Recent works have shown that stochastic gradient descent (SGD) achieves the fast convergence rates of full-batch gradient descent for over-parameterized models satisfying certain interpolation conditions. However, the step-size used in these works depends on unknown quantities and SGD's practical performance heavily relies on the choice of this step-size. We propose to use line-search techniques to automatically set the step-size when training models that can interpolate the data. In the interpolation setting, we prove that SGD with a stochastic variant of the classic Armijo line-search attains the deterministic convergence rates for both convex and strongly-convex functions. Under additional assumptions, SGD with Armijo line-search is shown to achieve fast convergence for non-convex functions. Furthermore, we show that stochastic extra-gradient with a Lipschitz line-search attains linear convergence for an important class of non-convex functions and saddle-point problems satisfying interpolation. To improve the proposed methods' practical performance, we give heuristics to use larger step-sizes and acceleration. We compare the proposed algorithms against numerous optimization methods on standard classification tasks using both kernel methods and deep networks. The proposed methods result in competitive performance across all models and datasets, while being robust to the precise choices of hyper-parameters. For multi-class classification using deep networks, SGD with Armijo line-search results in both faster convergence and better generalization.


Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Middle Paleolithic (MP) faunal assemblages have gained widespread attention due to their relevance to the debate over the modernity of hominid behavior during the MSA/MP. A recent critique of the scavenging argument for MSA/MP behavior drew on a summary presentation of the skeletal abundance and surface modification data from Die Kelders Cave 1 Layer 10 (Marean, 1998). This paper provides a more complete presentation of those data, adds the smaller Layer 11 sample, and provides a detailed analysis of the taphonomic history of both samples.Bone fragment density is higher in Layer 10 than in Layer 11. Bone densities vary horizontally as well, with Layer 10 showing greater deposition in the exposed areas of the cave. An analysis of long bone breakage patterns indicates that non-nutritive breakage on the Layers 10 and 11 samples was present but not intense. Size 1 mammals were predominantly accumulated by owls and/or other large raptors, not hominids, in Layer 10. Hominids were the predominant accumulator of Sizes 2-4 mammals in Layers 10 and 11 as indicated by the frequency of hammer-stone percussion marks and carnivore toothmarks. After discard by hominids, a significant portion of these remains were discovered and scavenged by carnivores. Overall, the larger mammal fauna of Layer 10 is dominated by Sizes 3 and 4 bovids, mostly young and adult eland, and thus hominids were focusing on the high-ranked prey items. Shaft portions of long bones, the portions with the most flesh, have the highest frequencies of cutmarks. A comparison of the Layers 10 and 11 cutmark frequencies to Selvaggio's (1998) scavenging model shows that the frequencies are significantly outside the range of variation documented in Selavaggio's scavenging sample.


Altered granule cell≫CA3 pyramidal cell synaptic connectivity may contribute to the development of limbic epilepsy. To explore this possibility, granule cell giant mossy fiber bouton plasticity was examined in the kindling and pilocarpine models of epilepsy using green fluorescent protein‐expressing transgenic mice. These studies revealed significant increases in the frequency of giant boutons with satellite boutons 2 days and 1 month after pilocarpine status epilepticus, and increases in giant bouton area at 1 month. Similar increases in giant bouton area were observed shortly after kindling. Finally, both models exhibited plasticity of mossy fiber giant bouton filopodia, which contact GABAergic interneurons mediating feedforward inhibition of CA3 pyramids. In the kindling model, however, all changes were fleeting, having resolved by 1 month after the last evoked seizure. Together, these findings demonstrate striking structural plasticity of granule cell mossy fiber synaptic terminal structure in two distinct models of adult limbic epileptogenesis. We suggest that these plasticities modify local connectivities between individual mossy fiber terminals and their targets, inhibitory interneurons, and CA3 pyramidal cells potentially altering the balance of excitation and inhibition during the development of epilepsy. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Arterial thromboembolism is rare in children. The frequency of arterial thromboembolisms has paralleled the advances in pediatric tertiary care with increasing numbers of children surviving life-threatening primary illnesses and, paradoxically, developing previously rare complications. The pathophysiology of thrombosis in children differs from that of adults, underscoring the need for a unique diagnostic and therapeutic approach in pediatrics. This review is a summary of the available data on the etiology, diagnosis and management of arterial thrombosis, occurring outside of the CNS, in children.


We exploit the exogenous change in marginal tax rates created by the Russian flat tax reform of 2001 to identify the effect of taxes on the labour supply of men and women. We apply a weighted difference-in-difference regression approach and instrumental variables to estimate labour supply functions using a panel dataset. The mean regression results indicate that the tax reform led to a statistically significant increase in hours of work for men but had no effect on work hours for women. However, we find a positive response to tax changes in both tails of the female work hour distribution. We also find that the reform increased the probability of finding a job among both men and women. Despite significant variation in individual responses, the aggregate labour supply elasticities are trivial. This suggests that reform-induced changes in labour supply are an unlikely explanation for the amplified personal income tax revenues that followed the reform.


The behavior of bi-directional woven E- glass fiber reinforced vinylester composites filledwith three different ceramic fillers aluminumoxide (Al2O3), silicon carbide (SiC) and fly ash had been investigated for mechanical and tribological characterization. The effects of these three fillers onmechanical and tribological properties of the composites investigated were compared with composite without filler. The analysis revealed that the tensile strength of composites decreased significantly by inclusion of these fillers. The flexural properties, interlaminar shear strength, compressive strength, density and hardness were also affected by the type of content of filler material. It has been observed that presence of the SiC improve the hardness of the glass vinylester composites where as other two fillers showed marginal effect. Investigation revealed that the reduction in tensile strength was lower in case of fly ash among fillers. The toughness was also improved for SiC and Fly ash with 10% addition. Tensile modulus was improved for SiC and Fly ash based glass-vinylester composite with10% and 20% addition by weight. Filler addition of SiC and fly ash make these composites potential materials in tribological applications.


Many television critics, legions of fans, even the president of the United States, have cited The Wire as the best television series ever. In this sophisticated examination of the HBO serial drama that aired from 2002 until 2008, Linda Williams, a leading film scholar and authority on the interplay between film, melodrama, and issues of race, suggests what exactly it is that makes The Wire so good. She argues that while the series is a powerful exploration of urban dysfunction and institutional failure, its narrative power derives from its genre. The Wire is popular melodrama, not Greek tragedy, as critics and the series creator David Simon have claimed. Entertaining, addictive, funny, and despairing all at once, it is a serial melodrama grounded in observation of Baltimore's people and institutions: of cops and criminals, schools and blue-collar labor, local government and local journalism. The Wire transforms close observation into an unparalleled melodrama by juxtaposing the good and evil of individuals with the good and evil of institutions.


Background: Various types of breathing exercises have various effects on autonomic nervous system like fast breathing increases sympathetic tone and slow breathing increases parasympathetic tone. But these changes are seen when those exercises are done for long duration. Heart rate variability (HRV) reveals the autonomic status very effectively. So took up the study to know the effects of short duration (5 min) of slow deep breathing on heart rate variability.

Aims & Objective: To study the HRV Before and after five minutes of slow deep breathing in healthy adults.

Materials and Methods: 20 healthy adults aged between 30 to 40 years and not practicing any kind of breathing exercises or yoga were involved in the study. Using powerlab, AD Instrument polyrite, HRV was calculated by recording ECG in Lead II for five minutes. Then the participants were made to slow deep breathe for 5 minutes, again HRV was calculated. The time domain parameters of HRV studied were Standard deviation of all normal-to-normal intervals in milliseconds (SDNN) and Root Mean Square Successive Difference in milliseconds (RMSSD). The frequency domain parameters studied were low frequency in normalized units (LF nu), high frequency in normalized units (HFnu) and the ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF ratio). Data was analysed by paired t test.

Results: Heart rate did not show much of variation. There was significant increase in LFnu (46.91±14.51, 60.79±17.29 and p 0.009), decrease in HFnu (43.56±17.59, 30.17±13.52 and p 0.002), increase in LF/HF ratio (1.43±0.84, 3.06±3.22 and p 0.03). SDNN and RMSSD did not show significant change.

Conclusion: Effect of slow deep breathing for a short duration of five minutes in healthy adults who are not practicing any kind of breathing exercise or yoga is shift of the cardiac sympathovagal balance towards the sympathetic predominance.


Deep-sea sediments are composed of particles settling vertically through the water column, but often contain significant portions of laterally advected material. This laterally supplied material contributes to total sediment accumulation. However its deposition does not correspond to particle fluxes through the overlying water column. With 230Thxs-normalized particle flux calculations it is possible to quantify advective sediment supply. Bottom currents, that transport resuspended sediment, are likely to sort sediment particles according to grain size and sinking velocity. Thus it is reasonable to assume that the laterally supplied portion of the sediment is predominantly composed of fine-grained particles. However 230Thxs-based flux calculations rely on radionuclide measurements of bulk sediment samples. On the other hand, particle separation may lead to a decoupling of the particle-associated proxy records, which might result in over- or underestimation of the associated fluxes. To study the effects of lateral transport the objective of this study therefore is to perform particle flux estimations with grain size fractionated sediments. We present initial data from calcareous near-surface sediments from two sites at Walvis Ridge in water-depths of 2200 m and 2700 m. Both samples were grain size fractionated by sieving and settling using MilliQ water. Fractionated samples were acid-digested and radioisotopes of Uranium (234U, 235U, 238U) and Thorium (230Th, 232Th) were measured with an ICP-MS. 230Thxs data were calculated following standard procedures. The sediment is composed of 25 34 % clay-sized particles ( 63 µm). In contrast, 50 61 % of the excess Thorium inventory is contributed solely by the clay fraction. The silt fraction contributes to 230Thxs in a range of 28 38 %, whereas only less than 12 % of 230Thxs is residing in the sand fraction. This confirms results from Thomson et al. (1993). In almost all grain size fractions the ratio 238U/232Th is exceeding the range of 0.5 1.1, indicating an uptake of authigenic Uranium to the sediment as a result of reducing conditions (Francois et al. 1993). These results highlight the potential of miscalculating 230Thxs-normalized fluxes of certain sediment consitutents, e.g., of foraminifera using bulk radioisotope measurements.


