This paper reviews the conflicts of interests introduced by employee participation in the governance of a firm and how these can be constructively resolved by introducing a division of power between investors and employees and/or between management and workers. Case studies reveal that non-trivial sustainable employee control of industrial firms are dependent upon establishing a compound board to separate, mediate and resolve conflicts of interests. Internal competition for control through a compound board is identified as an alternative to external competition for control through the stock market as a way for maintaining firm efficiency. The failure to introduce a compound board is identified as the reason for insider participation in governance reducing rather than increasing investor returns and jeopardising the viability of employee owned firms as demonstrated in transitional economies. The paper concludes that the problem will spread in advanced nations as tax incentives increase employee ownership with unitary boards.


Modeling and Estimation of Cardiorespiratory Function, with Application to Mechanical Ventilation Nikolaos Karamolegkos Evidence-based medicine is at the heart of current medical practice where clinical decisions are driven by research data. However, most current therapy recommendations follow generalized protocols and guidelines that are based on epidemiological (population) studies and thus not suited for the individual patient's demands. Patient-tailored therapies are considered, hence, an unmet clinical need. We believe that mathematical models of the physiology can attend to such a clinical need, because they can be tuned to the individual patient. Such models provide a sound mathematical framework for personalized clinical decisions. In particular, physiological models in medicine can serve the following two purposes: 1) They can be an efficient tool to quantify cardiopulmonary dynamics, conduct virtual clinical/physiological experiments, and investigate the effects of specific treatments. 2) Model-based estimation techniques can assess physiological parameters or variables, which are otherwise impractical or dangerous to measure; they can effectively tune a generic model to become patient-specific, able to mimic the behavior of a particular patient. In this thesis, we propose a series of modifications to a previously developed cardiopulmonary model (CP Model) in order to better replicate heart-lung interaction phenomena that are typically observed under mechanical ventilation, hence allowing for a more accurate analysis of ventilation-induced changes in cardiac function. The response of this modified model is validated with experimental data collected during mechanical ventilation conditions. Further, as an industrial application of mathematical models, we present a patient emulator system that comprises the modified CP Model, a physical ventilator, and a piston-cylinder arrangement that serves as an electrical-to-hydraulic transducer. The modified CP Model then serves as the virtual patient that is being ventilated, where disease conditions can be instilled. Such a system is designed to offer a well-controlled experimental environment for ventilator manufacturers to efficaciously test and compare ventilation modalities and therapies, thereby enhancing their verification and validation manufacturing processes. Finally, we develop a model-based approach to estimate (noninvasively) the function of the cardiovascular system, in terms of cardiac performance (i.e., cardiac output) and the dynamics of the systemic arterial tree (i.e., time constant). With this technique, we envision to provide continuous and real-time bedside monitoring of changes in cardiovascular function, such as those induced by changes in ventilator settings.


Background to Study Almost all healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (UTI) are caused by instrumentation of the urinary tract with about 80% of these being associated with the presence of an indwelling urinary catheter (IUC). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of catheterassociated urinary tract infection at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Study Design and Methods The study was a prospective observational study of 200 participants aged 18 and 65 years who had an IUC inserted as part of their care at the hospital between July 2015 and May 2016. 5ml samples of urine were obtained for culture at the time of urethral catheterization and on days 3, 7, 10, 14 and 28 post catheterization. The primary endpoint of the study was the development of CA-UTI. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22. Continuous data are presented as means and standard deviation while categorical data are presented as percentages. Comparison between means was done using the Student's t-test, while comparison between percentages was done using chi-square test. . Logistic regression analysis was subsequently used to determine the factors that were independently associated with the development of bacteriuria. The level of statistical significance was set at a p-value ≤0.05. Result The overall frequency of CA-UTI was 43%. The most common microbial isolate was E. coli which accounted for 29(33.7%) of all isolates cases. The other isolates in decreasing order of frequency were; C. albicans 25(29.1%), P. aeroginosa 14(16.3%), K. pneumonia 10(11.6%), enterococcus 2(2.3%) and A. iwoffi 2(2.3%). In 4(4.7%) of the participants, more than one organism was isolated (E.coli and C. albicans). Bacteriuria was associated with duration of catheterization (p-value = 0.001); age (p-value < 0.0001); presence of diabetes (p-value < 0.001); presence of hypertension (p-value = 0.005); presence of renal insufficiency (p-value = 0.001) and presence of urinary tract obstruction (p-value = 0.003) on univariate analysis. However, logistic regression analysis identified duration of catheterization (odds ratio (OR) = 12.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.6 - 25.5; p-value <0.001), presence of diabetes (OR = 5.6; 95% CI = 1.5 - 20.9; p-value = 0.01), presence of urinary tract obstruction (OR = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.3 - 11.3; p-value = 0.013) and age (OR = 1.1; 95% CI = 1.0 - 1.1; p-value = 0.001) as the factors independently associated with bacteriuria. Conclusion Bacteriuria was a frequent complication among patients with IUC in this study. The predominant causative organism was E. coli. Duration of catheterization, presence of diabetes, presence of urinary tract obstruction and older age were the factors associated with development of bacteriuria.


This paper presents the first field experiment regarding ethnic discrimination in the market place of small business transfers. We let two fictitious prospective buyers, one with a typical Swedish name and one with a typical Arab/Muslim name, respond to advertisements of small business transfers on the Internet in Sweden. We then recorded the number contacts achieved by each fictitious buyer with sellers. We found that sellers discriminated against the buyer with an Arab/Muslim name in the sense that the buyer with an Arab/Muslim name obtained fewer contacts with sellers than did the buyer with a Swedish name.


Phylogenetics uses alignments of molecular sequence data to learn about evolutionary trees relating species. Along branches, sequence evolution is modelled using a continuous-time Markov process characterized by an instantaneous rate matrix. Early models assumed the same rate matrix governed substitutions at all sites of the alignment, ignoring variation in evolutionary pressures. Substantial improvements in phylogenetic inference and model fit were achieved by augmenting these models with multiplicative random effects that describe the result of variation in selective constraints and allow sites to evolve at different rates which linearly scale a baseline rate matrix. Motivated by this pioneering work, we consider an extension using a quadratic, rather than linear, transformation. The resulting models allow for variation in the selective coefficients of different types of point mutation at a site in addition to variation in selective constraints. We derive properties of the extended models. For certain non-stationary processes, the extension gives a model that allows variation in sequence composition, both across sites and taxa. We adopt a Bayesian approach, describe an MCMC algorithm for posterior inference and provide software. Our quadratic models are applied to alignments spanning the tree of life and compared with site-homogeneous and linear models.


Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT) is designed to enhance the directed delivery of radionuclides to malignant cells. Through a series of studies in 19 nonhuman primates (Macaca fascicularis), the potential therapeutic advantage of anti-CD45 PRIT was evaluated. Anti-CD45 PRIT demonstrated a significant improvement in target-to-normal organ ratios of absorbed radiation compared with directly radiolabeled bivalent antibody (conventional radioimmunotherapy [RIT]). Radio-DOTA-biotin administered 48 hours after anti-CD45 streptavidin fusion protein (FP) [BC8 (scFv)(4)SA] produced markedly lower concentrations of radiation in nontarget tissues compared with conventional RIT. PRIT generated superior target:normal organ ratios in the blood, lung, and liver (10.3:1, 18.9:1, and 9.9:1, respectively) compared with the conventional RIT controls (2.6:1, 6.4:1, and 2.9:1, respectively). The FP demonstrated superior retention in target tissues relative to comparable directly radiolabeled bivalent anti-CD45 RIT. The time point of administration of the second step radiolabeled ligand (radio-DOTA-biotin) significantly impacted the biodistribution of radioactivity in target tissues. Rapid clearance of the FP from the circulation rendered unnecessary the addition of a synthetic clearing agent in this model. These results support proceeding to anti-CD45 PRIT clinical trials for patients with both leukemia and lymphoma.


Air clarity (c) is defined as the distance from an observer to a black ridge, or dark building, or some similar object when it is just barely visible against the horizon sky. The expression is derived for visual range (v) in miles of a small smoke, such as a Forest Service lookout would be expected to detect. Visual range depends upon direction with respect to the sun, clarity, height of smoke layer, binocular power, and Fechner's constant for the observer. The expression cannot be solved explicitly for v but families of curves are plotted. One interesting result is that under certain conditions, adding smoke to all the air increases the visual range of a small smoke. A visibility meter was constructed to determine clarity (general visibility). The form of meter finally adopted is to be slipped over one objective of a binocular. It consists essentially of a small-angle prism (0.5 diopter) that is moved past a small aperture before the objective. When covering part of the aperture there are two images in the field of view, the added one being due to the prism. As the prism covers more and more of the aperture, the original image grows weaker and the new one grows stronger. When the original image becomes so weak that the boundary line between the object (e.g., ridge or dark building) and the horizon haze just disappears, the distance the observer would have to be from the object for it to be just barely visible may be calculated from the position of the prism and the actual distance of the object. This is c. Curves are drawn to save calculations by the operator. The meter is adapted for use at Forest Service fire lookouts, airports, etc.


As a consequence of climate change and urbanization, many cities will have to deal with more flooding and extreme heat stress. This paper presents a framework to maximize the effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for flood risk reduction and thermal comfort enhancement. The framework involves an assessment of hazards with the use of models and field measurements. It also detects suitable implementation sites for NBS and quantifies their effectiveness for thermal comfort enhancement and flood risk reduction. The framework was applied in a densely urbanized study area, for which different small-scale urban NBS and their potential locations for implementation were assessed. The overall results show that the most effective performance in terms of flood mitigation and thermal comfort enhancement is likely achieved by applying a range of different measures at different locations. Therefore, the work presented here shows the potential of the framework to achieve an effective combination of measures and their locations, which was demonstrated on the case of the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok (Thailand). This can be particularly suitable for assessing and planning flood mitigation measures in combination with heat stress reduction.


