Divers are obliged to keep records of their dive events. This book allows recreational and professional divers to record and preserve the details of each new dive - anything and everything that makes a dive memorable: number; class; location; weather; surface and depth temperatures; visibility; dive depth; pressures; sightings; and hazards. With room for the details of 200 dives, the logbook also features: illustrations of international dive flags and hand signals; thorough equipment checklists; equipment maintenance record; and Personal information pages: vital data; medical notes; and contact telephone numbers. This book has been designed by experienced divers who saw a need for a handy, pocket-sized record book that is small enough to stash in a gear bag but "big" enough to record many seasons' dives. It is designed by experienced divers for divers' needs. It is an essential kit and a great gift for any diver, recreational or professional.


Abstract Enrofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is effective against many of the common gram-negative bacterial pathogens in raptors. This 3-period crossover study was designed to compare the pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin after oral, intramuscular, or intravenous administration in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis; n = 8) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus; n = 5). In each study period, birds received a single dose of an injectable formulation of enrofloxacin (15 mg/kg) by 1 of these 3 routes. Oral administration was accomplished by force-feeding each bird a small freshly killed mouse that had received an intraperitoneal injection of enrofloxacin (in-prey). Intramuscular injections were divided into 2 sites in the pectoral musculature. Serial plasma samples were taken before administration and at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours after administration. Oral administration resulted in plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin that peaked at 4–8 hours in both species. Plasma concentrations remained at >1 μg/ml until at least 18 hours after administration, although an initial lag time of approximately 2–8 hours occurred for absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Intramuscular administration resulted in plasma concentrations that peaked at 0.5–2 hours; enrofloxacin levels remained at >1 μg/ml for at least 15 hours. After intravenous administration to red-tailed hawks, enrofloxacin levels remained at >1 μg/ml for at least 15 hours. Two great horned owls showed acute weakness, bradycardia, and peripheral vasoconstriction during intravenous injection. These clinical signs resolved within 1–3 hours with supportive therapy; however, the intravenous route was not evaluated for the other 3 owls. We conclude that oral (in-prey) and intramuscular routes are reliable means of administration of injectable enrofloxacin in red-tailed hawks and great horned owls, using a dosage of 15 mg/kg q24h. Intravenous administration of enrofloxacin can be performed with caution in red-tailed hawks but should not be attempted in great horned owls.


A numerical investigation of the flow and heat transfer characteristics of tip leakage in a typical film cooled industrial gas turbine rotor is presented in this paper. The computations were performed on a rotating domain of a single blade with a clearance gap of 1.28% chord in an engine environment. This standard blade featured two coolant and two dust holes, in a cavity-type tip with a central rib. The computations were performed using CFX 5.6, which was validated for similar flow situations by Krishnababu et al., [18]. These predictions were further verified by comparing the flow and heat transfer characteristics computed in the absence of coolant ejection with computations previously performed in the company (SIEMENS) using standard in-house codes. Turbulence was modelled using the SST k-ω turbulence model. The comparison of calculations performed with and without coolant ejection has shown that the coolant flow partially blocks the tip gap, resulting in a reduction of the amount of mainstream leakage flow. The calculations identified that the main detrimental heat transfer issues were caused by impingement of the hot leakage flow onto the tip. Hence three different modifications (referred as Cases 1 to 3) were made to the standard blade tip in an attempt to reduce the tip gap exit mass flow and the associated impingement heat transfer. The improvements and limitations of the modified geometries, in terms of tip gap exit mass flow, total area of the tip affected by the hot flow and the total heat flux to the tip, are discussed. The main feature of the Case 1 geometry is the removal of the rib and this modification was found to effectively reduce both the total area affected by the hot leakage flow and total heat flux to the tip while maintaining the same leakage mass flow as the standard blade. Case 2 featured a rearrangement of the dust holes in the tip which, in terms of aero-thermal-dynamics, proved to be marginally inferior to Case 1. Case 3, which essentially created a suction-side squealer geometry, was found to be inferior even to the standard cavity tip blade. It was also found that the hot spots which occur in the leading edge region of the standard tip and all modifications contributed significantly to the area affected by the hot tip leakage flow and the total heat flux.Copyright © 2008 by ASME


Background: Distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) is the most common variety of neuropathy. Since the evaluation of this disorder is not standardized, the available literature was reviewed to provide evidence-based guidelines regarding the role of autonomic testing, nerve biopsy, and skin biopsy for the assessment of polyneuropathy. Methods: A literature review using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Current Contents was performed to identify the best evidence regarding the evaluation of polyneuropathy published between 1980 and March 2007. Articles were classified according to a four-tiered level of evidence scheme and recommendations were based upon the level of evidence. Results and Recommendations: 1) Autonomic testing should be considered in the evaluation of patients with polyneuropathy to document autonomic nervous system dysfunction (Level B). Such testing should be considered especially for the evaluation of suspected autonomic neuropathy (Level B) and distal small fiber sensory polyneuropathy (SFSN) (Level C). A battery of validated tests is recommended to achieve the highest diagnostic accuracy (Level B). 2) Nerve biopsy is generally accepted as useful in the evaluation of certain neuropathies as in patients with suspected amyloid neuropathy, mononeuropathy multiplex due to vasculitis, or with atypical forms of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). However, the literature is insufficient to provide a recommendation regarding when a nerve biopsy may be useful in the evaluation of DSP (Level U). 3) Skin biopsy is a validated technique for determining intraepidermal nerve fiber density and may be considered for the diagnosis of DSP, particularly SFSN (Level C). There is a need for additional prospective studies to define more exact guidelines for the evaluation of polyneuropathy. AAN = American Academy of Neurology; AANEM = American Academy of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine; AAPM&R = American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; ART = autonomic reflex testing; BRSI = baroreflex sensitivity index; CASS = composite autonomic scoring scale; CIDP = chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; DSFN = distal small fiber neuropathy; DSP = distal symmetric polyneuropathy; EDx = electrodiagnosis; EFNS = European Federation of Neurological Societies; HRV = heart rate variability; IAN = idiopathic autonomic neuropathy; IENF = intraepidermal nerve fibers; MSNA = muscle sympathetic nerve activity; NCSs = nerve conduction studies; PGP 9.5 = protein-gene-product 9.5; PN = peripheral neuropathy; PRT = blood pressure recovery time; QAE = quantitative autonomic examination; QSART = quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test; QSS = Quality Standards Subcommittee; QST = quantitative sensory testing; SFSN = small fiber sensory polyneuropathy; TST = thermoregulatory sweat testing.


Biobriquette can be used to anticipate the high fossil fuel needed as alternative fuel, cheap and easily obtained. Biobriquette is solid fuel and derived from organic residues. Generally, coal biobriquette making process used biomass waste such as straws, sawdust or various shell biomasses (coffee, cocoa, hazelnut, corn, cassava and jatropha waste). In this research used biomass waste from rice straw with adding the various coconut shell compositions. The compositions of rice straw: coconut shell are 50% : 50 %, 60%: 40%, 70% : 30%, 80% : 20%, 90% : 10% with 10 % tapioca adhesive addition. One of variables determined the biobriquette quality was pollution level generated in the combustion process which was Nox and CO gas. In this research obtained best quality composition of rice straw : coconut shell was 50% : 50% and had emission level for Nox gas at 3.17 mg/m 3 and CO gas at 0.5 mg/m 3 . The biobriquette product was feasible due to the emission value were below the emission standards set for Nox ≤ 1000 mg/m 3 and CO ≤ 500 mg/m 3 .


CP-96,345, a nonpeptide substance P antagonist, is selective for the tachykinin NK1 receptor. The compound binds to a single population of sites in guinea pig brain and potently inhibits substance P-induced excitation of locus ceruleus neurons. CP-96,345 should be a useful tool for studying the action of substance P in the central nervous system.


Використовуючи експериментальні дані про електропровідність сипкого коксу та графітованих сумішей, одержано залежності, що дозволяють визначати питомий електричний опір залежно від вмісту сирого й графітованого коксу в суміші в діапазоні температур від 20 до 1000 °С, а також питомого електричного опору для сирого коксу й графітованої суміші залежно від її гранулометричного складу. Using previously obtained experimental data on the electrical conductivity of bulk (carbon) coke and graphite mixtures obtained relationships to determine the value of specific electric resistance depending on the composition of crude coke and graphite in a mixture in the temperature range from 20 to 1000 °C. Also dependence of the electric support for raw coke and graphite convertible mixture depending on its grain size is obtained. Study of the electrical resistivity of carbon materials relates to the field of saving energy in the furnaces of graphitization. Carbon materials are not only the raw materials for electrode manufacturing and coal products, but also are the active electrical resistivity in the furnaces of graphitization and can be recovery and thermal insulation. Resistance value allows drawing conclusions on the structural transformations that took place in the carbon material, caused by external influences on him. Electrical resistivity of the coal charge exhibits a significant influence on the uniformity of distribution of electric power in the volume of the furnace and has a direct impact on product quality and losses of energy. Literature data of electrical resistivity of the coal charge can't be used without additional analysis and calculations in different technological process conditions. The reason for this is the dependence of properties coal charge not only on the temperature range, but also on the particle size distribution of the starting materials and the degree of graphitization. The article draws previously obtained experimental data on the electrical conductivity of particulate coke and graphite mixtures. Analysis of the experimental data showed that for the materials in question observed correlation of electrical resistivity particulate carbon materials on the particle size and the degree of graphitization. The results of our study allow defining the magnitude of the electrical resistance depending on the composition of the mixture of raw coke and graphitized, the particle size of the starting components of the mixture at temperatures ranging from 20 to 1000 oC. The obtained dependences are necessary to find the optimal properties of the coal charge used in the production, as well as for the development of energy-saving regulations in technological processes of the enterprises.


