We studied the cytotoxicity, cellular accumulation, and DNA interac tions induced by liposome-entrapped NDDP (L-NDDP) and cisplatin in A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cells sensitive (A2780/S) and resistant (A2780/PDD) to cisplatin. L-NDDP was 2-fold more cytotoxic than cis platin against A2780/S cells with 5-h or 24-h drug exposure. Both cell lines were equally sensitive to L-NDDP, while A2780/PDD cells were 4-fold resistant to cisplatin (resistance indexes, 1.30-1.85 and 4.02-4.50, respec tively). Using a drug exposure time of 24 h, L-NDDP cytotoxicity was independent of the liposome composition used, whereas with shorter drug exposure (5 h), the cytotoxicity of L-NDDP was directly related to the relative content of DMPG in the liposome carrier. However, changes in liposome composition or drug exposure time did not alter the resistance index of L-NDDP in this cell system. The cellular accumulation of L-NDDP was similar in both cell lines and 2to 5-fold higher than that of cisplatin in A2780/S cells, whereas the cellular accumulation of cisplatin was re duced by 2to 3-fold in A2780/PDD cells. The presence of DMPG in the lipid bilayer enhanced by 2-fold the cellular accumulation of L-NDDP, in good correlation with the direct relation between cytotoxic potency of L-NDDP and the presence of DMPG in the liposome carrier. 1*1UNA levels were determined at different time points after drug exposure for 1 h. Peak Pt/DNA levels were observed at 6 h for cisplatin and at 9 h for L-NDDP. Peak Pt/DNA levels and Pt/DNA over time of L-NDDP were about 1.5and 3-fold higher than those of cisplatin in A2780/S and A2780/PDD cells, respectively, when equimolar concentrations of both drugs were used. Cisplatin induced significant DNA interstrand and DNAprotein cross-links in A2780/S cells, and a good correlation was observed between cytotoxicity against both cell lines and both types of lesions. In contrast, equimolar concentrations of L-NDDP induced only minimal DNA interstrand cross-links in either cell line. These results indicate that (a) L-NDDP is not cross-resistant to cisplatin against A2780/PDD ovarian carcinoma cells, (In the cellular accumulation of L-NDDP is similar in both cells and severalfold higher than that of cisplatin, (c) the cytotoxicity of both drugs correlates with the extent of DNA platination over time, (d) the non-cross-resistance properties of L-NDDP are associated with its ability to induce similar Pt/DNA levels over time in sensitive and resistant cells, and (e) DNA interstrand cross-link formation does not seem to play a role in the cytotoxicity of L-NDDP.


Zero Waste is a global movement focused on replacing linear resource-to-waste systems with circular systems found elsewhere in nature, and Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWtL) is a specific interpretation implying the total elimination of residual disposal. Local governments worldwide have declared ZWtL goals with specific deadlines; however, to date none of these initiatives have proven successful. A grounded case study of ZWtL campaigns was conducted to investigate this chronic failure. The results indicate that ZWtL is an unacknowledged supermegaproject: requiring extremely deep and unprecedented change and sacrifice across all sectors, yet destined for failure because proponents fail to recognize the scope of the task and plan accordingly. Strategies for addressing waste upstream are critically absent, with insufficient downstream measures such as recycling the prevailing norm – reinforced by a consistent preference for technical solutions over fundamental behavior change.


Ecstasy (MDMA; 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine) is an illicit drug that has been increasingly abused by young people. Its effects include euphoria, enhanced sociability and heightened mental awareness. These come about via the increase of serotonin in both the central nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system. Despite the drug's prevalent abuse, serious or adverse effects are rare. Due to personal pharmacokinetics, effects from the same dosage vary according to the individual. Fatal instances may include acute hyponatremia, hyperthermia (>42 °C), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) resulting from hyperthermia affecting the kidneys, and non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis. However, it is seldom the case that hyponatremia and hyperthermia co-exist. Hyponatremia is thought to be caused by HMMA – a metabolite of MDMA. Hyponatremia is caused by the inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and the excessive intake of hypotonic liquid accompanied by increased hyperthermia. Symptomatic, even deadly hyponatremia is seen more frequently in females, with the effects of oestrogen on arginine vasopressin believed to be the cause. Onset in such cases is acute, and treatment should be given to symptomatic patients as quickly as possible, with 3% saline administered when necessary. Reasons for acute kidney injury may include rhabdomyolysis, malign hypertension, and necrotizing vasculitis.


Accurate estimation of flow velocity requires measurement of Doppler angle, which is not available in general clinical applications. We describe a novel method of direct Doppler angle and flow velocity mapping that uses a conventional single-beam optical Doppler tomography system. The Doppler angle is estimated by combination of Doppler shift and Doppler bandwidth measurements, and flow velocity is calculated from the Doppler shift and the estimated Doppler angle. In vivo study of lip microvascularization demonstrates that this method is capable of providing both flow speed and flow direction information.


Virtually all tumors are genetically heterogeneous, containing subclonal populations of cells that are defined by distinct mutations1. Subclones can have unique phenotypes that influence disease progression2, but these phenotypes are difficult to characterize: subclones usually cannot be physically purified, and bulk gene expression measurements obscure interclonal differences. Single-cell RNA-sequencing has revealed transcriptional heterogeneity within a variety of tumor types, but it is unclear how this expression heterogeneity relates to subclonal genetic events – for example, whether particular expression clusters correspond to mutationally defined subclones3,4,5,6-9. To address this question, we developed an approach that integrates enhanced whole genome sequencing (eWGS) with the 10x Genomics Chromium Single Cell 5' Gene Expression workflow (scRNA-seq) to directly link expressed mutations with transcriptional profiles at single cell resolution. Using bone marrow samples from five cases of primary human Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), we generated WGS and scRNA-seq data for each case. Duplicate single cell libraries representing a median of 20,474 cells per case were generated from the bone marrow of each patient. Although the libraries were 5' biased, we detected expressed mutations in cDNAs at distances up to 10 kbp from the 5' ends of well-expressed genes, allowing us to identify hundreds to thousands of cells with AML-specific somatic mutations in every case. This data made it possible to distinguish AML cells (including normal-karyotype AML cells) from surrounding normal cells, to study tumor differentiation and intratumoral expression heterogeneity, to identify expression signatures associated with subclonal mutations, and to find cell surface markers that could be used to purify subclones for further study. The data also revealed transcriptional heterogeneity that occurred independently of subclonal mutations, suggesting that additional factors drive epigenetic heterogeneity. This integrative approach for connecting genotype to phenotype in AML cells is broadly applicable for analysis of any sample that is phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous.


Wherever relief valves and other energy dissipation devices are installed to limit the pressure, water utility networks provide unexploited hydropower potentials. This is mainly due to a lack of economically viable technologies for energy recovery in the pico and micro hydropower range below 100 kW. Micro-turbine with counter-rotating runners proved suitable to harvest these potentials with limited investments and almost no environmental impact. An appropriate command strategy must therefore be applied to maximize the recovered energy. This paper deals with the construction of a Virtual Energy Recovery Station (VERS) model to simulate the energy recovery on a given installation site. It includes models of the turbine, of the water consumption and it allows to implement various command strategies. The VERS can serve various purposes. The fine tuning of the command algorithm for a specific installation site is demonstrated in the paper.


In this paper, we consider an uplink multiple-antenna code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system linking several mul- tiple-antenna mobile users to one multiple-antenna base station. For this system, a constrained third-order tensor decomposition is introduced for modeling the multiple-antenna transmitter as well as the received signal. The constrained structure of the proposed tensor decomposition is characterized by two constraint matrices that have a meaningful physical interpretation in our context. They can be viewed as canonical allocation matrices that define the allocation of users' data streams and spreading codes to the transmit antennas. The distinguishing features of the proposed tensor modeling with respect to the already existing tensor-based CDMA models are: i) it copes with multiple transmit antennas and spreading codes per user and ii) it models several spatial spreading/multiplexing schemes with multiple spreading codes by controlling the constrained structure of the tensor signal model. A systematic design procedure for the canonical allocation matrices leading to a unique blind symbol (or joint blind symbol-code) recovery is proposed which allows us to derive a finite set of multiple-antenna schemes for a fixed number of transmit an- tennas. Identifiability of the proposed tensor model is discussed, and a blind multiuser detection receiver based on the alternating least squares algorithm is considered for performance evaluation of several multiple-antenna CDMA schemes derived from the constrained modeling approach.


Neurocognitive impairment is a core deficit of bipolar disorder (BD) since it persists into remission. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main neurocognitive disturbances found in the bipolar spectrum. An extensive review of the literature has been carried out for the different subtypes of BD (BD-I, BD-II, BD not otherwise specified, cyclothymia and schizoaffective disorder). Findings from this extensive review suggest that deficits are present across the whole bipolar spectrum (BD-I and BD-II), but some neurocognitive deficits are of lesser magnitude in BD-II. Other subtypes, such as BD not otherwise specified and cyclothymia, deserve more research concerning their effects on neurocognition. Given the correlation between neurocognitive impairment and difficulties in functioning, it may be useful to develop neurocognitive remediation strategies adapted to BD that are aimed at preventing cognitive impairment and restoring the psychosocial functioning of the patient.


