: Climate change has a particularly strong impact in high-mountain regions, as rapidly shrinking glaciers demonstrate in a clear manner. These drastic geomorphic changes have important implications with respect to natural hazards. The aim of this paper is to document the possible processes and consequences of such hazards, and to demonstrate how modern remote sensing and modeling techniques can be used for rapid assessment of potentially endangered areas. Three case studies are presented from the European Alps, the Andes and the Caucasus. They refer to hazards associated with glacial lake formation and growth, and possible related lake outbursts, as well as massive mass movement processes due to destabilization of large glacierized mountain walls. Due to the remoteness and difficult access in most high-mountain regions, satellite remote sensing is a highly appropriate tool for monitoring purposes in these areas. We outline here the range of currently available satellite sensor data and show how it can be used to identify potential hazard sources. Based on the detected critical areas, we use mass movement propagation models embedded in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to approximately delineate endangered areas. Such remote sensing and modeling based first-order hazard assessments are an important tool for further detailed studies, for land use planning, and for prevention and mitigation measures. Abstract Climate change has a particularly strong impact in high-mountain regions, as rapidly shrinking glaciers demonstrate in a clear manner. These drastic geomorphic changes have important implications with respect to natural hazards. The aim of this paper is to document the possible processes and consequences of such hazards, and to demonstrate how modern remote sensing and modeling techniques can be used for rapid assessment of potentially endangered areas. Three case studies are presented from the European Alps, the Andes and the Caucasus. They refer to hazards associated with glacial lake formation and growth, and possible related lake outbursts, as well as massive mass movement processes due to destabilization of large glacierized mountain walls. Due to the remoteness and difficult access in most high-mountain regions, satellite remote sensing is a highly appropriate tool for monitoring purposes in these areas. We outline here the range of currently available satellite sensor data and show how it can be used to identify potential hazard sources. Based on the detected critical areas, we use mass movement propagation models embedded in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to approximately delineate endangered areas. Such remote sensing and modeling based first-order hazard assessments are an important tool for further detailed studies, for land use planning, and for prevention and mitigation measures.


Abstract. The quantity of biomass in an ecosystem is constrained by energy availability. It is less clear, however, how energy availability constrains taxonomic and functional diversity. Competing models suggest biodiversity is either resource-limited or far from any bound. We test the hypothesis that functional diversity in marine bivalve communities is constrained by energy availability, measured as particulate organic carbon (POC) flux, in the modern oceans. We find that POC flux predicts the relative prevalence of ecological modes in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Moreover, the associations of ecological modes with POC fluxes are similar between the Atlantic and Pacific despite being based on independent sets of species, indicating a direct causal relationship. We then use the relationship between POC flux and the prevalence of functional groups in the modern to test the hypothesis that the trend of increasing functional diversity in bivalves across the past 500 Myr has occurred in response to increased POC flux. We find no evidence that the earliest-appearing modes of life are preferentially associated with low-POC environments or that the mean POC flux experienced by marine bivalves has increased across geological time. To reconcile the close association between ecological mode and POC flux in the modern oceans with the lack of evidence for increasing POC fluxes across time, we propose that POC flux has not increased substantially over time but, rather, the increase in bivalve functional diversity enabled bivalves to become more abundant, to occupy a broader range of environments, and to capture a greater fraction of the total POC flux. The results here suggest at the geographic scale of oceans and through geologic time bivalve diversity was not bounded by food availability.


We present a Monte-Carlo simulation algorithm for real-time policy improvement of an adaptive controller. In the Monte-Carlo simulation, the long-term expected reward of each possible action is statistically measured, using the initial policy to make decisions in each step of the simulation. The action maximizing the measured expected reward is then taken, resulting in an improved policy. Our algorithm is easily parallelizable and has been implemented on the IBM SP1 and SP2 parallel-RISC supercomputers.

We have obtained promising initial results in applying this algorithm to the domain of backgammon. Results are reported for a wide variety of initial policies, ranging from a random policy to TD-Gammon, an extremely strong multi-layer neural network. In each case, the Monte-Carlo algorithm gives a substantial reduction, by as much as a factor of 5 or more, in the error rate of the base players. The algorithm is also potentially useful in many other adaptive control applications in which it is possible to simulate the environment.


In the drought summer of 2001, a simmering conflict between agricultural and environmental interests in southern Oregon's Upper Klamath Basin turned into a guerrilla war of protests, vandalism, and apocalyptic rhetoric when the federal Bureau of Reclamation shut down the headgates of the Klamath Project to conserve water needed by endangered species. This was the first time in U.S. history that the headgates of a federal irrigation project were closed - and irrigators denied the use of their state water rights - in favor of conservation. Farmers mounted a brief rebellion to keep the water flowing, but ultimately conceded defeat.In "Water War in the Klamath Basin", legal scholars Holly Doremus and A. Dan Tarlock examine the genesis of the crisis and its fallout, offering a comprehensive review of the event, the history leading up to it, and the lessons it holds for anyone seeking to understand conflicts over water use in the arid West. The authors focus primarily on the legal institutions that contributed to the conflict - what they call "the accretion of unintegrated resource management and environmental laws" that make environmental protection so challenging, especially in politically divided regions with a long-standing history of entitlement-based resource allocation."Water War in the Klamath Basin" explores common elements fundamental to natural resource conflicts that must be overcome if conflicts are to be resolved. It is a fascinating look at a topic of importance for anyone concerned with the management, use, and conservation of increasingly limited natural resources.


E. coli is one of the most frequently involved bacteria in uterine diseases. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria involved in pathogenic processes leading to post-partum metritis and endometritis in cattle. It also causes inflammation of the endometrium. The increase of cell proliferation by LPS is part of the inflammatory process. The aim of this study was to investigate possible changes in protein expression in relation to the proliferative response of bEECs after challenge with E. coli-LPS. In vitro culture of bEECs was performed from cow genital tracts collected at a slaughterhouse. In passage 5, bEECs from each of 9 cows (3 series of 3 cows) were exposed to 0, 8, and 16 μg ml-1 LPS for 72 h. At time 0 and 72 h later, attached cells/living cells were counted and for each time and LPS dosage, cells were frozen for proteomic analyses. All samples from the 3 series were analyzed by 2-D gel electrophoresis coupled to MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. The samples from the first series were subjected to shotgun nLC-MS/MS analysis. From the whole differential proteomics analysis, 38 proteins were differentially expressed (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) following exposure to LPS. Among them, twenty-eight were found to be up-regulated in the LPS groups in comparison to control groups and ten were down-regulated. Differentially expressed proteins were associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis, transcription, destabilization of cell structure, oxidative stress, regulation of histones, allergy and general cell metabolism pathways. The de-regulations induced by LPS were consistent with the proliferative phenotype and indicated strong alterations of several cell functions. In addition, some of the differentially expressed proteins relates to pathways activated at the time of implantation. The specific changes induced through those signals may have negative consequences for the establishment of pregnancy.


Economic result of forest regeneration chains, based either on spot mounding or on disc trenching and planting of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) seedlings, were clarified and compared to each other. First, effects of soil preparation method on early development of Norway spruce stands were measured from field experiments. Second, the effects of soil preparation method on stand level management programs were modelled. The modelling was based on growth simulation and investment calculations. The soil preparation methods substantially affected early development of a stand. The density of the removed trees in early cleaning was 56% higher on the disc-trenched area compared to the spot-mounded area. The difference was especially high (120%), close by (<25 cm) the remained spruce seedlings. There was also a difference between the methods in the growth of crop spruces; at biological age of 8 years, the mean height of spruce was 110 cm on the spot-mounded area and 68 cm on the disc-trenched area. The differences led to divergent management programs between the areas. The disc-trenched area needed three young stand management operations whereas two was enough at the spot-mounded area. Although disc trenching is a less expensive method than spot mounding, the total management costs were higher in disc trenching than in spot mounding. Furthermore, incomes from the first commercial thinning were higher when regeneration based on spot mounding. At the interest rate of 3%, the investment in spot mounding had 329 € ha –1 higher net present value than the investment in disc trenching.


