The article looks at the psychological conditions in which a modern person can rightly exercise their right to religious freedom and the preconditions for their involvement with the totalitarian (destructive) religious cults. The central issues of the article are as follows: the concept of spiritual need as a socially recognized psychic norm; the phenomenon of psychotherapeutic potential of the religious community; religiosity and spirituality.
      It has been proved that personality maturity is the precondition and the basis for healthy spirituality. A marked artefact of religious freedom in Ukraine is individuals' involvement with destructive cults, which may lead to psychic and social dependence. Also the article presents the results of an empirical research involving a mass psychosemantic survey carried out in order to find how this religious problem is reflected in the mass consciousness of Ukrainians and in-depth interviews with people who have experienced psychic dependence on the cult.


Fluorescence microscopy reveals that the contents of many (membrane-free) nuclear "bodies" exchange rapidly with the soluble pool whilst the underlying structure persists; such observations await a satisfactory biophysical explanation. To shed light on this, we perform large-scale Brownian dynamics simulations of a chromatin fiber interacting with an ensemble of (multivalent) DNA-binding proteins; these proteins switch between two states – active (binding) and inactive (non-binding). This system provides a model for any DNA-binding protein that can be modified post-translationally to change its affinity for DNA (e.g., like the phosphorylation of a transcription factor). Due to this out-of-equilibrium process, proteins spontaneously assemble into clusters of self-limiting size, as individual proteins in a cluster exchange with the soluble pool with kinetics like those seen in photo-bleaching experiments. This behavior contrasts sharply with that exhibited by "equilibrium", or non-switching, proteins that exist only in the binding state; when these bind to DNA non-specifically, they form clusters that grow indefinitely in size. Our results point to post-translational modification of chromatin-bridging proteins as a generic mechanism driving the self-assembly of highly dynamic, non-equilibrium, protein clusters with the properties of nuclear bodies. Such active modification also reshapes intra-chromatin contacts to give networks resembling those seen in topologically-associating domains, as switching markedly favors local (short-range) contacts over distant ones.


Background Certain immune-mediated diseases (IMDs), such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, have been linked to cardiovascular disorders. We examined whether there is an association between 32 different IMDs and risk of subsequent hospitalization for coronary heart disease (CHD) related to coronary atherosclerosis in a nationwide follow up study in Sweden. Methods and Findings All individuals in Sweden hospitalized with a main diagnosis of an IMD (n = 336,479) without previous or coexisting CHD, between January 1, 1964 and December 31 2008, were followed for first hospitalization for CHD. The reference population was the total population of Sweden. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for CHD were calculated. Overall risk of CHD during the first year after hospitalization for an IMD was 2.92 (95% CI 2.84–2.99). Twenty-seven of the 32 IMDs studied were associated with an increased risk of CHD during the first year after hospitalization. The overall risk of CHD decreased over time, from 1.75 after 1–5 years (95% CI 1.73–1.78), to 1.43 after 5–10 years (95% CI 1.41–1.46) and 1.28 after 10+ years (95% CI 1.26–1.30). Females generally had higher SIRs than males. The IMDs for which the SIRs of CDH were highest during the first year after hospitalization included chorea minor 6.98 (95% CI 1.32–20.65), systemic lupus erythematosus 4.94 (95% CI 4.15–5.83), rheumatic fever 4.65 (95% CI 3.53–6.01), Hashimoto's thyroiditis 4.30 (95% CI 3.87–4.75), polymyositis/dermatomyositis 3.81 (95% CI 2.62–5.35), polyarteritis nodosa 3.81 (95% CI 2.72–5.19), rheumatoid arthritis 3.72 (95% CI 3.56–3.88), systemic sclerosis 3.44 (95% CI 2.86–4.09), primary biliary cirrhosis 3.32 (95% CI 2.34–4.58), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia 3.17 (95% CI 2.16–4.47). Conclusions Most IMDs are associated with increased risk of CHD in the first year after hospital admission. Our findings suggest that many hospitalized IMDs are tightly linked to coronary atherosclerosis.


Deep learning has shown that learned functions can dramatically outperform hand-designed functions on perceptual tasks. Analogously, this suggests that learned optimizers may similarly outperform current hand-designed optimizers, especially for specific problems. However, learned optimizers are notoriously difficult to train and have yet to demonstrate wall-clock speedups over hand-designed optimizers, and thus are rarely used in practice. Typically, learned optimizers are trained by truncated backpropagation through an unrolled optimization process. The resulting gradients are either strongly biased (for short truncations) or have exploding norm (for long truncations). In this work we propose a training scheme which overcomes both of these difficulties, by dynamically weighting two unbiased gradient estimators for a variational loss on optimizer performance. This allows us to train neural networks to perform optimization of a specific task faster than well tuned first-order methods. Moreover, by training the optimizer against validation loss (as opposed to training loss), we are able to learn optimizers that train networks to better generalization than first order methods. We demonstrate these results on problems where our learned optimizer trains convolutional networks in a fifth of the wall-clock time compared to tuned first-order methods, and with an improvement in test loss.


This highly unique book focuses on market design issues common to most EU gas markets, particularly in the context of closer integration. It explores in detail the characteristics and requirements of national gas markets in Europe which are constructed as virtual hubs based on entry/exit schemes as a requirement of European law.


Co-doped zinc oxide thin films (ZnCoO) have been deposited on glass substrates by sol-gel dip coating deposition method. X-ray diffractometer patterns for these thin films prove crystalline behavior with wurtzite structure. The films have lattice parameters similar to that of ZnO. When Zn is replaced by Co, more impurity levels are produced within the bandgap, and more defects are developed. However, Co-doping does not alter the wurzite structure. The bandgap of the films tends to decrease with increasing withdrawal speed. These transparent thin films possess bandgap in the ultra-violet (3.86-3.45 eV) and high transparency throughout the visible spectral region. Ellipsometry also show the same trend for bandgaps (3.83-3.45). Morphological analysis by scanning electron microscope shows surface with porous structure. Magnetic property studied shows the ferromagnetic behavior. Chemical composition of these Co-doped ZnO thin films was investigated through Fourier transform infrared analysis.


This study analyses for the first time the lipid (energy) reserves of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the north-western Mediterranean from an ecophysiological perspective. Results show that there is a progressive accumulation of lipids in the liver of matur- ing hake -where the bulk of the fat is stored- as individuals grow. Results also indicate that female pre-spawners expend much energy on reproductive activities since they present lower liver lipid reserves than juveniles and maturing individuals. Furthermore, results show that female pre-spawners with higher lipid reserves in their livers had a higher amount of lipids in their ovaries, suggesting that maternal condition (spawner quality) may affect the reproductive potential of hake. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the analysis of liver lipid reserves during pre-spawning, along with the evaluation of the gonadosomatic index and the considera- tion of the reproductive stage, can contribute to improve the estimation of the reproductive potential of gadoid species such as hake. FISHERIES


One of the most striking features of the period before the Great Recession is the strong positive correlation between house price appreciation and current account deficits, not only in the United States but also in other countries that have subsequently experienced the highest degree of financial turmoil. A progressive relaxation of credit standards can rationalize this empirical observation. Lower collateral requirements facilitate access to external funding and drive up house prices. The current account turns negative because households borrow from the rest of the world. At the same time, however, the world real interest rate counterfactually increases. The two key ingredients that reconcile a demand-based explanation of house price booms and current account deficits with the evidence on real interest rates are nominal interest rates lower than the predictions of a standard monetary policy rule in leveraged economies and foreign exchange rate pegs in saving countries.


On June 1, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in United States v. Decastro analyzed a Second Amendment challenge to a firearm regulation using a substantial burden standard. In so doing, the Second Circuit ignored much of the Supreme Court's guidance in its 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. This Comment argues that the Decastro substantial burden standard offers insufficient protection for Second Amendment rights, and is therefore unlikely to survive.


Eco-ethological aspects of the common langur (Hanuman) Semnopithecus entellus (Dufresne) were studied between July and September 1981 in the rural areas of Keshabpur Police Station, Jessore, Bangladesh. Three bisexual troops were monitored for 355 hrs for determining group-size and composition, age-sex relationship, and other ecological and behavioural features. The average group-size was 13.67±0.00 in July and 14.67±1.33 in September. Of the major diurnal activities viz., rest, move, sit, social groom, self groom, play and feed, the Hanumans spent maximum time in sitting (44.32%). Dyad behaviour of the Hanumans and their relationships with other animals including man has been described. Hanumans used more than 60 species as food plants of which 43 were identified. They mostly ate vegetative plant parts (74.88%), thus indicating their folivorous nature. The welfare of the Hanumans has also been dealt with.

 Key words: Common langur (Hanuman), Semnopithecus entellus , ecology, ethology, Bangladesh

 Univ. j. zool. Rajshahi Univ. Vol.25 2006 p.3-10


Reshaping of ultrashort pulses is predicted to occur when a pulse train from a mode-locked laser is incident upon a nonlinear Fabry–Perot cavity whose length is matched to the period of the pulse train. The temporal shape of the transmitted pulses depends on the relaxation time of the nonlinearity of the Kerr medium inserted into the Fabry– Perot cavity. When the pulse duration is shorter than the Kerr relaxation time, considerable pulse narrowing (by factors of 101–103) is predicted. If the Kerr relaxation time is longer than the period of the pulse train, the analysis shows the existence of two temporal shapes of the output pulse, leading to the possibility of bistability between these two states. A Kerr nonlinearity with an instantaneous response can be used to generate square output pulses. Both the transient and the permanent regimes are investigated, and analytical expressions for the narrowing factors are found.


