Metaphors are ubiquitous in our daily lives and discourse, and as cognitive linguists and sociolinguists argue, language, culture and cognition are inseparable: embodied experience is not the only basis of meaning construction. Economic discourse, the focus of this paper, is a prime example of metaphors at work. Although there have been studies comparing conceptual metaphors such as the economy is a living organism in different languages, so far very little work has been done on the relationship between socio-cultural factors and the bodily movement metaphors which manifest in this overarching metaphor in economic discourse. This paper therefore examines two corpora consisting of economic news articles in "The Guardian" (UK) and the "Hong Kong Economic Journal" from the year 2006, in order to compare and contrast the way that these bodily movement metaphors constitute and reflect the attitudes and values of the people using the metaphor in these two locations. In so doing, the contrastive study demonstrates that many 'universal' conceptual metaphors, such as the metaphor studied in this paper, are indeed different, since the formation of embodied experience needs to be understood in its socio-cultural context. This paper compares collocations and syntactic structures of bodily movement metaphors. Although many primary metaphors, such as down is bad and forward is good, are shared across these two corpora, the findings reveal that the conceptualization of the economy in the two corpora differs mainly in three ways. Firstly, construal of the economy in the UKGC appears to be more dynamic. Secondly, the metaphorical extension of bodily movements is found to be different in the two corpora. Finally, 'kinship' metaphors conceptualizing economic relationships in the UKGC are more likely to trigger marriage imagery. In short, these subtle differences reveal that cognition is situated within a wide cultural context, resulting in culture-specific metaphors.


This paper presents the results of a set of measurements to study changes in harmonic emission from a domestic customer due to the introduction of energy-efficient lamps (CFL and LED lamps). This emission has been studied through both magnitude and complex harmonic current. We can see that the emission depends on the lamps that are connected as a background. Sometimes adding a new device reduces the harmonic sometimes it increases it. The harmonic current produced by aggregate loads is significantly smaller than the algebraic sum of the harmonic current produced by each one separately. Therefore, it can be some cancellation effect not only between devices, but also among customers. Overall, the measurements confirm the conclusion that there is some increase in harmonic emission due to the replacement of incandescent lamps by CFLs and LED lamps, but that there is no reason for concern.


In a few short years, social movements in Cajamarca, Colombia, were able to convince a once divided community almost unanimously to reject the establishment of the world's largest gold mine on their doorstep.  This paper examines the role of contestatory cartography in achieving this remarkable result. It explores the range of mapping and counter-mapping tools used by movements in the region, showing how a combination of classic GIS and neogeographical tools have been used to counter the mining project from both a legal and social standpoint. The paper finds that hierarchies of control are still in place and were not eroded by participatory mapping activities, but suggests that counter-mapping and the involvement of the community in exploring their own landscape was crucial to the rejection of AngloGold Ashanti's La Colosa project.


Abstract. We use observations in the solar wind and on the ground to study the interaction of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field with Earth's magnetosphere. We find that the type of response depends on the state of the solar wind. Coupling functions change as the properties of the solar wind change. We examine this behavior quantitatively with time dependent linear prediction filters. These filters are determined from ensemble arrays of representative events organized by some characteristic time in the event time series. In our study we have chosen the stream interface at the center of a corotating interaction region as the reference time. To carry out our analysis we have identified 394 stream interfaces in the years 1995–2007. For each interface we have selected ten-day intervals centered on the interface and placed data for the interval in rows of an ensemble array. In this study we use Es the rectified dawn-dusk electric field in gsm coordinates as input and the AL index as output. A selection window of width one day is stepped across the ensemble and for each of the nine available windows all events in a given year (~30) are used to calculate a system impulse response function. A change in the properties of the system as a consequence of changes in the solar wind relative to the reference time will appear as a change in the shape and/or the area of the response function. The analysis shows that typically only 45% of the AL variance is predictable in this manner when filters are constructed from a full year of data. We find that the weakest coupling occurs around the stream interface and the strongest well away from the interface. The interface is the time of peak dynamic pressure and strength of the electric field. We also find that coupling appears to be stronger during recurrent high-speed streams in the declining phase of the solar cycle than it is around solar maximum. These results are consistent with the previous report that both strong driving (Es) and high dynamic pressure (Pdyn) reduce the coupling efficiency. Although the changes appear to be statistically significant their physical cause cannot be uniquely identified because various properties of the solar wind vary systematically through a corotating interaction region. It is also possible that the quality of the propagated solar wind data depends on the state of the solar wind. Finally it is likely that the quality of the AL index during the last solar cycle may affect the results. Despite these limitations our results indicate that the Es-AL coupling function is 50% stronger outside a corotating interaction region than inside.


R0BERTS, WILLIAM EDWARD. The Use of Cues in Multimedia Instructions in Technology as a way to Reduce Cognitive Load. (Under the direction of Dr. Eric N. Wiebe.) This study was designed to address cognitive overload issues through the use of visual cueing as a means to enhance learning. While there has been significant research such as use of color for cueing to address many of the cited problems, there are missing elements in this research that could go a long way toward designing more effective solutions and teaching methods for Technology Education students. One aspect that is missing is a better understanding of how color cueing and narration interact with various aspects of information overload, split attention effect, and overall instructional difficulty. When teaching technical topics to a technical or non-technical audience using multimedia instructions or tutorials, there is a problem of information overload when using these methods of delivery. Without the proper testing and methods for designing these types of presentation, the students or the audience the instructor plans to present this information to may likely experience cognitive overload, reducing the effectiveness of the instructions and tutorials. Cognitive overload is the result of excessive demands made on the cognitive processes, in memory particular. The research was also designed to move beyond theory and to research hands-on instructional activities with typical students to prove that certain multimedia interventions reduce cognitive load and make learning more efficient when presenting technical information. The principal research uses two rating scale assessment techniques: the SSI and NASA-Task Load Index (TLX), to assess levels of cognitive load. Previous research demonstrated that the SSI and TLX had different sensitivities to cognitive load. The research adds to the existing research base, address some of these missing elements, and gain a better understanding of how to address the problems that have been presented above specific to Technology Education students, but equally relevant to other subject matter. Visual cueing shows promise as a means to reduce cognitive overload and enhance learning. The Use of Cues in Multimedia Instructions in Technology as a way to Reduce Cognitive Load by William Edward Roberts A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Technology Education Raleigh, NC 2009


This work deals with the development of reactively sputtered fractal titanium nitride coatings for use in electrostimulation and recording electrodes. Electrical stimulation of cardiac and nerve tissues is an active area of research. This presentation will focus on the process development and characterization of porous, columnar titanium nitride coatings that exhibit high electrochemically active surface areas. Depositions were conducted in an industrial-scale sputtering system with substrate temperature varying between 25 – 130 o C. Low-temperature deposition of high surface area coatings is presented. These coatings are of particular interest for stimulation electrodes where dimensional stability is a concern, for example implantable neural prostheses leads. The coating microstructure was investigated with Focused Ion Beam Microscopy. These results were used to assess the impact of substrate temperature on film porosity and grain size. The electrical performance of these coatings was analyzed with Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to quantify the electrochemical vs. geometrical surface area, charge injection capacity, and charge storage capacity. The stress evolution of these films was measured real-time with an in situ stress monitoring system and compared to ex situ stress measurements.


Demographic aspects of the encrusting bryozoan Celleporella
hyalina (L. ) were investigated both at the colonial and the
zooidal level. In the Menai Straits C. hyalina is the commonest
epiphyte on the fronds of Laminaria saccharina (L. ) Lamour. The
life-span of C. hyalina on this substratum ranges from a few days
to 5-6 months according to season and settlement location,
substratum abrasion being the main mortality factor. Experimental
rearing in the natural environment showed that on a permanent
substratum C. hyalina survives more than 18 months. From April to
September C. hyalina invests, at simultaneously high rates, in
somatic growth and sexual reproduction, whilst during the rest of
the year investment is mainly in growth, but at a low rate. In
comparison with colonies experimentally grown in restricted water
flow conditions, colonies of C. hyalina in higher water flow
regimes achieved: (a) bigger colony size, (b) higher reproductive
output (RO) (reproductive zooids/autozooids) and (c) higher
investment in female functions. RO increases asymptotically as
body size increases and can be experimentally depressed by
reducing water flow, which presumably diminishes the supply of
food to the colony. Colonies of C. hyalina start sexual
reproduction at a small size and do not delay sex in favour of
achieving a bigger size, probably because: (a) unpredictable lifeexpectancy
in the natural environment favours an early
reproduction, (b) viable larvae need brooding for 3-4 weeks and
(c) the modular construction allows partitioning of functions
among zooids in the colony, minimizing interference between sexual
activities and colonial growth. Resources are probably allocated
to growth and reproduction in a similar way in other species of
colonial organisms. Increasing the number of neighbouring
colonies of C. hyalina reduces size and R0. Colonies isolated
from foreign sperm produced larvae up to 40 days after isolation,
suggesting that either self-fertilization or storage of foreign
sperm takes place.


Geographic differences in exposure to suspected carcinogens have been identified in esophageal carcinogenesis, and both p53 alterations and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection have been reported in esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESC) from high-risk areas, including China and South Africa. The status of p53 alterations and HPV infection in ESC has not been determined in northern Italy, where the incidence of ESC is low. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded esophageal samples containing normal, dysplastic, and carcinomatous tissue from 18 patients were examined for p53 protein accumulation with immunohistochemistry, p53 mutation (exons 5-8) with PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing, and HPV infection with PCR using general primers to amplify the L1 gene. Accumulation of p53 protein was observed in both precancerous and carcinomatous lesions. p53 mutations were rare in dysplastic lesions but were detected in 9 of 18 carcinomas, a finding consistent with reports from other geographic areas. Examination of the p53 mutation spectrum revealed no hot spot mutation. In contrast, HPV was not found in any of these 18 cases. This is consistent with the findings from other low ESC risk areas in which HPV infection may not play a crucial role in esophageal oncogenesis, whereas the high risk of ESC in China and South Africa may be attributed to frequent HPV infection.


