We studied a human leukocyte antigen—identical pancreas graft transplanted into an insulin-dependent (type l) diabetic patient shortly after onset of recurrent diabetes to characterize the putative autoreactive T lymphocytes mediating the lesion. The immunohistopathological analysis revealed the presence of isletitis and a selective loss of β-cells. The isletitis was mostly constituted by CD8+/T-lymphocyte receptor α,β (TCR α,β+) T lymphocytes surrounding and infiltrating the affected islets. CD4−/CD8−/TCRγ,δ+ T lymphocytes were observed within the islets. Incubation of the tissue in 15% interleukin 2 induced the migration and initial expansion of the infiltrating cells (66% CD3+lymphocytes) for up to 2 wk; most T lymphocytes in this initial isolate were CD4+ (92% CD4+ and 7% CD8+). Long-term anti-CD3 stimulation of this T-lymphocyte population induced the selectivegrowth of CD8+/TCRαβ+ (75%) and CD4−/CD8−/TCRγδ+ v(all V1δ+) (17%) T lymphocytes. Therefore, this strategy selectively expanded the T lymphocytes, found to be the predominantly islet-infiltrating cells, rather than the lymphocytes predominating in the initial isolate. Anti-CD3 did not stimulate growth of T lymphocytes in cultures of three isletitis-free pancreas graft biopsies. In a control experiment with a CD4+-rich T-lymphocyte population, long-term anti-CD3 stimulation and cloning of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-primed peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a CMV+ subject selectively induced the growth of CD4+ T-lymphocyte clones, all CMVspecific.Application of the same strategy to a CD8+ and CD3+/CD4−/CD8−/TCRγδ+ T-lymphocyterich population from a Graves' disease thyroid resulted in expansion of CD8+ but not CD4−/CD8− lymphocytes. We conclude that 1) the selective T-lymphocyte expansionproperties of anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody in long-term cultures is not dependent on thephenotype of the T lymphocytes but most likely on their activation state and 2) application of this strategy to T lymphocytes isolated from pancreas grafts transplanted into diabetic patients undergoing recurrent diabetes may allow the characterization of the putative CD8+ cells mediating type l diabetes.


Based on actual workshop experiences, faculty at the Honduran Zamorano University in Central America created an effective, size-neutral, world-class distance education (e-learning) program for serving learners throughout Latin America through online and distance learning technology. The program is known as PAC @ D (Programa de Aprendizaje Continuo a Distancia or Life Long Learning Program at a Distance). It is administered by Zamorano's global center for distance learning. The establishment of PAC @ D in 2010 was preceded by workshop efforts begun in 2004 by the authors. The workshop efforts focused on bridging the cultural uniqueness of educational programs in Latin America and the United States. The goal was to assist local faculty and staff at Zamorano University to build their own digital platform effectively and extend academic and outreach programs through that digital platform. The use of online and distance learning technologies can help extend intellectual capital beyond the limits of the physical campus in fulfilling the teaching, outreach/extension, and, to a limited extent, research missions. However, as we shall see in this professional paper, distance learning is more than turning on the technology with a click and a keystroke. At Zamorano, the development of PAC @ D required many hours of a full range of pedagogical and technological training, spread over 18 months. This professional development paper provides the rationale for PAC @ D, outlines its development, and provides suggestions for enhancing the educational experiences of distance learners.


Research in reading comprehension associates the assumption that readers' attributes may influence reading comprehension; different readers may process the same text in different ways, depending on their purposes, motivation, attitudes, interests, background knowledge, and the strategies they use. The present study attempted to investigate the impact of teaching cognitive and memory strategies on male and female IELTS candidates' reading comprehension. To carry out the study, the researcher selected a sample of 88 male and female EFL learners, who attended IELTS preparation classes in Afarinesh English Language Institute regularly. The participants were randomly assigned into three groups; namely, two experimental groups and a control group. Eight memory and cognitive strategies were taught explicitly in the two experimental groups respectively during the treatment, whereas the current usual techniques were being used in the control group. The results showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control group in reading comprehension. The difference between the mean scores of the two experimental groups was not statistically significant. That is, instructing cognitive and memory strategies have had somehow similar impact on the IELTS candidates' reading comprehension. Finally, the participants' gender as a moderator variable did not make a significant difference in their reading comprehension.


This report is a replication of a recent study dealing with interracial depressive symptomatology in the South. The present study analyzes the depression characteristics of Mexican-American and black females living in a Southwestern city (N=514) and essentially validates the earlier findings from the South after a period of rapid social change. When people become aware of better economic opportunities, the young, the old, the underand uneducated, and the unemployed express more depressive symptoms when they realize there are some structural barriers to a better way of life. Marital status was not a good depression predictor among the poor who were studied, but social alienation helped predict personal depression in one out of every seven Mexican Americans.


The Relationship Between Final Grades and Tutoring Methods of At-risk College Freshmen by Valeria A. Russ M, Webster University, 2003 BA, Fayetteville State University, 1999 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University January 2015 Abstract Without academic intervention, such as tutoring, at-risk students may not pass their courses. This study examined differences between the final grades of at-risk students and tutoring methods, such as self-determined tutoring, academic advisor scheduled tutoring, group tutoring, one-to-one tutoring, peer tutoring, and professional tutoring. This study drew from cognitive learning theory and humanistic theory for its conceptual framework.Without academic intervention, such as tutoring, at-risk students may not pass their courses. This study examined differences between the final grades of at-risk students and tutoring methods, such as self-determined tutoring, academic advisor scheduled tutoring, group tutoring, one-to-one tutoring, peer tutoring, and professional tutoring. This study drew from cognitive learning theory and humanistic theory for its conceptual framework. A quantitative, ex post facto research design was used. Archived data supplied by the Registrar's Office and the Academic Enrichment Coordinator included records of 95 male and female students conditionally enrolled at Methodist University in the Academic Enrichment Program during the 2007 to 2009 academic years. The results of an independent samples t test determined there was a significant difference between final grades of students who had self-determined tutoring compared to those who had academic advisor determined tutoring. Results of a one-way analysis of variance determined there were significant differences in final grades of students who received group tutoring compared to one-to-one tutoring and peer tutoring compared to professional tutoring. The preliminary results raised questions of the importance of tutor status in a group or one-to-one setting. A post hoc analysis using a paired-samples t test revealed a statistically significant difference in final grades of students in group settings but not in one-to-one settings. The results of this study offer the potential for positive social change to those in higher education by advancing the understanding of how to support and provide intervention programs, such as tutoring for at-risk students, in order to reduce their risk of academic failure during college. The Relationship Between Final Grades and Tutoring Methods of At-risk College Freshmen by Valeria A. Russ M, Webster University, 2003 BA, Fayetteville State University, 1999 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University


The threat of a smallpox-based bioterrorist event or a human monkeypox outbreak has heightened the importance of new, safe vaccine approaches for these pathogens to complement older poxviral vaccine platforms. As poxviruses are large, complex viruses, they present technological challenges for simple recombinant vaccine development where a multicomponent mixtures of vaccine antigens are likely important in protection. We report that a synthetic, multivalent, highly concentrated, DNA vaccine delivered by a minimally invasive, novel skin electroporation microarray can drive polyvalent immunity in macaques, and offers protection from a highly pathogenic monkeypox challenge. Such a diverse, high-titer antibody response produced against 8 different DNA-encoded antigens delivered simultaneously in microvolumes has not been previously described. These studies represent a significant improvement in the efficiency of the DNA vaccine platform, resulting in immune responses that mimic live viral infections, and would likely have relevance for vaccine design against complex human and animal pathogens.


The article is a theoretical essay about sport organisations in Spain. It has two parts. The first one deals with the heterogeneity of sport organisations. This is analized from an historical and present perspective. The second part deals with the context of sport oganisations. It is considered that sport, organisational, political and social aspects are fundamental to understand the present situation of sport organisations in Spain. In analysing them, problems related with different kind of sport organisations are raised. Conclusions are summarising the main ideas developped. KEY WORDS : Sport associationism


The active vibration of plates integrated with distributed piezoelectric actuators is studied using control theory. The optimization problem consists of finding the control voltage applied to distributed piezoelectric patch actuators, which suppresses the transient displacements and velocities of plates with the least control effort. An explicit optimal control law is derived by utilizing the maximum principle theory for the structural dynamic systems in two space dimensions. The implementation of the theory is presented in an example, and the effectiveness of the proposed control is investigated by a numerical simulation.


Aim In order to advance our understanding of the assembly of communities on islands and to elucidate the function of different islands in creating regional and subregional distribution patterns, we identify island biogeographical roles on the basis of the distribution of the islands' biota within the archipelago. We explore which island characteristics determine island biogeographical roles. Furthermore, we identify biogeographical subregions, termed modules. Location Wallacea in Indonesia, and the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. Methods We use a network approach to detect island biogeographical roles and avian biogeographical modules. To designate the biogeographical role of an island, each island is assigned two coordinates, l and r. The position of an island in l‐r space characterizes its role, namely as peripheral, connector, module hub, or network hub. Island characteristics are tested as predictors of l and r. Results Both Wallacea and the West Indies were found to be significantly modular and divided into four biogeographical modules. The four modules identified within Wallacea each contain all existing island roles, whereas no module in the West Indies represents all possible roles. Island area and elevation appeared to be the most important determinants of an island's l score, while measurements of isolation essentially determined the r score. Main conclusions In both Wallacea and the West Indies, the geographic structuring into biogeographical modules corresponds well with our knowledge of past connections and contemporary factors. In both archipelagos, large, mountainous islands are identified as hubs and are thus responsible for faunal coherence within modules (module hubs) and across the entire archipelago (network hubs). We thus interpret these as source islands for the surrounding islands in their module (module hubs) or for the entire archipelago (network hubs). Islands positioned marginally in their module and distant from the mainland are identified as connectors or network hubs, behaving as sinks and stepping stones for dispersing species. Modularity and predictors of biogeographical roles are similar for Wallacea and the West Indies, whereas the build-up of biogeographical modules and the assortment of roles depend on the spatial constellation of islands in each archipelago.


