A significant step toward commercialization of novel carbon nanotube (CNT) electronics involves the development of large area and high-throughput processes for the fabrication of high-quality CNT films. In this study, we report CNT-based gas sensors with exceptionally high as well as rapid response to various test gases. Highly uniform CNT thin films, prepared using a reliable and reproducible low-cost spray deposition process, are utilized as resistive networks for gas detection. Sensors show a clear and immediate change in resistance as a response to test gas exposure. The high uniformity and low density of the CNT films employed in our chemiresistor provide the means for achieving exceptional response under ambient conditions without any further functionalization, rendering them promising for adoption into a wide range of applications, especially where low-cost room-temperature operation is desired. In an attempt to further reduce production cost, we demonstrate the first implementation of a fully sprayed full-CNT gas sensor on low-cost substrates yielding reasonable device performance.


Abstract Selected samples of large cavity filling and vein-type fibrous zeolites from Eocene volcanic rocks in the Kahrizak region, northern Iran, have been studied for their mineralogical and chemical characteristics. X-ray powder diffraction and electron microprobe analyses confirmed the presence of natrolite, mesolite and scolecite with compositions of [Na14.922Ca0.202K0.015Ba0.002] [Al15.697Si24.267O80]·nH2O, [Ca15.714Na14.224][Al46.431Si73.398O240]·nH2O and [Ca7.804Na0.142K0.024Ba0.012Mg0.006][Al15.320Si24.437O80]·nH2O, respectively. In addition, examination of textural relationships in thin sections and back-scattered electron images reveals a paragenetic order in which the Carich zeolites crystallized first. It is most probable that the fibrous zeolites of Kahrizak were formed during two pulses of hydrothermal activity in the area. Scolecite and mesolite were precipitated from Ca-rich solution, whereas the second stage Na-rich, low-temperature fluid crystallized natrolite and reacted with Ca-species.


The increasing methylglyoxal (MG) level of body has been found in people with obesity and insulin resistance, resulting from their dietary style and abnormal metabolic functions. MG promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, glycation, and all of which are closely related to insulin resistance and chronic diseases. Phyllanthus emblica L. fruit has various bioactivities such as anti-inflammation, anti-diabetes, anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver, and anti-dyslipidemia. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effects of water extract of P. emblica (WEPE) and its enriched compound, ellagic acid, on MG-induced inflammation, insulin resistance, and lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. The results showed that MG activated the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/ enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), which can increase adipogenesis in adipocytes. In addition, MG enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 protein expression and release through the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as increasing the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression to cause macrophage infiltration. MG also significantly reduced glucose uptake, indicating that insulin resistance in obese patients may be related to MG generation. WEPE and ellagic acid effectively decreased IL-6 protein expression and cytokine release through inactivation of JNK and p65 pathways. WEPE and ellagic acid significantly increased glucose uptake and reduced insulin resistance by MG treatment. WEPE also decreased the protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B to reduce insulin resistance and inhibited MG-induced fat accumulation related proteins such as PPARγ, C/EBPα, FAS, and p-ACC. Therefore, WEPE may have the potential to ameliorate MG-induced inflammation, increase glucose uptake, and decrease fat accumulation.


The International Workshop on Web Personalization and Recommender Systems is organized by Xiaohui (Daniel) Tao, Xujuan (Susan) Zhou, Sheng-Tang Wu, and Luke Liming Chen. Web personalization and recommender systems are two important technologies that have been developed to cope with the severe problem of informationoverload on the Web. Web personalization systems serve users with consideration of user personal interests and preferences; recommender systems suggest Web users' information and products to align with their personal demands. For many years, many groups have invested a great deal of effort in these areas and have made significant achievements. However, challenging problems remain that limit the full exploitation of personalization and resource selection through recommendation, both from the technology perspective and from the human and social perspective. Targeting these interesting and challenging questions, the WebPRES 2010 workshop aims at seeking a breakthrough on the existing problems in Web personalization and recommender systems, exploring an innovative route that smartly marries the techniques of Web personalization to those of recommender systems. The WebPRES 2010 workshop provides a forum for researchers and practitioners from different countries and regions and strengthens their research on Web personalization and recommender systems.


Urine is a complex mixture of proteins and waste products and a challenging biological fluid for biomarker discovery. Previous proteomic studies have identified more than 2800 urinary proteins but analyses aimed at unraveling glycan structures and glycosylation sites of urinary glycoproteins are lacking. Glycoproteomic characterization remains difficult because of the complexity of glycan structures found mainly on asparagine (N-linked) or serine/threonine (O-linked) residues. We have developed a glycoproteomic approach that combines efficient purification of urinary glycoproteins/glycopeptides with complementary MS-fragmentation techniques for glycopeptide analysis. Starting from clinical sample size, we eliminated interfering urinary compounds by dialysis and concentrated the purified urinary proteins by lyophilization. Sialylated urinary glycoproteins were conjugated to a solid support by hydrazide chemistry and trypsin digested. Desialylated glycopeptides, released through mild acid hydrolysis, were characterized by tandem MS experiments utilizing collision induced dissociation (CID) and electron capture dissociation fragmentation techniques. In CID-MS2, Hex5HexNAc4-N-Asn and HexHexNAc-O-Ser/Thr were typically observed, in agreement with known N-linked biantennary complex-type and O-linked core 1-like structures, respectively. Additional glycoforms for specific N- and O-linked glycopeptides were also identified, e.g. tetra-antennary N-glycans and fucosylated core 2-like O-glycans. Subsequent CID-MS3, of selected fragment-ions from the CID-MS2 analysis, generated peptide specific b- and y-ions that were used for peptide identification. In total, 58 N- and 63 O-linked glycopeptides from 53 glycoproteins were characterized with respect to glycan- and peptide sequences. The combination of CID and electron capture dissociation techniques allowed for the exact identification of Ser/Thr attachment site(s) for 40 of 57 putative O-glycosylation sites. We defined 29 O-glycosylation sites which have, to our knowledge, not been previously reported. This is the first study of human urinary glycoproteins where "intact" glycopeptides were studied, i.e. the presence of glycans and their attachment sites were proven without doubt.


The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has a well-established framework for addressing accessibility based on three components: the accessibility of Web content, accessibility support in browsers and accessibility support in authoring tools, with a corresponding set of guidelines for each. These guidelines have been successful in raising awareness in Web accessibility at a political level, but have been less successful than might have been expected influencing the wider promotion and adoption of accessibility in Web technology. This is increasingly apparent as Web content becomes increasingly heterogeneous in terms of source, type, author and function. Standards, policy and guidelines overwhelmingly focus on accessibility of the end product - i.e. the Web page or site - and not the process used to create it. This is at odds with the transformation of Web-based user goals from receipt of static information to communication, and receipt or delivery of services and experiences. Thus it is the accessibility of the end goal that should be critical, and is dependent on the quality of the route(s) available to reaching that goal - making assessing accessibility of a technical unit such as a Web page less relevant. Instead, we argue a holistic approach is necessary - one that views positively, where appropriate, aggregation of alternatives in a way that allows each route to provide the best possible chance for disabled users to achieve the end goal, even if individual routes may themselves exclude certain groups. Since 2004 the authors have developed a framework for addressing the accessibility of Web resources, inspired by the holistic use of Web technology in e-learning, building on WAI guidelines but providing the flexibility needed to address the limitations of the guidelines and the diverse ways in which the Web is now being used. This paper reflects how the influence and impact of WCAG has changed over time, and, by reviewing the authors' work conducted in recent years, considers how a more holistic approach to Web Accessibility in a Web 2.0 world can best be achieved.


Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital structural abnormalities of the central nervous system and vertebral column. Neural tube defects may occur as an isolated malformation, in combination with other malformations, as part of a genetic syndrome, or as a result of teratogenic exposure (1). Neural tube defects are the second-most-common major congenital anomaly (2) after cardiac malformations, and their prevalence varies by geographic region, race, and environmental factors (3). Outcomes and disabilities depend on level and extent of lesion; for instance, anencephaly is incompatible with life but most infants with spina bifida will survive after surgical repair (4). Importantly, and in contrast to many other congenital abnormalities, primary prevention of NTDs is possible with folic acid. In addition, prenatal screening and diagnosis are widely available, and fetal surgery has improved outcomes for some newborns. The purpose of this document is to provide information about NTDs and make management recommendations for the pregnancy complicated by a fetal NTD.


The southwestern corn borer (SWCB, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar) and sugarcane borer (SCB, Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius) are two related insect species that cause serious damage in maize production in subtropical and tropical regions of Central and Latin America. We analyzed quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in resistance to the first generation of both borer species in two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations from crosses CML131 (susceptible) × CML67 (resistant) and Ki3 (susceptible) × CML139 (resistant). Resistance was evaluated as leaf feeding damage (LFD) in replicated field trials across several environments under artificial infestation. Leaf protein concentration and leaf toughness were evaluated in one environment as putative components of resistance. The method of composite interval mapping was employed for QTL detection with RFLP linkage maps derived for each population of RIL. Estimates of the genotypic and genotype × environment interaction variances for SWCB LFD and SCB LFD were highly significant in both populations. Heritabilities ranged from 0.50 to 0.75. In Population CML131 × CML67, nine and eight mostly identical QTL were found for SWCB LFD and SCB LFD, respectively, explaining about 52% of the phenotypic variance () for each trait. In Population Ki3 × CML139, five QTL for SWCB LFD were detected, explaining 35.5% of . Several of these QTL were found in regions containing QTL for leaf protein concentration or leaf toughness. A low number of QTL in common between the two RIL populations and between RIL and corresponding populations of F2:3 indicated that the detection of QTL depended highly on the germplasm and population type. Consequently, chances of successful application of marker-based selection (MBS) for corn borer resistance are reduced when QTL are not identified in the germplasm in which the final selection will be carried out.