The Short-Time Compensation (STC) program enables US firms to reduce work hours via pro-rated Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits, rather than relying on layoffs as a cost-cutting tool. Despite the program's potential to preclude skill loss and rehiring/ retraining costs, firms' participation rates are still very low in response to economic downturns. Using firm-level UI administrative data, we show why by illustrating which type firms benefit from the program and which do not. Semiparametric estimation indicates STC reduces layoff rates for cyclically sensitive firms by about 15%, but has no effect for more cyclically stable firms.


Significance of fish for food webs in the Wadden sea
Moritz Pockberger, Florian Kellnreitner, Harald Asmus

The Wadden Sea, an UNESCO world heritage site since 2009, is widely known as a nursery ground for commercially important fish of the North Sea, and also provides a habitat for small-sized fish species. Recently the fish fauna of the North Sea shows profound alterations respecting species compositon, standing stocks and migration behavior. Therefore, in the frame of long term observations of biological parameters in the Sylt-Romo Bight (=SRB), a fish survey was conducted since 2007, to document possible changes of species composition and stock size, considering the rise of temperature on a local scale. Sampling takes place monthly on seven locations inside SRB using a bottom trawl, which is designed to be deployed also as flyde trawl for pelagic fishing. On every location a benthic and on deeper sites additionally a pelagic haul is performed. To achieve a clear picture of trophic positions and interactions between fish species inside the SRB gut content analysis and feeding experiments are carried out. Most of the long term data will be used to portray a food web for the total SRB as well as for the particular habitats of this area. This food web will reflect certain scenarios of environmental conditions and biological status to give a holistic view of the current as well as the expected changes. Until now, fish species are underrepresented in this food web and due to the lack of basic data only eight fish species could be included. Increasing temperatures in summer may lead to immigration of lusitanian species, such as the sand smelt (Atherina presbyter), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and the striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) into the Wadden Sea. Additionally a higher proportion of thermophile species is expected to visit the Wadden Sea, whereas boreal species may move to more northern regions. During a warm summer period in 2003 a high immigration of small thermophile fish, such as sand smelt and anchovy and emigration of indigenous fish was observed in the SRB. Considering the above described changes and varying residence times during seasons, shifts in the food web can be expected. In winter, higher temperatures may delay the migration of fish species into depths that have more stable environmental conditions. Several findings indicate ongoing changes in the SRB, e.g. sand smelt was found rarely, but is now found regularly in summer during sampling and it is assumed that reproduction takes place inside the SRB. In autumn, hatchlings of grey mullets (Chelon labrosus) were caught both in beach seine and bottom trawl. This species was only recorded as a summer guest before. Furthermore, catches of black goby (Gobius niger), may be an example for ongoing faunal changes occurring in the area. To identify potential seasonal differences in species abundance and the role of southern species in the Wadden sea food web, an analysis of guild structures was conducted. Another subject of investigation will be the impact of new established habitats, like reefs of the Pacific cupped oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and Japanese Sargasso weed (Sargassum muticum) on fishes. These two species occur densely in high numbers and are able to change abiotic factors. Identification of feeding relationships and of key prey species provide important information for coastal area management and may help to explain structural variations of fish community in an area that is subject to constant change.


Clinical experience in the former Ciskei suggests an association between dietary iron overload (DIO) and idiopathic cardiomyopathy (IC). A literature analysis suggests that a fundamental problem underlies autopsy studies on iron overload/heart disease, i.e. that two assumptions are false: (I) cardiac iron deposits must be demonstrated to prove toxicity; and (ii) the quantity of hepatic iron must correlate with heart disease. In the original studies on IC associated with DIO, the same assumptions led to the exclusion of iron toxicity. A mechanism of iron toxicity based on blood-borne free radical cardiac damage explains the false assumptions, accounts for the contradictory results in the literature and suggests that the exclusion of iron toxicity in IC was incorrect. This study demonstrates an ongoing association between IC and DIO in the Ciskei, and reports an ICIDIO patient whose cardiomyopathy improved following venesection. If blood-borne free radicals are in fact responsible for myocardial damage in iron-overloaded individuals, prognostic factors other than iron quantity per se may be important.


Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Dedications Contributors How to use this book Section 1 Before the game 1 The coach L Moggan, R F Harrold 2 The medical team C Murray, P O'Neill 3 The player B Devitt, P Devitt 4 Come on ref! - role of the referee or official F Devitt, Jim O'Byrne Section 2 During the game 5 The ABC chapter A M Byrne, N Eustace 6 The collapsed player B Devitt, K Carson 7 Player immobilization and transfer M J Shelly, A R Poynton 8 Skin injury A M Byrne, A Byrne 9 Strains, sprains and tears J Walsh, S J Eustace 10 Broken bones J Walsh, P J Kenny Section 3 Where is the injury? 11 Head injuries J S Butler, C Bolger 12 Facial injuries J S Butler, F Coffey, F Kearns 13 Neck injuries I Robertson and A R Poynton 14 Upper limb injuries M H Vioreanu, J H Mullett 15 Chest problems M H Vioreanu, S P Gaine 16 Abdominal injuries G O Lawlor, G McEntee 17 Back and pelvis injuries I Robertson, K Synnott 18 Lower limb injuries M J Shelly, I P Kelly 19 Drowning and diving and water sports injuries G Horgan, G C O'Toole 20 On the mountain J M Queally, D McCormack Section 4 After the Game 21 Player assessment E Falvey, C McCarthy 22 Event assessment E Falvey, C McCarthy Index


The site frequency spectrum of mutations (SFS) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) are the two major sources of information in population genetics studies. In this study we focus on the levels of LD and the SFS and on the effect of sample size on summary statistics in 10 Scandinavian populations of Norway spruce. We found that previous estimates of a low level of LD were highly influenced by both sampling strategy and the fact that data from multiple loci were analyzed jointly. Estimates of LD were in fact heterogeneous across loci and increased within individual populations compared with the estimate from the total data. The variation in levels of LD among populations most likely reflects different demographic histories, although we were unable to detect population structure by using standard approaches. As in previous studies, we also found that the SFS-based test Tajima's D was highly sensitive to sample size, revealing that care should be taken to draw strong conclusions from this test when sample size is small. In conclusion, the results from this study are in line with recent studies in other conifers that have revealed a more complex and variable pattern of LD than earlier studies suggested and with studies in trees and humans that suggest that Tajima's D is sensitive to sample size. This has large consequences for the design of future association and population genetic studies in Norway spruce.


The current trends in employment relations as they relate to decentralisation of production, outsourcing of workers to third parties, the emerging range of new employment arrangements such as agency work, contract or part-time work, casualisation and telecommuting are the result of globalisation along with intensifying emphasis on the adoption of international labour standards in workplaces. As a result Nigeria, like most countries of the developed world, has seen significant changes in its tripartite industrial relations. If we reflect on the number of actors who participated in the 2013 trade dispute between the Federal Government (FG) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), such changes depict industrial relations as multipartite rather than tripartite. While identifying these emerging multiple actors, this article places industrial relations in a broader multidisciplinary framework and demonstrates the need to review current theories, legislation, approaches and institutional frameworks while developing indigenous ones to achieve a proper and more in-depth understanding of the Nigerian model of multipartite industrial relations.


Ear development transforms an area of head ectoderm into a complex three-dimensional structure carrying three types of sensory systems for gravistatic and angular acceleration sensation as well as hearing. Transformation of the otic ectoderm starts with the specification of neurosensory cells that differentiate into the essential components for the sensory processes, the hair cells, supporting cells and neurons. The role of proneural bHLH genes in this process is presented and put into the context of ear evolution to appreciate how cellular diversity is embedded into the diversification of the ear as whole as well as the evolution of novel sensory capacities in the ear. Ear neurosensory development is characterised by extensive cross-regulation of multiple factors for cell type specification and fate fixation. Data suggesting that sensory epithelia may directly regulate the formation of their associated structures to guide specific stimuli to the sensory epithelia are presented.

Key Concepts:

Numerous coexpressed factors regulate transformation of general epidermis to prosensory otic ectoderm.

Proneural basic-Helix–Loop–Helix proteins define cell fate through cross-regulative interaction.

Sensory epithelia regulate formation of accessory structures including aspects of ear morphogenesis.

Ear development can best be understood in the context of ear evolution.

Keywords:

ear development;
neurosensory development;
auditory system development


Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a country possessing abundant resources of gold, oil, copper, timber, and fish stocks. It is hampered in its development and management of these resources, however, by serious problems of governance and corruption. These problems are evident throughout the economy and also in the management of the environment. The level of environmental damage caused by the mining industry in PNG is now such that it will require extensive rehabilitation, if the areas affected can, indeed, ever be fully rehabilitated. The mining companies which precipitated this damage were licensed and encouraged by the PNG Government in the initiation and exercise of the mining operations. The resulting environmental impact has affected the lives of thousands of New Guineans to their detriment. The degradation caused remains
unredressed.

Compounding the problem, there is a growing reliance by Papua New Guinea on mineral exploitation for foreign direct investment, government revenues, and foreign exchange. Gold exports accounted for the biggest share of export revenues in 2002 representing 37.5% of the total. In light of this growing dependency on mining activities, there is a correspondingly urgent requirement to address the deficiencies in the administrative, monitoring, and policing aspects of the protection of its environment.

