Renewable harvesting clean and hydrogen energy using the benefits of novel multicatalytic materials of high entropy alloy (HEA equimolar Cu-Ag-Au-Pt-Pd) from formic acid with minimum energy input has been achieved in the present investigation. The synthesis effect of pristine elements in the HEA drives the electro-oxidation reaction towards non-carbonaceous pathway . The atomistic simulation based on DFT rationalize the distinct lowering of the d-band center for the individual atoms in the HEA as compared to the pristine counterparts. This catalytic activity of the HEA has also been extended to methanol electro-oxidation to show the unique capability of the novel catalyst. The nanostructured HEA, properties using a combination of casting and cry omilling techniques can further be utilized as fuel cell anode in direct formic acid/methanol fuel cells (DFFE).


Tartaric acid (TA) is an obscure end point to the catabolism of ascorbic acid (Asc). Here, it is proposed as a "specialized primary metabolite", originating from carbohydrate metabolism but with restricted distribution within the plant kingdom and lack of known function in primary metabolic pathways. Grapes fall into the list of high TA-accumulators, with biosynthesis occurring in both leaf and berry. Very little is known of the TA biosynthetic pathway enzymes in any plant species, although recently some progress has been made in this space. New technologies in grapevine research such as the development of global co-expression network analysis tools and genome-wide association studies, should enable more rapid progress. There is also a lack of information regarding roles for this organic acid in plant metabolism. Therefore this review aims to briefly summarize current knowledge about the key intermediates and enzymes of TA biosynthesis in grapes and the regulation of its precursor, ascorbate, followed by speculative discussion around the potential roles of TA based on current knowledge of Asc metabolism, TA biosynthetic enzymes and other aspects of fruit metabolism.


The extraction of past user activity is one of the main goals in the analysis of digital evidence. In this paper we present a methodology for extracting this activity by comparing multiple Restore Points found in the Windows XP operating system. We concentrate on comparing the copies of the registry hives found within these points. The registry copies represent a snapshot in time of the state of the system. Differences between them can reveal user activity from one instant to another. This approach is implemented and presented as a tool that is able to compare any set of offline hive files and present the results to the user. Investigative techniques are presented to use the software as efficiently as possible. The techniques range from general analysis, in which areas of high user activity are pinpointed, to specific techniques, where user activity relating to specific files and file types is found.


ABSTRACT Though the mobile money industry is growing with a significant potential of enhancing financial inclusion and economic growth, mobile money services face a critical challenge of improving service quality to attract and retain customers. This article examines the drivers of a customer's choice of a mobile money agent for a mobile money service in Kampala. Specifically, the study explores the effect of courtesy and efficiency of mobile money agents as well as cleanliness of their business premises. The analysis is based on data of 188 mobile money agents and customers across all mobile money service providers in Uganda. The study adopted a crosssectional survey method using a mixed methods research approach. The data was collected through a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the linear regression model was fitted to determine the significant drivers for customers' choice of a mobile money agent. Descriptive statistics indicated a situation where mobile money agents are generally; courteous, efficient and operate from clean business premises.The regression model results revealed a significant influence (p<0.05) of courtesy and efficiency of the agent as well as cleanness of the business premises on customers' choice of mobile money agents to transact with, affirming the hypothesized effect of these variables. The estimated coefficients indicated that improving courtesy and efficiency as well the cleanly-ness of the business premises was associated with more than 80% chance of attracting a customer to a particular mobile money agent. In lieu of the findings, the paper recommends strategic measures to all mobile money agents and service providers in Uganda who wish to improve quality of their service, satisfy, attract and retain customers to their businesses. As a result, customers will see better or improved services from the mobile money agents which in turn would contribute to the development of the mobile money industry in Uganda. Key words: Mobile Money Services, Mobile Money Agents, Courtesy, Cleanliness, Efficiency, Choice


The central nervous system functions primarily to convert patterns of activity in sensory receptors into patterns of muscle activity that constitute appropriate behavior. At the anatomical level this requires two complementary processes: a set of genetically encoded rules for building the basic network of connections, and a mechanism for subsequently fine tuning these connections on the basis of experience. Identifying the locus and mechanism of these structural changes has long been among neurobiology's major objectives. Evidence has accumulated implicating a particular class of contacts, excitatory synapses made onto dendritic spines, as the sites where connective plasticity occurs. New developments in light microscopy allow changes in spine morphology to be directly visualized in living neurons and suggest that a common mechanism, based on dynamic actin filaments, is involved in both the formation of dendritic spines during development and their structural plasticity at mature synapses.


A competitive city is a city that successfully facilitates its firms and industries to create jobs, raise productivity, and increase the incomes of citizens over time. Worldwide, improving the competitiveness of cities is a pathway to eliminating extreme poverty and to promoting shared prosperity. The primary source of job creation has been the growth of private sector firms, which have typically accounted for around 75 percent of job creation. Thus city leaders need to be familiar with the factors that help to attract, to retain, and to expand the private sector. This document aims to analyze what makes a city competitive and how more cities can become competitive.


We have developed a 3D magnetohydrodynamics simulation code for applications in the solar convection zone and photosphere. The code includes a non-local and non-grey radiative transfer module and takes into account the effects of partial ionization. Its parallel design is based on domain decomposition, which makes it suited for use on parallel computers with distributed memory architecture. We give a description of the equations and numerical methods and present the results of the simulation of a solar plage region. Starting with a uniform vertical field of 200 G, the processes of flux expulsion and convective field amplification lead to a dichotomy of strong, mainly vertical fields embedded in the granular downflow network and weak, randomly oriented fields filling the hot granular upflows. The strong fields form a magnetic network with thin, sheet- like structures extending along downflow lanes and micropores with diameters of up to 1000 km which form occasionally at vertices where several downflow lanes merge. At the visible surface around optical depth unity, the strong field concentrations are in pressure balance with their weakly magnetized surroundings and reach field strengths of up to 2 kG, strongly exceeding the values corresponding to equipartition with the kinetic energy density of the convective motions. As a result of the channelling of radiation, small flux concentrations stand out as bright features, while the larger micropores appear dark in brightness maps owing to the suppression of the convective energy transport. The overall shape of the magnetic network changes slowly on a timescale much larger than the convective turnover time, while the magnetic flux is constantly redistributed within the network leading to continuous formation and dissolution of flux concentrations.


Background: In Saudi Arabia, diabetes established itself as an epidemic that necessitates dissection of its predisposing factors and pathogenesis to set appropriate preventive measures. In a cross-sectional study, relationships between plasma betatrophin (BetaT) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on one side, and, glycemic control, lipogram, anthropometric indices, treatment and prognosis on the other side were assessed in Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) vs. healthy controls. Methods: The study voluntarily enrolled 202 T2DM patients (44 males and 158 females) and socioeconomically, age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched 106 healthy participants (71 males and 35 females). All participants were subgrouped according to gender and BMI ( 5 years) and treatment (insulin/non-insulin). Demographic and anthropometric data were anonymously collected. EDTA whole blood for HbA1c and its plasma for bioassays were frozen at -80 °C. Standard procedures and specific immunoassays were employed for biomarkers. Results: Plasma insulin paralleled BMI and disease duration and was highly significantly different comparing patients and healthy controls. As expected glycemic control and lipogram indices were also highly significantly different comparing patients and healthy controls. Because of the massive individual variation in the plasma levels of each of betatrophin (except for a higher level in patients with lower BMI) and HGF (except for a higher level in females and those with higher BMI among controls), there were non-significant differences comparing patients and healthy controls. Males were more inclined to have more insulin treatment. Surprisingly, the later doubled the disease severity complication score and correlated negatively with plasma HDL-cholesterol. Betatrophin did not show much correlation among controls but correlated negatively with age and cholesterol and positively with BMI and HbA1c in patients. HGF showed very clear negative correlation with age and plasma insulin in patients. Conclusion: The massive individual variation in plasma content of betatrophin and HGF did allow specific diagnostic/pathogenetic classification for these two hepato-/adipokines. This may reflect gene polymorphism at their gene regulatory sequences and/or resistance correlating insulin resistance. The former is being pursued in our laboratory for patients with distinctly higher and lower levels. J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;7(1):31-43 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem405w


The rapid decrease of oxygen and glucose in brain tissue after an acute stroke can trigger necrotic neuronal cell death within minutes. The main underlying cause is the dysregulation of major intracellular ion concentrations, but it has been unclear which particular ion channels are activated by ischemic conditions in pyramidal neurons. Pannexin 1 (Px1) is a member of a family of gap junction proteins that are highly expressed in pyramidal neurons. In acutely isolated neurons and brain slices, Thompson et al. found that Px1 hemichannel opening was activated by ischemic stress. Thus, hemichannel activation by ischemia during stroke could be responsible for the profound ionic dysregulation contributing to excitotoxicity. R. J. Thompson, N. Zhou, B. A. MacVicar, Ischemia opens neuronal gap junction hemichannels. Science 312, 924-927 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Background/Context Although research on college and university presidents has grown in recent decades, historically Black college and university (HBCU) presidents have rarely been included in this research. We know almost nothing about the pathways to the HBCU presidency or the role that current presidents play in grooming future presidents. More literature is needed in order to deepen our understanding of the HBCU presidency. Purpose With this study, we sought to capture the background characteristics of HBCU leaders, to lay the ground work for future studies on HBCU presidents, and to understand the role these leaders play in grooming and mentoring the next generation of HBCU leaders. Research Design In order to answer our research questions, we used a combination a surveys, document analysis, and qualitative interviews. Conclusions and Recommendations Our conclusions and recommendations point to a recycling of presidents at HBCUs as well as the disproportionate presence of long-term presidencies. Moreover, although grooming of future presidents is taking place, it is not systematic and would benefit from deeper thought and commitment.