OBJECTIVE
High expression of galectin 3 at sites of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggests that galectin 3 plays a role in RA pathogenesis. Previous studies have demonstrated the effects of galectins on immune cells, such as lymphocytes and macrophages. This study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that galectin 3 induces proinflammatory effects in RA by modulating the pattern of cytokine and chemokine production in synovial fibroblasts.

METHODS
Matched samples of RA synovial and skin fibroblasts were pretreated with galectin 3 or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), and the levels of a panel of cytokines, chemokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and multiplex assays. Specific inhibitors were used to dissect signaling pathways, which were confirmed by Western blotting and NF-kappaB activation assay.

RESULTS
Galectin 3 induced secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, CXCL8, and MMP-3 in both synovial and skin fibroblasts. By contrast, galectin 3-induced secretion of TNFalpha, CCL2, CCL3, and CCL5 was significantly greater in synovial fibroblasts than in skin fibroblasts. TNFalpha blockade ruled out autocrine TNFalpha-stimulated induction of chemokines. The MAPKs p38, JNK, and ERK were necessary for IL-6 production, but phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) was required for selective CCL5 induction. NF-kappaB activation was required for production of both IL-6 and CCL5.

CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate that galectin 3 promotes proinflammatory cytokine secretion by tissue fibroblasts. However, galectin 3 induces the production of mononuclear cell-recruiting chemokines uniquely from synovial fibroblasts, but not matched skin fibroblasts, via a PI 3-kinase signaling pathway. These data provide further evidence of the role of synovial fibroblasts in regulating the pattern and persistence of the inflammatory infiltrate in RA and suggest a new and important functional consequence of the observed high expression of galectin 3 in the rheumatoid synovium.


"Alla Prima" is a practical and comprehensive guide to direct painting (characterised by bold, expressive brushwork and a painterly, atmospheric surface), particularly as it is expressed though the work of the author's mentor, Arthur DeCosta, the legendary master teacher. The book covers the history of the direct methods in both Europe and America. From there, it covers detailed step-by-step lessons and invaluable discussions on drawing structure, broken and smooth brushwork and colour development. Further lessons on colour mixing, palettes and materials, brush technique, drawing and paint layering, portraiture, still life, figure and landscape painting are provided, all through illustrated steps, analysis and historical information.Throughout, the book features the work of the European masters of the direct approach, from the old masters (Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez) and the late 19th and early 20th century masters (Degas, Renoir, Manet, Monet, Matisse, Cezanne) to the American Prime masters (Sargent, Whistler, Henri, Eakins, Bellows) who spawned such vibrant late 20th century painters as Alice Noel, Wayne Thichaud and Jim Dinc.


The changes in species richness and abundance of Collembola in two Pyrenean springs (Ruau and La Maure) were evaluated bimonthly on an annual cycle, comparing the hydrophilous and non-hydrophilous population components. Low species richness and high abundance of the hydrophilous component was a constant feature of the studied assemblages. The non-hydrophilous component (forest and meadow litter species) exhibited much higher richness and lower abundance. Seasonal fluctuations in species richness were moderate and highly correlated between the two springs for the non-hydrophilous component (discarding the aberrant April data of Ruau), but not for the hydrophilous component. A high proportion of juveniles was encountered throughout the year. Abundance peaked in June, in association with an increase in juvenile recruitment, and was minimum in August (Ruau) or December (La Maure). The observed biodiversity patterns may result from a combined effect of evolutionary and habitat-dependent factors according to the following hypotheses: (i) hydrophilous Collembola always have a lower diversity than mesophilous ones, which presumably implies that the group tends to speciate less in damp habitats, i.e. at the limit of its ecological range; (ii) the spatial configuration of the damp habitats studied (small patches around springs and narrow strips along streams), as well as the non-saturation of communities due to frequent ecological resets after flooding, determine a high permeability to outside colonizers; (iii) high fertility, in the absence of individual adaptation, acts as a population-level response to constraints imposed by periodical flooding; (iv) water acts as a thermal and humidity buffer making hydrophilous species assemblages less dependent on climatic fluctuations; (v) for the same reason, damp habitats constitute refugia for invertebrates when surrounding environments are affected by drought, warmth or cold. This last feature might give damp habitats a central function in the dynamics of the larger terrestrial ecosystems in which they are nested.


Increasing student persistence rates is imperative in higher education, as less than 60% of those who initially enroll in college full-time finish with a certificate or degree. Educators must ensure students are engaged with many facets of their educational experiences. Two strategies through which educators can engage students in the classroom, approaches to learning and learning styles, were examined. Researchers then assessed the relationships between these strategies and student success in the course (quiz scores and overall course grade). Findings suggest that the self-reported learning styles of students enrolled in sport management courses have little impact on student success. Thus, support was not found for the learning styles hypothesis. However, approaches to learning warrant attention, as students who employ strategic study skills are likely to achieve significantly higher course outcomes compared with those who utilize deep or surface study skills in the sport management discipline.


Using China's semiconductor design industry as a case, this article examines the claims made by global production network (GPN) and transnational technology community (TTC) scholars that transnational networks are driving technological development in emerging economies. Due to co-ethnic transnational technology networks and the politics of finance, China's firms experience distinct patterns of performance not well explained by either of these transnational network theories. The network explanations do not go far enough in recognising the domestic environment's importance in its interaction with transnational structures in determining the possibilities for development. This article argues that the state's relationship to firms structures the opportunities of financing for the firms thereby impacting their technological development behaviour. One type of firm, the hybrid foreign invested enterprise, combines foreign finance with commitment to China to drive China's technological development. Other firms, particularly those closely tied to the Chinese state, contribute less or even negatively to China's development.


Abstract Objective To determine if using a parachute prevents death or major traumatic injury when jumping from an aircraft. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Private or commercial aircraft between September 2017 and August 2018. Participants 92 aircraft passengers aged 18 and over were screened for participation. 23 agreed to be enrolled and were randomized. Intervention Jumping from an aircraft (airplane or helicopter) with a parachute versus an empty backpack (unblinded). Main outcome measures Composite of death or major traumatic injury (defined by an Injury Severity Score over 15) upon impact with the ground measured immediately after landing. Results Parachute use did not significantly reduce death or major injury (0% for parachute v 0% for control; P>0.9). This finding was consistent across multiple subgroups. Compared with individuals screened but not enrolled, participants included in the study were on aircraft at significantly lower altitude (mean of 0.6 m for participants v mean of 9146 m for non-participants; P<0.001) and lower velocity (mean of 0 km/h v mean of 800 km/h; P<0.001). Conclusions Parachute use did not reduce death or major traumatic injury when jumping from aircraft in the first randomized evaluation of this intervention. However, the trial was only able to enroll participants on small stationary aircraft on the ground, suggesting cautious extrapolation to high altitude jumps. When beliefs regarding the effectiveness of an intervention exist in the community, randomized trials might selectively enroll individuals with a lower perceived likelihood of benefit, thus diminishing the applicability of the results to clinical practice.


Mutations of the gene expressing plasma membrane transporter for thyroid hormones MCT8 (SLC16A2) in humans lead to altered thyroid hormone levels and a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Genetically engineered defect of the Mct8 gene in mice leads to similar thyroid hormone abnormalities but no obvious impairment of brain development or function. In this work we studied the relative role of the blood-brain barrier and the neuronal plasma cell membrane in the restricted access of T(3) to the target neurons. To this end we compared the effects of low doses of T(4) and T(3) on cerebellar structure and gene expression in wild-type (Wt) and Mct8 null male mice [Mct8-/y, knockout (KO)] made hypothyroid during the neonatal period. We found that compared with Wt animals, T(4) was considerably more potent than T(3) in the Mct8KO mice, indicating a restricted access of T(3), but not T(4), to neurons after systemic administration in vivo. In contrast, T(3) action in cultured cerebellar neurons was similar in Wt cells as in Mct8KO cells. The results suggest that the main restriction for T(3) entry into the neural target cells of the mouse deficient in Mct8 is at the blood-brain barrier.


To address Washington State's high pediatric fatal drowning rates in Asian children, especially Vietnamese, we conducted and evaluated a community water safety campaign for Vietnamese American families. Working with community groups, parks departments and public health, we disseminated three messages (learn to swim, swim with a lifeguard, and wear a life jacket) in Vietnamese media and at events, increased access to free/low cost swim lessons and availability of lifeguarded settings and life jackets in the community. Parents completed 168 pre- and 230 post-intervention self-administered, bilingual surveys. Significantly more post-intervention compared to pre-intervention respondents had heard water safety advice in the previous year, (OR 8.75 (5.07, 15.09)) and had used lifeguarded sites at lakes and rivers (OR 2.3 (1.04,5.08)). The campaign also increased community assets: availability of low-cost family swim lessons, free lessons at beaches, low cost life jacket sales, life jacket loan kiosks in multiple languages, and more Asian, including Vietnamese, lifeguards.