In their 2006 book Aging Nation, Schulz and Binstock referred to "merchants of doom"--academics, political figures, and journalists who mistakenly believe that we cannot afford the aging of the population. A central concern of these doomsayers is the cost of entitlements, primarily social security and Medicare. Robert J. Samuelson (2005), the Washington Post columnist, argued that we face "entitlement paralysis" (that is, an inability to address "huge federal retirement benefits" that "may seriously damage the economy and American politics"). As "partial solutions," he suggested "slowly raising eligibility ages and cutting benefits for wealthier recipients." Talk of a general entitlement crisis is misleading, however, because social security and Medicare face very different problems. Between now and 2050, spending for social security will increase from 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to 6 percent, and the social security trust funds will remain solvent until 2043 (Congressional Budget Office, 2009; Orszag, 2009b). In contrast, Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will run out in 2017 and grow from 1.71 percent of GDP to 3.85 percent in 2050, while Medicare as a whole will grow from 3.59 percent of GDP to 8.74 percent (Boards of Trustees, Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds. (2009).The entitlement problem is really a Medicare (and Medicaid) problem. However, and this point is critical, costs are not solely an issue for Medicare. In fact, between 1970 and 2006, Medicare had a slightly better record of controlling cost per enrollee than did private insurers (Mahar, n.d.).The underlying problem is health care inflation. According to Peter R. Orszag (2009b), director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, "health costs are the real deficit threat." In 2008, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that even without Medicare and Medicaid, in the absence of change, by 2082, health care would consume around "70 percent of the nation's wealth" (as cited in Kennelly, 2009). Although the aging of the population contributes to the growth of health care spending, it is by no means the critical factor (Orszag, 2008).The central reason why we spend so much is the high cost of our "health care goods and services" (Anderson, Reinhardt, Hussey, & Petrosyan, 2003). We spend "so much more than.., any other country" because "we pay so much more for each unit of care" (Klein, 2009).To address Medicare and provide affordable health care for everyone, we must succeed in "bending the curve" (that is, flattening out the growth of health care costs generally) (Orszag, 200%). The link between health care costs and the Medicare "crisis" made it imperative for advocates of health care reform (defined here as reform with a strong public option) and defenders of social insurance to work together. First, older adults, who rely most heavily on social insurance programs, were the only age group whose vote President Obama lost in 2008, and they are the age group most likely to oppose health care reform (Connolly, 2009; Exit Polls: Obama Wins Big, 2008; Gelman, Silver, & Lee, 2009). Second, many leading opponents of health care reform also advocate entitlement reform, which could lead to cutbacks in social security and Medicare. Third, if health care reformers and defenders of social insurance coalesce, they could strengthen both movements. As it turned out, these movements have worked together. Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a broad coalition of more than a thousand organizations (including NASW) and perhaps the leading advocate for health care reform with a public option, identified closing the Medicare Part D "doughnut" hole as a key component of reform (If the Insurance Companies Win, You Lose, n.d.). The Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) and the Older Women's League belong to the HCAN coalition. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the ARA, and AARP all endorsed House bill for the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HP, 3962) (see http://thomas. …


The Paleozoic Variscan orogeny was a large-scale collisional event that involved amalgamation of multiple continents and micro-continents. Available structural, geological, geochemical, and geophysical data from Iberia are consistent with a model of oroclinal bending at the lithospheric scale of an originally nearlinear convergent margin during the last stages of Variscan deformation in the late Paleozoic. Closure of the Rheic Ocean resulted in E-W shortening (in present-day coordinates) in the Carboniferous, producing a near linear N-S–trending, eastverging orogenic belt. Subsequent N-S shortening near the Carboniferous-Permian boundary resulted in oroclinal bending, highlighted by the formation of the Cantabrian Orocline. Together, these data constrain oroclinal bending in Iberia to have occurred during the latest Carboniferous over about a 10-million-year time window, which agrees well with recent geodynamical models and structural data that relate oroclinal bending with lithospheric delamination in the Variscan. This late-stage orogenic event remains an enigmatic part of final Pangaea amalgamation.


Twenty-five BVDV strains, detected in serum from persistently infected cattle from Peru (n=15) and Chile (n=10) were genetically characterized. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 5' UTR showed that all 25 strains belonged to genotype 1. Twenty-three of the strains could further be subdivided into subtype 1b, and two out of ten Chilean strains into subtype 1a. In conclusion, in total 23 out of 25 strains analyzed were of genotype 1, subtype 1b. This is the predominant BVDV subtype in many countries all over the world, including USA. The close homology with previously described strains reflects the influence of livestock trade on the diversity of BVDV circulating within and between countries and continents. Peru and Chile have imported large numbers of cattle from USA and Europe, mostly with insufficient or lacking health documentation.


Nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide signaling converge to promote cGMP-dependent processes in endothelial cells. The gasotransmitters hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitric oxide (NO) trigger dilation of blood vessels (called vasodilation) and angiogenesis, which requires proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. Cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) is one of the enzymes required for synthesis of H2S, and an endothelial cell–specific isoform of NO synthase (eNOS) generates NO. NO binds to soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), thereby generating the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which activates protein kinase G (PKG). The phosphodiesterase PDE5A degrades cGMP. Coletta et al. (also see Wang) describe an interdependence between NO- and H2S-mediated signaling in endothelial cells. In response to sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), which produces H2S, microvascular endothelial bEnd3 cells treated with the NOS inhibitor L-NAME did not proliferate and aortic rings from eNOS–/– mice did not show microvessel outgrowth. Conversely, transfection of shRNAs directed against CSE attenuated proliferation and migration (as assessed by a wound scratch assay) in bEnd3 cells in response to the NO donor DEA/NO and reduced vessel outgrowth in rat aortic ring explants in response to DEA/NO and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Transfection of CSE shRNA in aortic ring explants reduced vasodilation (an effect that was rescued by exogenous application of cGMP) and attenuated increases in cGMP concentrations or phosphorylation of the PKG substrate VASP in response to acetylcholine, DEA/NO, or VEGF. In addition, vasodilation in response to NaHS treatment was decreased in aortic rings from eNOS–/– mice and in those from wild-type mice by inhibiting eNOS (with L-NAME) or PKG (with DT-2). In vitro assays indicated that NaHS inhibited the activity of the phosphodiesterase PDE5A. Both NaHS and DEA/NO treatment of bEnd3 cells increased the phosphorylation of VASP, and the PKG inhibitor DT-2 decreased proliferation and migration of bEnd3 cells and microvessel outgrowth from aortic ring explants. Furthermore, NaHS treatment of bEnd3 cells increased the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1177 (an activating event) and reduced phosphorylation at Thr495 (an inhibitory event). Intraperitoneal injection of NaHS increased the vascularization of matrigel plugs implanted in wild-type mice but not in eNOS–/– mice. Angiogenesis occurs during wound closure, and healing of burn wounds in rats (as indicated by smaller wound areas) was improved by topical application of NaHS, an effect that was attenuated by inhibiting eNOS with L-NAME. Thus, NO and H2S signaling synergize to promote vasodilation and angiogenesis in endothelial cells by increasing cGMP-dependent signaling. C. Coletta, A. Papapetropoulos, K. Erdelyi, G. Olah, K. Módis, P. Panopoulos, A. Asimakopoulou, D. Gerö, I. Sharina, E. Martin, C. Szabo, Hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide are mutually dependent in the regulation of angiogenesis and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109, 9161–9166 (2012). [PubMed] R. Wang, Shared signaling pathways among gasotransmitters. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109, 8801–8802 (2012). [PubMed]


In a forthcoming article in the Cornell Law Review, I advocate abolishing Alford and nolo contendere pleas. These "guilty-but-not-guilty" pleas allow defendants to plead guilty without admitting guilt. Offenders who avoid admitting guilt remain in denial and are more likely to recidivate, and the justice system sends equivocal moral messages to victims and the public. In a response in the same issue, Professor Albert Alschuler supports these pleas as a lesser evil and criticizes my proposal as window-dressing for an irredeemably flawed plea bargaining system. This Reply responds to Alschuler's criticisms. Part I points out that even in our flawed system, pleas carry meaning and send messages. The equivocal messages of Alford and nolo contendere pleas harm defendants, victims, and the public. Part II critiques Alschuler's exaggerated comparison of plea bargaining to coercion at gunpoint. Plea bargaining rests on lawful sentence differentials. Offenders who are in denial merit heavier sentences to deter, incapacitate likely recidivists, inflict retribution, teach lessons, and vindicate victims. Part III stresses the need to impede guilty pleas by innocent defendants and send a consistent message of concern for the innocent. Part IV notes that while some proposals for rehabilitation have involved unconscionable methods, my proposal uses the traditional jury trial as a morality play to teach lessons and send messages. It also notes that while defense counsel must represent their clients' interests, counsel can also serve a therapeutic role and offer moral advice. The Reply concludes that Professor Alschuler's loathing of plea bargaining stands in the way of realistic, incremental reform of a system that is here to stay. In the real world of guilty pleas, abolishing Alford and nolo contendere pleas is a realistic first step toward sending more honest, consistent moral messages to defendants, victims, and the public.


