Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has garnered attention as a new form of liver surgery. In China, many hepatobiliary surgeons are now encouraging the examination and assessment of LLC in order to improve its outcomes, and several young hepatobiliary surgeons recently shared their clinical experiences and the results of their research in presentations at the Akamon Forum as part of the 118th Annual Congress of the Japan Surgical Society, which was held April 5-7, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. In China, LLR has gradually improved over the past 20 years, including both expanded indications and improved surgical approaches. However, China is a vast country, and the level of medical care varies nationwide. Medical facilities that can perform advanced laparoscopic techniques are currently limited to those in large cities. Moreover, additional clinical studies of the long-term oncological outcomes of LLR need to be performed in the future.


Compared to standard color cameras, RGB-D cameras are designed to additionally provide the depth of imaged pixels which in turn results in a dense colored 3D point cloud representing the environment from a certain viewpoint. We present a real-time tracking method that performs motion estimation of a consumer RGB-D camera with respect to an unknown environment while at the same time reconstructing this environment as a dense textured mesh. Unlike parallel tracking and mapping performed with a standard color or grey scale camera, tracking with an RGB-D camera allows a correctly scaled camera motion estimation. Therefore, there is no need for measuring the environment by any additional tool or equipping the environment by placing objects in it with known sizes. The tracking can be directly started and does not require any preliminary known and/or constrained camera motion. The colored point clouds obtained from every RGB-D image are used to create textured meshes representing the environment from a certain camera view and the real-time estimated camera motion is used to correctly align these meshes over time in order to combine them into a dense reconstruction of the environment. We quantitatively evaluated the proposed method using real image sequences of a challenging scenario and their corresponding ground truth motion obtained with a mechanical measurement arm. We also compared it to a commonly used state-of-the-art method where only the color information is used. We show the superiority of the proposed tracking in terms of accuracy, robustness and usability. We also demonstrate its usage in several Augmented Reality scenarios where the tracking allows a reliable camera motion estimation and the meshing increases the realism of the augmentations by correctly handling their occlusions.


Essential hypertension has been associated with capillary rarefaction but little is known about the cellular mechanismsunderlying this process. We examined the gene expression of angiogenic factors during age-related development ofhypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Wild-type Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats served as controls. Whitegastrocnemius muscle was obtained and blood pressure was monitored at 5, 10 and 15 weeks of age. In the SHR group,systolic blood pressure increased from 5 to 10 and 15 weeks of age and the levels were higher than in the WKY group at 10and 15 weeks (~70%; P<0.05). The mRNA content for MMP-2 was overall lower (P<0.05) in SHR compared to WKY. VEGFmRNA increased (p<0.05) from 5 to 10 weeks in SHR and there was a general increase (P<0.05) in the VEGF receptor flt-1.There was a trend for a lower content of eNOS and CYP 2C11 in the SHR than in WKY group. There were no alterations inthe mRNA content of KDR, AMP 5'- nucleotidase, or Cytochrome P450 4A. The results show that the age-relateddevelopment of hypertension from 5 to 15 weeks in SHR rats is not associated with major changes in mRNA content of theherein included angiogenic factors.


For decades, the United States Supreme Court opinions articulating the standard of exigency necessary to trigger the exigent circumstances exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement have been maddeningly opaque and confusing. Some cases require probable cause, others call for reasonable suspicion, and still, others use undefined and unhelpful terms such as "reasonable to believe" in describing how exigent the situation must be to permit the police to proceed without a warrant. Not surprisingly, the conflicting signals coming from the Supreme Court have led to disagreement in the lower courts.

To resolve this conflict and provide guidance to law enforcement officials and lower court judges, this Article proposes a three-step solution. First, the Court should reaffirm that probable cause to enter is a prerequisite for any exigent circumstances search: probable cause to believe, for example, that a suspect or piece of evidence is presently located on the premises. Second, the Court should clarify that any full search also requires probable cause of exigency: an independent finding of probable cause to believe that taking the time to obtain a warrant would result in some untoward consequence. This Article thus rejects the views expressed by some scholars that the Court already does—or should—allow at least some exigent circumstances searches on a standard lower than probable cause. Third, the Court should retreat from its opinions holding that a police officer's subjective motivations are irrelevant in the subset of exigent circumstances cases where the entry is purportedly intended to provide emergency aid or further some other nonlaw- enforcement interest. Rather, the Court should recognize that these searches are, in essence, administrative inspections and therefore should demand proof that the primary purpose of the entry was actually to provide assistance, rather than to investigate a crime or conduct a pretextual search for evidence.


BACKGROUND
Systemic fungal infection is considered to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients, particularly those with neutropenia. Antifungal drugs are often given prophylactically, or empirically to patients with persistent fever.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the effect of fluconazole and amphotericin B on morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer complicated by neutropenia.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched PubMed from 1966 to 7 July 2014 and the reference lists of identified articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised clinical trials comparing fluconazole with amphotericin B.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The two review authors independently assessed trial eligibility and risk of bias, and abstracted data.

MAIN RESULTS
Seventeen trials (3798 patients, 381 deaths) were included. In two large three-armed trials, results for amphotericin B were combined with results for nystatin in a 'polyene' group. Because nystatin is an ineffective drug in these circumstances, this approach creates a bias in favour of fluconazole. Furthermore, most patients were randomised to oral amphotericin B, which is poorly absorbed and poorly documented. There was overlap among the 'polyene' trials but we were unable to obtain any information from the trial authors or from Pfizer, the manufacturer of fluconazole, to clarify these issues. There were no significant differences in effect between fluconazole and amphotericin B, but the confidence intervals were wide. More patients dropped out of the study when they received amphotericin B, but as none of the trials were blinded decisions on premature interruption of therapy could have been biased. Furthermore, amphotericin B was not given under optimal circumstances, with premedication to reduce infusion-related toxicity, slow infusion, and with fluid, potassium and magnesium supplements to prevent nephrotoxicity. The major harms were hepatic impairment and gastrointestinal adverse effects with fluconazole and infusion-related toxicity, renal impairment and gastrointestinal adverse effects with amphotericin B. For the 2011 and 2014 updates no additional trials were identified for inclusion.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Amphotericin B has been disfavoured in several of the trials through their design or analysis, or both. Since intravenous amphotericin B is the only antifungal agent for which an effect on mortality has been shown, and since it is considerably cheaper than fluconazole, it should be the preferred agent.


The Theoretical basis of work is the notion of legitimation as a complex mechanism of social approval of a new phenomenon taking place with the active participation of different social groups and structures, able to influence its final form. In the focus of the empirical analysis the representations of social entrepreneurship that main actors of its legitimacy in Russia have. Among them are: the state, foundations, NPOs and business. We assess the (in)consistency between their representations as well as the reflection of these representations in the characteristics of existing organizations of social entrepreneurship (social enterprises). Business, government and NPOs are understood as external actors of social enterprise legitimation, as without their recognition the legitimation will not take place. In turn, social enterprises, regardless of whether they come from for-profit or non-profit sector, are seen as objects of legitimation, or as a new actor, not identical to any of the above. It is shown that the contradictions in the positions of key actors can lead to mutually exclusive projects of legitimation of a new phenomenon, so that they will undermine the cognitive and moral legitimacy of each other. The empirical data include the results of the authors survey of 202 social enterprises..


Triboluminescent materials offer a viable route to real time structural damage sensing. The sensors can be externally attached to the surface of metals or composites, or embedded within composites. In situ monitoring of structural damage in composites is particularly relevant since severe internal damage can exist with little indication of this damage on the composite surface. The main issue related to embedding triboluminescent sensors within composites is how to access efficiently the optical signal generated upon structural damage and how to guide efficiently this optical damage signal to a remote detector. Earlier work relied on side-coupling of the triboluminescent light into a curved conventional silica fibre and/or end-coupling into the silica fibre, if the damage to the host structure had also broken the fibre. Both these light collection methods are, of course, inefficient and resulted in an optical damage signal with a very poor signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. By using novel photoluminescent polymeric and silica fibres, we have shown that it is possible to efficiently capture and guide the optical damage signal from an embedded triboluminescent sensor to a remote detector. These fibres resulted in a signal with a S/N ratio that was orders of magnitude larger than that achieved using the conventional silica fibre. Furthermore, we have shown that the light collection/guiding technique can even be used effectively with triboluminescent sensors embedded within black carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites. Finally, we have demonstrated that for resins and glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) composites, triboluminescent sensors act as truly global damage sensors, whereas for CFRP composites, the damage sensing is localized to areas close to the embedded photoluminescent fibre.


A new solution technique to grow SiC nanowires/nanorods was developed by simply heating Fe–Si melt on a graphite plate in argon atmosphere to 1600 °C for 3 and 6 h. SiC nanowires/nanorods with diameters of 100 nm and lengths of several tens of micrometres were grown on the surface of the melt. The prototype of the nanowires/nanorods is 3C-SiC (β-SiC), and the growth direction is [111] for 3C-SiC. Taking into consideration the action of Fe in Fe–Si melt and the possible participation of oxygen, the growth mechanism of the SiC nanowires is proposed. It is believed that the formation of SiC nanowires is a combination of the solid–liquid–solid (SLS) reaction for nucleation and the vapour–liquid–solid (VLS) process for nanowire growth. In the SLS reaction, graphite carbon (solid) dissolved in the Fe–Si melt (liquid), and then reacted with the silicon in the melt to form SiC nuclei (solid). In the VLS reaction, SiO and CO (vapours) dissolved in the melt droplets (liquid) attached to the tip of the growing SiC nanowires (solid), and reacted to make them grow further.