Emotions are an important part of learning mathematics, but until recently have taken second place to cognitive processes within mathematics teaching and learning. Often students complain that they do not enjoy school mathematics, and adults report that they disliked mathematics at school. Yet successful students cite their teachers as a driving factor in choosing to study mathematics to a higher level.

This study explores this and similar mismatches by investigating the existence and role of positive emotions in mathematics classrooms. I examine how teacher emotions 'colour' mathematics teaching, and how teachers actively share their emotional relationship with mathematics with students. To this end, I interviewed a sample of experienced UK mathematics teachers, observed lessons from their normal classroom practice, and used video stimulated post-observational discussion of episodes. I selected episodes by emotional expression in observed lessons in conjunction with evidence from a Galvanic Skin Resistance (GSR) sensor, used as an approximating indicator of internal emotions. In the analysis, I consider two models for examining affect. Engagement Structures (ES) was developed (Goldin, Epstein, Schorr and Warner, 2011) for researching student affect, and Positioning Theory (PT) (Harre and Langenhove, 1999), is used to examine the socially located detail of classroom discourse. I present episodes from classrooms through the lenses of ES and PT, and discuss their adaptation for mathematics teaching.

I argue that teachers who build a positive emotional climate, defined as a climate supportive of positive engagement in learning mathematics, embed emotions within mathematics teaching in myriad unique and connective ways. In particular, teachers embed emotions by socially sharing their pleasure in mathematics, through play, by modelling enjoying engaging in mathematics, and through storytelling. Examining how experienced teachers use emotions within their teaching draws attention to where emotions might be used within teaching to the greatest effect and to some reasons why they might not be used.


Escherichia coli contains two genes (acnA and acnB) encoding aconitase activities. An acnB mutant was engineered by replacing the chromosomal acnB gene by an internally deleted derivative containing a tetR cassette. An acnB double mutant was then made by transducing a previously constructed acnA::kanR mutation into the acnB::tetR strain. Western blotting confirmed that the AcnA and AcnB proteins were no longer produced by the corresponding mutants and PCR analysis showed that the chromosomal acnB gene had been replaced by the disrupted gene. Aerobic and anaerobic growth in glucose minimal medium were impaired but not abolished by the acnB mutation, indicating that the lesion is partially complemented by the acnA+ gene, and growth was enhanced by glutamate. The acnAB double mutant would not grow on unsupplemented glucose minimal medium and although it responded to glutamate like a typical auxotroph under anaerobic conditions, under aerobic conditions no response to glutamate was observed before it was over-grown by 'revertants' lacking citrate synthase (acnAB gltA). The acnAB double mutant retained a low but significant aconitase activity (< or = 5% of wild-type), designated AcnC. Enzymological and regulatory studies with acn-lacZ fusions indicated that AcnB is the major aconitase, which is synthesized earlier in the growth cycle than AcnA, and subject to catabolite and anaerobic repression.


The need to improve environmental management in Australia is urgent because human health, well-being and social stability all depend ultimately on maintenance of life-supporting ecological processes. Ecological science can inform this effort, but when issues are socially and economically complex the inclination is to wait for science to provide answers before acting. Increasingly, managers and policy-makers will be called on to use the present state of scientific knowledge to supply reasonable inferences for action based on imperfect knowledge. Hence, one challenge is to use existing ecological knowledge more effectively; a second is to tackle the critical unanswered ecological questions. This paper identifies areas of environmental management that are profoundly hindered by an inability of science to answer basic questions, in contrast to those areas where knowledge is not the major barrier to policy development and management. Of the 22 big questions identified herein, more than half are directly related to climate change. Several of the questions concern our limited understanding of the dynamics of marine systems. There is enough information already available to develop effective policy and management to address several significant ecological issues. We urge ecologists to make better use of existing knowledge in dialogue with policy-makers and land managers. Because the challenges are enormous, ecologists will increasingly be engaging a wide range of other disciplines to help identify pathways towards a sustainable future.


INVESTIGATION OF BIOMOLECULAR INTERACTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SENSORS AND DIAGNOSTICS By Xiaojuan Zhang, Ph.D A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Vamsi K. Yadavalli, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Life Science Engineering The highly specific recognition processes between biomolecules mediate various crucial biological processes. Uncovering the molecular basis of these interactions is of great fundamental and applied importance. This research work focuses on understanding the interactions of several biomolecular recognition systems and processes that can provide fundamental information to aid in the rational design of sensing and molecular recognition tools. Initially, a reliable and versatile platform was developed to investigate biomolecular interactions at a molecular level. This involved several techniques, including biomolecule functionalization to enable attachment to self-assembled monolayers as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM) based force spectroscopy to uncover the binding or rupture forces between the receptor and ligand pairs. It was shown that this platform allowed determination of molecular binding between single molecules with a high specificity. The platform was further adapted to a general sensing formulation utilizing a group of flexible and adaptive nucleic acid recognition elements (RNA and DNA aptamers) to detect specific target proteins. Investigation of interactions at the molecular level allowed characterization of the dynamics, specificity and the conformational properties of these functional nucleic acids in a manner inaccessible via traditional interaction studies. These interactions were then adapted to aptamer-based detecting methods that at the ensemble or bulk scale, specifically taking advantage of mechanisms uncovered in the biophysical study of this system. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used to detect protein targets at the bulk level and the affinities and binding kinetics of these systems were analyzed. Along with AFM-based force spectroscopy, ensemble-averaging properties and molecular properties of these interactions could be correlated to contribute to bridging the gap across length scales. Finally, more broadly applicable sensing platform was developed to take advantage of the unique properties of aptamers. DNA was employed both as a carrier and as a molecular recognition agent. DNA was used as a template for nanoconstruction and fabricating unique shapes that could enhance the aptamer-based molecular recognition strategies. With aptamers tagged to distinct nanoconstructed DNA, a novel shape-based detecting method was enabled at the molecular level. The results demonstrated that this is a flexible strategy, which can be further developed as ultrasensitive single molecule sensing strategy in complex environments.


Indian Firms in Germany: Recent Developments and the Road Ahead Between August 2012 and July 2013 Indian firms continued to scale up their investments in Germany. We could observe some significant investment projects in the reporting period. Seeking access to technology and patent portfolios is increasingly driving Indian investments in Germany even as Indian firms try to augment their in-house R&D capabilities in order to compete on innovation. On the flip side, Indian firms often struggle to integrate themselves in the local eco-system and to fully benefit from the national, regional, and sectoral innovation systems in Germany.


Background According to the World Health Organization Report on Tuberculosis in 2013, it is estimated that 9 million people developed tuberculosis and 1.5 died of the disease. In Qatar, the incidence of tuberculosis is the highest in the Gulf countries but this mainly depends on migrant laborers from countries with high incidence, especially Nepal, India, and the Philippines. It is important to consider that only India contributes with the 25% of the global burden of tuberculosis. Among the strategies for the prevention and control of tuberculosis are included measures to promote the early diagnosis and the compliance with treatment. The delay in the diagnosis has a critical role in the control of tuberculosis and it constitutes a threat for the community and it worsens the prognosis for the patient's improvement in the clinical status. In a literature review of 52 studies, Sreeramareddy CT et al reported that (median or mean) total delay, patient delay, healthcare system delay for diagnosis of tuberculosis were ranging from 25 to 185 days, 4.9 to 16.2 days and 2 to 8.9 days respectively. The overall average patient delay was similar to health system delay (31.03 versus 27.2 days). According to a multinational study about diagnostic delay carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) in 2003–2004 the mean duration of delay between the onsets of symptoms until treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs ranged from one month and a half to 4 months in the different countries. The mean delay was 46 days in Iraq, 57 in Egypt, 59.2 in Yemen, 79.5 in Somalia, 80.4 in the Syrian Arab Republic, 100 in Pakistan, and 127 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This report comments that the infection control programs are able to detect an average of one third of smear-positive tuberculosis cases, while the rest continue to transmit infection in the community until treated, whether adequate or inadequate by other health sectors. Recently published papers report total diagnosis delay of 60 days (Porto Alegre and Yemen, 2013), and 36 days (Guimaraes, 2015), patient delay of 15 days (Brazil, 2013 - Porto Alegre, 2013) and system delay of 15 days (Croatia, 2013) and 18 days (Porto Alegre, 2013). No previous reports have been published about the topic in Qatar. Based on the previous information and on the national goal for prevention and control of communicable diseases we considered necessary to conduct an epidemiological research to describe the diagnostic delay in tuberculosis, as an initial step for a population-based study. Objective – To identify the diagnostic delay in patients with tuberculosis and to describe the patient and healthcare system components. – To test the method of collection of information for the design of a population-based study. Methods An exploratory study was carried out in 49 newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients admitted to a hospital facility during the period of May-October, 2015 Criteria for inclusion: – Patient who accepts to answer the questions during a regular clinical interview. – Patient with a clinical status who allows the interview, regardless of the type of tuberculosis (pulmonary or extra pulmonary) Criteria for exclusion – Unstable clinical status that interferes with a proper communication – Language barrier that could not be overcome due to unavailability of interpreter for any specific language. Procedure During the admission period, and during the regular clinical evaluation, the patients answered the study questions. The interview was conducted by a nurse, using an interpreter if considered necessary. It was collected information about the first time the patient arrived in Qatar and the date of onset of symptoms related with tuberculosis. If the patient visited an outpatient or emergency department of another healthcare facility during the symptomatic period and before the admission, it was defined the date and the type of facility (primary level facility, hospital facility) and if the treatment recommended included antibiotics. The date of diagnosis was considered to be the date of the collection of the confirmatory laboratory test (acid fast bacilli or GeneXpert PCR positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical samples). Definitions – Patient delay was considered as the time between symptoms onset and first contact with the healthcare system, regardless the category or level of care provided by the facility (primary healthcare facility, hospital). – System delay was considered as the time between the first contact with the healthcare system and the diagnosis. Analysis Data were entered in JMP 10.0 (SAS Institute, http://www.jmp.com). Descriptive statistical methods were used. Median and percentile distribution was calculated for patient and healthcare system delay, and boxplot graph was obtained. The interquartile range [IQR] was calculated (Q3 – Q1). Results The patients have lived in Qatar a mean time of 5.5 years, with a maximum of 32 years. All patients were confirmed with pulmonary or pleural tuberculosis by means of a smear positive for acid fast bacilli, PCR positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical samples (sputum, pleural fluid, biopsy samples). The median total delay was 30 days (IQR 23.5 days, maximum 365 days), the patient delay was 21 days (IQR 22 days, maximum 362 days), and the system delay was 3 days (IQR 8 days, maximum 60 days). 26 patients out of 42 who visited another facility before admission (61.9%) were attended in a primary healthcare facility and 16 patients (38.1%) in a hospital facility. The 92% of these patients received antibiotic treatment for the management of the respiratory symptoms and were discharged from these ambulatory contacts. After that, due to no improvement of their clinical status they were admitted to hospital and the diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed. The above-mentioned results highlight the contribution of the patient component in the diagnosis delay in tuberculosis, which constitutes a significant risk for community transmission. Consequently, this finding should guide the actions for the prevention and control of tuberculosis. It is important to stand out the strengths of the tuberculosis program in Qatar, including the availability of the latest technology for its diagnosis (Gene Xpert PCR, Quantiferon TB Gold, PCR for rifampicin resistance), which is performed in a central laboratory at a national level, and a devoted Tuberculosis clinic for diagnosis and follow up with devoted staff with expertise on this field. In addition, the national law supports the free of charge healthcare services for tuberculosis patients, including the admission in hospital, anti tuberculosis treatment and follow-up. Conclusion Our findings provide insights about the delay of tuberculosis diagnosis and the need to identify strategies for its reduction, especially the patient component. Recommendations To conduct a population-based or cohort study to identify the risk factors and determinants for delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, including detailed information about the health-seeking behavior of patients with suspected tuberculosis.


