The preoptic region of hypothalamus was disconnected from caudal structures with two different-size knife cuts in rats to investigate the pathway responsible for the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) and intravenous (IV) angiotensin II (ang II) on blood pressure and arginine vasopressin (AVP) release. Seven days after surgery ICV ang II (125 ng) in sham-operated (sham) rats increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) (+23 ±3 mmHg) and decreased heart rate (HR) (-58 ± 5 beats/minute). However, ICV ang II had no effect on MAP or HR of rats with a large (preoptic-hypothalamic disconnection) cut. Both the pressor response (+12 ±2 mmHg) and the bradycardia (-39 ±6 beats/minute) were significantly reduced by a small (medial preoptic-hypothalamic disconnection) cut. The increased plasma AVP to ICV ang II in sham rats (9.8 ±3.6 pg/mL) was abolished in large-cut rats and attenuated in small-cut rats (3.2 ±0.7 pg/mL). IV bolus injection of ang II (125 ng) in sham rats increased MAP by 43 mmHg, whereas large-cut rats showed a blunted (25%) pressor response. The pressor response to IV infusion of ang II (8 ng/20 μL/minute for 15 minutes) was diminished in large-cut rats (+4 ±1 mmHg) as compared with that in sham rats (+ 19 ± 2 mmHg). Both cuts transected the projection between the periventricular tissue surrounding the anteroventral third ventricle and supraoptic nucleus, but the supraoptic-neurohy pophyseal pathway was severed only by the large cut. By examining the location of microknife cuts, the authors conclude that the connectivity of the preoptic region with more caudal sites is necessary for the expression of the central and peripheral pressor activity of ang II, probably involving a key role of supraoptic nucleus and its connections.


Panopea globosa (Dall, 1898), a bivalve of the family Hiatellidae, is recorded for the first time in the lagoon system Altata, Navolato Municipality, Sinaloa, Mexico. During five months of sampling, 100 specimens were captured by autonomous diving at one site of the lagoon system. All the bivalves were associated with sand-lime-clay substrates at depth between 3.2 to 4 m. The sampling site was located between 24°20´- 24°35´N, and 107°20´-107°55´W. The last record for this species in the Sinaloa state is located in the Topolobampo Bay, approximately 205 km north of Altata lagoon system. This report contributes to complement the information on the bathymetric and geographic distribution for P. globosa on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and presents morphological traits of the species at the collection site.


Abstract. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is an ozone-depleting substance, which is controlled by the Montreal Protocol and for which the atmospheric abundance is decreasing. However, the current observed rate of this decrease is known to be slower than expected based on reported CCl4 emissions and its estimated overall atmospheric lifetime. Here we use a three-dimensional (3-D) chemical transport model to investigate the impact on its predicted decay of uncertainties in the rates at which CCl4 is removed from the atmosphere by photolysis, by ocean uptake and by degradation in soils. The largest sink is atmospheric photolysis (74 % of total), but a reported 10 % uncertainty in its combined photolysis cross section and quantum yield has only a modest impact on the modelled rate of CCl4 decay. This is partly due to the limiting effect of the rate of transport of CCl4 from the main tropospheric reservoir to the stratosphere, where photolytic loss occurs. The model suggests large interannual variability in the magnitude of this stratospheric photolysis sink caused by variations in transport. The impact of uncertainty in the minor soil sink (9 % of total) is also relatively small. In contrast, the model shows that uncertainty in ocean loss (17 % of total) has the largest impact on modelled CCl4 decay due to its sizeable contribution to CCl4 loss and large lifetime uncertainty range (147 to 241 years). With an assumed CCl4 emission rate of 39 Gg year−1, the reference simulation with the best estimate of loss processes still underestimates the observed CCl4 (overestimates the decay) over the past 2 decades but to a smaller extent than previous studies. Changes to the rate of CCl4 loss processes, in line with known uncertainties, could bring the model into agreement with in situ surface and remote-sensing measurements, as could an increase in emissions to around 47 Gg year−1. Further progress in constraining the CCl4 budget is partly limited by systematic biases between observational datasets. For example, surface observations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) network are larger than from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE) network but have shown a steeper decreasing trend over the past 2 decades. These differences imply a difference in emissions which is significant relative to uncertainties in the magnitudes of the CCl4 sinks.


A theoretical and experimental investigation at subcavitation speeds was made of the effect of the free-water surface and rigid boundaries on the lift and drag of an aspect-ratio-10 hydrofoil at both subcritical and supercritical speeds and of an aspect ratio-4 hydrofoil at supercritical speeds. Approximate theoretical solutions for the effects of the free-water surface and rigid boundaries on drag at subcritical speeds are developed. An approximate theoretical solution for the effects of these boundaries on drag at subcritical speeds is also presented. The agreement between theory and experiment at both supercritical and subcritical speeds is satisfactory for engineering calculations of hydrofoil characteristics from aerodynamic data. The experimental investigation indicated no appreciable effect of the limiting speed of wave propagation on lift-curve slope or angle of zero lift. It also showed that the increase in drag as the critical speed is approached from the supercritical range is gradual. The result is contrary to the abrupt increase at the critical speed predicted by theory.


The Information Technology universe and its data communications subset was created largely due to advances in integrated circuit technology. Primarily focused on layer 2 of the OSI model, silicon integration is a technology upon which much of data communications is constructed. Over the past forty years advances in integrated circuit technology have manifested themselves through shrinking structural dimensions and increases in performance. This combination of shrinking structural dimensions also known as circuit density, and performance increases, also known as circuit speed, have led to long term compound productivity increases and a seemingly never ending menu of data communications applications. Recent beneficiaries include 10/100 Ethernet systems, gigabit Ethernet systems, asynchronous transfer mode systems (ATM), synchronous optical network systems (SONET), and wireless systems. Some have argued that these density and speed improvements have doubled every eighteen months to two years over the past thirty to forty years and are directly responsible for the information age revolution in which we exist today. Others have projected that past integrated circuit productivity increases cannot continue indefinitely and that we may be approaching and end to integrated circuit compound productivity increases that fuel the information age. But does the purported end to compound silicon productivity increases mean an end to the growth of data communications systems or the larger role of information technology? Or are there other factors which may fill the role at the system level by using silicon in a more productive way? The statement of this thesis is that the end of compound silicon productivity will not be an important impact to data communications over the next five years.


Reinforcing rib structure in the aluminum heating-plate automatic casting system was modeled by ANSYS, the static and dynamical problems were studied. Deformation and stress were calculated by static analysis, the front ten orders inherent frequency, critical rotating-speed and vibration modes were analyzed by modal analysis technology, vibration amplitude responses were obtained by harmonic response analysis. The maximum deformation value of reinforcing rib structure was less than 2mm (irrespective of the structure self-weight); the maximum equivalent stress was about 64.8MPa. It showed that the reinforcing rib structure could effectively avoid the resonance region, and the maximum vibration mode according to its inherent frequency appeared at the edge of the structure, some vibration modes were orthogonal, the main vibration modes appeared in the forms of bending, torsion, but the stretching vibration mode was scarce. The low orders inherent frequency greatly effected more than the high orders inherent frequency by harmonic response analysis, and the maximum deformation value was 25μm in low order vibrations. The conclusion is that the reinforcing rib structure fulfills design requirements and operates softly.


Objective To evaluate the completeness of exercise prescription in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for patellofemoral pain (PFP), identify which elements are most frequently missing and supplement recommendations based on additional data from authors. Design Systematic review. Data sources All studies included in the most recent Cochrane review were evaluated. Additionally, the Cochrane search was updated in June 2016 in Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, CINAHL and AMED databases. Two raters independently assessed completeness of reporting using the Toigo and Boutellier mechanobiological exercise descriptors, and Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Authors were also contacted to provide additional information. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies RCTs of exercise interventions for PFP. Results We included 38 RCTs. The level of exercise prescription detail was low, with no study providing complete information. The most commonly reported exercise descriptors were the 'duration of the experimental period' (n=38/38) and 'number of exercise interventions' (n=35). From TIDieR, the most commonly reported items were the 'intervention name' (n=38) and 'rationale' (n=36). The least reported items from the exercise descriptors were 'volitional muscular failure', 'temporal distribution of contraction modes', 'time under tension' and 'recovery between exercise sessions' (all n=2/38). From TIDieR, the least reported item was 'How well (fidelity and adherence)' (n=3/38). 36 authors were contacted, with 22 replies and 13 providing additional exercise prescription details . Conclusion Exercise prescriptions in RCTs with proven efficacy for PFP are poorly reported, impairing their implementation in clinical practice. PROSPERO registration number CRD42016039138.


The marine data required for the models of the oil spill movement prediction (current and wind data) are discussed. The available water current data in the Arabian Gulf can not be used with confidence because of lack of the direct current measurements. The hourly wind velocity data at Doha Airport in the period (1984-1988), are analysed to determine the daily and monthly mean vectors. These results are compared with wind roses at the same station in different years. Assuming that wind pattern is similar in Qatari waters, the wind is expected to generate currents, carrying the oil spill, towards the S-SE direction, except in August and September where the wind driven current could flow towards W to SW. Suggestions are proposed to obtain accurate input wind data to get more reliable forecasting of oil spill movement.


