Abstract:When Lu Xun 魯迅 (1881–1936) sows in "Gudu zhe" 孤獨者 (The Misanthrope) the analogy of a seed in a conversation about the nature of children, he alludes to the epistemic seedbed other than evolutionary thinking: Buddhism. This study probes into this moment of double conjuration as religion encounters science and soteriology confronts natural law. It unravels the significance of the Buddhist reference by tracing the seed to its Yogācāra provenance and implanting it in a twentieth-century debate between the Yogācārins and the advocates of the Tathāgatagarbha doctrine across East Asia. The author situates Lu Xun in a shared intellectual horizon with the contemporary lay Buddhist scholar, Ouyang Jingwu 歐陽竟無 (1871–1943), whose critique of Dasheng qixin lun 大乘起信論 (Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna, or the Awakening of Faith) in 1922 furnishes a Buddhist exemplum of the "obsession with China." In spirit both Ouyang and Lu Xun anticipate the Critical Buddhism movement of late 1980s Japan, in which hongaku 本覚, or original enlightenment thought, is censured for latent ideological complicity with Japanese ethnocentrism. Lu Xun, the author suggests, turns out to be the most critical of all Critical Buddhists. This is evidenced by his "Sihuo" 死火 (Dead Fire), which features a ghastly twist in its retelling of the burning house parable from the Miaofa lianhua jing 妙法蓮華經 (Saddharma-puṇḍarīka-sūtra; Sūtra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma, or the Lotus Sūtra). Having undergone a Buddhist vita contemplativa in the preceding years of the literary revolution, Lu Xun came to personify a profound "consciousness of darkness" (youan yishi 幽暗意識) in dwelling on the karma of modernity.


The adjustable-pitch setting on an axial-flow fan is the most common method of controlling airflow for primary coal mine ventilation. With this method, the fan operates at a constant speed dictated by its motor design. The angles of the blades are adjusted to change the amount of airflow and pressure to meet ventilation requirements. Typically, the fan does not operate at its optimum efficiency, which only occurs in a narrow band of air pressures and quantities. The use of variable frequency drives (VFDs), which control fan speed, provides a solution to this problem. VFDs are already used in various similar applications such as pumping and building ventilation. New technology now enables efficient VFD operation in medium voltage (2,300 – 6,900 V) fan applications. The primary benefit of a variable frequency drive is that it allows motors to operate at reduced speeds, and thus at a lower power, without a loss of torque. VFDs also allow for efficient operation over the entire life of the fan. The technical considerations of using a VFD are presented in this work, along with a method for choosing and modeling a variable speed fan to achieve maximum energy savings. As a part of this research, a spreadsheet program was developed that will calculate the optimum fan operating speed based on given fan data and specified operating conditions. A representative room and pillar coal mine is modeled to illustrate the selection and modeling process and as an example of the economic implications of using a VFD. The use of VFDs is shown to potentially yield large energy savings by increasing the fan efficiency over the life of the mine. Although there are definite power savings while using variable speed fans, the magnitude of these savings is specific to an individual mine and the operating conditions encountered. The determination of whether the use of VFDs is economically feasible requires analysis for the specific mine and its operating conditions. This work provides the background and a method for such an evaluation.


We report on model simulations performed using the newly developed exposure tool, MERLIN-Expo, in order to assess lead (Pb) exposure to pre-school children resulting from past emissions by non-ferrous smelters in Belgium (Northern Campine area). Exposure scenarios were constructed to estimate internal Pb exposure in children living in the vicinity of the former industrial sites as compared to children living in adjacent areas and a reference area. Model simulations at individual level are compared with biomonitoring data from a Belgian monitoring campaign (Flemish Government, 2008; Van Holderbeke et al., 2008) in order to verify the model performance of MERLIN-Expo when simulating complex scenarios that account for subject mobility, i.e., duration at the different considered locations (both indoors and outdoors) with varying exposure levels, and individual food consumption patterns. Adopting an assessment approach at individual level improves on more commonly performed generic exposure assessments at population level, by including intake of Pb from local and purchased food products, and taking into account the mobility of the participants, which results in a more comprehensive assessment of individual recent intake of lead. Also, the accuracy of the model predictions as compared to Pb biomonitoring data has been tested via different accuracy approaches and metrics. We calculated a Probability of detection (or true positive rate) of 0.93, reflecting that almost all blood levels above a chosen trigger value of 2.25 mg.L-1 are predicted as such by the model; a Bias of 1.87, i.e. reflecting a slight overestimation of the model, and F1 and F2 scores of 0.65 and 0.8, respectively, confirming that most of the measured positives are detected as such by the model (high F2 score) with a slight overestimation (lower F1 score). Although the model predictions for individual children slightly overpredict the biomonitoring data, they overlap with the prediction interval calculated by MERLIN-Expo based on population averages (Fierens et al., 2016). Modelling exposure at individual level allows risk assessors to attribute the relative contribution of different exposure routes at various locations, reconstructing the exposure history for each individual in a complex site-specific exposure scenario. The slight overprediction of the actual observed Pb blood levels with a factor 2 is compatible with conservative decision-making.


Abstract The analysis of the results of two German Pediatric Oncology (GPO) cooperative, neoadjuvant chemotherapy trials after a followup of 7 (COSS-80) and 5 years (COSS-82) allows several conclusions concerning both systemic and local treatment of patients suffering from osteosarcoma. A metastasis free survival rate (MFS) of 59% was reached in the reduced study group of the first study, COSS-80. In addition to size of the primary tumor, the extent of chemotherapy induced devitalisation was very closely related to the probability of survival without systemic recurrence. Following this observation, it was the aim of the next study, COSS-82, to improve the MFS of patients with poorly responding tumors by altering their postoperative chemotherapy regimen. However, this "salvage" approach failed. Moreover, an effort to reduce treatment related toxicity by sparing some patients from the side effects of two particularly toxic drugs, adriamycin (ADR) and cisplatinum (CDDP), by only giving these postoperatively and only after insufficient tumor response to preoperative therapy, failed (MFS of the study arm of COSS-82 45% at 5 years vs. 68% for the control arm with primary use of ADR and CDDP, p less than 0.05). The value of an effective primary chemotherapy is further enhanced by the observation, that en bloc resection of tumors which were poor responders to preoperative therapy was associated with an increased risk of distant metastases when compared with amputation and rotation plasty, while this was not the case for good responders. In conclusion, both systemic tumor control and optimal local therapy require that all effects drugs are to be used as early as possible in the primary treatment of osteosarcoma, in order to enforce maximum tumor cell destruction and hence an optimistic outlook for the individual patient.


Membrane proteins function as important communication channels of the cell and its environment that aid in regulating the overall homeostasis of organisms. Understanding the pathways by which these proteins adopt their three-dimensional structures can provide us with key insights into their functions. Failure of a membrane protein to fold into its native structure can lead to disruption of their functions and cause diseases. Through an understanding of the folding mechanisms of membrane proteins it may be possible to identify avenues for the treatment of such diseases. Towards these goals, this thesis describes the biophysical characterization of denatured states of rhodopsin, a model system selected to study helical membrane protein folding. The first contribution of this thesis was to establish approaches that can be used to identify suitable conditions for studying membrane protein folding in vitro. This required screening different denaturing conditions to obtain maximum unfolding without causing aggregation of rhodopsin. 30% SDS and 3% SDS + 8 M urea were found to be the most suitable denaturing conditions. Next, structural features of largely unfolded states of rhodopsin under optimized denaturing conditions were systematically characterized focussing on three levels of structural resolution: global, local and site-specific. Global tertiary structure changes upon SDS denaturation were observed to correlate with SDS micellar structure changes and also hinted at formation of compact intermediate states. Local structural dynamics, probed by NMR spectroscopy, showed that the cytoplasmic domain is more flexible than extracellular and transmembrane domains taken together in spite of an overall increase in flexibility with denaturation. Mobility studies probing site-specific changes by EPR spectroscopy, showed that specific extracellular residues retain more rigidity than cytoplasmic residues in denatured states. These results indicate that the former domain is involved in more stable interactions forming a possible folding core like structure, the location of which correlates with that described by the long-range interaction model of folding. Finally, the importance of dynamics in understanding folding mechanisms of rhodopsin led us to contribute to the development of two novel methodologies: terahertz spectroscopy to detect global motions and 19F NMR using new monofluoro labels to quantify residue specific motions.


The effect of immunoglobulin on VP repertoire is uncertain. Therefore the demonstration ofVP changes after administration of immunoglobulin early in the disease may be difficult. In the UK, Kawasaki disease is unfortunately still often diagnosed late outside paediatric centres, and treatment with immunoglobulin may therefore be delayed beyond the tenth day of illness. This has enabled us to study patients referred up to 21 days after disease onset before the administration of immunoglobulin. In contrast to Leung et al we have found a variety of different staphylococcal toxins in throat and nose swab culture supematants from patients with Kawasaki disease and their relatives.2 In addition we have found activity suggesting the presence of one or more novel superantigen toxin or toxins. We propose that Kawasaki disease is either caused by more than one toxin or is caused by a novel superantigen toxin. We disagree that we may have misled readers to conclude that superantigen involvement in Kawasaki disease is a proved fact. We concluded that our data 'supports the hypothesis that a superantigen is involved in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease'; a hypothesis that remains to be tested in further studies.


