It is a fact that people spend 60-90% of their lifetime indoors; nevertheless, in case of Middle Eastern countries this percentage can reach 100%, especially during summer and dust storms periods. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of great importance for peoples' health, especially for vulnerable population groups. To the best of our knowledge, recent air quality studies in areas with hot and arid climate such as Qatar (or Middle East Area in general), are limited. Especially for the indoor environment, there is lack of indoor sources identification and consequently there are insufficient mitigation actions. This study aimed to assess the IAQ in an air-tight public building during warm season. For this scope, a monitoring campaign of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for both indoor/outdoor measurements was performed at the Supreme Council of Health building in Doha, Qatar. The duration of the campaign was from 22/4/2015 to 21/6/2015. Chemical analysis for organic/elemental carbon (OC/EC), ions (NO3 − , SO4 2 − , Cl− , Br − , NH4 +, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) and elements (Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cd, Zn, Fe, Al) was conducted on the collected particle mass. Results showed that OC and EC outdoor values were higher (by 3-4 times) than the indoor ones for both PM fractions. Outdoor average OC value was 12.7 and 16.3 μgm− 3 for PM2.5 and PM10 respectively. Among the elements analyzed, Zn dominated in indoor samples followed by Mn, Ba, Pb while outdoors, Sr and Mn were the most abundant species. Concerning ions, indoor to outdoor ratio (I/O), was in all cases lower than unity implying the prevalence of outdoor sources emissions. Finally, I/O was close to unity for VOCs except for xylene and dlimonene, which were significantly higher indoors implying the existence of internal emission sources.


Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS) is an overuse injury induced by friction of the iliotibial band (ITB) over the lateral epicondyle of the femur (LFE) with secondary inflammation. ITBFS is a prevalent condition and is the most common cause of lateral knee pain in long distance runners and cyclists. There are a significant number of aetiological factors related to ITBFS. As a result of this the general chiropractic approach to the treatment of ITBFS is multimodal and include interventions such as joint manipulation, cryotherapy, orthotics, massage, electrical stimulation, acupuncture type procedures and therapeutic exercise. Dry-needling is an effective therapy in the treatment of active Myofascial Trigger Points (MFTP's) that are associated with ITBFS. However, the available literature suggests that to determine its efficacy, it should be performed in isolation. The association of sacroiliac joint dysfunction in ITBFS has also been addressed and are thought to co-exist and perpetuate one another. It is recommended that chiropractors include pelvic manipulation in their treatment protocol for ITBFS however there is a paucity of literature showing its effectiveness in the treatment of this condition. There appears to be a need for further research in the form of randomized controlled clinical trials with regard to chiropractic specific procedures, performed in isolation, in the treatment of ITBFS. Therefore this study aimed to add to the literature by assessing the effect of the sacroiliac joint manipulation and dry needling in the treatment of ITBFS. Objectives The study aimed to determine the comparative effectiveness of dry needling alone versus manipulation alone, as well as a combination of the two interventions in the treatment of ITBFS. Methods This study was a randomised, open label trial. 47 participants with ITBFS were divided into three groups, each group receiving a different intervention i.e.: group one received dry needling of the active MFTP's in the Tensor Fascia Lata (TFL) and ITB, group two received sacroiliac joint manipulation, group three received a combination of the two interventions. Subjective measurements, in the form of the Numerical Pain Rating Scale-101 (NRS-101), and objective measurements, in the form of algometer readings in the TFL, ITB and Nobles Compression test as well as digital inclinometer readings of Modified Obers test, were utilised to determine the effects of the respective interventions. These measurements were recorded twice, once prior to commencing the treatment programme. These values were then evaluated to compare the efficacy of the different treatment interventions. Each participant received four treatments over a two week period. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the three treatment groups as they all seemed to parallel one another with regards to overall improvement in subjective and objective measurements (P<0.5). However on closer examination subtle differences between the groups were noted. An interesting endpoint is that the combination group did not fair the best throughout the study, which was contrary to the original hypothesis. The groups receiving only the single intervention appeared to fair marginally better over the combination group. A secondary endpoint that became evident during the study and on analysis of the data, was that hip joint instability must also be considered when treating ITBFS when there is concomitant sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Conclusion A decision needs to be made with regard to which intervention best suits the individual at the time. A combination therapy, which originally was thought to be the best treatment option, should possibly be reconsidered. Perhaps a single intervention of manipulation or dry needling should be decided upon. In totality, all intervention proved to be effective in the treatment of ITBFS.


Eisenstaedt and colleagues like Carl Mydans, Andreas Feininger, Cornell Capa, Gordon Parks, Dmitri Kessel, and thirty-eight other Life photographers interviewed here were practicing journalism in fact, but the results often turned out to be art. In one hundred hours of taped conversations, they confided their ambitions, anxieties, and accomplishments to their friend and peer John Loengard, Life's most distinguished contemporary photo essayist. These real-life stories of the adventures and mishaps of staff photographers - from World War II in Europe and the Pacific to the tumultuous events of the 1950s through the 197Os - delineate the golden era of photojournalism.


In Indonesia, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children after ISPA (Acute Respiratory Infection). This study aimed to test the ability of probiotic, Lactobacillus plantarum 2C12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus 2B4, as an indigenous anti-diarrhea in rats exposed to Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and fi nd out their impact on erythrocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, thrombo- cytes, and leukocytes. A total of 95 male rats Sparague Dawley strain were alocated into six treat- ment groups: (1) negative control, (2) L. plantarum 2C12, (3) L. acidophilus 2B4, (4) L. plantarum 2C12 + EPEC, (5) L. acidophilus 2B4 + EPEC, and (6) positive control (exposed to EPEC). Probiotics were given from day 1 up to 21, whereas 10 6 cfu/ml EPEC was administered orally from day 8 to 14. On day 21, the number of erythrocytes, hematocrit and hemoglobin were the lowest (7.07 million/µl; 39.13%; 14.50 g/dl) in the positive group of rats. The positive control group had lower number of thrombo- cytes (389 thousand/ µl) (P<0.05) with the negative control and the L. plantarum 2C12 groups, but not signifi cantly diff erent to the other groups. The number of leucocytes in the positive control rats (4433 cell/µl) was lower (P<0.05) than that of the negative control, L. plantarum 2C12, and the L. acidophilus 2B4 groups, but no signifi cant diff erence to the other groups. L. plantarum 2C12 had beĴ er ability than L. acidophilus 2B4 in maintaining the number of erythrocytes, hematocrit, and hemoglobin of rat infected by EPEC.


