified in up to 10% and is associated with recurrent urinary tract infections.4 ,5 Evidence supports a non-infective aetiology in the majority of cases. An infectious or inflammatory initiator may result in neurological dysfunction …


The present study seeks to examine the mutual fund performance of the open-ended selected equity schemes of UTI based on multi-index measures as well as conditional multi-index measure. It is observed from the analysis that multi-index measure is able to capture the beta and alpha effects on market adjusted basis and the estimated coefficients is a better representative as compared to the single index measure. When time lagged (lagged at 1 month, 2 months, quarterly and yearly) multi-index measures are applied then the estimated coefficients (alpha&beta) which are market adjusted and time adjusted look more representative than the multi-index measure (without lagged effect). Finally, when we extended the time lagged multi-index measure on a conditional way (conditional on public information variables) then we observe that conditional multi-index lagged measure provides much more representative results in all respects as compared to the all measures after conditioning public information effects.


ABSTRACT The adenovirus (Ad) DNA-binding protein (DBP) is essential for the elongation phase of Ad DNA replication by unwinding the template in an ATP-independent fashion, employing its capacity to form multimers. DBP also enhances the rate of initiation, with the highest levels obtained at low concentrations of Ad DNA polymerase (Pol). Here, we show that stimulation of initiation depends on the template conformation. Maximal stimulation, up to 15-fold, is observed on double-stranded or viral TP-containing origins. The stimulation is reduced on partially single-stranded origins and DBP does not enhance initiation any more once the origin is completely unwound. This suggests a role for DBP in origin unwinding that is comparable to its unwinding capacity during elongation. However, mutant DBP proteins defective in unwinding and elongation can still enhance initiation on ds templates. DBP also stimulates the binding of nuclear factor I (NFI) to the origin and lowers the Km for coupling of the first nucleotide to the precursor terminal protein by Pol. Mobility shift experiments reveal that DBP stimulates the binding of Pol on double-stranded origin and nonorigin DNA but not on single-stranded DNA. This effect is specific for DBP and is also seen with other DNA Pols. Our results suggest that, rather than by origin unwinding, DBP enhances initiation by modulating the origin conformation such that DNA Pol can bind more efficiently.


Employing a group of independently controlled flying micro air vehicles (MAVs) for aerial coverage missions, instead of a single flying robot, increases the robustness and efficiency of the missions. Designing a group of MAVs requires addressing new challenges, such as inter-robot collision avoidance and formation control, where individual's knowledge about the relative location of their local group members is essential. A relative positioning system for a MAV needs to satisfy severe constraints in terms of size, weight, processing power, power consumption, three-dimensional coverage and price. In this paper we present an on-board audio based system that is capable of providing individuals with relative positioning information of their neighbouring sound emitting MAVs. We propose a method based on coherence testing among signals of a small onboard microphone array to obtain relative bearing measurements, and a particle filter estimator to fuse these measurements with information about the motion of robots throughout time to obtain the desired relative location estimates. A method based on fractional Fourier transform (FrFT) is used to identify and extract sounds of simultaneous chirping robots in the neighbourhood. Furthermore, we evaluate our proposed method in a real world experiment with three simultaneously flying micro air vehicles.


We present the Implicit Potential (IPOT) numerical scheme developed in the framework of meshless point collocation. The proposed scheme is used for the numerical solution of the steady state, incompressible NavierStokes (N-S) equations in their primitive variable (u-v-w-p) formulation. The governing equations are solved in their strong form using either a collocated or a semi-staggered type meshless nodal configuration. The unknown field functions and derivatives are calculated using the Modified Moving Least Squares (MMLS) interpolation method. Both velocity-correction and pressure-correction methods applied ensure the incompressibility constraint and mass conservation. The proposed meshless point collocation (MPC) scheme has the following characteristics: (i) it can be applied, in a straightforward manner to: steady, unsteady, internal and external fluid flows in 2D and 3D, (ii) it equally applies to regular an irregular geometries, (iii) a distribution of points is sufficient, no numerical integration in space nor any mesh structure are required, (iv) there is no need for pressure boundary conditions since no pressure constitutive equation is solved, (v) it is quite simple and accurate, (vi) results can be obtained using collocated or semi-staggered nodal distributions, (vii) there is no need to compute the velocity potential nor the unit normal vectors and (viii) there is no need for a curvilinear system of coordinates. Simulations of fluid flow in 2D and 3D for regular and irregular geometries indicate the validity of the proposed methodology.


In the 1970s and 1980s, the use of history of science in science education was controversial. In the three last decades attitudes have changed, but the question of best practice has not been definitively answered: What type of historical knowledge should be incorporated in pedagogical contexts, and how? This essay discusses features of historically informed narratives that are suitable for teaching science from upper secondary education on, looking in particular at cases in the history of biology. The essay argues that such narratives should focus on the evolution of fundamental concepts and theories in a given scientific discipline, not on the life and work of one or a few scientists; that a story's historical content must be carefully selected and heavily contextualized in order to serve pedagogical needs; and that storytelling techniques should be actively used to engage students.


Cognitive reflection has been shown to be an important trait which is correlated with the propensity to: take risks, delay gratification, and form accurate beliefs about others' behavior. However, previous research has not cleanly identified whether reflective thinkers make 'better' decisions than intuitive thinkers, since inferences of decision quality are confounded by inferences regarding risk preferences, time preferences, and beliefs. We directly test for differences in decision quality between reflective thinkers and intuitive thinkers in both individual and strategic decisions using a design which makes it possible to objectively rank risky and strategic choices, independent of one's attitudes toward risk or one's beliefs about the strategic sophistication or altruism of other decision makers. Employing a lottery choice task involving a dominant and a dominated alternative, and implementing multiple rounds of a second price auction, we find that the tendency to cognitively reflect has strong predictive power across domains (reasoning tasks, choices between lotteries, bidding behavior in auctions), and across time (as the tasks were administered on separate dates). In particular, the same subjects who engaged in reflective thinking on simple reasoning problems were also more likely to choose optimally in the lottery choice task and to bid closer to the dominant strategy equilibrium in second price auctions. We also find that experience helps to narrow the gap in performance between reflective and intuitive thinkers.


Background Women with preeclampsia (PE) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease(CVD) in later life. We aimed to ascertain the prevalence of markers of CVD in a cohort of women recently delivered for PE. Methods Over 30 months all women delivered for PE(sustained BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg + proteinuria [PCR ≥30 or ≥ 0.3g/24h]) were offered postnatal review incorporating CVD risk assessment involving measurement of BP, proteinuria, fasting lipids and ten year cumulative risk of CVD event(based on QRISK2). QRISK2 scores were compared to population scores (QRISK2/population risk) to give relative risk (RR). Findings 100 of 218 women offered an appointment attended 8-10 weeks after delivery. Mean (SD) age was 30.6(5.2) years; 80% were primigravida, 88% white, 36% delivered preterm, 59% had a family history of CVD(first degree relative), 66% had BMI >25 and 5% were current smokers. 65% had a raised total cholesterol(TC)(≥5.0mmol//L), 34% had a raised TCl/HDL ratio(≥4.0 mmol/L) and 20% had raised triglycerides(≥1.7 mmol/L). 23% were taking BP medication and 25% were found to be hypertensive. 26% met diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome.1 Median cohort QRISK2 score was 0.4%(IQR 0.2-0.8), median control QRISK2 score was 0.2%(IQR 0.2-0.4). Median RR was 1.5(IQR 1.0-2.5) compared to age-matched population risk. Interpretation A high proportion of women screened 8-10 weeks after PE have risk factors for CVD. Based on the QRISK2 CVD prediction model a significant number of this group of women have at least a 2 fold higher than expected risk of developing CVD in the next 10 years.