Data-parallel implementations of the computationally intensive task of solving multiple quadratic forms (MQFs) have been examined. Coupled and uncoupled parallel methods are investigated, where coupling relates to the degree of interaction among the processors. Also, the impact of partitioning a large MQF problem into smaller non-interacting subtasks is studied. Trade-offs among the implementations for various data-size/machine-size ratios are categorized in terms of complex arithmetic operation counts, communication overhead, and memory storage requirements. Furthermore, the impact on performance of the mode of parallelism used is considered, specifically, SIMD versus MIMD versus SIMD/MIMD mixed-mode. From the complexity analyses, it is shown that none of the algorithms presented in this paper is best for all datasize/machine-size ratios. Thus, to achieve scalability (i.e., good performance as the number of processors available in a machine increases), instead of using a single algorithm, the approach proposed is to have a set of algorithms from which the most appropriate algorithm or combination of algorithms is selected based on the ratio calculated from the scaled machine size. The analytical results have been verified from experiments on the MasPar MP-1 (SIMD), nCUBE 2 (MIMD), and PASM (mixed-mode) prototype.


A series of norcantharidin and bridged perhydroisoindole derivatives were evaluated for their antioxidant and radical scavenging activities. Different in vitro methodologies, such as total reducing power, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl- hydrazil (DPPH • ) free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging and metal chelating activities were used. Among the 11 tested compounds, 7 compounds showed potent reducing power activity and 7 compounds showed potent superoxide anion radical scavenging activity. All the tested compounds exhibited potent free radical scavenging ability. The results showed that the synthesized compounds have effective antioxidant power.


An effective exchange rate is a measure of the value of a country's currency vis-a-vis the currencies of its most important trading partners. The Bank of Canada has created a new Canadian-dollar effective exchange rate index (CERI) to replace the C-6 index that it currently uses. The CERI uses multilateral trade weights published by the International Monetary Fund and includes the six currencies of countries or economic zones with the largest share of Canada's international trade. As such, it better reflects the recent changes in Canada's trade profile, including the rise in the importance of China and Mexico and the relative decline in importance of Europe and Japan in Canada's international trade. The author describes the methodology and construction of the new index and reviews the advantages it offers over the C-6, particularly the use of multilateral trade weights, the inclusion of trade in services, and the use of more recent trade data.


Biosimilars, also known as follow on biologics, are complex biotechnology drugs that are similar, but not identical, to original biologic drug forms, and represent potential lower cost versions that may improve access. Yet biologics and their biosimilar forms have a key safety concern: unwanted immunogenicity. Emerging markets have tremendous interest in biosimilars, but are at a tipping point: they are moving from developing country concerns (e.g., communicable disease) to developed country needs (e.g., cancer therapies) that require biologic drugs. Production, however, is at lower than current Good Manufacturing Practice levels standard in highly-regulated markets. Emerging market public-private partnerships between public agencies, local producers, and global pharmaceutical firms, can incentivize biosimilar production at higher quality levels than required for local markets as well as position themselves for entry into developed markets. Public health goals can be reached while increasing economic opportunities in these markets to benefit global health.


Chlorine nitrate photolysis at 308 nm has been investigated with a molecular beam technique. Two primary decomposition pathways, leading to Cl + NO3 and ClO + NO2, were observed. The branching ratio between these two respective channels was determined to be 0.67 ± 0.06 : 0.33 ± 0.06. This ratio is an upper limit because some of the ClO photoproducts may have undergone secondary photodissociation. The angular distributions of the photoproducts with respect to the direction of polarization of the exciting light were anisotropic. The anisotropy parameters were β= 0.5 ± 0.2 for the Cl + NO3 channel and β= 1.1 ± 0.2 for the ClO + NO2 channel, indicating that dissociation of ClONO2 by either pathway occurs within a rotational period. Weak signal at mass-to-charge ratios of 35 and 51, arising from products with laboratory velocities close to the beam velocity, was observed. While this signal could result from statistical dissociation channels with a total relative yield of 0.07 or less, it is more likely attributable to products from ClO secondary photodissociation or from dissociation of clusters.


Purpose In patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), Double Inversion Recovery (DIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to identify cortical lesions (CL). We sought to evaluate the reliability of CL detection on DIR longitudinally at multiple subsequent time-points applying the MAGNIMs scoring criteria for CLs. Methods 26 MS patients received a 3T-MRI (Siemens, Skyra) with DIR at 12 time-points (TP) within a 16 months period. Scans were assessed in random order by two different raters. Both raters separately marked all CLs on each scan and total lesion numbers were obtained for each scan-TP and patient. After a retrospective re-evaluation, the number of consensus CLs (conL) was defined as the total number of CLs, which both raters finally agreed on. CLs volumes, relative signal intensities and CLs localizations were determined. Both ratings (conL vs. non-consensus scoring) were compared for further analysis. Results A total number of n = 334 CLs were identified by both raters in 26 MS patients with a first agreement of both raters on 160 out of 334 of the CLs found (κ = 0.48). After the retrospective re-evaluation, consensus agreement increased to 233 out of 334 CL (κ = 0.69). 93.8% of conL were visible in at least 2 consecutive TP. 74.7% of the conL were visible in all 12 consecutive TP. ConL had greater mean lesion volumes and higher mean signal intensities compared to lesions that were only detected by one of the raters (p<0.05). A higher number of CLs in the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobe were identified by both raters than the number of those only identified by one of the raters (p<0.05). Conclusions After a first assessment, slightly less than a half of the CL were considered as reliably detectable on longitudinal DIR images. A retrospective re-evaluation notably increased the consensus agreement. However, this finding is narrowed, considering the fact that retrospective evaluation steps might not be practicable in clinical routine. Lesions that were not reliably identifiable by both raters seem to be characterized by lower signal intensity and smaller size, or located in distinct anatomical brain regions.


This note continues from our previous note on infrastructure, sustainable infrastructure development was framed as vital in providing the necessary conditions for fostering growth and the economic development of a country. Infrastructure can refer to various sectors that represent a large share of an economy. Both components of infrastructure, physical infrastructure and social infrastructure, are required to provide necessary services for the public. The provision and the maintenance of adequate infrastructure is essential for achieving rapid and sustainable economic growth. The adequacy of a country's infrastructure is reflective of success in increasing productivity, expanding trade and industry, coping with population growth, reducing poverty, improving environmental sustainability, and bettering the living standards of society. The development of adequate public infrastructure is therefore required to achieve urban sustainability.


An analysis of the linkages between immigration and security must consider three basic issues and tasks. First of all, it must look at the definition of the concepts in use: threat, referent object and the logic or rationale that brings both concepts together. Secondly, the framing of immigration within the discourse on security issues is to be tackled. And thirdly, it must take into account the measures and public policy instruments related to that framing. This article focuses on these three interrelated issues and explores those questions with particular reference to the EU area. The first part reviews the scholarly literature that explores the linkage between migration and security in order to identify what is known as the 'threat', the referent object and the rationales established in discourses since the 1990s. During this decade the EU began to develop its 'common' immigration policy, while at the same time critiques of the emerging securitisation of migration were developed. The second part of this research traces the effects of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 on discourses and public policies in the EU. The analysis of post 9/11 developments in the EU provides evidence to deny on the hand, that EU institutions' discourses on immigration policies consider this phenomenon as an existential threat and, on the other hand, to reject that extraordinary measures or courses of actions had followed those terrorist attacks. A global approach towards migration is underway although in need of political impetus.


Peatlands represent a vast carbon reserve that has accumulated under conditions of low nitrogen availability. Given the strong coupling between the carbon and nitrogen cycles, we need to establish the consequences of the increase in reactive nitrogen deposition for the sustainability of peatlands, and whether the form in which the nitrogen is deposited makes a difference. We have addressed these questions using a globally unique field simulation of reactive N deposition as dry deposited ammonia and wet deposited reduced N, ammonium and oxidised N, nitrate, added as ammonium chloride or sodium nitrate, to an ombrotrophic peatland, Whim bog in SE Scotland. Here we report the fate of 56 kg N ha −1 yr −1 additions over 10 yr and the consequences. The effects of 10 yr of reactive N additions depended on the form in which the N was applied. Ammonia-N deposition caused the keystone Sphagnum species, together with the main shrub Calluna and the pleurocarpous mosses, to disappear, exposing up to 30% of the peat surface. This led to a significant increase in soil water nitrate and nitrous oxide emissions. By contrast wet deposited N, despite significantly reducing the cover of Sphagnum and Pleurozium moss, did not have a detrimental effect on Calluna cover nor did it significantly change soil water N concentrations or nitrous oxide emissions. Importantly 10 yr of wet deposited N did not bare the peat surface nor significantly disrupt the vegetation enabling the N to be retained within the carbon rich peatland ecosystems. However, given the significant role of Sphagnum in maintaining conditions that retard decomposition, this study suggests that all nitrogen forms will eventually compromise carbon sequestration by peatlands through loss of some keystone Sphagnum species.