The Affective Health system is a mobile lifestyle application that aims to empower people to reflect on their lives and lifestyles. The system logs a mixture of biosensor-data and other contextually oriented data and transforms these to a colorful, animated expression on their mobiles. It is intended to create a mirror and thereby empower users to see activity patterns and relate these to their experiences of stress. People's different cultural backgrounds and their different physiological and psychological composition give them different perceptions and associations of time. We explore the time dimension of our system through working through a set of different designs that organize events as time going linearly forward, in a circular movement or relating to geographical places. Here we discuss the process of designing a mobile interface for presenting temporal data in a way that allows multiple and subjective interpretation.


Since the threat of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection is still real and it is becoming more and more difficult to protect yourself against infection, there is a need to pay attention to body's immune status. An efficient immune system is the basis of a proper anti-infective response. It was noticed in antiquity that only people who survived the disease themselves are suitable for the care of the sick. What can we do to support immunity? It would be best to go through the coronavirus infection as asymptomatic or scanty, create antiviral antibodies and have persistent immunity. This is possible, but only if the immune system is working properly and the co-morbidities are not too aggravating. The functioning of the immune system determines many factors that are independent of us, such as: genetic conditions, age or gender. However, we have a real influence on many factors: physical activity, stress, sleep, diet. Naturalne metody wspomagania odporności w walce z koronawirusem Katarzyna Jankowska1*, Natalia Suszczewicz2 1 Klinika Endokrynologii, Szpital Bielański, Centrum Medyczne Kształcenia Podyplomowego, Warszawa 2 Oddział Ginekologiczno-Położniczy, Szpital Powiatowy w Pruszkowie Adres do korespondencji: *Katarzyna Jankowska, Klinika Endokrynologii, Szpital Bielański ul. Cegłowska 80, 01-809 Warszawa, Polska, email: email@example.com. ISSN 2657-9669/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Copyright © 2020 CMKP. Publikowane i finansowane przez Centrum Medyczne Ksztacenia Podyplomowego; https://doi.org/ WIEDZA MEDYCZNA – NUMER SPECJALNY (2020) 47 Scientific evidence clearly indicates that the right lifestyle translates into the overall health, particularly favorably affecting the immune, respiratory, blood, endocrine, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Caring for a healthy lifestyle, we can reduce the risk of serious infections, including SARS-CoV-2. We have no major impact on the function of the thymus or bone marrow, where immunologically competent cells are produced, but we do have a significant impact on the state of one of the most important organs of the immune system – the intestines. The area of the intestines of an adult is about 300 m2, which is why they constitute the main pathway for antigens. The laboratories are developing more and more effective drugs, more and more effective plant protection products. Our immune system must fight against increasingly stronger pathogens, with increasingly stronger pests. Human immunity is decreasing, living conditions on Earth are becoming increasingly difficult. Food is less and less natural, genetically modified, contains more and more tasty additives, and less and less valuable nutrients. Supplementation becomes necessary. The article presents a review of natural methods of supporting immunity with particular emphasis on diet.


The Western Canada sedimentary basin (WCSB) has experienced an increase in seismicity during the last decade due primarily to hydraulic fracturing. Understanding the ground motions of these induced earthquakes is critical to characterize the increase in hazard. Stress drop is considered an important parameter in this context because it is a measure of the high‐frequency content of the shaking. We use the empirical Green's function (EGF) method to determine S‐wave corner frequencies and stress drops of 87 earthquakes of moment magnitude (M) 2.3–4.4 in the WCSB. The EGF method is an effective technique to isolate earthquake source effects by dividing out the path and site components in the frequency domain, using a smaller collocated earthquake as an EGF. The corner frequency of the target event is determined for an assumed spectral ratio shape, from which the stress drop is computed.
 Assuming a fixed velocity, we find that the average stress drop for induced earthquakes in the WCSB for small‐to‐moderate events is 7.5±0.5  MPa, with a total range from 0.2 to 370 MPa. However, because of the dependence of stress drop on model conventions and constants, we consider the absolute stress‐drop value meaningful only for comparison with other results using the same underlying models. By contrast, corner frequency is a less‐ambiguous variable with which to characterize the source spectrum. The range of corner frequencies obtained in this study for events of M 4.0±0.5 is 1.1–5.8 Hz.
 Significant rupture directivity is observed for more than one‐third of the earthquakes, with station corner frequencies varying by about a factor of 4 with azimuth. This emphasizes the importance of having suitable station coverage to determine source parameters. We model directivity where evident using a Haskell source model and find that the rupture azimuths are primarily oriented approximately north–south throughout the region.


Background: Dental caries, the oral disease with multifactorial causes is a major public health problem leading go medically significant morbidity and impacting the general health of a population directly or indirectly. Dental caries is known to affect people from every population.
Objective: To assess dental caries experience in permanent dentition among industrial workers in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1024 industrial workers of Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh, in the age group of 16-55 years. Dental caries experience was assessed using WHO dentition status proforma (2013). Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 21.0.
Results: Out of 1024 study subjects, 572 were males and 452 were females. Caries prevalence was found to be 47.46%. Mean decay-missing-filled teeth score of the population was 0.95 ± 0.45 and was found to be higher among females (1.06 ± 0.42) as compared to males (0.93 ± 0.38).
Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries in industrial workers is noteworthy. Essential requisites to bring this under control include awareness regarding good dental health, education on prevention of dental caries and implication of necessary measures for the provision of adequate dental care.


Fishing changes not only the population abundance of the target species, but also its population dynamics and life-history traits. A number of studies have shown that life history traits related to the timing of maturation can respond quickly to fishing mortality. Because changes in such life-history traits feed back into population dynamics and, consequently, may also affect the yield and thus profitability of a fishery, we need better understand the factors that hasten or hinder such changes. In this study we analyze how fisheries have affected the maturation process of an economically important herring ("Clupea harengus") stock, the North Sea (NSH) herring. The harvest of North Sea herring targets both mature and immature individuals. Life-history theory predicts that under this kind of mortality regime fisheries can be expected to induce an adaptive decrease in the age at maturation. This kind of studies are a critical for testing theoretical predictions, and will facilitate our understanding under which conditions large life history changes can and cannot be expected. Such understanding is needed for evolutionarily enlightened management of marine biodiversity. The results will provide guidance for evolutionarily enlightened management strategies, particularly with respect to fisheries targeting mature and immature individuals differently.


When tree seedlings establish beyond the current tree line due to climate warming, they encounter existing vegetation, such as bryophytes that often dominate in arctic and alpine tundra. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts that plant interactions in tundra become increasingly negative as climate warms and conditions become less harsh. However, for seedlings, climate warming might not result in lower winter stress, if insulating snow cover is reduced. We aimed to understand if bryophytes facilitate seedling survival in a changing winter climate and if these effects of bryophytes on tree seedlings comply with the SGH along elevational gradients under contrasting snow conditions. In the Swedish subarctic, we transplanted intact bryophyte cores covered by each of three bryophyte species and bryophyte‐free control soil from above the tree line to two field common garden sites, representing current and future tree line air temperature conditions (i.e. current tree line elevation and a lower, warmer, elevation below the tree line). We planted seedlings of Betula pubescens and Pinus sylvestris into these cores and subjected them to experimental manipulation of snow cover during one winter. In agreement with the SGH, milder conditions caused by increased snow cover enhanced the generally negative or neutral effects of bryophytes on seedlings immediately after winter. Furthermore, survival of P. sylvestris seedlings after one full year was higher at lower elevation, especially when snow cover was thinner. However, in contrast with the SGH, impacts of bryophytes on over‐winter survival of seedlings did not differ between elevations, and impacts on survival of B. pubescens seedlings after 1 year was more negative at lower elevation. Bryophyte species differed in their effect on seedling survival after winter, but these differences were not related to their insulating capacity. Synthesis. Our study demonstrates that interactions from bryophytes can modify the impacts of winter climate change on tree seedlings, and vice versa. These responses do not always comply with SGH, but could ultimately have consequences for large‐scale ecological processes such as tree line shifts. These new insights need to be taken into account in predictions of plant species responses to climate change.