Turbine engine diagnostics (TED) is a diagnostic expert system to aid the M1 Abrams tank mechanic find-and-fix problems in the AGT-1500 turbine engine. TED was designed to provide the apprentice mechanic with the ability to diagnose and repair the turbine engine like an expert mechanic. The expert system was designed and built by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School. This article discusses the relevant background, development issues, reasoning method, system overview, test results, return on investment, and fielding history of the project. Limited fielding began in 1994 to select U.S. Army National Guard units and complete fielding to all M1 Abrams tank maintenance units started in 1997 and will finish by the end of 1998. The Army estimates that TED will save roughly $10 million a year through improved diagnostic accuracy and reduced waste. The development and fielding of the TED program represents the Army's first successful fielded maintenance system in the area of AI. Several reasons can be given for the success of the TED program: an appropriate domain with proper scope, a close relationship with the expert, extensive user involvement, and others that are discussed in this article.


Public Health is one of the fastest growing university programs in the United States today. At the same time, the challenges that face the practitioner continue to grow and become more complex. This Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion, 2nd ed covers more than 250 topics, taking a lifespan approach to the fields of public health and prevention. The encyclopedia is divided into four volumes: 1. Foundational Topics 2. Early Childhood and Childhood 3. Adolescence 4. Adulthood and Older Adulthood Within each volume, issues of illness prevention and health promotion (sometimes referred to as "positive psychology") are addressed in chapter-length entries arranged alphabetically. An international group of contributors synthesizes research focusing on improving the physical and mental health of the community as a whole. Each entry will have a structured format: Introduction, Definition of Terms, Prevalence, Theories, Empirical Studies, and Strategies (What Works, What Is Promising, What Doesn't Work). Each entry concludes with a look ahead to the coming decades of Public Health - what are the next steps to primary prevention and health promotion - and a "See Also" box recommending books, films, or articles by the editors for further reading. The encyclopedia is designed for practitioners, students, and researchers working in prevention, public health, and psychology. It will also serve as reference for practitioners in sociology, social work, nursing and medicine. The second edition more than doubles the number of entries in the first edition by adding entries focusing on gender, African American and Latino issues, social support, social and emotional learning, and physical health and disease. All entries from the first edition will be rewritten and expanded, reflecting the most up to date thinking in the field.


NEDEVA, R., A. APOSTOLOV, Y. MARCHEV, E. KISTANOVA, D. KACHEVA, E. SHUMKOV and G. BORJAEV, 2009. Effect of the injective application of selenopyran on the productivity in growing gilts. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 15: 604-609 The trace element selenium plays an important role in the biochemical processes of the living organisms. The wide application of the selenium-contented food additives is based on its antioxidative, cancer prevention and anti-inflammatory effects. A scientific and economic trial, comprising two groups of gilts from the Danube White, was carried out at the Agricultural Institute, Shumen. The aim of the present work was the study of the selenopyran effect on the growing intensity and meat quality in gilts. The trial started at 30.4-30.5 kg live weight and at 120 days of age, and finished at reaching 100 kg live weight. The groups were equalized by age, origin and live weight. The animals were raised and fed individually with equal rations. Percutaneous injection of selenopyran in the form of oil solution was given to the gilts from the experimental group, in dose of 0.1 mg/kg live weight, every 30 days. Slaughter analysis was performed after finishing the trial, and the meat quality was estimated by the control slaughtering method. A trend for higher daily gain by 8 % in the gilts from the experimental group during the first sub-period (up to 60 kg) compared to the control group has been shown. The higher daily gain of 29 g (4.5%) in the animals treated with selenopyran was kept and the difference was significant by the whole experimental period. The gilts from the experimental group had significantly lower feed conversion ratio (by 278 g) and nutrients (by 9%, У 0.05) during the first sub-period (up to 60 kg live weight). The results about the slaughter traits shows a trend for higher content of meat in the hind ham (by 69 g) and the weight of the right half (by 236 g) in the experimental group, whereas with respect to m. long. dorsi area (by 0.89 cm 2 ) and percentage of meat in the right half (by 1.18%) the differences are in favor of the control gilts. Fat thickness average from five measurements was not substantially influenced by the application of selenopyran. The gilts treated with selenopyran had meat with lower water holding capacity (WHC) (free water - 31.87%)


Authorship profiling, which is a process of the extraction of information about the unknown author of а text (demographics, psychological traits, et al.) using the methods of mathematical statistics based on the analysis of quantitative linguistic parameters, is a problem of great importance. The English language materials have been mainly focused on, which is mainly due to no special research text corpora in place. A similar study of the Russian language has not been performed as of now. The article looks at the results of experimental studies conducted using a corpus of Russian-language texts "RusPersonality" including the authors' information (gender, age, psychological testing results, lateral profile, etc.) to identify self-destructive tendencies in authors A mathematical model which predicts the probability of self-destructive behaviour has been obtained.


Overexpression of cyclin D is associated with the molecular tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of cyclin D in human gastric cancer and to determine the potential correlations between cyclin D expression and clinicopathological characteristics of specific histological types, as well as its prognostic significance. In the present study, the expression of the cyclin D1 (CCND1), cyclin D2 (CCND2) and cyclin D3 (CCND3) genes in gastric cancer patients was explored using the Oncomine database, and their correlation with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The prognostic significance of CCND1 protein expression was evaluated by western blot analysis of 32 matched specimens of gastric adenocarcinomas and normal tissues obtained from patients treated at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital (Tainan, Taiwan). Analysis of the Oncomine cancer microarray database revealed that CCND1 gene expression was significantly increased in gastric intestinal-type adenocarcinoma, while CCND2 was significantly increased in diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric intestinal-type adenocarcinoma and gastric mixed adenocarcinoma. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that overexpression of CCND1 was associated with reduced OS and PFS. In addition, overexpression of CCND1 and downregulation of CCND2 were significantly correlated with receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erb-2-negative tumors and poor differentiation. The ratio of relative CCND1 expression (expressed as the CCND1/β-actin ratio) in tumor tissues compared with that in normal tissues was correlated with poor differentiation (P=0.0018). In summary, CCND1 overexpression is associated with shorter survival in patients with gastric cancer and with poorly differentiated tumors.


Two new genera, Fulvoscirtesn.gen. and Acanthoscirtesn.gen., are established within the subtribe Karniellina of Conocephalini. Fulvoscirtes is based on Xiphidion kilimandjaricum Sjöstedt, 1909 and Acanthoscirtes on Phlesirtes kevani Chopard from northern Kenya. The majority of Fulvoscirtes spp. are confined to open grasslands in the submontane zone of mountains. Fulvoscirtes contains eight species, seven of which are newly described in this paper. Three species and one subspecies occur on Mt Kilimanjaro. These are F. kilimandjaricum (Sjöstedt) constricted to the southern slopes, F. legumisheran.sp. confined to the northern side and F. sylvaticusn.sp. occurring on the western side of Kilimanjaro and on the eastern slopes of Mt Meru. Fulvoscirtes fulvusn.sp. is divided into two subspecies, F. fulvus fulvusn.ssp. found in the submontane zone of east Kilimanjaro and F. fulvus parensisn.ssp. in submontane to montane localities of the North and South Pare mountains. Fulvoscirtes fulvotaitensisn.sp. occurs in the Taita Hills of southern Kenya. Fulvoscirtes viridisn.sp. is described from savannah habitats between Mts Longido and Meru. Fulvoscirtes laticercusn.sp. is found in the Kenyan highlands, while the most southerly occurring species, Fulvoscirtes manyaran.sp., is found on Mt Hanang and the Mbulu highlands of northwestern Tanzania. Acanthoscirtes contains three species, of which A. albostriatusn.sp. is described newly from savannah habitas of eastern Kilimanjaro. Information is given on the ecology and the acoustic behaviour of some of the species together with keys to the genera of the Karniellina and the species of Fulvoscirtes and Acanthoscirtes. The genera of Karniellina probably evolved at a time when grasslands spread in East Africa due to an increasing aridification of the climate. The earliest lineage, the genus Karniella, is adapted to more forested habitats while the majority of the genera of Karniellina prefer open grasslands. Major splits within Karniellina probably occurred with the emergence of savannah grasslands due to the ongoing fragmentation of forest habitats several millions years ago, but most species within the genera are geologically young, their radiation being boosted by climatic fluctuations of the past 1–2 Ma.


ABSTRACT Experimental exposure to ocean and freshwater acidification affects the behaviour of multiple aquatic organisms in laboratory tests. One proposed cause involves an imbalance in plasma chloride and bicarbonate ion concentrations as a result of acid–base regulation, causing the reversal of ionic fluxes through GABAA receptors, which leads to altered neuronal function. This model is exclusively based on differential effects of the GABAA receptor antagonist gabazine on control animals and those exposed to elevated CO2. However, direct measurements of actual chloride and bicarbonate concentrations in neurons and their extracellular fluids and of GABAA receptor properties in aquatic organisms are largely lacking. Similarly, very little is known about potential compensatory mechanisms, and about alternative mechanisms that might lead to ocean acidification-induced behavioural changes. This article reviews the current knowledge on acid–base physiology, neurobiology, pharmacology and behaviour in relation to marine CO2-induced acidification, and identifies important topics for future research that will help us to understand the potential effects of predicted levels of aquatic acidification on organisms. Summary: This article reviews basic acid–base regulatory and neurobiology mechanisms relevant for behavioural alteration in fish exposed to CO2-induced seawater acidification, and identifies areas for future research.