One of the top strategic objectives and research areas in Europe is recovering wood from processing and end of life products. However, there are still several 'contaminated' wood products that are not or only partly reused/recycled. Particle board waste which is contaminated with aminoplasts is one of these products. In addition, a considerable amount of aminoplast waste resinis produced for the production of particle board that cannot be re-used or recycled. The chemical properties of these wastes (high nitrogen content of 5.9 wt% and 54.1 wt% for particle board and melamine formaldehyde respectively) make them ideal precursors for the production of nitrogenised activated carbon. The profitability of the produced activated carbon is investigated by calculating the net present value, the minimum selling price and performing a Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis. Encouraging results for a profitable production are obtained even though the current assumptions start from a rather pessimistic scenario.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Adequate treatment of emergency infection involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus requires a convergence of clinical and bacteriologic techniques. An isolate of Enterococcus gallinarum, designated as TSGH63, is known to be uncommonly vancomycin-resistant. This study investigated the genetic determinant for this unique characteristic.

METHODS
After completing the conventional identification and sensitivity tests, the genomic content of E. gallinarum TSGH63 was extracted and analyzed by pulse-field electrophoresis. A set of specific primers for vanA, vanB, vanC1, and vanC2/C3 genes was then applied in a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to differentiate its genetic content. To locate the determinant for high vancomycin resistance, the electrophoresis profile was further analyzed by Southern blot using the digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled vanA gene probe. Finally, interspecies transfer of the vancomycin-resistance determinant of E. gallinarum TSGH63 was tested by a conjugation experiment in vitro.

RESULTS
A 50-kb plasmid was identified in the analysis of the genomic extract of E. gallinarum TSGH63 by pulse field electrophoresis. Using multiplex PCR, we demonstrated that E. gallinarum TSGH63 harbors a vanA gene in addition to a vanC1 gene. The DIG-labeled vanA gene-specific probe bound to the plasmid exclusively on the Southern blot. The plasmid-carried vanA gene, but not the vanC1 gene, was found to be transferable from TSGH63 to E. faecalis JH2-2 by conjugation in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of isolation of E. gallinarum with a high level of resistance to glycopeptides in Taiwan. The demonstrated interspecies transfer of the vancomycin-resistance gene highlights the importance of stringent control of the use of vancomycin.


Abstract. Emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and removals from land, including both
anthropogenic and natural fluxes, require reliable quantification, including
estimates of uncertainties, to support credible mitigation action under the
Paris Agreement. This study provides a state-of-the-art scientific overview
of bottom-up anthropogenic emissions data from agriculture, forestry and
other land use (AFOLU) in the European Union (EU28 1 ). The data integrate
recent AFOLU emission inventories with ecosystem data and land carbon models
and summarize GHG emissions and removals over the period 1990–2016. This
compilation of bottom-up estimates of the AFOLU GHG emissions of European
national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGIs), with those of land carbon models
and observation-based estimates of large-scale GHG fluxes, aims at improving
the overall estimates of the GHG balance in Europe with respect to land GHG
emissions and removals. Whenever available, we present uncertainties, its
propagation and role in the comparison of different estimates. While NGHGI
data for the EU28 provide consistent quantification of uncertainty following
the established IPCC Guidelines, uncertainty in the estimates produced with
other methods needs to account for both within model uncertainty and the
spread from different model results. The largest inconsistencies between
EU28 estimates are mainly due to different sources of data related to
human activity, referred to here as activity data (AD) and methodologies
(tiers) used for calculating emissions and removals from AFOLU sectors. The
referenced datasets related to figures are visualized at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3662371 (Petrescu et al., 2020).


The aims of this work were (i) to study the relationships between leaf water potential, foliar chlorophyll content and photosynthetic performance of grapevines under field conditions, and (ii) to evaluate the feasibility of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters to assess water status in commercial vineyards. During three consecutive seasons (2011 to 2013), 20 non-irrigated "Tempranillo" vineyard subzones were monitored in Ribera del Duero, Spain. Data on foliar chlorophyll content, midday and predawn leaf water potential, net assimilation and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured at fruit set, pre-veraison and veraison. The results show that the water potential indicated weak to moderate stress in the study years and decreased along the vegetative cycle, while foliar chlorophyll contents showed an increasing trend. The correlation between both variables was not consistent. Linear regression of the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in dark-adapted leaves, Fo, Fv and Fv/Fm, over chlorophyll content was strong in all the study years (higher determination coefficients for Fv/Fm at fruit set in 2012 and 2013). In general, the water potential with low coefficients of variation showed a low effect on photosynthesis activity, although values in variables such as Fm, Fv, Fv/Fm, Fs/Fo and ΦPSII registered an increasing trend when midday leaf water potential decreased in the pre-veraison and veraison stages. These variables could be useful to estimate water status in commercial vineyards for application in precision viticulture.


This investigation is aimed at studying the influence of different drying temperatures on the
antioxidant activity for thyme leaves. In the present study different spectrophotometric methods
(DPPH, FRAP) are using to investigate the antioxidant activities of thyme plants. The results showed
that the drying temperature influences the antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of all studied
extracts decreased with increasing temperature attending decreasing in total phenol. Fresh thyme
shows the highest antioxidant activity (0.014 BHTE.mL-1, 0.0064 AAE and 0.0062 GAE).mL-1 extract
and total phenol content (8.78 10-4 mol GAE and 7.50 10-3 mol AAE).mL-1 of extract. Whereas thyme
dried at 40°C show the lowest antioxidant activity, (0.0042 BHTE, 0.0019 AAE and 0.0018 GAE).mL-1
of plant extract and total phenol contents (4.30 10-3 AAE and 4.68 10-4 GAE).mL-1 of plant extract.


[1] Continental and mid-oceanic rifts commonly show a rift valley bounded by normal faults and uplifted shoulders. In this paper we numerically model the evolution of rift valley relief in a notched brittle lithosphere. Results show that the rift valley has a maximum valley relief, which is controlled by the competition between isostasy and lithospheric geometry. If the axial lithosphere is much thinner than the flanking lithosphere, the isostatic force will break outward dipping faults on the axis and stop the deepening of the rift valley. We call this the axial failure mode. On the other hand, if the thickness of axial lithosphere is close to that of the flanks, flexural bending will break new faults on the flanks and stop the valley deepening. We call this the flanking failure mode. Triggering of either mode gives the maximum valley depth, and the selection is controlled by the interplay between isostasy and lithospheric geometry. On the basis of these mechanisms we propose a scaling equation that relates the maximum valley depth to the geometry (flanking thickness, axial thickness, and notch width) and strength (friction angle and cohesion) of the lithosphere. The model explains along-axis variation of valley relief at mid-oceanic ridges by changes of the axial lithosphere thickness.


Glomerular capillary endotheliosis is a lesion of endothelial cell injury. Morphological characteristics are endothelial swelling with glomerular hypertrophy and a reduction in capillary lumen size. This lesion commonly is found in patients with thrombotic microangiopathy, but similar histopathologic characteristics have been reported in patients with other diseases. A previously healthy 39-year-old woman presented with progressive lower-extremity swelling and arthralgias for 1 week. She had no other symptoms and denied prior illness. Her examination was remarkable for hypertension and pitting edema. Urine showed dysmorphic red blood cells and proteinuria. Serum creatinine level increased from 1.1 to 2.0 mg/dL (97 to 177 micromol/L) during several weeks. She did not meet criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. Other test results included a negative pregnancy test and normal complement levels. Additional workup was negative for other causes of glomerular capillary endotheliosis. She underwent 2 renal biopsies. The first showed marked endothelial cell swelling, and the second biopsy 2 months later showed disease progression. Both were consistent with glomerular capillary endotheliosis. Proteinuria and serum creatinine level elevation responded to methylprednisolone therapy within 1 week, recurred after steroid doses were tapered, and responded again after restarting steroid therapy with monthly cyclophosphamide infusions. The differential diagnosis for glomerular capillary endotheliosis is limited. Various causes have been implicated, such as dysregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor, abnormal collagen production, and endothelial abnormalities. We did not identify prior cases of idiopathic glomerular capillary endotheliosis in the literature. Idiopathic glomerular capillary endotheliosis may be a newly recognized entity potentially responsive to steroid and cytotoxic regimens.


This lecture gives me a splendid opportunity to celebrate the importance of South America plants in palaeobotanical studies as they relate to a personal journey in the sub continent. This began in Venezuela many years ago when I began studies on a very diverse Middle to Upper Devonian flora, research now undertaken by Chris Berry. Its palaeogeographical significance remains intriguing, because, in similarities in assemblage composition, it relates to North America. In contrast subsequent studies in Argentina and Bolivia, earlier in the Devonian and Silurian, reveal a flora far more typical of Gondwana. Even more importantly it gives us some insight into high latitude vegetation, although sadly preservation is very poor in fragmentary fossils. Thus we have no comprehensive insights into early land plant ecosystems as, for example, is provided by the Rhynie Chert Lower Devonian hot spring deposit in Scotland. However a similar hot spring deposit recently discovered in the Jurassic of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, provides a phenomenal window into an ecosystem preserved in situ and in great cellular detail, encompassing plants, animals and microbes. And so the odyssey ends in Patagonia on a high that would surely have been of major interest to naturalist W.H. Hudson (Far away and long ago: a history of my early life). It would not have been possible without the assistance and generosity of colleagues in La Plata, whose contributions will be further acknowledged in the lecture.


PURPOSE
To determine the efficacy of intratissue refractive index shaping (IRIS) using 400-nm femtosecond laser pulses (blue light) for writing refractive structures directly into live cat corneas in vivo, and to assess the longevity of these structures in the eyes of living cats.

