Search queries applied to extract relevant information from the World Wide Web over a period of time may be denoted as continuous search queries. The improvement of continuous search queries may concern not only the quality of retrieved results but also the freshness of results, i.e. the time between the availability of a respective data object on the Web and the notification of a user by the search engine. In some cases a user should be notified immediately since the value of the respective information decreases quickly, as e.g. news about companies that affect the value of respective stocks, or sales offers for products that may no longer be available after a short period of time.
 In the document filtering literature, the optimization of such queries is usually based on threshold classification. Documents above a quality threshold are returned to a user. The threshold is tuned in order to optimize the quality of retrieved results. The disadvantage of such approaches is that the amount of information returned to a user may hardly be controlled without further user-interaction. In this paper, we consider the optimization of bounded continuous search queries where only the estimated best k elements are returned to a user. We present a new optimization method for bounded continuous search queries based on the optimal stopping theory and compare the new method to methods currently applied by Web search systems. The new method provides results of significantly higher quality for the cases where very fresh results have to be delivered.


ABSTRACT Professionals make decisions, problem-solve through experience, skill and cognition, while providing a unique community service. For the government-employed professional teacher, professional associations, standards, identity and their employer contribute to professional development (PD). Meanwhile, continuous PD, or professional lifelong learning, enables PD beyond maintenance of currency – sufficiency – to provide impetus for forward movement of professions through innovation. The balanced scorecard (BSC) has international use in organisations and education to reduce the gap between vision and reality. Understandings of key PD aspects suggest that the BSC might align to provide a framework for PD. This article discusses the BSC for teacher PD applied in Victorian government schools, Australia, and rationalises why it was only implemented for a year.


Some queries cannot be answered by machines only. Processing such queries requires human input for providing information that is missing from the database, for performing computationally difficult functions, and for matching, ranking, or aggregating results based on fuzzy criteria. CrowdDB uses human input via crowdsourcing to process queries that neither database systems nor search engines can adequately answer. It uses SQL both as a language for posing complex queries and as a way to model data. While CrowdDB leverages many aspects of traditional database systems, there are also important differences. Conceptually, a major change is that the traditional closed-world assumption for query processing does not hold for human input. From an implementation perspective, human-oriented query operators are needed to solicit, integrate and cleanse crowdsourced data. Furthermore, performance and cost depend on a number of new factors including worker affinity, training, fatigue, motivation and location. We describe the design of CrowdDB, report on an initial set of experiments using Amazon Mechanical Turk, and outline important avenues for future work in the development of crowdsourced query processing systems.


Lawns provide a durable and functional surface for many outdoor activities while adding beauty to the landscape. For these reasons, a healthy, green lawn is the goal of many homeowners and landscape managers. Keeping a lawn healthy and green may require many management practices such as mowing, irrigation and aerification. Often, these practices will include fertilizing with supplemental nutrients at various times during the growing season. This promotes optimum turf color, improves re-growth, and increases tolerance to wear, drought, insects and disease. The broad number of fertilizer options available from retailers can make choosing a fertilizer difficult. However, choosing an appropriate fertilizer and fertilization schedule can be simplified by determining turf nutrient needs through soil testing and determining how the turf will be used.


Biomedical devices, implantable microelectronic devices, inductive power link, printed spiral coil, WPT. The efficiency of a WPT system greatly depends on both the geometry and operating frequency of the transmitting and receiving structures. Genetic optimizations algorithms are presented to prepare the proposed design parameters using MATLAB to optimize the link efficiency. Single and double layer PSCs are optimally designed with minimal proximity losses effect. In this paper, we used the benefit of a double layer technique to miniaturize the receiver PCS size. The proposed single layer (10×10) mm 2 and double layer (8×8) mm 2 PSCs are validated and simulated using HFSS 15.03 software at a frequency of 13.56MHz in both cases of the air, and human biological skin tissue as intermediate material between the transmitter and receiver PSCs. The calculated and simulated results of both proposed receiver PSCs are compared for both cases of intermediate materials for their efficiency behaviors. The results show that in the case of biological tissue, the deterioration in PTE using 8mm double layer receiver is only 6.5 % (PTE =70.96%), which is less than 13.5 % (PTE=68.6%) using single layer 10mm receiver. A comparative survey has been done for similar works of different authors in the last decade. In comparison with other works, the proposed double layer (8×8) mm 2 PSCs is smaller in size and more efficient for use in the IMDs. How to cite this article: M. M. Omran, A. S. Ezzuldin and S. Mutashar, "Design of efficient inductive power link with small size planar spiral coil receiver for medical applications," Engineering and Technology Journal, Vol. 38, Part A, No. 02, pp. 199-210, 2020. DOI: : https://doi.org/10.30684/etj.v38i2A.293


Simulations with the circumpolar coupled ice-ocean model (BRIOS) forced with the A1B atmospheric output of the Hadley Centre climate model HadCM3 revealed a sudden (within a decade) increase of Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf (FRIS) basal melting from 0.2 m/yr (82 Gt/yr) to almost 4 m/yr (1600 Gt/yr) in the late 21st century, due to a redirection of the coastal current in the southeastern Weddell Sea. The enhanced freshwater input of 51 mSv (1x103 m3/s) represents more than an order of magnitude increase relative to the FRIS melt flux
calculated for present day conditions. In this talk we discuss the causes for and the manifold consequences such freshwater 'hosing' has for Weddell Sea's ice conditions and hydrology with special emphasis on the shelf water characteristics and related deep and bottom water formation.


The Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington, USA, in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Northern Arizona University, conducted an analysis of the impact wind integration on their hydropower dominant generation system. Wind power penetration levels of 12 MW (2.0%), 63.7 MW (10.4%) and 150 MW (24.6%) were considered. For the 2006 study year, a statistical summary of the changes in the regulation and load following requirements expected due to wind variability was conducted. The results demonstrated that the impact of wind power upon minute-to-minute regulation requirements is small, and small to modest on the load following requirements. However, changes in the distribution of load following hourly changes could result in infringement upon system constraints. A chronological simulation of preschedule (i.e. day ahead) planning was therefore conducted indicating an increased incidence of constraint "exceedences." The nature of the increase in exceedences is presented and discussed.


The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation may transfer factually related actions filed in different federal districts to a single judge for consolidated pretrial litigation. This transferee judge has significant discretion over the management of the litigation, including ruling on dispositive pretrial motions. Nearly all cases are resolved without returning to the original district court. Thus, as a practical matter, the MDL Panel controls where these disputes will be litigated. And, the MDL Panel has substantial discretion in making that decision. In its first 44 years of existence, the Panel has transferred and consolidated nearly 400,000 lawsuits, including high‐profile securities and derivative lawsuits, large‐scale consumer actions, and mass torts involving products liability claims, common disasters, and air crashes. The Panel's transfer ruling has never been overturned. The current study provides the first systematic and comprehensive empirical investigation of the Panel's decision to transfer and consolidate pending federal civil lawsuits, examining the rationale for transfer and for the selection of a specific district court and judge to handle the consolidated litigation. We find that the Panel grants most motions to transfer and consolidate, but exercises meaningful discretion in choosing where and by whom the cases will be adjudicated. The MDL Panel is much more likely to assign cases to a district court where a current panelist sits and that is supported by at least one defendant and to a district judge who currently serves on the Panel. Thus, the composition of the Panel has a meaningful effect on where and how large‐scale litigation will be resolved.


The winners and finalists of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air represented a unique group of singers. With only a few exceptions, they were American-born and raised, with English as their native language. All had received classical vocal training and aspired to sing opera. Only those contestants with the best voices and qualifications for opera were chosen to be heard over the air. All winners and finalists had unavoidably been exposed to American popular music via radio, commercial recordings, Broadway shows and movie musicals. All would have heard, and likely been influenced by, famous entertainers of their times--such as Al Jolson, Rudy Vallee, Frank Munn, Jessica Dragonette, Bing Crosby, Ruth Etting, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald. Some undoubtedly also were exposed to jazz vocalists such as Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Therefore, crossover recordings by Auditions winners and finalists represent an opportunity to hear classically trained singers with fine voices, entrenched in the culture of popular American music, perform non-operatic and popular melodies. The Auditions of the Air seem to have been largely ignored by music historians. To the author's knowledge, a detailed history of the Auditions and a list of its winners and finalists have not appeared in print. (1) The list of winners and finalists in the Appendix was compiled primarily from a year-by-year search of the The New York Times. Other sources, such as Opera News and books by Irving Kolodin and Thomas DeLong, (2) provided names of finalists and other contestants not mentioned in the Times. Met Auditions of the Air The Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air were a series of annual radio programs broadcast over network radio between 1935 and 1958. Their purpose was to audition singers for the New York Metropolitan Opera Company. Anyone--amateur or professional--could enter the Auditions of the Air; and between 700 to 900 aspiring singers did so every year. Contestants sang operatic, semi-classical and popular standards in thirty-minute programs that originated in New York City. They were aired over network radio to a national audience over a period of thirteen to twenty-six weeks. Winners of the individual programs were brought back to New York for the semi-finals and finals, broadcast in March or April of every year. (3) In an announcement describing the upcoming Auditions of the Air, The New York Times enthusiastically explained that they would feature music "that everybody loves, favorite gems from favorite operas. In other words, the hit tunes of opera, brought down to the level of Mr. Average John Q. Public, sung by finely trained singers who are at the threshold of stardom." (4) The event captured the interest of the American public, who gathered around their radios in the 1930s and '40s with the hope that a new Caruso or Melba might be discovered. In this respect, a comparison can be made to today's America's Got Talent, American Idol and other "live" talent competitions. Some of the winners and finalists--such as Eleanor Steber, Rise Stevens, Leonard Warren, Regina Resnik, Patrice Munsel, Robert Merrill, Martina Arroyo and Grace Bumbry--became headliners at the Met. Some went on to careers with other opera companies, as comprimarios and lesser-known Met performers, as performers in Broadway musicals (including a Tony Award nominee), recording artists of popular music, and even motion picture actors and actresses. The first broadcast of the Auditions of the Air was heard on 22 December 1935 over New York station WEAF, an NBC affiliate. The winners, Anna Kaskas, mezzo-soprano, and Arthur Carron, tenor, were announced on 29 March 1936. (5) Both went on to successful careers with the Met, each singing for eleven seasons. (6) In 1938, station WJZ began airing the Auditions. In 1945, when WJZ and the Blue Network of NBC became the American Broadcasting Company, the program was heard over the ABC network. …