In this paper, we present a clustering algorithm for speaker
diarization based on spectral clustering. State-of-the-art diariza-
tion systems are based on agglomerative hierarchical clustering
using Bayesian Information Criterion and other statistical met-
rics among clusters which results in a high computational cost
and in a time demanding approach. Our proposal avoids the use
of such metrics applying Euclidean distances on the eigenvec-
tors computed from the normalized graph Laplacian. A hybrid
system is proposed in which HMM/GMM modelling and Viterbi
alignment are still applied, but the BIC for merging and stop-
ping criterion are substituted by a spectral clustering algorithm.
Once an initial segmentation is obtained and the clustering align-
ment is computed using the Viterbi algorithm, the remaining
clusters are modeled by stacking the means of the Gaussians in
a super vector. In such a space single value decomposition of
the associated normalized graph Laplacian is computed. Most
similar clusters are merged based on the Euclidean distances
in resulting eigenspace. Cluster number estimation is based on
analyzing eigenstructure of the similarity matrix by selecting
a threshold on the eigenvalues gap. In experiments, this ap-
proach has obtained a comparable performance to the traditional
AHC+BIC approach on the Rich Transcription conference eval-
uation data. Although it still relies on Gaussian modelling of
clusters and Viterbi alignment, the proposed approach leads to a
system which runs several times faster than traditional one.


Scenario-based specifications such as Message Sequence Charts (MSCs) are useful as part of a requirements specification. A scenario is a partial story, describing how system components, the environment, and users work concurrently and interact in order to provide system level functionality. Scenarios need to be combined to provide a more complete description of system behavior. Consequently, scenario synthesis is central to the effective use of scenario descriptions. How should a set of scenarios be interpreted? How do they relate to one another? What is the underlying semantics? What assumptions are made when synthesizing behavior models from multiple scenarios? In this paper, we present an approach to scenario synthesis based on a clear sound semantics, which can support and integrate many of the existing approaches to scenario synthesis. The contributions of the paper are threefold. We first define an MSC language with sound abstract semantics in terms of labeled transition systems and parallel composition. The language integrates existing approaches based on scenario composition by using high-level MSCs (hMSCs) and those based on state identification by introducing explicit component state labeling. This combination allows stakeholders to break up scenario specifications into manageable parts and reuse scenarios using hMCSs; it also allows them to introduce additional domain-specific information and general assumptions explicitly into the scenario specification using state labels. Second, we provide a sound synthesis algorithm which translates scenarios into a behavioral specification in the form of Finite Sequential Processes. This specification can be analyzed with the Labeled Transition System Analyzer using model checking and animation. Finally, we demonstrate how many of the assumptions embedded in existing synthesis approaches can be made explicit and modeled in our approach. Thus, we provide the basis for a common approach to scenario-based specification, synthesis, and analysis.


Monogenetic volcanoes are the most common form of continental basaltic volcanism on Earth and hence present great risk upon eruption in heavily populated areas. Recent studies of individual monogenetic volcanic centres demonstrate that, far from being simple in nature as traditionally assumed, large variations exist between centres in terms of the types of magmas involved in their formation, the sources of those magmas, their stratigraphic architectures, and the timing of the eruption products. The Pliocene–Recent Newer Volcanics Province (NVP) and in particular the Mt Rouse magmatic volcanic complex were studied in detail using desktop, fieldwork and laboratory based techniques in order to gain further insights into the processes and occurrences of monogenetic volcanism in southeast Australia, as well as the complexity of monogenetic volcanism in general. The techniques used in this study can be applied to other monogenetic volcanic fields. A database of NVP volcanoes was produced, documenting >729 vents from >437 volcanoes. A new classification scheme was proposed for the volcanoes of the NVP, whereby volcanic centres are either simple or complex, with subtypes including scoria cones, maars, ash cones and domes, plus magmatic, phreatomagmatic and maar–cone volcanic complexes. An average eruption frequency for the province is estimated to be 1:10 800 yrs. The volcanoes of the Hamilton area in the Western Plains subprovince were examined in more detail, using desk and field-based studies. Sixteen eruption centres were recognised, including three previously unrecorded volcanoes. Three phases of volcanism were confirmed, with ages of >4 Ma (Phase 1), ~2 Ma (Phase 2) and <0.5 Ma (Phase 3). Geochemically, compositions become increasingly alkaline from Phase 1 to 2, with Phase 3 eruptions covering the entire geochemical range and extending into increasingly incompatible element-enriched compositions. The complex stratigraphic architecture of Mt Rouse was investigated in detail using field mapping and sampling for petrography. Eight main facies were documented, of which two are coherent and six fragmental. The eruption styles giving rise to the facies include Hawaiian, Strombolian, micro-Plinian, violent-Strombolian and phreatomagmatic. Major and trace element geochemical data were generated together with Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data for samples selected on the basis of the stratigraphic framework of Mt Rouse. The data define three magma batches, Batches A, B and C all of which are geochemically similar to Ocean Island Basalts. Each batch features LREE-enrichment, increasing from batch A to C; there is no evidence of crustal contamination. The Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data define two groupings, one comprising magma batch A and a second for batches B and C. Estimates of the depths of mantle melting from primary magma compositions suggest that the magmas were sourced from a zone extending across the lithosphere– asthenosphere boundary. Batch A was sourced from the deep lithosphere at a pressure of 1.7 GPa, corresponding to 55.5 km depth, and batches B and C from the shallow asthenosphere at 1.88 GPa/61km and 1.94 GPa/63 km, respectively. A complex eruption sequence outlined for Mt Rouse includes sequential eruption of magma batches A, C and B, then simultaneous eruption of batches A and B, over four stages with multiple sub-stages and no evidence of time-breaks in eruption. This study has shown that monogenetic volcanoes may be far from simple, often showing great complexity in terms of their eruption styles and magma genesis. This will have significant implications for studies of monogenetic volcanism and the emergent field of study of complex monogenetic volcanoes both in the NVP and worldwide.


Abstract Introduction Depression is common in cancer patients and often associated with increased morbidity, hospitalisation and reduced quality of life. Current opinion supports the use of antidepressants (AD) for moderate and severe depression in physical illness. However, AD may be inadequately prescribed to oncology patients and factors other than need may influence prescribing practice. Aims To explore oncology professionals views on the use of AD in the management of emotional distress in cancer patients. Methods 18 randomly selected professionals from the Yorkshire Cancer Network (oncologists, surgeons, clinical nurse specialists and ward nurses) participated in a qualitative interview study. To explore their views on AD use in oncology they were asked: What leads you to prescribe AD? or Do you have any views on the use of AD? key themes were extracted via framework analysis. Results Despite recognising the value of AD in cancer care, professionals were reluctant to prescribe AD stressing a lack of knowledge I would be very worried about my ability to do that and overwhelmingly saw the general practitioner (GP) as most appropriate for this role. Overreliance on AD was voiced as were views that taking AD was defeatist medicating them is a slippery slope. Conclusion These findings highlighted a need for training on the use of AD in cancer care and to counteract negative views contributing to exclusion from treatment plans. A key prescribing role for the GP is described however it is unclear whether referrals are made. Future work should determine the role of the GP and map prescribing patterns elsewhere.


The rhetoric of self-defense is a powerful instrument in the hands of legal actors to shape our understanding of justified violence in society. This rhetoric is based not in the legal definition of self-defense but rather in the paradigmatic situation of deadly response to deadly attack, which offers useful guidance in interpreting the law's required elements. However, the paradigm also tends to embrace claims of morality and right that threaten to expand self-defense beyond recognition to consider inappropriate values such as vengeance and punishment. In this Article, the author argues that self-defense should be viewed not only as a moral but also as a core political concept - one that inspires the formation of civil society and the state under social contract theory. According to this view, self-defense and the criminal law share a common aim: to prevent harm and preserve life for peaceable coexistence. This common aim, which is more particularly expressed through political theory rather than moral philosophy, forms the substantive justification for self-defense in the criminal law.


On 23 April 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the Ebola epidemic that started in West Africa about 18 months ago had infected 26 079 people, of whom 10 823 had died. The three worst hit countries were Guinea (2 358 deaths), Liberia (4 573 deaths) and Sierra Leone (3 877 deaths), and accounted for 99.86% of the fatalities. 1 It is amazing that the West African Ebola epidemic is no longer headline news, and it appears as if life is back to normal in these three countries. However, the WHO has indicated that the decline in confirmed cases appeared to have stagnated, but warned that there was a need to increase efforts to stop Ebola virus transmission.


Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that can be used to extract dissolved inorganic nutrients from saline aquaculture effluents under a production framework commonly known as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen (common name: sea purslane) is an edible saltmarsh halophyte traditionally consumed by humans living near coastal wetlands and is considered a promising extractive species for IMTA. To better understand its potential for IMTA applications, the present study investigates how artificial lighting and plant density affect its productivity and capacity to extract nitrogen and phosphorous in hydroponic conditions that mimic aquaculture effluents. Plant growth was unaffected by the type of artificial lighting employed—white fluorescent lights vs. blue-white LEDs—but LED systems were more energy-efficient, with a 17% reduction in light energy costs. Considering planting density, high-density units of 220 plants m−2 produced more biomass per unit of area (54.0–56.6 g m−2 day−1) than did low-density units (110 plants m−2; 34.4–37.1 g m−2 day−1) and extracted more dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Overall, H. portulacoides can be easily cultivated hydroponically using nutrient-rich saline effluents, where LEDs can be employed as an alternative to fluorescent lighting and high-density planting can promote higher yields and extraction efficiencies.


In this article, we provide both analytical and numerical performance analysis of multi-service oriented multiple access (MOMA), a recently proposed non-orthogonal multiple-access scheme for scenarios with a massive number of concurrent connections originating from separate service classes with diverse quality-of-service (QoS) profiles and running on both handheld terminals and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. MOMA is based on both class dependent hierarchical-spreading transmission scheme and per-class reception structure. The performance analysis presented in this article is based on realistic channel and signal models for scenarios where the base station is equipped with a large number of antennas. It provides asymptotically exact approximations of the ergodic rates achievable by MOMA.