Abstract This paper examines the question of why patients decline treatment for cancer. Though small in number, patients with cancer who refuse treatment pose a problem for physicians and other health professionals managing their care. From the medical perspective such a decision appears irrational, and research has been conducted to try to identify features of patients and their situation that predispose this outcome. Research has also examined communication strategies used by doctors to influence patient decision making. The identification of these features supports an individualist perspective on this issue, even in the literature that seeks to comprehend the patient's point of view. Making use of a narrative perspective involving illustrative cases drawn from published research, this paper proposes that such decisions need to be understood in terms of patients' relationship to medicine, something that is changing with respect to medicine's weakened authority and the growth of a consumerist ethos. Second, the emergence in society of competing ideologies provides the possibility for alternative value sets in which the meaning of life can be assessed. This means that what seems an individual act of defiance is actually one of the highest social degree. To see treatment refusal in this way has implications for the mismatch between professional and patient preferences.


Pollination, pest control, and soil properties are well known to affect agricultural production. These factors might interactively shape crop yield, but most studies focus on only one of these factors at a time. We used 15 winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) fields in Sweden to study how variation among fields in pollinator visitation rates, pollen beetle pest attack rates and soil properties (soil texture, pH and organic carbon) interactively determined crop yield. The fields were embedded in a landscape gradient with contrasting proportions arable and semi-natural land. Pollinator, pest and soil property variables formed bundles across the sites. In general, pollinator visitation and pest levels were negatively correlated and varied independently of soil properties. Because above- and below-ground processes reacted at contrasting spatial scales, it was difficult to predict bundle composition based on the surrounding landscape structure. The above-ground biotic interactions and below-ground abiotic factors interactively affected crop yield. Pollinator visitation was the strongest predictor positively associated with yield. High soil pH also benefited yield, but only at lower pest loads. Surprisingly, high pest loads increased the pollinator benefits for yield. Synthesis and applications Implementing management plans at different spatial scales can create synergies among bundles of above- and below-ground ecosystem processes, but both scales are needed given that different processes react to different spatial scales.


The infrared propagation character of metallic woodpile photonic crystals made of gold in the <110> direction was studied. The bandgap in metallic woodpile was found to be interrupted by a new propagating mode far beyond the waveguide cutoff. This new passband cannot be explained by the defect mode of the photonic crystal or the waveguide theorem. However, studies of surface plasmons within the structure showed that 3-D metallic photonic crystals can expand the propagating mode far beyond waveguide cutoff. This passband mode can be adjusted by design allowing for new optical filtering devices using 3-D photonic crystals. Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulations were applied to explain this phenomenon and matched well with experimental results.


Real-time systems are often designed using a set of periodic tasks. Task periods are usually set by the system requirements, but deadlines and computation times can be modified in order to improve system performance. Sensitivity analysis in real-time systems has focused on changes in task computation times using fixed priority analysis. Only a few studies deal with the modification of deadlines in dynamic priority scheduling. The aim of this work is to provide a sensitivity analysis for task deadlines in the context of dynamic-priority, pre-emptive, uniprocessor scheduling. In this paper, we present a deadline minimisation method that achieves the maximum reduction. As undertaken in other studies concerning computation times, we also define and calculate the critical scaling factor for task deadlines. Our proposal is evaluated and compared with other works in terms of jitter. The deadline minimisation can be used to strongly reduce jitter of control tasks, in a real-time control application


In Dupin v. France the European Court of Human Rights saw itself confronted with one of the key conflicts in education law: when parents and state officials disagree on which educational trajectory is best for a child with a disability, who gets the final say? This case concerned a mother fighting the decision of the French authorities to refuse her child, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, access to a general school (through a form of inclusive education). Instead, the child was referred to an 'Institut medico-educatif', an institution established to provide care and a specialized type of education to children with an intellectual impairment. Seemingly going back on its prior case law, the Court did not consider the right to education of the child to be violated.


The objective of this article is to present the MEECA model, an innovative econometric methodology for generating economically consistent long term scenarios of projections for agriculture and living stock. This methodology is based upon the spatial econometrics, taking into account the spatial effects, namely, the spatial dependence and the spatial heterogeneity. In the regressions, we incorporate various spatial terms, such as spillover effects, spatial expansion of coefficients, spatial error lag, etc. This methodology is applied for the estimation of the spatial econometric models of some agricultural and living stock products in the Amazon region, namely, rice, soy bean, corn, other extractive products (excluding wood), cattle and other living stock products. The MEECA model is directly linked to an applied general equilibrium model, guaranteeing the systemic consistency of the projections.


Asparaginyl endopeptides (AEP) are recognized
for their catalytic efficiency, presenting as ideal tools for protein bioconjugation.
However, the peptide ligation catalyzed by AEP is reversible. In an attempt to
obtain high reaction yields, thiodepsipeptides have been used as substrates but
found to be highly unstable, and labeling is only limited to the N-terminus. To
maximize the potential use of AEP, here we developed a novel chemo-enzymatic
sequence for protein bioconjugation at both the N- and C-termini. In this
system, an alternative recognition sequence, Asn-Cys-Leu, was used. Upon
ligation, the reaction yields Cys-Leu as leaving group, and its reactive 1,2-aminothiol
functionality was quenched by an effective and affordable electrophile,
2-formyl phenylboronic acid (FPBA), to yield a non-reactive cyclic byproduct. In
the presence of FPBA our model reaction proceeds with ~95% yield using only 1.2
equivalent of substrate, whereas the yield remains at ~50% in the absence of
this additive. This "quenching" approach enables protein labeling at both the N-
and C-termini ranging from 75 to 85% (five examples). The simplicity and
versatility of this quenching approach will enhance the future use of AEPs in
protein bioconjugation.


Permafrost thaw and its impacts on ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics are critical for predicting global climate change. It remains unclear whether annual and seasonal warming (winter or summer) affect permafrost thaw and ecosystem C balance differently. It is also required to compare the short‐term stepwise warming and long‐term gradual warming effects. This study validated a land surface model, the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange model, at an Alaskan tundra site, and then used it to simulate permafrost thaw and ecosystem C flux under annual warming, winter warming, and summer warming. The simulations were conducted under stepwise air warming (2°C yr−1) during 2007–2011, and gradual air warming (0.04°C yr−1) during 2007–2056. We hypothesized that all warming treatments induced greater permafrost thaw, and larger ecosystem respiration than plant growth thus shifting the ecosystem C sink to C source. Results only partially supported our hypothesis. Climate warming further enhanced C sink under stepwise (6–15%) and gradual (1–8%) warming scenarios as followed by annual warming, winter warming, and summer warming. This is attributed to disproportionally low temperature increase in soil (0.1°C) in comparison to air warming (2°C). In a separate simulation, a greater soil warming (1.5°C under winter warming) led to a net ecosystem C source (i.e., 18 g C m−2 yr−1). This suggests that warming tundra can potentially provide positive feedbacks to global climate change. As a key variable, soil temperature and its dynamics, especially during wintertime, need to be carefully studied under global warming using both modeling and experimental approaches.


To clarify the pathological characteristics of astrocytic hyaline inclusions (Ast-HIs) in patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) with neuronal Lewy-body-like hyaline inclusions (LBHIs), eight autopsies on members of four different families, including two long-term surviving patients with clinical courses of over 10 years, were analyzed. Ast-HIs were found only in the two long-term surviving patients who belonged to different families and to different races. Ast-HIs were ultrastructurally composed of 15- to 25-nm granule-coated fibrils that had immunoreactivities to superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and ubiquitin. Approximately 50% of the Ast-HIs expressed alpha B-crystallin, metallothionein, glutamine synthetase, and tubulin (alpha and beta) at various intensities. Some Ast-HIs reacted with antibodies to tau protein, S-100 protein, and heat shock protein 27. The Ast-HIs were not stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Our results suggest a cooperative role of superoxide dismutase 1, ubiquitin, and cytoskeletal proteins in the formation of granule-coated fibrils (namely, Ast-HIs) and provide evidence that Ast-HIs are formed in certain long-surviving familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with neuronal Lewy-body-like hyaline inclusions.


You will never look at the world in the same way after reading As the Future Catches You. Juan Enriquez puts you face to face with a series of unprecedented political, ethical, economic, and financial issues, dramatically demonstrating the cascading impact of the genetic, digital, and knowledge revolutions on your life. Genetics will be the dominant language of this century. Those who can speak it will acquire direct and deliberate control over all forms of life. But most countries and individuals remain illiterate in what is rapidly becoming the greatest single driver of the global economy. Wealth will be more concentrated and those with knowledge to sellboth countries and individualswill be the winners. Consider what will happen when: Your genetic code can be digitally imprinted on an ID card and your insurance company and employer see that you are genetically disposed to, say, heart disease. Pharmaceutical products are developed so that you can eat genetically modified broccoli to protect yourself fro m cancer. Cloning will be as common as in vitro fertilization and scientists can influence the genetic design not only of other species but of your own children. Creating wealth no longer requires many hands. Lone individuals are giving birth to entire new industries that rapidly become bigger than the economies of most countries on earth, but create very few jobs.As the Future Catches You resembles no other book. A typical page may contain just a few dozen words. But each seemingly discrete fact is like a chip in an intellectual mosaic that reveals its meaning and beauty only as you step back and see the big picture. Juan Enriquez is like the best teacher you ever had, one who helps you to see something in a new light and makes you say, Now I get it! Juan Enriquezs main point is that technology is not kind, it does not say please, but slams into existing systems and destroys them while creating new ones. Countries and individuals can either surf new and powerful waves of changeor get crushed trying to stop t hem.The future is catching us all. Let it catch you with your eyes wide open.