AbstractC-reactive protein (CRP) is able to bind phosphocholine in the presence of calcium ions. According to a previous functional property of CRP, we tried to develop an affordable and cheap high sensitive nephelometric CRP assay using soy oil.Serum samples were measured by Nephelometer BNII (Siemens), by mixing the serum with diluted soy oil emulsion (Intralipid®20%) and Tris-calcium buffer (PH 7.5). The measurement took place after 12 min incubation time at 37°C by measuring the agglutination between CRP and phosphocholine. Results from our automated functional assay were compared with results obtained using an immunoturbidimetric CRP assay.Results showed a good correlation coefficient for method comparison between functional nephelometric CRP assay and immunoturbidimetric CRP assay, r = 0.895, significance level p <0.0001. The limit of detection for the functional nephelometric CRP assay was 0.1 mg/L. However, the within run % CV values for the functional assay were 6.1 % (20 mg/L), 4.7 % (50 mg/L) and 4.5 % (100 mg/L). The between-run % CV values were 17.6 % (20 mg/L), 18.8 % (50 mg/L), and 11.3 % (100 mg/L).The new functional nephelometric CRP assay enables high sensitive CRP measurement in serum in the range of 0.1 mg/L to 300 mg/L. The functional assay could be used for veterinary analysis due to the ability to measure CRP according to the functional properties, not the morphological properties which depend on specific antibodies.


As nations alike struggle to diversify and secure their power portfolios, geothermal energy, the essentially limitless heat emanating from the earth itself, is being harnessed at an unprecedented rate. For the last 25 years, engineers around the world tasked with taming this raw power have used "Geothermal Reservoir Engineering" as both a training manual and a professional reference. This long-awaited second edition of "Geothermal Reservoir Engineering" is a practical guide to the issues and tasks geothermal engineers encounter in the course of their daily jobs. The book focuses particularly on the evaluation of potential sites and provides detailed guidance on the field management of the power plants built on them. With over 100 pages of new material informed by the breakthroughs of the last 25 years, "Geothermal Reservoir Engineering" remains the only training tool and professional reference dedicated to advising both new and experienced geothermal reservoir engineers. This is the only resource available to help geothermal professionals make smart choices in field site selection and reservoir management. Its practical focus eschews theory and basics - getting right to the heart of the important issues encountered in the field. Updates include coverage of advances in EGS (enhanced geothermal systems), well stimulation, well modeling, extensive field histories and preparing data for reservoir simulation. Case studies provide cautionary tales and best practices that can only be imparted by a seasoned expert.


ABSTRACT Focusing on a growing English-learning trend in Taiwan, this study investigated EFL university students' self-regulated language learning on YouTube outside of the classroom. Twenty university students who had substantial experience of watching YouTubers' English-teaching videos were invited for an individual interview to bring to light their perceptions of this self-directed learning approach. Their responses were analyzed to provide insights into learners' attitudes toward this technology-enhanced learning strategy and its impact on their learning of English. Results show that the most highlighted purposes for learning English on YouTube were to explore more learning resources, to seek the attraction of learning English, and to explore cultural knowledge. After viewing the videos on YouTube, the students were more likely to press like and share the videos with their friends. Moreover, learning English on YouTube was considered to be more flexible, more interesting, and more interactive than formal learning in the classroom; nevertheless, this informal learning approach was also deemed less effective for students who wanted to improve their English or prepare for English exams. Based on the results, this study concludes by highlighting the pedagogical implications of this research and proposing the complementary use of YouTubers' English-teaching videos to classroom learning.


In Mexican context, the tourism sector has prioritized the income generation, without consider social and ecological dimensions and the impact on ecosystems and social inequality. Characterizing tourist Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), some aspects are identified such as heterogeneity, absence of international standards as well as the inability to cope the disruption of the environment. This paper proposes to implement the systemic complementarity concept as an alternative to bring closer the tourist MSMEs to the exelixis considering the socio-ecological system, in which it operates. The methodological approach is carried out through the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), given that this methodology allows considering the subjectivity and complexity in problematic situations integrating relevant actors. Regarding the findings a conceptual model is proposed based on a associative transformation among MSMEs emphasizing the use of variety, considering its integration. Also, this model seeks to provide emergent properties to the whole system that determine internal functioning and amplify capacities to transcend in its current context. This proposal will benefit the tourist MSMEs potentialising, through their diversity, the local dynamic and the identity of the destination in consonance with the socioecological system.


Cytapheresis is an extracorporeal separation technique widely used in medicine for elimination of specific classes of blood cells from circulating blood. It has been shown recently to have clinical efficacy in various disease states, such as leukaemia, autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, renal allograft rejection and sickle–cell anaemia. The current study was undertaken to produce an affinity-binding column, based upon a macroporous monolithic cryogel with a structure of interconnected pores, with pore size and low flow resistance potentially suitable for use in cytapheresis. The affinity column was produced from poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) PHEMA cryogels synthesized by free radical polymerization at -12°C. This study involved assessing haemolytic potential, and functionalisation of polymer matrix with biological ligands. Haemolytic potential of poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel was established by measuring free haemoglobin after blood filtration through the column. The anti-human albumin (antibody) was chemically coupled to the epoxy derivatised monolithic cryogels and the binding efficiency of anti-human albumin (antibody) to the cryogel was determined. Our results show that approximately 100% of Red blood cells passed through the column with no evidence of haemolysis found in blood eluted. It was found that ~82% of human serum albumin was retained on the monolithic IgG anti-human albumin cryogel matrix. The obtained results suggest that poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) monolithic cryogel is a non-haemolytic material (haemocompatible matrix) capable of functionalisation with antibody and thus can be an appropriate matrix for use in extracorporeal apheresis system.


The system of performance measurement of maintenance function should cover all processes related to it within the organization. There must be an interconnection between the different indicators, so the numbers can be interpreted in order to reach a good conclusion for decision making. This premise implies a hierarchy of indicators needed in a dual way. First, it will require maintenance indicators to be segmented according to the areas of influence for the rest of the organization, posed by interactions with finance department, human resources, purchasing, and, of course, with production in the seeking of compliance with corporate objectives. Simultaneously, these indicators correspond to different levels in the organization and therefore they will be segmented according to the hierarchical position of end users.


Abstract Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate grain texture and pore structure development within various compositions of pure sI and sII gas hydrates synthesized in the laboratory, as well as in natural samples retrieved from marine (Gulf of Mexico) and permafrost (NW Canada) settings. Several samples of methane hydrate were also quenched after various extents of partial reaction for assessment of mid-synthesis textural progression. All laboratory-synthesized hydrates were grown under relatively high-temperature and high-pressure conditions from rounded ice grains with geometrically simple pore shapes, yet all resulting samples displayed extensive recrystallization with complex pore geometry. Growth fronts of mesoporous methane hydrate advancing into dense ice reactant were prevalent in those samples quenched after limited reaction below and at the ice point. As temperatures transgress the ice point, grain surfaces continue to develop a discrete "rind" of hydrate, typically 5 to 30 μm thick. The cores then commonly melt, with rind microfracturing allowing migration of the melt to adjacent grain boundaries where it also forms hydrate. As the reaction continues under progressively warmer conditions, the hydrate product anneals to form dense and relatively pore-free regions of hydrate grains, in which grain size is typically several tens of micrometers. The prevalence of hollow, spheroidal shells of hydrate, coupled with extensive redistribution of reactant and product phases throughout reaction, implies that a diffusion-controlled shrinking-core model is an inappropriate description of sustained hydrate growth from melting ice. Completion of reaction at peak synthesis conditions then produces exceptional faceting and euhedral crystal growth along exposed pore walls. Further recrystallization or regrowth can then accompany even short-term exposure of synthetic hydrates to natural ocean-floor conditions, such that the final textures may closely mimic those observed in natural samples of marine origin. Of particular note, both the mesoporous and highly faceted textures seen at different stages during synthetic hydrate growth were notably absent from all examined hydrates recovered from a natural marine-environment setting.


This article summarizes a sociocultural perspective of competitiveness as a result of applied work performed by the Research Group in International Business and Foreign Trade, in partnership with the Foresight, Innovation, and Knowledge Management Institute at Universidad del Valle, in consultation exercises for municipal governments, specifically in Palmira and Buenaventura (Colombia). This perspective becomes practical in a methodology that begins with the creation of a regional competitive profile, continues with the definition of thematic groups identified to facilitate further delving into and treatment of regional competitiveness problems and defines an optimal setting for consensus building strategies. In its application, it has been possible to verify that the theme and types of problems identified were generically common in both municipalities. Despite the heterogeneous nature of the experiences, it was possible to formulate a set of indispensable strategies in the Local Development Agendas for similar municipalities in developing countries. This article is a fundamental contribution to the whole experience of building regional development processes based on recognizing the particular characteristics of the location.


Clinical evidence demonstrates that BRCA 1 and BRCA2 mutations can develop a gynecological cancer but genetic testing has a high cost to the healthcare system. Besides, several studies in the literature indicate that performing these genetic tests to the population is not cost-efficient. Currently, our physicians do not have a system to provide them the support for prescribing genetic tests. A Decision Support System for prescribing these genetic tests in BRCA1 and BRCA2 and preventing gynecological cancer risks has been designed, developed and deployed in the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (VRUH). The technological architecture integrates a set of open source tools like Mirth Connect, OpenClinica, OpenCDS, and tranSMART in addition to several interoperability standards. The system allows general practitioners and gynecologists to classify patients as low risk (they do not require a specific treatment) or high risk (they should be attended by the Genetic Council). On the other hand, by means of this system we are also able to standardize criteria among professionals to prescribe these genetic tests. Finally, this system will also contribute to improve the assistance for this kind of patients.