The provision of cost efficient and effective bus transit service is the basic premise upon which transit service is developed and the goal that all public transportation agencies strive to achieve. To attain this goal, public transit agencies must design their services around clear and defined principles, as well as a process to monitor the results achieved and to respond accordingly. This requires service design standards, an effective performance measurement system, and a systematic and continuous service evaluation methodology. This research identifies existing best practices in transit service planning and develops a generic model approach that could be adapted and used by public transit agencies for fixed route bus transit service planning, specifically to include Service Design Standards, Service Performance Measurements, and a standard Service Evaluation Methodology. This research effort provides a summary of best practices and provides a "template" process tool that can be adapted and customized for use by all sizes public of transit agencies.


On September 8, 2010, in Tamraz v. Lincoln Electric Co., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that a neurologist's expert testimony was speculative and therefore inadmissible under Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. In so holding, the Sixth Circuit departed from its traditional deference to Rule 702 rulings of district court judges. This Comment argues that, although the Sixth Circuit's decision is consistent with the requirements set forth by the 1993 U.S. Supreme Court decision Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, the Sixth Circuit opened the door to more aggressive review of Daubert rulings.


We will present realisations of MMIC Low Noise amplifiers designed to operate in a cryogenic environment, working from 18 to 26 GHz. These devices have been produced with the intent to be installed in a five beams feed array receiver, realised to improve the single dish survey and VLBI performances of the 32m diameter parabolic dish antenna of the Medicina Radioastronomical Station, near Bologna, in Italy. The entire project named FARADAY has been developed in the FP-5 context supported by EU. Many efforts has been concentrated to produce devices with the best compromise between lowest noise, flat gain, and good input matching. For this device, MMIC 0,1 um gate length InP HEMT process has been used. We will start the work description from the design specification to the on wafer devices measurements. We will also introduce our packaging material investigations in order to have a reliable working device at cryogenic temperature. Packaging device efforts has been devoted also to realise a modular carrier that let the choice between coaxial and waveguide interface.


The fabrication of a fully ion-implanted vertical p–i–n diode using high-purity semi-insulating 4H–SiC substrate has been demonstrated for the first time. The intrinsic region is the wafer itself with a thickness of 350 µm. The anode and cathode are obtained by doping the front and back wafer surfaces with implanted Al+ and P+ ions, respectively, with concentrations of about 1020 cm−3. The electrical activation of the implanted dopants is obtained by microwave heating the samples up to 2100 °C for 30 s. At ±100 V the on and off state current ratio is in the order of 104. Forward saturation current is five orders larger than it would be if controlled by the series resistance of the thick HPSI 4H–SiC intrinsic region.


BACKGROUND
Severe hepatic failure (SHF) commonly leads to major changes in acidbase balance status. However, the direct effects of liver failure per se on acid base balance are poorly understood because this condition is usually associated with acute renal failure (ARF).

AIM
To assess the effect of SHF on acid-base balance.

DESIGN
Retrospective laboratory investigation.

SUBJECTS
Thirty-seven critically ill patients with SHF complicated by ARF, and 42 patients with severe ARF without liver failure prior to renal replacement therapy.

INTERVENTION
Retrieval of clinical and laboratory data from prospective unit and laboratory databases.

METHODS
Quantitative acid-base assessment using Stewart-Figge methodology. Comparison of findings between the two groups. Comparison of demographic and clinical features.

RESULTS
Patients with combined SHF and ARF were younger and had significantly higher mean bilirubin, ALT and INR levels (p<0.0001). Their mean lactate concentration was higher (6.4 vs. 2.1 mmol/L; p<0.0001) leading to a greater anion gap (25.8 vs. 16.1 mmol/L; p<0.0001). The ionized calcium concentration (1.00 vs. 1.15 mmol/L; p<0.0001) was lower but the strong ion difference apparent (SIDa) was greater (42.0 vs. 38.0 mEq/L; p<0.005) due to hypochloremia. The albumin concentration was low but higher than in control patients (28 vs. 24 g/L; p<0.01) and the calculated strong ion gap (SIG) was greater (12.6 vs. 9.3 mEq/L; p<0.01). The base excess was similar to controls and the pH was preserved in the near normal range by marked hypocapnea.

CONCLUSIONS
Combined SHF and ARF is a syndrome with unique acid-base changes due mostly to lactic metabolic acidosis and, in smaller part, to the accumulation of unmeasured anions. This acidosis, like that of ARF, is attenuated by hypoalbuminemia, by a unique preservation of the SIDa due to hypochloremia, and by marked hypocapnea.


The special issue aims to identify, map and critically assess key themes and features of the numerous art and heritage disputes which have arisen in the past decades. The return of cultural artifacts to their legitimate owners, the recovery of underwater cultural heritage, the governance of sites of outstanding and universal value, the protection and promotion of artistic expressions, and the protection of cultural sites in times of war are just some of the issues which have given rise to art and heritage related disputes. Such disputes have involved a number of different actors and have arisen between states, between states and private individuals, as well as purely amongst individuals. As the regulation of cultural goods constitutes a good example of multilevel governance and legal pluralism, art and heritage related disputes have been brought before national fora, human rights courts, international economic law fora and even before the International Court of Justice. Such disputes have certainly made headlines and have attracted interest from various fields - from academics and policy-makers to museum curators and collectors, and from human rights activists and investment lawyers to artists and economists, to mention just a few. This article will map the key features of these disputes and assess the contribution that these cases offer to the development of international law in both its public and private dimensions.


The postantibiotic effects (PAEs) of rifampin, amikacin, clarithromycin, and ethambutol were determined radiometrically against five AIDS-associated isolates of Mycobacterium avium. and were found to be 20.8+/-3.4. 18.4+/-2.5, 11.8+/-1.7. and 2.4+/-0.9 h, respectively. Various two-, three- or four-drug combinations were also screened: the PAEs for a two-drug combination were generally longer than individual drugs (mean PAE of 13.8+/-1.5 to 29.2+/-7.4 h instead of 2.4+/-0.9 to 18.4+/-2.5 h for single drugs). The addition of a third drug further increased the mean PAE to a range of 21.0+/-2.6 to 32.4+/-6.1 h. Both rifampin+clarithromycin and rifampin+amikacin were the most potent two-drug combinations resulting in longer PAEs than individual drugs, whereas rifampin+amikacin+clarithromycin was the most potent three-drug combination. Parallel viable count determinations showed a good correlation between the PAE results obtained by the radiometric method or by bacterial viability assessment. These results are useful in planning future clinical investigations to clarify the possible implication of PAE in drug schedule and dosage, a line of information that is urgently needed to guide the drug administration in M. avium-infected AIDS patients, who are presently over-burdened with the administration of too many drugs for HIV-treatment and opportunistic infections.


In the context of immigration and settlement, Canada and Germany are often portrayed as opposites: Canada represents a settler society and Germany an ethnic nation. The different approaches and attitudes of the two countries towards immigration can be linked to different historical understandings of nationhood. Canada could not be imagined as a country without its immigrants; immigration is an integral aspect of national identity. Conversely, although Germany has always received immigrants, national identity has historically been conceived in ethnic terms. In this paper, I explore some of the contradictions in Canadian and German immigration debates related to national belonging. For example, Canada's identity as a settler society has long marginalized Indigenous populations, while in German debate the narratives of ethnically-belonging Germans and newly-arriving migrants openly engage with each other. By exploring these contradictions, I develop a perspective of the dialectic of migration and ethnic belonging that can be applied to both Canada and Germany.


A new species of zephyrinid nudibranch of the genus Janolus Bergh 1884 is described from the Pacific Coast of North America and Costa Rica. J. anulatus sp. nov. differs from other species of Janolus by its external and internal morphology. J. anulatus has a brown or white body with pink, white, and brown spots, smooth papillae epithelium at the base and papillated in the distal part, unbranched digestive gland ducts, smooth jaws, and smooth rachidian and lateral teeth. The species is compared with other species from the Panamic Province and the Western Atlantic. A new extension range of J. barbarensis is documented.


Extracted from text ... mnassa vol 65 nos 5 & 6 64
obituary
Johannes Ebenhaezer van Zyl
(1913 - 2006)
Better known as Jan Eben van Zyl or more affectionately as "Oom Jan" or "Oom Eben" to those close to him, Eben van Zyl passed away on 28 March 2006 at the age of 92. He is survived by a son, a granddaughter and three grandchildren.
J.E. van Zyl was born on 10 August 1913. His career included being headmaster of the Kensington High School in Johannesburg from 1958 to 1969. He then became senior lecturer at Wits in the Applied Mathematics ..


The telecommunication company NanoConnect reflected declining year-on-year customer satisfaction scores. Based on existing quantitative research results, customer experiences were qualitatively explored and the findings mapped onto selected themes of the system psychodynamic model to describe consumer wellbeing. The model integrates concepts from system psychodynamic theory and positive psychology.
Firstly, the purpose of the research was to gain a deeper understanding of the organisation's declining customer satisfaction scores. Secondly, quantitative data from existing research results were triangulated with the qualitative data of this study to explore the original findings further. Thirdly, the research purpose was to determine whether the system psychodynamic wellness model could be applied to describe consumer wellbeing.
Four main themes emerged, namely Poorly defined brand identity, Perceptions of competitors, Limited customer contact and Limited range of products and services. These themes were integrated with the themes Identity, Hope and Love of the System psychodynamic wellness model.
The unique contribution of the study being reported here includes the application of a psychological wellness framework to the findings of the qualitative customer satisfaction research.


