BACKGROUND
Most data regarding the association between the glycemic index and cardiovascular disease come from high-income Western populations, with little information from non-Western countries with low or middle incomes. To fill this gap, data are needed from a large, geographically diverse population.

METHODS
This analysis includes 137,851 participants between the ages of 35 and 70 years living on five continents, with a median follow-up of 9.5 years. We used country-specific food-frequency questionnaires to determine dietary intake and estimated the glycemic index and glycemic load on the basis of the consumption of seven categories of carbohydrate foods. We calculated hazard ratios using multivariable Cox frailty models. The primary outcome was a composite of a major cardiovascular event (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure) or death from any cause.

RESULTS
In the study population, 8780 deaths and 8252 major cardiovascular events occurred during the follow-up period. After performing extensive adjustments comparing the lowest and highest glycemic-index quintiles, we found that a diet with a high glycemic index was associated with an increased risk of a major cardiovascular event or death, both among participants with preexisting cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25 to 1.82) and among those without such disease (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.34). Among the components of the primary outcome, a high glycemic index was also associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular causes. The results with respect to glycemic load were similar to the findings regarding the glycemic index among the participants with cardiovascular disease at baseline, but the association was not significant among those without preexisting cardiovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS
In this study, a diet with a high glycemic index was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. (Funded by the Population Health Research Institute and others.).


Abstract : The α subunits of Shaker‐related K+ channels (Kv1.X) show characteristic distributions in mammalian brain and restricted coassembly. Despite the functional importance of these voltage‐sensitive K+ channels and involvement in a number of diseases, little progress has been achieved in deciphering the subunit composition of the (α)4(β)4 oligomers occurring in human CNS. Thus, the association of α and β subunits was investigated in cerebral grey and white matter and spinal cord from autopsy samples. Immunoblotting established the presence of Kv1.1, 1.2, and 1.4 in all the tissues, with varying abundance. Sequential immunoprecipitations identified the subunits coassembled. A putative tetramer of Kv1.3/1.4/1.1/1.2 was found in grey matter. Both cerebral white matter and spinal cord contained the heterooligomers Kv1.1/1.4 and Kv1.1/1.2, similar to grey matter, but both lacked Kv1.3 and the Kv1.4/1.2 combination. An apparent Kv1.4 homooligomer was detected in all the samples, whereas only the brain tissue possessed a putative Kv1.2 homomer. In grey matter, Kvβ2.1 was coassociated with the Kv1.1/1.2 combination and Kv1.2 homooligomer. In white matter, Kvβ2.1 was associated with Kv1.2 only, whereas Kvβ1.1 coprecipitated with all the α subunits present. This represents the first description of Kv1 subunit complexes in the human CNS and demonstrates regional variations, indicative of functional specialisation.


This white paper discusses how Reactis® a for C, an automated testgeneration tool, may be used to find bugs in C programs. Reactis for C consists of three primary components: Tester, Simulator, and Validator. Reactis Tester automatically generates test cases that stress a program, often discovering run-time errors. The generated tests aim to maximize coverage with respect to a number of test coverage metrics including Statement, Decision, Condition and Modified Condition/Decision Coverage (MC/DC). Reactis Simulator is a simulation environment which supports interactive execution and debugging of C programs and graphical display of test coverage results. Reactis Validator enables an engineer to formalize application requirements (as assertions or coverage targets) and perform an automatic check for requirement violations. Validator performs these checks by thoroughly simulating the program with the goal of violating assertions and covering targets. When a runtime error or assertion failure occurs, Validator returns a test which produces a concrete execution sequence that leads to the error, which greatly facilitates the diagnosis and repair of the underlying software bug. aReactis is a registered trademark of Reactive Systems, Inc.


When we think of segregation, what often comes to mind is apartheid South Africa, or the American South in the age of Jim Crow - two societies fundamentally premised on the concept of the separation of the races. But as Carl H. Nightingale shows us in this magisterial history, segregation is everywhere, deforming cities and societies worldwide. Starting with segregation's ancient roots, and what the archaeological evidence reveals about humanity's long-standing use of urban divisions to reinforce political and economic inequality, Nightingale then moves to the world of European colonialism. It was there, he shows, that segregation based on color-and eventually on race-took hold; the British East India Company, for example, split Calcutta into "White Town" and "Black Town." As we follow Nightingale's story around the globe, we see that division replicated from Hong Kong to Nairobi, Baltimore to San Francisco, and beyond. The turn of the twentieth century saw the most aggressive segregation movements yet, as white communities almost everywhere set to rearranging whole cities along racial lines. Nightingale focuses closely on two striking examples: Johannesburg, with its state-sponsored separation, and Chicago, in which the goal of segregation was advanced by the more subtle methods of real estate markets and housing policy. For the first time ever, the majority of humans live in cities, and nearly all those cities bear the scars of segregation. This unprecedented, ambitious history lays bare our troubled past, and sets us on the path to imagining the better, more equal cities of the future.


Over the last decade microstructure imaging has become commonly endorsed to estimate quantitative features of neuronal tissue. However, those techniques estimate the microstructure only locally. Microstructure informed tractography was recently proposed to bolster microstructure estimates by accounting for the structure of the white matter bundles. The purpose of this study was to extend this novel technique for evaluating bundle-specific axon diameter distributions and investigate bundle-specific properties in the human brain. The experiment was performed on the MGH adult HCP dataset. The findings suggest potential application in the estimation of the axon diameter distribution along white matter bundles in whole-brain tractograms.


Why do African Americans appear to have a higher likelihood of engaging in domestic violence than whites? To address this question, we draw on insights from social disorganization theory and recent research on urban poverty. We argue that the apparent correlation between race and domestic violence is confounded with the different ecological contexts typically occupied by African Americans and whites. Using data from wave 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households and the 1990 U.S. census, we show that: (1) rates of domestic violence for both African Americans and whites vary systematically by type of community; (2) the correlation between race and domestic violence is substantially reduced or disappears altogether when whites are compared to African Americans in similar ecological contexts; and (3) individual-level risk factors for domestic violence appear to operate similarly for both African Americans and whites.


The Clean-Up and Land Reclamation Project is part of the World Bank's overall Social and Environmental Support Project for Kosovo's lignite power initiative. The project involves the execution of a clean-up and reclamation pilot project in the area of Obiliq where current mining operations take place and power stations are located. The possible impacts of the entire project were examined and mitigation measures were proposed. On the whole the project was found to be positive for the local and national economy, providing much needed employment both directly and indirectly. Although the project will have an overall positive impact on the environment, a few issues arise. In those instances, the report recommends: Carefully selecting the new route for the Kosovo A ash disposal system and using bushes as screens so as to have the least impact on the landscape; using sprinkler systems, covering exposed clay and ash material as well as machinery, equipment, and site roads to suppress dust emissions; fueling machines only at secure, designated areas to prevent overburdening dumps; further minimizing noise by scheduling truck movements and work during daytime, fitting vehicles and machinery with exhaust silencers and regularly maintaining them, shutting down or throttling back machines when they are not in use; keeping all earthworks to a minimum, carefully removing topsoil and storing for reuse, avoiding overloading conveyor belts and regularly cleaning them to prevent soil destruction and reducie spills during excavation; monitoring effects on groundwater from accidental spills and increased seepage; and installing a drainage system and sedimentation system to protect surface waters.


Social media platforms have been the subject of controversy and scrutiny due to the spread of hateful content. To address this problem, the platforms implement content moderation using a mix of human and algorithmic processes. However, content moderation itself has lead to further accusations against the platforms of political bias. In this study, we investigate how channel partisanship and video misinformation affect the likelihood of comment moderation on YouTube. Using a dataset of 84,068 comments on 258 videos, we find that although comments on right-leaning videos are more heavily moderated from a correlational perspective, we find no evidence to support claims of political bias when using a causal model that controls for common confounders (e.g., hate speech). Additionally, we find that comments are more likely to be moderated if the video channel is ideologically extreme, if the video content is false, and if the comments were posted after a fact-check.


Background: Pelvic pain and abnormal pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tension frequently are present in individuals with endometriosis and often persist even after surgical excision of the endometriosis lesions. Physical therapists are educated in improving muscle tone and function for individuals who have sustained injury, have had surgery, or have required rehabilitation for various pelvic health conditions. More scientific evidence is needed to support the benefits of physical therapy (PT) interventions for individuals with a history of endometriosis. Case Description: The 50-year old female patient presented in this case report underwent laparoscopic excision of endometriosis, yet she continued to experience discomfort in her left lower abdomen and vaginal area after surgery. Within a four month period, the patient participated in ten sessions of pelvic physical therapy that included manual therapy, instruction in relaxation techniques, and a home program. Outcomes: At the time of her discharge from physical therapy, the patient reported a reduction in symptoms on the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire - Short Form 7 (PFIQ-7) and was able to resume activities that she had not previously tolerated because of abdominal and pelvic pain. Discussion: Identifying effective interventions for patients that have received surgical management is important. Pelvic physical therapy may help individuals avoid surgery and eliminate or reduce the use of medications. Because of the positive outcomes of this case report, it is recommended that when endometriosis is suspected or diagnosed, a pelvic physical therapy evaluation should be considered. Further research is needed to assess physical therapy as part of the standard of care for women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.