Objectives: Total ankle replacement (TAR) is increasingly used for treatment of primary or posttraumatic arthritis of the ankle joint, if joint movement is intended to be preserved. Data on characteristics and treatment of ankle prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is limited and no validated therapeutic algorithm exist. Therefore, we analyzed all infections, which occurred in a cohort of implanted ankle prostheses during a 5-year-period. Methods: Between 06/2004 and 12/2008, all patients with an implanted ankle prosthesis at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were operated by the same surgical team. Ankle PJI was defined as visible purulence, acute inflammation on histopathology, sinus tract, or microbial growth in periprosthetic tissue or sonication fluid of the removed prosthesis. The surgery on the infected ankle prosthesis and the follow-up were performed by the surgical team, who implanted the prosthesis. A specialized septic team consisting of an orthopaedic surgeon and infectious diseases consultant were included in the treatment. Results: During the study period, 92 total ankle prostheses were implanted in 90 patients (mean age 61 years, range 28–80 years). 78 patients had posttraumatic arthritis, 11 rheumatoid arthritis and 3 other degenerative disorder. Ankle PJI occurred in 3 of 92 TAR (3.3%), occurring 1, 2 and 24 months after implantation; the causative organisms were Enterobacter cloacae, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. The ankle prosthesis was removed in all infected patients, including debridement of the surrounding tissue was debrided and insertion of an antibiotic loaded spacer. Provisional arthrodesis was performed by external fixation in two patients and by plaster cast in one. A definitive ankle arthrodesis with a retrograde nail was performed 6 to 8 weeks after prosthesis removal. One patient needed a flap coverage. All 3 patients received intravenous antibiotic treatment for 2 weeks, followed by oral antibiotics for 4–6 weeks. At follow-up visit up to 18 months after start of treatment, all patients were without clinical or laboratory signs of infection. Conclusions: The infection incidence after TAR was 3.3%, which is slightly higher than reported after hip (


Cotton is picked manually in Fars Province, Iran. It is not only a slow, labor-intensive operation, but extremely tedious, hard work. Due to scarcity of labor at harvesting time, mechanization of cotton harvesting is of vital importance. Therefore, a field study was conducted to evaluate the interactive effects of harvesting directions (in the rows, cross, and oblique, or skew) and row spacing (24-, 36-, and 70-cm) on cotton stripper performance. Results showed that different harvesting directions and row spacing had a significant effect on seed cotton loss. Maximum seed cotton loss was observed in the row direction treatment and minimum loss occurred in the skew treatment. The findings revealed that maximum loss was obtained from row spacing of 70 cm. Overall, these results demonstrated that cotton grown in 36-cm rows and harvested in a skewed or oblique direction had a greater impact on the reduction of seed cotton losses and produced seed cotton yield higher than the 70-cm rows harvested in the rows direction.


The arrival and expansion of the Internet has changed music fandom quite significantly, with an interesting alteration occurring surrounding the engagement of fans with the live music experience. In recent years, the use of mobile Internet and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook has not only allowed fans to find and connect with each other at shows, but also tweet concert set-lists and other information as they happen, thereby allowing non-attendees around the world to feel part of the event. In this article, I will examine the engagement of fans in this process, demonstrating how these online tools are involving fans that are not physically present at the show, seemingly incorporating them into the real-time "live" experience. Seeking to understand and unravel this practice, I shall explore how fans of prolific touring artists U2 and Tori Amos undertake this, with assigned concert attendees tweeting the set-list to fans in their online communities in "freak out" and party threads, where they gather to enjoy the show together, from the comfort of their computers. I will examine the responses of fans engaged in this activity, arguing that fans are using social and mobile media in an attempt to contest and reshape the boundaries of live music concerts.


Fears and stories about an underground religion devoted to Satan, which demands and carries out child sacrifice, appeared in the United States in the late twentieth century and became the subject of media reports supported by some mental health professionals. Looking at these modern fantasies leads us back to ancient stories which in some cases believers consider the height of religious devotion. Horrifying ideas about human sacrifice, child sacrifice, and the offering to the gods of a beloved only son by his father appear repeatedly in Western traditions, starting with the Greeks and the Hebrews. This publication focuses on rituals of violence tied to religion, both imagined and real. The main question of this work is the meaning of blood and ritual killing in the history of religion. The publication examines the encounter with the idea of child sacrifice in the context of human hopes for salvation.


We present the results of a search for untriggered gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows with the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment-III (ROTSE-III) telescope array. This search covers observations from 2003 September to 2005 March. We have an effective coverage of 1.74 deg2 yr for rapidly fading transients that remain brighter than ~17.5 mag for more than 30 minutes. This search is the first large-area survey to be able to detect typical untriggered GRB afterglows. Our background rate is very low and purely astrophysical. We have found four previously unknown cataclysmic variables (CVs) and one new flare star. We have not detected any candidate afterglow events or other unidentified transients. We can place an upper limit on the rate of fading optical transients with quiescent counterparts dimmer than ~20th magnitude at a rate of less than 1.9 deg-2 yr-1 with 95% confidence. This places limits on the optical characteristics of off-axis (orphan) GRB afterglows. As a by-product of this search, we have an effective ~52 deg2 yr of coverage for very slowly decaying transients, such as CVs. This implies an overall rate of outbursts from high Galactic latitude CVs of 0.1 deg-2 yr-1.


Abstract Starting from the mid-nineteenth century, this paper analyzes two periods of financial instability connected with financial globalization. The first culminates with the 1929 crisis, while the second characterizes the more recent experience starting from the 1970s. The period in between is divided into two subperiods. The first goes up to World War II and sees a retrenchment from globalization and the affirmation of a statist approach to national policy autonomy. The second subperiod, marked by the new international monetary order and limited globalization, although appearing as a relatively calm interlude, conceals the seeds of a renewed push toward financial fragility. The above periods are synthetically analyzed in terms of the development and mutual fertilization of theories, institutions, and vested public and private interests. The narrative is based on two interpretative keys: the Minskyan theory of financial fragility and changes in the public-private partnership, mainly with reference to the financial sector for which the role of the State as the guarantor of last resort necessarily ensues. The lesson is that a laissez-faire approach strengthens asymmetric powers and financial instability, rendering it extremely difficult and socially costly for the State to comply with its role of financial guarantor.


This book captures the new mood a return to a preference for the unique and the handmade. Design expert and acclaimed blogger Olivier Dupon has sourced the cream of the contemporary design world from all over Europe, Australia and the United States, profiling 75 artisans who use craft techniques, rather than mass-production methods, to create stylish, whimsical, covetable objects. Hundreds of colour photographs feature a huge variety of crafts, including art, ceramics, furniture, glasswork, jewelry, lighting, metalwork, papercraft, textiles and woodwork. Complete with a directory of products, and Dupon's personal recommendations for inspiring shops and websites to visit, this is the perfect resource for discovering unique and beautiful objects made by new, talented artisans from all around the world.


In this paper we present the solution to a longstanding problem of differential geometry: Lie's third theorem for Lie algebroids. We show that the integrability problem is controlled by two computable obstructions. As applications we derive, explain and improve the known integrability results, we establish integrability by local Lie groupoids, we clarify the smoothness of the Poisson sigma-model for Poisson manifolds, and we describe other geometrical applications.


This paper originates from a presentation at the IIIrd International Congress on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia, August 2001. In Ananas comosus L. (Merr.) (pineapple), a widely cultivated bromeliad that exhibits crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), much of the carbohydrate synthesized during the daytime appears to accumulate as soluble sugars in the vacuole. To investigate the mechanism of sugar transport into the vacuole, microsomal extracts were prepared from deacidifying leaves harvested during Phase III of the CAM cycle. The vesicle preparations exhibited features expected for a fraction highly enriched in vacuolar membranes (tonoplast), i.e. the ATPase activity of 16 ±2nkat mg-1 protein was inhibited 96% by 50 mm KNO3, an inhibitor of vacuolar ATPases, and was only 7% inhibited by 100μm NaN3 plus 100μm Na3VO4, inhibitors of mitochondrial and plasma membrane ATPases, respectively. Further, the microsomal ATPase activity showed a pH optimum between 7.0 and 8.0, typical of a vacuolar ATPase. When presented with Mg-ATP, vesicles established H+ gradients that could be maintained for at least 25 min. The vesicles were able to take up [14C]sucrose from an external medium. Sucrose uptake exhibited saturable kinetics with an apparent Km of 50 m sucrose and apparent Vmax of 171 ± 5 pkat mg-1 protein. Sucrose uptake was not dependent upon, nor stimulated by, Mg-ATP, suggesting that the mechanism of sucrose transport into the vacuole in A. comosus does not involve H+-coupled cotransport. However, the initial rates of sucrose uptake from the external medium were stimulated when vesicles were preloaded with sucrose. This trans-stimulation is consistent with characteristics expected for a sucrose uniporter capable of operating in an exchange mode. It is proposed that the accumulation of glucose and fructose in leaf vacuoles of Ananas during the light period involves at least two steps - transport of sucrose into the vacuole by a mechanism exhibiting characteristics of a sucrose uniporter, followed by cleavage of sucrose by a vacuolar acid invertase to form glucose and fructose.


This paper discusses from a theoretical and conceptual perspective how generative linguistics can be useful to language teaching and learning. Proper interpretation of the generative theoretical underpinnings, as well as better understanding of the generative conceptions about language and linguistic competence, and of relevant research results can help us better appreciate what it takes to acquire competence in a language. Well-informed decisions can be made on effective language teaching methodologies and materials, thereby facilitating language learning and generating success for learners. Applications of relevant concepts and principles are demonstrated by concrete examples that can be incorporated into lesson designs for the instruction of Chinese to English speakers.


We suggest a method for monotonizing general kernel-type estimators, for example local linear estimators and Nadaraya–Watson estimators. Attributes of our approach include the fact that it produces smooth estimates, indeed with the same smoothness as the unconstrained estimate. The method is applicable to a particularly wide range of estimator types, it can be trivially modified to render an estimator strictly monotone and it can be employed after the smoothing step has been implemented. Therefore, an experimenter may use his or her favorite kernel estimator, and their favorite bandwidth selector, to construct the basic nonparametric smoother and then use our technique to render it monotone in a smooth way. Implementation involves only an off-the-shelf programming routine. The method is based on maximizing fidelity to the conventional empirical approach, subject to monotonicity. We adjust the unconstrained estimator by tilting the empirical distribution so as to make the least possible change, in the sense of a distance measure, subject to imposing the constraint of monotonicity.


