Thin-film silicon solar cells are often deposited on textured ZnO substrates. The solar-cell performance is strongly correlated to the substrate morphology, as this morphology determines light scattering, defective-region formation, and crystalline growth of hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H). Our objective is to gain deeper insight in these correlations using the slope distribution, rms roughness (σ(rms)) and correlation length (lc) of textured substrates. A wide range of surface morphologies was obtained by Ar plasma treatment and wet etching of textured and flat-as-deposited ZnO substrates. The σ(rms), lc and slope distribution were deduced from AFM scans. Especially, the slope distribution of substrates was represented in an efficient way that light scattering and film growth direction can be more directly estimated at the same time. We observed that besides a high σ(rms), a high slope angle is beneficial to obtain high haze and scattering of light at larger angles, resulting in higher short-circuit current density of nc-Si:H solar cells. However, a high slope angle can also promote the creation of defective regions in nc-Si:H films grown on the substrate. It is also found that the crystalline fraction of nc-Si:H solar cells has a stronger correlation with the slope distributions than with σ(rms) of substrates. In this study, we successfully correlate all these observations with the solar-cell performance by using the slope distribution of substrates.


The indispensable guide to all aspects of clinical care, the Oxford Handbook of Endocrinology and Diabetes has been fully revised for its third edition. Concise, practical, and packed with vital information and invaluable hands-on advice, this is the must have resource for all those managing patients with endocrine and diabetic disorders.

This unique pocket guide has been updated with new dedicated chapters on endocrine surgery, endocrinology and ageing, and obesity, as well as new topics, including intrinsic imperfections of endocrine replacement therapy, transition to adult care, and survivors of childhood cancer. Written in conjunction with the Oxford Textbook of Endocrinology and Diabetes, it covers clinical investigation and management of both common and rare conditions. Following the latest protocols and clinical guidelines it ensures readers are up-to-date with the latest clinical care and practice. Clear, concise, and easy-to-use, this handbook will ensure readers have all the information they need at their fingertips.


Abstract The Silurian reefs off Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea were studied by means of high-resolution seismic reflection profiling. The abundance and diversity of the reefs increases off Saaremaa concomitantly with the deepening of the Baltic Silurian Basin towards Gotland. The peak of the reefs around Saaremaa occurred during the Middle Wenlock. The reef facies retreated further off Saaremaa during the Late Wenlock, became episodically restored around the island during the early Ludlow and finally ceased during the late Ludlow. A similar SW–NE–SW migration of reefs reflects an alternating transgressive–regressive pattern in the nearshore shallow shelf environment, where already minor sea-level fluctuations strongly influenced the conditions for reef growth. During the early Wenlock, a bathymetric break with a large barrier-reef-like structure divided the shallow shelf offshore Saaremaa facially into back-reef and southerly sloping fore-reef areas. The width of this SW-migrating barrier (c. 8 km) and the extent of reef bodies within it (c. 4 km) are the largest known in the Baltic region. During the Silurian, the reefs between Saaremaa and Gotland were flourishing to a much larger extent than is visible today. The primary Silurian reef pattern was increasingly destroyed towards Gotland by later erosion. This has resulted in a large area void of Wenlock reefs off northern Gotland. Off southern Gotland, the narrow conical low-energy deeper-water reefs prevail, as the wave-agitated shallow-water facies with larger and lenticular Wenlock and Ludlow reefs are largely eroded around the Gotland Deep.


Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most expensive mental disorders, costing U.S. citizens $77 billion every year (Reinberg, 2004). Although ADHD effects between 3-7% of U.S. children (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000), there are many misconceptions about the disorder and concerns have been raised regarding appropriate diagnosis and treatment in children, adolescents, and adults. In addition to these concerns, several authors have noted that there is a lack of research regarding ethnicity and ADHD. The limited research that has been done is confusing with some studies indicating that there is no difference in rates of ADHD diagnoses (Nigg, 2001) and other studies indicating that African American children are placed in behaviorally disordered classrooms at higher rates (Maddox & Wilson, 2004). Reid, Casat, Norton, Anastopoulus, and Temple (2001) found that teachers were more likely to exhibit a bias in their rating scales if their students were African American. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on ADHD, with a particular focus on the research of ethnicity and ADHD.


Summary Objectives To report on doctors' reasons, as expressed to our research group, for choosing academic careers and on factors that would make a career in clinical academic medicine more attractive to them. Design Postal, email and web questionnaires. Setting UK. Participants A total of 6936 UK-trained doctors who graduated in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Main outcome measures Open-ended comments about a career in clinical academic medicine. Results Of doctors who provided reasons for pursuing a long-term career in clinical academic medicine, the main reasons were enjoyment of academic work and personal satisfaction, whether expressed directly in those terms, or in terms of intellectual stimulation, enjoyment of research, teaching and the advancement of medicine, and the job being more varied than and preferable to clinical work alone. Doctors' suggestions for making clinical academic medicine more attractive included improved pay and job security, better funding of research, greater availability of academic posts, more dedicated time for research (and less service work) and more support and mentoring. Women were more likely than men to prioritise flexible working hours and part-time posts. Conclusions Medical schools could provide more information, as part of student teaching, about the opportunities for and realities of a career in clinical academic medicine. Women, in particular, commented that they lacked the role models and information which would encourage them to consider seriously an academic career. Employers could increase academic opportunities by allowing more time for teaching, research and study and should assess whether job plans make adequate allowance for academic work.


Potassium bromate (KBrO3) is a potent nephrotoxic agent. In this paper, we report the chemopreventive effect ofNigella sativa (black cumin) on KBrO3-mediated renal oxidative stress, toxicity and tumor promotion response in rats. KBrO3 (125 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) enhances lipid peroxidation, g-glutamyl transpeptidase, hydrogen peroxide and xanthine oxidase with reduction in the activities of renal antioxidant enzymes and renal glutathione content. A marked increase in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine has also been observed. KBrO3 treatment also enhances ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and [3H] thymidine incorporation into renal DNA. Prophylaxis of rats orally with Nigella sativaextract (50 mg/kg body weight and 100 mg/kg body weight) resulted in a significant decrease in renal microsomal lipid peroxidation (P B-00.001), g-glutamyl transpeptidase (P B-0.001), H2O2 (P B-0.001) and xanthine oxidase (P B-0.05). There was significant recovery of renal glutathione content (P B-0.01) and antioxidant enzymes (P B-0.001). There was also reversal in the enhancement of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, renal ODC activity and DNA synthesis (P B-0.001). Data suggest that Nigella sativa is a potent chemopreventive agent and may suppress KBrO3-mediated renal oxidative stress, toxicity and tumour promotion response in rats.


This article explores how power dynamics between informants and field researchers shape ethnographic data construction, drawing on fieldwork at a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical companies are considered elite settings, and often assumed to be powerful in relation to the researcher and dominating the data construction. However, such a view conceptualizes power in terms of fixed categories, in which there is a superior and subordinate position. We reconsider the impact of elite informants in the light of a constructivist, interactionist view on power, in which power is dynamic and not necessarily entailing domination. We answer the following research questions: (1) How can we observe power dynamics, as conceptualized in a constructionist and interaction orientation, in ethnographic research? and (2) How can we reflect on what these power dynamics mean for data construction, based on our experiences in elite settings? To do so, we make use of discursive and interactional analytic methods and propose three levels of analysis: (1) the level of conversation, (2) the level of ethnography, and (3) the level of the organization in society. They respectively shed light on power in relation to (1) what is said and how, (2) the meanings attached to the ethnographic events, and (3) the meaning of the ethnography in relation to the discourses on the organization in society. With this article, we aim to provide researchers with a methodological tool to approach and to reflect on the significance of power relations in the context of ethnography and interviewing and its impact on data construction.


Neurodegenerative Genetics The underlying genetics of neurodegenerative disorders tend not to be well understood. Novarino et al. (p. 506; see the Perspective by Singleton) investigated the underlying genetics of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a human neurodegenerative disease, by sequencing the exomes of individuals with recessive neurological disorders. Loss-of-function gene mutations in both novel genes and genes previously implicated for this condition were identified, and several were functionally validated. Analysis of hereditary spastic paraplegia genes identifies mutants involved in human neurodegenerative disease. [Also see Perspective by Singleton] Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases characterized by progressive age-dependent loss of corticospinal motor tract function. Although the genetic basis is partly understood, only a fraction of cases can receive a genetic diagnosis, and a global view of HSP is lacking. By using whole-exome sequencing in combination with network analysis, we identified 18 previously unknown putative HSP genes and validated nearly all of these genes functionally or genetically. The pathways highlighted by these mutations link HSP to cellular transport, nucleotide metabolism, and synapse and axon development. Network analysis revealed a host of further candidate genes, of which three were mutated in our cohort. Our analysis links HSP to other neurodegenerative disorders and can facilitate gene discovery and mechanistic understanding of disease.