Abstract Among the methods devised to delineate soil and water information, optical/thermal remote sensing offers great capabilities by providing spatiotemporally multi-scale data and products like surface dryness indices. In this context, the present study utilized the MODIS-based TVDI, iTVDI, and VDI indices to scrutinize the effect of dryness on soil moisture in three vegetation communities: Artemisia spp. (sagebrush), Astragalus spp. (astragale) and grassland in central Iran during a wet (2004) and a dry year (2008). The MOD13A2, MOD11A2, and MOD09A1 products acquired on DOYs (day of the year) 97, 129, 161, and 193 were used to extract dryness and vegetation indices. The downscaled 32-day interval PERSIANN-CCS products and field-measured soil moisture were used to appraise the validity of indices. The results showed statistically significant relationships (P < .05) between iTVDI and cumulative precipitation and soil moisture in all vegetation communities and on most DOYs, suggesting iTVDI as an effective indicator to monitor dryness status. Foremost among the vegetation indices, NDVI was found as a good complementary indicator to estimate vegetation-soil moisture conditions due to exhibiting stronger linear associations with precipitation, particularly in grassland during the wet (R2 = 0.81) and the dry (R2 = 0.72) year. The lowest values of dryness indices were observed in western and southern parts of the study area. In general, it was concluded that side by side assessment of vegetation and dryness indices was a more promising approach to dryness assessment and management over arid and semi-arid rangelands.


The goal of this Thesis is reducing the global penalty associated to branch mispredictions, in terms of both performance degradation and energy consumption, through the use of confidence estimation. The reduction of this global penalty has been achieved, firstly, by increasing the accuracy of branch predictors, next, by reducing the time necessary to restore the processor from a mispredicted branch, and finally, by reducing the energy consumption due to the execution of incorrect instructions. All these proposals rely on the use of confidence estimation, a mechanism that assesses the quality of branch predictions by means of estimating the probability of a dynamic branch prediction to be correct or incorrect.


A radially periodic 2-D leaky-wave (LW) antenna is studied for the generation of zeroth-order Bessel beams within a limited spatial region and over a wide-frequency range. The antenna design is wideband and based on an annular metal strip grating placed on the top of a grounded dielectric slab, supporting a cylindrical leaky wave (CLW) with a fast backward spatial harmonic. The focusing capabilities of the relevant LW aperture fields are investigated over the considered frequency range (15–21 GHz), in conjunction with the dispersion analysis of the optimized structure, which is developed by means of an efficient in-house method of moments code. Full-wave simulations using a commercial tool including a simple coaxial feeder are presented and discussed, demonstrating the desired wideband operation. The antenna design is validated by means of measurements performed on a manufactured prototype, considering different frequencies and components of the electric field within the nondiffracting range of the system. The proposed design represents an attractive simple and low-cost solution potentially able to generate arbitrary-order Bessel beams at microwaves as well as in the millimeter-wave and terahertz frequency regions.


We describe a formalism for quantifying the performance of spike-based winner-take-all (WTA) VLSI chips. The WTA function nonlinearly amplifies the output responses of pixels/neurons dependent on the input magnitudes in a decision or selection task. In this paper, we show a theoretical description of this WTA computation which takes into consideration the input statistics, neuron response variance, and output rates. This analysis is tested on a spiking VLSI neuronal network fabricated in a 4-metal, 2-poly 0.35-mum CMOS process. The measured results of the WTA performance from this chip correspond to the theoretical prediction. This formalism can be applied to any implementation of spike-based neurons.


Interaction of waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) with a plasma has a number of key properties that make them attractive beyond pure heating. First, the waves can interact resonantly with either the plasma ions or electrons. In the case of ion cyclotron damping, a small number of resonant ions are often accelerated to high energies. These ions, apart from heating the bulk plasma via Coulomb collisions, can increase fusion reactivity, affect plasma stability and drive current. They have also been invaluable in diagnostic applications and simulations of fusion-born 3.5 MeV alpha-particles. The second key property of ICRF waves is the transfer of wave momentum to the plasma. This allows one to drive current, affect plasma rotation and induce radial transport of the fast-ions with toroidally directed waves. Finally, ICRF power deposition is rather narrow and its location can be externally controlled, which has important applications in improving the plasma performance, affecting the local plasma transport and providing a tool for plasma transport studies. Representative examples from present-day tokamak experiments are reviewed to highlight the available capabilities.


This chapter examines the ways that speakers connect movements through language use as they build support for their cause, and position it in a broader understanding of the political terrain. Using a corpus of spoken word transcripts aired between 2003-2013 from U.S. broadcast news program Democracy Now!, we developed a dictionary of named issue movements using corpus linguistics techniques. Semantic network analysis of issuemovement co-mentions revealed that the Civil Rights movement occupied a central role in facilitating cross-movement talk, and a purposive sub-sample of those stories was examined using qualitative discourse analysis tools to understand how and why. Several language strategies are explored that participants used to make relational connections between issue movements, and I offer some suggestions on how to approach the mixed methods analysis of cross-issue movement talk as political discourse. These are the pre-publication proofs for: Toft, A. (2018). Chapter 13. Cross-talk in political discourse: Strategies for bridging issue movements on Democracy Now!. In M. Kranert & G. Horan (Eds.) 'Doing Politics': Discursivity, performativity and mediation in political discourse (pp. 301-329). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.


Background Lead pollution is a global problem both in developed and developing countries. Lead poisoning is associated with decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and is a risk factor for acute kidney injury (AKI). Serum cystatin-C is a more precise test of GFR than serum creatinine level, as serum cystatin-C levels rise earlier than serum creatinine, when GFR decreases. Objective To assess for a possible correlation between lead poisoning and cystatin-C levels in children. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in children aged 6-11 years with a history of lead poisoning from elementary schools in Talawaan District, North Minahasa Regency from July to October 2013. Cystatin-C and blood lead levels (BLL) were measured in all subjects. Spearman's rho test was used to analyze a potential correlation between BLL and cystatin-C level. Results This study included 41 children, comprising 21 boys and 20 girls. Their median age was 8.50 (range 6.8-10.7) years. Elevated levels of cystatin-C did not exceed normal values, however, we found a positive correlation between BLL and cystatin C (r=0.419, P=0.006). Conclusion There is a positive correlation between BLL and cystatin C level in children with lead poisoning. Regular monitoring of BLL, medical intervention, and an epidemiological study to help find the sources of contamination are needed for children with lead poisoning.