Introduction PrEP has the potential to transform the HIV epidemic in the UK. BMSM experience a significantly higher HIV prevalence compared with other MSM meaning that PrEP rollout should be attentive to reducing health inequalities in this group. This research aims to describe the motivations and barriers to PrEP use for BMSM aged 18–45 in London. Methods Twenty-five BMSM were recruited through social sexual apps for semi-structured interviews. All participants reported sexual behaviours consistent with PrEP candidacy. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic framework informed by inter-sectionality theory. Results An 'ideal' PrEP candidate was frequently perceived to embody characteristics that participants themselves did not necessarily identify with (e.g. that they were insufficiently risky or sexually active to require PrEP). Many already felt marginalised by virtue of being both black and gay, or felt 'type-cast' as sexually dominant within the gay scene. Concern was expressed that taking PrEP may exacerbate such marginalisation by suggesting that they were also promiscuous. For others, however, taking PrEP meant avoiding another marginalised identity: that of someone with HIV. Participants tended to prefer conveniently located clinics outside of traditionally 'black' areas. Accessing services from staff of similar ethnic backgrounds was difficult for many, except for staff also perceived as gay. Discussion Marginalisation remains a key barrier for this group, and should be considered when developing PrEP interventions. Existing services are acceptable for delivering PrEP interventions, but staff need to be mindful, sex affirmative and focus on developing rapport with BMSM of similar ethnic backgrounds as themselves.


Even though most data races are harmless, the harmful ones are at the heart of some of the worst concurrency bugs. Alas, spotting just the harmful data races in programs is like finding a needle in a haystack: 76%-90% of the true data races reported by state-of-the-art race detectors turn out to be harmless [45]. We present Portend, a tool that not only detects races but also automatically classifies them based on their potential consequences: Could they lead to crashes or hangs? Could their effects be visible outside the program? Are they harmless? Our proposed technique achieves high accuracy by efficiently analyzing multiple paths and multiple thread schedules in combination, and by performing symbolic comparison between program outputs.
 We ran Portend on 7 real-world applications: it detected 93 true data races and correctly classified 92 of them, with no human effort. 6 of them are harmful races. Portend's classification accuracy is up to 88% higher than that of existing tools, and it produces easy-to-understand evidence of the consequences of harmful races, thus both proving their harmfulness and making debugging easier. We envision Portend being used for testing and debugging, as well as for automatically triaging bug reports.


s : Many studies have found adult stem cells in human teeth or correlated tissues. However, most of these stem cells were found in the permanent teeth or pulp from exfoliated deciduous teeth. The aim of the present study was to characterize stem cells isolated from the functional dental pulp and periodontal ligament of deciduous teeth. Dental pulp tissue was obtained from deciduous teeth by extirpation during treatment for dental caries, and periodontal tissue was obtained from deciduous teeth that were extracted for orthodontic reasons or space management. We observed cell outgrowth from these tissues in 'explants culture', and named these cells as deciduous dental pulp stem cells (DDPSCs) and deciduous periodontal ligament stem cells (DPDLSCs), respectively. These stem cells presented embryonic stem cell markers (Oct-4 and Nanog), an ectomesenchymal stem cell marker (Nestin), and mesenchymal stem cell markers (Stro-1 and CD146). In differentiation media, DDPSCs and DPDLSCs were able to change into cells that produce lipid vacuoles or cells that induce extracellular mineral aggregation, expressing genes correlated with adipogenesis (PPARγ2 and LPL) or osteogenesis (ALP and BSP), respectively. This is the first report of the presence of multipotent stem cells in the functional dental pulp and periodontal ligament tissue of deciduous teeth, which can be isolated using an explants culture method. These tissues can be obtained easily during routine dental procedures, and could therefore represent a good source of adult stem cells for use in regenerative medicine.


This paper comes from a place of deep concern about wealth concentration in the United States of America, but also from a place of hopeful expectation. When I started my research in mid-2019, I did not imagine preparing the final draft during a global pandemic which has already killed nearly half a million people. Unfortunately, the spread of COVID-19 exposed the fragility of the U.S. economy. While necessary, shelter in place orders suspended the livelihoods of millions without savings for unexpected expenses, and caused weekly unemployment claims to jump 1,068%. In a strong demonstration of its legal and moral duty to ensure the wellbeing of the American people during times of crisis, the U.S. federal government quickly passed the $2.2 trillion "CARES" Act, the largest appropriations bill in its history. Despite longstanding policy disagreements over using public funds for public welfare, a crisis compelled Congress and the White House towards unprecedented compromise on multiple stimulus bills in only a few weeks.

The same resolve will be necessary to combat wealth concentration. Deconcentrating wealth will not be easy. Effective solutions will require engaging unpopular topics like tax policy, estate planning and trust provisions, property law, and tedious readings of 18th century political theory. While few are qualified to propose solutions at this intersection, and even fewer are willing to undertake this Sisyphean task, it is as necessary as it is difficult.

The federal government must find the political courage to reverse half a century of policies creating unsustainable levels of wealth concentration by repairing revenues and guaranteeing Americans a basic income. The estate planning and private client bar should help.


Antioxidants, antioxidant capacity, and the expression of isoprenoid metabolism–related genes and two pigmentation-related transcription factors were studied in four native and four hybrid tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) genotypes with different-colored fruit. Red fruit genotypes were associated with greater lycopene, β-carotene, lipophilic antioxidant capacity, and greater chromoplast-specific lycopene β-cyclase (CYC-B) transcript levels. Orange fruit genotypes had greater concentrations of tocopherols and greater transcript levels of homogentisate phytyl transferase (VTE-2), 1-deoxy-D-xylulose phosphate synthase (DXS), and 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD). The yellow fruit genotype was greater in total polyphenol and hydrophilic antioxidant capacity with greater expression of geranylgeranyl reductase (GGDR), phytol kinase (VTE-5), phytoene synthase (PSY) 2, lycopene β-cyclase (LCY-B), SlNAC1, and SINAC4. Greater levels of individual antioxidants were associated with specific coloration of tomato fruit. Moreover, the negative correlations between the expression of PSY1 and VTE-5, and between lycopene and chlorophyll, suggest a balance between carotenoids, tocopherols, and chlorophylls. The results of this study support either the direct commercialization of tomatoes with different color fruit or use of their genotypes in breeding programs to increase antioxidant levels among existing cultivars.


Abstract The paper explores the hypothesized link between involvement in social responsibility and financial performance. In particular, it looks at this relationship among Polish small and medium manufacturing companies that operate in food, beverage and cosmetics industries. The statistical analysis involves developing and testing structural model on the basis of data from a survey of 187 managers supplemented by validated financial metrics from an external database. The outcomes suggests the existence of a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between the CSR involvement construct and sales profit margin (β=0.2). However, CSR seems to have no discernible direct effect on ROA. The study, as the first project of this kind in Poland, adds to the sparse body of literature on financial outcomes of CSR in small and medium enterprises from emerging economies. Another distinguishing feature of this research is its methodological approach which compares favorably to many previous studies in terms of robustness.


Degrowth cannot be realised from within a capitalist society, since growth is the sine qua non for capitalism. But, societies are no blank slates; they are not built from scratch. Putting these two thoughts together seems to make degrowth logically impossible. In this paper we argue that this paradox can be solved with the use of classical and contemporary concepts from the social sciences. We illustrate the use of these concepts with reference to studies on current practices and patterns of food production and consumption. The concept of social mechanism is used to illustrate how social practices can simultaneously reinforce and challenge the dominant (food) regime. We argue that current discussions on degrowth fail to envision how such contrasting developments are linked, and that the degrowth paradox originates in the idea of capitalism and the steady-state economy as alternative systems. The paradox dissolves with studies of mechanisms and social practices that show how the two systems are not autonomous, but 'hybridised' and come into existence and gain shape as reactions to each other.


John Heaney, "Arthur Schopenhauer, Evolution, and Ecology in Thomas Hardy's The Woodlanders " (pp. 516–545) This essay takes issue with two truisms within Thomas Hardy criticism: first, the widely accepted view that The Woodlanders (1887) is Hardy's most "Darwinian" work; and second, the standard assumption that Arthur Schopenhauer's influence on Hardy's writing can be discerned specifically in the works from Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891) onward, and primarily in the unrelenting pessimism that characterizes both writers' worldviews. The essay calls into question the simplification underlying both positions by suggesting ways in which Schopenhauer's metaphysics may have influenced Hardy's treatment of evolutionary themes in The Woodlanders , paying particular attention to Hardy's choice of plant life as the dominant metaphor within the novel, and the numerous ways in which the evolutionary model it depicts diverges from that formulated by thinkers such as Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer. It argues furthermore that Schopenhauer's philosophy of nature therefore offers the optimum framework through which to interpret Hardy's unique ecological vision in the novel, and calls for renewed attention to the philosopher's proto-phenomenological description of reality, the significance of which has been largely overlooked by recent ecocritical scholars searching for a non-Cartesian framework in which to couch their readings.


In previous classification, forest recreation functions were evaluated by same factors and couldn't consider various characteristics of forest resources. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the recreational function of forest resources by applying different factors to each forest resources. We selected Daegu and Mt. Jiri as study area and divided forest resources into visitor-oriented and forest-oriented recreational resources. The level of recreational functions were evaluated with three grade(low, medium, high). In consequence, our study found out that it is more effective to evaluate forest recreational function by applying accessibility and attraction factors to each forest resources than previous work.