Hyperaccumulated elements such as Ni may defend plants against some natural enemies whereas other enemies may circumvent this defense. The Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii Roessler (Asteraceae) is a host plant species for Chrysolina clathrata (Clark), which suffers no apparent harm by consuming its leaf tissue. Beetle specimens collected from B. coddii had a whole body Ni concentration of 260 μg/g dry weight, despite consuming leaf material containing 15 100 μg Ni/g. Two experiments were conducted with adults of this beetle species: a no‐choice experiment and a choice experiment. In the no‐choice experiment we offered beetles foliage of one of four species of Berkheya: B. coddii, B. rehmannii Thell. var. rogersiana Thell., B. echinacea (Harv.) O. Hoffm. ex Burtt Davey, and B. insignis (Harv.) Thell. The two former species are Ni hyperaccumulators (defined as having leaf Ni concentration > 1 000 μg/g) whereas the latter have low Ni levels (< 200 μg/g) in their leaves. Masses of beetles were monitored for 6 days. Choice experiments used growing stem tips from the same Berkheya species, placed into Petri dishes with five Chrysolina beetles in each, and the amount of feeding damage caused on each of the four species was recorded. Beetles in the no‐choice experiment gained mass when offered B. coddii, maintained mass on leaves of the other Ni hyperaccumulator (B. rehmannii var. rogersiana), and lost mass when offered non‐hyperaccumulator leaves. In the choice test, beetles strongly preferred B. coddii to other Berkheya species. We conclude that C. clathrata may be host‐specific on B. coddii.


The effects of increases in plasma atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) similar to those encountered after rapid volume expansion were examined in conscious dogs. Hemodynamics and renal function were continuously monitored during 30 minutes of human ANF infusion (10 ng/kg.min) and throughout a 30-minute recovery period. Ten minutes into the infusion period, plasma levels of ANF were elevated (p less than 0.01) by 34 +/- 9 from 36 +/- 5 pg/ml and sodium excretion increased (p less than 0.05) by 34 +/- 7 from 67 +/- 9 mueq/min. At that time, urine flow did not differ from baseline (0.25 +/- 0.03 ml/min). Renal blood flow velocity fell (p less than 0.01) by 5.0 +/- 0.5 from 42.3 +/- 3.7 cm/sec. Thirty minutes into the infusion period, plasma ANF levels were increased (p less than 0.01) by 61 +/- 9 pg/ml, similar to levels found after rapid volume expansion in conscious dogs. Urine flow and sodium excretion were elevated (p less than 0.01) by 0.35 +/- 0.06 ml/min and by 65 +/- 12 mueq/min, respectively. Renal blood flow velocity was reduced (p less than 0.05) by 4.4 +/- 1.5 cm/sec. Neither right atrial pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, mean arterial pressure, the first derivative of left ventricular pressure over time (dP/dt), nor heart rate were influenced by the elevated ANF plasma levels. Circulating levels of vasopressin and aldosterone were unaltered by these increases in plasma ANF. Thirty minutes into the recovery period, all variables were similar to the preinfusion baseline. Thus, in conscious dogs, physiologically relevant increases in plasma levels of ANF reached diuretic and natriuretic thresholds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Gut bacterial strains targeted by IgA in undernourished Malawian children produce severe enteropathy in gnotobiotic mice and correlate with health status. BugFACS Inc. In a new study, Kau et al. show that bacterial targets of gut immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for childhood undernutrition. Purifying IgA-targeted microbes from fecal samples collected during the first 2 years of life from Malawian children using a method called BugFACS, these authors demonstrate that IgA responses to several types of bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae, correlate with undernutrition. Transplanting IgA-bound bacteria from undernourished children to germ-free mice led to disruption of the gut lining (epithelium), weight loss, and sepsis in animals consuming a nutrient-deficient Malawian diet. This was prevented by a nutrient-sufficient diet or two IgA-targeted bacterial species from a healthy donor's microbiota. Dissecting a collection of cultured IgA-targeted bacterial strains from an undernourished donor revealed that Enterobacteriaceae interacted with other community members to produce pathology. These findings have implications for the diagnosis and treatment of childhood undernutrition. To gain insights into the interrelationships among childhood undernutrition, the gut microbiota, and gut mucosal immune/barrier function, we purified bacterial strains targeted by immunoglobulin A (IgA) from the fecal microbiota of two cohorts of Malawian infants and children. IgA responses to several bacterial taxa, including Enterobacteriaceae, correlated with anthropometric measurements of nutritional status in longitudinal studies. The relationship between IgA responses and growth was further explained by enteropathogen burden. Gnotobiotic mouse recipients of an IgA+ bacterial consortium purified from the gut microbiota of undernourished children exhibited a diet-dependent enteropathy characterized by rapid disruption of the small intestinal and colonic epithelial barrier, weight loss, and sepsis that could be prevented by administering two IgA-targeted bacterial species from a healthy microbiota. Dissection of a culture collection of 11 IgA-targeted strains from an undernourished donor, sufficient to transmit these phenotypes, disclosed that Enterobacteriaceae interacted with other consortium members to produce enteropathy. These findings indicate that bacterial targets of IgA responses have etiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic implications for childhood undernutrition.


In 2004 the Victorian Office of Higher Education accredited a four-year undergraduate degree: Bachelor of Health Science (Myotherapy). This degree had stemmed from a three-year competency-based, Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy which is no longer accredited in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Myotherapy can be defined as the treatment and management of musculoskeletal pain. The Myotherapy degree program was developed as a content-based curriculum without a formal competency-based component. As with many vocational programs in the Higher Education (HE) sector, Myotherapy requires the development of both underpinning and acquired knowledge to carry out a number of procedural tasks. Consequently, this study intended to ascertain if there is a place for the formalisation of Competency-based Learning in Higher Education.
A qualitative methodology using principles of grounded theory was used for the study. The data examined comprised documentation pertaining to competency-based programs combined with information from descriptive surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted with a cohort of participants experienced in teaching, lecturing and/or designing curriculum for competency-based programs in the VET and HE sectors. Data collected was coded throughout the collection process and analysed for identification of themes and interpretation.
Results of the study suggest that competency-based learning has a place in the higher education sector and can be effective in those elements of a course which place an emphasis on procedural tasks. Its suitability was acknowledged as a component part of an integrated curriculum rather than the complete program.
Results also suggest that the nature of competency-based programs in the VET sector tends to produce a rigidity of thinking which can be described as 'protocolic' and based on the ability to following specific procedures, whereas the aims of the HE sector require graduates to acquire functional knowledge based on analytic inquiry. This implies that the HE sector needs to look 'beyond competency' to an approach such as 'capability' to produce graduates with the required generic skills and graduate attributes considered to be both employable and possessing acceptable qualities within the broader community.