More and more products in western consumer markets today are imported, increasingly from developing countries. Yet, as distances to suppliers increase, monitoring and tracing product and process qualities along global supply chains back to the source have become increasingly challenging tasks for companies at the downstream end of the chain. Particularly importers risk legal sanctions or negative media coverage in case products are non-compliant with local requirements. The problem of uncertainty becomes even more urgent as highly specific quality designations come into play. The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to this discussion by providing an improved understanding of how formal and informal institutions – analysed in particular through a Convention Theory (CT) lens - are employed by importers of highly sensitive products in mitigating uncertainties in cross-border relations with their suppliers. This is achieved through a comparative empirical case study of firms importing certified organic food into Germany and Australia.

Article 1 in this collection, "'Sustainable Standards'? How Organic Standards in the EU and Australia Affect Local and Global Agrifood Production and Value Chains", contributes to literature on food and environmental standards and discusses the impact of (supra-)national organic standards effective in Germany and Australia on different actors along the value chain. Article 2, "Reassessing Supplier Reputation in International Trade Coordination. A German and Australian perspective of Global Organic Food Networks", deals with the multiple facets of reputation in international trade relations and how it can help to mitigate uncertainties across large distances. Article 3, "Conventions in Cross-Border Trade Coordination. The Case of Organic Food Imports to Germany and Australia", provides a comprehensive discussion of which conventions within the CT framework are employed by Australian and German importers to overcome quality-related uncertainties in cross-border trade. The final Article 4, "Australien als 'Global Food Superpower'? Landwirtschaft und Lebensmittelsektor Australiens im Wandel" (Global food superpower? Changes and current challenges in Australia's food industry), looks at Australia as a case of the changing global character of agricultural and food production and trade, using a value chain perspective to outline these processes. Furthermore, it discusses how the unique Australian environmental situation, related natural risks, and political as well as structural factors currently question Australia's future as the next Global Food Superpower.

Overall, the empirical results affirm that formal institutions such as standards and third-party certification have gained increasing significance over the past two decades. Simultaneously, however, this study argues that these are not enough to overcome uncertainties in trade. Informal institutions like trust, reputation, values related to social and environmental welfare as well as business mentality and culture are likewise approaches that are employed. It is further shown that standards do not necessarily lead to reduced differences in product quality perceptions between suppliers and importers. Also, there seem to be changes in the interpretation of the organic designation, as particularly newer firms reduce the process standard more and more to product quality characteristics. At the same time, 'dedicated' companies with intensive holistic supplier relation management, unlike some decades ago, are not restricted to those that focus only on organic products. Conceptually, it is concluded that CT is a useful complementary approach to other frameworks for value chain and production network analyses, particularly due to its strengths to paint a differentiated picture of uncertainty as well as quality designations.


Objective
Reactivation of viral hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) has been reported in various case reports of patients with arthritis on biological therapy. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of arthritis patients with HBV or HCV treated with biological therapy.

Material and Methods
This is a retrospective case series including all patients above 13 years of age with arthritis patients from four centers in Saudi Arabia with concurrent chronic viral hepatitis infection (HBV or HCV) who received biological agents in the rheumatology clinics during their course of their disease from duration of the disease onset until last outpatient visit up to November 2015. Demographic information, full details about the hepatitis status of each patient, rheumatic disease diagnosis and different therapies used were reviewed.

Results
We identified 10 cases each with HBV and HCV on biological therapy. The mean age in the HBV group was 51 (34-85) years and 80% were females. Eight patients had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one patient had RA/systemic lupus erythematosus, and one had human immunodeficiency virus related-arthritis. Seven were chronic inactive HBsAg carriers and three had chronic active HBV. Nine HBV patients received prophylactic antiviral therapy. Two cases with chronic HBV had reactivation with no elevation of the transaminases.The mean age in the HCV group was 54 (23-79) years and all were female RA patients. Three had detectable hepatitis C virus-ribonuecleic acid (HCV-RNA) before the start of biological therapy. Nine HCV patients received antiviral treatment and seven had a sustained virologic response (SVR) before start of biological treatment. Three patients had detectable HCV-RNA during the course of biological therapy. One of the three was a non-responder and two were relapsers. One of the patients with HCV relapse was started on sofosbuvir plus ribavirin and achieved SVR on follow-up.

Conclusion
We report the successful use of biological therapy in arthritis patients with hepatitis B infection with antiviral therapy with no detoriation of their viral status. Due to the lack of sufficient prospective studies demonstrating the rate of HCV flare on biological therapy, caution should be exercised and careful monitoring with liver enzymes and viral load is mandated in vulnerable HCV RNA patients. Treatment should be individualized by the rheumatologist in collaboration with the hepatologist to minimize complications.


Polystyrene (PS) was grafted onto oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber in aqueous
medium using ~202/Fe~in+it iator system. The grafting percentage was found to be
dependent on the reaction period and temperature, amounts of the monomer, the
initiator and the cocatalyst. The maximum percentage of grafting (of about 200%) was
achieved when the reaction was carried out under the following conditions: reaction
period; 4 hours, reaction temperature; 65OC, amounts of monomer; 52.27 mmol,
amounts of initiator; 6.00 mmol and amounts of cocatalyst; 0.26 mmol. The reaction
mechanism for the grafting of styrene onto OPEFB fiber was proposed and proof of
grafting was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform
infrared (FT-IR) analysis. The presence of a peak around 3026 cm-' and two peaks
between 698 and 755 cm-'in the FTIR of the product provides strong evidence on the
presence of poly(styrene) in the product. The effects of grafting on the thermal properties were studied by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Preparation of composite
samples were carried out by melt blending in Haake plasticorder with rotor speed of 40
rpm at 1 70°C for 10 minutes, and then followed by hot pressing moulding. The tensile
properties of high impact polystyrene &IPS) reinforced with OPEFB, OPEFB-g-PS
and crude OPEFB-g-PS fiber were studied. By using OPEFB-g-PS and crude OPEFBg-
PS as the filler, it was found that the tensile property of the resulting composites was
enhanced. The tensile strength of OPEFB-g-PS and crude OPEFB-g-PSIHIPS
composites shows marginal increase up to 20% of filler content but decreases with
further increase of the filler content. The incorporation of OPEFB fiber considerably
improves the young modulus of the composite but is more significant when using
OPEFB-g-PS and crude OPEFB-g-PS as the filler in HIPS composite. The elongation
at break decreases with the increase of the filler content. The SEM micrograph shows
that the interfacial adhesion between the OPEFB-g-PS and crude OPEFB-g-PS fibers
with HIPS matrix are considerably improved compared to that of OPEFB fiber-HIPS
composites. The water absorption of the composites increases as the filler loading is
increased. However, by grafting poly(styrene) onto OPEFB fiber, the hygroscopicity of
the composites can be reduced. The thermal stability of OPEFB-g-PSIHIPS and crude
OPEFB-g-PSIHIPS composites are improved. Fourier transform infi-ared (FTIR)
spectroscopy shows that the hydroxyl group absorption shift to lower wave numbers
which indicates that the hydrogen bonding is formed. The study of the effect of adding
various amount of the OPEFB-g-PS fiber into OPEFBIHIPS (20:80) composites was
also carried out. Incorporation of the OPEFB-g-PS in these composites also improves
the tensile strength and young modulus.


This research seeks to explain a landmark change in the provision of public services for people with disabilities in Iceland. Public policy has for long been characterized by incremental changes. Every now and then, major policy changes take place and longstanding policy objectives pushed by interest groups come through. Agenda-setting theories seek to explain major policy changes by focusing on how and why a policy issue gets on governments agenda at a given point in time. The American political scientist, John W. Kingdon, presented his theory of three streams and the window of opportunity some 30 years ago. European scientists maintain in their recent research that Kingdon s approach is helpful in shedding light on how the political system in which public policy-making takes place operates and how behaviour and strategies of those participating in the process influence the outcome. This qualitative research examines how the idea about user-driven personal assistance came to fruition in Iceland. The study is based on existing data and interviews with key people involved in the policy development leading to the decision to implement the programme of user-driven personal assistance. The research describes how and why this idea reached the government agenda and came to be implemented by Icelandic authorities. The conclusions show how the process of decentralisation opened opportunities for a new ideology which benefitted service users, and business as well as political interests. The conclusions indicate that not only was there a right man at the right place at the right time, but it provides theoretical explanations about what characterises policy entrepreneurs and how and why their activities matter in times of uncertainty.


Two steam-methane reformer furnaces were subjected to short-time heat excursions because of a power outage, which resulted in creep bulging in the Incoloy 800 outlet pigtails, requiring complete replacement. Each furnace had three cells, consisting of 112 vertical tubes per cell, each filled with a nickel catalyst. The tubes were centrifugally cast from ASTM A297, grade HK-40 (Fe-25Cr-20Ni-0.40C), heat-resistant alloy. The tube was concluded after metallurgical inspection to have failed from creep rupture (i.e., stress rupture). A project for detecting midwall creep fissuring was instigated as a result of the failure. It was concluded after laboratory radiography and macroexamination that if the fissure were large enough to show on a radiograph, either with or without the catalyst, the tube could be expected to fail within one year. The set up for in-service radiograph examination was described. The tubes of the furnace were radiographed during shut down and twenty-four tubes in the first furnace and 53 in the second furnace showed significant fissuring. Although, radiography was concluded to be a practical technique to provide advance information, it was limited to detecting fissures caused by third-stage creep in tubes because of the cost involved in removing the catalysts.