Interleukin 19 (IL-19), an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant cytokine, has been shown to affect the function and viability of lung fibroblasts, and has been implicated in lung cancer metastasis. 1-4 The purpose of this research was to compare gene expression profiles of IL-19 genes (through the collection of RNA isolates) between two lines of mice, an original tumor line (DA-3/TM), and a surgically resected metastatic tumor line (DA-3/TM-Mets). A battery of laboratory procedures were used to study metastasis of cancer from a primary tumor cell line, DA-3/TM, and from a metastatic site, DA-3/TM-Mets. Metastatic lesions in animal models were isolated, cultured, and analyzed in order to observe the changes between the primary and metastatic line. Both PCR and then Western Blots were performed to verify the initial findings from the metastatic lesions of mice. It was found that DA-3/TM-Mets, had more nodule metastasis throughout the lungs of BALB/c mice compared to that of DA-3/TM. A gene array performed showed that the key difference was IL-19, which was 30X higher in DA-3/TM-Mets than in DA-3/TM. This suggests a significant difference at the gene level. However, it is important to develop a new model to look at these tumor cell lines at the protein level in order to observe if this difference holds true. The data acquired shows promising results. Higher concentrations of IL-19 in the DA-3/ TMMets line may lead to the conclusion that IL-19 is exhibiting immunosuppressive activity, which does not allow the BALB/c mice's immune system to fight off a tumor, resulting in their death. Therefore, there appears to be a direct correlation between the metastasis of cancer and the protein IL-19's immunosuppressive effects.


The way in which the full spectrum of Christian communities are challenged to realign themselves in addressing the impact of corruption on the contemporary South-African society can be a relevant indicator of civil society's state and functionality in a post-apartheid democratic context. Utilising the interpretative and normative tools of practical-theological research, the researcher attempts to point out markers for Christian communities towards orientating themselves regarding their role in a complex landscape and in an asymmetrically shaped public sphere. The discussion includes an analysis of the current shape of civil society, an interpretation of the complex landscape of perceptions regarding corruption and an overview of the dilemmas faced by some of the major Christian church traditions in the post-apartheid South African context concerning their truthful presence in civil society. The discussion concludes by making a case for the need to anchor the realignment of the prophetic voice and the revitalisation of the transformative presence in a profound and far-reaching theological reorientation. Tension fields that involve critical and constructive action in a situation of endemic corruption cannot be negotiated without ridding the own presence from potential corruptive elements like hidden exclusivity, half-hearted concern and compromise. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Making use of the interdisciplinary results of social sciences and civil-society studies, the author provides an overview for Christian communities and their leaders in theologically orientating themselves for an appropriate angle of approach in entering the public sphere with a view on authentic and impactful participation in anti-corruption dialogue and actions. The key finding of the research amounts to the following: Tension fields that involve critical and constructive action in a situation of endemic corruption cannot be negotiated without ridding the own presence from potential corruptive elements like hidden exclusivity, half-hearted concern and compromise.


OBJECTIVE
to assess the role of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) as a risk factor for malnutrition and/or lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in the independently-living population of 70 years and over.

DESIGN
a population-based cohort study.

SUBJECTS AND SETTING
persons 70 years and over in the community (non-institutionalised) were randomly selected from primary care databases.

MEASUREMENTS
the volume-viscosity swallow test (V-VST) was administered by trained physicians at baseline to identify subjects with clinical signs of OD and impaired safety or efficacy of swallow. At the one year follow-up visit, hand grip, functional capacity (Barthel score), nutritional status (mini nutritional assessment, MNA) and LRTI (clinical notes) were assessed.

RESULTS
two hundred and fifty-four subjects were recruited (46.5% female; mean age, 78 years) and 90% of them (227) were re-evaluated one year later. Annual incidence of 'malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition' (MNA <23.5) was 18.6% in those with basal signs of OD and 12.3% in those without basal signs of OD (P = 0.296). However, prevalent cases of 'malnutrition or at risk of malnutrition' at follow up were associated with basal OD (OR = 2.72; P = 0.010), as well as with basal signs of impaired efficacy of swallow (OR = 2.73; P = 0.015). Otherwise, LRTI's annual incidence was higher in subjects with basal signs of impaired safety of swallow in comparison with subjects without such signs (40.0 versus 21.8%; P = 0.030; OR = 2.39).

CONCLUSIONS
OD is a risk factor for malnutrition and LRTI in independently living older subjects. These results suggest that older persons should be routinely screened and treated for OD to avoid nutritional and respiratory complications.


Mechanisms by which the plus-sense RNA genomes of picornaviruses are replicated remain poorly defined, but existing models do not suggest a role for sequences encoding the capsid proteins. However, candidate RNA replicons (delta P1 beta gal and delta P1Luc), representing the sequence of human rhinovirus 14 virus (HRV-14) with reporter protein sequences (beta-galactosidase or luciferase, respectively) replacing most of the P1 capsid-coding region, failed to replicate in transfected H1-HeLa cells despite efficient primary cleavage of the polyprotein. To determine which P1 sequences might be required for RNA replication, HRV-14 mutants in which segments of the P1 region were removed to frame from the genome were constructed. Mutants with deletions involving the 5'proximal 1,489 nucleotides of the P1 region replicated efficiently, while those with deletions involving the 3' 1,079 nucleotides did not. Reintroduction of the 3' P1 sequence into the nonreplicating delta P1Luc construct resulted in a new candidate replicon, delta P1Luc/VP3, which replicated well and expressed luciferase efficiently. Capsid proteins provided in trans by helper virus failed to rescue the nonreplicating delta P1Luc genome but were able to package the larger-than-genome-length delta P1Luc/VP3 replicon. Thus, a 3'-distal P1 capsid-coding sequence has a previously unrecognized cis-active function related to replication of HRV-14 RNA.


Theoretical results for the positronium (Ps) formation from hydrogen negative ion, H-, targets are presented. An exact analytical expression is constructed for the transition matrix for Ps formation in collisions of positrons with H- in the framework of Born approximation using three different target wave functions. The corresponding differential and total cross sections are presented for Ps formation in ground state. Comparison between these cross sections for different wave functions reveals the dependence of the Ps-formation process on the choice of the target wavefunction and the effect of correlation among the target electrons on the process.


PURPOSE
To assess the significance of the treatment plan complexity on the sensitivity of multifield optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plans to inter-fraction anatomical changes.

METHODS
Eight lung cancer patients were planned with IMPT to meet clinical criteria. These plans were retrospectively analyzed for this study. A complexity score based on the in-field dose heterogeneity within the target weighted by the number of regions of dose homogeneity was devised to evaluate the complexity of IMPT plans. The complexity score was calculated for each of the treatment plans and the change in target coverage over the course of treatment was assessed for each patient based on weekly CT imaging. The change in proton range to the distal edge of the clinical target volume was used as a quantitative metric for anatomical change. Greater than 5% drop to the target D99% was chosen as an action level to signal a clinically significant drop in target coverage that would require adaptive replanning.

RESULTS
For plans with a low complexity score, target coverage was well preserved over the course of treatment for even a large change in proton range to the target distal edge. Plans with high complexity scores, however, were sensitive to changes in anatomy, and even a small WET change resulted in a clinically significant drop in target coverage. Plans with complexity score below 1 preserved target coverage in 16/18 cases, while plans with complexity score above 1 preserved target coverage in only 3/25 cases.

CONCLUSION
IMPT plan with highly modulated field-to-field dose distribution can suffer clinically significant target coverage changes due to anatomical change. The complexity score function devised in this work can be a good predictor of robustness to anatomical change and could potentially be a part of routine plan check.


The religion and science conflict is a debate deeply rooted in Western thought, with misconstrued understanding of both fields resulting in a supposed warfare thesis where religion and science are portrayed as polarised enemies engaged in constant battle. This paper aims to disprove this thesis. Focusing on two main opponents in the debate, creationism and evolution, it argues that religion and science are not only able to coexist, but can also complement one another. It begins with the fundamental Christian belief in, 'creationism', and then presents the opposing, scientific approach of 'evolution', in order to identify the strengths and limitations of both. The paper then attempts to analyse compatible aspects of these seemingly opposing theories to verify the intertwining nature of both disciplines. Arguments relating to 'guided evolution', 'days as ages', difficulties in translation and interpretation, the 'cosmological argument' and Genesis as a mirror of evolution are examined. The analysis finally considers contemporary efforts to positively reconcile science and religion, before concluding that continued conflict is detrimental to the prospect of a harmonious relationship.


We describe an instantaneous modal wave-front sensor. The sensor uses a Shack-Hartmann lenslet array to encode the wave-front distortion. A novel parallel electro-optic processor continuously converts the spot pattern to wave-front modes, e.g. Zernike polynomials, without a separate reconstructor. Using readily available components, the sensor can achieve MHz bandwidths for twenty modes. The bandwidth, sensitivity, and number of bits can vary for each mode to match the sensor to the disturbance in an optimal fashion. The proposed sensor has immediate application to beam control and turbulence sensing applications that require wide bandwidths. The measured wave-front modes can also be those of an adaptive optics system, directly providing control signals for the actuators of a deformable mirror. A similar electronic reconstructor mode is also described.