Increasingly, e-learning is being offered as one of the options for the continuing professional development (CPD) of family physicians and general practitioners (GPs). In the UK the Government has invested heavily in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and has thus provided the means for GPs to access e-learning. As yet, little investigation has been published as to which factors might motivate this group of doctors to use e-learning. This study is attempting to elicit which barriers and enablers for participating in e-learning are seen as most important by a group of GPs in the UK. This qualitative study involves the use of Delphi, which is an iterative written discussion of a particular issue or question. In the Delphi first round, GP participants identified some of the benefits and highlighted areas of concern. In this paper, initial conclusions regarding future provision of e-learning packages and support are drawn and suggestions are made regarding the need for changes in Department of Health policy in provision of the NHS net. Further research in the following Delphi rounds will be conduced to refine these findings.


Plate tectonic reconstructions of the Nazca, Antarctic, and Pacific plates are presented from late Oligocene to Present. These reconstructions document major plate boundary reorganizations in the southeast Pacific at dirons 6C (24 Ma), 6(o) (20 Ma), and 5A (12 Ma) and a smaller reorganization at chron 3(o) (5 Ma). During the chron 6(o) reorganization it appears that a ridge propagated into crust north of the northernmost Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, between the Chiloe fracture zone (FZ) of the Chile ridge and Agassiz FZ of the Pacific-Nazca ridge, which resulted in a northward jump of the Pacific-Antarctic-Nazca (PAC-ANT-NAZ) mid-ocean triple junction. During the chron 5A reorganization the Chile ridge propagated northward from the Valdivia FZ system to the Challenger FZ, through lithosphere formed roughly 5 Myr earlier at the Pacific-Nazca ridge. During this reorganization a short-lived microplate (the Friday microplate) existed at the PAC-ANT-NAZ triple junction. The PAC-ANT-NAZ triple junction jumped northward 500 km as a result of this reorganization, from a location along the Valdivia FZ to a location along the Challenger FZ. The chron 5A reorganization also included a change in spreading direction of the Chile and Pacific-Antarctic ridges. The reorganization at chron 3(o) initiated the formation of the Juan Fernandez and Easter microplates along the East Pacific rise. The manner of plate boundary reorganization at chron 6(o) and chron 5A (and possibly today at the Juan Fernandez microplate) included a sequence of rift propagation, transfer of lithosphere from one plate to another, microplate formation, and microplate abandonment and resulted in northward migration of the PAC-ANT-NAZ triple junction. The associated microplate differs from previously studied microplates in that there is no failed ridge.


Theories of international political influences on trade maintain that shared alliance commitments affect bilateral commercial exchange. The most prominent of these suggests that trade produces a security externality threatening states, but that a military alliance alleviates these concerns, leading to greater trade among allies. Yet past empirical analyses produce inconsistent findings with respect to the effect of military alliances on bilateral trade levels. This article presents a new argument to explain the inconclusive findings in previous studies. The potential increase in military power from efficiency gains through trade is a positive security externality only when a commitment to defend one's alliance partner exists. In essence, cooperative security agreements that require states to give military assistance to each other if attacked (i.e. defense pacts) will lead to greater trade among their members than agreements in which the members promise neutrality, non-aggression, or consultation. The analysis distinguishes alliances that include commitments of defense from those that do not, and uses two different sources of alliance data to examine the effects of defense pacts on trade levels between major powers from 1885 to 1990. The results demonstrate that defense pacts are associated with higher trade among alliance members, but that trade between members of non-defense pacts is statistically indistinguishable from trade between non-allies. This article recognizes that a link between economic and security issues exists and emphasizes their mutual relationship.


There is a crucial requirement for novel therapies for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors are emerging as active therapeutic agents for hematopoietic malignancies. Pharmacological inhibition of BET bromodomains targets malignant cells by preventing reading of acetylated lysine residues, thus disrupting chromatin-mediated signal transduction, which reduces transcription at oncogenic loci. However, although early phase clinical trials have shown BET inhibitors possess single agent activity against AML (Dombret et al., 2014), complete remission (CR) rates are low and effective combination partners are therefore needed to fully exploit the therapeutic potential of these non-genotoxic agents.
The first aim of this thesis was to demonstrate single agent activity of BET inhibition against a panel of human AML cell lines, followed by testing if cell death with single agent BET inhibition could be enhanced by treatment with the addition of the standard therapies cytarabine (AraC) or azacytidine. We found BET inhibition to be toxic in a dose dependent manner against human AML cell lines, and cell death was enhanced by the addition of AraC. However, this was only found to achieve a synergistic combination index at a one fixed dose ratio in one AML cell line, with additive effects seen in others.
Although a heterogeneous disease, most AML retains wild type TP53. However, TP53 is often rendered functionally deficient by over-expression of MDM2. Restoring the TP53 response though MDM2 antagonism is therefore potentially beneficial to most AML subtypes. We therefore hypothesized that dual inhibition of MDM2 and BET would be synthetic lethal to TP53 wild type AML. In comparison with the combination of BET inhibition with AraC, we found that the combination of the MDM2 antagonist nutlin-3 with a BET-inhibitor (CPI203, Constellation Pharmaceuticals), was synergistically toxic against a variety of TP53 wild type human AML cell lines across several fixed dose ratios, and the combination superior to the single agents when tested on primary murine AML samples.
Given this combination of BET inhibition with MDM2 antagonism proved the most effective combination strategy in terms of cell kill, we then sought to asses the molecular basis of the combination's synergy. Firstly we asked if the drugs were synergising at the level of their respective targets, i.e. if the BET inhibitor CPI203 in combination with nutlin-3 stabilises TP53 more effectively than single agent nutlin-3 or if the drug combination abrogates MYC more than single agent CPI203. This was not the case, and so we then investigated if the drugs were synergising at the level of the target genes of these key hubs, and through an RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that TP53 target genes were up-regulated by the drug combination.
Given the synergy obtained against several types of AML in vitro on human cell lines with these two non-genotoxic agents, we were keen to test if this could be replicated in vivo. To evaluate the combination in vivo, we used a Trib-2 driven primary AML where leukemogenesis is induced through inhibition of C/EBPα. Treatment was commenced in all mice (n=40), post confirmation of disease engraftment. Three mice from each treatment group were sacrificed after 48hrs and cells sorted for GFP to perform RNA seq in this in vivo setting. After 21 days of treatment all mice were sacrificed (n= 27, one vehicle control succumbed to disease 15 days post engraftment). End of treatment results demonstrated superior in vivo efficacy of dual inhibition of MDM2 and BET in comparison with controls in eradicating AML, p<0.0001. Importantly, normal haematopoiesis was spared - as evidenced by normal full blood counts and comparable myeloid, B-cell and T-cell populations with our C57bl6 wild type controls. RNA-seq of the murine blasts revealed that many more genes significantly (FDR<0.05) changed expression in the combination treated mice than single agent treated mice. The TP53 pathway was the most common up-stream regulator of genes changing expression post combination treatment, p<0.0001. The combination affected many more genes in the p53 pathway than RG7112 alone (120 genes versus 20 genes respectively), in line with our in vitro results.
Ultimately our conclusion is that this combination of BET and MDM2 inhibition is effective and superior to single agent therapy on all TP53 wild type AMLs tested, both in vitro and in vivo. In both contexts this is associated with potentiating the TP53 response and this could be relevant to many patients with TP53 wild type AML. Work on this combination is on-going and we are aiming to take this novel combination forward to a clinical trial in 2017.


In the two previous articles in this series we reviewed the major processes of chlorine production (Part I) and its intermediate uses and waste products in the production of other chemicals (Part 11). In this article I consider some of the final applications of chlorine (e.g., for water treatment and pulp bleaching) and the uses of the most important chlorinated compounds such as solvents, chlorofluorocarbons, and the plastic polyvinyl chloride in the industrial economy. I summarize known evidence regarding their environmental fates. The special case of persistent long‐lived toxic compounds (e.g., pesticides) will be discussed in a subsequent article.