Biologists are often faced with the difficult decision in managing native salmonids of where and when to install barriers as a conservation action to prevent upstream invasion of nonnative fishes. However, fine-scale approaches to assess long-term persistence of populations within streams and watersheds chosen for isolation management are often lacking. We employed a spatially-explicit approach to evaluate stream habitat conditions, relative abundance, and genetic diversity of native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) within the Akokala Creek watershed in Glacier National Parka population threatened by introgressive hybridization with nonnative rainbow trout (O. mykiss) from nearby sources. The systematic survey of 24 stream reaches showed broad overlap in fish population and suitable habitat characteristics among reaches and no natural barriers to fish migration were found. Analysis of population structure using 16 microsatellite loci showed modest amounts of genetic diversity among reaches, and that fish from Long Bow Creek were the only moderately distinct genetic group. We then used this information to assess the potential impacts of three barrier placement scenarios on long-term population persistence and genetic diversity. The two barrier placement scenar- ios in headwater areas generally failed to meet general persistence criteria for minimum population size (2,500 individu- als, Ne = 500), maintenance of long-term genetic diversity (He), and no population subdivision. Conversely, placing a bar- rier near the stream mouth and selectively passing non-hybridized, migratory spawners entering Akokala Creek met all persistence criteria and may offer the best option to conserve native trout populations and life history diversity. System- atic, fine-scale stream habitat, fish distribution, and genetic assessments in streams chosen for barrier installation are needed in conjunction with broader scale assessments to understand the potential impacts of using barriers for conserva- tion of native salmonid populations threatened by nonnative fish invasions.


Aims: This study analyzes the prevalence and types of refractive errors among truck drivers, as well as their uptake of glasses. Subjects and Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of data collected between July 2017 and June 2018, through eye camps held across the national capital region. An optometrist conducted a comprehensive eye examination. Refractive error was defined as myopia (spherical equivalent of at least −0.5 diopter [D]), hyperopia (spherical equivalent of at least +0.5 D), or astigmatism (only cylinder of 0.5 D or more). Drivers requiring spectacles to read at a normal distance (35–40 cm) were categorized as having presbyopia. Those needing both distance and near vision correction were analyzed separately. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed for the prevalence of refractive errors and its types. Spectacles uptake and its association with age categories, number of affected eyes, type and severity of refractive errors were analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out using R software version 3.1.1 and Excel 2013. Results: Refractive error (including presbyopia) was over 26% in the 4059 truck drivers screened. 8.8% needed distance correction, 24.3% needed near correction and 6.6% needed both, at least in one eye. Uptake was only 47% among those prescribed glasses and was higher among drivers requiring only near correction. Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of eye examination among truckers. There is a need to increase the uptake of spectacles by increasing awareness and developing better models of spectacle delivery.


The design and development of high efficiency spark-ignition engines continues to be limited by the consideration of knock. Although the topic of spark knock has been the subject of comprehensive research since the early 1900s, little has been reported on the coupling of the engine thermodynamics and knock. This work uses an engine cycle simulation together with a submodel for the knock phenomena to explore these connections. First, the autoignition characteristics as represented by a recent (2014) Arrhenius expression for the reaction time of the end gases are examined for a range of temperatures and pressures. In spite of the exponential dependence on temperature, pressure appears to dominate the ignition time for the conditions examined. Higher pressures (and higher temperatures) tend to enhance the potential for knock. Second, knock is determined as function of engine design and operating parameters. The trends are consistent with expectations, and the results provide a systematic presentation of knock occurrence. Engine parameters explored include compression ratio, engine speed, inlet pressure, start of combustion, heat transfer, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Changes of cylinder pressures and temperatures of the unburned zone as engine parameters were varied are shown to be directly responsible for the changes of the knock characteristics.


Australians are among the largest consumers of marijuana in the world, and estimates show that their expenditure on marijuana is approximately twice that on wine. In the present paper, the evolution of Australian marijuana prices over the last decade is analysed, and a decline in real terms by almost 40 per cent is shown. This decline is far above that experienced by most agricultural products. Why has this occurred and what are the implications? One possible reason is the adoption of hydroponic growing techniques that have enhanced productivity and lowered costs and prices. Another reason is that laws have become softer and penalties reduced. Patterns in prices are found that divide the country into three broad regions: (i) Sydney, where prices are highest; (ii) Melbourne and Canberra, which have somewhat lower prices; and (iii) everywhere else, where marijuana is cheapest. An exploratory analysis indicates the extent to which the price declines have stimulated marijuana consumption and inhibited the consumption of a substitute product, alcohol.


Use of the term Islamophobia is today both inexorable and controversial. Thinking Through Islamophobia offers a series of critical engagements with the concept, its history and deployment, and the phenomena that it seeks to marshal. In an original and pioneering collection of essays twenty-eight contributors hailing from diverse disciplinary and geographical backgrounds draw on their expertise to map out the tensions between the concept and the phenomena as they are played out across different contexts and continents. Extending the discussion of Islamophobia beyond its commonplace focus on the West and staking a claim for the continuing relevance and critical purchase of Islamophobia in struggles for justice, Thinking Through Islamophobia locates the polemical debates on Islamophobia within wider cultural and political mobilizations engendered by the 'Muslim question'.


What follows was motivated by a special request to review a recently issued book: Why Market Socialism?, edited by Frank Roosevelt and David Belkin (Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1994, 392 pp. Hardcover $52.00, paperback, $21.00). The book is a collection of articles published in Dissent as part of a series devoted to the search for a vision of a workable democratic socialism. After some consideration, we decided that a review was not practical. The book contains contributions by twenty-one authors with a variety of views. A serious discussion of the content of even a selection of the articles would go far beyond the size limits we set for book reviews in the limited space available. There was also another obstacle. Our perspective on the issues raised in the book is so different from that of the contributors that a proper treatment of the subject would require the kind of major essay we are not able to undertake at this time. We gave our reasons for not complying in a letter to our friend and co-author of the book, who had invited a review. Among other things, the letter contained some observations on how differently we view the "market socialism" issue. That portion of the letter (slightly edited) is presented here on the assumption that it might interest MR readers. —The EditorsThis article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


We present the latest developments and some preliminary results on High-Voltage MOSFET modelling at EPFL. A novel physics-based compact model is derived for the drift region. It includes velocity saturation and Poisson equation in a self consistent formalism. Next, this drift extension has been combined with a non-uniformly doped MOSFET compact model for the low voltage section of the device. The complete model has been implemented in Verilog-A language. Evaluation against TCAD simulations and actual measurements on state-of-art HV-MOS devices confirm the soundness of this approach.


The large magnitude of supply/ground bounces, which arise from power mode transitions in power gating structures, may cause spurious transitions in a circuit. This can result in wrong values being latched in the circuit registers. We propose a design methodology for limiting the maximum value of the supply/ground currents to a user-specified threshold level while minimizing the wake up (sleep to active mode transition) time. In addition to controlling the sudden discharge of the accumulated charge in the intermediate nodes of the circuit through the sleep transistors during the wake up transition, we can eliminate short circuit current and spurious switching activity during this time. This is in turn achieved by reducing the amount of charge that must be removed from the intermediate nodes of the circuit and by turning on different parts of the circuit in a way that causes a uniform distribution of current over the wake up time. Simulation results show that, compared to existing wakeup scheduling methods, the proposed techniques result in a one to two orders of magnitude improvement in the product of the maximum ground current and the wake up time.