Background: I-SPY 2 is an innovative collaboration to assess 8-12 investigational agents and numerous biomarkers in an adaptive, neoadjuvant clinical trial for patients with locally advanced breast cancer and a high likelihood of recurrence. The first site opened in March 2010, and the trial will eventually open in up to 20 sites and enroll 800 patients. It is well known that patients who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer are often overwhelmed, frightened and cognitively impaired. Making treatment decisions and dealing with the strain of treatment are among the most traumatic events patients are likely to experience. Nevertheless, they are often significantly helped by peer support. Methods: The Breast Cancer Network of Strength (formerly Y-ME) provides 24x7 peer support for callers seeking information and/or support related to breast cancer. All peer counselors are trained and certified breast cancer survivors. I-SPY 2 partnered with this organization to leverage their services in the I-SPY 2 trial. In particular, ten experienced peer counselors received a day of training to prepare them to counsel I-SPY 2 patients. They learned about the details of the trial, support materials available to patients (i.e., I-SPY 2 brochure, DVD and website), and specific challenges patients going through the trial are likely to face. Training included extensive role play exercises. When patients agree to treatment within the I-SPY 2 trial, they are offered the option of peer counseling. If they so choose, a counselor will call five times during their six months of treatment. Calls will be scheduled to meet the needs of individual patients, but are expected to take place: 1) shortly after enrollment; 2) a week after the first chemotherapy treatment; 3) shortly after completion of pacitaxel and any investigational agent; 4) shortly before surgery; and 5) shortly after surgery. The goals of providing peer support to I-SPY2 participants are to: 1) provide participants with an opportunity to discuss their diagnosis,treatment, and trial issues to validate emotions and provide support for dealing with the rigors of receiving breast cancer treatment; 2) help patients understand and anticipate upcoming aspects of their treatment; and 3) encourage patients to comply with trial requirements and raise concerns with their health care providers. Discussion: The I-SPY 2 trial initially planned to offer patients who were deciding whether to participate in the trial the option of speaking to a peer counselor. However, one IRB objected to this use of peer counselors despite demonstration of peer counselors being helpful and not coercive. For example, when this service was provided in CALGB 49907, a majority of patients who used the service expressed appreciation of counseling, but only about 50% who spoke to counselors enrolled in the trial. In the current study, use of peer counselors will initially be restricted to enrolled patients. However, it is likely that it be expanded to patients contemplating participation at sites where IRBs agree. Future research will clarify which patients request counselors and why, how they view their experience, and to what extent peer counseling influences patient enrollment, compliance and trial completion. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-12-03.


Researchers are beginning to dissect the complex signaling events that underlie sophisticated functions in the mammalian brain. One example occurs in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), where auditory sensations are combined with somatosensory input, which may allow orientation of the head with respect to sounds an animal is hearing. Nonauditory signals are transmitted from parallel fibers either directly to the principal neurons of the DCN, known as fusiform cells, or to so-called "cartwheel" interneurons, which then innervate and inhibit fusiform cells. At synapses where the parallel fibers talk to the fusiform cells, an increase in synaptic strength (long-term potentiation, LTP) occurs when an action potential in the postsynaptic cell follows that in the presynaptic neuron. Tzounopoulos et al. wanted to explain why just the opposite (long-term depression, LTD) occurred at the synapses between parallel fibers and the cartwheel interneurons. In electrophysiological studies of mouse brain slices in culture, the authors used a range of pharmacological manipulations along with histological analyses to show that distinct use of two signaling pathways in the different cells could account for the differences in effects on synaptic plasticity. Postsynaptic LTP in the fusiform cells required signaling through Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, whereas LTD in the interneurons resulted from an additional presynaptically mediated effect of retrograde signaling by endocannabinoids. Distinct subcellular localization of presynaptic endocannabinoid receptors was largely responsible for the differences in cellular learning responses, and it appeared to be the balance of presynaptic and postsynaptic effects that determined the overall cellular response. Furthermore, the polarity of the plasticity (strengthening or weakening) in cartwheel cells depended on the frequency of neuronal stimulation. The authors explain how these mechanisms may allow cells to change the rules through which they and, in turn, the networks in which they participate respond to stimuli. Understanding these properties may eventually help explain how the brain manages, for example, to filter out predictable consequences of the animal's movement in response to auditory signals or to suppress responses to self-generated sounds. T. Tzounopoulos, M. E. Rubio, J. E. Keen, L. O. Trussell, Coactivation of pre- and postsynaptic signaling mechanisms determines cell-specific spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Neuron 54, 291-301 (2007). [Online Journal]


Objectives It has been recently observed that a T-cell subset, lacking of both CD4 and CD8 molecules and defined as double negative (DN), is expanded in the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, produces IL-17 and accumulates in the kidney during nephritis. Since IL-17 production is enhanced in salivary gland infiltrates of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients, we investigated whether DN T cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of salivary gland damage. Methods Phenotypic characterisation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SS patients and controls was performed by flow cytometry in freshly isolated and anti-CD3-stimulated cells. SS minor salivary glands were processed for immunofluorescence staining. Results CD3+CD4−CD8− DN T cells were major producers of IL-17 in SS and expressed ROR-γt. They were expanded in the peripheral blood, spontaneously produced IL-17 and infiltrated salivary glands. In addition, the expansion of αβ-TCR+ DN T cells was associated with disease activity. Notably, IL-17-producing DN T cells from SS patients, but not from healthy controls, were strongly resistant to the in vitro effect of dexamethasone. Conclusions These findings appear to be of great interest since the identification of a peculiar T-cell subset with pro-inflammatory activity, but resistant to corticosteroids, in an autoimmune disorder such as SS may help to design new specific treatments for the disease.


This paper explores the potential for a Canadian defense of brainwashing in the context of battered spouses who commit crimes against third parties. Part I briefly discusses a working definition of "brainwashing" and the historical basis of this potential defense. Part II discusses the juridical basis for a new defense of brainwashing by examining the theory behind the proposed defense. This leads to an examination of the established defenses of necessity, duress, automatism, and diminished capacity, which in turn moves the discussion toward the feasibility of an affirmative defense of brainwashing through the concept of superimposed intent. Part III will explore the evolution of Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) as a model for a new defense and will examine brainwashing and the battered spouse. The paper is limited to a subset of abused women termed victims of the "sexual sadist." Part IV concludes by analyzing the case of Karla Homolka and the future of a brainwashing defense.


The digital information systems have become increasingly complex and inex- tricably intertwined with the infrastructure of national, public, and private organizations. The forensic digital analysis as a whole, in its relative infancy, is the unwilling victim of the rapid advancement of computer technology, so it is at the mercy of ever more new and complex computing approaches. Forensic digital analysis is unique among the forensic sciences in that it is inherently mathematical and generally comprises more data from an investigation than is present in other types of forensics. The digital investigation process can be driven using numerous forensic investigation models. Among these is the need to analyze forensic materials over complex chains of evidence in a wide variety of hetero- geneous computing platforms. The current computer forensic investigation paradigm is laborious and requires significant expertise on the part of the investigators. This paper presents the application of JDL data fusion model in computer forensics for analyzing the information from seized hard drives along with an analysis of the inter- preted information to prove that the respective user has misused internet. This paper is an attempt to use the data fusion and decision mining processes, to help in enhancing the quality of the investigation process which is in turn is validated by statistical evalua- tion. The mining rules generation process is based on the decision tree as a classification method to study the main attributes that may help in detecting the suspicious behavior. A system that facilitates the use of the generated rules is built which allows investigating agencies to predict the suspicious behavior under study.


Existing information on the ichthyofauna of the Eastern Ionian Sea (Greece) was enriched by a recent research project carried out in its northern part at depths ranging from 300 to 1200 m. The frequency of occurrence of the identified fish species and their abundance were examined. In total, 101 fish species were identified. Their number and abundance decreased significantly with depth. Argentina sphyraena presented the highest frequency of occurrence and Chlorophthalmus agassizi the highest abundance at depths ranging between 300 and 500 m. In the depth zone 500-700 m, Chlorophthalmus agassizi predominated in abundance and Phycis blennoides in frequency of occurrence. In the zone 700-900 m, Galeus melastomus and Nezumia sclerorhynchus showed both the highest abundance and frequency of occurrence. These two species were also the most abundant at depths 900-1200 m, whereas Lampanyctus crocodilus was the most frequently encountered. Four species (Benthocometes robustus, Microichthys coccoi, Nemichthys scolopaceus and Epigonus constanciae) are reported for the first time in Greek waters, and twenty species are reported for the first time in the Greek Ionian Sea. Moreover, one specimen of Caelorinchus mediterraneus IWAMOTO & UNGARO, 2002, a species that has only recently been described for the Mediterranean Sea, was also identified.