The study assessed the training needs of extension agents in Edo State Agricultural Development Programme (ESADP). The study specifically examined the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, tasks and new tasks performed by them and the task areas in which they needed further training. Using structured questionnaire, data were collected from seventy six (76) randomly selected extension agents in 3 agricultural zones of Edo State. Findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 41.7 years. More than half (55.3%) of them holders of National Diploma (ND) and about seventy two percent of the respondents had been working in extension service for 6 and 7 years. The tasks performed by the extension staff ranged from advising farmers on improving methods of farming to new task on health issues such as campaign on HIV/AIDS. The study identified strong training needs for Edo State extension agents on communication skills (X= 4.60), planning demonstration (X=4.60), evaluation of trials (X= 4.57) and farmers training (X=4.56). The correlation analysis showed that education had significant relationship many areas of the respondents' training needs: farmer identification (r= -0.190, p ≤ 0.05), nutrition and food utilization (r = 0.339, p X 0.05), communication skills (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05), planning demonstration (r = 0.190, p ≤0.05), recording and reporting (r = 0.260, p ≤ 0.05), evaluation of trials (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05 ), and rodents and pest control (r = 0.236, p ≤ 0.05 ). Similarly, job experience had significant relationship with the respondents' training need in the area of planning demonstration (r = 0.190, p ≤ 0.05). It was suggested that there is a need for regular training needs analysis, especially for new recruited agricultural graduates to determine their areas of deficiencies. Key Words : Assessment, Tasks Performed, Training Needs, Extension Staff, ADP.


Autoantibodies against components of neutrophil cytoplasm develop during adult vasculitic diseases such as Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyarteritis, and they are predominantly of the IgG class. Similar but distinct antibodies have been described in children with Kawasaki disease and both IgM and IgG class antibodies are represented. This adds another clinically distinct childhood form of vasculitis to the adult forms in which autoantibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens have been detected.


The celebrated Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law which governs the relation between charge and heat transport traces back to the experimental discovery in 1853 by Wiedemann and Franz. Despite the fundamental difference of the quantum-statistical properties between fermions and bosons, the linear-in-$T$ behavior of the WF law at low temperatures has recently been found to be the universal property by the discovery of the WF law for magnon transport. However, the WF law is for the linear response, and whether or not the universal law is valid even in the nonlinear regime of Bose systems remains an open issue. Here we provide a solution to this fundamental challenge. We show that the ratio of the thermal to spin transport coefficient of magnons in topologically trivial insulating magnets exhibits a different behavior from the linear response and the universal law breaks down in the strong nonlinear regime. This finding is within experimental reach with current device and measurement technologies. Our discovery is the key ingredient in magnon-based spintronics, in the evaluation of the figure of merit for thermomagnetic conversion elements of spintronics devices.


Artificial releases of Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes have been under study in the past yearsfor fighting vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and zika.Several strains of this bacterium cause cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and can also affect their host's fecundity or lifespan, while highly reducing vector competence for the main arboviruses. We consider and answer the following questions: 1) what should be the initial condition (i.e. size of the initial mosquito population) to have invasion with one mosquito release source? We note that it is hard to have an invasion in such case. 2) How many release points does one need to have sufficiently high probability of invasion? 3) What happens if one accounts for uncertainty in the release protocol (e.g. unequal spacing among release points)? We build a framework based on existing reaction-diffusion models for the uncertainty quantification in this context,obtain both theoretical and numerical lower bounds for the probability of release successand give new quantitative results on the one dimensional case.


The reproductive and developmental effects of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and methoxychlor (MXC) observed in treated rodents appear to be linked to some unique but also overlapping patterns of gene expression. The MXC metabolite 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (HPTE) was previously shown to have selective agonist activity through estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and antagonist activity through ERbeta and androgen receptor (AR). To discover gene families regulated by HPTE and E2, and to characterize similarities and differences in patterns of gene expression induced by these selective ER ligands, we analyzed tissues from mice treated for 3 days with a combined treatment of E2 and HPTE (E2 + HPTE), or the antiandrogen flutamide (FLU). RNA from uteri and ovaries was analyzed with cDNA microarrays and real-time RT-PCR. Results indicate that HPTE and E2 acted similarly to regulate most gene families in the uterus, which expresses predominantly ERalpha. However, in both the uterus and the ovary, there were a few genes that displayed differential patterns of gene regulation by E2 or HPTE treatment, presumably through ERbeta, AR, or other unidentified pathways. In the uterus, progesterone receptor, ERalpha, AR, insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5, and clusterin mRNAs were significantly reduced with both E2 or HPTE treatments, whereas cathepsin B was induced. Conversely, in the ovary, induction of cathepsin B by E2 was reversed after cotreatment with HPTE, and ERbeta expression was induced similarly by HPTE and FLU but not by E2. In addition, E2 uniquely regulated glutathione peroxidase 3, glutathione S-transferase, and cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase, with no effect of HPTE or FLU treatments. This analysis demonstrated several gene families that appear to be regulated in a ligand-specific pattern, which may explain the unique but overlapping reproductive tissue pathologies following exposure to E2 and MXC.


In our postmodern world of relativism, it is tempting to discount proverbs and proverbial expressions as worn-out absolutisms. However, using the works of Gisela Steineckert, this thesis demonstrates the relevance of such language in modern communication and in modern poetry in particular. As is appropriate for contemporary thought, these expressions are not always used in a straightforward manner as perhaps they were originally intended. Because proverbs are so well known, Steineckert is able to make use of the depth of associations with them to expand her content. In her writing, proverbs not only explore essential truths, but Steineckert is able to use the deep associations in her readers' minds to play with wit and irony. Gisela Steineckert was born on May 14, 1931 to a working class family in Berlin at a time of great political and social upheaval in Germany. Formal education and academics were not promoted in her home. Although she began writing in 1943 at the age of 12, nothing was available to the public until her first book appeared in 1976. She dedicated her life to writing and has published over 2500 poems and at least 10 books. Steineckert was only 18 years old when the German Democratic Republic was established among the ruins of the Third Reich in 1949. Given her terrible experiences as a youth in the Nazi era, Steineckert whole-heartedly identified with the socialist ideals upon which the new republic was founded. Because of her age and upbringing, Steineckert was particularly well placed to play a literary role in East German society and has been able to connect people to her own personal thoughts and experiences. She fulfilled this role in East German society during the cold war and has continued to do so since German reunification in 1989. The broad based recognition, which her poems and literary work enjoy, testifies to the fact that she speaks the language of the people and understands their thoughts and concerns. This thesis explores Steineckert's use of proverbs and proverbial expressions in her poetic discourse of love, human nature and society. It addresses their use in regards to both platonic and romantic love, our relationships to our own bodies, as well as the societal themes of religion and politics. It demonstrates how these expressions greatly enhance the depth of meaning in Steineckert's writing and help make her works and thoughts more accessible to a broader spectrum of society. Proverbs and proverbial expressions are clearly still relevant in modern literature.


In this paper, we propose a persistent, robust and autonomous object tracking system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) called Persistent Aerial Tracking (PAT). A computer vision and control strategy is applied to a diverse set of moving objects (e.g. humans, animals, cars, boats, etc.) integrating multiple UAVs with a stabilized RGB camera. A novel strategy is employed to successfully track objects over a long period, by `handing over the camera' from one UAV to another. We evaluate several state-of-the-art trackers on the VIVID aerial video dataset and additional sequences that are specifically tailored to low altitude UAV target tracking. Based on the evaluation, we select the leading tracker and improve upon it by optimizing for both speed and performance, integrate the complete system into an off-the-shelf UAV, and obtain promising results showing the robustness of our solution in real-world aerial scenarios.


The tat-responsive region (TAR) of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) exhibits a trans-inhibitory effect on translation in vitro by activating the interferon-induced 68-kilodalton protein kinase (p68 kinase). Productive infection by HIV-1 was shown to result in a significant decrease in the amount of cellular p68 kinase. The steady-state amount of p68 kinase was also reduced in interferon-treated HeLa cell lines stably expressing tat, as compared to the amount of the kinase in interferon-treated control HeLa cells. Thus, the potential translational inhibitory effects of the TAR RNA region mediated by activation of p68 kinase may be downregulated by tat during productive HIV-1 infection.


This study responds to the recent reappearance of realism as a viable, even urgent, critical term in contemporary art. Whereas during the height of postmodern semiotic critique, realism was taboo and documentary could only be deconstructed, today both are surprisingly vital. Nevertheless, recent attempts to recover realism after poststructuralism remain fraught, bound up with older epistemological and metaphysical concepts. This study argues instead for a "critical realism" that is oriented towards problems of ethics, intersubjectivity, and human rights. Rather than conceiving of realism as "fit" or identity between representation and reality, it is treated here as an articulation of difference, otherness and non-identity. This new concept draws on the writings of curator Okwui Enwezor, as well as German critical theory, to analyze the work of three artists: Ian Wallace (b. 1943, Shoreham, UK), Jeff Wall (b. 1949, Vancouver, British Columbia), and Allan Sekula (b. 1951, Erie, Pennsylvania, d. 2013, Los Angeles). Placing their art in a critical-realist framework not only offers an original perspective on three established artists whose practices have long been seen as mutually divergent, but connects their accomplishments to broader themes in modernist historiography, particularly anti-theatricality, commodification and utopian longing.