METHODS
Four eyes from two adult cats underwent Blue-IRIS. Light at 400 nm with 100-femtosecond (fs) pulses were tightly focused into the corneal stroma of each eye at an 80-MHz repetition rate. These pulses locally increased the refractive index of the corneal stroma via an endogenous, two-photon absorption process and were used to inscribe three-layered, gradient index patterns into the cat corneas. The optical effects of the patterns were then tracked using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing.

RESULTS
Blue-IRIS patterns locally changed ocular cylinder by -1.4 ± 0.3 diopters (D), defocus by -2.0 ± 0.5 D, and higher-order root mean square (HORMS) by 0.31 ± 0.04 μm at 1 month post-IRIS, without significant changes in corneal thickness or curvature. Refractive changes were maintained for the duration they were tracked, 12 months post-IRIS in one eye, and just more than 3 months in the remaining three eyes.

CONCLUSIONS
Blue-IRIS can be used to inscribe refractive structures into live cat cornea in vivo that are stable for at least 12 months, and are not associated with significant alterations in corneal thicknesses or radii of curvature. This result is a critical step toward establishing Blue-IRIS as a promising technique for noninvasive vision correction.


This paper seeks to explore the impact of a non-fromal distance education programme on the learning and livelihood of the women in the fishing industry on the beaches of Lake Victoria and markets in slum dwellings.

The programme widely broadcasts through radio to a general audience. However, the primary target audience uses audio and print materials in organized learning groups facilitated by women selected from the groups, and trained to facilitate learning sessions when and where they choose. They use relatively cheap and easy to handle appropriate technology- solar powered audio-cassette players.

Through user designed series of radio/audio programmes covering a wide range of subjects that include Business Management, Health, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health, Mother&Child Health and Women's Rights, the women have improved their income and make savings, diversified their income generation activities and improved their health practices. Thus decreasing their vulnerability to common diseases and HIV/AIDS through poverty prompted casual sexual relations, a contributing factor to high prevalence rates.

The fishermen, who do not normally volunteer to paarticipate in learning activities, are now seeking to participate because they haave been inspired by the positive progress the women are making in their businesses and general development.


One of the most puzzling observations for linguists is the difference between learning a language from birth and later in life: while all normally developing children can attain full native language proficiency, there is considerable variability in ultimate attainment among older speakers who attempt to acquire a second language (L2). There is an ongoing controversy in linguistic research on whether this discrepancy is due to a maturationally constrained window of linguistic development making language learning difficult or impossible after puberty, or to general cognitive factors linked to the fact that the later an L2 is established, the stronger the competition it has to overcome from the more deeply entrenched first language (L1). Studies attempting to resolve this controversy have so far focussed exclusively on the development of L2 skills. New insights may be provided by investigating the first language skills of migrants who have become dominant in the L2 (referred to as L1 attriters). Such speakers learned their L1 as monolinguals during childhood, and were therefore not impeded by maturational constraints in the acquisitional process. Having lived in an L2 environment for a long period of time, however, their seldom-used L1 shows signs of the influence of their highly active L2. A systematic comparison of L1 attriters and L2 learners may therefore be able to shed some light on the question of whether there is a qualitative or merely a quantitative difference between L1 acquisition in childhood and L2 acquisition later in life: If being a native speaker is maturationally constrained, even attrited L1 systems should remain native-like. But if the persistent problems of L2 learners are due to issues such as lack of practice and exposure, and competition between their two language systems, bilinguals who use their second language dominantly should become more similar to L2 speakers.


More than solving a problem, in this text we propose to shape it by outlining some of its lines. We start from the category of enforced disappearance, analyze its origin and underline its success in terms of the notorious international expansion it has had. So much so that it has illuminated other situations in which individuals are removed from the protection of the law. We therefore say that the concept has exceeded its limits and we illustrate this situation with four cases that have the air of a family with forced disappearance: the uncontacted indigenous people in Brazil, the homes of migrants in Mexico, the erased citizens in the Dominican Republic, the unregistered subjects, also in Mexico. We present these four situations in dialogue between legal theory and ethnographic observation in order to present some ideas that allow us to think about the common background that makes disappearance: subjects that do not count.


Quinones are oxidants; colorants; electrophiles and involved in the electron transfer process of important biological functions such as photosynthesis, respiration, phosphorylation etc. In earth, photosynthesis is the main biological process which converts solar energy into chemical energy. By producing oxygen and assimilating carbon dioxide, it supports the existence of virtually all higher life forms. It is driven by two protein complexes namely photosystem I and II (PSI and PSII). In PS I, light induces the transfer of electron from P700, a pair of chlorophyll a molecules via a series of protein bound pigment acceptors (A0, A1, FeS) to ferredoxin. In PSI, phylloquinone (PhQ, 2-methyl-3-phytyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) act as a secondary acceptor termed as A1. In menB, a mutant of PS I, a gene that codes for a protein involved in PhQ biosynthesis has been deleted, plastoquinone (PQ9, 2,3-dimethyl-5-prenyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) occupies instead. Recent literature reveals that the PQ9 is weakly bounded in the A1 binding site of menB and can be easily replaced by different quinones both invitro and invivo. The efficiency of light induced electron transfer of quinone is related to the mid potential (Em) of the quinone in the A1 binding site. For native PSI, the estimated Em of PhQ is -682 mV. The estimated Em value of PQ9 in menB is -754 mV, and for the incorporated quinone, 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, it has been reported to be -718 mV. Interestingly in the case of 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone (DCNQ) incorporated menB, there is no forward electron transfer observed. So far this was the highest positive redox potential quinone incorporated into the A1 site in menB PSI. By keeping this reported Em values and electron transfer directionality in mind, we intent to find the Em of the substituted 1,4-naphthoquinones that can be incorporated into A1 binding site. Computation calculations were performed at the B3LYP aug cc-pVTZ level of theory using Gaussian 09 software in linux platform. High performance computer network namely VELA (512 GB RAM per node, 40 core per node, with Turbo-Boost up to 2.4 GHz) in Georgia State University, Atlanta is used through the remote operating system from Qatar University. First the electron affinity (EA) of substituted 1,4-naphthoquinones (NQs) were calculated. From the calculated EA of NQs, we have been able to calculate the redox potential of NQs in a solvent and their Em in the A1 binding site. In order to understand the electronic and structural effects, electron releasing (CH3, OCH3) and withdrawing (Cl, Br) substituted NQs were used in this calculations. Results show that out of seven NQs used, 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone has the highest negative Em of -850 mV and the DCNQ has the highest positive Em of -530 mV in the A1 binding site. Our calculated Em of DCNQ is in line with the blocking of forward electron transfer reported previously. Our Em values can be used to explain the directionality of electron transfer reactions past A1 and predict the forward electron transfer kinetics when these NQs are incorporated into the A1 binding site experimentally.


Temporal word embeddings have been proposed to support the analysis of word meaning shifts during time and to study the evolution of languages. Different approaches have been proposed to generate vector representations of words that embed their meaning during a specific time interval. However, the training process used in these approaches is complex, may be inefficient or it may require large text corpora. As a consequence, these approaches may be difficult to apply in resource-scarce domains or by scientists with limited in-depth knowledge of embedding models. In this paper, we propose a new heuristic to train temporal word embeddings based on the Word2vec model. The heuristic consists in using atemporal vectors as a reference, i.e., as a compass, when training the representations specific to a given time interval. The use of the compass simplifies the training process and makes it more efficient. Experiments conducted using state-of-the-art datasets and methodologies suggest that our approach outperforms or equals comparable approaches while being more robust in terms of the required corpus size.


This article provides a critique of current debates about what quality enhancement is for and what it does. It outlines a conceptual framework drawing on different understandings of quality assurance and quality enhancement in higher education, which helps to refine the role of quality enhancement in improving student learning. The paper analyses existing debates on emerging trends in quality assurance and enhancement, particularly within European HE systems, with reference to the relationships between research, education, social and economic cohesion, the changing nature of student representation, and learning analytics. A new balance between assurance and enhancement could reconcile ways of thinking generated by higher education, knowledge structures emerging in research communities within the universities, and methods of enhancing learning and teaching which enable a degree of student-led demand.


CONTEXT
Low back pain (LBP) is a serious health problem, both in the general population as well as in athletes. Research has shown that psychosocial aspects, such as dysfunctional pain responses, play a significant role in the chronification of LBP. Recent research supports the relevance of the multidisciplinary concept of body image in the interpretation of LBP.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the differences in 2 psychosocial aspects, body image and pain responses, between athletes and nonathletes with LBP.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional design.

SETTING
The questionnaires were distributed in the course of LBP treatment.

PARTICIPANTS
Data from 163 athletes (mean age = 28.69 [9.6] y) and 75 nonathletes (mean age = 39.34 [12.63] y) were collected.

INTERVENTIONS
Data were collected by questionnaires assessing body image, pain behavior, training activity, and LBP.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
To examine group differences between athletes and nonathletes regarding body image and pain behavior, the authors performed 2-way analyses of variance with Bonferroni post hoc tests.

RESULTS
The results showed (1) a significant main effect regarding pain responses and body image, showing that participants with eustress endurance or adaptive pain behavior revealed a more positive body image in both groups compared with participants with distress endurance or fear-avoidance behavior, and (2) a significant main effect for the factor group in the body image dimension of physical efficacy, indicating a more positive body image for athletes.

CONCLUSION
These results suggest that considering multiple risk factors for LBP, such as body image and dysfunctional pain behavior, as well as subgrouping, might be valuable for research and for broadening therapy options.


