Despite decades of progress, static analysis tools still have great difficulty dealing with programs that combine arithmetic, loops, dynamic memory allocation, and linked data structures. In this paper we draw attention to two fundamental reasons for this difficulty: First, typical underlying program abstractions are low-level and inherently scalar, characterizing compound entities like data structures or results computed through iteration only indirectly. Second, to ensure termination, analyses typically project away the dimension of time, and merge information per program point, which incurs a loss in precision. As a remedy, we propose to make collective operations first-class in program analysis – inspired by Σ-notation in mathematics, and also by the success of high-level intermediate languages based on @map/reduce@ operations in program generators and aggressive optimizing compilers for domain-specific languages (DSLs). We further propose a novel structured heap abstraction that preserves a symbolic dimension of time, reflecting the program's loop structure and thus unambiguously correlating multiple temporal points in the dynamic execution with a single point in the program text. This paper presents a formal model, based on a high-level intermediate analysis language, a practical realization in a prototype tool that analyzes C code, and an experimental evaluation that demonstrates competitive results on a series of benchmarks. Remarkably, our implementation achieves these results in a fully semantics-preserving strongest-postcondition model, which is a worst-case for analysis/verification. The underlying ideas, however, are not tied to this model and would equally apply in other settings, e.g., demand-driven invariant inference in a weakest-precondition model. Given its semantics-preserving nature, our implementation is not limited to analysis for verification, but can also check program equivalence, and translate legacy C code to high-performance DSLs.


Cardiac complications in sickle cell disease patients are widely expected. They may be related to iron deposition, anaemia or vasculitis. Hydroxyurea is a known drug that decreases haemoglobin (Hb) S levels. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of hydroxyurea on cardiac sequelae in children with sickle cell disease. Sixty-five sickle cell disease children were enrolled in the study; 37 of them were on regular follow up and hydroxurea treatment, whereas 28 were not. All patients underwent echocardiography and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) assay. Plasma levels of NTproBNP were significantly lower in sickle cell patients who were on hydroxyurea treatment than in those without this therapy (p=0.03). NTproBNP levels showed significant correlations with Hb (r=-0.72, p<0.05) and HbS levels (r=0.54, p<0.05). Significant positive correlations were detected between NTproBNP and echocardiography findings (r=0.64, p<0.01) including left ventricular mass index (r=0.78, p<0.01). In conclusion, hydroxyurea may reduce cardiac complications in children with sickle cell disease.


Freeze-fracture electron microscopy was used to examine the structure of a region of plasma membrane that undergoes continual, unidirectional shear. Membrane shear arises from the continual clockwise rotation of one part (head) of a termite flagellate relative to the rest of the cell. Freeze-fracture replicas show that the lipid bilayer is continuous across the shear zone. Thus, the relative movements of adjacent membrane regions are visible evidence of membrane fluidity. The distribution and density of intramembrane particles within the membrane of the shear zone is not different from that in other regions of the cell membrane. Also, an additional membrane shear zone arises when body membrane becomes closely applied to the rotating axostyle as cells change shape in vitro. This suggests that the entire membrane is potentially as fluid as the membrane between head and body but that this fluidity is only expressed at certain locations for geometrical and/or mechanical reasons. Membrane movements may be explained solely by cell shape and proximity to rotating structures, although specific membrane-cytoskeletal connections cannot be ruled out. The membrane of this cell may thus be viewed as a fluid which adheres to the underlying cytoplasm/cytoskeleton and passively follows its movements.


Canine blood typing has become an established and essential laboratory test due to the rising demand for safe and efficient blood transfusions. The most immunogenic and clinically important blood type is DEA 1.1. Little is known about DEA 1.1 frequencies or special characteristics among different canine breeds. 304 dogs were tested for DEA 1.1. DEA 1.1-typing was performed using a commercial gel column technique (ID-Gel Test Canine DEA 1.1, DiaMed, Cressier, Switzerland). Fifty-three percent of all tested dogs reacted positive for DEA 1.1, whereas 49 % of the mixed breeds tested DEA 1.1-positive. All Bernese mountain dogs (n = 22) and Rottweilers (n = 9) tested positive for DEA 1.1, while all Boxers (n = 8), Flat-Coated Retrievers (n = 9), and Border Collies (6) tested negative for DEA 1.1. The prevalence of DEA 1.1 in dogs in Switzerland was found to be comparable to that reported from other countries. The tested breeds were found to differ considerably in the frequency of DEA 1.1. This knowledge is useful for selection of blood donors. However, DEA 1.1 blood typing of donor and recipient prior to transfusion and cross matching in sensitized dogs is unavoidable.


Texture mapping enhances the visual realism of 3D models by adding fine details. To achieve the best results, it is often necessary to force a correspondence between some of the details of the texture and the features of the model.The most common method for mapping texture onto 3D meshes is to use a planar parameterization of the mesh. This, however, does not reflect any special correspondence between the mesh geometry and the texture. The Matchmaker algorithm presented here forces user-defined feature correspondence for planar parameterization of meshes. This is achieved by adding positional constraints to the planar parameterization. Matchmaker allows users to introduce scores of constraints while maintaining a valid one-to-one mapping between the embedding and the 3D surface. Matchmaker's constraint mechanism can be used for other applications requiring parameterization besides texture mapping, such as morphing and remeshing.Matchmaker begins with an unconstrained planar embedding of the 3D mesh generated by conventional methods. It moves the constrained vertices to the required positions by matching a triangulation of these positions to a triangulation of the planar mesh formed by paths between constrained vertices. The matching triangulations are used to generate a new parameterization that satisfies the constraints while minimizing the deviation from the original 3D geometry.


Interdecadal variability of northward-propagating ISOs from July to September is examined by dividing the 32 years into 1979 1993 and 1994 2010. The enhanced easterly anomalies in 1994 2010 could increase the steering flow for the submonthly wave pattern and TCs. Therefore, the propagation routes for TCs and submonthly wave patterns were pushed farther westward toward eastern China in 1994 2010 instead of slowly migrating northward to Japan in 1979 1993. By separating the background flow into the climatological mean and ISO components, a sensitivity study of the barotropic interaction is conducted when switching the background flow of the other epoch. The results show that the enhancement of the subtropical anticyclone in the later epoch changes the distribution of the background easterly flow and thus the barotropic conversion maximum between the submonthly perturbations and climatological circulation was displaced westward. The strengthening of the ISO background fields in the later epoch enhances the barotropic interaction between the ISO and submonthly perturbations. Thus in the westerly phase of the later epoch, the enhanced ISO cyclonic anomaly favors the barotropic conversion to intensify. The positive areas of interdecadal changes for the barotropic conversion between the submonthly perturbations and the climatological mean fields are co-located with the positive changes due to the ISO background fields where the wave pattern and TCs move further westward in the later epoch. Therefore, the interdecadal impacts by the climatological mean fields and ISO on the energy conversion jointly favor the development of the wave pattern and TCs. Article history: Received 24 January 2019 Revised 14 July 2019 Accepted 20 August 2019


Recent years have seen progress in several areas regarding single molecule electronic devices. A number of interesting structure–property relationships have been observed, including vibronic effects, spin transitions, and molecular electronic interference known as quantum interference. Together, these observations highlight what the rich opportunities in molecular design might bring in terms of advanced device properties. Pertinent challenges are related to development of high yield preparative procedures for fabrication of single molecule devices in a parallel and reproducible way. With this highlight article we review recent progress in the field considering self-assembled formation of metal nanogaps incorporating single molecules for single molecule electronics applications. We discuss methods for the formation of the nanogaps as well as methods attempting to achieve single molecule functionality in each individual device.


We present a new situation awareness visualisation tool, the Events Visualisation Environment (EVE), and its internal events aggregator module, the Advanced Data Aggregation Module (ADAM), which have been successfully used during the most recent cyber exercises (i.e., Locked Shields and Crossed Swords) organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (NATO CCDCOE). The functional requirements for EVE and ADAM were based on the unique cyber exercise needs for analysis and game development, and were finalised after we had completed a state-of-the-art review to look for suitable tools that could meet our requirements. The main purpose of EVE is to visualise security alerts on any given network map. ADAM, the supporting events aggregation module, processes, combines and filters incoming notifications from various types of sensors, and makes them ready to be visualised by EVE. EVE offers an intuitive and real-time visualisation that is easily understandable at first glance by both technical and non-technical staff. It also allows for recording and playback, and considers attack types, game phases, attack sources, and targets. The information required by EVE is obtained from different sensors operating on the network. EVE allows for a very simplified communication channel with them, based on JSON formatted messages sent over an HTTP POST request. The sensors used during the cyber exercises to test the tools are also described here. The tools have provided an enhanced situation awareness experience over previous cyber exercises organised by NATO CCDCOE, and can be used in other exercises or, more generally, in real-life, production-ready environments. EVE (with ADAM included) is published as an open source tool, which is freely available on the GitHub page of the NATO CCDCOE.