In the call for novel stimuli-responsive biomaterials, azobenzene-containing polymer brushes entail a remarkable potential. In fact, their ability to be patterned at the micro- and nanoscale using interference lithography (IL) might be exploited for the realisation of cell-instructive materials (CIMs). In this work, Disperse Red 1 (DR1)-based photoresponsive polymer brushes were synthesised using a controlled radical polymerisation technique. A sinusoidal pattern was inscribed on the azopolymer brush samples using Lloyd's IL configuration. Interestingly, we found that seeded human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) oriented in the pattern direction. Furthermore, using a non-cytotoxic ultrasonication treatment, pattern erasure was achieved. Hence, we envisage the possibility of using these surfaces as reconfigurable cell-instructive biomaterials for tissue engineering applications.


In this paper, we prove the equality of the local arithmetic and analytic epsilon- and L-factors attached to the twisted exterior and symmetric square representations of GL(N). We will construct the twisted symmetric square local analytic gamma- and L-factor of GL(N) by applying Langlands-Shahidi method to odd GSpin groups. Then we reduce the problem to the stablity of local coefficients, and eventually prove the analytic stabitliy in this case by some analysis on the asymptotic behavior of certain partial Bessel functions.


This article describes the algorithms, features, and implementation of PyDEC, a Python library for computations related to the discretization of exterior calculus. PyDEC facilitates inquiry into both physical problems on manifolds as well as purely topological problems on abstract complexes. We describe efficient algorithms for constructing the operators and objects that arise in discrete exterior calculus, lowest-order finite element exterior calculus, and in related topological problems. Our algorithms are formulated in terms of high-level matrix operations which extend to arbitrary dimension. As a result, our implementations map well to the facilities of numerical libraries such as NumPy and SciPy. The availability of such libraries makes Python suitable for prototyping numerical methods. We demonstrate how PyDEC is used to solve physical and topological problems through several concise examples.


A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) act as scaffolding proteins that bring enzymes involved in cell signaling, such as cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), calcium- and phospholipid-dependent kinase (PKC), and calcium-calmodulin-dependent phosphatase (PP2B), into proximity with their targets (see Chen and Kass). Noting that AKAPs regulate the phosphorylation status and activity of various ion channels, including AMPA-type glutamate receptors and M-type potassium channels, Hoshi et al. combined RNA interference (RNAi) with expression of AKAP mutants that were unable to bind selected enzymes to investigate the mechanisms underlying specificity of AKAP activity. Knockdown of AKAP79 (human AKAP) in HEK293 cells that expressed the GluR1 subunit of the AMPA-type glutamate receptor attenuated agonist-dependent rundown of GluR1 currents. Rundown was rescued by expression of murine AKAP (AKAP150) or AKAP mutants that lacked the ability to bind PKA or PKC. In contrast, AKAP150 that lacked the ability to bind PP2B failed to rescue agonist-mediated current rundown. Similar results were seen on AMPA currents in rat hippocampal neurons in which AKAP150 was knocked down and was rescued with different forms of AKAP79. Experiments in which the effects of PKA inhibition in cells expressing wild-type AKAP were compared with those in cells expressing the mutant that could not bind PKA indicated that PKA was required for maintenance of the AMPA current. In contrast, muscarinic inhibition of the M current depended on the ability of AKAP to bind PKC. Thus, the same scaffolding protein (AKAP) modulates different targets by assembling elements of distinct signaling pathways. N. Hoshi, L. K. Langeberg, J. D. Scott, Distinct enzyme combinations in AKAP signalling complexes permit functional diversity. Nat. Cell Biol. 7, 1066-1073 (2005). [PubMed] L. Chen, R. S. Kass, A-kinase anchoring proteins: Different partners, different dance. Nat. Cell Biol. 7, 1050-1051 (2005). [Online Journal]


Abstract This review aimed to explore individual-level factors involved in radicalization and the impact of moral injury on an individual's beliefs and behaviors that are relevant to radicalization. The results indicate that both individuals who develop radical beliefs and those with moral injury are exposed to events which provoke similar adverse outcomes, including a loss of personal significance, suggesting that moral injury could be a useful way to understand the process of radicalization. Understanding the processes involved in moral injury may inform preventative programs, as well programs to promote disengagement from radical action in those who have already been radicalized.


The prediction of leaf area for cherrybark oak (eerm pagoda Raf.) seedlings is important for studying the physiology of the species. Linear and polynomial models involving leaf length, width, fresh weight, dry weight, and internodal length were tested independently and collectively to predict leaf area. Twenty-nine cherrybark oak seedlings were grown in a greenhouse for one growing season and a total of 468 leaves were collected. Leaf area was polynomially related with leaf length or width, but linearly related with the cross product of length and width. Average leaf area for flush 3 was significantly greater than those of other flushes. However, variation in leaf area among flushes did not affect the models. Relationship between leaf area and length (or width) was consistent. Since leaf length is easy to measure and does not require destruction of leaves, it can be effectively used to predict leaf area in cherrybark oak seedlings.


This document reports on a linking study designed to provide empirical evidence on which to base claims about the connection between the listening test suite of the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The investigation was guided by the recommended methods and procedures set out in the manual Relating language examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (Council of Europe, 2009), and entailed the stages of familiarisation, specification, standardisation and empirical validation. In addition, the project involved an innovative research design marked by a) a pilot stage to evaluate the suitability of two different standard setting methods for a linking study with listening test materials (the basket method and the modified Angoff method), and b) an asynchronous "twin-panel" approach. This methodology allowed for the inclusion and comparison of both insider and outsider perspectives through a panel of six language testing/teaching/standard setting experts without prior knowledge of the GEPT suite and a separate panel of six teachers/researchers/developers with an intimate knowledge of the GEPT suite. Preliminary alignments and cut scores were established by the researchers at the specification stage. Informed by the pilot study, a two-step adapted version of the basket method was developed which requires the standard setter to assign each item to a particular CEFR "basket" and, in addition, to decide whether a just-qualified, a mid, or a high test-taker at the particular CEFR level would already be able to answer the item correctly. After a familiarisation process with the CEFR, the GEPT, and the standard setting procedures, this modified basket method was used by the panels to judge the CEFR level of GEPT listening items. Validation checks were realised through judgement reliability analyses, judgement comparisons across panels, and qualitative analysis of recorded panel discussions. Based on the full linking study – including individual and combined panel data analyses – recommendations are made for the alignment of the GEPT listening suite with the Common European Framework of Reference. In addition, a set of suggestions is formulated in order for the GEPT listening tests to be more easily articulated with the CEFR descriptors, and in so doing to increase the validity of alignment to the framework.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of earplugs to improve perceived sleep quality in hospitalized patients. Sleep disruption is a common problem for hospitalized patients and has been shown to lead to physical and emotional complications. A variety of factors such as pain, illness, stress, worry, noise, lights and patient care activities contribute to disturbed sleep. Studies on sound in hospitals have shown that levels exceed recommendations by the Environmental Protection Agency. Limited research has shown that earplugs are a cost-effective, nonpharmacologic intervention with clinical usefulness to improve sleep quality. The study design was a quasi-experimental pilot study using a pre-test and post-test with the participants serving as their own control. Participants were recruited from a telemetry unit at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Montana. The Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scales were selected to measure sleep quality. Ten participants were able to complete the two nights of study. The proposed hypothesis was supported for the sleep characteristic, soundness of sleep, with an improvement greater than 15 mm on the night with the ear plugs. Subjective findings identified positive comments with only one participant unable to tolerate the earplugs. The improvement in sleep was clinically significant for these participants. Hospitals should consider creating a sleep promotion policy and re-evaluating their night care practices. Earplugs could be included as an option for patients, and patients experiencing sleep difficulties should be encouraged to try earplugs. Further research is needed with a variety of populations and a large sample size. Research should also be done on nurses' knowledge and beliefs regarding sleep and sleep interventions. This information could provide useful information on areas where additional education is needed.


Mammalian oocytes require pyruvate as an energy source for growth and resumption of meiosis. Because oocytes are not competent to carry out glycolysis, cumulus cells (CC) are responsible for metabolizing glucose into pyruvate and providing it to the oocyte through gap junctions. The understanding of the energetic metabolism of CC in culture conditions might provide basis for the improvement of COC in vitro maturation. The aim of this study was to determine the temporal patterns of mRNA expression of glycolytic enzymes [phosphofructokinase (PFKP), aldolase (ALDOA), triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), enolase (ENO1), pyruvate kinase (PKM2), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA)] in bovine CC during COC in vitro maturation with or without FSH. Immature COC (grades 1 and 2) were obtained from 2- to 8-mm follicles from abattoir ovaries (predominantly Bos indicus). Cumulus cells were separated from COC and frozen before (immature group) or after COC culture for 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 hours with (10 ng/mL) or without FSH. Total RNA was extracted using RNeasy® (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA), and 100 ng of RNA was reverse transcribed using oligo dT primers and Omniscript® (Qiagen). Relative expression of target genes was assessed by real-time PCR using bovine-specific primers and Power SYBR green master mix in an ABI Prism® 7300. To select the most stable housekeeping gene for expression normalization, cyclophilin-A (CYC-A), GAPDH, and histone H2AFZ amplification profiles were compared using the geNorm applet for Microsoft Excel (Vandesompele J et al. 2002 Genome Biol. 3, 1-11); the most stable housekeeping gene was CYC-A. Relative expression values were calculated using the AACt method with efficiency correction (Pfaffl MW 2001 Nucleic Acids Res. 29, 2002-2007). Effects of time in culture and of FSH treatment were tested by ANOVA, and groups were compared by Tukey-Kramer Honestly Significant Difference test. Nonparametric analysis was used when data were not normally distributed. Abundance of mRNA of all glycolytic enzymes decreased during in vitro maturation with or without FSH. Expression of PFKP, ALDOA, TPI1, ENO1, and LDHA genes was decreased to around half of the initial value (time 0) by 4 to 8 h of culture (P < 0.05) and did not increase thereafter. A similar expression pattern was observed for PKM2, although mRNA abundance was reduced later in comparison with other enzymes; levels were decreased by 16 (without FSH) to 20 h (with FSH) of culture. The presence of FSH did not alter the overall temporal pattern of gene expression but decreased mRNA abundance for PFKP, ALDOA, and TPI1 at 20, 16 and 16 h of culture, respectively. In conclusion, gene expression of glycolytic enzymes decreased with time during COC in vitro maturation in cattle, and FSH did not have a major influence on this expression pattern. This study was supported by CAPES and FAPESP.