The final installment of a continuing series on choreography considering the mutual interrogation of philosophy and dance, the articles propose a tentative ethics of dance as a practical philosophy under the influence of Gilles Deleuze read through specific choreographic practices. Gerald Siegmund describes his private experience of Boris Charmatz's choreographic machine as a metaphor for the entrapment of theatre and as generative of new bodily subjectivities. Introducing anthropological applications of cognitive science to the particular strategies of choreographers working in Brazil, Christine Greiner argues for a political conception of self through dance. Examining the kinetics of the face in RoseAnne Spradlin's Survive Cycle, Victoria Anderson Davies meditates on the relationship of facial expression to language, to consciousness, and to movement.


www.sgresearch.socgen.com In good times, few focus on such 'mundane' issues as earnings quality and footnotes. However, this lack of attention to 'detail' tends to come back and bite investors in the arse during bad times. There are notable exceptions to this generalisation. The short sellers tend to be amongst the most fundamentally driven investors. Indeed, far from being rumour mongers, most short sellers are closer to being the accounting police. To aid investors in assessing the likelihood of accounting shenanigans, I have designed the C-score. When combined with measures of overvaluation, this score is particularly useful at identifying short candidates.


Background Breastfeeding has been linked to positive developmental and childhood health outcomes. It is unclear whether the beneficial effects of being breastfed, such as the small reduction in risk of childhood-onset cancers, persist into adulthood. In the Million Women Study, a cohort of UK women in middle age, we examined whether having been breastfed was associated with total cancer risk or risks of common specific cancers. Methods Approximately 1.3 million women were recruited through the national breast screening programmes of England and Scotland in 1996–2001. Three years on average after recruitment, 560,879 women (mean age 60 years) reported whether they had been breastfed as infants. These women were linked to a second cohort with breastfeeding duration recorded when they were aged 2 years; among matched participants, self-report of having been breastfed was consistent with breastfeeding having stopped at around 6 months, on average, although breastfeeding may have been non-exclusive before that time. All women were linked to deaths and cancer registrations via NHS Central Registers. Cox regression was used to estimate relative risks and 99% confidence intervals for invasive cancers of 16 common sites or types with at least 500 cases (mouth and pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, colorectal, pancreas, lung, malignant melanoma, breast, endometrium, ovary, kidney, bladder, central nervous system, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukaemia), and for all invasive cancers combined. Multivariable models were adjusted for age and 14 other known cancer risk factors. Results Baseline characteristics did not differ greatly according to whether or not the women were breastfed, except that parous women who had been breastfed tended to breastfeed their own children for slightly longer. During an average of 9.3 years of follow-up per woman, there were 48,610 incident invasive cancers. Having been breastfed was not associated with overall cancer risk (adjusted RR=1.02, 99% CI 0.99–1.05). Having been breastfed was associated with a slightly increased risk of colorectal cancer, but not with risk of the 15 other specific cancer sites or types (all P > 0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that of having been breastfed as an infant is not an important modifier of overall cancer risk.


Background: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has poor regenerative capacity, and an injury leads to loss of function, limiting quality of life and increasing the incidence of osteoarthritis. Surgical interventions can stabilize the joint and improve functional recovery. The delivery of growth factors (GFs) enhances the healing process; however, this is complex in its regulation, is high in costs, has side effects, and can only be accomplished with supraphysiological concentrations and thus is currently not clinically feasible. However, the immobilization of a patient's endogenous GFs in biomaterials can overcome these problems. Purpose: To develop a method to capture endogenous bone morphogenetic protein–2 (BMP-2) and ultimately show enhanced ACL healing in vivo using this novel methodology. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: BMP-2 binding peptides were synthetized, purified, and immobilized on polycaprolactone (PCL) films. The affinity between the peptide and human BMP-2 (hBMP-2) was confirmed with immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The C2C12 Luc reporter cell line was used to confirm the bioactivity of immobilized BMP-2. For in vivo experiments, the same functionalization technology was applied to the commercially available Polytape, and the functionalized tape was sutured together with the graft used for ACL reconstruction in rats. Each animal underwent reconstruction with either native Polytape (n = 3) or Polytape with BMP-2 binding peptides (n = 3). At 2 and 6 weeks after surgery, the graft was assessed by histology and micro–computed tomography. Results: The covalent immobilization of the peptide in PCL was successful, allowing the peptide to capture hBMP-2, which remained bioactive and led to the osteogenic differentiation of C2C12. In vivo experiments confirmed the potential of the Polytape functionalized with the BMP-2 binding peptide to capture endogenous BMP-2, leading to enhanced bone formation inside the femoral and tibial tunnels and ultimately improving the graft's quality. Conclusion: The incorporation of BMP-2 binding peptides into materials used for ACL reconstruction can capture endogenous hBMP-2, which enhances the healing process inside the bone tunnels. Clinical Relevance: These results demonstrate the potential of using synthetic peptides to endow biomaterials with novel biological functions, namely to capture and immobilize endogenous GFs.


OZEN, M. R., I. I. TURNA and K. CINAR, 2008. As an example of ecological devastation Egirdir lake (Turkey). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 14: 195-200 Egirdir Lake is placed Anatolian Peninsula in 500 km2, its mean depth takes 16 meters. They are made use of watering and due to oligotrphical characteristic and drinkable water besides fishing (Fish and Crayfish). Since 1950, 9 different species of fishes of Cyprinidae were lived this lake. There were cause irreversible alterations by way of implantation of pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) in here for to aim more economical production. In the first year while the while the level of prosperity of the people rising, and the following years there were obtained catching low recolte neither carp nor pike-perch catching. Local government and fisherman were negative effected in this situation, and they were implantation in the lake in early 1990. In this implantation who nobody knows Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch, 1783 was implanted in this lake. This species which is rapidly increased more rapidly growth and more become dominant species than pike-perch. Velvet fish (Tinca tinca) were implanted in Egirdir Lake in 1996. But they couldn't become any their population. They were found 10 different species by Balik et al. (2002) in Lake Egirdir. The last implantation in Egirdir Lake was silver fish (Atherina boyeri) while there were caught 80 tons carps, 300 ton pike-perch in 1985; 5.5 ton carp and 4 ton pike-perch were caught in 2004. Depend on decreasing of the pike-perch's body criterion, economical production of this fishes was also decreased. In this situation of the lake ecosystem is worried about Local government and fisherman. In this study, some hydrobiological characteristics of the lake were defined and the negative changes of the fish population were also examined.


Relay networks have received considerable attention recently, especially when limited size and power resources impose constraints on the number of antennas within a wireless sensor network. In this context, signal processing techniques play a fundamental role, and optimality within a given relay architecture can be achieved under several design criteria. In this paper, we extend recent optimal minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE) and SNR designs of relay networks to the corresponding multiple- input-multiple-output (MIMO) scenarios, whereby the source, relays and destination comprise multiple antennas. We shall investigate maximum SNR solutions subject to power constraints and zero-forcing (ZF) criteria, as well as approximate MMSE equalizers with specified target SNR and global power constraint.


We have determined the magnetic structure of the intermetallic compound TmGa by high-resolution neutron powder diffraction and 169Tm Mössbauer spectroscopy. This compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic (Cmcm) CrB-type structure and its magnetic structure is characterized by magnetic order of the Tm sublattice along the a-axis. The initial magnetic ordering occurs at 15(1) K and yields an incommensurate antiferromagnetic structure described by the propagation vector k1 = [0 0.275(2) 0]. At 12 K the dominant ferromagnetic ordering of the Tm sublattice along the a-axis develops in what appears to be a first-order transition. At 3 K the magnetic structure of TmGa is predominantly ferromagnetic but a weakened incommensurate component remains. The ferromagnetic Tm moment reaches 6.7(2) μB at 3 K and the amplitude of the remaining incommensurate component is 2.7(4) μB. The 169Tm hyperfine magnetic field at 5 K is 631(1) T.


This experimental study investigates whether exposure to pornography affects men's perceptions of the likelihood of women engaging in, and enjoying, "porn-like" sex. Participants (N = 418) were either exposed to nonpornographic control videos or pornographic videos in which a male taxi driver has sex with a female passenger. Participants' perceptions of the likelihood of women engaging in various sexual practices commonly depicted in pornography (e.g., unprotected sex with a stranger and rough sex) were then assessed across 2 vignettes. In the first vignette, a male taxi driver propositions a female passenger. In the second, a male boss propositions a female employee. The study was administered online to maximize ecological validity. No effect was found for experimental exposure. However, an effect was detected for past exposure. Men who had viewed taxi-themed pornography in the past 6 months rated the female taxi vignette character as being more likely to engage in porn-like sex with a male taxi driver. Similarly, those who had viewed workplace-themed pornography in the past 6 months judged the female workplace vignette character as being more likely to engage in porn-like sex with a male boss. The implications of these findings for theoretical models of sexual media socialization are discussed.


In recent years, several brands have received much negative press coverage when trying to market their food and drink products specifically at women. This is, in part, because the taste preferences/sensitivities of men and women are actually quite similar. In fact, perhaps the one and only area where consumers are willing to accept (or should that be swallow) ingested products explicitly targeted at women or men is in the case of nutritional foods/supplements. Such products are not really sold on the basis of their taste/flavour anyway. Many consumers are also sensitive to the so-called pink tax, when near-identical products cost more when sold to women rather than to men (e.g., as in the case of female razors). As the four recent examples discussed in this review make clear, it can be difficult to roll-out a new food or beverage product, or else extend a pre-existing product line, that is especially for women without coming across as sexist/condescending. As such, marketers need to tread carefully, otherwise they may end-up generating unwanted negative publicity. Ultimately, therefore, adopting an implicit approach to gender-based marketing, should that be the direction that a brand wants to take, will likely have more chance of avoiding negative publicity than the explicit targeting of food/beverage-related products in what is undoubtedly a highly-politicized area.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine relationships between coping resources and self-rated health among Latina breast cancer survivors.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional telephone survey.

