Telomeres are dynamic DNA nucleoprotein structures located at the end of chromosomes where they maintain genomic stability. Due to the end replication problem, telomeres shorten with each cell division. Critically short telomeres trigger cellular senescence, which contributes to various degenerative and age-related diseases, including chronic kidney diseases (CKDs). Additionally, other factors such as oxidative stress may also contribute to accelerated telomere shortening. Indeed, telomeres are highly susceptible to oxidative damage due to their high guanine content. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of studies examining telomere length (TL) in CKDs to highlight the association between TL and the development and progression of CKDs in humans. We then focus on studies investigating TL in patients receiving kidney replacement therapy. The mechanisms of the relationship between TL and CKD are not fully understood, but a shorter TL has been associated with decreased kidney function and the progression of nephropathy. Interestingly, telomere lengthening has been observed in some patients in longitudinal studies. Hemodialysis has been shown to accelerate telomere erosion, whereas the uremic milieu is not reversed even in kidney transplantation patients. Overall, this review aims to provide insights into the biological significance of telomere attrition in the pathophysiology of kidney disease, which may contribute to the development of new strategies for the management of patients with CKDs.


Only four globular cluster planetary nebulae (GCPN) are known so far in the Milky Way. About 50 new globular clusters have been recently discovered toward the Galactic bulge. We present a search for planetary nebulae within 3′ of the new globular clusters, revealing the identification of new candidate GCPN. These possible associations are PN SB 2 with the GC Minni 06, PN G354.9-02.8 with the GC Minni 11, PN G356.8-03.6 with the GC Minni 28, and PN Pe 2-11 with the GC Minni 31. We discard PN H 2-14 located well within the projected tidal radius of the new globular cluster FSR1758 because they have different measured radial velocities. These are interesting objects that need follow-up observations (especially radial velocities) in order to confirm membership and to measure their physical properties in detail. If confirmed, this would double the total number of Galactic GCPN.


The recent discovery of the magnetic ordering and the superconductivity in the UCoGe motivate the more detailed investigation of its properties. In this paper we study three mono-crystalline samples (prepared by different techniques) by means of the AC susceptibility. For this measurement the Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) from Quantum Design was used, using the simple self–made extension allowing transparent (for the user) measurement of AC susceptibility with the 3He option (major aspect will be discussed). Our result show strong dependence of the single crystal physical properties (possible suppression of superconductivity and magnetism) on the method used for sample preparation.


We introduce soft -sets on soft topological spaces and study some of their properties. We also investigate the concepts of soft -continuous and soft -open functions and discuss their relationships with soft continuous and other weaker forms of soft continuous functions. Also counterexamples are given to show the noncoincidence of these functions.


The aim of this study is to investigate the extraction of succinic acid from aqueous solutions by different organic solutions containing Amberlite LA-2, a secondary amine mixture. Extraction equilibria of succinic acid in the solution of Amberlite LA-2 in seven individual diluents at a temperature of 298.15 K have been measured. Using Bizek's approach, two acid−amine complexes, (HO)·(R2N) and (HO)·(R2N)2, are assumed to exist in the organic phase in the case of proton-donating diluents, while the complexes (HO)·(R2N) and (HO)2·(R2N)3 are suggested in the case of nonproton-donating diluents. Important data for the design of separation units have been obtained as a result of batch experiments. These data are distribution coefficients (D), loading factors (Z), extraction efficiencies (E), and overall extraction constants (K11, K12, and K23).


Design of compliant mechanisms requires both giving a structure flexibility that produces the kinematic performance and assuring stiffness to resist against structural failure. Presented in this paper is a mixed-integer programming approach to design optimization of a compliant mechanism realized as a frame structure consisting of standardized beam elements. In the optimization problem, the local stress constraints are addressed directly and the displacement of the output node is maximized. As an element-connectivity discretization, each member of the ground structure is divided into three components, one long member and two short joint elements, and the dimensions of cross-sections of joint elements are considered discrete design variables. Accordingly, the optimal solution of the proposed formulation contains no hinge-like region. The design optimization problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming problem and, hence, can be solved globally by using an existing algorithm such as a branchand-cut method. For solving large-scale problems we propose a heuristic local search, in which mixed-integer linear programming subproblems are solved sequentially. Numerical examples demonstrate that frame structures that can serve as compliant mechanisms are obtained by the proposed method.


This article gives a glimpse of the major changes that have occurred in the olive sector during the transition years. Briefly analyzed achievements and failures as well as some of the trends for the future. Olive cultivation has an old tradition in Albania since Antiquity, because of the great economic importance that has been and continues to be cultivated, but its importance has also increased due to the financial and economic value being taken from its sale at the present time in particular. Both for the nutritional needs and for the dietary values that this product has.


The noncompliance of anemic pregnant women in consuming blood-supplemented tablets can increase the risk of a stunting baby. This study aims to describe the non-compliance and causes of non-compliance for pregnant women with anemia in Gunungkidul Regency, the working area of the Rongkop Community Health Center in consuming Blood Plus Tablets to prevent stunting. The research was conducted using qualitative methods. The main informants in this study were 4 anemia pregnant women with criteria aged 15-24 years, pregnancy of the first child, gestational age in the second-third trimester, and having participated in Antenal Care services. Triangulation informants in this study were 4 husbands of anemic pregnant women and 1 midwife. The results showed that anemic pregnant women received blood-supplemented tablets from 4 months of gestation. The number of blood added tablets received is 60 to 90 tablets, of which 2 to 7 tablets are not consumed. The non-compliance of anemic pregnant women in consuming more blood-supplemented tablets is due to forgetting to bring them when traveling, forgetting to drink and falling asleep and husbands do not have the heart to wake up. In terms of knowledge, anemic pregnant women do not have sufficient knowledge about the benefits of blood supplemented tablets. The lack of knowledge is not only experienced by anemic pregnant women, but also in the families of anemic pregnant women. As for the factor of family support, anemia pregnant women received more dominant instrumental support, namely the family taking anemic pregnant women to have their pregnancy checked by health workers. So far, the role of health workers has only been giving orders to take medication, while no explanation has been given about the benefits of blood-supplemented tablets and their relation to efforts to prevent stunted babies.


Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) is a popular dietary supplement that has been shown to have a wide variety of beneficial actions. First brought into public consciousness as one of the key active components of red wine, proanthocyanidins are bioavailable in plasma and have potent antioxidant activity. Their free radical scavenging properties are greater than popular antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and GSPE shows a superior ability to protect cells against lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation. GSPE also exhibits cardioprotective effects by preserving myocardial function after ischemia and reperfusion, and reduces total cholesterol levels in combination with the anti-aging supplement chromium polynicotinate through a synergistic effect. GSPE has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, while encouraging growth in normal human cells and protecting normal human cells against the toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. Proposed mechanisms for GSPE's activity towards cancer cells include GSPE-modulated upregulation of bcl-Xs and JNK genes leading to apoptosis, as well as downregulation of bcl-Xl expression and mitogenic signaling to promote cell growth. Toxicity and mutation studies have demonstrated the safety of GSPE, supporting the use of GSPE as a health supplement.