Innovation is notoriously difficult to define and is invariably intertwined with issues of knowledge creation, continuous improvement and organisational change. An extensive literature classifies numerous types of innovation and militates against any simplistic attempt at definition. It is widely accepted that innovation is at least partly dependent upon the surrounding environment. Industry recipes and institutionally embedded practices shape the environment within which innovation occurs. Recent research directions have addressed the diffusion of innovation and its dependence upon social and institutional structures. In this respect, it is highly pertinent to compare the way that innovation is interpreted and enacted in different industrial sectors. The comparison between UK aerospace and construction is especially revealing because the two sectors are so different and therefore constitute radically different climates for innovation. Empirical research is reported based on semi-structured
interviews with practitioners from both sectors. Interpretations of innovation are found to differ dramatically between aerospace and construction. Within the context of an ongoing struggle to define innovation, both industries are striving to become more innovative. The aerospace sector is found to emphasise technical innovation whereas the construction sector emphasises process innovation. An overriding cultural bias in Western economies towards technological innovation results in the common perception that aerospace is much more innovative than construction. The experienced realities of practitioners in the two sectors are much more complex.


In the last years, Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) have been an emerging technology for providing cost/eective broadband Internet access. The research done insofar usually assumes that the wireless backbone of a WMN is built using IEEE 802.11 technologies. Such an approach has the drawback of leading to dense and sub-optimal deployments, due to the short transmission range of this standard. Recently standardized, the WiMAX technology is supposed to transcend this limitation by a transmission range of several miles. In particular, the mesh mode of the WiMAX standard enables direct communications between subscriber stations and, hence, reduces dead zones while increasing the global throughput. In this paper, we investigate the throughput capacity of a WiMAX mesh tree. More specically, we are interested in balancing the impact of the depth of the tree with its fanout. We provide a trac model and evaluate the WiMAX mesh tree by simulations


We consider diffusions on the circle and establish a Bayesian estimator
for the drift function based on observing the local time and using
Gaussian priors. Given a standard Girsanov likelihood, we prove
that the procedure is well-defined and that the posterior enjoys robustness
against small deviations of the local time. A simple method
for estimating the local time from high-frequency discrete time observations
yielding control of the L2 error is proposed. Complemented
by a finite element implementation this enables error-control for a
fixed random sample all the way from high-frequency discrete observation
to the numerical computation of the posterior mean and
covariance. An empirical Bayes procedure is suggested which allows
automatic selection of the smoothness of the prior in a given family.
Some numerical experiments extend our observations to subsets of
the real line other than circles and exhibit more probabilistic convergence
properties such as rates of posterior contraction.


We describe an algorithm for reconstructing three-dimensional structure and motion causally, in real time from monocular sequences of images. We prove that the algorithm is minimal and stable, in the sense that the estimation error remains bounded with probability one throughout a sequence of arbitrary length. We discuss a scheme for handling occlusions (point features appearing and disappearing) and drift in the scale factor. These issues are crucial for the algorithm to operate in real time on real scenes. We describe in detail the implementation of the algorithm, which runs on a personal computer and has been made available to the community. We report the performance of our implementation on a few representative long sequences of real and synthetic images. The algorithm, which has been tested extensively over the course of the past few years, exhibits honest performance when the scene contains at least 20-40 points with high contrast, when the relative motion is "slow" compared to the sampling frequency of the frame grabber (30 Hz), and the lens aperture is "large enough" (typically more than 30/spl deg/ of visual field).


Objective To analyse the safety of a multidisciplinary concussion management protocol where a team therapist is involved in return-to-play (RTP) decisions. Design Prospective, pre- post-intervention cohort study over 4 seasons of competition Setting School-based American football program (4 teams; grades 8–12) Participants: 672 players x year (11–17 year old) for a total of 27741 athlete-exposure. Intervention A protocol based on the Concussion In Sport Group recommendations was implemented. A computerised neuropsychological (CNP) test was used at baseline and prior to clearance for unrestricted training. For seasons 1–2, the protocol required the team physician to make all RTP decision while defined criteria allowed the team physiotherapist to make the vast majority of the RTP decisions over seasons 3–4. Outcome measures The primary outcome was the early recurrence (ER) of concussion symptoms following RTP (defined as during the same season). Results A total of 119 concussions were identified (55 and 64 for the first and last 2 seasons, respectively; incidence rate 4, 3: 1000 athlete-exposures). At the time of the first clearance decision, the CNP test contributed to a negative RTP decision in 67% of cases. During seasons 1–2 no ER was observed. During season 3 one injury unrelated to football resulted in one case of ER prior to clearance and, during season 4, one case of ER occurred during the second game, 11 days after clearance. Conclusions Safe management of concussions was achieved whether the team physician or the team therapist was responsible for the application of the terms of the protocol. Competing interests Pierre Frémont chair of the Canadian Concussion Collaborative. Édith Castonguay is the physiotherapist for the football program described in this study. Francesco Pepe-Esposito is Head coach of the football program described in this study. None.


The relation of variables obtained from a baseline examination to death from ischemic heart disease (IHD), cerebro-vascular disease (CVD) and sudden death (SUD) was analyzed in a case-control study. From questionnaire survey of approximately 180,000 subjects who underwent baseline health examinations in 1971-1986 at Aichi prefectural center of health care, 148 deaths were selected for this study. The number of cases on IHD, CVD and SUD was 36, 60, and 52, respectively. Mean age of cases was 54.8 years old and the mean follow up interval between baseline examination and death was 3.7 years. Four controls matched according to year of baseline examination, age and sex were chosen arbitrarily for each case, and odds ratios for the three diseases were estimated. In some of the matched sets, odds ratios at a follow up examination were compared with that at the first examination. The results were as follows: 1) Variables showing positive relationships to death from each of the three diseases were hypertension, high fasting blood sugar, abnormality of cardio-thoracic ratio, ST-T abnormality in ECG, left ventricular hypertrophy in ECG. The odds ratio for ST-T abnormality in ECG was significant for all three causes of death. 2) High total cholesterol showed a significant positive relation only to death from IHD. As to death from CVD and SUD, albuminuria and sclerotic changes in fundus oculi were positively and significantly related. Risk factors differed for deaths from the three diseases. 3) In death from IHD and CVD, odds ratio at the second examination was apt to be higher than that at baseline examination. In death from SUD, however, odds ratios at the first and the second examination showed no significant difference.


While most organizations today demand a robust business case justifying investments in information technology (IT), our research finds that few are satisfied with their ability to identify and quantify the expected benefits from these investments. Surprisingly, we found that many organizations don't demand rigorous evidence to support the justification for investment-thus allowing benefits to be overstated and projects oversold. Based on our work with organizations over many years, we have developed a new approach for building a business case. It differs from conventional approaches because it recognizes different types of benefit, identifies measures for all benefits, and gathers evidence for the size of the expected benefits. The approach also requires that a benefit owner is identified for each benefit, to ensure commitment and aid benefit delivery. Benefits are explicitly linked to both the IT and the business changes that are required to deliver them. Responsible individuals are also identified for ensuring the necessary business changes occur. Our research also identifies a wider role for the business case. Typically, the main objective in building the business case for an IT project is to obtain approval for the financial spend. But a comprehensive and robust business case also: (1) Enables priorities to be set for investing in different projects; (2) Identifies how the combination of IT and business changes will deliver each of the benefits; (3) Ensures commitment from business managers; and (4) Creates a basis for reviewing the investment when it is complete. We surveyed over 100 European organizations to understand current practices in developing business cases and to identify how those practices relate to the success of IT investments. The results show that organizations that adopt our suggested approach to building business cases are more successful in delivering value from their IT investments.


News is information about current events. News is provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic Al Jazeera English Newsroom, Doha, 2008 communication, and also on the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. It is also used as a platform to manufacture opinion for the population. Common topics for news reports include war, government, politics, education, health, the environment, economy, business, fashion, and entertainment, as well as athletic events, quirky or unusual events. Government proclamations, concerning royal ceremonies, laws, taxes, public health, criminals, have been dubbed news since ancient times. Humans exhibit a nearly universal desire to learn and share news, which they satisfy by talking to each other and sharing information. Technological and social developments, often driven by government communication and espionage networks, have increased the speed with which news can spread, as well as influenced its content. The genre of news as we know it today is closely associated with the newspaper, which originated in China as a court bulletin and spread, with paper and printing press, to Europe.


Anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells with the configuration of the La0.2Sr0.25Ca0.45TiO3 (LSCTA−) anode, YSZ electrolyte and La0.8Sr0.2Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF)–YSZ cathode were fabricated using tape casting and co-sintering techniques followed by pre-reduction and impregnation. In order to improve the performance, the active anodes were prepared via the wet impregnation of metallic catalysts (Ni or Ni–Fe solution). The impregnation of 3 wt% nickel significantly improved the fuel cell performance from 43 mW cm−2 for the bare LSCTA− anode to 112 mW cm−2 for the Ni–LSCTA− anode at 700 °C in humidified hydrogen containing 3 vol% H2O. More interestingly, the substitution of 25 wt% Fe to Ni further enhances the power density by a factor of 1.5, compared to the Ni-impregnated cell. The cell infiltrated with Ni–Fe solid solution shows a slower degradation than the other two cells after the first 20 h period. High-resolution back-scattered electron (BSE) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images performed on the cross section of the impregnated anodes with time after ion beam preparation show that the sintering of the catalyst particles on the scaffold surface and the interaction between backbone and catalyst are the predominant contributions for the degradation of cell performance.