High-throughput sequencing methods can generate large amounts of information about genetic variations; however, interpretation of this data has become a severe bottleneck for efficient use of genomic data, for example, in diagnostics. Identification of variations responsible for phenotypes is laborious and many times difficult task. Amino acid substitutions are among most common disease-causing variants. Human genome codes for, on an average, approximately 11 000 such variants. Computational tools are needed to filter and rank raw variation datasets for further studies. Amino acid substitutions can have numerous effects, and mechanisms behind them are diverse. Therefore, different kinds of methods have been developed. Tolerance predictors aim at finding out likely harmful variants. Mechanism- and effect-specific tools are dedicated for specific outcomes of variants.

Key Concepts:

Amino acid substitution is a change in protein sequence where a single residue is changed.

Benchmark dataset contains cases with known effect. It serves as the gold standard, for example, for method performance assessment and training machine learning-based methods.

Human variome project (HVP) is an international organisation coordinating research and standards for variation research.

Next generation sequencing methods are fast nucleotide sequencing methods taking benefit of multiplexing and able of sequencing complete genomes very fast.

Performance measures are used to indicate performance of prediction methods. For full picture of performance, a number of measures should be reported.

Tolerance predictors are methods to predict whether amino acid substitutions are tolerated or not in a sequence.

Variation is a change in nucleotide or amino acid sequence in comparison with the reference sequence.

Keywords:

variants;
pathogenicity;
amino acid substitution;
tolerance predictor;
cancer;
locus specific databases;
protein localisation;
machine learning;
next generation sequencing;
protein stability predictor


Human rhinoviral (RV) infection is a major trigger of exacerbations of airway diseases such as asthma and COPD. Whilst many studies have shown that RV-infected airway epithelial cells secrete many proinflammatory cytokines that may exacerbate airway inflammation, limited studies have sought to investigate the potential role of airway fibroblasts in mediating RV-induced inflammation in airway diseases. Furthermore, the signalling pathways involved in the regulation of cytokine responses of structural airway cells to RV infection remain unclear, particularly with regard to signalling via PI3K, and the PI3K-dependent pathway, autophagy.

The first aim of this thesis was to investigate the innate immune responses of human airway fibroblasts to RV infection, and to compare those responses with those of airway epithelial cells. It was found that RV infection induced differential responses in normal human airway fibroblasts and epithelial cells. In comparison to airway epithelial cells, the lack of viral-detecting PRRs TLR3, RIG-I, MDA5 and virally-induced transcription factors IRF1 and IRF7 in fibroblasts may be a potential explanation as to why the fibroblasts do not secrete the IFN-stimulated cytokines CCL5 and CXCL10 (indicating that the RV-infected fibroblasts do not produce IFNs), therefore providing no antiviral response to limit viral replication, with concomitant cell death. The work presented here demonstrated the permissiveness of lung fibroblasts isolated from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients to RV infection. This study also showed the ability of IL-1β to enhance proinflammatory responses of RV-infected epithelial cells. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that in the presence of monocytes, RV and bacterial-derived LPS coinfections could act in synergy to augment the proinflammatory responses of airway tissue cells.

The second aim of this thesis was to determine whether the PI3K-dependent pathway autophagy is involved in the detection of RV infection, and therefore regulates the RV-induced responses of airway epithelial cells. It was found that the PI3K pharmacological inhibitor 3-MA, typically used to inhibit autophagy, suppressed RV-induced cytokine production in airway epithelial cells. In contrast to the actions of 3-MA, specific targeting of the autophagy proteins Bec1, LC3, Atg7, or the autophagy-specific class III PI3K Vps34 by siRNA had very modest effects on RV-induced cytokine responses. Knockdown of autophagy proteins by siRNA also had minimal effects on RV replication. However, it was found that RV infection induced autophagy in the airway epithelial cells, although additional work is required to confirm this finding. Subsequent experiments performed using a panel of broad and class I-selective PI3K small-molecule inhibitors demonstrated functional redundancy of class I PI3K isoforms in modulating the RV-induced inflammation. The PI3K inhibitors 3-MA and LY294002 also remarkably reduced viral replication, suggesting that PI3Ks exert their roles in controlling RV infection via multiple mechanisms. Moreover, preliminary data suggests a potential role for mTOR in regulating the proinflammatory responses to RV infection.

In conclusion, the work outlined in this thesis demonstrates two major findings: (i) a potential role for lung fibroblasts in mediating airway inflammation following RV infection and (ii) the involvement of PI3Ks and mTOR in induction of proinflammatory cytokines in response to RV infection, and that autophagy plays a limited role in the cytokine response to RV infection or control of RV replication.


Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare subgroup of breast cancers that behave more aggressive in comparison with other breast cancer subtypes. Among them, the osseous variant is the rarest variant. Histologically, it consists of a metaplastic component beside main adenocarcinoma component. Consequently, this extra metaplastic part of MBC can justify more aggressive and chemoresistant behavior of metaplastic breast carcinoma. We present a case of a middle-aged female with metaplastic breast cancer that following standard chemotherapy of invasive ductal carcinoma, modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection was performed. Surprisingly, related pathology report referred only to the mesenchymal component. The optimal treatment of MBC is not well-known yet, and the current approach is paralleled with other IDC subtypes. Therefore, studies about the MBC biologic markers can demonstrate new treatment approaches. This issue can be a milestone in the management of MBC, which targeting mesenchymal component in systemic therapy can improve clinical consequences.


A magisterial narrative account of the creation and consumption of all forms of 'culture' across the European continent over the last two hundred years. This compelling, wide-ranging and hugely ambitious book offers, for the first time ever, an integrated history of the culture produced and consumed by Europeans since 1800, and follows its transformation from an elite activity to a mass market -- from lending libraries to the internet, from the first public concerts to music downloads. In itself a cultural tour de force, the book covers high and low culture, readers and writers, audiences and prima donnas, Rossini and hip hop, Verdi and the Beatles, Zola and Tintin, Walter Scott and Jules Verne, the serialised novel of the 19th-century as well as 'Dallas' and 'Coronation Street'. Included in its vast scope are fairytales, bestsellers, crime and sci-fi, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic strips, plays, opera, musicals, pop music, sound recording, films, documentaries, radio and television. A continent-wide survey, this majestic work includes discussions of rock music under communism, Polish and Danish bestsellers, French melodramas and German cabarets, fascist and Soviet cinema. It examines the ways culture travels -- how it is produced, transformed, adapted, absorbed, sold and consumed; how it is shaped by audiences and politics, and controlled by laws and conventional morality; why some countries excel in particular genres. It examines the anxiety and attraction felt by Europeans towards American culture, and asks to what extent European culture has become Americanised. Stylishly written, devoid of jargon, this is global non-fiction narrative at its best.


As the demand for data and information management continues to grow, so does the need to maintain and improve the security of databases, applications, and information systems. In order to effectively protect this data against evolving threats, an up-to-date understanding of the mechanisms for securing semantic Web technologies is essential. Reviewing cutting-edge developments, Secure Semantic Service-Oriented Systems focuses on confidentiality, privacy, trust, and integrity management for Web services. It demonstrates the breadth and depth of applications of these technologies in multiple domains. The author lays the groundwork with discussions of concepts in trustworthy information systems and security for service-oriented architecture. Next, she covers secure Web services and applicationsdiscussing how these technologies are used in secure interoperability, national defense, and medical applications. Divided into five parts, the book describes the various aspects of secure service oriented information systems; including confidentiality, trust management, integrity, and data quality. It evaluates knowledge management and e-business concepts in services technologies, information management, semantic Web security, and service-oriented computing. You will also learn how it applies to Web services, service-oriented analysis and design, and specialized and semantic Web services. The author covers security and design methods for service-oriented analysis, access control models for Web Services, identity management, access control and delegation, and confidentiality. She concludes by examining privacy, trust, and integrity, the relationship between secure semantic Web technologies and services, secure ontologies, and RDF. The book also provides specific consideration to activity management such as e-business, collaboration, healthcare, and finance.


Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) diets are predominantly comprised of small fish species (<30 cm) and squid. However, predation on larger species (up to 63 cm) occurs, raising the question of increased risk of asphyxiation associated with this behavior. Literature was reviewed and stranding data from 1983 to 2020 from the U.S. West Coast (including California, Oregon and Washington) were searched for cases of prey-related asphyxiation of harbor porpoises and analyzed in relation to age, sex, reproductive status and prey species. Twenty-nine cases were documented. Twenty-seven cases involved large prey; non-native American shad caused the asphyxiation in 87% of the cases where the prey species was identified. The majority (92%) of harbor porpoises were females, and at least 83.3% were pregnant or recently post-partum. Reproductively active females may be more likely to attempt potentially risky behavior in order to compensate for their increased energetic needs. Increasing numbers of non-native American shad may pose a unique danger in this region for harbor porpoises not adapted to deal with the challenges of that prey. This may be a cause for concern, as there is likely an interaction between location, age and reproductive status on the diet composition and foraging strategies of harbor porpoises.