This volume deals with the second Division of the Curculionoidea, the Heteromorphi, which stand between the primitive families and the more advanced remainder of the groups, as well as the first group of the advanced weevils, or Division Gonatoceri. It covers the families Nanophyidae, Rhynchophoridae and Erirhininae of Heteromorphi and the curculionid subfamily Amycterinae of Gonatoceri, section Phanerognatha. It catalogues 65 genera and 475 species, accompanied by about 600 individual drawings and black-and-white photographs. The remainder of the volume (375 pages) comprises an extensive literature on weevils, including valuable biographical notes on the most prominent authors and collectors of Australian weevils, notably Lea, the Macleays, Marshall, Pascoe and Schoenherr.


Thou shalt not grant or deny class certification based on an analysis of the probability of success on the merits of the plaintiffs' claim. That fundamental principle of procedural jurisprudence was announced over 25 years ago in Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin1 and remains bedrock law today. But the principle has had increasingly negative consequences, has helped lead to an undue narrowing of substantive antitrust rules, and is no longer supported by the reasons originally given for it. This Article, therefore, suggests that Eisen has outlived its usefulness and should be overruled.


This paper reviews the collective studies of domestic violence in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in particular, Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Domestic violence is one form of gender inequality. Studies have shown that domestic violence is the most severe violation of human rights causing social and economic repercussions to countries. SIDS are no exception, with increase rate of domestic violence, the countries suffer through loss of productive labour and increase costs to the government, victims and society. By addressing domestic violence through education and workshops at the grass root level monetary funds can be diverted into other sectors within the economy, thus lifting a country's status quo. More importantly, women and girls will have equal outcomes as men and boys; eradicating the vicious cycle of domestic violence, thus enabling a country to reach its full economic potential.


The most comprehensive resource on slurries and slurry systems, covering everything from fluid mechanics to soil classification, pump design to selection criteria. Slurries are mixtures of liquids and solid particles of all types. For instance, liquid is used as a way of transporting what you get out of the mine, which might be better than shoveling it into freight cars and carrying it out by train. Slurry systems are fundamental to dredging, many mineral processes, bridge and tunnel construction, and to the manufacturer of synthetic petroleum products from oil sands.


The permanent income hypothesis is tested on a four-quarter panel of about two thousand Japanese households for ten commodity groups. Consumption is a distributed lag function of expenditures, and the utility function is additively separable in time. Durability is defined as the persistence of the distributed lag. The permanent income hypothesis implies that, for each commodity group, expected change in expenditures is correlated neither with past expenditure changes on other commodities nor with expected change indisposable income, if its own lags are controlled for. The main results are the following: (1) durability is substantial even for food and services, (2)the permanent income hypothesis applies to almost all (probably more than ninety percent) of the population, and (3) the habit persistence hypothesis is rejected in favor of the permanent income hypothesis.


Patterns of clinal genetic variation in Drosophila are often characterized after rearing at constant temperatures. However, clinal patterns might change after acclimation if populations differ in their plastic response to fluctuating environments. We studied longevity, starvation and heat knock‐down resistance after development at either constant or fluctuating temperatures in nine Drosophila buzzatii populations collected along an altitudinal gradient in Tenerife, Spain. Flies that developed at fluctuating temperatures had higher stress resistance despite experiencing a slightly lower average temperature than those at constant temperatures. Genetic variation along the gradient was found in both stress‐resistance traits. Because QST values greatly exceeded FST values, genetic drift could not explain this diversification. In general, differences among populations were larger after rearing at fluctuating temperatures, especially in heat knock‐down, for which clinal patterns disappeared when flies were reared at constant temperatures. This result emphasizes the importance of determining whether populations originating from different environments differ in their plastic responses to stress.


The first test of President Franklin Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy in Mexico was not over the March 1938 nationalization of the foreign-owned oil industry but rather involved the expropriation of American-owned rural property during the preceding three years. As president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940, Lazaro Cardenas undertook a massive agrarian reform program that redistributed nearly forty-five million acres of land, more than double the amount redistributed over the previous seventeen years combined. Included was the expropriation of approximately three million acres of American-owned agricultural property, valued between $19 million and $102 million. More than three hundred American farmers and businesses lost plots of land, ranging from as few as six to as many as four hundred thousand acres. Few American property owners in Mexico during this period survived land redistribution unscathed as it affected individual American farmers, large multinational agribusinesses, and land speculation firms. The exchange of notes between the United States and Mexico in November 1938 ended a three-year dispute over the seizure of American-owned estates and Mexico's failure to compensate U.S. landowners.(1) In light of the overt and heavy-handed role played by the United States in Mexico's internal affairs throughout the nation's history, it is difficult to understand how the Mexican government was able to appropriate vast tracts of American-owned property without inciting a hard-line U.S. response. In 1911, U.S. Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson conspired with Felix Diaz and General Victoriano Huerta to overthrow President Francisco Madero because Madero would not show special favors to U.S. economic interests. In 1914, U.S. Marines occupied the port city of Veracruz for nine months to prevent Huerta from receiving German arms shipments, while in 1916, more than ten thousand U.S. troops spent close to a year in northern Mexico pursuing rebel leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa. From 1913 to 1917, Washington would not officially recognize the Mexican government; from 1920 to 1923, the United States again broke off relations because American-owned property in Mexico was threatened by the possible enforcement of the expropriation decrees contained in the 1917 Mexican Constitution. Finally, in 1927 there was talk of war between the two countries when Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles supported the anti-American uprising of Juan Sacasa in Nicaragua and implemented a new petroleum law that threatened to undermine the American-owned oil companies operating in Mexico. Ambassador Dwight Morrow played an instrumental role in reducing the acrimony in U.S.-Mexican relations during the late 1920s by helping to negotiate a cease fire to Mexico's three-year-long Cristero uprising, ensuring U.S. support of the Mexican federal government during the 1929 Escobar Rebellion and persuading an already conservative Calles that his country would be better served if it did not enforce its nationalistic laws. Morrow, however, did not have to address a widespread attack on American economic interests or deal with a far-left administration in Mexico City, as did Roosevelt and Ambassador Josephus Daniels. Thus, when American-owned agricultural property was seized on a large scale just a few years later, it is surprising that the Roosevelt administration did not respond aggressively to protect American property owners from land redistribution. The change in U.S. policy toward Mexico stemmed primarily from Roosevelt's implementation of the Good Neighbor Policy, which was predicated on nonintervention and reciprocity. The effects of this policy have been lasting. Ever since the extensive expropriation of American-owned rural holdings in the 1930s, the United States has never sent troops below the Rio Grande, used nonrecognition as a diplomatic tool, or imposed crippling economic sanctions against Mexico. The amicable settlement of the agrarian dispute enhanced Mexican sovereignty and helped to produce a more mature relationship between the two countries by bringing the era of heavy-handed U. …


This historical narrative traces the steps to unravel, over a span of 40 years, an extraordinary event in which 5% of the dissolved salt of the oceans of the world was extracted in a fraction of a million years to form a deposit more than 1 million km3 in volume. A buried abyssal salt layer was identified with reflection profiling and sampled during the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Leg 13. The dolomite, gypsum, anhydrite and halite in the drill cores paint a surprising picture of a Mediterranean desert lying more than 3 km below the Atlantic Ocean with brine pools that shrank and expanded by the evaporative power of the sun. The desert drowned suddenly when the Gibraltar barrier gave way. The explanation of 'deep‐basin, shallow‐water' desiccation and the notion of a catastrophic Zanclean flood had a mixed reception. However, the hypothesis became broadly accepted following subsequent drilling expeditions. Nevertheless, as experts examined the evaporate facies and sequences of equivalent age in the terrestrial outcrops, weaknesses appeared in the concept of repeated flooding and drying to account for the magnitude of the deposits. The 'Rosetta Stone', used to decipher conflicting interpretations, turns out not to be the deposits but the erosion surfaces that enclose them. These surfaces and their detritus – formed in response to the drop in base level during evaporative drawdown – extend to the basin floor. Evaporative drawdown began halfway through the salinity crisis when influx from the Atlantic no longer kept up with evaporation. Prior to that time, a million years passed as a sea of brine concentrated towards halite precipitation. During the later part of this interval, more than 14 cyclic beds of gypsum accumulated along shallow margins, modulated by orbital forcing. The thick salt on the deep seabed precipitated in just the next few cycles when drawdown commenced and the brine volume shrank. Upon closure of the Atlantic spillway, the remnants of the briny sea transformed into salt pans and endorheic lakes fed from watersheds of Eurasia and Africa. The revised model of evaporative concentration now has shallow‐margin, shallow‐water and deep‐basin, deep‐water precursors to desiccation.