European economic performance has been disappointing in the 1980s. High unemployment has been a dominant policy issue, but in order to react properly, government authorities had to determine the causes of this unemployment. If inadequate aggregate demand were the source, expansionary fiscal or monetary policy could help to solve the problem; on the other hand, if movements in labor supply were to blame, traditional macro policy would be ineffective. European officials clearly leaned toward the labor supply explanation, as aggregate deman policy remained conservative throughout the decade. ; The predominant empirical literature in the mid-1980s seemed to prescribe this conservative approach. This article updates these studies. Using their methodology, the author shows that labor supply movements alone cannot explain the unemployment that occurred over most of the decade. An alternative approach suggests one possible answer, that the formation in 1979 of the European Monetary System unexpectedly tightened macroeconomic policy throughout Europe.


In the fall of 1984, ASCE conducted a workshop to determine what actions are necessary to improve quality in the constructed project. The engineering segment of the two-day meeting included sessions focusing on: 1) meeting the owner's objectives, 2) achieving teamwork in design, 3) dealing with external factors affecting quality, and 4) assuring quality in the design phase. Sessions in construction portion included: 1) organizing and managing for quality construction, 2) handling conflicts and disputes, 3) dealing with constraints affecting construction quality, and 4) performing quality construction. This paper reports the recommendations for actions by ASCE, owners, engineers, and constructors which resulted from each of these sessions. It also develops implications for quality programs and conclusions.


Conservation actions for the endangered Iberian lynx require the integration of expertise and veterinary skills into an interdisciplinary effort. Veterinary actions are overseen by the Iberian Lynx Health Advisory Group (GAAS). These actions involve developing and implementing working protocols (manuals), anesthetizing animals, collecting samples, performing examinations and necropsies, preparing technical reports, and maintaining a biomedical database. Three hundred and eighteen anesthesias of 126 individuals were carried out during the period between December 2003 and December 2008, 60 of them belonged to the free-ranging population. In most cases, the animals were captured with a box-trap. A combination of ketamine and medetomidine was used for chemical immobilization. It was supplemented with isoflurane when necessary. Fifty two necropsies were performed in the same period, 38 of them on free-ranging animals, revealing road-kills as the main cause of mortality. Intensive monitoring of the free-ranging population has shown that infectious diseases (feline leukemia, tuberculosis, canine distemper, feline panleukopenia) can be a serious threat to the survival of the species. A preventive medicine programme is being implemented with the captive breeding population. It includes quarantines, vaccinations, fecal analyses, fecal cultures, and regular examinations of the animals. Several clinical cases in this population have been described: miscarriages and premature births, clostridiosis, dermatitis, chlamydiosis, enteritis with fecal retention, tooth abscess, idiopathic chylothorax, dermatomycosis, perianal gland inflammation, umbilical hernias and epilepsy. Scientific knowledge generated through the various clinical procedures, tests, and monitoring programs is applied to the management and conservation of this species.


Advanced Technology Life-cycle Analysis System (ATLAS) is a system-of-systems technology-portfolio-analysis software tool. ATLAS affords capabilities to (1) compare estimates of the mass and cost of an engineering system based on competing technological concepts; (2) estimate life-cycle costs of an outer-space-exploration architecture for a specified technology portfolio; (3) collect data on state-of-the-art and forecasted technology performance, and on operations and programs; and (4) calculate an index of the relative programmatic value of a technology portfolio. ATLAS facilitates analysis by providing a library of analytical spreadsheet models for a variety of systems. A single analyst can assemble a representation of a system of systems from the models and build a technology portfolio. Each system model estimates mass, and life-cycle costs are estimated by a common set of cost models. Other components of ATLAS include graphical-user-interface (GUI) software, algorithms for calculating the aforementioned index, a technology database, a report generator, and a form generator for creating the GUI for the system models. At the time of this reporting, ATLAS is a prototype, embodied in Microsoft Excel and several thousand lines of Visual Basic for Applications that run on both Windows and Macintosh computers.


The intoxicating scent of jasmine depends in part on jasmonates, fatty acid-derived hormones implicated in plant defense and development. Jasmonate signaling in plants depends on COI1 (CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1), which is part of the Skp-Cullin-F-box complex SCFCOI1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitinates proteins and targets them for destruction (see Farmer). Two groups, Thines et al. and Chini et al., have elucidated the pathway linking jasmonates to SCFCOI1 and the mechanism through which proteolytic degradation of ubiquitinated proteins leads to activation of jasmonate target genes. Thines et al. found that eight genes of unknown function, each containing a ZIM (ZO-1 interaction motif) domain, were transcriptionally activated in an Arabidopsis jasmonate-synthesis mutant shortly after treatment with exogenous jasmonate. Jasmonate transcriptionally activated these JAZ (for JASMONATE-ZIM-DOMAIN) genes in wild-type plants, and fluorescently labeled JAZ1 and JAZ6 fusion proteins localized to the nucleus. When expressed in wild-type plants, a C-terminal deletion mutant of JAZ1 (JAZ1Δ3A) elicited a phenotype similar to that of jasmonate-synthesis mutants or plants lacking COI1, suggesting that it blocked jasmonate signaling. Jasmonate stimulated the COI1- and proteasome-dependent degradation of a fusion protein encoding JAZ1 or JAZ6 linked to β-glucuronidase (JAZ1-GUS or JAZ6-GUS) but not that of JAZ1Δ3A-GUS. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro pull-down assays indicated that jasmonyl-isoleucine stimulated the direct interaction of Arabidopsis JAZ1 and COI1 as well as that of related tomato proteins. Chini et al., who previously isolated a jasmonate-insensitive Arabidopsis mutant, determined that the mutated gene (JAI3, for JASMONATE-INSENSITIVE 3) encoded a member of a family of ZIM-domain-containing proteins (JAZ proteins). Like Thines et al., they showed that constitutive expression of a JAI3 mutant lacking the C-terminal domain (JAI3ΔC) rendered transgenic plants insensitive to jasmonate and that JAI3 interacted with COI1. Jasmonate stimulated the COI1- and proteasome-dependent degradation of a JAI3-green-fluorescent-protein (JAI3-GFP)-fusion protein, but not that of JAI3ΔC-GFP, and JAI3 degradation was impaired in a mutant unable to conjugate jasmonate with amino acids. JAI3 bound MYC2, a transcriptional activator downstream of jasmonate, and microarray analyses indicated that expression of MYC2 target genes was decreased in plants with a dominant-negative JAI3 mutant and that MYC2 regulated expression of JAZ genes. Thus, both studies indicate that jasmonyl-isoleucine stimulates the interaction of COI1 with JAZ-family transcriptional repressors, thereby enabling JAZ protein degradation and the transcriptional activation of jasmonate target genes (including the JAZ proteins themselves). A third study by Yan et al. also identified JAZ proteins as repressors of jasmonate signaling. B. Thines, L. Katsir, M. Melotto, Y. Niu, A. Mandaokar, G. Liu, K. Nomura, S. Y. He, G. A. Howe, J. Browse, JAZ repressor proteins are targets of the SCFCOI1 complex during jasmonate signalling. Nature 448, 661-665 (2007). [PubMed] A. Chini, S. Fonseca, G. Fernández, B. Adie, J. M. Chico, O. Lorenzo, G. García-Casado, I. López-Vidriero, F. M. Lozano, M. R. Ponce, J. L. Micol, R. Solano, The JAZ family of repressors is the missing link in jasmonate signalling. Nature 448, 666-671 (2007). [PubMed] E. E. Farmer, Jasmonate perception machines. Nature 448, 659-660 (2007). [PubMed] Y. Yan, S. Stolz, A. Chételat, P. Reymond, M. Pagni, L. Dubugnon, E. E. Farmer, A downstream mediator in the growth repression limb of the jasmonate pathway. Plant Cell, E-pub ahead of print, 3 August (2007). [PubMed]


Poster project completed at Wichita State University, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. Presented at the 13th Annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit, Topeka, KS, February 2, 2016.


Abstract The U.S. criminal justice system is defined and fueled by foundations and principles that uphold harmful power dynamics such as white supremacy, further destabilizing communities that face intersecting structural barriers. This paternalistic system is characterized by the imposition of punishments—including fees, fines, penalties, and deprivation of freedom and even life—that are meted out disproportionally to people of color and people living in poverty. More often than not, policymakers and justice practitioners fail to solicit the views, experiences, and expertise of community members and justice system-involved individuals, leading to policies and practices crafted under the auspices of promoting safety that undermine community stability instead. Consistent with Square One 's charge to "reimagine how we create justice," this paper describes approaches that communities around the country employ to craft, lead, and participate in their own public safety strategies. The paper will offer examples of crime prevention work, investment and divestment efforts, and policy reform initiatives developed and guided by people most likely to experience crime and the heavy hammer of the traditional justice system. This paper will explore the promises, strengths, and challenges associated with each approach, presenting a range of creative strategies for residents—in partnership with the broader community of advocates, activists, and researchers—to adapt, own, and implement.


Gamma-tocotrienol has been reported to exhibit a protective effect on hepatocarcinogenesis through the enhancement of immune response and anti-proliferation effect on breast cancer cell lines such as MDA-MB-435 and MCF7. The anti-proliferation mechanism was suggested to be via an increase in apoptosis. The effects of palm oil γ-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol on the cell proliferation were determined using 5-Bromo-2'-deoxy-uridine (BrdU) detection method. CaSki and Alexander cells were sensitive to γ-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol-anti proliferation effects with 93.5 to 97.8% (P less than 0.01, n is equal to 4) and 59.7 to 69.1% (P less than 0.001, n is equal to four) inhibition, respectively beginning with a concentration of 100μM and above. Treatment with α-tocopherol showed a lesser inhibition in the proliferation activity of CaSki cell by 19.7 to 39.4% (P less than 0.01, n is equal to four) and Alexander cell by 16.9 to 19.6% (P less than 0.001, n is equal to four) beginning with a concentration of 50μM and 200μM, respectively. However, both the compounds had no effect on Chang cell. Gamma-tocotrienol showed an IC50 inhibition of CaSki and Alexander cells growth at a dose of 75μM (P less than 0.05, n is equal to four) and 66μM (P<0.05, n=4), respectively. Alpha-tocopherol showed a lesser growth inhibition of CaSki cell at IC40 value of a concentration of 75μM (P less than 0.05, n is equal to four) and Alexander cell at IC20 value of a concentration of 300μM (P less than 0.05, n is equal to four), respectively. Gamma-tocotrienol induced maximum apoptotic activity of both CaSki and Alexander cells at a concentration 150μM of treatment as compared to α-tocopherol at a concentration 300μM and 500μM, respectively. Evidence of the cellular DNA laddering fragments induced by both the compounds at similar doses as above was detected using electrophoresis. The results suggested that palm oil γ-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol exhibit antiproliferation effect on CaSki and Alexander cells via selective induction of apoptosis.