While the demand for wheat flour for bread is relatively static in both Japan and South Korea, consumer markets for noodles in both countries are growing in importance. Each of the two countries depends heavily on milling-wheat imports since there is very little domestic wheat production. Canadian wheat exports represent only a small share of South Korean wheat imports and about 25 percent of the wheat imported by Japan. The South Korean wheat import market was deregulated in 1990. The liberalization of wheat imports and deregulation of the Korean milling sector have intensified competition in the flour milling industries in that market. Individual millers are interested in developing new blending formulae for wheat flour in order to survive in a more competitive market environment. Japan's wheat import market, while still highly regulated, is expected to deregulate in the future and demand is expected to continue to increase for wheat flour for noodle production. Fundamental marketing issues revolving around Canada's ability to supply wheats of the specified preferred quality to South Korea and Japan need to be examined since these may have significant implications for Canadian wheat exports to the region. South Korea provides a case study of changes that may occur in wheat demand as Japan deregulates its wheat import market. The comparison of the markets for noodle flour in these two Asian nations is highly relevant to the ongoing debate about Canadian domestic policies for wheat breeding, exports and grain regulation.


This article considers how the newly-formulated "Right to be Forgotten" in Article 17 of
the EU's new General Data Protection Regulation will apply to "online expression",
that is, content placed online via social and other forms of media. It starts by seeking
to refute the argument that the widespread sharing of personal information online
means that digital privacy no longer matters, considering in particular the key role that
privacy as informational control plays in self-actualisation and how the advent of a
right to erase may alter judicial understandings of informational autonomy. It goes on
to consider some of the key interpretive dilemmas posed by Article 17, in particular the
questions of when individuals and online intermediaries may be fixed with obligations
under the Regulation and who may claim the broad "journalism exemption"; in doing so
it contests the notion that the privacy obligations of social media platforms like Facebook
should invariably be treated differently from those of search engines like Google. It
then goes on to argue that the right to privacy enshrined in Article 8 of the European
Convention on Human Rights, as interpreted by the Strasbourg Court, is likely to
be an important factor in the interpretation of the new right, and how it is balanced
with freedom of expression. Using a variety of data dissemination scenarios it considers
how Strasbourg's 'reasonable expectation of privacy' test, and the factors that underlie
it, might apply to the resolution of different kinds of erasure claims under Article 17.
In doing so it analyses the applicability of a number of relevant factors drawn from the
Strasbourg case law, including the content of the personal data in question, its form,
whether the data subject is a "public figure", implied "waiver" of privacy rights, how the
data was collected and disseminated and whether it relates to something that occurred
in a physically public location.


This dissertation describes the consequences of non-specific binding between cationic nanoparticles (NPs) and biological materials ranging from persistence length reduction of single actin filaments, to modified kinetics of myosin V motility, and culminating with correlating THP-1 cell metabolic stress to viscoelastic changes. The bulk of the thesis (chapters 3-5), utilizes optically transparent polymer-NP composites with controllable hierarchical roughness to tune the interaction strength between actin filaments and the surface and impact myosin V kinetics. To generate hierarchical roughness, precise control over the thermodynamics and dynamics of NH2-functionalized NPs in polystyrene-ran-acrylic acid (SAA) is demonstrated in chapter 3. In particular, an interplay between aggregation and dispersion of NPs occurs by varying SAA composition, leading to roughness ranging from a few nms to hundreds of nms and tunable wettability with water contact angles ranging from 70° to 170°. Chapter 4 describes the relationship between roughness and actin binding with a model based on the worm-like chain model that weighs the bending energy associated with actin binding to surface features based on their size and density against the electrostatic potential of the surface. The model predicts the experimentally observed weakening of f-actin surface binding with increasing roughness, from immobilized, to side-on wobbly, and eventually end-on. Chapter 5 quantifies how perturbations in actin structure by electrostatic surface attachment effects myosin V kinetics. Myosin V velocity is slowed by backward stepping on NP-decorated surfaces. The Michaelis-Menten relationship of myosin velocity versus [ATP] exhibits a reduction in KM and VMAX explained by a reduced coordination between myosin and f-actin which causes backwards stepping and an increased ADP affinity. Chapter 7 outlines the method of variable indentation-rate rheometric analysis by Laplace transform (VIRRAL) which is developed to utilize basic Hertzian fitting of force curves to measure the viscoelasticity of THP-1 cells. Dextran-lysozyme nanogels loaded with Ag nanoparticles cause mitochondrial damage which metabolically stresses cells decreasing the ATP/ADP. Reduced [ATP] increases f-actin concentration and slows intracellular transport making the cytoplasm stiffer by increasing both low and high-frequency elasticity and the viscosity. Thus, metabolic stress in THP-1 cells is correlated with proportional increases in viscosity and elasticity, while the relaxation time of the cell, τ, remains unchanged. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Materials Science & Engineering First Advisor Russell J. Composto This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/1225


Education for Sustainable Development presents a vision of education that seeks to empower people to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future. There are many different stakeholders in sustainable development whose participation is essential if long-term developments are to be achieved: governments and intergovernmental bodies, the mass media, the civil society and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and formal education institutions (i.e. schools, universities, research and training institutes). But despite the need for concerted efforts, truly cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary projects and practical activities are seldom seen. In addition, there are few publications where the subject matters of education, innovation and communication - as they apply to sustainable development - are approached in an integrated way. This book combines approaches, methods and analyses which illustrate the contribution of innovation, education and communication to the cause of sustainable development. It is prepared as part of the INTERREG IIIB (North Sea) Project « SmartLIFE, a partnership between three EU regions - Germany, Sweden and the UK. It is also a further means of support to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, since there is a paucity of academic and at the same time practice-related books which go over and above the theory of education and of sustainable development and move on to address the various problems related to it.


How does corporate law matter? This Article provides a new perspective on the longstanding question by suggesting that the main impact of corporate law is not in imposing sanctions, but rather in producing information. The process of litigation or regulatory investigations produces information on the behavior of defendant companies and businesspeople. This information reaches third parties and affects the way that outside observers treat the parties to the dispute. In other words, litigation affects behavior indirectly, through shaping reputational sanctions. The Article then explores how exactly information from the courtroom translates into the court of public opinion. By analyzing the content of media coverage of famous corporate law cases, we gain two sets of insights. First, we learn that judicial scolding does not necessarily hurt the misbehaving company's reputation. The reputational impact of litigation depends on factors such as whom the judge is scolding, what she is scolding them for, and how her scolding compares to the preexisting information environment. Second, we flesh out the ways in which information flows from the courtroom get distorted. Information intermediaries selectively disseminate certain pieces of information and ignore others. And defendant companies produce smokescreens in an attempt to divert the public's attention. Recognizing that corporate law affects behavior by facilitating reputational sanctions carries important policy implications. The Article reevaluates key doctrines in corporate and securities laws according to how they contribute to information production. In the process we refocus timely and practical debates, such as the desirability of open-ended standards and liberal pleading mechanisms and the proper scope of judicial review of the Securities and Exchange Commission's actions.


We describe an incomplete skeleton of a new species of the aetosaur Typothorax, T.antiquum,
from the Los Esteros Member of the Santa Rosa Formation near Lamy, Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
Features that diagnose T. antiquum from the type and only other species of Typothorax, T. coccinarum Cope, are the relatively narrow paramedian scutes (width: length ratio ~2-3), coarser and less dense pitting on the dorsal paramedian scutes, more pronounced radial ridges on the dorsal lateral scutes, and a more robust ilium, with more prominent and thicker peduncles, lateral buttress and iliac blade. We also refer incomplete scutes and scute fragments from the Garita Creek Formation in east-central New Mexico to T. antiquum. Typothorax scutes from the overlying Trujillo Formation in east-central
New Mexico pertain to T.coccinarum and are the stratigraphically lowest occurrence (LO) of that taxon. The LO of T. antiquum is older (Adamanian: latest Carnian) than the LO of the much more common T. coccinarum (Revueltian: early-mid Norian). T. antiquum is a relatively rare Adamanian aetosaur and thus has limited biochronological utility. The morphology and temporal distribution of Typothorax species suggests they represent a single, anagenetic lineage, with T. antiquum directly ancestral to T. coccinarum.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate dietary fiber intake among adolescents and to analyze factors associated with the risk of insufficient consumption of this nutrient.

METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 722 adolescents from the town of São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. Sampling was by clusters, with a systematic randomization of 40 census sectors and residences, including all individuals aged 10 to 19 years. The adolescents' weight and height were measured and sociodemographic data on their families recorded. A 24-hour dietary recall and a frequency survey were used to assess dietary intakes. The quantity of dietary fiber in diets was calculated using Nutwin nutrition support software (Programa de Apoio à Nutrição), developed by the IT Department at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Statistical analysis was by means of logistic regression, employing a hierarchical model.

RESULTS
The prevalence of insufficient dietary fiber intake was 69% among girls and 49.7% for boys (p < 0.001). The determinant factors of this condition among boys were non-habitual consumption of beans (OR 2.65; 95%CI 1.05-6.68) and excessive fat intake (OR 2.67; 95%CI 11.23-5.83). For girls factors were increased age (OR 5.33; 95%CI 2.33-12.2), non-habitual consumption of beans (OR 3.01; 95%CI 1.44-6.53), excessive fat intake (OR 1.85; 95%CI 1.01-3.37), dieting for weight loss (OR 2.50; 95%CI 1.10-5.70) and presence of overweight (OR 2.06; 95%CI 1.04-4.07).