SETTING
Four northern California counties.

SAMPLE
330 Latina breast cancer survivors within one to five years of diagnosis.

METHODS
Telephone survey conducted by bilingual and bicultural interviewers.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Predictors were sociodemographic and clinical factors, cancer self-efficacy, spirituality, and social support from family, friends, and oncologists. Outcomes were functional limitations and self-rated health.

FINDINGS
Twenty-two percent of women reported functional limitations (n = 73) and 27% reported poor or fair self-rated health (n = 89). Unemployment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.04, 24.46]), mastectomy (AOR = 2.67; 95% CI [1.06, 6.77]), and comorbidity (AOR = 4.09; 95% CI [1.69, 9.89]) were associated with higher risk of functional limitations; cancer self-efficacy had a protective effect (AOR = 0.4, 95% CI [0.18, 0.9]). Comorbidity was associated with higher risk of poor or fair self-rated health (AOR = 4.95; 95% CI [2.13, 11.47]); cancer self-efficacy had a protective effect (AOR = 0.3; 95% CI [0.13, 0.66]).

CONCLUSIONS
Comorbidities place Latina breast cancer survivors at increased risk for poor health. Cancer self-efficacy deserves more attention as a potentially modifiable protective factor.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Nurses need to assess the impact of comorbidity on functioning and can reinforce patients' sense of control over cancer and clinician support.


The inhuman practices of honour crimes have constantly been rattling multicultural fabric of the Indian society for ages. These practices have often sparked an ongoing debate between the gender theorists and the cultural theorists, especially in the field of academia. This debate not only concerns the analytical supremacy of either of the two theoretical frameworks, but also raises some important issues which often remain under-explored, particularly in the court of law. The question of gender is one such crucial area of analysis as far as the honour crimes are concerned. Gender, as a concept has also evolved since the 19th century, largely because of the different waves of the feminist movement worldwide. The development of the notion of gender has been significant, from primarily being affixed to an individual's biological characteristics, as touted by the theorists such as Talcott Parsons and Emile Durkheim, to being perceived as a social construction, largely by the ethnomethodologists. The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India has time and again addressed the question of gender while deciding the cases involving honour crimes, increasingly over the past two decades. In this research, by adopting a comparative and doctrinal framework, we will analyse five of the landmark cases involving honour crimes, decided by the court in the last twenty years. Primarily by comparatively analysing the language of the judgments and the choice of words in those, we will try to determine the developmental trend of Supreme Court's addressal of gender issues involved in these crimes in the light of the Parsonian and the ethnomethodological theories of gender. Our main argument is that, the court needs to urgently address issues of gender with regards to the male victims of honour crimes, as a mainstream one, rather than constantly marginalising them. In our opinion, this goal can be achieved gradually by adopting an ethnomethodological perspective of gender. Our primary findings indicate that despite its slow-paced attitude, the Supreme Court of India is gradually moving from a Parsonian concept of 'gender binaries' to a comprehensive ethnomethodological notion of 'gender as a social construct'.


Confusion still exists regarding the meaning of the organic production system. It can be defined as a holistic production system which enhances the agricultural eco-system by prohibiting the use of synthetic production mediums. It focuses on the improvement of soil fertility and the protection of the environment. The environmental advantages by themselves are not reason enough for farmers to adopt organic practices. The financial implication of organic agriculture in comparison with conventional practices is very important. It does not matter how ecologically advantegeous organic farming is, if a farming system does not show sufficient profit for the farmer to stay in business in a free market, an organic system will not be adopted. Ecological agriculture tends to have slightly lower yields, but production costs also tend to be lower during full production, due to the reduced use of purchased inputs. The net income (gross margin) from organic and conventional practices is thought to be comparable, although either can be advantageous under specific conditions. Many South African producers are interested in the organic production practices of wine grapes. Some of the producers are already busy converting their vineyards to organic practices. An important question relating to the organic production of wine grapes, is the cost associated with the practice. Research had been undertaken by Coetzee, of the farm Vaalpan, in the Vanrhynsdorp district, near Vredendal, South Africa. The farm is 12 hectares in extent of which 3 hectares are under the production of organic wine grapes. The purpose of the research was to compare the financial issues relating to conventional and organic practices. The results had shown that the price of the wine grapes and specially the price premium of organic wine, would determine whether the organic production of wine grapes was financially viable, as the production was lower and the production costs were higher.


Professionals in health care must face pressures of accountability, justification of worth, and cost containment in addition to everyday responsibilities of working with people in human services and of providing quality health care. As a result, the possibility of burnout among health care professionals is a concern. Since therapeutic recreation specialists (TRS) are part of the health care process, this study examined burnout and role stress among TRSs in the United States. Research problems addressed: (a) existence and extent of burnout, specifically emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment; (b) existence and extent of role stress, specifically role conflict and role ambiguity; (c) relationship between burnout and role stress; and (d) contributing factors to burnout in TRSs. Mailed surveys were analyzed by descriptive and interpretive analysis such as canonical correlation and regression. Results indicated that TRSs experienced moderate burnout, and a positive relationship was determined between the burnout and role stress. Discussion and implications for therapeutic recreation professionals are addressed.


The generating function of the sequence that represents the number of graph vertices at a given distance from the root is called the spherical growth function of the rooted graph. This mathematical notion is first applied to finite and infinite graphs representing [n]helicenes, the simplest nonplanar unbranched catacondensed benzenoid hydrocarbons. The calculation of growth function is then generalized to graphs that have an arbitrary connected graph in place of each hexagon and therefore represent a subclass of fasciagraphs. Also, the connection between the growth function of a finite graph and its Wiener index is established.


A number of small inorganic anions and cations were separated after injection of the sample into both ends of a separation capillary. The ions were detected using a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector (CCCCD) which could be placed at various positions along the capillary length. Counter-directional migration of anions and cations occurs towards the detector, which is placed at an appropriate position along the capillary so that the migration order is determined by the respective effective separation capillary lengths for both anions and cations. As the CCCCD detector can be easily moved to any position along the capillary, virtually any effective separation length can be attained. Depending on the number of analytes in the sample, one can choose to obtain either electropherograms with inter-migrating zones of cations and anions or separations with distinct regions of anion and cation zones, respectively. A new term 'apparent separation selectivity' is introduced to describe the manner in which the position of the detector can be varied in order to determine the final separation.


The socio-economic gradient in health remains a controversial topic in economics and other social sciences. In this paper we develop a new duration model that allows for unobserved persistent individual-specific health shocks and provides new evidence on the roles of socio-economic characteristics in determining length of life using 19-years of high-quality panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. We also contribute to the rapidly growing literature on life satisfaction by testing if more satisfied people live longer. Our results clearly confirm the importance of income, education and marriage as important factors in determining longevity. For example, a one-log point increase in real household monthly income leads to a 12% decline in the probability of death. We find a large role for unobserved health shocks, with 5-years of shocks explaining the same amount of the variation in length of life as all the other observed individual and socio-economic characteristics (with the exception of age) combined. Individuals with a high level of life satisfaction when initially interviewed live significantly longer, but this effect is completely due to the fact that less satisfied individuals are typically less healthy. We are also able to confirm the findings of previous studies that self-assessed health status has significant explanatory power in predicting future mortality and is therefore a useful measure of morbidity. Finally, we suggest that the duration model developed in this paper is a useful tool when analyzing a wide-range of single-spell durations where individual-specific shocks are likely to be important.


Abstract: Diploid populations of Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae) in Central Europe exhibit an extensive variation, with two conspicuous morphotypes. One, corresponding to the lectotype of V. officinalis, is larger, with broader, distinctly dentate leaflets, the other is in many respects similar to V. pratensis Dierb. and V. stolonifera Czern., but is glabrous, with narrow, usually entire leaflets. The two forms also differ in their ecological optimum and in geographical distribution, but are linked with numerous intermediates. Morphometric analysis (PCA) supports the picture outlined above. Nomenclatural analysis shows that the correct name for the taxon with narrow leaflets at the rank of variety is V. officinalis var. tenuifolia Vahl, with a very old synonym at the rank of subspecies, V. officinalis subsp. tenuifolia (Vahl) Schübler & Martens. A lectotype and epitype (from a plant with 2n = 14) are designated for this name. The epithet tenuifolia cannot be used for what has usually been called V. collina auct., or correctly, V. stolonifera subsp. angustifolia Soó. Further names were also studied in detail: V. officinalis var. angustifolia Wahlenb., V. officinalis var. angustifolia Hayne (for which a lectotype is designated), V. altissima Besser and V. officinalis var. altissima W. D. J. Koch. Citation: Kirschner J. & Zeisek V. 2017: Diploids of the Valeriana officinalis group (Valerianaceae) in Central Europe, and an attempt to unravel the nomenclatural chaos. — Willdenowia 47: 189–201. doi: https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.47.47301 Version of record first published online on 25 October 2017 ahead of inclusion in December 2017 issue.


It is shown in how far driver assistance systems can contribute to enhance the overall traffic safety. Thereby it must be considered as a goal to increase the performance of active safety systems in the scope of an integrated approach, allowing to realize a variety of interactions between the three elements involved in a traffic scenario: the driver, the vehicle and the driving environment. Focus is pointed on the related technology, the inherent system complexity and aspects of customer acceptance.