In the Any-Angle Pathfinding problem, the goal is to find the shortest path between a pair of vertices on a uniform square grid, that is not constrained to any fixed number of possible directions over the grid. Visibility Graphs are a known optimal algorithm for solving the problem with the use of pre-processing. However, Visibility Graphs are known to perform poorly in terms of running time, especially on large, complex maps. In this paper, we introduce two improvements over the Visibility Graph Algorithm to compute optimal paths. Sparse Visibility Graphs (SVGs) are constructed by pruning unnecessary edges from the original Visibility Graph. Edge N-Level Sparse Visibility Graphs (ENLSVGs) is a hierarchical SVG built by iteratively pruning non-taut paths. We also introduce Line-of-Sight Scans, a faster algorithm for building Visibility Graphs over a grid. SVGs run much faster than Visibility Graphs by reducing the average vertex degree. ENLSVGs, a hierarchical algorithm, improves this further, especially on larger maps, with millisecond runtimes even on 6000 x 6000 maps. On large maps, with the use of pre-processing, these algorithms are at least an order of magnitude faster than existing algorithms like Visibility Graphs, Anya and Theta*.


Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use narrative inquiry to discover and understand how Chinese students leverage their strengths and multiple identities in socializing to American higher education and their profession. Chinese students engage with American academic culture while embracing their multiple identities. I will explore the cultural strengths they use to socialize and develop their personal, social, cultural, and professional identities in their doctoral educational experience.

Background: Chinese international doctoral students encounter a unique socialization experience during their doctoral studies because they lack meaningful cross-cultural support. Likewise, it is problematic that Chinese students are often viewed as a homogeneous group and much prior research has emphasized the traditional deficit perspective in explaining how Chinese students must adjust and assimilate to the university environment.

Methodology: This qualitative research uses narrative inquiry to study Chinese international doctoral students' socialization experiences while retaining their authentic voices. Narrative inquiry allows for a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of Chinese students compared to the perceptions imposed by other stakeholders. The narrative methodology provides diverse ways to understand Chinese student interactions within American culture, place, and context. This study applies the three-dimensional approach to retell participants' stories. The three-dimensional approach is more holistic and provides a broad lens to learn about the interactions, past, present, and future experiences of individuals through time and space.

Contribution: This research shifts the narrative from the deficit view to a strength-based perspective as to how Chinese international doctoral students can rely on their cultural values and multiple identities as strengths to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

Findings: Findings related to the literature in two important ways. First, findings support how the six cultural strengths of Yosso's community cultural wealth apply to Chinese international doctoral students. Chinese students' stories align with these strengths and through these strengths, they explore and develop their personal, social, cultural, and professional identity. Second, Chinese students' stories as a counternarrative challenged and contradicted the essentialist view and misconception that Chinese students are a homogenous group personally, socially, culturally, or academically.

Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings from this study offer insight for practitioners into what institutions and departments might do to support Chinese international doctoral students in their socialization journey. It is vital to support the whole student through understanding their multiple identities.

Recommendation for Researchers: Chinese students and other diverse learners may benefit from peer and faculty mentors in different ways. Therefore, understanding the unique cross-cultural socialization needs and strength-based perspective will help tailor social activities and inclusive learning environments.

Impact on Society: The current political, economic, and social relationships between the U.S. and China make it vital for American institutions to consider Chinese international doctoral students' cross-cultural socialization journey.

Future Research: Though it is hoped that this study is transferable, specific issues of how it can be generalized to other Chinese international doctoral students in other areas of the U.S. are beyond the scope of this study. Future research might explore how Chinese International doctoral students' socialization experiences differ depending on where they study in the U.S.


Many municipalities in the United States are short of the tax revenue they need and have had to cut spending on public goods, which has lowered the quality of life for their residents. Municipalities in Japan face the same problem. Japan has developed an effective method for raising tax revenue for local governments and revitalizing languishing economies. Japan's "Hometown Tax" system empowers taxpayers to divert tax revenue from affluent urban governments to struggling rural governments, stimulates small businesses and enables rural governments to be more autonomous and financially independent.
Under the Hometown Tax, a taxpayer that makes a charitable contribution to a local government receives a tax deduction and credit amounting to almost the entire value of the charitable contribution. At almost no extra cost, the taxpayer can select a Return Gift to receive from a local business in the region. Return Gifts range from deliveries of fresh locally-caught lobsters to vouchers for hot air balloon rides, and are listed on online portals that connect taxpayers to municipal and prefectural governments throughout Japan. The online portals have also become donation channels for regions experiencing natural disasters.
Implementing a Hometown Tax system in the United States would require the addition of state and municipal tax credits, and allowing for Return Gift selection would require the modification of U.S. quid pro quo contribution law. A Hometown Tax has risks, and could result in an excessive diversion of tax revenue from urban to rural governments. This Note concludes that, given its potential to enable struggling municipalities to prosper, increase the demand for goods produced by small businesses, and further the financial independence of local governments, the United States should consider instituting some variation of a Hometown Tax system.


This paper presents an original method to obtain, in one step, core/shell nanoparticles grafted covalently with polymer and functionalized with amino groups. By combining polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and silica precursors, we were able to obtain silica-coated and amino-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) cross-linked with PVA. We also showed that using silica and amino-silica precursors together significantly increased the amount of PVA covalently bonded to the SPION surface compared to using only silica precursors. This original and interesting method has high potential for the industrial development of biocompatible functionalized nanoparticles for targeting nanomedicine.


The displacement of a spherical target from the geometric focus of the focusing optic changes the irradiance of the target. A modification of the formalism of J. H. Erkkila [ J. H. Erkkila , " Laser light scattering and absorption in dense, spherically symmetric plasmas," Ph.D thesis, University of California, Report No. UCRL-51914, 1975 (unpublished)] that accounts for this change is necessary to analyze the absorption of laser light by displaced spherical plasmas.


The brilliance behind the Tera-Tom Genius series is that each book gets deeper and deeper into the details of Teradata. The Business Users book begins with brilliant fundamentals before diving into how Teradata works, how data is laid out, how people are set up as users, and how they are tracked. Business Users will completely understand Teradata at the exact level they need to after reading this book.


Technological innovation depends on earthly resources. As such, the drive to continuous growth that has propelled technology forward is also in direct competition with a planet that is reaching capacity. This expansion and consumption model has both supported and neglected the data of the dead, which both proliferates and languishes. For example, as researchers across disciplines have noted, the dead may soon outnumber the living on social media. Questions about digital remains should attend not only to social media profiles but also to the life cycles of data. This paper considers environmental and resource-related questions about the traces we leave when we depart. To do this work, a theoretical methodological approach following the Computing within LIMITS model (Nardi et al, 2018) is employed to consider the accumulation of data that remains after users have departed from their earthly (and digital) lives. LIMITS is a sustainability model that asks researchers to (1) question growth, (2) consider models of scarcity, and (3) reduce energy and material consumption. That is, this paper questions the life of digital data that can be maintained and can even grow after a user passes on. In addition to questions about mourning, memorializing, and archiving the dead, the LIMITS model prompts ethical questions about how to bury our dead data responsibly and sustainably in the face of exponential growth.


Performance degradation of solid oxide fuel cells due to chromium volatilization is a well‐investigated issue in the literature. Therefore, retention coatings were developed to distinctly reduce the chromium volatilization. One approach was by alloying with manganese to ferritic steels to form manganese chromium spinel which is reported to decrease chromium volatilization by 61–75%. In the present paper, the volatilization rates of pure manganese chromium spinel ceramics were examined as well as those of the two oxides forming this spinel—pure chromium oxide and pure manganese oxide—in synthetic air containing 10% water vapor (high p(O2)) and argon/hydrogen containing 10% water vapor (low p(O2)) at 850°C, 950°C, and 1,050°C. Chromium oxide showed higher volatilization rates in high p(O2), whereas manganese oxide demonstrated higher volatilization rates in low p(O2). Contradictory to the literature, manganese chromium spinel displayed the highest volatilization rates in both atmospheres and nonlinear kinetics behavior. This deviation from linear behavior can be attributed to diffusion‐controlled volatilization in high p(O2).


Current statistical data point to high rates of prevalence and death among women undergoing breast cancer (INCA, 2004). This issue could be minimized through the self exam practice, since this procedure is considered a facilitating element in early diagnosis. This research aimed at knowing the practice of breast self-exam in women, representing the population of PUCRS, wich is a university. A mixed methodology was used (quantitative and qualitative) and as a tool, semi-structural questionnaire was applied in a sample of 215 women. The results show that only 25 percent of researched women refer to the habit of practicing breast self-exam periodically as a preventive care. The study also enhanced that all women recognize the importance of this practice however, many times they don't know how to do it or don't remember to do it and many other times they do it in an inappropriate way (related to frequency).


ABSTRACT Wood sapstain, a cosmetic defect that results in significant economical loss to forest-products industries, is caused by mycelial melanization of the wood-colonizing ophiostomatoid fungi. To improve our understanding of how melanin biosynthesis is regulated in the cosmopolitan sapstaining fungus, Ophiostoma piceae, we used insertional mutagenesis. Insertional mutants were generated by restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) and Agrobacterium-mediated integration (AMI). We screened 1,053 REMI and 1,083 AMI transformants and found 30 mutants with impaired growth or pigmentation. We characterized four AMI transformants in more detail, in which the T-DNA integrated at a single locus. The albino mutant TOPA45 had incorporated the T-DNA in a polyketide synthase gene (PKS1). The mutants TOPA1 and TOPA1076 displayed reduced pigmentation. In TOPA1, the T-DNA was inserted into a gene that encodes a putative protein kinase activator whereas, for TOPA1076, it was inserted into a gene that encodes a protein with unknown function. Finally, the vegetative hyphae of mutant TOPA814 were not melanized, whereas the synnemata displayed the same level of pigmentation as the wild type. In the TOPA814 mutant, segregation analysis revealed that the mutant phenotype was not linked to the T-DNA insertion locus but to a translocation from the PIG1 locus to the left border of the T-DNA. The protein predicted for the PIG1 locus had a middle homology region that was specific to fungal transcription factors.