CONCLUSIONS
These results admit of the conclusion that excessive fat consumption and non-habitual consumption of beans are strongly linked with the risk of insufficient dietary fiber intake in both sexes and that females exhibit a greater number of risk factors for this outcome.


An integral part of terrorist groups' recruitment strategies is dependent on the communicative isolation of individuals who are potentially fit to be terrorists. Terrorists-to-be receive training on how to proceed in society without revealing their terrorist intentions. This partially accounts for the feelings of shock, disbelief, and surprise with which the parents, relatives, and acquaintances of terrorists often react to the news that the people they think they know have conducted atrocious terrorist acts against innocent victims. Accordingly, the success of terrorist plans largely counts on uncommunicating the terrorist idea to the surrounding environment. Taking targeted individuals to this recruitment stage requires time, indoctrination, and expertise from terrorist recruiters. This proves why terrorist groups prefer to address young people and emerging adults who show signs of communication lack with their own families. This study attempts to verify the applicability of these findings to the Moroccan context. In this respect, a survey was administered to 400 respondents in two different social environments measuring Moroccan youths' predisposition to be drawn by extremist narratives. The results demonstrate that Moroccan parents involuntarily create communicative and emotional gaps in children making them the most desirable profiles for terrorist groups.


Histories of international law have typically focused on the origins of legal rules and doctrines, the decisions of courts and other formal tribunals, the views of professors and legal theorists and diplomats, and the evolution of the legal profession. That is, international legal histories have centered on the concerns of lawyers and states and have reflected a positivist vision of international lawmaking. We need a history of international law that focuses more on international law in action – the invocation, elaboration, and contestation of rules in and through their everyday application, not just by states, high-level state actors, legal theorists, and state-organized domestic and international institutions, but also by individuals, low-level officials, private groups, and nongovernmental actors and in places outside of the usual fora where 'international law' is said to be found. We need a history of international law in the vernacular.


This study compared swim-up and glass wool filtration in both pregnancy outcome and fertilization of excess oocytes in patients undergoing gamete intrafallopian transfer. Gamete intrafallopian transfer patients were retrospectively included in the study group (n = 52). The criteria for inclusion were as follows: Semen had to have been prepared by means of glass wool filtration and at least 2 metaphase II oocytes had to have been transferred. Each patient from this group was then carefully matched with another patient according to specific criteria (number of metaphase II oocytes aspirated and transferred, normal sperm morphology, wife's age, the absence of anti-sperm antibodies, semen preparation by means of the swim-up procedure). Fourteen patients were matched with themselves (groups A1 and A2) and 38 patients were matched with another patient (groups B and C). The results indicate that there was no significant difference in the fertilization and pregnancy probabilities of sperm prepared by means of glass wool filtration or swim-up procedure. The comparative pregnancy rates for the groups were A1 (7.1%) versus A2 (7.1%) and B (28.9%) versus C (31.6%). Factors other than fertilization and pregnancy potential may have a greater influence on choosing the optimum sperm preparation procedure.


This entry develops a definition of literature as an identity technology by bringing together theories of identity formation as a process of identification and introjection, with thinking about reading as a materially grounded process in which readers encounter identities in the form of characters and narrators. The essay critically situates the terms "identity" and "technology" in the study of literature, media, and culture in order to argue that at the linguistic, symbolic, and material level, literature can be used as a means for inscribing and reinscribing identity at the individual and collective level. Drawing on ways of reading literature from autobiography studies and queer theory, this article is about how to read and think about literature as a mechanism through which identity is formed, negotiated and renegotiated, inscribed, and made public. The case studies utilized in this entry are the opening and closing essays of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's important work of literary theory, Tendencies. Sedgwick's theorization and enactment of reading as a generative, queer practice is brought together with a close reading of her reflections on her own identity and the variety of techniques she uses to situate to her reader to elucidate the utility of thinking literature as a technology used in the ongoing work of identity.


Abstract In this thesis I present the magnetic haemofilter - a novel medical device designed to remove magnetic materials directly from a patient's bloodstream. The haemofilter is a high gradient magnetic separator incorporated into an extra-corporeal loop. A patient's blood is constantly circulated through the device, which magnetically captures and retains target agents while the rest of the blood returns to the patient unharmed. Clinical versions of the device were conceived, designed and modelled. Small scale versions, designed to mimic the performance of the clinical designs, were manufactured using 3D printing and tested in benchtop in vitro experiments. Abstract Many potential applications for the device are envisioned, and justified with an extensive literary review of magnetic labelling, the process of binding magnetic particles to specific targets to enable their separation. The device has significant potential as a platform technology enabling these varied applications. In this project, however, malaria was chosen as the primary application. Malaria infected red blood cells are paramagnetic, so their separation does not require magnetic labelling - the haemofilter simply exploits their naturally occurring magnetic properties. Abstract The haemofilter was tested using samples of malaria infected blood filtered at a variety of flow rates, with a reduction in parasitaemia observed in every experiment at throughputs orders of magnitude higher than any previously reported clinical magnetic haemofiltration device. The results demonstrate that even without further optimisation, the clinical version of the device could halve a child's parasitaemia in less than 90 minutes. The flow rates used in the experiments, and those that could be used in the clinical versions, are orders of magnitude higher than any previously reported clinical magnetic haemofilter. Experiments on samples donated by malaria patients demonstrated that no other blood components are affected by the process. Abstract A commercial evaluation of the haemofilter as a medical device to treat malaria was conducted. The market analysis showed a large potential total addressable market, segmented into three principal patient populations. The product development and manufacturing costs were estimated and shown to be reasonable, while a financial analysis showed that a margin could be earned while still saving customers money. A route-to-market and commercialisation strategy is presented. Abstract I conclude that the magnetic haemofilter has the potential to deliver significant clinical benefits to a wide variety of malaria patients, saving lives in serious cases, providing a treatment option for currently untreatable patients, and speeding up recovery in uncomplicated cases, while improving the efficacy and eliminating the side-effects of pharmaceutical drugs.


Purpose
This paper aims to deepen the understanding of resource integration for value co-creation within service-dominant logic (SDL), by drawing on key knowledge management (KM) concepts.

Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual study introduces three key KM concepts, namely, object, agent and context to SDL; thus, deepening the understanding of how resources are becoming when actors are engaged in co-creating value-in-context.

Findings
This paper extends understanding of actors' uses of knowledge in their efforts to co-create value. Paradoxically, SDL takes a phenomenological approach to understanding value co-creation, whereas KM embraces a realist-phenomenological view. Emphasizing knowing rather than knowledge reveals that there is no object without an agent, no agency without context and no knowledge without value-alignment. Thus, the paper contributes to theorizing about resource integration through SDL by identifying the need for effective alignment between relevant objects, capable agents and meaningful contexts for value to emerge. The paper also contributes with four facilitators of object-agent-context alignment: tacit knowledge contextualization, collective sensemaking, shared values among engaged actors and feedback on alignment effectiveness.

Originality/value
It advances current conceptualizations of resource integration and value co-creation in SDL by paying explicit attention to a KM perspective.


This paper quantifies the impacts of transport infrastructure investments on economic activity in Haiti, using satellite night-light luminosity as a proxy measure. Our identification strategy exploits the differential timing of rehabilitation projects across various road segments of the primary road network. We combine multiple sources of non-traditional data and carefully address concerns related to unobserved heterogeneity. The results obtained across multiple specifications consistently indicate that receiving a road rehabilitation project leads to an increase in luminosity values of between 6% and 26% at the communal section level. Taking into account the national level elasticity between luminosity values and GDP, we approximate that these interventions translate into communal section-GDP increases of between 0.5% and 2.1%, for communal sections benefited by a transport infrastructure project. We observe temporal and spatial variation in results, and crucially that the larger impacts appear once projects are completed and are concentrated within 2 km buffers around the intervened roads. Neither the richest or the poorest communities reap the benefits from road improvements, with gains accruing to those in the middle of the ranking of communal sections, based on unsatisfied basic needs. Our findings provide novel evidence on the role of transport investments in promoting economic activity in developing countries.


Synopsis The Department of Water Mfairs and Forestry has, for some time, needed a comprehensive tool to incorporate the impacts of commercial afforestation on water resources into water use authorisation and allocation processes. Simulation modelling on a national scale, using the ACRU model, was identified as one possible solution. However, in order to establish confidence in the national simulation results, it was necessary to first verify model output against reliable observed data from process studies and long-term catchment afforestation experiments. In the verification phase, long term reductions in streamflow resulting from afforestation were satisfactorily simulated for five research catchments. Some problems were experienced with catchments in the Western Cape, with verifications on shorter duration experiments and the simulation of specific evaporative processes. Modelling oflow flows was less successful than for total flows. In the second phase (the generation of the national database), simulations were first performed for the dominant Acocks (1988) veld type (i.e. 0% afforestation) within 843 Quaternary Catchments exhibiting afforestation potential (to determine baseline streamflow), followed by simulations of streamflow after 100% afforestation with eucalyptus, pine and wattle respectively. The difference between the unafforested and afforested simulations equated to streamflow reduction caused by afforestation. This culminated in the generation of maps and tables expressing reductions in streamflow per Quaternary Catchment, which represents a working solution for immediate application but may be improved upon with further work.