Acrolein is an indispensable chemical intermediate with a rising demand in recent years. The concern of the increase of propylene prices due to the shrinking supply of nonrenewable crude oil makes the acid-catalyzed gas-phase glycerol dehydration to acrolein a prime candidate for research. Our analysis showed that the sustainable acrolein production from glycerol was both technically and economically viable. Alumina2700® (Al) and Silica1252® (Si) loaded with silicotungstic acid (HSiW) possessed distinct features while provided equally good acrolein yield (73.86mol% and 74.05mol%, respectively) optimally.
Due to the unique non-equilibrium characteristics, non-thermal plasma (NTP) could promote a variety of chemical reactions; however, its application in a dehydration process remained blank. This study used the reaction of glycerol dehydration to acrolein to probe whether NTP could 1) improve acrolein yield during dehydration, 2) suppress the coke formation and regenerate the catalyst, and 3) modify the properties of the catalyst.
The dielectric barrier discharge configuration was used to generate NTP; various NTP field strengths and also their interaction with temperature and the catalyst were investigated. The results showed that NTP improved the glycerol conversion and that NTP with a proper field strength increased acrolein selectivity. The optimal acrolein yields of 83.6 mol% and 83.1 mol% were achieved with 3.78 kV/cm NTP and 4.58 kV/cm NTP at 275°C for HSiW-Al and HSiW-Si, respectively.
The application of NTP-O2 (5% oxygen in argon, 4.58 kV/cm) during glycerol dehydration significantly suppressed coke formation on HSiW-Si. NTP-O2 could regenerate the deactivated HSiW-Si at low temperatures by removing both soft and hard coke at various rates. NTP-O2 with higher field strength, at medium operation temperature (150oC) and in argon atmosphere was more effective for coke removal/catalyst regeneration.
Applying NTP to the catalyst fabrication showed some capabilities in modifying catalyst properties, including enlarging surface area, preserving mesopores, increasing acid strength and Bronsted acidity. NTP with argon as the discharge gas performed better in these modifications than NTP with air as the discharge gas.


Study Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of nightmares among the Finnish general adult population during 1972-2007 and the association between nightmare prevalence and symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety in World War II veterans. Design: Eight independent cross-sectional population surveys of the National FINRISK Study conducted in Finland in 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007. Setting: Epidemiologic. Participants: A total of 69,813 people (33,811 men and 36,002 women) age 25-74 years. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: The investigation of nightmare prevalence and insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms was based on question-naires completed by the participants. Among the whole sample, 3.5% of the men and 4.8% of the women reported frequent nightmares (P < 0.0001 for sex difference), but the prevalence was affected by the age of participants and the year of the survey. Nightmare prevalence increased with age, particularly among the men. The number of people reporting occasional nightmares increased roughly by 20% for both sexes from 1972 to 2007 (P < 0.0001). Participants with war experiences reported more frequent nightmares and symptoms of insomnia, depression, and anxiety than participants without such experiences (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Prevalence of nightmares was affected by the sex and age of the participants, and occasional nightmares have become more common in Finland. Exposure to war elevates nightmare prevalence as well as insomnia, depression, and anxiety symptoms even decades after the war; large numbers of war veterans can affect nightmare prevalence on population level.


Intentional or accidental large-scale airborne toxic releases (e.g. terrorist attacks or industrial accidents) can cause severe harm to nearby communities. As part of an emergency response plan, shelter-in-place (SIP) can be an effective response option, especially when evacuation is infeasible. Reasonably tight building envelopes provide some protection against exposure to peak concentrations when toxic release passes over an area. They also provide some protection in terms of cumulative exposure, if SIP is terminated promptly after the outdoor plume has passed. The purpose of this work is to quantify the level of protection offered by existing houses, and the importance of sorption/desorption to and from surfaces on the effectiveness of SIP. We examined a hypothetical chlorine gas release scenario simulated by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC). We used a standard infiltration model to calculate the distribution of time dependent infiltration rates within each census tract. Large variation in the air tightness of dwellings makes some houses more protective than others. Considering only the median air tightness, model results showed that if sheltered indoors, the total population intake of non-sorbing toxic gas is only 50% of the outdoor level 4 hours from the start of the release. Based on amore » sorption/desorption model by Karlsson and Huber (1996), we calculated that the sorption process would further lower the total intake of the population by an additional 50%. The potential benefit of SIP can be considerably higher if the comparison is made in terms of health effects because of the non-linear acute effect dose-response curve of many chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial substances.« less


Surface functionalization with advanced nanomaterials offers tailored control and targeted design of surface properties, endowing materials with enhanced or new qualities such as high hydrophilicity, excellent selectivity and permeability, and enhanced antimicrobial activity. In this study, we develop two strategies (two-step deposition/co-deposition) that use mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) to strongly immobilize copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) onto a porous polymeric membrane, bridging the surface cavities from ultrafiltration (UF) to loose nanofiltration (NF). To confirm the optimization of membrane properties, a series of characterizations were carried out: SEM, EDX analysis, AFM, water contact angle, and zeta potential measurements. The results indicate an overall high performance of surface properties with a homogeneous nanoparticle distribution, low roughness, favorable hydrophilicity, and relatively neutral charge. Co-deposition of PDA and CuNPs exhibits a facile and time-saving process that expedited a higher CuNP loading compared to the two-step strategy, as confirmed by SEM and AFM images. The integration of polyethylenimine (PEI)-modified CuNPs with high density of positive charges plays an important role in fine-tuning the hydrophilicity and compatibility with PDA and in largely neutralizing the negative charge of PDA, thus promoting an outstanding salt permeation (82% Na2SO4, 98% NaCl). In addition, CuNP/PDA-modified membranes show an ultra-high rejection of three types of textile dyes (600–800 Da, >99.0%), demonstrating superior NF performance. Furthermore, the functionalized membranes display distinct bactericidal activity with a great reduction of 93.7% in the number of live Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. This study highlights a fast, facile co-deposition strategy to assemble multifunctional coating onto a UF support, which renders a vast potential for the fractionation of dye/salt mixtures.


The role of local authorities in promoting decent work is little understood and has been absent from both policy and practice (GIAN, 2005). The purpose of this interdisciplinary study was to identify and describe the existing and potential roles of Bulawayo City in fostering decent work in the construction sector, urban development and related services through policy making, strategic planning and project activities. The study outcomes will contribute to the shared knowledge among local authorities and other stakeholders at the local and international levels. Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest urban settlement with a 2002 population close to 700 000 i.e. 6% of the national population or 20% of the urban population (CSO, 2002:21), a budget of Z$619 million in 1993/94 (Ndubiwa and Hamilton, 1994), Z$2.5 billion in 2000 and Z$797 billion in 20051. The research team collected national and local level secondary data on decent work variables with a view to compile decent work indicators to help compare Bulawayo City against national and global conditions. Such data was sought from the Central Statistical Office (CSO), the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), employer and worker organisations, construction firms, research institutions and Bulawayo City itself. Key informants in all these institutions were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and grey literature related to decent work was identified and collected where feasible. While Zimbabwe is not 'statistics poor', statistics collected from the institutions cited above are not in formats suitable to answer descent work questions. The political-economic crisis in the country and in particular the government's frosty relations with the UK, the EU the USA and the white Commonwealth (GoZ, 2005: 25c), have compounded conditions of insecurity for most institutions and individuals; making even the release to outsiders of routine administrative information for research purposes a sensitive affair. Increasingly, key informants were not prepared to release information unless there was a direct financial benefit to themselves or their organisations. It is in this context of economic crisis and tense relations that some in the west have expressed doubts regarding the accuracy of employment, economic and population statistics; alleging that these are manipulated to suit the ruling party. Further, high population movements and the 'informalization' of the economy since mid 1990s have left significant socio-economic activities outside the data frameworks of institutions such as the CSO and NSSA. Thus lack of informal sector data is the main limitation of this study. The above obstacles not withstanding, the study compiled reasonable information with detailed data on the social security, social dialogue, health and safety and Bulawayo City's efforts at strategic planning and local economic development. The term 'decent work' was neither known nor used by a majority of the key informants in this study. In general, while the statutory provisions for decent work promotion are sound, in practice the economic crisis has compromised efforts to create and stabilise employment, has poisoned the climate of social dialogue, eroded the value of pensions and benefits and heightened the risks of accidents at work. Except in its areas of direct jurisdiction, Bulawayo City has not played significant roles in promoting social dialogue and social security - issues that are the domain of national authorities. But it has been exemplary in its strategic planning efforts, partnerships, promotion of equality and indigenisation, employment creation, training and education. Employment conditions in Bulawayo are characterised by an acute economic climate that has led to decreasing numbers of jobs since the 1990s in many sectors including the construction sector. The informal sector which had created many jobs during this period is struggling to survive and was disrupted by the 2005 government operation to clear informal enterprises and settlements.


Convergence in per capita income turns on whether technological knowledge spillovers are global or local. Global spillovers favour convergence, while a geographically limited scope of knowledge diffusion can lead to regional clusters of countries with persistently different levels of income per capita. This Paper estimates the importance of geographic distance for technology diffusion, how this has changed over time, and whether international trade, foreign direct investment, and communication flows serve as important channels of diffusion. The analysis is based on examining the productivity effects of R&D expenditures in the world's seven major industrialized countries between 1970 and 1995. First, I find that the scope of technology diffusion is severely limited by distance: the geographic half-life of technology, the distance at which half of the technology has disappeared, is estimated to be only 1,200 kilometres. Second, technological knowledge has become much more global from the early 1970s to the 1990s. Third, I estimate that trade patterns account for the majority of all differences in bilateral technology diffusion, whereas foreign direct investment and language skills differences contribute circa 15% each. Lastly, these three channels together account for almost the entire localization effect that would otherwise be attributed to geographic distance.