"Knowledge capital" comes in many forms based on the context of its creation, some in
terms of pure knowledge, some of which is public good and some rival. Furthermore, some
of its forms are less easy to describe since it includes custom, practice and understanding
of how best to organise things. Practitioners and academics, across disciplines of
organisational management, economics, and accounting define the concept of "knowledge
capital" (KC) or "intellectual capital" (IC) as human skills enhanced by organisational
structures, resources and relationships to form a composite knowledge based resource,
which creates competencies, capability and capacity that generate revenue for the
organisation.
Health service provision is based on the transfer of tacit, explicit, established and emerging
knowledge. The capture of learning gained during service delivery is therefore critical for
the safety, effectiveness and quality of service provision co-creating knowledge based
resources including enhanced understanding, skills, processes and routines. The need
arises, therefore, to understand if the way resources are managed should change to take
account of the generation of more or less of something that is of value to health
organisations and systems.
The joint production and "public goods" features of inexhaustibility and non-exclusivity, in
certain circumstances, make the measurement of "knowledge capital" in health
challenging. The management and maintenance of this key resource in health service requires it to be recognised and measured, although there are problems in defining
"knowledge capital". There are challenges in measuring it and even bigger ones in valuing
it. There is a need, therefore, to start with a clearer understanding on what it is and then
attempt to measure it.
This research through an empirical case study highlights the co-creation of, explores its
nature and attempts to measures the scale of "knowledge capital" in health service, as a
resource. The models "knowledge creation cycle in health" and "dimensions of knowledge
capital in health" developed from the literature review are investigated in the study of the
specialised pulmonary hypertension (PH) services at Papworth hospital, a NHS specialist
centre. The additional dimensions of "public goods in health" and "capacity in health" are
surfaced in this study.
Management accountancy method of costing, informed by the economic concept of
opportunity cost of capital, provides a helpful mechanism for the measurement of this
difficult to measure resource in this study. This method is based on the estimates of the
inputs of joint production of "knowledge capital" using the "bottom up" approach being
recommended by NHS guidance. This case study at Papworth hospital reveals that the
scale of the value of stock of "knowledge capital" can be more than twice the value of its
tangible assets. This highlights the necessity for management strategies of health
organisations and health systems to recognise fully its co-creation and measure the scale of
"knowledge capital" in health service. A systematic stock take of "knowledge capital"
assets in health organisations and systems is therefore recommended to enable informed
decision making for effective and efficient management of health services.


The unused spectrum in the television broadcasting frequency bands (so-called TV
white spaces) can alleviate the spectrum crunch, and have potential to provide
broadband connection to rural areas of countries in the developing world. Current
research on TV white spaces focuses on how to detect them accurately, and how they
can be shared or allocated to secondary devices. Therefore, the focus of this research is
three-fold: to investigate a novel distributed framework, which does not use
propagation models in detecting TV white spaces, and suitable for use in countries of
the developing world; to investigate a suitable spectrum sharing mechanism for
short-time leasing of the TV white spaces to secondary devices; and extend the
research to investigate the design of a TV white space-ware network in TV white space
frequencies.


Because functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) eases many of the restrictions of other brain sensors, it has potential to open up new possibilities for HCI research. From our experience using fNIRS technology for HCI, we identify several considerations and provide guidelines for using fNIRS in realistic HCI laboratory settings. We empirically examine whether typical human behavior (e.g. head and facial movement) or computer interaction (e.g. keyboard and mouse usage) interfere with brain measurement using fNIRS. Based on the results of our study, we establish which physical behaviors inherent in computer usage interfere with accurate fNIRS sensing of cognitive state information, which can be corrected in data analysis, and which are acceptable. With these findings, we hope to facilitate further adoption of fNIRS brain sensing technology in HCI research.


The goal of this research was to evaluate diverse cowpea genotypes developed over the past 4 decades in the Nigerian Sudan Savannas for their agronomic performance and to identify groups of cultivars with similar quantitative characters. Characterization would facilitate the efficient synthesis of breeding populations for further improvement of cowpea. Also superior genotypes with desirable characteristics could be identified and disseminated in the dry savannas of West Africa. Significant variations were observed in the agronomic characteristics of the cultivars in this study. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis were performed on these genotypes and found that there were significant correlations among the variables measured. Modern cultivars outperformed the older ones and from the results of PCA, it was found that the most important variables for the classification of cowpea cultivars are high canopy, high seed weight, high total dry matter, high HI, and high grain and fodder yield. This suggests that these traits could be used in selection index for genetic improvement of cowpea. Cluster analysis resulted in 5 groups mostly corresponding to era of release except cluster I which contained cowpea cultivars from all eras. Two distinct groups in clusters IV and V were identified. Cultivars in cluster IV which were released in the 1990-2000 eras, had high grain and fodder yield. These cultivars could be evaluated on-farm for eventual release to farmers. They could also be used in breeding program for improvements in grain and fodder yield of cowpea. Cluster V contained two cultivars that distinctly had the highest fodder yield suggesting that they could be used to improve fodder yield of cowpea.


Increased soil erosion, pressure on agricultural land, and climate change highlight the need for new management methods to mitigate soil loss. Management strategies should utilize comparable data sets of long‐term soil erosion monitoring across multiple environments. Adaptive soil erosion management in regions with intense precipitation requires an understanding of inter‐annual variability in sediment yield (SY) at regional scales. Here, a novel approach is proposed for analysing regional SY. We aimed to (i) investigate factors controlling inter‐ and intra‐annual SY, (ii) combine seasonality and time compression analyses to explore SY variability and (iii) discuss management implications for different Mediterranean environments. Continuous SY measurements totalling 104 years for eight small catchments were used to describe SY variability, which ranged from 0 to 271 t/ha/year and 0 to 116 t/ha/month. Maximum SY occurs in spring to summer for catchments with oceanic climates, while semi‐arid or dry summer climates experience SY minimums. We identified three time compression patterns at each time scale. Time compression was most intense for catchments with minimum SY in spring to summer. Low time compression was linked to very high soil loss, low run‐off and sediment production thresholds, and high connectivity. Reforestation, grassland and terracing changed SY magnitudes and time compression, but failed to reduce SY for large storm events. Periods with a high probability of high SY were identified using a combination of intra‐annual SY variability, seasonality analysis, and time compression analysis. Focusing management practices on monthly flow events, which account for the majority of SY, will optimise returns in Mediterranean catchments.


In this paper, we argue that EU institutions have demonstrated an interest in diet/nutrition for some time, but only in the last five years has obesity risen to the top of the agenda. How did the Commission and European parliament become involved in fighting obesity? It is not because national governments or societal interest groups or public health agencies pushed EU officials to reduce the body mass of European citizens. Rather, drawing on the literature on transnational policy actors, we show that the current attention to obesity is heavily influenced by WHO research reports. Moreover, the WHO's recommendations on obesity supply EU institutions with a new agenda, which in turn mobilizes pan-European groups and private sector interests. Obesity provides a further example of entrepreneurial Commission officials pursuing alliances with international institutions in order to take advantage of their scientific expertise and to carve out a new EU agenda.


The goal of this research is to gain the relation of competency interpreting data and evidence scientifically and kinesthetic intelligence. It reveals that they has positive correlation.


Many African stories, whether or not they are about Kwaku Ananse the "spider man," are called, "Spider Stories." This book is about how that came to be. The African storyteller begins: "We do not really mean, we do not really mean that what we are about to say is true. A Story, a story; let it come, let it go." And it tells that long, long ago there were no stories on earth for children to hear. All stories belonged to Nyame, the Sky God. Ananse, the Spider man, wanted to buy some of these stories, so he spun a web up to the sky and went up to bargain with the Sky God. The price the Sky God asked was Osebo, the leopard of-the-terrible-teeth, Mmboro the hornet who-stings-like-fire, and Mmoatia the fairy whom-men-never-see. How Ananse paid the price is told in a graceful and clever text, with forceful, lovely woodcut illustrations.


Abstract A quantitative knowledge of the equation of state of wadsleyite solid solutions is needed to refine thermodynamic and thermoelastic models for the transition zone in Earth's upper mantle. Here we present the results of high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments on two crystals of slightly hydrous iron-bearing wadsleyite with Fe/(Mg+Fe) = 0.112(2), Fe3+/ΣFe = 0.15(3), and 0.24(2) wt% H2O up to 20 GPa. By compressing two wadsleyite crystal sections inside the same diamond-anvil cell, we find a negligible influence of crystal orientation on the derived equation of state parameters. Volume and linear compression curves were analyzed with finite strain theory to demonstrate their mutual consistency for the Reuss bound indicating quasi-hydrostatic stress conditions. The results on the here-studied wadsleyite crystals are incorporated into a multi-end-member model to describe the equation of state for wadsleyite solid solutions in the system Mg2SiO4-Fe2SiO4-MgH2SiO4-Fe3O4. For the hypothetical ferrous wadsleyite end-member, Fe2SiO4, we find a substantially larger bulk modulus than expected by extrapolating currently accepted trends. The multi-end-member equation of state model may serve as a basis for the calculation of phase equilibria and the interpretation of seismic observations regarding the transition zone.


Human lung cancers including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are a leading cause of death, and while evidence suggests that basal stem cells drive SCC initiation and progression, the mechanisms regulating these processes remain unknown. In this study we show that β-catenin signalling regulates basal stem cell fate and subsequent SCC progression. In a cohort of preinvasive SCCs we established that elevated basal stem cell β-catenin signalling is positively associated with increased disease severity, epithelial proliferation, and reduced intercellular adhesiveness. We demonstrate that transgene-mediated β-catenin inhibition within keratin 14-expressing basal stem cells delayed normal airway repair while basal cell-specific β-catenin activation increased cell proliferation, directed differentiation, and promoted an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that included increased Snail transcription and reduced E-cadherin-mediated adhesiveness. These effects were recapitulated in normal human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro following both pharmacological β-catenin activation and E-cadherin inhibition, and mirrored our findings in preinvasive SCCs. Overall this data shows that airway stem cell β-catenin modulates cell adhesiveness to determine cell fate and its mis-expression is a key step in the development of human lung cancer.