ABSTRACT UTILIZING SOCIAL NORMS THEORY TO DELAY THE SEXUAL DEBUT OF EARLY ADOLESCENTS: AN INTERVENTION STRATEGY Anna M. Gerard, MSW, LCSW Dr. Jeffrey Applegate, Ph.D. Background and Significance: Numerous programs have been developed in the last twenty years aimed at reducing the prevalence and consequences of risky sexual behavior among adolescents. Despite these efforts, the United States is second highest of industrialized nations in unintended pregnancy rates and sexually transmitted infections among its youth, with a disproportionately high incidence among African-American and Hispanic populations (CDC, 2012). Research suggests that an early sexual debut, defined as having occurred prior to an adolescent reaching the age of 15, significantly increases the risk for unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and future risky sexual behavior (Houlihan et al., 2008; Waller & DuBois, 2004). Additional intervention models aimed at delaying an adolescent's sexual debut might be successful in decreasing the future incidence of these negative outcomes. When considering interventions with adolescents, attention to peer influence is critical. Social Norms Theory contends that an individual makes decisions to engage in a particular behavior based on the perceived prevalence of that behavior among his or her peers (Berkowitz, 2002). The overestimation of the prevalence of a negative behavior is common and can lead to a marked increase in an individual's decision to engage in that behavior. Interventions grounded in Social Norms Theory aim to correct the misperception or overestimation of the negative behavior by providing accurate information through the implementation of social marketing campaigns. Correcting the misperception is believed to reduce the overall prevalence of the targeted behavior, as individuals may be more likely to delay or avoid engagement in a socially undesirable activity. Despite the need for continued research efforts to determine its efficacy in addressing additional negative health behaviors, Social Norms Theory is believed to serve as a useful conceptual framework for the development of interventions seeking to delay the sexual debut of adolescents. Method: Given the current trend of adolescents receiving a significant amount of information through social media websites, capitalizing on this platform to disseminate corrective material promises to be highly relevant and accessible to the target population. Thus, a social media website was developed as a core aspect of the intervention model employed for this study. In addition, supplemental materials to be used in schools and/or psychotherapy settings were developed to provide the information for those who may not have access to the Facebook page that was created. Implications for Clinical Social Work: Clinical social workers have access to early adolescents in many settings and are uniquely positioned to promote healthier sexual behavior and impact the timing of their sexual debut. Despite this presence, not all settings provide access to individual or group psychotherapy, and many adolescents may not receive direct clinical care or education surrounding the risks of an early sexual debut. In This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/45 response, macro-level interventions such as the model developed for this project can enhance direct clinical care and increase access to information an adolescent might not otherwise seek out or receive. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) First Advisor Dr. Jeffrey Applegate, Ph.D. Second Advisor Dr. Amy Bleakley, Ph.D. Third Advisor Dr. Susan Sorenson, Ph.D.


The energy and materials that move across ecosystem boundaries influence food web structure and key ecosystem functions. Despite the acknowledged importance of such ecological subsidies, surprisingly little information is available regarding the role of environmental temperature in influencing subsidy quality and the response of the recipient ecosystem. We evaluated the impacts of temperature-mediated changes in leaves from deciduous trees, an important subsidy from terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems, on both the producer-based and detritivore-based components of a pelagic pond food web in a field mesocosm experiment. We hypothesized that variation in leaf chemistry driven by increased soil temperature would alter both the quality of leaf subsidies and the pond response. We collected red maple Acer rubrum leaves from heated and ambient temperature plots from the long-term soil warming experiment at the Harvard Experimental Forest and added them to 167-l field mesocosms containing established plankton communities, creating 'no leaf', 'ambient leaf' and 'heated leaf' treatments during autumn 2012. We then monitored physical, chemical, and biological responses to treatments until the mesocosms froze six weeks later. Experimental soil warming altered the chemical composition of deciduous leaves, the physical and chemical environment of the aquatic ecosystems to which leaves were added, and the pelagic pond food webs as measured by community composition. Compared to leaves from ambient-temperature soils, leaves from warmed soils initially resulted in lower water column phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon, reducing bacterial densities. However, the diminished carbon and phosphorus resulting from soil warming also increased light availability that ultimately stimulated cladoceran zooplankton relative to ambient-temperature leaves. Our results suggest that changes in temperature can alter ecological subsidies in unanticipated ways, and suggest that accurately predicting the potential consequences of climate change will require conducting research across ecosystem boundaries.


The impact of currency collapses (i.e. large nominal depreciations or devaluations) on real output remains unsettled in the empirical macroeconomic literature. This paper provides new empirical evidence on this relationship using a dataset for 108 emerging and developing economies over the period 1960–2006. We provide estimates of how these episodes affect growth and output trend. Our main finding is that currency collapses are associated with a permanent output loss relative to trend, which is estimated to range between 2% and 6% of GDP. However, we show that such losses tend to materialize before the drop in the value of the currency, which suggests that the costs of a currency crash largely stem from the factors leading to it. Taken on its own (i.e. ceteris paribus), we find that currency collapses tend to have a positive effect on output. More generally, we also find that the likelihood of a positive growth rate in the year of the collapse is over two times more likely than a contraction, and that positive growth rates in the years that follow such episodes are the norm. Finally, we show that the persistence of the crash matters, i.e. one-time events induce exchange rate and output dynamics that differ from consecutive episodes.


In this study the sampling of microfungus content from the carpeting, walls and Holy Qurans of two different mosques in the province of Istanbul was undertaken and in order to determine quantities. Samples were taken in 2015 during the months of January, April, July and October. The samples were taken with non-agar based sterile swabs and were then taken to the laboratory. Throughout the duration of the study, 17 species belonging to 9 genera were isolated and a total of 193 colonies were examined. Throughout the study the most commonly isolated microfungus genus was Aspergillus at 52.9%. This genus was followed by Penicillium at 26.5%, Cladosporium at 7.8%, Alternaria at 4.7%, Chaetomium at 2.6%, Trichoderma at 3.2%, Mucor at 1.1% and Eurotium and Rhizopus 0.6%.  Throughout the duration of the study the most isolated species of microfungus was Aspergillus fumigatus at 25.9%. This species was followed by Aspergillus flavus at 9.8%, Penicillium palitans at 9.3%, Aspergillus niger at 8.3%, Penicillium citreonigrum at 7.8%, Penicillium solitum at 6.3%, Aspergillus sydowii at 5.2%, Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium sphaerospermum at 4.7%, Aspergillus parasiticus at 3.7%, Trichoderma longibrachiatum at 3.2%, Penicillium citrinum and Cladosporium cladosporioides at 3.1%, Chaetomium globosum at 2.6%, Mucor sp. at 1.1%, and finally Eurotium herbariorum and Rhizopus stolonifer at 0.6%.

 Key words: Aspergillus, Penicillium, fungus, carpet, mosque, Istanbul.


The European discovery of the Americas in 1492 was one of the most important events of the Renaissance, and with it Christopher Columbus changed the course of world history. Now, five hundred years later, this 2-volume reference work will chart new courses in the study and understanding of Columbus and the Age of Discovery. Much more than an account of the man and his voyages, The Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia is a complete A-Z look at the world during this momentous era. In two volumes, The Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia contains more than 350 signed original articles ranging from 250 to more than 10,000 words, written by nearly 150 contributors from around the world. The work includes cross-references, bibliographies for each article, and a comprehensive index. The work is fully illustrated, with hundreds of maps, drawings and photographs.


Concerns around global warming have led to a nuclear renaissance in many countries, meanwhile the nuclear industry is warning already of a need to train more nuclear engineers and scientists, who are needed in a range of areas from healthcare and radiation detection to space exploration and advanced materials as well as for the nuclear power industry. Here Karl Whittle provides a solid overview of the intersection of nuclear engineering and materials science at a level approachable by advanced students from materials, engineering and physics. The text explains the unique aspects needed in the design and implementation of materials for use in demanding nuclear settings. In addition to material properties and their interaction with radiation the book covers a range of topics including reactor design, fuels, fusion, future technologies and lessons learned from past incidents. Accompanied by problems, videos and teaching aids the book is suitable for a course text in nuclear materials and a reference for those already working in the field.


A high-statistics sample of charged-current muon neutrino scattering events collected with the MiniBooNE experiment is analyzed to extract the first measurement of the double differential cross section ( d 2 σ dT µ d cos θ µ ) for charged-current quasielastic (CCQE) scattering on carbon. This result features minimal model dependence and provides the most complete information on this process to date. With the assumption of CCQE scattering, the absolute cross section as a function of neutrino energy ( σ [ E ν ]) and the single differential cross section ( dσdQ 2 ) are extracted to facilitate comparison with previous measurements. These quantities may be used to characterize an effective axial-vector form factor of the nucleon and to improve the modeling of low-energy neutrino interactions on nuclear targets. The results are relevant for experiments searching for neutrino oscillations.


Although the Japanese empire rapidly dissolved following the end of World War II, the memories, mourning, and trauma of the nation's imperial exploits continue to haunt Korea, China, and Taiwan. In Anti-Japan Leo T. S. Ching traces the complex dynamics that shape persisting negative attitudes toward Japan throughout East Asia. Drawing on a mix of literature, film, testimonies, and popular culture, Ching shows how anti-Japanism stems from the failed efforts at decolonization and reconciliation, the Cold War and the ongoing U.S. military presence, and shifting geopolitical and economic conditions in the region. At the same time, pro-Japan sentiments in Taiwan reveal a Taiwanese desire to recoup that which was lost after the Japanese empire fell. Anti-Japanism, Ching contends, is less about Japan itself than it is about the real and imagined relationships between it and China, Korea, and Taiwan. Advocating for forms of healing that do not depend on state-based diplomacy, Ching suggests that reconciliation requires that Japan acknowledge and take responsibility for its imperial history.