Black spot corresponds to a physiological disorder of the type of oxidative stress that occurs after the prolonged postharvest storage of Persea americana Mill. cv. Hass fruit. Industry tends to confuse this disorder with pathogen attack (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), chilling injury, mechanical damage during harvest and transport or lenticel damage. The main objectives of this research were: (i) to develop a method to assess and differentiate lenticel damage and black spot and (ii) to study the correlation between mechanical damage and lenticel damage on the development of black spot. Avocado fruits from different orchards were evaluated at two sampling times using different harvesting systems (conventional and appropriate) and at two times of the day (a.m. or p.m.). Here, we report a method based on image analysis to differentiate and quantify lenticel damage and black spot disorder. In addition, the results show that conventional harvest increased lenticel damage and lenticel damage did not correlate with black spot development but correlated with increased weight loss during prolonged postharvest storage. These results have important commercial implications since the appropriate harvesting of avocado cv. Hass would not only control the incidence of lenticel damage, which would be an advantage in terms of external quality, but also reduce weight loss during transport to distant markets.


Life's journey begins with conception and ends with death. It is within this "in-between" that meaning and mindfulness flourish or wither. The respected psychologist O. H. Mowrer (1907-1982) was one of the first to focus on today's issues of values, morality, mindfulness, and meaningfulness with a different twist from an Integrity perspective (e.g., Mowrer, 1953, 1961, 1964a, 1966; Mowrer & Vattano, 1976). Expanding on Mowrer's Integrity (Therapy) Group approach, Lander and Nahon have evolved the Integrity model (e.g. Lander, 1980, 1986; Lander & Nahon, 1992, 2005, 2015). A growing empirical and clinical literature based on nearly five decades of Integrity-based therapeutic work indicates that individuals have been receptive to a positive, wellness- and values-based Integrity model of existential psychotherapy (e.g. Lander & Nahon, 2000b, 2008, 2010a, 2010b; Nahon & Lander, 2008, 2014, 2015). Addressing the conference theme of A Positive Global Vision of Healing & Flourishing Through Meaning , this article presents the Integrity model's understanding of mindfulness and meaningfulness in daily living. Framed around the case study of Matt, an alcoholic grappling with significant cognitive impairment and depression, this article provides a theoretical and clinical exploration of the Integrity model perspective of mindfulness. It offers a differing understanding of mindfulness and meaningfulness through a focus on honouring one's values, providing a philosophical and existential path for finding a sense of greater meaning and purpose in one's life.


Judge Jeffrey Sutton's 51 Imperfect Solutions describes and celebrates the crucial role of state constitutional law in "making" American constitutional law. The fact that states do not speak with one voice in doing so is, in Sutton's account, a feature rather than a bug. The diversity in their approaches permits experimentation and tailoring, and ultimately produces a stronger and more supple constitutional fabric.

Sutton's enthusiasm for the diversity and dynamism of state constitutional law is entirely convincing. But is the federal alternative quite so flat? Although federal constitutional rights are undoubtedly more uniform than those of states, they are not identical throughout the nation. The application and even definition of federal guarantees varies geographically, sometimes to a surprising degree. Moreover, there are reasons to favor some degree of disuniformity — some of the same reasons, in fact, that Sutton gives for favoring state constitutional law. But the fact of diversity and the strength of the arguments in favor of it point to a difficult set of questions: How much and what kinds of non-uniformity are desirable when it comes to federal constitutional rights? This Essay attempts to sketch a few answers.


Bandella n.gen. (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae: Hilarini) is described from mainland Australia and Tasmania, and comprises nine new species: B. albitarsis, B. cerra, B. allynensis, B. costalis, B. duvalli, B. maxi, B. montana, B. noorinbee , and B. tasmanica. Bandella is distinguished from other genera in the Hilarini by the following combination of characters: mesonotum glabrous, without pruinosity, but with diagnostic colour patterns; mesonotal vestiture highly reduced, comprising only short setulae; male tarsus I unmodified; and male abdominal terga 7 and 8 reduced or modified to form flaps so that hypopygium can be flexed forward. The genus is distinctive in having an almost fully formed vein CuP running lengthwise across the centre of cell cup. Although vein CuP is part of the wing groundplan in Diptera, it has variable expression in the lower Brachycera. In other Empididae, this vein is either residual and positioned closely posteriad of vein CuA 2, or totally absent. Also, Bandella has a divided and sclerotised male cercus, a character also shared by the endemic Tasmanian hilarine genus Cunomyia Bickel. Bandella has a predominately temperate Bassian distribution: Tasmania, southeastern and southwestern Australia, with an outlying species in submontane rainforest of tropical Queensland.


Programmed cell death is an active process of self destruction that is important in both the development and maintenance of multicellular animals. The molecular mechanisms controlling activation or suppression of programmed cell death are largely unknown. Apoptosis, a morphologically and biochemically defined type of programmed cell death commonly seen in vertebrates, was found to be initiated during baculovirus replication in insect cells. A specific viral gene product, p35, was identified as being responsible for blocking the apoptotic response. Identification of the function of this gene will allow further definition of the molecular pathways involved in the regulation of programmed cell death and may identify the role of apoptosis in invertebrate viral defense systems.


Ectoaminopeptidase activity (EAA), 14 C-glutamic acid assimilation (GA) and respiration (GR) rates were measured over spring and fall, whilst maintaining in situ hydrostatic pressure condi- tion through a 2000 m water column in the NW Mediterranean. Depth-integrated EAA was maximal in the deep-sea layer due to the lack of ready-to-use compounds. Conversely, depth-integrated fluxes for GA and GR in the bathypelagic zone, though far from negligible, were much lower than in the photic layer, the exception being in the 1000 to 2000 m layer during fall when respiration fluxes and particle fluxes were optimal. Metabolic rates obtained from samples recovered and incubated under in situ pressure conditions were 4.53 ± 4.45 (mean ± SD; n = 19) times higher than their decompressed counterparts, proving that deep-sea bacteria were adapted to high pressure. 14 C-glutamic acid uptake rates (GU = GA + GR) measured under in situ pressure conditions were used to calculate the bacterial 14 C-glutamic acid assimilation yield (GYG = GA/GU). In decompressed samples this yield was always lower by around 20% than in those measured under in situ pressure conditions. Because experiments currently used to estimate bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) are not carried out under in situ pressure conditions, we hypothesize that pressure affects BGE in the same way that it affects GYG. Thus, the stress caused by decompression induces an increase in energy cost, and so under- estimates BGE. Growth of deep-sea bacteria is highly dependent on the quantity and quality of sink- ing particles reaching 1000 m. During mesotrophic conditions (spring), high fluxes of relatively fresh particulate organic carbon generated relatively small depth-integrated EAA rates (20.6 mgC m -2 h -1 ) and high GYG (65%). Meanwhile, during oligotrophic conditions (fall), a minimal flux of old organic matter generated maximal depth-integrated EAA rates (62.2 mgC m -2 h -1 ) and lower GYG (12%). From these observations and from the literature, we explore the relationship between the nutritive sources available to deep-sea bacteria, their role in the mineralization of peptide compounds and consequently the implications for the global carbon cycle.


Traceability and authenticity issues have gained increasing prominence in food markets and create both opportunities and challenges for the food industry in providing credible information to consumers. Internal molecular tagging is an emerging technology with the potential to deliver traceability and authenticity assurances. A key question for the food industry in adopting new technologies is consumer acceptance. This paper explores consumer attitudes toward traceability and authenticity and the role of information in affecting consumer acceptance of new technologies, using molecular tagging as an example. Data were gathered from an online survey conducted in Canada in December 2010. To determine whether product-specific effects exist, two versions of the survey were used, focusing on salami and on apple juice. In a discrete choice experiment respondents were presented with choice sets describing an apple juice (salami) product containing different combinations of four attributes: traceability technology (molecular tag Vs RFID), price, brand, country of origin. Of particular interest was the effect of information on consumers' choices. Therefore, respondents were randomly assigned to one of four information treatments: positive information on molecular tagging technology or further information on the issue of food authenticity and adulteration, or a combination of both. The control group was provided with neutral information on the technology and no additional information. Results from Conditional Logit and Random Parameter Logit models reveal that initial consumer acceptance of the technology is low, however, information matters. Highlighting the problems of adulteration reduces resistance more effectively than providing positive technology information, and the effects appear to be product specific across a juice product versus a processed meat product. Other proxy signals (country of origin, brand), resonate strongly with consumers and tended to have a larger impact on willingness-to-pay.


Traditionally, design education has been aimed at preparing students for a specialist role in one of the design professions. But if design education is to be made available more widely, perhaps to everyone, then it must have very different aims. It will need to be a general education in design for laypeople, not a spe c ialist education for design professionals. In discussing design education for laypeople, therefore, I assume that we must mean something other than merely a wider provision of specialist education. I assume that we might want to question the relevance of specialist education, that we might want to consider alternatives to specialist education, that we might want to enable people who are specifically non-specialists to become involved in critical decision-making in the design process, and that we might even want to provide some form of counter-courses that will enable these non-spe c ialists to challenge designers (and their clients) as to the validity of their decisions. Beyond this specialist vs. non-specialist dichotomy, we may also wan t to ask if there cannot be a new pattern of educational provision that does not perpetuate this 'us' and 'them' fragmentation of society; perhaps rather as the 'barefoot doctors' and other social experiments in China have been aimed at breaking down class and specialism barriers.