This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the doctrine of undue influence in the context of the family home and fully incorporates the recent House of Lords ruling in Royal Bank of Scotland v Etridge (No 2) (2001). It is aimed predominantly at the legal practitioner, but will also act as a useful source of reference for academics and students of contract, land law and equity and trusts. Emphasis is placed on claims brought by spouses (usually the wife) seeking to set aside a charge over the matrimonial home made in favour of a lending institution. The role of lenders in this context is also examined in depth, as is the part played by the solicitor acting on behalf of the parties. Apart from providing an exposition of the doctrine and its key elements, the book also gives a broader outlook by examining the Commonwealth experience (notably in Australia, Canada and New Zealand) and suggesting an underlying concept of unconscionability as governing undue influence claims. There is also a separate chapter on remedies, as well as an appendix containing a number of draft pleadings for use by the legal practitioner. In the foreword, the Honourable Mr Justice Neuberger writes: 'Pawlowski and Brown are to be congratulated for having produced a book ...as comprehensive and user-friendly as this volume. Not only have they considered the effect of the authorities in a clear and logical way, but they have also highlighted problems which have yet to be resolved and questions which have yet to be answered ...one of the hallmarks of a good legal book.'


This research was undertaken in order to develop and evaluate a physiotherapeutic assessment of hemiplegic patients to be called the "Sheffield Motor Assessment Chart". Specifications for its performance and appearance are described on the basis of an extensive review of the literature. Discussion covers aspects of clinical acceptability concerning stroke and hemiplegia, and physiotherapy and rehabilitation; criteria of scientific acceptability; and the presentation and communication of information. Original observations are recorded which were made during development and evaluation of both the protocol of items of assessment and the graphic display of findings of assessments. A sequence of recovery of control of movement and balance was identified using data collected from sixty-three patients, and it was confirmed against data from one hundred and thirty-one patients. Items of assessment based on this sequence are described in two homogeneous scales (r[s]= 0.79; p< 0.01) according to the World Health Organisation's definitions of impairment and disability. The Guttman scalogram technique shows the items to be a valid representation of recovery from hemiplegia (CR = 0.92; CS = 0.75). Tests of inter-observer reliability show each item to be reproducible (p<0.05). From physiotherapists' responses to questionnaires, it is estimated that 0.79 +/-0.21 of the whole population of physiotherapists will find the assessment acceptable. Its potential contribution to multidisciplinary rehabilitation of stroke patients was also investigated during interviews with practitioners and patients. It is concluded that the specifications have been fulfilled so that a valid and reliable physiotherapeutic assessment is available which: (A) is suitable for routine clinical use; (B) offers an aid to communication between physiotherapists and other practitioners; (C) is suitable for gathering data for research; (D) provides a model for other assessments so that multidisciplinary "patient profiles" could be developed for the use of teams of practitioners involved in rehabilitation of stroke patients.


This is a re-analysis of reports from 1984 to 1992 of double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trials of zinc lozenges in the treatment of common colds. This re-analysis was performed to test the hypothesis that major variations in daily zinc ion availability (ZIA) between chemically different lozenge formulations caused differing results in these clinical trials. Solution chemistry computations determined the bioavailability of Zn2+ ions at physiological pH from the lozenges used in these clinical trails. ZIA was derived from Fick's laws of diffusion in a bio-electric field. Lozenges that released Zn2+ ions at physiological pH (positive ZIAs) shortened colds. Lozenges that released negatively charged zinc species at physiological pH (negative ZIAs) lengthened colds. Lozenges having a zero ZIA had no effect on common colds. Lozenges with ZIA = 100 shortened colds by 7 days while ZIA = -55 lozenges lengthened colds by 4.4 days. A linear dose-response relationship exists between ZIAs of zinc lozenges and changes in duration of common colds. It is concluded that: prospective efficacy of zinc lozenges can be predicted based upon readily determined ZIA factors and ZIAs; chemically different zinc lozenge formulations having greatly different ZIAs resulted in greatly differing results in clinical trials; mast cell granule-derived Zn2+ ions are the foundation of the primary immune system; and high ZIA zinc acetate lozenges are beneficial for common colds.


In this paper an attempt is made to analyze the causes of growth of public government considering a demand model. The main contribution is the elaboration of a comprehensive and synthetic model in which economic-structural and political-institutional variables are included. To our knowledge, it is the first work that attempts this kind of model as it considers such a high number of variables, which implies great difficulties upon conducting the corresponding analysis. We consider the public expenditure in Spain in the period 1958-2014 where there are structural points. Then we use unit root and cointegration tests in a structural breaks context.


This study was carried out to compare groups with individual counseling to examine essential outcomes in young adults in a community pharmacy. A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2011 to February 2012. A total of 112 overweight and obese participants were randomly assigned to receive group counseling (n=52) or individual counseling (n=56). Clinical outcomes included weight, waist circumference and body mass index. Eating behaviors were evaluated by a theory of planned behavior questionnaire. Both groups showed significant clinical outcomes. The theory of planned behavior average sum score significantly increased from baseline in the health dieting behavior and subjective norm in group counseling. In the individual group (P<0.05), the score increased significantly from baseline only for health dieting behavior (P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis, factors associated with eating behaviors were: group counseling (OR=4.03, 95% CI: 1.71-9.51), female (healthy dieting behavior: OR=0.37, 95% CI: normative beliefs: 0.15-0.93) and person who attempted to control weight (OR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.03-0.91). Group counseling was not inferior to individual counseling and the group counseling should be used as first line mode for weight control management in young adults.


Objective: Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer have resulted in an increasing number of individuals living longer following their diagnosis. No longer is lung cancer the "death sentence" it once was. This initiative was designed to document the current experiences of lung cancer patients and explore the potential for patient engagement. Methods: Three avenues of investigation were undertaken: a literature review regarding lung cancer and patient engagement, an environmental scan of lung organizations and cancer societies regarding their approaches to lung cancer patient and family engagement, and in-depth interviews with lung cancer survivors and family members about their experiences and perspectives about patient engagement. Information was collated and major themes identified. Results: Evidence about the experience of lung cancer patients illustrates their needs are complex and dynamic. It also presents a clear picture of unmet physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. In particular, stigma is a significant issue for those diagnosed with lung cancer. Information, support, and communication play important roles in helping patients cope but access to resources remains challenging. Patients and family members expressed interest in becoming engaged in advocacy to improve care. Conclusions: The changing face of lung cancer creates the potential for lung cancer survivors to become engaged not only in participating in their own care but also become more involved in peer support and advocacy than lung cancer patients have been able to do in the past.


The use of tax incentives instead of direct spending to promote social and economic goals is growing. This paper considers whether it matters if fiscal interventions take the form of direct spending or tax breaks. Tax breaks can, and increasingly do, replace spending programs with the same effects on resource allocation and income distribution. Costs of administration may differ between them, however, depending on program design features.While the choice between the two must be made on a case-by-case basis, the increased use of the tax system for social policy raises broader concerns about political accountability.


Powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca mors-uvae) severely infects young shoots, stems and fruits of gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa). Environmental friendly and biological control measures are being sought throughout the world. Especially in organic currant growing effective control measures are needed, because powdery mildew infections may result in a total loss of the crop. In organic currant growing the number of adequate control methods is very limited. Sulphur as a fungicide against powdery mildew in e.g., gooseberry or table grape growing is not recommendable due to possible bleaching of berries and scorching of tender shoots. Various bicarbonate salts are suggested as a good option to control powdery mildew. In a series of experiments the effect of potassium bicarbonate (formulated and unformulated products) on powdery mildew of gooseberry was evaluated. In the trials different strategies were tested; i.e., preventive and curative strategies. The percent of infected berries, shoots and disease severity were assessed. Very high disease incidences were observed in the untreated control. All potassium bicarbonate treatments significantly reduced the powdery mildew severity in leaves and fruits compared to the untreated controls. The preventive strategies were very successful. However, the number of spray applications was high. Frequently, a severe phytotoxicity caused by potassium bicarbonate was observed. Several experiments were performed with different dosages, timing of sprayings and spray intervals. The potential and limitations of potassium bicarbonate used to control powdery mildew in the field are discussed.


Water resources are facing several stresses in terms of quantity and quality. These pressures are closely related to the human interventions in fields like: agriculture, land-use/land use change, construction/management of reservoirs, pollutant emissions, and water /wastewater treatment, among others. Considering the critical role that water plays for agricultural production, any shock in water availability will have great implications for agricultural production, and through agricultural markets these impacts will reach the whole economy with economy-wide consequences. The aim of this report is to present a literature review about the state of the art methodology regarding the study of water issues using the CGE approach at global and national scale. The analysis of the different studies confirms the economy wide consequences of changes in water allocation, irrigation policies, and climate change, among others water related issues.


In southern France, whereas the most complete Permian succession crops out in the Lodeve basin (Languedoc), the most diversified can be studied in the Provence basins, constituting a continuous belt around the Variscan Les Maures Massif. From the SW to the NE they are: Toulon-Cuers, Le Luc, Bas-Argens, and Esterel basins. From the two first, correlations can be readily made with the Permian succession of the Nurra «basin» (northwest Sardinia); on the other hand correlations are much more difficult towards the Bas-Argens and Esterel. That conveys the coexistence during the Permian of two distinct fluvial drainage systems merging in the Draguignan area before to trend northwards, in a landscape concealed at present below a thick Mesozoic cover. The relatively thin lower Triassic siliciclastics (Buntsandstein), Smithian? to Anisian in age, were deposited by a totally different drainage system, flowing towards the SW. In this paper, after a general survey of the geological history of southern Provence, the contributions of different disciplines to the present knowledge of the Permian series are presented. Then follows, for each of the two fluvial systems, a short description of each lithostratigraphical unit, with special emphasis on presentation and discussion of the dating elements gathered up to now.