This study adopted the chopstick auxiliary device which was previously developed to assess how such a device improves the chopstick-use performance of foreign novices. Fifty male international exchange students participated in the study and their data on three foodserving performance indicators were collected after they performed three stages of tasks. Results showed that after users whose original chopstick operation was scissors-pinching had practiced using the auxiliary device for 1-h, the precision and stability of their pincerspinching operation was superior to those of their scissors-pinching technique (p<.05). This study also found that the auxiliary device is applicable for novices who already knew how to use chopsticks correctly (i.e., pincers-pinching). Using this device significantly improved their pinching force, whereas the pinching precision and stability remained no significant change. This study verified that foreigners who just started using chopsticks can employ the auxiliary device to learn how to correctly hold chopsticks, thereby improving their foodserving performance.


Probabilistic decision graphs (PDGs) are probabilistic graphical models that represent a factorisation of a discrete joint probability distribution using a decision graph-like structure over local marginal parameters. The structure of a PDG enables the model to capture some context specific independence relations that are not representable in the structure of more commonly used graphical models such as Bayesian networks and Markov networks. This sometimes makes operations in PDGs more efficient than in alternative models. PDGs have previously been defined only in the discrete case, assuming a multinomial joint distribution over the variables in the model. We extend PDGs to incorporate continuous variables, by assuming a Conditional Gaussian (CG) joint distribution. The CG model can be factorised as a product of conditionals. The conditional distribution of each discrete variable is multinomial while for each continuous variable it is Gaussian.


For most people, "Grand Canyon" signifies that place of scenic wonder identified with Grand Canyon National Park. Beyond the boundaries of the park, however, extends the greater Grand Canyon, a region that includes five Indian reservations, numerous human settlements, and lands managed by three federal agencies and by the states of Arizona and Utah. Many people have sought to etch their values, economic practices, and physical presence on this vast expanse. Ultimately, all have had to come to terms with the limits imposed by the physical environment and the constraints posed by others seeking to carve out a place for themselves. A Place Called Grand Canyon is an unprecedented survey of how the lands and resources of the greater Grand Canyon have come to be divided in many different ways and for many different reasons. It chronicles the ebb and flow of power --changes in who controls the land and gives it meaning. The book begins with an exploration of the geographies of the native peoples, then examines how the westward expansion of the United States affected their lives and lands. It traces the century of contest and negotiation over the land and its resources that began in the 1880s and concludes with an assessment of contemporary efforts to redefine the region. Along the way, it explores how the spaces of the greater Grand Canyon area came to be defined and used, and how those spaces in turn influenced later contests among the ranchers, loggers, miners, recreationists, preservationists, Native Americans, and others claiming a piece--or all--of the area for their own ends. The story exposes how dynamic the geographical boundaries of the region really are, regardless of the indelibility of the ink with which they were drawn. With visitation to Grand Canyon National Park approaching five million people per year, pressures on resources are intensifying. When the greater Grand Canyon area is considered, environmental management is further complicated by the often-conflicting demands of business, recreation, ecological preservation, and human settlement. Morehouse invites us to look beyond boundaries drawn on maps to discover what Grand Canyon means to different people, and to think more deeply about what living in harmony with the land really entails. Her insights will be of interest to geographers and other social scientists--including anthropologists and environmental historians--and to all who seek a counterpoint to conventional natural histories of the region.


Background: Responding to the mental health needs of refugees remains a pressing challenge worldwide. We estimated the prevalence of psychological distress in a large refugee population in Germany and assessed its association with host country factors amenable to policy intervention and integration indicators. Method: We analysed the second wave of the IAB-BAMF-SOEP, a representative Germany-wide survey of 2,639 adult refugees who arrived between 2013 and 2016, which included the Refugee Health Screener. Results: Almost half of the population surveyed (41.3%[95%-CI:37.9%-44.6%]) was affected by psychological distress. 10.9%(8.3%-13.4%) of the population screened positive for severe distress. Risk of distress was particularly high for women (53%[47.1%-58.9%]), older refugees (aged ≥55:70.4% [58.5%-82.2%]), Afghan nationals (61.2%[53.2%-69.2%]), individuals under threat of deportation (RR:1.54[1.13-2.1]), single males (1.41[1.09-1.82]), and those in collective housing (1.2[1.02-1.42]). Distressed males had a lower likelihood of employment (0.66[0.51-0.84]) and reduced participation in integration courses (0.9[0.81-1.01]). Affected females were less often in education (0.43[0.18-1.04]). Conclusions: The finding that a large minority of refugees in Germany exhibits distress calls for an expansion of mental health services for this population. Service providers and policy-makers should consider the increased risk among female, older and Afghan refugees, as well as among single men, residents in collective housing and those under threat of deportation. The associations between mental health and integration processes like labour market, educational program and integration course participation also warrant consideration.


Rural households across the world are increasingly turning to off-farm sources of income to complement or replace farm income. A better understanding of these livelihood adaptations, their consequences, and the processes behind them will facilitate more effective rural development policies and projects. The objective of this research was to examine how off-farm income influences rural livelihoods, elucidate factors that determine different livelihood strategies, as well as understand how these livelihood strategies are associated with different approaches to farm management. Using data from 588 Rural Household Multi-Indicator Surveys (RHoMIS) in three rural Andean regions in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru, we identified a typology of farming household livelihood strategies, and assessed the differences among these household types with regard to household and farm level characteristics, and farm management. We found that among the household types that incorporated off-farm income into their livelihood strategies, there were significant differences in approaches to farm management. Specifically, we observed an increased use of industrialized farming techniques among one household type, a deintensification, or a stepping-out of farming activities in another household type, and a tendency toward livestock specialization in the other household type. Moreover, our findings revealed that household level characteristics (age and education level of head(s) of household, and household composition) played an important role in mediating which type of livelihood strategy the households employed. For example, "stepping-out" households generally had younger and more educated household heads. Location-specific factors such as access to markets, irrigation, and off-farm employment opportunities were also likely to be highly influential in terms of which pathways farming households adopted as their livelihood strategy. We conclude that rural development programmes and projects must be driven by the rural communities themselves taking into account this heterogeneity in household characteristics and livelihoods and engaging in the already advanced conversations around different approaches to farming and the conservation of common natural resources.


BACKGROUND: The hemodynamic variability of air plethysmography is known in the literature, but the clinical significance of this event has not been investigated yet, and there may be some unexplored clinical meaning. There is known superpositioning of CEAP clinical classes (C0-C6) and even in lower limbs of the same clinical classes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hemodynamic variability of air plethysmography parameters in CEAP clinical classes. METHODS: This retrospective study compares lower limb varicose disease between C0 and C6 CEAP clinical classes with venous hemodynamic parameters obtained by air plethysmography. Data were tabled and analyzed according to their clinical classes by Kruskal-Wallys and Barllet variance tests. RESULTS: A total of 310 examinations were performed in 230 patients, aged between 19-81 years (mean = 46.2 years). Venous filling index and functional venous volume increased hemodynamic variability when compared with CEAP C0. This was demonstrated by the variability coefficient, which was 28.12% for venous filling index in C0 and higher than 57% between clinical classes C2 and C6. Ejection fraction and residual venous fraction had no increase in variability when compared with CEAP C0. CONCLUSION: Venous filling index is the best parameter for assessment and screening patients with chronic venous insufficiency, but has great variability in C2 to C6 CEAP clinical classes.


5G wireless communication envisions unprecedented changes in current mobile networks in order to guarantee significant higher performance mainly in terms of data rates, latencies and efficiency. This paper provides an analytical model based on stochastic geometry, in order to address the planning and the dimensioning of 5G Cloud RAN. The results shows the requirements in terms of number of virtual base-band units, and the energy gain achieved by virtualisation both in micro-cell and pico-cell scenarios. Thus, the proposed methodology represents a step forward to analyse and compare traditional RAN design with the emerging Cloud RAN paradigm.