The arbitration, a form of private justice paid by the parties, and the right of access to justice regardless the financial obstacles guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights are predetermined to have a difficult relationship. Nevertheless, their "marriage" has been recently celebrated when, on 17 November 2011, the Paris Court of Appeal decided that arbitral tribunals are not exempt from applying this right. Consequentially, the Court annulled for violation of right of access to justice an international arbitral award in which arbitrators followed the ICC court's decision to withdraw counterclaims of an impecunious corporate defendant because of the non-payment of the advance on costs. The Court's decision marks a triumph of the right of access to justice over party autonomy to submit dispute to arbitration governed by a procedure agreed on by the parties. Nevertheless, it does not provide an appropriate solution for cases when a party to arbitration is impecunious. Therefore, the tips for a "successful marriage" between arbitration and right of access to justice are needed and alternative solutions how to articulate right of access to justice and arbitration in presence of an impecunious party will be explored.


A
time-resolved chemical vapor deposition process for indium nitride (InN) is
reported using tris-N,N-dimethyl-N',N"-diisopropylguanidinatoindium(III)
(1) and ammonia plasma at 200 °C. The
deposition was self-limiting with respect to the pulse time of 1, indicative of a surface-controlled
deposition chemistry. The films were confirmed to be InN by X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS) and film thicknesses of 10 nm were measured by X-ray reflectivity (XRR), corresponding to a
deposition rate of 0.1 nm/cycle. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD)
showed a hexagonal polycrystalline film with a preferred (002) orientation. Morphology
studies suggest an island growth mode. The poor thermal stability of 1, previously discussed in the
literature, prevented full characterization of the deposition process and the deposition
of thicker films. It is concluded that while 1 can act as an In precursor for InN, its poor thermal stability
prevents its practical use.


BACKGROUND
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993 requires that NIH-funded clinical trials include women and minorities as participants; other federal agencies have adopted similar guidelines. The objective of this study is to determine the current level of compliance with these guidelines for the inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity in federally funded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to compare the current level of compliance with that from 2004, which was reported previously.

METHODS
RCTs published in nine prominent medical journals in 2009 were identified by PubMed search. Studies where individuals were not the unit of analysis, those begun before 1994, and those not receiving federal funding were excluded. PubMed search located 512 published articles. After exclusion of ineligible articles, 86 (17%) remained for analysis.

RESULTS
Thirty studies were sex specific. The median enrollment of women in the 56 studies that included both men and women was 37%. Seventy-five percent of the studies did not report any outcomes by sex, including 9 studies reporting <20% women enrolled. Among all 86 studies, 21% did not report sample sizes by racial and ethnic groups, and 64% did not provide any analysis by racial or ethnic groups. Only 3 studies indicated that the generalizability of their results may be limited by lack of diversity among those studied. There were no statistically significant changes in inclusion or reporting of sex or race/ethnicity when compared with 2004.

CONCLUSIONS
Ensuring enhanced inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity entails the efforts of NIH, journal editors, and the researchers themselves.


Emerson and Thoreau are the most celebrated odd couple of nineteenth-century American literature. Appearing to play the roles of benign mentor and eager disciple, they can also be seen as bitter rivals: America's foremost literary statesman, protective of his reputation, and an ambitious and sometimes refractory protege. The truth, Joel Porte maintains, is that Emerson and Thoreau were complementary literary geniuses, mutually inspiring and inspired. In this book of essays, Porte focuses on Emerson and Thoreau as writers. He traces their individual achievements and their points of intersection, arguing that both men, starting from a shared belief in the importance of "self-culture," produced a body of writing that helped move a decidedly provincial New England readership into the broader arena of international culture. It is a book that will appeal to all readers interested in the writings of Emerson and Thoreau.


Law is at the center of policy and political issues concerning water. Yet, until relatively recently, water law has often been either sidestepped or considered only through limited lenses in international policy debates. This is changing rapidly, in part because increasing economic, social, and physical scarcity of water is fostering increasing conflicts over access to water. This has led to increasing attention to water law and to significant water law reforms. This chapter provides an overview of the basic structure of water law and analyzes recent reforms, with a focus on developments in India where legal reform has been a central part of water-sector reforms. It highlights some of the most contentious issues surrounding legal reforms, in particular the tension between equity and justice, on the one hand, and efficiency and willingness to pay on the other hand, as well as the broader issue of privatization.


Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) is an intervention whereby brief intermittent ischaemic episodes are induced in a limb (usually 4x5-minute arterial occlusion bouts, interspersed with 5-minutes of reperfusion) either at the site of interest (IPC), or at a distance from the site of interest (Remote; RIPC). Although originally linked to cardiology, recently studies have investigated the effects of IPC administered on a limb prior to exercise with some showing improvements in exercise performance. The overarching aim of the present thesis was to investigate how to optimise IPC to further enhance exercise performance. The optimal protocol of IPC on exercise performance was quantified by manipulating: 1. the number of cycles, 2. amount of muscle tissue, and 3. local vs Remote occlusion, which were applied in a randomized counterbalanced order in study 1 (Chapter 3). IPC dose, location and occlusion area differed prior to a 375 KJ time trial (TT) performance in 12 trained men. The traditional 4x5-min IPC stimulus resulted in the fastest TT time compared to SHAM [17 secs (90% CI: 0, 34 secs); P=0.097], but there was no benefit of applying a greater number of cycles [5 secs (-35, 26 secs); P=0.49] or employing unilateral IPC [18 secs (-11, 48 secs, P=0.29]. Local versus Remote cuff placement did not result in changes in TT time [0 secs (-16, 16 secs; P>0.9]. Overall, regardless of location, the 4x5-minute dose seemed to provide the most benefit to exercise performance. The ability of IPC to enhance exercise capacity may be mediated through altering exercise-induced blood flow and/or vascular function. Study 2 (Chapter 4) investigated the blood flow response to exercise, using ultrasound, when exercise was preceded by a control (SHAM) condition, or either local or Remote (R)IPC in eighteen recreationally trained males. Vascular 4 function tests were also performed before SHAM and (R)IPC and at the end of exercise. IPC resulted in enlarged brachial artery diameter during exercise [0.016 cm (0.003 to 0.03 cm); P=0.016] compared to RIPC, but blood flow during exercise was similar between conditions. No changes in post-exercise vascular function were observed between conditions. Therefore, enhanced vasodilation following local (but not Remote) IPC, when performed prior to exercise, does not translate into increased blood flow during exercise nor impact post-exercise vascular function. IPC could alleviate deleterious muscle damage responses after exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD; often lasting <72 hours). Study 3 (Chapter 5) investigated whether IPC could negate eccentric exercise-induced reductions in torque production. Eleven recreationally trained males completed 200 repetitions of maximal eccentric contractions when preceded by IPC or SHAM performed in a randomized order, separated by a 9-week washout period. Muscle function tests were performed after IPC/SHAM prior to eccentric exercise and at 1-hour, 24-hours, 48-hours & 72-hours post-EIMD. Venous blood samples were taken at all time points. Greater maximal [15.2 N.m-1 (6.2 to 24.1); P=0.006] and mean [13.3 N.m-1 (5.3 to 21.3); P=0.007] torque production during a fixed angle voluntary maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) task and during a 60 deg·sec-1 [10.1 (4.9 to 15.3); P=0.002 & 9.8 N.m-1 (6.1 to 13.5; P<0.005] isokinetic task were evident after IPC versus SHAM prior to eccentric exercise (EIMD). This was maintained throughout the (72-hour) muscle damage window. Lower cytokine (IL-6 and IL-1ra) were reported after IPC versus SHAM (P<0.002, respectively). IPC resulted in greater overall HSP-27 & 32 levels (P<0.01) whilst HSP-72 was lower (P=0.001) versus SHAM. Therefore, IPC can enhance maximal torque production during isokinetic dynamometry, before and after muscle damaging exercise and induce advantageous extracellular stress responses to EIMD in humans. 5 Study 4 employed IPC in a practical exercise-priming model, that aimed to maximise repeated sprint ability (RSA). Eleven trained cyclists performed 4 experimental visits in a repeated measures design. The "traditional" 4x5-minute local IPC (IPC) dose was compared to a SHAM condition (20 mmHg). IPC or SHAM were performed on two separate visits, each combined with either passive muscle heating (HEAT) on two visits, or thermoneutral (non-heated) insulation on two visits, prior to an "all out" repeated sprint task (10x6-second sprints with 24-seconds of recovery). There were no meaningful changes in 10x6-second average [12 (-7 to 31) watts; P=0.28] or peak [6 (-14 to 26) watts; P=0.62] power output following IPC versus SHAM. Additionally, no benefit was observed when muscle temperature was elevated in combination with IPC [5 (-14 to 19) watts; P=0.67], or separately to IPC [9 (-9 to 28); P=0.4] versus SHAM. Overall, it appears that IPC, nor (the combination of) muscle heating can positively impact RSA performance in trained cyclists versus a SHAM condition. The findings from this thesis suggest that using a "traditional" dose of 4x5-minute cycles, either on the legs or the arms, promote performance enhancements in aerobic tasks such as cycling TT performance. These potential performance improvements are likely not resultant from increased limb blood flow. IPC can also enhance muscle function following muscle damaging exercise and induce advantageous extracellular stress responses to EIMD. Nevertheless, IPC alone or when combined with local muscle heating likely has no meaningful enhancements in repeated sprint cycling performance. The findings from this thesis may help athletes to establish a better understanding of how IPC can be used prior to exercise.