The figure depicts three different molecular structures of estrogen found in mammals? that differ by the arrangement of bonds and side groups. The molecular structures of the three estrogen molecules differ by the arrangement of chemical bonds and side groups attached to the core steroid structure, cholesterol, which contains three cyclohexane rings and one cyclopentane ring. Compared to the molecular structure of estriol, the molecular structure of estradiol is missing one oxygen-hydrogen or OH group, and estrone lacks the OH group, and one hydrogen molecule that results in a double bonded oxygen atom. These steroid hormones bind to specific cell receptor molecules and induce transcriptional changes in cells. The production of estriol increases during pregnancy, estradiol production increases during stages of the menstrual cycle, and estrone levels increase during menopause. The differing bonds and chemical arrangements enable scientists to determine the different concentrations of the molecules.


Objective To assess the efficacy and tolerance of a diuretic-free antihypertensive therapy with a Ca2+ antagonist and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Research Design and Methods After a 2-wk washout and a 4-wk placebo phase, 47 hypertensive patients with NIDDM randomly received verapamil or enalapril alone and, if blood pressure remained elevated, both agents combined over 30 wk. Results Verapamil or enalapril alone normalized blood pressure to < 90 mmHg diastolic in 30 patients; verapamil decreased mean ± SE blood pressure from 159/98 ± 3/1 to 146/87 ± 3/2 mmHg (n = 18, P < 0.001) and enalapril from 166/99 ± 5/2 to 146/86 ± 3/1 mmHg (n = 12, P < 0.001). In 17 patients who were still hypertensive after 10 wk of monotherapy, combination of both drugs decreased blood pressure from 170/104 ± 4/2 to 152/90 ± 4/2 mmHg (P < 0.001). Fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, serum fructosamine, total lipids, high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoproteins A-I and B, creatinine, and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio were not significantly modified. Conclusions In hypertensive patients with NIDDM, a diuretic-free therapy based on the Ca2+ antagonist verapamil and/or the ACE inhibitor enalapril can effectively decrease blood pressure without adversely affecting carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.


As of 2008, for the first time in human history, half of the world's population now live in cities. And with concerns about issues such as climate change, energy supply and environmental health receiving increasing political attention, interest in the sustainable development of our future cities has grown dramatically.  Yet despite a wealth of literature on green architecture, evidence-based design and sustainable planning, only a fraction of the current literature successfully integrates the necessary theory and practice from across the full range of relevant disciplines.  Springer's Future City series combines expertise from designers, and from natural and social scientists, to discuss the wide range of issues facing the architects, planners, developers and inhabitants of the world's future cities. Its aim is to encourage the integration of ecological theory into the aesthetic, social and practical realities of contemporary urban development.


For patients with end-stage bladder disease for which other treatment options have failed, the patient is treated surgically with either urinary diversion or bladder augmentation. Enterocystoplasty is the most common of these options, and it involves augmenting the bladder using a section of the patient's own intestine. However, there are several problems associated with the use of intestine for augmenting the bladder, and therefore an alternative augmentation material may be of benefit to patients. Numerous approaches have been used to develop tissue-engineered scaffolds capable of successfully augmenting bladders. Some of these approaches have involved the use of acellular tissue-derived materials, whereby the tissues are decellularised in order to remove immunogenic material and therefore prevent an immune reaction when transplanted allogeneically or xenogeneically. Decellularisation protocols typically involve a variety of chemical and physical processes which remove cells and other immunogenic material from the tissues.

A protocol was previously developed to decellularise full-thickness porcine bladders. This material may have utility in bladder augmentation. The process involved distending the bladders with, and placing them in, a series of solutions. It was demonstrated that distending the whole organs was a necessary step in the decellularisation process. It was thought that this procedure applied biaxial strain to the wall of the tissue and reduced its thickness sufficiently for the solutions to penetrate the entire wall of the tissue. However, the method of distending whole bladders was not compatible with a scalable manufacturing process, and therefore the biomaterial was not able to be developed further. The overall aim of this project was to develop a novel method of manipulating bladder tissue which would enable bladder tissue to be decellularised in a way which would be compatible with a commercial manufacturing process.

The original bladder decellularisation process used 500 ml of solutions to distend bladders. Preliminary experiments demonstrated that this volume was not always adequate to decellularise larger bladders. Filling experiments were performed to find relationships between bladder size and bladder capacity. A relationship between bladder capacity and bladder width*length was found to have a high correlation. Bladders were decellularised when filled to capacities calculated using the relationship. No signs of cellular material were observed in histological sections of these bladders, and DNA quantification indicated a removal of more than 99% of the DNA relative to native tissue.

In order to determine the state of mechanical deformation of bladders during decellularisation, markers were placed on the surface of twelve bladders which were immersed in isotonic solution and slowly filled. Images taken of the bladders and markers during filling were used to calculate the strain of the tissues during the tests. The previously found relationships for bladder capacity were used to calculate the capacity of these bladders. The stress, strain and thickness of the bladders were calculated at the point the bladders were filled to their respective capacities. These strains were invariant with bladder capacity, and were equal to 2.0 and 1.4 in the circumferential and longitudinal directions respectively. Applying these strains to three bladders during decellularisation appeared to result in a complete removal of cellular material.

It was thought that applying the required strains to bladder tissue deformed in a flat sheet configuration would be compatible with a manufacturing process. In order to apply biaxial strain to this highly compliant material, it was recognised that it would be appropriate to deform it using discrete points, placed along the edges of the tissue. The stretching of flat sheets of bladder using this method was modelled using finite element modelling to find an optimal stretching regime. The models demonstrated that deforming the tissue using five discrete points along each edge of the material would be adequate to ensure that the required strains would be applied to the tissue for decellularisation to occur.

So that flat sheets of bladder could be decellularised, a piece of equipment was designed to hold pieces of bladder in the state of deformation which was previously modelled. The equipment took the form of a 3D-printed frame. A procedure was developed to stretch bladder tissue onto the frame. To test the hypothesis that bladder tissue could be decellularised in a flat sheet configuration, six bladders were stretched onto the frames and subject to the decellularisation process. Histological sections taken from decellularised bladder samples demonstrated a complete removal of cellular material, and a DNA extraction and quantification assay demonstrated that 99% of the DNA had been removed relative to the native controls.

Bladders decellularised using the original process were transported in transport medium and processed within 4 h of bladder collection. A manufacturing process would require the tissue to be stored before processing. It was also recognised that it may not be necessary to transport bladders---which are destined for decellularisation---in transport medium, which was developed in order to maintain viable urothelial cells. To test the effects of freezing and transportation without transport medium, bladders were collected from the abattoir, transported without transport medium and subject to either one (six bladders) or two (six bladders) freeze-thaw cycles. Twelve fresh bladders were transported with transport medium. Bladders were immersed in solution and mechanically tested by distension, and their stress--strain curves calculated. There was no statistical difference between the toe region modulus and the transition stress of fresh, once-frozen and twice frozen bladders. There was a small but significant increase in the linear region modulus and transition stress of fresh bladders compared to the once- and twice-frozen bladders. No significant differences were found between once-frozen and twice-frozen bladders. To determine the effect of this revised transportation regime on bladder decellularisation, six bladders were transported without transport medium, subject to two freeze-thaw cycles and subject to the decellularisation process. Samples taken from these bladders for histological analysis and DNA quantification exhibited a complete removal of cellular material.

In conclusion, this study demonstrated that applying suitable strains to flat sheets of bladder tissue was a viable method of deforming bladder tissue in order for it to be decellularised. Freezing the tissue up to two times before decellularisation resulted in some small but significant changes to the mechanical properties of the tissue, but did not affect the efficacy of the decellularisation process. It therefore may now be feasible to commercially produce decellularised full-thickness porcine bladder tissue.


Three patients with diffuse idiopathic cranial pachymeningitis with predominant involvement of the tentorium and falx are reported. Progressively increasing headaches were the usual symptoms, along with ataxia and various cranial nerve palsies. CT in all cases and MR imaging in two cases detected isolated thickened dura mater. In one case, MR depicted dural involvement as a very large, hypointense area with fine hyperintense edges on T2-weighted images. Microscopic examination of thickened dura revealed extensive fibrotic tissue with a chronic inflammatory infiltrate containing lymphocytes, plasma cells, and scattered eosinophils; these findings closely paralleled the MR features. Only four cases with similar pathologies have been described, all before the advent of CT and MR. We discuss the different causes of thickened dura mater as well as the significance of the fact that dural thickening can be responsible for occlusion of the dural sinuses. Cranial pachymeningitis is a rarely reported disease that can resemble other disorders associated with tentorial thickening; CT and MR can help differentiate it from these other disorders.