Lawyers, constitutional theorists and political philosophers continue to disagree over the merits and legitimacy of judicial review. Borrowing insights from delegation theory, industrial organization as well as empirical accounts of judicial behaviour, this paper assesses two approaches to the justification of judicial review: (1) Following the Principal-Agent Model, judges are given the authority to review and invalidate legislation to enforce the choices of the constitutional framers over recalcitrant legislative majorities. (2) By contrast, under the Trustee Model, judges are given the power of judicial review to act as trustees of the political system: their task is to ensure that the legislative process produces the "best" outcomes or, at least, policies that are Pareto-optimal. While showing how the two models relate to traditional understandings of the role of judges, the paper assesses the extent to which the organizational setting of courts and the judges' incentive structure ensure that judicial review works as each model prescribes. It is argued that, from an empirical standpoint, justifying judicial review is easier – albeit by no means unproblematic – under the Trustee than under the Principal-Agent Model.


Abstract Legumes have been shown to enhance bioavailability of phosphorus (P) from sparingly soluble pools, yet this functional trait remains underutilized in agriculture, and is untested at decadal scales. Management and legume presence effects on temporal soil properties were evaluated in a 17-year field crop experiment using soil samples collected in 1992, 2000 and 2006. Management systems compared included: (1) conventional corn–soybean–wheat rotation (C–S–W), (2) organic (C–S–W+red clover), (3) alfalfa and (4) early successional field. To evaluate the effects of long-term management versus recent management (residues and P fertilizer) on P and bio-availability to soybean, subplots of soybean were established with and without P-fertilizer (30 kg P ha−1), and compared to subplots and main plot with the long-term system. We evaluated soil properties (C, total P, Bray extractable inorganic P, particulate organic matter phosphorus) and soybean P uptake, biomass and yield. Recent fertilizer P inputs had no detectable influence on soil P, and total soil P stayed stable at ~350 mg P kg−1, whereas inorganic P (Pi) declined from an initial value of 54 to an average of 35 mg P kg−1. A P balance was constructed and showed a net loss of −96.7 kg P ha−1 yr−1 for the organic system, yet Bray-Pi and soybean P uptake were maintained under organic production at similar levels to the conventional, fertilized system. Particulate organic matter P was 57, 82 and 128% higher in organic, alfalfa and successional treatments, respectively, compared to conventional. A similar pattern was observed for soil C, soybean yield and bioavailable P, which were 20–50% higher in the organic, alfalfa and successional systems relative to conventional. This study provides evidence that long-term management history influences bioavailability of P.


One of the central considerations in the validity argument for the TOEFL iBT is the relationship between the language on the exam and the language required for university courses. Corpus linguistics has recently been shown to be an effective way to explore this relationship, which can also be considered as an aspect of authenticity. Applying Multi‐Dimensional Analysis, our study is the first to directly compare the lexico‐grammatical characteristics of texts produced by second language writers on a high‐stakes standardized exam (the TOEFL iBT) to the characteristics of texts produced by the same writers for disciplinary writing tasks required as part of their academic career (e.g., lab reports, argumentative essays). Our findings show that the language of TOEFL iBT tasks have patterns of both similarity and difference from disciplinary tasks with respect to four linguistic dimensions of language use: (a) Compressed Procedural Information versus Stance toward the Work of Others, (b) Personal Stance, (c) Possible versus Completed Events, and (d) Information Density. Integrated iBT tasks show similarities to certain kinds of disciplinary tasks, while independent iBT tasks differ linguistically from almost all disciplinary writing tasks. These general patterns hold regardless of the score levels of test takers. We discuss the implications of these findings for language teaching and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


Abstract. The mass balance of many valley glaciers is enhanced by the presence of melt hotspots within otherwise continuous debris cover. We assess the effect of debris, melt hotspots, and ice dynamics on the thinning of Kennicott Glacier in three companion papers. In Part A we report in situ measurements from the debris-covered tongue. In Part B, we develop a method to delineate ice cliffs using high-resolution imagery and produce distributed mass balance estimates. Here in Part C we describe feedbacks controlling rapid thinning under thick debris. Despite the extreme abundance of ice cliffs on Kennicott Glacier, average melt rates are strongly suppressed downglacier due to thick debris. The estimated melt pattern therefore appears to reflect Østrem's curve (the debris thickness-melt relationship). As Kennicott Glacier has thinned over the last century Østrem's curve has manifested itself in two process domains on the glacier surface. The portion of the glacier affected by the upper-limb of Østrem's curve corresponds to high melt, melt gradients, and ice dynamics, as well as high ice cliff and stream occurrence. The portion of the glacier affected by the lower-limb of Østrem's curve corresponds to low melt, melt gradients, and ice dynamics, as well as high ice cliff and stream occurrence. The upglacier end of the zone of maximum thinning on Kennicott Glacier occurs at the boundary between these process domains and the bend in Østrem's curve. The expansion of debris upglacier appears to be linked to changes in the surface velocity pattern through time. In response to climate warming, debris itself may therefore control where rapid thinning occurs on debris-covered glaciers. Ice cliffs are most abundant at the upglacier end of the zone of maximum thinning.


We present a premature infant with large intracardiac mass. She had a history of sepsis and umbilical venous catheterization in the neonatal period. Twenty-seven days after withdrawal of the catheter, a precordial murmur was noted. A large right atrial highly mobile mass suspected to be thrombus was detected by echocardiography. C-reactive protein was elevated. Three blood cultures were negative. Anticoagulation treatment was started. After one week, no resolution of the thrombus was observed. The mass was surgically resected and diagnosis of thrombus infected by fungi was made on histopathological examination. Early screening of cardiac chambers by echocardiography is recommended in all preterms with intravascular catheterization.


Andrew A. Gentes. Exile to Siberia, 1590-1822. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. xiii, 271 pp. Bibliography. Index. $80.00, cloth.One of the curious aspects of the Siberian exile system in Russian historical writing is that it never seems to get better - it starts off bad and simply gets worse. As Andrew A. Gentes argues in his Exile to Siberia, 1590-1822, the Muscovite state invented the brutal habit of dumping unwanted people in Siberia. Peter the Great then expanded the scope of the system and made it even more brutal, while would-be "liberal" reformers like Mikhail Speranskii only made it more efficient. In fact, anyone who wants to see the Russian government become gentler between the 16th and the early 19th centuries should probably look for another topic. And, as we know from Dostoevsky, George Kennan "senior," and the GULAG, there was worse to come.Inasmuch as Gentes follows a fairly well-worn path in the historiography, his book is less a reinterpretati on of the history of Siberian exile than simply a new one. But it nonetheless has a number of pluses, not least being that it offers usa view of the big dismal picture all in one go. The book also includes a range of interesting details. In fact, one of the attractions of Gentes' s scholarship is the deep research that has gone into it.In his introduction, Gentes tells us that this is the first of three volumes he intends to publish on the exile system. Given this broad agenda, his goal here is limited to recounting the first part of the story - the origins of the exile system from its beginnings in the late Muscovite period to Speranskii' s Siberian Statute of 1822, which he presents as an earnest if ultimately limited attempt to link the exile system to the operations of regional administration. He covers this period of over two hundred years in five chronologically arranged chapters - one and a half on the Muscovite age, one and a half on the 18th century, one on the first quarter of the 19th century, and a final one devoted to the 1822 decree.Gentes makes his basic case well. The Russian exile system, he argues, always had two purposes. The first was to punish offenders by banishing them to the country's distant Siberian borderland. The second was to use banishment to the state's advantage by exploiting the exiles as fully as possible. Indeed, inasmuch as exploitation was central to the plan, the state's approach was remarkably egalitarian. Exiles were of different types (ordinary criminals, political criminals, Schismatics, etc.), but every type was useful in Siberia because the region had almost no non-native population to speak of. …


Socially accountable health curricula, designed to decrease Aboriginal health inequities through the transformation of health professional students into culturally safe practitioners, has become a focal point for health professional programmes. Despite this inclusion in health curricula there remains the question of how to best assess students in this area in relation to the concept, of cultural safety and transformative unlearning, to facilitate attitudinal change. To address this question, this study developed a research questionnaire to measure thematic areas of transformative unlearning, cultural safety and critical thinking in Aboriginal Health for application on undergraduate and postgraduate students and faculty staff. The Likert-scale questionnaire was developed and validated through face and content validity. Test–retest methodology was utilised to determine stability and reliability of the questionnaire with 40 participants. The extent of agreement and reliability were determined through weighted kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was calculated to determine construct validity for questionnaire items. For the overall population subset the tool met good standards of reliability and validity, with 11 of the 15 items reaching moderate agreement (κ > 0.6) and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.72, suggesting substantial agreement. Cronbach's alpha was calculated above 0.7 for the thematic areas. The majority of items provided high factor loadings, low loading items will be reviewed to strengthen the tool, where validations of the revised tool with a larger cohort will allow future use to compare and determine effective teaching methodologies in Aboriginal health and cultural safety curricula.


Contextual word representations derived from pre-trained bidirectional language models (biLMs) have recently been shown to provide significant improvements to the state of the art for a wide range of NLP tasks. However, many questions remain as to how and why these models are so effective. In this paper, we present a detailed empirical study of how the choice of neural architecture (e.g. LSTM, CNN, or self attention) influences both end task accuracy and qualitative properties of the representations that are learned. We show there is a tradeoff between speed and accuracy, but all architectures learn high quality contextual representations that outperform word embeddings for four challenging NLP tasks. Additionally, all architectures learn representations that vary with network depth, from exclusively morphological based at the word embedding layer through local syntax based in the lower contextual layers to longer range semantics such coreference at the upper layers. Together, these results suggest that unsupervised biLMs, independent of architecture, are learning much more about the structure of language than previously appreciated.