Nylon 10 12, a newly industrialized engineering plastic, shows a double-melting phenomenon during melting. Partial melts were obtained when the sample was heated to the temperature between the two melting peaks. A differential scanning calorimeter was used to monitor the energies of the isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization from the partially melted samples. During isothermal crystallization, relative crystallinity develops with a time dependence described by the Avrami equation, with the exponent n = 1.0. For nonisothermal studies, kinetics treatments based on the Avrami and Ozawa equations are presented to describe the crystallization process. It was found that the two treatments can describe the nonisothermal crystallization from the partially melted samples. The derived Avrami and Ozawa exponents are all about 1.0, which means that the partially melted samples crystallize by one-dimensional growth, which may cause thickening of the lamellae. We calculated the crystallization activation energies for isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization from the partially melted samples. It was found that the activation energy determined by the Kissinger method was not rational, which may be attributed to the free-nucleation process for nonisothermal crystallization from partially melted samples. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1311–1319, 2003


We consider the robot localization problem with sparse visual feature selection. The underlying key property is that contributions of trackable features (landmarks) appear linearly in the information matrix of the corresponding estimation problem. We utilize standard models for motion and vision system using a camera to formulate the feature selection problem over moving finite-time horizons. We propose a scalable randomized sampling algorithm to select more informative features to obtain a certain estimation quality. We provide probabilistic performance guarantees for our method. The time-complexity of our feature selection algorithm is linear in the number of candidate features, which is practically plausible and outperforms existing greedy methods that scale quadratically with the number of candidate features. Our numerical simulations confirm that not only the execution time of our proposed method is comparably less than that of the greedy method, but also the resulting estimation quality is very close to the greedy method.


Info 2022 In this paper, the scientific sources analysis was presented. The peculiarities of the professional competence formation of the future patrol officers were determined. Moreover, the specifics of the service activity of patrol officers were considered. The original method for the formation of professional competence of modern police officers was substantiated and tested its effectiveness. The essence of this methodology was to introduce simulated situational tasks, aimed at forming the professional skills and abilities of future police officers. The pedagogical experiment involved students of the primary vocational training course applied in 2018 (n=183) who were studying at the center of primary vocational training "Police Academy" of the National Academy of Internal Affairs (Kyiv, Ukraine). An experimental (EG, n=93) and control (CG, n=90) group were formed. Cognitive and operational criteria evaluated the efficiency of the original methodology. The results of the pedagogical experiment indicated the greater efficiency of the original methods compared to the traditional one. A significant (р<0.05-0.001) improvement of the indicators "Knowledge of professional and practical course", "Professional and practical skills formation" and "The effectiveness of solving scenarios" was


The structural basis by which agonists, antagonists, and allosteric modulators exert their distinct actions on ligand-gated ion channels is poorly understood. We used the substituted cysteine accessibility method to probe the structure of the GABAA receptor in the presence of ligands that elicit different pharmacological effects. Residues in the α1 Met113-Leu132 region of the GABA binding site were individually mutated to cysteine and expressed with wild-type β2 and γ2 subunits in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Using electrophysiology, we determined the rates of reaction of N-biotinaminoethyl methaneth-iosulfonate (MTSEA-biotin) with the introduced cysteines in the resting (unliganded) state and compared them with rates determined in the presence of GABA (agonist), 4-[6-imino-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)pyridazin-1-yl]butanoic acid hydrobromide (SR-95531; antagonist), pentobarbital (allosteric modulator), and flurazepam (allosteric modulator). α1N115C, α1L117C, α1T129C, and α1R131C are predicted to line the GABA binding pocket because MTSEA-biotin modification of these residues decreased the amount of current elicited by GABA, and the rates/extents of modification were decreased both by GABA and SR-95531. Reaction rates of some substituted cysteines were different depending on the ligand, indicating that barbiturate- and GABA-induced channel gating, antagonist binding, and benzodiazepine modulation induce specific structural rearrangements. Chemical reactivity of α1E122C was decreased by either GABA or pentobarbital but was unaltered by SR-95531 binding, whereas α1L127C reactivity was decreased by agonist and antagonist binding but not affected by pentobarbital. Furthermore, α1E122C, α1L127C, and α1R131C changed accessibility in response to flurazepam, providing structural evidence that residues in and near the GABA binding site move in response to benzodiazepine modulation.


Abstract Our aim is to explore the close environment of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and its connection to the host galaxy through the morphology and dynamics of the cold gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of AGN feeding and feedback caught in action in NGC613 and NGC1808 at high resolution (few pc), part of the NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) project. We detected trailing spirals inside the central 100 pc, efficiently driving the molecular gas into the SMBH, and molecular outflows driven by the AGN. We present preliminary results of the impact of massive winds induced by radio jets on galaxy evolution, based on observations of radio galaxies from the ALMA Radio-source Catalogue.


Establishment of an appropriate level of diversity in an alliance portfolio has emerged as an important issue for managers if they have to steer business units in the unpredictable operating environment. This implies that firms that wish to leverage their competitive advantages through cooperation with other firms pursue strategic alliances as one of the viable options since it has been argued that a firm competitiveness level is influenced by the alliance that it forms. However, alliance formation among firms should generate the necessary synergy and towards this end, the diversity of the portfolio partners comes out prominently. The research sought to establish the relationship between strategic alliance portfolio diversity on firm performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The portfolio diversity practices investigated include embeddedness, reciprocity and status similarity. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey design with the population of the study being the 42 commercial banks operating in Kenya. Primary data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. The findings were that bank embeddedness reduced the level of information asymmetry among the partners and consequently enabling the alliance bank partners to create a common problem solving approaches. It was found that that reciprocity among the banks is manifested by their willingness to share proprietary knowledge among the alliance partners to limit their tendencies to pursue opportunistic behaviour. The findings also show that alliance portfolio characteristics are significant moderators of the alliance portfolio diversity-performance relationship. Reciprocity positively moderates the relationship while status similarity is expectedly found to positively moderate this focal relationship. The study concludes that strategic alliance portfolio diversity practice is much necessary in any organization for better functioning of all of its categories and makes effective management of commercial banks.


This paper presents a method of extracting 3D feature information using a pinhole camera model. We use image pairs which are obtained by a single camera mounted on a robot that is moving through a simulated environment. We compare the computation time-result of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and proposed method. We tested the result of a computation time on simulation as the camera moved. The proposed method are This proposed method reduces the computation time with preprocessing, and the reduction of computation time increases as the number of features and motions increase. This proposed method can be used to observe the environment of robot in real time.


A metagenomic analysis was performed on the soil samples from Poa alpigena grassland in the Sanjiangyuan region of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. The metagenomic results were studied to understand the effect of vegetation change on microbes in Poa alpigena grassland soil. A total of 62,724 ORFs with an average length of 188.9 bp were identified. The sequences were divided into different groups of NCBI taxonomy database and SSUrRNA database. Moreover, unigenes highly enriched in "translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis functions" (115, 18.7 %), "Transcription" (61, 0.10 %), "Amino acid transport and metabolism (51, 0.08 %)" and "Signal transduction mechanisms" (34, 0.06 %). Using KEGG analysis, we found that a large amount of genes were involved in "Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites", "Microbial metabolism in diverse environments", "Bacterial secretion system", Carbon metabolism and Amino acid metabolism, indicating that annotated unigenes might involve in the metabolic pathways in the response in soil restoration.