This paper provides a review of regional-scale modeling of earthquake-induced landslide hazard with respect to the needs for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. Based on this review, it sets out important research themes and suggests computing with words (CW), a methodology that includes fuzzy logic systems, as a fruitful modeling methodology for addressing many of these research themes. A range of research, reviewed here, has been conducted applying CW to various aspects of earthquake-induced landslide hazard zonation, but none facilitate comprehensive modeling of all types of earthquake-induced landslides. A new comprehensive areal model of earthquake-induced landslides (CAMEL) is introduced here that was developed using fuzzy logic systems. CAMEL provides an integrated framework for modeling all types of earthquake-induced landslides using geographic information systems. CAMEL is designed to facilitate quantitative and qualitative representation of terrain conditions and knowledge about these conditions on the likely areal concentration of each landslide type. CAMEL is highly modifiable and adaptable; new knowledge can be easily added, while existing knowledge can be changed to better match local knowledge and conditions. As such, CAMEL should not be viewed as a complete alternative to other earthquake-induced landslide models. CAMEL provides an open framework for incorporating other models, such as Newmark's displacement method, together with previously incompatible empirical and local knowledge.


Background: Top managers' transformational leadership is associated with significant influence on subordinates. Yet little is known about the extent to which top managers' transformational leadership influences middle managers' implementation leadership and, ultimately, frontline staff delivery of evidence-based health care practices. Purpose: To test a multilevel leadership model examining the extent to which top managers' transformational leadership, as mediated by implementation leadership of middle managers (i.e., those who supervise direct clinical services), affects staff attitudes toward evidence-based practices (EBPs) and their implementation. Methodology/Approach: We used data collected in 2013 from 427 employees in 112 addiction health services programs in Los Angeles County, California. We relied on hierarchical linear models with robust standard errors to analyze multilevel data, individuals nested in programs. We conducted two path models to estimate multilevel relationships with two EBPs: contingency management and medication-assisted treatment. Results: Findings partially supported our theory-driven multilevel leadership model. Specifically, results demonstrated that middle managers' implementation leadership mediated the relationship between top managers' transformational leadership and attitudes toward EBPs. At the same time, they showed the mediated relationship for delivery of contingency management treatment was only marginally significant (standardized indirect effect = .006, bootstrap p = .091). We did not find a mediation effect for medication-assisted treatment. Discussion: Findings advance leadership theory in health care, highlighting the importance of middle managers' implementation leadership in transmitting the influence of top managers' transformational leadership on staff attitudes toward EBPs. The full path model shows the extent to which transformational leadership may influence staff implementation of innovative practices as mediated through staff attitudes toward EBPs and middle managers' implementation leadership. Practice Implications: Our findings have implications for developing a multilevel leadership approach to implementation in health care. Leadership development should build on different competencies based on managers' level but align managers' priorities on the same implementation goals.


This article studies the relationship between past immigration experiences of the host country and the way new immigrants enter the labor market. We focus on two countries—Finland and Sweden—that have similar formal institutions but starkly different immigration histories. In both countries, immigrants tend to find their first jobs in low-paying establishments, where the manager and colleagues share their ethnic background. The associations between background characteristics, time to a first job, other entry job characteristics, earnings dynamics, and job stability are also remarkably similar. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the host country's immigration history plays a limited role in shaping the integration process.


Supernovae (SNe) exploding in a dense circumstellar medium (CSM) are hypothesized to accelerate cosmic rays in collisionless shocks and emit GeV γ-rays and TeV neutrinos on a timescale of several months. We perform the first systematic search for γ-ray emission in Fermi Large Area Telescope data in the energy range from 100 MeV ?> to 300 GeV ?> from the ensemble of 147 SNe Type IIn exploding in a dense CSM. We search for a γ-ray excess at each SNe location in a one-year time window. In order to enhance a possible weak signal, we simultaneously study the closest and optically brightest sources of our sample in a joint-likelihood analysis in three different time windows (1 year, 6 months, and 3 months). For the most promising source of the sample, SN 2010jl (PTF 10aaxf), we repeat the analysis with an extended time window lasting 4.5 years. We do not find a significant excess in γ-rays for any individual source nor for the combined sources and provide model-independent flux upper limits for both cases. In addition, we derive limits on the γ-ray luminosity and the ratio of γ-ray-to-optical luminosity ratio as a function of the index of the proton injection spectrum assuming a generic γ-ray production model. Furthermore, we present detailed flux predictions based on multi-wavelength observations and the corresponding flux upper limit at a 95% confidence level (CL) for the source SN 2010jl (PTF 10aaxf).


Annonaceous acetogenins are waxy substances consisting of C32 or C34 long chain fatty acids which have been combined with a propan-2-ol unit at C-2 to form a gama-lactone. They are only found in several genera of the plant family, Annonaceae. Their diverse bioactivities as antitumour, immunosuppressive, pesticidal, antiprotozoal, antifeedant, anthelmintic and antimicrobial agents have attracted more and more interest worldwide. Recently, we reported that the Annonaceous acetogenins can selectively inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and also inhibit the growth of adriamycin resistant tumour cells. As more acetogenins have been isolated and additional cytotoxicity assays have been conducted, we have noticed that, al(hough most acetogenins have high potencies among several solid human tumour cells lines, some of the derivatives within the different structural types and some positional isomers show remarkable selectivities among certain cell lines, e.g. against prostate cancer (PC-3).


In many mainstream macroeconomic models, sticky prices play an important role in explaining the effects of monetary policy on the economy. Various theories have been set forth to explain why prices are sticky. This study takes a firm-level survey approach, in a spirit similar to Blinder et al. (1998), to shed some light on the question of why prices are sticky. In particular, the Bank of Canada's regional offices surveyed 170 Canadian firms for their views on price dynamics. The authors find that the most important motivators of price changes are price changes by competitors, changes in domestic input costs, and changes in demand. Surprisingly, but consistent with the results reported in Bils and Klenow (2002), the survey evidence suggests that more than 50 per cent of firms change their prices more than four times a year. Moreover, the survey indicates that prices change more frequently than they did ten years ago, because of more intense competition and advances in information technology.


Atoms can be trapped at the foci of intense laser beams, which can enable the study of interactions and dynamics of ultracold gases. In this thesis, we will describe our new trap designs. A large volume pancake-shaped optical dipole trap is initially used for loading large numbers of atoms from a Magneto-Optical Trap. A BEC with a large number of Sr atoms has been achieved after evaporation in this trap. To form degenerate gas of Sr we compress the mixture of Sr and Sr from the loading trap into a superimposed dimple trap. This combination improves the reproducibility of the experiment and shortens the time required to create quantum degenerate samples, while we are able to create Sr BEC with high density. In order to generate BEC of Sr, an isotope with large scattering length and extremely high three-body loss rate, we implement an optical sheet trap which has an aspect ratio of 1:10. The tight axis in the vertical direction provides strong potential to hold against gravity while the large horizontal dimension brings up the trap volume and keeps down the atomic density.


An experimental study of spin wave quantization in arrays of micron size magnetic Ni80Fe20 islands (dots and wires) by means of Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy is reported. Dipolar-dominated spin wave modes laterally quantized in a single island with quantized wavevector values determined by the size of the island are studied. In the case of wires the frequencies of the modes and the transferred wavevector interval, where each mode is observed, are calculated. The results of the calculations are in a good agreement with the experimental data. In the case of circular dots the frequencies of the lowest observed modes decrease with increasing distance between the dots, thus indicating an essential dynamic magnetic dipole interaction between the dots with small interdot distances.


Objective: To reduce direct parental referral of low acuity ill pediatric patients to the outpatient facilities of a nation's only pediatric referral hospital. Patients and Methods: Longitudinal monitoring of outpatient visits at Orotta Children's Hospital (OCH) and primary health facilities (PHFs) following implementation of an intervention designed in response to information provided by parents and health-care providers. Parental surveys were undertaken before and after exposure to the intervention to assess effects on knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Results: We analyzed 5,639 visits between baseline and follow-up, documenting a decline in parental referral among OCH outpatients from 95% to approximately 80%. Educational intervention increased the proportion of parents intending to use PHF for future outpatient care from 28% to 82%. Staff of the PHFs responded enthusiastically to this intervention program and requested further activities. Conclusions: Self-referral to tertiary care hospital was reduced following a modest program of parental education designed and implemented by residents in training.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. As of March 30, 2020, there have been 693,224 reported patients with COVID-19 worldwide, with 1,446 in Japan. Currently, although aspects of the route of transmission are unclear, infection by contact and by inhaling droplets is considered to be the dominant transmission route. Inflammatory symptoms in the upper respiratory tract persist for several days to 1 week after onset, and in some patients symptoms of pneumonia worsen and become severe. The presence of underlying diseases and advanced age are risk factors for increased severity. Diagnosis is based on detection of SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of nasopharyngeal swabs or sputum. Symptomatic management is the main treatment for this disease. Although the efficacy of several agents is currently being tested, at present there is no effective therapeutic agent. To prevent infection, in addition to standard preventive measures, measures that counteract infection by contact and droplet inhalation are important. In addition, if procedures that cause aerosolization of virus are used, then measures that prevent airborne infection should be implemented.