Abstract. Over the course of more than 10 years in operation, the calibration parameters of the outboard fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) sensors on the four Cluster spacecraft are shown to be remarkably stable. The parameters are refined on the ground during the rigorous FGM calibration process performed for the Cluster Active Archive (CAA). Fluctuations in some parameters show some correlation with trends in the sensor temperature (orbit position). The parameters, particularly the offsets, of the spacecraft 1 (C1) sensor have undergone more long-term drift than those of the other spacecraft (C2, C3 and C4) sensors. Some potentially anomalous calibration parameters have been identified and will require further investigation in future. However, the observed long-term stability demonstrated in this initial study gives confidence in the accuracy of the Cluster magnetic field data. For the most sensitive ranges of the FGM instrument, the offset drift is typically 0.2 nT per year in each sensor on C1 and negligible on C2, C3 and C4.


Abstract Secondary phosphate assemblages from the Hagendorf Süd granitic pegmatite, containing the new Mn- Al phosphate mineral, nordgauite, have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis. Nordgauite nodules enclose crystals of the jahnsite−whiteite group of minerals, showing pronounced compositional zoning, spanning the full range of Fe/Al ratios between jahnsite and whiteite. The whiteite-rich members are F-bearing, whereas the jahnsite-rich members contain no F. Associated minerals include sphalerite, apatite, parascholzite, zwieselite-triplite solid solutions and a kingsmountite-related mineral. The average compositions of whiteite and jahnsite from different zoned regions correspond to jahnsite-(CaMnMn), whiteite-(CaMnMn) and the previously undescribed whiteite-(CaMnFe) end-members. Mo-Kα CCD intensity data were collected on a twinned crystal of the (CaMnMn)-dominant whiteite and refined in P2/a to wRobs = 0.064 for 1015 observed reflections.


Legacy work on correcting firewall anomalies operate with the premise of creating totally disjunctive rules. Unfortunately, such solutions are impractical from implementation point of view as they lead to an explosion of the number of firewall rules. In a related previous work, we proposed a new approach for performing assisted corrective actions, which in contrast to the-state-of-the-art family of radically disjunctive approaches, does not lead to a prohibitive increase of the configuration size. In this sense, we allow relaxation in the correction process by clearly distinguishing between constructive anomalies that can be tolerated and destructive anomalies that should be systematically fixed. However, a main disadvantage of the latter approach was its dependency on the guided input from the administrator which controversially introduces a new risk for human errors. In order to circumvent the latter disadvantage, we present in this paper a Firewall Policy Query Engine (FPQE) that renders the whole process of anomaly resolution a fully automated one and which does not require any human intervention. In this sense, instead of prompting the administrator for inserting the proper order corrective actions, FPQE executes those queries against a high level firewall policy. We have implemented the FPQE and the first results of integrating it with our legacy anomaly resolver are promising.


The Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C. is in the process of updating its anaerobic digesters, with a completion date set for 2008. This research was undertaken to aid designers at Blue Plains by evaluating alternative digestion approaches. The technologies applicable to the plant included thermophilic anaerobic digestion, acid/gas phased digestion, and temperature phased anaerobic digestion. To obtain design data, a year long study was conducted using bench scale digestion systems operating at different solids retention times (SRT) and organic loading rates (OLR). The digesters were fed with mixed primary and secondary waste (50/50 by weight) from the Blue Plains wastewater treatment facility. The digesters were operated until they reached steady state as observed by volatile solids reduction (VSR), methane production, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) levels. At this point, samples of digested waste sludge were analyzed for residual biological activity, dewatering properties and headspace organosulfur production. Results from the study demonstrated that the TPAD digestion process had the lowest residual biological activity (RBA) after digestion, and that the single stage thermophilic digesters had the highest RBA. Sludge from single stage mesophilic digestion had the highest odor potential, with headspace gas tests generating over 1400 mg organo-sulfur per m of headspace gas, while both single stage thermophilic and TPAD systems generated less than 400 mg/m at all SRTs studied.


We evaluate the effectiveness of energy efficiency labeling in guiding household decisions. Using a carefully designed choice experiment with alternative labels, we disentangle the relative importance of different types of information and intertemporal behavior (i.e., discounting) in guiding energy efficiency behavior. We find that simple information on the economic value of saving energy was the most important element guiding more cost-efficient investments in energy efficiency, with information on physical energy use and carbon emissions having additional but lesser importance. The degree to which the current EnergyGuide label guided cost-efficient decisions depends importantly on the discount rate assumed. Using individual discount rates separately elicited in our study, we find that the current EnergyGuide label came very close to guiding cost-efficient decisions, on average. However, using a uniform five percent discount rate--which was much lower than the average elicited rate--the EnergyGuide label led to choices that result in a one-third undervaluation of energy efficiency. We find that labels that also endorsed a model (with Energy Star) or gave a suggestive grade to a model (EU-style label), encouraged substantially higher energy efficiency. Our results reinforce the centrality of views on intertemporal choice and discounting, both in terms of understanding individual behavior and in guiding policy.


The initial response to the Indonesian Tsunami was from a handful of bloggers. This small group grew into a community which ultimately spanned the globe and played a critical role in coordinating communication and resources. A similar online community grew up in response to the Haiti Earthquake, to the Sichuan Earthquake in China in 2008, and the Yushu Earthquake in 2010 but not in response to Hurricane Katrina. The panel will explore the factors that encourage the formation of a community of practice, of interest, or of advocacy and the role of technology in the formation of natural response online communities. The response is often attributed to social computing, but is the technology simply an enabler of the natural response of communities? What factors contribute to sustaining a community after the initial disaster has passed? Are these online communities simply expanded, technology-enabled Hastily Formed Networks (HFN's)? The panelists have direct experience working and studying recent response to disasters and will draw upon that experience to highlight the similarities and differences of particular disaster responses, and share their thoughts on how and what can be done to leverage communities and technology to effectively and efficiently respond to future disasters.


Purpose To describe the molecular characteristics of four Japanese patients with cone dystrophy with supernormal rod responses (CDSRR). Methods Four individuals with a clinical and electrophysiological diagnosis of CDSRR were ascertained. The pathognomonic findings of the full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) included a decrease in the rod responses, a square-shaped a-wave, an excessive increase in the b-wave in the bright flash responses, and decreased cone-derived responses. Mutational screening of the coding regions and flanking intronic sequences of the potassium channel, subfamily V, member 2 (KCNV2) gene was performed with bidirectional sequencing. The segregation of each allele was confirmed by screening other family members. Subsequent in silico analyses of the mutational consequences for protein function were performed. Results There were two siblings from one family and one case in each of the two families. One family had a consanguineous marriage. Mutational screening revealed compound heterozygosity for the two alleles, p.C177R and p.G461R, in three patients, and homozygosity for complex alleles, p.R27H and p.R206P, in one patient from the consanguineous family. There were three putative novel variants, p.R27H, p.C177R, and p.R206P. The four variants in the families with KCNV2 were highly conserved in other species. In silico analyses predicted that all of the missense variants would alter protein function. Conclusions Biallelic disease-causing variants were identified in four Japanese patients with CDSRR suggesting that the pathognomonic electrophysiological features are helpful in making a molecular diagnosis of KCNV2. Three novel variants were identified, and we conclude that there may be a distinct spectrum of KCNV2 alleles in the Japanese population.


With the recent trends towards smaller heat sources and higher heat fluxes, conduction spreading resistance can become a bottleneck to efficient heat dissipation from temperature-sensitive components such as advanced microelectronics and high power light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the use of a high thermal conductivity heat spreader such as a synthetic chemically vapor deposited (CVD) diamond results in an additional interface between two materials. The near elimination of thermal interface resistance at material boundaries is critical for this application to be viable from a thermal standpoint. A lead-free, fluxless soldering process for joining metal substrates to a CVD diamond heat spreader was sought in this study to achieve the low thermal interface resistance and Restruction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) compliancy desired for this application. A typical titanium-platinum-gold metallization was applied to the surfaces of the diamond to enable it to bond with metal solders. Both indium solder and a popular tin-silver-copper solder (SAC305) were examined in this work. The indium was cold-welded to the substrates under pressure. The SAC305 solder was reflowed in a nitrogen furnace with variable pressure at the joint. The resulting solder thicknesses and joint quality were assessed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Lastly, a prototype of high-heat flux source with a CVD diamond spreader and forced convection with air was built to illustrate the thermal advantages of properly incorporating a diamond spreader with a fluxless solder bond.Copyright © 2008 by ASME


The labour market in Russia is very flexible. Firms adjust to economic shocks through wage cuts, working hour reductions and minimisation of non-wage labour costs. Workers react by changing jobs. This results in a high and stable overall employment rate, but also high wage inequality, informality and labour turnover, which limits incentives for firms to invest in human capital and productivity improvements.
While educational attainment is very high, the education system needs to be strengthened to respond to the needs of a skill-based economy. School-employer cooperation is low and opportunities for higher education are unequally distributed. Adequate funding for education institutions is not assured everywhere while inefficiencies persist.
Private spending on innovation is very low and Russia underperforms in terms of scientific outputs and patents. Support for low-tech innovation and technology adoption, especially among SMEs is narrow because of a bias towards large and high-tech projects, which however are only loosely related to Russian manufacturing capacity. Reform of the public R&D sector is incomplete, notably with respect to strengthening funding on a competitive basis.