This is a comparative study to empirically investigate the performances of three different procedures for calculating authorship attribution likelihood ratios (LR). The procedures to be compared are: 1) a procedure based on multivariate kernel density (MVKD) with lexical features; 2) a procedure based on word N-grams; and 3) a procedure based on character N-grams. Furthermore, the best-performing LRs of these three procedures are fused into combined single LRs using a logistic-regression fusion, in order to investigate the extent of the improvement/deterioration that the fusion brings about. This study uses chatlog messages, which were presented as evidence to prosecute paedophiles, for testing. The numbers of word tokens used to model the authorship attribution of each message group are 500 and 1000 words. This was done to examine the effect of sample size on the performance of a system. The performance of a system is assessed with regard to its validity (= accuracy) and reliability (= precision) using the log-likelihood-ratio cost (Cllr) and 95% credible intervals (CI), respectively. While describing the different characteristics of these three procedures in their outcomes, this study demonstrates that the MVKD procedure was the best-performing procedure out of the three in terms of Cllr . This study also demonstrates that a logistic-regression fusion is useful for combining the LRs obtained from the three procedures in question, resulting in a good improvement in performance.


Sensibilities toward Eastern thought in the West, fostered in large part through the growth of new religious movements, align with the elements of Western esoteric teachings which have appeared in many guises throughout the history of the West and are reemerging in our time. Understanding these sensibilities and their alignment can deepen our appreciation of the foundations of integral consciousness.


This article reviews the current knowledge on drug-induced movement disorders (DIMD) epidemiology, pathophysiology, phenomenology and treatment. This review is justified by its high prevalence in certain medical specialties, the need to include them on movement disorders etiologic differential diagnosis and the potential economical burden. The acronym DIMD refers to a heterogeneous group of neurological syndromes, the most prevalent being parkinsonism, dystonia, dyskinesia and akathisia. Soon after neuroleptics (D2 dopamine receptor blocking agents) introduction in clinical practice, the first acute dystonic reactions were reported. Later, was recognized that extrapyramidal symptoms could occur in association with their chronic use. Nowadays, several non dopamine receptor blocking drugs and drugs of abuse are recognized as potential inductors of extrapyramidal reactions.


In Massachusetts, the entire land and water mass of Cape Cod is within the designated coastal zone. Thus, all federal actions affecting this area must be consistent with the state's federally approved coastal plan. On Cape Cod, the state coastal program's regional office is housed within the offices of the county's regional planning agency. A close working relationship has been established linking the discipline or coastal planning into the exercise of regional planning. Facing dramatic increases in population and development, in the mid-1980's, the regional planning agency sponsored a series of workshops on growth and development issues. The year-long workshops resulted in a proposal to transform the county planning and advisory agency into a land-use planning and regulatory commission. A bill was written to affect this result. It passed the state legislature, became law and is now in its first year of operation. The Cape Cod Commission Act has a provision allowing for its incorporation into the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program. The task now is to examine the Act and its regulations and determine what provisions of the regional law can lead to further advancement of the provisions of a recently reauthorized U.S. Coastal Zone Management Act and the Massachusetts Coastal Program.


Micromonas is a unicellular motile alga within the Prasinophyceae, a green algal group that is related to land plants. This picoeukaryote (<2 μm diameter) is widespread in the marine environment but is not well understood at the cellular level. Here, we examine shifts in mRNA and protein expression over the course of the day-night cycle using triplicated mid-exponential, nutrient replete cultures of Micromonas pusilla CCMP1545. Samples were collected at key transition points during the diel cycle for evaluation using high-throughput LC-MS proteomics. In conjunction, matched mRNA samples from the same time points were sequenced using pair-ended directional Illumina RNA-Seq to investigate the dynamics and relationship between the mRNA and protein expression programs of M. pusilla. Similar to a prior study of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus, we found significant divergence in the mRNA and proteomics expression dynamics in response to the light:dark cycle. Additionally, expressional responses of genes and the proteins they encoded could also be variable within the same metabolic pathway, such as we observed in the oxygenic photosynthesis pathway. A regression framework was used to predict protein levels from both mRNA expression and gene-specific sequence-based features. Several features in the genome sequence were found to influence protein abundance including codon usage as well as 3' UTR length and structure. Collectively, our studies provide insights into the regulation of the proteome over a diel cycle as well as the relationships between transcriptional and translational programs in the widespread marine green alga Micromonas.


Abstract Phenotypic plasticity, such as morphological and behavioral changes in response to predators, is common in larval anurans. Less is known about inducible defenses in the embryonic stages of development. We investigated the predation risk imposed by crayfish (Procambarus nigrocinctus) on southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) eggs and whether crayfish presence induces a change in the timing of hatching of R. sphenocephala eggs. We found that crayfish significantly reduce the hatching success of R. sphenocephala eggs by eating them and that eggs hatch significantly faster in the presence of crayfish than when crayfish are not present. We also found that the nonlethal presence of crayfish (caged with no access to eggs) induced accelerated hatching, indicating that injured conspecifics are not required to elicit the response. Reception of chemical cues produced or released by crayfish may play an important role in survival of R. sphenocephala eggs.


mTOR Pathway Activation Following Sciatic Stimulation in Wild-Type and Desmin Knockout Mice Daniel S. Nelson Department of Exercise Sciences, BYU Master of Science The 52 kDa intermediate filament protein desmin plays an important role in force transmission in skeletal muscle by connecting myofibrils at Z-lines and to the sarcolemma. Desmin content in muscle adapts to contractile activity and may be involved in cellular signaling mechanisms responsible for muscle growth. Purpose: To compare signaling responses of the mTOR pathway in wild type (WT) vs desmin knock out (KO) mice. Methods: WT (n=12) and KO (n=12) mice were exposed to high frequency electric stimulation of the left hindlimb to elicit an acute response of the mTOR pathway. Non-stimulated right hindlimbs were used as a within animal control. Right and left TA and EDL muscles were dissected 30 min post-stimulation and examined for changes in mTOR, 4E-BP1 and p70S6K. Results: Relative to WT control samples, total mTOR and total 4E-BP1 content was higher in KO control samples. Electrical stimulation resulted in an increase p70S6K phosphorylation in WT and KO animals however there was no difference between the groups. 4E-BP1 phosphorylation was increased in WT but not KO following electrical stimulation. There was no change in mTOR phosphorylation in response to stimulation in WT or KO. Conclusion: The absence of desmin in skeletal muscle does not impair the phosphorylation of p70S6K demonstrating that a tensile load on the muscle will likely result in an increase in protein synthesis. Elevated levels of total mTOR and 4E-BP1 may imply an adaptation to increase sensitivity to growth stimuli in the muscle.


Abstract : Early in the twentieth century, Glauert developed a still widely used correction methodology for blockage in wind tunnels. Since then, several improvements to this method as well as new methods have been developed. For this thesis, powered propeller data was gathered in two wind tunnels of significantly different size. The Glauert correction, Hackett-Wilsden correction, and one of the newest corrections, developed by Srensen and Mikkelsen, was applied to the data. Additionally, predictions of the pressure change in the tunnel due to the energy of the propeller were calculated. The data, when corrected using each method, are essentially identical up to a thrust coefficient of approximately 1.2. Beyond this value, the correction data begins to diverge. The pressure predictions are inaccurate when compared to experimental data and it is suggested that this be an area for further study.


This article describes international research which drew on the PBiC model of networked information resource use to study reasons for learning to use the Internet. Implications for Internet training include: take account of differences in trainees' prior knowledge of the Internet; recognise different reasons for wanting to use the Internet; focus on the purpose of use, not just tools; concentrate on developing positive attitudes to outcomes of use rather than on ways to reduce negative impressions; introduce quality characteristics—briefly; acknowledge social influences on Internet use and attitudes; and adopt norms associated with the education of highly motivated adults. Suggestions for course design to meet these objectives are included.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The increased popularity of minimally invasive surgical techniques reduced recovery time of procedures that were usually associated with prolonged hospitalization. This study reports the technique of total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil associated with femoral nerve block using the inguinal perivascular approach.

METHODS
Ninety patients undergoing knee arthroscopy for meniscectomy were included in this study. Target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol (target = 4 microg.mL(-1)) and remifentanil (target = 3 ng.mL(-1)) was used for induction of anesthesia. The concentrations of propofol and remifentanil were changed according to the bispectral index (BIS) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Volume-controlled mechanical ventilation with a laryngeal mask was used. The concentrations of propofol and remifentanil at the effector site, corresponding to the predictive concentrations, were obtained using the pharmacokinetic models of the drugs inserted in the TCI pumps. Time for hospital discharge encompassed the period between the moment the patient arrived at the recovery room and hospital discharge.

RESULTS
Maximal and minimal mean concentrations at the effector site (ng.mL(-1)) of remifentanil were 3.5 and 2.4, respectively. Maximal and minimal mean concentrations of propofol at the effector site (microg.mL(-1)) were 3.1 and 2.6, respectively. The mean flow of infusion of propofol and remifentanil was 8.54 mg.kg(-1).h(-1) and 0.12 microg.kg(-1).min(-1), respectively. Mean hospital discharge time was 180 min.

CONCLUSIONS
All patients were maintained within established parameters.