A phase-retrieval procedure based on the maximum-entropy method is applied to infrared–visible sum-frequency generation spectroscopy. Several typical effects on the error phase are also examined with the aid of a known theoretical model. The interference between the resonant and the nonresonant parts changes the behavior of the error phase. Even in some cases when the nonresonant part is complex, the error phase becomes like a step function. This result contradicts the smoothness assumption for the error phase, and the whole phase-retrieval procedure breaks down in these cases. A comparison of the results of phase-retrieval procedures between infrared–visible sum-frequency generation and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectra is made. Some ideas that worked well in previous analyses of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectra become inapplicable in the infrared–visible sum-frequency generation spectra in spite of the resemblance of their line shape functions.


Equilibria in auctions can be very difficult to analyze, beyond the symmetric environments where revenue equivalence renders the analysis straightforward. This paper takes a robust approach to evaluating the equilibria of auctions. Rather than identify the equilibria of an auction under specific environmental conditions, it considers worst-case analysis, where an auction is evaluated according to the worst environment and worst equilibrium in that environment. It identifies a non-equilibrium property of auctions that governs whether or not their worst-case equilibria are good for welfare and revenue. This property is easy to analyze, can be refined from data, and composes across markets where multiple auctions are run simultaneously.


The use of wildlife rehabilitation for conservation is growing, but quantitative criteria are rarely used to guide whether and when to remove animals from the wild. Since 2006, large numbers of African penguin Spheniscus demersus chicks have been abandoned annually when adults enter moult with dependent young still in the nest. As part of conservation initiatives for this endangered species, these chicks were collected and hand reared to fledging age. Post‐release survival has been well documented; in this study we develop models to predict survival of individuals during rehabilitation with the aim of improving hand‐rearing success and guiding the use of scarce resources. For 1455 chicks abandoned between 2008 and 2013, we assessed whether a chick body condition index (BCI) could predict outcome (death or release) and time spent in rearing. In addition, for a subset of 173 chicks in 2012, we assessed whether BCI at admission influenced chick growth rates during rehabilitation and examined whether the use of additional structural measurements and sex provided additional power to predict outcome. Models predicted an 82.9% (95% confidence interval: 73.3–89.5%) release rate for chicks admitted with a BCI >0, the proposed guideline for removal from colonies. This fell below 50% for BCIs < −1.05; 66% of chicks were admitted with BCIs between these thresholds. Adding bill length to BCI improved the relative model fit, but in both cases only ~70% of rehabilitation outcomes were correctly predicted. Chicks that grew more quickly were more likely to be released and, for those that were released, had lower BCI at admission suggesting compensatory growth. Chicks were generally removed at an appropriate time to ensure successful hand‐rearing. However, 32% were admitted in good condition, highlighting the importance of using adaptive management to guide wildlife rehabilitation and the allocation of conservation resources.


Background This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate whether an intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine would be a safe and effective substitute to fentanyl intraoperatively, and whether it would be effective in reducing the incidence and severity of emergence agitation and delirium in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Patients and methods This study was conducted on 70 pediatric patients, aged 3–7 years, of both sexes, of ASA I and II, who were scheduled for elective adenotonsillectomy. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: group D (dexmedetomidine infusion group; 35 patients) received intravenous dexmedetomidine (2 μg/kg) over 10 min, followed by 0.7 μg/kg/h until 5 min before the end of the surgery, and group F (intravenous fentanyl group; 35 patients) received intravenous fentanyl 1 μg/kg as a bolus. No premedication was given to any of the patients. The number of patients in each group who needed intraoperative fentanyl, the fentanyl dose, time of administration of fentanyl, duration of surgery and anesthesia, and the time to awakening were recorded. Pain was evaluated using the objective pain scale score in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), which was managed with rescue intravenous pethidine. Emergence agitation was evaluated in the PACU using two scales: the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale and the five-point agitation scale described by Cole. Results The time to awakening in group D was significantly shorter compared with that in group F (P<0.05). Group D showed a statistically significantly lower maximum objective pain scale score, lower Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium score, and lower emergence agitation score compared with group F at arrival at the PACU. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups as regards preoperative heart rate, but there was significantly lower heart rate in group D than in group F after induction (P<0.05). No side effects were observed during the first 24 h postoperatively in the two groups. Conclusion Dexmedetomidine is a safe and effective analgesic substitute to fentanyl intraoperatively and reduces analgesic requirements postoperatively. It is also effective in reducing the incidence and severity of emergence agitation and delirium in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.


Paul Celan has long been regarded as the most important European poet after 1945 but also the most difficult owing to the numerous references in his work to his personal history and to a cultural heritage spanning many disciplines, centuries, and languages. In this insightful study, Rochelle Tobias goes a long way to dispelling the obscurity that has surrounded the poet and his work. She shows that the enigmatic images in his poetry have a common source. They are drawn from the disciplines of geology, astrology, and physiology or what could be called the sciences of the earth, the heavens, and the human being. Celan's poetry borrows from each of these disciplines to create a poetic universe-a universe that attests to what is no longer and projects what is not yet. This is the unnatural world of Celan's poetry. It is a world in which time itself takes physical form or is made plastic. Through a series of close readings and philosophical explorations, Tobias reflects on the experience of time encoded and embodied in Celan's work. She demonstrates that the physical world in his poetry ultimately serves as a showcase for time, which is the most elusive aspect of human experience because it is based nowhere but in the mind. Tobias's probing interpretations present a new model for understanding Celan's work from the early elegiac poems to the later cryptic texts. An interdisciplinary project, the study combines readings of Celan's poetry with discussions of ancient and modern science, mystical cosmology, and twentieth-century literature and thought. Tobias's original approach to Celan illuminates his complex verse and contributes significantly to the theory of metaphor as it applies to modern verse.


An advisory opinion jurisdiction for the High Court of Australia has since the drafting of the Constitution in the 1890s been a recurring, though intermittent, suggestion. Notwithstanding the High Court's decision in 1921 that effectively ended the jurisdiction the prospect of its revival has remained a perennial reform option. This article traces the history of the attempts to implement this measure. It will focus upon the arguments that have been advanced for its initial establishment and reintroduction into the constitutional landscape after 1921. It argues that the reasons for the inclusion today are as relevant as they were when they were first consideration in the 1890s.