Data from the International Social Survey Programme (2001) was used to analyse the social networks of older people and whether living in single person households increased the risk of isolation. When comparing respondents with one or more adult children, there was no significant difference in the likelihood of experiencing familial isolation between people living in single person households and those living in larger households. A majority of those living in single person households had at least regular contact with a sibling, adult child or close friend and participated in a social organisation. Friends compensate to some extent for a lack of support from the family, although in southern and eastern European countries, other relatives appeared to be more important in support networks. People living in single person households were more likely to experience isolation, but this was largely related to advanced age and childlessness. Whilst a very small minority in Japan were living in single person households, they were significantly more likely to be severely isolated than those living in single person households in other countries.


Summary form only given. It has been found that the lowest-energy exciton in (C/sub 6/H/sub 13/NH/sub 3/)/sub 2/PbI/sub 4/ is so stable that the excitonic absorption peaks are clearly observable even at room temperature. It has been shown by four-wave-mixing (FWM) spectroscopy that it has large /spl chi//sup (3)/ value (10/sup -6/ esu) and fast response time (<7 ps) at the exciton resonance, and that the exciton-exciton interactions play an important role in the FWM processes.


Cherenkov radiation arises when a charged particle moves with a constant velocity that is greater than the speed of light in the surrounding medium. This radiation has distinctive characteristics. Near the charge, the electric field is most intense along a conical surface with apex at the charge-the Mach cone. In the far field, the radiation occurs predominantly in one direction-at the Cherenkov angle. An insulated antenna consists of a metallic cylindrical conductor covered by a concentric sheath of dielectric. In use, this antenna is embedded in a medium whose permittivity is often much greater than the permittivity of the insulation. When the antenna is excited by a pulse of voltage, a pulse of charge appears to travel along its length. The apparent velocity of this charge is close to the speed of light in the insulation, which, because of the difference in the permittivities, is greater than the speed of light in the surrounding medium. Thus, the radiation from the pulse excited, insulated antenna should be analogous to Cherenkov radiation from the moving charged particle. In this paper, the pulse-excited, traveling-wave insulated linear antenna is accurately analyzed using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. Results are obtained for the charge on the conductor, the near field, and the far field. These results show the striking similarity of the radiation from this antenna to Cherenkov radiation from the moving charge.


Background: The risk of developing Tuberculosis (TB) disease is considered to be up to 7-10% each year for persons who are infected with both Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and HIV, whereas it is of 10% over a lifetime for persons infected only with MTB. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of TB disease among HIV infected persons, based on different clues for tuberculosis9 positive diagnosis, in a TB burden area, Constanta County. Design: Prospective study started in 01 February 2009, ended in 31 January 2011. Material and methods: Evaluation for TB disease diagnosis was done in 51 HIV patients with initiated active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) after 1996 and included medical history, physical examination, Mantoux Tuberculin skin test, chest X-ray, Bactec 9050 blood culture results, bacteriological exam (Acid Fast Stains smear and Lowenstein Jensen cultures). All 51 HIV infected patients were monitored 2 years in order to diagnose the active TB diseases. Results: The study includes 51 HIV infected people, 22 male and 29 female, mean aged 20.5 yrs. The age of HIV infection range was between 6 months to 20 years. The risk of developing TB disease was of 21.5% (n=11/51). The prevalence of Pulmonary TB disease was greater (n=9/11;80%) than extrapulmonary forms. The symptoms of high fever, chronic cough, weight loss and dispnoea were more persistent and more severe for HIV infected patients. Tuberculin skin testing and chest X-ray evaluation were helpful for diagnosis. Only one case had positive bacteriological exam. Conclusions: The risk of developing active TB diseases at HIV infected people is much higher than studies reported. The bacteriologic exam is less helpful for TB diagnosis.


For a given set $\mathcal{L}$ of species and a set $\mathcal{T}$ of triplets on $\mathcal{L}$, one wants to construct a phylogenetic network which is consistent with $\mathcal{T}$, i.e which represents all triplets of $\mathcal{T}$. The level of a network is defined as the maximum number of hybrid vertices in its biconnected components. When $\mathcal{T}$ is dense, there exist polynomial time algorithms to construct level-$0,1,2$ networks (Aho et al. 81, Jansson et al. 04, Iersel et al. 08). For higher levels, partial answers were obtained by Iersel et al. 2008 with a polynomial time algorithm for simple networks. In this paper, we detail the first complete answer for the general case, solving a problem proposed by Jansson et al. 2004: for any $k$ fixed, it is possible to construct a minimum level-$k$ network consistent with $\mathcal{T}$, if there is any, in time $O(|\mathcal{T}|^{k+1}n^{\lfloor\frac{4k}{3}\rfloor+1})$. This is an improved result of our preliminary version presented at CPM'2009.


Moral hazard is a typical problem of modern economic system, if we consider its a central role in the events leading up to the (financial) crisis of 2008. Therefore, there is a need to better appreciate its nature and its role, if future reforms are to be well designed in order to prevent further crises, default, bankrupt, down the line. Along this perspective, the paper discusses a moral hazard perspective on recent financial crisis, from Enron bankruptcy, to Lehman case, through AIG, Bearn Stern, Citigroup bail out, commenting, eventually, selected rules contained in the Sarbanes Oxley Act issued by the U.S. Government in 2002. The paper, next, comments on recent crisis of four Italian banks and on the bail in recently introduced for European banks. Eventually, the paper focuses on the so-called "free-rider" problem, discussing pro and cons of selected financial instruments (e.g. credit derivatives), while offering from a technical standpoint with the help of an analytical approach. Francesco Busato (Italy), Cuono Massimo Coletta (Italy) BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES LLC "СPС "Business Perspectives" Hryhorii Skovoroda lane, 10, Sumy, 40022, Ukraine www.businessperspectives.org A moral hazard


This study investigates the effects of banking deregulation on county-level economic growth in the U.S. during the 1970–2000 period. Our main contribution to the literature is that we analyze both the direct and external effects of banking deregulation on local economic growth. For the regions South, West and Northeast, we find significantly positive long-run direct effects of intrastate branching deregulation on the expected growth rates of counties in the deregulated state itself, up to several percentage points. We also establish significantly positive long-run external effects on the expected growth rates of counties adjacent to the deregulated state, up to several tenths of percentage points. We do not find such robust effects for interstate banking deregulation.


It has been estimated that about 10 percent of all boys aged six to twelve years are hyperactive. Often, hyperactivity is associated with learning disabilities. Despite the apparent magnitude of this problem, no valid objective and reliable measures are available to quantify hyperactivity in children. This study discusses how objective measures, using sinus arrhythmia and force platform scores were developed and validated on 30 boys (15 hyperactive and 15 non-hyperactive) aged seven to twelve years. The results indicate that, when the above objective measures were used, 77 percent of all subjects were classified into their correct groups.