Spouses often are the primary caregiver for the hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients and participate in the transplant recipients' care throughout the HSCT trajectory. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the experiences of spouses of HSCT recipients during the acute phase of the transplant trajectory. The participants were spousal caregivers (8 wives and 3 husbands) of transplant recipients. Each participant was interviewed 1 to 6 times. Data were analyzed using Spradley's domain analysis. As couples entered the transplant experience, spouses described a sense of dislocation from normal life. They were now riding a rollercoaster in the dark as they lived the uncertainty of this risky therapy. Spouses structured the uncertainty with rituals, formed a positive perspective, and envisioned the future. They described a caregiving role but also needed to balance "me and my world" with "us and our world."


Damage to the human ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VM) can result in dramatic and maladaptive changes in social behavior despite preservation of most other cognitive abilities. One important aspect of social cognition is the ability to detect social dominance, a process of attributing from particular social signals another person's relative standing in the social world. To test the role of the VM in making attributions of social dominance, we designed two experiments: one requiring dominance judgments from static pictures of faces, the second requiring dominance judgments from film clips. We tested three demographically matched groups of subjects: subjects with focal lesions in the VM (n = 15), brain-damaged comparison subjects with lesions excluding the VM (n = 11), and a reference group of normal individuals with no history of neurological disease (n = 32). Contrary to our expectation, we found that subjects with VM lesions gave dominance judgments on both tasks that did not differ significantly from those given by the other groups. Despite their grossly normal performance, however, subjects with VM lesions showed more subtle impairments specifically when judging static faces: They were less discriminative in their dominance judgments, and did not appear to make normal use of gender and age of the faces in forming their judgments. The findings suggest that, in the laboratory tasks we used, damage to the VM does not necessarily impair judgments of social dominance, although it appears to result in alterations in strategy that might translate into behavioral impairments in real life.


We consider an economy where individuals privately choose effort and trade competitively priced securities that pay off with effort-determined probability. We show that if insurance against a negative shock is sufficiently incomplete, then standard functional form restrictions ensure that individual objective functions are optimized by an effort and insurance combination that is unique and satisfies first- and second-order conditions. Modeling insurance incompleteness in terms of costly production of private insurance services, we characterize the constrained inefficiency arising in general equilibrium from competitive pricing of non-exclusive financial contracts.


OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize emergency department (ED) visits for pediatric sport-related concussion (SRC) in pre–high school– versus high school–aged athletes. METHODS: A stratified probability sample of US hospitals that provide emergency services in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (1997–2007) and All Injury Program (2001–2005) was used. Concussion-related ED visits were analyzed for 8- to 13- and 14- to 19-year-old patients. Population data were obtained from the US Census Bureau; sport participation data were obtained from National Sporting Goods Association. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2005, US children who were aged 8 to 19 years had an estimated 502 000 ED visits for concussion. The 8- to 13-year-old group accounted for ∼35% of these visits. Approximately half of all ED visits for concussion were SRC. The 8- to 13-year-old group sustained 40% of these, which represents 58% of all concussions in this group. Approximately 25% of all SRC visits in the 8- to 13-year-old group occurred during organized team sport (OTS). During the study period, ∼4 in 1000 children aged 8 to 13 years and 6 in 1000 children aged 14 to 19 years had an ED visit for SRC, and 1 in 1000 children aged 8 to 13 years and 3 in 1000 children aged 14 to 19 years had an ED visit for concussion sustained during OTS. From 1997 to 2007, although participation had declined, ED visits for concussions in OTS in 8- to 13-year-old children had doubled and had increased by >200% in the 14- to 19-year-old group. CONCLUSIONS: The number of SRCs in young athletes is noteworthy. Additional research is required.


The introduction of innovative macro-measures has been one of the preferred means to account for identified limitations of traditional quantitative approaches in comparative analyses of the welfare state. However, these state-of-the-art indicators are not powerful enough to account for the nuanced politics of 'welfare state change' across mature welfare states as they produce inconsistent - and in several cases contrary - findings on the country level, which also appear to be at odds with the established notion of 'regime dependence' in the historical, case-study literature. Touching upon the limitations of the relevant indicators, we argue that they can at best be seen as crude approximations; this is the root cause for the above asymmetries. The 'dependent variable problem' within the comparative analysis of the welfare state is a problem of data and operational definitions as much as it is a problem of theoretical conceptualization. While the combination of nuanced quantitative and historical findings has become the norm in the broader literature, the article stresses the potential of disaggregated analyses of individual social policy domains within nations and its combination with detailed case-study analyses of social policy making.


Starting from the dynamic factor model for non-stationary data we derive the factor-augmented error correction model (FECM) and, by generalizing the Granger representation theorem, its moving-average representation. The latter is used for the identification of structural shocks and their propagation mechanism. Besides discussing contemporaneous restrictions along the lines of Bernanke et al. (2005), we show how to implement classical identification schemes based on long-run restrictions in the case of large panels. The importance of the error-correction mechanism for impulse response analysis is analysed by means of both empirical examples and simulation experiments. Our results show that the bias in estimated impulse responses in a FAVAR model is positively related to the strength of the error-correction mechanism and the cross-section dimension of the panel. We observe empirically in a large panel of US data that these features have a substantial effect on the responses of several variables to the identified real shock.


Hyperentanglement, defined as the entanglement in several degrees of freedom (DOFs) of a quantum system, has attracted much attention recently. Here we investigate the possibility of concentrating the two-photon four-qubit systems in partially hyperentangled states in both the spatial mode and the polarization DOFs with linear optics. We first introduce our parameter-splitting method to concentrate the systems in the partially hyperentangled states with known parameters, including partially hyperentangled Bell states and cluster states. Subsequently, we present another two nonlocal hyperentanglement concentration protocols (hyper-ECPs) for the systems in partially hyperentangled unknown states, resorting to the Schmidt projection method. It will be shown that our parameter-splitting method is very efficient for the concentration of the quantum systems in partially entangled states with known parameters, resorting to linear-optical elements only. All these four hyper-ECPs are feasible with current technology and they may be useful in long-distance quantum communication based on hyperentanglement as they require only linear optical elements.


This thesis considers two interrelated themes: the emergence of aggregate volatility from idiosyncratic shocks and optimisation under incomplete information when,
for reasons of strategic complementarity, agents are interested in both simple and
weighted averages of their competitors' actions.
I first develop a model of Bayesian social learning over a network. Unlike earlier
literature that abandons one of the assumptions that agents (a) act repeatedly; (b)
are rational; and (c) face strategic complementarities, I obtain tractability for arbitrarily large networks by also assuming that agents do not know the full structure of
the network, but do know its link distribution. An AR(1) process for the underlying
state induces an ARMA(1,1) process for the hierarchy of expectations, with current
and lagged weighted averages of agents' idiosyncratic shocks entering at an aggregate
level. For sufficiently irregular networks, these shocks do not wash out, thus causing
persistent aggregate effects.
I next apply this to firms' price-setting problem, demonstrating that even when
firms possess complete price
exibility, network learning induces considerable persistence in aggregate variables following monetary and real shocks and that network
shocks plausibly represent a source of aggregate economic volatility.
Finally, I explore price setting under monopolistic competition when facing TransLog preferences. I solve explicitly for a firm's best-response pricing rule under full
information and show that in partial equilibrium under incomplete information, larer firms will focus on their marginal costs while smaller firms will place more weight
on changes in consumer preferences and competitors' prices. In general equilibrium,
I estimate the effect of two distinct sources of real rigidity that emerge from TransLog preferences: the well-known curvature in demand and the dramatic increase
in complexity of firms' signal-extraction problems. With non-uniform preferences,
the model represents another channel through which idiosyncratic shocks can cause
aggregate volatility.


Summary The auditory behaviour of tethered locusts flying in a wind tunnel was investigated under controlled acoustic conditions. 1. Reflection, attenuation and diffraction of ultrasound evoked by the locust's physical presence caused pronounced distortions of the acoustic field. Interaural pressure variations were observed that account for directional hearing at high frequencies. 2. Sound field measurements indicated only a minor influence of flight posture or wing position on the interaural pressure gradient. 3. The locusts steered away from pulsed ultrasounds that simulated bat echolocation signals. The phonotactic response was measured as ruddering by the abdomen and hind legs, resulting in a yaw torque directed away from the sound source. Wingbeat frequency increased by 15% in response to ultrasonic stimulation. This behaviour is considered to be analogous to the bat avoidance behaviour of flying crickets. 4. The avoidance response was observed for carrier frequencies higher than 10 kHz and for sound pressure levels (on average) higher than 45 dB SPL. Lowfrequency stimuli (<10kHz) failed to elicit any phonotactic steering at any intensity used (up to 100dB SPL). Because of its relatively low threshold of reaction, this steering behaviour is thought to be part of an early-warning system adapted to the acoustic detection of echolocating predators. 5. The avoidance response was suppressed when a 30 kHz (normally effective) tone was combined with a 5 kHz tone (which is ineffective alone). Two-tone suppression only occurred when the low-frequency component was 10-15 dB SPL higher than the high-frequency tone. The biological significance of two-tone suppression is discussed. 6. The intensity-response characteristics, the frequency sensitivity and the twotone suppression of the avoidance behaviour are discussed with respect to the auditory physiology of Locusta migratoria. The involvement of some identified auditory ascending interneurones in the avoidance behaviour is considered.