Operation of power system within specified limits of voltage and frequency are the major concerns in power system stability studies. As power system is always prone to disturbances, which consequently affect the voltage instability and optimal power flow, and therefore risks the power systems stability and security. In this paper, a novel technique based on the "Artificial Algae Algorithm" (AAA) is introduced, to identify the optimal location and the parameters setting of Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) under N-1 contingency criterion. In the first part, we have carried out a contingency operation and ranking process for the most parlous lines outage contingencies while taking the transmission lines overloading (NOLL) and voltage violation of buses (NVVB) as a performance parameter (PP = NOLL + NVVB). As UPFC possesses too much prohibitive cost and larger size, its optimal location and size must be identified before the actual deployment. In the second part, we have applied a novel AAA technique to identify the optimal location and parameters setting of UPFC under the discovered contingencies. The simulations have been executed on IEEE 14 bus and 30 bus networks. The results reveals that the location of UPFC is significantly optimized using AAA technique, which has improved the stability and security of the power system by curtailing the overloaded transmission lines and limiting the voltage violations of buses.


A method that determines the half-lives of all cellular proteins has been used to identify targets of a ubiquitin ligase that controls the cell cycle through protein degradation. Advances in microarray technologies have focused attention on the regulation of cellular processes by transcriptional control mechanisms. But translation and regulated protein degradation can be equally important parameters in determining physiological effects of proteins (see the Perspective by Grabbe and Dikic). Yen et al. and Yen and Elledge have monitored the lifetime of thousands of individual proteins under various physiological or pathological conditions that can be reproduced in cell culture. The trick is to use a reporter construct having a single promoter that encodes two protein transcripts produced in equal amounts. One is red fluorescent protein and the second is the protein (whose stability you want to know) tagged with a green fluorescent label. The red fluorescent protein is stable, and thus the ratio of fluorescence of the two proteins gives a measure of the stability of the protein being examined. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting is used to separate cells bearing proteins of a particular half-life, and the encoding genes carried in the cells are then identified by polymerase chain reaction. The method has identified previously unrecognized substrates for E3 ubiquitin ligases, which function in control of processes including the cell division cycle, cellular signaling, and apoptosis. H.-C. S. Yen, Q. Xu, D. M. Chou, Z. Zhao, S. J. Elledge, Global protein stability profiling in mammalian cells. Science 322, 918-923 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text] H.-C. S. Yen, S. J. Elledge, Identification of SCF ubiquitin ligase substrates by global protein stability profiling. Science 322, 923-929 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text] C. Grabbe, I. Dikic, Going global on ubiquitin. Science 322, 872-873 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The NICO and Sue-Dianne deposits are being explored and delineated by Fortune Minerals Limited in the Mazenod Lake District of the Northwest Territories, using an Olympic Dam model. The deposits were discovered in the south part of the Great Bear magmatic zone (GBMZ) within the Proterozoic, Bear Structural Province of the Canadian Shield. They are the only known significant Canadian examples of Proterozoic iron oxide-hosted polymetallic deposits. Worldwide, this class includes such deposits as Olympic Dam and Ernest Henry in Australia, Kiruna-Aitik in Sweden, and Salobo in Brazil. Their considerable size, up to 2 billion tonnes, and polymetallic ore assemblages make them highly attractive targets for exploration. Common characteristics of this class include their Early to Middle Proterozoic cratonic settings with extensional rifting evolving from collisional tectonics. Deposits typically occur along major structural lineaments within the aureoles of a distinctive suite of anorogenic potassium-rich "A-type" granite intrusions. Although hosted by diverse lithologies, deposits of this class are characterized by a number of other diagnostic regional- and deposit-scale features, which may be recognized in reconnaissance- and property-scale geological and geophysical surveys.

The southern GBMZ in Canada has several characteristics (age, tectonic setting, geology and geophysical attributes) similar to those of the Olympic Dam deposit and its other significant global analogues. Airborne and ground geophysical surveys carried out in the GBMZ identified coincident potassium, uranium, magnetic, resistivity, chargeability, and gravity anomalies centered over the NICO deposit. The nearby Sue-Dianne deposit is characterized by coincident uranium, potassium, magnetic, resistivity and chargeability anomalies. Both deposits occur within a regional, northwest-striking, arcuate trend of volcanic and sedimentary rocks characterized by significant positive Bouguer-gravity and magnetic responses and are believed to represent a major basement discontinuity. The NICO anomalies are at the intersection of this regional trend with a major transverse fault through Lou Lake. Regional and local geophysical data indicate the presence of significant concentrations of iron oxide within a broad area of intense potassium metasomatism. Geological mapping identified cobalt, gold, bismuth, and copper mineralization in biotite-magnetite-amphibole-sulfide-rich ironstone and schist. This mineralization is localized within altered wackes of the Snare Group, which are unconformably overlain by potassium feldspar- (±hematite ±magnetite) altered rhyolite of the Faber Group. The Sue-Dianne deposit is a hematite-magnetite-Fe-silicate-cemented diatreme complex enriched in copper, silver, gold, and uranium within a broad zone of potassium, iron, quartz, and epidote metasomatism. The diatreme is located at the intersection of two major faults at the north end of the basement discontinuity and is hosted in rhyodacite ignimbrite marginal to the Faber Lake rapakivi-granite pluton. At both deposits, diatreme- and maar-facies iron oxide-cemented breccia straddle the regional metasedimentary-volcanic unconformity, suggesting that mineralization formed in a near-surface environment synchronous with the onset of volcanism.


The presence of the commonly used German dialects in South Tyrol (Italy), in addition to the presence of three languages (Italian, standard German and Ladin), creates uneasy ground for someone not familiar with the dialects. This is especially true in the public workplace, where one would expect the use of standard language to be the norm. The presence of the dialect in such situations sometimes results in communication hurdles, for example, in the communication settings of health care institutions. Thus, the purpose of the project "SdaF" (Sudtiroler Deutsch als Fremdsprache) was to study the intelligibility of the German dialect spoken in the region of South Tyrol. For this purpose, a corpus of medical interactions was compiled, annotated and analysed, in order to understand whether and how it is possible to identify those dialect passages used by the patients that render understanding in conversation difficult for non-dialect speaking physicians. This paper will present the annotation system elaborated for this project and discuss examples of the corpus.


Purpose The current study aimed to investigate the synergistic antitumor effect of combined treatment with 17-DMAG (HSP90 inhibitor) and NVP-BEZ235 (PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor) on cisplatin-resistant human bladder cancer cells. Materials and Methods Human bladder cancer cells exhibiting cisplatin resistance (T24R2) were exposed to escalating doses of 17-DMAG (2.5–20 nM) with or without NVP-BEZ236 (0.5–4 µM) in combination with cisplatin. Antitumor effects were assessed by CCK-8 analysis. Based on the dose-response study, synergistic interactions between the two regimens were evaluated using clonogenic assay and combination index values. Flow cytometry and Western blot were conducted to analyze mechanisms of synergism. Results Dose- and time-dependent antitumor effects for 17-DMAG were observed in both cisplatin-sensitive (T24) and cisplatin-resistant cells (T24R2). The antitumor effect of NVP-BEZ235, however, was found to be self-limiting. The combination of 17-DMAG and NVP-BEZ235 in a 1:200 fixed ratio showed a significant antitumor effect in cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells over a wide dose range, and clonogenic assay showed compatible results with synergy tests. Three-dimensional analysis revealed strong synergy between the two drugs with a synergy volume of 201.84 µM/mL2%. The combination therapy resulted in G1-phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis confirmed by the Western blot. Conclusion HSP90 inhibitor monotherapy and in combination with the PI3K/mTOR survival pathway inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 shows a synergistic antitumor effect in cisplatin-resistant bladder cancers, eliciting cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and induction of caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway.