Abstract The production of blackberry in Colombia is a source of income and rural employment in 18 departments; however, the plant is affected by diseases such as gray mold, anthracnose and powdery mildew that can cause losses of up to 70%. The control of these diseases is mainly carried out with chemical fungicides such as benomyl, carbendazim and mancozeb applied every 7 or 15 days. Nevertheless, being a continuous fructification plant of weekly harvest, the proximity between the application of the pesticides, the harvest, and its consumption represents a health risk due to the residually of these molecules, condition that affects its innocuousness and sustainability. Accordingly, this work aimed to develop an integrated management strategy for these diseases. Two strategies were proposed integrating agricultural labors with applications of Tricotec®-Kendal® or Tricotec®-EcoSwing®, and three fungicides applied according to the incidence of each disease, compared with the diseases producer management. In 77 evaluation days the effectiveness of the strategies was assessed according diseases incidence reduction, on fruit production, environmental impact, using the environmental impact quotient in the field (EIQf), and the reduction of fruit pesticides residues. According to the results obtained, the strategy Tricotec®-Kendal® with applications of a fungicide based on azoxystrobin + difeconazole showed the lowest diseases incidence, averaging 3% for gray mold, 11% for anthracnose, and 21% for powdery mildew and the highest amount of fruit harvested averaging 5,668 g. The strategy showed the lowest EIQf (5.3) compared with a value of 81.50 obtained with the traditional producer management, as well as the least amount of pesticides residues, corresponding to azoxystrobin (0.10 mg/kg) and difeconazole (0.046 mg/kg); these, however, remained within the maximum residue limits for pesticides stated by the European Union for blackberry.


New symmetrical pi‐conjugated molecules having large third‐order nonlinear susceptibilities, χ(3), are reported. The χ(3) spectra of these molecules have been measured by a THG Maker‐fringe method. The magnitudes of the three‐photon resonant χ(3) reach 10−10 esu. The positions of the three‐photon resonance lie at the lowest‐energy peaks in the vibrational structure of each absorption spectra for these molecules.


SUMMARY The Globodera pallida SPRYSEC Gp‐Rbp‐1 gene encodes a secreted protein which induces effector‐triggered immunity (ETI) mediated by the Solanum tuberosum disease resistance gene Gpa2. Nonetheless, it is not known how the Andes orogeny, the richness in Solanum species found along the Cordillera or the introduction of the nematode into Europe have affected the diversity of Gp‐Rbp‐1 and its recognition by Gpa2. We generated a dataset of 157 highly polymorphic Gp‐Rbp‐1 sequences and identified three Gp‐Rbp‐1 evolutionary pathways: the 'Northern Peru', 'Peru clade I/European' and 'Chilean' paths. These may have been shaped by passive dispersion of the nematode and by climatic variations that have influenced the nature and diversity of wild host species. We also confirmed that, by an analysis of the selection pressures acting on Gp‐Rbp‐1, this gene has evolved under positive/diversifying selection, but differently among the three evolutionary pathways described. Using this extended sequence dataset, we were able to detect eight sites under positive selection. Six sites appear to be of particular interest because of their predicted localization to the extended loops of the B30.2 domain and/or support by several computational methods. The P/S 187 position was previously identified for its effect on the interaction with GPA2. The functional importance of the other five amino acid polymorphisms observed was investigated using Agrobacterium transient transformation assays. None of these new residues, however, appears to be directly involved in Gpa2‐mediated plant defence mechanisms. Thus, the P/S polymorphism observed at position 187 remains the sole variation sufficient to explain the recognition of Gp‐Rbp‐1 by Gpa2.


The rove beetle subtribe Xanthopygina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini) is a species‐rich group of 27 neotropical genera that contains some of the largest and most brightly coloured of all staphylinid beetles. The monophyly of the subtribe has never been tested before, using a large dataset of taxa and genes. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses are used on individual genes (COI, 28S rDNA, wingless, arginine kinase, CAD and topoisomerase I) and the partitioned concatenated dataset to test for monophyly and examine the relationships among Xanthopygina genera. Xanthopygina (excluding Philothalpus) are shown to be a monophyletic group with strong support values. The genus Philothalpus is removed from Xanthopygina and placed in the tribe Staphylinini as incertae sedis. Four distinct clades of Xanthopygina genera are recognized. The origin of Xanthopygina is hypothesized to be in the Late Cretaceous or later and the origin of myrmecophilous adaptations is discussed.


Genomic evidence supports an important role for selection in shaping patterns of introgression along the genome, but frameworks for understanding the dynamics underlying these patterns within hybrid populations have been lacking. Here, we develop methods based on the Wavelet Transform to understand the spatial genomic scale of local ancestry variation and its association with recombination rates. We present theory and use simulations to show how wavelet-based decompositions of ancestry variance along the genome and the correlation between ancestry and recombination reflect the joint effects of recombination, genetic drift, and genome-wide selection against introgressed alleles. Due to the clock-like effect of recombination in hybrids breaking up parental haplotypes, drift and selection produce predictable patterns of local ancestry variation at varying spatial genomic scales through time. Using wavelet approaches to identify the genomic scale of variance in ancestry and its correlates, we show that these methods can detect temporally localized effects of drift and selection. We apply these methods to previously published datasets from hybrid populations of swordtail fish (Xiphophorus) and baboons (Papio), and to inferred Neanderthal introgression in modern humans. Across systems, we find that upwards of 20% of the variation in local ancestry at the broadest genomic scales can be attributed to systematic selection against introgressed alleles, consistent with strong selection acting on early-generation hybrids. We also see signals of selection at fine genomic scales and much longer time scales. However, we show that our ability to confidently infer selection at fine scales is likely limited by inherent biases in current methods for estimating local ancestry from genomic similarity. Wavelet approaches will become widely applicable as genomic data from systems with introgression become increasingly available, and can help shed light on generalities of the genomic consequences of interspecific hybridization.


This study was conducted in Sao Miguel Island (Azores archipelago) providing the first evidence from Macaronesia of spear fishing impacts on fish communities. The shoreline was monitored during 10 months by access point surveys where 220 fishers were interviewed and 27 target fish species were identified. Mean sizes of top predators and highly vulnerable species were generally less than the respective minimum first maturation length. Species intrinsic vulnerability was moderate with an average of 46.7 (max. 100). There are indications that spear fishers, in the absence of high trophic level and larger species, target smaller and lower trophic level fish, atypical of a highly selective fishery. Daily bag limits were not respected in 36.9% of spear fishing operations and 59% of the catch from the area was illegally sold, a practice likely to have negative consequences for the commercial sector.