A cDNA library prepared from human liver was screened for alpha 1-antitrypsin, a major constituent of plasma which functions as inhibitor of proteolytic enzymes. The library was screened using a 12-base-long synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide corresponding to a known DNA fragment of human alpha 1-antitrypsin and by hybrid-selection of alpha 1-antitrypsin mRNA. A plasmid, pULB1523, was identified carrying a cDNA insert of about 1400 bp coding for human alpha 1-antitrypsin. Restriction mapping and DNA sequence analysis indicated that the 1400 bp code for the signal peptide and for the complete mature alpha 1-antitrypsin molecule. In addition, a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoassay showed that pULB1523 expresses human alpha 1-antitrypsin in bacteria. Fusion of the alpha 1-antitrypsin sequence to the leader sequence of the beta-lactamase gene (plasmid pKT287) resulted also in the expression of the protein in bacteria.


In SW Niger, close to Niamey, a detailed hydrological survey has been developed for the last 25 years
over 10 000 km2 by the international experiments Hapex Sahel and AMMA. Quality and consistency
of these long-term observations allowed assessing the causes and the consequences of global
change in the region. The most original and paradoxical scientific result is the continuous rise of the
water table, proven to have existed even before, during the severe droughts of the 1970s and 1980s.
This rise (about 4 m in 40 years) is explained by a change in land use from natural woody savannah to
rain-fed crops that led to an increase in Hortonian runoff collected in numerous temporary endoreic
ponds where surface water infiltrates and recharges the aquifer. Our study focuses in a subpart of
900 km2, in the SE of the long-term site, where the water table has risen up to outcropping in the
lowest valley bottoms, and creating permanent ponds. Their number and size have increased over the
past 20 years, as well as the irrigated areas around them during the six-to-seven-month dry season.
We supplemented previous measurements with a dense hydrodynamic, geochemical and isotopic
(18O, 2H) survey as well as topographic campaigns (between 2013 and 2016). The new permanent
ponds reflect groundwater dynamics while ordinary temporary ponds only reflect surface dynamics.
Evaporation strongly affects the permanent ponds and increases significantly its electrical conductivity
(EC up to 1000 IS.cm-1) while the natural mineralization of groundwater (i.e. at distances larger than
200 m from a pond) is very low (EC between 20 and 100 IS.cm-1). This increase in salinity due to
evaporation is confirmed by the isotopic survey (18O, 2H), showing a progressive enrichment but less
than that of temporary ponds water. The use of groundwater for irrigation could avoid soil salinization
and also help to mitigate the impacts of rainfall variability on rain-fed crop production.


Analysis of a set of data space dimensionality reduction methods in image recognition problems is carried out. A problem of diagnosis of thyroid diseases with the use of images of cytological preparation is investigated. It is shown that the morphological image analysis combined with the method of diffusion maps makes it possible to obtain a higher recognition accuracy in the problem of diagnosis of a thyroid disease than with the previously proposed method based on the Fourier correction spectrum and selection of principal components.


This tramway, the main engineering feature of the goldfield, was difficult and expensive both to construct and to maintain, but without it mining was impossible. Involving three inclines and three levels, with a short trestle joining it to the battery, it served most of the mines, most of which were above it and linked by chutes or short tramways. It was neither cheap nor easy to operate, partly because of the topography and the weather. To construct it required much more financial assistance from the county council and the government than originally envisaged. Surveying the route took five months, and construction was prolonged as the cost escalated. Once in use it was found to need modifications and over the years many repairs were required. Miners claimed its charges were exorbitant, and because of the high cost of running it some wanted it leased, which did happen for a time. Whatever form of ownership and whoever was the tramway manager, it was never cheap to run and complaints about costs continued; and government financial assistance was obtained periodically, and reluctantly. After the First World War, the county was convinced to retain the rails and even to make more repairs, but the latter ceased after 1924 and the line was abandoned and became unusable. Not even the minor revival of mining during the Depression convinced local or central government to repair it, and in the early 1940s many rails were stolen. There were many accidents during its operation, but only one fatality.


A wave of publicity during the 1980s projected Santa Fe to the world as an exotic tourist destination--America's own Tahiti in the desert. "The Myth of Santa Fe" goes behind the romantic adobe facades and mass marketing stereotypes to tell the fascinating but little known story of how the city's alluring image was quite consciously created early in this century, primarily by Anglo-American newcomers.By investigating the city's trademark architectural style, public ceremonies, the historic preservation movement, and cultural traditions, Wilson unravels the complex interactions of ethnic identity and tourist image-making. Santa Fe's is a distinctly modern success story--the story of a community that transformed itself from a declining provincial capital of 5,000 in 1912 into an internationally recognized tourist destination. But it is also a cautionary tale about the commodification of Native American and Hispanic cultures, and the social displacement and ethnic animosities that can accompany a tourist boom.


Protein translocation and insertion into the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane are the essential processes mediated by the Sec machinery. The core machinery is composed of the membrane‐embedded translocon SecYEG that interacts with the secretion‐dedicated ATPase SecA and translating ribosomes. Despite the simplicity and the available structural insights on the system, diverse molecular mechanisms and functional dynamics have been proposed. Here, we employ total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to study the oligomeric state and diffusion of SecYEG translocons in supported lipid bilayers at the single‐molecule level. Silane‐based coating ensured the mobility of lipids and reconstituted translocons within the bilayer. Brightness analysis suggested that approx. 70% of the translocons were monomeric. The translocons remained in a monomeric form upon ribosome binding, but partial oligomerization occurred in the presence of nucleotide‐free SecA. Individual trajectories of SecYEG in the lipid bilayer revealed dynamic heterogeneity of diffusion, as translocons commonly switched between slow and fast mobility modes with corresponding diffusion coefficients of 0.03 and 0.7 µm2·s−1. Interactions with SecA ATPase had a minor effect on the lateral mobility, while bound ribosome:nascent chain complexes substantially hindered the diffusion of single translocons. Notably, the mobility of the translocon:ribosome complexes was not affected by the solvent viscosity or macromolecular crowding modulated by Ficoll PM 70, so it was largely determined by interactions within the lipid bilayer and at the interface. We suggest that the complex mobility of SecYEG arises from the conformational dynamics of the translocon and protein:lipid interactions.


A transcription factor regulates signaling in the developing mouse cerebellum and also influences cancer formation. The Atoh1 transcription factor is needed for normal brain development and is also implicated in some cancers of the brain. To study the latter function and avoid the perinatal lethality that follows early disruption of the Atoh1 gene, Flora et al. knocked out the Atoh1 gene in mice after birth. A few days after the genetic knockout, cells at the surface of the cerebellum had begun to differentiate earlier than normal. Overexpression of Atoh1, on the other hand, led to excessive cell growth and even preneoplastic lesions at the surface of the cerebellum. Atoh1 was found to regulate expression of the Gli2 gene, and thereby Sonic Hedgehog signaling, which normally keeps cerebellar precursor cells undifferentiated. A. Flora, T. J. Klisch, G. Schuster, H. Y. Zoghbi, Deletion of Atoh1 disrupts Sonic Hedgehog signaling in the developing cerebellum and prevents medulloblastoma. Science 326, 1424–1427 (2009). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Why do people support the harsh punishment of criminal offenders? Understanding public punitiveness is relevant because punitive measures have been increasing worldwide since the year 2000, while public perceptions are an important factor driving penal policies. These punitive trends have taken place even though crime rates have generally not increased and even decreased in many parts of the world. Punitive attitudes—understood here as general support for the application of harsh sentences to criminal offenders—have been captured measuring people's beliefs about specific sanctions and their intensity, the support for specific sentencing policies, and the evaluation of the penal system, among others. Research on the factors explaining public punitiveness can be broadly classified into two categories: utilitarian and retributive perspectives. According to the utilitarian perspective, punishment is a means to reduce future crime and control the behavior of offenders, usually through deterrence and incapacitation. From this perspective, punitiveness should be driven by concerns about high crime rates, fear of crime, and victimization experiences. From a retributive perspective, punishment serves a symbolic function by retaliating a wrong more than preventing future crimes. Two retributive and symbolic functions of punishment are discussed in the literature: On the one hand, it is argued that punishment helps clarify moral and normative boundaries; on the other hand, punishment can also help clarify status boundaries and maintain dominant groups' power. Other factors found to influence people's attitudes are political ideology (e.g., right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation), situational antecedents (e.g., the presence of a social threat or specific characteristics of victim and offender), and the media.


Coed team sports typically offer different experiences for women and men. Though scholars have documented gender imbalances in participation within such teams, the social psychological processes at play and the broader consequences of unequal participation have rarely been explored. In this paper, the authors revisit coed team sports through the lens of status construction theory and expectation states theory to suggest that coed teams reinforce gendered notions of worth, prestige, and competence in the field of sport. The authors draw on research showing that mixed-sex settings where people must cooperate to achieve a common goal are especially prone to the reproduction of gender stereotypes. This paper builds bridges between two subfields of sociology and illuminates gender dynamics in a coed sport that has not been previously studied (futsal).


Programming parallel sharedand distributed-memory architectures remains a difficult task. This contribution proposes a methodology for the hierarchical specification of pipelined parallel applications running on sharedas well as distributed-memory architecture. The methodology targets coarse to medium grain parallelism. The CAP methodology (Computer-Aided Parallelization) assumes that parallel hardware works as a factory producing cars. The important part of the analogy is the support for pipelining. Another important feature of the CAP methodology is its hierarchical and compositional nature. The methodology is supported by the CAP language extension to C++. The CAP extension translates to sequential C++ programs for application validation using conventional debuggers, to shared-memory parallel programs based on threads, and to distributed-memory parallel programs communicating using the PVM message-passing library. This contribution presents the CAP methodology, the CAP language extension, as well as an application of the CAP methodology to medical imaging. It also presents the current status of the CAP project.