Research in group activity analysis has put attention to monitor the work and evaluate group and individual performance, which can be reflected towards potential improvements in future group interactions. As a new means to examine individual or joint actions in the group activity, our work investigates the potential of detecting and disambiguating hands of each person in first-person points-of-view videos. Based on the recent developments in automated hand-region extraction from videos, we develop a new multiple-egocentric-video browsing interface that gives easy access to the frames of 1) individual action when only the hands of the viewer are detected, 2) joint action when collective hands are detected, and 3) the viewer checking the others' action as only their hands are detected. We take the evaluation process to explore the effectiveness of our interface with proposed hand-related features which can help perceive actions of interests in the complex analysis of videos involving co-occurred behaviors of multiple people.


The morphology and frequency of axosomatic contacts on three functionally identified primate spinothalamic tract (STT) cells were analyzed at the electron microscopic level. The STT cells analyzed were wide‐dynamic‐range neurons responsive to activation of low‐ and high‐threshold cutaneous afferents innervating the foot. The somas were located in the lateral border of lamina V; the dendritic trees were oriented dorsally and were very extensive. Numerous spinelike appendages were observed emanating from two of the cell bodies. Terminal types contacting the cell bodies were categorized at several different layers through each neuron. Six morphologically different terminal types were established following analysis of serial sections. Profiles classified as round (R) terminals containing round clear vesicles and zero or one densecore vesicle made up over 50% of the total population in contact with the STT somas. Profiles containing round clear vesicles and two to four small‐diameter dense‐core vesicles (D1 category) made up approximately 10% of the population in contact with each soma. Flat (F) terminals with oblong or flattened clear vesicles made up approximately 8% of the population. The remaining three categories (D2, L1, and L2) distinguished by the number and size of the dense‐core vesicles made up a small percentage of the total population in contact with the cell bodies. The distribution of terminal types on the soma proper versus somatic spines was also determined for one cell. The proportions of the six terminal types contacting the soma of these cells were very similar, although the physiological characteristics of each cell were different. However, the relative proportions of terminal types on these three lamina V STT cell bodies were different from those previously reported contacting somata in lamina V, suggesting that there may be a unique innervation of STT cells that differentiates them from other cell types in lamina V.


Several gram-negative plant and animal pathogenic bacteria have evolved a type III secretion system (TTSS) to deliver effector proteins directly into the host cell cytosol. Sinorhizobium fredii USDA257, a symbiont of soybean and many other legumes, secretes proteins called Nops (nodulation outer proteins) into the extracellular environment upon flavonoid induction. Mutation analysis and the nucleotide sequence of a 31.2-kb symbiosis (sym) plasmid DNA region of USDA257 revealed the existence of a TTSS locus in this symbiotic bacterium. This locus includes rhc (rhizobia conserved) genes that encode components of a TTSS and proteins that are secreted into the environment (Nops). The genomic organization of the TTSS locus of USDA257 is remarkably similar to that of another broad-host range symbiont, Rhizobium sp. strain NGR234. Flavonoids that activate the transcription of the nod genes of USDA257 also stimulate the production of novel filamentous appendages known as pili. Electron microscope examination of isolated pili reveals needle-like filaments of 6 to 8 nm in diameter. The production of the pili is dependent on a functional nodD1 and the presence of a nod gene-inducing compound. Mutations in several of the TTSS genes negate the ability of USDA257 to elaborate pili. Western blot analysis using antibodies raised against purified NopX, Nop38, and Nop7 reveals that these proteins were associated with the pili. Mutations in rhcN, rhcJ, rhcC, and ttsI alter the ability of USDA257 to form nodules on Glycine max and Macroptilium atropurpureum.


A physical-layer network coded two-way relay system applying Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes for error correction is considered in this paper, where two sources A and B desire to exchange information with each other by the help of a relay R. The critical process in such a system is the calculation of the network-coded transmit word at the relay on basis of the superimposed channel-coded QPSK words of the two sources. For this joint channel-decoding and network-encoding task a generalized Sum-Product Algorithm (SPA) over Fi6 is developed. This novel iterative decoding approach outperforms other recently proposed schemes as demonstrated by simulations.


One of the diagnostic criteria for children with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is pragmatic impairment. Yet, minimal interactional research has been carried out on what exactly 'pragmatic impairment' might mean. What do children with AS do (or not do) when interacting? What do they find interactionally 'difficult'? What do the conversational partners do to manage social and pragmatic difficulties as they emerge, moment by moment, in interaction? Using a conversation analytic framework, this paper explores some of the ways in which two pragmatically impaired children with AS, aged 8 years, interact with four different conversational partners. Using a competence model, it examines the conversational partners' use of adjacency pairs as a scaffolding device enabling the children with AS to make contributions to the talk-in-interaction in a safe, predictable environment. It also examines the different strategies used by the children with AS in environments in which the talk is less well-scaffolded, such as when initiating new topics or repair sequences. The analysis highlights the need for further research into how interaction is collaboratively managed by children with AS and their interactional partners.


Get acquainted with Adobe CS2 with the help of the ultimate comprehensive reference guide, Special Edition Using Adobe Creative Suite 2. Not only does it include material that covers the new product release, the author and team of contributors also covers how to use the individual products and how to integrate them so that you can use the Suite in an effective manner. The entire Suite is covered, including tools that aren't as well-documented. Youll find coverage of: Photoshop Illustrator InDesign GoLive Acrobat Designer Version Cue Bridge Stock PhotoWith Special Edition Using Adobe Creative Suite 2, you will easily master Adobe Creative Suite 2.


Information about genes and pathways involved in a disease is usually 'buried' in scientific literature, making it difficult to perform systematic studies for a comprehensive understanding. Text mining has provided opportunities to retrieve and extract most relevant information from literature, and thus might enable collecting and exploring relevant data to a certain disease systematically. This thesis aims to develop a text-mining pipeline that can identify genes and pathways involved in the given disease and extract their interacting patterns. As a case study, we used thyroid cancer, which is a type of cancer with increasing incidence and characterised by multiple heterogeneous subtypes.Firstly, pathways are essential to many systems biology studies, but pathways have not been the focus of text mining. To address this problem, we have designed and implemented an automated method, called PathNER, for mining pathway mentions from literature. PathNER employs soft dictionary matching and rules that can detect pathway mentions from either abstracts or full-texts with an F1-score of 84%. When used on a large-scale, PathNER was able to identify disease-associated pathways that have been ?neglected? by the manually created databases. PathNER can also help prioritise pathways that should be curated. A disease subtype classification method for the thyroid cancer literature was designed, which assigns subtype labels to articles. The classification method achieved a micro-average F1-score of 85.9% for primary subtypes. Utilising gene recognition tools and PathNER, we extracted genes and pathways (molecular profiling) associated with different thyroid cancer subtypes. The results have demonstrated the ability to complement existing annotated databases or most recent review articles in terms of coverage and efficiency, providing a basis for a systematic understanding of thyroid cancer. Finally, we have expanded an existing state-of-the-art text-mining system that extracts molecular events to develop PWTEES, which incorporates mentions of pathways. PWTEES achieved an F1-score of 59% and it can be utilised to assist semi-automated curation. We then applied PWTEES to generate a systematic profile of molecular interactions of thyroid cancer from over 30,000 articles. We integrated the molecular details of pathways from curated databases and created our interaction networks taking genes and pathways as nodes. Subsequent network analysis provides additional and more comprehensive perspectives of understanding existing data.The main outcome of the thesis is a systematic and efficient pipeline that can identify key pathways and genes that characterise a disease (molecular profile) and build networks of their interactions (interactome). While we used TC as a case study, the work presented here can be applied to other diseases for systematic studies and assisted curation efforts.


EDiTOR: Not too long ago, the most dreaded perhaps of all hemorrhagic complications in obstetrical practice was that following premature separation of the placenta. \Vhen fully under way it is a major emergency. A feeling existed that the hemorrhage involved more than the simple tearing and exposure of open blood vessels. Continuation of the hemorrhage even in the presence of what seemed to be adequate measures for its control, and excessive bleeding from fresh sites dtiring and after operations designed to arrest it, forced the conclusion that the uterine hemorrhage was the expression of a systemic disorder of hemostasis. Development and enlargement of this concept by Schneider, and Duncan Reid and his associates, hastened the early recognition of this clinical syndrome in its various guises, and provided ways for probing its mechanisms and eventually for effective control of the hemorrhage. The remarks that follow are the independent answers to Pertinent questions put to a grotip of workers familiar with these problems. We are indebted to Dr. Duncan Reid for help in framing the questions and selecting the partici a13ts. \Ve shall begin by asking: Under what obstetric conditions is a clotting defect responsible for excessive bleeding likely to be encountered? Are there any clotting deficiencies other than that due to defibrination which may develop in complications of pregnancy?


Frames have established themselves as a means to derive redundant, yet stable decompositions of a signal for analysis or transmission, while also promoting sparse expansions. However, when the signal dimension is large, the computation of the frame measurements of a signal typically requires a large number of additions and multiplications, and this makes a frame decomposition intractable in applications with limited computing budget. To address this problem, in this paper, we focus on frames in finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces and introduce sparsity for such frames as a new paradigm. In our terminology, a sparse frame is a frame whose elements have a sparse representation in an orthonormal basis, thereby enabling low-complexity frame decompositions. To introduce a precise meaning of optimality, we take the sum of the numbers of vectors needed from this orthonormal basis when expanding each frame vector as sparsity measure. We then analyze the recently introduced algorithm Spectral Tetris for construction of unit norm tight frames and prove that the tight frames generated by this algorithm are in fact optimally sparse with respect to the standard unit vector basis. Finally, we show that even the generalization of Spectral Tetris for the construction of unit norm frames associated with a given frame operator produces optimally sparse frames.