Extant provisions of Nigeria's presidential constitution seek to promote a culture of accountability through a system of checks and balances. Since Nigeria's return to civil rule in May 1999, promotion of good governance through accountability government continues to be a challenge. All indications point to a worsening governance crisis in the midst of abundant resources. Besides, Nigeria's socio-economic performance and visible poor service delivery depict a deepening governance crisis occasioned by mismanagement of public resources. The data collected by means of documents and literature indicates that the presidential system has checks and balances as measures to prevent the abuse of power. Impeachment is the major institutionally recognised legislative mechanism to hold the executive accountable. The puzzle since the inception of Nigeria's Fourth Republic is the failure of the legislature to appropriate this statutory authority to police the execution of public policies in a manner that will conform to the constitutional requirements. While there are requisite constitutional provisions that mandate the legislature to ascertain its power over the executive, indicating Nigeria's commitment to the promotion of good governance, the legislature has failed to appropriate these instruments to stimulate a responsible government that is open to promoting good governance. Using the theories of structural functionalism and elites, this paper argues that this legislative failure to appropriate the instrument of impeachment to instil the culture of responsible executive in policy process engenders the prevailing governance crisis in Nigeria. The paper concludes that a political system where systemic corruption prevails will reduce impeachment to a mere instrument of political vendetta. Key words : impeachment, governance, corruption, accountability, oversight


The reliable preparation of functional, ordered, nanostructured frameworks would be a game changer for many emerging technologies, from energy storage to nanomedicine. Underpinned by the excellent molecular recognition of nucleic acids, along with their facile synthesis and breadth of available functionalizations, DNA nanotechnology is widely acknowledged as a prime route for the rational design of nanostructured materials. Yet, the preparation of crystalline DNA frameworks with programmable structure and functionality remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate the potential of simple amphiphilic DNA motifs, dubbed "C-stars", as a versatile platform for the design of programmable DNA crystals. In contrast to all-DNA materials, in which structure depends on the precise molecular details of individual building blocks, the self-assembly of C-stars is controlled uniquely by their topology and symmetry. Exploiting this robust self-assembly principle, we design a range of topologically identical, but structurally and chemically distinct C-stars that following a one-pot reaction self-assemble into highly porous, functional, crystalline frameworks. Simple design variations allow us to fine-tune the lattice parameter and thus control the partitioning of macromolecules within the frameworks, embed responsive motifs that can induce isothermal disassembly, and include chemical moieties to capture target proteins specifically and reversibly.


We provide novel, high-order accurate methods for nonparametric inference on quantile differences between two populations in both unconditional and conditional settings. These quantile differences identify (conditional) quantile treatment effects under (conditional) independence of a binary treatment and potential outcomes. Our methods use the probability integral transform and a Dirichlet (rather than Gaussian) reference distribution to pick appropriate L-statistics as confidence interval endpoints, achieving high-order accuracy. Using a similar approach, we also propose confidence intervals/sets for 1) vectors of quantiles, 2) interquantile ranges, and 3) differences of linear combinations of quantiles. In the conditional setting, when smoothing over continuous covariates, optimal bandwidth and coverage probability rates are derived for all methods. Simulations show the new confidence intervals to have a favorable combination of robust accuracy and short length compared with existing approaches. All code for methods, simulations, and empirical examples is provided.


OBJECTIVE To describe in detail the resources used and costs incurred in the clinical management of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The resources used for intensive and conventional therapy and to deal with the side effects of therapy were assessed at each of the 29 DCCT clinics and summarized. Unit costs were derived from the DCCT, manufacturers, and Medicare and chosen to reflect what an item would cost to a single-payer national health system. Costs were calculated as the product of resources used and unit costs. The costs of the research component of the DCCT were not included. RESULTS In the DCCT, the annual cost of intensive therapy ($4,000 and $5,800/year for multiple daily injections and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, respectively) was ∼ three times the cost of conventional therapy ($1,700/year). A large portion of the difference in cost was related to the greater frequency of outpatient visits and the greater resources used in self-care. CONCLUSIONS DCCT intensive therapy is more expensive than conventional therapy, but it offers the hope of cost savings as a result of averted complications.


Endometriosis is a disorder in which endometrial tissue is found outside the uterus causing pain, infertility and stress. Finding an effective and long-term treatment for endometriosis still remains one of the most significant challenges in the field. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is one of the main signaling peptides within the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis released in response to stress. CRH can affect nervous and visceral tissues such as the uterus and gut via activation of two types of CRH receptors: CRHR1 and CRHR2. Our aim was to determine if blocking CRHR1 with antalarmin will reduce endometriosis progression. First, we induced endometriosis in female rats by suturing uterine horn tissue next to the intestinal mesentery and allowed to progress for 7 days. We determined that after 7 days, there was a significant increase in CRHR1 within endometriotic vesicles as compared to normal uterus. A second group of rats received endometriosis but also antalarmin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) during the first 7 days after surgery. As separate group of sham surgery rats served as controls. Endometriosis was allowed to progress until 60 days after surgery. At time of sacrifice, rats were tested for anxiety behaviors and endometriotic vesicles, and uterus were collected. Rats with endometriosis that received antalarmin significantly reduced the size (67% decrease) and number (30% decrease) of endometriotic vesicles. Antalarmin also prevented the increase in CRH and CRHR1 within endometriotic vesicles but not of glucocorticoid receptor. Behaviorally, endometriosis increased anxiety in the zero-maze test but antalarmin did not modify it. Our data provides the first demonstration for the effective use on CRHR1 antagonist for the treatment of endometriosis with promising effects for long-term therapy of this debilitating disease.


This paper examines the impact of exchange rate volatility on the trade flows of the G-7 countries in the context of a multivariate error-correction model. The error-correction models do not show any sign of parameter instability. The results indicate that the exchange rate volatility has a significant negative impact on the volume of exports in each of the G-7 countries. Assuming market participants are risk averse, these results imply that exchange rate uncertainty causes them to reduce their activities, change prices, or shift sources of demand and supply in order to minimize their exposure to the effects of exchange rate volatility. This, in turn, can change the distribution of output across many sectors in these countries. It is quite possible that the surprisingly weak relationship between trade flows and exchange rate volatility reported in several previous studies are due to insufficient attention to the stochastic properties of the relevant time series. Copyright 1993 by MIT Press.


The SenseCam is a passive capture wearable camera, worn around the neck and developed by Microsoft Research in the UK. When worn continuously it takes an average of 2,000 images per day. It was originally envisaged for use within the domain of Human Digital Memory to create a personal lifelog or visual recording of the wearer's life, which can be helpful as an aid to human memory. However, within this paper, we explore its applicability as a tool for use within observational and ethnographic studies. We employed the SenseCam as a tool for the collection of observational data in an empirical study, which sought to determine the information access practices of molecular medicine researchers. The affordances of the SenseCam making it appropriate for use within this domain, as well as its limitations, are discussed in the context of this study. We found that while the SenseCam, in its current form, will not offer a complete replacement of traditional observational methods, it offers a complimentary and supplementary route to the collection of observational data.


While there is a growing body of research on taking people to Mars, as well as on the environmental control and life support systems required to keep humans alive both during the journey and on Mars, there is very little research to support the development of successful new settlements. This research explores the challenges faced by remote villages in harsh environments and how their residents have learned to adapt to these challenges. Accessing this existing knowledge opens opportunities for future settlement on Mars as well as on Earth.

Research into remote villages as a form of settlement separate to rural settlement is a comparably new field within human geography. Recently for example the Carsons (2011; 2014) have identified a list of common features of remote villages. However past indices have used features of marginality as markers in identifying remote villages (Cloke, 1977; Cloke and Edwards, 1986) thus creating or at least strengthening an image of remote villages as chronically troubled and in decline. While there exist a number of different definitions and indices for identifying remoteness none appears to cater to the multi-facetted nature of remoteness. Besides the physical component of remoteness, the phenomenon has been shown to include cultural (Huskey, 2005, 2006; Schmallegger et al., 2011; Ardener, 2012; Gilbert, Colley and Roberts, 2016) as well as political (Harvey, 2000; Huskey, 2005; Rogers and Walker, 2005) aspects.

At the other end of the spectrum remote villages have been associated with utopian ideals, as can for example be seen in the Israeli Kibbutz movement (Zilbersheid, 2007). The proposition was brought forward by this study that rather than being either utopias or dystopias remote villages might in fact be heterotopias. Heterotopias are places of otherness, places that are disconnected from the mainstream by both physical and socio-cultural barriers and where social rules different from the mainstream can exist (Foucault and Miskowiec, 1986; Hetherington, 1997).

This study used an inductive research approach of extreme case studies, using open-ended interviews and qualitative coding techniques. The methodology was most heavily influenced both by Flyvbjergs' (Flyvbjerg, 2006, 2009) ideas on case study research and Birks & Mills' (2011) understanding of grounded theory. During 2015 five villages in northern Sweden and southern Israel were visited for this study. These sites were chosen using a multi-parameter matrix that catered for the multi-facetted and often relative nature of remoteness.

During research in the case studies observations on three types of challenges were found: those challenges that were uncontrollable prerequisites of settlement ("environmental challenges"), those challenges that were brought about by political and social realities outside of the community's immediate control ("infrastructure challenges"), and those challenges that referred directly to the village community ("community challenges"). Overall challenges faced by villages in both regions were remarkably similar though influenced by factors such as the villages' age and settlement history. The data from this study showed four common phenomena characterising village life in remote and harsh regions. Firstly, the harshness of terrain and climate provides residents with a sense of place. Secondly, residents described a strong 'do-it-yourself'-attitude and volunteering culture. Thirdly, there was a high occurrence of different types of self-employment that signified that the lack of employment options was not as significant as expected. Finally, and most importantly, residents were attracted to what life in a remote village could offer, and in particular, the opportunities that could be provided that were different from mainstream society.

Using the findings from this study the phenomena listed by the Carsons (2011; 2014) could be put in relation to each other. In doing so I was able to contribute to explaining the co-occurrence of these phenomena and at the same time I identified a missing link. In the following I proposed that the observed co-occurrence of phenomena can be explained through remote villages being heterotopias. Research findings showed that at least the villages in this study can be described as heterotopias.