In recent years, the U.S. federal government has aggressively sought to involve state and local government institutions more extensively and directly in the day-to-day regulation of immigration status and the interior enforcement of federal immigration laws. In this chapter, I discuss two sets of these initiatives - the efforts to involve state and local police in routine immigration enforcement and the development of federal issuance and eligibility standards for state driver's licenses - in order to explore the ways in which these developments may challenge conventional assumptions about the relationships between state and local governments and their non-U.S. citizen residents. Traditionally, U.S. immigration law has been understood to constrain state and local involvement in the regulation of immigration in part based on the premise that non-U.S. citizens are more likely to face hostility, discrimination, or disadvantage at the hands of state or local institutions than at the hands of the federal government. Certainly, it remains the case that non-U.S. citizens may often be vulnerable to hostility or discrimination by state and local government actors, as a number of recent examples make clear. However, as the federal government itself has become more aggressive in its regulation of immigration status, non-U.S. citizens are seeking and, in some instances, finding greater receptiveness for the protection of rights and liberties in state capitals and local city halls, rather than in Washington. In this context, the traditional assumptions concerning immigration, citizenship, and federalism may be incomplete.


Study of forces between the sample and the AFM cantilever tip is the basic in AFM force distance study. AFM plays vital role and acts as the Hooken's response giving rise to the force measurement. Force characterization depends on various conditions. That yield basic theories like JKR , DMT interaction etc. have been using for its explanation. Key words: AFM; Hooken's response; UHV; JKR; DMT The Himalayan Physics Vol.2, No.2, May, 2011 Page: 80-83 Uploaded Date : 1 August, 2011


Incorporating full three-dimensional models of the reactor core into system transient codes allows for a "best-estimate" calculation of interactions between the core behavior and plant dynamics. Considerable efforts have been made in various countries and organizations on the development of coupled thermal-hydraulic and neutronics codes. Appropriate benchmarks have been developed in international cooperations led by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that permit testing of the neutronics–thermal-hydraulics coupling and verification of the capability of the coupled codes to analyze complex transients with coupled core-plant interactions. Three such benchmarks are presented in this paper—the OECD/U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) pressurized water reactor main steam line break benchmark, the OECD/NRC boiling water reactor turbine trip benchmark, and the OECD/U.S. Department of Energy/Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique V1000 coolant transient benchmark. To meet the objectives of the validation of best-estimate coupled codes, a systematic approach has been introduced to evaluate the analyzed transients employing a multilevel methodology. Since these benchmarks are based on both code-to-code and code-to-data comparisons, further guidance for presenting and evaluating results has been developed. During the course of the benchmark activities, a professional community has been established, which allowed our carrying out in-depth discussions of different aspects considered in the validation process of the coupled codes. This positive output has certainly advanced the state of the art in the area of coupling research.


1. The colour of the minnow Phoxinus phoxinus L. and its ability to undergo colour change were studied after partial and complete blinding. The blinding was accomplished either by section of the optic nerve or by tectal ablation.

2. Following bilateral section of the optic nerve the blinded minnows darken. After the initial darkening, half of the fish pale and the other half remain dark.

3. The colour of the fish blinded by bilateral section of the optic nerve could not be affected by external conditions.

4. Following complete removal of the optic tectum the fish at first paled, but after 24 h they darkened to very variable tints.

5. Unilateral section of the optic nerve coupled with unilateral tectal removal on the same or opposite side did not affect the ability of the fish to change colour.

6. The bilateral removal of the anterior tectum from a blinded darkened fish did not affect its colour.

7. The bilateral removal of the posterior tectum of a darkened fish caused maximal pallor.

8. By a series of lesions an area in the dorsal posterior part of the optic tectum was found to cause darkening in the blinded fish because following its removal the fish paled.

9. It is suggested that the fibres from the tectum may act by exciting or inhibiting the neurones of the paling centre in the anterior medulla.

The work presented here was part of the work approved by London University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.


The purpose of this study is to qualitatively and quantitatively describe the morphology of the biceps insertion on the radial tuberosity. Twenty-four preserved human elbows were carefully dissected and the insertions of the biceps conserved. The radius and the shape of the biceps insertion on the radial tuberosity were computerized using a three-dimensional digitizer. The length, width, and surface area of the footprints were measured. The soft tissue status of the muscle insertions and shape of the footprints were qualitatively described. The mean length of the biceps footprint was 24.1 ± 2.4 mm, the mean width was 11.1 ± 2.6 mm, and the mean area of the footprint was 219.0 ± 60.2 mm(2). Avascular, degenerate tissue fibers, consistent with tissue fibrosis were observed in 46% of the specimens. These changes may demonstrate natural changes of the distal biceps tendon and may improve our understanding of biceps tendinopathy and its prevalence.


Abstract Scandinavian researchers have contributed to the present understanding of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Important epidemiological data and family risk factors have been reported from all the Nordic countries, original twin studies mainly from Denmark and Sweden, and relationships to cancer and surgery mostly from Sweden. In collaboration with the industry, development of medical compounds was for a long time in the front line of international research, and the Scandinavian countries participated in the clinical breakthrough of biologic treatment. At present, many Nordic centers are working in the forefront of IBD research. An increasing number of young investigators have entered the scene along with the extended distribution of University clinics and research laboratories in these countries. This presentation of IBD gives a brief overview in the fields of clinical epidemiology and molecular biology. Many areas are covered by International collaborations with partners from Nordic centers. IBD was a topic focused by the founders of Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. After 50 years one may state that the journal's history reflects important pieces of scientific knowledge within these diseases. The early scope of Johannes Myren for IBD was shown through his work in the original World Association of Gastroenterology (OMG), and after 50 years we can clearly support the view that global perspectives in IBD are increasingly important.


Summary 1. Phylogenetic tools have increasingly been used in community ecology to describe the evolutionary relationships among co-occurring species. In studies of succession, such tools may allow us to identify the evolutionary lineages most suited for particular stages of succession and habitat rehabilitation. However, to date, these two applications have been largely separate. Here, we suggest that information on phylogenetic community structure might help to inform community restoration strategies following major disturbance. 2. Our study examined phylogenetic patterns of succession based on a chronosequence of three abandoned subarctic mine spoil heaps (waste piles) dating from the early 1970s, mid-1970s and early 1980s. The vegetation at each mine site was compared to the surrounding vegetation, and community structure on mines was explored assuming species pools at nested spatial scales. 3. We found that the adjacent vegetation was more phylogenetically clustered than the vegetation on the mines, with mines demonstrating weaker phylogenetic community structure. Using simulation models, we showed that phylogenetic dissimilarity between mine sites did not depart from null expectations. However, we found evidence for species sorting along abiotic gradients (slope and aspect) on the mine sites that had been abandoned for the longest. 4. Synthesis and applications. Understanding the trajectory of succession is critical for restoration efforts. Our results suggest that early colonizers represent a phylogenetically random subset of species from the local species pool. Over time, there appears to be selection for particular lineages that come to be filtered across space and environment. The species most appropriate for mine site restoration might, therefore, depend on the successional stage of the community and the local species composition. For example, in later succession, it could be more beneficial to facilitate establishment of more distant relatives. Our findings can improve management practices by providing relatedness information for known successful colonizers and by informing seeding decisions with knowledge of the surrounding and regional species pools. The application of phylogenetics to restoration ecology and succession is relatively new, but it has the potential to provide novel insight into the dynamics of changing community structures during succession.


We examine US and Canadian local labor markets from 1990 to 2011 using comparable household and business data. Wage levels and inequality rise with city population in both countries, albeit less in Canada. Neither country saw wage levels converge despite contrasting migration patterns from/to high-wage areas. Local labor demand shifts raise nominal wages similarly, although in Canada they attract immigrant and highly skilled workers more while raising housing costs less. Chinese import competition had a weaker negative impact on manufacturing employment in Canada. These results are consistent with Canada's more redistributive transfer system and larger, more educated immigrant workforce.


This paper describes the collection, checking and homogenisation of a Canadian atmospheric surface pressure database. The object of the exercise was to create a database of monthly mean surface pressure for as many stations as possible across Canada as far back in time as possible. Data sources included the World Weather Records, Monthly Climatic Data for the World Bulletins, the Global Historical Climate Network and the electronic meteorological report archives of Environment Canada. Much of the earlier data was in paper form and had to be digitized by hand. Over 66,000 individual mean monthly pressure values were obtained, with a missing value rate of 5.9%. The homogenisation procedures used were the Standard Normal Homogeneity Test (SNHT; Alexandersson and Moberg 1997) and Multiple Comparison Analysis (MCA; as used by Slonosky et al 1999). In addition, simple subtraction of sea-level pressure from station-level pressure revealed a major inhomogeneity which took place in 1977, when computer generated pressure reduction tables were used for the first time by the Meteorological Service of Canada, and when the meteorological reporting procedure was brought into alignment with the World Meteorological Organisation's guidelines. As a result, the final homogenised database shows appreciable differences in trends compared to the unhomogenised series. The final database has been used by Slonosky & Graham (2003) in the statistical analysis of trends and variability of surface pressure across Canada during the 20 century.


This special issue gathers and enlarges upon papers that were first presented at the interdisciplinary 'Corruption Downunder' symposium held at the University of Auckland in November 2015; most of the papers published here stem from the lively and collegial discussions at the symposium. At that time New Zealand was authoritatively measured (by Transparency International) to be Number 2 'least corrupt' nation in the world; it is now tied at Number 1 with Denmark. What this rank, as measured by Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), actually counts for is something that we explore in this special issue. On the face of it, it would seem perverse to be focusing on corruption in such a place as New Zealand. With its larger northern neighbour Australia listed at a respectable 11th out of 175 that same year (2014 data), why would a bunch of academics want to engage in serious discussions about the problem of corruption 'downunder'? New Zealand has never been ranked outside of the top four, and has been ranked Number 1 in a total of 12 out of 22 years since the survey began. Australia is generally ranked in the top ten and has never been out of the top 13 least corrupt countries since the survey began.
To access the full text of the introducton to this special issue on corruption downunder, download the accompanying PDF file.