Despite the public evidence of the damage to the environment and the ensuing affect on the people of Papua New Guinea by mining activities; and despite universal condemnation of these activities and the companies responsible; the companies continue to conduct these activities without official hindrance and with little apparent concern for the long-term ramifications of their actions.

This thesis will examine the degradation resulting from the mining activities of companies in Papua New Guinea over the last three decades - particularly those of Placer Dome's Porgera gold mine, BHP's Ok Tedi gold and copper mine (the waste from both of which is dumped into the Ok Tedi and Strickland rivers which are tributaries of the Fly River and form part of the Fly River system) and Lihir Gold Limited's gold mine on Lihir Island. It will examine the extent to which the Government of Papua New Guinea may have wittingly (in the sense of a prescience as to the possible or probable likelihood of deleterious impact) or unwittingly contributed to that degradation as a result of its actions or omissions.

Studies of available literature suggest that there has been little attention paid to the subject of culpability on the part of successive PNG governments in matters of environmental damage. This research will contribute to reducing this gap in the literature by focusing on possible motives of the PNG government and its actors which precipitated those decisions and which resulted in environmental degradation. The discussion will examine the likely motivation of the PNG government in its deliberations and decisions and the extent to which corruption and incompetence may have played a role.


Accurate localization of pulmonary nodules is the main difficulty experienced in wedge resection. Commonly used localization methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, clinical work has demonstrated that intraoperative indocyanine green localization under electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy/virtual navigation bronchoscopy (VNB) is more advantageous than conventional methods for patients with multiple pulmonary nodules undergoing simultaneous surgery, especially for those undergoing bilateral lung surgery.


The production process of prosthetic restorations runs in two stages. In the first stage, the prosthetic foundation is produced of metal alloys. In the second stage, a facing material is applied on the produced element. In both stages, the wettability is significantly important, as well as the free surface energy relating to it. The quality of the obtained cast depends on the surface phenomena occurring between the metal alloy and the material of which the casting mould is made. The performed examinations also point to a relation between the ceramics joint and the base, depending on the wetting angle. The aim of the presented paper was to examine influence of the composition of a Ti(C,N)-type coating on bases made of the Ni-Cr prosthetic alloy on the wettability and the surface free energy. The test material were disks made of the Ni-Cr alloy with the diameter of 8 mm. The disks were divided into five groups, which were covered with Ti(C,N) coatings, with different amounts of C and N in the layer. In order to determine the surface free energy (γS), the wetting angle was measured. Two measure liquids were applied: distilled water and diiodomethane. The obtained results of the measurements of the water-wetting angles suggest that together with the increase of the ratio of nitrogen to carbon in the Ti(C,N) coating, the surface hydrophobicity increases as well. In all the samples, one can see a large difference between the energy values of the polar and the apolar components. The high values of the polar components and the low values of the apolar ones make it possible to conclude that these surfaces exhibit a greater affinity to the polar groups than to the apolar ones. On the basis of the analysis of the surface free energy, one can state that covering the alloy with Ti(C,N)-type coatings should not decrease the adhesion of the ceramics to the alloy, whereas TiC coatings should lead to the latter's improvement. Due to their hydrophilicity, TiC coatings should decrease the adhesion of bacteria to the surface and hinder the formation of a bacterial biofilm.


Based on how different languages verbalise motion events they can be divided into two main categories: satellite-framed (e.g., English) and verb-framed languages (e.g., Spanish) (Talmy, 1985; Slobin, 2004). This typology reflects the speakers' way of thinking-for-speaking (Slobin, 1996; 2004). According to, for example, McNeill & Duncan (2000), gestures are also part of thinking-for-speaking. This is reflected by the constituents with which gestures coincide. However, previous research (Van Hoof, 2000; Vrinzen, 2003; Boot 2003) suggests that even two satellite-framed languages can differ in their gesture placement. The English participants tended to place their gestures on the verb (expected of verb-framed languages). The Dutch displayed no consistent pattern across the three studies. This study investigates German. Results suggest that Germans tend to place their gestures on the satellite (expected of satellite-framed languages). Together, these four studies indicate that a categorisation based on speech cannot necessarily be applied to gestures.


A reclassification of the agglutinated foraminifera (within the Class Foraminiferea) is presented, consisting of three subclasses, seven orders, 18 suborders, 32 superfamilies, 122 families, 148 subfamilies, and containing a total of 832 valid genera is presented. The classification is modified from the suprageneric scheme used by Kaminski (2004a), and incorporates all the new agglutinated genera described up to and including the year 2010. The major differences from the Kaminski (2004a) classification are (1) the subdivision of the Foraminifera into three supraordinal groups according to the molecular studies of Pawlowski and co-workers (2) the inclusion of the allogromiids in the classification alongside the astrorhizids (3) the inclusion of the xenophyophorids within the Astrorhizida at superfamily rank, (4) the merging of all pseudo-bilocular and pseudo-multichambered forms within a single subclass and (5) the revision of the schlumberigerinids to encompass all miliolidswith an agglutinated wall. Numerous minor corrections and updates have been made to the generic classification based on the recent literature.


Abstract The ARIES-CS team has concluded an integrated study of a compact stellarator power plant, involving physics and engineering design optimization. Key engineering considerations include the size of the power core, access for maintenance, and the minimum distance required between the plasma and the coil to provide acceptable shielding and breeding. Our preferred power core option in a three-field-period configuration is a dual-coolant (He + Pb-17Li) ferritic steel modular blanket concept coupled with a Brayton power cycle and a port-based maintenance scheme. In parallel with a physics effort to help determine the location and peak heat load to the divertor, we developed a helium-cooled W alloy/ferritic steel divertor design able to accommodate 10 MW/m2. We also developed an intercoil structure design to accommodate the electromagnetic forces within each field period while allowing for penetrations required for maintenance, plasma control, coolant lines, and supporting legs for the in-vessel components. This paper summarizes the key engineering outcomes from the study. The engineering design of the fusion power core components (including the blanket and divertor) are described and key results from the supporting analyses presented, including stress analyses of the components and thermal-hydraulic analyses of the power core coupled to a Brayton cycle. The preferred port-based maintenance scheme is briefly described and the integration of the power core is discussed. The key stellarator-specific challenges affecting the design are highlighted, including the impact of the minimum plasma-coil distance, the maintenance, integration, and coil design requirements, and the need for alpha power accommodation.


Background The ageing population and prevalence of long-term disorders with multimorbidity are a major health challenge worldwide. The associations between comorbid conditions and mortality risk are well established; however, few prospective community-based studies have reported on prior risk factors for incident hospital admissions with multimorbidity. We aimed to explore the independent associations for a range of demographic, lifestyle and physiological determinants and the likelihood of subsequent hospital incident multimorbidity. Methods We examined incident hospital admissions with multimorbidity in 25 014 men and women aged 40–79 in a British prospective population-based study recruited in 1993–1997 and followed up until 2019. The determinants of incident multimorbidity, defined as Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥3, were investigated using multivariable logistic regression models for the 10-year period 1999–2009 and repeated with independent measurements in a second 10-year period 2009–2019. Results Between 1999 and 2009, 18 179 participants (73% of the population) had a hospital admission. Baseline 5-year and 10-year incident multimorbidities were observed in 6% and 12% of participants, respectively. Age per 10-year increase (OR 2.19, 95% CI 2.06 to 2.33) and male sex (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.47) predicted incident multimorbidity over 10 years. In the subset free of the most serious diseases at baseline, current smoking (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.15), body mass index >30 kg/m² (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.70) and physical inactivity (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.29) were positively associated and plasma vitamin C (a biomarker of plant food intake) per SD increase (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.91) inversely associated with incident 10-year multimorbidity after multivariable adjustment for age, sex, social class, education, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure and cholesterol. Results were similar when re-examined for a further time period in 2009–2019. Conclusion Age, male sex and potentially modifiable lifestyle behaviours including smoking, body mass index, physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable intake were associated with increased risk of future incident hospital admissions with multimorbidity.


Using a combination of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) techniques, the secondary structure of peptides anchored on gold nanoparticles of different sizes is investigated. The structure of the well-studied CALNN-capped nanoparticles is compared to the structure of nanoparticles capped with a new cysteine-terminated peptide, CFGAILSS. The design of that peptide is derived from the minimal amyloidogenic sequence FGAIL of the human islet polypeptide amylin. We demonstrate that CFGAILSS forms extended fibrils in solution. When constrained at a nanoparticle surface, CFGAILSS adopts a secondary structure markedly different from CALNN. Taking into account the surface selection rules, the FTIR spectra of CFGAILSS-capped gold nanoparticles indicate the formation of β-sheets which are more prominent for 25 nm diameter nanoparticles than for 5 nm nanoparticles. No intermolecular (13)C-(13)C dipolar coupling is detected with rotational resonance SSNMR for CALNN-capped nanoparticles, while CALNN is in a random coil configuration. Coupling is detected for CFGAILSS-capped gold nanoparticles, however, consistent with an intermolecular (13)C-(13)C distance of 5.0 ± 0.3 Å, in agreement with intermolecular hydrogen bonding in a parallel β-sheet structure.


The proliferation of internet-connected mobile devices will continue to drive growth in data traffic in an exponential fashion, forcing network operators to dramatically increase the capacity of their networks. To do this cost-effectively, a paradigm shift in cellular network infrastructure deployment is occurring away from traditional (expensive) high-power tower-mounted base stations and towards heterogeneous elements. Examples of heterogeneous elements include microcells, picocells, femtocells, and distributed antenna systems (remote radio heads), which are distinguished by their transmit powers/ coverage areas, physical size, backhaul, and propagation characteristics. This shift presents many opportunities for capacity improvement, and many new challenges to co-existence and network management. This article discusses new theoretical models for understanding the heterogeneous cellular networks of tomorrow, and the practical constraints and challenges that operators must tackle in order for these networks to reach their potential.