This paper discusses the design of a data monitoring system, for a PV system which would enable the calculation of the performance ratio and a.c energy efficiency of a PV system which the data monitoring system would be installed to. The requirement of this system was to be at low cost and with reasonable accuracy.

The final design of the data monitoring system consists of a total of five sensors, this includes a silicon pyranometer, energy meter, module temperature sensor, a.c voltage sensor and a.c current sensor. The total cost of producing this system was $2002.48.

This paper also discusses the performance analysis of the 56 kW Murdoch University Photovoltaic System. The time period of this analysis is from June 2011 to August 2013.

It was found that over the 27 month time period of the analysis the total system generation was 202.67 MWh of electricity. It was seen in January 2013 a peak in monthly out of 10.17 MWh for this month, and it was seen in June 2012 the system production was at its lowest generating 3.43 MWh. It was established that the sub array which had the best production was sub array 2 generating a total of 24.48 MWh which is 12.08 % of total production, and the worst producing sub array was sub array 3 generating a total of 19.97 MWh which is 9.85 % of total production.

The best yield factor month was in January 2013 producing a monthly average of 181.98 kWh/kWp, and the worst yield factor month was June 2012 producing a monthly average of 61.70kWh/kWp. The overall sub array monthly average yield factor for this 27 month period was 134.47 kWh/kWp, and the poly- crystalline modules and mono- crystalline modules produced a monthly average yield factor of 139.28 kWh/kWp and 135.77 kWh/kWp, respectively.

It was established that the performance ratio of the overall system, poly- crystalline modules and mono- crystalline modules were 0.724, 0.734 and 0.716, respectively. The a.c energy efficiencies of the overall system, poly- crystalline modules and mono- crystalline modules were 10.25%, 10.29% and 10.22%, respectively. This shows that the poly- crystalline modules were the better performing photovoltaic technology.


Established firms accumulate a significant body of knowledge, expertise and capabilities that are often secondary to their central revenue generating activities. How do they leverage this expertise in non-core technology into future value creation opportunities? In this paper we examine an attempt by the telecommunications firm BT to create value from the accumulated knowledge within its laboratories by setting up an incubator. While conceived by the board as a mechanism for leveraging the value of non-core technology into the workplace, corporate support for the incubator was withdrawn after only three years and prompted the incubator to partner with a venture capital firm, NVP, in the spin-out of ventures. Through analysis of this single case we observe how entering into such a relationship reduces the transaction costs of accessing complementary resources, capabilities and competences, while simultaneously reducing a number of the risks associated with venturing for both parties. Partnering with the venture capitalist allows the established firm to get its intellectual property into the market, for it to be tested by the market and further developed.


No standard effective treatment exists for peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal origin. The pharmacokinetic advantage of intraperitoneal chemotherapy and the synergy of heat and certain anticancer agents have prompted researchers to investigate intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy in treating disseminated peritoneal cancers. We have conducted a large Phase II trial to determine the safety and efficacy of aggressive cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (IPHC) in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal origin. Patients with disseminated peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal origin with or without malignant ascites were eligible. After aggressive surgical debulking, patients were administered a 2-hour heated (40.5° C) intraperitoneal perfusion with mitomycin C. The major response variable monitored was overall survival. Patients were assessed for toxicity after IPHC administration using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria. Eighty-four patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal origin were evaluated for survival and toxicity (colon, n = 38; appendix, n = 22; stomach, n = 19; other gastrointestinal, n = 5). Thirty-nine (46%) patients had malignant ascites at the time of therapy. The operative mortality (30-day) was 6 per cent. Hematologic toxicity was the most common toxicity but was of mild to moderate severity (7 and 4% of patients had grade 3/4 white blood cell or platelet toxicity, respectively). The overall median survival was 14.3 months. The median survival of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of appendiceal, colorectal, and gastric origins were 31.1+, 14.6, and 10.1 months, respectively. Significant differences in median survival were seen in patients without and with malignant ascites (27.7 vs 7.6 months; P = 0.0004) and R0/R1 (complete gross tumor resection) versus R2 (gross residual tumor) surgical resection status (28.5+ vs 10.8 months, P = 0.0002). These data suggest that aggressive cytoreductive surgery with IPHC using mitomycin C is safe and effective in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis of gastrointestinal origin. Additional studies and broader applications of this treatment are encouraged.


The Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) is a venomous, voracious predator with a high dispersal capactity. In the space of 30 years, it has infiltrated an array of habitats, inhabited a depth range of > 300 m and exceeded the size and density reported in the native range, demonstrating the difficulty of effective lionfish management. If left unmanaged, lionfish pose a significant, but still uncertain, threat to Caribbean ecosystems thereby warranting the need for effective and efficient, tailored management schemes. Since their confirmation in Bonaire and Curacao in October 2009, an extensive monitoring program was established by the author in collaboration with CIEE Research Station Bonaire whereby >11,000 lionfish were documented and their population dynamics, reproductive and feeding ecology analysed in relation to local management strategies. The types of education and management strategies applied were evaluated based on their benefits and limitations to make recommendations for areas early in the invasion timeline. Finally efficiency of removal activities in Bonaire and Curacao were assessed and suggestions made on when and how often to remove lionfish. Socio-economic questionnaires were conducted to determine the profile and motivations of lionfish hunters, and a cost-benefit-analysis performed to assess economic effects of the invasion. Knowledge gained from this research is beneficial for tailoring future management through recommendations of which lionfish to remove, how often and which tools, methods and groups are most effective. This work revealed that dusk was the most effective time for lionfish removal and that by focusing removal efforts in the 15 – 25m depth range, this allowed for the depletion of a higher proportion of individuals in the 101 - 200mm size class. This research also revealed how valuable a prepared and rapid response to management was and how important a dedicated volunteer removal effort is to controlling the lionfish
populations in the future.


International students are often well represented in graduate programmes in North America and Europe. Information on foreign countries' education systems and grading schemes is available but cross-country comparisons are often challenging and highly subjective. Therefore, universities have a clear need for calibrating admissions of international students to ensure a fair and cost effective selection process. By comparing the performance of international students in their host institution with their entry qualifications we devise a simple approach to detecting systematic biases in the perceived quality of the applicants and propose corrective actions. We find that by using public information on cross-country comparisons of academic qualifications, country selection biases can occur and produce a substantial impact on international students' performance and failure rates. Our model is based on admission data that are routinely collected by universities which should ensure its broad applicability.


The present thesis uses continuous and apparent motion stimuli to investigate saccadic and smooth pursuit visual tracking eye movements and their relationship to visual motion processing. The aims were as follows: first, to examine the limits and coordination of saccadic and smooth pursuit components of visual tracking in response to apparent motion stimuli in comparison with traditional continuous motion over a wide range of target velocities. A second aim was to investigate the relationship between visual tracking and visual motion perception. In the present thesis visual tracking of continuous motion was compared with two different types of apparent motion stimuli, which systematically fractured the motion stimulus by manipulating the spatial and temporal components of the target signal in order to investigate their effect on smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements. In addition, evidence for shared inputs to motion perception and smooth pursuit eye movements was investigated by comparing their performance in response to both continuous and apparent motion stimuli under very similar experimental conditions. Three experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 investigated visual tracking of a single dot in continuous motion at nine target speeds (ranging from 2.5 — 40.0 deg/s) in males and females of different age groups (ranging from 18-39 years). This experiment provided a baseline for subsequent studies of apparent motion generated visual tracking and also evaluated different methodologies used to describe and quantify the saccadic component of visual tracking. The findings of Experiment 1 showed no significant age and gender differences. It revealed a significant saccadic contribution to visual tracking at all target velocities and identified the measure of the ratio of distance covered by saccadic versus pursuit eye movements (Ross et al., 1999) as the preferred measure of saccadic tracking. Experiment 2 used two kinds of apparent motion stimuli to elicit visual tracking, an intermittently presented stationary target (jumping-dot motion) and an intermittently presented moving target (slashed motion). These were presented at three stimulus durations (20, 60, 100ms) and five spatial separations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 5.0 deg) and compared with the tracking of a continuously moving target at nine target velocities (ranging from 2.5- 35.0 deg/s). This study aimed to investigate the interplay of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements during visual tracking as a function of stimulus velocity and the spatio-temporal stimulus parameters that result in the two kinds of eye movements. The results demonstrated that single-mode pursuit gain elicited by continuous motion decreased linearly with increasing target speed, in conjunction with a parallel increase in saccadic tracking. In contrast, single-mode pursuit gain of apparent motion displayed an inverted U-shape function with increasing target velocity and the optimal velocity resulting in peak smooth pursuit gain depended on the spatial separation, stimulus duration and type of apparent motion stimulus. At target velocities below optimal velocity for peak smooth pursuit gain, a large number of small saccadic eye movements were generated, and at target speeds above the optimum, a small number of larger, faster, and temporally longer saccades were produced. In order to further investigate the lower limits of the saccadic and smooth pursuit components in visual tracking a final experiment was conducted, which extended the velocity range downwards to 1.0-24.0 deg/s for the visual tracking of continuous and apparent motion stimuli at 2.0 deg spatial separation and 60ms stimulus duration. This was compared with motion sensitivity in order to investigate a link between motion perception and smooth pursuit eye movements. The results of Experiment 3 replicated the inverted U-shaped (band-pass) function with increasing target velocity for single-mode pursuit gain elicited by apparent motion stimuli and revealed a similar band-pass function for single-mode pursuit gain in response to continuous motion, which peaked at 2.0 deg/s target velocity. These findings demonstrated that smooth pursuit eye movements reach peak single-mode gain at an optimal velocity that depends on the spatio-temporal characteristics of the target stimulus. Single-mode pursuit gain decreases when target velocity is above or below a given optimal velocity. The contribution of saccadic eye movements increases when single-mode pursuit gain decreases, but the nature of this contribution is different above and below optimal velocity for peak smooth pursuit gain. When target speed decreases below a given optimal target velocity for smooth pursuit eye movements a large number of smaller, slower, and briefer saccades are generated. In contrast, a smaller number of saccades of larger amplitude, peak velocity and duration are produced when target speed increases beyond optimal pursuit velocity. This demonstrates a more complex and extensive contribution of saccades to visual tracking rather than the one-dimensional process of an increase in saccade frequency and amplitude with increasing target velocity that has traditionally been suggested in the literature. The findings are more consistent with recent models of the coordination of saccadic and pursuit eye movements in visual tracking proposed by Krauzlis (2005) or Orban de Xifry and Lefevre (2007), which suggest a much closer link between saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements that are based on shared visual processing and shared target selection. In addition, the profile of the functions for motion sensitivity and single-mode pursuit gain for continuous and apparent motion stimuli displayed many similarities, which provides strong support for the view that motion perception and smooth pursuit have shared inputs. It is concluded that the current findings demonstrate the conceptual and methodological usefulness of employing continuous and apparent motion stimuli in investigating visual tracking because continuous, slashed, and jumping-dot motion stimuli can be seen to exist on a continuum that allows fracturing the motion signal in a systematic way, providing graded levels of visual motion energy. Thus, these stimuli have great potential to further investigate shared inputs into saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements and its underlying mechanisms. In addition, they have a particular application to the study of disordered visual tracking, particularly in schizophrenia, in which the origin of the deficit has not yet been identified in relation to saccades, smooth pursuit, or motion perception.