Purpose

The potential for e-commerce is limited by a trust deficit when traders do not interact in a physical, bricks-and-mortar context. The theory of information richness posits that equivocal interactions, such as ones requiring trust, can be facilitated through communication media that transmit multiple cues interactively. This study aims to examine the potential of information-rich virtual worlds to reduce this trust deficit compared with more traditional Web-based e-tailing environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Rather than focusing on stated intentions, the authors adopt an experimental approach to measure behaviour. Participants receive performance-related financial incentives to perform trust games in different information-rich treatments that represent three retail environments: a physical environment representing bricks-and-mortar trade, an electronic environment representing Web-based online retailing and a virtual environment representing virtual world retail.

Findings

The authors find that the two dimensions of trust significantly differ between the treatments. In particular, as hypothesised, both trustingness and trustworthiness are higher in the virtual than in the electronic environment. However, contrary to the hypotheses, physical trade is not associated with greater trust than virtual trade.

Research limitations/implications

The authors extend previous research by demonstrating how the information richness of the virtual world interface can promote e-commerce by deepening trust between trading partners. This research also complements existing work that approaches product and service interfaces through the lens of servicescapes.

Practical implications

The findings also contribute towards the development of services marketing practice and the design of e-commerce environments.

Originality/value

Much of the work in this space considers purchase intentions and attitudes around trust, whereas this study looks at actual trust behaviour in the virtual space.


This paper looks into the problem of bringing top athletes to the peak of mental readiness for important competitions. The technique of preparation of athletes-climbers for responsible competitions is presented that would facilitate the formation of coping strategies. Among the respondents were members of the national team of Russia in climbing when preparing and competing in European and world championships and cups. The technique presented here allowed us to gradually bring top athletes to optimal mental readiness for important competitions, which ensured their consistent and successful performance in championships and cups of Russia, Europe and the whole of the world.


Many applications that make use of sensor networks require secure communication. Because asymmetric-key solutions are difficult to implement in such a resource-constrained environment, symmetric-key methods coupled with a priori key distribution schemes have been proposed to achieve the goals of data secrecy and integrity. These approaches typically assume that all nodes are similar in terms of capabilities and, hence, deploy the same number of keys in all sensors in a network to provide the aforementioned protections. In this paper, we demonstrate that a probabilistic unbalanced distribution of keys throughout the network that leverages the existence of a small percentage of more capable sensor nodes can not only provide an equal level of security, but also reduce the consequences of node compromise. To fully characterize the effects of the unbalanced key management system, we design, implement, and measure the performance of a complementary suite of key establishment protocols known as LIGER. Using their predeployed keys, nodes operating in isolation from external networks can securely and efficiently establish keys with each other. Should resources such as a backhaul link to a key distribution center (KDC) become available, networks implementing LIGER automatically incorporate and benefit from such facilities. Detailed experiments demonstrate that the unbalanced distribution in combination with the multimodal LIGER suite offers a robust and practical solution to the security needs in sensor networks


This paper reflects on the lack of focus on history characterizing the strategic management field. Reasons and consequences of such a peculiar situation need to be pointed out in order to develop a better history-grounded research approach inside the field. In terms of (the missing) history of thought, a fear of history seems to characterize the field, for a more aware historical understanding of strategic management and practices is likely to question not only notions and concepts, but the very perception of the field as a practically oriented discipline. A lack of historical reflection is usually preferred, wherein strategic management seems to come out of the blue, ignoring its inner evolution over time, and the relationships with previous bodies of knowledge in the business realm, such as for instance administrative sciences and accounting. In terms of the history of practice the situation is - if possible - even worse, with an obscure understanding of contexts and features of managerial practices in the past. Archival research is called for here, drawing on two research projects on pre-industrial revolution context (the Spanish Royal Tobacco Factory in the XVIII century, and the Venice Arsenal in the turn of the XVI century), in order to examine how prior management practices can influence and inform our present understanding of the discipline of strategic management. A less simplistic view of managing practices in the past emerges, which challenges the commonly held cycle of innovation and discontinuity perpetually alleged in the strategic management field to legitimize its own existence as a research area. While strategic management tools show a potential contribution to historical understanding in this archival research, a more historically aware understanding of the evolution of the field is thus intended as a way to falsify strategic management theory.


The objective of this study was to analyze food insecurity, underlining the significance of accurate measurement to formulate the required policies for addressing food deprivation. The need for accurate measurement of food requirement is essential to generate adequate information to support decision making especially in areas vulnerable to food shortages and famine. Using random sampling techniques and employing Fisher's formula, a total of 323 households were selected for the study. Informed by demand theory as articulated by Engel's law of inverse relationship between total household income and the expenditure on food, plus adding a quadratic term in the equation, the study sought to estimate the magnitude of food insecurity in Mandera County. The cost of basic needs (CBN) method was employed to provide preliminary estimate for the households' food expenditure level. In order to deal with the problem of measurement error econometric models including ordinary least squares and using instrumental variable in generalized method of moment (IV-GMM) techniques were applied to quantitatively analyze data on quadratic Engel curve. The study established that Mandera County experiences food deprivation of significant magnitude. The study has revealed that, observed household expenditure is not a perfect measure of the actual food insecurity situation. This is because microeconomic data are contaminated by measurement error which reduces reliability of parameters and if not addressed will result to erroneous conclusion in economic analysis. The results show negative and significant quadratic coefficients for both OLS and IV-GMM. Accordingly the results shows that for the estimator that corrects for measurement error 81% of the households are food insecure as opposed to 64%. In this study it is observed that measurement error reduces parameter reliability by 32% which leads to underestimation of food insecurity by about 17%. Among the recommendations resulting from the study include; first it is easy to underestimate the proportion of food insecure households if they are incorrectly estimated and therefore superior statistical and sampling techniques should form the basis of quantifying food insecurity to facilitate decision making process. Secondly, the study supports for policy formulation that is guided by economic limitations not only as a gauge to measure food insecurity but also to guide intervention and evaluating policies aimed at alleviating it. Lastly, to increase food availability and reduce food insecurity, sound data-based analysis anchored on statistical theory that provides inferential basis for guiding policy and program interventions in of paramount importance.


The project explored the hypothesis that meaning, within contemporary painting practice, is embedded in physical undertaking, working methods and materials. It drew upon my practice experience, and how that was informed by films such as Painters Painting, 1973, by Emile de Antonio, documenting the New York art scene in a series of studio conversations.

Twenty artists, writers, researchers and critics participated. The project manifestations as a whole comprise a coherent triangulation of experience, scientific research and mythology in: an exhibition; filmed interviews with artists; a book of interviews and stories, fictional and factual; a symposium; and a website. The Painting Conservation Team at Tate Britain collaborated on the ethical and physical challenges of restoring and preserving internationally important artefacts of painting.

As well bringing a spectrum of approaches to bear on the subject, from scientific research (e.g. the microscopic examination of paint cross-sections, and the formulation of chemical formulae for new materials that artists' work demands), through new historical insights from the analysis of and reflection on particular paintings, to absurdist, revelatory humour, the project sought to record the often overlooked, casually exchanged insights about painting practice that occur in artists' studios.

The symposium, with speakers who had contributed to various aspects of the project, enabled some of our findings to be shared directly with the artistic research community, as well as the wider public. It also provided an opportunity to test whether this form of conversational exchange may elicit insights from the artists that would remain outside normal forums of exchange.


Congenital kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis are due to vertebral anomalies that are present at
birth. These vertebral anomalies cause a deformity of the spine in the sagittal plane. If
allowed to progress, this deformity can produce neural dysfunction due to bowstringing
of the cord over the apex of the deformity. The goals of this study were to document the
natural history of congenital kyphosis and kyphoscoliosis and to determine the stage at
which the natural history should be interrupted by treatment. This was done by reviewing
the medical records and radiographs of the spine of 1 12 consecutive patients. Sixty eight
patients had a type-I kyphosis due to anterior failure of vertebral-body formation, twentyfour
had a type-II kyphosis due to anterior failure of vertebral-body segmentation, and
twelve had a type-III kyphosis due to a combination of anomalies. The deformities of the
remaining eight patients could not be classified.


Principles of Criminal Law, 3rd Edition, explores the criminal law of every Australian jurisdiction and seeks to place it into the wider context of Australian society. It examines the principles of the law in detail, providing a thought-provoking and engaging experience for the reader by analysing and challenging these principles from interdisciplinary perspectives, such as sociology, psychology, criminology, and legal theory. This third edition contains topical sections on the new federal laws dealing with serious and organised crime and the trafficking of persons, as well as the raft of new terrorism offences, including the controversial remodelled offence of sedition. It is updated in all areas and includes analyses of the new versions of the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory Criminal Codes as well as the effect of the Victorian Charter of Human rights and Responsibilities and the Human rights Act 2004 (ACT). It also covers new material on: 堡ssisted suicide; 堥xtended common purpose and acting in concert doctrines; 堳erious cartel conduct; 堭istakes of fact and law; and 堣onspiracy to do acts in preparation for a terrorist act. This edition maintains a strong focus on the importance of reform. It outlines key academic and policy debates, as well as providing comparative insights on the direction of criminal law from related jurisdictions. Principles of Criminal Law, 3rd Edition, is a valuable resource for students of criminal law, advanced criminal law, criminology and criminal justice. Judges, scholars and practitioners seeking a criminal law text with great depth of analysis combined with insight into the future development of the law will also find it of value.


Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious medical condition that affects annually year more than 2 million people worldwide. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the number of dark neurons induced by TBI in the parieto-temporal cortex. Materials and Methods: LPS (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) was injected i.p. to rats 5 days before induction of TBI in the parieto-temporal cortex. Using toluidine blue staining, we evaluated the number of dark neurons in the hippocampus in sham and LPS preconditioned rats 4 and 12 hours after the trauma. Results: The increase in dark neurons was significantly higher after 4 h of trauma compared to 12 h after TBI. LPS preconditioning significantly decreased the mean number of dark neurons in the hippocampus. In LPS preconditioned rats the mean number of dark neurons was also significantly higher 4 hours after trauma compared to 12 h after TBI. Conclusion: These data indicate that hippocampal cellular damage produced during the first hours after induction of TBI. This cellular damage could be prevented by administration of LPS.


Value function factorization (VFF) is a popular approach to cooperative multiagent reinforcement learning in order to learn local value functions from global rewards. However, state-of-the-art VFF is limited to a handful of agents in most domains. We hypothesize that this is due to the flat factorization scheme, where the VFF operator becomes a performance bottleneck with an increasing number of agents. Therefore, we propose VFF with variable agent sub-teams (VAST). VAST approximates a factorization for sub-teams which can be defined in an arbitrary way and vary over time, e.g., to adapt to different situations. The sub-team values are then linearly decomposed for all sub-team members. Thus, VAST can learn on a more focused and compact input representation of the original VFF operator. We evaluate VAST in three multi-agent domains and show that VAST can significantly outperform state-of-the-art VFF, when the number of agents is sufficiently large.


ABSTRACT The increased demand and high price for energy sources are driving efforts to convert organic compounds into useful hydrocarbon fuels. Although much of this work has focused on biomass, there are strong benefits to deriving fuels from waste plastic material. Waste plastic is abundant and its disposal creates large problems for the environment. Plastic does not break down in landfills, is not easily recycled and degrades in quality during the recycling process, and can produce waste ash, heavy metals, and potentially harmful gas emissions if incinerated at high temperatures. However, chemical processes that can be used to convert plastics into hydrocarbon fuels have unlimited applications in residential and industrial heating, transportation, and electricity generation. These chemical processes are used to break down the long carbon chains found in plastic into the shorter chains found in gasoline or diesel-type fuels. Natural State Research (NSR) has invented a simple and economically viable proc...


Introduction: Indonesia has a vast resource of nursing workforce for supplying the world demand. Nationally, there is growing concern at the current flows of nurse migration, particularly from Indonesia to Japan. Indonesia Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) has opened the gate for movement of natural persons, not exempted of nurses. Through this program,  the flow of skilled migrants from Indonesia to Japan has been facilitated by government of both countries. Furthermore, advanced health care facility and aging society in Japan has demanded more foreign nurses which are lead to nursing migration. This paper focuses on the challenges and opportunities specifically talking about the issue of return. Method: Mixed method was employed, in the first quantitative section, data was collected by questionnaire. In the qualitative section, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were analysed with qualitative thematic content analysis. Data were obtained from twenty nurses, self reporting questionnaire and five nurses participated voluntarily in interview section. Result: The results showed that 18 out of 20 skilled migrants were unemployed and sought a new job. Meanwhile, two returnee continue studying to a higher degree. Evidence from the interviews revealed that it seems it is very challenging for them to live in a home country and struggle with a real life. They were seeking vacancies and looking for the best one which is matched with their qualification. Conclusion: Return migration would be very challenging and create difficulty for returning nurses to look for a new position and enhance their career. Facilitating return migration through specific program should be built. Making return attractive can increase the transfer of knowledge within a country and lessen the negative impact of brain drain.


Five-nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on human serum albumin (HSA) to study the conformational features of its primary ligand binding sites (I and II). Additionally, 11 HSA snapshots were extracted every 0.5 ns to explore the binding affinity (K(d)) of 94 known HSA binding drugs using a blind docking procedure. MD simulations indicate that there is considerable flexibility for the protein, including the known sites I and II. Movements at HSA sites I and II were evidenced by structural analyses and docking simulations. The latter enabled the study and analysis of the HSA-ligand interactions of warfarin and ketoprofen (ligands binding to sites I and II, respectively) in greater detail. Our results indicate that the free energy values by docking (K(d) observed) depend upon the conformations of both HSA and the ligand. The 94 HSA-ligand binding K(d) values, obtained by the docking procedure, were subjected to a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study by multiple regression analysis. The best correlation between the observed and QSAR theoretical (K(d) predicted) data was displayed at 2.5 ns. This study provides evidence that HSA binding sites I and II interact specifically with a variety of compounds through conformational adjustments of the protein structure in conjunction with ligand conformational adaptation to these sites. These results serve to explain the high ligand-promiscuity of HSA.


The inclusion of transition metal catalysts into nanoparticle scaffolds permits the creation of catalytic nanosystems (nanozymes) able to imitate the behaviour of natural enzymes. Here we report the fabrication of a family of nanozymes comprised of bioorthogonal ruthenium catalysts inserted in the protective monolayer of gold nanoparticles. By introducing simple modifications to the functional groups at the surface of the nanozymes, we have demonstrated control over the kinetic mechanism of our system. Cationic nanozymes with hydrophobic surface functionalities tend to replicate the classical Michaelis Menten model, while those with polar groups display substrate inhibition behaviour, a key mechanism present in 20 % of natural enzymes. The structural parameters described herein can be used for creating artificial nanosystems that mimic the complexity observed in cell machinery.


Studies investigating the feasibility and impact of mindfulness programs on emotional well-being when delivered by school teachers in pre-adolescence are scarce. This study reports the findings of a controlled feasibility pilot which assessed acceptability and emotional well-being outcomes of an 8-week mindfulness program (Paws b) for children aged 7–9 years. The program was delivered by school teachers within a regular school curriculum. Emotional well-being was measured using self-report questionnaires at baseline, post-training and 3 months follow-up, and informant reports were collected at baseline and follow-up. Seventy one participants aged 7–9 years were recruited from three primary schools in the UK (training group n = 33; control group n = 38). Acceptability of the program was high with 76% of children in the training group reporting 'liking' practicing mindfulness at school, with a strong link to wanting to continue practicing mindfulness at school (p < 0.001). Self-report comparisons revealed that relative to controls, the training group showed significant decreases in negative affect at follow-up, with a large effect size (p = 0.010, d = 0.84). Teacher reports (but not parental ratings) of meta-cognition also showed significant improvements at follow-up with a large effect size (p = 0.002, d = 1.08). Additionally, significant negative correlations were found between changes in mindfulness and emotion regulation scores from baseline to post-training (p = 0.038) and baseline to follow-up (p = 0.033). Findings from this study provide initial evidence that the Paws b program in children aged 7–9 years (a) can be feasibly delivered by primary school teachers as part of the regular curriculum, (b) is acceptable to the majority of children, and (c) may significantly decrease negative affect and improve meta-cognition.


This study evaluated the chemical composition and ruminal degradability of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) and crude protein (CP) in byproducts of African oil palm (palm cake, kernel or fiber), macaúba (pulp cake and kernel cake), acai (acai fruit), babassu (kernel cake) and pineapple (peel, crown and bagasse silage). Nineteen rumen-fistulated sheep were kept in individual stalls, receiving a daily diet composed of elephant grass silage and corn and soybean concentrate. After preparation in nylon bags, the byproduct samples were incubated for 0, 3, 6, 12, 16, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 hours, with three replicates of each ingredient per incubation time. The divergence between the protein nutritional value and energy nutritional value, based on discriminatory variables between groups, was estimated by cluster analysis. The effective degradability of DM, NDFap and CP for the different byproducts was, respectively, 35.9, 26.9 and 59.0% for palm cake; 48.3, 34.3 and 76.4% for palm kernel; 21.1, 6.6 and 50.3% for palm fiber; 34.3, 15.0 and 52.8% for macaúba pulp cake; 58.1; 63.0 and 51.6% for macaúba kernel cake; 49.7, 49.6 and 41.8% for babassu cake; 53.4, 40.5 and 79.8% for pineapple bagasse silage; and 21.3, 17.0 and 38.9% for acai fruit. Based on their NDFap and CP characteristics, the feeds were clustered in up to four different groups.


This four-year study tested whether the physiological demand of fruit ripening may interfere with grapevine cold acclimation in autumn or with midwinter hardiness. Three harvest time treatments were established in a mature vineyard of own-rooted Cabernet Sauvignon vines: clusters were removed after fruit set, at veraison, or after the first fall frost. Average yield of the late harvested vines varied from 4.2 to 5.1 kg/vine (7.5 to 9.2 t/ha) among years, and soluble solids varied from 23.4 to 25.6 Brix. The presence of fruit during ripening delayed leaf senescence, measured as chlorophyll decline. The fruit also tended to delay the senescence-associated decrease in photosynthesis. All vines showed typical patterns of autumn cold acclimation, midwinter hardiness, and spring deacclimation. Cold hardiness of buds, cane phloem, and cane xylem varied during winter depending on prevailing temperature, and during the coldest winter reached levels of −27°C for 50% bud damage and −28°C for the onset of xylem injury. Early fruit removal had no effect on cane nonstructural carbohydrates and, with few exceptions, failed to enhance cold hardiness. Depending on the year, early fruit removal improved bud hardiness on 5 to 15% and xylem hardiness on 8 to 38% of all measurement dates. On those dates, the early harvested vines tended to be 1 to 2°C hardier than the late harvested vines, irrespective of the time of crop removal. No trend was found for phloem hardiness. These results indicate that cropping, at least within commercially acceptable limits in regions with sufficiently long or warm growing seasons, rarely impacts cold acclimation and maximum hardiness. Grapevines appear to adjust seasonal leaf physiology to meet their carbon demand for both fruit ripening and cold acclimation.