If indeed remote villages are heterotopias, then they can be expected to have a two-way relationship with the mainstream. The villages of this study could be shown to conform to Ravens' (2015) and Hetheringtons' (1997) notion of heterotopias as places of utopics, that is places that through their striving towards utopia create a high innovative potential that could be described as that of a 'living laboratory' (Raven, 2015).

The question then follows how to support remote villages in accessing this potential for innovation. This study proposes the use of structure and agency theory for these means: From the case study data we know residents of the case study sites to have strong agency, that is a willingness and capability to self-solve problems that arise from their villages' remoteness. However as suggested by structure-and-agency theory, agents need a supporting structure in order to be able to exercise this agency. For remote villages this means that while local decision-making and resource allocation are to be encouraged this cannot be used as an excuse for removing structure, as structure is vital for agency.

Due to the research design of this study, using a small number of extreme cases, the findings of this study cannot be generalised. However, as the case studies were based on an approximation of a future Martian village the findings of this study are very likely to be applicable to this particular kind of village. Next steps in research need to establish parameters and identifiers of remote villages that enable future research to conduct larger, quantitative studies. Through such generalisable research we will be able to establish whether all types, or just a particular type of remote village are or can be heterotopias.


We report on gravitational wave discoveries from compact binary coalescences detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo in the first half of the third observing run (O3a) between 1 April 2019 15:00 UTC and 1 October 2019 15:00. By imposing a false-alarm-rate threshold of two per year in each of the four search pipelines that constitute our search, we present 39 candidate gravitational wave events. At this threshold, we expect a contamination fraction of less than 10%. Of these, 26 candidate events were reported previously in near real-time through GCN Notices and Circulars; 13 are reported here for the first time. The catalog contains events whose sources are black hole binary mergers up to a redshift of ~0.8, as well as events whose components could not be unambiguously identified as black holes or neutron stars. For the latter group, we are unable to determine the nature based on estimates of the component masses and spins from gravitational wave data alone. The range of candidate events which are unambiguously identified as binary black holes (both objects $\geq 3~M_\odot$) is increased compared to GWTC-1, with total masses from $\sim 14~M_\odot$ for GW190924_021846 to $\sim 150~M_\odot$ for GW190521. For the first time, this catalog includes binary systems with significantly asymmetric mass ratios, which had not been observed in data taken before April 2019. We also find that 11 of the 39 events detected since April 2019 have positive effective inspiral spins under our default prior (at 90% credibility), while none exhibit negative effective inspiral spin. Given the increased sensitivity of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, the detection of 39 candidate events in ~26 weeks of data (~1.5 per week) is consistent with GWTC-1.


The adenomatous polyposis coli gene (APC) is mutated in most colon cancers. The APC protein binds to the cellular adhesion molecule β-catenin, which is a mammalian homolog of ARMADILLO, a component of the WINGLESS signaling pathway in Drosophila development. Here it is shown that when β-catenin is present in excess, APC binds to another component of the WINGLESS pathway, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), a mammalian homolog of Drosophila ZESTE WHITE 3. APC was a good substrate for GSK3β in vitro, and the phosphorylation sites were mapped to the central region of APC. Binding of β-catenin to this region was dependent on phosphorylation by GSK3β.


Quantum cognition is a new research program that uses mathematical principles from quantum theory as a framework to explain human cognition, including judgment and decision making, concepts, reasoning, memory, and perception. This research is not concerned with whether the brain is a quantum computer. Instead, it uses quantum theory as a fresh conceptual framework and a coherent set of formal tools for explaining puzzling empirical findings in psychology. In this introduction, we focus on two quantum principles as examples to show why quantum cognition is an appealing new theoretical direction for psychology: complementarity, which suggests that some psychological measures have to be made sequentially and that the context generated by the first measure can influence responses to the next one, producing measurement order effects, and superposition, which suggests that some psychological states cannot be defined with respect to definite values but, instead, that all possible values within the superposition have some potential for being expressed. We present evidence showing how these two principles work together to provide a coherent explanation for many divergent and puzzling phenomena in psychology.


Oil and gas production in the United States has increased dramatically in the past 10 years. This growth has important implications for local governments, which often see new revenues from a variety of sources: property taxes on oil and gas property, sales taxes driven by the oil and gas workforce, allocations of state revenues from severance taxes or state and federal leases, leases on local government land, and contributions from oil and gas companies to support local services. At the same time, local governments tend to experience a range of new costs such as road damage caused by heavy industry truck traffic, increased demand for emergency services and law enforcement, and challenges with workforce retention. This report examines county and municipal fiscal effects in 14 oiland gas-producing regions of eight states: AK, CA, KS, OH, OK, NM, UT, and WV. We find that for most local governments, oil and gas development—whether new or longstanding—has a positive effect on local public finances. However, effects can vary substantially due to a variety of local factors and policy issues. For some local governments, particularly those in rural regions experiencing large increases in development, revenues have not kept pace with rapidly increased costs and demand for services, particularly on road repair.


Surveys were made of the anuran fauna of the Khatse Dam catchment area in the Lesotho Highlands, and of the region between the Central Mountains and the Thaba Putsoa Range which would be affected by Phase 1B of the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme, if implemented. The Khatse Dam is at present filling. Seven species of anurans were encountered in the Khatse Dam catchment, and five of them also in the valley to the south-west. Four taxa occur all around central Lesotho, but one, the Gariep toad, has its south-eastern limit on the Drakensberg Escarpment, and another. Gray's frog, shows indications in Lesotho, as elsewhere, of being distinct from the typical taxon. Two taxa are endemic to the mountains of the Lesotho region, the one being more rheophilic and more wide-spread. The remaining anuran, previously unknown in Lesotho, is now recorded from the highly characteristic, strongly rheophilic tadpoles, as Heleophryne. The various available habitats and the associated anurans are reviewed. Features of the reproductive cycles, are noted. Dispersal and isolation are outlined. Reference is made to the most probable additions to the anuran fauna which further collecting might reveal. The probable impact of the Khatse Dam is discussed.


Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is the most common subtype of acute leukaemias with a poor outcome. Msi2 protein is a newly discovered prognostic marker and it has been considered as a new target for therapy in AML. The study of Msi2 protein expression in AML cases has not been performed in Malaysia, to date. The main aim of the present study was to observe the expression of Msi2 protein in AML patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and to correlate its expression with the well-established prognostic and clinical parameters in AML as well as the overall survival (OS). Sixty four bone marrow trephine biopsy sections were immunostained for Msi2 protein. The percentage of blasts with positive reaction and the intensity of the cytoplasmic and nuclear staining were evaluated. The expression of Msi2 protein was found in 95.3% cases with Msi2 pattern varying between the cases. In 71.9% of cases, the blasts showed total cellular positivity and 23.4% cases showed only cytoplasmic positivity. Majority showed high expression of Msi2 for cytoplasmic staining. Interestingly, there was significant correlation between total cellular staining and the intermediate cytogenetic subgroup (P= 0.04). In conclusion, the results showed that the majority of the patients had high expression of Msi2 but this did not correlate to OS. However, the Msi2 expression correlated to the cytogenetic findings. The results suggest future extensive research to be conducted in order to ascertain the exact role of Msi2 positive blast cells in AML in our population and their association with prognosis and outcome.


Nephrotoxicity associated with ciprofloxacin is uncommon. Five patients with cancer who developed acute renal failure that followed treatment with ciprofloxacin are described and an additional 15 cases reported in the literature are reviewed. Other than elevation of serum creatinine levels, characteristic clinical manifestations and abnormal laboratory findings are not frequently present. Allergic interstitial nephritis is believed to be the underlying pathological-process. Definitive diagnosis requires performance of renal biopsy, although this is not always feasible. An improvement in renal function that followed the discontinuation of the offending antibiotic supports the presumptive diagnosis of ciprofloxacin-induced acute renal failure.


We report a synchronously pumped, cw mode-locked, near-IR dye laser based on the Kodak Q-switch dye No. 5. Benzyl alcohol is used as the solvent to form a flowing dye jet. Synchronously pumped by 2-psec, 950-mW, compressed pulses of a Nd:YAG laser, the dye laser can be tuned from 1210 to 1340 nm with a maximum output of 5 mW and a pulse duration of 600 fsec.


The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is well-known for its role in pregnancy and lactation. However, its role extends beyond the reproductive system. In fact, the role of OXT in neuropsychiatric disorders has long been studied. OXT is largely associated with social behavior and stress reduction, and so it is to no surprise that it is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Many studies have investigated how abnormalities in the OXT system give rise to symptoms and socio-cognitive deficits many patients with neuropsychiatric disorders exhibit. Understanding the patho-physiology of these disorders enables the development of more efficacious therapeutic agents which target the abnormalities and give rise to less adverse effects. In this review we summarize the literature available to date about the role of OXT in schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), addiction to drugs of abuse and anorexia nervosa (AN). Although these disorders are very Sept.arate and different entities, they all have something common in their pathology; they are associated with deranged OXT systems. Although many studies have been conducted to determine the exact role of OXT in these disorders and how OXT can be used to treat these disorders, research is still in its infancy. Further research is required to be able to standardize OXT as a therapeutic agent, determine its effects and safety, both in short-term and long-term use.