Wnt signals through canonical and noncanonical pathways to regulate many processes during development. Canonical Wnt signaling involves stabilization of β-catenin, which binds to transcriptional repressors of the T cell factor (TCF) family, converting them into transcriptional activators and activating target genes. Noncanonical Wnt pathways, however, appear to function independently of effects on β-catenin stabilization. During Caenorhabditis elegans development, the somatic gonadal precursor divides into asymmetric daughter cells whose fates depend on nuclear abundance of the TCF homolog POP-1; the cell with more nuclear POP-1 adopts a "proximal" fate, whereas that with less nuclear POP-1 adopts a "distal" fate. Noncanonical Wnt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling involving the MAPK LIT-1 and the β-catenin WRM-1 are required for reduction in nuclear POP-1 in the distal daughter. Inactivation of the gene sys-1 (symmetrical sisters) leads to adoption of a proximal fate in both daughter cells, despite asymmetric nuclear POP-1 content, and, surprisingly, the absence of POP-1 also leads to a proximal fate (see Bowerman). Kidd et al. determined that sys-1 encoded a protein containing three armadillo repeats, with an amino acid sequence unlike that of β-catenin. However, transgenic analysis indicated that SYS-1 could substitute for the C. elegans β-catenin BAR-1 in vulval development. Further, SYS-1 bound POP-1 both in a yeast two-hybrid assay and when tagged versions of both proteins were expressed in HEK 293 T cells. Mutational analysis indicated that SYS-1 bound to the POP-1 β-catenin-binding domain. When cotransfected into NCI-H28 cells, SYS-1 coactivated POP-1-dependent transcription. Experiments in which sys-1 dosage was varied supported a model in which SYS-1 acted as a limiting coactivator of POP-1. In this model, abundant nuclear POP-1 is mostly uncomplexed with SYS-1 and acts as a transcriptional repressor (leading to a proximal fate), whereas with low abundance, most POP-1 is complexed with SYS-1 and acts as a transcriptional activator (leading to a distal fate). Thus, the authors proposed that SYS-1 acts as β-catenin does, despite its lack of sequence similarity, and that the SYS-1 pathway represents a new twist on Wnt signaling. A. R. Kidd III, J. A. Miskowski, K. R. Siegfried, H. Sawa, J. Kimble, A β-catenin identified by functional rather than sequence criteria and its role in Wnt/MAPK signaling. Cell 121, 761-772 (2005). [PubMed] B. Bowerman, Advocating asymmetry and the POP-1 paradox: Noncanonical Wnt signaling in C. elegans. Cell 121, 662-664 (2005). [PubMed]


That an implied volatility can be extracted from the market price for an option is well known. Less familiar is the fact that with a set of options with the same maturity and a range of strike prices, an estimate of the entire risk-neutral probability density (RND) can be extracted without the need to specify the market's option pricing model. There are several alternative ways to do this in the literature, and the authors examine two of them. The behavior of the RND provides a detailed look at how the market's (risk-neutral) expectations respond to important information events, such as a change in the interest rate target followed by the central bank. In this article, the authors look at how these monetary policy decisions by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Banco de México are reflected in the market for FX options on the peso/U.S. dollar exchange rate. The results show that the exchange rate RNDs do respond significantly to interest rate surprises, and the extraction procedure that completes the RND by adding tails from a generalized extreme value distribution appears to have more success in capturing extreme values than does the alternative procedure that imposes a tail shape.


Abstract.
 Life history theory predicts a tradeoff between reproductive effort and survival, which suggests that some management practices aimed at increasing productivity may compromise population growth. We analyzed a 10-year data set of 225 individually marked Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus), a threatened shorebird, to determine whether individual reproductive effort was correlated with low apparent survival. Most adults resided in the population an average of 2 years (range: 1–10 years), during which females laid 3–60 eggs, and both males and females invested considerable time in incubation and brooding. Apparent survival varied annually and was higher for males than for females. Contrary to theory, we found no evidence that increased reproductive effort, either current or cumulative, compromised survival. Instead, apparent survival was correlated positively with incubation time, which may be related to either high-quality individuals having high reproductive rates and high survival or permanent emigration of failed breeders (who incubated for shorter intervals). Although our results suggest that some predator management practices (e.g., nest exclosures) aimed at increasing productivity will not compromise survival in a subsequent year, we caution that these same practices may have serious negative consequences for population growth if (1) reproductive effort does not translate into higher per capita fledging success and (2) direct mortality of adults results from the practice.


This research investigates the creative use of expressive drapery and textiles, and in particular the line of washing, in three films that have rich displays of fabrics and costume: The Piano (dir. Jane Campion, 1993), The Governess (dir. Sandra Goldbacher, 1998) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (dir. Peter Webber, 2003); and provides the inspiration for a series of short films that explore positive and negative aspects of clotheslines and textiles.
The research areas of Film Costume, Fashion Studies and Art History each provide relevant context and background to the study of the clothes and linens in the three films under consideration. Significant themes that are considered include: cinema's ambivalent relationship with costume; dress, undress and the male gaze; representations of historical and character-coded clothing; the expression of fantasy and desire through textiles and costume; and the contribution of art history towards creating an understanding of fabrics that denote a separation between the ordinary and extraordinary and between reality and an imaginary sphere.
Mary Ann Doane's study of the gaze at the interface of the interior and exterior of the home in the 'woman's film' leads her to consider the frequent portrayal of women waiting by or looking through windows in relation to Freud's theory of The Uncanny and leads me to recognize that the line of washing in cinema also denotes the limits of a woman's space within the grounds of her home and marks a formal boundary between the familiar and the unknown. Similarly, the line of washing reflects notions of The
5
Uncanny in displays that portray tensions between the opposing themes of the seen and unseen, the spoken and unspoken, of presence and absence and of purity and contamination.
The idea of familiar clothes and linens displayed on the line of washing as alternately comforting and disconcerting has become the focus of my practice. Some of the works have been shown individually during the course of this study in group and open art exhibitions, and a solo exhibition at Galeri Caernarfon 15th January – 24th February 2017 showed the collected short films and supporting material resulting from the research.


We focus on a mixed deterministic-stochastic subgrid scale modelling strategy currently under development for application in Finite Volume Large Eddy Simulation (LES) codes. Our concept is based on the integral conservation laws for mass, momentum and energy of a flow field. We model the space-time structure of the flux correction terms to create a discrete formulation. Advanced methods of time series analysis for the data-based construction of stochastic models with inherently non-stationary statistical properties and concepts of information theory based on a modified Akaike information criterion and on the Bayesian information criterion for the model discrimination are used to construct surrogate models for the non-resolved flux fluctuations. Vector-valued auto-regressive models with external influences form the basis for the modelling approach. The reconstruction capabilities of the modelling ansatz are tested against fully 3D turbulent channel flow data computed by direct numerical simulation and, in addition, against a turbulent Taylor-Green vortex flow showing a transition from laminar to a turbulent flow state. The modelling approach for the LES closure is different in both test cases. In the channel flow we consider an implicit LES ansatz. In the Taylor-Green vortex flow, it follows an explicit closure approach. We present here the outcome of our reconstruction tests and show specific results of the non-trivial time series data analysis. Started with a generally stochastic ansatz we found, surprisingly, that the deterministic model part already yields small residuals and is, therefore, good enough to fit the flux correction terms well. In the Taylor-Green vortex flow, we found additionally time-dependent features confirming that our modelling approach is capable of detecting changes in the temporal structure of the flow. The results encourage us to launch a more ambitious attempt at dynamic LES closure along these lines.


A basic assumption in current western medicine is that good healthcare involves informed choices. Indeed, making informed choices is not only viewed as "good practice" but a right to which each individual is entitled, a perspective only recently developed in the medical field. Moreover, in the case of ethical decisions, much of the discussion on the role of the family is cast within the autonomy paradigm of contemporary bioethics; that is, family members provide emotional support but do not make decisions for the competent adult patient. The family Is uniformly viewed as an Important proxy decision maker for incompetent patients; but most bioethicists would eschew any decision-making role for the family of mentally competent adult patients. Underlying the discussion of autonomy is the basic assumption in western medicine that good healthcare Involves choices by Informed individuals.


Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming more frequent and the size of these attacks is increasing rapidly on every year. This increases the load on the networks of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and many Cloud computing providers. Cloud computing is an emerging technology and adopted by many Cloud providers. But, there are many issues and one of them is Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS). Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is the most prominent attacks in this area of computing. DDoS is the single largest threat to internet and internet of things. The frequency and sophistication of Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS) on the Internet are rapidly increasing. In this paper, it is conducted an up-to-date review of essential Cloud Network threats and present a methodology for evaluation of existing security proposals. Based on this, introduced a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of proposals intended to make the Network Infrastructure highly secure and introducing new methods for detection and mitigation of routing instabilities and these generic countermeasure model can be used to prevent secondary victims and to prevent DDoS attacks. These taxonomies define varies similarities and different patterns in Dos and DDoS attacks, configuration, functional tools, to assist in further improvement on Network Infrastructure security and proposed a solution to countering DDoS attacks.


As long as there have been computers, one goal has been to be able to communicate with them using natural language. It has turned out to be very hard to implement a dialog system that performs as well as a human being in an unrestricted domain, hence most dialog systems today work in small, restricted domains where the permitted dialog is fully controlled by the system. In this thesis we present two dialog systems for communicating with an autonomous agent: The first system, the WITAS RDE, focuses on constructing a simple and failsafe dialog system including a graphical user interface with multimodality features, a dialog manager, a simulator, and development infrastructures that provides the services that are needed for the development, demonstration, and validation of the dialog system. The system has been tested during an actual flight connected to an unmanned aerial vehicle. The second system, CEDERIC, is a successor of the dialog manager in the WITAS RDE. It is equipped with a built-in machine learning algorithm to be able to learn new phrases and dialogs over time using past experiences, hence the dialog is not necessarily fully controlled by the system. It also includes a discourse model to be able to keep track of the dialog history and topics, to resolve references and maintain subdialogs. CEDERIC has been evaluated through simulation tests and user tests with good results.


The geochemical typology of natural subsurface waters of the Molasse basin is part of the AQUITYP project, initiated by the Geology Laboratory (GEOLEP) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). This study provides an overview of the variation in space of the hydrochemical parameters, especially of trace elements, in order to determine the geological origin of their aquifers. Our data base is mainly made up of two observation networks: a subsurface water network and a deep groundwater network. Complete analyses of all samples have been executed using standard methods for anions and silicium, and high resolution inductively coupled mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) for major cations and trace elements down to the detection limit of about 0.2 µg/l. Subsurface water network It is the main observation network of this investigation and comprises 112 water samples from different springs, collected all over the Molasse basin between Chambery (France) and Linz (Austria), but mainly in the Swiss Molasse basin. For this region, four groups are generally distinguished, according to the sediment deposition in a continental or marine environment, in ascending stratigraphic order: (1) the Lower Marine Molasse (UMM and North Helvetic "flysch" p.p.), (2) the Lower Freshwater Molasse (USM), (3) the Upper Marine Molasse (OMM) and (4) the Upper Freshwater Molasse (OSM). Our water samples originate from typical sedimentary deposits which we divided in about 30 different sub-type aquifers according to their geological origin and their depositional environment. They are defined on the basis of lithological and structural homogeneity. Therefore, only catchments that completely drain a single, lithologically homogenous, Molasse terrain unit are considered here. Spring catchments selected were generally not affected by runoff from towns, or paved roads. Agricultural activities have been avoided as well as possible. Such spring water should be free of major human influences and only in few cases contain a certain amount of fertilizer products (p.ex: nitrates). Leachate tests of crushed rocks and comparison with snow and soil water compositions allowed to decipher the geogene origin of the dissolved ions in natural groundwaters. The water withdrawn can be generally classified as a calcium-magnesium-hydrogenocarbonate (Ca-Mg-HCO3)-type water. The trace analyses allowed to distinguish several subtypes within this homogenous water type group. The general spacial distribution of the trace elements show, that spring waters in the Bavarian Molasse basin are caracterized by elements as lithium and uranium linked to acid rocks, while those of the Swiss Molasse basin are preferentially influenced by elements derived from mafic or ultramafic rocks, such as chromium and cobalt. The following elements show specific links between aquifer rock type and groundwater. Sulfates: Total mineralisation of spring waters issued from the gypse-bearing Molasse (USM) and the "Glimmersande" (OSM) are highly influenced by high sulfate contents. It can be demonstrated that sulfate ions are produced from two different sources within this two sub-type aquifers: from the dissolution of gypsum in water, producing high calcium contents as well, and from the oxydation of sulfurous ore minerals, especially pyrite, which are abundant in the "Glimmersande". The "Glimmersand" aquifers in NE Switzerland are furtheron caracterized by high lithium, molybdenum and uranium concentrations, reflecting the granitic composition of this sandstones. High barium contents (>150 µg/l) have been found in spring waters issued from aquifers with a dominant fissure permeability ("Gres de la Cornalle", "Gibloux-Delta" and "Rigi-Schuttung"). Its origin is supposed to be the mineral barite, which tends to precipitate in fractures. Therefore, high barium concentrations may indicate the presence of fracture flow within the aquifer. Considerably high silicon contents are linked to the quartzitic and fine grained aquifers of the brackish marine molasse in Bavaria. Both, petrographical composition and slow flow rate are favouring the water-rock interaction. Caracteristic lithium footprints are found in several waters, as in the aquifers composed of the "Glimmersande", the gypse-bearing molasse, the Rigi-conglomerates, the brackish and the estuarine marine molasse. Chromium strongly marks the waters originating from the Swiss marine Molasse aquifers. It is probably related to ophiolithic detritus derived from the flysch of the Prealpes. A couple of waters show weak anomalies of cobalt, which are nevertheless intimately linked to the presence of ophiolithic components in the sediments. Cobalt might be used as a hydrostratigraphical tool to identify greenstone inputs. Analysed colloidal aluminum may serve as a hydrodynamical parameter, indicating microturbidity within the aquifer. High amounts of aluminum varying in time, have been found in estuarin deposits of the OMM. Generally speaking, we propose three main origins of trace elements in the spring water of the Molasse basin: presence of certain petrographical components within the sediments such as basic and ultrabasic rocks, heavy minerals and evaporites. a small flow rate through interstitial porosity of fine grained sediments, favouring water-rock interaction. the abundance of colloidal material in the waters which depends on the petrographical composition of the aquifer and on sample treatment, e.g. filtration techniques. Deep groundwater network A second observation network composed of 21 borehole waters has been added for comparison. Compared to the subsurface waters, deep water chemistry might differ. The following reasons seem to be responsible: Long residence times of water in the underground favours slow reaction kinetics. Chemistry of very deep water can be influenced by mixing with older formation waters. Most of the deep boreholes in the Swiss Molasse basin are situated in the OMM and therefore represent a likely homogenous lithology. Borehole waters, because of different aquifer rock types and unknown surface and borehole influences, are least likely to represent typical Molasse water composition.


In a series of 40 patients with symptomatic protein C deficiency, we identified two sporadic cases with novel mutations that probably affect gene expression. The mutations, a 5-bp deletion of the donor splice site of intron f (nucleotides 3455 to 3459) and a mutation of nucleotide 8523 in exon IX leading to the substitution of Ser 270 by Pro, were not found in the protein C gene of the patients' parents. Transmission of the paternal and maternal protein C alleles was apparently normal on the basis of frequent polymorphisms in exons I, VI, and VIII. We also checked the transmission of the chromosomal material by analyzing the beta-globin gene frameworks and three variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs). By combining the results of intragenic polymorphism, VNTR and beta-globin gene framework analyses, we were able to exclude nonpaternity and confirm the de novo origin of the mutation.