We analyse diffusion at low temperature by bringing the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) to bear on a physically natural, viscous response-function R(t). The resulting diffusion-law exhibits several distinct regimes of time and temperature, each with its own characteristic rate of spreading. As with earlier analyses, we find logarithmic spreading in the quantum regime, indicating that this behavior is robust. A consistent R(t) must satisfy the key physical requirements of Wightman positivity and passivity, and we prove that ours does so. We also prove in general that these two conditions are equivalent when the FDT holds. Given current technology, our diffusion law can be tested in a laboratory with ultra cold atoms.


5G mobile networks, which will become available around 2020, aim to support voice, video and other high demanding communication services for billions of connected devices, such as smartphones, sensors, vehicles and other Internet or Things (IoT) devices. Therefore the capabilities of 5G must extend far beyond previous generations of mobile communication. Examples of these capabilities include very high data rates, very low latency, ultra-high reliability, energy efficiency and high capacity. One of the key technologies for supporting these 5G capabilities is device-to-device (D2D) communication. D2D enables devices to communicate with each other without using the infrastructure of the network.
Due to significant investments involved, governments are reluctant to renew Public Safety Networks (PSNs). Also for manufacturers and providers Public Mobile Networks (PMNs) offer a larger market and thereby delivering more profits. As a result, the technological developments for PSNs are lagging behind compared to PMNs. However, synergies can produce a number of benefits, including increased aggregate capacity, improved resiliency and enhanced radio coverage and up to date technological implementations for Public Safety Services (PSS). The convergence of both networks begun with the introduction of Proximity Services at 4G LTE exclusively offering D2D capabilities to PSS officials. This trend is continued in 5G, where Public Safety Services is one of the use cases which will have to be supported.
This thesis focusses on the use of D2D communication for Public Safety Services purposes. In particular, we focus on spectral resource allocation for a group of first responders who are supported by a relay station. User equipment (UE) can be directly linked to the base station or indirectly via the relay station, with the link from the UE to the relay station being a D2D link. It is assumed that all first responders send live video streams to a Central Command Post.
Our goal is to have as many UEs as possible sent their live video streams with a high as possible video quality level. The challenge here is to determine the resource allocation for all UEs and whether they should send their video streams directly to the base station or via the relay station. This depends on the video quality to be obtained, the distance from the UEs to the base station and relay station and whether it is more efficient, with respect to spectral resources, to send directly to the base station or via the relay station. All allocations of resources and route choices for all UEs should be considered in conjunction, which makes it very difficult.
To this end we have investigated what the most efficient method is to allocate spectral resources for streaming video in a 5G mobile network. We also examined what the effects are of a number of key parameters, such as transmit power, required throughput and distance from the relay station to the base station, on the route choice for a UE.
4
Based on these investigations, we have developed a heuristic resource allocation algorithm. The algorithm bases its choices on the calculations regarding the required resources and route to the base station (i.e. direct or via relay) for a single UE in isolation. When for all UEs choices have been made, corrections in the resource allocation are carried out taking the calculations of all UEs into account. The heuristic algorithm is evaluated by comparing its performance to the performance of the most optimal scheduling. The optimal scheduling is not suitable for implementation as it is not scalable and calculating the most optimal resource allocation takes a long time.
The results, based on simulation, show that the heuristic algorithm is a very promising, efficient and fast method for performing recourse allocation for a clustered D2D enabled 5G network for supporting Public Safety Services. In almost the entire range of the test scenarios, the UEs for both the heuristic algorithm and the optimal scheduling meet their requirements. Only when de distances to the base station become very large, it becomes clear that the heuristic algorithm performs less than the optimal scheduling. As a result, the area where the UEs meet their requirements for the heuristic algorithm is slightly smaller than that of the optimal scheduling. The resource usage of the heuristic algorithm is somewhat higher than optimal scheduling even when both meet the throughput requirements.


In recent years, the issue of liability of online platforms for the use of trademarks on their sites has become highly controversial in the light of divergent court cases in various jurisdictions. Given the legal uncertainty in this area, the role and potential responsibility of Internet intermediaries in the field of trademarks may become a topic of deliberations at the international level. At the World Intellectual Property Organization, proposals have been made for the exchange of information. The liability question is particularly complex because of the diversity of online platforms concerned and the diversity of use modalities involved. Recognizing the need for safe harbours in the area of trademarks, however, is only a first step in answering the question of secondary liability for infringing acts of users of online platforms. It is the scope of safe harbour provisions and the eligibility criteria to be fulfilled by platform providers that become crucial in this context. While it is beyond the scope of the inquiry to trace the conceptual contours of notice and takedown in trademark cases, the paper highlights the particular nature and inherent limits of exclusive rights in the field of trademark law. Considering fundamental differences between trademarks and copyright, it shows that the expansion of copyright notice and takedown standards to trademark cases, is likely to yield undesirable results. Instead, an individual safe harbour regime is needed that is tailored to the particular scope and reach of trademark protection. Besides the inherent limits of trademark rights, the limitations imposed on these rights to satisfy competing economic, social and cultural needs are to be considered in this context. In sum, a nuanced approach to the safe harbour question is needed that reflects the specific scope and reach of trademark rights as well as the individual characteristics of online platforms.


This paper investigates the epistemic obstacles posed by a legal system that prevents reversal of acquittals. Because such prevention disincentivizes appeals of non-guilty verdicts by prosecutors, false acquittals are virtually impossible to identify. Apart from entailing that such errors cannot be corrected (since they are not detected), this policy has a more egregious consequence; to wit, that appellate courts have little or no opportunity to learn what kinds of flaws lead to false acquittals. Without such knowledge, the courts are in no position to make or to recommend the sorts of changes that would otherwise allow the system to reform itself by learning from its mistakes. Finally, the appellate asymmetry arguably creates a situation in which rulings from lower court judges are much more likely to favor the defendant than the prosecution. All these problems could be resolved if double jeopardy protection were seriously rethought.


Calc-alkaline volcanic rocks ranging in age from Miocene to Recent are encountered in the Ojos del Salado area (27°0'S, 68°45'W). They lie at the southernmost end of the Central Volcanic Zone, coinciding with a major morphological, seismic and volcanic discontinuity. It has previously been suggested that this Ojos del Salado lineament may represent a continental extension of the chain of islands and seamounts referred to as the 'Easter Hot Line'. The volcanic rocks of the area have been sub-divided into five groups based on K–Ar dates. The first three groups, all of Miocene age, show a progressive younging eastwards with a concomitant increase in K2O. The formation of Wheelwright and other caldera structures appears to date from the close of this phase (8–6 Ma). During the Pliocene the Group 4 volcanoes were constructed mainly along a line trending N65°E but a number of other cones developed around Wheelwright caldera which was partially filled by their products. Clockwise rotation of the volcanic axis continued in Pleistocene–Recent times with the eruption of the Group 5 volcanoes of Ojos del Salado. Extensive pumice flows were associated with this new volcanic chain and there is generally a shift to more acidic compositions, especially dacite. Apart from the increase in K and related elements from west to east in Groups 1 to 3, there is no evidence for any systematic compositional change. In particular, the youngest group of volcanoes with an east–west trend is geochemically indistinguishable from its predecessors on the dominantly north–south axes. Trace element ratios show similar trends, the rare earth element patterns are LREE enriched and the 86Sr/87Sr initial ratios are all approximately 0.706. The Ojos del Salado volcanics are thus devoid of any compositional signature to link them with the Easter 'Hot Line'.


The Russian heatwave in 2010 killed tens of thousands of people, and was by far the worst event in Europe since at least 1950, according to recent studies and a novel universal heatwave index capturing both the duration and magnitude of heatwaves. Here, by taking an improved version of this index, namely the heat wave magnitude index daily, we rank the top ten European heatwaves that occurred in the period 1950–2014, and show the spatial distribution of the magnitude of the most recent heatwave in summer 2015. We demonstrate that all these events had a strong impact reported in historical newspapers. We further reveal that the 1972 heatwave in Finland had a comparable spatial extent and magnitude as the European heatwave of 2003, considered the second strongest heatwave of the observational era. In the next two decades (2021–2040), regional climate projections suggest that Europe experiences an enhanced probability for heatwaves comparable to or greater than the magnitude, extent and duration of the Russian heatwave in 2010. We demonstrate that the probability of experiencing a major European heatwave in the coming decades is higher in RCP8.5 than RCP4.5 even though global mean temperature projections do not differ substantially. This calls for a proactive vulnerability assessment in Europe in support of formulating heatwave adaptation strategies to reduce the adverse impacts of heatwaves.