The present chapter attempts to draw together some of the main ideas that havebeen developed in the volume. It focuses on the ways in which metaphor usehas been found to vary across the different types of specialist discourse, andrelates this to: disciplines, intended audience, positioning on the scientificpopularcontinuum, mode of delivery (written, spoken, textual or multimodal),immediacy of the communication, and relationship between interlocutors. Thechapter relates these findings to current issues and controversies in the metaphorliterature, discusses the need for more informant data, and suggests waysin which the impact of metaphor on its intended audiences might be studied. Inall of these areas, proposals for further study are made.


The purpose of the study is to explore particular challenges faced when designing virtual environments for children with autism, with the purpose of training social skills. Our findings are based on studying autistic behaviour during three years (primary and secondary sources), analysis of related system and other computer mediated assistive technology, as well as general game design. From these studies we have identified eight critical design parameters that need to be adjustable in a system suitable for autistic persons. The parameters importance, their variation range, as well as the need for independent adjustment of these were estimated and verified by experienced expert pedagogues.


Cite this article: Nawaz H, Shad MA, Aziz AR, Muntaha ST, Muzaffar S. Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Oven Heated and Microwave Treated Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). Free Radicals and Antioxidants. 2018;8(2):89-5. ABSTRACT Objective: The study was designed to investigate the effect of heating in the simple oven and microwave treatment on phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of ginger (Zingiber officinale R.), a popular food ingredient of medicinal importance. Methods: Dried ginger was ground to fine powder and subjected to heating in the simple oven and microwave oven in an increasing order of heating time (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min). The heat-treated samples were extracted in methanol and analyzed for their phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential. Results: A time-dependent significant (p<0.05) negative effect of both treatment methods was observed on total phenolic acids (TPA), total tannins content (TTC), total flavonoids content (TFC), total antioxidant activity (TAOA), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (DPPH RSC) and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (HRSC). Both treatments methods showed the significant positive effect on β-carotene bleaching capacity (BCBC), reducing power (RP) and iron chelating activity (ICA). TPA and TAOA of oven heated, TTC and RP of microwave-treated and TFC, BCBC, and HRSC of ginger varied exponentially while TTC and RP of the oven heated, TPA and TAOA of microwave-treated and ICA and DPPH RSC showed linear variation in response to treatment time. Conclusion: Both heating methods have a significant time-dependent effect on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of ginger. This study provides useful information to the manufacturers and consumers regarding the potential benefits of ginger and effect of various heat treatments methods on its medicinal value.


Title of Dissertation: HEAT TRANSFER AND MECHANICAL DESIGN ANALYSIS OF SUPERCRITICAL GAS COOLING PROCESS OF CO2 IN MICROCHANNELS Guohua Kuang, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Directed By: Professor Michael Ohadi, Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Balakumar Balachandran (Co-Advisor), Department of Mechanical Engineering An extensive review of the literature indicates a lack of systematic study of supercritical CO2 gas cooling and no prior work on CO2/oil mixture in supercritical region, suggesting a lack of fundamental understanding of supercritical gas cooling process and a lack of comprehensive data that would help quantify the performance potential of CO2 microchannel heat exchangers for engineering applications. This dissertation presents a systematic and comprehensive study on gas cooling heat transfer characteristics of supercritical CO2 in microchannels. Semi-empirical correlation is developed for predicting heat transfer performance of supercritical CO2 in microchannels. The effect of oil addition on heat transfer performance has been experimentally investigated as well. It is shown that presence of lubricant oil mixed with supercritical CO2 in the heat exchangers can substantially affect heat transfer and pressure drop coefficients. Because of the outstanding performance of supercritical CO2 and its promising potential as a substitute for current refrigerants, attention has been paid to the design of CO2 microchannel heat exchangers. The extensive review of the literature also indicates no previous study in systematically developing a simulation model for structural design of microchannel heat exchangers. The dissertation extends the research to the mechanical design analysis of microchannel heat exchangers. A finite-element method (FEM) based mechanical design analysis of tube-fin heat exchangers is carried out to develop a simulation model of the heat exchangers. The solid modeling and simulation scheme can be served as a guide for mechanical design of CO2 heat exchangers. Experiments are conducted to validate the developed models as well. HEAT TRANSFER AND MECHANICAL DESIGN ANALYSIS OF SUPERCRITICAL GAS COOLING PROCESS OF CO2 IN MICROCHANNELS


In intelligent speech interaction, automatic speech emotion recognition (SER) plays an important role in understanding user intention. While sentimental speech has different speaker characteristics but similar acoustic attributes, one vital challenge in SER is how to learn robust and discriminative representations for emotion inferring. In this paper, inspired by human emotion perception, we propose a novel representation learning component (RLC) for SER system, which is constructed with Multi-head Self-attention and Global Context-aware Attention Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neutral Network (GCA-LSTM). With the ability of Multi-head Self-attention mechanism in modeling the element-wise correlative dependencies, RLC can exploit the common patterns of sentimental speech features to enhance emotion-salient information importing in representation learning. By employing GCA-LSTM, RLC can selectively focus on emotion-salient factors with the consideration of entire utterance context, and gradually produce discriminative representation for emotion inferring. Experiments on public emotional benchmark database IEMOCAP and a tremendous realistic interaction database demonstrate the outperformance of the proposed SER framework, with 6.6% to 26.7% relative improvement on unweighted accuracy compared to state-of-the-art techniques.


The ability of probiotics to survive the gastric transit to the low pH value of the stomach represents one of the key features associated to their effectiveness. Two strains of L. rhamnosus were evaluated for their ability, when supplied through diverse food matrices, to survive the exposition to four different simulated gastric juices. Probiotics were cultured in MRS broth medium, used as conventional control, as well as in carrot juice, rice cream and cow's milk in order to define the protecting role of the food matrix to the harsh gastric conditions. Fermented cow's milk was chosen as a reference for its well-known protective role towards probiotics. Matrices of vegetable origin were evaluated for their potential in preserving probiotic viability following ingestion. Results obtained were promising since fermented carrot juice should be considered as a potential alternative to dairy-based products. On the contrary, rice cream offered less protection to probiotics bacteria when exposed to simulated gastric juices and its effect was strain-dependent. Our preliminary work offers new insights to elucidate the role of food matrix in protecting probiotics when exposed to challenging conditions with particular reference to special dietary conditions like deprivation of dairy-based products and/or vegetarian/vegan regimens.


The Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) program of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration has a primary mission of linking military veterans in jails, courts, or in contact with law enforcement to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. National data of veterans with VJO contact were used to describe demographic characteristics, and mental health and substance use disorder diagnoses and treatment use and test correlates of treatment entry and engagement using multi-level logistic regression models. Of the 37,542 VJO veterans, treatment entry was associated with being homeless and having a mental health disorder or both a mental health and a substance use disorder versus a substance use disorder only. Being American Indian/Alaskan Native was associated with lower odds of treatment entry. Engagement was associated with female gender, older age, Asian race, urban residence, and homeless status. Increased utilization of substance use disorder treatment, especially pharmacotherapy, is an important quality improvement target.


Intercropping is an interesting practice to promote the sustainable control of insect pests such as aphids. In particular, volatile organic compounds emitted by aphid-infested intercropped plants may deter other aphid species from their host plants, while attracting natural enemies. In this study, olfactometer and net-cage behavioural assays were first conducted to determine the effect of wheat-pea mixtures combined with aphid infestations on odour preferences of the wheat aphid Sitobion avenae and two associated predator species, the ladybird Harmonia axyridis and the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. Healthy wheat plants were preferred by S. avenae, while wheat-pea mixtures combined with aphid infestations were significantly less attractive. H. axyridis preferred odours from healthy wheat plants mixed with aphid-infested pea plants. As for E. balteatus, their searching and oviposition behaviours were stimulated by the different wheat/pea combinations associated with aphid infestations. A field trial was also carried to compare the effect of mix and strip cropping wheat with pea on aphids and their natural enemies with both monocultures. Wheat and pea aphid populations were significantly reduced by both types of intercropping when compared to monocultures. Moreover, higher abundances of hoverflies, lacewings and ladybirds were found in wheat mixed with pea field, followed by strip cropping and monocultures. These findings show that wheat-pea intercropping can be efficient to reduce aphid populations, namely by promoting their biological control. * Corresponding Author: Thomas Lopes  firstname.lastname@example.com International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 9, No. 3, p. 20-33, 2016 International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 5, No. 1, p. 14-22, 2014


Over the past decade extraordinary advances have been made in the study of protozoan parasites. Particular progress has occurred in areas such as cultivation of protozoan parasites, immunobiology of protozoan parasitic diseases, the biochemistry of protozoa and molecular genetics of these organisms. The application of sophisticated culture, monoclonal antibody and recombinant DNA technologies has resulted in elucidation of many of the biochemical and molecular bases of such phenomena as antigenic variation in African trypanosomas, the autoimmune basis of the pathogenesis of Chagas' disease, protective immunity in malaria and parasite evasion of host defense mechanisms. As a result a new generation of diagnostic procedures have to provide more accurate detection of protozoan infections and thus improved epidemiological information. Vigorous vaccine development efforts are underway which will lead to molecularly defined vaccines taylored to specific applications and will provide new weapons to combat protozoan diseases. Perhaps most importantly the molecular bases of host-parasite interactions are being established and will allow identification of unique biochemical aspects of the biology of protozoa thereby revealing appropriate targets for development of vaccines, accurate detection procedures and more efficacious chemotherapeutic agents.