Fluorescent carbon dots have received considerable attention as a result of their accessibility and potential applications. Although several prior studies have demonstrated that nearly any organic compound can be converted into carbon dots by chemical carbonization processes, mechanisms explaining the formation of carbon dots still remain unclear. Herein, we propose a seed-growth mechanism of carbon dot formation facilitated by ferulic acid, a widespread and naturally occurring phenolic compound in the seeds of Ocimum basilicum (basil). Ferulic acid triggers the local condensation of polysaccharide chains and forms catalytic core regions resulting in nanoscale carbonization. Our study indicates that carbon dots generated from natural sources might share the similar mechanism of phenolic compound mediated nanoscale condensation followed by core carbonization.


How to cite this article: Jeong SY, Baek JH. Technical issues in ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation for thyroid lesions. Ultrasonography. 2021 Oct;40(4):621622. We read with great interest the article published by Cho et al. entitled "Ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation for cystic thyroid nodules: effectiveness of small amounts of ethanol in a single session" [1]. In this article, the authors evaluated whether low-dose (less than 5 mL) ethanol injections were effective for treating cystic and predominantly cystic thyroid nodules. All patients were treated by single-session ethanol ablation (EA). The authors used a low-dose technique and achieved excellent treatment results with a low complication rate. The methodology of this study is sound and followed the recommendations of the 2018 Korean EA guideline [2]. Their data are important to support future revised EA guidelines; however, there are several technical issues that need to be considered. First, the terminology of "lowdose" (less than 5 mL of ethanol) is vague. The authors used various amounts of ethanol, ranging from 1 to 5 mL. Given the wide range of included thyroid lesions (range, 4.4 to 77.2 mL), a future validation study should be conducted to provide clear guidance on the precise amount of ethanol that should be used. Considering the very low complication rate of EA, even when a dose of more than 5 mL is used, the advantage of low-dose EA is questionable. We would therefore ask, what is the advantage of a low dose in real-world practice? Second, the results of this study [1] showed that volume reductions after EA were much lower in predominantly cystic nodules than in cystic lesions (65.1% vs. 90.1%). However, in previous studies, EA achieved somewhat higher volume reduction rates for predominantly cystic nodules (74.9%82.4%) [3]. Therefore, the use of a low dose of ethanol could be related to insufficient volume reduction. Moreover, the authors performed complete aspiration of the injected ethanol, whereas Park et al. [4] reported a higher therapeutic success rate in a retention group than in an aspiration group (82.5% vs. 68.8%), especially in predominantly cystic nodules. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct further studies to determine the appropriate amount of ethanol and to compare the two EA techniques (ethanol aspiration and ethanol retention) for predominantly cystic thyroid nodules. Furthermore, the ethanol retention times in the study varied substantially (range, 0.9 to 13.0 minutes) [1], which was an inevitable limitation of its retrospective design. Finally, the follow-up period in this study was rather short (mean, 10.5 months) with considerable variation (1-66 months). Suh et al. [5] suggested that the recurrence rate after EA is much higher with a longer follow-up period. Therefore, long-term results are necessary to justify the conclusions of this study. In conclusion, Cho et al. [1] reported a low-dose ethanol method for the treatment of symptomatic cystic and predominantly cystic thyroid nodules. Although the results were acceptable, the use of a low dose in patients with predominantly cystic thyroid nodules should be carefully considered.


Tired of boring spreadsheets and data overload from confusing graphs? Master the art of visualization with Rapid Graphs with Tableau 8! Tableau insiders Stephen and Eileen McDaniel expertly provide a hands-on case study approach and more than 225 illustrations that will teach you how to quickly explore and understand your data to make informed decisions in a wide variety of real-world situations. Rapid Graphs with Tableau 8 includes best practices of visual analytics for ideas on how to communicate your findings with audience-friendly graphs, tables and maps."A picture is worth a thousand words" is a common saying that is more relevant today than ever as data volumes grow and the need for easy access to answers becomes more critical. This book covers the core of Tableau capabilities in easy-to-follow examples, updated and expanded for Version 8. Learn how to be successful with Tableau from the team that started the original training program as the founding Tableau Education Partner!A must read for anyone interested in Tableau. Clear explanations, practical advice and beautiful examples!Elissa Fink Chief Marketing Officer, Tableau Software What youll learn Connect to and review data visually Create insightful maps and take advantage of view shifting Understand the types of views available in Tableau Take advantage of the powerful Marks cardand much more Who this book is for Rapid Graphs with Tableau 8 is a great resource for those new to Tableau, and also contains useful tips and tricks for advanced users as well.