In traditional Chinese medicine, the doctor is paid as long as the patient is healthy. The patient comes in four times a year for a checkup, with adjusted lifestyle recommendations. Payment is stopped once the patient is ill. In the US, as long as the economy is healthy, "the financial doctor" in the form of the prudential regulator is considered redundant. Moreover, the prudential regulator is frequently viewed as a spoiler who inhibits growth and development. This is the paradox of prudential regulations in a capitalist economy--the better the regulator's performance, the lower the demand for its services. The success of the regulator or a prolonged period of economic tranquility leads to complacency, reducing the demand for his services, inducing under-regulation, which leads to a financial calamity. While the identity of economic actors that benefited directly from crisis avoidance is unknown, the cost and the cumbrance of regulations are transparent. Hence, crises that have been avoided are imperceptible and are underrepresented in the political discourse, and the demand for regulation declines during prolonged good times, thereby increasing the ultimate cost of eventual crises. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 1990s was a prolonged period of what was perceived as the 'great moderation' of the global economy, a period of remarkable decline in the variability of both output and inflation, reducing the demand for financial regulations. This may explain the growing acceptance during the 1990s-2000s of Greenspan's seductive "market-stabilizing private regulatory forces" doctrine. Deepening global financial integration, and the growing confidence that global risk diversification, reduced systemic risk sharply lowered the risk premium. The successful private bailout of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) in 1998 was taken as a vindication of the efficacy of "market-stabilizing private regulatory forces," where the main role of the Fed is providing coordination services among the private parties involved in the bailout. However, the resultant complacency provided the background for the onset of the present crisis--calamity akin to a global LTCM on steroids. This time, however, the crisis is too big to be dealt with by private bailouts. The present challenge of rethinking the global financial architecture is to upgrade regulations in ways that recognize the paradox of prudential regulations during times of deepening financial integration, while taking into account the emergence of new domestic and foreign players, and new exotic financial instruments. While the seeds of the present crisis were mostly homegrown, international flows of capital magnified its costs. Although it is a mistake to single out any class of foreign players as the key domino, the crisis awakened us to the need to overhaul global financial regulations. Global financial integration produces the by-product of "regulatory arbitrage": capital tends to flow to under-regulated countries, frequently resulting in excessive risk taking, in anticipation of future bailouts. Dealing with "regulatory arbitrage" requires coordinated prudential regulations that should apply as equally as possible to domestic and foreign players. Such regulations should be tailored to the risk category and exposure of each player above a minimum size, independent of the player's nationality. This would require a major overhaul of the information gathered by regulators and provide the benefit of setting a minimum global standard on information disclosure, as well as margin and leverage requirements on all financial players above a minimum size. A coordinated globalized prudential regulation, by increasing the cost of prudential deregulation, would mitigate the temptation to under-regulate during prolonged good times, thus adding a side benefit. Thereby, it would act like Odysseus' solution to the temptations of the Sirens: sealing sailors' ears with wax. We review in greater detail the need for comprehensive prudential regulation, and discuss possible implications on the investment practices of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs)--savings funds controlled by sovereign governments that hold and manage foreign assets--and international hedge funds. …


In this paper, three ultrashort-pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) thermometry approaches are summarized with a theoretical time-domain model. The difference between the approaches can be attributed to variations in the input field characteristics of the time-domain model. That is, all three approaches of ultrashort-pulse (CARS) thermometry can be simulated with the unified model by only changing the input fields features. As a specific example, the hybrid femtosecond/picosecond CARS is assessed for its use in combustion flow diagnostics; thus, the examination of the input field has an impact on thermometry focuses on vibrational hybrid femtosecond/picosecond CARS. Beginning with the general model of ultrashort-pulse CARS, the spectra with different input field parameters are simulated. To analyze the temperature measurement error brought by the input field impacts, the spectra are fitted and compared to fits, with the model neglecting the influence introduced by the input fields. The results demonstrate that, however the input pulses are depicted, temperature errors still would be introduced during an experiment. With proper field characterization, however, the significance of the error can be reduced.


Motivation Structure methods are highly used population genetic methods for classifying individuals in a sample fractionally into discrete ancestry components. Contribution We introduce a new optimization algorithm of the classical Structure model in a maximum likelihood framework. Using analyses of real data we show that the new optimization algorithm finds higher likelihood values than the state-of-the-art method in the same computational time. We also present a new method for estimating population trees from ancestry components using a Gaussian approximation. Using coalescence simulations modeling populations evolving in a tree-like fashion, we explore the adequacy of the Structure model and the Gaussian assumption for identifying ancestry components correctly and for inferring the correct tree. In most cases, ancestry components are inferred correctly, although sample sizes and times since admixture can influence the inferences. Similarly, the popular Gaussian approximation tends to perform poorly when branch lengths are long, although the tree topology is correctly inferred in all scenarios explored. The new methods are implemented together with appropriate visualization tools in the computer package Ohana. Availability Ohana is publicly available at https://github.com/jade-cheng/ohana. Besides its source code and installation instructions, we also provide example workflows in the project wiki site. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com


ABSTRACT Current practice in the field of neuromarketing either regards physiological measures as superior to self-reporting or uses just one type of measure. The current study proposed an integrative procedure combining a visual self-reporting scale with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure emotional response to television commercials. The researchers pinpointed brain responses to emotions in advertising at the gyrus level—the ridge between the two clefts on the cerebral surface of the brain—indicating the importance of the three key dimensions of emotion—appeal, engagement, and empowerment—in measuring feelings about advertising and marketing communications.


Background: In Crohn's disease (CD), studies associating phenotype at diagnosis and subsequent disease activity are important for patient counselling and health care planning. Aims: To calculate disease recurrence rates and to correlate these with phenotypic traits at diagnosis. Methods: A prospectively assembled uniformly diagnosed European population based inception cohort of CD patients was classified according to the Vienna classification for disease phenotype at diagnosis. Surgical and non-surgical recurrence rates throughout a 10 year follow up period were calculated. Multivariate analysis was performed to classify risk factors present at diagnosis for recurrent disease. Results: A total of 358 were classified for phenotype at diagnosis, of whom 262 (73.2%) had a first recurrence and 113 patients (31.6%) a first surgical recurrence during the first 10 years after diagnosis. Patients with upper gastrointestinal disease at diagnosis had an excess risk of recurrence (hazard ratio 1.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–2.10)) whereas age ⩾40 years at diagnosis was protective (hazard ratio 0.82 (95% CI 0.70–0.97)). Colonic disease was a protective characteristic for resective surgery (hazard ratio 0.38 (95% CI 0.21–0.69)). More frequent resective surgical recurrences were reported from Copenhagen (hazard ratio 3.23 (95% CI 1.32–7.89)). Conclusions: A mild course of disease in terms of disease recurrence was observed in this European cohort. Phenotype at diagnosis had predictive value for disease recurrence with upper gastrointestinal disease being the most important positive predictor. A phenotypic North-South gradient in CD may be present, illustrated by higher surgery risks in some of the Northern European centres.


Objective. To test the hypothesis that optimal management of postoperative pain may reduce the risk of developing chronic pelvic pain in women who undergo caesarean section. Methods. In a randomised trial in 2006/2007, ropivacaine was infiltrated through all the layers of the anterior abdominal wound in patients undergoing caesarean section. The outcome was a reduction in severe pain or the need for rescue narcotic analgesia within 1 hour after the operation in the ropivacaine group compared with a placebo group (relative risk 0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.38 - 0.69). A follow-up study 4 years later was designed to assess the prevalence of chronic pelvic pain by carrying out telephonic interviews with these women, of whom 77 were contactable and 75 were analysed. Data and statistical analysis were done using Microsoft Excel (2007), Epi Info (version 343) statistical and Review Manager 5 software. Results. Three out of 40 women in the ropivacaine group and 3/35 in the placebo group had persistent pelvic pain (total rate of chronic pelvic pain 8.1%). Conclusion. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of chronic pelvic pain between the ropivacaine wound infiltration group (7.5%) and the placebo group (8.6%) after 4 years' follow-up.


Research in design and HCI is investigating the role of design interventions in adding value to the quality of life of people with dementia. However, the sustainable use of design interventions in care environments remains challenging due to the complex values and needs of all involved stakeholders. In this paper, we present the results of two workshops with stakeholders from practice, academia, and policy organizations in dementia care, which revealed initial insights into the requirements for implementing design interventions in care facilities. In total, 21 participants explored the criteria to implement Vita, an interactive sound cushion in a dementia care home from the perspective of an entrepreneur, a relative, and a professional caregiver. The workshop outcomes indicate that sustainable design interventions in healthcare settings need to be: 1) directly available in the care space; 2) stimulated and supported by care organizations; and 3) come with clear information and personal guidance.


This essay addresses three related questions about international law's future: Will the world continue to seek multilateral solutions and promote global integration? What is the future of highly contested areas of international law, such as the promotion of human rights and the accountability of states and individuals for atrocities? And will issues that are as yet unregulated or poorly guided by international law – cyber-security, the use of drones, and global climate change – present new frontiers for international law? These questions provide different ways to investigate whether the international liberal order – the political a commitment to multilateralism, human rights and the rule of law – can survive if America turns its back on these values. Invoking John Ruggie's argument that international regimes fuse power and social purpose, I argue that international law can survive the removal of US support, but it cannot survive if the social purpose of the international liberal order loses support. Based on an analysis of international law's history, and drawing on numerous social science studies, I argue that the policy positions of President Trump are a neither a major break from past US politics, nor is the Trump Administration likely to meaningfully affect existing or future prospects for international law. The larger threat would be a decline in popular support for the rule of law, which is why global populism more than the policy positions of the current US Administration present the greater threat to the international liberal order.