It is unclear which patients with PLEDs will have associated seizures and therefore will need to be treated aggressively with antiepileptic medications. We present a prospective observational study of ten consecutive non-anoxic patients with PLEDs based on continuous 24-hour EEG monitoring. According to the EEG, five of the patients had seizures associated with PLEDs and five had PLEDs but no seizures. The aetiology included: neoplasm (n=1), cortical dysplasia (n=1), acute head trauma (n=1), encephalomalacia related to healed abscess (n=1), intra-parenchymal haemorrhage (n=1), and no structural lesion (n=5). All patients underwent brain MRI using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). We found that the five patients who had seizures with PLEDs on continuous EEG had restricted diffusion on DWI. In contrast, the five patients who had PLEDs but no seizures on continuous EEG did not show a restricted diffusion pattern on DWI. We will continue to prospectively assess DWI findings in this group of patients and encourage other centres to also review similar data. If our observation is replicated, this would indicate that restricted diffusion on brain MRI may be a useful marker to identify patients with PLEDs on their EEG who are likely to have associated seizures.


The commercial success of a giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) hatchery depends upon the uninterrupted supply of the desired quantity and quality of broodstock. This study was an attempt to develop the broodstock near a hatchery, to be used for seed production throughout the year. The hatchery produced seed were stocked at the rate of 3/m2 after initial pond preparation. The prawns were fed with a pelleted diet (3 mm size) prepared by using locally available feed ingredients. The seed had an initial weight of 0.30 g and attained an average weight of 92.0 g and 62.0 g in males and females, respectively, within 11 months. Berried prawns were observed starting from the month of June (5%), after six months of stocking, with a maximum in September (60%). The percentage of berried prawns increased from June to September when the water temperature was optimum and decreased from December when it got cold. The broodstock developed in this experiment could be used in the hatchery after six months of stocking, and brooders could be used to produce seed for two seasons before being sold in the market.


SPSS 14.0 Advanced Statistical Procedures Companion: Chapters 1. Model Selection in Loglinear Analysis. Model formulation parameters in saturated models hypothesis testing convergence goodness-of-fit tests hierarchical models generating classes model selection with backward elimination. 2. Logit Loglinear Analysis. Dichotomous logit model loglinear representation parameter estimates goodness-of-fit statistics measures of dispersion and association polychotomous logit model interpreting parameters examining residuals introducing covariates. 3. Multinomial Logistic Regression. Baseline logits likelihood-ratio tests for models and individual effects evaluating the model calculating predicted probabilities the classification table goodness-of-fit tests residuals pseudo R-square measures overdispersion model selection matched case-control studies. 4. Ordinal Regression. Modeling cumulative counts parameter estimates testing for parallel lines model fit observed and expected counts measures of strength of association classifying cases link functions fitting a heteroscedastic probit model fitting location and scale parameters. 5. Probit Regression. Probit and logit response models confidence intervals for effective dosages comparing groups comparing relative potencies estimating the natural response rate multiple stimuli. 6. Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis. Calculating survival time estimating the survival function, the conditional probability of survival, and the cumulative probability of survival plotting survival functions comparing survival functions stratified comparisons. 7. Life Tables. Calculating survival probabilities assumptions observations lost to follow-up plotting survival functions comparing survival functions. 8. Cox Regression. The model proportional hazards assumption coding categorical variables interpreting the regression coefficients baseline hazard and cumulative survival rates global tests of the model checking the proportional hazards assumption stratification log-minus-log survival plot identifying influential cases examining residuals partial (Schoenfeld) residuals martingale residuals variable-selection methods time-dependent covariates specifying a time-dependent covariate calculating segmented time-dependent covariates testing the proportional hazards assumption with a time-dependent covariate fitting a conditional logistic regression model. 9. Variance Components. Factors, effects, and models model for one-way classification estimation methods negative variance estimates nested design model for two-way classification univariate repeated measures analysis using a Mixed Models Approach distribution assumptions estimation methods. 10. Linear Mixed Models. Background Unconditional random-effects models hierarchical models random-coefficient model model with school-level and individual-level covariates three-level hierarchical model repeated measurements selecting a residual covariance structure. 11. Nonlinear Regression. The nonlinear model transforming nonlinear models intrinsically nonlinear models fitting a logistic population growth model finding starting values approximate confidence intervals for the parameters bootstrapped estimates starting values from previous analysis linear approximation computational issues common models for nonlinear regression specifying a segmented model. 12. Two-Stage Least-Squares Regression. Demand-price-income economic model estimation with ordinary least squares feedback and correlated errors estimation with two-stage least squares. 13. Weighted Least-Squares Regression. Diagnosing the problem estimating weights examining the log-likelihood function the WLS solution estimating weights from replicates diagnostics from the linear regression procedure. 14. Multidimensional Scaling. Data, models, and multidimensional scaling analysis nature of data analyzed in MDS measurement level of data shape of data conditionality of data missing data multivariate data classical MDS Euclidean model details of CMDS Replicated MDS Weighted MDS geometry of the weighted Euclidean model algebra of the weighted Euclidean model matrix algebra of the weighted Euclidean model Weirdness index flattened weights.


The current research aims to investigate the effect of incidental vocabulary learning strategy on EFL university students" motivation to learn English. In the light of this aim, the researcher has set one null hypothesis. The one-group experimental design was adopted and a sample of 40 students has been intentionally chosen from among the second year students at the English Department/ College of Basic Education/ University of Mosul for the academic year 2019/ 2020 after applying an achievement test on the population of the research. The sample was chosen from among the students at the lowest level in the achievement test. The instrument was prepared by the researcher herself to collect the data based on the dependent variable namely motivation. A questionnaire on students" motivation was constructed. The validity and reliability of the instrument was verified and tested. It was implemented before the experiment and after applying it to test whether there is a difference in the level of motivation to learn English is. The collected data were statistically analysed by using different statistical means. The findings of this research show that the incidental vocabulary learning is an effective strategy in motivating students to learn English as a foreign language.


Tracking evidence is useful in criminal investigations and prosecutions, but identification evidence obtained by a dog's alert can be highly prejudicial. Where the identification is divorced from the tracking or trailing because the suspect has been removed from the trail and put in a vehicle or brought to a station, an identifying alert should not be admitted unless confirmed by a scent lineup. Scent lineup evidence should not be allowed unless conducted under circumstances designed to assure a high degree of forensic reliability. Where the tracking or trailing is continuous with an identifying alert at the end, it is appropriate to admit the evidence of the dog's actions on encountering the suspect, but testimony regarding this encounter should be limited to stating that the dog's alert only establishes that the suspect was present at the end of the trail. If the encounter is to be taken as identifying the defendant as the perpetrator, the prosecution should be required to conduct a scent lineup with protocols assuring a sufficient level of reliability. A dog's behavior on any given day will depend on its training, the knowledge of its handler, the dog's willingness to work that day, the conditions under which the tracking or trailing is conducted, the ability of the police to isolate scents from the crime scene, and so on. The dog's training and testing history, and the results of periodic examinations, should be discoverable by the defendant and made available to his experts. Where the conditions of the track, or the time since the dog has had his proficiency tested are sufficiently long, additional testing of the dog may be required by the prosecution or the defense to assure that the dog is capable of working as described following the crime. The forensic value of dogs is enhanced by introducing the scientific aspects of their police work. The traditional tracking foundation is an adequate basis for delving into the various events that can occur while a dog is attempting to follow a perpetrator, but both prosecution and defense should recognize that many of the situations that can arise will implicate scientific issues that can help the trier of fact better understand the significance of the dog's behavior. Defense counsel should not merely accept the testimony of police handlers, and should be prepared to obtain equally reliable testimony of experts on the crucial issues presented in the facts. Courts should not accept harmless error arguments to shield defense lawyers who inadequately investigate the results obtained by the police and introduced into evidence by the prosecution.


The transient radio sky remains a frontier of observational astronomy, not for lack of scientific promise, but for practical obstacles: terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI) and limited computing power. Today, a confluence of new RFI mitigation techniques and computing power makes a thorough census of the radio sky a realistic goal. A complete transient survey could uncover, in addition to entirely new classes of sources, radio sources that have been predicted but never observed. These sources include pulses from primordial black hole explosions and prompt emission associated with gamma ray bursts. A search could also reveal extreme-period pulsars or giant-pulsing extragalactic pulsars. Here we present three transient-seeking algorithms suitable for processing large data sets. General statistics regarding the algorithms' performance on simulated data are presented, as well their performance on data from the Crab Pulsar and the galaxy UGC 2339. We also present results of a search for cyclotron maser emission from extrasolar planets. Extrasolar planets are likely emitters of non-thermal radio emission analogous to the bursting radio emission observed from all five of our solar system's magnetized planets. Four planetary systems were observed at the Arecibo Observatory. In 15 hours of 327 MHz observations made over the course of nine days in July, 2004, no detections were made.