Narrow‐band luminescence materials used in white light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs) have demonstrated a great potential to increase the maximum accessible color gamut, improve the color rendition, or enhance the visual luminous efficacy for illumination and display devices. So far, the discovery of narrow‐band rare earth doped phosphors for emerging applications remains challenging owing to the limited systems in use and the broadening effect of 4f–5d transition. Here, two narrow‐band cyan‐emitting phosphors with the UCr4C4‐related type structure, RbNa2K(Li3SiO4)4:Eu2+ (RNKLSO:Eu2+) and CsNa2K(Li3SiO4)4:Eu2+ (CNKLSO:Eu2+), are reported. The narrow‐band emission results from the highly condensed network and a cube‐like site for the activator (Eu2+). The emission peak assignments are investigated, and the variations of luminescence behavior with compositional changes of alkali cations are elaborated in detail. RNKLSO:8% Eu2+ (95%@250 °C of the integrated emission intensity at 25 °C) shows better thermal stability than that of CNKLSO:8% Eu2+ (79%@250 °C), which can be explained by the thermally activated crossover process represented in the configurational coordinate diagram. The optical properties of the as‐fabricated WLEDs are studied and demonstrate potential with tunable properties for the full spectrum phosphor‐converted LEDs. These findings in UCr4C4‐type phases help shedding light on new avenues for fabricating new and totally unexpected narrow‐emitting phosphors with versatile applications.


Three kinds of fluorescent nano probes SN-A, SN-B and SN-C, based on the photo-induced electron transfer mechanism, were synthesized for the detection of saccharides, in which small fluorescent probes with 1,8-naphthalimide as the fluorophore and phenylboronic acid as the receptor were covalently bound to SiO2 nanoparticles. The fluorescent nano particles were characterized by TEM, IR, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra. The results showed that the particle diameter exerted a significant influence on the performance of the nanoprobes; however, the length of the linker affected the spectral response to a much lesser extent. The fluorescence intensity at 530 nm (I530) of SN-B exhibited a good linear relationship with the fructose/sorbitol concentration and was employed in the detection of the fructose content in drinks.


This paper sets out how an element of organisational biodiversity impact can be assessed and ranked using a tool called the Normative Biodiversity Metric (NBM). The NBM is designed to assess the biodiversity performance of any land-owning entity, based on the pristineness of the organisation's land. It can be applied to any type of organisation, company, region or nation. The assessment generates results which can be used in annual reports, performance assessments marketing strategies/CSR, or as a component of another ecological indicator. The methodology is particularly relevant to raw materials sectors which have a large impact on habitats and biodiversity. The primary advantage of the NBM is that it can be used to compare biodiversity performance at different spatial scales with a standardised methodology, from a garden to a continent: there is no other biodiversity assessment tool which can perform this function. Satellite imagery is used to provide an initial assessment; ecological surveys can also be used where necessary to provide a higher degree of accuracy. The NBM is designed to provide an equivalent to corporate GHG assessment, for biodiversity impact.


A new real-time interferometer based on diffraction phenomena is discussed. It consists of a point-diffraction interferometer fabricated on a transmission grating. The real-time data-analysis capability is achieved by simultaneously introducing a phase shift (piston) on the three separate channels of diffracted interferograms. Mathematical analysis and preliminary observational results are included.


Aim: This study is the first to chart the use of Facebook and Twitter by peer-reviewed medical journals. Methods: We selected the top 25 general medicine journals on the Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Report (JCR) list. We surveyed their Facebook and Twitter presences and scanned their Web sites for any Facebook and (or) Twitter features as of November 2011. Results/Discussion: 20 of 25 journals had some sort of Facebook presence, with 11 also having a Twitter presence. Total 'Likes' across all of the Facebook pages for journals with a Facebook presence were 321,997, of which 259, 902 came from the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) alone. The total numbers of Twitter 'Followers' were smaller by comparison when compiled across all surveyed journals. 'Likes' and 'Followers' are not the equivalents of total accesses but provide some proxy measure for impact and popularity. Those journals in our sample making best use of the open sharing nature of social media are closed-access; with the leading open access journals on the list lagging behind by comparison. We offer a partial interpretation for this and discuss other findings of our survey, provide some recommendations to journals wanting to use social media, and finally present some future research directions. Conclusions: Journals should not underestimate the potential of social media as a powerful means of reaching out to their readership.


Colombia is a middle-income country but with a human development constantly threatened by insecurity. This paper analyzes the developmental impact of Offset Agreements (linked to international defence-industry cooperation) implemented by EADS-CASA in Colombia. Compare Malaysia, the Colombian case exemplifies how offset might be an instrument of development through increasing security in recipient countries. In an international context that seeks explicitly how to include the private sector as a developmental agent, and that it is looking for the best practices among public-private partnerships, these agreements can be a good example. The offset agreements executed in Colombia are assessed with high marks in relevance, ownership and alignment, and potential direct and indirect value added, externalities and sustainability. Transparency is the weakest point of the offset. A move towards an international initiative that helps minimize unwanted effects such as unfair competition or corruption is proposed.


Abstract. Color is part of the visual variables in map, serving an aesthetic part and as a guide of attention. Impaired color vision affects the ability to distinguish colors, which makes the task of decoding the map colors difficult. Map reading is reported as a challenging task for these observers, especially when the size of stimuli is small. The aim of this study is to review existing methods for map design for color vision deficient users. A systematic review of research literature and case studies of map design for CVD observers has been conducted in order to give an overview of current knowledge and future research challenges. In addition, relevant research on simulations of CVD and color image enhancement for these observers from other fields of industry is included. The study identified two main approaches: pre-processing by using accessible colors and post-processing by using enhancement methods. Some of the methods may be applied for maps, but requires tailoring of test images according to map types.


Nitrate concentrations in excess of 50 to 100 mg L−1 NO3-N are found widely in interstitial waters from unsaturated Quaternary sands in northern Senegal. These high concentrations and correspondingly enhanced NO3/Cl ratios are being produced in the soil zone beneath both uncultivated and rain-fed cultivated areas. High nitrate (avg. 11 mg L−1 NO3-N) is also found extensively in shallow groundwaters. The NO3-N signature is preserved as a result of the aerobic conditions. The unsaturated zone contains a history of N inputs over a period of approximately 50 to 400 yr. Variations in the NO3/Cl ratio are mainly related to the growth of natural or introduced leguminous vegetation. There is also evidence that high ratios relate to wetter and low values to more arid climatic periods. These results, taken together with evidence from other parts of the world, demonstrate that high nitrate concentrations are likely to be a widespread and established phenomenon of groundwaters in semiarid regions.


We report photoluminescence excitation spectra of the nitrogen (N) donor bound excitons (BE) in 4H- and 6H-SiC. The spectra reveal several excited states of the N-BEs. An attempt is made in the article to classify the N-BE states according to a simple shell model.


We show how testing whether a system is diagnosable can be reduced to the satisfiability problem and how satisfiability algorithms yield a very efficient approach to testing diagnosability.

Diagnosability is the question whether it is always possible to know whether a given system has exhibited a failure behavior. This is a basic question that underlies diagnosis, and it is also closely related to more general questions about the possibility to know given facts about system behavior.

The work combines the twin plant construct of Jiang et al., which is the basis of diagnosability testing of systems with an enumerative representation, and SAT-based techniques to AI planning which form a very promising approach to finding paths in very large transition graphs.


Book description: What happened to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on their way from socialist Soviet Republics to European capitalist market economies?
This book tries to answer this difficult question through a comprehensive coverage of economic and industrial reforms in the Baltic countries. Though small in size and population, the three have recovered their strategic position on the interface between Russia and Western Europe. As candidates for EU- and NATO-membership, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have become new neighbors in more than one sense, not only for Central Europe, but for Western Europe as well.
Just like in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, there was no way to avoid the radical break between Soviet socialism and post-socialism, i.e. the emergence of a capitalist market economy. In macroeconomic terms, the Baltic countries have moved from depression to rapid growth within five years. The real difficulties consisted - and still consist - in structural reforms, on the enterprise level, on the level of newly emerging networks, and on the institutional surrounding: the science&technology system, competition policy, banking and financial institutions.
This book presents the result of an expert study financed by the European Commission, and conducted jointly by Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, British and French institutions. Based upon on-site research, it covers macro- and industrial reforms as well as case studies of selected branches and enterprises. The reader gets a comprehensive overview of the unique first post-socialist years of the Baltic economies, and the conditions of development of our new neighbors.
Christian von Hirschhausen was, at the time of writing, researcher at the Centre for Industrial Economics (CERNA) at the Ecole des Mines de Paris. He is now senior researcher at DIW-German Institute for Economic Research (Berlin) and member of the German Group of Advisors to the Government of Ukraine (Kyiv).
The Centre for Industrial Economics (CERNA) at the Paris School of Mines deals with the processes by which enterprises and markets operate, and the role played by the state therein. As practiced at CERNA, industrial economics involves an inductive approach; research is mainly based on surveys and case studies conducted with companies. The current volume was developed in the division State, Post-Socialism, Capitalism and Industry, created right after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.


User-level network interfaces (UNIs) have reduced the overheads of communication by exposing the buffers used by the network interface DMA engine to the applications. This removes the kernel from the critical path of message transmission and reception, and it reduces the number of data copies performed on that path. Unfortunately, the fact that UNIs require the application to manage buffers explicitly makes it difficult to provide direct access to a UNI from Java, as the language explicitly prevents programs from controlling the location or layout of objects. This paper describes Javia, a Java interface to the Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA), an emerging UNI standard in the industry. Javia implements a special buffer abstraction that allows Java programs to allocate arrays in pinned memory and use them as communication buffers without copy. The location and lifetime of these arrays are controlled through small modifications to the garbage collector. Simple experiments show that Java programs can achieve round-trip times of 21us for small messages and bandwidths of 95Mbytes/sec for 4Kbyte messages.