Objectives: Peroxisome assembly disorders are genetic disorders characterized by biochemical abnormalities, including low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The objective was to assess whether treatment with DHA supplementation would improve biochemical abnormalities, visual function, and growth in affected individuals. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at a single center. Treatment groups received supplements of DHA (100 mg/kg per day). The primary outcome measures were the change from baseline in the visual function and physical growth during the 1 year follow-up period. Results: Fifty individuals were enrolled and randomized. Two were subsequently excluded from study analysis when it was determined that they had a single enzyme disorder of peroxisomal β oxidation. Thirty-four returned for follow-up. Nine patients died during the trial of their disorder, and 5 others were lost to follow-up. DHA supplementation was well tolerated. There was no difference in the outcomes between the treated and untreated groups in biochemical function, electroretinogram, or growth. Improvements were seen in both groups in certain individuals. Conclusions: DHA supplementation did not improve the visual function or growth of treated individuals with peroxisome assembly disorders. Classification of evidence: This interventional study provides Class II evidence that DHA supplementation did not improve the visual function or growth of treated individuals with peroxisome assembly disorders during an average of 1 year of follow-up in patients aged 1 to 144 months.


The size of human fingers and the lack of sensing precision can make precise touch screen interactions difficult. We present a set of five techniques, called Dual Finger Selections, which leverage the recent development of multi-touch sensitive displays to help users select very small targets. These techniques facilitate pixel-accurate targeting by adjusting the control-display ratio with a secondary finger while the primary finger controls the movement of the cursor. We also contribute a "clicking" technique, called SimPress, which reduces motion errors during clicking and allows us to simulate a hover state on devices unable to sense proximity. We implemented our techniques on a multi-touch tabletop prototype that offers computer vision-based tracking. In our formal user study, we tested the performance of our three most promising techniques (Stretch, X-Menu, and Slider) against our baseline (Offset), on four target sizes and three input noise levels. All three chosen techniques outperformed the control technique in terms of error rate reduction and were preferred by our participants, with Stretch being the overall performance and preference winner.


This thesis explores adult-child relationships and the use of touch in residential child care. The discourses surrounding touch in residential child care are distinctly polarised: touch is identified as being both fundamental to child development and also feared as a result of increasing risk aversion resulting from the legacy of abuse scandals in the sector (Cooke, 2003; Steckley, 2012). There is currently a dearth of empirical research regarding how touch is used in residential child care, particularly with regards to observations of touch in practice. This research therefore contributes to filling this gap in research by utilising ethnographic methods of participant observation, semi-structured and ethnographic interviews to explore how staff members and children conceptualise, use and/or avoid physical touch in day-to-day practice. This research is examined through a lifespace framework and draws upon theories of intimacy in order to link the findings to wider sociological theories of relationships (Smith, 2005; Jamieson, 1998, 2011). By carrying out sustained observations of practice, this research examines how touch, as a facet of adult-child relationships in residential child care, is negotiated within the lifespace. It shows how intimacy is both cultivated and inhibited, thus contributing theoretically to wider sociological debates concerning adult-child relationships and touching practices, particularly in relation to professional relationships and intimacy (Morgan, 2009; Ferguson, 2011a). The fieldwork for this project took place over 6 months at Sunnydale House, a local authority children's home in England. The findings suggest that touch is used much more regularly than has been previously suggested in literature (Ward, 1999; Cooke, 2003), that the majority of touch is instigated by children not workers and that recent organisational culture shifts have shaped the way that workers conceptualise touch. The findings also illustrate the complex range of factors which influence how touch is inhibited, including: risk aversion, emotional burn out, bureaucracy and the construction of children in care as 'moral dirt' (Ferguson, 2007). The thesis concludes by producing a typology of touching practices which synthesises the range of meanings behind the uses - and avoidance - of touch in residential child care practice. This typology is also used to re-conceptualise intimacy in professional relationships in a way that accounts for the messy ambiguity of adult-child relationships in the lifespace.


We propose a framework for generating a signal control policy for a traffic network of signalized intersections to accomplish control objectives expressible using linear temporal logic. By applying techniques from model checking and formal methods, we obtain a correct-by-construction controller that is guaranteed to satisfy complex specifications. To apply these tools, we identify and exploit structural properties particular to traffic networks that allow for efficient computation of a finite-state abstraction. In particular, traffic networks exhibit a componentwise monotonicity property which enables reaching set computations that scale linearly with the dimension of the continuous state space.


With increasing virtualization and the recognition that today's virtual computers are faster than hardware computers of 10 years ago, modes of computation are now limited only by the imagination. Pulsed Melodic Affective Processing (PMAP) is an unconventional computation protocol that makes affective computation more human-friendly by making it audible. Data sounds like the emotion it carries. PMAP has been demonstrated in nonmusical applications, e.g. quantum computer entanglement and stock market trading. This article presents a musical application and demonstration of PMAP: a dynamic reconfigurable score for acoustic orchestral performance, in which the orchestra acts as a PMAP half-adder to add two numbers.


Why do presidents talk at length about some policy issues, while ignoring others? Which issues do presidents emphasize in their public rhetoric, how do they talk about them, why, and with what effects? How do they divide their messages between oral and written modes? How often do they address different sorts of audiences, and on what kinds of issues? The existing literature offers a number of provocative theories to account for presidential talk but has not conducted systematic and sustained research on the content and volume of presidential talk, particularly outside the much-analyzed State of the Union addresses and other major speeches (e.g., Cohen 1997). William Riker's (1996) general lament that "we do not know much substantively about how policies are presented [in public]" is particularly striking in the case of presidents, whose public comments are uniquely visible and can create a decisive strategic advantage (4). An important literature on the "rhetorical presidency" and the phenomenon of presidents "going public" has examined the president's increasing tendency over time toward appealing over the heads of Washingtonians to establish a direct and unmediated relationship with the mass public (Kernell 1997; Tulis 1987). Although this literature on the "public presidency" is valuable, little research has investigated precisely what sorts of policy issues presidents discuss, what audiences they address, and how and why their positions, emphasis, and framing of their statements on specific policy issues change over time (see, however, Hart 2000). Hypotheses Although presidency research on the actual substantive policy content of presidential talk during their terms in office has been limited, this research tradition does offer four hypotheses for explaining the rhetorical format, audience, policy domain, and variations in presidential talk. First, the modern "rhetorical presidency" is expected to appeal to the broad public by predominantly using the format of orally delivering a statement instead of depending on a written format (Tulis 1987). Second, presidents are often expected to "go public," bypassing the dynamics of bargaining and persuasion among elites in favor of talking to the general public, with addresses to elite audiences made up of business, labor, and government officials constituting a far smaller proportion of their attention (Kernell 1997). Third, there has been some (though not consistent) evidence that presidents face greater leeway on pursuing foreign than domestic policy and therefore enjoy greater success in this policy domain. The "two presidencies" in legislative politics, to the extent it exists, may motivate presidents to focus their attention and public talk on foreign policy rather than domestic affairs. There may be variations over time, though, with greater emphasis on domestic affairs as elections approach (as implied by performance-based models of American electoral politics; e.g., Fiorina 1981). Fourth, the public presidency literature also offers two possible explanations for variations over time in the amount and content of presidential rhetoric. First, the "going public" literature suggests that presidents speak out when they seek policy changes but encounter resistance in Congress, the interest group community, news media, business, or from foreign powers (Kernell 1997; Rose 1988; Manheim 1994). According to this body of research, presidents calibrate their public rhetoric to serve as a strategic tool that moves external events--news media coverage, economic activities, and political developments. Indeed, talk from such a powerful world leader as the president of the United States, whether or not combined with other forms of action, may well influence the behavior of others at home and abroad, thus precipitating events domestically and on the world scene (Canes-Wrone 2001; Cohen 1997). A second possible explanation for the variations in presidential rhetoric is that outside events influence presidential rhetoric. …