We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the spherical ferromagnet after a quench to its critical temperature. We calculate correlation and response functions for spin observables which probe length scales much larger than the lattice spacing but smaller than the system size, and find that the asymptotic fluctuation–dissipation ratio (FDR) X∞ is the same as for local observables. This is consistent with our earlier results for the Ising model in dimension d = 1 and d = 2. We also check that bond observables, both local and long range, give the same asymptotic FDR. In the second part of the paper the analysis is extended to global observables, which probe correlations among all N spins. Here, non-Gaussian fluctuations arising from the spherical constraint need to be accounted for, and we develop a systematic expansion in to do this. Applying this to the global bond observable, i.e. the energy, we find that non-Gaussian corrections change its FDR to a nontrivial value which we calculate exactly for all dimensions d > 2. Finally, we consider quenches from magnetized initial states. Here, even the FDR for the global spin observable, i.e. the magnetization, is nontrivial. It differs from the one for unmagnetized states even in d > 4, signalling the appearance of a distinct dynamical universality class of magnetized critical coarsening. For lower d, the FDR is irrational even to first order in 4 − d and d − 2, the latter in contrast to recent results for the transverse FDR in the n-vector model.


Background A clinical trial was conducted using 21 healthy adults randomly assigned to a saffron extract group or placebo group in order to confirm the increase of sleep quality by taking saffron extract. Objective To determine the effect of saffron extract on the sleep quality of 21 healthy adults. Trial design A clinical parallel, double—blind, randomized control trial (RCT)was conducted. Subgroups were defined by good sleeper or poor sleeper using a PSQI test for analysis. Method The participants, who gave self—report information, were under a randomized controlled trial(RCT)study designed for all participants receiving the saffron extract(crocin: 0.6 mg╱day)or placebo. Result There was a significant reduction in score for the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI)only in the group treated with the saffron extract. In addition, a significant saffron extract effect on daytime dysfunction over 4 weeks was apparent between the extract group and the placebo group in the subjects with poor sleeper at baseline. Conclusion Overall, the effect of saffron extract on sleep quality in healthy adults was observed. (UMIN000026112) (Jpn Pharmacol Ther 2018;46:1407‒15)


Human NRAGE, a neurotrophin receptor p75 interaction MAGE homologue, confers NGF-dependent apoptosis of neuronal cells by inducing caspase activation through the JNK-c-jun-dependent pathway and arrests cell growth through the p53-dependent pathway. Our findings showed that human NRAGE could significantly alter the cell skeleton and inhibit homotypic cell-cell adhesion in U2OS cells. With further experiments, we revealed that human NRAGE disrupts colocalization of the E-cadherin/beta-catenin complex and translocates beta-catenin from the cell membrane into the cytoplasm and nucleus. Synchronously, NRAGE also decreases the total protein level of beta-catenin, especially when NRAGE expresses for a long time. More importantly, knock down of NRAGE by RNA interference in PANC-1 cell significantly reinforces E-cadherin/beta-catenin homotypic cell adhesion. The data demonstrate the importance of human NRAGE in homotypic cell-to-cell adhesion and illuminate the mechanism of human NRAGE in the process of inhibition of cell adhesion, which suggests that human NRGAE plays a potential negative role in cancer metastasis.


A mathematical model for aerobic and anoxic degradation of organic components as well as nitrification in RBC systems is developed and verified against experimental experience after primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. The model considers biomass distribution within the biofilm as well as along a reactor chain. The simulation program is not yet ready for practical application but may well prove to become a design tool in the future.


The structure of Co/Pd multilayers has a strong effect on the localized anisotropy distribution within a film and on the resulting switching properties of nanostructures fabricated from identical material. By varying the underlying seed layer in sputtered films, the microstructure can be controlled from being highly (111) textured to having a random grain orientation. We find a strong correlation between the lateral homogeneity of grain orientations and the localized anisotropy distribution in the material. X-ray diffraction and reflectivity indicate that the interface is better defined and more uniform in the textured case, consistent with the presence of a strong interfacelike anisotropy.


The magnitude of microentrepreneurial activities plays a decisive role in the economic development of the rural livelihoods, especially in third world countries. Microentrepreneurship has always been considered as a proven instrument to fight poverty in an effective manner. As a consequence, poverty alleviation through rural centric microentrepreneurship development has been focused for more than the last thirty five years in Bangladesh. However, despite such initiatives, the state of microentrepreneurship in Bangladesh has not yet reached to a satisfactory level. There are a number of prevailing factors that thwart the development of microentrepreneurship in Bangladesh. Among all the factors, non-institutions encompassing various political, economic, social, cultural, technological, environmental and personal factors are affecting the scopes of operating these economic activities to a significant extent. This paper attempts to identify the key non-institutional barriers that hinder the development of microentrepreneurship in Bangladesh, and suggests a composite policy measure to overcome such encumbrances.


Accidental poisoning cases were abstracted from death record reports provided by the US National Center for Health Statistics for the period 1979 to 2015. A graph of the resultant death counts by year generated a tight exponential curve (R2 = 0.99) with growth rate of 9% per year and a doubling time of approximately 8 years. The mechanisms that have driven five continuous epidemic doublings of overdose deaths over a 37 year period, despite considerable variability in drug usage and drug control activities, are unclear. That this continuous exponential growth pattern began well before the onset of the current opioid epidemic suggests that deep sociological, economic, and technological factors may be operative. Regardless of underlying mechanisms, simple extrapolation of the fitted curve forecasts approximately 300,000 new deaths in the next five years.


OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a course of psychotherapy with a psychologist affected the frequency of patients' visits to their family doctors. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patients' medical records to determine the frequency of visits to their family doctors in the 6 months before psychotherapy, during therapy, and in the 6 months after therapy. SETTING: A teaching family medical centre in London, Ont. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three patients who had completed a course of psychotherapy between 1984 and 1991. INTERVENTIONS: Psychotherapy was provided by two psychologists employed at the medical centre. Patients did not pay a direct fee. The median length of psychotherapy was 12.5 1-hour sessions, and the therapeutic approach was eclectic and humanistic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of visits to family physicians before, during, and after psychotherapy. RESULTS: Frequency of visits to family doctors decreased both during and after psychotherapy. The decrease was especially apparent from before therapy to after therapy (49%, P < .001). Psychotherapy given by psychologists in a Canadian family medical centre appears to follow the pattern of the "offset effect," a reduction in medical use following psychotherapy, which has been demonstrated in other medical settings. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotherapy can be an effective and efficient part of total medical care for patients with complex psychological problems.