CONTEXT
Obesity attenuates spontaneous GH secretion and the GH response to exercise. Obese individuals often have low fitness levels, limiting their ability to complete a typical 30-min bout of continuous exercise. An alternative regimen in obese subjects may be shorter bouts of exercise interspersed throughout the day.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to examine whether intermittent and continuous exercise interventions evoke similar patterns of 24-h GH secretion and whether responses are attenuated in obese subjects or affected by gender.

DESIGN
This was a repeated-measures design in which each subject served as their own control.

SETTING
This study was conducted at the University of Virginia General Clinical Research Center.

SUBJECTS
Subjects were healthy nonobese (n = 15) and obese (n = 14) young adults.

INTERVENTIONS
Subjects were studied over 24 h at the General Clinical Research Center on three occasions: control, one 30-min bout of exercise, and three 10-min bouts of exercise.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Twenty-four hour GH secretion was measured.

RESULTS
Compared with unstimulated 24-h GH secretion, both intermittent and continuous exercise, at constant exercise intensity, resulted in severalfold elevation of 24-h integrated serum GH concentrations in young adults. Basal and pulsatile modes of GH secretion were attenuated both at rest and during exercise in obese subjects.

CONCLUSIONS
The present data suggest that continuous and intermittent exercise training should be comparably effective in increasing 24-h GH secretion.


OBJECTIVES
Previously, we found that guaifenesin enhances analgesia induced by paracetamol. The aim of the present study was to determine whether guaifenesin is able to also increase analgesic activity in the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen, nimesulide and celecoxib. In addition we investigated the influence of guaifenesin on plasma levels of nimesulide.

METHODS
A model of visceral pain consisting of intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid (writhing test) was used. Levels of nimesulide in plasma were measured by HPLC. All drugs were given orally and tested in mice.

RESULTS
Guaifenesin alone did not produce any antinociceptive effect. Simultaneous administration of guaifenesin (200 mg/kg) and subanalgesic doses of ibuprofen (10 and 30 mg/kg), nimesulide (10 and 20 mg/kg) or celecoxib (1 and 5 mg/kg) resulted in a significant antinociceptive effects. The plasma levels of nimesulide were significantly higher in combination with guaifenesin at 30, 60 and 90 min after oral administration in comparison to nimesulide monotherapy.

CONCLUSION
The present results suggest that guaifenesin might enhance the analgesic activity of various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.


The widespread application of microfluidic devices in the biological and chemical sciences requires the implementation of complex designs and geometries, which in turn leads to atypical fluid dynamic phenomena. Accordingly, a complete understanding of fluid dynamics in such systems is key in the facile engineering of novel and efficient analytical tools. Herein, we present an accurate approach for studying the fluid dynamics of rapid processes within microfluidic devices using bright-field microscopy with white light illumination and a standard high-speed camera. Specifically, we combine Ghost Particle Velocimetry and the detection of moving objects in automated video surveillance to track submicron size tracing particles via cross correlation between the speckle patterns of successive images. The efficacy of the presented technique is demonstrated by measuring the flow field over a square pillar (80 μm × 80 μm) in a 200 μm wide microchannel at high volumetric flow rates. Experimental results are in excellent agreement with those obtained via computational fluid dynamics simulations. The method is subsequently used to study the dynamics of droplet generation at a flow focusing microfluidic geometry. A unique feature of the presented technique is the ability to perform velocimetry analysis of high-speed phenomena, which is not possible using micron-resolution particle image velocimetry (μPIV) approaches based on confocal or fluorescence microscopy.


Experimental meningitis was induced in pigmented guinea pigs by subarachnoid inoculation of \(1 \times 10^9\) Escherichia coli K-12 or \(3 \times 10^7\) CFU Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 2 D39 (NCTC 7466) or PLN-A, \(\Delta\)NA1 or \(\Delta\)HY1, defined isogenic derivatives of D39 deficient in pneumolysin, neuraminidase or hyaluronidase respectively. All animals developed a meningeal inflammatory response and a labyrinthitis. Hearing loss in pneumococcal meningitis was measured by recording the evoked auditory nerve compound action potential from the round window membrane. Animals infected with PLN-A sustained significantly less hearing loss than those infected with wild-type D39 (12 dB vs. 50 dB 12 h post inoculation; P<0.0001), Neuraminidase deficiency did not alter the course of the meningeal inflammatory response nor affect hearing loss. The \(\Delta\)HY1 mutant survived poorly in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood but still caused hearing loss. Both pneumococcal and E. coli meningitis induced specific ultrastructural lesions in the organ of Corti as judged by high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and these lesions were most severe with pneumolysin-sufficient pneumococcal infection. Microperfusion of \(5\times10^6\) CFU S.pneumoniae D39 directly into the scala tympani of guinea pigs also resulted in electrophysiological and ultrastructural damage to the organ of Corti that could be diminished by pretreatment with antibiotics. The data confirm the cochlea as the site of meningogenic deafness. They suggest that pneumolysin expression is chiefly responsible for meningogenic deafness and that if pneumococci invade the inner ear during bacterial meningitis, cochlear deafhess will rapidly ensue.


In this paper we demonstrate a Markov model based technique for recognizing gestures from accelerometers that explicitly represents duration. We do this by embedding an Erlang-Cox state transition model, which has been shown to accurately represent the first three moments of a general distribution, within a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN). The transition probabilities in the DBN can be learned via Expectation-Maximization or by using closed-form solutions. We test this modeling technique on 10 hours of data collected from accelerometers worn by babies pre-categorized as high-risk in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UCI. We show that by treating instantaneous machine learning classification values as observations and explicitly modeling duration, we improve the recognition of Cramped Synchronized General Movements, a motion highly correlated with an eventual diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.


Most virtual reality hardware in Japan has been imported from the US, and the large-scale applications have focused on games, where Sega Enterprises and Nintendo remain the market leaders. In addition to its successful home video and arcade machines businesses, Sega is moving aggressively into the amusement-park ride market. Outside these markets, Matsushita plans to release three commercial products in spring 1994. One is an immersive system for product showrooms to help Japanese home owners visualize new kitchens before ordering them. Another is a massage chair that uses VR images and sound to help relax users. The third is an exercise bicycle that lets the user cycle through a 3D virtual world while exercising. Many Japanese companies are interested in VR technology as a problem-solving tool. They are making progress in its use in equipment operation. They also realize that the ability to operate devices intuitively by ordinary gesture-like motions can be exploited in many practical fields. This ability could make human-machine interfaces easier, even if these interfaces fall short of outright VR. This article reviews a few recent industry and academic research projects. The current worldwide recession has flattened the overall rate of growth in Japanese research and development spending. Nevertheless, Japan reportedly has approximately 20 major VR research projects, mostly emphasizing communication. Japanese emphases on long-term planning and on targeting development toward specific products are their strengths in this emerging technology.<<ETX>>


We investigated the genetic aspects of the large sex bias in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder by monitoring changes in linkage when the family set for an affected sibling pair genome scan is subdivided on the basis of the sex of affected children. This produces a significant excess in the total number of linkage peaks (P=1.3 x 10(-8)) and identifies a major male-specific linkage peak at chromosome 17q11 (P<.01). These results suggest that sexual dichotomy is an important factor in the genetics of autism; the same strategy can be used to explore this possibility in other complex disorders that exhibit significant sex biases.


While many studies have evaluated the accuracy of "official" economic forecasts, this study may be the first published analysis of the Federal Open Market Committee's "Humphrey- Hawkins" forecasts. In this article, the "official" forecasts generated by the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are analyzed and compared to each other as well as to forecasts made by the private sector. The findings for the one-year-ahead forecasts reconfirm that the CEA, CBO, and private sector forecasts are about equally accurate while more accurate than simple rules of thumb. For the multiyear real GNP forecasts, however, evidence indicates that the forecasts of prominent commercial forecasters and the CBO are more accurate than those of the CEA, owing to an optimistic bias. In addition, the midpoints of the FOMC's longest forecasts outperform one standard private sector counterpart.


If you're an experienced system administrator looking to acquire Linux skills, or a seasoned Linux user facing a new challenge, Linux System Administration offers practical knowledge for managing a complete range of Linux systems and servers. The book summarizes the steps you need to build everything from standalone SOHO hubs, web servers, and LAN servers to load-balanced clusters and servers consolidated through virtualization. Along the way, you'll learn about all of the tools you need to set up and maintain these working environments.Linux is now a standard corporate platform with users numbering in the hundreds of millions, and there is a definite shortage of talented administrators. Linux System Administration is ideal as an introduction to Linux for Unix veterans, MCSEs, and mainframe administrators, and as an advanced (and refresher) guide for existing Linux administrators who will want to jump into the middle of the book. Inside, you'll learn how to: Set up a stand-alone Linux server Install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot a DNS server using BIND Build an Internet server to manage sites, perform email and file transfers, and more Set up an email service for a small-to-medium-sized site, complete with authentication Install and configure Apache, PHP, and MySQL on a web server built from scratch Combine computers into a load-balanced Apache web server cluster based on the free Linux Virtual Server Set up local network services from distributed file systems to DHCP services, gateway services, print services, user management and more Use Linux virtualization with Xen or VMWare to run multiple kernels on one piece of hardware; manage each kernel's access to processor time, devices, and memory Create shell scripts and adapt them for your own needs Back up and restore data with rsync, tar, cdrecord, Amanda, and MySQL tools Linux System Administration is not only knowledgeable and practical, but convenient. The ingredients for this book had been scattered throughout mailing lists, forums, and discussion groups, as well as books, periodicals, and the experiences of colleagues. Everything is now in one handy guide. In the course of their research, the authors also solved many problems whose solutions were completely undocumented. They now pass their lessons on to you.