Increasing pressures on the hydrological cycle from our changing planet have led to calls for a refocus of research in the sciences of hydrology and water resources. Opportunities for new and innovative research into these areas are being facilitated by advances in the use of cyberinfrastructure, such as the development of digital catchment observatories. This is enabling research into hydrological issues such as flooding to be approached differently. The ability to combine different sources of data, knowledge, and modeling capabilities from different groups such as scientists, policy makers, and the general public has the potential to provide novel insights into the way individual catchments respond at different temporal and spatial scales. While the potential benefits of the digital catchment observatory are large, this new way of carrying out research into hydrological sciences is likely to prove challenging on many levels. Along with the obvious technical and infrastructural challenges to this work, an important area for consideration is how to enable a digital observatory to work for a range of potential end‐users, paving the way for new areas of research through developing a platform effective for engagement and knowledge exchange. Using examples from the recent local‐scale hydrological exemplar in the Environmental Virtual Observatory pilot project (http://www.evo‐uk.org), this commentary considers a number of issues around the communication between and engagement of different users, the use of local knowledge and uncertainty with cloud‐based models, and the potential for decision support and directions for future research.


Introduction Early postnatal growth and body composition are variously influenced by fetal nutrient supply and gender. Thus relative to normal birth weight lambs (N), those categorised as fetal growth restricted (FGR, 30% lighter at birth) subsequently showed increased fractional growth but remained lighter at necropsy (77d postnatal). Moreover, gender was the dominant influence on size and body composition with females (F) lighter and fatter than males (M).1 We investigated epigenetic changes underlying this early postnatal phenotype by quantification of methylation at cytosine: guanine (CpG) dinucleotides. Methods Hepatic DNA and RNA were extracted from FGR (8M,9F) and N (12M,9F) offspring. PCR was performed using primers targeting CpG islands of somatotrophic axis genes: insulin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)1, IGF2, H19, insulin receptor (R), GHR, IGFR1, IGFR2. Using pyrosequencing, methylation status was determined by quantifying cystosine:thymine ratios at 50 CpG sites. mRNA expression of IGF system genes and plasma IGF1/insulin were determined. Results DNA methylation was wholly independent of prenatal growth status but sexual dimorphism in IGF1 methylation was evident (M < F, 85.3 ± 0.22 vs. 86.2 ± 0.14%, p = 0.008). Correspondingly, IGF1 mRNA:18S and plasma IGF1 were higher in males than in females (23.9 ± 1.48 vs. 11.4 ± 0.49, and 77 ± 3.9 vs. 49 ± 2.3 ng/ml, p < 0.001, respectively). IGF1 methylation was negatively correlated with IGF1 mRNA expression (r = –0.507, p = 0.002), while IGF1 mRNA was positively related to plasma IGF1 (r = 0.884, P < 0.001). Conclusion FGR did not impact the methylation of growth axis genes but gender differences in early body composition reflect sexual dimorphism in hepatic DNA methylation, IGF1 mRNA expression and plasma IGF1 concentrations.


A turnaround in the way we convert and consume energy is the key to successful climate change mitigation. Taking a micro-economic perspective, in order to put the necessary changes into practice corporations in the energy sector need not only have a long-term vision of the developments necessary up to the year 2050. They also have to understand the impacts these developments will have on the firm's competitiveness in short- and medium-term. Does this cause a dilemma? At least this challenge is not addressed in classical strategic management literature. The book at hand shows that sustainable development is about to become a central element of strategic management and corporate decision-making. However, classical trend-based strategy approaches do not address the systemic challenges that arise from the need for sustainable development, especially major emission reductions in the energy sector appropriately. A sustainability-oriented business strategy has to be based on a different understanding of the corporate targets, the strategic decision-making process and the role of the firm within its natural and societal environment. The author shows how corporations can engage in such a target-oriented strategy discussion by using strategic backcasting as a tool to describe their long-term targets and derive necessary measures. These corporate "milestones" need to be prepared and pro-actively realised within a corridor that is formed by external "crossroad" decisions on the different levels of energy and climate policy. A case study clarifies the presented strategic backcasting approach for local utilities. It also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the method.


Little is known about the role of conflict management in explaining the victim–offender overlap. This article assesses the victim–offender overlap for adults (18-32) in intimate and nonintimate relationships, covering their relationship with their partner and with friends and acquaintances/strangers. Controlling for conceptually important variables, we explore whether different conflict management styles are associated with a respondent being in the victim-only, offender-only, both, or neither group (separately for verbal aggression, physical abuse for intimate and nonintimate relationships, and sexual abuse for intimate relationships). Data are from a nationally representative panel of U.S. households (N = 2,284 respondents of whom 871 women and 690 men report being in an intimate partnership). We observed a high degree of overlap between victimization and offending across our abuse measures. We found a range of modestly consistent set of risk factors, for example, conflict management styles and self-control, for the victim–offender overlap for partner and nonpartner abuse experiences.


Inequalities between ethnic or racial groups, defined as horizontal inequalities, are pervasive and persistent. They persist due to cumulative and reinforcing inequalities arising from unequal access to different types of capital. Affirmative action policies can provide promising opportunities for escaping this inequality trap. However, political support for these policies across a wide range of groups in society is crucial for introducing and maintaining them. Interestingly, little is known about the popular support for affirmative action policies and redistribution across ethnic groups, in particular in developing countries. We aim to address this lacuna by providing an overview of theories relating to attitudes towards redistribution across groups and analysing these issues empirically in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.


During 2003, Swedish exports to Central and South America were only 1,9% of the total Swedish exports; furthermore, Swedish imports during the same period to Central and South America were 1,1% of total Swedish imports. The figures show how Swedish trade with Latin American countries is very low. The only Latin American country that in 2003 made part of the main 30 Swedish trade partners was Mexico, in the 22nd position. Swedish exports to Mexico represented 0,7% of total Swedish Exports for the year. The purpose of this thesis is to make an analysis of the problems that Swedish companies face when doing business with the Latin American region, and to explore the causes of the low exchange rates in the commercial relations between Sweden and Latin America.


Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are extremely important materials for industrial processes and in the environment, and their physical-chemical behavior depends in large part on their hydration state, but the characterization of these hydration effects on their properties are incomplete. The present study was designed to explore the interpolytype transitions induced by variation in the ambient humidity among LDHs. The cooperative behavior of intercalated water molecules resulted in a sudden, single-step, reversible dehydration of the [Zn-Cr-SO4] LDH. The [Zn-Al-SO4] LDH provided an interesting contrast with (1) the coexistence of the end members of the hydration cycle over the 40-20% relative humidity range during the dehydration cycle, and (2) a random interstratified intermediate in the hydration cycle. These observations showed that the [Zn-Al-SO4] LDH offered sites having a range of hydration enthalpies, whereby, at critical levels of hydration (20–40%), the non-uniform swelling of the structure resulted in an interstratified phase. The variation in domain size during reversible hydration was also responsible for the differences observed in the hydration vs. the dehydration pathways. This behavior was attributed to the distortion in the array of hydroxyl ions which departs from hexagonal symmetry on account of cation ordering as shown by structure refinement by the Rietveld method. This distortion was much less in the [Zn-Cr-SO4] LDH, whereby the nearly hexagonal array of hydroxyl ions offered sites of uniform hydration enthalpy for the intercalated water molecules. In this case, all the water molecules experienced the same force of attraction and dehydrated reversibly in a single step. The changes in basal spacing were also accompanied by interpolytype transitions, involving the rigid translations of the metal hydroxide layers relative to one another.