Abstract. Anthropogenic aerosols are a key factor governing Earth's climate and play a central role in human-caused climate change. However, because of aerosols' complex physical, optical, and dynamical properties, aerosols are one of the most uncertain aspects of climate modeling. Fortunately, aerosol measurement networks over the past few decades have led to the establishment of long-term observations for numerous locations worldwide. Further, the availability of datasets from several different measurement techniques (such as ground-based and satellite instruments) can help scientists increasingly improve modeling efforts. This study explores the value of evaluating several model-simulated aerosol properties with data from spatially collocated instruments. We compare aerosol optical depth (AOD; total, scattering, and absorption), single-scattering albedo (SSA), Angstrom exponent (α), and extinction vertical profiles in two prominent global climate models (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, GFDL, CM2.1 and CM3) to seasonal observations from collocated instruments (AErosol RObotic NETwork, AERONET, and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization, CALIOP) at seven polluted and biomass burning regions worldwide. We find that a multi-parameter evaluation provides key insights on model biases, data from collocated instruments can reveal underlying aerosol-governing physics, column properties wash out important vertical distinctions, and improved models does not mean all aspects are improved. We conclude that it is important to make use of all available data (parameters and instruments) when evaluating aerosol properties derived by models.


In the context of an asset sale by a debtor under the United States Bankruptcy Code, a "stalking horse" is the party that reaches an agreement with the debtor formulating procedures for the sale, and providing a minimum bid for those assets. The stalking horse generally negotiates for sale procedures that provide it with certain bidding advantages, and/or compensation if the stalking horse is unsuccessful in consummating the envisaged transaction. However, this agreement is subject to Bankruptcy Court approval. In two recent asset sales, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court has not honored such stalking horse agreements. This article discusses some strategic considerations to assess regarding the stalking horse concept generally and in light of these decisions.


Open Multithreaded Transactions form an advanced transaction model that provides features for controlling and structuring not only accesses to objects, as usual in transaction systems, but also threads taking part in transactions. The model allows several threads to enter the same transaction in order to perform a joint activity. It provides a flexible way of manipulating threads executing inside a transaction by allowing them to be forked and terminated, but it restricts their behavior in order to guarantee correctness of transaction nesting and isolation among transactions. In addition, transactions are exception handling contexts, and the model therefore provides forward and backward error recovery. In this paper we show that the model is indeed powerful, and that a complex application, i.e. an online auction system, can be designed and implemented in a very elegant way.


The range of responses to stimulation of PI3Kγ depends on the identity of its adaptor subunit. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) enzymes phosphorylate phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2, also known as PIP2], a minor but critically important phospholipid of the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. The resulting PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 (PIP3) acts as a membrane-bound attractant that recruits and activates a set of proteins to execute specific downstream signaling events to achieve the desired biological outcomes. Several genes that encode different PI3Ks exist in mammalian cells, and in the case of each PI3K, a partner protein that is tightly associated with the kinase ensures that the enzyme is localized to and activated at the correct membrane compartment. Excess PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 is a major contributor to many forms of cancer, and dysregulation of PI3Ks leads to severe immunological and metabolic abnormalities. Given the multitude of proteins that are regulated by PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, it is puzzling that not all of these targets are activated as soon as the lipid is produced in the plasma membrane. Reports have begun to shed light on the mechanism by which cells can discriminate between PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 depending on the distinct PI3K protein that produced it. A study shows that PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 regulates the degranulation of mast cells, but only if it is made by a PI3K that is associated with a specific adaptor protein. This remarkable specificity challenges our views of how phosphoinositides regulate their downstream effectors.


Pubic policies such as reguation, antitrust, and international trade are the result of public politics--a competition over who gets what with government the arbiter of that competition. Policies are also chosen by private parties without the command or sanction of government. Private policies often result from pressure from interest groups that can be independent of government. Such activity and the responses to it represent private politics--a competition over who gets what that takes place outside the arenas of government. This paper provides a theory of private politics focusing on an activist that generates a boycott to induce a firm to change its policies. The mode consists of two games. In the first members of the public decide when and how much to boycott the firm based on information they receive. A person's action reveals information, which represents a public good, and that person has an incentive to act early so as to ead others to act. In the second game the activist and the firm bargain to settle the boycott, and the settlement represents a private policy. The equilibrium of the games provides an industrial organization of activist groups, their targets, and the issues that attract boycotts.


We developed a single-camera two-channel hemodynamic imaging system that uses near-infrared light to monitor the mouse brain in vivo with an exposed, un-thinned, and intact skull to explore the effect of Parkinson's disease on the resting state functional connectivity of the brain. To demonstrate our system's ability to monitor cerebral hemodynamics, we first performed direct electrical stimulation of an anesthetized healthy mouse brain and detected hemodynamic changes localized to the stimulated area. Subsequently, we developed a unilaterally lesioned 6-hydroxydopamine (hemi-parkinsonian) mouse model and detected the differences in functional connectivity between the normal and hemi-parkinsonian mouse brains by comparing the hemispheric hemodynamic correlations during the resting state. Seed-based correlation for the oxy-hemoglobin channel from the left and right hemispheres of healthy mice was much higher and more symmetric than in hemi-parkinsonian mice. Through a k-means clustering of the hemodynamic signals, the healthy mouse brains were segmented according to brain region, but the hemi-parkinsonian mice did not show a similar segmentation. Overall, this study highlights the development of a spatial multiplexing hemodynamic imaging system that reveals the resting state hemodynamic connectivity in healthy and hemi-parkinsonian mice.


In this thesis, a combination of experimental measurements and numerical simulations are used to investigate the phenomenon "End of the Vortex" in swirl tubes. The main focus here has been comparing swirl tubes containing walls with smooth surfaces to tubes with different heights of wall roughness. The tubes containing wall roughening were either treated with sandpaper or metal particles to achieve a uniform roughening at the wall throughout the whole section. The vortex has been visualized by two different methods; by inserting dust into the tube and by the use of high resolution pressure transducers on the separator tube. The experiments were carried out on different cylindrical tubes with lengths of 60, 80 and 100 cm. The effect of flow rate through the cyclone was studied. The results of the experimental measurements are compared with data from numerical simulations. 3-D RSM simulations were carried out using the commercial CFD package Star-CD. The obtained results showed qualitative agreement with each other. The results showed that the vortex core bent off to the wall further up in the separator tube when the walls contained a rough surface. The vortex also needed a higher flow rate before it went down to the bottom and centralized than it needed with a smooth surface.


Territory provides a comprehensive introduction to theories of territoriality and the geographical outcomes of territorial control. It explores both macro-scale territoriality (e.g. the emergence of nations and state formation) and micro-scale territoriality (e.g. the 'designation' of particular spaces in urban areas or domestic contexts).

Politics and political relationships underpin the world we live in. From a geographical perspective, the most obvious manifestation of this is the division of the Earth's surface into political units (states and sub-state divisions). There are also less explicit forms of territorial division which occur in more micro-scale contexts. Whether explicit or implicit, control over territory is a key political motivating force. Competing territory claims are a major source of conflict. The processes of control and the contestation over particular territory are thus key elements in what is known as political geography.


The use of foam bitumen stabilisation is rapidly growing worldwide because of its environmentally friendly benefits and its high field performance properties. The foam bitumen quality is assessed by two empirical parameters, namely, half life time and expansion ratio. Despite the simplicity of measurements of these two parameters, several discrepancies between the classification of the foam and its actual quality were observed. Such inconsistencies in the current classification system have led to the proposal of a new method to characterise the quality of the foam, which was developed in this study. The proposed method uses the Brookfield rotational viscometer to measure the viscosity of foam at different time intervals. The average foam viscosity over the first 60 seconds of foaming is used as a measure of the quality of the foam. This parameter is analogous to the foam index. Foam index combines both expansion ratio and time of decay of the foam, while the new parameter combines foam viscosity over the first 60 seconds of foam decay. The foamant water content that provides the lowest average viscosity is considered the optimum foamant water content. In addition to foam characterisation, the mechanical properties of foam stabilised mixes were measured and compared to those of hot mix asphalts.


This article investigates the structures of civic networks and their roles in steering the political choices of party and union elites regarding the retrenchment or expansion of welfare states in four recently democratized developing countries. Utilizing coaffiliation networks built upon two waves of World Values Surveys and evidence from comparative case studies for Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, and Taiwan, the study develops two explanatory factors that account for variations in welfare politics: cohesiveness and embeddedness. In Argentina and, to a lesser degree, in Taiwan, party and union leaders' cohesive relationships, being disarticulated from the informal civic sphere, allowed them to conduct elite-driven social policy reforms from above, by launching radical neoliberal reforms (Argentina) or by developing a generous transfer-centered welfare state (Taiwan). In Brazil and South Korea, however, party and union leaders' durable solidarity embedded in wider civic communities enabled them to resist the retrenchment of welfare states (Brazil) or implement universal social policies (South Korea) based on bottom-up mobilization of welfare demands. This article demonstrates that elites in the formal sector make markedly different political choices when confronting economic crisis and democratic competition depending upon their organizational connections in formal and informal civic networks.