Evaluates the High Performance Fortran (HPF) language for the compact expression and efficient implementation of conjugate-gradient iterative matrix-solvers on high-performance computing and communications (HPCC) platforms. We discuss the use of intrinsic functions, data distribution directives and explicitly parallel constructs to optimize performance by minimizing communications requirements in a portable manner. We focus on implementations using the existing HPF definitions but also discuss issues arising that may influence a revised definition for HPF-2. Some of the codes discussed are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.npac.syr.edu/hpfa/, along with other educational and discussion material related to applications in HPF.


Abstract. The ozone radiative forcings (RFs) resulting from projected changes in climate, ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), non-methane ozone precursor emissions and methane between the years 2000 and 2100 are calculated using simulations from the UM-UKCA chemistry–climate model (UK Met Office's Unified Model containing the United Kingdom Chemistry and Aerosols sub-model). Projected measures to improve air-quality through reductions in non-methane tropospheric ozone precursor emissions present a co-benefit for climate, with a net global mean ozone RF of −0.09 W m−2. This is opposed by a positive ozone RF of 0.05 W m−2 due to future decreases in ODSs, which is driven by an increase in tropospheric ozone through stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of air containing higher ozone amounts. An increase in methane abundance by more than a factor of 2 (as projected by the RCP8.5 scenario) is found to drive an ozone RF of 0.18 W m−2, which would greatly outweigh the climate benefits of non-methane tropospheric ozone precursor reductions. A small fraction (∼ 15 %) of the ozone RF due to the projected increase in methane results from increases in stratospheric ozone. The sign of the ozone RF due to future changes in climate (including the radiative effects of greenhouse gases, sea surface temperatures and sea ice changes) is shown to be dependent on the greenhouse gas emissions pathway, with a positive RF (0.05 W m−2) for RCP4.5 and a negative RF (−0.07 W m−2) for the RCP8.5 scenario. This dependence arises mainly from differences in the contribution to RF from stratospheric ozone changes. Considering the increases in tropopause height under climate change causes only small differences (≤ |0.02| W m−2) for the stratospheric, tropospheric and whole-atmosphere RFs.


Polarization mode dispersion is the effect of signal broadening in a fiber with birefringent disorder. The disorder, frozen into the fiber, is characterized by the so-called vector of birefringence (VB). In a linear medium a pulse broadens as the two principal states of polarization split. It is well-known that, under the action of short-correlated disorder, naturally present in fibers, the dispersion vector (DV), characterizing the split, performs a Brownian random walk. We discuss a strategy of passive (i.e., pulse-independent) control of the DV broadening. The suggestion is to pin (compensate) periodically or quasi-periodically the integral of VB to zero. As a result of the influence of pinning, the probability distribution function of the DV becomes statistically steady in the linear case. Moreover, pinning improves confinement of the pulse in the weakly nonlinear case. The theoretical findings are confirmed by numerical analysis.


Power failure of pumps, sudden valve actions, and the operation of automatic control systems are all capable of generating high pressure waves in domestic water supply systems. These transient conditions resulting in high pressures can cause pipe failures by damaging valves and fittings. In this study, basic equations for solving transient analysis problems are derived using method of characteristics. Two example problems are presented. One, a single pipe system which is solved by developing an excel spreadsheet. Second, a pipe network problem is solved using transient analysis program called TRANSNET. A transient analysis program is developed in Java. This program can handle suddenly-closing valves, gradually-closing valves, pump power failures and sudden demand changes at junctions. A maximum of four pipes can be present at a junction. A pipe network problem is solved using this java program and the results were found to be similar to that obtained from TRANSNET program. The code can be further extended, for example by developing java applets and graphical user interphase to make it more user friendly. A two dimensional (2D) numerical model is developed using MATLAB to analyze gaseous cavitation in a single pipe system. The model is based on mathematical formulations proposed by Cannizzaro and Pezzinga (2005) and Pezzinga (2003). The model considers gaseous cavitation due to both thermic exhange between gas bubbles and surrounding liquid and during the process of gas release. The results from the model show that during transients, there is significant increase in fluid temperature along with high pressures. In literature pipe failures and noise problems in premise plumbing are attributed to gaseous cavitation.


Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic recurrent condition affecting millions of Americans. A recent study investigating the economic and social burden of gastrointestinal (GI) disease in the United States indicated that GERD was the most common GI-related diagnosis given at office visits in 2006. This study also showed that sales of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) exceeded 10 billion dollars per year and the number of prescriptions for PPIs per year has doubled since 1999.1 Numerous environmental and genetic risk factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of GERD. GERD commonly presents with heartburn and acid regurgitation, although there are numerous atypical presentations, such as chronic cough, noncardiac chest pain, laryngitis, and poor sleep quality. This condition is associated with several other conditions, including Barrett's esophagus, esophageal carcinoma, gastritis, esophagitis, respiratory conditions, sleep disorders, and various ear–nose–throat (ENT) conditions. Conventional treatment often includes the use of PPIs and other acid blockers. Natural therapies and lifestyle interventions are important to consider owing to the chronic nature of GERD.


This study investigates the distribution of linguistic and specifically structural diversity in Northeast Asia (NEA), defined as the region north of the Yellow River and east of the Yenisei. In particular, it analyzes what is called the grammar of questions (GQ), i.e., those aspects of any given language that are specialized for asking questions or regularly combine with these. The bulk of the study is a bottom-up description and comparison of GQs in the languages of NEA. The addition of the phrase and beyond to the title of this study serves two purposes. First, languages such as Turkish and Chuvash are included, despite the fact that they are spoken outside of NEA, since they have ties to (or even originated in) the region. Second, despite its focus on one area, the typology is intended to be applicable to other languages as well. Therefore, it makes extensive use of data from languages outside of NEA. The restriction to one category is necessary for reasons of space and clarity, and the process of zooming in on one region allows a higher resolution and historical accuracy than is usually the case in linguistic typology. The discussion mentions over 450 languages and dialects from NEA and beyond and gives about 900 glossed examples. The aim is to achieve both a cross-linguistically plausible typology and a maximal resolution of the linguistic diversity of Northeast Asia.


The increasing prevalence of noncitizens in U.S. civil litigation raises a funda-mental question for the doctrine of personal jurisdiction: How should the alienage status of a defendant affect personal jurisdiction? This fundamental question comes at a time of increasing Supreme Court focus on personal juris-diction, in cases like Bristol–Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court, Daimler AG v. Bauman, and J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro. We aim to answer that question by offering a theory of personal jurisdiction over aliens. Under this theory, alienage status broadens the geographic range for mini-mum contacts from a single state to the whole nation. This national-contacts test applies to personal jurisdiction over an alien defendant whether the cause of action arises under federal or state law and whether the case is heard in federal or state court. We show that the test is both consistent with the Consti-tution and consonant with the practical realities of modern transnational liti-gation. We also explore the moderating influence of other doctrines, such as reasonableness, venue transfer, and forum non conveniens, on the expanded reach of our national-contacts test. In the end, we hope to articulate a more sensible and coherent doctrine of personal jurisdiction over alien defendants that will resonate with the Supreme Court.


Climate information can be of value when used in decisions involving risks posed by adverse weather or climate. Socio-economic factors such as increasing population in regions suscep- tible to climate extremes significantly increase the vulnerability of communities to climate. Climate information is an important pre-requisite for informed decision-making in risk management and adaptation that would help prevent climate extremes from becoming disasters and threats to liveli- hoods. Reliable weather, climate and water information generated by national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs) is the crucial first step in issuing early warnings of potential climate extremes. In order for climate information to inform risk management and adaptation effectively, it is helpful to have it embedded within an institutional system that starts with monitoring of weather and climate events and ends with a community level response. This institutional system contains a num- ber of components, of which perhaps the most important is the customization of information accord- ing to user requirements and its delivery to the community level. Policies and projects aimed at creating and facilitating systemic linkages between climate information producers and users can con- tribute significantly towards the 'community centeredness' of climate services. Experiences from implementing such community level activities in Asia are used to recommend actions required for evolving frameworks for developing community-centered climate services.


Yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) is a candidate species for cold-water aquaculture development in Atlantic Canada. However, mal-pigmentation and high larval mortality are still major obstacles to the successful culture of this species. Starvation due to inadequate nutrition is believed to be a major cause of this mortality. In particular, lipid nutrition has shown significant effects on the early development in a number of marine species. This study is the first examination of the dietary lipid requirements of yellowtail flounder larvae. -- Specifically, marine fish require the dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) for normal growth and development. Consequently, in Chapter Two (Part A) an experiment was designed to study the role of dietary ratios of these fatty acids on the early growth, survival, lipid composition, and pigmentation of yellowtail flounder. Rotifers were enriched with experimental emulsions with high concentrations of DHA, DHA+EPA, or DHA+AA, or with a control (no DHA, EPA, or AA) emulsion. After four weeks, larvae fed the high DHA diet were significantly larger (9.7 ± 0.2 mm, p<0.05) and had higher survival (22.1 ± 0.4%), while larvae fed the control diet were significantly smaller (7.3 ± 0.2 mm, p<0.05) and showed lower survival (5.2 ± 1.9%). Larval lipid class and fatty acid profiles showed significant differences (p<0.05), with fatty acids reflecting dietary levels in the high PUFA diets. The incidence of mal-pigmentation was higher in the high DHA+AA diet (92%) than in all other treatments (<64%). It was concluded that yellowtail larvae require diets that are highly enriched with DHA while elevated dietary AA exerts negative effects on larval pigmentation. -- In Chapter Two (Part B) I examined the changes in growth and lipid composition that occurred when larvae of differing nutritional status were fed one diet of enriched Artemia. Significant changes in larval lipid class and fatty acid composition were observed after just two weeks of feeding on enriched Anemia. Control larvae showed a period of 'lipid recovery' while animals fed all other treatments showed a period of decreased lipid unsaturation. However, all larvae demonstrated a dramatic increase in size despite decreased dietary highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). Therefore, it was concluded that high levels of HUFA may not be as essential during later larval development as during initial stages of first-feeding. -- In Chapter Three the lipid composition of mal-pigmented (MP) and normally pigmented (NP) newly settled yellowtail flounder were compared in order to elucidate a possible connection between lipids and pigmentation development. NP fish were found to be significantly larger than MP fish (p=0.04) at the time of 100% settlement. Higher relative amounts of triacylglycerols were found in NP fish (p=0.02) while MP fish had higher relative amounts of phospholipids (p=0.008). NP fish had higher relative amounts of DHA in the polar lipids of the body (p=0.03) and in the total lipids of the eye (p=0.04) than did MP juveniles. These data support previously proposed theories for the importance of DHA in pigmentation development.


Abstract Use of media in today's classrooms, from feature and documentary film to news clips streamed via the Web, has grown exponentially. Film can be a powerful medium for teaching and learning, but is often viewed as a neutral source of information. This collective case study focuses on two teachers who use documentary film to teach about controversial events, with the goal of better understanding teacher selection and use of film as part of pedagogy and the experiences of students who are engaged in deliberative activities with film. In this case, teachers utilized film to help students examine two controversial events in U.S. history, the use of atomic weapons against Japan at the end of World War II and the role of the United States in Vietnam. These cases illustrate a tension that many teachers, who want to engage students in deliberative activities but who also want students to adopt particular moral or political stances, face in today's classrooms. The teachers in these cases utilize film as a neutral source for students to use as evidence for taking a position, despite the value-laden perspectives included in the films, perspectives that aligned with the teachers' own political beliefs. Other findings include student inability to recognize the perspectives in documentary films, the epistemic stances of teachers and students that documentaries are accurate and neutral, and the characteristics of students who are better equipped to recognize ideological perspectives. Implications for teachers, teacher educators, and especially democratic and social studies education researchers are explored.


Why is it that after several thousand million years of evolving life on the planet earth, our species- in our generation - has brought this life to the verge of extinction through thermonuclear war? This, Jim Garrison argues, is the single greatest question of our age. The dangers need no emphasizing, and have already been starkly portrayed in his From Hiroshima to Harrisburg. Here the foCus shifts from scientific and political questions to the theological dimension. God, Dr Garrison argues, is in Hiroshima as he is in other saving events in history. The development symbolized by Hiroshima directs our attention beyond narrow sectional interest to the source of life which creates and sustains us all. God is at work even in the atom bomb, calling us to a transformation of consciousness and understanding. Hiroshima confronts us as never before with the demand that we should take the wrath of God seriously. God is the Go,d of all possibilities. And at the same time, we have taken upon ourselves that which the traditional view left in God's hands alone: the determination of apocalyptic judgment. This means that we must internalize theologically both the terror and the salvation of the traditional Judaeo-Christian concept of apocalypse as something that will not be done to us by divine fiat alone, but as something that might well be done by us through our own decision, God working divine wrath through our arrogance. * How Hiroshima, apocalyptic, and the darkness of God at work in Christ crucified are related together form the theme of one of the most powerful pieces of theology of our time.


Type 1 diabetes (TlD) is considered to be an autoimmune disease leading to destruction of the insulin producing beta cells in pancreas. Interaction between genetic factors and environmental factors are believed to trigger the autoimmune response finally causing T1D. A number of environmental factors have been suggested to be associated with TlD. Microbiotic colonization of the newborn infant's gut ecosystem by specific bacterial species may be important in the initial regulation of the developing immune system. Development of TlD has been associated with intestinal immune activation and enhanced immunity to food antigens. Probiotics is defined as nonpathogenic cultures of living bacteria with a health-promoting effect. The effect of probiotics is unspecific, likely mediated via the modulation of the innate immune system. The actions of probiotics in the prevention of TID could include reduced occurrence of enteral virus infections, enhanced maturation of the gut immune system, decreased gut permeability, and support for development of oral tolerance and/or induced immune regulation. The aim was to test the safety of probiotics in infants with risk genes for TlD and to study the effect of probiotics on the activation stage of monocytes ex vivo and on their response to in vitro LTA and LPS stimulation. We conclude that probiotics seems to be safe and we demonstrate here to our knowledge the first evidence in humans that probiotics are able to modulate the function of monocytes in vivo and even longstanding effects of the treatment during the early infancy are seen. The findings support the hygiene hypothesis suggesting that early microbial exposure may program the function of the innate immune system for later life. The probiotic induced hyporesponsiveness of the innate immune system to stimuli may protect from over-whelming inflammatory responses that could further contribute to the development of harmful innate and adaptive immune responses seen in allergies and autoimmune diseases. These results explain, at least partly, the beneficial effects of probiotics seen in the prevention and treatment of allergies in children.


In order to measure the mass flux of atmospheric insoluble deposition and to constrain regional models dust simulation, a network of automatic deposition collectors (CARAGA) has been installed throughout the western Mediterranean basin. Weekly samples of the insoluble fraction of total atmospheric deposition were collected concurrently on filters at 5 sites including 4 on western Mediterranean islands (Frioul and Corsica, France, Mallorca, Spain, and Lampedusa, Italy), and 1 in the southern French Alps (Le Casset), and a weighing and ignition protocol was applied in order to quantify their mineral fraction. Atmospheric deposition is both a strong source of nutrients and metals for marine ecosystems in this area. However, there is little data on trace metal deposition in the literature since their deposition measurement is difficult to perform. In order to obtain more information from CARAGA atmospheric deposition samples, this study aimed at testing their relevance to estimate elemental fluxes in addition to total fluxes. The elemental chemical analysis of ashed CARAGA filter samples was based on an acid digestion and an elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and mass spectrometry (MS) in a clean room. The sampling and analytical protocols were tested to determine the elemental composition for mineral dust tracers (Al, Ca, K, Mg, and Ti), nutrients (P and Fe), and trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, V and Zn) from simulated wet deposition of dust analogues and traffic soot. The relative mass loss by dissolution in wet deposition was lower than 1 % for Al and Fe, and reached 13 % for P due to its larger solubility in water. For trace metals, this loss represented less than 3 % of the total mass concentration, except for Zn, Cu and Mn for which it could reach 10 %, especially in traffic soot. The chemical contamination during analysis was negligible for all the elements except for Cd which is in very low concentration in dust. Tests allowed us to conclude that the CARAGA samples could be used to estimate contents of nutrients and trace metals in the limits of loss by dissolution. Chemical characterization of CARAGA deposition samples corresponding to the most intense dust deposition events recorded between 2011 and 2013 has been performed and showed elemental mass ratios consistent with the ones found in the literature for Saharan dust. However, the chemical analysis of CARAGA samples revealed the presence of some anthropogenic signatures, as for instance high Zn concentrations in some samples in Lampedusa, and also pointed out that mineral dust can be mixed with anthropogenic compounds in the deposition samples collected on the Frioul Island. Results showed that the chemical analysis of CARAGA ashed samples can be used to trace back origins of elemental deposition. The elemental atmospheric fluxes estimated from these chemical analyses of samples from the CARAGA network of weekly deposition monitoring constitute the first assessment of mass deposition fluxes of trace metals and P during intense dust deposition events at the scale of the western Mediterranean basin.


We analysed the role of topography, tree stand characteristics and management on the susceptibility of forest stands to abiotic natural disturbances. In 1996, stands of Borzsony Mts, Hungary were hit by a severe ice storm, then by strong winds three years later. Affected areas were mapped on aerial photos, and we built a GIS database containing variables describing topography and tree stand characteristics. The role of variables in predicting ice break and windfall was investigated by non-parametric statistical tests and by a series of C&RT (Classification and Regression Tree) analyses. Elevation, aspect and slope proved to have strong statistical relationships with the distribution of both ice break and windfall, with misclassification error (MER) of 18% and 15%, respectively, if studied without stand descriptors. Mixing ratio and age of beech were the most important stand descriptors to explain the distribution of ice break (MER=15%), whereas that of windfall was best described by the age and height of the two dominant tree species (MER=11%). The explanatory power could be increased if all variables (topographic + stand descriptors) were considered, though the increase in explanatory power was higher in the case of ice break (MER decreased from 15% to 11%) than for windfall (MER decreased from 11% to 10%). Since management related stand variables (beech mixture ratio, age, height, amount of recently felled stock, slenderness) and susceptibility to disturbance events seemed to be related, our results suggest that the sensitivity of tree stands could be decreased by increasing compositional and structural heterogeneity.