Aspects of muon beams pertinent to the establishment of an effective nucleon structure facility are discussed and a preliminary design for such a beam at NAL is advanced. The optical properties, duty factor and proton beam source are already able to be sharply specified, but the pion and muon transports need more work to be optimal. It is already clear, however, that efficiency gains of at least 20 can be made and probably- factors of 50 or even 100 are not impossible. Beam/halo ratios can probably be raised to 14: 1 with proper spoilers. Most important of all, the effective beam time can be raised an order of magnitude over present prospects by establishing a separate source of protons for a muon beam by means of a split or pulsed switch in the present neutrino beam time. (auth)


The wetland ecosystem of Wadi Gaza is a major source of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Gaza Strip due to its water content that comes from different sources including wastewater. Local inhabitants usually complain from mosquito proliferation and ask the responsible parties for urgent solutions. The escalating situation in the study area promoted the conduction of this study, which aims at documenting the inhabitants knowledge on mosquito proliferation and control in the wetland ecosystem of Wadi Gaza, Gaza Strip. One hundred and twenty people (N=120) were selected randomly to fill a questionnaire especially designed to conduct the current study. The findings of the study showed that most participants (85.0%) ranked stagnant wastewater as the main cause of mosquito proliferation and the emission of offensive odors that affect the life of Wadi Gaza residents. Of the study population, 72.5% linked mosquito proliferation to many of the prevailing diseases in the area, of which fever, skin rashes and inflammations and itching were a part. To control mosquitoes and to avoid their biting at the personal level, several means with variable scores were reported to include burning mats, light traps, indoor insecticides, mosquito bed nets (Namosiah), window and/or door wire screens, and self-hygiene. Some people limit their outdoor activities after dark during peak mosquito seasons. At the public level, mosquito control means included the spraying of kerosene and pesticides, burning and clearing of vegetation around the wetland ecosystem, and burial and desiccation of stagnant water pools in the area. As far as the use of the biological control agent "Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis" (Bti) is concerned, 57.5% of the participants demonstrated their knowledge on its use and sometimes on its efficacy. Only 20.0% of participants ensured their attendance to different health and environmental awareness campaigns concerning mosquitoes and their associated health problems. Finally, the authors recommend the different parties to coordinate their efforts to further alleviate the problem of mosquito proliferation and to find suitable control methods. The conduction of educational and awareness health programs to all levels of the Palestinian society is highly recommended. Key words: Mosquito proliferation, mosquito control, wetlands, Wadi Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine


Background—Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a noninvasive index of central arterial stiffness, is a potent predictor of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Heritability and linkage studies have pointed toward a genetic component affecting PWV. We conducted a genome-wide association study to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with PWV. Methods and Results—The study cohort included participants from the SardiNIA study for whom PWV measures were available. Genotyping was performed in 4221 individuals, using either the Affymetrix 500K or the Affymetrix 10K mapping array sets (with imputation of the missing genotypes). Associations with PWV were evaluated using an additive genetic model that included age, age2, and sex as covariates. The findings were tested for replication in an independent internal Sardinian cohort of 1828 individuals, using a custom chip designed to include the top 43 nonredundant SNPs associated with PWV. Of the loci that were tested for association with PWV, the nonsynonymous SNP rs3742207 in the COL4A1 gene on chromosome 13 and SNP rs1495448 in the MAGI1 gene on chromosome 3 were successfully replicated (P=7.08×10−7 and P=1.06×10−5, respectively, for the combined analyses). The association between rs3742207 and PWV was also successfully replicated (P=0.02) in an independent population, the Old-Order Amish, leading to an overall P=5.16×10−8. Conclusions—A genome-wide association study identified a SNP in the COL4A1 gene that was significantly associated with PWV in 2 populations. Collagen type 4 is the major structural component of basement membranes, suggesting that previously unrecognized cell-matrix interactions may exert an important role in regulating arterial stiffness.


Sustainable development entails meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This requires us to treat economic, social and environmental aspects in an integrated way, but little is known about the nature of individual preferences towards the trade-offs involved in this effort. For the first time, we study individual preferences towards the environment, social wellbeing, and financial wellbeing using a survey of over 1400 households in the Netherlands. Using nonparametric, parametric, and matching methods, we find that gender and education are important factors for sustainability rather than income levels. Moreover results indicate that educated females put the greatest value on going green whilst being socially minded.


The medicinal plants are playing a pivotal role in the modern medicine; especially in the treatment of different human ailments. Bioactive factors derived from the plants remain the basis for a large proportion of the commercial medication. Celastrus paniculatus (CP) is one such a traditional ayurvedic medicinal plant used for centuries as a memory enhancing, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, antiepileptic, antioxidant, wound healing, anxiolytic activities, enhancement of learning and memory, hypolipidemic effects, and other pharmacological agents. The various extracts of CP have been extensively investigated in several laboratories for their neuropharmacological effects, and a number of reports are available confirming their nootropic action. The Jyothismathi oil obtained from the seeds of CP, widely used in the indigenous system of medicine for the treatment of brain-related disorders. Keeping in the view of the therapeutic potential of this plant, investigations are being continued to design novel drugs for many ailments from this versatile medicinal plant.


In this classic work, Leo Strauss examines the problem of natural right and argues that there is a firm foundation in reality for the distinction between right and wrong in ethics and politics. On the centenary of Strauss's birth, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Walgreen Lectures which spawned the work, Natural Right and History remains as controversial and essential as ever. "Strauss ...makes a significant contribution towards an understanding of the intellectual crisis in which we find ourselves ...[and] brings to his task an admirable scholarship and a brilliant, incisive mind."--John H. Hallowell, American Political Science Review Leo Strauss (1899-1973) was the Robert Maynard Hutchins Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Political Science at the University of Chicago.


One of the most important aspects of genomic analysis is the prediction of which pathways, both metabolic and non-metabolic, are present in an organism. In IMG, this is carried out by the assignment of IMG terms, which are organized into IMG pathways. Based on manual and automatic assignment of IMG terms, the presence or absence of IMG pathways is automatically inferred. The three categories of pathway assertion are asserted (likely present), not asserted (likely absent), and unknown. In the unknown category, at least one term necessary for the pathway is missing, but an ortholog in another organism has the corresponding term assigned to it. Automatic pathway inference is an important initial step in genome analysis.


In this position paper for the MUM 2003 workshop in Norrkoping, December 10th 2003, Designing for ubicomp in the wild: Methods for exploring the design of mobile and ubiquitous service, a brief description is given of methods used in connection with a series of 'quick and dirty' ethnographic studies of mobile ICT users. These studies were carried out as commissioned research during 2000. Because of predetermined constraints on the studies and resulting reports, alternative ways of describing and annotating interactions on the move were devised and tested. As a result, the initial single time line approach was abandoned and a number of messier, multi-branched chor(e)ographies of communication were developed. These were finally discarded at the time as failures. However, in connection with becoming more of a mobile ICT user myself, the issue of the social and situated construction of time, and the need for supporting several themes in parallel, along different time lines, has surfaced again, and now seems more relevant than ever.


Column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport and deposition behavior of representative hydrophobic and hydrophilic bacteria strains in sand at different water saturations. These strains are similar in surface charge, shape, and size, and differ primarily in their surface hydrophobicity and tendency to form aggregates. The amount of bacteria that were retained in the sand increased with decreasing water saturation, especially for the more hydrophobic strain that formed larger cell aggregates. Most of the cells were retained close to the column inlet, and the rate of deposition rapidly decreased with depth. The experimental data were analyzed using a mathematical model that accounted for deposition on two kinetic sites. Consideration of depth‐dependent deposition in the model formulation significantly improved the description of the data, and the amount of cell retention was typically dominated by this site. The depth‐dependent deposition coefficient tended to increase with decreasing water content, especially for the hydrophobic bacteria. Straining is believed to account for these observations because it increases in magnitude with increasing cell and aggregate size and when a greater fraction of the water flows through a larger number of small pore spaces with decreasing water content. Cell retention on the other kinetic deposition site was well described using a conventional model for attachment and detachment. Consistent with interaction energy calculations for bacteria attachment, however, low amounts of cell retention occurred on this site. Attempts to separately determine the amounts of attachment to solid–water and air–water interfaces were confounded by the influence of straining.


Objectives. To test the reactivity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) of women in different stages of pregnancy to a psychosocial stressor. Design. Psychosocial stress was induced by a standardized test, the Trier Social Stress Test. Setting. University of Zurich, Switzerland. Population. Fifty‐five healthy pregnant women (28 in the second and 27 in or close to the third trimester) and 24 non‐pregnant women in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Methods. Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded before, during and after the test. Subjective stress perception was measured by a visual analog scale. Main outcome measures. Heart rate, HRV components (high frequency, HF; low frequency, LF, and LF/HF ratio), subjective stress ratings. Results. HF significantly decreased and LF/HF ratio increased during psychosocial stress in all three groups. LF values indicated no significant reaction to psychosocial stress, but a trend towards significance with group interaction was seen. There were no significant differences in subjective stress ratings between the groups. Conclusions. ANS activity during psychosocial stress seems to be decreased in proceeding pregnancy, whereas subjective stress perception does not show significant changes. The decline of HF due to stress compared to non‐pregnant women is not attenuated, just on a lower level.