What happened after Africa's biggest country split in two? When South Sudan ran up its flag in July 2011, two new nations came into being. In South Sudan a former rebel movement faces colossal challenges in building a new country. At independence it was one of the least developed places on earth, after decades of conflict and neglect. The 'rump state', Sudan, has been debilitated by devastating civil wars, including in Darfur, and lost a significant part of its territory, and most of its oil wealth, after the divorce from the South. In the years after separation, the two Sudans dealt with crippling economic challenges, struggled with new and old rebellions, and fought each other along their disputed border. Benefiting from unsurpassed access to the politicians, rebels, thinkers and events that are shaping the Sudans, Copnall draws a compel- ling portrait of two misunderstood countries. A Poisonous Thorn in Our Hearts argues that Sudan and South Sudan remain deeply interdependent, despite their separation. It also diagnoses the political failings that threaten the future of both countries. The author puts the tur- moil of the years after separation into a broader context, reflecting the voices, hopes and experi- ences of Sudanese and South Sudanese from all walks of life.


Learning can be motivated by unanticipated success or unexpected failure. The former encourages us to repeat an action or activity, whereas the latter leads us to find an alternative strategy. Understanding the neural representation of these unexpected events is therefore critical to elucidate learning-related circuits. We examined the activity of neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and caudate nucleus of monkeys as they performed a trial-and-error learning task. Unexpected outcomes were widely represented in both structures, and neurons driven by unexpectedly negative outcomes were as frequent as those activated by unexpectedly positive outcomes. Moreover, both positive and negative reward prediction errors (RPEs) were represented primarily by increases in firing rate, unlike the manner in which dopamine neurons have been observed to reflect these values. Interestingly, positive RPEs tended to appear with shorter latency than negative RPEs, perhaps reflecting the mechanism of their generation. Last, in the PFC but not the caudate, trial-by-trial variations in outcome-related activity were linked to the animals' subsequent behavioral decisions. More broadly, the robustness of RPE signaling by these neurons suggests that actor-critic models of reinforcement learning in which the PFC and particularly the caudate are considered primarily to be "actors" rather than "critics," should be reconsidered to include a prominent evaluative role for these structures.


Granular jamming is a popular soft robotics technology that has seen recent widespread applications including industrial gripping, surgical robotics and haptics. However, to date the field has not fully exploited the fundamental science of the jamming phase transition, which has been rigorously studied in the field of statistical and condensed matter physics. This work introduces vibration as a means to improve the properties of granular jamming grippers through vibratory fluidisation and the exploitation of resonant modes within the granular material. We show that vibration in soft jamming grippers can improve holding strength, reduce the downwards force needed for the gripping action, and lead to a simplified setup where the second air pump, generally used for unjamming, could be removed. In a series of studies, we show that frequency and amplitude of the waveforms are key determinants to performance, and that jamming performance is also dependent on temporal properties of the induced waveform. We hope to encourage further study in transitioning fundamental jamming mechanisms into a soft robotics context to improve performance and increase diversity of applications for granular jamming grippers.


Reflecting the rich complexity of contemporary college composition pedagogy, this unique collection presents twelve original essays on several of the most important approaches to the teaching of writing. Each essay is written by an experienced teacher/scholar and describes one of the major pedagogies employed today: process, expressive, rhetorical, collaborative, feminist, critical, cultural studies, community service, and basic writing. Writing centers, writing across the curriculum, and technology and the teaching of writing are also discussed. The essays are composed of personal statements on pedagogical applications and bibliographical guides that aid students and new teachers in further study and research. Contributors include Christopher Burnham, William A. Covino, Ann George, Diana George, Eric H. Hobson, Rebecca Moore Howard, Susan C. Jarratt, Laura Julier, Susan McLeod, Charles Moran, Deborah Mutnick, Lad Tobin, and John Trimbur. An invaluable tool for graduate students and new teachers, A Guide to Composition Pedagogies provides an exceptional introduction to composition studies and the extensive range of pedagogical approaches used today.


British and American military forces will find occupying Iraq more difficult than conquering it. Now that Saddam is gone, soldiers must help refugees and the displaced, restore Iraq's battered infrastructure and otherwise heal the ravages of war. But intervening soldiers will have to be more than well-armed aid workers. They will also need to help the new Iraq become democratic and transform its military forces. In addition, Iraq's new leaders (whoever they turn out to be) must be convinced not to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and to seek peace with the country's neighbours. This agenda is ambitious and is likely to encounter numerous obstacles. Coalition forces must reform Iraq's military from top to bottom and, in the interim, secure Iraq from domestic strife. Convincing future leaders to disarm will not be simple either. Iraq's WMD programmes are not solely creatures of Saddam: they also stem from Iraq's strategic weakness and the weapons' popularity in military circles. Democracy will prove hard to build in Iraq, which has little tradition of power-sharing and has a fragmented opposition. Iraq also must survive in a rough neighbourhood. Turkey, Iran and Syria have often meddled in Iraq, and they may do so again if a power vacuum develops. Although many of these challenges are political and diplomatic, military forces will bear the brunt of any failure. These obstacles make a sustained intervention a formidable proposition. The military and reconstruction costs will be staggering: troop estimates for the first year often run over 100,000, and the final cost of rebuilding and occupation could be well over $100 billion. The military presence may last a decade or more. In addition, coalition forces risk stirring up a backlash against their presence and will be vulnerable to attacks from terrorists. Support from the United Nations, or even NATO allies, may be


OBJECTIVE
To report the development of a measurement method for quantifying ulnar subtrochlear sclerosis (STS) in Labrador Retrievers.

STUDY DESIGN
Prospective blinded study.

SAMPLE POPULATION
Radiographs of Labrador Retrievers elbows (n=30) with minimal radiographic signs of periarticular osteophytosis.

METHOD
Measurement of STS as a % of the distance between 2 standardized radiographic landmarks (%STS) was developed. Mediolateral radiographic projections of flexed elbows were collected from 2 cohorts termed diseased (n=15; confirmed disease of the medial coronoid process) and control (n=15; free from clinically evident disease). Five observers blindly assessed each radiograph for radiographic technique, elbow positioning, periarticular osteophytosis, and STS, which, if present, was measured and assigned a %STS score. Intraobserver and interobserver variations in measuring STS and the ability to differentiate study cohorts were assessed using receiver operator curve (ROC) characteristics. A P-value of <.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS
Median %STS for diseased elbows was 47% (range, 0-74%) and 0% (range, 0-62%) for control elbows. Correlations were not significantly different between each observer's assessments of %STS, with a median Spearman's P-value of .75 (range, .67-.86). All observers differentiated the 2 cohorts with "fair-good" accuracy, with a median ROC value of 0.81 (range, 0.75-0.88).

CONCLUSION
Measurement of %STS in Labrador Retrievers was repeatable for each observer and repeatable between observers.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
A method for measuring STS allows comparison of Labrador Retrievers of different sizes, is easy to perform, and could be used to investigate the clinical significance of STS in this breed.


A new code for spectral-amplitude coding optical code-division multiple-access system is proposed called Random diagonal (RD) code. This code is constructed using code segment and data segment. One of the important properties of this code is that the cross correlation at data segment is always zero, which means that Phase Intensity Induced Noise (PIIN) is reduced. For the performance analysis, the effects of phase-induced intensity noise, shot noise, and thermal noise are considered simultaneously. Bit-error rate (BER) performance is compared with Hadamard and Modified Frequency Hopping (MFH) codes. It is shown that the system using this new code matrices not only suppress PIIN, but also allows larger number of active users compare with other codes. Simulation results shown that using point to point transmission with three encoded channels, RD code has better BER performance than other codes, also its found that at 0 dbm PIIN noise are 10 -10 and 10 -11 for RD and MFH respectively. Keywords—OCDMA, MFH, PIIN, and BER.