Aims The antenatal diagnosis of congenital heart diseases (CHD) is crucial for fetal and perinatal management; however, there is little in literature regarding the pharmacologic intervention for fetal CHD in Egypt. Therefore, we attempted to detect fetal cardiac structural or functional abnormalities using fetal echocardiography and plan fetal pharmacologic intervention without endangering the mother's life. Methods Cases fulfilled inclusion criteria were diagnosed using detailed fetal Echocardiographic examinations and antenatal treatment was described if indicated after a written consent. Cardiovascular profile score (CVPS) was used to assess the response to treatment. Postnatal transthoracic Echo was done to confirm diagnosis with follow up till the end of neonatal period to determine outcome. Results Fetuses fulfilled inclusion criteria were 143 with a mean gestational age at diagnosis 27.59 ± 5.41 weeks, mean maternal age at diagnosis was 26.64 ± 5.428 years, the most frequent cause of referral was family history of CHD (34.1%). Twenty fetuses (14%) received antenatal therapy. Fetuses with heart failure due to structural cardiac defects (n = 4) and functional non arrhythmic heart failure (n = 8) received digoxin while cases with fetal tachyarrhythmia (n = 6) received digoxin and/or sotalol or flecainide and fetuses with immune mediated fetal heart block (n = 2) received dexamethazone. Success in tachyarrhythmia was statistically significant regarding CVPS (p = 0.038) and heart rate changes (p = 0.002) but statistically insignificant regarding CVPS in structural defects (p = 0.102) and non-arrhythmic functional heart failure (p = 0.343). Conclusion Antenatal cardiac pharmacologic intervention is possible with hydrops fetalis reversal in fetal tachyarrhythmia and resolution of first degree immune mediated atrioventricular block. On the contrary, no response to antenatal digoxin use in fetal structural heart failure and limited response in non-arrhythmic functional heart failure.


This text documents the work of an international team and their team approach to providing complete surgical and prosthetic rehabilitation for 23 adults with cleft lip and palate, all of whom were from the small town of Bauru in Brazil. Each patient had experienced significant functional and psychological problems and had not responded successfully to prior treatment. The text explains how the team of professionals provided comprehensive treatment including not only surgical repair of the defect and facial aesthetic improvement, but also speech correction, psychological issues, and prosthetic management, typically with osseointegrated implants. Each case study summarizes in detail what was achieved for the patient and explains how the team adapted their surgical and prosthetic experience to achieve successful rehabilitation. The text includes clinical photographs and a step-by-step analysis of each treatment plan and follow-up care.


Study Design. A retrospective study was undertaken that evaluated the medical records and imaging studies of a subset of patients with spinal injury from large level I trauma centers. Objective. To characterize patients with spinal injuries who had neurologic deterioration due to unrecognized instability. Summary of Background Data. Controversy exists regarding the most appropriate imaging studies required to "clear" the spine in patients suspected of having a spinal column injury. Although most bony and/or ligamentous spine injuries are detected early, an occasional patient has an occult injury, which is not detected, and a potentially straightforward problem becomes a neurologic catastrophe. Methods. The study was designed as a retrospective review of patients who had neurologic deterioration as a direct result of an unrecognized fracture, subluxation, or soft tissue injury of the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine from 8 level I trauma centers. Demographics, injury information, and neurologic outcome were collected. The etiology and incidence of the missed injury were determined. Results. A total of 24 patients were identified who were treated or referred to 1 of the participating trauma centers and had an adverse neurologic outcome as a result of the missed injury. The average age of the patientswas 50 years (range 18–92), and average delay in diagnosis was 19.8 days. Radiculopathy developed in 5 patients, 16 had spinal cord injuries, and 3 patients died as a result oftheir neurologic injury. The most common reason for the missed injury was insufficient imaging studies (58.3%), while only 33.3% were a result of misread radiographs or 8.3% poor quality radiographs. The incidence of missed injuries resulting in neurologic injury in patients with spine fractures or strains was 0.21%, and the incidence as a percentage of all trauma patients evaluated was 0.025%. Conclusions. This multicenter study establishes that missed spinal injuries resulting in a neurologic deficit continue to occur in major trauma centers despite the presence of experienced personnel and sophisticated imaging techniques. Older age, high impact accidents, and patients with insufficient imaging are at highest risk.


For many performance analysis problems, the ability to reason across traces is invaluable. However, due to non-determinism in the OS and virtual machines, even two identical runs of an application yield slightly different traces. For example, it is unlikely that two identical runs of an application will suffer context switches at exactly the same points. These sorts of variations across traces make it difficult to reason across traces. This paper describes and evaluates an algorithm, dynamic time warping (DTW) that can be used to align traces, thus enabling us to reason across traces. While DTW comes from prior work our use of DTW is novel. Also we describe and evaluate an enhancement to DTW that significantly improves the quality of its alignments. Our results show that for applications whose performance varies significantly over time, DTW does a great job at aligning the traces. For applications whose performance stays largely constant for significant periods of time, the original DTW does not perform well; however, our enhanced DTW performs much better.


ABSTRACT In Survival Analysis and related fields of research right-censored and left-truncated data often appear. Usually, it is assumed that the right-censoring variable is independent of the lifetime of ultimate interest. However, in particular applications dependent censoring may be present; this is the case, for example, when there exist several competing risks acting on the same individual. In this paper we propose a copula-graphic estimator for such a situation. The estimator is based on a known Archimedean copula function which properly represents the dependence structure between the lifetime and the censoring time. Therefore, the current work extends the copula-graphic estimator in de Uña-Álvarez and Veraverbeke [Generalized copula-graphic estimator. Test. 2013;22:343–360] in the presence of left-truncation. An asymptotic representation of the estimator is derived. The performance of the estimator is investigated in an intensive Monte Carlo simulation study. An application to unemployment duration is included for illustration purposes.


We introduce a method for using deep neural networks to amortize the cost of inference in models from the family induced by universal probabilistic programming languages, establishing a framework that combines the strengths of probabilistic programming and deep learning methods. We call what we do "compilation of inference" because our method transforms a denotational specification of an inference problem in the form of a probabilistic program written in a universal programming language into a trained neural network denoted in a neural network specification language. When at test time this neural network is fed observational data and executed, it performs approximate inference in the original model specified by the probabilistic program. Our training objective and learning procedure are designed to allow the trained neural network to be used as a proposal distribution in a sequential importance sampling inference engine. We illustrate our method on mixture models and Captcha solving and show significant speedups in the efficiency of inference.


Cell-free protein synthesis offers rapid access to proteins that are selectively labelled with [15N]amino acids and suitable for analysis by NMR spectroscopy without chromatographic purification. A system based on an Escherichia coli cell extract was optimized with regard to protein yield and minimal usage of 15N-labelled amino acid, and examined for the presence of metabolic by-products which could interfere with the NMR analysis. Yields of up to 1.8 mg of human cyclophilin A per mL of reaction medium were obtained by expression of a synthetic gene. Equivalent yields were obtained using transcription directed by either T7 or tandem phage lambdapR and pL promoters, when the reactions were supplemented with purified phage T7 or E. coli RNA polymerase. Nineteen samples, each selectively labelled with a different 15N-enriched amino acid, were produced and analysed directly by NMR spectroscopy after ultracentrifugation. Cross-peaks from metabolic by-products were evident in the 15N-HSQC spectra of 13 of the samples. All metabolites were found to be small molecules that could be separated readily from the labelled proteins by dialysis. No significant transamination activity was observed except for [15N]Asp, where an enzyme in the cell extract efficiently converted Asp-->Asn. This activity was suppressed by replacing the normally high levels of potassium glutamate in the reaction mixture with ammonium or potassium acetate. In addition, the activity of peptide deformylase appeared to be generally reduced in the cell-free expression system.


A review of:
Hutcherson, Norman B. "Library Jargon: Student Recognition of Terms and Concepts Commonly Used by Librarians in the Classroom." College and Research Libraries 65.4 (July 2004): 349-54.

Objective – To determine students' level of recognition for 28 commonly used terms in library instruction.

Design – Survey, multiple-choice questionnaire.

Setting – Large state university library in the United States (this is assumed from the author's current affiliation).

Subjects – 300 first- and second-year university students enrolled in a library skills course between September 2000 and June 2003.

Methods – Two 15-question multiple-choice questionnaires were created to verify students' understanding of 28 terms commonly used in library instruction, or "library jargon". Each questionnaire included 12 unique terms and, in order to ensure consistency between questionnaire results, three common terms. For each question, a definition was provided and four terms, including the correct one, were offered as possible answers. Four variants of each survey were developed with varied question and answer order. Students who completed a seven-week library skills lab received one of the two questionnaires. Lab instructors explained the objective of the survey and the students completed them in 10 to 15 minutes during class time. Of the 300 students enrolled in the lab between September 2000 and June 2003, 297 returned completed questionnaires. The researcher used Microsoft Excel to calculate descriptive statistics, including the mean, median, and standard deviation for individual questionnaires as well as combined results. No demographic data were collected.