In this article, we look at four cases of key historical policies in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania to examine how states engage with citizen voices. The policies all took place in contexts of political change and major junctures of democratisation. We identify three kinds of moments when the state listens: hearing moments, when it engages with citizen voices but does not change the way it acts; consultation moments, when it engages with citizen voices through two-way dialogue, resulting in one-sided action; and concertation moments, when coalitions between reform-minded officials and politicians and organised citizen voices engage in two-way dialogue and action for accountable governance. Concertation moments occurred when there was a shared sense of urgency and a common goal across state and non-state actors, and despite different understandings of accountable governance. But concertation moments are also laborious and temporary, part of larger, ever-changing policy processes, and often states revert to consultation or hearing.


As president of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) for 1983–84, David B. Gracy II initiated the Archives and Society program, which focused on the value of archives to all members of society. This program included an effort to redefine the term "archivist" in order to emphasize the relevance and significance of the archival profession, a social marketing investigation of "the image of archives and archivists" as held by organizational resource allocators, and other efforts to promote broader understanding of the archival profession. This essay examines the Archives and Society initiative, the leadership of David Gracy, and the ongoing legacy of his term as president of SAA.


Two full-scale oblique grade crossing impact tests were conducted in June 2002 to compare the crashworthiness performance of alternative corner post designs on rail passenger cab cars. On June 4, 2002, a cab car fitted with an end frame built to pre-1999 requirements impacted a steel coil at approximately 14 mph (22.5 km/h). Following on June 7, 2002, a cab car fitted with an end frame built to current requirements also impacted a steel coil at approximately 14 mph (22.5 km/h). The tests were conducted in response to a recommendation from the American Public Transportation Association's Passenger Rail Equipment Safety Standards Committee to measure the crashworthiness performance of alternative cab car end frame designs. During the test of the 1990s design, the corner post failed, eliminating the survival space for the operator. During the test of the state-of-the-art (SOA) design cab car, the corner post remained attached and deformed less than 9 in (228 mm), preserving space for the operator. The crush of the cars was analyzed using detailed finite element models. The impact end of each car was modeled, including approximately one quarter of the length of the car. The back end of the cab car model was fixed, and its end structure was impacted by an initially moving cylinder with the same mass and dimensions as the steel coil used in the tests. The results from the full-scale grade crossing impact tests validated the preliminary results of the three-dimensional lumped parameter computer model of the collision dynamics.


Over the past few decades, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has garnered respect as an analytical technique with significant chemical and biological applications. SERS is important for the life sciences because it can provide trace level detection, a high level of structural information, and enhanced chemical detection. However, creating and successfully implementing a sensitive, reproducible, and robust SERS active substrate continues to be a challenging task. Herein, we report a novel method for SERS that is based upon using multiplexed microfluidics (MMFs) in a polydimethylsiloxane platform to perform parallel, high throughput, and sensitive detection/identification of single or various analytes under easily manipulated conditions. A facile passive pumping method is used to deliver Ag colloids and analytes into the channels where SERS measurements are done under nondestructive flowing conditions. With this approach, SERS signal reproducibility is found to be better than 7%. Utilizing a very high numerical aperture microscope objective with a confocal-based Raman spectrometer, high sensitivity is achieved. Moreover, the long working distance of this objective coupled with an appreciable channel depth obviates normal alignment issues expected with translational multiplexing. Rapid evaluation of the effects of anion activators and the type of colloid employed on SERS performance are used to demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of the MMF approach. SERS spectra of various pesticides were also obtained. Calibration curves of crystal violet (non-resonant enhanced) and Mitoxantrone (resonant enhanced) were generated, and the major SERS bands of these analytes were observable down to concentrations in the low nM and sub-pM ranges, respectively. While conventional random morphology colloids were used in most of these studies, unique cubic nanoparticles of silver were synthesized with different sizes and studied using visible wavelength optical extinction spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and the MMF-SERS approach.


This work aims to constitute an objective analysis of a German World War I naval combat commander within his proper context, by closely defining both the military-technical and military-political milieux in which Franz Hipper operated. The description of Hipper's actions in the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland and his handling of communications, airships, and the new technologies of war demonstrate the importance of the military environment. The volume also provides a glimpse into the decision-making process involved in the construction of German battle cruisers and the impact these decisions had in combat.


IMPROVED BALLISTIC WIND PREDICTION USING PROJECTILE TRACKING DATA William Arthur Kenney Old Dominion University, 2017 Director: Dr. Masha Sosonkina The United States Air Force AC-130 gunships have been in operation since the Vietnam War and have seen frequent use during recent conflicts. They are able to employ gun weapon systems from above a target in a way that maximizes possible time on target. When firing, the gun operators must deal with miss distances caused by winds acting on the projectile in flight. Operators currently perform a "tweak" to predict a ballistic wind affecting fired rounds which is then used in the fire-control to correct for the real winds and bring shots onto target. This correction, a single-point wind prediction, is made using only the initial state of the gun and aircraft and the final impact location. This thesis explores the possibility of using a round tracking sensor to track a projectile as it falls and produce a multipoint ballistic wind which would be better at correcting for true winds than a single-point ballistic wind. An algorithm for a multipoint wind prediction method is described and simulation are run using it and a single-point prediction method against measured wind profiles. The results of the single-point and multipoint ballistic winds are compared to the measured winds to test for a goodness of fit. The results are also tested for stability that when used the ballistic wind remains valid even if the aircraft and gun change state from the initial state when the ballistic wind was predicted. The results show that a multipoint ballistic wind that is a better fit and more stable ballistic wind than a single-point ballistic wind is possible using the algorithm presented. Also, the multipoint ballistic wind can be produced with very few data points along the trajectory of the projectile.


Building on the foundation of his critically acclaimed A Fierce Green Fire (1993), which provided a sweeping overview of the American environmental movement, Philip Shabecoff now moves to a thoughtful survey of international environmentalism. The annals of international cooperation to preserve the environment and ensure sustainable economic development are recent and brief. Only within the last 30 years, as the effects of human overconsumption have become apparent, have international organizations, national governments, and environmental groups begun focusing on the economic and ecological ramifications of plundering the Earth's resources. Shabecoff, former chief environmental correspondent for the New York Times, provides a detailed history of international environmentalism from the beginnings of a global environmental ethic to an inside view of diplomatic negotiations behind the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. He analyzes Rio's successes and failures and examines both worldwide and local proposals that address environmental and economic challenges not discussed at Rio. Only by facing and overcoming all these challenges, he says, can the global community establish a peace built on mutual care for the planet and responsibility for the well-being of others with whom we share it.


This clip will evoke and inspire: for those who were at the symposium (University of Hanover, September 21-22, 2018), it will no doubt bring back the memories, the connections, the 'AHA-moments'. For those who could not make it, it is a great opportunity to catch up on key issues of the symposium. The film can be viewed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/GV1XcfVM2rE.


This thesis is a comparative study of the role of the accused in the systems of
English and Islamic criminal justice. It seeks to explore the underlying
relationship between the individual and the state through an historical, structural
and contextual analysis of their rules relating to questioning and of confessions.
The analysis of the English system covers the period 1800 to 1984, with
particular reference to developments during the nineteenth century when the
foundations for the modern English state were established. The analysis of the
Islamic system combines traditionally Islamic and modern methods, assessing the
"Islamisation" movement in Malaysia through a religico-structural understanding
of juristic opinion from the four main schools of Sunnite jurisprudence.
The thesis contributes to existing knowledge on a number of levels: first, it
questions and revises the "myth" of "progress" that has dominated observations
of the history of the English criminal justice system; second, it elucidates the
relationship between Islamic law in theory and the law that is applied and
proposed in its name in Muslim states; third, it provides an analytical framework
for drawing comparisons between the underlying values of the systems of English
and Islamic criminal justice.
While acknowledging fundamental differences in terms of outlook and
articulation, the author concludes there are important similarities expressed
through such notions as "suspect" in the English system and "kafir"I"fasiq" in the
Islamic. These act as intermediate constitutional categories to whom the state
owe less protection. But the author notes also that these similarities are not
observed necessarily in the "law" which is implemented or proposed in Muslim
states; exact correspondence depends upon the over-arching political structure
and the institution of Caliphate.
The thesis is divided into six chapters: chapter one sets out the conventional view
of the historical development of English criminal procedure and evidence;
chapter two subjects that to a critique and chapter three offers a revised thesis.
Chapter four, explores methods for interpreting and explaining Islam; chapter
five sets out rules relating to confessions and questioning according to the four
Sunni schools; chapter six puts them into "context" through an examination of
the "Islamisation" process in Malaysia.