The construction industry is the most active tool for societies development and one of the main pillars in the Palestinian economy.The aim of this study is to identify the main internal and external challenges that small-sized construction firms are wrestling in the Gaza Strip. In addition to that, to review briefly small-sized construction firms' characteristics, stages of survival and growth and importance to the economy.At first, all the relevant literature was systematically reviewed. A survey was conducted through a questionnaire to collect the data from 68 contractors. A Likert scale data were analyzed to rank the success factors and the barriers using Relative Importance Index (RII).The most affecting small-sized construction firms' challenges are: start-up cost, foreign currency fluctuation, access to finance during the execution of work, continuous abruption and unstable prices of construction material, nomination and recruitment policies for the team, the lack of clarity of vision and the difficulty of developing a strategic plan far away, the complexities of dealing with suppliers, and the general economic situation.Based on the above challenges, small-sized construction firms should have a protection against unequal competition and a mitigation of financial loads. In addition to a group motivational measures to improve the opportunities for the small contractors to survive and grow.


The purpose of this study is to identify problems and potentials related to the physical environment in the City of Worcester. This study covers a significant time period. Research for this report was initiated in 1988 and since that time many changes have taken place both in the physical environment of the city but also in the governing structure of the city. The City of Worcester is interesting because like many cities in the northeast and in Massachusetts in particular, it has a long history. In addition, its central location in the State and in the region could be valuable asset to the city in the future. The report begins with an analysis of the existing conditions in the City of Worcester. Describing the history of the City as well as current conditions this section provides the framework for the recommendations to be made in the rest of the study .1 The second and third parts of this study provide recommendations intended to improve and enhance existing conditions for a defined portion of the city, the Main Street Study Area. The area is so named because the primary thoroughfare is Main Street and because it offers conditions similar to those found in many cities throughout the United States. The Main Street Study Area like many other American, 'main street cities' has been in a state of decline for a long period of time. City officials have and continue to strategies over the years in order to mitigate this decline. Most of these plans were not visible except in written form until very recently. And so currently, parts of the Main Street Study Area are being physically transformed to coincide with the many plans developed throughout the late l 980's and early l 990's. This study looks at the history of the city, the many planning strategies adopted and physical changes currently taking place. Recommendations are made in the second two parts of the study which are intended to complement and further the progress made so far and to address areas which are currently not being improved upon. 1 The city will be analyzed the way a painter surveys a painting in progress. Each part will be looked at and worked on in order to shape it into a more unified whole.


Under Statewide Planning Goal 18 dune grading or sand movement necessary to maintain views or prevent sand inundation is allowed only as part of an area-wide foredune management plan. However, despite Goal 18 restrictions. ad-hoc alterations of the foredune area by individual property owners is a continuing management problem. Ocean-front property owners continue to grade illegally for a variety of reasons: Frustration with the vagueness of policies: prohibitive costs for acquisition of the required technical expertise; and the lack of local enforcement and/or inadequacy of enforcement ordinances. A variety of efforts have been undertaken to remedy this situation. Informational materials detailing what must be considered and included in a foredune management plan have been prepared. Increased technical assistance in the preparation of foredune management plans has been provided. Volunteer community groups have been formed to spearhead foredune management planning efforts, assist in the collection of baseline data, and carry our monitoring and maintenance programs. Improved reporting procedures and model enforcement ordinances are being developed. In addition to foredune management planning under Goal 18, a sand capture and stabilization program is being developed for an area suffering from wave-induced erosion. Borrowing from elements of the foredune management planning process, sand capture and stabilization programs provide an alternative to riprap revetments as means of shoreline stabilization and protection.


Machine learning algorithms are often vulnerable to adversarial examples that have imperceptible alterations from the original counterparts but can fool the state-of-the-art models. It is helpful to evaluate or even improve the robustness of these models by exposing the maliciously crafted adversarial examples. In this paper, we present TextFooler, a simple but strong baseline to generate adversarial text. By applying it to two fundamental natural language tasks, text classification and textual entailment, we successfully attacked three target models, including the powerful pre-trained BERT, and the widely used convolutional and recurrent neural networks. We demonstrate three advantages of this framework: (1) effective—it outperforms previous attacks by success rate and perturbation rate, (2) utility-preserving—it preserves semantic content, grammaticality, and correct types classified by humans, and (3) efficient—it generates adversarial text with computational complexity linear to the text length.1


The article offers some corrections to Vassily Adodurov's Anfangs-Grunde der Russischen Sprache (1731), as edited by S. S. Volkov and K. A. Filippov in 2014. There is one thing to note regarding the quality of this edition. On page 7, the editors list the typographical errors they corrected when working with the original text. The list they present has four items and contains a total of six errors , which are actually misreadings by the editors themselves as well as typos they appear to have introduced during the production of the book (including that they cite pages 49 and 51 of the 48-page original). The work, produced by a team of ten, consists of different sections: four prefatory essays; a facsimile reprint of the 1731 original; a rendition into modern typeset with a Russian translation; two indexes; and three supplements. These multiple parts are poorly coordinated and, overall, can be evaluated as ranging from being somewhat acceptable to being defective. The editors knowingly and without any explicit polemics ignore the original conception of the history of Petersburg Academy's Russian grammar in the 1720s and 1730s that was offered by Helmut Keipert (2002) and has been accepted by most scholars. Whereas Keipert's fundamental work presents multiple Russian grammars created in St. Petersburg in this period as the product of collective work, conducted mostly by and for German speakers, the editors of the volume under review tend to see the Anfangs-Grunde as an individual work, an "original grammar produced by V. E. Adodurov." Any extensive comparison of the Anfangs-Grunde with other early Petersburg grammars would demonstrate the dependence of this short essay on the more profound work of its predecessors. The present edition has almost no commentary; of the five commentaries included in the volume, two are erratic, one is obvious, one shows that the editors are new to the typographical term custos , and only one—dealing with Lomonosov's use of examples from the Anfangs-Grunde for his Russian Grammar (1755)—makes any sense. The German text in modern typeset is extremely poorly prepared: in the first 23 (of 46) pages there are 34 significant typos and omissions that take the place of the 5 typos corrected from the original. This only underscores the observation that the 18th-century German Gothic typeface is obscure for the editors. The two indexes are partly unusable; not only are both full of omissions (the index of Russian examples omits almost 10% of the forms in the original, including more than half of the words starting with the letter Z as well as most of the examples for superlative and even the verb form bytʹ ), but furthermore, the 'Index of Grammar Terms' is not what it says it is. The correct title would be 'Index of Latin Grammar Terms,' for it does not include German terms, with the result that there are no listings for terms relating to phonetics, normative style, etc. The text of the 1738‒1740 grammar of the St. Petersburg Academy Gymnasium in the final supplement, although carefully retyped from B. A. Uspensky's book (1975), omits all of its commentaries—both explanatory and textological—which leads to presenting without comment letter sequences such as rereniiakhʺ , imennno , navodishishʹ , etc. The article also discusses principles for the study and publication of the entire body of works that present the St. Petersburg grammatical tradition of the period from the 1730s to the 1750s. Appendices to this article include publication of Adodurov's note on er and erʹ (1737) and the major corrections to the text of Russian grammar (1738–1740) from the St. Petersburg Academy Gymnasium as published by Uspensky in 1975.


Wampenite, C 18 H 16 , is a new organic mineral from the fossil wood (conifer) locality at Wampen, Fichtelgebirge, Bavaria, Germany. It is monoclinic, space group P 2 1 / a , with a = 6.7331(19), b = 8.689(3), c = 23.709(7) A, β = 90.118(6)°, V = 1387.0(7) A 3 and Z = 4. Its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which revealed that the molecular structure comprises an aromatic phenanthrene moiety with an axial methyl group at one end and a disordered propen-2-yl (methylvinyl) terminal group at the other. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) confirmed the molecular formula C 18 H 16 and the IR spectrum is consistent with the molecular structure found.


Purpose: Preparing citizens for participation in pluralist democracies also requires a type of citizenship education that fosters critical democratic citizenship (CDC). This study inquires into an educational activity with a long history in many EU-countries: mock elections. It explores the extent to which elements of CDC-literacy, competences and identity are commonly fostered in education related to mock elections in the Netherlands, and teacher rationales in this regard. Methodology: A qualitative study was conducted. Data from semi-structured interviews with teachers from eight schools were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings and implications: Data analysis revealed an emphasis on offering a participatory experience. Five elements of critical democratic citizenship were commonly advanced in mock election related education in these schools. Teacher narratives also revealed how teachers had different understandings about political identity and their role in advancing identity development. Findings suggest that there is ample opportunity to intensify attention to CDC-development in education related to mock elections in Dutch schools. Further research into students' political identity development processes during political simulations in different political and educational contexts is required to further academic debate about desirable support by teachers and governments in high-quality political education projects


Paclitaxel is one of the best antineoplastic drugs found from nature in the past decades, which has been found effective against a wide spectrum of cancers including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, small and non small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, head and neck cancer, multiple myeloma, melanoma, and Kaposi's sarcoma. Like many other anticancer drugs, it has difficulties in clinical administration due to its poor solubility in water and most pharmaceutical reagents. In its current clinical application, an adjuvant called Cremophor EL has to be employed, which has been found to be responsible for many serious side effects. Nanoparticles of biodegradable polymers can provide an ideal solution to such an adjuvant problem and realize a controlled and targeted delivery of the drug with better efficacy and less side effects. With further development, such as particle size optimization and surface coating, nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel can promote a new concept of chemotherapy to realize its full efficacy and to improve quality of life of the patients, which includes personalized chemotherapy, local chemotherapy, sustained chemotherapy, oral chemotherapy, chemotherapy across the blood-brain barrier, chemotherapy across the microcirculation barrier, etc. The present research proposes a novel formulation for fabrication of nanoparticles of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) by a modified solvent extraction/evaporation technique, in which natural emulsifiers, such as phospholipids, cholesterol and vitamin E TPGS are creatively applied to achieve high drug encapsulation efficiency, desired drug released kinetics, high cell uptake and high cytotoxicity. The nanoparticles composed of various recipes and manufactured under various conditions were characterized by laser light scattering (LLS) for size and size distribution, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for morphological properties, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for surface chemistry, zeta-potential for surface charge, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the thermogram properties. The drug encapsulation efficiency and the drug release kinetics under in vitro conditions were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It was found that these natural emulsifiers have great advantages for nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel over the traditional macromolecular emulsifiers, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Nanoparticles of desired small size and narrow size distribution can be obtained. The drug encapsulation efficiency can be achieved as high as 100 %. The released kinetics can be made under control. The HT-29 cancer cell line experiment showed that after 24 hours of incubation, the cell mortality caused by the drug administered by such nanoparticle formulation could be more than 13 times higher than that caused by the free drug under similar conditions.