BACKGROUND
Many Americans do not meet recommendations for physical activity (PA). Communities are building trail networks to encourage PA, but the relationship between trails and PA is not well understood.

METHODS
We monitored usage of urban trails (N = 10) in Las Vegas, NV, before and after a promotional marketing campaign (October 2011 and April 2012). The media campaign featured print, online, and radio ads, as well as billboards and signage on gas pumps. Data were collected with infrared monitors that were placed on the trails for periods of 7 days. We compared preintervention and postintervention usage rates.

RESULTS
Mean usage increased (P < .001) from 3.91 to 5.95 users per hour (52.17%) after the promotional campaign. We observed significant increases at 7 individual trails, significant declines at 2 trails, and no change at 1 trail.

CONCLUSION
Promotional campaigns may be an effective way to increase trail usage and encourage PA.


The regulation of intellectual property rights takes place in a range of international venues. This proliferation of international venues greatly enhances the potential for venue shopping. We argue that different levels of domestic regulation and differing degrees of judicialization account for actors' preferences over institutional venues. We take into consideration two scenarios. Conceiving of judicialization as the delegation of adjudication to an independent third party and the enforcement through multilaterally authorized sanctions, we show that: (i) upward regulatory harmonization leads actors preferring weak regulatory intellectual property rights standards to strive for venues with low degrees of judicialization, whereas those favoring stringent intellectual property rights protection prefer highly judicialized venues; and (ii) downward harmonization leads to the opposite constellation of institutional preferences. We show how these expectations hold by way of in-depth case studies of two instances of global intellectual property rights regulation: the regulation of plant genetic resources and intellectual property rights for medicines.


: This work in progress explores the epistemologies and discourse used by undergraduate students at the transdisciplinary intersection of engineering and the arts. Our research questions are focused on the kinds of knowledge that students value, use, and identify within the context of an interdisciplinary digital media program, and exploring how their language reflects this. Our theoretical framework for analyzing epistemology draws upon qualitative work in STEM epistemology [1] – [3], domain specificity [4], [5], and epistemological camps [6]. Further, to analyze the language used by participants, we employ the use of discourse analysis as the study of language-in-use [7]. Six interviews were conducted with students pursuing a semester-long senior capstone project in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering undergraduate degree program at Arizona State University. Preliminary findings show that students showcase a variety of epistemologies including positivism, constructivism, and pragmatism while engaged in their studies. "Border epistemologies" are introduced as a way to think and/or construct knowledge that may receive different value from discipline to discipline. Future research aims to synergistically combine these two methods of epistemological and discourse analysis as well as compare and contrast our findings to students pursuing more traditional engineering capstone projects to understand more deeply knowledge generation and utilization in these transdisciplinary arts and engineering programs.


The results of two survey methods, geological photointerpretation and historical photogrammetry, are compared
in order to evaluate the temporal evolution of a unstable slope located in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines (Italy).
Historical aerial photos of the area, derived from photogrammetric surveys conducted in 1954 (scale 1:60000),
in 1971 (scale 1:20000), and in 1976 (scale 1:17000) were available. A photogrammetric flight was further conducted
in 2000, at a scale of 1:4400, with a traditional GPS ground survey support. First, the results of photographic
analysis with the photointerpretation method are presented: the landslides are described from a geological
point of view, showing its temporal evolution. To quantitatively assess the landslide movements, Digital Terrain
Models were generated by means of an analytical plotter and a digital photogrammetric workstation, with
semi-automatic and automatic procedures. To generate these products, it was necessary to solve problems related
to a lack of data concerning the aerial cameras used for the historical flights (internal orientation) and the difficulty
identifying control points on the photos in order to define the external orientation. An unconventional
photogrammetric methodology, based on identification of homologous points in zones considered outside the
landslide area, has been there developed and tested to insert the various surveys into a single reference system.


Several authors have proposed information seeking as an appropriate perspective for studying software maintenance, and have characterized information seeking empirically in commercial software evolution settings. This paper addresses the parallel issue of information seeking in Open Source software evolution. Open Source software evolution exacerbates information-seeking problems, as team members are typically delocalized from the other members of their team. This paper employs an analysis schema from our previous study (Sharif et.al 2008), generated through open-coding, to characterize information seeking in Open-Source, programmers' mailing-lists, the medium they predominantly use for communication. A preliminary study using this schema had several interesting conclusions. Specifically, the analysis has shown that Open Source programmers rely somewhat on documentation, that many of their information seeking activities are process orientated and that their information seeking goals change over time.


This paper offers a comprehensive empirical analysis of sexual harassment in the Swedish labor market. First, we use nationally representative survey data linked with employer-employee data to describe rates of self-reported sexual harassment across occupations and workplaces. The risk of sexual harassment is clearly imbalanced across the sex segregated labor market. In gender-mixed and male-dominated occupations and workplaces, women have a higher risk than men, and men have a higher risk than women in female-dominated contexts. We use a hypothetical job-choice experiment with vignettes for sexual harassment to measure the disutility of sexual harassment risks. Both men and women have an equally high willingness to pay for avoiding workplaces where sexual harassment has occurred. But the willingness to pay is conditional on the sex of the fictional harassment victim. People reject workplaces where the victim is the same sex as themselves, but not where the victim is of the opposite sex. We return to the administrative data to study employer compensation for the disutility of sexual harassment risks. Within workplaces, a high risk is associated with lower, not higher wages. People who self-report sexual harassment also have higher job dissatisfaction, more quit intentions, and more actual quits. Both these patterns indicate a lack of full compensation. We conclude that sexual harassment should be conceptualized as gender discrimination in workplace amenities, and that this discrimination reinforces sex segregation and pay-inequalities in the labor market.


The authors bring together two important topics of current database research: enhancing the data model by refined relationship semantics and exploiting ORDBMS extensibility to equip the system with new functionality. Regarding the first topic, we introduce a framework to capture diverse semantic characteristics of application-specific relationships. Then, in order to integrate the conceptual extensions with the data model provided by SQL: 1999, the second topic comes into play. Our efforts to realize semantically rich relationships by employing current ORDB technology clearly point out the benefits as well as the shortcomings of its extensibility facilities. Unfortunately, deficiencies still prevail in the OR-infrastructure, since the features specific to the extensions cannot sufficiently be taken into account by DBMS-internal processing such as query optimization, and there are very limited mechanisms for adequately supporting the required properties, e.g., by adjusted index and storage structures as well as suitable operational units of processing.


This chapter focuses on culture-independent characterization and monitoring of microbial communities in tannery wastewater treatment system, with special reference to the degradation of two xenobiotic chemicals used in retanning processes. Molecular survey of a tannery wastewater treatment system through metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approaches revealed a diverse microbial community in each component of the treatment system with high gene copies for enzymes involved in the degradation of cyclic aromatic compounds such as nitrotoluene. A combination of flow cytometry and molecular fingerprinting methods was used in a lab-scale reactor to monitor the dynamics of the microbes in the sludge and the fate of two retanning chemicals. The identified key microbial communities for the removal of the two xenobiotic chemicals belong to members of the group Proteobacteria and the phylum Bacteroidetes.


Objectives: Regional anesthesia techniques may be preferred to general anesthesia for pilonidal sinus surgery due to difficulties related to the prone position under general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to compare spinal anesthesia (SA) and epidural anesthesia (EA) with respect to perioperative and postoperative side effects and postoperative pain. Methods: A total of 100 American Society of Anesthesiologist class I or II patients underwent pilonidal sinus surgery. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of SA (n=50) or EA (n=50). The perioperative and postoperative side effects related to anesthesia and postoperative pain level were compared between the groups. Results: There was a significant difference with respect to the maximal sensorial height of block (EA: L1-L3; SA: T7-T11; p<0.001). The duration of the sensorial block was significantly longer in the EA group (290±23 minutes) compared with the SA group (215±6 minutes). No patient in the EA group developed motor block. There was no significant difference between the groups in the side effects related to anesthesia. The postoperative pain level was evaluated with the Visual Analogue Scale in the postoperative recovery room and at 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. None of the patients in either group required analgesic treatment for first 6 hours after the surgery. There was significantly less postoperative pain in the EA group compared with the SA group, except at the sixth hour, but the clinical difference was small. Conclusion: EA may be preferred to SA due to better postoperative pain control and the absence of a motor block.