Summary Health service delivery remains a challenge for rural Kenya. Health sector reforms have come in at a time when different models are being tried to improve access and utilisation of health services being offered by various providers, such as NGOs, government and private for‐profit practitioners. This article will examine a model that World Neighbours has been trying out. It explores questions raised by this model such as: can community voices influence quality and type of service? Can communities access and use services being offered from a facility where they do not decide on management, staffing or supplies? Can the more vulnerable members access these services where they have to pay? What institutional arrangements spur the energy of a community to influence health service delivery? The article analyses the above questions in light of trends of health service delivery from 1990s to date in terms of policy environment versus reality on the ground, using the example of Mukuyuni Health Centre where World Neighbours has been operating.


Type I and type II second harmonic generation (SHG) of a beam transformed by the conical refraction phenomenon are presented. We show that, for type I, the second harmonic intensity pattern is a light ring with a point of null intensity while, for type II, the light ring possesses two dark regions. Taking into account the different two-photon processes involved in SHG, we have derived analytical expressions for the resulting transverse intensity patterns that are in good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, we have investigated the spatial evolution of the second harmonic signals, showing that they behave as conically refracted beams.


This thesis is concerned with the linear and non-linear bending analysis of sandwich beams and plates with flexible cores and thick or profiled metal faces. the project commences with a review of previous work in structural aspects of sandwich construction. It reveals that analytical solutions have been obtained for a small
number of simply supported and continuous sandwich beams with equal spans subjected to simple cases of loading. Due to the increasing popularity of such panels in the building industry, there have been demands for more general solutions. Therefore, the purpose of the first part of the present investigation is to find explicit solutions
for both single and multispan sandwich beams subject to various cases of loading. The analysis of sandwich beams subject to combined uniform transverse load and compressive or tensile axial load is also presented. Furthermore, simple expressions are presented for the analysis of sandwich beams continuous over supports subject to
settlement. This is followed by the derivation of more general solutions for sandwich beams with arbitrary loading and boundary conditions using the finite element technique. The method is exact because the solutions of the governing differential equations are used to derive the element stiffness matrices for sandwich beams subject to combined bending and axial loads. Attention is first confined to the general case of panels with profiled faces, followed
by the analysis of panels with plane faces as a special case. Some tests for sandwich panels subject to axial compressive load are presented and the results compared with the theoretical values.
In the second part of the investigation, the analysis of sandwich plates is considered. The general equations presented by Alien were first redeveloped in a different way. Then, the buckling and bending analysis of orthotropic rectangular sandwich panels with all edges simply supported and subject to uniform lateral and edge loads is presented. This analysis was based on a series solution of the governing differential equations. Expressions for determining the deflection, stress resultants and critical buckling load of such panels are also presented. This is followed by the linear and geometrically non-linear finite element analysis of multi-layer plates. The formulations were incorporated in existing, modified and new elements for the analysis of three and five layer plates.
Finally, the thermal and flexural analysis of sandwich panels is carried out using a three dimensional composite element. Several illustrative examples are also presented to demonstrate the accuracy and versatility of the various formulations.


We target modeling latent dynamics in high-dimension marked event sequences without any prior knowledge about marker relations. Such problem has been rarely studied by previous works which would have fundamental difficulty to handle the arisen challenges: 1) the high-dimensional markers and unknown relation network among them pose intractable obstacles for modeling the latent dynamic process; 2) one observed event sequence may concurrently contain several different chains of interdependent events; 3) it is hard to well define the distance between two high-dimension event sequences. To these ends, in this paper, we propose a seminal adversarial imitation learning framework for high-dimension event sequence generation which could be decomposed into: 1) a latent structural intensity model that estimates the adjacent nodes without explicit networks and learns to capture the temporal dynamics in the latent space of markers over observed sequence; 2) an efficient random walk based generation model that aims at imitating the generation process of high-dimension event sequences from a bottom-up view; 3) a discriminator specified as a seq2seq network optimizing the rewards to help the generator output event sequences as real as possible. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed method could effectively detect the hidden network among markers and make decent prediction for future marked events, even when the number of markers scales to million level.


This study evaluated the effects of training five types of contact with the relations between objects and their linguistic elaborations on reading adjustment performance of University students. The participants were exposed to an evaluation of reading adjustment, consistent of questions of different functional complexity, they were later assigned to one of five experimental groups differentiated by the level of functional complexity of the training (Contextual, Supplementary, Selective, Referential Substitutive and Non-Referential Substitutive), a sixth group (Control) did not have any training. This training was done to establish relations between the object (projectiles in movement) and linguistic expressions, the complexity of these relations changed between groups. Later all groups were exposed to the second reading adjustment evaluation. Results show that as the functional complexity of the object-linguistic expression relations increased the average percentage of correct responses increased, specifically in the Substitutives groups. Results are discussed emphasizing the factors that determine the probability of the structuring of behavior in complex levels.


The idea of combining different two-dimensional (2D) crystals in van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) has led to a new paradigm for band structure engineering with atomic precision. Due to the weak interlayer couplings, the band structures of the individual 2D crystals are largely preserved upon formation of the heterostructure. However, regardless of the details of the interlayer hybridisation, the size of the 2D crystal band gaps are always reduced due to the enhanced dielectric screening provided by the surrounding layers. The effect can be on the order of electron volts, but its precise magnitude is non-trivial to predict because of the non-local nature of the screening in quasi-2D materials, and it is not captured by effective single-particle methods such as density functional theory. Here we present an efficient and general method for calculating the band gap renormalization of a 2D material embedded in an arbitrary vdWH. The method evaluates the change in the GW self-energy of the 2D material from the change in the screened Coulomb interaction. The latter is obtained using the quantum-electrostatic heterostructure (QEH) model. We benchmark the G$\Delta$W method against full first-principles GW calculations and use it to unravel the importance of screening-induced band structure renormalisation in various vdWHs. A main result is the observation that the size of the band gap reduction of a given 2D material when inserted into a heterostructure scales inversely with the polarisability of the 2D material. Our work demonstrates that dielectric engineering \emph{via} van der Waals heterostructuring represents a promising strategy for tailoring the band structure of 2D materials.


This report, prepared under the Rural Travel and Transport Project of the sub - Saharan Africa Transport Program (SSATP), presents findings from a review of 127 projects with rural road components in SSA. The review highlights key policy changes discussed under the main headings of planning, design and technology, resource mobilization, and sectoral organization and institutional performance. Planning is seen as a process involving key constituencies at various levels rather than a methodology. Prevailing financial constrains and low traffic volumes suggest that the majority of SSA rural roads should be designed to provide essential access, emphasizing spot surface improvements and better drainage. The author also stresses the need to eventually involve local funding administrered by local organizations, with technical advice from central authority. However, competition for resources is fierce at the local level, and investigation is necessary to evolve suitable methods for rural road maintenance, funded and administered by local organizations. Finally, institutional problems were found to predominate in rural road projects, but improvement has been slow. Although setups should accommodate local conditions, the most effective institutional arrangement is likely to be through a small centralized agency which can act as a focus for policies, planning and funding for rual roads. Operations should then be undertaken through local organizations responsible for maintenance.


Background: The use of m edicinal plants as fertility enhancer in hum an is now on the increase because of the shifting of attention from synthetic drug to natural plants. Carpolobia lutea (CL) is a popular aphrodisiac herbal medicine, known for curing male sterility; increasing libido; induction of penile erection; enhancement of aphrodisiac prowess; enhancement of virility and male fertility; and augmentation of male sexual functions. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the fertility enhancement ability and possible side effect(s) of CL in male rats and also to provide insight and added to the existing knowledge available in the society on the usage of CL. Methods: A total of 20 W istar rats w ith average w eight of 162g w ere random ly grouped into 4 groups (A, B, C and D) of 5 rats per group, with group A served as the control and was administered normal saline. The remaining 3 groups (B-D) were orally administered 47mg/kgbw, 94mg/kgbw and 141mg/kgbw of Carpolobia lutea (CL) respectively for 60 days before sacrifice by cervical dislocation method. Results: The results obtained show ed that the blood testosterone of the treated rats reduced significantly. The morphometric result was good with significant increase in cross sectional area and luminal diameters in rats exposed to 141mg/kgbw and germinal epithelial diameter in rats exposed to 47mg/kgbw and 141mg/kgbw. Semen parameters showed that the sperm count was significantly increased at the high doses of 94mg/kgbw and 141mg/kgbw. The percentage of motile sperm also increased significantly while the morphological grading showed no changes at all. The experimental rats testes showed no visible lesions or the lesion was very mild (20%), seminiferous tubules were normal and concentric with intact basal membrane and lumen containing matured sperm cells together with the interstitial spaces which are well delineated and defined. Conclusion: It w as concluded that the consum ption of CL stem in any form can enhance the normal anatomy and physiology of testes at moderate dose and may account in part for the rationale behind its use in the management of sexual dysfunction.