The application of radiogenic isotopes to the study of Cenozoic circulation patterns in the South Pacific Ocean has been hampered by the fact that records from only equatorial Pacific deep water have been available. We present new Pb and Nd isotope time series for two ferromanganese crusts that grew from equatorial Pacific bottom water (D137-01, "Nova," 7219 m water depth) and southwest Pacific deep water (63KD, "Tasman," 1700 m water depth). The crusts were dated using 10Be/9Be ratios combined with constant Co-flux dating and yield time series for the past 38 and 23 Myr, respectively. The surface Nd and Pb isotope distributions are consistent with the present-day circulation pattern, and therefore the new records are considered suitable to reconstruct Eocene through Miocene paleoceanography for the South Pacific. The isotope time series of crusts Nova and Tasman suggest that equatorial Pacific deep water and waters from the Southern Ocean supplied the dissolved trace metals to both sites over the past 38 Myr. Changes in the isotopic composition of crust Nova are interpreted to reflect development of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and changes in Pacific deep water circulation caused by the build up of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Nd isotopic composition of the shallower water site in the southwest Pacific appears to have been more sensitive to circulation changes resulting from closure of the Indonesian seaway.


The past few decades have shown us myriad ways to form a family. Married couples and their biological offspring no longer define the dominant model, nor do they constitute the majority of domestic arrangements. But while contemporary culture tends to applaud social diversity, we cannot be certain that novel, highly individualized family formation is always consonant with child well-being. Further, courts and legislatures have been slow to acknowledge and accommodate domestic diversity. When judges and lawmakers do confer parental rights on a particular class of individuals, the results are not always equitable or even logical. The era of the traditional nuclear family may be past, but the task of legitimating, recognizing, and strengthening new parent–child bonds is just beginning.

Key Points For The Family Court Community

Even in light of its decreasing relevance, the nuclear family model continues to shape our perception of what a family should look like.
The presence of a biological tie between parent and child is not always dispositive of parental rights.
Despite the prevalence of nontraditional family forms, the notion of de facto parenthood continues to be hotly contested.
Stepparent families are America's fastest growing domestic arrangement. Yet, courts and legislatures are slow to accord legal status to nonbiological coparents, whether married or cohabiting.
The use of assisted reproductive technology is on the rise among same-sex couples as well as infertile couples and single parents. These families are greatly in need of legal definition and validation in order to function and survive as families.


Introduction Overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is associated with frequent hospitalisations which are expensive to manage and result in poor quality of life. The aim was to estimate the resource use associated with HE and hospitalisation in the UK. Methods The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) with linked hospital data from Health Episode Statistics (HES) was used to identify patients with a first diagnosis of liver disease between 1998 and 2012 and examine their all-cause hospitalisations. HE patients were matched to controls at a ratio of 1:1 by age, gender, year of diagnosis, duration and severity of liver disease. Hospital admission data (frequency and length of stay) were characterised from HES. Admissions associated with the index diagnosis of HE were excluded. Results 17,030 patients were identified with an incident diagnosis of liver disease, of whom 551 (3.2%) had a recorded diagnosis of HE. 389 patients (70.6%) could be matched to non-HE controls. Total number of primarily liver-related admissions was greater in the HE group with a crude admission ratio of 3.588 (95% CI 3.085–4.173; p < 0.001). In the HE group, a significantly greater proportion of liver-related admissions were through AandE (62.1% vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001) and mean length of stay was 8.0 days (sd 11.6) vs 6.8 days (sd 9.5) (p = 0.148) in the non-HE group. Following first HE event, patients had 18.2 primary care contacts per patient year compared with 8.7 for non-HE controls (p < 0.001). Conclusion HE was associated with increased risk of liver-related hospital admissions and increased GP attendances. Disclosure of Interest J. Orr: None Declared, C. Morgan Consultant for: Norgine;, M. Hudson: None Declared, S. Jenkins-Jones Consultant for: Norgine, P. Conway Employee of: Norgine, A. Radwan Employee of: Norgine, C. Currie Consultant for: Norgine.


We have characterized two different mutations of the human androgen receptor (hAR) found in two unrelated subjects with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS): in one, the external genitalia were ambiguous (partial, PAIS); in the other, they were male, but small (mild, MAIS). Single base substitutions have been found in both individuals: E772A in the PAIS subject, and R871G in the MAIS patient. In COS-1 cells transfected with the E772A and R871G hARs, the apparent equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) for mibolerone (MB) and methyltrienolone are normal. Nonetheless, the mutant hAR from the PAIS subject (E772A) has elevated nonequilibrium dissociation rate constants (k(diss)) for both androgens. In contrast, the MAIS subject's hAR (R871G) has k(diss) values that are apparently normal for MB and methyltrienolone; in addition, the R871G hAR's ability to bind MB resists thermal stress better than the hAR from the PAIS subject. The E772A and R871G hARs, therefore, confer the same pattern of discordant androgen-binding parameters in transfected COS-1 cells as observed previously in the subjects' genital skin fibroblasts. This proves their pathogenicity and correlates with the relative severity of the clinical phenotype. In COS-1 cells transfected with an androgen-responsive reporter gene, trans-activation was 50% of normal in cells containing either mutant hAR. However, mutant hAR-MB binding is unstable during prolonged incubation with MB, whereas normal hAR-MB binding increases. Thus, normal equilibrium dissociation constants alone, as determined by Scatchard analysis, may not be indicative of normal hAR function. An increased k(diss) despite a normal Kd for a given androgen suggests that it not only has increased egress from a mutant ligand-binding pocket, but also increased access to it. This hypothesis has certain implications in terms of the three-dimensional model of the ligand-binding domain of the nuclear receptor superfamily.


In 2003, Mitchell and Dorling undertook the first national level environmental justice analysis of air quality in Britain and established that there were clear inequalities in exposure to air pollution based on demography, poverty and car ownership. This paper updates and improves on their work looking at relationships between emissions and exposure a decade later. Using 2011 pollution data (NO2 concentrations and NOx emissions from road transport) in combination with socio-economic and demographic data from the UK Census, we present analyses of patterns of exposure at the level of small area census units. Then, using an enhanced version of the UK Department for Transport's annual vehicle safety inspection records, we spatially attribute the annual NOx emissions for private motor vehicles to the location of each vehicle's registered keeper. From this, it is possible to identify who are the highest emitters of traffic related pollution and to explore the relationships between responsibility for causing emissions and exposure to pollution. The research focuses on England and Wales and finds that despite a decade of efforts to reduce air pollution, significant inequalities still characterise exposure. Young children and adults, and households in poverty are much more likely to suffer from the effects of traffic than older people and more affluent households. Furthermore, it is these more affluent households that contribute most to traffic pollution through owning the most vehicles and generating the highest emissions.


Mimicking skin extracellular matrix hierarchy, the present work aims to develop a bilayer skin graft comprising a porous cotton-wool-like 3D layer with membranous structure of PCL-chitosan nanofibers. Emulsion electrospinning with differential stirring periods of PCL-chitosan emulsion results in development of a bilayer 3D structure with varied morphology. The electrospun membrane has fiber diameter ∼274 nm and pore size ∼1.16 μm while fluffy 3D layer has fiber diameter ∼1.62 μm and pore size ∼62 μm. The 3D layer was further coated with collagen I isolated from Cirrhinus cirrhosus fish scales to improve biofunctionality. Surface coating with collagen I resulted in bundling the fibers together, thereby increasing their average diameter to 2.80 μm and decreasing pore size to ∼45 μm. The architecture and composition of the scaffold promotes efficient cellular activity where interconnected porosity with ECM resembling collagen I coating assists cellular adhesion, infiltration, and proliferation from initial days of fibroblast seeding, while keratinocytes migrate on the surface only without infiltrating in the membranous nanofiber layer. Anatomy of the scaffold arising due to variation in pore size distribution at different layers thereby facilitates compartmentalization and prevents initial cellular transmigration. The scaffold also assists in extracellular matrix protein synthesis and keratinocyte stratification in vitro. Further, the scaffold effectively integrates and attaches with third-degree burn wound margins created in rat models and accelerates healing in comparison to standard Tegaderm dressing™. The bilayer scaffold is thus a promising, readily available, cost-effective, off-the-shelf matrix as a skin substitute.


The Laboratory Computer: A Practical Guide for Physiologists and Neuroscientists introduces the reader to both the basic principles and the actual practice of recording physiological signals using the computer. It describes the basic operation of the computer, the types of transducers used to measure physical quantities such as temperature and pressure, how these signals are amplified and converted into digital form, and the mathematical analysis techniques that can then be applied. It is aimed at the physiologist or neuroscientist using modern computer data acquisition systems in the laboratory, providing both an understanding of how such systems work and a guide to their purchase and implementation. Written by an expert in the field, the book presents: The key facts and concepts that are vital for the effective use of computer data acquisition systems; A unique overview of the commonly available laboratory hardware and software, including both commercial and free software; A practical guide to designing one's own or choosing commercial data acquisition hardware and software.


One thousand and forty-eight Phaseolus bean accessions were evaluated for resistance to six races of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola. The accessions originated from regions of the Americas and Africa where the disease is important and included wild type accessions and some known resistance sources. Resistance, graded on a five-point scale, was of two types: qualitative, which was shown to be race-specific, and quantitative. Race specific resistance genes (R-genes) were detected in 49.4% of accessions with the following gene frequencies: R1 (10.3%), R2 (0.3%), R3 (25.0%), R4 (35.0%) and R5 (0.2%).