Extensive online collections of content exist, such as music, books, movies, and various others. Search in these collections is typically implemented in two ways, typing attributes of interest into a search box, or progressively navigating through series of menus with item categories to a list of desired items. In this paper, we focus on the latter approach. In particular, we propose a strategy that guides the user to the items of interest in the minimal number of interactions. Therefore, we refer to our technique as minimal interaction search. At each step of the search, we show the user k item categories and ask them to choose the one that matches their preferences, or state that none does. We formalize this problem as multi-way search and propose an algorithm DoubleGreedy that solves the problem efficiently. The item categories in each question can be computed in O(k) time, and any item in the database is found in the worst case in OPTk log(n 1)e=(e 1) questions, where n is the total number of items and OPTk is the maximum number of questions asked by the optimal strategy (that uses the smallest number of questions possible in the worst case). We evaluate our method on two datasets of movies and books, and show that the target item can be found very fast.


The effect of manganese addition and annealing heat treatment on microstructure of austenitic cast irons with high manganese content (Mn-Ni-resist) were investigated. The complex relationship between the development of the solidification microstructures and buildup of microsegregation in Mn-Ni-resist was obtained by using microstructure analysis and EDS analysis. The annealing heat treatment was applied at 700°C up to 1000°C to investigate the effect of the annealing temperature on the microstructure. This experiment describes the characterization of microsegregation in Mn-Ni-reist was made by means of point counting microanalysis along the microstructure. With this method, the differences of silicon, manganese and nickel distribution in alloys solidified in the microstructure were clearly evidenced. The results show microstructure consists of flake graphite embedded in austenitic matrix and carbides. There is segregation of elements in the Late To Freeze (LTF) region after solidification from melting. Manganese positively with high concentration detected in the LTF region. As for heat treatment, higher annealing temperature on the Mn-Ni-resist was reduced carbide formation. The higher annealing temperature shows carbide transformed into a smaller size and disperses through the austenitic matrix structure. The size of carbide decreased with increasing annealing temperature as observed in the microstructure.


Aim: Children under 5 years of age generally spend most of their time with parents or guardians, especially mothers. Parents play a central role in giving children the information and encouragement needed for healthy lives. Parental oral health knowledge, belief and attitudes influence the oral health maintenance, dietary habits and healthy behavior of their children. The aim of this study was to assess the mothers oral health care knowledge and to assess the oral health status of their child. Materials and Methods: A total of 386 mothers along with their child of 1-6 years were randomly selected for the study. A 22-point questionnaire including parent′s literacy levels, socioeconomic status, dietary practices and oral hygiene practices, was designed to assess the knowledge of the mothers regarding oral health of their child. Oral examination of the children was done by World Health Organization criteria for recording children′s oral health status. Results: About 87% of the mothers agreed that intake of food with excessive sugars can cause cavities, and 95.8% admitted that chocolates cause the most decay. 80.5% agreed to the fact that leaving a milk bottle all night increases the risk for tooth decay, however, 59.3% mothers were of the opinion that dental visit is must only in the presence of decay. 59.3% mothers were unaware about the optimal fluoride content. 71.7% mothers agreed that caries in deciduous teeth are a matter of concern. The average decayed score of the children was 2.9 and 77.9% of the children had a fair to good oral hygiene status. Conclusion: Instead of the fact that most of the health care knowledge that the mothers had was primarily from the family elders, they were aware of caries risk factors, tooth brushes and amount of toothpaste and bacteria from mother′s cavities can infect child. This could be observed by less number of decayed teeth and good oral hygiene status of the children. However, parents knowledge, attitudes and few beliefs regarding dental care need to be improved.


This article traces themes found in the research on preservice teachers' views of cultural diversity published in peer-reviewed journals from 1985 to 2007. The article seeks to draw insights that inform education researchers interested in interrogating and unpacking views about diversity expressed by today's millennial college students. Findings suggest that although recent studies report a shift toward more positive attitudes about teaching culturally diverse students, persistent issues plague preservice teachers' understanding of cultural diversity. Implications for future research are discussed.


Dieback of mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) grafts is the most important disease during vegetative propagation in commercial nurseries. In 2008, Lasiodiplodia theobromae identified by cultural, morphological and molecular characterization was associated with this disease in 97 % of necrotic rootstocks and scions samples from a nursery in Guerrero, Mexico. The fungus was inoculated onto the binding site of El Mexicano grafted plants. Dieback symptoms and gradual drying with cracking of the bark from the apex to the base of the scion were observed 30 d after inoculation. Abundant mycelia and pycnidia were found on inoculated scions and graft union areas, in the periderm, and on leaf scars. Transverse sections of inoculated scions tissues showed pycnidia. Parenchyma cells of cortex and phloem collapsed and died. L. theobromae mycelia and red inclusions, probably of phenolic nature, were observed in both xylem vessels and pith parenchyma cells. To our knowledge, this is the first study that provides pathogenicity and histopathological data about a disease caused by L. theobromae during the grafting process.


OBJECTIVE
The case of a schizoaffective patient suffering from a malignant catatonic syndrome following combined lithium-risperidone therapy is explored.

METHOD
A case report and relevant deliberations regarding pathophysiology of the catatonic dilemma are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS
There are two critical transitions in the development of a malignant catatonic syndrome. Dopaminergic system and psychopharmacological factors are supposed to play a key role. However, other neurotransmitter systems and the individual predisposition must be considered.


The idea of looking at manure as a resource, not a waste, has been central to much of the more recent thinking on the whole subject of good farm management. That is also the central idea of the present study, which maintains that the lessons of international experience suggest that the development of biogas systems is important for farm waste management. Brazil is abundant in livestock waste resources, but its livestock production management is very inefficient, particularly in the small rural properties. The objective of this article is to study the environmental impact of intensive livestock production systems and how the use of biodigesters should be an option in waste treatment and management.


This research evaluates the English Language teacher education programme in
two Colleges of Education, institutions that award the National Certificate in
Education (NCE) which is the minimum teaching qualification in Nigeria. The
research is centred on the objectives of the English Language teacher
education programme at the NCE level. It seeks not only to identify the
programme objectives but to also examine how the said objectives are
interpreted by the lecturers through their classroom practices and the extent to
which the objectives reflect the teaching needs of the student teachers in the
programme. To understand and explore the topic from diverse perspectives, the
case study and naturalistic inquiry are employed as the main research methods
in the study. The research participants - five lecturers and six student teachers -
are drawn from the two Colleges of Education involved in the study.
Document examination, semi-structured interview and observation are utilised
as data collection instruments in the research. An examination of relevant
documents not only shows the original intent of the programme but also gives
an indication of how the programme is implemented by the regulatory body
(National Commission for Colleges of Education) and the management of the
institutions. To identify their teaching needs, the student teachers are observed
in their respective placement schools and then interviewed. The same process
is used for the lecturers to examine their translations of the programme
objectives in the classrooms of the two Colleges of Education involved in the
study. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the data gathered.
A major finding of this research is the 2-in-1 evaluation model. The model,
which has practice as its focus, is proposed for the evaluation of pre-service
English Language teacher education programmes in second language contexts.
The 2-in-1 evaluation model is an objective based model which also analyses
the needs of the programme users simultaneously with the evaluation process.
The model obliterates the need for a separate needs analysis as this is done
during the evaluation process itself. Practice is used as a lens which allows the
model to examine how the different aspects of the programme function. The
development of the 2-in-1 evaluation model is based on the methodology and
research findings of this study.
A number of themes are generated from the analysed data. These have
revealed some equally striking findings which include "institutional autonomy",
discrepancies in the concurrent development of "learner autonomy and teacher
autonomy" and "the middleman issue". The research through its findings,
therefore, makes significant contributions to theory, policy and practice.


Predictions about sensory input exert a dominant effect on what we perceive, and this is particularly true for the experience of pain. However, it remains unclear what component of prediction, from an information-theoretic perspective, controls this effect. We used a vicarious pain observation paradigm to study how the underlying statistics of predictive information modulate experience. Subjects observed judgments that a group of people made to a painful thermal stimulus, before receiving the same stimulus themselves. We show that the mean observed rating exerted a strong assimilative effect on subjective pain. In addition, we show that observed uncertainty had a specific and potent hyperalgesic effect. Using computational functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that this effect correlated with activity in the periaqueductal gray. Our results provide evidence for a novel form of cognitive hyperalgesia relating to perceptual uncertainty, induced here by vicarious observation, with control mediated by the brainstem pain modulatory system.


The project develops alternate forms of representation of the female body in the mediums of oil and digital print.

Representations of the body are central to contemporary art practice. Yet there are cogent arguments coming from feminist cultural theory that, in general women's bodies, and particularly the nude, cannot be portrayed other than through forms of representation that expose them to the male gaze. This poses a significant problem for women artists wishing to employ imagery of the female body. The project has explored alternative ways of depicting the female body; ways, which disrupt ocular-centric forms of representation that privilege the spectator by posing the body as displayed object.

The following observations provided the background for this project: within contemporary approaches to representing the female body there is a marked shift away from the figuration of the external body; its depiction occurs less frequently within two-dimensional media; and, its prepositions tend to be of a less subjective nature. The project has sought to redress these shortfalls by seeking to re-vision the female body in two-dimensional painting and print-media. It has investigated alternatives to the symbolic body, enshrined within conventional pictures of female nudes, through explorations into embodied subjectivity - the specificities of lived, female experiences. Pictorially these impressions are representational, but the tactile dimensions of imagery, suggested through material surface quality, evoke a palpable sensuality that disrupts stereotypical patterns of looking. The relationship between tactility and the sense of touch dissolves the psychological and physical distance between the viewer and the picture. Pictorially, the representational framework varied from fragmented and cropped imagery of the female torso to direct illusionistic representations of the whole body.