Objective: To explore the characteristics of cerebral vascular angiography from transient ischemic attack (TIA) accompanied with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Methods: TIA patients with complete data in Tianjin Teda Hospital were retrospectively analyzed from December 2011 to November 2015 and 336 patients were taken up, which were divided into T2D group (152 cases) and control group (184 cases). By use of C type arm angiography system, cerebral vascular stenotic degrees, determination of intracranial or extracranial artery, and the collateral compensative capacity were compared between two groups.
Results: Cerebral vessel stenotic degree was significantly different between T2D group and the control group (χ2=20.03, P<0.05). Patients with moderate to severe stenosis and occlusion were more in T2D group than those in the control group (χ2=18.94, P<0.05). Control group was mainly with non-diffuse vascular lesions and compensatory form collateral vessels. In 3 subgroup, with the increase of glycosylated hemoglobin (unsatisfactory blood glucose control), the incidence rate of moderate and severe stenosis was increasing significantly (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Severe cerebral vascular stenosis is more easy to happen in patients of TIA accomplicated with T2D, which was distinguished by multiple vascular lesions, diffuse vascular lesions and less collateral compensative capacity. Unsatisfactory blood glucose control was a bad factor for these patients.


Satellites are critical to the ability to understand and address climate change, due to their unique ability to provide comprehensive global monitoring of the environment. More than 30 nations have been involved in satellite Earth observations, with more than 200 satellite instruments operating in 2014 alone. However, gaps remain in the ability to adequately monitor global climate change, due in part to a lack of international consensus on the definition of an adequate monitoring system. This paper examines ongoing international efforts to identify the requirements of a global satellite climate monitoring system, including high-level efforts by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS), as well as efforts to define more detailed technical requirements being undertaken by GCOS, WMO, and the European Space Agency (ESA). Comparing the distinct processes and interim results of these groups highlights the lack of international consensus on the definition of an adequate global climate monitoring system. Developing such a system is a complex, multifaceted challenge, which requires expert technical knowledge of climate science and satellite capabilities as well as attention to political concerns for sovereignty and long-term international cooperation. The paper examines the adequacy of the current satellite monitoring capabilities by developing a comprehensive dataset including all unclassified Earth observation satellites operating or planned between 1990 and 2020. This analysis shows that within each international effort, gaps in the type of data collected are present. Even when some data is collected on a particular variable, it is not necessarily done in a way that meets technical requirements for climate assessment and forecasting. A lack of free and open data sharing compounds this challenge, further decreasing the amount of data contributing to international climate monitoring efforts. The lack of consensus on the requirements of a global climate monitoring system makes it difficult for nations to use international coordination mechanisms to plan and prioritize future satellite systems. The paper concludes by providing a series of recommended steps to improve harmonization among international efforts. This includes coordinating the bottom-up method used within GCOS with the top-down method used at WMO to identify concrete recommendations that will allow nations to prioritize investments that improve climate monitoring and/or improve the efficiency of the existing system. It recommends consolidating international efforts to define technical requirements to avoid duplication and facilitate prioritization among user groups with regard to which variables should …


For several decades, policy analysts have debated whether to establish ex ante caps on damages that audit firms face for violating state or federal law in their audits of public companies. A common argument supporting caps is a claimed inability of audit firms to obtain requisite external liability insurance and need to resort to self-insurance programs. This Article evaluates this claim by assessing existing insurance resources and inquiring into potential additional insurance devices. The assessment suggests that, for auditors, self-insurance is better than external insurance so that the claim does not necessarily support damages caps. Even if the claim were valid, the inquiry concerning additional insurance suggests superior alternatives by using previously-discussed financial statement insurance, to tailor coverage to risks of ordinary audit failure, and the novel innovation of insurance securitization to pool and distribute risks of catastrophic audit failure through capital markets.


Consent to sex matters, because it can transform coitus from being among the most heinous of criminal offenses into sex that is of no concern at all to the criminal law. Unfortunately, the normative task of making the law of rape more just is commonly impaired by conceptual confusion about what consent means. Consent is both a single concept in law and a multitude of opposing and cross-cutting conceptions of which courts and commentators tend to be only dimly aware. Thus, consent can be a mental state on a woman's part, an expression by her, or both; it can consist of facts about a woman's mental state or expressive conduct that do not necessarily constitute a defense to rape or consist only such facts as do constitute a defense to rape; and it can consist of facts about a woman's mental state or expressive conduct or a legal fiction of such facts. In so far as we are unaware of the ways in which this conceptual framework structures the way we think about consent, we risk confusing ourselves and others in undertaking to make the law of rape more just. Some examples are (1) confusion as to whether the defense of consent ought to be deemed to consist of a mental state on a woman's part or an expression; (2) confusion about the relationship between consent to sexual intercourse and resistance to it; and (3) confusion about the relationship between force and non-consent.


There are some reports which indicate that several triazole derivatives have inotropic activity; however, the cellular site and mechanism of action at cardiovascular level is very confusing. In order, to have a clear understanding of these phenomena, a triazole derivative was synthesized to evaluate its biological activity on left ventricular pressure and characterize the molecular mechanism. The Langendorff technique was used to measure changes on perfusion pressure and coronary resistance in an isolated rat heart model in absence or presence of the triazole derivative. Additionally, the molecular mechanism involved in the inotropic activity induced by the triazole derivative was evaluated by measuring left ventricular pressure in absence or presence of the following compounds; prazosin, metoprolol, nifedipine, indomethacin and the compound BM-531. The results showed that the triazole derivative significantly increased the perfusion pressure and coronary resistance in comparison with the control conditions. Other data indicate that the triazole derivative increase left ventricular pressure in a dose-dependent manner (0.001 to 100 nM); nevertheless, this phenomenon was significantly inhibited only by indomethacin and BM-531 at a dose of 1 nM. Therefore, experimental results suggest that positive inotropic activity induced by the triazole derivative is via activation of TXA2. This phenomenon is particularly interesting because the inotropic activity induced by the triazole derivative involves a molecular mechanism different in comparison with other positive inotropic drugs.


Aim To determine the sub-macular Bruch's membrane (BrM) macrophage count and the choroidal and BrM macrophage immunophenotype in normal eyes and in eyes with early and advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods BrM macrophages were counted in 125 human eyes (normal, normal aged, early AMD and geographical atrophy), and CD68 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunohistochemistry was performed on 16 human eyes (normal, normal aged, early AMD, geographical atrophy and disciform scarring). All eyes were examined clinically ante mortem. Results were correlated with histopathological features, including basal laminar deposit and membranous debris, and with clinical fundus appearance. Results CD68+ macrophages were found in the choroid of normal human eyes, and did not express iNOS. Expression of iNOS by choroidal macrophages (as well as endothelial cells and pericytes) was associated with: (1) recruitment of macrophages to BrM in early AMD eyes with soft drusen or thick continuous basal laminar deposit, corresponding to clinically detectable soft drusen or pigment changes; and (2) active disciform scarring. iNOS expression was absent in BrM macrophages, suggesting immunomodulatory differences between the choroid and BrM. The highest BrM macrophage counts were found in eyes with subclinical choroidal neovascularisation. Conclusion The presence of extracellular deposits (soft drusen and thick continuous basal laminar deposit) is associated with macrophage recruitment to BrM and alteration in the immunophenotype of resident choroidal macrophages.


The species of the Eastern Mediterranean genus Dichorrhinus Desbrochers, 1875 are reviewed. D. geiseri sp. nov. is described from Samos Island (Greece) and Western Turkey, and D. alziari sp. nov. is described from Cyprus. Dichorrhinus korbi Schilsky, 1911 is redescribed. An illustrated key to the species of Dichorrhinus is provided, and new records are presented.


Ras proteins are a special class of proteins that mediate cell growth signals. Their importance lies in the fact that they are products of a proto-oncogene. This means that under certain conditions the gene that determines its structure is altered and a mutant protein results that is involved in the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells. The actual function by which the protein acts in the signal pathway is not known. However it is known that they act as a switch, undergoing a cycle involving the exchange of guaninosine nucleotides in the binding site. This thesis uses computer simulations to study the energetics of this binding, with the long term aim of developing a drug to inhibit the transforming activity of the oncogenic protein. To begin with, a model of the protein based on a crystal structure is built. Using Molecular dynamics the motion of this model is studied. A possible mechanism by which one half of the nucleotide cycle could be induced is investigated, with the result that phosphorylation of the protein may be involved. The main part of the thesis is then devoted to using the free energy perturbation (FEP) method to calculate the difference in Gibbs binding free energy between the nucleotides in the protein. Using histamine as a model, a method of dealing with charged, flexible molecules is developed; namely the inclusion of a reaction field and comprehensive conformational analysis. The results from the associated calculations are seen to be very close to experimental data. The same procedures are then applied to the much more complex ras: nucleotide system with less successful results, the reason for which is mostly due to the restriction of limited computer resources to tackle such a problem. The conclusion is that given the resources and by using the techniques developed in this thesis, this type of calculation is a feasible way to study such systems.


The Finnish forest industry has undergone extensive transition in recent years. This study investigates the effect of restructuring on the well-being of blue-collar employees who continued working in the organization after the changes. All six factories selected for the study were in the process of restructuring between baseline and the follow-up survey. The factories were grouped according to personnel reduction (dismissals): Change group 1 - no dismissals; and Change group 2 - dismissals. The majority of the analyses were carried out using longitudinal data (n=382). The associations between the changes in personnel and functional and psychological well-being were analysed using ANCOVA (adjusted for age, gender, education, and outcome at baseline). In both change groups the level of functional well-being improved after restructuring, but the level of psychological well-being decreased. The content of the changes, regardless of whether they involved personnel dismissals, did not affect the magnitude of the decrease in psychological well-being. It seems that the effect of restructuring on the psychological well-being of employees working in the restructuring organization is considerable, even when no dismissals are involved. The impact of change on functional well-being seems to be different.