Main results – The mean score for both questionnaires was 62.31% (n=297). That is, on average, students answered 9.35 out of 15 questions correctly, with a standard deviation of +-4.12. Students were able to recognize library-related terms to varying degrees. Terms identified correctly most often included: plagiarism (100%), reference services (94.60%), research (94.00%), copyright (91.58%), and table of contents (90.50%). Terms identified correctly the least often included: Boolean logic (8.10%), bibliography (14.90%), controlled vocabulary (18.10%), truncation (27.70%), and precision (31.80%). For the three terms used in both questionnaires, results were similar.
Conclusion – The results of this study demonstrate that terms used more widely (e.g. plagiarism, copyright) are more often recognized by students compared with terms used less frequently (e.g. Boolean logic, truncation). Also, terms whose meanings are well-understood in everyday language, such as citation and authority, may be misunderstood in the context of library instruction. For this reason, it can be assumed that students may be confused when faced with this unfamiliar terminology. The study makes recommendations for librarians to take measures to prevent misunderstandings during library instruction such as defining terms used and reducing the use of library jargon.


We hypothesized that apparently non-antagonistic soil bacteria may contribute to suppression of fungi during competitive interactions with other bacteria. Four soil bacteria (Brevundimonas sp., Luteibacter sp., Pedobacter sp. and Pseudomonas sp.) that exhibited little or no visible antifungal activity on different agar media were prescribed. Single and mixed strains of these species were tested for antagonism on a nutrient-poor agar medium against the plant pathogenic fungi Fusarium culmorum and Rhizoctonia solani and the saprotrophic fungus Trichoderma harzianum. Single bacterial strains caused little to moderate growth reduction of fungi (quantified as ergosterol), most probably due to nutrient withdrawal from the media. Growth reduction of fungi by the bacterial mixture was much stronger than that by the single strains. This appeared to be mostly due to competitive interactions between the Pseudomonas and Pedobacter strains. We argue that cohabitation of these strains triggered antibiotic production via interspecific interactions and that the growth reduction of fungi was a side-effect caused by the sensitivity of the fungi to bacterial secondary metabolites. Induction of gliding behavior in the Pedobacter strain by other strains was also observed. Our results indicate that apparently non-antagonistic soil bacteria may be important contributors to soil suppressiveness and fungistasis when in a community context.


This paper describes an experiment that compares behavior in small groups when its members carry out a task in a virtual environment (VE) and then continue the same task in a similar, real-world environment. The purpose of the experiment was not to examine task performance, but to compare various aspects of the social relations among the group members in the two environments. Ten groups of three people each, who had never met before, met first in a shared VE and carried out a task that required the identification and solution of puzzles that were presented on pieces of paper displayed around the walls of a room. The puzzle involved identifying that the same-numbered words across all the pieces of paper formed a riddle or saying. The group continued this task for fifteen minutes, and then stopped to answer a questionnaire. The group then reconvened in the real world and continued the same task. The experiment also required one of the group members to continually monitor a particular one of the others in order to examine whether social discomfort could be generated within a VE. In each group, there was one immersed person with a head-mounted display and head-tracking and two non-immersed people who experienced the environment on a workstation display. The results suggest that the immersed person tended to emerge as the leader in the virtual group, but not in the real meeting. Group accord tended to be higher in the real meeting than in the virtual meeting. Socially conditioned responses such as embarrassment could be generated in the virtual meeting, even though the individuals were presented to one another by very simple avatars. The study also found a positive relationship between presence of being in a place and copresencethe sense of being with the other people. Accord in the group increased with presence, the performance of the group, and the presence of women in the group. The study is seen as part of a much larger planned study, for which this experiment was used to begin to understand the issues involved in comparing real and virtual meetings.


In a large‐scale ageing study, 30 inbred mouse strains were systematically screened for histologic evidence of lesions in all organ systems. Ten strains were diagnosed with similar nail abnormalities. The highest frequency was noted in NON/ShiLtJ mice. Lesions identified fell into two main categories: acute to chronic penetration of the third phalangeal bone through the hyponychium with associated inflammation and bone remodelling or metaplasia of the nail matrix and nail bed associated with severe orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis replacing the nail plate. Penetration of the distal phalanx through the hyponychium appeared to be the initiating feature resulting in nail abnormalities. The accompanying acute to subacute inflammatory response was associated with osteolysis of the distal phalanx. Evaluation of young NON/ShiLtJ mice revealed that these lesions were not often found, or affected only one digit. The only other nail unit abnormality identified was sporadic subungual epidermoid inclusion cysts which closely resembled similar lesions in human patients. These abnormalities, being age‐related developments, may have contributed to weight loss due to impacts upon feeding and should be a consideration for future research due to the potential to interact with other experimental factors in ageing studies using the affected strains of mice.


Mental retardation in Down syndrome (DS), the most frequent trisomy in humans, varies from moderate to severe. Several studies both in human and based on mouse models identified some regions of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) as linked to cognitive deficits. However, other intervals such as the telomeric region of Hsa21 may contribute to the DS phenotype but their role has not yet been investigated in detail. Here we show that the trisomy of the 12 genes, found in the 0.59 Mb (Abcg1–U2af1) Hsa21 sub-telomeric region, in mice (Ts1Yah) produced defects in novel object recognition, open-field and Y-maze tests, similar to other DS models, but induces an improvement of the hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in the Morris water maze along with enhanced and longer lasting long-term potentiation in vivo in the hippocampus. Overall, we demonstrate the contribution of the Abcg1–U2af1 genetic region to cognitive defect in working and short-term recognition memory in DS models. Increase in copy number of the Abcg1–U2af1 interval leads to an unexpected gain of cognitive function in spatial learning. Expression analysis pinpoints several genes, such as Ndufv3, Wdr4, Pknox1 and Cbs, as candidates whose overexpression in the hippocampus might facilitate learning and memory in Ts1Yah mice. Our work unravels the complexity of combinatorial genetic code modulating different aspect of mental retardation in DS patients. It establishes definitely the contribution of the Abcg1–U2af1 orthologous region to the DS etiology and suggests new modulatory pathways for learning and memory.


Analytic inversion of combined reflection and transmission ellipsometric data is demonstrated. When the thickness is eliminated between the equations that give the reflection and transmission ratios ρ = rp/rs and τ = tp/ts, an algebraic equation for the unknown dielectric constant e of the layer is obtained. After removal of some factors, this reduces to a linear equation in e. The solution for unsupported films agrees with that previously obtained by Azzam [ J. Phys. (Paris)C10, 67 ( 1993)]; it can be simplified to e = e1 sin2θ1/(cos2θ1 − ρ/τ), where e1 is the dielectric constant of the ambient medium and θ1 is the angle of incidence. Stability of the solution with respect to noise in the data is analyzed.


BACKGROUND The use of ablative lasers based on the fractional approach is a novel strategy for the treatment of postoperative and acne scars in addition to wrinkles. OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare the efficacy of carbon dioxide ablative fractional laser (AFL) and the pulsed dye laser (PDL) for the improvement of surgical scars. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fourteen Korean patients with surgical scars were enrolled for this study. Half of each scar was treated with a 10,600-nm AFL and the contralateral half with the 595-nm PDL. For early intervention of the postoperative scar, the laser treatments were begun after 2 weeks from the Mohs micrographic surgery. RESULTS Both PDL and AFL produced statistically significant improvements. However, comparatively, there was no statistical difference between them. In each variable, AFL was more effective than PDL in the improvement of pliability and thickness. In contrast, PDL was superior to AFL in the improvement of vascularity and pigmentation. CONCLUSION Pulsed dye laser and AFL treatments for surgical scar provide significant improvement. Pulsed dye laser was more effective in color of scar compared with AFL, which showed marked improvement in the contour of scar. Overall improvement was not statistically different in the Vancouver Scar Scale.


We assessed the predictive value of the macroscopic and detailed microscopic appearance of the coracoacromial ligament, subacromial bursa and rotator-cuff tendon in 20 patients undergoing subacromial decompression for impingement in the absence of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. Histologically, all specimens had features of degenerative change and oedema in the extracellular matrix. Inflammatory cells were seen, but there was no evidence of chronic inflammation. However, the outcome was not related to cell counts. At three months the mean Oxford shoulder score had improved from 29.2 (20 to 40) to 39.4 (28 to 48) (p < 0.0001) and at six months to 45.5 (36 to 48) (p < 0.0001). At six months, although all patients had improved, the seven patients with a hooked acromion had done so to a less extent than those with a flat or curved acromion judged by their mean Oxford shoulder scores of 43.5 and 46.5 respectively (p = 0.046). All five patients with partial-thickness tears were within this group and demonstrated less improvement than the patients with no tear (mean Oxford shoulder scores 43.2 and 46.4, respectively, p = 0.04). These findings imply that in the presence of a partial-thickness tear subacromial decompression may require additional specific treatment to the rotator cuff if the outcome is to be improved further.


Abstract Lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) pebbles are the primary candidate breeder for the Korean Helium-Cooled Solid Breeder test blanket module because of their superior overall performance qualities such as reasonable lithium atom density, favorable tritium release behavior, low activation property, and chemical stability. The aim of this study is to develop a fabrication method for Li4SiO4 pebbles with high sphericity and stable micro-crystalline structure. Li4SiO4 slurry was prepared by mixing Li4SiO4 powder and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. The Li4SiO4 gel-spheres were made by dropping slurry mixture into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution. The gel-spheres were floated up to the surface of the H2O2 solution after staying at the bottom for a while and then aged on the surface of the H2O2 solution. The gel-spheres were dried at room temperature and sintered at several temperatures for 4 hours in air atmosphere. The sintered pebbles kept the shape of spheres during the sintering process in spite of shrinkage. Furthermore, the pebbles had relatively high sphericity. Also, the effects of PVA content and sintering temperature on the properties of the Li4SiO4 pebbles were investigated.


