Two-third of breast cancer patients expressed estrogen receptors (ER)s and received endocrine treatment with anti-estrogens such as tamoxifen. Unfortunately, a significant
number of patients developed intrinsic and acquired resistances against this treatment. To date, the precise mechanism of these resistances is still largely unknown and this eventually turned the attention towards natural compounds as the alternative choice. Hence, these present study is aimed to determine the anti-proliferative effect and the underlying mechanism of apigenin and rutin on ER+-breast cancer and control breast cells (MCF-7 and MCF-10A, respectively) in comparison to tamoxifen, as well as to determine the involvement of tumor suppressor gene and pro-apoptotic BAX, Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9; and anti-apoptotic BCL-2 in the apoptotic signaling pathways induced by apigenin and rutin in MCF-7 as compared to tamoxifen. The effect of flavonoids e.g., apigenin and rutin on the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive- (ER+)-breast cancer and control breast cells, (MCF-7 and MCF-10A, respectively) in comparison with tamoxifen was determined using MTT proliferation assay. Antiproliferative mechanism was investigated using annexin V-FITC/PI staining and cellular DNA fragmentation assays. The involvement of pro-apoptotic BAX, Caspase-3, Caspase- 8 and Caspase-9; and anti-apoptotic BCL-2 in apoptosis signaling was determined using QuantiGene 2.0 Multiplex assay. Protein expression was determined using protein ELISA assay. Apigenin and rutin inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 in dose dependent manner with IC50 of 34.34±0.00 |xM and 46.09±0.00 (xM, respectively. They were less cytotoxic to MCF-10, with only rutin had exhibited an IC50 of 94.14±0.01 (iM. Contrary, tamoxifen
was non-selective to both cells with IC50 o f 30.66±0.00 |iM and 38.17±0.01 |iM (p<0 .0 1 , n=3), respectively. Furthermore, apigenin and rutin significantly enhanced the
cytotoxicity of tamoxifen on MCF-7 by 17.66±2.22% (p<0.01, n=3) and 20.21±2.95% (p<0.01, n=3), respectively; while protecting MCF-10A by 19.07±1.29% (p<0.01, n=3) and 21.81±1.70% (p<0.01, n=3), respectively against its toxicity. Apoptosis was observed
through morphological features seen from Annexin/PI staining and DNA fragmentation. BAX were upregulated by apigenin and rutin in MCF-7. BCL-2 was downregulated by
apigenin- but not expressed in rutin treatment. Contrary, BAX and BCL-2 were downregulated by tamoxifen. Caspase-3 was upregulated by rutin but not apigenin, while
Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 were upregulated by both treatments. Only Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 were upregulated by tamoxifen. Accordingly, apigenin and rutin enhanced the expression of BAX protein, but not tamoxifen. BCL-2 protein expression was reduced by
tamoxifen, but no changes seen in apigenin and rutin treatments. Caspase-9 protein was enhanced in all three treatments. These findings provide the evidences, about the underlying molecular signaling of apigenin and rutin-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 were through the intrinsic pathway by upregulation of BAX and Caspase-9; contrary to tamoxifen. Moreover, these flavonoids might be suitable candidates to be used in combination with chemotherapy agents such as tamoxifen to enhance its efficacy by
reducing its adverse effects.


A comparative study was made of the chromatographic behaviour of nine haloacetic acids, namely mono-, di-, and tri-fluoroacetate (MFA, DFA, and TFA, respectively); mono-, di-, and tri-chloroacetate (MCA, DCA, and TCA, respectively); and mono-, di- and tri-bromoacetate (MBA, DBA, and TBA, respectively), employing anion-exchange chromatography with suppressed conductivity and UV detection, using a Dionex AS17 anion-exchange column employed with a potassium hydroxide gradient (via a Dionex EG40 Eluent Generator). All nine haloacetic acids were completely separated under the optimized gradient elution conditions, and use of selective detection methods or pretreatment with an OnGuard II Ag cartridge resulted in the elimination of interferences from chloride and bromide occurring in soil samples. The procedure for the simultaneous determination of the nine haloacetic acids was simple and rapid. The method detection limits for MFA, DFA, TFA, MCA, DCA, TCA, MBA, DBA, and TBA were 21, 40, 40, 28, 48, 86, 67, 55, and 160 μg L-1, respectively. Application of this method to the determination of haloacetic acids in real soil samples is illustrated.


Financial competency is one area which can be altered due to an acquired brain injury (ABI). The aetiology of this area is not clearly delineated, however. The role of executive functioning has been found to be a key variable when considering other areas of competency and research has also hinted that emotion may have a role in competent financial decisions. The present study aimed to provide better definition of the cognitive and emotional processes within financial competency.

Specific neuropsychological and cognitive tests were administered to 30 ABI patients and 16 controls. Galvanic skin response (GSR) was also measured while participants were completing a gambling test.

When controlling for age, gender and education, multiple regression analysis showed that general cognitive impairment was significantly associated with the measure of financial competency. The present study found little involvement by executive and emotional processes.


This issue of "Clinics in Sports Medicine", Guest Edited by Peter R. Kurzweil, MD, focuses on Sports-Related Injuries of the Meniscus. Articles in this issue will include: Indications for meniscus repair: traumatic tears do better; Biologic enhancement of meniscal repair; Repairing the Unrepairable Meniscus; Posterior Horn Tears - all-inside suture repair; Meniscal Repair - Inside-out sutures; Meniscal Root tears - Recognizing and Repairing; Meniscal Repair - outside-in suture; Meniscal Repair with the Newest Fixators - which are best; Treating post-meniscectomy pain with Meniscal implants; Meniscus Repair in Children; and, Getting Athletes Back to Sports after Meniscus Repair.


Due to competition for scarce skills, the attraction and retention of teachers in rural schools is probably the biggest challenge in the education sector today. It is imperative for the education department to have knowledge of the impact of job satisfaction and some demographic variables on employee turnover intentions to improve the attraction and retention of teachers especially those with scarce skills. Self administered questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 300 teachers. A stratified sampling procedure was utilised. The data was subjected to a number of statistical analyses such as T-test of independent samples, Correlation, Chi-square and One way ANOVA. Results indicated that lack of job satisfaction influences the decision to quit the teaching profession. It also was found that age, tenure and specialization can predict employee turnover intentions. The findings of this research indicate that school authorities need to develop strategies to deal with the needs of those teachers who experience less job satisfaction and commitment. Proactive attention to this should demonstrate preparedness on the side of school administrators to address teacher concerns and thereby reduce absenteeism and attrition rates amongst teachers.


We have examined heteroflocculation in binary colloidal suspensions by Monte Carlo simulations based on a diffusion-limited-cluster-aggregation (DLCA) model modified with finite attraction energies. The simulations were performed in two dimensions. Under heteroflocculation conditions, i.e., attraction between unlike particles and repulsion between like particles, cluster size undergoes a maximum as the concentration of the second species of particles is increased, similar to the experimental results in both binary suspensions and suspensions with adsorbing polymers. The initial increase in cluster size at low concentrations of the second species of particles is due to the mutual attraction between unlike particles. The decrease in cluster size at higher concentrations of the second species of particles is due to the repulsion between the second species of particles. The distinction between heteroflocculation and particulate depletion flocculation is discussed.


Coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) are characterized by many complex features, including feedback loops, nonlinearity and thresholds, surprises, legacy effects and time lags, and resilience. Agent-based models (ABMs) are powerful for handling such complexity in CHANS models, facilitating in-depth understanding of CHANS dynamics. ABMs have been employed mostly on a site-specific basis, however. Little of this work provides a common infrastructure with which CHANS researchers (especially nonmodeling experts) can comprehend, compare, and envision CHANS processes and dynamics. We advance the science of CHANS by developing a CHANS-oriented protocol based on the overview, design concepts, and details (ODD) framework to help CHANS modelers and other researchers build, document, and compare CHANS-oriented ABMs. Using this approach, we show how complex demographic decisions, environmental processes, and human–environment interaction in CHANS can be represented and simulated in a relatively straightforward, standard way with ABMs by focusing on a comparison of two world-renowned CHANS: the Wolong Nature Reserve in China and the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. The four key lessons we learn from this cross-site comparison in relation to CHANS models include how to represent agents and the landscape, the need for standardized modules for CHANS ABMs, the impacts of scheduling on model outcomes, and precautions in interpreting "surprises" in CHANS model outcomes. We conclude with a CHANS protocol in the hope of advancing the science of CHANS.


NCOA4 acts as a cargo adaptor protein to enable selective autophagy of ferritin, thereby regulating iron bioavailability. Nutrient deprivation and various forms of stress induce cells to activate autophagy, a process by which proteins and organelles are engulfed in intracellular membranous compartments known as autophagosomes, which fuse with lysosomes. Degradation of the contents can provide resources to support cell function or can lead to cell death. Iron is an important cofactor for metalloprotein enzymes involved in the redox reactions required for mitochondrial ATP metabolism and other cellular processes. Several proteins, including transferrin (the iron-binding protein in circulation) and ferritin (an intracellular iron-binding storage protein) manage the transport and storage of iron and shield it from undesirable molecular interactions that could produce damaging free radicals. By analyzing autophagosome-enriched samples using mass spectrometry, Mancias et al. determined that cells use autophagy to regulate the metabolism of iron. Autophagosome-enriched fractions from cancer cell lines contained several known autophagy-associated proteins, as well as NCOA4 (nuclear receptor coactivator 4), a protein that binds to the androgen receptor and coactivates gene transcription. Exposing cells to lysosome inhibitors increased the abundance of NCOA4 and caused NCOA4 to relocalize from the cytosol to autophagosomes. Mass spectrometry analysis of NCOA4-interacting proteins showed that NCOA4 bound to ferritin heavy and light chain polypeptides, which form a multisubunit molecular cage responsible for storing iron. NCOA4 and ferritin colocalized in autophagosomes of cells stimulated with ferric ammonium citrate to induce expression of ferritin-encoding genes or exposed to lysosome inhibitors. Ferritin degradation stimulated by chelation of iron was blocked by knockdown of NCOA4 or autophagy-associated proteins or by inhibition of lysosomes. Knockdown of NCOA4 blocked ferritin localization in lysosomes, increased the abundance of the RNA-binding protein IRP2 (iron-responsive element–binding protein 2), which inversely correlates with the amount of free iron, and prevented cell death induced by exogenous reactive oxygen species. Overexpression of NCOA4 decreased the abundance of ferritin, whereas stimulation of ferritin production reduced the abundance of NCOA4. Thus, NCOA4 is a cargo-recognition receptor for the selective autophagy of ferritin and participates in iron homeostasis. J. D. Mancias, X. Wang, S. P. Gygi, J. W. Harper, A. C. Kimmelman, Quantitative proteomics identifies NCOA4 as the cargo receptor mediating ferritinophagy. Nature 30 March 2014 (10.1038/nature13148). [PubMed]