ABSTRACT About 15% of couples experience difficulty in conceiving a child, of which half of the cases are thought to be male-related. Asthenozoospermia, or low sperm motility, is one of the frequent types of male infertility. Although energy metabolism is suggested to be central to the etiology of asthenozoospermia, very few attempts have been made to identify its underlying metabolic pathways. Here, we reconstructed SpermNet, the first proteome-scale model of the sperm cell by using whole-proteome data and the mCADRE algorithm. The reconstructed model was then analyzed using the COBRA toolbox. Genes were knocked-out in the model to investigate their effect on ATP production. A total of 78 genes elevated ATP production rate considerably of which most encode components of oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, the Krebs cycle, and members of the solute carrier 25 family. Among them, we identified 11 novel genes which have previously not been associated with sperm cell energy metabolism and may thus be implicated in asthenozoospermia. We further examined the reconstructed model by in silico knock out of currently known asthenozoospermia implicated-genes that were not predicted by our model. The pathways affected by knocking out these genes were also related to energy metabolism, confirming previous findings. Therefore, our model not only predicts the known pathways, it also identifies several non-glycolytic genes for deficient energy metabolism in asthenozoospermia. Finally, this model supports the notion that metabolic pathways besides glycolysis such as oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation are essential for sperm energy metabolism and if validated, may form a basis for fertility recovery. Abbreviations: mCADRE: metabolic context-specificity assessed by deterministic reaction evaluation; ATP: adenosine triphosphate; RNA: ribonucleic acid; FBA: flux balance analysis; FVA: flux variability analysis; DAVID: database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery; OXPHOS: oxidative phosphorylation; ETC: electron transfer chain; SLC: solute carrier; DLD: dihydrolypoamide dehydrogenase; DLST: dihydrolypoamide S-succinyl transferase; OGDH: oxoglutarate dehydrogenase; CS: citrate synthase; FH: fumarate hydratase; IDH: isocitrate dehydrogenase; SUCLG1: succinate-CoA ligase; SD: succinate dehydrogenase; HADHA: hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase/3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase/enoyl-CoA hydratase, subunit A; HADHB: hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase/3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase/enoyl-CoA hydratase, subunit B; PPA2: pyrophosphatase (inorganic) 2; PPi: inorganic phosphate; GALT: galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase


Analyses of integration of two‐hormone signaling through the vertebrate nuclear hormone receptors, for which the retinoid X receptor is one partner, have generated a number of mechanistic models, including those described as 'subordination' models wherein ligand‐activation of one partner is subordinate to the liganded state of the other partner. However, mechanisms by which two‐hormone signaling is integrated through invertebrate nuclear hormone‐binding receptors has not been heretofore experimentally elucidated. This report investigates the integration of signaling of invertebrate juvenile hormone (JH) and 20‐OH ecdysone (20OHE) at the level of identified nuclear receptors (ultraspiracle and ecdysone receptor), which transcriptionally activate a defined model core promoter (JH esterase gene), through specified hormone response elements (DR1 and IR1). Application of JH III, or 20OHE, to cultured Sf9 cells transfected with a DR1JHECoreLuciferase (or IR1JHECoreLuciferase) reporter promoter each induced expression of the reporter. Cotreatment of transfected cells with both hormones yielded a greater than additive effect on transcription, for especially the IR1JHECoreLuciferase reporter. Overexpression in Sf9 cells of recombinant Drosophila melanogaster ultraspiracle (dUSP) fostered formation of dUSP oligomer (potentially homodimer), as measured by coimmunoprecipitation assay and electrophoretic mobility assay (EMSA) on a DR1 probe, and also increased the level of transcription in response to JH III, but did not increase the transcriptional response to either 20OHE treatment alone or to the two hormones together. Inapposite, overexpression of recombinant D. melanogaster ecdysone receptor (dEcR) in the transfected cells generated dUSP/dEcR heterodimer [as measured by EMSA (supershift) on a DR1 probe] and increased the transcriptional response to 20OHE‐alone treatment, but did not increase the transcriptional response to the JH III‐alone treatment. Our studies provide evidence that in this model system, JH III‐activation of the reporter promoter is through USP oligomer (homodimer) that does not contain EcR, while the 20OHE‐activation is through the USP/EcR heterodimer. These results also show that the integration of JH III and 20OHE signaling is through the USP/EcR heterodimer, but that when the EcR partner is unliganded, the USP partner in this system is unable to transduce the JH III‐activation.


The structure of the room-temperature charge density wave (CDW) phase in octahedrally coordinated tantalum disulfide, 1T-TaS2, has been a controversial issue for over 15 years. Large-scale scanning tunneling microscope images of the intralayer structure of this phase exhibit a domain-like pattern defined by a variation in the maximum CDW amplitude. The circular domains, consisting of high-amplitude CDWs, are arranged in a regular hexagonal lattice (period 73+/-3 angstroms) that is rotated relative to the CDWs. In addition, from the analysis of atomic resolution images it was determined that there is a well-defined phase shift between the CDWs in adjacent domains, and that within a domain the CDW superlattice is commensurate with the atomic lattice. These results provide evidence for the hexagonal discommensurate CDW phase in 1T-TaS2 and also suggest an explanation for the long-standing controversy concerning the structure of this phase.


We have demonstrated a binary chemoselective gas sensor using a combination of plasmonic nanohole arrays and a voltage-directed assembly of diazonium chemistry. The employment of a voltage-directed functionalization allows for the realization of a multiplexed sensor. The device was read optically and was fabricated using a combination of electron-beam and conventional lithography; it contains several regions each electrically isolated from each other. We used calibrated gas dosage delivery to confirm the selectivity of the sensor and observed reversible spectral shifts of several nm upon gas exposure. The resulting spectral shift indicates the potential for use in chemical arrayed detection for low concentration gas sensing


The Control of Mangosteen Yellow Latex Using Seaweed Extract and Potassium Fertilizer. The yellow latex disease decreases fruit quality of mangosteen because of exogenic latex causes dirty fruit and the endogenic latex makes the bitter fruit taste, then it does not deserve to be consumed. The causal agent of the disease was Verticillium alboatrum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Pestalotia macrotricha. Control using synthetic chemical for the fungus is severely decreasing the quality of the environment, therefore the use of organic agent such as botanical fungicide and the use of potassium fertilizer is recommended. The purpose of this research is to find the dose of potassium fertilizer and sea weed extract to decrease yellow latex disease of mangosteen fruit. The research was done in-vivo in the field with indicator of the decrease of yellow latex incident. The research showed that potassium fertilizer of 1.5 kg/plant combine with 1% extract was the best treatment with the lowest yellow latex incident of 9.4%. The treatment effective decreasing the disease of 56.3% compared to control and 56.9% when it is compared to 0,2% Antracol fungicide.


This paper aims at developing numerically validated models for predicting the through-plane effective index of refraction and absorption index of nanocomposite thin-films. First, models for the effective optical properties are derived from previously reported analysis applying the volume averaging theory (VAT) to the Maxwell's equations. The transmittance and reflectance of nanoporous thin-films are computed by solving the Maxwell's equations and the associated boundary conditions at all interfaces using finite element methods. The effective optical properties of the films are retrieved by minimizing the root mean square of the relative errors between the computed and theoretical transmittance and reflectance. Nanoporous thin-films made of SiO2 and TiO2 consisting of cylindrical nanopores and nanowires are investigated for different diameters and various porosities. Similarly, electromagnetic wave transport through dielectric medium with embedded metallic nanowires are simulated. Numerical results are compared with predictions from widely used effective property models including (1) Maxwell-Garnett Theory, (2) Bruggeman effective medium approximation, (3) parallel, (4) series, (5) Lorentz-Lorenz, and (6) VAT models. Very good agreement is found with the VAT model for both the effective index of refraction and absorption index. Finally, the effect of volume fraction on the effective complex index of refraction predicted by the VAT model is discussed. For certain values of wavelengths and volume fractions, the effective index of refraction or absorption index of the composite material can be smaller than that of both the continuous and dispersed phases. These results indicate guidelines for designing nanocomposite optical materials.Copyright © 2006 by ASME


Recent theoretical studies have shown that probabilistic spiking can be interpreted as learning and inference in cortical microcircuits. This interpretation creates new opportunities for building neuromorphic systems driven by probabilistic learning algorithms. However, such systems must have two crucial features: 1) the neurons should follow a specific behavioral model, and 2) stochastic spiking should be implemented efficiently for it to be scalable. This paper proposes a memristor-based stochastically spiking neuron that fulfills these requirements. First, the analytical model of the memristor is enhanced so it can capture the behavioral stochasticity consistent with experimentally observed phenomena. The switching behavior of the memristor model is demonstrated to be akin to the firing of the stochastic spike response neuron model, the primary building block for probabilistic algorithms in spiking neural networks. Furthermore, the paper proposes a neural soma circuit that utilizes the intrinsic nondeterminism of memristive switching for efficient spike generation. The simulations and analysis of the behavior of a single stochastic neuron and a winner-take-all network built of such neurons and trained on handwritten digits confirm that the circuit can be used for building probabilistic sampling and pattern adaptation machinery in spiking networks. The findings constitute an important step towards scalable and efficient probabilistic neuromorphic platforms.


antigen, which is a marker of cellular proliferation and reported to be a prognostic factor for various cancers. The high immunoreactivity of MIB-1 in conjunctival OSSN is usually associated with highly aggressive tumour growth. 8 Our results demonstrate a higher immunoreactivity of MIB-1 in the right conjunctival specimen. These findings indicate that the right conjunctival specimen is more aggressive than the left, and is consistent with this patient's clinical course. In conclusion, this case represents a rare example of conjunctival pathology: OSSN as a bilateral tumour. To our knowledge, this is also the first report that compares the right and left biopsies of conjunctival OSSN by immunohistochemical analysis of potential oncogenic factors. Enhanced expression of MIB-1 and presence of mutant p53 protein in the absence of bcl-2 may contribute to the aggressive biology of OSSN.


The history of the Irish Republican Army from its roots in 1916 to the present day is analyzed in this book. Every decade of the IRA's history is discussed, from its high point in 1921, when it became the "legitimate" army of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic and dragged the British government to the negotiating table, to subsequent failures and eventual regroupings. Explored in detail are the current events surrounding the IRA, including the dramatic ceasefire in 1994, Gerry Adams's leadership, peace talks, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the continuing quest for lasting peace.