Whom, or what, does compositiondefined here as an intentional process of study, either oral or writtenserve? Bradford T. Stull contends that composition would do well to articulate, in theory and practice, what could be called "emancipatory composition." He argues that emancipatory composition is radically theopolitical: it roots itself in the foundational theological and political language of the American experience while it subverts this language in order to emancipate the oppressed and, thereby, the oppressors.To articulate this vision, Stull looks to those who compose from an oppressed place, finding in the works of W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X radical theopolitical practices that can serve as a model for emancipatory composition. While Stull acknowledges that there are many sites of oppression, he focuses on what Du Bois has called the problem of the twentieth century: the color line, positing that the unique and foundational nature of the color line provides a fecund place in which, from which, a theory and practice of emancipatory composition might be elucidated.By focusing on four key theopolitical tropesThe Fall, The Orient, Africa, and Edenthat inform the work of Du Bois, King, and Malcolm X, Stull discovers the ways in which these civil rights leaders root themselves in the vocabulary of the American experience in order to subvert it so that they might promote emancipation for African Americans, and thus all Americans.In drawing on the work of Paulo Freire, Kenneth Burke, Edward Said, Christopher Miller, Ernst Bloch, and others, Stull also locates this study within the larger cultural context. By reading Du Bois, King, and Malcolm X together in a way that they have never before been read, Stull presents a new vision of composition practice to the African American studies community and a reading of African American emancipatory composition to the rhetoric and composition community, thus extending the question of emancipatory composition into new territory."


An adverse pressure gradient (APG) turbulent boundary layer is investigated using a three dimensional scanning flow visualization technique. This dissertation includes an introduction to the structures and past research of the zero pressure gradient (ZPG) and APG turbulent boundary layer, as well as a description of three experiments to investigate the turbulent boundary layer. The first experiment of this work uses simultaneous 2-D particle image velocimetry (PIV) to complement 3-D flow visualization measurements in a turbulent boundary layer to compare the boundary layer edge. Building off of the first experiment, a separate experiment was performed to compare 2-D velocity with 2-D flow visualization. The edge of the boundary layer identified from flow visualization generally matches the edge determined from velocity and vorticity. The correlation between velocity deficit and smoke intensity indicated a moderate to strong relationship between the two. In many cases, velocity fields estimated from smoke intensity were similar to the actual velocity fields. While not suitable for estimating the velocity given an intensity field, the correlations validate the use of flow visualization techniques for determining the edge and large-scale shape of a turbulent boundary layer, specifically when quantitative velocity measurements are not possible. The third experiment described in this dissertation consists of using a scanning 3-D flow visualization technique to compare the large scale features in a ZPG and APG boundary layer. In general, structures in a ZPG boundary layer are larger and spaced farther apart compared to the APG cases. Flow features identified through conditional averaging extend higher into the freestream flow for the APG cases and are more distinct and separated from the wall than in the ZPG case. The difference in the three cases is more pronounced with increasing wall-normal height.


The species of Mimosa pudica has been subjected to morphogenic studies for the first time from Jharkhand and it is the maiden report as well from our country. The cotyledons and epicotyls, cultured on MS basal medium, exhibited regeneration of shoots. However, subcultures of cotyledons yielded shoot regeneration only. After the 3rd sub cultures, plantlets had the potential to develop roots as well. Hypertrophy and callusing were quite evident in different concentrations.


Although the effects of alkyl chain spacers have been extensively studied for p-type conjugated polymers with a donor (D)–acceptor (A) repeating unit, few studies have examined their effects for n-type polymers with an A–D–A architecture having two different acceptors in the repeating unit. Herein, diketopyrrolopyrrole-thiophene-bithiazole A–D–A type polymer semiconductors (DPPBTz) containing branched alkyl chains of 24-alkyl with C1 spacer (P-24-DPPBTz) and 29-alkyl with C6 spacer (P-29-DPPBTz) were designed and synthesized to elucidate the effect of the alkyl chain branching position on the electron-dominant charge transport system. Due to the strong electron deficiency and trans-planar conformation of the bithiazole group, DPPBTz-based polymer semiconductors exhibit n-type dominant electrical properties with a high electron mobility of up to 1.87 cm2 V−1 s−1. Systematic studies on the photophysical properties, thin-film microstructures, and electrical properties of the DPPBTz polymers revealed that upon modification of the branching position, A–D–A n-type dominant semiconductors differently behave compared to D–A p-type dominant semiconductors. This is attributed to the relatively weaker intermolecular interactions in A–D–A type semiconductors, making the C1 spacer more efficient for electron transport. These findings reveal the molecular design rule of alkyl side-chains in A–D–A n-type-dominant conjugated polymers for the first time.


Precipitation is a function of many topographical land features as well as geographical locations. Spatial correlations between precipitation and topographical and geographical features can be used to improve estimation of precipitation distributions. In this study, kriging with external drift of topographical information was utilized for determining precipitation spatial distributions in Wyoming. Relationships between precipitation and elevation, slope, exposure, latitude, and longitude were used to improve the precipitation estimation. Application of the relationships in the external drift kriging resulted in reduction of kriging variance about 30 to 40% in different parts of the studied area with the maximum reduction up to 70%. The method was especially useful in mountain areas sparsely covered with observations. The external drift kriging allowed to utilize geographical coordinates in the estimation. The addition of geographical coordinates resulted in reducing kriging variance about 54% and increasing the correlation coefficient between observed and estimated values from 0.4 to 0.8 for the precipitation estimation.


Acute superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and portal vein (PV) thrombosis can be a complication of hypercoagulable, inflammatory, or infectious states. It can also occur as a complication of medical or surgical intervention. Management of mesenteric and portal vein thrombosis includes both operative and nonoperative approaches. Operative interventions include thrombectomy with thrombolysis; this is often employed for patients who present with signs of peritoneal irritation. Nonoperative approaches can be either noninvasive or invasive. Treatment with anticoagulation has been shown to be efficacious, though its rate of recanalization is not as high as with intravascular infusion of thrombolytics. Intravenous catheterization and thrombolytic infusion has the advantage of direct pharmacologic thrombolysis of clot, with decreased infusion required and the possibility to carry out dilation or thrombectomy concurrently. We report the use of recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) infusion via an operatively placed multi side-hole catheter/5-Fr introducer sheath into the right portal and superior mesenteric vein clot, inserted through a small jejunal vein, in a patient who presented with acute gangrenous appendicitis and thrombosis of the main portal trunk and superior mesenteric vein. A temporary abdominal closure was maintained until 36 hours after the start of infusion of the rt-PA. At this time venous system had normal flow, with complete recanalization of the right portal and superior mesenteric veins.


We present PPFNet - Point Pair Feature NETwork for deeply learning a globally informed 3D local feature descriptor to find correspondences in unorganized point clouds. PPFNet learns local descriptors on pure geometry and is highly aware of the global context, an important cue in deep learning. Our 3D representation is computed as a collection of point-pair-features combined with the points and normals within a local vicinity. Our permutation invariant network design is inspired by PointNet and sets PPFNet to be ordering-free. As opposed to voxelization, our method is able to consume raw point clouds to exploit the full sparsity. PPFNet uses a novel N-tuple loss and architecture injecting the global information naturally into the local descriptor. It shows that context awareness also boosts the local feature representation. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations of our network suggest increased recall, improved robustness and invariance as well as a vital step in the 3D descriptor extraction performance.


Due to its genetic proximity with Arabidopsis thaliana, Arabis alpina (Brassicaceae) is increasingly used as a perennial model species in studies of molecular evolution and adaptation. We studied the demography of A. alpina in six natural sites widely differing in their degree of disturbance, slope and vegetation, and encompassing the full altitudinal range of the species. We estimated three vital rates (growth, reproductive effort and survival) for individually-marked plants, studied for six years (2008-2014). We characterized the thermic conditions of each site with different thermal variables obtained using in situ continuous-time data loggers. Although A. alpina is described as a perennial species, the average life expectancy was only 1.82 years and most plants died before setting seeds. Plant size was a strong predictor of all three vital rates. Mean daily temperature showed a positive effect on growth and a negative effect on survival. Furthermore, reproductive effort covaried negatively with survival, suggesting a mechanism of demographic compensation acting on an elevational gradient. Synthesis. These results are informative of the selective pressures experienced by A. alpina in natural conditions and will help design experimental and molecular studies of local adaptation in this species.


Single cell interactomics in simpler organisms, as well as somatic cell interactomics in multicellular organisms, involve biomolecular interactions in complex signalling pathways that were recently represented in modular terms by quantum automata with 'reversible behavior' representing normal cell cycling and division. Other implications of such quantum automata, modular modeling of signaling pathways and cell differentiation during development are in the fields of neural plasticity and brain development leading to quantum-weave dynamic patterns and specific molecular processes underlying extensive memory, learning, anticipation mechanisms and the emergence of human consciousness during the early brain development in children. Cell interactomics is here represented for the first time as a mixture of 'classical' states that determine molecular dynamics subject to Boltzmann statistics and 'steady-state', metabolic (multi-stable) manifolds, together with 'configuration' spaces of metastable quantum states emerging from complex quantum dynamics of interacting networks of biomolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids that are now collectively defined as quantum interactomics. On the other hand, the time dependent evolution over several generations of cancer cells --that are generally known to undergo frequent and extensive genetic mutations and, indeed, suffer genomic transformations at the chromosome level (such as extensive chromosomal aberrations found in many colon cancers)-- cannot be correctly represented in the 'standard' terms of quantum automaton modules, as the normal somatic cells can. This significant difference at the cancer cell genomic level is therefore reflected in major changes in cancer cell interactomics often from one cancer cell 'cycle' to the next, and thus it requires substantial changes in the modeling strategies, mathematical tools and experimental designs aimed at understanding cancer mechanisms. Novel solutions to this important problem in carcinogenesis are proposed and experimental validation procedures are suggested. From a medical research and clinical standpoint, this approach has important consequences for addressing and preventing the development of cancer resistance to medical therapy in ongoing clinical trials involving stage III cancer patients, as well as improving the designs of future clinical trials for cancer treatments.
*Communicated to: The Institute of Genomic Biology (currently under construction at UIUC, at 905 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana,IL.61801,USA).