This paper explores systemic barriers to accessing mental health care, using Wilber's Integral Model as a framework. A review of the literature presents qualitative and quantitative accounts of medication access issues and consequences, availability of and timely access to providers, patients not being taken seriously, communication between providers, and suggests ways to reduce these barriers. The original methodology involved conducting qualitative face-to-face interviews with mental health professionals from free and sliding scale clinics in the Twin Cities. Results discuss changes in methodology to qualitative questions posed in an online survey format to licensed clinical social workers in Minnesota. Results identify systemic barriers to mental health care, including: how access issues frequently lead to hospital/emergency room use, a shortage of providers, long waits for appointments, and financial/insurance barriers. The results also include specific suggestions to reducing and removing these barriers. Similarities and differences between the literature review and results are discussed, as well as implications of this research to social work practice and policy. This paper recommends future research be conducted directly with in-patient mental health patients. It also recommends that the shortage of psychiatry be studied in order to discover strategies to increase the availability of and access to this service.


Social issues such as women's security and vitality and environmental issues, such as green space, are not traded in the markets and hence lack specific prices. At the same time, this is one of the major factors affecting the acceptance and pricing of land prices in newly built towns. The purpose of this research is to assessment the impact of urban security and vitality on women, as well as the urban green space index on land economic value in Majlesi and, finally, to propose ideas for increasing land prices, creating economic prosperity and sustainable income. In this research, the valuation of these resources was carried out by indirect methodology. In this way, the preference for land purchase will increase the demand in that area and affect its price. Affective variables in the security debate in urban space include activity and productivity, accessibility and communication, social relationships, comfort and relaxation, and was studied in the field of vitality, economic, social, environmental and cultural vitality. Also, based on the calculation of landscape metrics, the status of this parameter was determined in the landform. The results of quantitative and quantitative researches in the Hedonic Price Method showed a significant positive correlation between the cultural and social values of the place for women, the index of green space in the neighborhood and the price of land in the Majlesi city, Esfahan Province, Iran.
Keywords: Security; vitality; women; green space; hedonic economic valuation
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Mohammadzadeh, P., Masoud, M., Babak, K. L. (2012). The Estimation of the Hedonics Cost of Residential Buildings in Tabriz City: With the Space Econometric Approach. Economic Modeling Quarterly, 6(2), 21-38.
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The digital finance industry is both young and dynamic, and, as it grows, it is constantly innovating to address the issues it faces. One of the contemporary issues of discussion is over-the-counter (OTC) transactions. The delivery of mobile money over the counter, raises a number of questions around the fact that it can limit product evolution; can decrease provider profitability; and can lead to unregistered transactions, which run the risk of money laundering and terrorism financing.In this paper, we want to look more closely at these questions and, with the help of data from The Helix Institute, InterMedia and the GSMA, provide an analytical perspective on the pros and cons of the OTC model. This will allow us to propose some recommendations on how to manage OTC going forward. We begin by defining a common ground for the discussion by creating a simple typology of different types of OTC. Then we look into the different questions raised by the OTC model. In the third section, we take a stand, arguing that certain types of OTC should be seen as a stepping stone to mobile money account adoption and usage. Lastly, we present our conclusions and recommendations to move the industry forward, given the data presented and some of the new developments in the field.


Descartes´ intellectualistic doctrine consists in part in the belief that in order for people to adequately execute a task, they first have to reflect on the rules of good performance that apply to that task. Therefore, good performance on any task would always depend on the individual's consciousness of the prescriptions for the actions, consciousness being understood as an internal process, free from mistakes concerning its ability to perceive the flow of mental life, of admitting for oneself certain prescriptions about what will be done. According to this doctrine's interpretation, immaterial life episodes, such as thinking and judging, would be responsible for actions, material life episodes. One of the problems related to this intellectualistic doctrine, according to Ryle, is that many of the so-called intelligent actions are not preceded by any previous knowledge of the applicable principles. Another more relevant problem refers to the fact that such doctrine may generate an infinite theoretical regression, that is, if intelligent actions are necessarily preceded by intelligent theoretical considerations, the latter, in order to be considered intelligent, would also have to be preceded by other intelligent theoretical considerations. Since Cognitive Psychology, represented for example by information processing theories, was influenced by the intellectualistic doctrine, the criticism mentioned previously can also be applied to it. It is suggested that an analysis of the uses of psychological concepts in ordinary language may be useful in solving some of these conceptual difficulties.


18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG or 18F-FDG) is the most widely used radiotracer forPositron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging. However,using FDG for PET/CT imaging in prostate cancer is limited because a large fractionof prostate cancer shows limited FDG uptake. Previously, radiolabeled choline derivativesuch as 18F-fluorocholine and 11C-choline were considered as a more suitable alternativeto FDG for prostate cancer imaging. They are used as PET tracers for staging andrestaging of prostate cancer. Although the specificity of radiolabeled choline is quitehigh, the sensitivity is rather poor. Currently, targeting the prostate specific membraneantigen (PSMA) with molecular imaging agents has been increasingly investigated.PSMA is expressed in most prostate cancer and it is an ideal target for diagnosis andtreatment. There are many PSMA agents available nowadays. This article will givebrief overview about PSMA ligands for PET imaging and therapy of prostate cancer.

Keywords :
PSMA, PSMA imaging, Ga-68 PSMA

Address Correspondence to author:
Ananya Ruangma, PhDOncology Imaging & Nuclear Medical Department,Wattanosoth Hospital,Soi Soonvijai 7, NewPetchburi Rd,Bangkok 10310, Thailand.email: email@example.com

Received: May 22, 2018
Revision received: May 24, 2018
Accepted after revision: July 6, 2018
BKK Med J 2018;14(2): 95-100.

DOI: 10.31524/bkkmedj.2018.09.016


Protein-protein binding domains are critical in signalling networks. Src homology 2 (SH2) domains are binding domains that interact with sequences containing phosphorylated tyrosines. A subset of SH2 domain-containing proteins have tandem domains, which are thought to enhance binding affinity and specificity. However, a trade-off exists between long-lived binding and the ability to rapidly reverse signalling, which is a critical requirement of noise filtering mechanisms such as kinetic proofreading. Here, we use modelling to show that the unbinding rate of tandem, but not single, SH2 domains can be accelerated by phosphatases when tandem domains bind by a kinetic, but not a static, avidity mode. We use surface plasmon resonance to show that ZAP70, a tandem SH2 domain-containing kinase, binds kinetically to biphosphorylated peptides from the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and that the unbinding rate can be accelerated by the phosphatase CD45. An important functional prediction of regulated unbinding is that the intracellular ZAP70/TCR half-life in T cells will be correlated to the extracellular TCR/antigen half-life and we show that this is the case in both cell lines and primary T cells. The work highlights that binding by kinetic avidity breaks the trade-off between signal fidelity (requiring long half-life) and signal reversibility (requiring short half-life), which is a key requirement for T cell antigen discriminated mediated by kinetic proofreading.


The third-generation meteorological satellites equipped with highly-improved imagers provide a large amount of Earth observation data. The Himawari-8 satellite is the first unit of the Japan Meteorological Agency's third-generation meteorological satellite. After its starting operation in 2015, there are many websites that provide remotely sensed images in real time. In general, the real-time and full-resolution websites are hard to be developed due to the large amount of data to be transferred. The Himawari-8 real-time web provided by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) is only a website that provides remotely sensed images with full resolution in real time. However, to reduce network traffic and increase the access speed of it from other countries out of Japan, mirror websites of each country are needed. This paper presents a mirroring system of the Himawari-8 real-time web. We propose a model for mirroring to avoid the CPU power consumption problem of big data processing in the mirror websites. In addition, we also introduce a file copy tool based on high-performance and flexible protocol (HpFP) to transfer meteorological satellite data between the Himawari-8 real-time web and the mirror websites. The contribution of this paper is to provide a cost-effective solution for the mirror websites. Our first target is an institution in Philippines (ASTI) connected via an international network, called Japan Gigabit Network (JGN) and the Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN). The results show that the proposed mirroring system is able to overcome the big data issue by eliminating the CPU power consumption in the mirror websites and transferring data files at high speed over the international network even under packet loss conditions. This suggests that our mirroring system has a potential for deployment in other Asian countries.


Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is an agrometeorological variable widely used in hydrology and agriculture. The FAO-56 Penman-Monteith combination method (PM method) is a standard for computing ETo for water management. However, this scheme is limited to areas where climatic data with good quality are available. Maps of 10-day averaged ETo at 5 km × 5 km grid spacing for the Taiwan region were produced by multiplying pan evaporation (Epan), derived from ground solar radiation (GSR) retrieved from satellite images using the Heliosat-3 method, by a fixed pan coefficient (Kp). Validation results indicated that the overall mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and normalized root-mean-square deviation (NRMSD) were 6.2 and 7.7%, respectively, when compared with ETo computed by the PM method using spatially interpolated 10-day averaged daily maximum and minimum temperature datasets and GSR derived from satellite inputs. Land coefficient (KL) values based on the derived ETo estimates and long term latent heat flux measurements, were determined for the following landscapes: Paddy rice (Oryza sativa), subtropical cypress forest (Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana and Chamaecyparis formosensis), warm-to-temperate mixed rainforest (Cryptocarya chinensis, Engelhardtia roxburghiana, Tutcheria shinkoensis, and Helicia formosana), and grass marsh (Brachiaria mutica and Phragmites australis). The determined land coefficients are indispensable to scale ETo in estimating regional evapotranspiration. Article history: Received 22 June 2016 Revised 8 November 2016 Accepted 15 November 2016


In this paper a PID Fuzzy-Neural controller (FNC) is designed as an Active Queue Management (AQM) in internet routers to improve the performance of Fuzzy Proportional Integral (FPI) controller for congestion avoidance in computer networks. A combination of fuzzy logic and neural network can generate a fuzzy neural controller which in association with a neural network emulator can improve the output response of the controlled system. This combination uses the neural network training ability to adjust the membership functions of a PID like fuzzy neural controller. The goal of the controller is to force the controlled system to follow a reference model with required transient specifications of minimum overshoot, minimum rise time and minimum steady state error. The fuzzy membership functions were tuned using the propagated error between the plant outputs and the desired ones. To propagate the error from the plant outputs to the controller, a neural network is used as a channel to the error. This neural network uses the back propagation algorithm as a learning technique. Firstly the parameters of PID of Fuzzy-Neural controller are selected by trial and error method, but to get the best controller parameters the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used as an optimization method for tuning the PID parameters. From the obtained results, it is noted that the PID Fuzzy-Neural controller provides good tracking performance under different circumstances for congestion avoidance in computer networks.


In local autonomy era to achieve target of tourism development is required a strategy through policies and steps that must be implemented continuously. This policy is defined as a guide in conduct tourism both national and regional level. This paper is intended to explain the policy of East Java government in developing sustainable tourism. This qualitative research used literature approach. The data analysis used descriptive analysis. The results of this literature study showed that sustainable tourism development in the region has three dimensions, namely economic, socio-cultural, and environment. These dimensions are based on the principle of justice that not only benefits the present generation, but also future generations. In addition, important factor in the development of tourism is the supervision of standards and quality of tourism services.


We consider the problem of high-dimensional variable selection: given n noisy observations of a k-sparse vector β* ∈ Rp, estimate the subset of non-zero entries of β*. A significant body of work has studied behavior of l1-relaxations when applied to random measurement matrices that are dense (e.g., Gaussian, Bernoulli). In this paper, we analyze sparsified measurement ensembles, and consider the trade-off between measurement sparsity, as measured by the fraction γ of non-zero entries, and the statistical efficiency, as measured by the minimal number of observations n required for correct variable selection with probability converging to one. Our main result is to prove that it is possible to let the fraction on non-zero entries γ → 0 at some rate, yielding measurement matrices with a vanishing fraction of non-zeros per row, while retaining the same statistical efficiency as dense ensembles. A variety of simulation results confirm the sharpness of our theoretical predictions.


In this paper we present an overlay infrastructure for provisioning content services over the Internet. This provides a uniform framework to develop ubiquitous application services and deploy it on a shared active infrastructure on need basis. This meta-protocol powered framework is intended to support a wide array of emerging application service scenarios, ranging from simple caching and content customization to adaptation for ubiquitous computing, co-operative filtering, content-mining, to high performance multimedia transcoding.


Spin coating is an out-of-equilibrium technique for producing polymer films and colloidal crystals quickly and reproducibly. In this review, we present an overview of theoretical and experimental studies of the spin coating of colloidal suspensions. The dynamics of the spin coating process is discussed first, and we present insights from both theory and experiment. A key difference between spin coating with polymer solutions and with monodisperse colloidal suspensions is the emergence of long range (centimeter scale) orientational correlations in the latter. We discuss experiments in different physical regimes that shed light on the many unusual partially ordered structures that have long-range orientational order, but no long-range translational order. The nature of these structures can be tailored by adding electric or magnetic fields during the spin coating procedure. These partially ordered structures can be considered as model systems for studying the fundamentals of poorly crystalline and defect-rich solids, and they can also serve as templates for patterned and/or porous optical and magnetic materials.


Abstract Travelling to Italy to find oneself is a common narrative in Western literature, and Italy is represented variously as a place of love, dreams, decay and death. This paper considers how the multifaceted imaginative space of Italy has been used to explore the possibilities of later life for women in three contemporary novels: Michèle Roberts' Reader, I Married Him (2005), Sally Vickers' Miss Garnet's Angel (2000) and Margaret Drabble's The Seven Sisters (2002). These texts all share the same plot: a middle-aged or older British woman travels to Italy in the hope of both escape and adventure, in the process challenging the restrictive stories of later life for women. Cultural scripts for older women are generally divided into two types. A pessimistic narrative represents ageing as decline, marked by reduced physical and mental functions, and, for women, loss of reproductive function and of cultural capital in the form of sexual and aesthetic desirability. By contrast, an optimistic narrative represents later life as a time of progress with opportunities for exploration, discovery and maturity, but this risks evading the ageing body and the inevitability of death. These three novels self-consciously negotiate the rich tradition of images of Italy in order to challenge these limited discourses of ageing and produce alternative narratives for older women, engaging, to different degrees, with the older body and death.


Climate change impact studies depend on projections of future climate provided by climate models. The number of climate models is large and increasing, yet limitations in computational capacity make it necessary to compromise the number of climate models that can be included in a climate change impact study. The selection of climate models is not straightforward and can be done by following different methods. Usually, the selection is either based on the entire range of changes in climatic variables as projected by the total ensemble of available climate models or on the skill of climate models to simulate past climate. The present study combines these approaches in a three‐step sequential climate model selection procedure: (1) initial selection of climate models based on the range of projected changes in climatic means, (2) refined selection based on the range of projected changes in climatic extremes and (3) final selection based on the climate model skill to simulate past climate. This procedure is illustrated for a study area covering the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins. Subsequently, the changes in climate between 1971–2000 and 2071–2100 are analysed, showing that the future climate projections in this area are highly uncertain but that changes are imminent.


Objective: To study demographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnosis, type of neuroleptic drugs administered, course of illness, management and outcome. Design: Retrospective chart review study. Place and duration of study: This study was carried out for sixteen years (1988-2004) in the Psychiatry unit, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Subjects and Methods: Sample consisted of 25 cases of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome in which 13 were males and 12 were females. The record was taken from the health information management system which keeps a comprehensive chart of each patient. This renders the files retrievable through computer generated search. A specific data collection form was designed for extraction of relevant data. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 13.0. Results: Twenty five cases were identified, of which thirteen were males. Mean age was 45 years (range 20-74 years). Bipolar affective disorder was the most common diagnosis followed by schizo-affective disorder, schizophrenia, postpartum psychosis, dementia and Parkinsonism. 48% of the patients had previous history of neuroleptic use, while 28% received neuroleptics for the first time. Among neuroleptic users, 20% were on long-acting depot antipsychotics. 52% received per-oral dose (PO), while 32% received intramuscular (IM) dose. 56% patients were on other concomitant medications among which Lithium was the most common (16%). 96% patients had the cardinal symptoms of fever, rigidity and increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK). 96% had associated delirium, 80% showed autonomic instability with fluctuation in pulse and blood pressure. Electrolyte disturbance was seen in 84% and diaphoresis with leukocytosis was present in 68% patients. NMS was associated with high ambient temperature with mean temperature of 39.20 C (S.E. 0.3). Discontinuation of neurolpetic medications and supportive care was carried out in all cases. In our case series we observed mortality rate of 16%. Out of 25 patients, 21 recovered with early diagnosis and adequate management. Conclusion: Risk of NMS can be minimized by use of low potency or atypical antipsychotics, cautious use of concomitant medications and depot preparations and initiation of neurolpetics at lower dose with careful monitoring. With good supportive medical care mortality can be substantially mimimized.


This paper analyses the campaign to establish a new administrative territory in Indonesia, East Sulawesi province, in the context of decentralisation and calls for regional autonomy that have arisen following the end of the Suharto regime. The campaign for the new province occurred at the same time as a series of communal conflicts in one of its oldest districts, Poso, which broke out in response to the demographic and territorial changes brought about by decentralisation and the new opportunities it offered. This paper argues, however, that while the campaign to establish the new province may have grown out of these existing ethno-religious tensions in Poso district and Central Sulawesi Province, the new politics emerging with the push for creation of East Sulawesi are primarily political and territorial, with ethnicity and religion taking only peripheral roles. The campaign therefore represents the politics of transcending group boundaries to obtain territorial sovereignty for remote and marginalised districts and illustrates the possibility of enhancing civic nationalism at the local level.