Over the last forty years, scientists have uncovered evidence that if the Universe had been forged with even slightly different properties, life as we know it - and life as we can imagine it - would be impossible. Join us on a journey through how we understand the Universe, from its most basic particles and forces, to planets, stars and galaxies, and back through cosmic history to the birth of the cosmos. Conflicting notions about our place in the Universe are defined, defended and critiqued from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints. The authors' engaging and witty style addresses what fine-tuning might mean for the future of physics and the search for the ultimate laws of nature. Tackling difficult questions and providing thought-provoking answers, this volumes challenges us to consider our place in the cosmos, regardless of our initial convictions.


We have investigated signaling mechanisms that may underlie the T cell mitogenic properties of the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin. Ionomycin induces highly purified resting human T cells to proliferate in the presence of monocytes with accompanying IL-2R expression and IL-2 synthesis. Treatment of T cells with ionomycin triggers the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides, as evidenced by the accumulation of the hydrolytic by-products phosphatidic acid and inositol phosphates. Ionomycin also induces the activation of protein kinase C (PKC), as demonstrated by the auto-phosphorylation of PKC and the phosphorylation of the PKC target proteins CD4 and CD8. Ionomycin synergizes with PMA in enhancing the activation of PKC. It is concluded that, in addition to its putative activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent signaling pathways, ionomycin induces the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides and the activation of PKC in human T cells. The synergy of ionomycin with phorbol esters in triggering T cell activation may relate, at least in part, to enhanced activation of PKC.


Introduction: Patient is the best resource and most important component in medical education. One of the vital parts of clinical education is patients' cooperation and acceptance of medical students in their care.
Aim: To assess patients' attitude towards medical students at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Dhaka, and to determine factors that may affect those attitudes.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at CMH Dhaka, an affiliated teaching hospital to Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC). One hundred and eighteen patients were interviewed face to face from January to June 2021 using a predesigned questionnaire.
Results: All study participants had responded to the questionnaire. Majority of the patients (98%) thought that students should examine patients as part of their medical training. All participants accepted students' presence during the medical consultation. 86.4% and 69.5% of the patients agreed students' involvement in general physical examination in presence and absence of a doctor respectively. In case of genital examination by students 33.9% and 30.5% patients were agreed to allow them in presence and absence of supervising doctor respectively.
Conclusion: Patients of this study show some overall positive attitudes. Patients like less number of students' involvement in their physical examination; however, majority of the patients realized the importance of patient examination by students as a part of their medical training.
JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 17, No 2 (December) 2021: 12-16


Data perturbation is a popular technique in privacy-preserving data mining. A major challenge in data perturbation is to balance privacy protection and data utility, which are normally considered as a pair of conflicting factors. We argue that selectively preserving the task/model specific information in perturbation will help achieve better privacy guarantee and better data utility. One type of such information is the multidimensional geometric information, which is implicitly utilized by many data-mining models. To preserve this information in data perturbation, we propose the Geometric Data Perturbation (GDP) method. In this paper, we describe several aspects of the GDP method. First, we show that several types of well-known data-mining models will deliver a comparable level of model quality over the geometrically perturbed data set as over the original data set. Second, we discuss the intuition behind the GDP method and compare it with other multidimensional perturbation methods such as random projection perturbation. Third, we propose a multi-column privacy evaluation framework for evaluating the effectiveness of geometric data perturbation with respect to different level of attacks. Finally, we use this evaluation framework to study a few attacks to geometrically perturbed data sets. Our experimental study also shows that geometric data perturbation can not only provide satisfactory privacy guarantee but also preserve modeling accuracy well.


TRIFONOVA, Z. and A. ATANASOV, 2011. Control of potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis with some plant extracts and neem products. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 17: 623-627 An experiment was conducted under glass-house conditions to test the effects of five plants products in the form of drenches on the growth of potato and population density of potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis. All the tested formulations improved plant growth, yield and suppressed the nematode multiplication. Neem oil+extract of Nicotiana tabacum 0.5% or Veratrum album 1.0% were the most effective in reducing the disease incidence (77.7 – 77.8%), followed by neem Azal 0.3% (66.6%) and neem oil 0.3% (50.0%). None of the formulations was phytotoxic even at the tested concentration.


This paper proposes a hybrid circuit between a conformal strongly-coupled magnetic resonance (CSCMR) and a strongly-coupled magnetic resonance (SCMR), for better wireless power transmission (WPT). This combination promises to enhance the flexibility of the proposed four-loop WPT system. The maximum efficiency at various distances is achieved by combining coupling-matching between the source and transmitting coils along with the coupling factor between the transmitting and receiving coils. Furthermore, the distance between transmitting and receiving coils is investigated along with the distance relationship between the source loop and transmission coil, in order to achieve the maximum efficiency of the proposed hybrid WPT system. The results indicate that the proposed approach can be effectively employed at distances comparatively smaller than the maximum distance without frequency matching. The achievable efficiency can be as high as 84% for the whole working range of the transmitter. In addition, the proposed hybrid system allows more spatial freedom compared to existing chargers.


BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that it has being a growing problem worldwide, very few works and papers have been published on drug use during pregnancy. OBJECTIVES: To objectively address the most commonly abused drugs (alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and tobacco) by women of a reproductive age. METHODS: A literature review (MEDLINE, LILACS) of the most recent papers on drug abuse by women of reproductive age was carried out. RESULTS: The primary consequences of drug abuse both for the mother and the infant are described. CONCLUSIONS: This is a little discussed major public health issue which requires the involvement of a multidisciplinary team. The publication of a greater number of papers on the problem is necessary in order to establish the best strategy for addressing intervention in this population.


Type 1 allergic diseases are characterized by elevated production of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) for each antigen and have become a significant health problem worldwide. This study investigated the effect of IgE-mediated allergy on drug pharmacokinetics. To further understand differential suppression of hepatic cytochrome P450 (P450) activity, we examined the inhibitory effect of nitric oxide (NO), a marker of allergic conditions. Seven days after primary sensitization (PS7) or secondary sensitization (SS7), hepatic CYP1A2, CYP2C, CYP2E1, and CYP3A activities were decreased to 45%–75% of the corresponding control; however, CYP2D activity was not downregulated. PS7 and SS7 did not change the expression levels of five P450 proteins. Disappearance of CYP1A2 and CYP2D substrates from the plasma was not significantly different between allergic mice and control mice. In contrast, the area under the curve of a CYP1A2-mediated metabolite in PS7 and SS7 mice was reduced by 50% of control values. Total clearances of a CYP2E1 substrate in PS7 and SS7 mice were significantly decreased to 70% and 50% respectively, of the control without altering plasma protein binding. Hepatic amounts of CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 substrates were enhanced by allergic induction, being responsible for each downregulated activity. NO scavenger treatment completely improved the downregulated P450 activities. Therefore, our data suggest that the onset of IgE-mediated allergy alters the pharmacokinetics of major P450-metabolic capacity–limited drugs except for CYP2D drugs. NO is highly expected to participate in regulatory mechanisms of the four P450 isoforms.


Background: Despite enormous sensitization and management options available for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the last 2 decades, these infections remain highly endemic in certain parts of Cameroon. This is a descriptive study of genital hygiene and predisposition to STIs in some women in Dschang, West Region, Cameroon. Materials and Methods: A total of 2172 consenting women seeking gynecological care at the Dschang District Hospital from 2009 to 2010 were interviewed, examined, cervical/blood specimens collected, and analyzed. Results: Inadequate healthcare systems; lack of reproductive health knowledge; vaginal washing with contaminated water or chemicals; contaminated sanitary towels or gynecologic equipment; unsterile sharps; dirty and damp lavatories; synthetic and tight underwear; multiple or concurrent sex partners; primitive traditions; myths; polygamous and inherited marriages; asymptomatic carriage of pathogens; self-medication; antibiotic abuse; traditional therapy; reinfections; poverty; poor sanitation; and illiteracy were related to genital conditions identified in 1466 (67%) study subjects, excluding 41 (2%) cases with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) only. In total, 1353 (62%) patients were infectious cases, 113 (5%) had noninfectious vaginitis, 171 (8%) were positive for HIV/AIDS serology, with 6% having concurrent genital infections. Of the 1507 patients diagnosed with STIs, 62% were symptomatic and 7% asymptomatic comprising 5% convalescent and 2% healthy carriers. Bacterial vaginosis 24%, vaginal candidiasis 18%, chlamydia 15%, and active syphilis 11% predominated over trichomonas, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, herpes, and warts with rates ≤1%. Conclusion: In mitigation, hand washing, clean toilets, sexual behaviors that contribute to STIs, delay sexual debut, condom usage, rational employment of examination methods, improved medical diagnostics testing both men and women, attitude change and prevention education were emphasized on.


The structural design of functional molecules, also called molecular optimization, is an essential chemical science and engineering task with important applications, such as drug discovery. Deep generative models and combinatorial optimization methods achieve initial success but still struggle with directly modeling discrete chemical structures and often heavily rely on brute-force enumeration. The challenge comes from the discrete and non-differentiable nature of molecule structures. To address this, we propose differentiable scaffolding tree (DST) that utilizes a learned knowledge network to convert discrete chemical structures to locally differentiable ones. DST enables a gradient-based optimization on a chemical graph structure by back-propagating the derivatives from the target properties through a graph neural network (GNN). Our empirical studies show the gradient-based molecular optimizations are both effective and sample efficient. Furthermore, the learned graph parameters can also provide an explanation that helps domain experts understand the model output.