Objective. To annotate a corpus of randomized controlled trial (RCT) publications with the checklist items of CONSORT reporting guidelines and using the corpus to develop text mining methods for RCT appraisal. Methods. We annotated a corpus of 50 RCT articles at the sentence level using 37 fine-grained CONSORT checklist items. A subset (31 articles) was double-annotated and adjudicated, while 19 were annotated by a single annotator and reconciled by another. We calculated inter-annotator agreement at the article and section level using MASI (Measuring Agreement on Set-Valued Items)and at the CONSORT item level using Krippendorff's alpha. We experimented with two rule-based methods (phrase-based and section header-based) and two supervised learning approaches (support vector machine and BioBERT-based neural network classifiers), for recognizing 17 methodology-related items in the RCT Methods sections. Results. We created CONSORT-TM consisting of 10,709 sentences, 4,845 (45%) of which were annotated with 5,246 labels. A median of 28 CONSORT items (out of possible 37) were annotated per article. Agreement was moderate at the article and section levels (average MASI: 0.60 and 0.64, respectively). Agreement varied considerably among individual checklist items (Krippendorff's alpha= 0.06-0.96). The model based on BioBERT performed best overall for recognizing methodology-related items (micro-precision: 0.82, micro-recall: 0.63, micro-F1: 0.71). Combining models using majority vote and label aggregation further improved precision and recall, respectively. Conclusion. Our annotated corpus, CONSORT-TM, contains more fine-grained information than earlier RCT corpora. Low frequency of some CONSORT items made it difficult to train effective text mining models to recognize them. For the items commonly reported, CONSORT-TM can serve as a testbed for text mining methods that assess RCT transparency, rigor, and reliability, and support methods for peer review and authoring assistance. Minor modifications to the annotation scheme and a larger corpus could facilitate improved text mining models. CONSORT-TM is publicly available at https://github.com/kilicogluh/CONSORT-TM.


This dissertation consists of three individual chapters. The first chapter applies lattice theoretic techniques in order to establish fundamental properties of Bayesian games of strategic substitutes (GSS) when the underlying type space is ordered either in increasing or decreasing first-order stochastic dominance. Existence and uniqueness of equilibria is considered, as well as the question of when such equilibria can be guaranteed to be monotone in type, a property which is used to guarantee monotone comparative statics. The second chapter uses the techniques of the first and combines them with the existing results for strategic complements (GSC) in order to extend the literature on global games under both GSC and GSS. In particular, the model of Carlsson and Van Damme (1993) is extended from 2×2 games to GSS or GSC involving a finite amount of players, each having a finite action space. Furthermore, the possibility that groups of players receive the same signal is allowed for, a condition which is new to the literature. It is shown that under this condition, the power of the model to resolve the issue of multiplicity is unambiguously increased. The third chapter considers stability of mixed strategy Nash equilibria in GSS. Chapter 1 analyzes Bayesian games of strategic substitutes under general conditions. In particular, when beliefs are order either increasingly or decreasingly by first order stochastic dominance, the existence and uniqueness, monotonicity, and comparative statics in this broad class of games are addressed. Unlike their supermodular counterpart, where the effect of an increase in type augments the strategic effect between own strategy and opponent's strategy, submodularity produces competing effects when considering optimal responses. Using adaptive dynamics, conditions are given under iii which such games can be guaranteed to exhibit Bayesian Nash equilibria, and it is shown that in many applications these equilibria will be a profile of monotone strategies. Comparative statics of parametrized games is also analyzed using results from submodular games which are extended to incorporate incomplete information. Several examples are provided. The framework of Chapter 1 is applied to global games in Chapter 2. Global games methods are aimed at resolving issues of multiplicity of equilibria and coordination failure that arise in game theoretic models by relaxing common knowledge assumptions about an underlying parameter. These methods have recently received a lot of attention when the underlying complete information game is a GSC. Little has been done in this direction concerning GSS, however. This chapter complements the existing literature in both cases by extending the global games method developed by Carlsson and Van Damme (1993) to multiple player, multiple action GSS and GSC, using a p-dominance condition as the selection criterion. This approach helps circumvent recent criticisms to global games by relaxing some possibly unnatural assumptions on payoffs and parameters necessary to conduct analysis under current methods. The second part of this chapter generalizes the model by allowing groups of players to receive homogenous signals, which, under certain conditions, strengthens the model's power of predictability. Chapter 3 analyzes the learning and stability of mixed strategy Nash equilibria in GSS, complementing recent work done in the case of GSC. Mixed strategies in GSS are of particular interest because it is well known that such games need not exhibit pure strategy Nash equilibria. First, a bound on the strategy space which indicate where randomizing behavior may occur in equilibrium is established. Second, it is shows that mixed strategy Nash equilibria are generally unstable under a wide variety of learning rules.


An anion templated double cyclization strategy to synthesize [2]catenanes in which two identical acyclic pyridinium receptor motifs interweave around a chloride anion template is described. Ring closing metathesis (RCM) of the preorganized orthogonal precursor chloride complex facilitates the isolation of [2]catenanes in very high yields. X-ray crystal structures provide an insight of the supramolecular forces responsible for chloride anion templated efficacy and recognition. Removal of the chloride anion template generates topologically unique interlocked binding cavities for anions. 1H NMR anion binding investigations demonstrate the catenanes to be highly selective hosts for chloride in preference to more basic monocharged oxoanions. In aqueous solvent media containing 30% water, such catenanes exclusively bind chloride, under which conditions no binding of acetate or dihydrogen phosphate is observed. Molecular dynamic simulations in the solution phase are used to account for the catenanes' anion recognition properties.


Trance-like states have been recognised for millennia with the term hypnosis being coined by James Braid (1795–1860) a surgeon working in Manchester, England.1 Since that time the technique has moved in and out of fashion and even today is still regarded with some scepticism. However, over the last 25 years there has been a steady stream of studies indicating that in adults gut focused hypnotherapy helps to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal disorders with the benefits being sustained for many years.2 Furthermore, in contrast to many pharmacological approaches to these conditions, which often target just one mechanism and consequently one symptom, hypnotherapy frequently improves a wide range of symptoms as well as psychological status and quality of life. It has also been shown that following treatment patients consume less medication and consult less frequently with their general practitioner as well as hospital outpatient departments.2 In addition, the central (brain) processing of noxious peripheral stimuli is amenable to modulation by hypnosis3 and some gastrointestinal physiological events can be similarly influenced.2 Despite all this evidence, it is noteworthy that there has been an apparent reluctance by the medical profession to embrace this form of treatment and its availability within …


The first measurement of the charged-particle multiplicity density at mid-rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV is presented. For an event sample corresponding to the most central 5% of the hadronic cross section the pseudo-rapidity density of primary charged particles at mid-rapidity is 1584 $\pm$ 4 (stat) $\pm$ 76 (sys.), which corresponds to 8.3 $\pm$ 0.4 (sys.) per participating nucleon pair. This represents an increase of about a factor 1.9 relative to pp collisions at similar collision energies, and about a factor 2.2 to central Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 0.2 TeV. This measurement provides the first experimental constraint for models of nucleus-nucleus collisions at LHC energies.


We describe a machine learning technique for reconstructing image sequences rendered using Monte Carlo methods. Our primary focus is on reconstruction of global illumination with extremely low sampling budgets at interactive rates. Motivated by recent advances in image restoration with deep convolutional networks, we propose a variant of these networks better suited to the class of noise present in Monte Carlo rendering. We allow for much larger pixel neighborhoods to be taken into account, while also improving execution speed by an order of magnitude. Our primary contribution is the addition of recurrent connections to the network in order to drastically improve temporal stability for sequences of sparsely sampled input images. Our method also has the desirable property of automatically modeling relationships based on auxiliary per-pixel input channels, such as depth and normals. We show significantly higher quality results compared to existing methods that run at comparable speeds, and furthermore argue a clear path for making our method run at realtime rates in the near future.


This paper aims to understand the spatial variability in house prices and accessibility. The motivation for understanding the connection between accessibility and house prices stems from the increasing attention given in recent years to the potential for funding transport infrastructure by land value capture policies. Establishing whether there is identifiable land value uplift, and further quantifying this uplift, is a prerequisite to sensible discussions on the potential for land value capture. Although there has been substantial related research in the United States, not only have there been fewer studies in the United Kingdom, but these have concentrated on London. London, as a capital city, differs in many respects from other cities. Large conurbations such as Manchester, Sheffield, and Tyne and Wear are more typical of British cities. This study focuses on the Tyne and Wear area, which has an extensive public transport system, with a light rail system—the Tyne and Wear Metro—forming the backbone of the public transport system. The investigation reported in this paper is underpinned by the use of Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) methodology with property prices as the dependent variable, which in turn is explained by independent variables designed to standardize for household features and spatially defined factors including the transport accessibility of the house location. This methodology allows for estimation of the importance of transport accessibility in determining house prices. The empirical results show that, on average, the internal factors of the property and the socio-economic classification of its location are dominant determinants of property prices, but transport accessibility variables are also significant. However, the local model approach of GWR shows a significant spatially varying relationship between property prices and transport accessibility to be identified. This study contributes to a quantification of the impact of accessibility on house prices. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the application of a relatively new methodology in the transport field that takes account of the spatial nature of the data required in this process.