KEYWORDS: Cancer cell interactomics; Somatic cell genomics and
Proteomics; current limitations of modular models of carcinogenesis;
Complex quantum dynamics; Quantum Automata models and Quantum Interactomics; quantum-weave dynamic patterns underlying human consciousness; specific molecular processes underlying extensive memory, learning, anticipation mechanisms and human consciousness; emergence of human consciousness during the early brain development in children; Cancer cell 'cycling'; interacting networks of proteins and nucleic acids; genetic mutations and chromosomal aberrations in cancers, such as colon cancer; development of cancer resistance to therapy; ongoing clinical trials involving stage III cancer patients' possible improvements of the designs for future clinical trials and cancer treatments.


Within only a couple of generations, the so-called digital revolution has taken the world by storm: today, almost all human beings interact, directly or indirectly, at some point in their life, with a computer system. Computers are present on our desks, computer systems control the antilock braking system and the stability control in cars, they collect usage statistics in elevators in order to anticipate maintenance and repair operations. Computer systems also operate critical systems, such as nuclear power plants, airplane control systems or space rockets. Furthermore, computer systems are not only omnipresent, but also increasingly networked. As the use of computer systems has increased dramatically over the past decades, the needs and expectations associated with these systems have also increased. In particular, one of the critical points of a system is its availability (the fraction of the time during which the system provides a service to the users): the costs and negative publicity of a system outage (be it a commercial web site or a stock exchange for example) are often considerable. Fault tolerance is one of the approaches to designing a highly-available system: a fault tolerant system is designed in such a way that the failure of one of the components of the system does not compromise the functionality of the system as a whole. Replication is one of the common fault tolerance techniques. Instead of having a single machine (a replica) providing a service, the system is composed of several replicas running the service and connected through a network. If one of the replicas fails, the service is still provided by the remaining replicas. The replication technique is interesting as it can be achieved by using software running on commodity hardware, thus avoiding the high cost of special purpose hardware. Replication, although intuitive to understand, is complex to implement in practice, as the replicas have to interact in order to ensure the consistency of the system as a whole. Group communication simplifies the replication problem, by hiding issues such as the communication between the replicas, the crashes of one or several replicas and the synchronization of the replicas. In this thesis, we start by comparing two replication techniques—group communication and quorum systems — and identifying in which case either technique should be used. Atomic broadcast (a group communication primitive at the heart of this work) allows replicas to broadcast messages


AIM
To investigate predictors of patients' preferences for participation in clinical decision-making in inpatient nursing care.

BACKGROUND
Patient participation in decision-making in nursing care is regarded as a prerequisite for good clinical practice regarding the person's autonomy and integrity.

DESIGN
A cross-sectional survey of 428 persons, newly discharged from inpatient care.

METHODS
The survey was conducted using the Control Preference Scale. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used for testing the association of patient characteristics with preferences for participation.

RESULTS
Patients, in general, preferred adopting a passive role. However, predictors for adopting an active participatory role were the patient's gender (odds ratio = 1.8), education (odds ratio = 2.2), living condition (odds ratio = 1.8) and occupational status (odds ratio = 2.0). A probability of 53% was estimated, which female senior citizens with at least a high school degree and who lived alone would prefer an active role in clinical decision-making. At the same time, a working cohabiting male with less than a high school degree had a probability of 8% for active participation in clinical decision making in nursing care.

CONCLUSIONS
Patient preferences for participation differed considerably and are best elicited by assessment of the individual patient. Relevance to clinical practice. The nurses have a professional responsibility to act in such a way that patients can participate and make decisions according to their own values from an informed position. Access to knowledge of patients'basic assumptions and preferences for participation is of great value for nurses in the care process. There is a need for nurses to use structured methods and tools for eliciting individual patient preferences regarding participation in clinical decision-making.


We construct and analyse chains of solitons in various field theories. Particular emphasis is placed on the constituent structure, which appears to be be a generic feature of chains. In Yang-Mills theory, we construct axially symmetric chains of instantons (calorons) with instanton charge 2, making essential use of the Nahm transform. We show that there are two distinct families of caloron, which can be distinguished using representation theory. We also construct calorons on hyperbolic space with instanton charge 1 and monopole charge 0. This generalises earlier work of Garland and Murray, in the same way that non-integer-mass hyperbolic monopoles generalise the integer-mass hyperbolic monopoles of Atiyah. We study chains of skyrmions with charge 1 in both the Skyrme and planar Skyrme models, using various approximate analytic Ansatze. In the Skyrme model chains are argued to exist and to have an energy per baryon number lower than the charge 2 skyrmion. In the planar Skyrme model, we show that the stability of chains depends on the choice of potential function. We study chains and kinks in the CP(^n) sigma models analytically, in particular, we show that chains are kinks in a sigma model whose target is a homogeneous space for a loop group. This is the Sigma model analog of the statement that a caloron is a monopole whose gauge group is a loop group.


This thesis examines the emergence of celebrity art in Taiwan in the postmartial
law period since 1987. It analyses the different forces that have contributed to
the construction of celebrity art as a prevalent phenomenon and explores its changing
significance in Taiwan's contemporary art scene and society. Based on extensive
primary evidence from different kinds of materials, including journals and
newspaper articles, magazine reports, exhibition catalogues and reviews, television
programmes and Internet resources, gallery and museum visits, and interviews with
celebrity artists and curators, this thesis argues that the construction of celebrity art in
Taiwan demonstrates a constant negotiation between artists' aspirations for celebrity
recognition, media, corporate business and political interests. I argue that in the
celebritisation process, businesses and corporations utilise art to cultivate a positive
brand image, generate commercial activities, accumulate cultural capital and
consolidate their power and influence. In this sense, celebrity art becomes an aspect
of business operations, in ways that are similar to those criticised by scholar Julian
Stallabrass's in the Western context. However, the development of corporate art
intervention in Taiwan has distinctive features which are associated with the process
of democratisation and its strong impact on the emergence of celebrity art.
Furthermore, the government's promotion of celebrity artists has enabled it to
promote its national political identity in the global arena. This relates especially to
the changing political scene in Taiwan since 1987 in which that celebrity art has
become a means for different political parties to express their political concerns. At
the same time, these processes have empowered artists to engage with larger social,
cultural and political forces, demonstrating the capacity of celebrity art to serve as a
vehicle of new social and aesthetic values about issues such as gender and
womanhood. Certain aspects of Taiwan's celebrity art also contribute to a new
'cool', largely young, and socially distinctive urban taste culture in Taiwan, by
bringing innovative characteristics to Taiwan's art scene that bridge high and popular
culture. The celebritisation of art in Taiwan thus has many similarities with those
discussed by Walker, Stallabrass and other Western scholars with reference to
Western tendencies, but is distinctive in its political and social-economic causes. The first chapter introduces my aims and arguments, and gives an overview
of the historical and political, media, institutional and global changes that facilitated
the emergence of celebrity art in Taiwan. This chapter also describes my research
methodology. Chapter two provides an analysis of relevant historical and theoretical
perspectives on the construction of the celebrity and celebrity art, and examines their
social, cultural and economic importance in both Western and East Asian societies.
Chapter three to seven respectively examine different cases of celebrity artists,
namely Lee Ming-sheng, Chu Cha-ray, Cai Guoqiang, Tang Huang-chen and the VT
Artsalon group. Each of the cases exemplifies particular features—overlapping with
and distinct from each other—of the concept of celebrity art in Taiwan. Through
close examination of these cases, the thesis investigates an important aspect of
Taiwan's changing art scene that has not to date featured in scholarly work on
contemporary culture in Taiwan.


When testing a large number of hypotheses, it can be helpful to estimate or control the false discovery rate (FDR), the expected proportion of tests called significant that are truly null. The FDR is intricately linked to probability that a truly null test is significant, and thus a number of methods have been described that estimate or control the FDR by directly using the p-values of the hypothesis tests. Most of these methods make the assumption that the p-values are uniformly and continuously distributed under the null hypothesis, an assumption that often does not hold for finite data. In this paper, we consider the estimation of FDR for contingency tables. We show how Fisher's exact test can be extended to efficiently calculate the exact null distribution over a set of contingency tables. Using this exact null distribution, we explore the estimation of each of the terms in the FDR estimation, characterize the asymptotic convergence of the estimator, and show how the conservative bias can be reduced by removing certain tests from consideration. The resulting estimator has substantially less conservative bias than traditional approaches.


We present several approaches to modeling latent structure in longitudinal studies when the covariance itself is the primary focus of the analysis. This is a departure from much of the work on longitudinal data analysis, in which attention is focused solely on the cross-sectional mean and the influence of covariates on the mean. Such analyses are particularly important in policy-related studies, in which the heterogeneity of the population is of interest. We describe several traditional approaches to this modeling and introduce a flexible, parsimonious class of covariance models appropriate to such analyses. This class, while rooted in the tradition of mixed effects and random coefficient models, merges several disparate modeling philosophies into what we view as a hybrid approach to longitudinal data modeling. We discuss the implications of this approach and its alternatives especially on model interpretation. We compare several implementations of this class to more commonly employed mixed effects models to describe the strengths and limitations of each. These alternatives are compared in an application to long-term trends in wage inequality for young workers. The findings provide additional guidance for the model formulation process in both statistical and substantive senses.