Evidence for quantitative variation in resistance, in the absence of specific R-genes, was shown by the distribution of infection scores, 76% of accessions showing maximum susceptibility (grades 4–5), 23% showing intermediate resistance (grades 2–4), and 1% showing high levels of quantitative resistance (grades 1–2). The last 1% of accessions showed interactions which were not race-specific and it is suggested that they may possess race non-specific resistance. It is possible that several of the accessions in this category carry the recessive gene derived from PI 150414. Other accessions were of unknown parentage and may represent new sources of quantitative, potentially race non-specific, resistance. It is suggested that the combination of race specific and race non-specific resistance could provide an effective strategy for establishing durable resistance.


In this thesis, I investigate factors affecting the ecology and evolution of the dioecious fig Ficus montana, its pollinator Liporrhopalum tentacularis and the non-pollinating fig wasp Sycoscapter sp. E montana grows naturally in soils of varying nutrient quality. Under experimental conditions, with enhanced soil nutrition, both female and male plants responded in the same way, producing more leaves, stems and many more figs, but in female plants the figs were also larger, and produced more seeds. In male
plants the size of the figs remained unaltered. Female figs that contained more flowers produced more seeds, but male figs that produced more flowers did not produce more
female pollinators. Although the female pollinators laid more eggs in figs with more flowers, the number of female pollinators was differentially reduced by Sycoscapter
and other factors, cancelling out any male fig size effect.

The timing and frequency of foundress re-emergence from male and female figs was similar. Foundresses first started to re-emerge from figs of both sexes after about one
hour and after an over-night halt, keep on emerging through to the next day. Using a novel poisoning technique the rates of oviposition and pollination were found to be
rapid when the wasps first entered, but declined rapidly in both male and female figs. The likelihood of foundresses re-emerging from male figs was not influenced by wasp
age, flower number, or the timing of entry into the figs, but re-emergence was more frequent from older figs. Foundresses laid most of their male eggs early in an
oviposition bout. The responses of winged and wingless foundresses to varying foundress numbers were different, because the wingless foundresses laid smaller
clutches that were independent of foundress number because competition for oviposition sites was reduced. Consequently, wingless foundresses did not adjust their
sex ratio when the density of foundresses increased in a fig. Sycoscapter sp. oviposits two-three weeks after pollinator entry. There was no negative correlation present
between the number of pollinators and Sycoscapter sp. in the figs, suggesting that the latter might not be a parasitoid. However, in experiments where the numbers of
pollinators entering a fig was controlled, Sycoscapter sp. significantly reduced the number of pollinators. It is suggested that Sycoscapter sp.is a parasitoid, or inquiline.
It also did not affect the sex ratio of its host.


1. A bat was trained to fly in a tilting wind tunnel. Stereoscopic photographs were taken, both by reflected and by transmitted light, and measurements of best gliding angle were made.

2. Variation of wing span and area at different speeds was much less than in birds. This is attributed to the construction of the wing, which prevents the bat from folding back the manus in flight, because this would lead to collapse of the plagiopatagium.

3. The trailing edge of the wing is normally deflected upwards in flight, at least in the distal parts. This is interpreted as providing longitudinal stability. The plagiopatagialis proprii muscles appear to act as an elevator, by deflecting the trailing edge of the plagiopatagium upwards.

4. The speed range over which the bat could glide was 5·3-11·0 m/s. Its maximum lift coefficient was 1·5, and its best glide ratio 6·8:1. The Reynolds number range, based on mean chord, was 3·26 x 104 to 6·79 x 104.

5. A simple regression analysis of the glide polar indicated a very high span efficiency factor ( k ) and low wing profile drag coefficient ( Cdp ). On the other hand, a drag analysis on the assumption that k = 1 leads to an improbably large increase in the estimated Cdp at low speeds. It is suggested that the correct interpretation probably lies between these extremes, with k ≊ 1·5; Cdp would then be about 0·02 at high speeds, rising to somewhat over 0·1 at the minimum speed.

6. It would appear that the bat is not so good as a pigeon at fast gliding, but better at low-speed manoeuvring. On most points of performance, however, the two are remarkably similar.


Well-preserved Lower Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian) radiolarian fossils were obtained from black chert and shale of the Wakai complex in the Ikuno area, Tamba Terrane, Southwest Japan. These faunas are dominated by the genera Natoba, Canoptum, Ovumella, and Droltus. We defi ne a Natoba-rich Assemblage as one containing >10% Natoba in the nassellarian assemblage. This assemblage is also characterized by relatively high abundance of Canoptum and Ovumella (combined abundance >15% nassellarian assemblage) and a low nassellarian/spumellarian ratio (<0.2). Based on data from Lower Jurassic radiolarian faunas from Japan, the Natoba-rich Assemblage is very similar to the Canoptum Assemblage. These two assemblages both contain common Natoba and occur exclusively in fi ne-grained siliciclastic rocks and black cherts. Considering the global distribution of Natoba, the Natoba-rich Assemblage appears to be restricted to oceanic re- gions peripheral to the western Panthalassa and Tethys.


Optical scanning holography is a powerful holographic recording technique in which only a single two-dimensional scan is needed to record three-dimensional information. As in standard digital holography, for the reconstruction of a sectional image, the resulting data must then be postprocessed to obtain sectional content. We propose a blind sectional image reconstruction technique to automate the data processing. This reconstruction uses edge information to determine the appropriate Fresnel zone plates automatically and applies inverse imaging to recover the sectional images with significant suppression of the defocus noise. The experimental data used to verify the algorithm are measured from a physical implementation of the optical scanning holography system.


The following paper presents results from a longitudinal study about the importance and use of information and communication technology in Swiss small and medium-sized companies. In an empirical survey, 989 questionnaires were collected and analysed (return rate 17 %). The results were weighted according to company size and industry sector and are thus representative for Switzerland. The findings show that Swiss SMEs – in their self assessment – manage to gain (competitive) advantages from the deployment of information and communication technology. ICT is universally used (even) in (small and medium-sized) companies. There is a high degree of inter-organisational ICT use. ICT know-how and awareness are strongly rooted in management. The general conclusion is that IT matters for Swiss SMEs.


The first section of this chapter concerns scattering factors for the diffraction of electrons by crystalline solids. An explanation of the theory of scattering by a perfect crystal is followed by a discussion of the kinematical, two-beam and phase-grating approximations. Relativistic and absorption effects are considered. Extensive tables of atomic scattering amplitudes for electrons for neutral and ionized atoms are presented. The second section of the chapter briefly discusses the parameterization of electron atomic scattering factors. Tables of useful parameters as a function of accelerating voltage and elastic atomic scattering factors for neutral atoms are given. Complex scattering factors for the diffraction of electrons by gases are discussed in the third section of the chapter. This section includes tables of scattering factors of interest for gas-phase electron diffraction from atoms and molecules in the keV energy region. In addition to the tables and a description of their uses, a discussion of the theoretical uncertainties related to the material in the tables is also provided. The tables give scattering factors for elastic and inelastic scattering from free atoms. The theory of molecular scattering based on these atomic quantities is also discussed. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy on solids is discussed in the fourth section of the chapter. Topics covered include: the use of electron beams; single and multiple scattering; the classification of the different excitations in a spectrum; instrumentation; and the excitation spectra of valence and core electrons. The fifth section of the chapter describes oriented texture patterns. Lamellar and fibre texture patterns are discussed and applications to metals and organic materials are mentioned. The computation of dynamic wave amplitudes in then described in the sixth section of the chapter. This section deals first with the multislice method. The numerical procedure is outlined and factors that influence the choice of thickness of the slice are discussed. Two checks that can be performed during a multislice calculation are noted. The Bloch-wave method is then described. The use of Bloch waves to describe electron diffraction and electron imaging in thin crystals is outlined together with the concept of the dispersion surface. These emerge as natural solutions of the Schrodinger equation with a periodic optical potential to generate the elastic scattering and also the loss of intensity from the coherent wave field due to thermal diffuse and inelastic scattering. The Bloch-wave approach is a useful complement to the multislice method and provides a clear picture of wave propagation in perfect and imperfect crystals. In the seventh section of the chapter, the measurement of structure factors and the determination of crystal thickness by electron diffraction are described. The use of convergent-beam electron diffraction to obtain integrated intensities is discussed and the relationship between intensity features and the dispersion surface is explained. The last section of the chapter concerns crystal-structure determination by high-resolution microscopy. This technique allows the arrangement of atomic columns in thin crystals to be observed directly. The resolution of the best instruments is now slightly below 0.1 nm. The images usually show a projection through a slice of crystal about 20 nm thick, however tomographic (three-dimensional) reconstruction is now possible at nanometre resolution. The images show the host of microphases, grain boundaries, twins, line and planar defects which broad-beam methods, such as X-ray diffraction, provide the average scattering from. These defects often control the properties of crystals, engineering materials and electronic devices. Individual nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes and catalyst particles, may be imaged at atomic resolution. Fine twinning, polytypes, intergrowth of oxide phases etc. can be identified, and increasingly the detailed atomic structure of defects (such as oxide, superconductor and semiconductor interfaces) is being determined. Substitutional dopant atoms have recently been imaged for the first time. In biology the method is limited by radiation damage; however by summing many images of identical randomly oriented macromolecules, tomographic density maps can be reconstructed at subnanometre resolution from hydrated proteins which cannot be crystallized (e.g. membrane proteins). This section reviews the theoretical principles of high-resolution electron microscopy, including few-beam and structure image formation, effects of electron-optical lens aberrations, partial coherence, resolution-limiting factors, image-simulation methods, dynamical effects, and a summary of super-resolution schemes.