Oral cancer incidence is higher in individuals between the fifth and seventh decades of life, but some studies indicate a decreasing age trend. From the epidemiological point of view, alcohol consumption is associated with the emergence of oral cancer by interfering with mechanisms of DNA synthesis and repair. From a genetic standpoint, variant alleles in genes encoding the enzymes of alcohol (CYP2E1 and ADH) and acetaldehyde (ALDH2) metabolism may play an important role in the genesis of oral cancer. This study aimed to assess the relation of polymorphisms ADH1B (rs1229984 and rs2066702), ADH1C (rs698), ALDH2 (rs671) and CYP2E1 96bp insertion and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth floor, as well as its clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics in relation to alcohol consumption. Our sample group was made of 301 patients, with 159 controls without a previous history of cancer and 142 patients with oral cancer. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP. Our results suggest that the presence of ALDH2 Lys504 allele and 96bp insertion CYP2E1 were significantly associated with oral cancer risk. ADH1C gene Ile350 allele was associated with the presence of positive lymph nodes, and lymphatic invasion was related to the presence of polymorphic alleles ADH1B*1, ADH1C Ile350 and ALDH2 Lys504. In conclusion, these results reveal potential markers of oral cancer risk and behavior


Background: The purpose of this study was to inves gate the various gantry angle and SSD dependencies of TLD and MOSFET dosimeters. Materials and Methods: LiF (Mg) TLD and MOSFET were used in this study. Dosimeter systems were calibrated and then irradiated at various gantry angle and SSD by applying 6 MV photon energy. Results: Based on the results, MOSFET changes were found to be in 2% range between ±50o gantry angles and the rate of dose change was found to be increasing as gantry angle was at the extremes of graph. This increase was especially obvious in tail end of the asymmetric axes. Change in the gantry angle dependency of TLD was -2% ll ± 60o gantry angle and -5% between 60o to 90o. Dependency of SSD was ±1% for TLD and MOSFET. Conclusion: Results indicate that proper es of dosimeters must be well known by users for accurate determina on of the en re doses on the pa ent. These observa ons may lead to be4er treatment quality and preven on of probable dose errors.


Cervical cancer is considered a common yet preventable cause of death in women. It has been estimated that about 420 women out of the 1400 women diagnosed with cervical cancer will die during 5 years from diagnosis (National Cancer Institute of Canada, 2003). This study addresses the role of a member of the Rel/NF-κB family of genes, Xrel3, in the growth of the malignant HeLa cervical cells and its effect on chemotherapeutic treatment. -- The hypothesis of this study is that Rel/NF-κB promotes chemotherapeutic resistance in cancer cells. In order to study this problem, the amphibian Xrel3, a Rel/NF-κB homologue, was used because it was previously shown to be constitutively active when transfected into HeLa cells, which normally do not express Rel/NF-κB. This allowed the opportunity to test whether Xrel3 expression imbues chemoresistant properties to these cells. -- The expression of Xrel3 slowed the growth of HeLa cervical cells associated with an increase in expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21. The expression level of the apoptosis pathway protein caspase-8, its activated product and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, PARP, were also elevated 6-fold relative to the non-induced state, perhaps associated with the initiation of apoptosis consequent to cell growth arrest. -- To determine the effect of chemotherapeutic agents on HeLa cells expressing Xrel3, cells were treated with the DNA-crosslinking and chelating agent, cisplatin. At 1 J.LM cisplatin, the expression of Xrel3 initiated an anti-apoptotic effect after 24 hours of treatment, based on the expression of significantly lower levels of the apoptotic proteins, Bax (P<0.05), caspase-8 (P<0.05) and MDM-2 (P<0.01). Furthermore, the level of the tumor suppressor protein p53 was suppressed by 3-fold, along with a reduction of caspase-3 and p21. The expression of the anti-apoptotic BAG-1 isoforms (P<0.01) was also increased. The expression of Xrel3 sensitizes HeLa cells to 1 μM cisplatin after a lag period of three days, however, as assessed by a decrease in numbers of viable cells. -- After 24 hours of 5 J.LM cisplatin treatment, there was a significant increase in the levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins relative to controls, including Bax (P<0.05), MDM-2 (P<0.05), the cell cycle inhibitor p21 (P<0.01), cleaved PARP, caspase-8, and caspase-3. However, p53 was significantly decreased (P<0.05) while BCL-2 (P<0.01) and BCL- XL (P<0.01) levels were elevated significantly. The level of the anti-apoptotic protein BAG-I remained constant (P<O.O 1) in cisplatin-treated Xrel3- expressing cells. Despite the increased expression ofBAG-1, the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic factors shifted towards increased expression of pro-apoptotic proteins. The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) oncoprotein E6 expression was not affected by the transfected Xrel3 gene. -- These results suggested that Xrel3, a homolog of c-Rel, causes an anti-apoptotic effect (chemoresistance) when cells are initially exposed to low cisplatin concentrations (1 μM). This result supports the hypothesis of this study. However, with prolonged contact to 1 μM cisplatin or upon 24 hours exposure to 5 μM cisplatin, Xrel3 had a synergistic apoptotic effect when coupled with cisplatin, thus promoting chemosensitivity and cell death. These results support the previously proposed idea that Rel/NF-κB proteins modulate their activity depending on cellular stress.


Active depth sensors like structured light, lidar, and time-of-flight systems sample the depth of the entire scene uniformly at a fixed scan rate. This leads to limited spatiotemporal resolution where redundant static information is over-sampled and precious motion information might be under-sampled. In this paper, we present an efficient bio-inspired event-camera-driven depth estimation algorithm. In our approach, we dynamically illuminate areas of interest densely, depending on the scene activity detected by the event camera, and sparsely illuminate areas in the field of view with no motion. The depth estimation is achieved by an event-based structured light system consisting of a laser point projector coupled with a second event-based sensor tuned to detect the reflection of the laser from the scene. We show the feasibility of our approach in a simulated autonomous driving scenario and real indoor sequences using our prototype. We show that, in natural scenes like autonomous driving and indoor environments, moving edges correspond to less than 10% of the scene on average. Thus our setup requires the sensor to scan only 10% of the scene, which could lead to almost 90% less power consumption by the illumination source. While we present the evaluation and proof-of-concept for an event-based structured-light system, the ideas presented here are applicable for a wide range of depth sensing modalities like LIDAR, time-of-flight, and standard stereo.


To avoid electricity peak loads in winter buildings can be pre-heated during off-peak hours using their thermal mass. A way to guarantee comfort levels while deferring electricity consumption is to solve an Optimal Control Problem (OCP) which consists in finding the heating power profile minimising the heating bill over a time horizon. An OCP continuous-time resolution method was tested at monozone buildings scale [1]. The originality of this paper is to extend this continuous resolution method to a two-zone scale. This is a first step toward multi-zone buildings control. At multi-zone scale, three resolution approaches are possible. The first is the centralised method which consists in solving a unique global OCP. However centralised approach is not suitable for large scale systems due to high computational time or a lack of modularity. At the opposite, the decentralised approach which consists in solving local OCPs at each zone scale is the most used approach nowadays. However, this approach neglects couplings between zones as thermal couplings (type 1) or energy sharing (type 2). The third approach is the decomposition-coordination one which consists in solving local OCPs at each zone scale (decomposition stage) and reintegrate neglected couplings by an iterative procedure (coordination stage). This paper deals with couplings of type 1. The decomposition-coordination method which appeared to be more appropriated was price decomposition-coordination method. It was tested and compared to the optimal reference obtained with the centralised approach in a two-zone building with residential and tertiary zones. The centralised and the decomposition-coordination methods results are close. Both methods leaded to more than 20 % of savings on the global energy bill. The computational time was heavier with the decomposition-coordination method than with the centralised methods. However, in future work concerning multi-zone building, decomposition-coordination method is expected to be more beneficial.


Effective representation methods and proper signal priors are crucial in most signal processing applications. In this thesis we focus on different structured models and we design appropriate schemes that allow the discovery of low dimensional latent structures that characterise and identify the signals. Motivated by the highly non-linear structure of most datasets, we firstly investigate the geometry of manifolds. Manifolds are low dimensional, non-linear structures that are naturally employed to describe sets of strongly related signals such as the images of a 3-D object captured from different viewpoints. However, the use of manifolds in applications is not straightforward due to their usually non-analytic and non-linear form. We propose here a way to `disassemble' a manifold into simpler components by approximating it with affine subspaces. Our objective is to discover a set of low dimensional affine subspaces that can represent manifold data accurately while preserving the manifold's structure. To this end, we employ a greedy technique that iteratively merges manifold samples into groups based on the difference of local tangents. We use our algorithm to approximate synthetic and real manifolds and to demonstrate that it is competitive to state-of-the-art techniques. Then, we consider structured sparse representations of signals and we propose a new sparsity model, where signals are essentially composed of a small number of structured {\it molecules }. We define the molecules to be linear combinations of a small number of atoms in a redundant dictionary. Our multi-level model takes into account the energy distribution of the significant signal components in addition to their support. It permits to define typical visual patterns and recognise them in prototypical or deformed form. We define a new structural difference measure between molecules and their deformed versions, which is based on their sparse codes and we create an algorithm for decomposing signals into molecules that can account for different deviations in the internal molecule structure. Our experiments verify the benefits of the new image model in various restoration tasks and they confirm that the development of proper models that extend the mere notion of sparsity can be very useful for various inverse problems in imaging. Finally, we investigate the problem of learning molecule representations directly in the sparse code domain. We constrain sparse codes to be linear combinations of a few, possibly deformed, molecules and we design an algorithm that can learn the structure from the codes without transforming them back into the signal domain. To this end, we take advantage of our structural difference which is based on the sparse codes and we devise a scheme for representing the codes with molecules and learn the molecules at the same time. To illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm we apply it to various synthetic and real datasets and we compare the results with traditional sparse coding and dictionary learning techniques. From the experiments, we verify the superior performance of our scheme in interpreting and recognising correctly the underlying structure. In short, in this thesis we are interested in low-dimensional, structured models. Among the various choices, we focus on manifolds and sparse representations and we propose schemes that enhance their structural properties and highlight their effectiveness in signal representations.