Previous work has shown that large-volume (> 100 km3) turbidity currents are capable of depositing extensive (> 100 km) turbidites in non-channelized settings. This study of the Miocene Marnoso Arenacea Formation demonstrates that smaller-volume (< ~ 0.5 km3) turbidites can also be remarkably extensive. Some thin (< 40 cm) turbidites extend for 120 by 30 km within this non-channelized sequence. Flows that produced these thin turbidites were capable of traversing the basin plain in opposing directions, despite being too weak to cause significant substrate erosion. Some flows traveled upslope for at least 60 km. Long run-out distances result from the relatively large fraction of fine particles in these highly efficient flows.

Sandstone intervals thin in an approximately exponential fashion, across the proximal 20 to 30 km of outcrop. Similar sandstone shapes are observed for flows that traversed the basin plain in opposite directions. This sandstone shape is a generic property of spatially depletive flows; it is consistently reproduced by laboratory and numerical models in which velocity, sediment concentration, and deposition rates decrease down-flow. Rates of sandstone thinning are orders of magnitude smaller than those observed in deposits from laboratory experiments. This discrepancy primarily reflects a low ratio of flow thickness to sediment settling velocity, and low rates of sediment suspension from the bed, for slower-moving laboratory flows. The distal part of the thin-bed sandstone interval is thinner (< 5 cm) and more tabular. Starved ripples suggest that this distal tabular sandstone shape results partly from bedload reworking.

The thickest turbidite mudstone occurs in the same two locations, for flows that traveled across the basin in opposite directions. This suggests that substantial volumes of muddy fluid ponded within bathymetric lows. Abrupt lateral termination of two mudstone beds, which have a distinctly tabular shape, suggests that certain mudstone intervals were deposited by dense fluid mud layers rather than expanded turbulent suspensions.


Context. About half of the baryons of the Universe are expected to be in
 the form of filaments of hot and low-density intergalactic medium. Most
 of these baryons remain undetected even by the most advanced X-ray
 observatories, which are limited in sensitivity to the diffuse
 low-density medium.
 Aims. The Planck satellite has provided hundreds of detections of the
 hot gas in clusters of galaxies via the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ)
 effect and is an ideal instrument for studying extended low-density
 media through the tSZ effect. In this paper we use the Planck data to
 search for signatures of a fraction of these missing baryons between
 pairs of galaxy clusters.
 Methods. Cluster pairs are good candidates for searching for the hotter
 and denser phase of the intergalactic medium (which is more easily
 observed through the SZ effect). Using an X-ray catalogue of clusters
 and the Planck data, we selected physical pairs of clusters as
 candidates. Using the Planck data, we constructed a local map of the tSZ
 effect centred on each pair of galaxy clusters. ROSAT data were used to
 construct X-ray maps of these pairs. After modelling and subtracting the
 tSZ effect and X-ray emission for each cluster in the pair, we studied
 the residuals on both the SZ and X-ray maps.
 Results. For the merging cluster pair A399-A401 we observe a significant
 tSZ effect signal in the intercluster region beyond the virial radii of
 the clusters. A joint X-ray SZ analysis allows us to constrain the
 temperature and density of this intercluster medium. We obtain a
 temperature of kT = 7.1 +/- 0.9 keV (consistent with previous estimates)
 and a baryon density of (3.7 +/- 0.2) x 10(-4) cm(-3). Conclusions. The
 Planck satellite mission has provided the first SZ detection of the hot
 and diffuse intercluster gas.


Knowledge of PHBS (Clean and Healthy Behavior) is a part of activity that must be strived to be realized by every member of society including student. Student knowledge about PHBS is a manifestation of prevention of disease at the Primary Prevention level, including Health Promotion and Specific Protection. The purpose of this research is to know the relation of knowledge about PHBS with the action of student health in Primary School Sidowarek 02 Plemahan Districts Kediri Regency.
The design of this research is Observational Analytic with Cross Sectional approach, School Class V and VI Primary School Sidowarek 02 Plemahan Districts, sampling using accidental sampling technique. The study was conducted in October 2017, a sample of 45 student. Data collection techniques using questionnaires, data analysis using Fisher's Exact Test.
The results of this study obtained p value = 0.459, indicating there is no relationship between Knowledge about PHBS with Action Child Health School. Student's knowledge about PHBS in the good category of 23 student (51.1%). Those who did the health measures of 36 student (80%), consisted of 19 student (52.8%) knowledge of less PHBS and 17 student (47.2%) knowledge of PHBS good.
This is because the implementation of efforts to increase the knowledge of student by health workers and school teachers. As well as efforts to imitate / adopt the behavior of people around student. There needs to be an effort to maintain and improve knowledge about PHBS and the implementation of health measures as a daily habit.


The study area is located in the holy governorate of Karbala, Iraq; the research studied a predictive mathematical model of groundwater within Dibdiba Formation and by fifty (50) wells distributed randomly within the boundaries of the study area, all of them fall within the unconfined aquifer. Likewise, there is no component to direct the activity of these wells, where a mathematical model for the study area has been developed using the groundwater system modeling program (GMS v.10). The area was divided into a grid where the dimensions of a single cell ranged from 250m×250m. The model of the steady flow state was adjusted utilizing pressure driven conductivity extending from 9 to 15 m/day with a 0.15 storage coefficient to match the groundwater levels measured with the calculated groundwater table. The model was run for unsteady flow condition in the first scenario with fifty (50) wells and five (5) years. The drawdown in the groundwater tables ranged between (0.05-1.05) m. In the second scenario, the model was run after adding thirty-six (36) wells for five (5) years, groundwater limits 0.15-1.15 meters. The drawdown values are concentrated near wells sites, and the drawdown decline as we move away from the sites of these wells and this reflects the nature of the water reservoir located in the study area, which is characterized by high production where compensation resulting from the operation of the wells decline rapidly by the reservoir. Therefore, the values of the drawdown in elevations appeared very low. The study also showed the possibility of drilling additional wells in this area, depending on this model to benefit from them in the future for different uses.


Immunological synapses arise at contact zones between antigen-presenting cells and T cells. Synapses have distinct organization and are composed of T cell receptors interacting with major histocompatibility complex-peptide entities surrounded by various potentiating coreceptors and signaling molecules that migrate into the synapse through cytoskeleton-dependent processes. Krummel et al. have extended initial studies in lipid bilayers to explore the architecture and the extraordinary dynamics of immunological synapse formation by real-time video microscopy of whole cells containing green fluorescent protein chimeras. Krummel, M.F., Sjaastad. M.D., Wülfing, C., and David, M.M. (2000) Differential clustering of CD4 and CD3ζ during T cell recognition. Science 289: 1349-1352. [Abstract] [Full Text]


Bolivians are inventing spiritual practices that fit into the current dominant political discourse of decolonization and revalorization of native beliefs by associating these new traditions with archaeological spaces and objects. This new Bolivia is believed to emerge from the ashes of the old economic and social order, which for centuries oppressed and elided native religious practices, and harkens back to precolonial values. Drawing from long-term ethnographic research, media reports, and scholarly works, I aim to examine these new practices to improve our understanding of emerging indigenous identities in this small Andean nation. I discuss two case studies that exemplify how the urban indigenous are rediscovering the power of ancestor veneration and animism in their heritage to construct a new sense of national belonging.


We utilized the circumoval precipitin (COP) test, Ouchterlony immunodiffusion, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of human infection with Schistosoma mansoni or S. haematobium, or with both species of schistosome. Only the COP test correctly identified all of those with schistosome infection, although differentiation as to schistosome species was impossible. Circumoval precipitates around S. haematobium eggs from human urine were more numerous and larger than those around S. mansoni eggs obtained from mouse livers. Ouchterlony immunodiffusion with S. mansoni or S. haematobium worm extract failed to diagnose correctly approximately one of every five infected individuals. Mean absorption values of the S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) used in the ELISA were similar in serum samples from persons infected with either or both species of blood flukes. This suggests that S. mansoni SEA is not species-specific. The ELISA correctly identified, however, 30 of 32 infected individuals, indicating high sensitivity.


Entanglement in fishing gear is a significant threat to many cetaceans. For the 2 largest species, the blue whale Balaenoptera musculus and the fin whale B. physalus, reports of entangled individuals are rare, leading to the assumption that entanglements are not common. Studies of interaction with fisheries in other species often rely on the presence of scars from previous entanglements. Here, scar detection rates were first examined in humpback Megaptera novaeangliae, fin and blue whales using standard vessel-based photo-identification photographs collected between 2009 and 2016 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. We then examined aerial images of fin whales collected with a drone in 2018 and 2019 and compared both methods. Entanglement rates were 6.5% for fin and 13.1% for blue whales using photo-identification images of individuals. Prominent scarring was observed around the tail and caudal peduncle, visible only when animals lifted those body sections above water when diving. For the small subset of pictures which captured the entire caudal peduncle, entanglement rates ranged between 60% for blue and 80% for fin whales. This result was similar to the 85% entanglement rate estimated in humpback whales. The assessment of aerial-based photography yielded an entanglement rate of 44.1 to 54.7% in fin whales. Scars were always around the peduncle, often the tail, rarely the dorsal fin and never around the pectoral fins, while the mouth cannot be examined from above. Thus, in species that do not regularly expose their tail or peduncle, aerial imagery is the preferred method to quantify entanglement rates by assessment of scars.