1. Intracellular microelectrodes were used to obtain recordings from neurons in layer II/III of rat frontal cortex. A bipolar electrode positioned in layer IV of the neocortex was used to evoke postsynaptic potentials. Graded series of stimulation were employed to selectively activate different classes of postsynaptic responses. The sensitivity of postsynaptic potentials and iontophoretically applied neurotransmitters to the non-N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) was examined. 2. As reported previously, low-intensity electrical stimulation of cortical layer IV evoked short-latency early excitatory postsynaptic potentials (eEPSPs) in layer II/III neurons. CNQX reversibly antagonized eEPSPs in a dose-dependent manner. Stimulation at intensities just subthreshold for activation of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) produced long-latency (10 to 40-ms) EPSPs (late EPSPs or 1EPSPs). CNQX was effective in blocking 1EPSPs. 3. With the use of stimulus intensities at or just below threshold for evoking an action potential, complex synaptic potentials consisting of EPSP-IPSP sequences were observed. Both early, Cl(-)-dependent and late, K(+)-dependent IPSPs were reduced by CNQX. This effect was reversible on washing. This disinhibition could lead to enhanced excitability in the presence of CNQX. 4. Iontophoretic application of quisqualate produced a membrane depolarization with superimposed action potentials, whereas NMDA depolarized the membrane potential and evoked bursts of action potentials. At concentrations up to 5 microM, CNQX selectively antagonized quisqualate responses. NMDA responses were reduced by 10 microM CNQX. D-Serine (0.5-2 mM), an agonist at the glycine regulatory site on the NMDA receptor, reversed the CNQX depression of NMDA responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER), otherwise known as viral nervous necrosis (VNN), is a severe pathological condition caused by RNA viruses belonging to the Nodaviridae family, genus Betanodavirus. The disease, described in more than 50 fish species worldwide, is considered as the most serious viral threat affecting marine farmed species in the Mediterranean region, thus representing one of the bottlenecks for further development of the aquaculture industry. To date, four different genotypes have been identified, namely red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV), striped jack nervous necrosis virus (SJNNV), tiger puffer nervous necrosis virus and barfin flounder nervous necrosis virus, with the RGNNV genotype appearing as the most widespread in the Mediterranean region, although SJNNV-type strains and reassortant viruses have also been reported. The existence of these genetically different strains could be the reason for the differences in mortality observed in the field. However, very little experimental data are available on the pathogenicity of these viruses in farmed fish. Therefore, in this study, the pathogenicity of 10 isolates has been assessed with an in vivo trial. The investigation was conducted using the European sea bass, the first target fish species for the disease in the Mediterranean basin. Naive fish were challenged by immersion and clinical signs and mortality were recorded for 68 days; furthermore, samples collected at selected time points were analysed to evaluate the development of the infection. Finally, survivors were weighed to estimate the growth reduction. The statistically supported results obtained in this study demonstrated different pathogenicity patterns, underlined the potential risk represented by different strains in the transmission of the infection to highly susceptible species and highlighted the indirect damage caused by a clinical outbreak of VER/VNN.


Objectives : Aspergillus fumigatus expresses the hydrophobins RodA and RodB on the surface of its conidia. RodA is known to be important for the pathogenesis of the fungus, but the role of RodB is unknown. The aim was to produce recombinant RodB for further characterication. Methods and materials : The gene encoding hydrophobin RodB was amplified by RT-PCR from the total RNA isolated from the spores of A. fumigatus (AF296 strain). The resulting cDNA was cloned into TOPO vectors, and the inserts were sequenced. The genes were further amplified by PCR and cloned into expression vectors pPICZ  A and pPICZB while adding a 6xHis-tag to the C-terminal. The plasmids were linearized, transformed into P. pastoris strain X33 and transformants were selected by zeocin resistance. The expression of the RodB gene was first studied in culture flasks in buffered complex methanol medium as protein production was dependent on the methanol-induced AOX1 promoter. Later production was scaled up to a 2 L fed-batch fermentor. Protein production was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, coomassie and silver-stained, as well as western blotting using an anti-his detection antibody. RodB was purified using His-select Nickel Affinity gel. The emulsifying property of rRodB was investigated using olive oil stained with Sudan black suspended in tris-buffer. The stability of oil micelles were studied by light microscopy. Results : Protein bands of expected size were detected by SDS-PAGE and western blotting in both the fermentation broth and excess foam. Fed- batch production yielded approximately 260 mg/L. rRodB showed good emulsifying properties. Conclusion : Hydrophobin RodB from Aspergillus fumigatus was successfully produced by yeast host Pichia pastoris in a fed-batch fermentor with good yields. Functional investigations of the hydrophobin indicated a correctly folded hydrophobin.


This paper investigates the realization of synthetic extracellular matrix with visible light photo-patterning gelatin in a simpler manner. A synthetic extracellular matrix provides an initial attachment for the seeded cells on the experimental substrate such as glass plate or multi-well until they realized their the natural extracellular matrix. Here, a commercial Digital Light Projector (DLP) was used to induce gelatin with Rose Bengal as a crosslinking agent to form the thin layer on the experimental substrate. Various gelatin concentrations from 2%-10% were exposed at different times in order to optimize the patterning process. A geometrical characterization on the patterned gelatin, such as contour measurement and resolution, were taken place. Results showed that the thickness of patterned gelatin was in the range of 10 µm – 60 µm depends on the exposure time of the DLP projector. Moreover, a visual method aided by the Fiji toolbox from NIH ImageJ image processing was used to observe the density and spatial arrangement of the cultured cells on the substrate. Ultimately, biocompatibility using MTT assay was also employed to confirm the viability of the cells on the gelatin substrate. The results show that we are able to control the physical and spatial arrangement of the gelatin substrate, and they with cell viability depend on 6 days of observation. It was found that the gelatin substrate provides faster growth on cultured cells compared to the control study. This finding leads to the possibility to realize the automation system in cell culture technology with an affordable investment.