At the 5000 m altitude of the proposed MMA site in Chile the partial pressure of oxygen of the inspired gas in the lung is only 53% of its sea-level value. The resulting hypoxia causes a number of medical and physiological effects which must be considered in the planning of the instrument. In this report some of the existing studies of these effects are reviewed in order to predict, where possible, their severity in the MMA situation. An operating scenario is proposed which makes the construction and operation of the MMA feasible at this high elevation. The two key features of this scenario are the establishment of a low altitude Operations Support Base (OSB) at 2440 m and the oxygen enrichment of the air inside the buildings on the 5000 m site. Workers will sleep at the OSB and complete as much work as possible there, making the 1.25 hr drive to the site only when necessary. Workers who start to develop any of the high altitude illnesses can be immediately taken down to the OSB where the condition will quickly reverse. The oxygen in the site buildings will be enriched to 26 % oxygen, providing an effective working altitude for indoors workers of 3500 m (11500 ft). Although many outdoor workers will acclimatize sufficiently so that supplemental oxygen is not required, those workers who require it will be supplied with portable oxygen from a lightweight tank feeding nasal cannulas. The successful operation of high altitude facilities of comparable complexity to the MMA provides reassurance that the proposed MMA operation is feasible. The complex of large telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatory at 4215 m (13800 ft) are successfully operated and maintained by workers who, for the most part, commute daily from sea-level. Although the high altitude problems are somewhat worse at 5000 m than they are at 4215 m, the higher sleeping altitude of the MMA workers and the use of oxygen enrichment should make up for this difference. Large mines employing many hundreds of workers are now successfully operating in Chile at elevations up to 4600 m. These mines employ the most modern technology requiring a high level of technical ability from the workers. The technique of oxygen enrichment is now being used at these mines.


The precise timing of when upland terrains first became forested is highly controversial. Pennsylvanian palynoflora and megaflora transported into marine highstand deposits imply that emergent topographic highs may have supported cordaitalean forests. The discovery of a new Pennsylvanian (Bolsovian) plant assemblage in southwest Newfoundland confirms this hypothesis and allows the architecture of these upland trees to be reconstructed in detail. The assemblage includes several hundred calcareously permineralized stumps, trunks, and branches, and represents the remains of shallowly rooted cordaitalean trees that were ≤48.5 m high when mature. The fossils occur in alluvial conglomerates that constitute a 10-km-diameter outlier on the margins of the paleoequatorial Variscan foreland. The paleogeographic setting together with plant taphonomic inferences strongly indicate that these giant trees were transported from nearby upland alluvial plains and deposited in an elevated intermontane basin. This interpretation is supported by analysis of rootstock morphology, which implies tree growth in thin soils consistent with an alluvial gravel substrate. This improved understanding of Pennsylvanian upland forests has important implications for geochemical modeling of the global carbon cycle.


A short historical description of Polish contribution to astronomy and rocket technology is given. Then Polish activities in field of space exploration, such as instrument designed and build in Poland and placed on board of rockets, satellites and space probes during last 50 years are described. Contributions of the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences as well as astronomical discoveries made by Polish astrophysicists are presented. Most important missions in which instruments build in Poland were placed on board are among others: Mars Express and Venus Express, Cassini-Huygens, Rosetta and Integral. Among numerous discoveries made by Polish astrophysicists, one should mention the discovery and proper identification of powerful burst from magnetar SGR 1806-20 and the discovery of unusually rapid bursts from black hole Cyg X-1.


Aim/Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that inhibits insulin production, which affects blood levels. Over-the-counter drugs regulate blood levels, while medicinal plants such as Roselle ( Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn.) are used as a remedy. This systematic review aims to establish the antihyperglycemic properties of Roselle fruit peel extract, determine its effectiveness in diabetic male rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) induced by Streptozotocin, and evaluate the efficiency of Roselle fruit peel extract compared to over-the-counter diabetes medication; A comprehensive and systematic search of (1) Antihyperglycemic property and effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn., (2) Samples used are diabetic male rats (3) Orally induced Streptozotocin given by medical professionals. Materials and Methods: The data were gathered through different databases, such as PubMed Central, the IOSR Journal of Pharmacy, EBSCOHost, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate; out of 100 studies retrieved, only 13 were utilized due to the elimination of the 87 by exclusion criteria. Diabetes is ranked 6th as the highest cause of death in the Philippines, ranking 9th worldwide. Results and Conclusion: In lieu of this, herbal or more organic forms of remedy are pursued by people who have diabetes. The review of studies shows that the Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. plant possesses hypoglycemic, hyperlipidemic, and antioxidative properties due to the phytochemicals present. This review also solidifies the notion that Roselle extract and over-the-counter drugs have the same effect on blood sugar levels upon rat experimentation.


In this paper we present empirical data on three places in East Africa where language shift is occurring, two urban and one rural. In doing so, we hope that both the similarities and the differences will illuminate some of the underlying factors which influence communal choices about language maintenance and shift. All three case studies are drawn from our own work, and one is part of a larger ongoing project concerning urban language shift in East Africa. Bagamba and Gibson (forthcoming) reports on one other context in the same project, that of the Kisii community in Homa Bay, Kenya.


Objective: Since 1991, carbapenem resistance is being reported in an increasing fashion worldwide. It is expected to increase due to increasing frequency of international travels. Carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae can cause colonization or clinical infection. Treatment of carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae is not precise and we have limited choices of antibiotics. This brings increasing morbidity and mortality with itself. We aimed to find out risk factors for colonization or infection with carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in this study.
Materials and Methods: With the decision of Adult Hospital Infection Control Comittee, a surveillance has been started among adult patients (>18 years of age) at Hacettepe University Hospitals at June 2009. A perianal swab culture has been obtained weekly by Adult Hospital Infection Control nurses from patients included in surveillance program. In this study, carried on adult patients hospitalized at Hacettepe University hospitals between 01.06.2009-31.12.2010, risk factors for colonization or infection with carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, those are detected via surveillance cultures or clinical specimens, were investigated.
Results: According to results of the multivariate analysis of the study; being hospitalized in an internal ward (any ward other than a surgical ward) (p=0,005), Diabetes Mellitus (p=0,010), immunosuppression (p<0,001), hospitalization history  (p<0,005), burn history (p=0,026), central venous line history (p=0,012), arterial line history (p=0,010), feeding or nasogastric tube history (p<0,001), sulbactam/ampicillin use (p<0,001), glycopeptide use (p=0,003) and carbapenem or piperacillin/tazobactam use (p<0,001) were all detected to be risk factors.


A 1-year-old male Cocker Spaniel, weighing 10.5 kg, was referred for elective orchiectomy. An intratesticular injection of lidocaine was performed as a part of multimodal anesthetic protocol that also included: acepromazine, meloxicam, tramadol and ketamine. During the intraoperative period the cardiorespiratory parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, and mean arterial blood pressure), the intraoperative anesthetic (ketamine) and analgesic (fentanyl) consumption, and the presence of autonomous nociceptive responses were evaluated. Increases of baseline cardiorespiratory parameters above 10% or the presence of autonomous nociceptive responses would be considered as indicative of insufficient analgesic coverage, for which 1 μg/kg IV of fentanyl would be employed. The evaluated cardiorespiratory variables were stable, and no autonomous nociceptive responses were observed. For this reason no additional ketamine boluses nor rescue analgesics were administered. It is suggested that intratesticular lidocaine, as a part of the multimodal analgesic protocol employed, contributed to improve the analgesic coverage during orchiectomy in this dog.


Higher education aims to encourage students to achieve a higher level of understanding of their subject matter. In order for students to achieve these higher levels, they have to approach their learning at a deeper level (Prosser and Trigwell, 1999; Barrab and Plucker, 2002), and be motivated to achieve (Deci and Ryan, 1985). One factor that is seen as a major influence on students' intentions is their perception of the assessment of their learning (Gibbs, 2007; Ramsden, 2003; Biggs, 2003; Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000). A learner, who perceives that the learning outcome requires demonstration of understanding, application, and critical analysis, will approach their studying in a way that promotes this. Students who perceive the assessment can be achieved through memorising and regurgitation will approach their learning in a different manner. This study was to investigate if, as part of a constructive teaching methodology that allowed for practice, the introduction of a viva voce examination that required a deep approach to learning to achieve would have an influence on the students' approaches to learning and motivation. By emphasising this assessment methodology, first year students were predominantly intrinsically motivated, and maintained their level of deep approach to learning throughout the module, where previous literature had found decreases in deep approaches to learning when assessment took place.


This article critically challenges scholarship on ethnic enclaves, from Chicago School scholars to the ethnic enclave debates of the 1980s and 1990s, and introduces a new type of ethnic enclave in an era of globalization: the "transclave." By using Manhattan's Koreatown as a case study, I define transclave as a commercialized ethnic space that exists exclusively for consumption, leisure, and entertainment, differentiating itself from traditional ethnic enclaves that offer housing and jobs for newer immigrants. Instead, transclaves are spaces where transnational consumer culture and brands from sending nations are transferred to, negotiated with, and anchored in a geographic space in a global city, and shape the landscape of that space. Based on archival research, in–depth interviews, and participant observation, this article investigates how and why Koreatown serves as an intersection of where Korea's political, economic, and sociocultural influences meet New York City's diverse cosmopolitan mosaic and tourism industry.