To what extent is scientific research related to societal needs? To answer this crucial question systematically we need to contrast indicators of research priorities with indicators of societal needs. We focus on rice research and technology between 1983 and 2012. We combine quantitative methods that allow investigation of the relation between 'revealed' research priorities and 'revealed' societal demands, measured respectively by research output (publications) and national accounts of rice use and farmers' and consumers' rice-related needs. We employ new bibliometric data, methods and indicators to identify countries' main rice research topics (priorities) from publications. For a panel of countries, we estimate the relation between revealed research priorities and revealed demands. We find that, across countries and time, societal demands explain a country's research trajectory to a limited extent. Some research priorities are nicely aligned to societal demands, confirming that science is partly related to societal needs. However, we find a relevant number of misalignments between the focus of rice research and revealed demands, crucially related to human consumption and nutrition. We discuss some implications for research policy.


This title presents original discussions on the public role of history and historians from a pantheon of notable experts. "Recent Themes on Historians and the Public" represents some of the best recent writing on the public role of historians. These articles and interviews from "Historically Speaking" examine the relationship between historians and their audiences. Award-winning 'popular historian' Adam Hochschild begins by discussing the relationship between popular and academic history. An all-star cast of historians and editors offer their responses, forming a fascinating extended conversation. This forum addresses questions such as what the public role of the historian should be and whether practicing history requires a license. In addition the book contains a candid exchange about the state of the history profession at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Designed to engage both students and general readers, "Recent Themes on Historians and the Public" illuminates the controversy over the role of historians in the public sphere. The contributors are Eric Arnesen, H. W. Brands, John Demos, Joseph J. Ellis, John Ferling, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Ellen Fitzpatrick, Thomas Fleming, James Goodman, Adam Hochschild, Bruce Kuklick, John Lukacs, Joyce Lee Malcolm, Louis P. Masur, Wilfred M. McClay, Greg Neale, Maureen Ogle, William Palmer, Leo P. Ribuffo, Joyce Seltzer, Daniel Snowman, Barry Strauss, Marc Trachtenberg, Derek Wilson, John Wilson, and Jay Winik.


I am, or try to be, a populist democrat. For decades, populism was largely invisible, barely a straw man, in the discourse of the law schools. Well-meaning ideologues of the governing class were accustomed to prescribe -- for the people-policies and institutional processes based on an assumption that government of and by the people is -- obviously and of course -- not to be trusted. Now, that is changing. Populism, today, is a recognized position in legal academia. The ideal is now embraced, its possible implications explored, by a growing band.(1) Its meaning is, to say the least, contested. At a minimum, though, my premise is that populism should involve taking popular sovereignty more seriously than has been the practice in legal discourse. More particularly, it ought to involve a renewed emphasis on the value of political equality which -- in negotiation with values of political freedom and political community -- constitutes the democratic idea. From this it follows that populism ought to involve renewed respect for majority rule as generally the fairest practical guarantor of political equality among persons as well as the most practical way of approximating popular sovereignty over time. If populism is imagined, above all, in terms of popular sovereignty and political equality, it may acquire a bite that cuts across and shakes up stultified left/right lines of "debate." By the same token, if notions of popular sovereignty and political equality are injected with a populist sensibility -- an acceptance and, more, an embrace of ordinariness: ranging from our own ordinariness (and so our deep equality) to the ordinariness of "the people"(2) -- these ideas may recover from their torpor of several long decades and acquire, at last, new critical vigor. What such a re-orientation yields is a back-to-basics approach to the revitalization of democracy. Let me sketch, in three steps, a few fundamental features of this approach. MASS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A GOOD IN ITSELF The most potent rationalizations for "governance" of the masses by enlightened elites are, nowadays, packaged as paeans to democracy. Against a backdrop of perfectionist premises, they insist that participation by the mass of real people in the real world of politics has value only if other conditions are met -- only if reality is radically transformed in one way or another. They deplore the inadequacy (even the "corruption") of democracy as we know it. And they conclude, regretfully of course, that the world is not yet safe for democracy. This line of argument must be rejected at the outset as a barrier, rather than a roadmap, to democratic revitalization. The most transparently naked rationalization focuses on outcomes of political processes. The political empowerment of ordinary people is good, so the argument goes, only insofar as its likely outcomes are good. Today, the argument continues, the masses tend to have "bad values" or, at the very least, a mistaken understanding of their own interests. Hence, bad outcomes. There are, sad to say, some who would call themselves populists who take this line. The assumption of these rationalizers of political elitism is that they know better and, so, that they and their ilk should "lead" -- be the "spokesmen" or "advocates" for -- ordinary people. For them, political equality is but an "idealistic" fantasy -- to be used, if at all, as a cynical smoke screen. A somewhat more subtle version of the argument focuses on the quality of political processes. The participation of the masses in politics is good, it asserts, only so long as the political process is otherwise a good one. Today, it continues, our political process is utterly spoiled -- poisoned by a few who, with clever thirty second spots, play on the ignorance, shortsightedness and emotions of the many. Thus, it concludes, the political influence of the many may have to be restricted. Again, there are self-styled populists who make this argument. …


T-type calcium channels contribute to neuronal excitability and can be regulated by signals that produce reactive oxygen species (ROSs). Nelson et al. found that ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which is abundant in neurons, inhibited T-type calcium channels in dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells and in brain slices containing thalamic nuclei. Only brain slices that contained the Cav3.2 subtype of channel exhibited inhibition, and this subtype selectivity was confirmed with channels expressed in HEK293 cells, a nonneuronal cell line. Domain swapping between Cav3.2 and Cav3.1 indicated that domain 1 of Cav3.2 was required for ascorbate inhibition. Furthermore, mutation of His191 to Gln in Cav3.2 abolished ascorbate-mediated inhibition, and introduction of a His at position 172 in Cav3.1 conferred ascorbate-mediated inhibition. Histidines bind divalent transition metals, which can contribute to metal-catalyzed oxidation. Metal chelation enhanced basal T-currents and prevented ascorbate-mediated inhibition of DRG neurons. Catalase, which degrades peroxide, also prevented ascorbate-mediated inhibition, as did a ROS scavenger. Cu2+, but not Zn2+, participates in metal-catalyzed oxidation, and increasing the Cu2+/Zn2+ ratio in the extracellular solution increased ascorbate-mediated inhibition, which is consistent with a metal-catalyzed oxidation mechanism for inhibition. Ascorbate applied at physiological concentrations inhibited firing of reticular thalamic neurons in response to low-threshold Ca2+ spikes and burst firing. Thus, ascorbate may be an endogenous modulator of Cav3.2-mediated neuronal activity. M. T. Nelson, P. M. Joksovic, P. Su, H.-W. Kang, A. Van Deusen, J. P. Baumgart, L. S. David, T. P. Snutch, P. Q. Barrett, J.-H. Lee, C. F. Zorumski, E. Perez-Reyes, S. M. Todorovic, Molecular mechanisms of subtype-specific inhibition of neuronal T-type calcium channels by ascorbate. J. Neurosci. 27, 12577-12583 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Low frequency electrical stimulation of high threshold sensory afferents elicits a prolonged inhibition of nociceptive mechanisms in the lightly anaesthetized rat. The present study was to determine the role of NMDA receptor activation in mediation of this inhibition. The latency of the tail withdrawal from a noxious thermal test stimulus to the tip of the tail was taken as an indication of the excitability of nociceptive pathways. Conditioning electrical stimulation at 20 times threshold for muscle twitch with 2 ms pulses at 4 Hz for 20 min applied to previously defined meridian points in the hindlimb evoked a 70% inhibition of the tail withdrawal reflex in rats which received an intrathecal injection of CSF (n = 11) compared with unstimulated controls (n = 10). This inhibition lasted >1 h after the end of the conditioning stimulus. The competitive NMDA receptor antagonist 5-amino-2-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) blocked the inhibition during the stimulus and during the post-stimulation period. It is concluded that activation of NMDA receptors is critical for the expression of the long-term plastic changes in the central nervous system which result in the persistent inhibition of the nociceptive tail withdrawal reflex.


The extensive research on computer-based medical diagnosis has not had much impact on medical practice because of conflicting results and the apparently high cost of operational systems. The heart of these problems appears to be the unavailability of large amounts of easily retrievable actuarial data needed for the probability estimates about symptom?disease relationships. This paper proposes that computer-based medical diagnosis can become an effective and economically feasible tool through the routine use of appropriately obtained physician probability estimates.


Despite their common usage in natural history documentary films, appeals based solely upon scientific facts, expert testimony, and rational arguments are not particularly effective at convincing audiences to change their opinions on controversial subjects. Psychologists argue that this is because humans tend to base our decisions on emotion and social affiliations; and therefore, working to find common ground and motive between opposing sides in an argument may be one of the strongest stances from which to start a useful discussion. This is a particularly important consideration when addressing large carnivore conservation because their management is so deeply rooted in our cultural beliefs and identities. I propose that personal essay films, focused on immersing their audiences as much as possible in the authentic experiences of a compelling protagonist, may be an effective way to begin opening up a viewer's opinions on a highly charged subject without directly attacking all of their most strongly held beliefs. Through analyzing representative personal documentary films, I highlight the importance of certain structural elements when trying to connect with an audience on an emotional level; such as letting the passionate protagonist tell their own story, including surprising and mysterious instances in the film, and not oversimplifying moments of indecision or confusion. Part of the Pack (2017), my autobiographical thesis film, attempts to put these insights into practice by inviting the audience to join in my experiences of living closely with captive wolves. My hope is that personal essay films like this can foster the type of emotional connection and common-ground thinking necessary for viewers to start empathizing with and promoting the conservation of large predators.