Recently, semantic parsing has attracted much attention in the community. Although many neural modeling efforts have greatly improved the performance, it still suffers from the data scarcity issue. In this paper, we propose a novel semantic parser for domain adaptation, where we have much fewer annotated data in the target domain compared to the source domain. Our semantic parser benefits from a two-stage coarse-to-fine framework, thus can provide different and accurate treatments for the two stages, i.e., focusing on domain invariant and domain specific information, respectively. In the coarse stage, our novel domain discrimination component and domain relevance attention encourage the model to learn transferable domain general structures. In the fine stage, the model is guided to concentrate on domain related details. Experiments on a benchmark dataset show that our method consistently outperforms several popular domain adaptation strategies. Additionally, we show that our model can well exploit limited target data to capture the difference between the source and target domain, even when the target domain has far fewer training instances.


The ability to obtain the genetic code of any species has caused a revolution in biological sciences. Current technologies are capable of sequencing short pieces of DNA with very high quality. These short pieces of DNA determint the sequence of bases in the genome of any species. This information is key in understanding many of the aspects of how life functions. The accuracy of sequencing is extremely important since the differences between individuals of the same species are caused by very few changes. All sequencing technologies make errors, and before the data can be used for downstream applications it is usually best to correct the errors first. I present an error correction program called RACER that is an error correction program that aims to correct substitution sequencing errors. There are many substitution error correction programs available for DNA sequencing technologies, so it is important for biologists to know which program is best to use for their sequencing technology. I present a comprehensive survey of substitution error correction programs for DNA sequencing data to address this issue. I also present two programs to evaluate the performance of error correcting programs. Since the current dominant platform in the market can only obtain small pieces of DNA, software is needed to assemble these pieces to determine the full sequence of the sampled genome. Current genome assembly programs are not capable of assembling the entire genome of most species due to the repetitive nature of genomes and the uneven coverage of the sampled genome. I present a genome assembly program called SAGE2 that improves upon the current state-of-the-art.


This position paper highlights the importance of suprasegmental training in secondary language (L2) acquisition. Suprasegmental features are manifested in terms of acoustic cues and convey important information about linguistic and information structures. Hence, L2 learners must harness appropriate suprasegmental productions for effective communication. However, this learning process is influenced by well-established perceptions of sounds and articulatory motions in the primary language (L1). We propose to design and collect a corpus to support systematic analysis of L2 suprasegmental features. We lay out a set of carefully selected textual environments that illustrate how suprasegmental features convey information including part-ofspeech, syntax, focus, speech acts and semantics. We intend to use these textual environments for collecting speech data in a variety of Asian Englishes from non-native English speakers. Analyses of such corpora should lead to research findings that have important implications for language education, as well as speech technology development for computer-aided language learning (CALL) applications.


A review of recent research was conducted to assemble evidence on the impact that Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) may have on improving student learning outcomes. IRI is an instructional tool designed to deliver a family of active learning packages via radio broadcast using a dual-audience approach. IRI exposes students to regular, curriculum-based learning content while modeling effective learning activities and classroom organization techniques for teachers. As IRI continues to be called upon to improve teaching and learning in low-resource and hard-to-reach areas, a better understanding of the empirical data available is critical to guide the way forward. IRI has been implemented by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in over 50 countries over the past 30 years. This paper is a review of existing student and teacher data collected by EDC's IRI projects. Effect sizes are used to summarize what is known about the effect of IRI on student learning gains in Grades K-4 for English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Local Language. In all, student test results from 13 projects, ranging from Nicaragua in 1977 through Indonesia in 2008, are reviewed, as are teacher observation outcomes from Mali and Madagascar.


Neuroblast cells in larvae homozygous for mutant alleles of the locus polo show a high frequency of metaphases in which the chromosomes have a circular arrangement, and anaphase figures in which chromosomes appear to be randomly oriented with respect to at least one of the spindle poles. These defects appear to lead to the production of polyploid cells. Sex chromosome disjunction is affected in male meiosis, primarily in the second division, and the meiotic spindles of living cells are abnormal. One allele is a larval lethal, whereas another is semi-lethal with about 7% of homozygotes surviving as adults. Embryos from homozygous polo females have aberrant mitotic spindles that are highly branched and have broad poles. Immunofluorescence studies with an antibody that recognizes an antigen associated with the centrosome indicate that the organization of this organelle is disrupted in the mutant embryos.


It is commonly believed that an agent making decisions on behalf of two or more principals who have different utility functions should adopt a Pareto optimal policy, i.e. a policy that cannot be improved upon for one principal without making sacrifices for another. Harsanyi's theorem shows that when the principals have a common prior on the outcome distributions of all policies, a Pareto optimal policy for the agent is one that maximizes a fixed, weighted linear combination of the principals' utilities. In this paper, we derive a more precise generalization for the sequential decision setting in the case of principals with different priors on the dynamics of the environment. We refer to this generalization as the Negotiable Reinforcement Learning (NRL) framework. In this more general case, the relative weight given to each principal's utility should evolve over time according to how well the agent's observations conform with that principal's prior. To gain insight into the dynamics of this new framework, we implement a simple NRL agent and empirically examine its behavior in a simple environment.


Gjosaeter, H., Dalpadado, P., and Hassel, A. 2002. Growth of Barents Sea capelin (Mallotus villosus) in relation to zooplankton abundance. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 59: 959–967. Because capelin feed on zooplankton, the availability of the latter may be a limiting factor for capelin growth in at least some areas and at certain times. It was therefore hypothesized that a relationship exists between capelin growth and zooplankton biomass either in the same year or in the previous autumn. Capelin growth in a given year was more closely correlated with the estimate of zooplankton abundance in the previous autumn than with that in the present autumn. Growth of the youngest capelin was well correlated with abundance of the smallest zooplankton, whereas growth of older capelin was more closely correlated with abundance of the larger zooplankton forms. Various water masses were defined on the basis of hydrographic conditions, and significant differences in the zooplankton content among the water masses were detected. An inverse relationship between zooplankton abundance and capelin biomass was found, indicating that grazing by capelin has a negative effect on zooplankton abundance. 2002 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.


A facile and general method for the oriented assembly of uniform carbon-confined metal oxide nanodots on graphene was developed via a well-designed process including surfactant-induced assembly, mismatched coordination reaction and subsequent in situ carbonization. On the basis of experimental analyses and density functional theory calculations, the key mismatched coordination reaction mechanism is clearly revealed, resulting in the formation of small amorphous metal–ligand complexes. This versatile oriented assembly strategy is then generally applied to obtain various carbon-confined metal oxide (SnO2, Cr2O3, Fe3O4 and Al2O3) nanodots on graphene. Notably, the as-prepared C@SnO2@Gr electrode as an LIB anode material possesses a high reversible discharge capacity of 702 mA h g−1 and an excellent capacity retention of over 100% tested at 2 A g−1 after 1200 cycles.


In this study, a test technique, referred to as the probe test, has been developed as a quantitative tool for measuring the adhesion in thin adhesive films and coatings. The technique was initially developed as a qualitative test by the Hewlett-Packard Company for measuring adhesion of thin film microelectronic coatings. In the probe test method, an inclined needle-like probe with a conical tip is advanced underneath the free edge of a thin polymeric coating bonded to a substrate, causing the edge to lift-up from the surface of the substrate. A debond is thus initiated at the loading point and propagates as a semicircular crack at the interface as the probe slides under the coating. A standard test procedure has been developed for testing thin adhesive coating/substrate systems. The sample system used is a thin film epoxy polymer coated silicon system. The interfacial fracture energy ( c G ) (or critical strain energy release rate) has been used as a quantitative measure of adhesion for the given adhesive coating/substrate system. The probe test experiments were conducted using an optical microscope and a WYKO optical profiler. Using the optical microscope, the debond radius was measured for different debond sizes. Using the WYKO optical profiler, the three-dimensional surface topography of the debonded coating around the crack front was measured for different debond sizes. Using the experimental data from the probe test, analytical and numerical (finite element-based) techniques have been developed to determine the interfacial fracture energy ( c G ) for the given adhesive coating/substrate system. The analytical techniques were developed based on different plate theory formulations (thin/thick plate small/large deflection) of the probe test geometry and local curvature measurement at the crack tip. The finite element based techniques were developed using a hybrid numerical – experimental approach and surface-based contact interaction analysis in ABAQUS. The results obtained using thick plate-large deflection formulation correlated with finite element contact interaction analysis results. The probe test can be used with transparent or opaque coatings and thus offers a promising alternative to indentation and other tests methods for characterizing thin film and coating adhesion.


This article reports research funded as part of the recent ESRC Growing Older initiative. The project 'Family, Work and Quality of Life' explored changes in economic and social roles across four birth cohorts passing through mid-life (45–59/64 years) in Britain. The relationship between multiple role responsibilities and a range of indicators of quality of life, including material resources, health and engagement in social activities were investigated. The research was based upon secondary analysis of four different surveys: the 2000 British Household Panel Study, the 1994–95 Family and Working Lives Survey, the 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000 General Household Surveys, and the longitudinal Retirement Survey (1988/89 and 1994). A particularly interesting finding is that being 'caught in the middle', in terms of having simultaneous care-giving responsibilities to dependent children and frail parents whilst in paid work, has been atypical. Only one-in-nine British women, and one-in-ten British men, aged 45–49 years (born in 1941–45) occupy all three roles concurrently, but multiple role occupancy is increasing across cohorts, particularly the combination of caring and paid work. Role occupancy significantly affects the accumulation of pension entitlements (particularly second-tier pensions), with the effect that many women who have fulfilled the important social roles of carer and parent will face a low income in old age. Where adverse health outcomes were found, parental role in mid-life was most frequently associated with such poor health, suggesting that continued parental demands in mid-life may have negative health consequences.