Objective: To evaluate the pattern of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported in cancer patients receiving anticancer drugs in an adverse drug reaction monitoring centre (AMC). Methods: The anticancer drug related ADRs received in AMC through spontaneous reporting and active surveillance methods from January 2014 to June 2016 were analyzed for demographic profile, organ system and department wise distribution of ADRs, common ADRs encountered, drugs responsible for causing ADRs, ADRs reported by healthcare professionals, number of ADR/ ADRs developed per patient and causality assessment of reported ADRs. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis and the values were expressed in numbers and percentages. Results: 2209 ADRs were reported from 1869 patients comprising of 764 males (40.88%) and 1105 females (59.12%). In our study, the most common ADRs observed were anemia (12.68%), neuropathy (11.18%) and neutropenia (6.07%). Causality assessment of ADRs by WHO-UMC causality scale revealed that 90.9% of ADRs were possible followed by 4.48% probable and 2.39% possible. The most common organ system wise classified ADRs were blood (24.22%) related reactions followed by gastrointestinal system (14.17%) related adverse effects. The most common drugs associated with ADRs were imatinib (13.94%) followed by docetaxel (9.55%), gemcitabine (8.56%) and paclitaxel (7.38%). Amidst 1869 patients, 301(13.63%) patients had developed two ADRs while 39 (1.76%) patients experienced three ADRs. Conclusion: The average ADR encountered per patient due to anticancer drug was about 1.18 in this study. Anemia, neuropathy and neutropenia were the most common ADRs reported. Key words: Anticancer drugs, Chemotherapy, Tertiary care hospital, ADR monitoring centre (AMC).


This article analyses the EU's influence on regional institutional change in Mercosur and the Southern African Development Community from a diffusion perspective. Focusing on market-building objectives and dispute settlement mechanisms, it addresses the puzzle that policy-makers in both regions have, over time, increasingly adopted EU-style institutional arrangements even though alternative institutional models more suitable to their preferences for 'pragmatic', sovereignty-preserving cooperation have been available at various critical junctures of institutional evolution. The article makes two main arguments. First, it suggests that EU influence has affected outcomes in several specific ways that are irreducible to, and quite different from, mainstream functional accounts of economic regionalism. Second, it contends that the diffusion of EU institutional templates can be understood as a process of spurred emulation, when regional policy-makers emulate EU institutional models under conditions of uncertainty and promoted by EU-oriented domestic actors as well as the EU's direct involvement in the process.


Reviewing the local geological data of Cuba, its structural relations to Hispaniola and Jamaica as well as a comparison of prevalent plate tectonic models, allow for a refined Late Creta- ceous to Miocene tectonic reconstruction. The Cuban orogenic belt records subduction, volcanic arc formation and accretion along the pre-Eocene northwestern leading edge of the Caribbean plate. Geologic evidence points to a two-stage development with change in subduction polarity from a south- and southwest-dipping Cretaceous to a north-dipping Paleocene to Early Eocene subduction zone. During the Late Campanian, the Cretaceous arc collided with the North American continental margin. Ophiolites and parts of the Cretaceous volcanic arc are thrust onto the North American continental margin until the Late Eocene. After the initial Campanian collision, the Caribbean plate continued its relative northward movement. As a consequence, oceanic lithosphere of the back-arc area was emplaced on the top of the southern extension of the inactive arc. During the Danian, a new north-dipping subduction zone was established that consumed oceanic lithosphere of the Caribbean plate until the Middle Eocene. The arrival of thickened oceanic crust of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province stopped the subduction and the relative northward movement of the Caribbean plate. Subsequently, in the Middle Eocene the east-west striking Oriente transform fault system was formed which since then represents the northern boundary of the Caribbean plate.


Symbolic C++: An Introduction to Computer Algebra Using Object-Oriented Programming provides a concise introduction to C++ and object-oriented programming, using a step-by-step construction of a new object-oriented designed computer algebra system - Symbolic C++. It shows how object-oriented programming can be used to implement a symbolic algebra system and how this can then be applied to different areas in mathematics and physics. This second revised edition:- * Explains the new powerful classes that have been added to Symbolic C++. * Includes the Standard Template Library. * Extends the Java section. * Contains useful classes in scientific computation. * Contains extended coverage of Maple, Mathematica, Reduce and MuPAD.


For the prevention of global warming, it is important for home electric appliance to improve the energy saving performance. Air-conditioner is one of home electric appliances, and the improvement of energy consumption efficiency is being performed by various ways. Lubricant for air-conditioner is used to protect sliding surfaces of a compressor. The low friction coefficient lubricant is considered to improve the friction coefficient between rotor and vane of the rotary-type compressor. We evaluated the friction and the wear on PVE refrigeration lubricants for HFC refrigerants. The friction coefficient and wear were measured by using the hermetic type block-on-ring tester. The evaluation items were physical properties (miscibility, solubility, mixture viscosity and volumetric resistivity) and thermal stability.


Using Constructivism to guide the design of learning objects, we develop a generic structure that classifies knowledge into different types on different levels. With a simple generic structure of learning object, learners can easily share knowledge on the Internet, and knowledge can be rendered in various ways according to different patterns. In addition to the patterns rendered, the ease and efficiency of viewing the whole picture of knowledge and zooming into any degree of details at run time allow the learner to learn the material iteratively in different ways according to her current sense-making, setting up her learning strategies at each iteration of her learning. Thus, by putting learning back into the hands of the learner, our system assists the learner to construct knowledge efficiently in the real constructivist learning environment.


Background: Ocular trauma is an important public health hazard especially in the developing countries. The objective of the study was to determine the pattern of ocular injuries in patients who presented at the eye clinic of Federal Medical Center, Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted between 1st January and 31st December, 2008. All consecutive, consenting patients with ocular trauma were interviewed with the aid of an interviewer-administered questionnaire and underwent a detailed eye examination. Results: There were 121 patients in the study with 101 (83.4%) males and 20 (16.6%) females. The most common location of ocular trauma was more on the road (32.2%); road traffic accident (RTA), followed by home/domestic injury (23.1%) and at work in 15.8%. The most common anatomical site of injury was the cornea (40.6%) followed by the lids (17.5%) and the iris (14%). Conclusion: In this study, RTA was the most common cause of ocular trauma followed by domestic injuries. There is need for community education on preventive measures such as use of safety seat belts while driving and importance of supervising playing children at home.


While cells of mesenchymal or epithelial origin perform their effector functions in a purely anchorage dependent manner, cells derived from the hematopoietic lineage are not committed to operate only within a specific niche. Instead, these cells are able to function autonomously of the molecular composition in a broad range of tissue compartments. By this means, cells of the hematopoietic lineage retain the capacity to disseminate into connective tissue and recirculate between organs, building the foundation for essential processes such as tissue regeneration or immune surveillance.
Cells of the immune system, specifically leukocytes, are extraordinarily good at performing this task. These cells are able to flexibly shift their mode of migration between an adhesion-mediated and an adhesion-independent manner, instantaneously accommodating for any changes in molecular composition of the external scaffold. The key component driving directed leukocyte migration is the chemokine receptor 7, which guides the cell along gradients of chemokine ligand. Therefore, the physical destination of migrating leukocytes is purely deterministic, i.e. given by global directional cues such as chemokine gradients.
Nevertheless, these cells typically reside in three-dimensional scaffolds of inhomogeneous complexity, raising the question whether cells are able to locally discriminate between multiple optional migration routes. Current literature provides evidence that leukocytes, specifically dendritic cells, do indeed probe their surrounding by virtue of multiple explorative protrusions. However, it remains enigmatic how these cells decide which one is the more favorable route to follow and what are the key players involved in performing this task. Due to the heterogeneous environment of most tissues, and the vast adaptability of migrating leukocytes, at this time it is not clear to what extent leukocytes are able to optimize their migratory strategy by adapting their level of adhesiveness. And, given the fact that leukocyte migration is characterized by branched cell shapes in combination with high migration velocities, it is reasonable to assume that these cells require fine tuned shape maintenance mechanisms that tightly coordinate protrusion and adhesion dynamics in a spatiotemporal manner.
Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate how rapidly migrating leukocytes opt for an ideal migratory path while maintaining a continuous cell shape and balancing adhesive forces to efficiently navigate through complex microenvironments.
The results of this study unraveled a role for the microtubule cytoskeleton in promoting the decision making process during path finding and for the first time point towards a microtubule-mediated function in cell shape maintenance of highly ramified cells such as dendritic cells. Furthermore, we found that migrating low-adhesive leukocytes are able to instantaneously adapt to increased tensile load by engaging adhesion receptors. This response was only occurring tangential to the substrate while adhesive properties in the vertical direction were not increased. As leukocytes are primed for rapid migration velocities, these results demonstrate that leukocyte integrins are able to confer a high level of traction forces parallel to the cell membrane along the direction of migration without wasting energy in gluing the cell to the substrate.
Thus, the data in the here presented thesis provide new insights into the pivotal role of cytoskeletal dynamics and the mechanisms of force transduction during leukocyte migration.
Thereby the here presented results help to further define fundamental principles underlying leukocyte migration and open up potential therapeutic avenues of clinical relevance.