The potential exists for interaction between naturally high soil bulk density and low soil water content to create root-growth limiting soil strengths. This problem is commonly remedied by soil structural attributes, old root channels and other perturbations, and periods of wetness during which soil strength is favorable for root elongation. Because the application and season of repeated fire affect understory plant structure in southern pine forests (Haywood 2009), they may also affect the quantity and distribution of understory roots. On sites where understory roots play a significant role in alleviating extreme soil strength by perturbing the soil and generating old root channels, awareness of how fire-induced changes in vegetation affect understory rooting and soil strength is warranted. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between vegetation changes induced by fire and soil strength on a site where the potential exists for pine rooting to be limited by both soil bulk density and soil strength.


Nowadays, video games play a very important role in human life and no longer purely associated with escapism or entertainment. In fact, gaming has become an essential part of our daily routines, which give rise to the exponential growth of various online game platforms. By participating in such platforms, individuals generate a multitude of game data points, which, for example, can be further used for automatic user profiling and recommendation applications. However, the literature on automatic learning from the game data is relatively sparse, which had inspired us to tackle the problem of player profiling in this first preliminary study. Specifically, in this work, we approach the task of player gender prediction based on various types of game data. Our initial experimental results inspire further research on user profiling in the game domain.


Background Despite uncertain benefits, people with personality disorder are commonly treated with antipsychotic medication. Objective To investigate the association between antipsychotics and violent crimes and suicidal behaviour in individuals with personality disorder. Methods We used nationwide Danish registries to identify all individuals with diagnosed personality disorder aged 18–64 years during 2007 to 2016. Antipsychotics were recorded in dispensed prescriptions, and individuals were followed up for police-recorded suspicions for violent crimes and healthcare presentations of suicidal behaviour. We applied a within-individual design where outcome rates for individuals with personality disorder during medicated periods were compared with rates during non-medicated periods. Findings The cohort included 166 328 people with diagnosed personality disorder, of whom 79 253 were prescribed antipsychotics, presented at least one outcome and were thus included in the within-individual analyses. Compared with periods when individuals were not on antipsychotic medication, violent crime suspicions were 40% lower (incident rate ratio (IRR) 0.60, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.63) in men and 10% lower (IRR 0.90, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.01) in women, while rates of suicidal behaviour were 32% lower both in men (IRR 0.68, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.71) and in women (IRR 0.68, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.70). In subgroup analyses, the magnitude of the association varied across specific personality disorders for criminal outcomes but less for suicidal behaviour, with largest association in dissocial personality disorder for violent criminality (IRR 0.53, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.59). Conclusions Treatment with antipsychotics was associated with reduced risks for violent crime suspicions and suicidal behaviour among individuals with personality disorder. Clinical implications Potential effects of antipsychotics on suicidal behaviour and violence should be taken into account when considering treatment options for people with personality disorders.


The central contribution of this thesis is a detailed study of cosmic ray acceleration in collapsing gas clouds. The conditions for cosmic ray enhancement in collapsing rotating magnetised clouds during Galaxy formation, cloud formation and subsequent star formation are assessed. The thesis continues with a critical review of antiproton origin models, together with an assessment of the extra-galactic origin model in terms of the putative Galactic Wind. The thesis finishes with an assessment (and dismissal) of the Galactic Wind terminal shock hypothesis for the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays. The principal conclusion is that the collapse of a gas cloud can yield enhanced cosmic ray flux up to the highest observed enhancement (Carina Nebula). Up to a few percent of Galactic or extragalactic cosmic rays below lO(^15)eV/nucleon may originate this way (a firm upper limit is ~ lO(^21)eV/nucleon). The new model helps to explain the paucity of short pathlengths and somewhat increases the maximum accelerated cosmic ray energy during Supernova shock acceleration of ambient cosmic rays. The model predicts that the luminosity maximum should be from the molecular cloud (not HII region) in the Carina Nebula (for > 100 MeV gamma rays) and that there may be regions of reduced luminosity in the gamma ray sky observable with detectors planned for the future Gamma Ray Observatory.


The present study comprises of two parts. The first part deals with studies on the role of DCs during polymicrobial sepsis and the second part includes the exploitation of BMDCs as therapeutic agents to prevent the sepsis-induced immunosuppression. The data obtained from the first part indicated that the sepsis induced altered phenotypic
and functional changes in the splenic and the lymph node DCs. There was marked maturation of DCs in the spleen and in the lymph nodes but this process of maturation occurred later in lymph nodes than in the spleen. The splenic DCs developed an altered cytokine secretion pattern, which was associated with the inability of splenic DCs to
produce Th1-type cytokines such as IL-12 but released high levels of IL-10. This impairment of IL-12 synthesis was independent from endogenously produced IL-10 as neutralization of IL-10 did not restore the IL-12 secretion by DCs. But IFN-g treatment restored in part the IL-12 production by splenic DCs only during early sepsis. In addition,
the splenic CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ subpopulations were lost during sepsis, and the remaining DCs showed a reduced capacity for allogeneic T cell activation associated with decreased IL-2 synthesis. Thus, during sepsis DCs acquire a phenotype that might favor the development of Th2 and/or Treg cells and might inhibit effective immunity against the bacterial infection through Th1 cell polarization. The data obtained from the second part highlighted that the administration of competent BMDCs into septic mice changed the cytokine milieu in the spleen, representing a main secondary lymphoid organ situated near to the site of infection. The instillation of competent BMDCs resulted in the diminished loss of splenocytes and in reduced IL-10 production by these cells. The diminished loss of splenocytes was associated with an
increased total T cell number in the spleen. In addition to the reduced IL-10 production by splenocytes mediated by the administration of BMDCs, a reduced secretion of TNF-a and IFN-g was also observed. Moreover, the reduced IL-10 production by splenocytes was not dependent on the IL-12 secreted by injected BMDCs. These changes in the spleen cytokine environment might favor the development of a Th1 response, which is required for the effective immunity against the bacterial infection. The present findings reinforce the idea that DCs are affected by sepsis and their replacement has some potentially beneficial contributions to the host's response to infectious challenge. The present data are also in accord with an emerging understanding of the critical role played by DCs in the development of the proper Th1/Th2 cytokine balance during sepsis syndrome in order to ward off the invading bacteria. Thus, these data suggest that DCs are critical cells at the boundary between the innate and adaptive immune
response and play an important role in bacterial responses.


We present an introduction to the computational modeling of transition states for catalytic reactions. We consider both homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous catalysis, including organometallic catalysts, enzymes, zeolites and metal oxides, and metal surfaces. We summarize successes, promising approaches, and problems. We attempt to delineate the key issues and summarize the current status of our understanding of these issues. Topics covered include basis sets, classical trajectories, cluster calculations, combined quantum-mechanical/molecular-mechanical (QM/MM) methods, density functional theory, electrostatics, empirical valence bond theory, free energies of activation, frictional effects and nonequilibrium solvation, kinetic isotope effects, localized orbitals at surfaces, the reliability of correlated electronic structure calculations, the role of d orbitals in transition metals, transition state geometries, and tunneling.


Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a non-diagnostic umbrella term used to describe the spectrum of lifelong physical, mental and intellectual disabilities that can result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is preventable when pregnant women abstain from drinking any type or amount of alcohol at any time during pregnancy. One in 100 children worldwide are affected. Prompt diagnosis and treatment referrals for infants and children improve functionality. Yet, conditions related to fetal alcohol exposure frequently remain unrecognized and untreated. Adults with both diagnosed and hidden Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder experience significant cognitive, behavioral and executive functioning deficits. Co-morbid physical and psychiatric disorders are common. This editorial provides health professionals with information to understand and support adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Specific strategies related to initiating referrals to community services, communicating intentionally and responding positively to behavioral challenges are discussed.


Over the past decades rapid population growth in urban areas has promoted the development of high-density housing such as high-rise apartments. In order to properly supply water to this growing sector, it is essential to understand the determinants of its water use. However, this task has largely remained unexplored through the empirical study of water demand mainly due to the scarcity of data in this sector. Using a rich source of GIS-based urban databases in Auckland, New Zealand, this study integrated apartment water consumption, property characteristics, weather, water pricing and census microdata to overcome this issue. This study also compared high-rise apartment water use and its determinants with low-rise apartments. Through applying panel data models, the study revealed that, similar to the low-rise apartments, household size is the most important determinant of high-rise apartment water use in Auckland, where other socioeconomic factors, building features, water pricing and weather variables were not significant determinants. The study also showed that the per capita water consumption in the high-rise apartments in Auckland was higher than in the low-rise apartments, challenging the assumption underlying contemporary urban policy that densifying the central city areas can offer significant savings in water use.