The land snail superfamily Orthalicoidea, although generally assumed to be of Gondwanan origin, is considered by the majority of recent authors to be absent from the African continent. However, two poorly-known African genera, Aillya and Prestonella, have historically been referred to the orthalicoid family Bulimulidae s.l. Anatomical study of Aillya has subsequently shown it to be morphologically distinct from the Bulimulidae and referable to a family of its own, outside the Orthalicoidea, but Prestonella has remained an enigmatic taxon of unknown affinity. Using molecular and morphological evidence, we demonstrate conclusively that Prestonella is indeed a member of the Bulimulidae s.l. We thus confirm that this family is represented in Africa, and that it has a classical disjunct, tri-continental southern distribution. Thus, either the origin of the family must at the least predate the separation of Africa and South America in the Mid Cretaceous (under a vicariance scenario) or there must have been subsequent dispersal between the isolated Gondwanan fragments. In view of the limited dispersal ability of terrestrial snails, we consider the former more likely. Anatomically, Prestonella exhibits many character states thought to be plesiomorphic, suggesting a relationship with the subfamily Bulimulinae. Bayesian analysis of nuclear DNA sequence data places it as sister group (posterior probability = 1.0) to an Australasian clade comprising Bothriembryon and Placostylus. However, taxon sampling within the Orthalicoidea is currently inadequate to permit meaningful resolution of subfamilial affinity using molecular data. Similarly, although those orthalicoid taxa for which molecular data are available comprise a well-supported clade, the relationships of this clade to other stylommatophoran clades remain unresolved. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 203‐221. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: Africa ‐ Bulimulidae ‐ Gondwana ‐ molecular phylogeny ‐ morphology.


Abstract In the global pop music industries, revenue models have shifted from physical record sales to streaming services and live performances. At the same time, the supply of live music performances has changed as a result of festivalization. This study aims to understand the effects of festivalization on the strategic action field (SAF) of the Dutch live music ecology. This paper is grounded in a qualitative thematic analysis based on in-depth interviews with directors of pop music venues and festivals. Contributing to the scholarly literature on festivalization we approach this concept from inside the strategic action field (SAF) of live music and place it within the context of the rapidly changing music industries. Among other results we emphasize the significant multiple value creation produced by festivals, the strategic advantages of festivals in relation to traditional music venues and the potential co-evolution within the live music action field.


How to Rock Climb!, now in its fifth edition, is the most thorough instructional rock climbing book in the world. All the fundamentals-from ethics to getting up the rock-are presented in John Long's classic style. Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect the modern standards of equipment, technique, and training methods, this guide includes sections on face climbing; crack climbing; ropes, anchors, and belays; getting off the rock; sport climbing; and much more. It is the essential how-to book for rock climbers everywhere. Now with more than 300 color photographs and illustrations, this is the most thorough and complete upgrade this best-selling title has seen since first publishing more than a decade ago.


Transient transfection studies have been used to determine the DNA sequences of the glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit gene that are required for tissue-specific expression. In the initial phase of these studies, a variant mouse alpha gene was identified which contains a fully palindromic cAMP response element (CRE). The corresponding region of a previously cloned and sequenced mouse alpha gene contains a single point mutation that disrupts the symmetrical nature of this element. DNase footprint studies demonstrate that the fully palindromic CRE binds the CRE-binding protein with much higher affinity than the imperfect palindrome. Transfection experiments using both mouse alpha gene variants demonstrate differences in basal and cAMP-induced expression. Studies of the cAMP response of the human alpha gene indicated that this gene contains sequences other than the known CRE that are sufficient to permit a transcriptional response to cAMP in both placental and pituitary cells. Expression of human and mouse alpha-subunit genes has been examined in cells of the gonadotrope, thyrotrope, and trophoblast lineages to identify DNA sequences that mediate selective transcription of the alpha gene in these cells. The results demonstrate that sequences between about -500 and -200 are important for expression in the pituitary, but not the placenta. Clustered point mutations were used to further characterize sequences required for expression in the pituitary. Two regions, one at positions -445 to -438 and one at positions -337 to -330, were required for expression in cells of the gonadotrope lineage. One of these regions, at -337 to -330, is also important for expression in thyrotropes. When linked to a minimal promoter, multiple copies of the -344 to -300 region had transcriptional enhancer activity in gonadotropes and thyrotropes, but not in several other cell types. These results are consistent with a model involving different combinations of regulatory elements that determine cell-specific alpha expression in gonadotropes and thyrotropes.


In this contribution we have considered fusion reaction of carbon clusters obtained from the natural blocks of sumanene. We obtained four natural isomers of fullerene C60. Together with the fifth natural isomer found elsewhere through the use of the Endo-Kroto mechanism (dimer embedding model), now we have the structure of all the experimentally observed isomers of fullerene C60. One isomer is a perfect, the other are imperfect and differ in the number of pairs of two adjacent pentagons.


Metagenomics and single-cell genomics have enabled the discovery of many new genomes from previously unknown branches of life. However, extracting novel genomes from complex mixtures of metagenomic data can still be challenging and in many respects represents an ill-posed problem which is generally approached with ad hoc methods. Here we present a microfluidic-based mini-metagenomic method which offers a statistically rigorous approach to extract novel microbial genomes from complex samples. In addition, by generating 96 sub-samples from each environmental sample, this method maintains high throughput, reduces sample complexity, and preserves single-cell resolution. We used this approach to analyze two hot spring samples from Yellowstone National Park and extracted 29 new genomes larger than 0.5 Mbps. These genomes represent novel lineages at different taxonomic levels, including three deeply branching lineages. Functional analysis revealed that these organisms utilize diverse pathways for energy metabolism. The resolution of this mini-metagenomic method enabled accurate quantification of genome abundance, even for genomes less than 1% in relative abundance. Our analyses also revealed a wide range of genome level single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distributions with nonsynonymous to synonymous ratio indicative of low to moderate environmental selection. The scale, resolution, and statistical power of microfluidic-based mini-metagenomic make it a powerful tool to dissect the genomic structure microbial communities while effectively preserving the fundamental unit of biology, the single cell.


A behind-the-scenes look at religious radio broadcasting during World War II in which such revered figures as C.S. Lewis and Dorothy Sayers came into the public eye. This fascinating book explores the tensions behind the greatest era in BBC radio broadcasting - the Home Service. Despite evacuation, air-raids and the closure of the fledgling TV service, the BBC rose magnificently to the challenge of informing, entertaining and inspiring a nation at war. The war years were to transform religious broadcasting beyond recognition. Under the persistent and innovative James Welch, the BBC began to invent new formats and take large risks in trying to communicate Christian truth to a generation whose faith was on the rack of war. Out of this came the broadcast talks of CS Lewis and the first ever dramatic portrayal of Christ in Dorothy L Sayers' Man Born to be King. The response to C S Lewis' first broadcast was so overwhelming that a second programme had to be arranged to answer listeners' questions. Lewis' hugely popular BBC talks were published as Mere Christianity and have been a classic ever since, selling over 11 million copies worldwide. As a layman, Lewis' critics initially claimed that he was not qualified to talk on Christian matters. For Lewis this was all part of the challenge of reaching a new audience. But his initial enthusiasm for broadcasting waned as it began to interfere with his work at Oxford, and he turned down many of the BBC's invitations to appear on the radio, including a chance to be on The Brains Trust, the Any Questions of its day. This is a chapter in Lewis' life which has received very little attention from biographers and commentators, who have focussed on his achievements as a writer and academic. Yet C S Lewis' work on the radio made him a household name.


High-rate biological wastewater treatment processes for carbon recovery are able to improve the energy balance and carbon footprint of water resource recovery facilities. Combination of a high-rate moving bed biofilm reactor (HR-MBBR) with a rapid flotation (HR-DAF), as a replacement for the 'A stage' of the A-B process, can achieve this objective. The main goal of this study was to maximize the capture of biodegradable particulate matter from an HR-MBBR effluent by an HR-DAF. A pilot-scale HR-DAF process was operated downstream of an HR-MBBR treating screened municipal wastewater. The particulate biodegradable matter recovery was evaluated by determining the total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiency. TSS recovery in experiments without chemicals at low surface loading rates (<15 m/h) and high recycle ratio (>25%) was 94 ± 1%. By using a tannin-based polymer, the solids capture efficiency of the HR-DAF was slightly improved with TSS recovery reaching 96 ± 1% at a high SLR (at least 22 m/h) and low recycle ratio (14%). The anaerobic biodegradability of the tannin tested was determined to be 17%. The HR-DAF process downstream of an HR-MBBR gave a very good particulate matter recovery that offers a promising alternative to the A-B process for carbon recovery.


This thesis is an attempt to understand the Neutrality Debate, in the light of two basic distinctions: a distinction between political philosophy and politics, and a distinction between three different views of political philosophizing, which I call foundationalism, explanationism and interpretivism. According to foundationalism, the political philosopher starts with an account of what is essentially human and deduces from it moral/political principles, which should govern every human society. According to explanationism, the political philosopher seeks to understand a particular society (e.g. the Western state) sub specie aeternitatis, i.e. as an immutable, autonomous, self-sufficient world of ideas. Similarly, interpretivism focuses on a particular society (e.g. the Western state), but understands it as an ever-changing world of shared conceptions, understandings and self-perceptions, which are unearthed by the political philosopher. Of the three meta-theories only foundationalism and interpretivism are normative (regulative), whereas explanationism is an intellectual exercise. What is commonly known as "state neutrality" is actually three different philosophical positions each corresponding to a different one of the three meta-theories. Given that each one of these three state neutralities makes different epistemological assumptions, their combination into a single (meta-theoretically mixed) argument with the intention of making state neutrality more attractive to a wider audience is flawed from a philosophical point of view. Such an argument is "political" in that it seeks to persuade rather than to demonstrate philosophical truth.