Abstract From research observations of activities during a second-grade mathematics problem-centered learning classroom, synergistic argumentation emerged as a class norm for discussing the students' mathematics. In this paper we analyze the contrast between two students who were participants in this class. Both students were accustomed to sharing during whole-class discussions in this classroom environment. Both were very capable mathematical thinkers. One student, Brett, depicts the use of argumentation successfully while the other, Miriam, depicts the use of argumentation ineffectively. An important aspect of Brett's argumentation was identified as hermeneutic listening. Brett's engagement enhanced the learning environment whereas Miriam's stance was counter-productive, at least for her. ********** Our research over the last several years investigated a second-grade mathematics classroom where the teacher enacted a problem-centered learning environment (Wheatley, 1991). During the last three years, we focused in particular on the quality of discourse and argumentation that occurs during the whole class sharing time in the lesson. The purpose of this study has two fold: (a) to describe the mathematics whole class sharing session and (b) to analyze its function for effective learning occurring through conflict and disagreement in the open explanation of solutions and strategies. In the problem-centered learning environment students are encouraged to express their ideas freely, try to make sense of each other's methods, listen, question, and carry on a conversation between and among themselves. Our overall goal was to analyze the whole class interaction patterns and learning opportunities. In the second year of this investigation, two students in particular provided us with contrasting pictures of discourse and argumentation during their involvement in the whole-class discussions. In this paper we will describe and analyze episodes involving these two students. Examining their contrasting stances of sharing or not sharing of ideas, provides a deeper understanding of the nature of discourse and argumentation and its degrees of success or failure in learning enhancement from the young students' perspective. Framework for this Study In recent years there has been increasing numbers of investigations into classroom environments where children talk openly about mathematics and explain their mathematical solutions. In these environments the teacher's role is different; s/he (a) facilitates the development of students' mathematical understands and (b) acts as a facilitator by organizing instruction so that students are interactively engaged in the doing and talking dynamically about mathematics (NCTM, 2000; Wood, 1999). A number of researchers argue that collaboration and whole-class sharing encourages children to learn with understanding through opportunities to explain, justify, and listen to one another's ideas (Cobb, 1998; Cobb & Yackel, 1996; Cobb, Yackel, & Wood, 1992; Kazemi, 1998; Mevarech, 1999; Wheatley, 1991). Further, they argue that explanations are the best means for students and teachers to elaborate meaning and to make connections to other mathematical topics as well as to their own prior knowledge. These conditions help students to construct rich networks of meaning. As students share their explanations they seek meaningful ways to communicate and elaborate their ideas with each other and the teacher, negotiating meanings as opposed to just reciting facts. As students negotiate, they adjust their interactions by presenting rationales for their strategies while attempting to make sense of each other's ideas. Sfard (2001) contends that this open communication is equivalent to thinking itself. She states that our thinking is a dialogical endeavor as we inform, argue, reflect, and question others (as well as ourselves). Thus, thinking is communication; not necessarily verbal, and not necessarily inner. …


The amount of solar irradiance reaching the surface is a key parameter in the hydrological and energy cycles of the Earth's climate. We analyze 20th Century simulations using nine state‐of‐the‐art climate models and show that all models estimate a global annual mean reduction in downward surface solar radiation of 1–4 W/m2 at the same time that the globe warms by 0.4–0.7°C. In single forcing simulations using the GISS‐ER model, this "global dimming" signal is shown to be predominantly related to aerosol effects. In the global mean sense the surface adjusts to changes in downward solar flux instantaneously by reducing the upward fluxes of longwave, latent and sensible heat. Adding increased greenhouse gas forcing traps outgoing longwave radiation in the atmosphere and surface which results in net heating (although reduced) that is consistent with global warming over the 20th Century. Over the 1984–2000 period, individual model simulations show widely disparate results, mostly related to cloud changes associated with tropical Pacific variations, similar to the changes inferred from the satellite data analysis. This suggests that this time period is not sufficient to determine longer term trends.


The spreading of bacterial colonies at solid-air interfaces is determined by the physico-chemical properties of the involved interfaces. The production of surfactant molecules by bacteria is a widespread strategy that allows the colony to efficiently expand over the substrate. On the one hand, surfactant molecules lower the surface tension of the colony, effectively increasing the wettability of the substrate, which facilitates spreading. On the other hand, gradients in the surface concentration of surfactant molecules result in Marangoni flows that drive spreading. These flows may cause an instability of the circular colony shape and the subsequent formation of fingers. In this work, we study the effect of bacterial surfactant production and substrate wettability on colony growth and shape within the framework of a hydrodynamic thin film model. We show that variations in the wettability and surfactant production are sufficient to reproduce four different types of colony growth, which have been described in the literature, namely, arrested and continuous spreading of circular colonies, slightly modulated front lines and the formation of pronounced fingers.


The simulation of blood flow in the cardiac system has the potential to become an attractive diagnostic tool for many cardiovascular diseases, such as in the case of aneurysm. This potential could be reached if the simulations were to be completed in hours rather than days and without resorting to the use of expensive supercomputers. Therefore we have investigated a possibility of acceleratingmedical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using graphics processing units (GPUs). Our results for the 3D blood flow in the human abdominal aorta show that by transferring only a part of the computations (linear system solvers) to the GPU, it is possible to make the typical CFD simulations three to four times faster depending on the CFD model being used. Since these simulations were performed on widely available GPUs that had been designed as mass-market PC extension cards, our results suggest that porting larger parts of CFD to GPUs could really bring the technology into hospitals.


A common assumption in generative models is that the generator immerses the latent space into a Euclidean ambient space. Instead, we consider the ambient space to be a Riemannian manifold, which allows for encoding domain knowledge through the associated Riemannian metric. Shortest paths can then be defined accordingly in the latent space to both follow the learned manifold and respect the ambient geometry. Through careful design of the ambient metric we can ensure that shortest paths are well-behaved even for deterministic generators that otherwise would exhibit a misleading bias. Experimentally we show that our approach improves interpretability of learned representations both using stochastic and deterministic generators.


In conjunction with BMJ Case Reports , DTB will feature occasional drug-related cases that are likely to be of interest to readers. These will include cases that involve recently marketed drugs for which there is limited knowledge of adverse effects and cases that highlight unusual reactions to drugs that have been marketed for several years.

In 2003, Marx reported the first case of osteonecrosis of the jaw in 36 cases related to zoledronic acid or pamidronate. Painful bone exposure in the mandible or maxilla unresponsive to medical or surgical management was observed. In 2014, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons proposed the term 'medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw' (MRONJ). However, a non-exposed variant may also occur. MRONJ can lead to debilitating clinical sequelae with limited treatment options. We present the case of a 73-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer and MRONJ of her mandible and maxilla following treatment with intravenous zoledronic acid and denosumab. Six months following dental extractions, she was referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for assessment of extensive necrosis of her maxilla and mandible. Extraoral draining sinuses were observed. A CT mandible showed cortical destruction with an ill-defined mixed sclerotic–lucent pattern in keeping with osteonecrosis. Due to her metastatic breast cancer, the extent of her necrosis and poor performance status, free flap reconstruction of her mandible was ruled out. She was treated conservatively.

The advent of various medications such as bisphosphonates, denosumab and antiangiogenic agents such as monoclonal antibodies has resulted in reported cases of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).1 Although MRONJ is a rare condition, it can have a potentially severe impact on the quality of life of affected patients, in particular, those individuals in higher stages of their disease, as illustrated in our case. Clinical manifestations can include …


The target of this article is to introduce leaders management and personnel controlling in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), from the strategic and operational points of view, as the greatest competitive advantage of SMEs in the coming years will not be products or financial or technological resources, but employees. Strategic controlling includes organizational architecture linked to managerial assumptions, both of which are necessary to be adopted if business success should be achieved. The article presents a horizontal and vertical manager model that helps to assess managers and their abilities. Operational personnel controlling then focuses on personnel plans and productivity management.


The chapter examines the EU policy debate on super fast next-generation broadband networks. It begins by assessing the rising importance of Information and Communication Technology in pursuit of economic growth and identifies two implicit theoretical underpinnings based on neo-classical and Hayekian ideas and Schumpeterian thinking respectively, with differing assumptions about the relationship between market and state intervention. Next, the chapter charts the move from Hayekian to Schumpeterian thought, which has disturbed, though not eliminated, conflicts in policy aims. It argues that since the 2000s there has been evidence of a new policy paradigm which has gradually become stronger and recognisably dominant in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. This new paradigm prioritises innovation in a Schumpeterian sense, emphasises related monopoly rents and is therefore not immediately consistent with open competitive markets. As such, it is at odds with the earlier policy paradigm that guided progressive liberalisation of telecommunications markets since the mid 1980s and was largely inspired by neo-classical and Hayekian thought, positing a pro-market response to address the failings of state monopolies. The chapter provides evidence that various institutional, political and economic actors have capitalised on the political saliency of super fast broadband networks and the rise of a Schumpeterian understanding of innovation in an attempt to promote their own narrow interests overlooking, in the process, broader consumer and social welfare.