The outcomes of the research project, in the form of digital prints produced within the final phase, were chosen for exhibition. Initial investigations required the plasticity of paint media to convey the materiality of the imagery but advances, within both digital image layering processes and printing techniques resulted in a shift towards digital prints as principal output. The exhibition is, however, inclusive of key works, both prints and paintings, illuminating major developmental points encountered in the course of the project.

The written exegesis includes documentation of practical and conceptual inquiries, together with an exploration of the underlying themes of the project placed in context through discussion of both historical and contemporary art.


A novel result of the current research is the development and implementation of a unique functional phylogenomic approach that explores the genomic origins of seed plant diversification. We first use 22,833 sets of orthologs from the nuclear genomes of 101 genera across land plants to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships. One of the more salient results is the resolution of some enigmatic relationships in seed plant phylogeny, such as the placement of Gnetales as sister to the rest of the gymnosperms. In using this novel phylogenomic approach, we were also able to identify overrepresented functional gene ontology categories in genes that provide positive branch support for major nodes prompting new hypotheses for genes associated with the diversification of angiosperms. For example, RNA interference (RNAi) has played a significant role in the divergence of monocots from other angiosperms, which has experimental support in Arabidopsis and rice. This analysis also implied that the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase IV and V (NRPD2) played a prominent role in the divergence of gymnosperms. This hypothesis is supported by the lack of 24nt siRNA in conifers, the maternal control of small RNA in the seeds of flowering plants, and the emergence of double fertilization in angiosperms. Our approach takes advantage of genomic data to define orthologs, reconstruct relationships, and narrow down candidate genes involved in plant evolution within a phylogenomic view of species' diversification.


Abstract The principal conch parameters—whorl expansion rate, whorl overlap rate, umbilical width, and whorl thickness—of Early and Middle Devonian ammonoids have been extensively investigated. Stratophenetic analyses show long-term trends in the transformations of these characters over long periods of time, but sudden and rapid reversals can also be observed. On the basis of these four quantifiable conch parameters and supplementary qualitative characters, ten ammonoid morphs were distinguished. Reconstruction of the evolutionary history of these morphs reflects the existence of two major phylogenetic lineages, both already visible in Early Devonian faunas. The agoniatitid lineage is characterized by slow character development and leads to the Frasnian gephuroceratids; the anarcestid lineage displays rapid morphological evolution that leads to the late Givetian pharciceratids as well as the Middle and Late Devonian tornoceratids. Morphological evolution is interpreted as partly limited by geometrical and physical constraints.


This paper focuses on wireless power transfer system based on magnetic resonance coupling which involves creating a resonance and transferring the power without radiating electromagnetic wave outwith the critical distance. Modelling with Ansys Maxwell 3D software provides the means to observe the main field quantities with its post-processing capability. Therefore mathematical expressions of optimal coupling coefficients are analyzed by considering mutual coupling model which is presented along with a derivation of key system identifiers such as transmission distance, characteristic impedance and resonance frequency. The effectiveness of the system is analyzed by exciting the resonators with sinusoidal voltage source. Ansys Maxwell 3D software is utilized to solve equivalent circuit and also to calculate mutual inductance and characteristic impedance according to air gap variations. Resonance frequency is a key parameter in system design whose value can be changed according to distance between resonators. The peak efficiency is analyzed depending on different air gap values for various characteristic impedances at optimum resonance frequency. In this study, modelling resonators in 3D has been constituted correspondingly. The approach demonstrated in this paper allows fixed load receiver to be moved to different orientation within the range of critical coupling distance and approximately efficiency of 70 %.


The Dirichlet family owes its privileged status within simplex distributions to easyness
of interpretation and good mathematical properties. In particular, we recall fundamental
properties for the analysis of compositional data such as closure under amalgamation
and subcomposition. From a probabilistic point of view, it is characterised (uniquely)
by a variety of independence relationships which makes it indisputably the reference
model for expressing the non trivial idea of substantial independence for compositions.
Indeed, its well known inadequacy as a general model for compositional data stems
from such an independence structure together with the poorness of its parametrisation.
In this paper a new class of distributions (called Flexible Dirichlet) capable of handling
various dependence structures and containing the Dirichlet as a special case is presented.
The new model exhibits a considerably richer parametrisation which, for example,
allows to model the means and (part of) the variance-covariance matrix separately.
Moreover, such a model preserves some good mathematical properties of the Dirichlet,
i.e. closure under amalgamation and subcomposition with new parameters simply
related to the parent composition parameters. Furthermore, the joint and conditional
distributions of subcompositions and relative totals can be expressed as simple mixtures
of two Flexible Dirichlet distributions.
The basis generating the Flexible Dirichlet, though keeping compositional invariance,
shows a dependence structure which allows various forms of partitional dependence
to be contemplated by the model (e.g. non-neutrality, subcompositional dependence
and subcompositional non-invariance), independence cases being identified by suitable
parameter configurations. In particular, within this model substantial independence
among subsets of components of the composition naturally occurs when the subsets
have a Dirichlet distribution


The electricity consumption in the world is growing at an ever increasing rate. Today's electricity generation is highly dependent on combustion of fossil fuel. This leads to emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration results in higher average surface temperature and climate change. A shortand medium term method to decrease the carbon dioxide emissions is carbon capture and storage. This method captures carbon dioxide from point sources of emissions and then stores the carbon dioxide in geological formations. In this thesis two different types of combined cycles that are well suited for carbon capture and storage are introduced and analysed. The cycles are the Graz cycle and the Semi Closed Oxy-fuel Combustion Cycle (SCOC-CC). The net power output of the conceptual designs analysed here are around 100MW, which is in the mid-size power output range. The simulation of the two cycles shows promising results and high efficiencies. The Graz cycle net efficiency is around 49% and the SCOC-CC net efficiency is around 46%. The combustion in the cycles takes place using only oxygen as oxidizer instead of air. The combustion products will mainly be steam and carbon dioxide. This influences the properties of the working media in the gas turbines used in the cycles. Traditional design tools for the gas turbine therefore needs modification. The thesis describes the conceptual design tool used to design the compressor part of the gas turbines. The tool is based on a one dimensional model that uses empirical data to compute losses. The thesis also describes the development of a two dimensional compressor design method. Two different layouts of the gas turbine were studied for the SCOC-CC, a one shaft configuration and a two shaft configuration. The one shaft configuration resulted in a compressor design that was relative bulky, with 18 stages. The two shaft configuration resulted in a more favourable compressor design with 14 stages. The design of the gas turbine for the Graz cycle has both benefits and disadvantages originating from the fact the working fluid in the Graz cycle has a higher fraction of steam compared to the SCOC-CC. This difference in the working fluid will result in that the turbomachinery will be smaller for the Graz cycle compared to the SCOC-CC. This however also results in that the heights of the blades in the rear stages of the compressor will be relatively small. This will result in a higher amount of losses generated in the rear stages. The preferred Graz cycle gas turbine configuration is a compressor geared intercooled design.


Here is the essential how-to guide for communicating scientific research and discoveries online, ideal for journalists, researchers, and public information officers looking to reach a wide lay audience. Drawing on the cumulative experience of twenty-seven of the greatest minds in scientific communication, this invaluable handbook targets the specific questions and concerns of the scientific community, offering help in a wide range of digital areas, including blogging, creating podcasts, tweeting, and more. With step-by-step guidance and one-stop expertise, this is the book every scientist, science writer, and practitioner needs to approach the Wild West of the Web with knowledge and confidence.


Surface treatment is an important step of papermaking, namely for improving the final product quality. For uncoated printing and writing papers (P&W), surface sizing is becoming a common practice for controlling paper surface characteristics and liquid spreading and absorption. This work aims at evaluating the potential of assessing and controlling paper surface chemistry, by analyzing the impact of the application of different surface sizing formulations both on the chemical surface characteristics of the modified paper samples and on the final printing quality. For that, blends of cationic starch and minor quantities (5%, 10%, and 20% w/w) of four distinct copolymers of styrene were used, resulting in a total of 12 different surface sizing formulations. A sample surface sized only with cationic starch was taken as reference. Surface chemical properties were determined by using contact angle measurements and inverse gas chromatography. Finally, the inkjet printing quality was evaluated. The results revealed that the surface sizing treatments tested have a substantial influence on the surface energetics and partially explain the differences detected in the inkjet printing quality.


Any image encryption system divided mainly into two Methods: pixel replacement methods and pixel scrambling methods. In the pixel replacement method, each pixel in the image needs to change its value. Where, in the scrambling method the pixel needs to change its position. In this paper, we propose a new image encryption algorithm based on multi-dimensional chaotic function called a Rossler attractor; to enhance the encryption system, increase the complexity of the encryption keys and decrease the computational complexity of the cipher image. To do that, the Rossler attractor with the three dimensional planes as the encryption keys for the first level and the second level encryption are used, where, to decrease the execution time and computational complexity we used only one non-linear term function. Furthermore, our algorithm consists of two scrambling methods and two replacement methods. In which, each value in the image will be replaced by using a XORing operation with its location and change its location by using two shuffling approaches. Moreover, 3-planes chaotic function was used to scramble the pixels position as follows: in the first method we used X, Y planes of the Rossler attractor and in the second method we used X,Y and Z planes, so, the uncertainty of the adjacent pixels will be increased. However, by analyzing our algorithm, we show that the key space of our algorithm is equal to 10 45 , where, the entropy tests shown that the average entropy for the tested images is not less than 7.9971.Furthermore, after analyzing the histogram and correlation between the adjacent pixels, we show that our algorithm is strong against different types of attacks and it's sensitive to the initial conditions.