Evidence from organizational psychology for the benefits of goal setting for performance is promising, but it is unclear whether these findings also apply to preschool teachers. The present study explored this and found that preschool teachers' team goal setting was positively Bildungsforschung 2020/2 2 associated with pedagogical process quality in the domain of science education, but not language education and social-emotional support. 1. Background and objectives Early childhood education and care (ECEC) can make an important contribution to compensating for educational disadvantages at an early stage. High pedagogical quality is the decisive condition for its beneficial effects on children's learning and development (Anders, 2013; Sammons et al., 2009; Ulferts, Wolf, & Anders, 2019; Vandell et al., 2010). Hence, knowledge on the prerequisites of high pedagogical quality in ECEC is of high interest. Many studies have investigated the characteristics of the individual teachers in ECEC and their relation to pedagogical quality (e.g., Cryer, Tietze, Burchinal, Leal, & Palacios, 1999; Pianta et al., 2005; Slot, Lerkkanen, & Leseman, 2015; Stipek & Byler, 1997). In contrast, comparably little is known about how team variables of organisational quality relate to process quality and how they can contribute to high pedagogical quality (Resa, Groeneveld, Turani, & Anders, 2017; Slot & Nata, 2019; Strehmel & Ulber, 2014; Wertfein, Müller, & Danay, 2013). Literature from organisational psychology highlights the importance of goal setting for performance (Locke & Latham, 2013) and research on related topics such as successful leadership (Siraj-Blatchford & Manni, 2006) or effective professional development (Slot & Nata, 2019) in ECEC suggests that preschool teacher (team) goal setting could be of great value for ECEC quality. Anyhow, there is a lack of evidence about goal setting in ECEC and its relation to pedagogical quality. Drawing on data from a German evaluation study of a federal programme, which supports participating day-care centres in developing the quality of language education, the present study explores the potential of preschool teachers' team goal setting for creating high pedagogical process quality. Since the present study is embedded within the German ECEC system, which is different to other countries' ECEC systems in various aspects, the following section gives a short insight into the main characteristics of ECEC in Germany. 1.1 The German ECEC system In Germany, ECEC services follow a strong socio-pedagogical tradition and are as institutions embedded into the child and youth welfare sector. They mostly work in accordance with the situation-oriented approach which formed the base for many of the curricular frameworks of the 16 federal states (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, 2005; Haberkorn, 2012; Oertel, 1984). This child-centred approach emphasises learning as embedded into social situations emerging from children's play (Anders, 2015; Zimmer, 2007). As against other ECEC systems of other countries with a pre-primary approach focussing on fostering children's preacademic development, the promotion of children's social-emotional skills and personal values has been and still is a priority of German ECEC. Regulation of ECEC services is based on the principle of federalism resulting in a strongly decentralized ECEC system. Single ECEC providers are given high autonomy in the provision of ECEC. Centre-based ECEC is mostly run by either private or public service providers. Most of the providers are non-profit organisations such as church, welfare and youth organisations. Therefore, there is also great variety when it comes to pedagogical approaches and practices. For instance, between 2003 and 2007, all 16 federal states issued their own curricular framework (Textor, 2008). All curricular frameworks define learning areas, but they do not include any learning goals. Bildungsforschung 2020/2 3 While the vast majority of preschool teachers in Germany have completed a threeyear vocational training programme (Oberhuemer & Schreyer, 2018), there is a growing number of courses leading to a college or university degree in early childhood pedagogy. But the proportion of preschool teachers with a university degree is still very low (Autorengruppe Fachkräftebarometer, 2019). Most of the actual ECEC staff underwent training when fostering pre-academic skills was not yet considered a major educational responsibility of ECEC. 1.2 Pedagogical quality of ECEC Numerous studies have documented educational inequalities related to family SES already when entering school and that these differences are often very persistent (for a summary see Anders, 2015; Kluczniok, 2017; Passaretta & Skopek, 2018; Weinert, Ebert, & Dubowy, 2010). Recent results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed once again that in Germany, the link between family SES and educational success continues to be stronger than the OECD average (OECD, 2019). Since ECEC can make an important contribution to compensating for educational disadvantages at an early stage, the discussion about pedagogical quality in ECEC is currently of high interest. High pedagogical quality is the decisive condition for the beneficial effects of ECEC on children's learning and development (Anders, 2013; Sammons et al., 2009; Ulferts et al., 2019; Vandell et al., 2010). Against the backdrop of the importance of ECEC quality for children's development, it is the more worrying that process quality of ECEC in Germany seems to be rather low, particularly when it comes to promotion of early academic skills (Kuger & Kluczniok, 2009; Tietze et al., 2013). Thus, identifying preconditions for high process quality and measures for quality development is a great concern. Research on ECEC quality often draws on the structural-process model of quality in ECEC (Cryer et al., 1999; National Institute of Child & Human Development Early Child Care Research, 2000; Tietze, Roßbach, & Grenner, 2005). The model discriminates four main areas of pedagogical quality: Structural quality (relatively stable conditions of space and material, social composition and staff), orientation quality (e.g., preschool teachers' pedagogical beliefs, pedagogical concept of the centre), process quality (children's interactions and experiences with preschool teachers and material environment), and quality of family involvement. The model states that structural and orientation quality both contribute to process quality and quality of family involvement, which in turn are directly connected to the children's developmental outcomes. Although the structural-process model of quality describes global quality of ECEC, it can also be transferred to process quality in specific domains such as language education, early science education or social-emotional support (Kluczniok, Sechtig, & Roßbach, 2012). Besides, pedagogical process quality can also be distinguished regarding the level on which it is assessed: While most research considers process quality on the group level (for an overview see Smidt & Roßbach, 2016), a growing body of literature regards process quality on the level of the individual child (Jeon et al., 2010; NICHD ECCRN, 2006; Vitiello et al., 2012). In addition to the four areas of quality mentioned above, some researchers added the area of organisational quality to the model (Becker-Stoll, 2009; Sachverständigenkommission, 2005; Strehmel & Ulber, 2014; Viernickel, 2006). This area refers to organisational aspects such as leadership and management, team building and development, job satisfaction as well as cooperation, planning and professional exchange within the team of preschool teachers. While the characteristics of the individual teachers in ECEC and their relation to pedagogical Bildungsforschung 2020/2 4 quality have already been subject to many studies (e.g., Cryer et al., 1999; Pianta et al., 2005; Slot, Lerkkanen, et al., 2015; Stipek & Byler, 1997), comparably little is known about how team variables of organisational quality relate to process quality and how they can contribute to high pedagogical quality (Resa et al., 2017; Slot & Nata, 2019; Strehmel & Ulber, 2014). But interestingly, a study of Wertfein, Müller and Danay (2013) shed light into the meaning of team quality for process quality in ECEC. It shows that the effects of structural quality on process quality are mediated by team quality, implying that addressing team quality as part of organisational quality should form a crucial element of measures for developing process quality in ECEC. 1.3 Team goal setting and performance One aspect of organisational quality in ECEC that concerns both the centre head and the team of ECEC settings is the agreement on and communication of goals (Strehmel & Ulber, 2014). In the field of organisational psychology, there is a large body of research on how goals and goal setting affect performance. The goal-setting theory was developed by John Edwin A. Locke in the 1960s (Locke, 1968). It states that having specific, clear, difficult and accepted goals positively affects an individual's performance (Locke & Latham, 1990). Researchers identified four variables that mediate the effect of goals on performance. First, a clear, high goal focuses a person's attention and effort towards activities that are relevant for reaching this goal and away from irrelevant activities. In addition, it activates the individual's knowledge and skills that are beneficial for reaching the goal. The focussing effect of goals is referred to as choice or direction. The second mechanism through which goals affect performance is effort. Since effort depends on the demands of attaining a goal, it differs in proportion to the difficulty level of the goal. The third mechanism is persistence. It refers to the fact that people work longer at a task with a specific, high goal than with an easy or imprec