Subsidence due to fluid withdrawal from the subsurface is being experienced in many regions. Water extraction for agricultural and civil needs is the most common cause of this phenomenon. However, hydrocarbon production from deep formations sometimes has been blamed for substantial rates of subsidence (e.g., Wilmington, California; Ekofisk, the North Sea). Hydrocarbon reservoirs in sensitive areas (lowlands), such as the Netherlands and the eastern Po River Plain in Italy, which includes the city of Venice, must be maintained under control to avoid actual or alleged subsidence. Because compaction in deep sediments is a relatively new research field, applicable data are sparse, and much work remains to be done. In particular, a strong discrepancy exists between rock compressibility values measured in the laboratory and in the field, these latter ones being probably more representative. Laboratory compressibility values are at least one order of magnitude larger than in situ values. Given this discrepancy, and in order to accommodate also for the variability of natural materials, a stochastic risk analysis is the most reliable tool for predicting subsidence due to hydrocarbon extraction. This approach is here applied to a planned gas production project from offshore fields in the northern Adriatic Sea, in order to assess the risk of subsidence on the coast and the nearby city of Venice. No stochastic theory of subsidence is available to date; consequently, a Monte Carlo technique is applied with respect to soil compressibility, which affects both the reservoir and subsidence simulations. A semi-analytical three-dimensional model based on the theory of Geertsma is used as a subsidence model. The results show that no actual risk of subsidence exists on the coast. Against intuition, the worst case scenarios coincide with the lowest compressibilities, since these values contribute to higher pressure declines in the reservoirs and the adjacent aquifers, and to a faster propagation of pressure change towards the shoreline. The results for the worst-case scenarios are confirmed by more sophisticated non linear, three-dimensional, finite element simulations.


Abstract Eleven samples of seafloor sediment were taken from water depths of 78–90 m within the Savonette Field, off SE Trinidad, western Atlantic Ocean. This surface sediment is relict, having been deposited during an early Holocene transgression. The samples yielded much iron-stained quartz and a rich assemblage of dead foraminifera, of which 75% of planktonic foraminifera were stained with iron, as was 66.5% of the calcareous benthonic foraminiferal assemblage. The fauna, both iron-stained and unstained, was dominated by Cibicidoides ex. gr. pseudoungerianus, and is concluded, despite the proximity of the Orinoco Delta, to be equivalent to a relict Cibicidoides biofacies in carbonate-rich areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Staining was by limonite and hematite. Differing percentages of calcareous benthonic species had been stained with iron, ANOVA revealing three groups of species within which the mean percentage of iron-stained specimens per sample did not differ: (a) Globocassidulina subglobosa and Hanzawaia concentrica; (b) Amphistegina gibbosa, Cassidulina norcrossi australis Cibicioides ex. gr. pseudoungerianus, C. io, Elphidium translucens and Quinqueloculina lamarckiana; and (c) Eponides antillarum and E. repandus. It is concluded that species differ in their susceptibility to iron staining, and that planktonic foraminifera are more susceptible than most benthonic species. Although waters off northern South America are turbid and the photic zone only ~25 m deep, the relict assemblage contained 8.4% algal symbiont-bearing foraminifera (especially A. gibbosa and E. translucens) that would be limited to the photic zone. These are thought to have lived at a time early in the Holocene transgression when sequestration of sediment within the Orinoco delta rendered the water sufficiently clear for viable populations of symbiont-bearing foraminifera. Should iron-stained foraminifera prove to be restricted to transgressive systems tracts, this would make them a useful sequence stratigraphic tool.


Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) is a methodology in which a system is simulated in a bottom-up approach by modelling the micro interactions of its constituting parts, called agents, out of which the global system behaviour emerges. So far mainly object-oriented techniques and languages have been used in ABS. Using the SIR model of epidemiology, which simulates the spreading of an infectious disease through a population, we demonstrate how to use pure Functional Reactive Programming to implement ABS. With our approach we can guarantee the reproducibility of the simulation at compile time and rule out specic classes of run-time bugs, something that is not possible with traditional object-oriented languages. Also, we found that the representation in a purely functional format is conceptually quite elegant and opens the way to formally reason about ABS.


This paper makes an attempt to analyse the impact of Le Deuxième Sexe ( The Second Sexoriginally published in French in 1949) by Simone de Beauvoir where she exposed the ways in which the masculine dogma and beliefs exploit the sexual disparity to generate systems of discrimination. The French version of this book could reach only limited French speaking readers, but it rocked to new heights of fame and became the Bible of feminism in different parts of the world after being translated into English. Further this paper takes into consideration the ways in which this book by Beauvoir grew to the stature of becoming a seminal work of feminism, having a lasting impact on the psyche of black American feminists, white American feminists and Indian feminists with numerous other supporters of feminism across the globe. My intention in this paper is to explore how the English translation of Le Deuxième Sexe acted as a connector between cultures, languages and races. The paper makes an attempt to highlight the mode in which translation becomes significant both as a linguistic and cultural activity that contributes in the evolution of socio, political and cultural movements like feminism. Although Simone de Beauvoir wrote about her immediate local concerns in her book Le Deuxième Sexe but with the English translation into The Second Sex it reached a glocal scenario. Beauvoir awakened the women folk worldwide and helped them in transforming into new women who were ready to conquer the erstwhile male dominated world.


This is an experimental study into the permeability and compressibility properties of bagasse pulp pads. Three experimental rigs were custom-built for this project. The experimental work is complemented by modelling work. Both the steady-state and dynamic behaviour of pulp pads are evaluated in the experimental and modelling components of this project. Bagasse, the fibrous residue that remains after sugar is extracted from sugarcane, is normally burnt in Australia to generate steam and electricity for the sugar factory. A study into bagasse pulp was motivated by the possibility of making highly value-added pulp products from bagasse for the financial benefit of sugarcane millers and growers. The bagasse pulp and paper industry is a multibillion dollar industry (1). Bagasse pulp could replace eucalypt pulp which is more widely used in the local production of paper products. An opportunity exists for replacing the large quantity of mainly generic paper products imported to Australia. This includes 949,000 tonnes of generic photocopier papers (2). The use of bagasse pulp for paper manufacture is the main application area of interest for this study. Bagasse contains a large quantity of short parenchyma cells called 'pith'. Around 30% of the shortest fibres are removed from bagasse prior to pulping. Despite the 'depithing' operations in conventional bagasse pulp mills, a large amount of pith remains in the pulp. Amongst Australian paper producers there is a perception that the high quantity of short fibres in bagasse pulp leads to poor filtration behaviour at the wet-end of a paper machine. Bagasse pulp's poor filtration behaviour reduces paper production rates and consequently revenue when compared to paper production using locally made eucalypt pulp. Pulp filtration can be characterised by two interacting factors; permeability and compressibility. Surprisingly, there has previously been very little rigorous investigation into neither bagasse pulp permeability nor compressibility. Only freeness testing of bagasse pulp has been published in the open literature. As a result, this study has focussed on a detailed investigation of the filtration properties of bagasse pulp pads. As part of this investigation, this study investigated three options for improving the permeability and compressibility properties of Australian bagasse pulp pads. Two options for further pre-treating depithed bagasse prior to pulping were considered. Firstly, bagasse was fractionated based on size. Two bagasse fractions were produced, 'coarse' and 'medium' bagasse fractions. Secondly, bagasse was collected after being processed on two types of juice extraction technology, i.e. from a sugar mill and from a sugar diffuser. Finally one method of post-treating the bagasse pulp was investigated. The effects of chemical additives, which are known to improve freeness, were also assessed for their effect on pulp pad permeability and compressibility. Pre-treated Australian bagasse pulp samples were compared with several benchmark pulp samples. A sample of commonly used kraft Eucalyptus globulus pulp was obtained. A sample of depithed Argentinean bagasse, which is used for commercial paper production, was also obtained. A sample of Australian bagasse which was depithed as per typical factory operations was also produced for benchmarking purposes. The steady-state pulp pad permeability and compressibility parameters were determined experimentally using two purpose-built experimental rigs. In reality, steady-state conditions do not exist on a paper machine. The permeability changes as the sheet compresses over time. Hence, a dynamic model was developed which uses the experimentally determined steady-state permeability and compressibility parameters as inputs. The filtration model was developed with a view to designing pulp processing equipment that is suitable specifically for bagasse pulp. The predicted results of the dynamic model were compared to experimental data. The effectiveness of a polymeric and microparticle chemical additives for improving the retention of short fibres and increasing the drainage rate of a bagasse pulp slurry was determined in a third purpose-built rig; a modified Dynamic Drainage Jar (DDJ). These chemical additives were then used in the making of a pulp pad, and their effect on the steady-state and dynamic permeability and compressibility of bagasse pulp pads was determined. The most important finding from this investigation was that Australian bagasse pulp was produced with higher permeability than eucalypt pulp, despite a higher overall content of short fibres. It is thought this research outcome could enable Australian paper producers to switch from eucalypt pulp to bagasse pulp without sacrificing paper machine productivity. It is thought that two factors contributed to the high permeability of the bagasse pulp pad. Firstly, thicker cell walls of the bagasse pulp fibres resulted in high fibre stiffness. Secondly, the bagasse pulp had a large proportion of fibres longer than 1.3 mm. These attributes helped to reinforce the pulp pad matrix. The steady-state permeability and compressibility parameters for the eucalypt pulp were consistent with those found by previous workers. It was also found that Australian pulp derived from the 'coarse' bagasse fraction had higher steady-state permeability than the 'medium' fraction. However, there was no difference between bagasse pulp originating from a diffuser or a mill. The bagasse pre-treatment options investigated in this study were not found to affect the steady-state compressibility parameters of a pulp pad. The dynamic filtration model was found to give predictions that were in good agreement with experimental data for pads made from samples of pretreated bagasse pulp, provided at least some pith was removed prior to pulping. Applying vacuum to a pulp slurry in the modified DDJ dramatically reduced the drainage time. At any level of vacuum, bagasse pulp benefitted from chemical additives as quantified by reduced drainage time and increased retention of short fibres. Using the modified DDJ, it was observed that under specific conditions, a benchmark depithed bagasse pulp drained more rapidly than the 'coarse' bagasse pulp. In steady-state permeability and compressibility experiments, the addition of chemical additives improved the pad permeability and compressibility of a benchmark bagasse pulp with a high quantity of short fibres. Importantly, this effect was not observed for the 'coarse' bagasse pulp. However, dynamic filtration experiments showed that there was also a small observable improvement in filtration for the 'medium' bagasse pulp. The mechanism of bagasse pulp pad consolidation appears to be by fibre realignment. Chemical additives assist to lubricate the consolidation process. This study was complemented by pulp physical and chemical property testing and a microscopy study. In addition to its high pulp pad permeability, 'coarse' bagasse pulp often (but not always) had superior physical properties than a benchmark depithed bagasse pulp.


Technology is transforming the practice of architecture and design from the conceptual stages right down to the actual construction. One would assume technology is being readily integrated into current design education. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The purpose of this study is to explore the integration of online education into the curriculum of architecture and design. The three primary obstacles to integrating technology with education in these disciplines are identified as: 1) the limited evidence of online education in the fields of architecture and design (Sagun, Demirkan, & Goktepe, 2001); 2) the reluctance of design educators to teach in an online environment (Bender & Good, 2003); and 3) the lack of multidisciplinary coursework currently available between architecture, design, and other related fields (IIDA Report, 1998). This paper will discuss online education in the context of traditional architecture and design studio instruction. A case study of the development of a collaborative, multidisciplinary online course offered between five major universities will be presented as a catalyst for change. The paper concludes with reflections on the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of this new educational model and its implications for instructors involved in online education.


Background
Household contacts (HHCs) of pulmonary TB patients are at high risk of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and early disease development.
Tuberculin skin test (TST) has been traditionally used to identify infected individuals;
however, its use is limited by low specificity in populations with high levels of BCG
vaccination or significant exposure to non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), and
reduced sensitivity in immunocompromised individuals. Interferon-gamma release
assays (IGRAs) such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) using Mtb specific
antigens provide an alternative to TST for infection detection. IGRAs are now widely
used for the detection of Mtb infection and are included in the guidelines of many
countries with a low incidence of TB. Despite a growing body of literature on IGRAs,
the relationship between the magnitude of T-cell Interferon-γ responses to Mtb
specific antigens and risk of progression to disease has not been studied.
Objective
The main objective of this study was to determine whether HHCs with high (≥10 IU/ml) levels of
IFN-γ in response to Mtb specific antigens (ESAT-6, CFP-10 or TB 7.7) in the QFT-GIT assay are at
higher risk of developing TB compared to those with low (> 0.35-<10 IU/ml) levels. Other
secondary objectives included to determine the following: the performance and operational
characteristics of QFT-GIT in a field setting; risk factors associated with positive QFT-GIT results;
concordance between the two tests; incidence rates of TB in HHCs with positive and negative
QFT-GIT and TST results at baseline as well as positive and negative predictive values.
Method
This study was nested within a large community randomized trial called ZAMSTAR implemented
in 16 communities in Zambia and 8 communities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. A
cohort of HIV-positive and HIV-negative adult (≥ 15 years) HHCs were prospectively followed for
2-4 years. Consenting HHCs had blood drawn for HIV antibodies. QFT-GIT test was performed
according to the manufacturer's instructions. TST were performed according to the standard
IUATLD protocol. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect information on risk factors
for TB and TB treatment information (for those with TB).
Results
The feasibility studies showed three main findings. Firstly, the sensitivity of QFT-GIT was greater
than that of TST overall, at all the standard TST cut-offs and when stratified by HIV status. The
sensitivity of QFT-GIT was 85.6% (95%CI: 77.0-91.9) (indeterminate results excluded) compared
to that of TST at 51.6% (95% CI: 40.9-62.2) at a cut-off of ≥ 10 mm. Secondly, test-retest
reproducibility of QFT-GIT was high at 91.74% (ICC: 0.90; 95% CI 0.82-0.97). Thirdly, in this
setting, some biological and operational factors that affected the performance of QFT-GIT were
identified such as HIV positivity, low CD4+ T-lymphocytes, delayed incubation of blood samples
and power outages.
8
For the main study, the study population at baseline consisted of 1,789 HHCs who were
predominantly women (71%); median age was 28 years (IQR: 21-43); HIV positivity rate was
27.9%. Prevalence of tuberculous infection was 63.7% as measured by QFT-GIT and 39.6% by
TST. There was a low level of agreement between the tests regardless of TST cut-off point (%
agreement=59.7%; kappa=0.24). QFT+/TST- discordance (575/719; 80%) was more frequent
than QFT-/TST+ discordance (144/719; 20%) at TST ≥10 mm.
Risk factors associated with QFT-GIT positivity were identified at baseline. In multivariable
analysis adjusted for sex, age, and community, HIV status was negatively associated with QFTGIT
positivity (aOR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.37–0.63; p<0.001) whereas residing in an urban area (aOR:
2.37; 95% CI: 1.10–5.13; p<0.03), smear status of index (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 0.91-1.76; p=0.15) and
country (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.48–2.51; p<0.001) were positively associated with QFT-GIT
positivity. Similar results were obtained for TST.
From a total of 1789 HHCs seen at baseline, 1113 (62.2%) HHCs entered follow-up and were
included in the main analysis. The overall incidence rate of TB was 20.96/1000 pyrs (95% CI:
15.93-27.58). TB incidence rate was higher among test positive HHCs compared to those who
were negative (IRR for QFT-GIT: 1.65; 95% CI: 0.86-3.37; p=0.06) and for TST (IRR: 1.88; 95%CI:
1.04-3.41; p=0.01). Results were similar in univariable analysis (QFT-GIT: 1.66 (95%CI: 0.88-3.11;
p=0.11) and TST: 1.89 (95%CI: 1.09-3.28; p=0.02)) and multivariable analysis adjusted for sex,
age and HIV (QFT-GIT: 2.20 (95%CI: 1.14-4.25; p=0.02) and TST: 2.19 (95%CI: 1.24-3.86;
p=0.007)). Overall, PPV for QFT-GIT was 5.38% (95%CI: 3.84-7.31), compared to TST, 6.57% (95%
CI: 4.41- 9.36).
Overall for QFT-GIT, the IRR was higher among HIV negative HHCs (IRR: 3.85; 95%CI: 0.90-34.51;
p=0.07) compared to HIV positives (IRR; 1.93; 95%CI: 0.88-4.57; p=0.04). Overall for TST, the IRR
for HIV negatives (IRR: 2.21; 95%CI: 0.78-6.72; p=0.05) was similar to that among HIV positives
(IRR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.09-5.00; p=0.009). Univariable analysis showed similar results for both tests.
In multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex and country as an effect modifier, the HR for
developing TB was 4.72 (95%CI: 1.35-16.46; p=0.01) in HIV positive QFT-GIT positives compared
to 2.13 (95%CI: 0.81-5.60; p=0.12) in HIV positives TST positive HHCs.
Risk factors for TB were identified. In multivariable analyses, adjusted for age, sex , HIV status
and country there was strong evidence that occasional smoking, (HR: 4.07; 95%CI:1.31-12.63),
HIV positivity (HR: 4.60; 95%CI:2.48-8.56), smear positivity of the index (HR: 2.00 ; 95%CI:1.04-
3.87) and country (HR: 1.79 ; 95%1.02-3.15; p=0.04) ) were associated with incidence of TB.
Out of the 1,113 HHCs who entered follow-up, 406 HHCs had IFN-γ levels <0.35 IU/ml and were
excluded leaving 707 HHCs in analysis for the primary objective. Out of these 536 (75.8%) had
IFN-gamma levels ≥ 0.35 and <10 IU/ml (low IFN-γ levels) while 171 (24.2%) HHCs had ≥ 10 IU/ml
(high IFN-γ levels).
Out of the 707 HHCs that entered follow-up, 38 (5.4%) HHCs developed active TB over 1558.0
person-years (pyrs) of follow-up, giving an incidence rate of 24.39/1000 pyrs (95% CI: 17.75-
33.52).TB incidence rates were 24.51/1000 pyrs (9 cases/367.2 pyrs) in HHCs with high levels and 24.35 (29 cases/1190.7 pyrs) among those with low levels of IFN-γ, giving an IRR of 1.0 (95%
CI: 0.42-2.18; p=0.48).
Overall, unadjusted HR in HHCs with high IFN-γ levels was 1.02 (95%CI: 0.48-2.15; p=0.96) while
in multivariable analysis adjusted for age, sex, country and HIV as an effect modifier, HR was
1.74 (95%CI: 0.63-4.79; p=0.29).
TB incidence rates in HIV positives was 51.94/1000 pyrs (3 cases/57.8 pyrs) in HHCs with high
levels and 65.29/1000 pyrs (19 cases/291.0 pyrs) among those with low levels of IFN-γ, giving an
IRR of 0.79 (95%CI: 0.15-2.70; p=0.38).TB incidence rates in HIV negatives were 19.56/1000 pyrs
(6 cases/306.7 pyrs) in HHCs with high levels and 11.47 (10 cases/871.7 pyrs) among those with
low levels of IFN-γ, giving an IRR of 1.70 (95%CI: 0.51-5.18, p=0.16).
Unadjusted HR among HIV negative HHCs was 1.73 (95%CI: 0.63-4.77; p=0.29) and 0.75
(95%0.22-2.55; p=0.65) among HIV positive ones respectively. In multivariable analysis adjusted
for age, sex and country, the HR remained similar as unadjusted analysis for both HIV negatives
and positives.
For all the groups used for sensitivity analysis of the primary question, HHCs with the highest
IFN-γ levels had increased IRRs ranging from 1.5 to 2 compared to the reference sub-group. For
HIV negatives, HHCs with the highest IFN-γ levels had the highest IRRs in all groups apart from
one group. HIV negative HHCs with the highest IFN-γ levels had increased IRRs ranging from 4 to
5-fold compared to the reference sub-group. In comparison, HIV positive HHCs with the highest
IFN-γ levels had increased IRRs ranging from 1.6 to 2.6 compared to the reference sub-group.
Conclusions
The principal finding in this study is that there was no difference in incidence rates between
HHCs with low and high levels (overall IRR: 1.0 (95% CI: 0.42-2.18)).
Another principal finding was that there was strong evidence of a five-fold increased risk of TB in
HIV positive QFT-GIT positive HHCs compared to HIV positive QFT-GIT negative ones (aHR : 4.72;
95%CI: 1.35-16.46; P=0.01). For all the groups used in the sensitivity analysis of the primary
question, HHCs with the highest IFN-γ levels had increased IRRs ranging from 1.5 to 2 compared
to the reference sub-group. The feasibility studies emphasized the need for stringent sample
collection and processing techniques to ensure the accuracy of QFT-GIT results.


Virilization of the urogenital tract is under the control of testicular androgens in all mammals. In tammar young, prostate differentiation begins between d 20 and d 40 under the control of the testicular androgen 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (5alpha-adiol), but uncertainties exist about the control of penile development. We performed longitudinal studies up to d 150 of pouch life to define normal penile development and the effects of androgen administration and castration. In control animals the male phallus was longer than the female phallus by d 48. Closure of the urethra in males begins around d 60 and continues to at least d 150. Administration of supraphysiological doses of testosterone to females caused penile development equivalent to that of the male and also induced partial closure of the urethral groove by d 150. Castration of male pouch young at d 25 prevented penile development, whereas the penis in males castrated at d 40, 80, or 120 had partial closure of the urethral groove. Administration of 5alpha-adiol to females from d 20-40 also caused partial closure of the urethral groove and some growth of the phallus at d 150, whereas 5alpha-adiol treatment from d 40-80 or 80-120 caused some penile growth but had little effect on urethral development. These findings, together with the fact that we found no sex differences in plasma levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 5alpha-adiol, dehydroepiandrosterone, or androstenedione from d 51-227, clearly indicate that the action of 5alpha-adiol between d 20 and 40 imprints later differentiation of the male penis.


This work presents a study on the fracturing behaviour of a quartz tempered clay-based ceramic subjected to damage in freeze-thaw cycles. X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) provided high-resolution imaging of the ceramic before and during the freeze-thaw treatment, allowing to analyse a fully water-saturated sample using a special thermal stage designed to keep the sample frozen during analyses. Micro-CT 3D renderings showed the internal features of the specimen (i.e., quartz grain distribution), the increment of fracture count and size, and the detachment of ceramic and/or temper fragments from the edges of the sample over the cycles. Selected 2D micrographs, before and after freeze-thawing treatment, were analysed using the MATLAB toolbox FracPaQ. This software provided detailed data on fracture length, intensity, density, orientation and connectivity, and enabled to interpret the process of fracture initiation and propagation inside the material. These results showed that the temper plays a crucial role in ceramic fracturing behaviour under freeze- thawing conditions, as damage propagation is influenced by quartz grain distribution and orientation within the material. The study described in this work, not only offers new insights into the fracture dynamics of freeze-thawed clay-based ceramics, but also presents a new methodological approach to quantitatively measure fracture damage in porous materials.


This paper examines the three prevalent approaches to Artificial Intelligence (AI), namely symbolic reasoning systems, connectionist systems, and emergent systems based on the principles of the subsumption theory. Distinguished by their top-down and bottomup mechanisms all three approaches have strengths and weaknesses. While the logical reasoning approach is precise and well supported by mathematical theories and procedures, it is constrained by a largely predefined representational model. Connectionist systems, on the other hand, are able to recognize patterns even if these patterns are only similar and not identical to the patterns that they have been trained to recognize, but they have no understanding of the meaning of those patterns. The subsumption approach appears to overcome many of the weaknesses of the other two approaches in theory, but there is concern that it may not scale to more complex real world applications. The author points out that in addition there are weaknesses that all three AI approaches share, namely inability to deal with exceptions, lack of mechanisms for analogous comparisons, and very primitive conceptualization capabilities at best. It is noted that the human agent performs decidedly better in these areas. The paper concludes with the proposition that only a hybrid approach holds sufficient promise to meet the full expectations of intelligent systems. It is further suggested that this hybrid approach should include the contributions of the human agent as an integral component of the intelligent system, in most cases.


Elevation data are a critical element in any geoscience application. From the fundamentals of geological mapping to more advanced three-dimensional (3D) modelling of Earth systems there must be an understanding of the shape of the Earth's surface. Vast amounts of digital elevation data exist, from large-scale global datasets to smaller-scale regional datasets, and in many cases datasets have been merged to improve scale and accuracy. For each application decisions must be made on which elevation data are appropriate. This will depend on many factors including the cost, resolution and accuracy of the data.
The types of data discussed in this special publication include: ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer), LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) – terrestrial and airborne, NEXTMap, SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) and multibeam bathymetry. Applications covered include: landslide mapping, coastal erosion, glacial deposits and hazard mapping, and some of the issues discussed include: accuracy analysis, derived product creation, software comparisons and copyright considerations (Table 1 ). Since some of the papers were written for the Special Publication certain datasets have evolved and been created; for example, the GDEM global elevation dataset derived from ASTER data. This illustrates the fast moving nature of this field.
View this table:In this windowIn a new windowTable 1. Summary of applications and sensors discussed in this Special Publication

With the proliferation in data available for the production of digital elevation models (DEMs) it is increasingly important to understand how to use the raw data correctly and effectively. Giglierano discusses the use of LiDAR for natural resource mapping applications, and states how a 'black box' approach is dangerous and that knowledge of the data being used is essential, especially as more non-specialists begin to use the data. Many users reduce the resolution of the DEM to shorten processing time and also decrease the amount of space required to store the data. …


This paper describes the exploratory use of electrical test structures to enable the calibration of optical overlay instruments of the type used to monitor semiconductor-device fabrication processes. Such optical instruments are known to be vulnerable to hard-to-determine systematic process- and instrument-specific errors known as shifts. However, these shift errors generally do not affect electrical test-structure measurements extracted from the same features. Thus the opportunity exists to configure physical standards having overlay targets that can be certified by electrical means, thereby enabling estimates of the shifts prevailing in a particular application. In this work, a new hybrid test structure, meaning one from which overlay measurements can be extracted electrically, as well as by optical instruments, has been designed and fabricated with built-in overlay values ranging from -60 to +60 nm. A selection of structures constituting a test chip has been patterned in a single conducting film with CD (critical dimension) design rules ranging from 1.0 /spl mu/m to 2.0 /spl mu/m and fabricated and tested. Electrical overlay parameters, derived from multiple step-and-repeat die-site measurements, generally match the corresponding optical measurements to within several nanometers, subject to limitations of the pattern-replication process. This paper focuses on the extraction of overlay from the electrical measurements, the dependence of the measurements on CD design rules, and their comparison with the corresponding measurements made both by a commercial optical-overlay instrument and by a coordinate-measurement system having measurements traceable to absolute dimensional standards. It is presented as a first step toward the use of electrical measurements for advancing shift management in optical overlay of features patterned in separate lithographic processes.


Willem Vervoort was born on 12 June 1917 in Schiedam. He read biology at Leiden university (19361941, interrupted by active war service) where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1946 under the supervision of Prof. Dr H. Boschma with a thesis entitled 'The Copepoda of the Snellius Expedition I'. In 1941 Dr Vervoort was appointed assistant, later curator of invertebrates at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden, where he was in charge of the invertebrates minus arthropods and molluscs. He worked at the museum on hydroids and copepods until 1950, interrupted by two trips to Antarctica where he was cetacean biologist to the national whaling company (1946/1947, 1947/1948). In the period 1950-1959 Dr Vervoort was lecturer in histology/cytology in the zoology department of the university. In 1959 he returned to the museum to the position he had held before. In 1970 he was appointed assistant director, and in 1972 director of the museum. In 1982 he had to leave when reaching the statutory age of retirement (65). In the years 1973-1982 Vervoort also occupied the chair of Systematic Zoology at the university. Far from retiring in practice, he was allowed to retain a suite of rooms in one of the outbuildings of the museum where he continued his specialist work, among other activities supervising a number of foreign Ph.D. students in his specialisations, particularly hydroid taxonomy. During his long tenure Dr Vervoort became a highly respected and internationally recognized specialist in Copepoda and Hydrozoa, on which he published numerous authoritative treatises and papers. During his work at the museum, he undertook a lot of field work in marine biology in Europe (Scandinavia, Spain), the West Indies and Surinam, the eastern Atlantic and New Guinea. As director of the museum he consolidated the considerable achievements of his famous predecessors, Prof. Dr L.D. Brongersma (director 1958- 1972) and Prof. Dr H. Boschma (director 1933-1958). This paper describes Dr Vervoort's life and work in some detail and includes a full bibliography (112 numbers until the end of August 1997, a number of these with foreign co-authors) with a list of taxa newly described, viz. a total of 167, i.e. Hydrozoa 97 (genera 4, species 89, subspecies 3, variety 1) and Copepoda 70 (family 1, subfamily 1, genera 11, species 57) - many in conjunction with foreign colleagues).


The abundance and parasitism rates of preimaginal instars of the maize stalk borel; Busseola fusca (Fuller), were studied for the first time in the Ivory Coast. Maize crops were sampled in different ecological regions over a seven-year period. High population levels were only observed in the Mesophil sector of the Guinean ecological zone, where densities varied from 2-5 borers per stem in June plantings. Fluctuations in population density were attributed to three major factors: (1) timing of infestations, that appeared to be dependent on diapauses termination, which was influenced by rainfall at the end of March and during April; (2) numbers of larvae surviving diapause, that was dependent on severity of the dry season, on the occurrence of bush fires and on egg parasitism; (3) maize planting dates, which resulted in a coincidence between the plant growth stage favourable to the pest and the oviposition periods. Two egg parasitoids, Telenomus busseolae Gahan and T. isis Polaszek (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) were collected. The first species was predominant (72 % of parasitized eggs). Five parasitoids were reared from larvae and pupae. Of these, Tetrastichus atriclavus Waterston (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was dominant (91 % of parasitized insects). The percentage parasitism of larvae and pupae was less than 10 % and appeared to have little influence on the population dynamics of B. fusca in the Ivory Coast.


ABSTRACT Background: At present, our understanding of the risk markers associated with panic disorder among older, community dwelling older adults is limited. To address this gap, we examined the prevalence, risk markers, and comorbidity of panic disorder defined using DSM-IV criteria among older adults. Method: Using data drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of Canadians, we estimated lifetime and 12-month prevalence of panic disorder, and examined demographic predictors and patterns of comorbidity of current panic disorder in adults aged 55 years and older (n = 12,792). Results: The 12-month and lifetime prevalence estimates of panic disorder in this sample were 0.82% and 2.45% respectively, and one-fifth of these cases reported a first onset after the age of 55 years. In multivariate models, the risk of panic disorder decreased with older age and was significantly lower among widowed respondents. Physical limitations in daily activities as well as the presence of other psychiatric disorders (major depression, and social phobia) were also significantly associated with panic disorder in this sample. Conclusions: Consistent with previous research on panic disorder, the prevalence of the disorder decreased with age among older adults. Potential explanations for the age effect and the clinical implications of the mental health comorbidities with panic disorder are discussed.


By comparing the pseudocapacitive performance of ALD V2O5 in micro-, meso-, and macro-porous carbon electrodes, we describe the fundamental limits to ALD in very fine pores for pseudocapacitive charge storage. Comparing experimental trends with an ALD coating model, we find that the thermal V2O5 ALD process using vanadium triisopropoxide (VTIP) and water is unable to deposit in pores where the pore diameter is below a critical diameter of 13 A. By adding the ALD V2O5 layer onto activated carbon electrodes, we find that the energy storage capacity could be increased by 144% for carbon with micropores and macropores, whereas for carbon black powder containing only macropores (i.e. a low surface area resulting in a relatively small starting capacity) the ALD coating increased the capacity more than 40-fold. To understand the ALD coating limits, the pores of the carbon electrodes were modeled as a series of connected tubes, and the volume of V2O5 deposited determined experimentally was compared to the calculated deposition limit. Pores below this critical diameter were sealed and decreased the accessible volume for V2O5 deposition by more than half, decreasing the maximum capacity. The effect of the pore sealing by the ALD process on the capacitive response of the activated carbon based electrodes was also studied. This work highlights the intrinsic capabilities and limitations of coating microporous materials using ALD.


Consequentialists believe punishment can only be justified to the extent that it serves a particular goal - generally of reducing wrongdoing. Retributivists believe that punishment serves as an end (and a good) in itself, by 'answering' wrongdoing and giving a voice to society's norms and moral edicts. This Article aims to demonstrate, however, that dividing up the world of punishment theory in this way is not especially useful. By laying out the underlying assumptions of these theories (something infrequently done), we reveal not only several surprising and fundamental similarities, but we also make clear that the most important differences between the two theories rest on particular understandings of what the harms of crime actually are, and whether given punishments address them. Once people specify which harms are in dispute in a particular policy debate, speaking in terms of consequentialist and retributivist theories adds little, if anything, to the discussion. In fact, it tends to obscure the real issues in contest, and makes it more difficult to see which punishment policies will best redress the harms of crime. To improve both clarity of the discussion and the effectiveness of ultimate solutions, we argue that punishment policy debates should bypass the punishment philosophy stage altogether, and focus directly on contested views about harms. Using philosophical and empirical findings, we describe what this sort of debate would look like both in the abstract and through concrete examples.


ABSTRACT In 1987, the Hudson Institute released its demographic study of the United States, Workforce 2000. It immediately captured the attention of many employers, both small and large, because of predictions of a higher than expected influx of women and ethnic minorities into the American workforce. According to the Hudson Institute's projections, only 15 percent of new workers entering the labor force in the 1990s would be white males; the remainder would consist of females and members of ethnic minorities. The consequences of such rapid demographic shifts gave rise to the study of the implications of a more diverse workforce and society. Within one year of the publication of Workforce 2000, the first articles advising businesses and organizations how to capitalize on this diversity were being published (Copeland, 1988; Marmer-Solomon, 1989). Simultaneously, diversity consultants began attaining legitimacy in the business community, and many of their solutions were gaining general acceptance. A PROBLEM WITH DEFINITIONS Since 1987, the term diversity has become one of those ethereal words which is increasingly difficult to define. Diversity means many things to many people. Organizations have been following varying strategies from recognizing to embracing diversity in the workplace. As an example, Robinson, Franklin, and Terpstra (1994) identified a continuum of four strategies that organizations use to cope with diversity: (1) awareness, (2) accommodation, (3) affirmative action, and (4) alternative change and commitment that is required for each strategy. Awareness, the simplest category of policy modification, assumes that firms adopting this strategy follow trends in their relevant labor markets and note the increased participation of women and ethnic minorities. The second option on the continuum, accommodation, assumes that organizations following this strategy choose to adapt some of their policies to the anticipated labor force development, primarily seeking to attract and retain certain classes of employees with a minimum disruption of production processes, workplace rules and procedures, and management styles. The affirmative action strategy argues that in the absence of discriminatory intent, an employer's internal workplace should mirror its external labor market. As will be discussed in more detail later, this strategy may run afoul of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statutes. Finally, the alternative standards strategy advocates understanding that women and ethnic minorities often exhibit different workplace behaviors, and as a result, it is suggested, and even encouraged, that women and ethnic minorities be treated differently by their employers. Like the affirmative action strategy, the alternative standards strategy poses some very serious conflicts with existing EEO laws. Interestingly, diversity is far more inclusive than the protected classes that many human resource managers associate with current EEO laws and affirmative action regulations. In addition to including ethnicity, sex, race, age, and disability (the statutorily protected classes), diversity may also apply to sexual preference (Kaplan & Lucas, 1996). However, diversity invariably encourages employers to become aware of cultural differences among their workers and modify employment practices accordingly. Not surprisingly, the academic community's interest in diversity quickly coalesced into an identifiable diversity movement. And though the goals of this movement run the gamut from calling for social action to demanding political power, and all points in between, when it comes to organizational policy, two basic tenets have emerged: (1) heterogeneous, or diverse, work groups are preferable to homogeneous ones; and (2) organizations must learn to accommodate the different needs of these diverse groups in the workplace (Herriot & Pemberton, 1995; Baytos, 1995). The former tenet holds that diversity itself is an organizational strength which should be valued and actively pursued (Thomas, 1991; Loden & Rosener, 1991; Cross, 1994; Fernandez & Barr, 1993; Fernandez, 1991). …


BBC Radio 4 broadcast. Master Rock is a repertoire for a mountain. Conceived as a work for radio, this experimental drama was performed and recorded live inside Ben Cruachan, a mile beneath one of West Scotland's highest mountains. I built on extensive research into the construction of the power station, and responded to its physical structure with a polyphonic narrative structure, forefronting dialect and demotic forms of language. I collaborated with art historians, composers, engineering and technology historians, geologists, sound engineers and the workers in the site itself. The play was performed live inside the mountain to an audience granted special access by ScottishPower, then broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (14-18 October 2016) in both arts and mainstream drama slots: thereby being the first of such contemporary art commissions to reach a large mainstream audience. Listened to live by 600,000 people worldwide; it has had almost 2 million listeners and 16,000 downloads. "Fusco's research has had a significant impact upon Cove Park… through the involvement of a major non-arts organisation (ScottishPower) the project has highlighted to us the significant potential and value of cross-sector collaboration within our region." Alexia Holt, Visual Arts Programme Producer, Cove Park.


The localisation of the prokaryotic metallothionein (MT) divergon smt (which includes the MT gene smtA and a divergently transcribed gene smtB] was examined, and smt deficient mutants of Synechococcus PCC 7942 (strain R2-PIM8) have been generated by insertional inactivation/partial gene deletion mediated by homologous recombination. The structure and homozygosity (of the smt region) of these mutants, designated R2-PIM8(smt), was confirmed by Southern analyses and plasmid recovery in Escherichia coli (involving the generation of a ca. 7.8 kb plasmid from Soil digested R2-PIM8(smt) DNA). Furthermore, smtA transcripts were not detected in R2-PIM8(smt) RNA. Viability of R2-PIM8(smt) reveals that smt performs no essential role in Synechococcus under these culture conditions. R2-PIM8(smt) has reduced tolerance to Zn(^2+) and Cd(^2+), and short term reduced resistance to Ag(^+). Restoration of Zn(^2+) tolerance was used as a phenotypic selection to isolate recombinants derived from R2-PIM8(smt) after reintroduction of a linear DNA fragment containing an uninterrupted smt divergon. These smt-restored cells also exhibited restored Cd(^2+) tolerance. Hypersensitivity to Cu(^2+) or Hg(^2+)was not detected in R2-PIM8(smt) indicating independence of Cu(^2+) and Hg(^2+) resistance to smt-mediated metal tolerance. Sequences upstream of smtA (Including smtB and/or the smt operator-promoter) fused to a promoterless locZ, conferred metal-dependent β-galactosidase expression in R2-PIM8. At maximum permissive concentrations for growth, β-galactosidase assays revealed Zn(^2+) to be a more potent elicitor of metal-dependent expression from the smtA operator-promoter than Cd(^2+). Equivalent experiments, in R2-PIM8(smQ and R2-PIM8(smtA+/B-) (containing functional chromosomal smtA and non-functional chromosomal smtB), revealed that smtB encodes a repressor of smtA transcription. In addition, it is demonstrated that SmtB can act in trans. It is proposed that Zn(^2+) is the most potent (metal ion) inducer of SmtB mediated derepression of smtA transcription. Furthermore, β-galactosidase assays indicated that, in addition to SmtB, other regulatory elements (including a transcriptional activator) are involved in the regulation of expression from the smt operator-promoter. Restoration of Zn(^2+) tolerance was also used as a phenotypic selection to isolate recombinants derived from R2-PIM8(smt) after reintroduction of a linear DNA fragment, containing functional smtA and non-functional smtB. The resulting transformants, R2-PIM8(smtA+/B-), exhibited increased (early) tolerance to Zn(^2+) and Cd(^2+) as compared to R2-PIM8(smt-. reintroduced ) (equivalent to R2-PIM8).The work presented in this thesis proposes a role for SmtA in Zn(^2+) homoeostasis/metabolism and Cd(^2+) detoxification. SmtB is confirmed to be a trans-acting inducer- (metal ion) responsive negative regulator of smtA. The phenotype of R2-PIM8(sm(A+/B-) (with respect to metal tolerance) has significance regarding previous work (Gupta et al., 1993. Molecular Microbiology 7, 189-195), in which analysis of the smt region of Synechococcus PCC 6301 cells selected for Cd(^2+) resistance, by stepwise adaptation, revealed the functional deletion of smtB. It was proposed that loss of smtB may be beneficial for continuously metal challenged cells. Loss of smtB, now shown to encode a repressor of smtA transcription, is shown to confer constitutive derepressed expression from the smtA operator- promoter and determine an (early) increase in metal (Zn(2+)/Cd(^2+)) tolerance.


The Langmuir probe technique is the predominant in-situ plasma diagnostic technique, and is arguably the only measurement technique that is universally own on every sounding rocket investigation. Earth's mesosphere region (80-120 km) is a host of many dynamic phenomena such as the noctilucent clouds, breaking gravity waves, inversion layers, settlement of mesospheric smoke particles, etc. As such it is critical to have a comprehensive suite of plasma diagnostics that can unambiguously measure various plasma parameters. This thesis deals with the development and testing of three di erent Langmuir probe implementations suitable for investigation of the mesosphere which are to be launched as part of the Mesosphere Turbulence Experiment sounding rockets. Two of the implementations are xed bias Langmuir probes with di erent probe geometries, and the third implementation is a typical cylindrical sweeping Langmuir probe. Amongst the xed bias Langmuir probe implementations, the multi-needle xed bias Langmuir probe is a collection of three xed bias needles at distinct voltages in the electron saturation region that can together make an absolute electron density measurement that is immune to low levels of spacecraft charging. Similarly, the multi-surface xed bias Langmuir probe is a collection of three spherical probes, however these are biased at the same potential in the electron saturation region while each having a di erent metal electroplated on its surface. This probe not only gives relative plasma density measurements, but is also able to detect the presence of mesospheric smoke particles. The sweeping Langmuir probe is a traditional Langmuir probe implementation capable of giving us absolute density and electron temperature along with payload oating potential. iv The work towards this thesis involved the design of these various implementations in National Instrument's Multisim, the layout of the boards in National Instrument's Ultiboard, the board population, calibration and testing. Finally, the sweeping Langmuir probe electronics were also tested in the new ERAU Space Plasma Chamber.


In recent years the term "wage theft" has been widely used to describe the phenomenon of employers not paying their workers the wages they are owed. While the term has great normative weight, it is rarely accompanied by calls for employers literally to be prosecuted under the criminal law. However, it is a little known fact that in 1935 Canada enacted a criminal wage theft law, which remained on the books until 1955. This article provides an historical account of history of the wage theft law, including the role of the Royal Commission on Price Spreads, the legislative debates and amendments that narrowed its scope and the one unsuccessful effort to prosecute an employer for intentionally paying less than the provincial minimum wage. It concludes that the law was a symbolic gesture and another example of the difficulty of using the criminal law to punish employers for their wrongdoing.


This book considers the topic of achieving value from IT from both theoretical and practical perspectives. It is based on extensive research which produced a comprehensive understanding and analysis of the issues involved and innovative new approaches that addressed those issues plus considerable practical application, in a wide range of organisations of the ideas, processes, tools and techniques that were developed. The book describes how IS/IT investments can be aligned accurately with organisational strategy and how the approach and 'tool-kit' can be used by business managers and IS/IT specialists to identify the benefits available from different types of investments in a variety of organisational contexts. It describes how business cases can be developed that enable the benefits to be planned for and then realised through techniques and processes that overcome the organisational barriers that often prevent successful implementation. It also considers the strengths and limitations of existing methods, and shows how the approach can be integrated with best practice in the areas of project and change programme management. The book concludes by explaining how the key concepts in the approach have been extended and adapted to improve strategy development and decision making as well as an organisation's ability to implement its strategy successfully.


Photorhabdus are highly effective insect pathogenic bacteria that exist in a mutualistic relationship with Heterorhabditid nematodes. Unlike other members of the genus, Photorhabdus asymbiotica can also infect humans. Most Photorhabdus cannot replicate above 34°C, limiting their host-range to poikilothermic invertebrates. In contrast, P. asymbiotica must necessarily be able to replicate at 37°C or above. Many well-studied mammalian pathogens use the elevated temperature of their host as a signal to regulate the necessary changes in gene expression required for infection. Here we use RNA-seq, proteomics and phenotype microarrays to examine temperature dependent differences in transcription, translation and phenotype of P. asymbiotica at 28°C versus 37°C, relevant to the insect or human hosts respectively. Our findings reveal relatively few temperature dependant differences in gene expression. There is however a striking difference in metabolism at 37°C, with a significant reduction in the range of carbon and nitrogen sources that otherwise support respiration at 28°C. We propose that the key adaptation that enables P. asymbiotica to infect humans is to aggressively acquire amino acids, peptides and other nutrients from the human host, employing a so called "nutritional virulence" strategy. This would simultaneously cripple the host immune response while providing nutrients sufficient for reproduction. This might explain the severity of ulcerated lesions observed in clinical cases of Photorhabdosis. Furthermore, while P. asymbiotica can invade mammalian cells they must also resist immediate killing by humoral immunity components in serum. We observed an increase in the production of the insect Phenol-oxidase inhibitor Rhabduscin normally deployed to inhibit the melanisation immune cascade. Crucially we demonstrated this molecule also facilitates protection against killing by the alternative human complement pathway.


ABSTRACT MicroRNAs have been implicated in the modulation of gene expression programs important for normal and cancer cell development. miR-155 is known to play a role in B-cell development and is upregulated in various B-cell lymphomas, including several that are latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We show here that EBV infection of primary human B lymphocytes leads to the sustained elevation of miR-155 and its precursor RNA, BIC. The EBV-encoded latency membrane protein 1 (LMP1) can partially reconstitute BIC activation in B lymphocytes but not in epithelial cell cultures. LMP1 is a potent activator of NF-κB signaling pathways and is essential for EBV immortalization of B lymphocytes. An inhibitor to miR-155 further stimulated NF-κB responsive gene transcription, and IKKε was identified as a potential target of miR-155 translational repression. Remarkably, miR-155 inhibitor reduced EBNA1 mRNA and the EBV copy number in latently infected cells. This suggests that miR-155 contributes to EBV immortalization by modulation of NF-κB signaling and the suppression of host innate immunity to latent viral infection.


This paper argues against the view that Bulgaria's EU accession was premature and that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) is not delivering. The EU's continued leverage and the efficacy of the CVM are explained in a framework that goes beyond the dual-conditionality paradigm of incentives and sanctions, and beyond the unitary players model of EU-Bulgarian relations. In this framework, the CVM is viewed as an instrument for supportive reinforcement rather than for the imposition of sanctions. Furthermore, it is seen as targeting not just the government, but all Bulgarian stakeholders. The CVM is regarded as very effective at the level of public opinion and civil society, and as a mechanism that contributes to 'sandwiching' reform-reluctant Bulgarian governments between pressure from Brussels and domestic pressure for reforms. The CVM is also deemed useful for Bulgaria's further Europeanisation beyond the narrower pre-accession phase of 'EU-isation'. The paper suggests that eventual post-accession benchmarks might be appropriate in the process of further EU enlargement if properly understood as instruments for granting support and if discussed broadly with stakeholders beyond the executive. Concerning the efficiency/legitimacy dilemma, it is asserted that the CVM is an opportunity for increasing the EU's legitimacy.


Despite the huge amount of recent research efforts on entity resolution (matching) there has not yet been a comparative evaluation on the relative effectiveness and efficiency of alternate approaches. We therefore present such an evaluation of existing implementations on challenging real-world match tasks. We consider approaches both with and without using machine learning to find suitable parameterization and combination of similarity functions. In addition to approaches from the research community we also consider a state-of-the-art commercial entity resolution implementation. Our results indicate significant quality and efficiency differences between different approaches. We also find that some challenging resolution tasks such as matching product entities from online shops are not sufficiently solved with conventional approaches based on the similarity of attribute values.


Increasing the abundance of fungi relative to bacteria should favor C accrual, because fungi use C more efficiently, and are composed of more recalcitrant C compounds. We examined changes in soil microbial community structure following cessation of tillage-based agriculture and through subsequent succession in a C-accruing tallgrass prairie restoration chronosequence. We predicted that the relative abundance of fungi would increase following conversion from tillage-based agriculture. Soil microbial community structure was assessed as relative abundances of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). Cessation of tillage-based agriculture did initially lead to an increase in the abundance of fungi, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), relative to bacteria. We suggest this is primarily due to reduced disturbance when tilling ceases. Vegetation characteristics also appear to be important, with high cyclopropyl/precursor PLFA ratios indicating bacterial communities under stress in agricultural soils, probably due to low C, arid possibly to low C relative to N inputs. A secondary gradient in soil microbial community structure was related to successional time, and tied to soil characteristics, particularly bulk density (D b ), pH, and soil organic C and N. However, while the fungi/bacteria (F/B) ratio was high in early succession plots, it declined later in succession. In addition, although the F/B ratio increased with SOC in the agricultural soils, it decreased with SOC in prairie soils. We conclude that increased community metabolic efficiency due to higher relative abundances of fungi is not the primary mechanism leading to enhanced C storage in these soils.


ABSTRACT Background: The association of prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) polymorphism (SNP, rs544190G>A) with metastatic prostate cancer in European descent has been reported. Our aim of the current study was to re-validate the effect of PCA3 polymorphism on prostate cancer risk in an Eastern Chinese population and then estimate possible genetic discrepancies among population. Materials and Methods: Taqman assay was employed to determine genotype of SNP rs544190 in 1015 ethnic Han Chinese patients with prostate cancer and 1032 cancer-free controls. Simultaneously, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for risk relationship were calculated by logistic regression models. Results: The statistically significant relationship between PCA3 rs544190G>A and higher prostate cancer risk was not found. Stratification analysis revealed that there was no remarkable association of rs544190 variant AG/AA genotype with prostate cancer risk in every subgroup, except for patients with Gleason score ≤7(3+4). Conclusion: Although the results demonstrated that SNP rs544190 was not involved in prostate cancer risk in Eastern Chinese descent, unlike in European population, these might have clinical implications on prostate cancer heterogeneity around the World. To validate these findings, well-designed studies with different ethnic populations are warranted.


This paper addresses the nontraditional but practically meaningful reversibility problem of mesh filtering. This reverse‐filtering approach (termed a DeFilter) seeks to recover the geometry of a set of filtered meshes to their artifact‐free status. To solve this scenario, we adapt cascaded normal regression (CNR) to understand the commonly used mesh filters and recover automatically the mesh geometry that was lost through various geometric operations. We formulate mesh defiltering by an extreme learning machine (ELM) on the mesh normals at an offline training stage and perform it automatically at a runtime defiltering stage. Specifically, (1) to measure the local geometry of a filtered mesh, we develop a generalized reverse Filtered Facet Normal Descriptor (grFND) in the consistent neighbors; (2) to map the grFNDs to the normals of the ground‐truth meshes, we learn a regression function from a set of filtered meshes and their ground‐truth counterparts; and (3) at runtime, we reversely filter the normals of a filtered mesh, using the learned regression function for recovering the lost geometry. We evaluate multiple quantitative and qualitative results on synthetic and real data to verify our DeFilter's performance thoroughly. From a practical point of view, our method can recover the lost geometry of denoised meshes without needing to know the exact filter used previously, and can act as a geometry‐recovery plugin for most of the state‐of‐the‐art methods of mesh denoising.


Ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) is one of the main causes of acute kidney injury (AKI), which is characterized by sterile inflammation and oxidative stress. Immune cell activation can provoke overproduction of inflammatory mediators and reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to perturbation of the microcirculation and tissue oxygenation associated with local and remote tissue injury. This study investigated whether the clinically employed immunosuppressant mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was able to reduce I/R‐induced renal oxygenation defects and oxidative stress by preventing sterile inflammation. Rats were divided into three groups (n=6/group): (1) a sham‐operated control group; (2) a group subjected to renal I/R alone (I/R); and (3) a group subjected to I/R and MMF treatment (20 mg/kg prior to I/R) (I/R+MMF). Ischaemia was induced by a vascular occluder placed on the abdominal aorta for 30 minutes, followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion. Renal I/R deteriorated renal oxygenation (P<.001) and oxygen delivery (P<.01), reduced creatinine clearance (P<.01) and tubular sodium reabsorption (P<.001), and increased iNOS, renal tissue injury markers (P<.001), and IL‐6 (P<.001). Oral MMF administration prior to insult restored renal cortical oxygenation (P<.05) and iNOS, renal injury markers, and inflammation parameters (P<.001) to near‐baseline levels without affecting renal function. MMF exerted a prophylactic effect on renal microvascular oxygenation and abrogated tissue inflammation and renal injury following lower body I/R‐induced AKI. These findings may have clinical implications during major vascular or renal transplant surgery.


The process of translating scientific information into timely and useful insights that inform policy and resource management decisions, despite the existence of uncertainties, is a difficult and challenging task. Policy-focused assessment is one approach to achieving this end. It is an ongoing process that engages both researchers and end-users to analyze, evaluate and interpret information from multiple disciplines to draw conclusions that are timely and useful for decision makers. This paper discusses key characteristics of a policy-focused assessment process, including (1) ongoing collaboration between the research, assessment, and stakeholder communities; (2) a focus on stakeholder information needs; (3) multidisciplinary approaches; (4) use of scenarios to deal with uncertainties; and (5) evaluation of risk management options. We illustrate the particular challenge to assessors of providing the specific types of insights stakeholders need to effectively influence policy decisions. And we discuss the role that assessment can play in formulating an agenda for future research. Examples from the U.S. National Assessment of "The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the United States" are used to illustrate a policy-focused assessment process. For many of the participants, the first U.S. National Assessment was an extraordinary learning experience about how to develop better ways of conducting assessments.


The comment takes a critical look at the article "Global Capitalism in a State of Emergency" written by the editorial board and published in PROKLA 185. It appreciates the analytical and political intensions of the article but questions the appropriateness of the term "state of emergency" to characterize global capitalism in its current conditions. It also deplores the lack of consequences of the analysis for the most pressing issue of the rise of right-wing groups and governments in Europe and the USA. In this respect, the comment suggests two topics which urgently deserve the attention of the Left. The first one concerns the reasons for the rise of the Right. The comment argues against the assumption of striking parallels to the rise of fascism in the 1920 and 1930s, proposes an alternative view (the undermining of institutionalized social reciprocity in decades of prevailing neoliberalism), and draws some conclusions. The second topic concerns the overrepresentation of workers among the supporters of right-wing parties. Here the comment calls upon the Left to embark on policies which aim at the regeneration of working-class consciousness and not to go for compromises with nationalism and xenophobia.


In the dairy industry of north Queensland, an intensive and N-loaded production system, little is known about losses of N to the environment, and management practices that may reduce those losses. Such research is vital, given the proximity to environmentally sensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, and increasing economic constraints on dairy production. This study sought to determine the effect on pasture yield and N losses, of N fertiliser application rate and a nitrification inhibitor, 3, 4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP). The experiment was a factorial design with two fertiliser rates (industry standard, 57 kg N/ha as urea per application versus half that), two DMPP rates (with and without) and 4 replicates, carried out on a dairy farm on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, over one year. Applying urea at half the industry standard rate, together with DMPP, provided similar pasture yields and much lower losses of N to the environment than applying urea alone at the standard rate. While it was not possible to accurately allocate losses to particular mechanisms, most appeared to be lost in deep drainage, with losses as runoff and N2O small. Mean losses in deep drainage were lowered by reducing N rate and by application of DMPP. The findings indicate good potential for farmers to use DMPP-treated urea as a means of reducing fertiliser rates and losses to the environment without loss of productivity.


Abstract.
 Paleobiologists must propose a priori hypotheses of homology when conducting a phylogenetic analysis of extinct taxa. The distributions of such "primary" homologies among species are fundamental to phylogeny reconstruction because they reflect a prior belief in what constitutes comparable organismal elements and are the principal determinants of the outcome of phylogenetic analysis. Problems arise when fossil morphology presents seemingly equivocal hypotheses of homology, herein referred to as antinomies. In groups where homology recognition has been elusive, such as echinoderms, these problems are commonly accompanied by the presence (and persistence) of poor descriptive terminology in taxonomic literature that confounds an understanding of characters and stymy phylogenetic research. This paper combines fossil morphology, phylogenetic systematics, and insights from evolutionary developmental biology to outline a research program in Phylogenetic Paleo-ontogeny. A "paleo" ontogenetic approach to character analysis provides a logical basis for homology recognition and discerning patterns of character evolution in a phylogenetic context. To illustrate the utility of the paleo-ontogenetic approach, I present a reassessment of historically contentious plate homologies for "pan-cladid" crinoids (Cladida, Flexibilia, Articulata). Developmental patterns in living crinoids were combined with the fossil record of pan-cladid morphologies to investigate primary posterior plate homologies. Results suggest the sequence of morphologic transitions unfolding during the ontogeny of extant crinoids are developmental relics of their Paleozoic precursors. Developmental genetic modules controlling posterior plate development in pan-cladid crinoids have likely experienced considerable constraint for over 250 million years and limited morphologic diversity in the complexity of calyx characters. Future phylogenetic analyses of pan-cladids are recommended to consider the presence of a single plate in the posterior region homologous with the radianal, rather than the anal X, as is commonly assumed.


ABSTRACT: This study examines the effect of the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on voluntary disclosure. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we document a significant increase in the likelihood and frequency of management earnings forecasts following mandatory IFRS adoption, consistent with the notion that IFRS adoption alters firms' disclosure incentives in response to increased capital-market demand. We find the increase to be larger among firms domiciled in code-law countries, suggesting a catching-up effect among firms facing low disclosure incentives pre-adoption. We then propose and test three channels through which IFRS adoption could alter firms' disclosure incentives: improved earnings quality, increased shareholder demand, and increased analyst demand. We find evidence consistent with all three channels.


The story of Spain during World War II has largely been viewed as the story of dictator Francisco Franco's foreign diplomacy in the aftermath of civil war. Wayne H. Bowen now goes behind the scenes of fascism to reveal less-studied dimensions of Spanish history. By examining the conflicts within the Franco regime and the daily lives of Spaniards, he has written the first book-length assessment of the regime's formative years and the struggle of its citizens to survive. Bowen argues that the emphasis of previous scholars on Spain's foreign affairs is misplaced - that even the most pro-Axis elements of Franco's regime were more concerned with domestic politics, the potential for civil unrest, and poverty than with events in Europe. Synthesizing a wide range of Spanish-language scholarship and recently declassified government documents, Bowen reveals how Franco's government stumbled in the face of world war, inexperienced leaders, contradictory political ideology, and a divided populace. His book tells the dramatic story of a six-year argument among the general, the politicians, and the clerics on nothing less than what should be the nature of the new Spain, touching on issues as diverse as whether the monarchy should be restored and how women should dress. Examining the effects of the war years on key facets of Spanish life - Catholicism, the economy, women, leisure, culture, opposition to Franco, and domestic politics - Bowen explores a wide range of topics: the grinding poverty following the civil war, exacerbated by poor economic decisions; restrictions on employment for women versus the relative autonomy enjoyed by female members of the Falange; the efforts of the Church to recover from near decimation; and methods of repression practiced by the regime against leftists, separatists, and Freemasons. He also shows that the lives of most Spaniards remained apolitical and centered on work, family, and leisure, marked by the popularity of American movies and the resurgence of loyalty to regional sports teams. Unlike other studies that have focused exclusively on wartime Spain's foreign affairs, Bowen's work stresses the importance of the home front not only in keeping Spain out of the war but also in keeping Franco in power, and he shows that in spite of internal problems and external distractions, Franco's government managed to achieve its goals of state survival and internal peace. As the only single-volume survey of this era available in English, Spain during World War II is a masterful synthesis that offers a much-needed alternative view of the Franco regime during crucial times as it provides a testament to the Spanish people's will to survive.


Ever more lecturers find themselves forced to Web-enhance their courses out of economic pressure or prestige. Universities trapped between rising student numbers and decreasing budgets are turning to e-learning as the one-stop solution, with little concern for student or teacher needs. An e-(nhanced) learning environment can only be successful if it fulfils students' and lecturers' needs alike. The student needs to be supported in various stages of learning, whereas the lecturer cannot afford to spend more time on generating lecture support materials. Investigation of lecturers' and students' requirements resulted in the concept and design of e-ULE (e-Usable Learning Environment), a university-level teaching and learning environment with a strong focus on usability. To ensure learning materials are helpful for students in any learning situation, from gaining an overview to providing reference, an equally usable authoring tool is required: e-ULE's authoring system is geared towards a typical lecturer, without requiring an undue amount of IT or pedagogical skills, but offers support for academic workflow by supporting tasks like literature research and integration, and collaborative editing in large groups (e.g. with students). Following a usability engineering approach, all features of the e-ULE learning environment are derived from user requirements and usability tests. The main parts of the environment are currently at "proof of concept" stage. The system is open source and relies on several prominent open source projects.


In today's cities, councillors see themselves increasingly confronted with new forms of political steering focusing more on interaction than on hierarchical decision making and blurring the lines between the public and private spheres. By embedding the concept of governance in a new institutionalist framework, the article investigates the implications of new models of urban governance on the identity, the notion of democracy, the perceptions, and the role behavior of city councillors. It tests two rival hypotheses—an optimistic versus a pessimistic perspective on governance and democracy—and thereby draws on multilevel analyses of a comprehensive survey of all city councillors in Switzerland.


The study provides a deeper level of understanding of what recovery is (i.e. reconnection with life) and guidance on how it can happen (through an active reconnection with self, others and time).

Preferred individual strategies of reconnecting with life can be effectively combined with therapies and supports available in the services. In the wider community these can be allied to specific tasks of reconnecting with self, others and time.

The identified underlying processes, strategies, facilitators and barriers of reconnecting with life can equip all mental health stakeholders to evaluate and develop effective recovery-oriented policy, education, practice, research and mental health promotion strategies.


There is a Chinese curse quoted in glib desk calendars that have a phrase for each day: 'May you live in interesting times'. In fiction, maternity has not often been seen as terribly interesting, and in the real world having babies often stops a mother from writing, off and on and even for years. The story of mothers and babies seems elusive, not fit for the imagination, for where's the story? The 'maternal heroine', a protagonist and main character whose actions and identity are closely bound up with her work and experience of herself as a mother of young and dependent children, is rare. How could she not be? She's busy giving off strong whiffs of routine. Where's the drama in that? And what are babies? They're not thinking, arguing agents for change—hardly protagonists—even if antagonistic at the cocktail hour. At least, that is one way of opening up the question of the maternal heroine.


Aquaculture is the fastest growing food producing sector. It accounts for nearly 50% of the world food fish. It plays an important role in the economy, providing thousands of jobs for farm technicians and skilled labor. Furthermore, new industries and financial services in support of aquaculture are also providing employment opportunities. In Egypt, very rapid developments have occurred as well. Egypt's aquaculture production (1097544 tonnes in 2013) is by far the largest of any African country and places it 9th in terms of global aquaculture production. This expansion has been accompanied by a gradual shift from extensive and semi-intensive culture systems to more intensive feed dependent system. Although the importance of aquaculture is often understated, the consequent implications on the environment are difficult to ignore. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to improve the understanding of the contribution of different production systems to regional sustainable development. Increasing number of LCA studies of aquaculture have been published. The current study reviews the different LCA approaches in both global and regional aquaculture industry focusing on type of studies, production systems and considered environmental impacts. It also, identifies focus points required for future investigations.


Cachexia is a prognostically important development in patients with heart failure. The most commonly used definition of cardiac cachexia is loss of a percentage of body weight over time. Muscle wasting has been assumed to be the major contributor to this weight loss, and cytokine activation is postulated to be central to the pathogenesis. We hypothesised that elevated circulating cytokines in cachectic heart failure patients would be associated with muscle inflammation, injury and impaired
ability to repair.
The aim of this doctoral work was to characterise the nature of cachexia in patients with heart failure (HF) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD), to quantify the loss of muscle mass, and test the hypothesis that muscle wasting is mediated by the activation of tissue cytokines and cell cycle inhibitors.
We studied five subject groups. Three were groups of patients with stable coronary artery disease: 1) HF-cachexia - patients with HF, reduced left ventricular systolic function and cachexia, n=10; 2) HF-no cachexia - those with HF, reduced systolic function but no cachexia, n=20; and 3) CAD - those with CAD, no symptoms of HF
and preserved systolic function, n=10. The other subject groups were: 4) IDCM - patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, n=7; and 5) HC - healthy controls,
n=9.
Subjects were characterised by New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), peak oxygen consumption (VO2), weight history and body composition analysis. Circulating levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, adiponectin, and Btype
natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured. Skeletal muscle biopsies were analysed for the expression of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for TNF-α, IL-6, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and the cell cycle inhibitors (cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors) p21, p27 and p57.
We found that the HF-cachexia group had significantly lower body mass index (BMI) and percentage body fat than all the other subject groups. In contrast, there was no
significant reduction in fat free mass index (FFMI). In addition, the HF-cachexia group had higher rates of fat oxidation than all other groups.
While the HF-cachexia group had elevated circulating levels of TNF-α and IL-6, there was no increased expression of cytokines or CDK inhibitors in the skeletal
muscle.
Circulating adiponectin and BNP levels were elevated in the HF-cachexia group. There was a positive association between adiponectin and BNP, and a negative relationship of each with BMI and percentage body fat. In addition, adiponectin positively correlated with rate of fat oxidation and TNF-α concentration.
A possible causal relationship between adiponectin and increased rate of fat oxidation was further investigated in an additional study of young healthy male subjects
performing an exercise program specifically designed to maximise fat metabolism (n=11). Despite inducing significantly increased rates of fat oxidation and adiponectin concentrations no relationship was observed between them.
In conclusion, cachexia in patients with heart failure and stable coronary artery disease predominantly involves the loss of adipose tissue, with no evidence of muscle
wasting or inflammation. The presence of increased circulating levels of adiponectin and BNP, their association with each other, and the relationship of each with body composition, energy metabolism and TNF-α suggests these peptides may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiac cachexia.


Pattern matching is one of the most fundamental and important paradigms in several application domains such as digital forensics, cyber threat intelligence, or genomic and medical data analysis. While it is a straightforward operation when performed on plaintext data, it becomes a challenging task when the privacy of both the analyzed data and the analysis patterns must be preserved. In this paper, we propose new provably correct, secure, and relatively efficient (compared to similar existing schemes) public and private key based constructions that allow arbitrary pattern matching over encrypted data while protecting both the data to be analyzed and the patterns to be matched. That is, except the pattern provider (resp. the data owner), all other involved parties in the proposed constructions will learn nothing about the patterns to be searched (resp. the data to be inspected). Compared to existing solutions, the constructions we propose has some interesting properties: (1) the size of the ciphertext is linear to the size of plaintext and independent of the sizes and the number of the analysis patterns; (2) the sizes of the issued trapdoors are constant on the size of the data to be analyzed; and (3) the search complexity is linear on the size of the data to be inspected and is constant on the sizes of the analysis patterns. The conducted evaluations show that our constructions drastically improve the performance of the most efficient state of the art solution.


We present a novel algorithm for visibility approximation that is substantially faster than ray casting based algorithms. The algorithm does not require extensive preprocessing or specialized hardware as most other algorithms do. We test this algorithm in several settings: rural, mountainous and urban areas, with different view ranges and grid cell sizes. By changing the size of the grid cells that the algorithm uses, it is possible to tailor the algorithm between speed and accuracy.


Early, routine mobilization of critically ill patients is safe and reduces hospital length of stay, shortens the duration of mechanical ventilation, and improves muscle strength and functional independence. At the University of Michigan, we have turned the tides by creating a structured process to get our patients moving while keeping them and our staff safe through the use of a standardized mobility protocol that incorporates the components of safe patient handling. Our protocol is simple and can easily be adapted for all patient populations by simply modifying some of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The protocol incorporates safe patient handling and mobility preassessment guidelines, mobility standards, equipment guidelines, and documentation tools. The activities are grounded in the evidence and well thought out to prevent complications, promote mobilization, and prevent patient and staff injuries. This article will discuss a how a tertiary care facility incorporated a safe patient-handling initiative into an existing mobility program and operationalized it across a health care system to keep our patients and staff safe.