Exclusionary urban policies have repeatedly been interpreted as 'urban revanchism'— strategies aimed at attracting gentrifiers and tourists at the expense of marginal and minority groups. This article scrutinizes the claim that exclusionary policies are driven by economic insecurities and motives to attract capital. Rotterdam serves as an extreme case through which I examine who supports exclusionary policies, and for what reasons. The case study shows that urban policies are intertwined with ideas about multiculturalism and integration. This suggests that concerns about national unity also play a role, and that de-concentration (and creating mixed neighbourhoods) is, like citizenship, a strategy for inclusion, which, in effect, logically excludes people. I argue that insecurities that stem from concerns about national unity and demands for social order should be acknowledged as additional drivers of exclusionary policies and the latter cannot be reduced to economic motives. I conclude that current theories of urban revanchism need to incorporate a more complex notion of 'safety' and of ways in which insecurities produce strategies of exclusion and inclusion.


The rural economy has undergone drastic change. The irregular rain, fragmented land holding and profit less agricultural sector has forced the rural youths to migrate towards urban centres in search of better employment opportunities. The construction sector mostly informal and unorganized is the major sector that is attracting majority of migrant population. Most of the migrant workers do not register themselves under any organization and remain unorganized. Though there are many welfare schemes and welfare fund, the migrant labourers are unaware of the schemes available for their welfare. This paper tries to make an attempt towards the welfare schemes available in their favour. The awareness regarding the same among migrant workers and a brief study on the unutilized welfare fund. 107 labourers working in various construction sites in Bangalore were considered for the study.


Adaptive Co-Management (ACM) is an integrative approach for implementing sustainable forest management, based on a main hypothesis, that is: if there is a high degree of collaboration between stakeholders combined with a high adaptiveness of management systems, the result will be a higher degree of human well-being and ecological sustainability. A worldwide network under the umbrella of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is engaged in researching the potential and methodological aspects related to ACM. Financed by CIFOR and the German Development Cooperation (GTZ), an ACM team started to work on ACM in Para, in 2000. ACM pilot activities in Para were carried out in three sites, each reflecting different realities of communities established in the Eastern Amazon region. Research was focused on the concept of Collaborative Diagnostic Studies (CDS) as an opportunity to replace externally driven background studies which are important for documentation and impact monitoring, for a collaborative evaluation of an expert defined set of criteria and indicators for assessing sustainability (C&I). The research considered the definition of a set of C&I suitable for discussion with local actors, the test of strategies to accomplish CDS and the elaboration of a reporting system to document the ACM process. According to the central hypothesis of ACM, the defined set of C&I was structured in three categories: collaboration, adaptive management of natural resources and impacts/conditions. A variety of participatory methods were tested, described and evaluated in relation to their contribution to ACM. Finally an ACM database system was defined, based on reports for (1) evaluation of C&I, (2) documentation of activities, (3) description of methods and (4) evaluation of the ACM process. Pilot studies showed that CDS are not suitable as a substitute for background studies. Special efforts have to be undertaken so as to diminish the danger of external dominance and to ensure the participation of local actors. The pilot studies also confirmed the need for a systematic and well structured documentation of the complex and dynamic processes related to ACM. Pilot studies also showed the high potential of ACM for implementing sustainable forest management. Due to the promising results, it is recommended to focus ACM research in Brazil on work shared with Local Researcher Teams. In order to establish ACM as a viable development strategy in the Amazon region, an intensive collaboration with existing community projects is desired.


This report presents the results of two opinion surveys conducted in Greece, in June 2014 and January 2015, on the issue of antisemitism in the country. After a brief discussion on the meaning and origins of the phenomenon of antisemitism, the study presents an overview of its manifestations in the Greek society, in particular politics, the Church and the media. A detailed presentation of the findings of the two surveys follows, which measure antisemitic attitudes in the Greek society and correlate them with factors such as gender, age, political opinion, education, church affiliation but also trust, cosmopolitanism, belief in conspiracy theories and victimhood. The results confirm previous studies and assumptions that antisemitism in Greece is very high (around 70%), the highest percentage in Europe. The report ends with recommendations on how the government and the Greek society as a whole should act systematically against this scourge.


Abstract. Limb scattering retrievals of atmospheric minor constituent profiles require highly accurate knowledge of the tangent heights during the measurements. The limb scattering measurements of the Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) on Envisat are affected by tangent height errors of up to 2 km. This contribution provides a summary of the temporal and spatial variation of the SCIAMACHY limb pointing errors during the first three years of the SCIAMACHY mission. The tangent height errors are retrieved from the limb measurements in the UV-B spectral range. A seasonal modulation of the monthly mean tangent height offsets is identified with amplitudes of 800m (220m) before (after) the improvement of the Envisat orbit propagator model in December 2003. Even after the December 2003 orbit model improvement a constant offset component of about 1km is present. Furthermore, pointing discontinuities are identified that coincide with the daily updates of the on-board orbit propagator model. In order to reduce the errors in ozone profile retrievals caused by pointing errors to less than 5%, the tangent heights have to be known to within 250m.


Multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) protection layers have previously been used to trap polysulfides and suppress the shuttle effect in lithium sulfur (Li‐S) batteries, leading to significant performance improvement. While the MWCNT is inherently highly conductive and mechanically strong, the cost can be significant and in turn hampered wider application of MWCNT protection layers. Here, we employed lignin, a byproduct during high‐quality bleached paper manufacturing, to replace a portion of MWCNT in the protection layer to reduce cost and enhance surface properties of pristine MWCNT protection layers. We found that the protection layer with 25 wt% lignin leads to the best overall electrochemical performance of Li‐S batteries during charging/discharging at 0.5°C and 1C rate (1C = 1,675 mA g−1) among various weight‐ratios of lignin/MWCNT, and a low decay rate (0.20% per cycle) and high initial capacity (1342 mA g−1 and 1437 mA g−1 for 1C and 0.5C, respectively) are demonstrated. Besides, Li‐S cells with 25 wt% lignin/MWCNT composite protection layer also exhibited great rate capability, of which the specific capacities at 0.1C, 0.5C, 1C, and 2C were 1150, 913, 824, and 637 mAh g−1, respectively. The enhanced electrochemical stability and performance of Li‐S batteries can be attributed to strengthened polysulfide trapping and improved lithium ion transport with lignin reinforced MWCNT protection layers. We showcased an economic approach to extend cycle life and improve rate capability of Li‐S batteries.


Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Over 420,000 people die each year from tobacco use, and 53,000 die each year from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). In response and because of the lack of legislative action, public health professionals in Massachusetts used the initiative process as a way to fund tobacco education and prevention programs. In 1992, a coalition of over 200 organizations called the Massachusetts Coalition for a Healthy Future, led by the American Cancer Society, successfully qualified and passed Question 1, a state ballot initiative which raised the state tobacco tax by 25 cents per pack of cigarettes and on smokeless tobacco products by 25% of its wholesale price to provide funds for tobacco education and prevention programs. In the campaign to pass Question 1, the Coalition promised voters that the new tobacco tax revenues would be used to reduce tobacco use in the state. However, the initiative was not constitutionally allowed to appropriate the new revenues because the power to appropriate funds resided with the state legislature. Since the 1993-1994 fiscal year, the state has spent a total of 27.5% of Question 1 funds or $116.4 million for tobacco education and prevention programs and 72.5% of Question 1 funds or $306.7 million for non-tobacco education programs. The available pool of Question 1 tobacco tax revenues has declined over time because fewer people are smoking. Tobacco education and prevention programs have had their funding reduced each fiscal year. In fact, between the 1993-1994 and the 1995-1996 fiscal years, Question 1 funding for tobacco education has declined by 19%. In contrast, since the 1993-1994 fiscal year, the Legislature has chosen to appropriate state general funds to non-tobacco education programs to more than compensate for the decline in Question 1 revenues. As a result, state general funds appropriated to non-tobacco education programs which receive Question 1 funds has grown from $34.7 million in the 1993-1994 fiscal year to $76.6 million in the 1995-1996 budget and total funding (i.e., Question 1 funds and state general funds) for these programs has increased by 9.3%, or $14.5 million. The Legislature has established a trend that has produced real reductions in Question 1 funding for tobacco education which appears contrary to the mandate of the voters when they enacted Question 1 in 1992. In addition, because the Legislature has appropriated state general funds for non-tobacco education programs, total funding for these programs have increased at the expense of tobacco education. The failure of the ACS and Coalition to continue to mobilize public support for tobacco control programs in Massachusetts suggests that the public health promise of Question 1 will not be realized and the tobacco industry will again dominate public health policy making in Massachusetts at the expense of public health.


BACKGROUND
Previous research has suggested higher work stress among minority ethnic workers.

AIMS
To determine levels of work stress in three ethnic groups, consider the contribution of racial discrimination to the groups' profiles of occupational and demographic associations with stress, and assess the association between work stress and well-being.

METHODS
A household quota sample design was used, and 204 black African-Caribbean, 206 Bangladeshi and 216 white (UK born) working people took part in structured interviews.

RESULTS
More black African-Caribbean respondents reported high work stress than either Bangladeshi or white respondents. Reported racial discrimination among black African-Caribbean female respondents was strongly associated with perceived work stress. Among the black African-Caribbean respondents, women who reported experiencing racial discrimination at work had higher levels of psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS
Perceived work stress may be underpinned by exposure to racial discrimination at work among black African-Caribbean women, and this may affect their psychological well-being.