The paper reports the 9th Polish Conference on International Relations: 2017 – a Year of a Change organized by the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń on June 2, 2017. Its presents not only the scope and process of this years' conference, but also briefly describes the idea of annual meetings of young Polish scholars interested in widely understood international relations. The conference report presents accompanying events of the conference, which gave its ninth edition unique atmosphere. It also points out the way this years' conference contributed to the unification of the community of students and Ph.D. students in Poland who are researching variety of subjects related to international relations.


Recent advances in microwave ferrite device technology have seen the introduction of superconductivity that virtually eliminates insertion losses due to electrical conduction in microstrip circuits. The conventional ferrimagnetic spinel and garnet compositions, however, are not generally optimized for temperatures in the vicinity of 77 K and may require chemical redesign in order to realize the full potential of these devices. For microwave transmission, absorption losses may be reduced by a natural lengthening of the spin-lattice relaxation time and the suppression of hopping electron activity at low temperatures. However, these properties could be degraded by fast-relaxing impurities that broaden ferrimagnetic resonance lines. At low temperatures, saturation magnetizations increase according to the BrilIouin-Weiss function behavior that is characteristic of most magnetic materials. Increased magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies will produce greater coercive fields that will lead directly to higher hysteresis loop switching energies. Other parameters that are influenced adversely by reduced temperatures are the magnetostriction constants, which can cause significant deterioration in the stability of the remanence ratios of hysteresis loops. To modify room temperature fenites for devices that use high-Tc superconductors, magnetochemistry must be applied to obtain the desired parameter values, which in turn must be chosen through design tradeoffs and are set by the performance requirements of particular device applications.


Substrate concentration is an important factor that influences the effectiveness of starch convertion to cyclodextrin by CGTase activity. The aims of this research were to produce maximum cyclodextrin at a high concentration of substrate and to compare cyclodextrin production at an acceptor minimal process by using ethanol and water at a various substrate concentration. This research was conducted by liquefy tapioca until reaching hydrolysis degree (HD) of 5 %. The hydolysate was then fractionated its acceptor by using water and ethanol 65 %. The best result obtained was determinated by statistical method, i.e. analysis of varians (anova). If there was a difference Duncan test was then used. The results were then used as substrate by suspending into phosphate buffer pH 6.0 (0.2 M). It was added CGTase into the substrate and processed at a temperature of 60?C for 260 minutes. The results showed that the tapioca hydrolysate substrate at HD of 5 % with a minimum acceptor at concentration of 10 – 35 % could produce cyclodextrin with relative stable of conversion degree (65.73 – 67.49 %). In the minimum acceptor process by using ethanol, the maximum amount of substrate that could be used was 30 % (w/v). It produced cyclodextrin of 206.78 ± 1.43 g/l and the conversion value was 68.93 %. On the other hand, the amount of substrate concentration that could be used up to 35% (w/v) by using water as a minimum acceptor. It produced cyclodextrin of 225.76 ± 4.0 g/l with convesion value of 64.50 %. Key words: Cyclodextrin, CGTase, hydrolysis degree, acceptor minimal, substrate concentration


An approach for person identification is described based on spatio-temporal analysis of the talking face. A person is represented by a parametric model of the visible speech articulators and their temporal characteristics during speech production. The model consists of shape parameters, representing the lip contour and intensity parameters representing the grey level distribution in the mouth region. The model is used to track lips in image sequences where the model parameters are recovered from the tracking results. While some of these parameters relate to speech information, others are intuitively related to different persons and we show that models based on these features enable successful person identification. We model the shape and intensity parameters as mixtures of Gaussians and their temporal dependencies by hidden Markov models. Identifying a talking person is performed by estimating the likelihood of each model for having generated the observed sequence of features and the model with the highest likelihood is chosen as the identified person.


Debate about the relationship between environmental limits and economic growth has been taking place for several decades. These arguments have re-emerged with greater intensity following advances in the understanding of the economics of climate change, increases in resource and oil prices and the re-emergence of the discussion about �peak oil�. The economic pessimism created by the great recession of 2008-2012 has also put the spotlight back on the prospects for economic growth. This chapter provides a conceptual and synthetic analysis of the relationship between economic growth and environmental limits, including those imposed by climate change. It explores two related questions. Will environmental limits, including limits on the climate system, slow or even halt economic growth? If not, how will the nature of economic growth have to alter? It is concluded that continued economic growth is feasible and desirable, although not without significant changes in its characteristics. These changes need to involve ultimately the reduction of the rate of material output, with continued growth in value being generated by expansion in the �intellectual economy�.


Beginning with what every first-year acting student faces in class and ending with what leading professional actors must achieve every night on the three stages of the Royal National Theatre, Patsy Rodenburg's celebrated work as one of the world's foremost voice and acting coaches is fully revealed in this thoughtful and inspirational book about the process of acting. Through a seven-step process, she takes the actor through an intensive voice and speech workshop tackling the vexing problems faced in rehearsal and on stage: breathing and relaxation; vocal range and power, communication with other actors and the audience; integrating movement, singing and speaking; deciphering and animating a text; adjusting voice to different size stages and auditoria; working in mediums beyond the stage; sustaining a performance through an entire evening and a long run and identifying and overcoming the countless potential problems that face every performer who works in front of an audience."The Actor Speaks is a stimulating read and an invaluable reference for all actors ...a landmark book" (The Stage)


Hearing loss is a prevalent health concern worldwide, especially among older adults. The purpose of this research was to improve the inclusion of hard-of-hearing individuals in group events in senior housing settings. Accessibility legislation, transactional models for rehabilitation interventions, and the philosophy of universal design all inform the context of this study. Qualitative interviews of hard-of-hearing seniors gathered rich data about their lived experiences, applying appreciative inquiry to focus on what works best at group functions. Three main themes – the prominence of hearing aids, the impact of hearing loss on participation, and the downplaying of needs – informed the recommendations for staffresident collaboration in advancing the relevant knowledge and skills of the high-rise community and shifting cultural norms to embrace inclusion. Ongoing feedback loops about communication effectiveness are crucial for the fullest possible participation by hard-of-hearing residents.


Dysregulated wound healing is commonly associated with excessive fibrosis. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is characteristically overexpressed in fibrotic diseases and stimulated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in dermal fibroblasts. Reepithelialisation and epidermal wound coverage counteract excessive scar formation. We have previously shown that interleukin-1α (IL-1α) derived from keratinocytes conteracts TGF-β-stimulated CTGF-expression. The aim of this thesis was to further explore the effects of keratinocytes and IL-1α on gene and protein expression, as well as pathways, in TGF-β stimulated fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were studied in vitro by conventional two dimensional cell culture models and in a three dimensional keratinocyte-fibroblast organotypic skin culture model.The results showed that IL-1 suppresses basal and TGF-β-induced CTGF mRNA and protein, involving a possible TAK1 mechanism. Keratinocytes regulate the expression of fibroblast genes important for the turnover of the extracellular matrix. Most of the genes analysed (11/13) were regulated by TGF-β and counter regulated by keratinocytes. The overall results support a view that keratinocytes regulate fibroblasts to act catabolically (anti-fibrotic) on the extracellular matrix.Transcriptional microarray and gene set enrichment analysis showed that antagonizing effects of IL-1α on TGF-β were much more prominent than the synergistic effects. The most confident of these pathways was the interferon signaling, which were inhibited by TGF-β and activated by IL-1α. A proteomics study confirmed that IL-1α preferentially conteracts TGF-β effects. Six new fibroblast proteins involved in synthesis/ regulation were identified, being regulated by TGF-β and antagonized by IL-1α. Pathway analysis confirmed counter-regulation of interferon signaling by the two cytokines. These findings have implications for understanding the role of fibroblasts for inflammatory responses and development of fibrosis in the skin.


Satellite imagery has proven extremely useful for repetitive timeline-based data collection, because it offers a synoptic view and enables fast processing of large quantities of data. The changes in tree crown number and land cover in a very remote watershed (area 1305 ha) in Nepal were analyzed using a QuickBird image from 2006 and an IKONOS image from 2011. A geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) was carried out using the region-growing technique for tree crown detection, delineation, and change assessment, and a multiresolution technique was used for land cover mapping and change analysis. The coefficient of determination for tree crown detection and delineation was 0.97 for QuickBird and 0.99 for IKONOS, calculated using a line-intercept transect method with 10 randomly selected windows (1×1 ha). The number of tree crowns decreased from 47,121 in 2006 to 41,689 in 2011, a loss of approximately 90 trees per month on average; the area of needle-leaved forest was reduced by 140 ha (23%) over the same period. Analysis of widely available very-high-resolution satellite images using GEOBIA techniques offers a cost-effective method for detecting changes in tree crown number and land cover in remote mountain valleys; the results provide the information needed to support improved local-level planning and forest management in such areas.