Among the actual trends that will affect society in the coming years, autonomous driving stands out as having the potential to disruptively change the automotive industry as we know it today. As a consequence, this will also highly impact the semiconductor industry and open new market opportunities, since semiconductors play an indispensable role as enablers for automated vehicles. Fully automated driving has been identified as one major enabler to master the Grand Societal Challenges of safe, clean, and efficient mobility. For this, fail-operational behavior is essential in the sense, plan, and act stages of the automation chain in order to handle safety-critical situations by its own, which currently is not reached with state-of-the-art approaches also due to missing reliable environment perception and sensor fusion. PRYSTINE, which was the highest ranked ECSEL project proposal in 2017, will realize Fail-operational Urban Surround perceptION (FUSION) which is based on robust Radar and LiDAR sensor fusion and control functions in order to enable safe automated driving in urban and rural environments. Furthermore, PRYSTINE will strengthen and extend traditional core competencies of the European industry, research organizations, and universities in smart mobility and in particular in the electronic component and systems and cyber-physical systems domain.


The year 2020 has witnessed unprecedented levels of demand for COVID-19 medical equipment and supplies. However, most of today's systems, methods, and technologies leveraged for handling the forward supply chain of COVID-19 medical equipment and the waste that results from them after usage are inefficient. They fall short in providing traceability, reliability, operational transparency, security, and trust features. Also, they are centralized that can cause a single point of failure problem. In this paper, we propose a decentralized blockchain-based solution to automate forward supply chain processes for the COVID-19 medical equipment and enable information exchange among all the stakeholders involved in their waste management in a manner that is fully secure, transparent, traceable, and trustworthy. We integrate the Ethereum blockchain with decentralized storage of interplanetary file systems (IPFS) to securely fetch, store, and share the data related to the forward supply chain of COVID-19 medical equipment and their waste management. We develop algorithms to define interaction rules regarding COVID-19 waste handling and penalties to be imposed on the stakeholders in case of violations. We present system design along with its full implementation details. We evaluate the performance of the proposed solution using cost analysis to show its affordability. We present the security analysis to verify the reliability of the smart contracts, and discuss our solution from the generalization and applicability point of view. Furthermore, we outline the limitations of our solution in form of open challenges that can act as future research directions. We make our smart contracts code publicly available on GitHub.


Abstract Gaetano Donizetti9s L9elisir d9amore was subjected to a series of substantial modifications after its premiere in 1832. In this article I focus on the performing tradition of the opera in Vienna. The history of these performances and their reception allow us to examine the dynamics through which the revisions to the score became a standard local practice and to assess historiographical assumptions about the role of Italian opera in nineteenth-century Viennese musical life. The shape Elisir took in the city was the result of interactions between the first interpreter of the leading female role in Vienna, soprano Eugenia Tadolini, impresarios, local music publishers, spectators, and critics. Surviving evidence shows that Tadolini9s performative choices became normative in Vienna. Vocal embellishments that she added to Adina9s second-act aria, published soon after the opera9s premiere in Vienna, survive in performing materials still used at the beginning of the twentieth century. She also substituted the second-act finale of the opera with a virtuosic waltz by Luigi Ricci. This second modification was a telling instance of Tadolini9s attention to the reaction of the Viennese to Donizetti9s work. By claiming the right to close the opera with an aria of her choice, Tadolini got rid of an unappreciated piece and reinforced the local reception of Elisir as an opera centered on the prima donna. As the development of a Viennese performing tradition of the opera extended beyond the Italian seasons at the Kartnterthortheater, involving individuals and communities of spectators of diverse national origins, the work functioned as a catalyst for the merging of musical experiences from different parts of the Austrian Empire. As Donizetti himself decided to conceive his own waltzing cabaletta for Tadolini in 1842, I ultimately suggest that this case study recalibrates our understanding of the relationship between authorial intentions and local performing traditions.


Technical topics in science and engineering always present challenges when it comes to conveying or arguing information in a clear and effective manner. This book was written to address that challenge, using time-proven techniques developed by the author for academic courses and onsite training programs he has used for several decades at engineering schools, design and professional conferences.


The isolated compounds from methanolic extracts from Solanum xanthocarpum berries was evaluated for antiurolithiatic activity on rodent. First isolated compound was solasonine, a glycoalkaloid of Solanum xanthocarpum was given in a dose of 80 mg/kg of body weight in vehicle water. The second compound isolated was solasodine, a steroidal aglycone of Solanum xanthocarpum was given in a dose of 80 mg/kg of body weight in vehicle 1% CMC. Na+ and K+ ion concentration in urine were evaluated using Flame Photometer. For isolated compound solasonine ratio(Vt/Vc) obtained 1.6 and for second compound, solasodine 1.5, which was one of the criteria for antiurolithiatic activity and also significant difference in Na+ and K+ ion concentration was observed in both isolated compounds, that was indicated that solasonine showed good activity as natriuretic activity compared to solasodine.


Signal flow during sensorimotor choices Little is known about the flow of task signals across the brain. Siegel et al. simultaneously recorded from multiple units in the sensory, parietal, prefrontal, and motor cortex while monkeys were cued to perform one among two possible simple tasks. The proportion of neurons coding for stimuli, cues, tasks, and choices, and their response latency, varied across regions. Parietal and prefrontal brain regions encoded task information and choices with the same latency. Interestingly, all brain areas encoded all types of information. However, they differed functionally according to the proportions of neurons and their response latency. Science, this issue p. 1352 A dynamic network of cortical areas processing similar information but to different degrees is explored. During flexible behavior, multiple brain regions encode sensory inputs, the current task, and choices. It remains unclear how these signals evolve. We simultaneously recorded neuronal activity from six cortical regions [middle temporal area (MT), visual area four (V4), inferior temporal cortex (IT), lateral intraparietal area (LIP), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and frontal eye fields (FEF)] of monkeys reporting the color or motion of stimuli. After a transient bottom-up sweep, there was a top-down flow of sustained task information from frontoparietal to visual cortex. Sensory information flowed from visual to parietal and prefrontal cortex. Choice signals developed simultaneously in frontoparietal regions and travelled to FEF and sensory cortex. This suggests that flexible sensorimotor choices emerge in a frontoparietal network from the integration of opposite flows of sensory and task information.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle and wild ruminants (WRs) in a wildlife-livestock interface area (WLIA) of the Mexican highland plateau.

ANIMALS
24,400 cattle from 793 herds (including 17,351 commercially slaughtered cattle) and 142 WRs (110 white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus], 20 red deer [Cervus elaphus], and 12 North American elk [Cervus canadensis]) harvested via controlled hunting.

PROCEDURES
Cattle were serially tested for M bovis infection via caudal fold tuberculin and comparative cervical tuberculin tests during field surveillance. Carcasses of cattle and WRs were inspected for gross lesions; samples suggestive of tuberculosis were analyzed via histologic evaluation and mycobacterial culture (HMC). A PCR assay to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organisms was performed to confirm positive results of HMC.

RESULTS
WRs had inflammatory lesions in lungs and lymph nodes, although HMC results did not indicate M bovis infection. Eight cattle had positive results for both tuberculin tests, and 31 had positive results for HMC of grossly detected lesions; all were from 7 herds, and ≥ 1 cow in each herd had positive PCR assay results. These 7 herds were depopulated; adjacent herds and herds related via commerce were quarantined. Calculated true prevalence of M bovis infection was 0.86% (95% confidence interval, 0.24% to 1.49%) in cattle; M bovis was not detected in any WRs.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
M bovis infection was present in cattle. Although transmission to WRs in this WLIA was not detected, diagnosis and prevention activities should be implemented and consolidated to prevent potential M bovis transmission between cattle and WRs.


Complex interactions occur in virtual reality systems, requiring the modelling of next-generation attention models to obtain believable virtual human animations. This paper presents a saliency model that is neither domain nor task specific, which is used to animate the gaze of virtual characters. A critical question is addressed: What types of saliency attract attention in virtual environments and how can they be weighted to drive an avatar's gaze? Saliency effects were measured as a function of their total frequency. Scores were then generated for each object in the field of view within each frame to determine the most salient object within the virtual environment. This paper compares the resulting saliency gaze model to tracked gaze, in which avatars' eyes are controlled by head-mounted mobile eye-trackers worn by human subjects, random gaze model informed by head-orientation for saccade generation, and static gaze featuring non-moving centered eyes. Results from the evaluation experiment and graphical analysis demonstrate a promising saliency gaze model that is not just believable and realistic but also target-relevant and adaptable to varying tasks. Furthermore, the saliency model does not use any prior knowledge of the content or description of the virtual scene.


The IEEE Std 802.3ba-2010 for 40 Gb and 100 Gb Ethernet was released in July, 2010. This standard will continue to evolve over the next several years. Two of the challenging transmit/receive architectures contained in this standard are the 100GBASE-LR4 (<10 km range) and 100GBASE-ER4 (<40 km range). Although presently envisioned for 1310 nm optical wavelengths, both of these 4 lane, 25.78 GBaud formats may be adopted for the impending 850 nm short reach optical backplane market, whose range is below 150 m. Driven by major computer server companies, such as IBM, HP and Oracle, the 850 nm Active Optical Cable (AOC) market is presently undergoing an increase of serial rates up to 25 Gbaud to enhance backplane interconnectivity. With AOCs up to 16 channels, the potential for up to 400 Gbps backhaul composite data rates will soon be possible. We report a 25 Gbps photodiode with quantum efficiency ~ 0.6 at 850 nm. This InGaAs/InP device was optimized for high quantum efficiency at 850 nm. When pigtailed with multimode fiber and integrated with an application-specific RF amplifier, the resultant photoreceiver will provide multiple functionalities for these 100 Gb Ethernet markets.