In a previous paper (Shtober-Zisu et al., 2012) we described millimeter to centime-sized fluid-free holes within the interiors of stalagmites of widely varying origin. We present here further observations of this phenomenon, using X-ray tomography, macroscopic and microscopic observation of sections of twenty-six stalagmites from various sites in North America and the Caribbean region. We can distinguish three types of cavities in speleothems: primary µm-sized fluid inclusions; mm to cm sized holes, aligned along the stalagmite growth axis which are clearly syngenetic; and µm to cm-sized holes away from the growth axis ("off-axis holes or OAHs") deeply buried inside their host stalagmites, and cutting primary growth layers. Neither axial nor off axis holes contain fluid today. Off-axis holes appear to have been formed by internal corrosion of the calcite host, possibly enhanced by the action of bacteria which were sustained by permeation of through the body of the stalagmite of water containing dissolved organic species. A modern stalagmite from Israel is shown to contain bacteria associated with active hole formation.


Ethiopia holds large potential for dairy development due to its large livestock population, the favorable climate for improved, high-yielding animal breeds, and the relatively disease-free environment for livestock. Given the considerable potential for smallholder income and employment generation from high-value dairy products, development of the dairy sector in Ethiopia can contribute significantly to poverty alleviation and nutrition in the country. Like other sectors of the economy, the dairy sector in Ethiopia has passed through three phases or turning points, following the economic and political policy in the country. In the most recent phase, characterized by the transition towards market-oriented economy, the dairy sector appears to be moving towards a takeoff stage. Liberalized markets and private sector investment and promotion of smallholder dairy are the main features of this phase. Milk production during the 1990s expanded at an annual rate of 3.0 percent compared to 1.63-1.66 percent during the preceding three decades. Review of the development of dairy sector in Ethiopia indicates that there is a need to focus interventions more coherently. Development interventions should be aimed at addressing both technological gaps and marketing problems. Integration of crossbred cattle to the sector is imperative for dairy development in the country. This can be achieved either through promotion of large private investment to introduce new technology in the sector such as improved genotypes, feed and processing, and promotion of integration of crossbred cattle into the smallholder sector through improving their access to improved cattle breeds, AI service, veterinary service, and credit. Similarly, government should also take the lead in building infrastructure and providing technical service to smallholders. Severe shortages, low quality and seasonal unavailability of feed likewise remain as major constraints to livestock production in Ethiopia. These constraints need to be addressed and technological change be promoted to increase milk production.


Chen, Ortiz-Molina, and Zhang develop a daily measure of average stock variance and study whether it can predict market returns one day ahead. Using a time-invariant prediction model, they find a robust predictive relation between these variables that cannot be used to profitably time the market. A closer look reveals that the strength and even the direction of the predictive relation vary significantly over short periods of time. Moreover, a simple timing strategy that exploits this variation over time significantly outperforms the market buy-and-hold strategy in terms of the mean-variance trade-off. The evidence shows that predictability is stronger during business cycle contractions and that the timing strategy is profitable because it avoids losses during bad times. The evidence also shows that parameter breaks occur very frequently over short periods of time, and not only when the economy switches from one phase of the business cycle to another. The authors' results suggest that idiosyncratic risk matters in asset pricing and that its effect is time varying.


We consider an infinitely repeated game in which a privately informed, long-lived manager raises funds from short-lived investors in order to finance a project. The manager can signal project quality to investors by making a (possibly costly) forward-looking disclosure about her project's potential for success. We find that if the manager's disclosures are costly, she will never release forward-looking statements that do not convey information to external investors. Furthermore, managers of firms that are transparent and face significant disclosure-related costs will refrain from forward-looking disclosures. In contrast, managers of opaque and profitable firms will follow a policy of accurate disclosures. To test our findings empirically, we devise an index that captures the quantity of forward-looking disclosures in public firms' 10-K reports, and relate it to multiple firm characteristics. For opaque firms, our index is positively correlated with a firm's profitability and financing needs. For transparent firms, there is only a weak relation between our index and firm fundamentals. Furthermore, the overall level of forward-looking disclosures declined significantly between 2001 and 2009, possibly as a result of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act.


Successful technology commercialization is important for business profitability, and government policies can help or hinder firms' success. As a regulator, government affects standard setting and the nature and scope of property rights. As a sponsor, government can empower technology commercialization by its financial support of new technology. As a first user, government can significantly enhance the chances of successful technology commercialization. And as a buyer, government accounts for a substantial part of the world economy. Previous research on government's roles in technology commercialization mainly addressed the effects of specific roles. However, there is little understanding about the combined impact of these roles on technology commercialization. This article develops a conceptual model to analyze the combined effect of these roles on technology development projects. This model is based on a review of the literature on large technical systems, technological regimes, and technology policy that enabled this study on government's diverse roles in technology commercialization. To refine the conceptual model, an in-depth analysis of three technology development projects was conducted. The empirical findings are drawn from road infrastructure. In that sector, government is the dominant customer and first user of most new technologies. Therefore, government has to create a market for those technologies and strongly affects their viability. This research has produced several major results. First, the developed model is the first to conceptualize the relevant relationships between the various roles of government in technology commercialization. Second, this study has shown that government's behavior as a regulator and sponsor conflicts with its preferences as a buyer and user. Consequently, the support of and demand for new technology is inconsistent and uncoordinated, leaving firms with significant uncertainties in assessing market opportunities. Third, the dominant position of government as a buyer in road infrastructure weakens the effectiveness of intellectual property rights. Fourth, existing studies on technology for partially public goods are mainly historical accounts, and only a few are empirical studies on innovation processes. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the development and commercialization of technology for partially public goods. This article concludes with policy implications and suggestions for future research. An important policy implication is that government could improve technology commercialization by either stimulating the commercialization of various competing technologies or developing various competing products based on the same technology. A central issue for future research is how firms can involve government in its diverse roles in technology commercialization. Most of the existing research on customer involvement deals with consumer and business-to-business markets. A better understanding of government involvement could help firms to overcome the impediments they face in dealing with government.


One of the major topics towards robot consciousness is to give a robot the capabilities of self-consciousness. We claim that robot self-consciousness is based on higher order perception of the robot, in the sense that first order robot perception is the immediate perception of the outer world, while higher order perception is the perception of the inner world of the robot. We summarize our cognitive architecture and we describe a theoretical founded proposal on modeling robot self consciousness.


Building on the body of research that has addressed the experiences of female coaches, the present study examines women's role as coach developers. English football served as the context for the research. Figures demonstrate women are underrepresented in this role more so than they are as coaches, and their distribution across the coach developer pathway is unevenly balanced, with most women qualified at Level I of the pathway. Using the concept of 'organizational fit', the research connects the experiences of the 10 coach developers interviewed, to the structural practices of their national and local governing bodies. These practices were symptomatic of the organizations' culture that is created and upheld by masculine ideals. Work expectations and the environment were structured on the image of men as coaches and coach developers. Cultural barriers to women's sense of organizational fit were specifically found to be: the incentive to progress (return on investment from higher coaching qualifications), the degree of organizational support and nurture, and the opportunity to progress and practice. Consequently, organizational expectations and values do not support the ambitions of women to climb the coach developer career ladder, and restrict their sense of choice and control. Future research should direct its attention towards a greater interrogation of aspects of sport organizational culture that may serve to 'push' female coaches away from its core, or alternatively, pull them closer to engage and make use of their expertise and abilities as coach developers.


Adult stem cells are long-lived and quiescent with unique metabolic requirements. Macroautophagy/autophagy is a fundamental survival mechanism that allows cells to adapt to metabolic changes by degrading and recycling intracellular components. Here we address why autophagy depletion leads to a drastic loss of the stem cell compartment. Using inducible deletion of autophagy specifically in adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and in mice chimeric for autophagy-deficient and normal HSCs, we demonstrate that the stem cell loss is cell-intrinsic. Mechanistically, autophagy-deficient HSCs showed higher expression of several amino acid transporters (AAT) when compared to autophagy-competent cells, resulting in increased amino acid (AA) uptake. This was followed by sustained MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) activation, with enlarged cell size, glucose uptake and translation, which is detrimental to the quiescent HSCs. MTOR inhibition by rapamycin treatment in vivo was able to rescue autophagy-deficient HSC loss and bone marrow failure and resulted in better reconstitution after transplantation. Our results suggest that targeting MTOR may improve aged stem cell function, promote reprogramming and stem cell transplantation.