This thesis is concerned with provision of multimedia services in cellular mobile/personal communication systems. It is a recognised fact that the success of mobile radio systems, in keeping a competitive edge with fixed telecommunication systems, depends on their capability to support as many services as possible and with comparative quality to that offered by the fixed networks. The first generation cellular systems (analogue) and second generation mobile communication systems (digital) were all designed primarily to support telephony services. Now there are worldwide standards activities in ETSI and ITU working towards a third generation system (digital) which aims to support services of up to 2Mbps. ETSI and ITU systems are called Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and Future Public Land Mobile Telecommunication System (FPLMTS), which has recently been named International Mobile Telecommunications for year 2000 at 2000 MHz or (IMT-2000) respectively. These systems are to operate, in allocated WARC'92 frequency bands between 1.885 GHz to 2.5 GHz. This thesis is aimed at an evaluation of possible potentials offered by the second generation systems, particularly GSM, and to propose new protocols for supporting data services whilst at the same time increasing spectral efficiency of the system and keeping intact the offered quality of telephony services. It must be emphasised that, the support of low bit rate data services, if not carefully incorporated, could result in inefficient use of the scarce radio spectrum. Therefore, major concern in this work is with accommodation of the low bit rate data services. Higher bit rate services (higher than voice codec rates) can be accommodated differently. Possible solutions are also proposed. This thesis is structured in a way that, hopefully, provides a logical approach to the problem and eventually to the proposed solutions. The introduction chapter starts with a brief account of the services envisaged for the third generation systems. To be able to evaluate the capability and suitability of already existing multiple access protocols and multiple access schemes, in chapter 2, a list of performance criteria is derived. As a result of these comparisons, TDMA as an access scheme and the GSM system were selected for further evaluation. In chapter 3, all the relevant aspect of the GSM system, for this research, are presented. Chapter 4, deals mainly with all of the characteristics of speech; discusses and tabulates all the possible parameters which can affect the speech quality, and that are essential to be taken account of when designing a telephony communication system. As a result of this, a model for speech is derived and adopted for further analysis. In chapter 5 all the currently proposed reservation-based multiple access protocols, suitable for statistical multiplexing of voice and data services are critically discussed. A new and generic mathematical technique, based on queuing theory, is derived and promising protocols such as PRMA and PRMA++ (candidate access protocols for the third generation mobile system) are evaluated. Detailed analysis of the PRMA protocol leads to new modifications which greatly enhances all of the statistics of PRMA and its derivatives. In chapter 5, it is also shown that PRMA increases system capacity at the cost of service quality. The present TDMA access protocol used in GSM was realised to be too rigid to efficiently support data services, especially low rate data services, so this research work was mainly directed to including some flexibility into GSM access protocols, without sacrificing voice service quality. Finally four novel protocols are identified and in chapter 6, their performance is thoroughly evaluated for mixed services in the GSM TDMA frame structure. Alternative frame structures are also investigated which can support even higher bit rate data services than those supportable within the current GSM frame structure. Finally, chapters 7 and 8, respectively, deal with conclusions of this research work and the list of references used in this investigation. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


With the rise in demand for renewable energy sources, photovoltaics have become increasingly popular as a means of reducing household dependence on the utility grid for power. But solar panels generate dc electricity, a dc to ac inverter is required to allow the energy to be used by the existing ac electrical distribution. Traditional full bridge inverters are able to accomplish this, but they suffer from many problems such as low efficiency, large size, high cost, and generation of electrical noise, especially common mode noise. Efforts to solve these issues have resulted in improved solutions, but they do not eliminate all of the problems and even exaggerate some of them. Soft switching inverters are able to achieve high efficiency by eliminating the switching losses of the power stage switches. Since this action requires additional components that are large and have additional losses associated with them, these topologies have traditionally been limited to higher power levels. The resonant snubber inverter is a soft switching topology that eliminates many of these problems by taking advantage of the bipolar switching action of the power stage switches. This allows for a significant size reduction in the additional parts and elimination of common mode noise, making it an ideal candidate for lower power levels. Previous attempts to implement the resonant snubber inverter have been hampered by low efficiency due to parasitics of the silicon devices used, but, with recent developments in new semiconductor technologies such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, these problems can be minimized and possibly eliminated. The goal of this thesis is to design and experimentally verify a design of a resonant snubber inverter that takes advantage of new semiconductor materials to improve efficiency while maintaining minimal additional, parts, simple control, and elimination of common mode noise. A 600 W prototype is built. The performance improvements over previous designs are verified and compared to alternative high efficiency solutions along with a novel control technique for the auxiliary resonant snubber. A standalone and grid tie controller are developed


Ground deformation due to volcanic magma intrusion is recognised as an important precursor of eruptive activity at a volcano. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is ideally suited for this application. With the advent of inexpensive GPS receiver boards, the development of a low-cost GPS-based volcano monitoring system is now possible. It provides an expendable way of measuring volcanic activity. This paper presents a novel, autonomous, deformation monitoring system based on the use of the low-cost Novatel Superstar II receiver. The system uses several of those GPS units, one of which being at a known reference location and the others being scattered around the area of interest. The GPS Superstar II receivers provide measurements of the L1 carrier phase and of the GPS ephemeris. Those measurements are logged at a user-defined sampling rate, and transmitted via a radio link to a central processing station. The post-processing engine uses those data in ambiguity resolution and baseline computation algorithms. The measurement of changes in GPS baseline easting, northing and height components over time forms the basis for measuring the volcano's expansion prior to eruption. The paper reviews the major practical design considerations for GPS-based volcano monitoring systems, together with the dominant error sources. The data processing steps necessary to obtain the baseline between the reference receiver and each slave unit is also detailed. The system validation is presented, showing the performance results obtained for several baseline lengths, data sampling rates and observation session lengths. Each hardware and software component is described, as well as the system architecture and the special challenges in deploying and operating such a system in an inhospitable environment.


The role of the liver and gut in contributing to the infection-induced fall in circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was examined in chronically catheterized conscious dogs. Two weeks before study, catheters and Doppler flow probes were implanted to assess hepatic and gut balance of IGF-I. To control nutrient intake, dogs were placed on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) as their sole caloric source. After dogs received TPN for 5 days, net hepatic and intestine IGF-I balances were assessed. A hypermetabolic infected state was then induced by the intraperitoneal implantation of a fibrin clot containing Escherichia coli. TPN was continued, and organ IGF-I balance was assessed 24 and 48 h after induction of infection. Arterial IGF-I levels were significantly decreased following infection (111 +/- 18, 62 +/- 10, and 63 +/- 8 ng/ml before and 24 and 48 h after, respectively). Net hepatic IGF-I output decreased markedly (221 +/- 73, to 73 +/- 41 and 41 +/- 17 ng. kg-1. min-1 before and 24 and 48 h after, respectively). The infection-induced decrease in hepatic IGF-I output could not be explained by concomitant alterations in plasma cortisol or insulin levels. The gut demonstrated a net uptake of IGF-I before infection (178 +/- 29 ng. kg-1. min-1). However, after infection, intestinal IGF-I uptake was completely suppressed (-10 +/- 15 and -8 +/- 36 ng. kg-1. min-1). In summary, infection decreases net hepatic IGF-I release 65-80% and completely suppresses net IGF-I uptake by the intestine. As a consequence of these reciprocal changes in IGF-I balance across the liver and intestine, splanchnic production of IGF-I was unchanged by infection. These data suggest that changes in the clearance and/or production of IGF-I by extrasplanchnic tissues contribute to the infection-induced decrease in circulating IGF-I levels.


Background. NOS/•NO inhibitors are potential therapeutics for sepsis, yet they increase clinical mortality. However, there has been no in vivo investigation of the (in vitro) •NO scavenger, cobalamin's (Cbl) endogenous effects on NOS/•NO/inflammatory mediators during the immune response to sepsis. Methods. We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), ELISA, Western blot, and NOS Griess assays, in a C57BL/6 mouse, acute endotoxaemia model. Results. During the immune response, pro-inflammatory phase, parenteral hydroxocobalamin (HOCbl) treatment partially inhibits hepatic, but not lung, iNOS mRNA and promotes lung eNOS mRNA, but attenuates the LPS hepatic rise in eNOS mRNA, whilst paradoxically promoting high iNOS/eNOS protein translation, but relatively moderate •NO production. HOCbl/NOS/•NO regulation is reciprocally associated with lower 4 h expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and lower circulating TNF-α, but not IL-6. In resolution, 24 h after LPS, HOCbl completely abrogates a major late mediator of sepsis mortality, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) mRNA, inhibits iNOS mRNA, and attenuates LPS-induced hepatic inhibition of eNOS mRNA, whilst showing increased, but still moderate, NOS activity, relative to LPS only. experiments (LPS+D-Galactosamine) HOCbl afforded significant, dose-dependent protection in mice Conclusions. HOCbl produces a complex, time- and organ-dependent, selective regulation of NOS/•NO during endotoxaemia, corollary regulation of downstream inflammatory mediators, and increased survival. This merits clinical evaluation.


Abstract The large Late Cretaceous marine reptile Mosasaurus has remained poorly defined, in part owing to the unorthodox (by today's nomenclatural standards) manner in which the name was erected. The lack of a diagnosis accompanying the first use of either the genus or species names allowed the genus to become a catchall taxon, and subsequent diagnoses did little to refine the concept of Mosasaurus. We herein present emended diagnoses for both Mosasaurus and the type species M. hoffmannii, based solely on personal examination of the holotype, and a description of the type species based on personal examination of many specimens. Mosasaurus exhibits a premaxilla with a short, conical edentulous rostrum, a maxilla with little to no dorsal excavation for the external naris, posteromedial processes of the frontal that deeply invade the parietal, a quadrate taller than long with a short suprastapedial process and the stapedial pit dorsal to the mid-height of the shaft, an angular that is laterally visible for only a short length of the post-dentary unit, a very tall surangular, a humerus with the postglenoid process robust and offset and a distal width greater than the length, and a pubis with an anteriorly projecting tubercle. M. hoffmannii is distinguished from other species assignable to the genus by the anteroventral corner formed on the tympanic rim of the quadrate, the asymmetric carinae of the anterior marginal teeth dividing the tooth circumference into short labial and long lingual segments, and the proximal and distal expansion of the femur.