Keywords:

absorption;
atomic scattering amplitudes;
atomic scattering factors;
Bethe theory;
Bloch-wave method;
core-electron spectroscopy;
core-loss spectroscopy;
crystal thickness;
crystalline solids;
dielectric description;
dynamical diffraction;
dynamical wave amplitudes;
EELS;
elastic scattering;
electron diffraction;
electron energy-loss spectroscopy;
electron microscopy;
electrons;
free-electron gas;
high-resolution electron microscopy;
HREM;
hyper-resolution;
inelastic scattering;
lamellar textures;
lattice-fringe images;
molecular scattering factors;
multiple scattering;
multislice method;
oriented texture patterns;
plasmons;
real solids;
relativistic effects;
STEM;
scanning transmission electron microscopes;
scattering factors;
solid-state effects;
spectrometers;
structure factors;
surface plasmons;
texture;
wave amplitudes;
X-ray diffraction


This review compiles results of experimental and theoretical studies on thin films and quantum structures of semiconductors with randomly distributed Mn ions, which exhibit spintronic functionalities associated with collective ferromagnetic spin ordering. Properties of p-type Mn-containing III-V as well as II-VI, IV-VI, V-2 -VI3, I-II-V, and elemental group IV semiconductors are described, paying particular attention to the most thoroughly investigated system (Ga, Mn)As that supports the hole-mediated ferromagnetic order up to 190 K for the net concentration of Mn spins below 10%. Multilayer structures showing efficient spin injection and spin-related magnetotransport properties as well as enabling magnetization manipulation by strain, light, electric fields, and spin currents are presented together with their impact on metal spintronics. The challenging interplay between magnetic and electronic properties in topologically trivial and nontrivial systems is described, emphasizing the entangled roles of disorder and correlation at the carrier localization boundary. Finally, the case of dilute magnetic insulators is considered, such as (Ga, Mn)N, where low-temperature spin ordering is driven by short-ranged superexchange that is ferromagnetic for certain charge states of magnetic impurities.


ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters constitute one of the largest families of transport proteins. The occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in human cancer cells has been correlated with the over expression of human ABC, P-glycoprotein (Pgp). Streptomyces peucetius produces two anticancer agents, doxorubicin and daunorubicin, that belong to the anthracycline family of antibiotics. The organism is self-resistant to the potent effects of the antibiotics it produces due to the action of an efflux pump, DrrAB. Both Pgp and DrrAB carry out similar functions, but in two different cell types. An understanding of the bacterial drug transporter DrrAB is thus expected to help in obtaining a better understanding of the function and evolution of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein. In DrrAB, the catalytic and membrane domains are present on separate subunits, DrrA and DrrB respectively. How the catalytic ATP-binding domains and the membrane domains in transporters interact with each other, or how energy is transduced between them, is not well understood. We introduced several single cysteine substitutions in DrrB and then by using a cysteine to amine hetero-bifunctional cross-linker showed that DrrA interacts predominantly with the N-terminal cytoplasmic tail of DrrB. Within this region of DrrB, we also identified a sequence with similarities to the EAA motif found in importers of the ABC family of proteins, thus leading to the proposal that the EAA or the EAA-like motif may be involved in forming a generalized interface between the ABC and the TMD of both uptake and export systems. By using a combination of approaches, including point mutations and disulfide cross-linking analysis, we show here that the Q-loop region of DrrA plays an important role in dimerization of DrrA as well as in interactions with DrrB. Furthermore, we also show that the interaction of the Q-loop with the N-terminus of DrrB is involved in transmitting conformational changes between DrrA and DrrB. The scope of the present study further extends into identifying the factors involved in the biogenesis of the DrrAB pump. We have identified two accessory proteins namely, FtsH and GroEL that may be involved in proper folding and assembly of the transporter. INDEX WORDS: ABC transporter, Multidrug resistance, ATPase subunit, Transmembrane subunit, DrrAB, Q-loop, FtsH, GroEL, Disulphide cross-linking. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND ASSEMBLY OF THE DrrAB ANTIBIOTIC EFFLUX PUMP IN STREPTOMYCES PEUCETIUS


The holographic microscopy technique is a strong contender for dynamic three-dimensional (3D) measurement of small particles (typically smaller than 5 μm) in microchannels. However, there is a big challenge to accurately measure the size of such small particles. The traditional hologram reconstruction method was numerically investigated. It is found that the error level, especially for the size measurement, is higher than expected, even in an ideal situation without consideration of noise. An alternative way based on Lorenz-Mie (LM) calculations was then presented. The intensity distribution of the fringe pattern on the particle hologram is directly used and compared with the ones calculated using an LM-based program. Various cases for particle sizes from 0.5 to 5 μm and recording distances from 5 to 500 μm are tested. The results show that the accuracy in particle sizing can be significantly improved.


Food safety is an inherently complex agribusiness problem. Food safety is a result of the collective efforts of various members of the food supply chain in which each member's production, handling, processing and retailing practices jointly determine the safety of the consumed product. Although agency explanations have been offered as one potential solution to this research challenge, food safety also operates within a greater institutional setting. A theoretical framework that draws on an institutional approach is developed in which two sets of propositions are offered to explain the coordination and economic organization of food safety. Such a framework offers four contributions / implications to organizational economic and food safety research.


Background: Smoking is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. Graduates of medical schools receive limited training on tobacco cessation and are ill-equipped to treat tobacco dependence. In this paper, we describe and present evidence from an educational intervention based on a train-the-trainers model and problem-based learning strategy aimed to educate a large number of first-year medical students on tobacco-related issues. Methods: A survey assessing students′ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs was conducted before and after educational intervention. Tobacco experts from the faculty staff, who are trained problem-based learning tutors, served as facilitators in the problem-based learning setting with 1000 medical students. Results: Significant changes in knowledge and beliefs were observed. Items such as need for further training in cessation, importance, and effectiveness of brief advice showed significant variations after the educational intervention. Discussion: Educational intervention based on a train-the-trainers and problem-based learning approaches are feasible and effective to educate a large cohort of first-year medical students in tobacco issues. Further research is needed to find out whether this intervention improves overall patient care management.


Background: Universities, globally, and in South Africa, continue to be confronted with demands for transformation, humanisation of pedagogical practices and to embrace social justice. Aim: In this article, we bring to the surface possibilities of Ubuntu pedagogy within a social justice framework. We intersect Collective Fingers Theory and Social Justice Theory to propose the notion of Ubuntu pedagogy, which draws from African philosophy of Ubuntu . We argue that Ubuntu pedagogy provides an alternation to the current pedagogies that draw from European theories for teaching and learning in the South African higher education context. We put forward that, Ubuntu pedagogy, when embraced with understanding and dignity it deserves, has the potential, firstly, of initiating students from other cultures other than African cultures to the values of Ubuntu and, secondly, of reconnecting students with their values and cultures, but it has a capacity to cultivate social justice values of equity, recognition and fair participation amongst students from diverse social backgrounds. Setting: South African Higher Education. Methodology: The authors draw from literature to position the article within Ubuntu philosophical framework and social justice lenses. Themes emerging from literature are as follows: Intersection of Ubuntu philosophy and social justice, Ubuntu pedagogy and transformation in higher education and guiding principles for possible implementation of Ubuntu pedagogy. Results: At the intersection of Ubuntu pedagogy and social justice, classroom practices are designed to respond to students' cultural competencies and to embrace all linguistic repertoires that students bring to the classroom for learning. Students are treated equally and with dignity and respect regardless of their social backgrounds. Conclusion: We argue that higher education classrooms in post-apartheid South Africa should enable equal access, equity and inclusivity for all students. We therefore recommend Ubuntu pedagogy as a culturally and socially just pedagogy for transformative higher education classrooms. This article contributes to the continuing dialogues about transformative pedagogies, decolonisation and social justice in South African higher education.


Tests are crucial to know about the number of people who have fallen ill with COVID19 and to understand in real-time whether the dynamics of the pandemic is accelerating or decelerating. But tests are a scarce resource in many countries. The key but still open question is thus how to allocate tests across sub-national levels. We provide a data-driven and operational criterion to allocate tests efficiently across regions or provinces, with the view to maximize detection of people who have been infected. We apply our criterion to Italian regions and compute the shares of tests that should go to each region, which are shown to differ significantly from the actual distribution. JEL Classification Numbers: I18; H12


Proper brain development relies highly on protein N-glycosylation to sustain neuronal migration, axon guidance and synaptic physiology. Impairing the N-glycosylation pathway at early steps produces broad neurological symptoms identified in congenital disorders of glycosylation. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying these defects. We generated a cerebellum specific knockout mouse for Srd5a3, a gene involved in the initiation of N-glycosylation. In addition to motor coordination defects and abnormal granule cell development, Srd5a3 deletion causes mild N-glycosylation impairment without significantly altering ER homeostasis. Using proteomic approaches, we identified that Srd5a3 loss affects a subset of glycoproteins with high N-glycans multiplicity per protein and decreased protein abundance or N-glycosylation level. As IgSF-CAM adhesion proteins are critical for neuron adhesion and highly N-glycosylated, we observed impaired IgSF-CAM-mediated neurite outgrowth and axon guidance in Srd5a3 mutant cerebellum. Our results link high N-glycan multiplicity to fine-tuned neural cell adhesion during mammalian brain development.