The interaction of quaternary ammonium ion guests with self-assembling hosts was examined by 1H NMR and ESI-MS experiments. The hosts consist of four identical, self-complementary subunits, reversibly joined in a capsular assembly through hydrogen bonding. Both approaches show the ammonium ions to be encapsulated, held within the hollow shell of the capsule. Competition experiments with a series of different guest ions reveal a characteristic size selectivity. The NMR and MS methods are complementary:  MS easily reveals the formation of heterotetramers from different subunits that could not be determined by NMR, while NMR allowed competitive encapsulations of neutral and ionic guests that were not possible to detect with MS. These competition experiments gave a lower limit of ca. 3.6 kcal/mol for the contribution of cation−π interactions involved in the encapsulation of the ionic guests.


ABSTRACT During the past decade, early childhood teachers have been faced with new needs to develop their content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for different science subject areas. In order to meet these challenges there is a strong need for professional learning programmes for early childhood teachers that focus on the development of knowledge, and skills to work with science activities in their own context. In this article, 46 early childhood teachers participated in a professional development programme aimed at helping teachers capture and further develop their content knowledge and PCK for teaching science through the use of content representations (CoRes). A CoRe is a holistic reflective tool for making explicit the different dimensions of, and links between, knowledge of content, teaching, and learning about a particular topic. The aim of the project was to investigate in what ways the use of the CoRe helped the teachers in planning and reflecting on their science teaching and in developing their PCK. Thus, the project was based on opportunities for teachers to develop and reframe their knowledge of science teaching in ways that stimulated children's curiosity for scientific phenomena. The result indicates that with its content-specific focus, the CoRe helped the teachers to highlight the science content in their activities, not only the general pedagogical knowledge. The use of the CoRes also helped the preschool teachers to establish the fundamental ideas of the topic they were teaching and to develop confidence in what they were teaching, why, and how.


A convergent chemoenzymatic approach for sequential installation of different N-glycans in a polypeptide is described. The method includes introduction of distinguishably protected GlcNAc-Asn building blocks during automated solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), followed by orthogonal deprotection of the GlcNAc primers and site-selective sequential extension of the sugar chains through glycosynthase-catalyzed transglycosylation reactions. It was observed that the protecting groups on one neighboring GlcNAc moiety have an impact on the substrate activity of another GlcNAc acceptor toward some endoglycosynthases in transglycosylation. The usefulness of this synthetic strategy was exemplified by an efficient synthesis of the glycopeptide neutralizing epitope of broadly HIV-neutralizing antibody PG9. The method should be generally applicable for the synthesis of complex glycopeptides carrying multiple different N-glycans.


Relationships between tocilizumab exposure and response were evaluated using data from 4 phase III studies. Increased tocilizumab exposure was associated with improvements in Disease Activity Score using 28 joints (DAS28) and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and with a decrease in inflammation markers. A population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PKPD) model was developed to describe data from 2 studies. An indirect‐response model with a sigmoid Emax (maximal drug effect) inhibitory drug effect on DAS28 "production" rate adequately described the relationship between tocilizumab concentration and DAS28. Mean minimum serum tocilizumab concentration at steady state was greater than the EC50 (concentration at which 50% of Emax on DAS28 is reached) with the 8‐mg/kg dose but not with the 4‐mg/kgdose. Simulations within a large rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population showed that DAS remission rates were 38% for 8 mg/kg and 24% for 4 mg/kg. Tocilizumab was more potent in RA patients with higher baseline interleukin‐6 levels, but this effect was not clinically significant. Other covariates (eg, presence of neutralizing antitocilizumab antibodies) did not demonstrate a clinically meaningful effect on tocilizumab DAS28 dose‐response relationships. These data support clinical observations that tocilizumab 8 mg/kg is more effective than 4 mg/kg in reducing disease activity.


Opening of new branch in every village is uneconomical for any traditional bank. Transactions through mobile phones may cover a low cost platform for basic banking services to every rural or urban citizen. India's domestic remittance market is more than Rs. 900 Billions. The payment banks play a vital role in implementing the government's direct benefit transfer scheme, where subsidies on healthcare, education and gas are paid directly to beneficiaries' accounts. Keeping in mind the government's unwavered digital drive target, customers shifting from cash transactions to operating their accounts on their mobile phone, this paper discusses the objectives of primary banks, its history and services rendered by it. This paper also focuses on m-Banking, the Department of Posts, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana and the India Post Payments Banks.


Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide. 26 species and more than 70 genotypes have been characterised to date, but only two species, Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum, account for a majority of human infections. Despite a close genomic relationship between these species (>96.0% nucleotide identities) the former propagates in a predominantly anthroponotic transmission cycle, while the latter exhibits a broad zoonotic host range and appears well-adapted to both humans and cattle. Intra-C. parvum host range differences have also been demonstrated through the existence of an anthroponotic subtype commonly referred to as 'IIc'. Using a novel dataset of diverse C. hominis and C. parvum whole genome sequences to perform comparative genomics analyses between zoonotic and anthroponotic subtypes, a number of divergent loci are herein identified that are subject to heightened polymorphism and selective pressure in both C. hominis and C. parvum subtype IIc. Glycoproteins, multi-copy gene families and secreted proteins are predominant, and the subtelomeres houses a significant majority of these highly-variable putative virulence factors. A concatenated phylogeny of novel WGS reveals the existence of an anthroponotic subspecies within the C. parvum species clade, warranting re-classification of zoonotic versus anthroponotic strains as C. parvum parvum and C. parvum anthroponosum, respectively. The concatenated phylogeny also demonstrates a hybrid-type IIcA5G3j isolate, which contains a IIc-type GP60 locus but an otherwise predominantly C. parvum parvum-type genome. Recombination analyses between this hybrid strain and two common zoonotic (IIa-type) and anthroponotic (IIc-type) C. parvum WGS and a C. hominis (Ib-type) WGS shows extensive genome-wide recombination between all of these strains, and divergence dating using recombination data reveals a relatively recent estimated time of divergence (<1,000 years ago) between these species and subspecies. Population genetics analyses of C. hominis GP60 sequences reveals inter-family disparities in allelic divergence and selective pressure, with subtype famailies Ia and Id exhibiting significantly higher rates of diversification. Evidence of a recent population expansion event is also identified for these two subtypes in C. hominis populations from Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. An updated look at whole genome divergence between a 'virulent' Ib-type and 'avirulent' Ia-type C. hominis WGS reveals structural changes at the subtelomeres resulting in subtype-specific coding sequences, and identifies the location, type and degree of polymorphism and selective pressure that accompanies lineage-specific strain emergence and evolution. Finally, the development of a novel In Situ PCR/Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization technique for sensitive and specific detection of C. p. parvum oocysts is hereby presented. This demonstrates how in silico findings from preceding chapters identified a suitable subspecies-specific target, and were subsequently translated into an applied molecular method for discrimination of lineages at a subspecific level. Taken together, the results from this thesis have contributed significantly towards increasing our understanding of the genomic factors driving evolution and adaptation in human-infective Cryptosporidium spp.


The region of Najd in Central Arabia has always been regarded as inaccessible, ringed by a belt of sand deserts, the Nafūd, Dahana and the Rub' al-Khāli and often with its population at odds with the rulers of the outer settled lands. It is however the centre of a purely Arabian culture based on a partnership between bedouin camel husbandry and settled palm cultivation. Possibly as a result of overpopulation the bedouin have periodically spread over into the lands of the Fertile Crescent. Because of their isolated position the Najdi dialect is of a very interesting and archaic type showing very little non-Arabic influence, which has led to the reputation of the Arabian bedouin as preservers of the original Classical form and considerable prestige being attached to the Najdi type. Consequently the region is a powerhouse of dialect influence so that Najdi based dialects are spoken all along the Gulf Coast and throughout most of the Syrian Desert. Interest in these dialects has led to a number of recent studies of their oral literature and of the morphology and phonology. Ingham's work concentrates on the grammatical system, syntax and usage and is based on a number of trips to the region over the last fifteen years. The data base includes bedouin oral narrative, ordinary conversation and radio plays.