The tourist maps are geographic maps designed for tourists that indicate the narrow course of tour itineraries such as foot routes, automobile or railroad travel routes, or some combination of these. Specialised maps serve as advertisements for tourism and as a means to publicise vacation spots, sightseeing landmarks, and tourist attractions. A good specialised tour map may combine both the functions of guiding tourism and broadening tourists' horizons of regional culture and historical attractions. A usable product can assist people in decision-making process, thus, taking account of users' requirements to create an 'Simple Interface' is the strategy of this map design. This paper introduces the concept of a thematic tour map design that bases on the regeneration of Liverpool Albert Dock, to reveal the scenic spots in the regenerated post-industrial zone of the city. As one of the cultural products developed in the urban regeneration project, this knowledge-oriented map design takes account of human-centred design (HCD) approach, aimed to enhance the user's interactive experience, and add commemorative value to the product. Following the theory of three levels of design: function, form, and user experience (UX). The design focuses not only on: (1) the function of the map, such as illustrating geographic/transportation information and rendering regional cultural/industrial heritage attractions, but also (2) the aesthetic styling of the product to satisfy the commemorative/collection demand of tourists; and in particular, the design emphases (3) to improve the UX through creating an ergonomic user interface (UI). Applying product semantic/semiotics principle, this tourist-centred map design has proposed to create a simple interface of the map, and with the aesthetic form of graphic presentation, thereby, to provide the users an intuitive interaction with the map that enhances the users' experience. In this map design, the tourist information of the city was highlighted to focus on regional culture and industrial heritage presentation. The contents were categorised into geographic information and knowledge sections. The map consists of Liverpool Attractions, City Centre Map, Mersey Rail Map and Albert Dock History. Having applied the foldable concept and 3D aerial style in the map design, the product helps the users to easily carry and use. In addition, the iconic post-industrial architectures of the dock and the colour of Liverpool urban landscapes were extracted, abstracted, and applied to the map design, aimed to add commemorative value and to reflect Liverpool's distinctive scenic spots. Having targeted both to satisfy the functional requirements of the users and to introduce necessary/relevant knowledge of the city, this knowledge-oriented thematic map design offers accurate and humanised service, so as to improve the user's experience in travelling. This paper expects to provide designers or researchers with an example of future map design, through employing the HCD approach to create a knowledge-oriented map with an improved user experience.


The perdurable question, "Who am I?" points to a deeply rooted need within us to understand the basis for the experience of unitary consciousness known as the Self. Today, the word "self" has come to refer to a host of intersecting ideas, questions, concerns, and problems that are central to the human condition and predicament. At the same time, our fundamental experience of selfhood has inevitably led to the pursuit of the related but equally enigmatic question of "What is the Self?" Historically, concepts and theories of what constitutes the Self abound and, at times, have been so disparate that the term has assumed radically different meanings across disciplines. In partnership with the Nour Foundation, the New York Academy of Sciences presented a six-part series of public events, from December 2010 through May 2011, examining the question "What is the Self?" The series brought together experts from the sciences and humanities to discuss the evolving notion, construct, and experience of the Self without losing sight of the subjective value that makes this topic so integral to each of us. In addition to transcripts from each of the six public events, short perspective articles by several of the participants explore specific issues related to their individual experiences and field study. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit http://ordering.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/subs.asp?ref=1749-6632&doi=10.1111/(ISSN)1749-6632. ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order ( www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.


We explain how the common practice of size-discovery trade detracts from overall financial market efficiency. At each of a series of size-discovery sessions, traders report their desired trades, generating allocations of the asset and cash that rely on the most recent exchange price. Traders can thus mitigate exchange price impacts by waiting for size-discovery sessions. This waiting causes socially costly delays in the rebalancing of asset positions across traders. As the frequency of size-discovery sessions is increased, exchange market depth is further lowered by the traders' reduced incentive to bid aggressively on the exchange, further delaying the rebalancing of positions, and more than offsetting the gains from trade that occur at each of the size-discovery sessions.


Assessing the relative importance of sea ice algal-based production is often vital for studies about climate change impacts on Arctic marine ecosystems. Several types of lipid biomarkers and stable isotope ratios are widely used for tracing sea ic-associated (sympagic) vs. pelagic particulate organic matter (POM) in marine food webs. However, there has been limited understanding about the plasticity of these compounds in space and time, which constrains the robustness of some of those approaches. Furthermore, some of the markers are compromised by not being unambiguously specific for sea ice algae, whereas others might only be produced by a small sub-group of species. We analyzed fatty acids, highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs), stable isotope ratios of particulate organic carbon (POC) (δ13C), as well as δ13C of selected fatty acid markers during an Arctic sea ice algal bloom, focusing on spatial and temporal variability. We found remarkable differences between these approaches and show that inferences about bloom characteristics might even be contradictory between markers. The impact of environmental factors as causes of this considerable variability is highlighted and explained. We emphasize that awareness and, in some cases, caution is required when using lipid and stable isotope markers as tracers in food web studies and offer recommendations for the proper application of these valuable approaches.


Oral route is the most preferred route for administration of various drugs because it is regarded as safest, most convenient and economical route. Recently researcher developed the fast disintegrating tablets with improved patient compliance and convenience. Fast disintegrating tablets are solid dosage forms which dissolve rapidly in saliva without chewing and additional water. Fast disintegrating tablets overcome the disadvantages of conventional dosage form especially dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) in paediatric and geriatric patients. Fast disintegrating tablets have received ever-increasing demand during the last decade, and the field has become a rapidly growing area in the pharmaceutical industry. Upon introduction into the mouth, these tablets dissolve or disintegrate in the mouth in the absence of additional water for easy administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The popularity and usefulness of the formulation resulted in development of several fast disintegrating tablets technologies. This review includes requirements for fast disintegrating tablets, sailent features, advantages, limitations, challenges in formulation, various technologies developed for fast disintegrating tablets, patented technologies, evaluation methods and various marketed products.


Extensive studies on the plants, Calophyllum inophyllum and Cratoxylum glaucum have
resulted in the isolation of ten compounds. All these compounds were isolated by means
of chromatographic methods and their structures derived on the basis of spectroscopic
evidence, mainly 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Chemical investigations on the root bark extracts of Calophyllum inophyllum has yielded
two new xanthones, inophyllin A and inophyllin B, three known xanthones,
brasilixanthone B, tovopyrifolin C, caloxanthone B, one triterpene, friedelin and one
triterpenoid, -sitosterol. Cratoxylum glaucum afforded two triterpenes, friedelin and
stigmasterol, two known anthraquinones, 1,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-6-methylanthraquinone
and vismiaquinone and a known xanthone, dimethylmangostin.
Cytotoxic assay was performed using CEM-SS Cell Line. All the crude extracts of
Calophyllum inophyllum and Cratoxylum glaucum showed no activity.
Antimicrobial assay was carried out towards four pathogenic bacteria, Methicillin
Resistant Staphylococcus aures, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus typhimurium
and Bacillus subtilis. Most of the crude extracts tested against these microbes gave no
activity.
Larvicidal test was carried out towards the larvae of Aedes aegypti. The larvae were not
susceptible to all of the crude extracts and pure compounds of Calophyllum inophyllum
and Cratoxylum glaucum


Aluminum honeycomb has been highlighted in aeronautics and astronautics in the form of the sandwich structure, but defects are easily generated during machining. Ultrasonic cutting for honeycomb material has received growing attention over the past years for improved machining quality and efficiency. In order to support the industrial application of the ultrasonic cutting for aluminum honeycomb by disc cutter, a finite element (FE) model is established and experimental investigations are conducted to study the influencing factors of the machining quality. The proposed FE model is verified by the comparison of cutting forces obtained from simulations and experiments. Based on the FE model and experiments, influences of tool orientation precisions, including lead angle and runout of disc cutter, are analyzed first. Moreover, cutting force, honeycomb morphology, the stress in the cutting zone, and cell wall deformation at different cutting parameters are investigated. Results show that the lead angle should be set as a slightly positive value and the axial runout of the disc cutter should be controlled to an extremely small value to avoid machining defects. Meanwhile, the cutting forces decrease significantly with the application of the ultrasonic vibration and increase with the increases in the feed speed and the cutting depth. Therefore, a well-machined surface can be obtained by applying ultrasonic vibration, cutting at a lower feed speed, and a smaller cutting depth.


The boundary integral equations that are called guided-mode extracted integral equations are applied to the investigation of the power-coupling-properties between two arbitrarily ended dielectric slab waveguides. The integral equations derived in this paper can be solved by the conventional boundary-element method. The reflection and coupling coefficients of the guided wave, as well as the scattering power, are calculated numerically for the case of incident TE guided-mode waves. The results presented are checked by the energy conservation law and the reciprocity theorem. Numerical results are presented for several geometries of coupling, including systems with three-layered symmetrical and asymmetrical slab waveguides.


We present a joint deep neural system identification model for two major sources of neural variability: stimulus-driven and stimulus-conditioned fluctuations. To this end, we combine (1) state-of-the-art deep networks for stimulus-driven activity and (2) a flexible, normalizing flow-based generative model to capture the stimulus-conditioned variability including noise correlations. This allows us to train the model end-to-end without the need for sophisticated probabilistic approximations associated with many latent state models for stimulus-conditioned fluctuations. We train the model on the responses of thousands of neurons from multiple areas of the mouse visual cortex to natural images. We show that our model outperforms previous state-of-the-art models in predicting the distribution of neural population responses to novel stimuli, including shared stimulus-conditioned variability. Furthermore, it successfully learns known latent factors of the population responses that are related to behavioral variables such as pupil dilation, and other factors that vary systematically with brain area or retinotopic location. Overall, our model accurately accounts for two critical sources of neural variability while avoiding several complexities associated with many existing latent state models. It thus provides a useful tool for uncovering the interplay between different factors that contribute to variability in neural activity.