Raising labor productivity is recognized as a critical factor for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty levels in Latin America. Low levels of education continue to be singled out as the main obstacle to higher productivity in the region. We examine the scope for education to lift labor incomes above poverty levels in Latin America and find that in many countries education, by itself, has a positive, but limited, potential to increase wages above a minimum level. In general, the prospects are dim because progress in raising average schooling levels has been slow even under the best historical scenarios. We also examine whether the apparent failure of education can be explained by low wage returns to schooling, and poor underlying conditions. We find that investments in education continue to have important payoffs but poor underlying conditions explain the modest prospect for the role of education in the short run. This leads us to consider what additional policies should be pursued in order to ensure higher productivity for workers in the region.


This paper covers the development of methods and equipment for reducing lateral noise propagation from seismic exploration vessels operating in the Alaskan Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Oil exploration activities are currently taking place or are planned, and there is a need for creating methods and equipment to reduce lateral noise propagation from seismic exploration. This project is supported by the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which has the responsibility and authority to ensure that oil and gas exploration and production activities are conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner. This research effort includes a literature synthesis and review to identify existing seismic exploration technologies (airguns) and involves developing promising methods and technologies that could potentially reduce the lateral propagation of sound from those airguns. Three principal areas have been explored: (a) Attenuating lateral noise with air bubble curtains, like has been shown in the literature, or with some special bubble curtain material, acting as a more solid curtain-like barrier, (b) Making arrays more directional, and thus narrow the cone of sound, and (c) Changing the structure of the airguns to reduce high frequency sound (noise) while maintaining the strong source signal needed for exploration purposes. This paper (a) describes our preliminary findings in each of the above areas and (b) shows that deploying bubble curtains outboard of the seismic arrays towed by the same exploration vessel can potentially produce the sought-after noise reduction, while the minimizing impact on the traditional seismic exploration operations.© 2009 ASME


We report on observations acquired by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), from 2000 June 10 to June 17 at the time of a SOHO-Sun-Ulysses quadrature. UVCS took data at 1.6 and 1.9 R☉ with a slit normal to the solar radius and centered along the radial to Ulysses. A streamer complex was sampled by UVCS throughout the quadrature campaign, giving us the opportunity to derive plasma parameters in different streamers and to compare them with plasma properties measured in situ. Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph images above 2 R☉ helped us understand the temporal evolution of the streamer complex. We derive densities, temperatures, and elemental abundances in two streamers, which have different temperatures and element abundances. In spite of these differences, both structures have the same first ionization potential (FIP) bias. The Fe/O ratio, which may be considered a proxy for the FIP effect, was measured in situ by the Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer aboard the Ulysses spacecraft. Values of Fe/O measured in the corona at the sites where in situ plasma originated agree with in situ Fe/O values.


This paper introduces a simple and easy to implement procedure to test for changes in persistence. The time-varying parameter that characterizes persistence changes under the alternative hypothesis is approximated by a parsimonious cosine function. The new test procedure is the minimum of a t-statistic, computed from a test regression that considers a set of reasonable values for a frequency term that is used to evaluate the time varying properties of persistence. The asymptotic distributions of the new tests are derived and critical values are provided. An indepth Monte Carlo analysis shows that the new procedure has important power gains when compared to the local GLS de-trended Dickey-Fuller (DFGLS) type tests introduced by Elliott et al. (1996) under various data generating processes with persistence changes. Moreover, an empirical application to OECD countries' inflation series shows that for most countries analysed persistence was high in the first half of the sample and subsequently decreased. These results are compatible with modern macroeconomic theories that point to changes in inflation behavior in the early 1980s and also with recent empirical evidence against the I(1)-I(0) dichotomy.


Introduction Mozambique is one of the poorest nations in the world and its health budget is heavily dependent on external funding. Increasingly, donors prefer to direct their funds through international non-governmental organizations instead of direct donations to the State budget. In the current climate of increased emphasis on health system strengthening, a strong and stable partnership between government and international non-governmental organizations is pivotal for health system strengthening in Mozambique. Methods the study evaluates the current partnership through a standardized survey to healthcare workers employed by international non-governmental organizations in health (INGO, private) and the ministry of health (MOH, public). Results of the survey have been analyzed only descriptively and no statistical evaluations have been performed. Results out of the valid 109 responses obtained 55.1% were from MOH cadres and 45.0% from INGO cadres. Most have been in the health sector for more than 5 years. Most of the respondents recognize that INGOs assist the government in strengthening the health system (71.6%), see the internal brain drain to INGOs and salary scale difference as major problems (70.6% and 78.0%); 87.2% reported that the coordination between INGOs and government needs to be improved. MOH cadres perceived the migration of cadres to INGOs and the need for improving coordination as major issues more acutely than their INGO counterparts (80.0% vs. 59.2% and 88.3% vs. 85.7% respectively). INGOs were perceived to offer better quality health services by 51.4% of respondents (of these 69.4% were INGO respondents). The quality of health services was alike between INGOs and MOH for 33% of the respondents. Conclusion through the various efforts outlined the MOH and INGOs are moving towards an environment of mutual accountability, joint planning and coordination as well as harmonization of activities; but there are still challenges to be addressed. Prioritization and increased funding of the planning unit and planning and cooperation directorate as well as strategies for workforce retention are urgently needed.


type="main"> We examine a crowdfunding platform that connects artists with funders. Although the Internet reduces many distance-related frictions, local and distant funders exhibit different funding patterns. Local funders appear less responsive to information about the cumulative funds raised by an artist. However, this distance effect appears to proxy for a social effect: it is largely explained by funders who likely have an offline social relationship with the artist ("friends and family"). Yet, this social effect does not persist past the first investment, suggesting that it may be driven by an activity like search but not monitoring. Thus, although the platform seems to diminish many distance-sensitive costs, it does not eliminate all of them. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the abilities and limitations of online markets to facilitate transactions and convey information between buyers and sellers with varying degrees of social connectedness.


Abstract. The paper presents a case study of the regional (≈150 km) morphological and optical properties of a relatively thin, 70–90 cm modal thickness, first-year Arctic sea ice pack in an advanced stage of melt. The study combines in situ broadband albedo measurements representative of the four main surface types (bare ice, dark melt ponds, bright melt ponds and open water) and images acquired by a helicopter-borne camera system during ice-survey flights. The data were collected during the 8-day ICE12 drift experiment carried out by the Norwegian Polar Institute in the Arctic, north of Svalbard at 82.3° N, from 26 July to 3 August 2012. A set of > 10 000 classified images covering about 28 km2 revealed a homogeneous melt across the study area with melt-pond coverage of ≈ 0.29 and open-water fraction of ≈ 0.11. A decrease in pond fractions observed in the 30 km marginal ice zone (MIZ) occurred in parallel with an increase in open-water coverage. The moving block bootstrap technique applied to sequences of classified sea-ice images and albedo of the four surface types yielded a regional albedo estimate of 0.37 (0.35; 0.40) and regional sea-ice albedo of 0.44 (0.42; 0.46). Random sampling from the set of classified images allowed assessment of the aggregate scale of at least 0.7 km2 for the study area. For the current setup configuration it implies a minimum set of 300 images to process in order to gain adequate statistics on the state of the ice cover. Variance analysis also emphasized the importance of longer series of in situ albedo measurements conducted for each surface type when performing regional upscaling. The uncertainty in the mean estimates of surface type albedo from in situ measurements contributed up to 95% of the variance of the estimated regional albedo, with the remaining variance resulting from the spatial inhomogeneity of sea-ice cover.


There is considerable uncertainty about the extent of mineral weathering and neosynthesis in arid soils. Although researchers have speculated that smectite neosynthesis can occur in soils containing opaline silica cement, no evidence has been presented to support this hypothesis. We investigated the mineralogy of two Aridisols in the western Mojave Desert, California, to study phyllosilicate distribution and origin in soils with opaline silica. The clay fraction of both soils is dominated by Al-rich, dioctahedral smectite, characterized by a Mg-saturated d(001) spacing of 1.52 nm and a d(060) spacing of 0.149 to 0.150 nm. This smectite is also present in silt and sand fractions of deeper horizons, where it exists mainly as microagglomerates of clay-sized crystals. Biotite is most abundant in silt and sand fractions of near-surface horizons of both pedons, where physical weathering is greatest. Deep, alkaline, silica-rich horizons of both pedons contain more silt- and sand-sized vermiculite than biotite, probably due to rapid chemical weathering of biotite to trioctahedral vermiculite. Clay-and silt-sized hydroxy-interlayered 2 :1 minerals are present in the upper horizons of these soils. Given the lack of gibbsite and substantial amounts of kaolinite and Al hydroxy-interlayered 2 :1 phyllosilicates, we propose that neosynthetic dioctahedral smectite was the dominant sink for Al released by feldspar weathering in these Aridisols. Silica not consumed in smectite neosynthesis can cement microagglomerates. We further speculate that minimal physical weathering in the alkaline, high-silica environment of deep horizons favors aggregation of smectites to silt- and sand-sized microagglomerates.