Objective To summarise the literature on the economic burden of physical inactivity in populations, with emphases on appraising the methodologies and providing recommendations for future studies. Design Systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PROSPERO registration number CRD42016047705). Data sources Electronic databases for peer-reviewed and grey literature were systematically searched, followed by reference searching and consultation with experts. Eligibility criteria Studies that examined the economic consequences of physical inactivity in a population/population-based sample, with clearly stated methodologies and at least an abstract/summary written in English. Results Of the 40 eligible studies, 27 focused on direct healthcare costs only, 13 also estimated indirect costs and one study additionally estimated household costs. For direct costs, 23 studies used a population attributable fraction (PAF) approach with estimated healthcare costs attributable to physical inactivity ranging from 0.3% to 4.6% of national healthcare expenditure; 17 studies used an econometric approach, which tended to yield higher estimates than those using a PAF approach. For indirect costs, 10 studies used a human capital approach, two used a friction cost approach and one used a value of a statistical life approach. Overall, estimates varied substantially, even within the same country, depending on analytical approaches, time frame and other methodological considerations. Conclusion Estimating the economic burden of physical inactivity is an area of increasing importance that requires further development. There is a marked lack of consistency in methodological approaches and transparency of reporting. Future studies could benefit from cross-disciplinary collaborations involving economists and physical activity experts, taking a societal perspective and following best practices in conducting and reporting analysis, including accounting for potential confounding, reverse causality and comorbidity, applying discounting and sensitivity analysis, and reporting assumptions, limitations and justifications for approaches taken. We have adapted the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist as a guide for future estimates of the economic burden of physical inactivity and other risk factors.


Tumors form in multiple organs in people with von Hippel-Lindau disease, and the cause is mutations in the VHL gene. Renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) with VHL mutations are frequently metastatic, and Hsu et al. provide evidence that this may be due to increased localization of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) at the cell surface and increased activation of the receptor, which may increase the migratory potential of RCCs. Hsu et al. examined the migratory potential of human RCC cell line 786-O (VHL-null) or 786-VHL, which was transfected to stably express wild-type VHL. VHL is an E3 ubiquitin ligase best known for its role in hypoxia signaling through transcription factors of the HIF family. 786-VHL cells exhibited decreased motility in two different assays (wound healing assay and Boyden chamber chemotaxis assay) compared with the parent 786-O cells. Compared with the 786-O cells, 786-VHL cells also exhibited decreased surface abundance of FGFR1 based on immunofluorescence and biotinylation assays and decreased activation of FGFR1 based on tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor and phosphorylation of the downstream targets extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Pharmacological inhibitors of FGFR1 or expression of a dominant-negative FGFR1 demonstrated that activation of FGFR1 was responsible for the increased migratory potential of the 786-O cells. Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were used to show that HIF was not involved in mediating the increased FGFR1 activity by VHL. RNA interference assays showed that the knockdown of VHL increased FGFR1 activity and abundance in the HEK293 cells and increased their motility. Because loss of VHL would be expected to stabilize HIF transcription factors, overexpression of HIF-2α in HEK293 was used to determine whether loss of VHL was acting through HIF to influence FGFR1. Overexpression of HIF-2α did not increase FGFR1 at the cell surface and, indeed, in the HIF-2α overexpressing cells, FGFR1 phosphorylation was modestly decreased. FGFR1 endocytosis was inhibited in 786-O cells, and in the 786-VHL cells, VHL was associated with FGFR1-containing endosomes early in the internalization process. However, VHL and FGFR1 occupied different microdomains of the endosome, suggesting that VHL and FGFR1 were not interacting directly. VHL interacts with the metastasis suppressor Nm23, and in the 786-VHL cells, these two proteins colocalized in FGFR1-containing endosomes. Furthermore, in the 786-O cells, Nm23 did not translocate to the cell periphery in response to application of bFGF, the ligand for FGFR1, and FGFR1 was not internalized in those cells. Thus, VHL appears to be involved in FGFR1 endocytosis and regulation of FGFR1 abundance and thus activation, which contributes to migratory potential and may contribute to the metastatic potential of tumors in VHL patients. T. Hsu, Y. Adereth, N. Kose, V. Dammai, Endocytic function of von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein regulates surface localization of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 and cell motility. J. Biol. Chem. 281, 12069-12080 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The prevalence of proteinuria at 1 year after renal transplantation ranges between 11% and 45% and is even higher in patients treated with inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Two main mechanisms can lead to proteinuria: an inadequate reabsorption of small proteins from proximal tubular cells damaged by ischemia‐reperfusion injury, rejection, or toxic agents (tubular proteinuria) or an increased passage of albumin and/or protein with higher molecular weight (MW) because of a disruption of glomerular barrier caused by recurrent or de novo glomerulonephritis, transplant glomerulopathy, chronic rejection, or CNI toxicity (glomerular proteinuria). Proteinuric patients have worse patient and graft survival rates in comparison to non proteinuric patients. The amount of proteinuria is a reliable predictor of the allograft outcome. However, even microalbuminuria may be associated with a poor outcome. Treatment of proteinuria mainly rests on the management of the etiologic cause. Inhibitors of renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) are useful in reversing microalbuminuria and can reduce proteinuria, but their efficacy in interfering with patient or graft survival is not demonstrated.


Germinal centres (GCs) are the sites where V-gene hypermutation and B cell selection are taking place. Testing specificity and affinity of GC B cell receptor by interaction with antigen on follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) may be an important selection process to select high affinity B cell clone. As antigen on FDC is present in the form of antigen-antibody immune complex, GC B cells are expected to have to compete with antibody to get access antigen. Initially this antibody will be of low affinity. However, during the course of an immune response, this affinity may increase. We have tested this competitive selection model by following the replacement of antibodies in the GC over the course of an immune response. The speed of this replacement is dependent on affinity. Antibody added during an ongoing GC reaction can replace antibody in the GC, but only, if it is of high enough affinity. Presence of high or low affinity antibodies on FDC influences centrocyte selection, leading to variations in apoptosis within the GC, serum affinity, and plasma cell output. Parallel in silico experiments support the idea that a dynamic GC selection threshold, dependent on the affinity of GC output cells increases affinity maturation, because it enhances selection efficiency over a longer period during the course of a GC reaction. A dynamic selection threshold may explain the termination of the GC reaction, when affinity of new B cell variants is not sufficient to overcome the affinity of antibodies produced outside the GC. IRF4 is essential for the plasma cell differentiation and Ig class switch. IRF4 mRNA and protein rapidly upregulate within one hour after naive B cells get stimulation with NP-Ficoll in QM×C57BL/6 mice, and then activated B blasts expressing intermediate level of IRF4 either go into the red pulp to form the early extrafollicular response by upregulating high level of IRF4, or travel into the follicle to differentiate into GC founding cells. IRF4 completely shuts down when cells becomes proliferating centrocytes. But IRF4 expresses again in centorcytes, which have been committed to differentiate into the plasmablasts. Its high level expression shows the GC emigrants. Here IRF4 is selected as the marker for the early plasmablats appearance on the GC-T zone interface at the beginning of the GC reaction. And further experiments by using cytokines such as IL-6, IL-10, IL-21, costimulatory signals OX40, CD30 deficient mice show that these signals can affect the development of these early IRF4\(^+\) plasmablasts on the GC-T zone interface in the TD antigen response.


Ultrabroad-band multifrequency Raman generation is a (laser-driven) resonant-symmetric two-colour pumping technique for exciting polychromatic light beams that are characterized by potentially very wide "top-hat" temporal bandwidths [1]. The spectra associated with such beams may have a width of the same order as the pump frequency, and contain scores of discrete Raman lines of comparable energy [2,3]. Here, we will report findings from the first systematic analysis addressing the interplay between finite material dispersion and detuning (where the frequency difference between the two pump waves no longer exactly matches the Raman transition). Of principal concern is how the dispersion-detuning feedback loop influences bandwidth generation. For simplicity, a continuous-wave model [4] is considered so that the input pulses driving the medium excitation are long compared to the characteristic dephasing time of the polarization wave (and transient dynamics are thus neglected). A host of new results will be unveiled (see Fig. 1), a particular highlight of which is the recent identification of a unique parameter regime wherein bandwidth growth may be strongly enhanced. Fully-numerical calculations are also compared against a generalized three-wave gain-suppression analysis [2] that can accommodate linear detuning.

References
[1] G. S. McDonald, G. H. C. New, L. L. Losev, A. P. Lutsenko, and M. J. Shaw, Opt. Lett. 19, 1400 (1994).
[2] G. S. McDonald, G. H. C. New, L. L. Losev, and A. P. Lutsenko, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 30, L719 (1997).
[3] G. S. McDonald, G. H. C. New, Y. M. Chan, L. L. Losev, and A. P. Lutsenko, J. Mod. Opt. 45, 1099 (1998).
[4] K. S. Syed, G. S. McDonald, and G. H. C. New, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 17, 1366 (2000).


Biology has entered the age of Big Data. A technical revolution has transformed the field, and extracting meaningful information from large biological data sets is now a central methodological challenge. Algebraic topology is a well-established branch of pure mathematics that studies qualitative descriptors of the shape of geometric objects. It aims to reduce comparisons of shape to a comparison of algebraic invariants, such as numbers, which are typically easier to work with. Topological data analysis is a rapidly developing subfield that leverages the tools of algebraic topology to provide robust multiscale analysis of data sets. This book introduces the central ideas and techniques of topological data analysis and its specific applications to biology, including the evolution of viruses, bacteria and humans, genomics of cancer, and single cell characterization of developmental processes. Bridging two disciplines, the book is for researchers and graduate students in genomics and evolutionary biology as well as mathematicians interested in applied topology.