Stencil computations are a key class of applications, widely used in the scientific computing community, and a class that has particularly benefited from performance improvements on architectures with high memory bandwidth. Unfortunately, such architectures come with a limited amount of fast memory, which is limiting the size of the problems that can be efficiently solved. In this paper, we address this challenge by applying the well-known cache-blocking tiling technique to large scale stencil codes implemented using the OPS domain specific language, such as CloverLeaf 2D, CloverLeaf 3D, and OpenSBLI. We introduce a number of techniques and optimisations to help manage data resident in fast memory, and minimise data movement. Evaluating our work on Intel's Knights Landing Platform as well as NVIDIA P100 GPUs, we demonstrate that it is possible to solve 3 times larger problems than the on-chip memory size with at most 15% loss in efficiency.


With over a million copies of her books in print, Marsha Collier is the leading eBay author in the world. Her books help eBay users get started, find bargains, make their first purchases, sell their first items, and start generating a steady income on eBay. This book, eBay PowerSeller Business Practices For Dummies, shares the techniques you need to know to either achieve the coveted PowerSeller status on eBay, make your PowerSeller-level business run more smoothly, or simply employ the tips the site's best sellers use every day. A PowerSeller herself, Marsha has done the research and developed tried and true techniques for boosting your sales and keeping them at high levels. Best of all, she breaks all the practices down into short, step-by-step tasks that don't require a lot of time to accomplish, leaving you more time to build your business! The book breaks PowerSeller selling into: Powering Up: Understanding how to use eBay's tools and community to get sales up to PowerSeller levels Hitting Your Sales Targets: Establishing a strategy for choosing the items that work for you, buying items for resale on eBay, and creating a business plan that incorporates marketing, shipping, eBay Stores, and expanding into a separate Web site. Build Better Listings: Upgrading your HTML and photography skills to build sale pages that command buyer confidence Become a Model Seller: Enhancing your customer service skills from packing and shipping to insuring items to communicating with buyers Manage Your Business: A crash course in accounting, including the unique issues with operating an online store The book also includes a CD-ROM that includes samples of Marsha's 5-DVD video training kit, "Your eBay Business Plan;" trial versions of helpful software from DAZzle, Fast Photos, and QuickBooks; and tools created by the author to help you better operate your business including a fee calculator and list of sources for wholesale merchandise.


IZA DP No. 12163 FEBRUARY 2019 Improving Access and Quality in Early Childhood Development Programs: Experimental Evidence from the Gambia* This paper studies two experiments of early childhood development programs in The Gambia: one increasing access to services, and another improving service quality. In the first experiment, new community-based early childhood development (ECD) centers were introduced to randomly chosen villages that had no pre-existing structured ECD services. In the second experiment, a randomly assigned subset of existing ECD centers received intensive provider training. We find no evidence that either intervention improved average levels of child development. Exploratory analysis suggests that, in fact, the first experiment, which increased access to relatively low quality ECD services, led to declines in child development among children from less disadvantaged households. Evidence supports that these households may have been steered away from better quality early childhood settings


Humans are extraordinarily quick at processing natural scenes. Furthermore, good exemplars of natural scene categories are not only categorized more easily but are also more readily detected than bad exemplars. However, it remains unclear when and how this good exemplar advantage arises. To address this question, we measured event-related potentials (ERPs) while participants viewed (and made a delayed judgment about) good and bad exemplars of six scene categories: beaches, city streets, forests, highways, mountains and offices. Good and bad exemplars first evoked differential ERPs 250 to 350ms after onset, with bad exemplars producing greater frontal negativity than good exemplars. This effect is consistent with the N3 complex, previously associated with global structure in an image. The results thus indicate that structural processing is easier for good than for bad exemplars. Good exemplars then elicited a larger late positive complex (LPC) response, likely reflecting more confident judgments for these items. Furthermore, the separation between natural vs. man-made ERP waveforms was both earlier and larger in amplitude for good exemplars as compared to bad exemplars. Overall, the results indicate that the good exemplar advantage may not only extend to eased cognitive processing, but also to perceptual processing, having its roots in higher order visual processing and possible feedback to lower level processing areas Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Evaluation of Growth and Bone Metabolism in Adolescent Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary immunodeficiency, resulting in increased susceptibility to infections and diminished responses to protein and polysaccharide vaccines. Most common infections are sinopulmonary caused by Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza, Klebsiella pneumonia and sometimes mycoplasma. An intrinsic B cell defect; inability to differentiate to plasma cells and secrete immunoglobulins, has been most commonly observed in terms of pathogenesis. Many defects in T cells have also been noted in patients with CVID.


The source of buoyancy for the uplift of cratonic plateaus is a fundamental question in continental dynamics. The ~1.9 km uplift of the Colorado Plateau since the Late Cretaceous is a prime example of this problem. We used apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry (230 analyses; 36 samples) to provide the fi rst single-system, regional-scale proxy for the unroofi ng history of the southwestern quadrant of the plateau. The results confi rm overall southwest to northeast unroofi ng, from plateau margin to plateau interior. A single phase of unroofi ng along the plateau margin in Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary (SevierLaramide) time contrasts with multiphase unroofi ng of the southwestern plateau interior in Early and mid- to Late Tertiary time. The Early Cretaceous was characterized by northeastward tilting and regional erosion, followed by aggradation of ≥1500 m of Upper Cretaceous sediments along the eroded plateau margin. Sevier-Laramide denudation affected the entire southwestern plateau, was concentrated along the plateau margin, and migrated from northwest to southeast. Following a period of relative stability of the landscape from ca. 50‐30 Ma, signifi cant unroofi ng of the southwestern plateau interior occurred between ca. 28 and 16 Ma. Additional denudation north of the Grand Canyon took place in latest Tertiary time. Mid-Tertiary dates from the Grand Canyon basement at the bottom of the Upper Granite Gorge limit signifi cant incision of the modern Grand Canyon below the Kaibab surface to 1500 m difference in vertical structural position. If these models are correct, they indicate that a "proto‐Grand Canyon" of kilometer-scale depth had incised post-Paleozoic strata by the Early Eocene. Evidence for kilometerscale mid-Tertiary relief in northeast-fl owing drainages along the plateau margin, as well as the mid-Tertiary episode of plateau interior unroofi ng, imply that the southwestern plateau interior had attained substantial elevation by at least 25‐20 Ma, if not much earlier. These observations are inconsistent with any model calling for exclusively Late Tertiary uplift of the southwestern plateau. Sevier-Laramide plateau surface uplift and incision thus result from one or more processes that enhanced the buoyancy of the plateau lithosphere, expanding the Cordillera's orogenic highlands into its lowstanding cratonic foreland. The onset of the Laramide slab's demise at ca. 40 Ma and the major pulse of extension in the Basin and Range from ca. 16‐10 Ma appear to have had little infl uence on the denudation history of the southwestern plateau. In contrast, the post-Laramide unroofi ng episodes may be explained by drainage adjustments induced by rift-related lowering of regions adjacent to the plateau, without the need to otherwise modify the plateau lithosphere. Our data do not preclude a large component of post‐Early Eocene elevation gain (or the geodynamic mechanisms it may imply), but they do point toward Laramide-age buoyancy sources as the initial cause of signifi cant surface uplift, ending more than 500 m.y. of residence near sea level.


The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) stimulates stomatal closure in response to various environmental stresses. Neill et al. show that synthesis and action of the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) are required for ABA-induced stomatal closure by treating guard cells of the pea with either NO scavengers or donors, or with NO synthase inhibitors, prior to exposure to ABA. An increase in NO synthesis in guard cells in response to ABA could be visualized and correlated with stomatal closure. The authors speculate that an observed increase in guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP) in response to NO production could regulate ion channels that effect stomatal closure. S. J. Neill, R. Desikan, A. Clarke, J. T. Hancock, Nitric oxide is a novel component of abscisic acid signaling in stomatal guard cells, Plant Physiol. 128, 13-16 (2002).


BACKGROUND
The clinical spectrum of Brucella infection is quite diverse and characterized by multi-system involvement. Patients present with myocarditis, endocarditis, or pericarditis. Infective endocarditis is the most common cardiovascular complication in patients with brucellosis. Although conduction abnormalities are seen in cases with endocarditis, they are reported very rarely in the setting of cardiac Brucella infection.

CASE REPORT
An eight and a half-year-old male patient was referred to our clinic due to inadequate response to cotrimaxazole plus streptomycin treatment at the 15th day of admission. Although local hospital records on the patient showed a heart rate of 80 bpm, we determined a heart rate of 46 bpm. The electrocardiogram showed complete atrioventricular (AV) block. The average heart rate was determined as 48 bpm with 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring. The echocardiographic examination showed normal-sized heart chambers and the absence of valvular involvement. An agglutination test for brucellosis was found to be positive with a titer of 1/320. High fever, arthralgia, and splenomegaly regressed following doxycycline plus rifampicin therapy, but there was no improvement in the AV block. A permanent pacemaker was implanted because of the detection of an average heart rate of 48 bpm.

CONCLUSION
Because cardiac failure and rhythm abnormalities are reported in the course of Brucella infection and may be associated with significant outcomes, cases with brucellosis should be evaluated carefully in terms of cardiac involvement. This report aims to draw attention to complete AV block as an extremely rare complication of Brucella infection.