Release planning is a cornerstone problem in incremental software development. It deals with the assignment of requirements to sequence of releases in order to maximize profit, minimize the delay of feedback and return of investment in such a way that dependency and resource constraints are met. Release planning decisions are required at an early stage in the development cycle, when uncertainty is unavoidable in the project estimates. Recently, there are some works concerning the use of fuzzy theory to address issues concerning the uncertainty in the release planning problem: fuzzy effort constraints and fuzzy dependency constraints. In this paper, we study the application of fuzzy theory to handle the uncertainty concerning dependency constraints from a holistic perspective, i.e. the whole set of fuzzy dependency constraints is considered as a fuzzy graph. The satisfaction of dependency constraints in a solution plan is measured by the distance between this plan and an ideal plan (in terms of the dependency constraints). The distance is materialized as the distance between two fuzzy graphs. This is considered to be an essential support for the actual decision-making. All the concepts and the complete approach are illustrated by a case study example.


In Francis hydro turbines, a small clearance between the guide vane blade and the facing plate is crucial in pivoting the guide vane blade and controlling the flow rate of the turbine. This clearance-to-blade height ratio is inversely proportional to the scale of the hydro turbine. Smaller hydro turbines have higher clearance-to-blade height ratio than larger ones. Most of the time, this clearance is not included in the simulation model for it can cause inconsistencies between the computation and model turbine. This paper is focused on the various guide vane clearance and its influences on the flow. Firstly, steady numerical calculation of the turbine model (casing, stay vanes, guide vanes and draft) with and without guide vane reference clearance was carried out using the commercial code ANSYS CFX. Experiments were conducted on model turbine of specific speed 180 [m-kW] with guide vane reference clearance. The inter-blade pressure near the leading edge (LE), mid-chord and the trailing edge (TE) of the guide vane were obtained using the pressure sensor located along the circumference of the turbine casing. The result shows a good agreement between numerical computation and experiment. Furthermore, guide vane models with different clearance heights were simulated and the impact on runner inlet energy loss was investigated. In conclusion, it can be clarified that the roll-up flow from the guide vane clearance interacted with the main flow upstream of the runner which then caused loss to the turbine performance.


Political psychologist Barry Richards looks behind the anti-Muslim motive which appeared to drive Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik. While agreeing with the court's judgment that Breivik was responsible for his actions, he finds a deeply deluded and paranoid person for whom the massacre of young political activists (mainly non-Muslim) was a desperate attempt to defend his fragile masculinity.


A Gram negative aerobic flagellated bacterium with fungal growth inhibitory properties was isolated from a culture of Trichoderma harzianum. According to its cultural characteristics and biochemical properties it was identified as a strain of Alcaligenes (aeca/is Castellani and Chalmers. Antisera prepared in Balbc mice injected with live and heat-killed bacterial cells gave strong reactions with the homologous immunogen and with ATCC 15554, the type strain of A. taeca/is, but not with Escherichia coli or Enterobacter aerogens in immunoprecipitation and dot immunobinding assays. Growth of Botrytis cinerea Pers. and several other fungi was significantly affected when co-cultured with A. taeca/is on solid media. Its detrimental effect on germination and growth of B. cinerea has been found to be associated with antifungal substances produced by the bacterium and released into the growth medium. A biotest for the antibiotic substances, based on their inhibitory effect on germination of B. cinerea conidia, was developed. This biotest was used to study the properties of these substances, the conditions in which they are produced, and to monitor the steps of their separation during extraction procedures. It has been found that at least two substances could be involved in the antagonistic interaction. One of these is a basic volatile substance and has been identified as ammonia. The other substance is a nonvolatile, dialysable, heat stable, polar compound released into the growth medium. After separation of growth medium samples by Sephadex G-10 column chromatography a single peak with a molecular weight below 700 Daltons exhibited inhibitory activity. From its behaviour in electrophoretic separation in agarose gels it seems that this is a neutral or slightly positively charged


Sizeable achievement differences by race appear in early grades, but substantial uncertainty exists about the impact of school quality on the black-white achievement gap and particularly about its evolution across different parts of the achievement distribution. Texas administrative data show that the overall growth in the achievement gap between third and eighth grade is higher for students with higher initial achievement and that specific teacher and peer characteristics including teacher experience and peer racial composition explain a substantial share of the widening. The adverse effect of attending school with a high black enrollment share appears to be an important contributor to the larger growth in the achievement differential in the upper part of the test score distribution. This evidence reaffirms the major role played by peers and school quality, but also presents a policy dilemma. Teacher labor market complications, current housing patterns, legal limits in segregation efforts, and uncertainty about the overall effects of specific desegregation programs indicate that effective policy responses will almost certainly involve a set of school improvements beyond simple changes in peer racial composition and the teacher experience distribution.


Modeling typical enterprise information systems requires the modeling of multiple agents with different functionalities. This paper describes a methodology that provides the representational formalism, coordination mechanisms, and control schemes necessary for integrating heterogeneous units of distributed information systems while meeting such performance riteria as overall effectiveness, efficiency, responsiveness, and robustness. An important component of the methodology is the coordination among agents. The framework is applied to the development of a manufacturing information system for managing the production processes for making printed circuit boards. Performance r sults confirm that the multi-agent framework for system integration is important to support complex business processes that involve multiple steps of activities processed by a group of agents across a variety of functionalities. The framework also provides an unified model for integrating software and decision modules in complex information systems. 314 From: AAAI Technical Report WS-94-02. Compilation copyright © 1994, AAAI (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.


This thesis explores impact of evidence-based active-engagement courses (EBAE) on student achievement and gender gap in introductory physics. The first study is about the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of the physics teaching assistants (TAs) at identifying introductory students' difficulties using the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism, which is important for implementing evidence-based pedagogy. The second study focuses on EBAE physics classes in which there are potential opportunities for instructors and TAs to apply their PCK and other research-based instructional strategies to improve student learning. We investigated whether EBAE classes improved student performance compared to traditional lecture-lased (LB) classes and whether EBAE classes helped improve student performance. We used the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) in physics I and the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) in physics II as assessment instruments. Our findings suggest that, on average, students in EBAE classes outperformed students in LB classes in conceptual posttests although their scores on pretests were not statistically significantly different. Moreover, on average, both male and female students in EBAE classes outperformed those of the same gender in LB classes on posttests although there was no difference on the pretests. However, no reduction in the gender gap in EBAE classes was observed.

We also investigated the impact of stereotype threat in introductory physics classes. When students were asked to indicate their gender immediately before taking standardized physics tests, no deterioration in female students' performance on standardized test was observed compared to the case when gender was not indicated. Moreover, we also investigated the extent to which agreeing with the stereotype that men to generally perform better in physics than women was correlated with students' performance and found that this type of belief is not very common (~10%). However, in some situations, female students who agreed with the stereotype performed worse than female students who did not agree with it. This effect appears to be stronger in the calculus-based courses compared to the algebra-based courses. Finally, we propose that implementing interventions to improve female students' social belongingness, self-efficacy and growth mindset may help reduce the gender gap in physics courses.


INTRODUCTION The UAE is an emerging market that is going through deep changes socially, economically, and to a lesser degree politically. Economically, it has moved from a relatively undiversified, closed and inward-oriented economy to an outward oriented, open, and diversified one. Due to its phenomenal economic growth over a record period of time, the country has become a key focus for international corporations and more recently for personal and institutional investors. This paper posits that this fast paced transformation and modernization of markets, infrastructures, and institutions was not followed by an equally diligent adoption of proper governance practices and business ethic standards. The UAE economy is characterized by a high concentration of ownership in the hands of government and/or families. The financial system is in most part bank-intermediated with very little reliance on capital markets to raise funds. Neither firms nor banks within this relationship-based system, as opposed to a market-based system, feel the need to develop corporate governance mechanisms, since the former are able to rely on banks for continued financing and the latter feel relatively comfortable under explicit or implicit government guarantees. This has led to a marginal role of institutional investors, and less incentives for disclosure and accountability. While this is true of most emerging markets, the UAE has the added feature of being a tax-haven. Under the Commercial Companies Law and the Commercial Transactions Code, all businesses must keep financial records but the legislation does not specify the exact nature of such records. Listed companies, which represent less than 0.1% of all companies operating in the country, are required to report on a quarterly basis but the extent of reporting is rather limited and in most part at the discretion of the reporting companies. It is against this background that a questionnaire was designed targeting top executives within leading business organization in the country in order to get a first hand appreciation of their perception of corporate governance and ethical practices within their respective companies and industries. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to look at business practices within corporate UAE. No similar effort had been undertaken in the GCC region either. While the UAE has been often in the media for its phenomenal economic growth, no attempt has been made to date to look at corporate governance and business ethics within UAE organizations. The second section of the paper looks at the business environment in the UAE, followed by a review of the literature about business ethics in the Middle-East. Survey design, data collection and findings are presented in the fourth section, followed by recommendations and area of future research. THE UAE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven emirates established in 1971, is situated in the Arabian Peninsula. Although each emirate in the Federation maintains a large degree of independence, the UAE is governed by a Supreme Council of Rulers made up of the seven emirs, who appoint the prime minister and the cabinet. The country held its first national elections--for an advisory body--in December 2006. The UAE is similar in size to Austria with a land mass of 82,880 square kilometers. It is the second largest populated country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest in terms of per capita nominal GDP after Qatar. The nominal GDP of the UAE grew by 27.8% in 2005 to reach a level of US$ 132.3 billion. Real GDP grew by 8.2% in 2005 reaching a level of US$ 97.4. A member of OPEC, the UAE has the 6th largest oil reserves in the world. The late Sheikh Zayed, ruler of Abu Dhabi and first president of the federation, was quick to recognize the potential of the oil industry and direct oil revenues towards the development of the country's infrastructure, healthcare and education. …