Background: Emblica Officinalis (Amla), belonging to the genus, Phyllanthus emblica is widely used for medicinal purpose. Its fruits have been used traditionally as a hypolipidemic. Objectives: The present study was aimed to evaluate hypolipedimic and anti-atherogenic activity of fruit of Emblica officinalis in high fat fed albino rats. Materials and Methods: For study of anti-hyperlipidemic, hypolipidemic, and anti-atherogenic activity. 5 groups of 6 animals in each received normal saline, E. Officinalis powder, high fat diet, High fat diet plus E. Officinalis powder both and Atorvastatin respectively for 8 weeks. Hyperlipidemia was induced by feeding animals with high fat diet per orally, consisting of coconut oil and vanaspati ghee, daily ad libitum. At the end of the study, blood samples of the animals were sent for the estimation of the lipid profile and effects of test drug studied by comparing levels of Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and Atherogenic index. The statistical significance between groups was analysed by using one way ANOVA, followed by Dunnet's multiple comparison test. Results: Fruit of Amla showed significant anti-hyperlipidemic, hypolipidemic, and anti-atherogenic effect. All these effects may contribute to its anti-atherogenic activity. Conclusion: Present study revealed the antihyperlipidemic, hypolipidemic, and anti-atherogenic effect of Amla fruit powder and can be safely used in the treatment of mild to moderate cases of hyperlipidemia considering its easy availability, cost effectiveness, and other beneficial effects.


Significant changes in the employment profile of deaf people over the last 30 years have led to their increased presence within the white-collar, non-industrialized workplace. As a result, signed language interpreters (SLIs) have also moved into this new domain. As deaf consumers begin to assume positions of status and power, SLIs are by necessity re-evaluating their relationships with deaf clients in order to mirror the changing dynamics (Napier et al. 2008). Evidence suggests that SLIs in the workplace are frequently expected to switch between the roles of confidant, co-worker, interpreter, assistant and advocate within a single interpreted interaction (Dickinson and Turner 2008). Drawing upon ethnographic data from a PhD research study this paper will demonstrate the complex multiplicity of the SLI's workplace role.


A suite of surface sediment samples has been studied from sites on the Aitutaki-Jarvis Transect, between the equator and 17°S at approximately 160°W in the Central Pacific Ocean. The sediments were analysed by bulk and partition analysis in order to characterize changes in sediment geochemistry with water depth and with latitude, with particular reference to the effects of variation in supply and dissolution of biogenic material. The surface sediments are heterogeneous, ranging from carbonate or siliceous oozes to pelagic red clays. The elements in the sediments are variably partitioned into different sediment fractions. Examination of the sediments along the Transect has also provided a profile of the carbonate compensation depth, which shows it to deepen from approximately 4800 m at 16°S to approximately 5300 m at the equator. The relationships between the bulk sediments and the sediment reducible fraction and associated Mn-Fe nodules has been examined. Variations in the interrelationships between the nodules and the sediment reducible fraction are ascribed to variations in element supply and early diagenetic reactions. A major decoupling of the relationship between nodules and associated sediment reducible fraction is observed in the north of the Transect at water depths close to the position of the CCD. Diagenetic reactions involving the destruction of organic matter which result in the reductive remobilization of Mn and the release of trace metals from labile material are thought to be important causes of this decoupling.


NDV-HXP-S is a recombinant Newcastle disease virus based-vaccine against severe acute respiratory 37 syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which expresses an optimized (HexaPro) spike protein on its 38 surface. The vaccine can be produced in embryonated chicken eggs using the same process as that 39 employed for the production of influenza virus vaccines. Here we performed a secondary analysis of the 40 antibody responses after vaccination with inactivated NDV-HXP-S in a Phase I clinical study in Thailand. 41 The SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing and spike binding activity of NDV-HXP-S post-vaccination serum samples was 42 compared to that of matched samples from mRNA BNT162b2 (Pfizer) vaccinees. Neutralizing activity of 43 sera from NDV-HXP-S vaccinees was comparable to that of individuals vaccinated with BNT162b2. 44 Interstingly, the spike binding activity of the NDV-HXP-S vaccinee samples was lower than that of sera 45 obtained from individuals vaccinated with the mRNA vaccine. This let us to calculate ratios between 46 binding and neutralizing antibody titers. Samples from NDV-HXP-S vaccinees had binding to neutralizing 47 activity ratios similar to those of convalescent sera suggesting a very high proportion of neutralizing 48 antibodies and low non-neutralizing antibody titers. Further analysis showed that, in contrast to mRNA 49 vaccination, which induces strong antibody titers to the receptor binding domain (RBD), the N-terminal 50 domain, and the S2 domain, NDV-HXP-S vaccination induces a very RBD focused response with little 51 reactivity to S2. This explains the high proportion of neutralizing antibodies since most neutralizing 52 epitopes are located in the RBD. In conclusion, vaccination with inactivated NDV-HXP-S induces a high 53 proportion of neutralizing antibodies and absolute neutralizing antibody titers comparable to those after 54 mRNA vaccination. 55 In-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . Antibody titers in sera were assessed using a 251 research-grade ELISA ( 23 ) with recombinant versions of the RBD, NTD, S2, and full-length spike of wild 252 type SARS-CoV-2, as well as the spike from B.1.1.7 (Alpha), C.37 (Lambda), B.1.617.1 (Kappa), B.1.351 253 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), B.1.617.2 (Delta), A.23.1 and P.3. Briefly, 96-well microtiter plates (Corning) were 254 coated with 50 μl/well of the corresponding recombinant protein (2 μg/ml) overnight at 4 °C. After three 255 washes with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) supplemented with 0.1% Tween-20 (PBS-T) using an 256 automatic plate washer (BioTek 405TS microplate washer), plates were blocked with PBS-T containing 3% 257 milk powder (American Bio) for one hour at room temperature (RT). Blocking solution was removed and 258 initial dilutions (1:100) of heat-inactivated sera (in PBS-T 1%-milk powder) were added to the plates, 259 followed by 2-fold serial dilutions and a two hour incubation. After three washes with PBS- T, 50 μl/well of 260 the pre-diluted secondary anti-human IgG (Fab-specific) horseradish peroxidase antibody (produced in 261 goat; Sigma-Aldrich) diluted 1:3,000 in PBS-T containing 1% milk powder were added and plates were 262 incubated for one hour incubation at RT. After three washes with PBS-T, the substrate o- 263 pheny lenediamine dihydrochloride (Sigmafast OPD) was added (100 μl/well) for 10min, followed by an 264 addition of 50 μl/well of 3 M hydrochloric acid (Thermo Fisher) to stop the reaction. Optical density was 265 measured at a wavelength of 490 nm using a plate A one-way ANOVA with correction for multiple comparisons test was used to compare the neutralization titers and ratios. In some cases, two groups were compared using a Student's t-test. Statistical analyses were performed using Prism 9 software (GraphPad).


Current Swedish environmental policy embraces the notion of sustainable development and the discourse of ecological modernisation, both of which stress the role of modern institutions in environmental protection work. In pursuing ecological sustainability, the Swedish Government assigns importance to the issue of domestic, safe, final disposal of mercury and radioactive waste; responsibility for mercury and radioactive waste management must not be passed to future generations. This political message is not particularly controversial. Yet, siting conflicts tend to arise when the policy is going to be put into practice. The aim of this thesis is to relate the emergence and course of siting conflicts concerning mercury and radioactive waste disposal to discursive aspects of its context. The societal context in which the siting process takes place contains contemporaneous, sometimes incompatible and competing discourses. The questions raised in the thesis are: What does the political message of safe, final waste disposal and sustainable development entail? What are the implications of this particular framing of the issue? The policy proposing final disposal of mercury and radioactive waste in repositories deep in the bedrock requires local implementation. In the local implementation process the parties involved in the siting conflict struggle over definition of the suggested project, with the core of the conflict being the issue of risk versus safety. In this sense, the local conflict echoes contemporaneous and partly incompatible discourses within modernity, as well as the tension between demands for safety and uncertainties in calculations and management connected to proposals for the final disposal of mercury and radioactive waste. The overall handling of environmental threats within the discourse of ecological modernisation can be characterised as a presentation of problems with ultimate, possible win-win solutions and an economic, technological and scientific framing of the problems. This results in a reduction of the complexity of the issue at stake, concealing its political dimensions. In the process of policy implementation, however, there emerge deferred political issues and value questions, as well as unresolved societal issues, all of which tends to result in local siting conflicts.


Sixty-seven patients with clinical symptoms of cervical-thoracic osteochondrosis and ischemic disease have been studied. In the main group included 43 patients, paravertebral blockades (PVB) were applied and in the control group (24 patients) - antianginal and metabolic therapy was used. Treatment efficacy was assessed by the dynamics of pain syndrome parameters as measured with the visual analogue scale and by changes of heart rhythm variability, ischemic disturbances and arrhythmia measured by Holter monitoring. The higher therapeutic efficacy of PVB in the complex treatment of these patients comparing to traditional treatment of ischemic disease was found.