The evolution of agriculture within the last 11,000 yr marked the first major inflection point in food yield and changed forever the character of the human condition. The application of technology to agriculture early in the 20th Century induced the next major crop yield inflexion point. Identifying the technological wellspring from which increased rates of productivity will be obtained in the decades ahead is far less obvious than during the last century. The agronomic challenge for the decades to come is to increase productivity per unit of land enough to preclude appropriation of other ecosystems for cropland expansions while simultaneously increasing the efficiency of production inputs, reducing their leakage to the environment, and sustaining the integrity of those ecological processes that undergird these intense biological production systems. Such a goal will require different metrics to measure agricultural sustainability and garner public support, new funding sources, and more holistic institutional arrangements. Agronomists, while playing a major role in meeting this challenge, will not necessarily dominate the agenda.


Young individuals are currently living with their parents more than at any other point in time, while also spending more on housing. In this paper, I first show how labor market entry conditions affect housing tenure and affordability in the long term, by using the unemployment rate at the time of graduation as an exogenous shock to income. I perform this analysis across Europe for the last 25 years. Results indicate that a 1 pp increase in the unemployment rate at the time of graduation leads, one year after, to (1) a 1.50 pp increase in the probability of living with parents, (2) a 1.02 pp decrease in the probability of home-ownership and 0.45 pp decrease in renting, and (3) worse affordability. Second, I develop an OLG model to link income shocks for young agents with changes in housing tenure at the aggregate level. I allow for an outside option for landlords which can introduce rigidity into the rental market. Results show that if rental markets are rigid, an income shock to young agents will translate into a larger share of them living with their parents, worse affordability, and larger welfare losses. Finally, I perform a policy exercise based on the French housing aid system. I show that housing aid policies can help to recover welfare losses for young agents, by enabling them to afford to rent. Recognizing the right scenario for the implementation of these policies is key to ensure welfare gains concentrate on the targeted population.


Steam flow condensation has a wide range of applications in the industry such as in air conditioning, refrigeration, and thermal power plants. Condensation of steam on highly hydrophobic surfaces has resulted in notable heat transfer improvement compared to conventional hydrophilic surfaces. Dropwise condensation and increased droplet mobility are the main reason for thermal performance enhancement of superhydrophobic surfaces. Although there are considerable reports of enhanced thermal transport behavior of highly hydrophobic surfaces on steam condensation, the literature lacks sufficient investigation on flow condensation of steam, such as the effect of average vapor quality change on heat transfer rate.
 Unlike gravity-driven droplet departure in quiescent dropwise condensation, droplet departure sizes in flow condensation are governed by flow-droplet shear forces and droplet-surface adhesive forces. This work experimentally investigates steam flow condensation on nanotextured highly hydrophobic and slightly hydrophobic surfaces. The experimental setup consists of a reservoir, boiler, superheater, condensation chamber (test section), pre-condenser (to adjust the inlet quality), a post condenser, and a pump. A high aspect ratio microchannel was used as the test section. Different mass fluxes and inlet vapor qualities were used for the experimentations. Visualization studies were performed to analyze droplet dynamics such as droplet departure and coalescence in flow condensation. It is shown that for both surfaces increase condensation heat transfer coefficient were a function of both average quality and mass flux. Increase in mass flux from G = 8 kg/m2s to G = 14 kg/m2s, resulted in 65% and 60% enhancement in condensation heat transfer coefficient of slightly hydrophobic and highly hydrophobic surfaces respectively.


These days, we take for granted that our computer screensand even our phoneswill show us images in vibrant full color. Digital color is a fundamental part of how we use our devices, but we never give a thought to how it is produced or how it came about. Chromatic Algorithms reveals the fascinating history behind digital color, tracing it from the work of a few brilliant computer scientists and experimentally minded artists in the late 1960s and early 70s through to its appearance in commercial software in the early 1990s. Mixing philosophy of technology, aesthetics, and media analysis, Carolyn Kane shows how revolutionary the earliest computer-generated colors werebuilt with the massive postwar number-crunching machines, these first examples of computer art were so fantastic that artists and computer scientists regarded them as psychedelic, even revolutionary, harbingers of a better future for humans and machines. But, Kane shows, the explosive growth of personal computing and its accompanying need for off-the-shelf software led to standardization and the gradual closing of the experimental field in which computer artists had thrived. Even so, the gap between the bright, bold presence of color onscreen and the increasing abstraction of its underlying code continues to lure artists and designers from a wide range of fields, and Kane draws on their work to pose fascinating questions about the relationships among art, code, science, and media in the twenty-first century.


Today most of us live in the shadow of vast metropolises which extend over hundreds of kilometers, dominating our existence. Wherever we happen to live, we face similar problems: congestion on the roads and over-crowding on land, decaying centres and segregation on the outskirts; violence and social problems in the old areas and environmental disturbance in the new. All of this gives rise to theories which explain why these things happen and which also be usefil in the search for world-wide solutions. This article presents such a theory -an approach to understanding how cities work and how they develop through time. As such it is more akin to the study of biological organisms which constantly adapt to change, than to the static artifacts perceived by architects and engineers. The development of computers has made it possible to model, that is to represent, the uniqueness to each city as expressed through its streets and buildings and, using economic theories, to view the city as a market which responds to changing prices. Change in the city is largely brought about by the evolution of technology, particularly in transport and communications. Change also occurs as a result of government intervention, in the form of infrastructure investment, regulation and fiscal policies. Such measures can be simulated by computer and their economic, social and environmental impacts evaluated. The article concludes with examples of models in use in London and Santiago. London is a city in a highly developed country -its growth is slow but in internal structures undergoing change. Santiago is a city in a country of rapid growth which offers opportunities for guiding development towards a more efficient, more just and better environment for living.


It's the lazy end of summer and Freya is about to start her A levels. Her brother Joe died a year ago, but she is slowly coming to terms with his death. She is beginning to feel ready for something new - a change. And then a railway accident brings her by chance into contact with the gorgeous Gabes. Freya is drawn not just to Gabes himself and his blond good looks, but everything about him, including his large, shambolic, warm and loving family, which seems to Freya so different to her own family of three.

And then Gabes' clearly troubled older brother makes it clear he is interested in Freya - and Freya has some decisions to make about what she really wants


Sixty-one. Probably no other record in any professional sport is so easily recognizable as Roger Maris' record for most home runs in a single season. The two men who shattered the record this season, although forever joined by "The Chase," come from distinctly different origins. Mark McGwire, the redheaded heir to Babe Ruth's crown, was raised in a quintessential middleclass family. While McGwire played Little League Baseball, Sammy Sosa was thousands of miles to the southeast shining shoes to help support his impoverished Dominican family. As more and more international players establish themselves in professional baseball, this contrast will become increasingly common. Currently, approximately 20 percent of all major leaguers are foreign-born. By 2001, this number is expected to rise to 30 percent. By far, Latin America has been the major source for this influx of new talent. The tiny island nation of the Dominican Republic, with a population of only 7 million, contributes 89 majorleaguers to today's talent, more than from any single American state. The results of this demographic trend are not necessarily positive or negative, but it is a trend with which both the baseball community and America as a whole must come to grips. In the United States baseball competes with football and basketball for fans, but the popularity of the sport in the Caribbean remains largely unchallenged. To a child from the Dominican Republic, where the per capita GDP is US$3,670, the millions which professional baseball players command seem to promise a far better life than does any career in his homeland. For professional ball clubs, baseball's international appeal provides some exciting opportunities. With recent rounds of expansion diluting the domestic talent pool, general managers are turning to Hispanic talent to replenish their ranks. Latin American players, additionally, provide baseball with a connection to the United States' Hispanic community, its fastest growing ethnic population and a group that will be its largest minority by 2030. While Latin America is the most significant hotbed in this explosion of international talent, the Asia-Pacific rim is becoming increasingly important as well. The Japanese professional league has long been the best organized of the non-American leagues. Yet, it is only recently that its players have begun making a major impact in the majors, starting with Hideo Nomo's rise to prominence in 1995 as Rookie of the Year. Japan's western neighbor, Korea, has also begun to make inroads into the world of American baseball. In 1994, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Korean Chan Ho Park, the first major leaguer born on the divided peninsula. When Park started against the New York Mets, 15,000 Korean-Americans bought tickets for the game. Such a statistic is not lost on ownership; teams like the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves now each spend US$4 million on international scouting. The game's demographic change, however, has also brought with it several troubling problems. Seven years ago, the Chicago White Sox signed seventeen-year-old Magglio Ordonez for US$3,500. A small sum for an American ballplayer, this was a fortune for a young man from the Caribbean. …


We consider a hydrodynamic description of the spherically symmetric outward flow of nuclear matter, accommodating dispersion in it as a very weak effect. About the resulting stationary conditions in the flow, we apply an Eulerian scheme to derive a fully nonlinear equation of a time-dependent radial perturbation. In its linearized limit, with no dispersion, this equation implies the static acoustic horizon of an analogue gravity model. We, however, show that time-dependent nonlinear effects destabilize the static horizon. We also model the perturbation as a high-frequency travelling wave, and perform a {\it WKB} analysis, in which the effect of weak dispersion is studied iteratively. We show that even arbitrarily small values of dispersion make the horizon fully opaque to any acoustic disturbance propagating against the bulk flow, with the amplitude and the energy flux of the radial perturbation undergoing a discontinuity at the horizon, and decaying exponentially just outside it.