This essay looks to a scene of collaborative writing between Pamela and Musidorus which has been undervalued. The lovers escape to the woods and declare their love in poetry through a variety of inscriptive and ephemeral modes. The scene ends as she sleeps and he composes a poem and a verse blazon which nearly insights him to rape. While the ethical complexities of the end of the scene have been analyzed, less attention has been given to the collaborative terms with which it begins. The start of the scene presents shifts in the material and social terms of lyric production which resonate with contemporary literary practice. Using variations on public inscription and miscellany compilation, the scene represents the social phenomenology of lyric and its ability to constitute intersubjective agents. In so doing, it assesses not just what subjectivities given genres allow, but how modes of production shape the relationship between genre and subjectivity. The scene's reworking in the printings of the 1590s downplay its intersubjective claims while its representation of collaborative practice bears ironic witness to the reification of single authorship promoted in the printed revisions.


This report provides the findings of the India Country Evaluation and is produced as part of the overall CAPTURED End Evaluation. After five years of support by the CAPTURED project the End Evaluation has assessed that results are commendable. I-AIM was able to design an approach in which health folk knowledge was validated by Ayurveda and Modern health Science through the PhD research program. This has been shared with communities and partners through an outreach program. Cornerstone results and outputs were the establishment of cheap technology for drinking water, researching effective village based malaria prevention practice, exploring wider holistic health concerns with health producing and curative medicines, addressing dietary deficiency producing concerns as in the case of iron and anaemia, setting priorities for conservation and verification of changing plant uses as species become more rare, probing a pressing need for authenticating plant drugs and quality, and pharmacology efficacy in biodynamic practices. These research focus areas in the PhD program have been expanded to include partnered research, materials and course development for a revival of ethnoveterinary practices and further extended to a dairy co-operative partnership program to resolve the problems of milk quality and costs related to veterinary treatment. Report number CDI-12-018


Drawing on 32 video-recordings of prenatal ultrasound examinations in Japan, I explore practices that the participants employ to organise multiactivity. I demonstrate that transitory phases in each examination, for example searching a next item to show on the ultrasound monitor, are systematic opportunities for the participants to initiate additional activities, such as giving general advice. During such phases talk is released from the ongoing ultrasound examination and is available for other activities. However, while engaging in an additional activity, participants sustain their orientation to the ongoing examination through gaze directions, body orientations, hand movements, and so forth. I conclude by discussing implications for healthcare practices of this organisation of multiple activities.


In the winter of 1854 Tolstoy, then an officer in the Russian army, arranged to be transferred to the besieged town of Sebastopol. Wishing to see at first hand the action of what would become known as the Crimean War, he was spurred on by a fierce patriotism, but also by an equally fierce desire to alert the authorities to appalling conditions in the army. The three "Sebastopol Sketches" - December', May' and August' - re-create what happened during different phases of the siege and its effect on the ordinary men around him. Writing with the truth as his utmost aim, he brought home to Russia's entire literate public the atrocities of war. In doing so, he realized his own vocation as a writer and established his literary reputation.


Analysis of zooplankton communities in over 1,100 water bodies spanning the Western Hemisphere (77°S, 81°N latitude) revealed latitudinal patterns in cladoceran body size and Daphnia seasonal dynamics. The mean body length of cladoceran species occurring at different latitudinal intervals was greatest in north temperate regions, declining in size toward the poles and equator. Thus, mean cladoceran size was greatest in regions where the mean annual surface temperatures of lakes ranged from 6 to 8°C in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The date of maximum Daphnia abundance and the period of minimum Daphnia abundance in lakes of North America was positively, linearly related to the latitudinal position of the lakes. The date of maximum abundance increased with latitude such that Daphnia peaked during nearly all months of the year depending on latitude, but usually within the same, narrow temperature range (15–20°C). The period of minimum Daphnia abundance decreased linearly with latitude such that abundance generally was minimal when water temperatures exceeded 20°C.


Compared to DSLR cameras, smartphone cameras have smaller sensors, which limits their spatial resolution; smaller apertures, which limits their light gathering ability; and smaller pixels, which reduces their signal-to-noise ratio. The use of color filter arrays (CFAs) requires demosaicing, which further degrades resolution. In this paper, we supplant the use of traditional demosaicing in single-frame and burst photography pipelines with a multiframe super-resolution algorithm that creates a complete RGB image directly from a burst of CFA raw images. We harness natural hand tremor, typical in handheld photography, to acquire a burst of raw frames with small offsets. These frames are then aligned and merged to form a single image with red, green, and blue values at every pixel site. This approach, which includes no explicit demosaicing step, serves to both increase image resolution and boost signal to noise ratio. Our algorithm is robust to challenging scene conditions: local motion, occlusion, or scene changes. It runs at 100 milliseconds per 12-megapixel RAW input burst frame on mass-produced mobile phones. Specifically, the algorithm is the basis of the Super-Res Zoom feature, as well as the default merge method in Night Sight mode (whether zooming or not) on Google's flagship phone.


Type people to land relations are dynamic and, as a consequence, the nature of land title and cadastral data is of a dynamic nature. Land title and cadastral data are core components for a lot of property applications (e.g. taxation, valuation, mortgage). Those applications require up to date, complete and reliable data – including temporal data as in use in application forms and transactions. In this paper, the modelling of Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities (RRR) is discussed with a focus on the modelling of easement rights in a case study in Turkey. Functional requirements with respect to the characteristics of easement rights are investigated based upon interviews with professional experts in the public and private sector. Then a prototype model was built based on a simple implementation of the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) RRR classes and by conforming to the national cadastral data management standards related to land registration systems. This new proposed model includes temporal cadastral attributes related to easements. This is materialised in the 'Administrative Package' and illustrated in the Turkey LADM country profile. We show that the LADM can be used to describe for the time dimension of cadastral information in Turkey, but that there are semantic differences, similarities and mismatches of classes and attributes between the LADM and the cadastral information system in Turkey. Proposed LADM-based model for the time dimension of cadastral information will be of immense advantage to land administrators, the governments and land users in Turkey.


We propose a model for conventional superconductors in contact with a ferromagnetic (or polarized paramagnetic) insulator. The model is defined by a boundary condition on the quasiclassical Green's function for the superconductor at the interface between the metal and insulating magnet. The specific boundary condition we use describes the interaction of the electrons, which tunnel into the insulating barrier, with the average exchange field of the local moments. Solutions to the quasiclassical equations and boundary condition are obtained for thin superconducting films. We obtain results for pair-breaking effects of a magnetic boundary on the transition temperature and gap of thin superconducting films. Of particular interest is the Zeeman effect in the quasiparticle density of states (DOS), which exhibits a splitting of the form 2${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}$(H+${B}^{\mathrm{*}}$) in an external field H. The excess splitting ${B}^{\mathrm{*}}$ is interpreted here as an internal field in the superconductor resulting from quasiparticle tunneling into the magnetic insulator, and subsequent reflection into the superconducting film. We compare our model of the tunneling DOS with the recent measurements by Tedrow et al. on EuO/Al/${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ tunnel junctions.


This helpful, practical book begins with a clear explanation of acid-base balance, followed by a straightforward six-step approach to arterial blood gas interpretation. The authors then apply this approach to a wide range of realistic case studies that resemble situations readers are likely to encounter in practice. With a strong focus on patient care pathways and including the most up-to-date information on arterial blood gas interpretation, this book will be invaluable to nurses, junior doctors and biomedical scientists as well as students and trainees in all these areas.


Compost barns are a loose housing system that provides excellent cow comfort for dairy
cows. Producer experience with well-managed compost barns in Minnesota has generally been
positive. Cows are relatively clean, very comfortable, have fewer lameness problems, and in some
cases had lower somatic cell counts (SCC) after moving to a compost barn. Current design and
management recommendations are based on dairy producer experiences. Compost barns have a
concrete feed alley, a bedded pack area that is stirred two times a day, and a 1.2-m high wall
surrounding the pack. The wall that separates the pack and feed alley has walkways to allow cow
and equipment access to the stirred pack area. The stirred pack is sized to provide a minimum
stirred bedded pack area of 7.4 m2/cow. Producers use dry fine wood shavings or sawdust for
bedding. Fresh bedding is added when the bedded pack becomes moist enough to stick to the cows.
The pack is stirred (aerated) at least two times each day to a producer recommended depth of 25 to
30 cm. Stirring aerates and mixes manure and urine on the surface into the pack to provide a fresh surface for cows to lie down on. The pack can provide manure storage for 6 to 7 months. Excellent
pack management and pre-milking cow prep is required. Research on compost barns is needed.


Enterprise Resource Planning and Customer Relationship Management are becoming important topics at the university level, and are increasingly receiving course-level attention in the curriculum. In fact, the Information Systems Body of Knowledge specifically identifies Enterprise Architecture as an Information Systems-specific knowledge area. The revised Information Systems Curriculum Guide from 2010, sponsored by the Association of Information Systems and the Association of Computing Machinery, suggest Enterprise Architecture as a required course with Enterprise Systems and Business Process Management as suggested electives. Implementing the aforementioned courses into the curriculum poses challenges such as providing necessary resources, overcoming institutional constraints, and the lack of hardware architecture for advanced systems such as Microsoft Dynamics AX. This work addresses three critical issues. First, we provide a suggested technical architecture built upon the Windows Server family and Dynamics AX which may be used to implement ERP and CRM, based on Dynamics AX, into the classroom. Second, we demonstrate connectivity between an installation of Dynamics AX 2012 R3 and CRM 2011 in the cloud using the Microsoft Connector for Dynamics. Finally, we suggest a sample scenario and case for implementing ERP and CRM concepts into the university curriculum.