Address for correspondence Poonam Malhotra Kapoor, MD, DNB, MNAMS, FTEE, FIACTA, FISCU, Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India (e-mail: email@example.com). DOI https://doi.org/ 10.1055/s-0040-1710164 ISSN 2457-0206. ©2020 Official Publication of The Simulation Society (TSS), accredited by International Society of Cardiovascular Ultrasound (ISCU). J Card Crit Care 2020;3:55–58


The increasing request for mobile multimedia services have motivated relevant standardization efforts, such as the IP Multimedia System (IMS) to support session control, mobility, and interoperability in all-IP next generation wireless networks. Notwithstanding their increasing diffusion, IMS solutions still exhibit limited support for service scalability, especially for data intensive services such as mobility management, presence, and instant messaging, by omitting clear design guidelines and techniques to (re-)distribute incoming load dynamically. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it thoroughly analyzes the state-of-the-art literature in the field to clarify all main IMS scalability issues. Second, it proposes a novel and widely applicable architecture of solution based on three original guidelines: data-centric session management; differentiated management of intra-/inter-domain communications; service-aware load-balancing at both infrastructure and service levels. Preliminary performance results collected in the IMS-enabled wireless infrastructure at our campus demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposal.


Survival of patients with poor prognosis or relapsed haematopoietic malignancies can be markedly improved by allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HSCT reconstitutes the immune and haematopoietic systems after myeloablative conditioning and inhibits the recurrence of the malignancy by a graft-versus-leukaemia (GVL) response mediated by donor T cells. However, significant post-transplant complications such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) continue to plague the event-free survival of this curative procedure. GVHD is facilitated by donor T cells that recognise histocompatibility antigens on host antigen presenting cells (APC), such as dendritic cells (DC). Current treatment options for GVHD are focused on these T cells. However, these treatments result in an increased incidence of infection, graft rejection and relapse. A novel means of immunosuppression in GVHD is the use of multi-potent, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). MSC are non-immunogenic cells that actively suppress T cell function in vitro, and can resolve steroid-refractory GVHD in the clinic. Despite their use in the clinic, there is a paucity of pre-clinical data. Our aim was to investigate the in vivo efficacy of MSC to control GVHD while maintaining the beneficial GVL effect, and to begin to understand the mechanism by which MSC exert their immunosuppressive effects. We isolated and characterised MSC from murine bone/bone marrow and demonstrated that they suppressed T cell proliferation in vitro, even at low ratios of 1 MSC per 100 T cells. This was true of both donor-derived MSC, and MSC derived from unrelated donors (third party). Importantly, we observed that MSC significantly reduced T cell production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IFNγ in culture supernatants and that IFNγ plays a key role in the ability of MSC to suppress T cell proliferation. In vivo, we examined the effects of donor-derived MSC on GVHD severity and onset in two myeloablative murine models of HSCT. A major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched donor-recipient pair combination was used as a proof–of-principle model [UBI-GFP/BL6 (H-2b)aBALB/c (H-2d)], and an MHC-matched, minor histocompatibility antigen (miHA) mismatched donor-recipient pair combination was used to mimic MHC-matched sibling transplantation [UBI-GFP/BL6 (H-2b)aBALB.B (H-2b)]. We examined a number of variables related to MSC infusion including timing, dose and route of injection. We found that early post transplant infusion of MSC by the intraperitoneal injection was most effective at delaying death from GVHD, compared to pre-transplant infusion or intravenous injection. Furthermore, we found that the dose of MSC was critical, as infusion of too few MSC was ineffective and infusion of too many MSC exacerbated the development of GVHD. Taken together, these results suggest that timing, dose and route of injection are all important factors to be considered to ensure successful therapeutic outcome. To investigate the in vivo mechanism of action, we conducted timed sacrifice experiments in the MHC-mismatched model to determine if MSC altered cytokine secretion and cellular effectors, such as DC, known to play a key role in GVHD. Despite the fact that MSC given post-HSCT enter an environment full of activated DC and IFNγ levels, by day 3 and 6 post infusion, these activated DC and IFNγ levels are decreased compared to controls or mice infused with MSC pre-transplant (p<0.05). This confirmed our in vitro data that IFNγ played an important role in MSC-mediated immunosuppression. In addition, when we removed a major source of IFNγ production in vivo by administering the T cell depleting antibody KT3 to mice with or without MSC, we found that although T cell depletion prolonged survival, MSC were unable to further enhance this effect. This was also true when MSC were used in combination with the conventional immunosuppressant cyclosporine. Finally, we examined whether the infusion of MSC would compromise the GVL effect. We found that whilst MSC could delay the onset of GVHD, in our model they did not alter the anti-tumour effects of the donor T cells. Overall, we have shown that MSC can delay but not prevent death from GVHD when administered at an appropriate time and dose and that IFNγ is required for MSC-mediated immunosuppression in our model. These data suggest that patients undergoing HSCT should be monitored for IFNγ, and administered MSC when high levels are reached. Whilst MSC may be a promising therapy for patients with severe GVHD, we highlight that further investigation is warranted before MSC are accepted for widespread use in the clinic. The risks and benefits for transplant recipients should be carefully considered before utilising MSC to treat or prevent GVHD.


The produce cultivated by farm families are consumed and or sold in the market to generate cash which is used to meet other household needs. But the farm families also have to make food purchases at higher prices to supplement the short fall that may have occurred over time. This presents a Land-Income-Nutrition cycle; the study investigates the interplay of this nexus with socio-economic characteristics of farm families. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select a total of 74 farm families from villages. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The results show that farming and related activities (poultry production) are the major sources of income. Land use in the area consists mainly of sole cropping, mixed cropping, crop rotation. Average monthly income from farming is N 27,135.00, and N 17454.04 is spent on food monthly. The per caput calorie intake shows a short fall of 1353.33Kcal less than the international recommendations. The regression analysis shows that family size, income, food expenditure and source of farm land influence the daily calorie intake of farm families; the influence is not necessarily direct or linear. Improved market access through good roads and improved post harvest technology are recommended.


A case of acute intraoperative hypoxemia following placement in the lateral decubitus position in a chronic diaphragmatic hernia patient undergoing general anesthesia for hip arthroplasty is p resented. The patient had previously received a series of transurethral cystectomies under general anesthesia without any pulmonary complications, even though the patienthad a diaphragmatic hernia. Hypoxemia occurred after the induction of anesthesia and reposition, and surgery was subsequently postponed. The mechanisms proposed for the hypoxemia were a progressive compression atelectasis of the dependant lung caused by placement in the lateral decubitus position and the presence of the diaphragmatic hernia during anesthesia, and further reduction of the FRC of the dependent lung caused by mechanical ventilation. The patient was intubated with a left-sided endobronchial tube. After placing the patient in the lateral decubitus position, intermittent passive hyperinflation to the dependent lung and then positive pressure ventilation of both lungs was maintained to provide adequate oxygenation throughout the surgery. Therefore, differential ventilation using a double lumen tube is effective at improving hypoxemia of a patient in altered pulmonary compliance, such as in the lateral decubitus position with adiaphragmatic hernia. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2007; 53: 668∼71)