ABSTRACT Historically, the family and, more generally, gender policies have been a central issue in both nationalist and far-right rhetoric. This holds particularly for Germany, where the so-called male-breadwinner model and the rhetoric of Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church) have a long tradition. At the same time, Germany's National Socialist past confers a negative connotation on notions of the family as a continuation of the nation. In this article, Fangen and Lichtenberg examine the family policies and views on gender roles, as well as the views on Muslims, of politicians from two German far-right parties and their youth organizations, as well as one German anti-immigrant social movement organization. Their study, based on press releases, party programmes and social media posts, adds to the growing literature on the importance of gender in nationalist and far-right politics in general, and in far-right critiques of Islam in particular. Their specific contribution is a detailed focus on the similarities and differences in various organizations on the German far right, as well as an analysis that draws on concepts such as femonationalism and, in a similar vein, Rogers Brubaker's notion of civilizationism.


This article explores the role of the European Union in defining an adult education policy and the way European countries appropriate those guidelines and implement them in their realities. These policies have been widening and diversifying adult education, creating the necessity of qualifying educational professionals. With the implementation of some adult education political measures, new educational practices were developed and new professional activities were born. This investigation is about the qualification of adult educators working in the processes of recognition of prior learning.


Diurnal metabolic changes in circadian clock neurons are coupled to changes in potassium channel activity. Daily rhythms of mammalian physiology, metabolism, and behavior parallel the day-night cycle. They are orchestrated by a central circadian clock in the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Transcription of clock genes is sensitive to metabolic changes in reduction and oxidation (redox); however, circadian cycles in protein oxidation have been reported in anucleate cells, where no transcription occurs. We investigated whether the SCN also expresses redox cycles and how such metabolic oscillations might affect neuronal physiology. We detected self-sustained circadian rhythms of SCN redox state that required the molecular clockwork. The redox oscillation could determine the excitability of SCN neurons through nontranscriptional modulation of multiple potassium (K+) channels. Thus, dynamic regulation of SCN excitability appears to be closely tied to metabolism that engages the clockwork machinery.


Although Unified Growth Theory presumes the existence of the Maltusian mechanism in pre-industrial England recent empirical studies challenged this assumption. This paper studies the interaction of vital rates and real wages in the period from 1540 to 1870 in England. We employ time-varying VARs, an approach which addresses potential shortcomings such as parameter instability and declining volatilities in the previous literature. In contrast to recent studies, the main Malthusian mechanisms - the preventive and the positive check - were both at work until the mid-19th century. The preventive check was decreasing and the positive check increasing in importance. Most remarkably, the positive check dominated after the 1750s. The results indicate that instead of disappearing before the advent of the industrial revolution, the Malthusian mechanism rather changed its face over time.


The Powell block, named by De Rosen-Spence in 1976, is located in the Rouyn-Noranda gold and base-metal district, where it extends from the Beauchastel fault to the north, to the Horne Creek fault to the south, forming a wedge-shaped fault block approximately 18 km long by 2–10 km wide. The most recent mapping of the Powell block was conducted by H.R. Morris in 1957, following earlier mapping work done by M.E Wilson in 1941. De Rosen-Spence (1976) and Lichtblau and Dimroth (1980) conducted further work in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, there have been numerous conflicting interpretations regarding the nature of major geological features, specifically synvolcanic versus syntectonic faults. The Powell block is considered to be a key to understanding the nature of these faults and the structural-stratigraphic architecture of the Rouyn-Noranda district. It lies along the geophysical and geological transect of the Metal Earth project (transect line shown in green in Figure 1) and, as such, plays an essential role in promoting a better understanding of the geology of the transect. During the 2017 field season, a reconnaissance study of the Powell block was done and detailed mapping at a scale of 1:2000 was completed of the Mount Powell area and volcanic successions to the northeast of Mount Powell. Current map extent is shown in Figure 1, as well as the approximate boundaries of the entire area to be covered in subsequent field seasons.


Abstract:This article examines how the making of pre-Tang poetry anthologies in sixteenth-century Ming China led to a reinvention of the pre-Tang poetic tradition. From the Zhengde period 正德 (1506–21) well into the Wanli reign 萬曆 (1573–1620), the compilation and publication of new pre-Tang poetry anthologies saw a dramatic increase, making the anthologizing practices in the 1500s crucial to understanding the pre-Tang tradition. Through a study of paratextual elements (book titles, tables of contents, prefaces, postscripts, etc.) in twenty-two pre-Tang poetry anthologies compiled in the 1500s, this article identifies three types of anthologizing practices. By employing quantitative and network analysis, the author hopes to historicize these practices, investigate the motivations for the anthologies, and explore their citation networks. These anthologizing practices, I conclude, gradually transformed the classification principles of previous anthologies, expanded the scope of canonized anthologies, and established a distinct pre-Tang tradition by the end of the sixteenth century.


Date palm trees (Phoenix dactylifera) were found to be infected with Chalara radicicola and Chalara (Thielaviopsis) paradoxa in 1992. Compared with healthy palms, most of the diseased palms appeared to be drought stressed and poorly maintained in landscape settings and nurseries. Water potential studies conducted in growth chambers with 5- to 6-leaf seedling plants subjected to water stress at -2.3 MPa had relatively larger necrotic lesions that developed into cankers, death of buds, and eventually plant death. Tissue necrosis was directly related to water potential. Histological studies showed many necrotic islands of parenchyma tissue in drought-stressed infected plants. Only a few inoculated plants in the growth chamber study died without developing extensive cankers, apparently due to the invasion of the crown or terminal bud by the pathogens. In vitro studies with potato dextrose agar amended with glycerol, NaCl, and KCl to decrease the osmotic matrix-based water potential of the media (-4.25 MPa) resulted in a decrease in the radial growth, biomass, and the sporulation of C. radicicola and T. paradoxa. Solute potential of -0.35 to -1.97 MPa, however, favored the growth of both fungi. Sodium chloride had the greatest effect on the growth characteristics of both fungal species. These studies indicate that in parts of Kuwait where drought and salinity prevail, opportunistic pathogens such as C. radicicola and T. paradoxa could become aggressive and cause serious damage to date palms.


The necessary steps of development from a single cell to a multi-celled functional organism are complex. Many molecules have been identified and their roles characterized in this process. One interesting population of cells includes the highly migratory neural crest cells (NCCs) unique to the vertebrate embryo and existing transiently during early embryonic development. The NCCs migrate along specific pathways at specific timepoints, stop at target locations, differentiate and give rise to a variety of cell types and tissues. Trunk NCCs must choose between two different migratory pathways: the ventral route, giving rise to neurons and glia of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), sympathetic ganglia (SG), Schwann cells of the ventral root (VR); or the dorsolateral pathway, giving rise to melanocytes. Although many aspects of neural crest migration have been elucidated, cessation of migration and subsequent differentiation at target structures is not clearly defined. One family of molecules involved in various steps of NCC migration is the cell-cell adhesion molecules, the cadherins. To investigate the involvement of cadherins in NCC migration and differentiation during development using the avian model system, a combination of experiments and techniques including a library screen, in situ hybridization, in ovo electroporation, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining as well as live time-lapse confocal imaging were performed. Results from these experiments produced the discovery and isolation of a novel molecule in the family of cadherin adhesion molecules, chicken protocadherin-1 (cPcdh1). Expression analysis showed cPcdh1 expressed in migrating NCCs, the DRG, SG and Schwann cells along the VR. A distinct expression pattern showed cPcdh1 along the periphery of the DRG, where crest cells are in an undifferentiated and mitotically active state. Further testing with deletion constructs and siRNA demonstrated when cPcdh1 function is inhibited, a greater percentage of cells migrate to the SG and VR at the expense of the DRG. Time-lapse confocal imaging showed cPcdh1 cells having an elongated cell shape with contact primarily being formed with neighboring cells along the periphery and longer cell-cell contact than observed in the control. Collectively, the results provide evidence for cPcdh1 involvement in NCC migration arrest and DRG formation.


Background: The harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy on the health of the mother, fetus and newborn have been well documented in the literature. These include, low birth weight, prematurity and still birth. The negative effect of smoking on health is not restricted to active smokers as studies have shown that exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) during pregnancy also poses risks on the mother and the fetus. To our knowledge there has not yet been any study that researched exposure to SHS among Qatari pregnant women. Objectives: The objectives are: 1) to estimate the prevalence and associated factors related to exposure to SHS during pregnancy among Qatari women and 2) to estimate the level of knowledge of health risks and attitudes towards tobacco smoking. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of Qatari pregnant women was done at the Women's Hospital which is the main hospital for deliveries for Hamad Medical Corporation, the largest health service provider in Qatar. We targeted pregnant women both in public and private clinics inside the hospital. A total of 357 women were approached and data were collected on 305 women, yielding a response rate of 85.4%. Data collection took place between January 2012 and May 2012. Results: A very high proportion (81%) responders reported exposure to SHS. Exposure outside the house was higher than that inside the house. Husbands were the main source of exposure to SHS inside the house and restaurants and cafes were the main places of exposure outside the house. Although women's knowledge about the harmful effects of exposure to SHS was high it was not associated with exposure status. Being in a smoke free house was a protective factor against exposure to SHS. Conclusion: Pregnant women, their fetus and new born are in danger due to exposure to SHS. Public health awareness interventions should target pregnant women and in particular their husbands. Moreover, there should be stricter implementation of smoking bans in restaurants and cafes.