INTERFACIALLY POLYMERIZED THIN FILM COMPOSITE MEMBRANES ON MICROPOROUS POLYPROPYLENE SUPPORTS FOR REVERSE OSMOSIS DESALINATION by Chao Li The important technique of interfacial polymerization (IP) is used to fabricate thin film composite (TFC) membranes. In experiments here, microporous polypropylene (PP) flat film membranes were used as a support for fabricating TFC membranes for reverse osmosis by the IP technique. Substantial chemical, pH, and solvent resistance is provided by porous polypropylene membranes. Therefore, it is reasonable to choose porous polypropylene membranes as supports to fabricate TFC membranes for reverse osmosis. The external and the pore surfaces of polypropylene flat film membrane were hydrophilized first by pre-wetting with acetone, then oxidized with chromic acid solution kept at 65°C. Next, the procedure to successfully coat the hydrophilized flat film membranes was implemented. Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and isophthaloyl dichloride (IPD) were chosen as the reaction monomers for IP. Pressure dependences of the solvent flux and solute rejection of the TFC membranes were studied using the modified flat sheet membranes up to a pressure of 650-850 KPa. The TFC membranes were characterized by reverse osmosis based removal of sodium chloride (MW 58.44) in water. A rejection value of 89.43 % was achieved for sodium chloride at a pressure of 850 KPa. Solvent flux increased linearly with an increase in the transmembrane pressure. An increase in the transmembrane pressure also results in an improvement of sodium chloride rejection. Higher concentration and more reaction time for the monomeric system yields membranes with salt higher rejection. INTERFACIALLY POLYMERIZED THIN FILM COMPOSITE MEMBRANES ON MICROPOROUS POLYPROPYLENE SUPPORTS FOR REVERSE OSMOSIS DESALINATION


The Reverend Archibald Lamont -Champion of the Underdog. The Reverend Archibald Lamont dedicated his whole life to improving the position of the underdog, irrespective of his religion, class or race. To him people were merely people and therefore during his term as city councillor he campaigned to improve the position of Durban's underdogs: the white labourers, the Indians and the blacks. Lamont considered racial discrimination against the Indians and blacks especially unacceptable since it clashed with his religious beliefs and his trust in British Justice, a view which did not endear him to most of the Durban whites, who regarded him as too liberal, and which resulted in his defeat during the provincial and parliamentary elections of 1927 and 1929. Lamont's election in 1929 as Durban's mayor therefore came as a surprise. In fact, his election was part of the city council's campaign to end an effective black boycott of the municipal beer halls. This boycott was a result of the blacks' dissatisfaction with the harsh municipal administration. By electing a more liberal person, such as Lamont, as mayor it was hoped to give credibility to the municipality's attempt to end the boycott by following an ambiguous policy of reform and oppression. However, instead of being a mere ceremonial figure, Lamont had his own ideas on reform and justice and during his three years as mayor he succeeded to some extent in improving the position of the blacks. This also brought him into conflict with the city council, The Natal Mercury, and most of the Durban whites, who viewed his efforts on behalf of the blacks with suspicion. Eventually Lamont was defeated in his bid for a fourth term as mayor and the city council subsequently took a more conservative stand on racial issues. In recognition of his efforts to improve the circumstances of the blacks, the new Umlazi black township was named Lamont township (today Lamontville) on black demand. Lamont also received recognition from the white workers of Durban who, as a result of his efforts to improve their economic position, elected him as a member of the provincial council for Greyville in 1932.


Psycholinguistic investigations of translated audiovisual products have been conducted since at least the 1980s. These mainly concerned the role of subtitles in the processing of language in the context of language acquisition, literacy, and education. This article provides an overview of some of the most productive lines of research from a psycholinguistic angle in audiovisual translation (AVT), focussing on studies that investigated the positive effects of subtitles on language performance, but also on a growing body of behavioural research on the cognitive processing of the language of subtitles. The article evaluates a number of methodologies in some of the most prominent studies on the processing of subtitles, primarily making use of eye tracking, and then provides some thoughts on future directions in psycholinguistic studies on the processing of the language of AVT.


In climate models, aerosol forcing is the major source of uncertainty in climate forcing, over the industrial period. To reduce this uncertainty, instruments on satellites have been put in place to collect global data. However, missing and noisy observations impose considerable difficulties for scientists researching the global distribution of aerosols, aerosol transportation, and comparisons between satellite observations and global‐climate‐model outputs. In this paper, we fit a Spatial Mixed Effects (SME) statistical model to predict the missing values, denoise the observed values, and quantify the spatial‐prediction uncertainties. The computations associated with the SME model are linear scalable to the number of data points, which makes it feasible to process massive global satellite data. We apply the methodology, which is called Fixed Rank Kriging (FRK), to the level‐3 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) dataset collected by NASA's Multi‐angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument flying on the Terra satellite. Overall, our results were superior to those from non‐statistical methods and, importantly, FRK has an uncertainty measure associated with it that can be used for comparisons over different regions or at different time points. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


We describe the logical flaws, experimental contradictions, and unfortunate educational repercussions of common student misconceptions regarding the shapes and properties of lone pairs, inspired by overemphasis on "valence shell electron pair repulsion" (VSEPR) rationalizations in current freshman-level chemistry textbooks. VSEPR-style representations of orbital shape and size are shown to be fundamentally inconsistent with numerous lines of experimental and theoretical evidence, including quantum mechanical "symmetry" principles that are sometimes invoked in their defense. VSEPR-style conceptions thereby detract from more accurate introductory-level teaching of orbital hybridization and bonding principles, while also requiring wasteful "unlearning" as the student progresses to higher levels. We include specific suggestions for how VSEPR-style rationalizations of molecular structure can be replaced with more accurate conceptions of hybridization and its relationship to electronegativity and molecular geometry, in accordance both with Bent's rule and the consistent features of modern wavefunctions as exhibited by natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis.


This paper examines a core leadership strategy for transforming learning and teaching in distance education through flexible and blended learning. It focuses on a project centred on distributive leadership that involves collaboration, shared purpose, responsibility and recognition of leadership irrespective of role or position within an organisation. Distributive leadership was a core principle in facilitating the transformation of learning and teaching through a Teaching Fellowship Scheme that empowered leaders across a regional distance education university. In parallel, a design-based research project analysed the perceptions of the Teaching Fellows in relation to blended learning, time/space, peer learning, innovation and equity issues in relation to distance education. Keywords: flexible and blended learning; distributive leadership; design-based research; fellowships; transformative change; transformative learning DOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.529112


The clinicopathologic relevance of various gene rearrangements underlying dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) remains insufficiently characterized. In 188 DFSPs, we determined PDGFB, COL1A1, PDGFD, COL6A3, and EMILIN2 rearrangements by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The clinicopathologic significance of rearrangement types and factors related to recurrence and metastasis were statistically analyzed. In all, classic PDGFB rearrangement, cryptic COL1A1-PDGFB fusion, and PDGFD rearrangement were identified in 172 (91.4%), 8 (4.3%), and 8 (4.3%: 4 COL6A3-PDFGD, 4 EMILIN2-PDGFD) cases, respectively. In an index DFSP harboring the cryptic fusion, the COL1A1-PDGFB transcript was confirmed by both RNA sequencing and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In comparison with cases harboring classic PDGFB rearrangement, cryptic PDGFB-rearranged DFSPs usually exhibited higher 5′-COL1A1 copy numbers. In a combined reappraisal of published and current cases, COL6A3-PDGFD-positive DFSPs (n=16) predominated in females (n=14, 88%) and torso (n=14, 88%), especially the breast (n=7, 44%); EMILIN2-PDGFD-positive DFSPs (n=6) preferentially demonstrated near exclusively subcutaneous growth (n=5, 83%) and fibrosarcomatous transformation (n=5, 83%). In our cohort, local recurrence was related to fibrosarcomatous variant (P=0.029, odds ratio=3.478) and head and neck location (P=0.046, odds ratio=3.508). Distant metastasis only occurred in the fibrosarcomatous variant (9/73, 12.3%) but not in other cases. In conclusion, 8.6% of DFSPs are negative for PDGFB break-apart FISH, which, especially those with challenging subcutaneous and circumscribed manifestation, require complementary diagnosis by FISH assays targeting COL1A1 and PDGFD. The types of fusion gene rearrangements, head and neck location, and fibrosarcomatous transformation may account for clinicopathologic and prognostic variations in DFSPs and warrant future independent validation.


In this paper, we consider the setting of graph-structured data that evolves as a result of operations carried out by users or applications. We study different reasoning problems, which range from ensuring the satisfaction of a given set of integrity constraints after a given sequence of updates, to deciding the (non-)existence of a sequence of actions that would take the data to an (un)desirable state, starting either from a specific data instance or from an incomplete description of it. We consider an action language in which actions are finite sequences of conditional insertions and deletions of nodes and labels, and use Description Logics for describing integrity constraints and (partial) states of the data. We then formalize the above data management problems as a static verification problem and several planning problems. We provide algorithms and tight complexity bounds for the formalized problems, both for an expressive DL and for a variant of DL-Lite.


Translation of questionnaires has enabled cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons in the social sciences, psychology, quality-of-life research, education research, and business studies. Questionnaires are typically translated or adapted from a source language into one or several target language(s). Best practice includes parallel translation, team discussions, extensive quantitative and qualitative pretesting with respondents, and detailed documentation (Behr & Shishido, 2016; Harkness, Villar, & Edwards, 2010; Sha & Pan, 2013). But these methods are still unfamiliar to many in translation studies and the translation industry. In addition, experts in the subject-matter disciplines may lack knowledge about the state of the art in translation research. To encourage interdisciplinary exchange, translation scholars have started to reconcile translation studies and the field of questionnaire translation by combining the latest theories, approaches, and findings from both fields (Behr, 2009; Bolanos-Medina & Gonzalez-Ruiz, 2012; Dorer, 2015; Kusmaul, 2007; Ozolins, 2009; Przepiorkowska, 2016).