A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of OciBest, an extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum Linn. in symptomatic control of general stress. The participants received either placebo (n = 79) or OciBest (n = 71; 1200 mg of actives per day) for six weeks. The severity of stress-related symptoms was self-evaluated by patients at weeks 0, 2, 4 and 6 of the trial period using a symptom rating scale. After six weeks of intervention, scores of symptoms such as forgetfulness, sexual problems of recent origin, frequent feeling of exhaustion, and frequent sleep problems of recent origin decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in OciBest group as compared with placebo group. Also, the total symptom scores of OciBest group revealed significant reduction (P ≤ 0.05) as compared to placebo group. The overall improvement in OciBest group was found to be 1.6 times or 39% more in the control of general stress symptoms with respect to placebo. No adverse events were reported during the study. The findings revealed that OciBest was found to be effective and well tolerated by all the patients over the six weeks of study period.


Views of country school teachers towards multicultural education and anti-racism policy directives are examined against a background of a largely 'white' landscape but increasing numbers of language background other than English (LBOTE) immigrants. A 10 per cent response from a self-administered online survey of government primary and secondary classroom teachers in country New South Wales examines their attitudes to cultural diversity, goals of multicultural education, and anti-racist strategies. Though strongly supportive of attempts to combat racism, implementation in some schools lags behind intention. Whether on cultural diversity, multiculturalism or acknowledgement of racism, teacher attitudes are more tolerant than those in the wider communities the schools serve. But while among teachers and the wider community there is some level of intolerance and discrimination towards Aboriginal and LBOTE Australians, such attitudes do not vary significantly across country areas with different cultural diversity mixes, except for recognition of the needs of Aboriginal students among teachers.


Metagenomic sequencing techniques have made it possible to determine the composition of bacterial microbiota of the human body. Clustering algorithms have been used to search for core microbiota types in the vagina, but results have been inconsistent, possibly due to methodological differences. We performed an extensive comparison of six commonly-used clustering algorithms and four distance metrics, using clinical data from 777 vaginal samples across 5 studies, and 36,000 synthetic datasets based on these clinical data. We found that centroidbased clustering algorithms (K-means and Partitioning around Medoids), with Euclidean or Manhattan distance metrics, performed well. They were best at correctly clustering and determining the number of clusters in synthetic datasets and were also top performers for predicting vaginal pH and bacterial vaginosis by clustering clinical data. Hierarchical clustering algorithms, particularly neighbour joining and average linkage, performed less well, failing unequivocally on many datasets.


Stephen J. Hartley Oxford University Press, New York, 1998, 260 pp. ISBN 0-19-511315-2, $45.00 Concurrent Programming  is a thorough treatment of Java multi-threaded programming for both a stand-alone and distributed environment. Designed mostly for students in concurrent or parallel programming classes, the text is also an excellent reference for the practicing professional developing multi-threaded programs or applets. Hartley first provides a complete explanation of the features of Java necessary to write concurrent programs, including topics such as exception handling, interfaces, and packages. He then gives the reader a solid background to write multi-threaded programs and also presents the problems introduced when writing concurrent programs—namely race conditions, mutual exclusion, and deadlock. Hartley also provides several software solutions that do not require the use of common process and thread mechanisms. Once the groundwork is laid for writing concurrent programs, Hartley then takes a different approach than most Java references. Rather than presenting how Java handles mutual exclusion with the  synchronized  keyword (although it is covered later), he first looks at semaphore-based solutions to classic concurrent problems such as bounded-buffer, readers-writers, and the dining philosophers. Hartley also uses the same approach to develop Java classes for monitors and message passing. This unique approach to introducing concurrency allows the readers to both understand how Java threads are synchronized and how the basic synchronization mechanism can be used to construct more abstract tools such as semaphores. If there is a shortcoming with the text it is with the lack of sufficient coverage of remote method invocation (RMI), although there is a section covering RMI. This is quite understandable as RMI is a fairly recent phenomenon with the Java community. Also, the classes that Hartley provides could easily implement RMI rather than sockets to handle communication. The strengths of the book include its ease in reading, several examples at the end of chapters, a package similar to Xtango that provides algorithm animation, and a supportive web site by the author (see  www.mcs.drexel.edu/~shartley/ConcProgJava/index.html ) including compressed source code. As Java becomes more dominant on the server side of multi-tier applications, writing thread-safe concurrent applications becomes even more important.  Concurrent Programming  is a strong step towards teaching students and professionals such skills. Greg Gagne, Westminster College of Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, Utah


Abnormalities due to chromosomal aberration or point mutation in gene products of growth factor receptors or in ras gene products, which lie on the same signaling pathway, can cause disease in animals and humans. Thus, it can be important to determine chromosomal map positions of genes encoding "adapter" proteins, which are involved in transducing signals from receptor tyrosine kinases to downstream signal recipients such as ras, because adaptor protein genes could also, logically, serve as targets of mutation, rearrangement, or other aberration in disease. Therefore, DNAs from panels of rodent-human hybrids carrying defined complements of human chromosomes were assayed for the presence of the cognate genes for NCK, SHC, and GRB2, three SH2 or SH2/SH3 (Src homology 2 and 3) domain-containing adapter proteins. Additionally, NCK and SHC genes were more narrowly localized by chromosomal in situ hybridization. The NCK locus is at chromosome region 3q21, a region involved in neoplasia-associated changes; the SHC cognate locus, SHC1, is at 1q21, and the GRB2 locus is at 17q22-qter telomeric to the HOXB and NGFR loci. Both SHC1 and GRB2 are in chromosome regions that may be duplicated in some tumor types.


We propose a novel sampling framework for inference in probabilistic models: an active learning approach that converges more quickly (in wall-clock time) than Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) benchmarks. The central challenge in probabilistic inference is numerical integration, to average over ensembles of models or unknown (hyper-)parameters (for example to compute the marginal likelihood or a partition function). MCMC has provided approaches to numerical integration that deliver state-of-the-art inference, but can suffer from sample inefficiency and poor convergence diagnostics. Bayesian quadrature techniques offer a model-based solution to such problems, but their uptake has been hindered by prohibitive computation costs. We introduce a warped model for probabilistic integrands (likelihoods) that are known to be non-negative, permitting a cheap active learning scheme to optimally select sample locations. Our algorithm is demonstrated to offer faster convergence (in seconds) relative to simple Monte Carlo and annealed importance sampling on both synthetic and real-world examples.


This article provides an updated analysis of the institutional and organizational landscape surrounding the advocacy of and opposition to vouchers and other forms of school choice over the past decade at federal/national, state, and local levels. The politics of choice grew far more complex during the 1990s, with Republican control of Congress and the White House, the growth of the national charter school movement, congressional passage of pilot voucher programs, and the Supreme Court's 2002 Zelman v. Simmons-Harris ruling. Utilizing an Advocacy Coalition Framework, questions about the ideological motivations behind different forms of school choice, the particular programs that certain groups are likely to support or oppose, and the strategies—including the potential alliances and coalitions—that are increasingly employed around school choice policy are explored. A framework for understanding and analyzing policymaking in this area is offered, extending existing thinking on both school choice issues and education policy more generally.


Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II δ (CaMKIIδ) is a well-recognised mediator of cardiomyocyte function and dysfunction, however little is known of its role in the cardiac fibroblast (CF). [Ca2+]i plays a crucial role in cell proliferation, yet the mechanism by which this is regulated in adult CFs remains elusive. We hypothesised that CaMKIIδ can regulate intracellular Ca2+ release channel activity and proliferation in adult CFs. Using Fura-2 loaded cells, we initially confirmed agonist-mediated intracellular Ca2+ release using Angiotensin II (1 µM). We demonstrated that CaMKIIδ and Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor type 2 (IP3R2) are both highly expressed in adult rat CFs but the ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is not. This identifies IP3R2 as the main intracellular Ca2+ release channel in these cells. To investigate whether CaMKIIδ modulates IP3R activity in CFs, cells were pre-treated with inhibitors autocamtide inhibitory peptide (AIP) (1 µM) and KN-93 (5 µM) prior to Angiotensin II application. Ca2+ release was significantly inhibited in the presence of both inhibitors (81±6.5% (AIP) vs 123±6% (control), p<0.001, n=4 and 65±4% (KN-93) vs 123±6% (control) respectively, p<0.001, n=4). Both CaMKII inhibition and IP3R inhibition also inhibit CFs proliferation (∼10% and 30% inhibition, AIP and 2-APB treatments respectively). The possibility that Ca MKIIδ may modulate IP3R2 activity directly via protein-protein interaction has also been explored using co-immunoprecipitation. Collectively, this study reveals for the first time that CaMKIIδ modulates intracellular Ca2+ release and proliferation in adult CFs and more specifically, that this may be modulated via physical interaction between CaMKIIδ and IP3R2.


Fluorinated materials play an essential role in modern industry and technology, and their importance is expected to grow even more in the near future. Unfortunately, their practical application often requires dispersion by means of fluorinated surfactants, which raised huge environmental and toxicity concerns due to their long-lasting persistence in the environment and high tendency to accumulate in animals and humans. A greener and more sustainable strategy towards the replacement of synthetic fluorosurfactants is offered by the use of amphiphiles of biological origin. Among them, phospholipids have been the most widely exploited as emulsifiers of fluorous compounds. Some interesting examples were also reported using amphiphilic proteins, in particular fungal hydrophobins, as biosurfactants and coating agents for fluorinated substrates. This perspective offers an overview of the main natural surfactants currently used in fluorine chemistry, focusing in particular on two main application areas: (i) fluorous oil-in-water emulsions and gas microbubbles for biomedical imaging and drug delivery, and (ii) coating and functionalization of solid fluorinated surfaces.