The primary objective of this study is to identify the differences in apparel fit ratings when represented by a 2D or 3D display in an effort to increase customer satisfaction and reduce the rate of returns, as well as develop an understanding of consumer shopping behavior. Phase I of data collection involved participants wearing apparel that fit properly and apparel that did not fit properly. 2D images were captured of the front, side, and back, along with 3D body scans for each category of apparel. In phase II of data collection, participants were asked to examine the 2D images and 3D scans collected and evaluate the fit of each while considering the overall fit, bust, waist, and hip regions. Simultaneously, the participants gaze, and fixation was recorded via eye-tracking technology. Participants then completed a survey regarding their online shopping preferences. When analyzing online shopping behavior, 70% of participants stated they purchased clothing online through online shopping. 80% of these participants stated they had returned an apparel item due to misfit within the last year. When asked what regions participants were primarily concerned with in terms of proper fit, the waist and pant length regions were most common follower by the hip and thigh regions. When analyzing the difference between 2D and 3D fit ratings, the waist region showed the greatest difference. When instructed to evaluate the fit of the given apparel item, participants focused mostly on the bust, underbust, waist, and hip regions. The sleeve length, shoulder, neck, and pant length regions were not considered by the participants. The current online shopping experience has several limitations and often misrepresents the fit of the apparel items. Customers typically only see 2D images of the apparel worn by a fit model. According to the study, a 3D display of the garment with a 360-degree rotation was highly preferred by the participants when evaluating the apparel fit. This offers a better understanding of the apparel fit upfront which would likely reduce the customers dissatisfaction after purchasing. As a result, there would be a potential decreased in the rate of returns.


Daoyin, the traditional Chinese practice of guiding the qi and stretching the body is the forerunner of Qigong, the modern form of exercise that has swept through China and is making increasing inroads in the West. Like other Asian body practices, Daoyin focuses on the body as the main vehicle of attainment; views health and spiritual transformation as one continuum leading to perfection or self-realization; and works intensely and consciously with the breath and with the conscious guiding of internal energies.This book explores the different forms of Daoyin in historical sequence, beginning with the early medical manuscripts of the Han dynasty, then moving into its religious adaptation in Highest Clarity Daoism. After examining the medieval Daoyin Scripture and ways of integrating the practice into Tang Daoist immortality, the work outlines late imperial forms and describes the transformation of the practice in the modern world.Presenting a rich crop of specific exercises together with historical context and comparative insights, "Chinese Healing Exercises" is valuable for both specialists and general readers. It provides historical depth and opens concrete details of an important but as yet little-known health practice.


This study evaluates the effectiveness of the City of San Francisco's Community Safety Camera (CSC) program. Chapter 1 describes the origins of the CSC program and the City of San Francisco's primary and secondary policy objectives for it, as expressed in the statements, technical choices, policies, and practices made by the Mayor's Office, the City's Board of Supervisors, the Police Commission, the San Francisco Police Department, and other entities and individuals that have played key roles in shaping the program as it exists today. Chapter 2 provides an empirical analysis of the CSC program's effectiveness in deterring crime, particularly violent crime. Chapter 3 analyzes the effectiveness of the CSC program as a investigatory and evidentiary tool, and considers the program's effectiveness in supporting the secondary objectives of facilitating community participation, oversight and accountability, and the protection of privacy and related interests. Chapter 4 considers the managerial and technical aspects of the system that span all objectives, based on our findings. Chapter 5 provides guidance and recommendations to the City for the CSC program based on its current objectives, and offers preliminary thoughts on possible alternatives the City may consider for the program.This report was sponsored by Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society at UC Berkeley.


Edward Bartoli, a Chicago attorney, was recently suspended by the Illinois Supreme Court for aiding nonlawyers in the unauthorized practice of law. Bartoli's argument? He claimed that he was merely running a multidisciplinary practice ("MDP"). The regulations governing such activity would soon change, claimed Bartoli, and thus he was only, "ahead of his time." Because of the apparent inevitability of MDP-reform, attorneys like Bartoli are contemplating the creation of, and participation in, multidisciplinary practices throughout the United States. State regulatory bodies will be faced with the difficult determination of whether sanctions are necessary in some cases and whether sanctions are prudent in others. And many professionals, lawyers and nonlawyers, will offer the same argument if pressed: "We're only ahead of our time." While it is not accurate to say that current professional responsibility and unauthorized practice regulations are of no consequence, those practitioners, "ahead of their time," give the profession something to consider in terms of a changing perspective. The issue of multidisciplinary practice will undergo more tumultuous debate and discussion. Lines will be drawn. Political factions will wage war with each other. Reform may be created in steps. But in practical terms, the revolution in legal services known as "MDP" is already here. We suggest that interested legal professionals devote considerable time and energy not merely to continuing discussions and debate, but to actually prepare for the reality of multidisciplinary practice. Once MDP is formally allowed and operated through an effective framework in the United States, both sides of this issue will have less about which to complain: MDPs will be organized and run within a system that attains efficient profits in an ethical manner. Perhaps the most basic and important issues surrounding multidisciplinary practice concern the organization and control of MDPs. This article n3advocates that the widespread practice of independent directors in publicly traded American corporations has much to offer both lawyers and nonlawyers in creating a workable framework for MDPs. Part II explores the reasons why the MDP issue is of great current concern. Part III analyzes the recent activity of the ABA Commission on Multidisciplinary Practice. Part IV presents an overview of the key arguments both for and against MDP-reform. Part V advocates the use of independent directors as one potential solution to the MDP issue. Finally, Part VI examines the use of independent directors as part of the five alternative business models suggested by the Commission.


The paper presents the authors' analysis of their own treatments of intraventricular bleeding and posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus in premature infants in the period from December 2009 to January 2016. Infants who are born before the 37th week of pregnancy are at a higher risk for perinatal complications. Intraventricular bleeding is a common complication in premature infants with low birth weight who are treated in units for intensive care and therapy. Infants who are most at risk are those with low birth weight (under 1,500 g) and born before the 30th week of gestation. According to data from literature, 30 – 50% of infants born before the 30th week suffer intraventricular haemorrhage. More severe haemorrhage results in posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus. High morbidity and mortality require an early recognition, treatment and regular follow-up of these infants.


Normalizing flows are invertible neural networks with tractable change-of-volume terms, which allow optimization of their parameters to be efficiently performed via maximum likelihood. However, data of interest are typically assumed to live in some (often unknown) low-dimensional manifold embedded in a high-dimensional ambient space. The result is a modelling mismatch since -- by construction -- the invertibility requirement implies high-dimensional support of the learned distribution. Injective flows, mappings from low- to high-dimensional spaces, aim to fix this discrepancy by learning distributions on manifolds, but the resulting volume-change term becomes more challenging to evaluate. Current approaches either avoid computing this term entirely using various heuristics, or assume the manifold is known beforehand and therefore are not widely applicable. Instead, we propose two methods to tractably calculate the gradient of this term with respect to the parameters of the model, relying on careful use of automatic differentiation and techniques from numerical linear algebra. Both approaches perform end-to-end nonlinear manifold learning and density estimation for data projected onto this manifold. We study the trade-offs between our proposed methods, empirically verify that we outperform approaches ignoring the volume-change term by more accurately learning manifolds and the corresponding distributions on them, and show promising results on out-of-distribution detection. Our code is available at https://github.com/layer6ai-labs/rectangular-flows.


Five transgenic squash lines expressing coat protein (CP) genes from cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV), zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus (ZYMV), and watermelon mosaic virus 2 potyvirus (WMV 2) were analyzed in the field for their reaction to mixed infections by these three viruses and for fruit production. Test plants were exposed to natural inoculations via aphids in trials simulating the introduction of viruses by secondary spread from mechanically infected susceptible border row plants. Plants of transgenic line CZW-3 expressing the CP genes from CMV, ZYMV, and WMV 2 displayed the highest level of resistance with no systemic infection, although 64% exhibited localized chlorotic dots which were mainly confined to older leaves. CZW-3 plants had a 50-fold increase in marketable yield compared to controls and the highest predicted cash returns. Plants of transgenic line ZW-20 expressing the CP genes from ZYMV and WMV 2 displayed high levels of resistance to these two potyviruses, but 22% became infected by CMV. However, ZW-20 plants provided a 40-fold increase in marketable yield relative to controls and good estimated cash returns. Three transgenic lines expressing single CP genes from either ZYMV (line Z-33), WMV 2 (line W-164) or CMV (line C-14) developed systemic symptoms similar to those of controls but showed a delay of 2 to 4 weeks before the onset of disease. Plants of transgenic line Z-33 were highly resistant to ZYMV but not to WMV 2 and CMV. Interestingly, Z-33 plants had a 20-fold increase in marketable yield compared to controls and some predicted cash returns if market sale prices were high. This study indicates that virus-resistant transgenic lines are economically viable even if they are affected by viruses other than those to which they are resistant.


Acoustic and shear impedance images, obtained from deterministic simultaneous inversion of a high-resolution crosswell seismic survey, were used to obtain the internal structure of Niagaran reef in Michigan. The crosswell seismic survey was conducted using two monitor wells external to the reef. These wells had depths that extended beyond the depth of the reef, and imaging used reflections from above and beneath the reef, resulting in the best seismic images of any Niagaran pinnacle reef obtained to date. The top of the reservoir can be clearly distinguished, as well as its lateral extent or dipping edges. Reflection events internal to the reef are evident; some are fairly continuous across the reef and others are discontinuous.


The human respiratory system consists of a series of structures and organs that inhales oxygen from the environment, holds it inside the body and expels carbon dioxide as waste product. Many techniques and instruments are available for evaluating respiration, the aim of this research is to: i) study the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) during different trimesters of pregnancy and do tests for ordinary non-pregnant women, which are performed by using Spirometer and PowerLab instruments and appropriate software; ii) study the influences of pregnancy on expiration of women, and iii) using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software to run t-test as an independent sample test, to compare the expiration of non-pregnant and pregnant women in the second and third trimester depending on their: Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF25, FEF50, FEF75), Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1), and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). The research was carried out on sixty-five women who performed PFT to obtain their Spirometric parameters. The results showed the differences in flow-volume and volume-time curves between the non-pregnant and pregnant women, while the results of the SPSS software showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between these non-pregnant and pregnant women in the third trimester specifically.