Sialic acids are cell surface sugars present in many animal
glycoproteins and are of particular interest in biopharmaceuticals, where lack of
sialylation can reduce bioactivity. Here we describe how α-2,6-sialyltransferase from Photobacterium Damselae can be used to markedly increase
sialylation of CHO produced alpha-1-antitrypsin. Detailed analysis of the
sialylation products showed that in addition to the expected α-2,6-sialylation of galactose, a second di-sialyl galactose
motif was produced, which had never been recorded on a mammalian glycoprotein. The
influence of this unique di-sialylation on the in vitro activity of alpha-1-antitrypsin was studied and a toolkit
of mass spectrometry methods to identify this new di-sialyl galactose motif in
complex mixtures was developed


OBJECTIVE To identify genetic determinants of increased cardiovascular mortality among subjects with type 2 diabetes who underwent intensive glycemic therapy in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 6.8 million common variants were analyzed for genome-wide association with cardiovascular mortality among 2,667 self-reported white subjects in the ACCORD intensive treatment arm. Significant loci were examined in the entire ACCORD white genetic dataset (n = 5,360) for their modulation of cardiovascular responses to glycemic treatment assignment and in a Joslin Clinic cohort (n = 422) for their interaction with long-term glycemic control on cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS Two loci, at 10q26 and 5q13, attained genome-wide significance as determinants of cardiovascular mortality in the ACCORD intensive arm (P = 9.8 × 10−9 and P = 2 × 10−8, respectively). A genetic risk score (GRS) defined by the two variants was a significant modulator of cardiovascular mortality response to treatment assignment in the entire ACCORD white genetic dataset. Participants with GRS = 0 experienced a fourfold reduction in cardiovascular mortality in response to intensive treatment (hazard ratio [HR] 0.24 [95% CI 0.07–0.86]), those with GRS = 1 experienced no difference (HR 0.92 [95% CI 0.54–1.56]), and those with GRS ≥2 experienced a threefold increase (HR 3.08 [95% CI 1.82–5.21]). The modulatory effect of the GRS on the association between glycemic control and cardiovascular mortality was confirmed in the Joslin cohort (P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS Two genetic variants predict the cardiovascular effects of intensive glycemic control in ACCORD. Further studies are warranted to determine whether these findings can be translated into new strategies to prevent cardiovascular complications of diabetes.


Piracy and armed robbery at sea are a threat to security in the hydrocarbon-rich Gulf of Guinea. None of the states in this region have the means to take action alone. A framework of maritime security is being drawn up in the region, but there are still plenty of obstacles. Western countries and China are trying to bolster the capacity of local navies and coast guards. However, this is avoiding the real source of the problem, which is of a socioeconomic nature.


This descriptive qualitative study is looking at the management of Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve (KSNR) in Kazakhstan. The objective was to identify the problems in the management system and to suggest some recommendation for the stakeholders for the sake of the KSNR's functions, both recreational and ecological reserve. Interview and document reviews were conducted to collect the necessary data. Comparative analysis has been employed to analyze the primary and secondary data. It was found that KSNR management system consist of three subsystems namely service management, resource management, and visitor management; each of them has its own problems, where integrated solutions are needed due to their interrelationships. Service management subsystem was facing some problems with funding and budgetary, human resources, public relations, natural and non-natural disasters, and infrastructural problems. Resource management subsystem has to deal with some problems around infrastructure, environmental control, and abusive behaviors from irresponsible parties. Visitor management subsystem needs to solve some problems with infrastructure and visitor-relationships. This study concluded some integrated solutions to be recommended to the management of KSNR. It was recommended to refer to the other nature reserves management in other countries where the governments allocated more percentage of the funding, other suggestions in term of financial difficulty was to attract more concerning NGOs and individuals to be actively involved in rightful usages of the park. Solving funding problems would likely to solve human resource problems, where KSNR should be able to involve more expert personnel and reorganize the structure of the roster, as well as provide adequate infrastructures to solve problems around disasters control. It is also recommended to put more priority to formally and informally educate school-students to be aware about KSNR, where the awareness would lead to higher interest of rightful usages and further studies in related useful area. Aside of infrastructural reorganization and development, it is necessary for KSNR management to develop good mutual relationships with other institutions and society nearby KSNR in order to obtain more participation in reserving the ecological and recreational opportunities in KSNR. For the future researchers, it is recommended to perform more in-depth qualitative studies on each management subsystem and/or thorough quantitative studies on several management factors existed.


The thermal advantages of a roofpond as an element of a residential cooling system are described. The authors conducted heat transfer experiments at two roofpond residences (RPRs) at Trinity University; the authors used data from these experiments to validate RPR simulations. Results of measurements of vertical and horizontal temperature differences within roofponds are discussed. Horizontal heat transfer within one water bag was effective. Thermal resistance at the outer surface of a water bag with a deflated glazing can be significant. Simulation shows that an RPR can provide comfort without supplemental sensible cooling during almost all hours of a typical summer in any U.S climate. Ceiling fans are important in most climates. In the most demanding climates, the residence and the pond insulating panels must have high R-value. A map is included that provides RPR design guidance. The simulations indicate that dehumidification will be required to control mold, mildew, and ceiling condensation in an RPR in most climates; energy and power displacement by an RPR is sensitive to the humidity control required and the efficiency of the dehumidifier used.


We present a case of carcinosarcoma of the prostate. Workup of urinary retention after a previously treated squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate led to a transurethral prostate resection revealing carcinosarcoma of the prostate, which on F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated moderate to high avidity of this atypical prostate cancer, with partial obstruction of the urinary system and lung metastases. While FDG PET is not avid for typical prostatic adenocarcinomas, it should be considered for evaluation of atypical prostate cancers.


Over the past 3 decades, thermal stress events have damaged corals globally. Few stud- ies, however, have tracked the recovery process or assessed whether winners in the short term are also winners in the long term. In the present study, we repeatedly sampled a coral assemblage over a 14 yr period, from 1997 to 2010, through 2 thermal stress events (in 1998 and 2001). Our goal was to examine the consistency of short-term winner and loser outcomes over the recovery period. Although species richness had recovered after 10 yr, the reef composition had changed, and few pocilloporids were to be found. The short-term winners were the thermally tolerant encrusting and massive coral morphologies (Porites and faviids) and Acropora colonies <5 cm in diameter. Long-term winners were revealed as (1) thermally tolerant, locally persistent colonies, (2) remnant survivors that rapidly regrew, and (3) regionally persistent colonies that recruited.


The combination of wavelength multiplexing and spectral interferometry allows for the encoding of multidimensional information and its transmission over a mono-dimensional channel; for example, measurements of a surface's topography acquired through a monomode fiber in a small endoscope. The local depth of the imaged object is encoded in the local spatial frequency of the signal measured at the output of the fiber-decoder system. We propose a procedure to retrieve the depth-map by determining the signal's instantaneous frequency. First, we compute its continuous, complex-valued, wavelet transform (CWT). The frequency signature at every position is contained in the resulting scalogram. We then extract the ridge of maximal response by use of a dynamic programming algorithm thus directly recovering the object's topography. We present results that validate this procedure based on both simulated and experimental data.


Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology is applied in the planning of new products/services or the improvement of existing products/services, with the active participation of all departments of the organization, minimizing the initial time of planning and also the cost of planning, with parallel minimization of the failure possibilities of the product/service to enter the market. The basic idea behind this method is to take into serious consideration the "Wants" of the customers, so that they can be translated to engineering characteristics of the product/service. The methodology was introduced in Japan in the late '60s and about 15-20 years later entered USA, while it is now applied in many organizations in Europe. In our work, we will apply QFD in the planning of an alternative transportation system (paratransit) in a "Kapodistrian" Municipality which constitutes many villages.


Score Matching is a recently-proposed criterion for training high-dimensional density models for which maximum likelihood training is intractable. It has been applied to learning natural image statistics but has so-far been limited to simple models due to the difficulty of differentiating the loss with respect to the model parameters. We show how this differentiation can be automated with an extended version of the double-backpropagation algorithm. In addition, we introduce a regularization term for the Score Matching loss that enables its use for a broader range of problem by suppressing instabilities that occur with finite training sample sizes and quantized input values. Results are reported for image denoising and super-resolution.


Background Numerous in vivo brain imaging studies suggest that cerebral Structure is abnormal in schizophrenia, but implicate different regions to varying extents. Method We identified published MRI studies in schizophrenia with searches of the computerised literature and key Journals. Reports giving the volumes of cortical structures in people with schizophrenia and controls were included. The percentage differences in volumes were calculated and the median taken as a summary measure for each brain region. Results Forty relevant studies were identified. The median percentage volume differences revealed overall reductions in the whole brain (3%), temporal lobe (6% left. 9.5% right), and the amygdala/hippocampal complex (6.5%, 5.5%); and increases in the lateral ventricles (44%, 36%), that were greatest in the body and occipital horns. Segmentation studies suggest that grey matter is reduced but that white matter volumes may actually be increased. In men, substantial reductions were also evident in the amygdala and hippocampus, as well as the largest reductions of all in the parahippocampus (14%, 9%). Few studies gave figures for women alone. Conclusions Several brain structures in schizophrenia are affected to a greater extent than expected from overall reductions in brain volume. Further studies are required in affected women, and to try to identify clinical and aetiological associations of these findings.


Rodents cause huge losses to agricultural crops annually. During outbreaks, this pest can cause irreversibly high damage. Solely non-chemical control measures have not been successful in reducing the population of this pest; therefore, the use of chemical rodenticides, especially on crops like alfalfa, is unavoidable. Bromethalin is a neurotoxic, acute, single-dose rodenticide with high efficacy, and since it is mostly used in wax formulation it is not attractive to non-target organisms, and hence is not very dangerous. Bromethalin 0.01% was tested in alfalfa fields of west Azerbaijan, Tehran, and Kerman provinces in completely randomised treatment blocks with 4 treatments (bromethalin wax block, bromethalin pellets, 2% zinc phosphide baits, and control) and 4 replicates. Efficacy was calculated using the Henderson and Tilton formula and the results were analysed by SPSS. The results show that bromethalin with pellet formulation had the highest efficiency in controlling Microtus arvalis and Nesokia indica in the alfalfa fields, followed by bromethalin with wax block formulation, and the least efficient was zinc phosphide baits (2% Zn2P3 mixed with wheat and oil) in W. Azerbaijan. In the alfalfa fields of Kerman and Tehran provinces bromethalin wax was more effective than bromethalin pellets. Considering the ready-made bait formulation of bromethalin, it is much safer and easier to use than zinc phosphide bait, which has to be prepared on the farm, and this can cause higher contamination and poisoning risk to the environment and the applicators.