As the scarce spectrum resource is becoming over-crowded, cognitive radios (CRs) indicate great flexibility to improve the spectrum efficiency by opportunistically accessing the authorized frequency bands. One of the critical challenges for operating such radios in a network is how to efficiently allocate transmission powers and frequency resource among the secondary users (SUs) while satisfying the quality-of-service (QoS) constraints of the primary users (PUs). In this paper, we focus on the non-cooperative power allocation problem in cognitive wireless mesh networks (CogMesh) formed by a number of clusters with the consideration of energy efficiency. Due to the SUs' selfish and spontaneous properties, the problem is modeled as a stochastic learning process. We first extend the single-agent Q-learning to a multi-user context, and then propose a conjecture based multi-agent Qlearning algorithm to achieve the optimal transmission strategies with only private and incomplete information. An intelligent SU performs Q-function updates based on the conjecture over the other SUs' stochastic behaviors. This learning algorithm provably converges given certain restrictions that arise during learning procedure. Simulation experiments are used to verify the performance of our algorithm and demonstrate its effectiveness of improving the energy efficiency.


BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
Portal hypertensive enteropathy (PHE) remains difficult to diagnose in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Limited test choices exist for the inspection of the small bowel in these patients. Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is ideal in this situation but rarely performed. We aimed to determine the prevalence of PHE using SBCE in a cirrhotic patient population and correlate its presence with clinical and CT imaging findings.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We retrospectively analysed data from cirrhotic patients who underwent SBCE at our unit. Studies were evaluated for the presence of cirrhosis-related findings in the oesophagus, stomach and small-bowel. The relationships between PHE and patients' clinical characteristics were evaluated.

RESULTS
53 patients with cirrhosis underwent SCBE. We used PillCam®SB on 36 patients and MiroCam® capsule on 17. Thirty patients were referred for iron deficiency anaemia, 15 for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, and 4 for other indications. Four data sets were not available for review, leaving 49 patients. Mean age was 61.19 ± 14.54 years (M/F = 27/22). Six SBCE examinations were incomplete. Thirty three patients had evidence of portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and 17 had evidence of oesophageal varices. In total, 29 patients had SCBE evidence of PHE (57%). 28/29 (96.5%) patients with PHE had also evidence of PHG. 13/17 (76.4%) patients with oesophageal varices had also evidence of PHE.

CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of PHE in our study was 57%. SBCE is a useful tool in evaluating PHE in cirrhotic patients irrespective of aetiology.


Unlike many studies that assess the impacts of free trade agreements (FTAs), this thesis is a study of the negotiated outcomes in FTAs between the United States (U.S.) and Chile, and the European Union (EU) and Chile. Existing negotiation literature pertains to multilateral trade talks, dispute settlements or bilateral one good trade agreements. Studies regarding the negotiation process and other factors influencing outcomes in comprehensive FTAs are rare. In order to address this gap in the literature, this thesis is an analysis of how and why the FTA between Chile and the U.S. differs from the FTA between Chile and the EU, in particular with regards to sensitive agricultural goods. As the two agreements were negotiated and implemented within similar time frames, and thus a similar political and economic environment within Chile, it is possible to use the theory-testing method of difference case study approach. This framework helps to test the validity of one leading theory of economic negotiations posited by Odell. Moreover, any shortcomings in the applicability of Odell's theory to these specific negotiations can be ascertained using this methodology. Odell's theory postulates that negotiated outcomes are a result of market conditions, domestic politics, and negotiator beliefs and strategies. In addition to causality in FTA negotiations, the case study will ascertain how the U.S. and the EU differed in their approaches to negotiating free trade. Conclusions drawn from this study include that there are varying degrees of sensitivity in agriculture which result in special and specific negotiated outcomes. Furthermore, the U.S. and the EU differ in their approaches to free trade which inevitably affects negotiated outcomes. Overall, Odell's theory is a competent basis for understanding these FTA negotiated outcomes. Additional theoretical understanding of the impact of the institutional considerations in the negotiation process and existing domestic policies could however add to the comprehensiveness of this theory. This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council.


Modern theoretical nuclear physics faces two major challenges. The first is finding a suitable interaction, which describes the forces between nucleons. The second challenge is the solution of the nuclear many-body problem for a given nucleus while applying a realistic potential. The potential used in the framework of this thesis is based on the Argonne AV18 potential. It was transformed by means of the Unitary Correlation Operator Method (UCOM) to optimize convergence. The usual phenomenological corrections were applied to improve the potential for the Hilbert space used in Fermionic Molecular Dynamics (FMD). FMD is an approach to solve the nuclear many-body problem. It uses a single-particle basis which is a superposition of Gaussian distributions in phase-space. The most simple many-body state is the antisymmetric product of the single-particle states: a Slater determinant, the so called intrinsic state. This intrinsic state is projected on parity, total angular momentum and a center of mass momentum zero. The Hilbert space is spanned by several of these projected states. The states are obtained by minimizing their energy while demanding certain constraints. The expectation values of Slater determinants, parity projected and additionally total angular momentum projected Slater determinants are used. The states that are relevant in the low energy regime are obtained by diagonalization. The lowest moments of the mass-, proton- or neutron-distribution and the excitation in proton- and neutron-shells of a harmonic oscillator are some of the used constraints. The low energy regime of the Beryllium isotopes with masses 7 to 14 is calculated by using these states. Energies , radii, electromagnetic transitions, magnetic moments and point density distributions of the low lying states are calculated and are presented in this thesis.


Introduction Understanding the cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical to vaccine development, epidemiological surveillance and control strategies. This systematic review critically evaluates and synthesises the relevant peer-reviewed and pre-print literature published in recent months. Methods For this systematic review, independent keyword-structured literature searches were carried out in MEDLINE, Embase and COVID-19 Primer for studies published from 01/01/2020-26/06/2020. Papers were independently screened by two researchers, with arbitration of disagreements by a third researcher. Data were independently extracted into a pre-designed Excel template and studies critically appraised using a modified version of the MetaQAT tool, with resolution of disagreements by consensus. Findings were narratively synthesised. Results 61 articles were included. Almost all studies used observational designs, were hospital-based, and the majority had important limitations. Symptomatic adult COVID-19 cases consistently show peripheral T cell lymphopenia, which positively correlates with increased disease severity, duration of RNA positivity, and non-survival; while asymptomatic and paediatric cases display preserved counts. People with severe or critical disease generally develop more robust, virus-specific T cell responses. T cell memory and effector function has been demonstrated against multiple viral epitopes, and, cross-reactive T cell responses have been demonstrated in unexposed and uninfected adults, but the significance for protection and susceptibility, respectively, remains unclear. Interpretation A complex pattern of T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been demonstrated, but inferences regarding population level immunity are hampered by significant methodological limitations and heterogeneity between studies. In contrast to antibody responses, population-level surveillance of the cellular response is unlikely to be feasible in the near term. Focused evaluation in specific sub-groups, including vaccine recipients, should be prioritised.


Land eco-sensitivity assessment is an important method in analyzing regional eco-environmental safety. This article is based on the studies of land use and coverage change (LUCC) with the interpretation result from Landsat images. It analyzes the land use degree of Shangluo City and gives the land eco-sensitivity classification, which include soil and water conservation, disaster prevention and eco-environmental protection. Then an improved classification model is taken through the gray model and the variation coefficient. By comparing sensitivity in each level of land use degree change, the ecological recovery mode in study area is analyzed. The results show: the land use degree in Shangluo City has been declining from 1990 to 2009, with large area converted form cropland to forest, environment becomes better; the sensitivities of zoning based on the index level shows the medium sensitive area was largest. According to the variation coefficient gives the more reasonable proportion, the zoning was improved based on uncertainties. Because of the least amount of land use degradation area was taken in high sensitive region, it is considered that the ecological construction model in study area was still worth discussing. The healthy ecological development mode is proposed that low sensitive region should be protected while high sensitive region should receive high attention, so as to further improve the regional ecological security and improve the living environment efficiently.


Students have periodically played an important role in campus political life as well as in societal politics. Students were active in the anti-slavery movement; they rebelled against military service in the Civil War; they staged demonstrations during the Depression; and they were vocal during the 1960s. While activism has subsided somewhat in the past three decades, students continue to be involved in significant political issues. Student Politics in America is the first book to chronicle the entire history of student political activism in America--dealing not only with the periods when students were dramatically involved in politics, but also focusing on less active periods. This book provides a sense of the entire history of political involvement and the evolution of student organizations and attitudes toward politics. Student religious organizations that have been involved in social activism are discussed, as are student government organizations, which are generally ignored in analyses of campus life. Altbach shows that, at least since the 1930s, there is an ideological trend toward liberal and radical activism, yet at the same time conservative student organizations have also been influential. Politics on the campus is a multifaceted phenomenon, and Altbach handles the complexity of student political life in a carefully nuanced manner. In a new preface, the author discusses his reasons and motivation for originally writing Student Politics in America. In his new introduction, he brings the history of student activism, and the lack thereof, up to date. Student Politics in America provides a unique historical perspective on the political activities of college and university students in the United States and will be an important contribution to the personal libraries of educators, university administrators, students, political scientists, and historians.