Long neglected by archaeological research, coarse ware has been
recognised as important source of information on ancient living
practices, technological know-how and the organisation of production
and trade in ancient communities only from the second half of the 20th
century.
Deeply rooted within this background, this research concretely
explores the possibility of using coarse ware to retrieve complex data
for refined socio-economic analysis.
In details, focusing on the territory of the Roman colony of Aquileia,
inserted in the broader framework of the Regio X Italica and of the
whole Northern Italy, the study aims to investigating the trade of
coarse ware, in order to define its nature and extent.
The research starts from the study of coarse ware collected during the
2013-2016 excavations of an unpublished underwater archaeological
site, Stella 1, located in the river Stella, within the nowadays
municipality of Palazzolo dello Stella (Udine District, Italy).
The investigation of these artefacts clearly points that coarse ware was
traded along the river; nevertheless this trade, rather than involving the
vases themselves, concerned instead their contents.
Moving from this achievement, the study broadens its sight,
investigating the circulation of ancient Roman coarse ware firstly in the
entire Regio X and then in all of Northern Italy.
A wide comparative study enabled to detect patterns of trade and
consumption of ancient Roman coarse ware and its contents.
The distribution of a number of peculiar shapes, analysed in
conjunction with the capillary Roman routes network, highlighted the
existence of some preferential routes for coarse ware circulation, that
employed both terrestrial roads and inland waterways.
The research fully exploited coarse ware informative potential,
definitively confirming the value of ancient Roman coarse ware in
providing powerful insights for a deeper understanding of the ancient
economic and social systems.
The study of Stella 1 coarse ware firstly enabled to achieve a better
comprehension of the site itself, determining its nature as a commercial
site and clearly assessing its chronology to the second half of the 1st –
2ndcentury AD.
Furthermore, Stella 1 coarse ware fully testified that these vases were
traded as food containers. Despite the difficulties in determining the
contents, suggestions about the nature of foodstuffs traded come from
both ancient literary sources and contemporary archaeological data.
Coarse ware proved therefore to be a source of information about the
trade of perishable materials, rarely recorded by archaeological
evidences.
A wide comparative study, that took in consideration findings from the
entire Northern Italy, demonstrated that, far from having only a local
circulation, coarse ware was traded on a regional, and even supraregional level, reaching also far away markets.
These results provided insights for a better comprehension of the
economic system of the Aquileia's ager, and, more broadly, of the entire
Regio X. The economic model that points to Aquileia as the unique
centralising node, the only centre in charge of the distribution of
foreign products within the Regio, needs to be reviewed.
Thanks to the capillarity of the Roman routes network, also other areas,
only apparent peripheral, played an essential role in the circulation and
distribution of products, both locally produced and imported. Goods
did not necessarily need to arrive in Aquileia to be redistributed.
Some areas were responsible of the local distribution of imported
products and were furthermore able to trade autonomously, even to far
away markets, goods locally produced; this turned out to be
particularly true for an important productive area as the Stella basin,
served by both terrestrial routes and inland waterways.
The idea that settlements within the ager served uniquely the main city,
Aquileia, should be therefore overcame.
As a final result, the study proved that coarse ware, when
comprehensively approached, is a powerful tool for the reconstruction
of complex economic dynamics, providing a better insights into the
ancient system of trade and exchange.


Public–private sectoral wage differentials have been studied extensively using quantile regression techniques. These typically find large public sector premiums at the bottom of the wage distribution. This may imply that low skill workers are 'overpaid', prompting concerns over efficiency. We note several other potential explanations for this result and explicitly test whether the premium varies with skill, using Australian data. We use a quasi-differenced Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) panel data model which has not been previously applied to this topic, internationally. Unlike other available methods, this technique identifies sectoral differences in returns to unobserved skill. It also facilitates a decomposition of the wage gap into components explained by differences in returns to all (observed and unobserved) skills and by differences in their stock. We find no evidence to suggest that the premium varies with skill. One interpretation is that the compressed wage profile of the public sector induces the best workers (on unobserved skills) to join the public sector in low wage occupations, vice versa in high wage occupations. We also estimate the average public sector premium to be 6% for women and statistically insignificant (4%) for men.


This article explores the experiences of students who used interactive learning material on handheld computers in a gallery to support their understanding and appreciation of artwork. The article considers the wider implications of using technology to change relationships between teacher, learners and subject matter, and attempts to offer positive and pragmatic recommendations about the implementation of new technology into established educational contexts. Research was undertaken as part of the ICT Test Bed Project, set up by the DfES (UK Department for Education and Science) and funded by Becta (British Education Communications Technology Agency). Initial findings from this project are likely to be of interest to those exploring how mobile technology can be used to support the Government's wider agenda for educational reform and offer a practitioner's critical perspective on the possibilities and challenges offered by their use.


Introduction Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health measure aimed at identification of early cases, management of afflicted infants, and making efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality among newborns. All countries may face challenges in implementation of screening programs. The present study aimed to determine the challenges of implementation of the National Phenylketonuria (PKU) Screening Program in Iran. Methods In this qualitative study, 38 health policymakers, managers, and PKU experts in Iran were purposively selected as the respondents in 2015. The semi-structured interview was used for collecting the required data and information. After transcription of interviews, their content was analyzed using framework analysis. Results The results were categorized into five main themes and 22 subthemes. The main themes extracted from data were management challenges, diagnosis challenges, treatment challenges, care challenges, and patients' family problems. Each category consisted of several subthemes. Conclusion Considering the challenges of implementing this program, some measures such as increased stability of managers in the health system, greater interaction of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education with the heath stakeholders, improving the level of parents' awareness, the use of efficient information systems, support and legal backing for requiring parents who refuse newborn screening for various reasons, and appropriate insurance coverage seem necessary to be taken.


Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) base metal mineralisation has been recognised at several
localities in the Paleoproterozoic. Earaheedy Basin, Western Australia, where it is
associated with areas of silicification. The Earaheedy Group (ca. 1800-1900 Ma) lies
within the Capricorn Orogen, between the Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons, and comprises
two subgroups, the Tooloo and the Miningarra. At the base of the Tooloo Subgroup, the
Yelma formation unconformably overlies Archean basement and comprises a ~300m thick
package dominated by two units of shallow marine shelf carbonates, the Iroquois and
Navajoh dolomites. Both dolomite units are intensely silicified. Base metal
mineralisation is primarily contained within the Navajoh dolomite is strongly associated
with silicification. 1 Okm to the southeast of the study area, a major comet impact structure
(the Teague Ring) formed at -1630 Ma.
Numerous small occurrences of galena and sphalerite have been noted along strike, with
five prospects over a strike length of ~50km investigated in detail during the current
study. Mineralisation in the Navajoh dolorrlite occurs within styolites, bedding parallel
and discordant veins, as a matrix within intraformational breccias, and in vugs and
microbialite cores. Typical grades for base metal mineralisation are 20m @ 0.88% Zn
and 0.1% Pb, including 2m zones of up to 1.6% Zn.
Three paragenetic stages have been identified. Stage I encompasses diagenesis of the
host dolomites, and comprises three dolomite generations and the formation of diagenetic
pyrite (Py1). Py1 has ()34s values between 5.7 and 26.5%o, consistent with the
occurrence of a sulphate-minimum zone within the Proterozoic oceans. Stage I barite
records a seawater ()34s sulphate value of 15.4%o.
Stage II was the main stage of ore deposition. Microcrystalline quartz, chalcedony,
spherulitic chalcedony and quartz are intimately associated with sulphide mineralisation
(mainly pyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite with minor bornite and tetrahedrite) in
stage II bedding sub-parallel veins within the Navajoh dolomite. Stage II fluids had moderate homogenisation temperatures (97 to l89T), high salinities (21.8 to 23.9 eq. wt
% NaCI), and ol80(fluid) values between 0.9 and 2.2%o, consistent with derivation from
a connate brine. Wide variations in o34s values from stage II sulphides ( -6.1 to 30.5%o)
reflect a complex sulphur source consistent with a connate brine leaching a varied
sedimentary package. Zinc ratio calculations suggest that minor variations in regional
fluid chemistries and depositional processes resulted in varying levels of Pb and Zn
saturation across the study area. Terrane-specific lead modelling techniques have
constrained the age of stage II mineralisation to ~ 1780 to 1740 Ma. Preferential
replacement of dolomite by silica along permeable layers caused an increase in fluid pH
and resulted in sulphide precipitation with quartz in the center of the veins. Strong
similarities in paragenetic sequences at each prospect through the study area indicate that
stage II fluids were of regional scope, rather than discrete hydrothermal systems.
Regional fluid flow is interpreted to have been driven by southwards-directed
compression within the Capricorn Orogen on the north side of the basin.
Stage III consists of bedding-discordant quartz/carbonate veins with minor base metal
mineralisation (pyrite, sphalerite, galena). Stage III fluids produced a second stage of
silicification, and had higher homogenisation temperatures (108 to 246.C), but lower
salinities (3.3 to 16.5 eq.wt% NaCl) than stage II. Calculated stage III o180(fluid)
values obtained from quartz ranged from -9.9 to+ 13.3%o and were probably due to fluid
mixing, o 18o buffering, and temperature variations. Most of the calculated stage III
o 180(fluid) values were between -1.3 and 5 .5%o, consistent with a connate brine source
similar to stage II fluids. Carbon-oxygen isotopic analyses of dolomite (ol3c(fluid)
-4.9%o, o180(fluid) +2.0%o) concur with a connate brine source, and show that extensive
fluid-rock interaction of stage III fluids and host dolomite occurred. Regional decreasing
temperature gradients from the southeast to the northwest, and isotopic anomalies suggest
that stage III mineralisation developed from connate brines that were redirected by comet
impact at the Teague Ring. These fluids had the potential to remobilise stage II
mineralisation.


Aim: This in vitro study was carried out to assess the clinical and radiographic success of pulpotomy in primary molars following the use of formocresol, sodium hypochlorite 5% (NaCOl) and Calcium Enriched Mixture (CEM) cement. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on 108 primary molars of 5-8 year old children who referred to the pediatric dentistry, Isfahan faculty of dentistry. The selected teeth were equally distributed and randomly assigned to 3 groups of formocresol, sodium hypochlorite and CEM cement. After taking the initial radiography, standard pulpotomy was carried out by using formocresol, CEM cement and sodium hypochlorite 5%, and the teeth were restored by Stainless Steel Crown (SSC). The clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at 6 and 12-month follow-ups. Data was analyzed by chi-square and Relative Risk statistical tests. Results: After 6 months, all (100%) of the pulpotomy medicaments were clinically successful. Also, there was no clinically significant difference between the results of primary molar pulpotomy in these 3 groups in the 1-year follow-up (p=0.129). There was not any significant difference between three groups in the first follow-up (p=0.364) and second follow-up (p=0.100). Conclusion: There was no significant difference among the success rates of the pulpotomy medicaments used in primary molars. Moreover, the clinical and radiographic success rates of NaOCl 5% and CEM cement were comparable to those of formocresol.


Monte Carlo algorithms are developed to calculate the ensemble-average particle leakage through the boundaries of a 2-D binary stochastic material. The mixture is specified within a rectangular area and consists of a fixed number of disks of constant radius randomly embedded in a matrix material. The algorithms are extensions of the proposal of Zimmerman et al., using chord-length sampling to eliminate the need to explicitly model the geometry of the mixture. Two variations are considered. The first algorithm uses Chord-Length Sampling (CLS) for both material regions. The second algorithm employs Limited Chord Length Sampling (LCLS), only using chord-length sampling in the matrix material. Ensemble-average leakage results are computed for a range of material interaction coefficients and compared against benchmark results for both accuracy and efficiency. both algorithms are exact for purely absorbing materials and provide decreasing accuracy as scattering is increased in the matrix material. The LCLS algorithm shows a better accuracy than the CLS algorithm for all cases while maintaining an equivalent or better efficiency. Accuracy and efficiency problems with the CLS algorithm are due principally to assumptions made in determining the chord-length distribution within the disks.


Any area of medicine advances due to research in previous years, and paediatrics and child health is an excellent example of this. With research conducted now, child health in the future will continue to improve; without adequate research we are doomed to stagnate, and in some areas go backwards. Looking at the health of children both nationally and globally over the last four decades, the impact of research has been remarkable. Globally, we are seeing one of the fastest reductions in child mortality ever seen anywhere. Global neonatal and child mortality fell substantially in every age band over the last 35 years.1 This global improvement was driven by a combination of research and international development. In higher income countries the last decades have also seen a remarkable drop in mortality in neonates, children and adolescents; for example, a 58% drop in mortality in children aged 5–14 in Europe, and major improvements in all ages of children in the UK.2 3 Multiple types of research have contributed to this, from the most basic and translational science which helps to develop targets for new drugs and clinical techniques, through clinical and epidemiological studies and onto operational research which helps ensure the best science is taken up in practice.