Ranunculus s.l. shows a considerable species diversity and degree of endemism in the Mediterranean region and occurs with various life forms from the lowlands to the highest mountains. Based on a sampling from all continents, sequences of the ITS of nrDNA, the plastid matK, and the adjacent trnK regions were analysed using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. Both separate and combined analyses of the two datasets yielded a large core clade of Ranunculus excluding Ficaria, Coptidium, and the extraeuropean genera Beckwithia, Callianthemoides, Halerpestes, and Peltocalathos. The Ceratocephala-Myosurus-clade is sister to the core Ranunculus in the plastid and the combined datasets on very long branches, thus supporting a classification of Ceratocephala and Myosurus as separate genera. Within Ranunculus s.s., eight well supported and highly consistent clades correspond either to widespread ecological groups (wetlands, high altitudes/latitudes) or to regional (mainly European) geographical groups. Alpine Mediterranean buttercups belong to orophytic clades, most species of which also occur in the European alpine system; others show widespread northern hemisphere distributions. Only one Mediterranean clade is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula and adjacent regions. Present distribution patterns and molecular data support a hypothesis of an origin of alpine buttercups from lowland ancestors of the same geographical region. At lower altitudes, the predominant life forms, i.e., therophytes and geophytes, evolved multiple times suggesting parallel adaptations to the Mediterranean climate. Geophytes differentiated into an eastern and western Mediterranean group, and are most closely related to the subalpine, non-monophyletic "R. montanus" group, thus supporting a hypothesis of a common lowland ancestor. Tentative estimates for divergence times of the major clades in Ranunculus s.l. were made based on an age calibration for the Ranunculus-Xanthorhiza-split, using matK sequences and penalized likelihood analyses. The results from this study suggest that the split of allied genera from Ranunculus s.s. occurred during the Eocene and Oligocene, with the core clade of Ranunculus being c. 24.0 Myr old. Diversification of Ranunculus s.s. into main ecological/geographical clades took place in the late Miocene, and speciation within the Mediterranean groups during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Diversification of life forms at lower altitudes occurred mainly during or after the establishment of the Mediterranean climate. Island endemics of Macaronesia and Crete are probably rather young descendents of neighbouring geographical groups. Diversification of alpine groups took place at different geological times, but is in general correlated with periods of colder climate. The high diversity of buttercups is likely a consequence of the broad spectrum of different habitats in the Mediterranean region.


INTRODUCTION:
The focus of this MD thesis has been relaxin, a member of the insulin family,
which is a protein composed of two disulphide linked chains of approximately
6000 Daltons. Relaxin has been traditionally recognised as a hormone of
parturition, though more recently it has been postulated that relaxin may be
involved in cardiovascular regulation. We used concentrations similar to those
found in the plasma in physiological (non-pregnant, pregnancy) and
pathophysiological (chronic heart failure) states. Firstly, we characterised the
effects of relaxin in small human resistance arteries ex vivo using wire myography
obtained from gluteal biopsies taken from patients with coronary heart disease
(CHD) and normal left ventricular systolic function. We also studied the same
effects in larger calibre arteries (internal mammary) and veins (saphenous) using
standard organ bath techniques. The effect of relaxin in veins has not previously
been described. Internal mammary arteries and saphenous veins were obtained
from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Small pulmonary arteries
were obtained from patients undergoing thoracotomy for bronchial carcinoma. In
addition, we wished to determine if a transcardiac or transpulmonary gradient of
relaxin could be measured to suggest either pulmonary or cardiac secretion or
clearance of the hormone. Relaxin secretion in heart failure has previously been
described. Lastly, we wished to determine whether an increased relaxin plasma
concentration in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), is of prognostic
importance.
METHODS AND RESULTS
i)comparative potency of relaxin compared to other vasodilators: Small resistance
arteries were obtained from biopsies taken from patients with CHD. Each set of
vessels was preconstricted with noradrenaline. Thereafter, cumulative concentration
response (relaxation) curves (CRCs) were constructed with known vasodilators
25
atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), epoprostenol, substance P and relaxin (n=8).
Relaxin was found to be a more potent vasodilator than ANP and equipotent to
epoprostenol.
ii) mechanism of vasorelaxation: CRCs to relaxin (as above) were constructed to
identify the importance of the endothelium – following the removal of the
endothelium by the established method of intraluminal rubbing with a human hair.
We found that relaxin is endothelium dependent.
iii) interaction of relaxin with nitric oxide and other possible mechanisms of
vasodilation and importance of ACE inhibitor treatment: We identified the
importance of the effect of ACE inhibitor treatment on the action of relaxin in
human resistance arteries. Relaxin's vasodilatory action was significantly reduced
in those patients on ACE inhibitors (n=28) compared with those patients not on
ACE inhibitors (n=30). In patients treated with an ACE inhibitor, we found that
manipulation of prostanoids is important. Indomethacin, (a cyclooxygenase
inhibitor) (n=8) blocked relaxin's vasodilatory action. Manipulation of the cAMP
second messenger system, with milrinone, (a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor)
(n=6) is also important as relaxin's vasodilatory action was enhanced. Manipulation
of cyclic GMP second messenger system is also important. ODQ, (a guanylate
cyclase inhibitor) (n=10) reduced relaxin's action while zaprinast, (a cGMP
phosphodiesterase inhibitor) (n=7) enhanced relaxin's action. Manipulation of
nitric oxide with L-NAME (n=8) and L-NOARG (n=10), nitric oxide synthase
(NOS) inhibitors and EDHF with apamin and charybdotoxin (potassium channel
blockers) (n=7) had a curious effect causing the opposite action to that expected, by
enhancing relaxin's vasodilatory action. In patients not treated with an ACE
inhibitor, we found that manipulation of nitric oxide with L-NAME (n=8) and LNOARG
(n=8), is important, as both reduced relaxin's vasodilatory action.
Manipulating the cGMP second messenger system with ODQ (n=8) greatly reduced
relaxin's action. but zaprinast (n=9) did not. Manipulation of EDHF with apamin
and charybdotoxin (n=8) had no effect on relaxin's action. Manipulation of
prostanoids with indomethacin (n=10) reduced relaxin's action but manipulation of
cAMP with milrinone (n=8), had no effect.
26
iv)relaxin and small human pulmonary arteries: We determined, using wire
myography, that relaxin is not a vasodilator of small pulmonary resistance arteries
(n=5).
v)relaxin and large calibre vessels: We determined, using the organ bath technique,
that relaxin is not a vasodilator of larger calibre arteries i.e. internal mammary
arteries removed from patients during coronary artery bypass surgery (n=5).Relaxin
is not a venodilator studying saphenous veins removed from patients during
coronary artery bypass surgery (n=5).
vi)transmyocardial and transpulmonary gradient of relaxin: Plasma relaxin
concentrations were measured using a validated assay. Samples were taken from
patients undergoing CABG surgery, from the aorta, coronary sinus, pulmonary
artery and pulmonary vein. We found that in 20 patients with normal left
ventricular function that there was no transpulmonary gradient but there was a
transcardiac gradient suggesting net cardiac extraction of relaxin.
vii)prognostic value of relaxin in patients with chronic heart failure: Relaxin was
compared with N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide to determine whether
relaxin is of prognostic importance. Plasma concentrations of the hormones were
measured in 87 patients admitted with CHF. These patients were followed up for a
year during which time hospitalisations due to CHF and death were recorded.
While NT-proBNP was found to be a powerful and independent predictor of
outcome in these patients, relaxin was not.
CONCLUSION.
In addition to its established role in pregnancy, relaxin has many other actions. In
particular, its antihypertensive, antithrombotic and vasodilatory properties suggest
that relaxin may have a central role in cardiovascular regulation.


The crystal structure of the new iron(III) arsenate, viz. tricaesium diiron(III) tris(arsenate), Cs3Fe2(AsO4)3, is built up from corner-sharing AsO4 tetrahedra and FeO5 trigonal bipyramids forming a three-dimensional open framework, which contains two channels running along the c axis where the Cs+ cations are located. This compound is a rare example of an oxide possessing Fe exclusively in trigonal–bipyramidal coordination.


Even though bacterivorous flagellates have been recognized as being able to structure the bacterial community, their behavioral basis for food selection is hardly known. We investigated the feeding behavior of the filter-feeding choanoflagellate Monosiga ovata and the raptorial-feeding kinetoplastid flagellate Rhynchomonas nasuta feeding on a bacterial community dominated by Pseudomonas putida and compared it to that of interception-feeding flagellates. M. ovata handles several food particles simultaneously. In contrast, R. nasuta handles only 1 particle at a time. The han- dling time for 1 prey particle is in the range of 3.7 s for R. nasuta but more than 300 s for M. ovata. The speed of food particles within the feeding current of M. ovata was only 9.3 ± 5.7 µm s -1 but due to the large surface of the collar the filtered water volume was 6.4 nl h -1 and therefore comparable to that of interception-feeding flagellates of a similar size. Bacteria ingested by M. ovata were signifi- cantly smaller compared to the bacteria in the medium (p = 0.001). Size selection of food particles occurs during the processing of food items. This is in contrast to raptorial-feeding R. nasuta, which shows passive food size selection for bigger particles during the contact phase. Attachment of bacte- ria proved to be an efficient protection mechanism, defending them from being grazed by flagellates. There are significant species-specific differences in the processing of food particles which explain the coexistence of various bacterivorous nanoflagellates in the size range of 3 to 5 µm and indicate the existence of specific predation pressure on different bacteria.