The essays in Relative Values draw on new work in anthropology, science studies, gender theory, critical race studies, and postmodernism to offer a radical revisioning of kinship and kinship theory. Through a combination of vivid case studies and trenchant theoretical essays, the contributors—a group of internationally recognized scholars—examine both the history of kinship theory and its future, at once raising questions that have long occupied a central place within the discipline of anthropology and moving beyond them.

Ideas about kinship are vital not only to understanding but also to forming many of the practices and innovations of contemporary society. How do the cultural logics of contemporary biopolitics, commodification, and globalization intersect with kinship practices and theories? In what ways do kinship analogies inform scientific and clinical practices; and what happens to kinship when it is created in such unfamiliar sites as biogenetic labs, new reproductive technology clinics, and the computers of artificial life scientists? How does kinship constitute—and get constituted by—the relations of power that draw lines of hierarchy and equality, exclusion and inclusion, ambivalence and violence? The contributors assess the implications for kinship of such phenomena as blood transfusions, adoption across national borders, genetic support groups, photography, and the new reproductive technologies while ranging from rural China to mid-century Africa to contemporary Norway and the United States. Addressing these and other timely issues, Relative Values injects new life into one of anthropology's most important disciplinary traditions.

Posing these and other timely questions, Relative Values injects an important interdisciplinary curiosity into one of anthropology's most important disciplinary traditions.

Contributors. Mary Bouquet, Janet Carsten, Charis Thompson Cussins, Carol Delaney, Gillian Feeley-Harnik, Sarah Franklin, Deborah Heath, Stefan Helmreich, Signe Howell, Jonathan Marks, Susan McKinnon, Michael G. Peletz, Rayna Rapp, Martine Segalen, Pauline Turner Strong, Melbourne Tapper, Karen-Sue Taussig, Kath Weston, Yunxiang Yan


Retrogradely transported tracers were injected into area 18 of the visual cortex of the adult cat to study the organization of corticocortical projections from area 17 to area 18. All injections, whether very small or relatively large, and irrespective of their exact location in area 18, produced a discontinuous, clustered distribution of labelled cells, mainly in layers II, III and upper IV, in a topographically related region of area 17. The mean centre–centre distance between neighbouring patches was about 750 μm. We conclude that the overall population of cells projecting to area 18 is genuinely distributed in a patchy fashion and that they provide an efficient spatial sample of information from area 17. Comparison of the dimensions of each injection site and of the retrogradely labelled territory suggested that each region in area 18 receives a convergent input from a zone in area 17 whose visual field representation is about 0.8 M–1 deg larger in all directions (where M is the magnification factor in millimetres per degree at the termination site in area 18). Pairs of injections were made in area 18 by placing small volumes of two fluorescent tracers, fast blue and diamidino yellow, side-by-side in either a rostrocaudal or a mediolateral plane, with different distances between them. When the boundaries of the dense central cores of two injection sites were separated, at their closest points, by about 1.6 mm, the two corresponding distributions of labelled cells in area 17 were just non-overlapping, suggesting that each group of cells in area 17 sends a divergent projection to innervate a zone about 0.8 mm larger in all directions in area 18. More closely spaced injections led to overlap of the distributions of labelling by the two dyes, with shared clusters containing a mixture of labelled cells. The proportion of double-labelled cells in these shared clusters never exceeded 4.4% (but was 70% after sequential injection of the two dyes at a single point). We conclude that, although each cluster of cells sends a divergent projection to area 18, the majority of individual axons terminate more discretely, perhaps providing specific inter-connections between functionally corresponding 'columns' in the two areas.


High-throughput screening identified hypersensitivity of neuroblastomas to H3K27 demethylation inhibition. A different way to differentiate neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma is one of the more common pediatric solid tumors, and it can be difficult to treat. These tumors are characterized by the failure of neural crest precursor cells to differentiate and can sometimes be treated with compounds that induce differentiation. Unfortunately, these do not always work, and thus, Lochmann et al. performed a high-throughput drug screen in search of additional differentiating agents, particularly ones that work by altering tumor epigenetics. Through such screening, the authors identified a compound called GSK-J4, which inhibited histone demethylation, induced tumor cell differentiation, and blocked tumor growth in multiple models of neuroblastoma. In addition, GSK-J4 cooperated with two approved drugs, suggesting that it could be a valuable part of treatment for this lethal disease. High-risk neuroblastoma is often distinguished by amplification of MYCN and loss of differentiation potential. We performed high-throughput drug screening of epigenetic-targeted therapies across a large and diverse tumor cell line panel and uncovered the hypersensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to GSK-J4, a small-molecule dual inhibitor of lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27) demethylases ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat, X chromosome (UTX), and histone demethylase Jumonji D3 (JMJD3). Mechanistically, GSK-J4 induced neuroblastoma differentiation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, with accompanying up-regulation of p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) and induction of cell death. Retinoic acid (RA)–resistant neuroblastoma cells were sensitive to GSK-J4. In addition, GSK-J4 was effective at blocking the growth of chemorefractory and patient-derived xenograft models of high-risk neuroblastoma in vivo. Furthermore, GSK-J4 and RA combination increased differentiation and ER stress over GSK-J4 effects and limited the growth of neuroblastomas resistant to either drug alone. In MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, PUMA induction by GSK-J4 sensitized tumors to the B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor venetoclax, demonstrating that epigenetic-targeted therapies and BCL-2 homology domain 3 mimetics can be rationally combined to treat this high-risk subset of neuroblastoma. Therefore, H3K27 demethylation inhibition is a promising therapeutic target to treat high-risk neuroblastoma, and H3K27 demethylation can be part of rational combination therapies to induce robust antineuroblastoma activity.


The history of biology is populated by numerous model species or organisms. But few vertebrate groups have aided evolutionary and ecological research more than the live-bearing fishes of the family Poeciliidae. Found throughout tropical and subtropical waters, poeciliids exhibit a fascinating variety of reproductive specializations, including viviparity, matrotrophy, unisexual reproduction, and alternative mating strategies, making them ideal models for research on patterns and processes in ecology, behavior, and evolution. "Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes" is a much-needed overview of the scientific potential and understanding of these live-bearing fishes. Chapters by leading researchers take up a wide range of topics, including the evolution of unisexual reproduction, life in extreme environments, life-history evolution, and genetics. Designed to provide a single and highly approachable reference, "Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes" will appeal to students and specialists interested in all aspects of evolutionary ecology.


Fishing with bottom towed gear is widely considered an invasive form of fishing in terms of its impacts upon seabed habitats and fauna. Fishery closures or marine protected areas provide baseline conditions against which to assess the response to the removal of fishing disturbance and thus shed light on their use as fisheries management tools. We conducted repeat underwater camera surveys inside a recently established area that is permanently closed to scallop fishing and a seasonally fished area in Cardigan Bay, UK, to test for differences in scallop abundance and epibenthic community structure and to examine recovery processes over a 23 mo study period. Changes in scallop density and epifaunal diversity and community composition were primarily driven by seasonal fluctuations; no differences were found between the permanently closed area and the seasonally fished area. Temporal changes in epibenthic community inside the permanently closed area were not related to recovery processes associated with the cessation of scallop dredging. Sediment composition and bedforms shifted between surveys, suggesting that this community is exposed to a dynamic environment. It is likely that scallop dredging at the present levels of fishing may be insufficient to induce changes large enough to be detected in the presence of strong natural disturbance. We highlight the importance of considering the physical nature and dynamics of the environment and the nature of the species concerned throughout the process of designating closed areas, to avoid negative impacts on fisheries and limited conservation benefits.