Culture environment and presence of extracellular matrix attachments synergize to regulate the angiogenic signals that tumor cells release. Tumor vascularization is promoted by proangiogenic molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and interleukin-8 (IL-8). Fischbach et al. investigated angiogenic signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (OSCC-3) cultured in a two- or three-dimensional matrix composed of alginate coupled to Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptides, which constitute the primary integrin recognition site in many extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. They found that OSCC-3 attached to RGD-alginate in an α5β1 integrin-dependent manner and proliferated when attached to RGD-alginate but not unmodified alginate. IL-8 secretion was increased 35 times in three-dimensional cultures compared with two-dimensional cultures, whereas VEGF secretion increased only slightly in three-dimensional cultures compared with two-dimensional cultures, and bFGF secretion was negligible under all culture conditions tested. Analysis of the relative contributions of these factors showed that VEGF was the major secreted angiogenic factor in two-dimensional culture, whereas IL-8 assumed this role in three-dimensional culture. Mathematical modeling of diffusion predicted that IL-8 would diffuse more readily than VEGF and, as predicted, mice implanted with tumors grown in RGD-alginate had higher concentrations of IL-8 than VEGF or bFGF in the tissue surrounding the tumor, as well as systemically. When locally injected into tumors grown in mice, an antibody that neutralized IL-8 reduced tumor growth more than one that neutralized VEGF. Moreover, mice with subcutaneously implanted porous scaffolds that released IL-8 exhibited increased blood vessel density at the interface between scaffold and muscle and showed recruitment of bone marrow–derived cells to the scaffold. The authors proposed that their findings suggest a greater role for IL-8 in tumor angiogenesis than has been previously appreciated. C. Fischbach, H. J. Kong, S. X. Hsiong, M. B. Evangelista, W. Yuen, D. J. Mooney, Cancer cell angiogenic capability is regulated by 3D culture and integrin engagement. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 399–404 (2009). [Abstract] [Full Text]


We extend the standard categorical approach to algebraic data types to dependent algebraic data types, so that dependency between two algebraic data types has natural semantics. Specifically, for two inductive data types S and A characterized by two F -algebra F and G, any natural transformation η : F → G gives rise to a dependency of S on A. This natural dependency is the initial object of what we call a Fηalgebra. The initiality further allows us to describe certain dependencies in functions that both involve S and A. We have used Objective Caml to write functional programs where dependencies among data types (and in the relevant functions) are made explicit. This is done by a systematic mapping of layers of categorical constructions to layers of Objective Caml modules.


A selection and line x environment interaction study with grade Afrikaner cattle was established in 1956 at Matopos Research Station, Zimbabwe. Two selection lines of 100 cows each were reared in different management environments. The non-supplemented (NS) line relied on the range throughout the year and was mated to calve with the onset of the rains (December to February). The supplemented (S) line was offered protein-rich supplements during the dry season and mated to calve prior to the onset of the rains (October to December). In 1976 lines were sub-divided into four lines with 75 cows each, where one sub-line remained within each environment as a control; the remaining sub-lines were interchanged between environments. Bulls were selected on weaning weight within control lines, while replacement heifers were selected on weight at mating within sub-line. Data collected over a 40-year period (1958 to 1997) were analyzed. There were no line differences, however, productivity in the S environment was superior compared with the NS environment. While there were no environment differences in birth weight, calves born early in the S environment were estimated to be 90 kg (33%) heavier at 18 months than calves born late in the NS environment. The performance of calf growth from birth to 18 months in this study has emphasized the importance of matching animal physiological status with seasonal changes in the sub-tropics. The effect of previous lactation status (PLS) increased from 1.2 ± 0.13 kg at birth to 7 ± 0.6 kg at 205 days of age, a difference that persisted to 18 months (5 ± 0.9 kg). Given the significant and consistent detrimental effects of PLS on calf growth, it is recommended that this effect be considered in routine evaluations.


On February 19, 2018, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres claimed that he was "absolutely convinced" that "the next war will begin with a massive cyber-attack to destroy military capacity . . . and paralyze basic infrastructure." The Secretary-General's greatest concern, however, is that he believes "there is no regulatory scheme for that type of warfare, it is not clear how the Geneva Convention or international humanitarian law applies to it." Although Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (AP I) targeting laws generally identify who and what States may target in war, it expressly limits itself to attacks affecting people and objects on land. But what about online?

This Note discusses the limited applicability of the current targeting laws to cyber warfare. Specifically, it asks whether the land-centric AP I targeting laws adequately address cyber-attacks. It analogizes the unique features of cyber warfare to those in air warfare. Because both cyber and air warfare, unlike land combat, are fought beyond the traditional battlefield and closer to civilians, are object-prime targeting methods of warfare, and serve strategic attack objectives, AP I land-centric targeting laws cannot adequately regulate these types of warfare. This Note finds that, like airspace, the cyberspace domain is sufficiently different from land and, thus, requires specific rules similar to those provided under the laws of air warfare.


Background. Meningitis in children is a major health problem worldwide, leading to high rates of mortality and morbidity.  Objectives. To describe the profile of patients treated for meningitis at a leading tertiary paediatric hospital (Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital) in South Africa.  Methods. This study describes all patients treated for suspected meningitis at our hospital from 2010 to 2012. Data were retrospectively collected from patient folders.  Results. A total of 706 patients with meningitis were divided into definite bacterial ( n =42), probable bacterial ( n =113), partially treated bacterial ( n =100), viral ( n =412), and tuberculous meningitis (TBM, n =39)) infections. Fever (74.7%), headache (66.4%), vomiting (52.1%) and irritability (34.5%) were common symptoms in all patients; TBM patients presented more often with weight loss, neck stiffness, lethargy and abnormal neurological signs. Symptoms were usually present for 1 - 2 days in viral and bacterial meningitis, and 8 days in TBM. The median duration of hospitalisation was 1 day for viral meningitis, 2 days for all three groups of bacterial meningitis and 22 days for TBM, before referral to primary or secondary hospitals.  Conclusion. Patients with meningitis in this study often presented with nonspecific symptoms, making it difficult to clinically differentiate between types of meningitis. TBM patients presented more often with neurological fallout, and had a longer duration of symptoms. Patients often received antibiotics before a lumbar puncture was performed, further compounding the difficulty of diagnosis. Swift, sensitive and specific novel diagnostic tools would aid clinicians in making timeous and accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions.


The discovery of the New World was initially a cause for celebration. But the vast amounts of gold that Columbus and other explorers claimed from these lands altered Spanish society. The influx of such wealth contributed to the expansion of the Spanish empire, but it also raised doubts and insecurities about the meaning and function of money, the ideals of court and civility, and the structure of commerce and credit. "New World Gold" shows that, far from being a stabilizing force, the flow of gold from the Americas created anxieties among Spaniards and shaped a host of distinct behaviors, cultural practices, and intellectual pursuits on both sides of the Atlantic. Elvira Vilches examines economic treatises, stories of travel and conquest, moralist writings, fiction, poetry, and drama to reveal that New World gold ultimately became a problematic source of power that destabilized Spain's sense of trust, truth, and worth. These cultural anxieties, she argues, rendered the discovery of gold paradoxically disastrous for Spanish society. Combining economic thought, social history, and literary theory in transatlantic contexts, "New World Gold" unveils the dark side of Spain's Golden Age.


The incorporation of 7-deazaguanine modifications into DNA is frequently used to probe protein recognition of H-bonding information in the major groove of DNA. While it is generally assumed that 7-deazaguanine forms a normal Watson–Crick base pair with cytosine, detailed thermodynamic and structural analyses of this modification have not been reported. The replacement of the 7-N atom on guanine with a C–H, alters the electronic properties of the heterocycle and eliminates a major groove cation-binding site that could affect the organization of salts and water in the major groove. We report herein the characterization of synthetic DNA oligomers containing 7-deazaguanine using a variety of complementary approaches: UV thermal melting, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), circular dichroism (CD), chemical probing and NMR. The results indicate that the incorporation of a 7-deazaguanine modification has a significant effect on the dynamic structure of the DNA at the flanking residue. This appears to be mediated by changes in hydration and cation organization.


We constructed a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) matrix (MA) deletion mutant by deletion of about 80% of the HIV type 1 Gag MA domain but retaining myristylation and proteolytic processing signals. The effects of this deletion matrix (dl.MA) mutant on HIV particle assembly, processing, and infectivity were analyzed. Surprisingly, the dl.MA mutant still could assemble and process virus particles, had a wild-type (wt) retrovirus particle density, and possessed wt reverse transcriptase activity. RNase protection experiments showed that dl.MA mutant particles preferentially packaged viral genomic RNA. When both mutant and wt particles were pseudotyped with an amphotropic murine leukemia virus envelope protein, mutant infectivity was about 10% of wt level. In contrast, infectivity of the dl.MA mutant was 1,000-fold less than that of wild-type when mutant and wt particles were pseudotyped with the HIV envelope protein. Protein analyses of pseudotyped virions indicated that there were no major differences between mutant and wt viruses in the efficiency of amphotropic murine leukemia virus envelope protein incorporation. In contrast, there was a reduction in the amount of mutant particle-associated HIV envelope protein gp120. Our results suggest that an intact HIV matrix domain is not absolutely required for reverse transcription, nuclear localization, or integration but is necessary for appropriate HIV envelope protein function.


Presently, the mountain gorilla in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo is endangered, mainly by poaching and habitat loss. Revenue from gorilla tourism is shared with local communities, but the current scheme yields less-thanoptimal conservation outcomes and therefore cannot be entrusted with long-term conservation. However, a performance-linked benefit sharing scheme, in which the park agency makes payments to the local community based on the increase in the gorilla population, can achieve socially optimal conservation. This scheme would make it unnecessary for the local community to poach. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to impose poaching fines and anti-poaching enforcement on the local community. However, the ideal benefit sharing scheme would require a huge financial outlay. An appropriate pricing strategy for gorilla tourism could raise more money for this conservation scheme.