From improvements in survival in neonates to the massively improved prognosis for children born with cystic fibrosis4 and other genetic diseases multiple lines of science have led to incremental changes which when added together substantially improve outcome. Many children are alive now because of research undertaken in the last few years. There are also data from multiple directions demonstrating that patients enrolled in research studies are likely to do better.5 There are therefore clear current advantages to individual patients as well as to future children to more clinical research being undertaken. …


In addition to kidney transplant, renal replacement therapy involves hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD). PD possesses advantages such as maintaining stable physiological blood status and blood pressure, alleviating anemia, and improving mobility, which make it an ideal method for at-home dialysis treatment. However, potential danger still exists despite the numerous advantages of PD, particularly when patients require dialysis exchange four to five times a day, during which improper operation can easily lead to peritonitis. The process of draining and filling is called an exchange and takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Connecting the transfer set requires sterile technique. Transfer set may require a new cap each time that it disconnects from the bag after an exchange. There are many chances to get infection due to unsafe behavior (ex: hand tremor, poor eyesight and weakness, cap fall-down). The proposed semi-automatic connection mechanism used in the PD can greatly reduce infection chances. This light-weight connection device is portable. The device also does not require using throughout the entire process. It is capable of significantly improving quality of life. Therefore, it is very promising to adopt in home care application. Keywords—Automatic connection, catheter, glomerulonephritis, peritoneal dialysis.


The present study examines both gradual and rapid changes occurring in 20th-century jazz harmonic practice. A newly-assembled corpus of 1,086 jazz compositions was used to test the idea that jazz music exhibits a mid-century decline in traditionally "tonal" chord usage. Evidence was found for slow, incremental changes in zeroth-order chord quality distributions, consistent with gradual, unconscious changes in harmonic usage. Typical tonal chord-to-chord transitions became less common between the 1920s and the 1960s, consistent with the hypothesis of tonal decline. Finally, use of root motion of an ascending perfect fourth dropped suddenly in the 1950s, suggesting that chord-to-chord transitions might be more susceptible to rapid change than chord frequency. Possible constraints on stylistic evolution are discussed.


Twentieth-century music is explored from both a historical and a theoretical perspective in this enlightening text. Bryan R. Simms addresses style and structure with equal care as he chronicles the evolution of music from the time of Schoenberg to the work of such current composers as Schnittke and Gorecki. Throughout the book, Simms focuses on a number of influential compositions, examining 107 major works in depth as vivid representatives of music in our time.


Food in later life has been the focus of research in the past decades, especially in what refers to nutritional status and food consumption. Although biological, psychological, personal and economic determinants in food choice are well known, the relationship with the cultural environment has been less explored. Cultural rules determine daily and weekly sequence of meals, time and type of meal, what constitutes a meal, what is considered a proper meal, and distinguish a meal event from a snack. The purpose of this study was to understand meals in the later life of Portuguese older people, focusing on the differences in the life cycle through a qualitative approach. Our research involved 80 Portuguese older people, free living in the community. We found that an easy childhood or the economic constraints in early childhood had a positive or negative impact in older people view of meals in past and present. The experiences in adult life (migration, marriage, having children, labour, disease) influenced daily routines, including eating, for both men and women. Meals across life were defined by gendered roles and discontinuity in relationships. Therefore, the presence of new relationships or life conditions will reflect in new challenges in domestic activities. In older age, being alone or isolated was an important determinant for eating habits. The loss of partner was the most reported situation, which was linked to eating alone and less satisfaction with meals. Having support from family or a specialized institution is central to the daily routines with meals. Understanding the meaning of meals in later life can be very useful in order to develop appropriate strategies for this population. Key-words: Life cycle; food habits; cultural aspects; social determinants; Portuguese elderly.


Featuring contributions from leading scholar-activists, People Power demonstrates how the lessons of history can inform the building of new social justice movements today. This volume is inspired by the pathbreaking life and work of writer, activist, and historian Lawrence "Larry" Goodwyn. As a radical Texas journalist and a political organizer, Goodwyn participated in historic changes ushered in by grassroots activism in the 1950s and '60s. Professor and cofounder of the Oral History Program at Duke University, Goodwyn wrote about movements built by Latino farm workers, Polish trade unionists, civil rights activists, and others who challenged the status quo. The essays in this volume examine Goodwyn's influence in political and social movements, his approaches to teaching and writing, and his insights into the long history behind contemporary activism. People Power will generate deep discussions about the potential of democracy amid the multiple crises of our time. What motivates ordinary people to move from kitchen table conversations to civic engagement? What do the chronicles of past social movements tell us about how to confront the real blocks of racism and the idea that Americans are somehow "exceptional"? Contributors provide key experiential knowledge that will help today's scholars and community organizers address these pressing questions.


Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is the most important forest plantation species in subtropical Asia and is rapidly replacing natural forests. Such land‐use change may affect ecosystem nutrient cycling through changes in litterfall nutrient flux. Tropical cyclones often cause pulses of litterfall. Previous studies, however, have mostly focused on the effects of a single cyclone with little effort examining the effects of repeated cyclones. We examined litterfall in a natural hardwood forest and a Chinese‐fir plantation in central Taiwan experiencing an average of one typhoon per year. The natural hardwood forest had 54 percent higher annual litterfall (11,400 kg/ha/yr) than the Chinese‐fir plantation (7400 kg/ha/yr). Four typhoon‐affected months (typhoon period) contributed to approximately 60 percent of the litterfall and litterfall element flux in the natural hardwood forest and 80 percent in the Chinese‐fir plantation, with contributions from individual typhoons varied by more than twofold. Litterfall N and P concentrations were significantly higher in typhoon period than in non‐typhoon period, likely the result of limited retranslocation. Precipitation was a better predictor of quantity of typhoon‐associated litterfall than wind velocity. Both types of forests in southeastern China beyond the reach of typhoons have litterfall peaks in the dry season. In contrast, we measured higher litterfall during the typhoon period than during the dry season, suggesting that in regions with frequent cyclones, cyclones drive temporal variation of litterfall. Global climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of cyclones; therefore, knowledge of typhoon‐litterfall dynamics is indispensable for understanding the effects of climate change on ecosystem nutrient cycling.


I. INTRODUCTION The twin headlands of the Heads of Ayr are located on the coast four miles south of the town of Ayr. They occupy about half-a-mile of coast and provide excellent vertical (cliff) and horizontal (wave-cut platform) sections through a volcanic vent of Carboniferous age. The vent was first mentioned by Geikie (1869), and later briefly referred to by Burns (1888), Smith (1895) and Boyle (1908). Tyrrell (1920) was the first to publish a detailed description of its structure and petrography, and this was later augmented by Eyles (1929). The Heads of Ayr vent is emplaced in gently-dipping sediments belonging to the Cementstone Group of Lower Carboniferous age. It has no large plug intrusion and, apart from a few small monchiquitic basalt bosses, is composed entirely of pyroclastic rocks which are bedded towards the west and imbedded towards the east. This spatial distinction between the two types of pyroclastic deposit is not found in most other Lower Carboniferous vents, perhaps, in part due to poorer exposures of them. The detailed field survey was carried out using enlarged maps of the coastal strip along Heads of Ayr, made from aerial photographs on a scale of 1:1250. It was found possible to trace directly from the photographs many of the structural features of the coast, especially the folding in the bedded pyroclastic rocks of the western end. II. STRUCTURE The vent is naturally divisible into an eastern part and a western part separated by the central recess. These divisions which were This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract