Abstract Modelling dam deformation based on monitoring data plays an important role in the assessment of a dam's safety. Traditional dam deformation modelling methods generally utilise single monitoring point. It means it is necessary to model for each monitoring point and the spatial correlation between points will not be considered using traditional modelling methods. Spatio-temporal modelling methods provide a way to model the dam deformation with only one functional expression and analyse the stability of dam in its entirety. Independent component analysis (ICA) is a statistical method of blind source separation (BSS) and can separate original signals from mixed observables. In this paper, ICA is introduced as a spatio-temporal modelling method for dam deformation. In this method, the deformation data series of all points were processed using ICA as input signals, and a few output independent signals were used to model. The real data experiment with displacement measurements by wire alignment of Wuqiangxi Dam was conducted and the results show that the output independent signals are correlated with physical responses of causative factors such as temperature and water level respectively. This discovery is beneficial in analysing the dam deformation. In addition, ICA is also an effective dimension reduced method for spatio-temporal modelling in dam deformation analysis applications.


Industrial process data is often stored in a wide variety of
 formats and in several different repositories. Efficient
 methodologies and tools for data preparation and merging are
 critical for efficient analysis of such data. Experience
 shows that data analysis projects involving industrial data
 often spend the major part of their effort on these tasks,
 leaving little room for model development and generating
 applications. This paper identifies and classifies the needs
 and individual steps in data preparation of industrial
 data. A methodology for data preparation specifically suited
 for the domain is proposed and a practically useful set of
 primitive operations to support the methodology is
 defined. Finally, a proof of concept data preparation system
 implementing the proposed operations and a scripting
 facility to support the iterations in the methodology is
 presented along with a discussion of necessary and desirable
 properties of such a tool.


This presentation summarizes Singapore's economic performance, and examines the evolving industrial strategy, major policies and performances. Singapore has achieved substantial economic and social progress since political independence in 1965, with one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia. The economic success of Singapore has been used by neoclassical economists to support the role of the market, with minimal price distortions, openness to international trade, investment and technology flows, macroeconomic stability from fiscal and monetary prudence, and high savings and investment. This presentation was presented at the Latin America/Caribbean and Asia/Pacific Economics and Business Association (LAEBA)'s 2nd Annual Meeting held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 28th-29th, 2005.


Moment matching is a popular means of parametric density estimation. We extend this technique to nonparametric estimation of mixture models. Our approach works by embedding distributions into a reproducing kernel Hilbert space, and performing moment matching in that space. This allows us to tailor density estimators to a function class of interest (i.e., for which we would like to compute expectations). We show our density estimation approach is useful in applications such as message compression in graphical models, and image classification and retrieval.


Throughout history, governments have imposed taxes to sustain public spending. The special consumption tax (SCT), known as ICE (for its acronym in Spanish) in Ecuador, imposes taxes on national or imported goods and services that are not considered to be basic or essential. This paper presents the evolution of the SCT in Ecuador during the 1993-2016 period, its contribution to the General State Budget between 2001 and 2016 and its impact on the automotive sector between 2000 and 2016. The study includes a quantitative analysis of the tax legislation, statistics of tax collection and financial statements. The results indicate changes in the tax base, an increase in rates over the years; during the study period there were 30 changes in the SCT, 7 changes were made to the law, 6 to the tax base, 5 to exemptions and 12 to the products which are imposed with the SCT. The collection of this tax increased by 3.4 times during the years studied, despite the variations in the national economy. Sales decreased by 4.1% in the automotive sector, despite a decrease in sales, profits have not been greatly affected, which shows an average increase of 23% over time. The paper determines that the modifications to the internal taxation regime law had good results in the collection of the SCT. The collection went according to planned and in some cases it surpassed the goal. However, despite these results, there is a low contribution of earnings for the total General budget. It is necessary to point out that the SCT in 2016 represented a participation of 0.82% of the GDP (97,802 million USD). In contrast, Value-added tax (VAT) represented 5%, income tax 3.2% and oil incomes 2.2%. It means that the general Budget has been financed mainly by other budget headings. The SCT was created to restrict the excessive consumption of harmful products. The acquisition of these goods has not been reduced despite the considerable increase of taxes. For example, the consumption of cigarettes has not been affected despite suffering several changes in its rates; the collection from this good has increased with time. Moreover, nowadays the consumption of luxury goods presents continuous growth despite their high acquisition prices due to its high rates which go from 5% to 300%. The collection of luxury goods went from 6.4 million USD in 2000 to 75.16 million in 2016 presenting an increase of 1071%. In conclusion, this tax has not fulfilled its goal and has become a tax with collection purposes since the consumption of these goods remain constant.


In this study, surface imprinted particles were synthesized by precipitation polymerization using silica microspheres as carrier for adsorbing sulphamethoxazole (SMO) from aqueous media. Different functional monomers (4-vinylpyridine, acrylamide and methacrylic acid) and different cross-linkers (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide) were selected to synthesize different kinds of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and their corresponding non-imprinted polymers. The MIP with the best adsorption performance in aqueous media was identified by adsorption experiments. Various kinds of kinetic models and isotherm models were fitted, and the kinetic and isotherm properties of MIPs in selective adsorption were studied and analyzed in depth. Advanced characterization methods were applied to demonstrate the successful preparation of the imprinted materials, and expound their physical and chemical properties. In addition, the concentration of SMO in aqueous media was determined by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.


OF DISSERTATION ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION'S GENETIC CULTURE: PARTICIPATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE MAKING OF LANDSCAPES Practitioners of ecological restoration are increasingly adopting a genetic perspective when recreating historical landscapes. Genes are often endowed with the capacity to reveal specific and distinct relationships between organisms and environments. In this dissertation, I examine how genetic technologies and concepts are shaping ecological restoration practices. This research is based on two and a half years of fieldwork in Chicago. I employed participant observation and semi-structured interviews to compare how restorationists in two plant science institutions employ genetic concepts in their projects. One institution uses high-tech genetic methods to guide practice while the other uses lower-tech genetic approaches. Each group has distinct, yet internally diverse ways of deciding which seeds are 'local enough' to be included in a project. This research theorizes how classification differences regarding native seeds are part of a broader set of genetic logics I refer to as 'genetic epistemologies'. Specifically, I ask how genetic technologies circumscribe different ways of seeing and making landscapes. I compare how restorationists delineated valid seed sourcing regions for restoration projects based on their genetic definitions of 'native' species. Drawing from science & technology studies, political ecology, and cultural landscape geography, I illustrate how restorationists incorporate cultural preferences, funding imperatives, aesthetics, and discourses about nature into their particular genetic epistemology. From this research, I offer the following conclusions. By incorporating genetic technology into ecological restoration, many practitioners feel their work will achieve more precision. Yet this perspective is typical of those who do not directly use genetic technologies. Scientists using direct genetic analyses are much more reserved about the potential of their technologies to match organisms to environments. Second, individuals or groups often come into conflict when attempting to apply different genetic epistemologies to the same problem. These conflicts are resolved in the course of planning and implementing a restoration project. Finally, direct genetic methods are only useful in restoration work involving rare or endangered species. Despite the limited utility of genetic technology in restoration, this approach is becoming influential. Chicago's high-tech plant science institution is discursively reshaping the goals and approaches of native plant institutions that do not use these technologies.


The Tarrant County will hold two public hearings on a proposal to increase total tax revenues from properties on the tax roll in the preceding tax year by 0.24 percent (percentage by which proposed tax rate exceeds lower of rollback tax rate or effective tax calculated under Chapter 26, Tax Code). Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property and the tax rate that is adopted.


This paper concerns records of species that have extended their distribution in the Mediterranean Sea. The finding of the rare brackish angiosperm Althenia filiformis in the island of Cyprus is interesting since its insertion in the Red Data Book of the Flora of Cyprus is suggested. The following species enriched the flora or fauna lists of the relevant countries: the red alga Sebdenia dichotoma (Greece), the hydrachnid mite Pontarachna adriatica (Slovenia), and the thalassinid Gebiacantha talismani (Turkey). Several alien species were recorded in new Mediterranean localities. The record of the burrowing goby Trypauchen vagina in the North Levantine Sea (Turkish coast), suggests the start of spreading of this Lessepsian immigrant in the Mediterranean Sea. The findings of the following species indicate the extension of their occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: the foraminifer Amphistegina lobifera (island of Zakynthos, Greece), the medusa Cassiopea andromeda (Syria), the copepod Centropages furcatus (Aegean Sea), the decapod shrimp Melicertus hathor (island of Kastellorizo, Greece), the crab Menoethius monoceros (Gulf of Tunis), the barnacles Balanus trigonus, Megabalanus tintinnabulum, Megabalanus coccopoma and the bivalves Chama asperella, Cucurbitula cymbium (Saronikos Gulf, Greece).


A painting, a musical piece, a text and a film have in common an arrangement of distinct elements organized to produce the work and to generate meaning. However, when the focus diverts from what is perceptible in the composition to what is implied, a new dimension can emerge. By concentrating on what is missing, the mind has a different perception of the art. The message is not direct, but suggested, allowing for freedom of interpretation. Utilizing omission rather than addition enables the viewer to recompose the piece and be involved through personal emotions. In this regard, the exploration of the void leans toward inwardness, emphasizing introspection and reflection. A closer look at psychology and its use in the visual arts with the Gestalt theory examines how the human brain tends to close gaps in shapes that are unfinished. This mechanism creates an immersive experience. Additionally, the Japanese concept of Ma utilizes and manipulates the notion of in-between, shifting the center of attention, to enable an intensification of vision. The work can operate on a new level of awareness, where the attributes that are actually absent become quintessential.


This study addresses African American teachers' perspectives of Black students and the ways they pass on community through their Black pedagogical practices. Furthermore, it focuses on Black teacher identities and the ways their communities have shaped the identities of the participants. For Black teachers, ethnicity along with history, experience and home community are a major piece of who they are as classroom teachers what they bring to teaching and the relationships established with African American males. Expectations, guidance, transcending relationships are characteristics that the participants received while growing up. In the years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision that led to the integration of America's public schools, the achievement gap in areas of reading, science, mathematics, and writing continues to widen for African American students (Cooper & Jordan, 2005). Recently, the education of African American males in classrooms and the achievement gap has often been a topic of great interest to educators and administrators alike. Furthermore, Davis's (2005) research indicated that although schooling has a negative impact on both Black boys and girls, the issues facing Black boys are more severe and intense. For Black teachers, ethnicity along with history, experience and professional community are major pieces of who they are as classroom teachers and what they bring to teaching and the relationships they establish with African American males. The identities of a Black teacher and the professional and personal importance of these identities have effects on pedagogy as well as building relationships and ways of interacting with African American males. Life history as a research method provides a framework that supports the use of African American teacher's life experience to explore these teachers' understanding of African American students' learning processes. Central to the development of teacher identity are the dichotomies of African American teachers, which can include given and constructed identities as well as public and private ones. Relationships built by having role models in the participants' communities lend itself to potential mentorships and cooperative relationships between mid career and late career teachers.


The structure of the meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS4) J-aggregates could be determined by X-ray and electron diffraction methods. A sheet-like architecture reveals the relationship between structure and chirality, optics and shapes of the J-aggregates of the meso 4-sulfonatophenyl- and phenyl-substituted porphyrins. The structure of the J-aggregates of H4TPPS4 belongs to the chiral space group P21 and includes four porphyrin molecules in its unit cell. The intermolecular stabilization of the zwitterionic units by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between the positively charged central NH groups and the periphery anionic sulfonato groups results in a structure of porphyrins sheets along the [01] plane direction. The structure of the sheet on the [01] plane is already chiral and its molecular architecture explains the simultaneous presence of H- and J-aggregate bands in their absorption spectra. This structure also accounts for the high similarity observed between the absorption spectra of different mesomorphs of the same substance and even between different members of the series of meso-4-sulfonatophenyl- and aryl-substituted diprotonated porphyrins. The possibility, or not, of the sheet-like structure on [01] to interact with other layers, either through ionic or hydrophobic interactions, depends on the substitution pattern at the meso-positions of the porphyrin ring. Thus, the different morphologies of the particles [mono- bi- and multilayered] of this series of J-aggregates are explained taking into account the role that the fourth meso-substituent plays in the interlayer stabilization. The results suggest that supramolecular helicity, previously detected in several J-aggregates, is not the explanation of their chirality but would be the expression of the intrinsic chirality of the packing between building blocks.


Expertly written by leading scholars from a range of different starting points, this compendium presents a synthesis of recent work relating to institutionally-informed accounts from transitional and emerging markets, as well as from mature economies. It specifically focuses on the linkage between institutions and what goes on inside firms, and the relationship between setting, strategic choice and systemic outcomes.


Almost all protease families have been associated with plant development, particularly senescence, which is the final developmental stage of every organ before cell death. Proteolysis remobilizes and recycles nitrogen from senescent organs that is required, for example, seed development. Senescence-associated expression of proteases has recently been characterized using large-scale gene expression analysis seeking to identify and characterize senescence-related genes. Increasing activities of proteolytic enzymes, particularly cysteine proteases, are observed during the senescence of legume nodules, in which a symbiotic relationship between the host plant and bacteria (Rhizobia) facilitate the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. It is generally considered that cysteine proteases are compartmentalized to prevent uncontrolled proteolysis in nitrogen-fixing nodules. In addition, the activities of cysteine proteases are regulated by endogenous cysteine protease inhibitors called cystatins. These small proteins form reversible complexes with cysteine proteases, leading to inactivation. However, very little is currently known about how the cysteine protease-cysteine protease inhibitor (cystatin) system is regulated during nodule development. Moreover, our current understanding of the expression and functions of proteases and protease inhibitors in nodules is fragmented. To address this issue, we have summarized the current knowledge and techniques used for studying proteases and their inhibitors including the application of "omics" tools, with a particular focus on changes in the cysteine protease-cystatin system during nodule development.


George Mackaness was an Australian immunologist, educated in Sydney, London and Oxford, who spent his professional career working in Australia and the USA. He is prominently recognized for his work elucidating the life history of the macrophage, the cell in animals so important in combating infection. Mackaness is credited with coining the term 'activated macrophage' to denote the enhanced abilities of a macrophage subset that he defined as particularly significant in controlling intracellular infections, of which tuberculosis (TB) is perhaps the most important. In collaboration with students and colleagues over many years, Mackaness built a body of work that better characterized the cellular immune response as complementary to the previously known humoral, or antibody, response and contributed to an understanding of the intercellular communications necessary in initiating and maintaining an effective immune response. In the end, he brought broad attention to the process by which blood monocytes gain increased destructive attributes as a necessary part of the immune response to intracellular infectious agents. Mackaness began his research career during the dawn of antibiotics and contributed importantly to the development of several novel antibiotics for the treatment of TB, among them isoniazid, which is still used to great effect. Less appreciated were his mid-career contributions to heart disease and his later role in bringing the first new class of therapeutics to clinical practice that changed and greatly improved the prevention and treatment of hypertension, stroke, kidney disease, heart attack and congestive heart failure.


Abstract Its rising incidence, virulence factors and antibiotic resistance rate makes it difficult to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The aim of this study was to compare virulence factors and antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) and other lower respiratory tract infections. Isolates from patients (n=125) were divided into two groups. The isolates in the first group were from CF patients (n=64). And in the other group isolates were from lower respiratory tract samples, from patients that did not have CF (n=61). The antibiotic susceptibility tests were done by using disc diffusion method. As phenotypic tests; DNase, protease, elastase, hemolysis, and motility test were performed. The mucoid form of P. aeruginosa was detected in 29.7% of CF patients' isolates, whereas in the other group (non-CF) this rate was 9.8% (p=0.011). Motility in the CF patients' isolates was lower (84.4%) then the other group (96.7%). The presence of DNase was significantly low in CF patients' isolates when compared to the other group (p=0.009). When the antibiotic resistance was compared; ceftazidime, imipenem and meropenem and piperacillin resistance was found significantly low in CF patients compared to isolates from the other group (p≤0.05). Information about virulence factor patterns and antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis and the patients without cystic fibrosis can prevent the unnecessary usage of antibiotics and lead the way to new approaches in treatment.


SPECLUST is a web tool for hierarchical clustering of peptide mass spectra obtained from protease-digested proteins. Mass spectra are clustered according to the peptide masses they contain, such that mass spectra containing similar masses are clustered together. Hierarchical clustering of mass spectra with SPECLUST can in particular be useful for MS-screening of large proteomic data sets derived from 2D-gels. SPECLUST can also be used to identify masses shared by mass spectra. Masses present in the majority of the mass spectra in a data set are likely to be contaminants. With SPECLUST, MS/MS can be focused on non-contaminant shared masses in a cluster, facilitating investigations of protein isoforms. Within a cluster, shared and unique masses represent peptides from regions that are similar and different, respectively, between protein isoforms. Taken together, SPECLUST is a versatile tool for analysis of mass spectrometry data.
Availability: SPECLUST is freely available at http://bioinfo.thep.lu.se/speclust.html.


Sleep is one of the major requirements for patient's recovery. Given the role played by environmental factors in patient's sleep disorders in a Coronary Care Unit (CCU), it is necessary to use an appropriate protocol to improve these patient's sleep. The present study investigated the effect of Quiet Time protocol (QT) on the sleep quality of cardiac patients in the city of Ilam. The present clinical trial was performed in 2015, using cardiac patients in Ilam. The patients were divided into two groups: (1) Experimental and (2) Control groups. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire (SMHSQ) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The quiet time protocol was carried out with the experimental group from 11 pm to 5 am for three consecutive nights. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), Fisher's exact test (to compare the two groups in terms of number of days of hospitalization in the CCU before treatment) and independent t-test (to compare the patient's age difference and sleep hours at home). The findings showed that sleep quality was low in patients before Quiet Time protocol (QT). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between sleep quality of the QT group and the control group on the first night. Given that the quiet sleep protocol improves the quality of patient's sleep, the implementation of this protocol is recommended to patients receiving nursing care.


Knowledge about the general graph structure of the World Wide Web is important for understanding the social mechanisms that govern its growth, for designing ranking methods, for devising better crawling algorithms, and for creating accurate models of its structure. In this paper, we describe and analyse a large, publicly accessible crawl of the web that was gathered by the Common Crawl Foundation in 2012 and that contains over 3.5 billion web pages and 128.7 billion links. This crawl makes it possible to observe the evolution of the underlying structure of the World Wide Web within the last 10 years: we analyse and compare, among other features, degree distributions, connectivity, average distances, and the structure of weakly/strongly connected components. Our analysis shows that, as evidenced by previous research, some of the features previously observed by Broder et al. are very dependent on artefacts of the crawling process, whereas other appear to be more structural. We confirm the existence of a giant strongly connected component; we however find, as observed by other researchers, very different proportions of nodes that can reach or that can be reached from the giant component, suggesting that the "bow-tie structure" is strongly dependent on the crawling process, and to the best of our current knowledge is not a structural property of the web. More importantly, statistical testing and visual inspection of size-rank plots show that the distributions of indegree, outdegree and sizes of strongly connected components are not power laws, contrarily to what was previously reported for much smaller crawls, although they might be heavy-tailed. We also provide for the first time accurate measurement of distance-based features, using recently introduced algorithms that scale to the size of our crawl.


Many applications of nanotubes and nanowires require controlled bottom-up engineering of these nanostructures. In catalytic chemical vapor deposition, the thermo-kinetic state of the nanocatalysts near the melting point is one of the factors ruling the morphology of the grown structures. We present theoretical and experimental evidence of a viscous state for nanoparticles near their melting point. The state exists over a temperature range scaling inversely with the catalyst size, resulting in enhanced self-diffusion and fluidity across the solid-liquid transformation. The overall effect of this phenomenon on the growth of nanotubes is that, for a given temperature, smaller nanoparticles have a larger reaction rate than larger catalysts.


If the direct and massive influence of Asia on Western literature of the last century were adequately acknowledged and researched, it would be possible to see Anglo-American Modernist poetry as part of a global, rather than a merely provincial, cultural development. This article demonstrates that imagist poetry, traditionally regarded as the first authentically Modernist literary initiative to appear in English, was in fact a response to a dramatic resurgence in pan-Asian cultural awareness that had begun in Tokyo during the closing years of the nineteenth century, and which spread across Eastern Asia and the Indian Subcontinent to reach Europe a few years before the onset of the First World War. A large quantity of previously unpublished documentary evidence is presented to show that the imagist experiments of Ezra Pound, Richard Aldington, Amy Lowell, and John Gould Fletcher were indebted to an engagement with Japanese visual culture that was far deeper than has ever previously been suggested. The venues for these seminal meetings between East and West were the museums of Britain and the United States.


The family Arenaviridae comprises three genera, Mammarenavirus, Reptarenavirus and the most recently added Hartmanivirus. Arenaviruses have a bisegmented genome with ambisense coding strategy. For mammarenaviruses and reptarenaviruses the L segment encodes the Z protein (ZP) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and the S segment encodes the glycoprotein precursor and the nucleoprotein. Herein we report the full length genome and characterization of Haartman Institute snake virus-1 (HISV-1), the putative type species of hartmaniviruses. The L segment of HISV-1 lacks an open-reading frame for ZP, and our analysis of purified HISV-1 particles by SDS-PAGE and electron microscopy further support the lack of ZP. Since we originally identified HISV-1 in co-infection with a reptarenavirus, one could hypothesize that co-infecting reptarenavirus provides the ZP to complement HISV-1. However, we observed that co-infection does not markedly affect the amount of hartmanivirus or reptarenavirus RNA released from infected cells in vitro, indicating that HISV-1 does not benefit from reptarenavirus ZP. Furthermore, we succeeded in generating a pure HISV-1 isolate showing the virus to replicate without ZP. Immunofluorescence and ultrastructural studies demonstrate that, unlike reptarenaviruses, HISV-1 does not produce the intracellular inclusion bodies typical for the reptarenavirus-induced boid inclusion body disease (BIBD). While we observed HISV-1 to be slightly cytopathic for cultured boid cells, the histological and immunohistological investigation of HISV-positive snakes showed no evidence of a pathological effect. The histological analyses also revealed that hartmaniviruses, unlike reptarenaviruses, have a limited tissue tropism. By nucleic acid sequencing, de novo genome assembly, and phylogenetic analyses we identified additional four hartmanivirus species. Finally, we screened 71 individuals from a collection of snakes with BIBD by RT-PCR and found 44 to carry hartmaniviruses. These findings suggest that harmaniviruses are common in captive snake populations, but their relevance and pathogenic potential needs yet to be revealed.


We present a stable method for analysis of light propagation in one-dimensional photonic crystals that may be composed of general bianisotropic media. Our method is based on the solutions to a generalized eigenproblem of hybrid matrix. It enables Bloch-Floquet waves to be determined reliably and overcomes the numerical instability in the standard eigenproblem of transfer matrix. When the unit cell is lossy and electrically thick, the transfer matrix or its characteristic polynomial may become ill-conditioned, whereas the hybrid matrix is always well-conditioned. Using the imaginary part of Bloch-Floquet wavenumbers, we demonstrate that it is convenient to determine (if any) the frequency range of omnidirectional reflection. Some numerical results are illustrated to investigate the effects of chirality, loss, and tunable anisotropy.


Continued smoking after diagnosis jeopardizes cancer survivors' health and well-being. Quitline-based smoking cessation treatment is convenient, widely available and free, yet the appropriateness of this treatment approach for survivors is not known. We assessed satisfaction among participants in an enhanced quitline intervention as part of a randomized clinical trial assessing feasibility. Methods: We recruited cancer survivors through the NCI Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) network within 6 months of treatment who smoked within the last 7 days and randomized them 2:1 to an enhanced quitline- based intervention (brief in-person motivational interviewing counseling session, quitline telephone counseling, 6 weeks of nicotine replacement patches) or usual care. We collected treatment satisfaction data and self-reported smoking status at 12 weeks and confirmed smoking status for reported non-smokers using a semi-quantitative urinary cotinine assessment. Results: We enrolled 146 survivors (75% female, 79% non-Hispanic white, mean age = 58 years). At entry, survivors reported smoking an average of 15 cigarettes per day; 77% reported smoking within 30 minutes of awakening. Assessments were completed by 63% of the quitline group and 75% of the usual care group at 12 weeks (P > 0.05). 83% of participants in the intervention arm (n = 98) completed at least one quitline call, and 18% completed ≥3 calls. Use of nicotine patches was 61% in the quitline group and 42% in usual care. Quitline participants were generally satisfied with both the in-person counseling (mean satisfaction score = 4.2 (SD = 1.0), on 1–5 scale) and the quitline telephone counseling (mean satisfaction score = 3.4 (SD = 1.3)). 87% would recommend the quitline program to others. Self-reported 7-day point prevalence cessation was 26% in the quitline group and 17% in the usual care arm (P = 0.33). Conclusions: An enhanced quitline smoking cessation intervention appears to be acceptable to cancer survivors and to result in a trend towards slightly higher cessation at 12 weeks. Increased efforts to retain survivors in treatment and encourage the use of nicotine replacement may be necessary to increase the impact of this intervention approach.


The intention of the paper is to extend the testing methodology to true concurrent models with a dense time domain. In particular, we develop three different semantics, based on interleaving, steps, and partial orders of actions, for testing equivalence in the setting of timed event structures. We study the relationship between these three approaches and show their discriminating power. Furthermore, when dealing with particular subclasses of the model under consideration, such as timed sequential and timed deterministic event structures, there is no difference between a more concrete and a more abstract approach.


This work analyzes, within the theoretical and methodological framework of discourse analysis, the main elements of humor in the media which spread as strategies to capture the audience in Spanish television programs. Humor is hereby understood as an intentional act formed of expository and linguistic procedures and capable of producing effects of collusion between the media and its audience, thanks to the role played by ludus as a means to conceive the communicated media information reality. Media information humor is a parody genre which takes real news and uses them in a humorous way. This is carried out by a stereotyped conversational structure which relates serious information and its humorous treatment. This new context supplies with a target to be made fun of. Everything is allowed within this communicative frame and everything can be played with, consciously and intentionally.


Title of Thesis: ADVANCED OVERMODED CIRCUITS FOR GYRO-AMPLIFIERS Degree candidate: Yingyu Miao Degree and year: Doctor of Philosophy, 2004 Dissertation directed by: Victor L. Granatstein Professor Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Thomas M. Antonsen Professor Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Physics To solve the narrow-bandwidth problem associated with cavity-related gyroamplifiers, a new interaction circuit, containing clustered cavities is considered. In particular, the use of a cluster of cavities in frequency multiplying gyro-amplifiers is described. An analytical theory of a simple frequency multiplying device has been developed, and compared with numerical simulations using the Maryland Gyrotron Code (MAGY). The analytical results and MAGY code simulations are in good agreement. In the small signal regime, the bandwidth of a cluster-cavity device (with two cavities in the cluster) is twice that of a single cavity device, while both have the same peak bunching. We also investigate the effect of coupling between the cavities of a cluster, and the performance of a three-cavity cluster. A four-cavity cluster has been employed as a second harmonic buncher in a new type of Ka band, three-stage, harmonic-multiplying gyro-amplifier, which consists of a fundamental gyro-TWT input and second harmonic gyro-TWT output sections. This amplifier achieved 80 kW output power centered at 33.6 GHz with a bandwidth of 0.3 %, efficiency of 16 % and gain of 36 dB in the high order TE04 mode. MAGY simulations have been carried out and compared with the experimental data. Mode competition is a principal issue in high-power gyrotron research and development. A vaned TE0n mode converter has been proven to be effective in converting one designated TE0n mode into another designated TE0m mode while suppressing unwanted modes. A quasi-analytical theory has been developed to describe the electromagnetic field in the mode converter, and different modes have been calculated. By using a mode matching technique, the nonsymmetric field was incorporated in the MAGY code. This modification is a significant extension of MAGY capabilities. The results of scattering calculations for a vaned mode converter from the modified MAGY agree with the High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) simulation to with 2%. This thesis consists of the following parts: 1. a review of gyrotron oscillator and amplifier research and development; 2. the concept, theory and experimental study of cluster cavities; and, 3. a study of a vaned TE0n mode converter. It is hoped that this research will improve the understanding of gyro-amplifiers using clustered cavities and/or TE0n mode converter structures, and advance research on gyro-amplifiers. ADVANCED OVERMODED CIRCUITS FOR GYROAMPLIFIERS


The current centrally controlled power grid is undergoing a drastic change in order to deal with increasingly diversified challenges, including environment and infrastructure. The next-generation power grid, known as the smart grid, will be realized with proactive usage of state-of-the-art technologies in the areas of sensing, communications, control, computing, and information technology. In a smart power grid, an efficient and reliable communication architecture plays a crucial role in improving efficiency, sustainability, and stability. In this article, we first identify the fundamental challenges in the data communications for the smart grid and introduce the ongoing standardization effort in the industry. Then we present an unprecedented cognitive radio based communications architecture for the smart grid, which is mainly motivated by the explosive data volume, diverse data traffic, and need for QoS support. The proposed architecture is decomposed into three subareas: cognitive home area network, cognitive neighborhood area network, and cognitive wide area network, depending on the service ranges and potential applications. Finally, we focus on dynamic spectrum access and sharing in each subarea. We also identify a very unique challenge in the smart grid, the necessity of joint resource management in the decomposed NAN and WAN geographic subareas in order to achieve network scale performance optimization. Illustrative results indicate that the joint NAN/WAN design is able to intelligently allocate spectra to support the communication requirements in the smart grid.


The characteristics of near source two-dimensional strong ground motion resulting from complex fault rupture processes and velocity struc tures have been examined based on two-dimensional wave field modeling. To construct the two-dimensional surface seismic wave field, the synthetic seismogram of each grid space was simulated by theoretical Green's functions. Numerical experiments were constructed by testing different source parameters· and velocity structures. The analysis undertaken in this study can be considered as a two-dimensional seismic waveform analysis and offered as a wider view for studying the wave propagation from a large earthquake. Results of this study provide significant information about the temporal and spatial wave field snapshots on the near source area. It is found that the wave fields are strongly affected by the changes of fault geometries, rupture velocities and near fault seismic velocity structures. In this study, the newly developed wave field simulation procedure is applied to analyze the near source ground motion characteristics of the 1999 Chi Chi, Taiwan earthquake. Summing up the modeling results and comparing with the observed near source wave field of the Chi-Chi earthquake, we find that the Chelungpu fault has lower seismic velocity in the footwall than in the hanging wall, and seismic velocities of the footwall side, at least on its surface, are lower than its apparent rupture velocities. (


Diabetes mellitus is a common health problem worldwide counting about 1.2 million cases in Iraq in 2015. Taking in account of the patient's beliefs about the prescribed medication had been reported to be one of the most important factors that affects adherence where holding positive beliefs about medications is a prerequisite for intentional adherence. The aim of the current study was to investigate and assess beliefs about medicines among type 2 diabetic patients and to determine possible association between this belief and glycemic control as well as some patient-specific factors. This study is a cross-sectional study carried out on 380 (mean age 56.58± 10.06 years) already diagnosed T2DM patients who attended the National Diabetes Center, Al-Mustansiriya University – Baghdad/ Iraq during December-2016 to March-2017. Belief about medicine was assessed by using an arabic version of the questionnaire. The patients had a stronger agreement with the mean necessity scale (19.29) than the mean concern scale (14.27). The majority of the patients (76.3%) had strong beliefs in the necessity of anti-diabetic treatment for maintaining good control of diabetes (scores of specific-necessity was greater than score of specific-concern). However, (18.4%) of the patients reported strong concerns about the anti-diabetic treatment (scores of specific-concern greater than score of specific-necessity). The small number of the patients (5.3%), have equal scores for specific-necessity and specific-concern scores. The patient's belief about medicine was found to be poor predictor of  good glycemic control.


Broadband internet expansion is a topic of widespread discussion in Germany right now. But the country still has not met its own targets. Almost 100 percent of households are supplied with broadband connections with up to six megabits per second, yet Germany has lots of room to catch up when it comes to gigabit-capable connections—particularly in sparsely populated regions. On the demand side, copper cable connections are the technology with the largest market share. At between one and two percent, pure fiber-optic connections only play a minor role. In international comparison, Germany's need to get up to speed becomes very obvious. The OECD average for fiber-optic connection demand is 21 percent of the overall broadband market. Currently, a relatively low willingness to pay and high investment costs are slowing down the momentum of both demand and supply in Germany. But demand is on a constant growth course. In order to develop a full-coverage gigabit infrastructure by 2025, the government should aim for a well-balanced combination of regulatory incentives for private sector investments and effective subsidies to cover "blank spots".


The interconnectedness of gene regulation, protein interaction, and metabolic networks is responsible for the remarkable efficiency and adaptability of biological systems, as well as the extraordinary challenges facing researchers trying to understand them. The torrents of new biological data generated daily should lead to overcoming the challenges to understanding biological processes. However, our understanding of these systems has not grown proportionally to the amount of data generated. This disparity arises from the fact that the behavior of a biological system is not a linear superposition of the behaviors of its components. Higher-level structures within organisms can be maintained precisely because of the complex network of nonlinear interactions among lower-level components. As a result, scientists increasingly recognize that in order to advance our ability to understand and purposefully manipulate biomedical systems, we must take a systems level approach. However, it is not yet clear what systems level approach is optimal. I contend that we will only be able to make sense of systems-level information if we can develop methods that enable us to extract the small set of information that is relevant at the scale of interest.


Lysosomal impairment is increasingly recognized as a central event in the pathophysiology of PD. Genetic associations between lysosomal storage disorders, including Gaucher disease and PD, highlight common risk factors and pathological mechanisms. Because the autophagy–lysosomal system is involved in the intralysosomal hydrolysis of dysfunctional proteins, lysosomal impairment may contribute to α‐synuclein aggregation in PD. The degradation of α‐synuclein is a complex process involving different proteolytic mechanisms depending on protein burden, folding, posttranslational modifications, and yet unknown factors. In this review, evidence for lysosomal dysfunction in PD and its intimate relationship with α‐synuclein aggregation are discussed, after which the question of whether lysosomal proteins may serve as diagnostic biomarkers for PD is addressed. Changes in lysosomal enzymes, such as reduced glucocerebrosidase and cathepsin levels, have been observed in affected brain regions in PD patients. The detection of lysosomal proteins in CSF may provide a read‐out of lysosomal dysfunction in PD and holds promise for the development of diagnostic PD biomarkers. Initial PD biomarker studies demonstrated altered lysosomal enzyme activities in CSF of PD patients when compared with controls. However, CSF lysosomal enzyme activities alone could not discriminate between PD patients and controls. The combination of CSF lysosomal markers with α‐synuclein species and indicators of mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and other pathological proteins in PD may be able to facilitate a more accurate diagnosis of PD. Further CSF biomarker studies are needed to investigate the utility of CSF lysosomal proteins as measures of disease state and disease progression in PD. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society


Abstract:This article focuses on the culturally shared knowledge and understanding regarding family and kin relations held by the rural poor of Finland. The source material consists of the life stories, and poverty narratives within them, of Finns born between 1880 and 1938, seventy-nine texts altogether. Although all the narrators became financially secure by Western standards later in life, childhood poverty left them scarred. A recurrent focus in their life stories is how meager living conditions led to miserable childhoods and adolescences, a situation reinforced by the existing peasant family economic model. Stories that emphasize this situation are called poverty narratives. In this article I point to themes apparent in these narratives: tensions in the nuclear family, the perception of children as burdens, and criticism of extended relatives. Poverty narratives deal with topics, ideas, and evaluations that are relevant to their bearers; this article therefore provides insight into the linguistic competencies, concerns, feelings, and agencies of the individuals.


This paper presents perceptual algorithms for corridor navigation, door detection and entry that can be used for exploration of an unknown floor of a building. The algorithms are fairly robust to sensor noise, do not use odometric data, and can be implemented on a low end PC. The primary sensor used is a laser range scanner.


This paper introduces a framework for state estimation on a humanoid robot platform using only common proprioceptive sensors and knowledge of leg kinematics. The presented approach extends that detailed in prior work on a point-foot quadruped platform by adding the rotational constraints imposed by the humanoid's flat feet. As in previous work, the proposed Extended Kalman Filter accommodates contact switching and makes no assumptions about gait or terrain, making it applicable on any humanoid platform for use in any task. A nonlinear observability analysis is performed on both the point-foot and flat-foot filters and it is concluded that the addition of rotational constraints significantly simplifies singular cases and improves the observability characteristics of the system. Results on a simulated walking dataset demonstrate the performance gain of the flat-foot filter as well as confirm the results of the presented observability analysis.


1.1. Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, socio-economic conditions limited access to cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) designed according to the usual models in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). 1.2. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a program of CRP based on Borg scale of perceived effort. 1.3. Methods: A Prospective, descriptive study aimed to be analytical focused on 27 patients with compensated heart diseases (CHD) included in a CRP for 30 workouts during 10 weeks. These patients were evaluated by Borg scale of perceived exertion with measuring heart rate (HR), body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) of rest at the beginning and at the end of the program. 1.4. Results: It was recorded a significant reduction in the heart rate (p<0.0001), systolic BP (p<0.0001) and diastolic BP (p=0.0002) while BMI reduction did not get a significant reduction (p=0.15). 1.5. Discussion: According to the studies encountered, intensities of physical activities such as those which have been subjected to patients are sufficient to cause different physiological adaptations noted at the end of this present program. Conclusion: This CRP appears to be an alternative to physical training in patients with CHD from socially disadvantaged conditions.


The malaise felt by both Canadians and Americans regarding several areas of trade does not exist in a vacuum. It is not difficult to surmise that besides the genuine tension owing to actual implementation of liberal trade principles in the trade practise between the two states, and to their diverging interpretations of these principles, lies also some political opportunism. Not only has the US pursued a unilateralist course in its trade relations with Canada; it did so also in matters security, which have created, at least a perception, of an unfavourable impact on Canadian economic interests. The US current beleaguered international reputation in matters foreign policy regarding both security and economic issues may therefore tilt the pendulum in Canada's favour. From a power contest point of view, perhaps now is the time and opportunity for Canada to reap also international "moral" (juridical), in addition to economic, gains.


Background— Improving timely access to reperfusion is a major goal of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction care. We sought to compare the population impact of interventions proposed to improve timely access to reperfusion therapy in Australia. Methods and Results— Australian hospitals, population, and road network data were integrated using Geographical Information Systems. Hospitals were classified into those that provided primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) or fibrinolysis. Population impact of interventions proposed to improve timely access to reperfusion (PPCI, fibrinolysis, or both) were modeled and compared. Timely access to reperfusion was defined as the proportion of the population capable of reaching a fibrinolysis facility ⩽60 minutes or a PPCI facility ⩽120 minutes from emergency medical services activation. The majority (93.2%) of the Australian population has timely access to reperfusion, mainly (53%) through fibrinolysis. Only 40.2% of the population had timely access to PPCI, and access to PPCI services is particularly limited in regional and nonexistent in remote areas. Optimizing the emergency medical services' response or increasing PPCI services resulted in marginal improvement in timely access (1.8% and 3.7%, respectively). Direct transport to PPCI facilities and interhospital transfer for PPCI improves timely access to PPCI for 19.4% and 23.5% of the population, respectively. Prehospital fibrinolysis markedly improved access to timely reperfusion in regional and remote Australia. Conclusions— Significant gaps in timely provision of reperfusion remain in Australia. Systematic implementation of changes in service delivery has potential to improve timely access to PPCI for a majority of the population and improve access to fibrinolysis to those living in regional and remote areas.


Although most Americans agree that postsecondary education is the clearest path to later financial security, many families have trouble saving money to help their children in this process. This article focuses on the struggles of middle-income families as they attempt to negotiate their daily financial realities with their aspirations for their children's postsecondary education. In particular, the article examines the discord between the high educational aspirations these middle-income families have for their children and their daily financial constraints. We do so by analyzing in-depth interviews with 31 middle-income families living in the greater Philadelphia area. The middle-income parents in our sample are acutely aware of the importance of college for their children's upward mobility, and they ideally would like to support their children in this pursuit. However, their current financial insecurity, their lack of government support, and the rising costs of college make preparing for this dream increasingly difficult.


Research activities at Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), Osaka University, are presented with a particular focus on natural science research using the cyclotron accelerator facility. A brief introduction to the azimuthally varying field (AVF) and ring cyclotrons, west-south (WS), muon science innovative channel (MuSIC) and exotic-nuclei (EN) beam lines, as well as the high-resolution Grand Raiden (GR) and large acceptance spectrometers are given. By showing two recent experimental studies on the structure of light nuclei using the GR spectrometer and the EN beam line, the important role of RCNP as a leading nuclear physics facility is highlighted.


The clothing, through color, enriches the appearance and can increase the mood or it can influence positively or negatively the wearer, and even the viewer. Because of the fact that a clothing product is firstly appreciated from a visual point of view, the color is especially important and plays a significant role in a viewer's impression. Color is the most complex and stimulating element of art, with psycho-physical and physiological effects, exerting an important psychological role on the consumer and even on the viewer, through different impressions, feelings or states. Aesthetic requirements in the development of a clothing product or collection require the choice of color and design of the structure or color. These requirements are influenced by fashion, chromatic preferences, the tastes of the consumer segment for which the products are created, and last but not least, the level of culture in the design of clothing. For consumers, color is extremely important because it represents a key element in the decision of purchasing a clothing product. In this paper, the visual comfort is analyzed and studied by subjective color evaluation and chromatic preferences. The paper presents the results obtained on the basis of the questionnaire as a research tool, regarding the subjective evaluation of the visual comfort on a series of samples of different colors. The questionnaire was used for a case study on a group of 50 female subjects aged 20 to 30. The purpose of this paper is to test, analyze and evaluate subjectively color, chromatic preferences and, at the same time, a series of associations made by subjects between colors and emotions, the states created by them. At the same time, the importance of color, the role and color preferences in choosing a clothing product, as well as sensations, states and emotions produced by consumers' colors are emphasized. To reduce the volume of work and to be more efficient, the paper presents and offers a software solution in the form of an application that can be used as an e-learning tool.


The Marginally Rigid State is a candidate paradigm for what makes granular material a state of matter distinct from both liquid and solid. Coordination number is identified as a discriminating characteristic, and for rough-surfaced particles we show that the low values predicted are indeed approached in simple two dimensional experiments. We show calculations of the stress transmission suggesting that this is governed by local linear equations of constraint between the stress components. These constraints can in turn be related to the generalised forces conjugate to the motion of grains rolling over each other. The lack of a spatially coherent way of imposing a sign convention on these motions is a problem for up-scaling the equations, which leads us to attempt a renormalisation group calculation. Finally we discuss how perturba tions propagate through such systems, suggesting a distinction between the behaviour of rough and of smooth grains.


Screen-reader users access images on the Web using alternative text delivered via synthetic speech. However, research shows that this is a tedious and unsatisfying experience for blind users, because text-to-speech applications lack expressiveness. This paper, poses an alternative approach using an experiment that compares audemes, a type of non-speech sounds, with alternative text delivered using synthetic speech. In a pilot study with fourteen sighted users, findings show that audemes perform better across many areas. Specifically, audemes required lower mental and temporal demands and led to less effort and frustration and better task performance. Moreover, participants recognized audemes with higher accuracy and lower errors. Audemes were also perceived as more engaging compared to alternative text delivered using synthetic speech. Additionally, audemes were found to be richer in delivering information. This study suggests that non-speech sounds could substitute or complement alternative text when describing images on the Web.


This paper argues that as a reaction to the criticism the ECtHR has been subject to over the last year has led the Court to adapting its judicial policy or judicial tactics by retreating from its earlier more assertive position as concerns the protection of human rights. This puts into focus questions relating to the role of judges at the Court as guardians of fundamental rights of the individual who must seek to find balance between views asserting human rights as universal rights on one hand and relative rights emphasizing pluralism, deference to national standards and fragmentation on the other. Too much emphasis on the latter to enhance the Court's legitimatization in the eyes of the judicial and political professions in the Contracting States may put the Court's "moral capital" at risk and thus weaken it claim to legitimacy on the societal level.


Analyzing financial performance in today's information-rich society can be a daunting task. With the evolution of the Internet, access to massive amounts of financial data, typically in the form of financial statements, is widespread. Managers and stakeholders are in need of a data-mining tool allowing them to quickly and accurately analyze this data. An emerging technique that may be suited for this application is the self-organizing map. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of self-organizing maps for analyzing financial performance of international pulp and paper companies. For the study, financial data, in the form of seven financial ratios, was collected, using the Internet as the primary source of information. A total of 77 companies, and six regional averages, were included in the study. The time frame of the study was the period 1995-00. An example analysis was performed, and the results analyzed based on information contained in the annual reports. The results of the study indicate that self-organizing maps can be feasible tools for the financial analysis of large amounts of financial data.


Do changes in poverty and inequality depend directly on the rate of economic growth, or does the source of the growth also matter? This paper uses a computable general equilibrium model of the Indonesian economy to explore this question by simulating increases in GDP arising from (i) technical progress in each of seven broad sectors, and (ii) the accumulation of each of six types of physical and human capital. The more a given amount of growth raises the returns to the factors that are more important sources of income for the poor than for the non-poor, the more it reduces poverty and inequality. Different sources of growth affect poverty and inequality differently because they affect factor returns differently, and because the poor and the non-poor own factors in different proportions.


DNA damage during early life stages may have a negative effect on embryo development, inducing mortality and malformations that have long-lasting effects during adult life. Therefore, in the current study, we analyzed the effect of DNA damage induced by genotoxicants (camptothecin (CPT) and olaparib) at different stages of embryo development. The survival, DNA fragmentation, transcriptome, and proteome of the endangered sturgeon Acipenser ruthenus were analyzed. Sturgeons are non-model fish species that can provide new insights into the DNA damage response and embryo development. The transcriptomic and proteomic patterns changed significantly after exposure to genotoxicants in a stage-dependent manner. The results of this study indicate a correlation between phenotype formation and changes in transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. CPT and olaparib downregulated oxidative phosphorylation and metabolic pathways, and upregulated pathways involved in nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, and homologous recombination. We observed the upregulated expression of zona pellucida sperm-binding proteins in all treatment groups, as well as the upregulation of several glycolytic enzymes. The analysis of gene expression revealed several markers of DNA damage response and adaptive stress response, which could be applied in toxicological studies on fish embryos. This study is the first complex analysis of the DNA damage response in endangered sturgeons.


Carried out in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, this design-research project probes at architecture's capacity to affect and embody an emergent polycentric urban condition: one ushered in by the effective elimination of the city's CBD, overnight. The experimental design-research methodology deploys typology, contextuality, and self-consciously 'urban' programming to explore the socio-spatial and tectonic opportunities of polycentrism within the selected Christchurch suburb of Sumner (herein considered an emergent sub-centre ). On the one hand, A New Agora is a radical and catalytic urban intervention, addressing the sub-centre as architecture's project at a moment when Christchurch's future was veiled in uncertainty. On the other, the project is a consideration and commentary on architecture's multi-faceted, critical relationship with the city : ultimately arguing that the two must be treated as fundamentally intertwined, not least in the face of vast structural urban transformation.


The aim of this study was to clarify how the sense of heaviness changes our cognition. According to recent studies in cognitive science, intelligent human behaviors ranging from perception to inference are not closed mental processes; rather, they are affected by body and action (Wilson, 2002; Gibbs, 2005; Proffitt, 2006). In previous studies, the sense of heaviness activated concepts metaphorically related to heaviness, and changed impressions accordingly. However, previous studies have not distinguished between subjective heaviness and physical weight. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether changes in impressions are due to subjective heaviness or physical weight. To examine this issue, a psychological experiment using a tasting task was conducted. The results confirmed that subjective heaviness influences evaluations of price and value.


Attackers exploit software vulnerabilities to control or crash programs. Bouncer uses existing software instrumentation techniques to detect attacks and it generates filters automatically to block exploits of the target vulnerabilities. The filters are deployed automatically by instrumenting system calls to drop exploit messages. These filters introduce low overhead and they allow programs to keep running correctly under attack. Previous work computes filters using symbolic execution along the path taken by a sample exploit, but attackers can bypass these filters by generating exploits that follow a different execution path. Bouncer introduces three techniques to generalize filters so that they are harder to bypass: a new form of program slicing that uses a combination of static and dynamic analysis to remove unnecessary conditions from the filter; symbolic summaries for common library functions that characterize their behavior succinctly as a set of conditions on the input; and generation of alternative exploits guided by symbolic execution. Bouncer filters have low overhead, they do not have false positives by design, and our results show that Bouncer can generate filters that block all exploits of some real-world vulnerabilities.


This volume brings together the latest work in Russian labour history, based on exciting materials from previously closed archives and collections. Sixteen essays, focusing on peasants and workers, explore the lives and struggles of working people. Ranging over a century of dramatic upheaval, from the late 1800s to the present, the essays are organized around three broad themes: workers' politics, incentives and coercion within industrial and rural workplaces, and household strategies. The volume explores the relationship between the peasantry and the working class, a nexus that has been central to state policy, oppositional politics, economic development, and household configuration. It profiles a working class rent by divisions and defined not only by its relationship to the workplace or the state, but also by its household strategies for daily survival. The essays explore many topics accessible for the first time, including the motivations of women workers, roots of revolutionary activism, the revolutionary movement outside the great cities, socialist opposition to the Soviet regime, reactions of workers to Stalinist terror, socialist tourism, peasant families in forced exile, and work discipline on the collective farms.


Nocturnin promotes the nuclear translocation of PPAR-γ2 and thereby adipogenesis. Various genes involved in metabolism show circadian variations in expression, and alterations in circadian time-keeping may increase the risk for development of metabolic syndrome and obesity. Activity of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ2 (PPAR-γ2, which is expressed rhythmically) has been implicated in bone marrow osteogenesis versus adipogenesis. Noting that mice lacking Nocturnin (NOC, a deadenylase that is also expressed rhythmically) are resistant to diet-induced obesity and fail to show rhythmicity in the expression of Pparg2, the gene encoding PPAR-γ2, Kawai et al. explored interactions between NOC and PPAR-γ2 that might facilitate adipogenesis. Noc mRNA abundance was increased in 3T3-L1 cells exposed to adipogenic factors, and an increase in NOC abundance was apparent early in adipogenesis. Noc overexpression in 3T3-L1 cells promoted adipogenesis and increased the expression of adipogenic markers (including Pparg2), whereas its knockdown decreased adipogenesis and the expression of adipogenic markers. In contrast, Noc expression was decreased in primary calvarial osteoblasts treated with osteogenic factors; its overexpression inhibited osteoblastogenesis in MC3T3-E1 cells, whereas its knockdown stimulated osteoblastogenesis. NOC coimmunoprecipitated with PPAR-γ2, and, although it failed to increase basal transcription of a reporter containing a Pparg response element, it enhanced its activation in the presence of the PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone. Mutational analysis indicated that the ability of NOC to immunoprecipitate with and enhance PPAR-γ2 transcriptional activity was independent of its deadenylase activity. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that NOC had a perinuclear distribution, and immunofluorescence analysis, together with cell fractionation combined with Western analysis, indicated that NOC facilitated PPAR-γ2 nuclear translocation, an effect that involved a NOC region (amino acids 341 to 351) with a sequence resembling a Src homology 2 domain binding motif. Phenotypic analysis of the Noc–/– mice resistant to obesity showed fewer bone marrow adipocytes than in control mice, a decrease in brown adipose tissue Pparg2 expression and ex vivo function, and an increase in bone mineral density. The authors propose that NOC, which is related to yeast transcription factors implicated in the response to nutrient status, promotes the nuclear translocation of PPAR-γ2 and thereby adipogenesis. M. Kawai, C. B. Green, B. Lecka-Czernik, N. Douris, M. R. Gilbert, S. Kojima, C. Ackert-Bicknell, N. Garg, M. C. Horowitz, M. L. Adamo, D. R. Clemmons, C. J. Rosen, A circadian-regulated gene, Nocturnin, promotes adipogenesis by stimulating PPAR-γ nuclear translocation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 10508–10513 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text]


A clinical isolate of Proteus mirabilis containing R-plasmid RP1 (R+ cells), grown in both iron- and carbon- limited chemically defined media in mixed culture with plasmid-free (R- cells), did not disappear as expected, due to adherence of R+ cells to the wall of the chemostat vessel. Plasmid RP1 promoted adherence to glass and to medical prostheses. The hydrophobicity and surface charge of R+ cells were different from those of R- cells and both factors may contribute to the adherence of R+ cells to surfaces. The mode of cultivation of the cells, whether batch or continuous culture, were also found to affect the result. Antibodies raised against homologous cells increased the surface hydrophobicity of both R+ and R- cells and eliminated the differences between them. Results for surface hydrophobicity varied with the method used for measuring it. R+ cells were more sensitive than R- cells to tbe bacteridical action of normal serum and whole blood and to phagocytosis as measured by chemiluminescence. No clear differences were revealed in the protein antigens of R+ and R- cells by both SDS PAGE gels and immunoblots reacted with homologous antibodies. However, lectins revealed differences in the sugars exposed on the cell surfaces. Chemical analysis of R&43 and R- cells also revealed differences in the content of 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonate, lipopolysaccharide and total fatty acids, when cells were grown in media containing added iron; however, no qualitative differences in the lipopolysaccharide were found. Removal of iron from the medium was found to have considerable effects on the chemical structure of R+ cells but not of R- ones. Adhesion to prostheses and to leucocytes is discussed in the light of the results and the clinical relevance outlined with respect to the initiation of infection and the association of virulence with antibiotic resistance.


The goals of health and human security are fundamentally valued in all societies, yet the breadth of their interconnections are not properly understood. This volume explores the evolving relationship between health and security in today's interdependent world, and offers policy guidelines for global health action. This volume underscores three basic principles. First, recent developments in the changing security landscape present enormous challenges for human security and global health. Second, although the connections between health and security are long-standing, the current context of new conflicts, pervasive poverty, and accelerating global flows has brought the fields closer together. Finally, a human security approach dependent upon individual and collective action can identify new strategies for meeting the goals of global health and security. The distinguished contributions to this volume were commissioned by Harvard University's Global Equity Initiative, a research unit supporting the work of the International Commission on Human Security.


This action research project reviews the relevant literature on experiential learning to research whether experiential learning promotes critical thinking in a middle school science classroom. Based on constructivism, research shows experiential learning, particularly problem-based learning, increases motivation, promotes professional skills, and multiple strategies used to solve problems. Even though its effects are difficult to measure on standardized tests and most of these research studies are small qualitative studies, this teaching method's benefits are significant enough to warrant its implementation. The results from this study show no conclusive evidence that experiential learning promotes critical thinking. Suggestions for expanding the action research study to gather more detailed data are given.


The Quechua term ayahuasca refers to a beverage obtained from decoctions of the liana Banisteriopsis caapi with leaves of Psychotria viridis. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca is becoming a global phenomenon, with some individuals using this beverage throughout life, including in old age. Cognitive impairment is a common manifestation during aging. There are conflicting reports on the ability of some ayahuasca compounds to exert neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects that could improve or impair learning and memory. Animal models provide a relevant and accessible means of investigating the behavioral effects of ayahuasca without the environmental conditions associated with the ritualistic use of the beverage. In this study, we investigated the influence of chronic ayahuasca exposure throughout aging on the spatial reference and habituation memories of mice. Twenty-eight male c57bl/6 mice (6 months old) received ayahuasca or water (1.5 mL/kg, orally) twice a week for 12 months and were tested in the Morris water maze (MWM), open field and elevated plus maze (EPM) tasks before and after treatment. During aging, there was significant impairment in the evocation (but not acquisition) of spatial reference memory and in habituation to the open field. There was also a decrease in locomotor activity in the open field and EPM tests, whereas the anxiety parameters were unaltered. Ayahuasca treatment did not alter any of these parameters associated with aging. These findings indicate that chronic exposure to ayahuasca during aging did not affect memory in mice.


One of the most dramatic signaling events in biology is the developmental transition from larval to adult form in organisms that undergo metamorphosis. In insects like Drosophila, the destruction of larval tissues and their replacement with adult forms is triggered by the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone. Surely, there must be other factors that help coordinate transcriptional regulation with the wholesale tissue restructuring that must take place, and new work by Chen et al. implicates signaling through LIM-kinase, a protein kinase regulated by the small guanosine triphosphatase Rho. Rho modulates cell shape by regulating actin polymerization, and these changes affect transcription mediated by the serum response factor (SRF) transcription factor. Chen et al. analyzed genetic interactions in Drosophila to show that Rho works through LIM-kinase to modulate expression of ecdysone-regulated genes, including Stubble, a gene encoding a protease involved in remodeling of the extracellular matrix. In cultured Drosophila SL2 cells, the authors demonstrated a cell autonomous requirement for Rho signaling through SRF to allow proper ecdysone-dependent gene expression. Rho thus appears to be well placed to coordinate tissue remodeling and gene expression through its effects on the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and ecdysone-dependent gene expression. G.-C. Chen, P. Gajowniczek, J. Settleman, Rho-LIM kinase signaling regulates ecdysone-induced gene expression and morphogenesis during Drosophila metamorphosis. Curr. Biol. 14, 309-313 (2004). [Online Journal]


It is now clear that water and habitat quality in the coastal embayments of eastern North America are greatly affected by the quality of water and habitat in the thousands of feeder streams and rivers comprising their watershed. In this paper I suggest that the quality of streamside forests may be the single most important factor altered by humans that affects the structure and function, and ultimately water quality, of the streams providing water to the coastal embayments. I use comparative data from forested and deforested reaches of streams in a small Piedmont watershed (White Clay Creek) to illustrate the actual and/or potential effects of streamside forests on: (i) availability of habitat; (ii) the nutrient chemistry of the water; and (iii) the quantitative and qualitative nature of the primary food base (organic detritus and algae) supporting higher trophic levels in streams. Also discussed are the potential role of streamside forests in partially mitigating the flux of sediment and nutrients into aquatic ecosystems, the effects of global warming on stream temperatures, and the deleterious effects on stream organisms of the increased levels of UV radiation associated with global ozone depletion. Current methods and approaches for streamside forest restoration are presented.


In general, water quality guidelines provide only narrative criteria for biostimulants, leaving regulators and managers in the position of having to set their own requirements, often based on a paucity of local data. Fortunately, numerical values for such materials and their effects can be sensibly established, and are generally quite widely applicable. Environmental values and associated criteria have been set for the Marmion Marine Park, an oligotrophic coastal area north of Perth, Western Australia, that receives treated wastewater from an ocean outlet. The criteria that have been established include traditional physical and chemical parameters, as well as a suite of biological parameters. Reference to these by regular measurement as well as simple ecosystem modelling and process studies, will form the basis of a regional water quality monitoring programme to be implemented by the Water Authority of Western Australia. The criteria themselves, as well as the process used in their development, have wide geographic applicability.


Abstract This article argues that untranslatability is part of the cultural incompatibility between the two languages involved in translation. Translation is borne out of a need to understand what is different in a foreign cognitive environment and it is cultural alienation that leads to breakdowns in communication. It is a paradox that translation must, at one and the same time, introduce and appropriate difference. Cultural incomprehensibility is a stumbling block, but translation theory also lacks a cogent theory of culture as part of communication. A multicultural appreciation of human diversity is indeed important, yet we should also be sensitive to cultural differences. Therefore we should not overestimate target‐audience's familiarity with the unique source‐language culture. Cultural appropriation is essential in facilitating assimilation which, in turn, bridges the communication gap between the source and target text. Translation confronts cultural differences by employing feasible and coherent strategies to accommodate the culture of the source text. Cultural awareness, identity, and subsequent appropriation are needed to help target‐language readers infer associations and relationship in translations.


Horizontal loading due to earthquake or wind is usually the governing action for design of reinforced concrete cores in medium to tall buildings. Building cores designed to resist these actions must be dimensioned to resist tributary vertical loads and large shear forces of varying direction and sign. Because wall cores are commonly placed around elevator shafts, openings must be left in walls to allow passage to the elevator areas. The large shears induced in the core by lateral forces have to be transmitted by beams connecting adjacent portions of the core (coupling beams). These beams usually govern both the strength and deformation capacity of the core and their structural response depends primarily on the geometry and reinforcing details chosen. In this paper, the behavior and strength of coupling beams is discussed through analysis of four large-scale specimens tested at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The specimens (2.03 × 1.65 m), representing two walls joined by a coupling beam, exhibited different failure modes depending on their slenderness and shear-to-flexural reinforcement ratio within the coupling beam region. The behavior of the specimens is modeled using the stress field method to obtain realistic shear force-drift envelopes. Stress fields, in combination with strut-and-tie models, have been applied for design and detailing of members of unusual geometries subjected to monotonic loading. In this paper, a series of guidelines for applying the stress field method to members subjected to reverse cyclic loading are presented and discussed. Comparisons to test results show this technique to be a promising approach for consistent modeling of coupling beams.


Having used the first edition of Best as an excellent petrology text to teach with for about the last ten years, I was very keen to see how this new edition compares. First it comes in softback to keep the price down, but I might have preferred hardback for durability. The chapter contents are similar to the first edition, but the materials, examples and references have all been …


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the therapeutic potential of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family inhibitor, herstatin, in an animal model of arthritis.

METHODS
Constructs of herstatin and modified tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-herstatin were expressed in HEK 293T cells, and secreted protein was analyzed by Western blotting. Tissue PA-herstatin adenovirus (Ad-tPA-Her) was prepared, and titers established. Gene expression of Ad-tPA-Her was determined by polymerase chain reaction using HeLa cells. Pharmacokinetics of gene and protein expression in vivo in liver tissue and serum samples were confirmed via intravenous administration of Ad-tPA-Her. Clinical signs of disease were monitored in arthritic DBA/1 mice after therapeutic administration of Ad-tPA-Her, and histologic analysis of hind foot specimens was performed.

RESULTS
Native herstatin was not secreted in supernatants, while modified tPA-herstatin was detected in abundance. HeLa cells stably expressed the tPA-herstatin gene when infected with virus. Additionally, tPA-herstatin gene and protein expression was observed over time in mice treated with virus. Importantly, Ad-tPA-Her, when administered therapeutically to arthritic mice, controlled clinical and histologic signs of disease and reduced the number of joints with severe damage.

CONCLUSION
Our results support the notion that the human epidermal growth factor receptor family has a role in the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. The novel tPA-herstatin fusion protein could be used as an effective therapeutic tool for control of inflammatory disorders involving an angiogenic component.


Background and Aim: Breast cancer is the first known cause of cancer related deaths of female patients in geriatric age group. In this group of patients, mammography has the most important effect in the early diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the findings of mammography and ultrasonography in women patients 65 years old and above. Materials and Method: In the imaging center of Ankara Numune Research and Training Hospital, the reasons for ordering and the findings of imaging for mammography and ultrasonography were investigated retrospectively within one year in 581 women patients 65 years old and above. Results: 415 patients were undergoing mammography and ultrasonography before receiving hormonal replacement treatment in the postmenopausal period. None of the patients in this group had findings of malignancy. 47 patients did not have any previous clinical or radiological breast examination and were being examined only with the preliminary diagnosis of mass in the breast. 30 out of 47 patients masses with malignant features were observed which was also confirmed by pathological examination. 36 patients admitted with the complaint of mastalgia; except for one patient, did not have any significant pathology that would explain the mastalgia by mammographically and ultrasonographically. Conclusion: There are limited epidemiological studies on breast cancer among 65 years of age and above. Our findings can be considered as there were no cases of malignancy among 415 patients above the age of 65 which can be accepted as screening. These findings have to be supported with future studies.


The field of nurse anesthesia is an evolving and demanding one, requiring challenging schooling and training. The application and selection process of nurse anesthesia students remains imperfect. The purpose of this study was to examine nurse anesthesia program directors' attitudes about the perceived importance of admission criteria and attributes in relation to success in the program. A retrospective non-experimental/ descriptive survey, with mixed method qualitative and quantitative data, was used. A convenience sample of 17 program and assistant program directors completed the researcher developed survey. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Nurse anesthesia program directors' attitudes about perceived importance of admission criteria and attributes in relation to success in the program showed high value placed on science GPA, emotional intelligence, personal interview, GPA, applicant essay, and critical care nursing experience. Science GPA and critical care experience showed the smallest standard deviation ranges and variance. The highest mean score was for science GPA, while the lowest mean scores were applicant age and GRE score. Free text responses highlighted attributes and admission criteria not evaluated in the survey including time/understanding of the program being applied to, time shadowing anesthesia providers, earned CCRN and critical care scenario test performance. The goal of improving the selection process should be to reduce attrition and increase first time national certification exam pass rates. Recommendations for research include expanded evaluation of nurse anesthesia students' admission requirements and their predictive value in regard to success in nurse anesthesia programs.


We present a video dataset created for the needs of a research project that aims at developing vision-based techniques that assist the social interaction of a blind person. Two totally blind users have acquired the sequences, using at the same time a glasses-mounted camera and a necklace-mounted one. The video sequences were acquired in different environments, selecting conditions in which a user could be interested in detecting the presence of some of his/her acquaintances, to approach them in a most natural way. The sequences have been temporally cropped to extract video shots that, by inspection, were deemed to contain events valuable for the goals of the project. The shots are presently being annotated, and some preliminary experiments on face detection have been performed on the annotated data. We also present some observations about the specific application that is being considered.


Prior research establishes that the price of parking in the city centre often impacts the decision to travel downtown and the mode of transportation utilized. Other factors that influence the decision to drive and park downtown have received less attention. This study uses time series data to analyse the demand for metered parking spaces in El Paso, Texas, USA. In addition to meter rates, the determinants of demand include personal income, gasoline prices and the price of a substitute good, parking garage spaces. Because international bridges connect downtown El Paso to neighbouring Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, the impacts of trans-boundary traffic flows, bridge tolls and other cross-border economic variables are also included as potential determinants of metered parking demand. Results indicate that parking meter rates, other transportation-related costs, and economic conditions in both countries affect meter use.


Summary Previous studies on microbes associated with deterioration of cultural heritage (CH) stoneworks have revealed a diverse microbiota adapted to stresses such as low nutrients, aridity and high salinity, temperatures and radiation. However, the function of these pioneer microbial communities is still unclear. This study examines bacterial and archaeal diversity in exfoliated and dark encrustation sandstone from Portchester Castle (UK) by 16S rRNA and functional gene analyses. Bacterial and archaeal communities from the exfoliated sites were distinctly different from the dark encrustation. Detected genera were linked to extreme environmental conditions, various potential functional roles and degradation abilities. From these data it was possible to reconstruct almost complete nitrogen and sulfur cycles, as well as autotrophic carbon fixation and mineral transformation processes. Analysis of RNA showed that many of the detected genera in these nutrient cycles were probably active in situ. Thus, CH stonework microbial communities are highly diverse and potentially self‐sustaining ecosystems capable of cycling carbon, nitrogen and sulfur as well as the stone biodeterioration processes that lead to alterations such as exfoliation and corrosion. These results highlight the importance of diversity and internal recycling capacity in the development of microbial communities in harsh and low energy systems.


Spectral datasets of a watch and a fetal hand have been acquired with the energy-resolving 2D X-ray imaging detector Medipix-2. We applied principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate the spectral information in the data. PCA is useful as it identifies the relevant information in a few derived variables that account for most of the variance of the dataset. A scattergram and cluster analysis allow us to group pixels with similar spectral characteristics. With our data, three derived variables display the most relevant information of the full dataset which can be represented in one RGB image. We have begun to apply this method to CT reconstructed slices to separate different materials. Our approach applies PCA to the energy domain and should not be confused with widely used applications of PCA in pattern recognition where it is applied to the spatial domain.


ABSTRACT Taking four countries—Britain, the Netherlands, France and Germany—with distinct state approaches and public debates over accommodating Muslims, we study the views of ordinary people from the majority and Muslim populations on Muslim group rights. We compare their responses to questions on mosque-building, teachers wearing religious symbols, and religious classes in schools, to determine whether there is a significant 'gap' between the majority and Muslim minorities. We find highly significant 'gaps' between the majorities and Muslims over Muslim group rights in all countries, with the majorities less supportive. Importantly, it is a shift by the majority population against Muslim group rights that produces this 'gap' as the question moves from provision for Christians to Muslims, while Muslims hold similar views over rights for Christians and their own religion. In Britain and Germany, the two countries where church/state relations privilege Christianity over other religions, majorities especially support Christian over Muslim group rights. The British findings are remarkable, because a country which substantially grants and has the most supportive public debate for Muslim group rights, produces the largest 'gaps' between its majority and Muslims. We think this is due to political context, where in contrast to the Netherlands, there is no outlet for political opposition to Muslim group rights.


This quantitative study
was based on national studies of teacher retention. A survey modified from Wiegand
(2003) was completed by 425 practicing teachers from four Wisconsin school
districts. Perception data were gathered from 319
participants who reportedly planned to continue teaching at their current
schools. The survey was cross-sectional:
data were collected in a short time frame. Data analysis was conducted in
five stages: 1) Background characteristics of respondents; 2) Analysis of
future plans; 3) Analysis of Likert scale items for all teachers that plan to
remain; 4) Analysis of Likert scale items by teacher subgroups; 5) Analysis of
open-ended items.

Findings showed that their decisions were influenced by gender, age,
current school teaching experience, and grade levels. Analyses of responses found significant
relationships among intrinsic motivation, school organizational
characteristics, and school climate. This study received Exempt Review from the Edgewood College Human
Participants Review Board based on an appropriate risk/benefit ratio and a
project design wherein the risks have been minimized.


Glucose dose-relations of the early and late insulin responses were established in control, prediabetic and mildly diabetic subjects by performing glucose infusions with varying doses in each subject. Our earlier demonstration that the dose-response curves for both the early and late insulin responses are shifted toward the high glucose region in prediabetes and diabetes was confirmed. In a second series of experiments, a thirty minute arginine infusion was given fifty minutes before the start of the glucose infusion. The insulin response to arginine was reduced in the prediabetics and diabetics. Plasma insulin returned to base line at the start of the glucose infusion in the controls and prediabetics, but not in the diabetics. The early insulin response to glucose infusion was markedly enhanced by pretreatment with arginine at all glucose doses used, both in the controls and the prediabetics, whereas the late response was not modified. The results in the patients with mild diabetes were not conclusive. In the controls and prediabetics, the glucose-insulin dose-response curves for the early response were steeper after pretreatment with arginine. The percentile increase in insulin response was fairly constant throughout the range of hypergly-cemia induced. The insulinogenic index was increased by arginine with a factor of around 2 in controls as well as prediabetics, regardless of the dose of glucose administered. These results, together with data reported previously by our group, indicate that arginine acts on insulin secretion by magnifying, at a constant rate, the insulinogenic signal of glucose. In prediabetics (and probably also in persons with slight diabetes), in whom the insulinogenic signal of glucose on the β-cell is diminished, arginine exerts quantitatively a similar degree of amplification. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that the mechanisms which mediate the amplifying effect of arginine in the β-cell are not deranged in prediabetes.


Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare but deadly disease whose victims bear a 40% chance of mortality within the first five years of diagnosis. Although current treatment strategies have been successful at subduing symptoms of PH, they have done little to prolong the survival of those afflicted. PH is characterized histopathologically by, among other characteristics, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) that constitute the medial layer of the pulmonary resistance arteries and which are thought to decrease the compliance and increase the resistance of the pulmonary vasculature. Over time, these changes increase the burden on the right heart and ultimately lead to its failure and patient death. While recent advances have greatly increased our understanding of pulmonary vascular remodeling, knowledge of these mechanisms is far from complete. Furthermore, the translation of putative mechanisms to animal models is hindered by inadequate tools to quantify medial thickening. Here we present a new method for the quantification of vascular remodeling. In addition, we describe a novel mechanism whereby a conserved 20 amino acid peptide (SR20) in the carboxyterminal domain (CTD) of macrophage elastase (MMP12) induces the expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). TRAIL is known to preferentially induce apoptosis in tumor cells, and we demonstrate the efficacy of SR20 and the MMP12 CTD in vitro and in vivo as a cytotoxic agent against tumor cells. TRAIL is also known to paradoxically increase the proliferation of vascular SMCs, and we present evidence that the MMP12 CTD increases the proliferation of pulmonary arterial SMCs through upregulation of TRAIL with potential links to PH. Finally, we present the results of a genome-wide association study in 36 inbred and wild-derived mouse strains exposed to a chronic high-fat diet-induced model of PH to uncover novel candidate genes linked to PH pathogenesis. The results of these studies should aid investigators in all areas of basic PH research through the provision of superior methods. Meanwhile, the identification of the MMP12 CTD as a mitogen for pulmonary SMCs, and the identification of genomic regions linked to PH development, will help improve our understanding of PH pathogenesis.