Most engineering systems have some degree of uncertainty in their input and operating parameters. The interaction of these parameters leads to the uncertain nature of the system performance and outputs. In order to quantify this uncertainty in a computational model, it is necessary to include the full range of uncertainty in the model. Currently, there are two major technical barriers to achieving this: (1) in many situations—particularly those involving multiscale phenomena—the stochastic nature of input parameters is not well defined, and is usually approximated by limited experimental data or heuristics; (2) incorporating the full range of uncertainty across all uncertain input and operating parameters via conventional techniques often results in an inordinate number of computational scenarios to be performed, thereby limiting uncertainty analysis to simple or approximate computational models. This first objective is addressed through combining molecular and macroscale modeling where the molecular modeling is used to quantify the stochastic distribution of parameters that are typically approximated. Specifically, an adsorption separation process is used to demonstrate this computational technique. In this demonstration, stochastic molecular modeling results are validated against a diverse range of experimental data sets. The stochastic molecular-level results are then shown to have a significant role on the macro-scale performance of adsorption systems. The second portion of this research is focused on reducing the computational burden of performing an uncertainty analysis on practical engineering systems. The state of the art for uncertainty analysis relies on the construction of a meta-model (also known as a surrogate model or reduced order model) which can then be sampled stochastically at a relatively minimal computational burden. Unfortunately these meta-models can be very computationally expensive to construct, and the complexity of construction can scale exponentially with the number of relevant uncertain input parameters. In an effort to dramatically reduce this effort, a novel methodology—QUICKER (Quantifying Uncertainty In Computational Knowledge Engineering Rapidly)—has been developed. Instead of building a meta-model, QUICKER focuses exclusively on the output distributions, which are always one-dimensional. By focusing on one-dimensional


This thesis examines the interest rate, market entry and credit decisions which banks are
expected to make following financial liberalization. It uses analytic tools from information
economics and industrial organization theory to consider the policy implications of behaviour
which responds to the constraints of imperfect information. The financial markets of the Caribbean
Commonwealth supply the stylized facts which inform the analysis.
Chapter 1 introduces the topics treated.
The financial liberalization hypothesis is based on the 1973 works of McKinnon and Shaw.
Chapter 2 describes their characterization of market fundamentals and behaviour in LDCs. It
discusses the descriptions of equilibrium, and the welfare implications of these equilibria, in
models which analyze economies with similar fundamentals.
Chapter 3 derives stylized facts from the descriptions of the economic institutions and
financial systems of the four Caribbean countries whose banking behaviour we model.
Chapter 4 analyzes deposit rate determination by banks in the long-run equilibrium of a
search market. It posits that in long-run equilibrium depositors find it costly to switch banks
because doing so requires that they forego improved service at their current banks. The inelastic
deposit supply which results from these switching costs implies that monopsonistic deposit rates
are a noncooperative equilibrium. It is argued that this facilitates tacit collusion among banks
and that a deposit rate floor is the appropriate policy corrective.
Chapter 5 argues that the enhancement of intermediation service responsible for depositor
switching costs reflects the information banks acquire about customers and their ability to offer
suitably tailored service.
Chapter 6 considers bank entry into a market where established customers of certain value
have switching costs. Entering banks attract new customers of lower expected value. If new
banks are therefore unable to generate sufficient revenue to cover their fixed costs, they exit. This
chapter argues that liberal entry policy is not sufficient to ensure competition.
Chapter 7 develops a simple model of bank screening by loan size in one sector of an economy.
It finds a sequential equilibrium in which low-risk borrowers , self-select by the choice of
contracts with a loan size below that they demand at the interest rate for their risk class.
In Chapter 8 the partial equilibrium model of Chapter 7 is embedded in a general equilibrium
framework to demonstrate that the market equilibrium is not constrained Pareto efficient. It
argues that subsidizing the highest interest rates will improve loan allocation while maintaining
the separation induced by private contracts.
Chapter 9 summarizes the main results and conclusions of the thesis.


Many scientific fields share common interests for research and education. Yet, very often, these fields do not communicate to each other and are unaware of the work in other fields. Understanding the commonalities and differences among related fields can broaden our understanding of the interested phenomena from various perspectives, better utilize resources, enhance collaboration, and eventually move the related fields forward together.

In this article, we present a conceptual framework, namely the Information-Model or I-model, to describe various aspects of information related fields. We consider this a timely effort in light of the evolutions of several information related fields and a set of questions related to the identities of these fields. It is especially timely in defining the newly formed Information Field from a community of twenty some information schools. We posit that the information related fields are built on a number of other fields but with their own unique foci and concerns. That is, core components from other fundamental fields interact and integrate with each other to form dynamic and interesting information related fields that all have to do with information, technology, people, and organizationssociety. The conceptual framework can have a number of uses. Besides providing a unified view of these related fields, it can be used to examine old case studies, recent research projects, educational programs and curricula concerns, as well as to illustrate the commonalities and differences with the information related fields. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This paper focused on the American School Counseling Association National Standards requiring school counselors to serve all students. Focusing their activities, around three major areas, to help schools achieve their educational mission of student success. These three areas are academic achievement, personal/ social, and career development. In addition, it recommended implementing school counselors to student ratios at the ASCA recommended level or less. It presented a graduate student thesis study on the efficacy of non-directive group counseling with middle and high school students. It illustrated the changes in academic grades, the pre and post results from the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self-Report assessment, which measured therapeutic change. Also including, a qualitative reporting of a personal experience questionnaire of the sixty students, grades sixth through tenth. It attributed the outcomes to the social and interpersonal skills gained through group therapy, which brought improvements in student academics, behavior, and social skills and relationships (Romasz, Kantor, and Elias, 2004). It proposed that these benefits positively affect all students' growth and development, and these effects are not limited to students who exhibit "at risk" behavior. This review attempted to provide justification for the implementation of a developmentally comprehensive group-counseling program, consisting of three group models, psycho-educational, counseling, and psychotherapy, as the most efficient and effective way to reach the goal of student success (Delucia-Waack, 2000; Shechtman, 2002; Shechtman, Freidman, Kashti, & Sharabany, 2002).


This research was an attempt to study reasons for creation of some of the important and sacred numbers and their reflection in architectural and urban spaces. This subject matter is important because significant and sacred numbers were used in design and construction of a number of historical spaces. The research objective was to discover some of the reasons for formation of important and sacred numbers and their reflection in architectural and urban spaces. The research questions are: How and why were some numbers considered important or sacred? How the important and special numbers are reflected in urban and architectural spaces? The research theoretical framework is based on the idea that important and sacred methods were used in design and construction of a number of architectural and urban spaces (especially religious spaces) as well as public spaces. The idea also holds that architectural and urban spaces are reflections of civilization and culture of the society they belonged to. The descriptive analytical research method and sometimes the historical-interpretative research method were used for this research, because the research data consisted of historical and qualitative data. Architectural and urban spaces in Iran formed the dependent variable, and important or sacred numbers were the independent variable in this research. The statistical society mainly covered Iran, but examples of other important cultures are also referred to. Research results indicated that phenomena such as some of the numbers related to human organs, natural and cosmic system numerical properties of the earth, some of the structural qualities of geometrical forms, a number of religious events and phenomena, the internal structure and order of arithmetic, and relationships between numbers are factors influencing formation of important and sacred numbers.


Book synopsis: The Prisoner's Dilemma is one of the most fiercely debated thought experiments in philosophy and the social sciences, presenting the simple insight that when two or more agents interact, the actions that most benefit each individual do not benefit the group. The fact that when you do what is best for you, and I do what is best for me, we end up in a situation that is worse for both of us makes the Prisoner's Dilemma relevant to a broad range of everyday phenomena. This volume of new essays from leading philosophers, game theorists, and economists examines the ramifications of the Prisoner's Dilemma, the directions in which it continues to lead us, and its links to a variety of topics in philosophy, political science, social science, economics, and evolutionary biology. The volume will be a vital and accessible resource for upper-level students as well as academic researchers.


Summary A study was conducted to determine the nutrients digestibility, backfat composition, cut-up parts and organ weights of intact and castrated fi nishing pigs. Forty eight Large White male pigs with initial average weight of 36.82±0.45 kg were randomly assigned to two treatments with each treatment consisting of three replicates of eight pigs each. Twenty four of the experimental animals were castrated while the remaining twenty four were left intact. Four pigs per replicate were selected and housed in metabolic cages to determine nutrient digestibility and carcass evaluation was performed when the pigs in each experimental group attained an average weight of 70 kg in order to verify the backfat composition, cut-up parts and organ weights. Th e experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomised Design. Dry matter intake, excreted faeces/dry matter intake, dry matter digestibility, crude protein digestibility, nitrogen intake, absorption and retention were signifi cantly (P<0.05) infl uenced by state of boar. Castrated boars had higher mean values in these parameters except in excreted faeces/dry matter. Intact boars had higher signifi cant (P<0.05) mean values in liver (1.98%), kidney (0.20%) and heart (0.22%) weights in comparison with the corresponding values (1.57, 0.12 and 0.12%, respectively) recorded for castrated boars. Subcutaneous fat depth and fat free index were signifi cantly (P<0.05) infl uenced by state of boars. Intact boar recorded better value (49.07) for fat free index when compared to 43.46 obtained by the castrated boar. It was concluded that state of boar had eff ect on nutrient digestibilities, organ weights (liver, kidney and heart weights) and backfat deposits (subcutaneous fat depth and fat free index) of fi nishing pigs.