In the thesis, the reactions between water radiolysis products—H2O2, HO• and O2—with metals and metal oxides utilized in nuclear industry are studied. The reactions include not only surface reactions, e.g. redox reactions and catalytic decomposition of H2O2, but also solution reactions (Haber-Weiss reactions). To study the interfacial reactions, it is crucial to monitor the dissolution of the solid material, reactivity of H2O2 and formation of the intermediate hydroxyl radicals.Hydroxyl radicals are captured by probe (Tris or methanol) to generate CH2O which can be quantified by the modified Hantzsch method. The results from γ-irradiation experiments on homogeneous system show that the conversion yield of CH2O from hydroxyl radicals is affected by O2 and pH. A mechanism of CH2O production from Tris is proposed.Besides, the consumption rate of H2O2 in the H2O2/ZrO2/Tris system is found to be influenced by Tris. A mechanism for the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 upon ZrO2 surface is proposed which includes independent surface adsorption sites for H2O2 and Tris. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the deviation of detected CH2O concentration by the modified Hantzsch method from actual concentration increases with increasing [H2O2]0/[CH2O]0.The inhibition of sulfide on the radiation induced dissolution of UO2 is confirmed and is dependent on sulfide concentration. And the inhibition of sulfide is independent to that of H2/Pd.It is found that the reactivity of H2O2 and dynamics of CH2O formation are different for the studied materials in the H2O2/MxOy/Probe system. The kinetic parameters, such as rate constant, activation energy, frequency factors are determined.Both surface and solution reactions are observed in the aqueous W(s)/H2O2/Tris system. It is also demonstrated that Haber-Weiss reactions which produce HO• continuously are dominating. Furthermore, it is found that hydroxyl radicals are formed simultaneously during the dissolution of W in aerobic aqueous system.The knowledge conveyed by the thesis is relevant to nuclear technological applications, as well as the applications related in photocatalysis, biochemistry, corrosion science, catalysis and optics/electronics.


The authors present a novel approach for image representation based on geometric distribution of edge pixels. Object segmentation is not needed, therefore the input image may consist of several complex objects. For an efficient description of an arbitrary edge image, the edge map is divided into M £ N angular radial partitions and local features are extracted for these partitions. The entire image is then described as a set of spatially distributed invariant feature descriptors using the magnitude of the Fourier transform. The approach is scale- and rotation- invariant and tolerates small translations and erosions. The extracted features are characterised by their compactness and fast extraction/matching time. They exhibit significant improvement in retrieval performance using the average normalised modified retrieval rank (ANMRR) measure. Experimental results, using an image database initiated from a movie, confirm the supremacy of the proposed method.


Entomopathogenic nematodes were isolated from a population of larvae of the cutworm Agrotis segetum Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) collected from the Black Sea region of Turkey in 2009 using White traps. The isolated nematodes were identified as Steinernema websteri based on morphological and molecular properties. Steinernema websteri was also found for the first time in Turkey and in A. segetum larvae. The efficacy of isolates was tested on A. segetum larvae in plastic boxes. Different concentrations of nematodes (100, 300, and 500 infective juveniles (IJs) g -1 of dry sand) at 23 ± 1 °C were used. The obtained mortality percentages were 100% with the concentration of 500 IJs g -1 of dry sand within 5 days after application under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that S. websteri is a promising biological control agent against A. segetum, which is one of the most serious subsoil pests plaguing agricultural crops and fruits worldwide.


ODP Leg 193 drilled into the PACMANUS hydrothermal field (Papua New Guinea), which is an active hydrothermal vent field associated with felsic magmatism in a convergent geodynamic setting. The PACMANUS hydrothermal field is part of the eastern Manus Basin and is located near the crest of Pual Ridge, a 500 to 700 meters high felsic neo‐volcanic ridge. Two sites, Snowcap (Site 1188) and Roman Ruins (Site 1189), were drilled approximately 800 m apart. Although low core recovery limited the examination of the subsurface geology, geophysical downhole measurements provided continuous records of in‐situ physical properties with depth and were used to reconstruct lithostratigraphic profiles. Downhole logging operations included standard wire line logging and Logging While Drilling (LWD) measurements. Electrical resistivity images of the borehole wall were examined to find characteristic textures and three different volcanic facies were distinguished: coherent dacite, volcaniclastic dacite and brecciated dacite. In addition, intervals with sulfide mineralization were identified based on characteristic responses of the photoelectric factor log. A comparison of the reconstructed profiles from both sites shows considerable differences in the proportions of facies and the thickness of individual layers. Thick units of coherent facies are predominant at Snowcap and indicate a proximal position of the site within the volcanic system of Pual Ridge. At Roman Ruins, thin individual layers with rapid changes in volcanic facies and a higher proportion of volcaniclastic and brecciated dacite suggest a medial position. These differences in volcanic facies show that the volcanic architecture at Pual Ridge is characterized by small‐scale facies changes, emplacement of small‐volume individual lava flows and complex geometries of individual emplacement units. Geophysical logging data suggest that subseafloor hydrothermal activity is focused to the area around one hole at Roman Ruins. Downhole logs from this hole show characteristic cyclic patterns in the electrical resistivity and photoelectric factor logs indicating that hydrothermal sulfide mineralization is concentrated at the tops of individual lava flows representing paleo‐seafloor positions.


The Washington Consensus is not what it was. A model of development associated with the Untied States, it has been diminished both by apparent failures, widespread criticism and by the recent economic crisis that had its origins in the US. Anglo-American capitalism has lost a good deal of its influence and attractiveness. As a consequence, alternative models of development have become more prominent, especially the so-called Beijing Consensus. The authors argue that at one level this evolving policy discourse and debate reflects a long-term structural change in the relative positions of China and the United States. However, it is far from clear that this transformation has gone far enough to underpin a significant ideational or policy challenge on China's part. On the contrary, the debate in China demonstrates that there is little appetite for, or expectation of, a major paradigm change in the near future.


The DPS is committed to improving our culture through understanding barriers faced by underrepresented members of our community (see https://dps.aas.org/leadership/climate [1]).This list consists of some prompts for thought about how we interact with each other within our community via individual actions and group/system organization. In particular, this list focuses on identifying issues and obstacles that are created due to assumptions about who naturally seems to belong. This is usually unintentional, but still has real effects. Additionally, this list focuses on identifying potential mechanisms for combating these assumptions and the systems that enforce societal-level biases and "traditional" power dynamics. The listed articles and such were selected to present different perspectives that could prompt selfand group-reflection. DPS and the PCCS strongly encourage such reflection, especially those discussions that lead to healthy and helpful changes in how an individual or group conducts themselves or participates within a given group/system.


We examined the effect of 2-arachidonoylglycerol, an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations in HL-60 cells that express the cannabinoid CB2 receptor. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol induces a rapid transient increase in intracellular free Ca2+concentrations in HL-60 cells. The response was affected by neither cyclooxygenase inhibitors nor lipoxygenase inhibitors, suggesting that arachidonic acid metabolites are not involved. Consistent with this notion, free arachidonic acid was devoid of any agonistic activity. Importantly, the Ca2+ transient induced by 2-arachidonoylglycerol was blocked by pretreatment of the cells with SR144528, a CB2 receptor-specific antagonist, but not with SR141716A, a CB1 receptor-specific antagonist, indicating the involvement of the CB2 receptor but not the CB1 receptor in this cellular response. Gi or Go is also assumed to be involved, because pertussis toxin treatment of the cells abolished the response. We further examined the structure-activity relationship. We found that 2-arachidonoylglycerol is the most potent compound among a number of naturally occurring cannabimimetic molecules. Interestingly, anandamide and N-palmitoylethanolamine, other putative endogenous ligands, were found to be a weak partial agonist and an inactive ligand, respectively. These results strongly suggest that the CB2 receptor is originally a 2-arachidonoylglycerol receptor, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol is the intrinsic natural ligand for the CB2 receptor that is abundant in the immune system.


Richard Bauckham explores the historical and literary contexts of the Epistle of James, discussing the significance of James as the brother of Jesus and leader of the early Jerusalem church. He gives special attention to the aphorisms which encapsulate James' wisdom, and to the way that James' teaching closely resembles that of Jesus.