One problem in today's indoor air quality lies within insufficient ventilation. Dynamic ventilation can be obtained by implementing a Demand-Controlled ventilation (DCV) system. DCV systems adjust the ventilation in a building by calculating the impact made by its' occupants. This is done by sensors, the most common one are carbon dioxide sensors. A different solution would be to calculate the number of occupants and then calculate the carbon dioxide levels from that number. This paper describes the development of a sensor fusion system for presence detection. The system will be using sensors that have been proved being able to detect human presence. Results show that the system detects presence in 97.5 % of the given cases. The system also detects the number of occupants with an error of 1.77 %.


Viet Nam has undergone a major socio-economic transformation over the past quarter century, rising from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle income country. Today it continues to develop rapidly, becoming more integrated with the global economy and undergoing significant regulatory and structural changes. Viet Nam has also made remarkable progress on gender equality, but important gender differences still remain. On the positive side Viet Nam has had considerable progress in addressing gender disparities in education, employment and health. The gender gap in earnings is lower in Viet Nam than in many other East Asian countries. Indeed by a number of measures, women's outcomes have improved significantly. However, upon deeper examination of the data, a number of challenges still remain. The report is organized into five chapters. The current chapter has provided a background to the report and the process through which it has been prepared. The next three chapters will deal with the substantive issues, focusing primarily on gender but addressing ethnicity and other forms of social inequality where relevant. Chapter two will provide an analysis of the situation and trends in gender equality in relation to the multiple dimensions of poverty, some of which are included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Chapter three will provide an in-depth gender analysis of livelihoods and employment, bearing in mind the likely impact of the recent crisis as well as the challenges of transition to middle income status. Chapter four will pick up on the issue of women's political participation in leadership positions and in the wider society. The final chapter will synthesize the key findings of the report and prioritize key recommendations.


Three-dimensional motion analysis techniques were used to compare the maximum range of glenohumeral motion with the functional range of glenohumeral motion required to perform everyday activities. In-house ethical approval was obtained for the study. Five healthy subjects, 10 healthy shoulders, (M:F 2:3 mean age 23 A'± 1 year) were recruited. Eighteen retro-reflective markers were attached to bony landmarks of the trunk and upper limb. The trajectories of the markers were tracked by eight infra-red cameras with a sampling rate of 60Hz. Joint rotations were calculated according to the recommendations of the International Society of Biomechanics. Each shoulder was assessed separately for full range of motion (ROM) and 10 functional tasks of daily living (with and without loading) designed by the Newcastle Shoulder Group in 2004. Comparisons were made between the full ROM and functional ROM and also between dominant and non-dominant shoulders. The full range of glenohumeral motion was 96 A'± 4.8A‹Ai. Seventy-nine percent of max ROM was used in touching the back of the head. Fifty-nine percent of max ROM was used in combing the opposite side of the head. Seventy one percent of max ROM was used in lifting a weight (20N) above head height. No significant differences in ROMs were observed between dominant and non dominant shoulders. A quantitative assessment of glenohumeral motion is reported. While maximum ROM is commonly assessed, this is not representative of a patient's ability to perform everyday functional tasks. This study objectively explores the motion profiles of the shoulder complex and highlights some of the potential benefits to everyday clinical practice. Further areas for development include the validation and standardisation of a representative range of functional tasks and the application of these techniques to patient cohorts.


We estimated crime rates among 70 origin-based immigrant groups in the Netherlands for the years 2005-2018. Results indicated that crime rates have overall been falling for each group in the period of study, and in the country as a whole, with about a 50% decline since 2005. Immigrant groups varied widely in crime rates, with East Asian countries being lower and Muslim countries, as well as Dutch (ex-)colonial possessions in the Caribbean, being higher than the natives. We found that national IQ and Muslim percentage of population of the origin countries predicted relative differences in crime rates, r's = .64 and .45, respectively, in line with previous research both in the Netherlands and in other European countries. Furthermore, we carried out a survey of 200 persons living in the Netherlands to measure their preferences for immigrants for each origin country in terms of getting more or fewer persons from each country. Following Carl (2016), we computed a mean opposition metric for each country. This correlated strongly with actual crime rates we found, r's = .46 and .57, for population weighted and unweighted results, respectively. The main outliers in the regression were the Dutch (ex-)colonial possessions, and if these are excluded, the correlations increase to .68 and .66, respectively. Regressions with plausible confounders (Muslim percentage, geographical fixed effects) showed that crime rates continued to be a useful predictor of opposition to specific countries. The results were interpreted as being in line with a rational voter preference for less crime-prone immigrants.


A MAGICAL NIGHT WHEN SECRET WISHES CAN COME TRUE On a rainy afternoon, three sisters wish for the rain to stoop, wish they could play in the puddles, wish for something, "anything, " to do. So Ying-Ying, their grandmother, tells them a tale from long ago. On the night of the Moon Festival, when Ying-ying was a little girl, she encountered the Moon Lady, who grants the secret wishes of those who ask, and learned from her that the best wishes are those you can make come true yourself. This haunting tale, adapted from Amy Tan's best-seller "The Joy Luck Club" and enhanced by Gretchen Schields's rich, meticulously detailed art, is a book for all to treasure.


Biomass-based energy carriers (BBEC) especially advanced ones such as biofuels, hydrogen and electricity from biomass are often considered to have the potential to contribute to reduction of GHG emissions. In this paper we conduct an analysis of the economic prospects and potentials of advanced BBEC in EU-15 countries up to 2050. We show which energy output from these energy carriers can be expected in the future under different conditions. The major conclusion is that in the most promising scenario by 2050 energy carriers based on biomass can provide an overall additional energy quantity of about 4,650 PJ. This equals about 7% of total final energy consumption in EU-15 in 2010.


The idea that correspondences relating grammatical relation and semantics (argument structure constructions) are needed to account for simple sentence types is reviewed, clarified, updated and compared with two lexicalist alternatives. Traditional lexical rules take one verb as 'input' and create (or relate) a different verb as 'output'. More recently, invisible derivational verb templates have been proposed, which treat argument structure patterns as zero derivational affixes that combine with a root verb to yield a new verb. While the derivational template perspective can address several problems that arise for traditional lexical rules, it still faces problems in accounting for idioms, which often contain specifications that are not appropriately assigned to individual verbs or derivational affixes (regarding adjuncts, modification and inflection). At the same time, it is clear that verbs play a central role in determining their distribution. The balance between verbs and phrasal argument structure constructions is addressed via the Principles of Semantic Coherence and Correspondence together with a usage-based hierarchy of constructions that contains entries which can include particular verbs and other lexical material.


Ultrafast intersystem crossing of carbonylpyrenes in chloroform was investigated by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. When compared to the dominant fluorescence decay pathway in pyrene, carbonyl functionalized pyrenes display near-unity triplet formation upon photoexcitation. The excited singlet state (Sp) undergoes rapid intersystem crossing (kISC) concomitantly with internal conversion (kIC) to lower excited singlet states (Sn) within a timescale of 5-11 ps (1/τ2 = kIC + kISC). Furthermore, intersystem crossing from lower excited singlet states (Sn) proceeds through coupling with receiver triplet states, eventually leading to high triplet quantum yields (ΦT = 97%; tetraacetylpyrene). Followed by internal conversion in the triplet manifolds, phosphorescence decay on a microsecond timescale is observed from the emitter triplet state.


Background: Low-grade glioma (LGG) can behave aggressively, akin to glioblastoma, and prognostic classification is urgently needed. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a key regulator of transcriptional expression during tumorigenesis and progression. This study aimed to identify transcriptome biomarkers with prognostic predictive value and define molecular subclassifications.

Methods: We selected 21 m6A methylation-related genes for analysis of 529 LGG samples from TCGA LGG datasets and 1,152 brain tissues from the GTEx datasets. Through difference analysis, Protein-protein interactions (PPI) network, and spearman correlation analysis, gene expression and correlation were studied. Consensus cluster, gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes, and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed for classification and functional analysis. Lasso Cox regression algorithm and univariate and multivariate analyses were used for assessing risk factors.

Results: The expression of m6A methylation-related genes between normal brain and LGG samples was significantly different. Consensus cluster analysis clearly divided LGG samples into two categories, with a p-value for the difference between prognosis close to 0. Through the lasso Cox regression algorithm and univariate and multivariate analyses, four genetic biomarkers (IGF2BP2, IGF2BP3, YTHDC1, and ALKBH3) were screened out, and the cumulative analysis of these effectively predicted patients' prognosis.

Conclusion: Consensus cluster analysis based on m6A methylation-related genes clearly divided LGG samples into two categories. Moreover, the cumulative analysis of four genetic biomarkers (IGF2BP2, IGF2BP3, YTHDC1, and ALKBH3) effectively predicted prognosis.


Abstract : The software architecture of a software-intensive system greatly determines system quality. When used appropriately, software architecture evaluations can have a favorable effect on a delivered or modified government system. This technical note describes the application of the Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method(Service Mark) (ATAM(Service Mark) to a major wargaming simulation system. A government-contractor team is developing the Wargame 2000 system at the Joint National Integration Center (formerly known as the Joint National Test Facility JNTF), Colorado. In this technical note, we present the contextual background about the software architecture, the organization, and the system being evaluated. Next, we present a general overview of the ATAM process. Finally, we describe the application of the ATAM to the Wargame 2000 system and present important results and benefits. While architecture evaluation is valuable early in the development life cycle, this case study illustrates that such evaluations are also useful when a system is well into development.