Almost every precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) in a eukaryotic organism undergoes splicing, in some cases resulting in the formation of more than one splice variant, a process called alternative splicing. RNA-Seq provides a major opportunity to capture the state of the transcriptome, which includes the detection of alternative spicing events. Alternative splicing is a highly regulated process occurring in a complex machinery called the spliceosome. In this dissertation, I focus on identification of different splice variants and splicing factors that are produced during Arabidopsis and soybean embryo development. I developed several data analysis pipelines for the detection and the functional characterization of active splice variants and splicing factors that arise during embryo development. The main goal of this dissertation was to identify transcriptional changes associated with specific stages of embryo development and infer possible associations between known regulatory genes and their targets. We identified several instances of exon skipping and intron retention as products of alternative splicing. The coding potential of the splice variants were evaluated using CodeWise. I developed CodeWise, a weighted support vector machine classifier to assess the coding potential of novel transcripts with respect to RNA secondary structure free energy, conserved domains, and sequence properties. We also examined the effect of alternative splicing on the domain composition of resulting protein isoforms. The majority of splice variants pairs encode proteins with identical domains or similar domains with truncation and in less than 10% of the cases alternative splicing results in gain or loss of a conserved domain. I constructed several possible regulatory networks that occur at specific stages of embryo development. In addition, in order to gain a better understanding of splicing regulation, we developed the concept of co-splicing networks, as a group of transcripts containing common RNA-binding motifs, which are co-expressed with a specific splicing factor. For this purpose, I developed a multi-stage analysis pipeline to integrate the co-expression networks with de novo RNA binding motif discovery at inferred splice sites, resulting in the identification of specific splicing factors and the corresponding cis-regulatory sequences that cause the production of splice variants. This approach resulted in the development of several novel hypotheses about the regulation of minor and major splicing in developing Arabidopsis embryos. In summary, this dissertation provides a comprehensive view of splicing regulation in Arabidopsis and soybean embryo development using computational analysis. Isoform-Specific Expression During Embryo Development in Arabidopsis and Soybean


Intrinsic drug resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) warrants studies using models that are more clinically relevant for identifying novel resistance mechanisms as well as for drug development. Tumor spheroids (TS) mimic in vivo tumor conditions associated with multicellular resistance and represent a promising model for efficient drug screening, however, pancreatic cancer cells often fail to form spheroids using conventional methods such as liquid overlay. This study describes the induction of TS of human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1, Aspc-1, Capan-2) in concave polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwell plates and evaluation of their usefulness as an anticancer efficacy test model. All three cell lines showed TS formation with varying degree of necrosis inside TS. Among these, Panc-1 spheroid with spherical morphology, a rather rough surface, and unique adhesion structures were successfully produced with no notable necrosis in concave microwell plates. Panc-1 TS contained growth factors or enzymes such as TGF-β1, CTGF, and MT1-MMP, and extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen type I, fibronectin, and laminin. Panc-1 cells grown as TS showed changes in stem cell populations and in expression levels of miRNAs that may play roles in chemoresistance. Visualization of drug penetration and detection of viability indicators, such as Ki-67 and MitoSOX, were optimized for TS for quantitative analysis. Water-soluble tetrazolium (MTS) and acid phosphatase (APH) assays were also successfully optimized. Overall, we demonstrated that concave PDMS microwell plates are a novel platform for preparation of TS of weakly aggregating cells and that Panc-1 spheroids may represent a novel three-dimensional model for anti-pancreatic cancer drug screening.


The human body emits a wide range of chemicals, including CO2 and isoprene. To examine the impact of cognitive tasks on human emission rates of CO2 and isoprene, we conducted an across-subject, counterbalanced study in a controlled chamber involving 16 adults. The chamber replicated an office environment. In groups of four, participants engaged in 30 min each of cognitive tasks (stressed activity) and watching nature documentaries (relaxed activity). Measured biomarkers indicated higher stress levels were achieved during the stressed activity. Per-person CO2 emission rates were greater for stressed than relaxed activity (30.3 ± 2.1 vs 27.0 ± 1.7 g/h/p, p = 0.0044, mean ± standard deviation). Isoprene emission rates were also elevated under stressed versus relaxed activity (154 ± 25 μg/h/p vs 116 ± 20 μg/h/p, p = 0.041). The chamber temperature was held constant at 26.2 ± 0.49 °C; incidental variation in temperature did not explain the variance in emission rates. Isoprene emission rates increased linearly with salivary α-amylase levels (r2 = 0.6, p = 0.02). These results imply the possibility of considering cognitive tasks when determining building ventilation rates. They also present the possibility of monitoring indicators of cognitive tasks of occupants through measurement of air quality.


Network operators are continuously confronted with online events, such as online messages, blog updates, etc. Due to the huge volume of these events and the fast changes of the topics, it is critical to manage them promptly and effectively. There have been many softwares and algorithms developed to conduct automatic classification over these stream data. Conventional approaches focus on single-label scenarios, where each event can only be tagged with one label. However, in many stream data, each event can be tagged with more than one labels. Effective stream classification systems should be able to consider the unique properties of multi-label stream data, such as large data volumes, label correlations and concept drifts. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose an efficient and effective method for multi-label stream classification based on an ensemble of fading random trees. The proposed model can efficiently process high-speed multi-label stream data with concept drifts. Empirical studies on real-world tasks demonstrate that our method can maintain a high accuracy in multi-label stream classification, while providing a very efficient solution to the task.


This article advances a fresh understanding of the ethics and aesthetics that defined George Eliot's fictional maturity, particularly in light of Eliot's fascination with energy science. Victorian scientists discovered that the energy of the world was ineluctably lost or "diffused," never again to perform productive work. But many mid-Victorians saw diffusion in optimistic terms, in contrast to more disconsolate perspectives at the century's close. In Middlemarch (1873-74), I argue, Eliot utilized the theory of energy diffusion as a model of eternal fulfillment. She did so in two ways. First, energy science provided a heuristic for Eliot's sympathetic vision. While her protagonists reflect the breakdown of interpersonal bonds—the impossibility of any perfect recognition of another's pain—the novel deploys the terms and tropes of diffusion to suggest sympathy's post-subjective effects in the lives of others. Second, I submit that energy science shaped Eliot's distinctive understanding of the novel itself as a mode of cultural production. Through figurations of unproductive energy, Eliot came to imagine how wasteful, prodigal acts of reading could bring about an ethically revitalized world. Energy science thus enabled Eliot to reconcile conventional claims about the social purpose of the novel with incipiently Arnoldian canons of art's autonomy from politics. By reading Eliot's work alongside the work of contemporary scientists, I disclose a radical ideal of literature's unproductive powers, one that linked new ideologies of formal appreciation with the novel's longstanding social promise.


Zeolites featuring basic sites have displayed outstanding performance in the valorisation of biobased substrates through condensation and coupling reactions. Herein, we present the continuous-flow, gas-phase dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde as a novel application of the recently developed alkali-activated high-silica USY zeolites. Evaluation of the hydroxides of Group 1 metals in the catalyst preparation by alkaline treatment identified sodium hydroxide as the most suitable base. This is due to the stronger character and the higher number of mildly basic sites formed coupled with the minimal impact on the pristine porous properties of the zeolite, which resulted in superior catalytic performance. Compared to existing basic catalysts such as MgO and hydroxyapatites, no C4-condensation products were observed and the occurrence of ethanol dehydration to ethylene was marginal due to the negligible acidity of the material. At the optimal reaction temperature, acetaldehyde was attained with a ca. 15-fold higher yield (50%) and with high selectivity (80%) when adding oxygen to the ethanol feed. The origin of this peculiar positive behaviour was unraveled through kinetic and in situ infrared spectroscopic studies as well as by the temperature-programmed surface reaction of ethanol. These investigations revealed the exclusive presence of ethoxide species at the catalyst surface, which (i) are formed upon adsorption of ethanol at basic siloxy groups, (ii) are stabilised through hydrogen bonding with vicinal silanols and (iii) react in a rate-limiting step with gas-phase oxygen through an Eley–Rideal mechanism to form acetaldehyde, thus releasing water. In contrast to the rapid deactivation shown by noble metal based catalysts, the material exhibited stable performance over 24 h on stream.


The IMPOER project (implementation of open educational resources, OER) aimed to implement OER in a nursing programme at Dalarna University, Sweden. The university and its nursing programme have long engaged in e-learning, and the nursing programme has recently been awarded the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities E-xcellence Associates Quality Label. The quality award was based on the creation of a roadmap for the continuous development of e-learning and the implementation of OER. The results of the study illustrated that overall, the students and the educators were positive about using OER. They considered that this approach was a new way of learning, and they appreciated the fact that OER were free and easy to access. However, they felt overwhelmed by the amount of material that was available and they were concerned about quality. If the use of OER is to be sustainable, a change in attitudes and practices among students and teachers is likely needed regarding the use of resources on the web.


ABSTRACT Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) are the major causative agents of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), which is prevalent in Asia. Thus far, there are no prophylactic or therapeutic measures against HFMD. The 3C proteases from EV71 and CVA16 play important roles in viral replication and are therefore ideal drug targets. By using biochemical, mutational, and structural approaches, we broadly characterized both proteases. A series of high-resolution structures of the free or substrate-bound enzymes were solved. These structures, together with our cleavage specificity assay, well explain the marked substrate preferences of both proteases for particular P4, P1, and P1′ residue types, as well as the relative malleability of the P2 amino acid. More importantly, the complex structures of EV71 and CVA16 3Cs with rupintrivir, a specific human rhinovirus (HRV) 3C protease inhibitor, were solved. These structures reveal a half-closed S2 subsite and a size-reduced S1′ subsite that limit the access of the P1′ group of rupintrivir to both enzymes, explaining the reported low inhibition activity of the compound toward EV71 and CVA16. In conclusion, the detailed characterization of both proteases in this study could direct us to a proposal for rational design of EV71/CVA16 3C inhibitors.