Although androgen ablation therapy is effective in treating primary prostate cancers, a significant number of patients develop incurable castration-resistant disease. Recent studies have suggested a potential synergy between vaccination and androgen ablation, yet the enhanced T-cell function is transient. Using a defined tumor antigen model, UV-8101-RE, we found that concomitant castration significantly increased the frequency and function of antigen-specific CD8þ T cells early after the immunization of wild-type mice. However, at a late time point after immunization, effector function was reduced to the same level as noncastrated mice and was accompanied by a concomitant amplification in CD4þCD25þFoxp3þ regulatory T cells (Treg) following immunization. We investigated whether Treg expansion occurred following castration of prostate tumor– bearing mice. In the prostate-specific Pten / mouse model of prostate cancer, we observed an accelerated Treg expansion in mice bearing the castration-resistant endogenous prostate tumor, which prevented effector responses to UV-8101-RE. Treg depletion together with castration elicited a strong CD8þ T-cell response to UV-8101-RE in Pten / mice and rescued effector function in castrated and immunized wild-type mice. In addition, Treg expansion in Pten / mice was prevented by in vivo interleukin (IL)-2 blockade suggesting that increased IL-2 generated by castration and immunization promotes Treg expansion. Our findings therefore suggest that although effector responses are augmented by castration, the concomitant expansion of Tregs is one mechanism responsible for only transient immune potentiation after androgen ablation. Cancer Res; 72(8);


The researches have been made on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) over the long-ago decades. GPCR is also named as 7-transmembrane (7TM) receptor. According to biological prospective GPCRs consist of large protein family with respective subfamilies and are mediated by different physiological phenomena like taste, smell, vision etc. The main functionality of these 7TM receptors is signal transduction among various cells. In human genome, cell membrane plays significant role. All cells are made up of trillion of cells and have dissimilar functionality. Cell membrane composed of different components. GPCRs are reported to be modulated by membrane cholesterol by interacting with cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus (L/V-X (1-5)-Y-X (1-5)-R/K) (CRAC) or reverse orientation of CRAC (R/K-X (1-5)-Y-X (1-5)-L/V) (CARC) motifs present in the TM helices. Among all, cholesterol is one who is regulated by membrane proteins. Here we took GPCR as membrane proteins and this protein modulates membrane cholesterol. According to cell biology, GPCR regulates a wide diversity of vital cellular processes and are targeted by a huge fraction of approved drugs. In this paper we have concentrated our investigation on membrane protein with membrane cholesterol. A hybrid algorithm consisting of spectral clustering and support vector machine is proposed for prediction of membrane cholesterol with GPCR. Spectral clustering uses graph nodes for calculating the cluster points and also it considers other concept such as similarity matrix, low-dimensional space for projecting the data points and upon this parameter at last construct the cluster centre. Supervised learning method is used for solving regression and classification problems. From the analysis we found that our result shows better prediction accuracy in terms of time complexity when compared with two existing models such as fuzzy c-means (FCM) and rough set with FCM model


Oral administration of antibiotics for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) can cause ecological disturbances in the normal intestinal microflora. Poorly absorbed drugs can reach the colon in active form, suppress susceptible microorganisms and disturb the ecological balance. Suppression of the normal microflora may lead to reduced colonization resistance with subsequent overgrowth of pre-existing, naturally resistant microorganisms, such as yeasts and Clostridium difficile. New colonization by resistant potential pathogens may also occur and may spread within the body or to other patients and cause severe infections. It is therefore important to learn more about the ecological effects of antibacterial agents on the human microflora. The impact on intestinal microorganisms of oral antibiotics used for the treatment of UTIs is reviewed here. Ampicillin, amoxycillin and co-amoxiclav suppress both the aerobic and anaerobic intestinal microflora with overgrowth of ampicillin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Pivmecillinam also affects the intestinal microflora, suppressing Escherichia coli, but does not have a major effect on the anaerobic microflora. Several orally administered cephalosporins, such as cefixime, cefpodoxime, cefprozil and ceftibuten, reduce the number of Enterobacteriaceae and increase the number of enterococci. Colonization with C. difficile has also been observed. Fluoroquinolones eliminate or strongly suppress intestinal Enterobacteriaceae, but affect enterococci and anaerobic bacteria only slightly. When antimicrobial agents are prescribed for the treatment of UTIs, not only the antimicrobial spectrum of the agent but also the potential ecological disturbances, including the risk of emergence of resistant strains, should be considered.


One of the most important prerequisites for building a more visual social science is demonstrating that visual data provide answers to research questions, which are not addressed satisfactorily by the use of more conventional, non‐visual, methods. In this article the author argues that a systematic analysis of the images in print advertisements not only accounts for patterns in contemporary American race relations as reliably as findings derived from national surveys like the General Social Survey (GSS) and the US Census, but also illuminates questions that are often raised by, but seldom resolved with, quantitative data. These questions include, for example, consideration of what factors might encourage respondents to espouse some attitudes – or to make certain choices – but not others. More specifically, a close examination of trends in advertisements published in Life magazine between 1936 and 2000 reveals that, while the white commitment to racial integration appears to have taken longer to develop than survey data suggests, this commitment seems to be much firmer than findings based on census data imply. Nevertheless, the trend in advertising images also shows that, even with a steadily growing white commitment to racial integration, there are still areas of social life where whites are wary of blacks and find it hard to imagine scenarios that exemplify relations of moral equality.


Morphometric and meristic values were obtained from six populations of Lake Mala i fishes purported to belong to the species Melanochromis vermivorus Trewavas and compared with data from type material of M. vermivorus. Multivariate statistical analysis of the data revealed differences between the type material and the sampled populations with respect to shape and meristic counts. A previously recognized, but undescribed, species, Melanochromis sp. "chinyamwezi" (endemic to Chinyamwezi Island), is shown to be conspecific with the supposed M. vermivorus populations. We describe a new species of Melanochromis based on the above material.


The study develops an approach to assess co-behavior of climate processes. The regional response of precipitation and temperature patterns over southern Africa to the combined roles (co-behavior) of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is evaluated. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) classify circulation patterns over the subcontinent, and principal component analysis (PCA) is used to identify related patterns across the data. The tropical rain belt index (TRBI), a measure of the ITCZ, is generally in phase with the AAO but mostly out of phase with ENSO. The phases of AAO may enhance or suppress ENSO impact on the location and distribution of regional precipitation and temperature over the region. This understanding of the co-behavior of large-scale processes is important to assess the impact these processes collectively have on precipitation and temperature, especially under future climate forcings.


AIM
To study the clinical value and efficacy of computerized tomography (CT)-monitored microinvasive craniopuncture for traumatic epidural hematoma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Thirty-three cases of traumatic epidural hematoma patients were selected at our hospital. YL-1-type disposable intracranial hematoma smash needle puncture and drainage of hematoma were used under CT monitoring and urokinase was used for intermittent flushing, and the residual blood clot was then drained. The improvement rate, cure rate, precision and accuracy of the puncture, incidence of bleeding, puncture infection rate, average length of stay, clinical efficacy, and long-term follow-up were evaluated.

RESULTS
The improvement rate was 100%, the cure rate was 100% accurate, the precise puncture rate was 100%, the re-bleeding rate was 0%, the local infection rate was 0%, the average length of stay was 7.5 days, and the average medical cost was two thousand U.S. dollars.

CONCLUSION
Under CT surveillance, the YL-1-type disposable intracranial hematoma smash puncture needle aspiration in the treatment of traumatic epidural hematoma is a simple, fast, and accurate positioning procedure. Without craniotomy and blood transfusion, the YL-1-type disposable intracranial hematoma smash puncture needle aspiration is a safe and effective operation, but close attention is needed during the operation.


BACKGROUND
Many studies show that statins have beneficial effects on atherosclerotic risk factors and markers such as flow mediated dilatation (FMD). However, studies on early effects of statins on endothelial function of non atherosclerotic humans are limited.

AIM
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a single high dose of atorvastatin could improve endothelial function and large arterial stiffness in statin naive dyslipidemic non-atherosclerotic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty statin naïve dyslipidemic non-atherosclerotic patients from Cardiology Outpatient Clinic were enrolled. Arterial stiffness and endothelial function of patients were evaluated by assessing the finger photoplethysmography and the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery before and 24 hour after oral administration of 80 mg atorvastatin.

RESULTS
Stiffness indices and FMD 24 hours after administration of 80mg atorvastatin did not differ from baseline measurements (6.89 +/- 1.90 vs. 7.06 +/- 2.37 p : NS and 9.13 +/- 6.07 vs. 9.80 +/- 6.34 p : NS).

CONCLUSIONS
Although it is widely accepted that statins improve endothelial function, evidences of early effect might largely be associated with endothelial injury. Our study suggests that beneficial early effects of statins might not be applicable to patients without atherosclerosis.