Aims: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with frequent extra nodal (EN) presentation. The overall occurrence of lymphomas has been increasing; however, those of EN-NHL have been increasing much more rapidly. There is limited data found on EN-DLBCL in the Indian population and hence we carried out this retrospective observational study of primary EN-DLBCL at our center in Southern India. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 consecutive cases diagnosed as EN-DLBCL (according to the standard criteria) by tissue biopsy confirmed by immunohistochemistry between 2007 and 2011 were included. Staging workup including computed tomography of neck, thorax and abdomen and pelvis, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was done and International Prognostic Index (IPI) calculated. Staging was according to Cotswold's modification of Ann Arbor. The actuarial survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier. Data were analyzed using the SPSS (version 16) statistical software. Results: The median age in this study was 49 years (18-88) with results showing EN-DLBCL to be 1.36 times more common in males. Advanced stages were seen in 15 subjects (16.6%) and bulky disease in 13 subjects (14.4%). CD20 was positive in 89 (98.8%) while 32 had high serum lactate dehydrogenase. According to the IPI most were low-risk-56 (66.6%). Overall response rate for the various combination chemotherapies was 85.7% with complete response in 62.3%. The overall survival range spanned from 2 to 123 months. Univariate analysis showed only bulky disease was associated with inferior survival. Conclusions: EN-DLBCL was present at an early age compared to nodal DLBCL, present more often in early stage and low IPI score. Chemoimmunotherapy with radiotherapy to the EN or bulky site is the standard treatment at present.


A novel approach for vision sensing and vision-based proximity navigation of spacecraft is presented. We have recently invented a new sensor which utilizes area Position Sensing Diode (PSD) photodetectors in the focal plane of an omni-directional camera. These analog detectors inherently centroid incident light, from which a line of sight vector can be determined. PSDs are relatively fast compared to even high speed cameras, having rise times of about ¯ve microseconds. This permits light sources to be structured in the frequency domain and utilization of radar-like signal processing methods to discriminate target energy in the presence of even highly cluttered ambient optical scenes. We have developed the basic concepts, designed ¯rst generation vision sensors based on this approach and carried out proof-of-concept experimental studies. Our results show that a beacon's line of sight vector can be determined with an accuracy of one part in 5,000 (of the sensor ¯eld of view angle) and at a distance of 30m with an update rate of 50Hz. In practice, measured directions toward four or more beacons would typically be used. We have also developed an associated six degree of freedom navigation algorithm that is readily applicable to rendezvous, docking, and proximity operations; we have veri¯ed that this algorithm is robust and compatible with real-time, on-board computational constraints. This paper summarizes analytical, computational, and laboratory experimental results supporting the e±ciacy and practicality of this approach.


This Note describe my own recollection of the first 30 years of Category Theory, it is not the result of any historical investigation. The choice of concepts and its evaluation is my own, necessarily subjective. It follows a chronological line along the 21 references in the bibliography. It is a faithful version, based on 10 manuscript transparencies utilized at a conference given in October 2013 at the fourth ENHEM (Escuela Nacional de Historia y Educac\`ion Matem\`atica) congress in Cali, Colombia. As such, its content is bounded by time, and it does not include anything that was not said there. Text is in spanish.


Epithelioid hemangioma (EH) and Kimura's disease (KD) were once considered different stages of the same disease, as they share many clinical and histopathologic similarities. Nowadays, they are considered as two different entities, but some authors still confuse these terms. Our objective is to present a case of EH occurring in a very uncommon location and to emphasize the microscopic and clinical differences between EH and KD. We present a case of EH of the orbit in an 83-year-old man diagnosed after histopathologic evaluation of a mass that was surgically removed from the orbit. The tumor showed typical microscopic appearance with pathognomonic epithelioid endothelial cells. The diagnosis was also confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. Our case clearly illustrates typical appearance of EH and the main differences between EH and KD are thoroughly discussed.


Numerical modeling was used to provide a new estimate of the amount of 137Cs released directly into the ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) after the accident in March 2011 and to gain insights into the physical processes that led to its dispersion in the marine environment during the months following the accident. An inverse method was used to determine the time-dependent 137Cs input responsible for the concentrations observed at the NPP's two liquid discharge outlets. The method was then validated through comparisons of the simulated concentrations with concentrations measured in seawater at different points in the neighborhood of the plant. An underestimation was noticed for stations located 30 km offshore. The resulting bias in the release inventory was estimated. Finally, the maximum 137Cs activity released directly to the ocean was estimated to lie between 5.1 and 5.5 PBq (Peta Becquerel = 1015 Bq) but uncertainties remain on the amount of radionuclides released during the first few days after the accident. This estimate was compared to previous ones and differences were analyzed further. The temporal and spatial variations of the 137Cs concentration present in the coastal waters were shown to be strongly related to the wind intensity and direction. During the first month after the accident, winds blowing toward the south confined the radionuclides directly released into the ocean to a narrow coastal band. Afterwards, frequent northward wind events increased the dispersion over the whole continental shelf, leading to strongly reduced concentrations.


To estimate the phase coherent length(L C) of electrons in semiconductor, triple-barrier resonant tunneling diodes (TBRTDs) with GaInAs/InP heterostructures were fabricated by using organo-metallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE). The current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics were measured at 4.2 K and 77 K. Moreover method of comparison between experimental and theoretical results is proposed. By comparing experimental result with theoretical result, the coherent lengths are estimated to be longer than 90 nm and 55 nm at 4.2 K and 77 K respectively.


Nigeria has the resources to be among the affluent and developed nations of the world, wherein her citizens could have the basic needs of life and can individually contribute to the development of the nation without exclusion. This is however not the case; Nigeria is fast becoming one of the poorest countries in the world as 45% of her population live below poverty level - on less than a dollar daily. The literary world is a reflective one, where the image of experiences and occurrences are reflected fictitiously or otherwise. Ethnographically, literature also documents the experiences of a group of people at different times, showing their hopes, aspirations, fears, agitations, socio-economic and religio-political development. The (present) economic condition that is prevalent in Nigeria should be of immense concern to all, the literary artists being no exception. Our focus in this paper therefore, is to examine the extent to which Yoruba playwrights have portrayed poverty as an endemic issue that is preventing individual and national development, especially in the light of the fact that the Yoruba are in all things religious. We found out among other things, that misrepresentation and misinterpretations of what qualifies a (Yoruba) person for Paradise as a Christian, is an important bane of the poor in taking the right steps toward rejecting poverty. This is apart from the non-provision of the basic needs of life by the state, in order to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Our suggestion is that empowerment through poverty alleviation programmes by concerned individuals, corporate bodies and the state particularly, will go a long way in coming to the aid of the poor. This is because unless the poor, who could have become poor by his ineptitude or by the prevalent government policies, is catered for, the average and rich persons cannot live their lives peacefully and to the fullest, without disturbance in one form or the other from the poor with their characteristic traits and vices.
Keywords: Absolute Poverty, Culture, Religion, Social Exclusion, Empowerment.


We examined 12 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded feline skin tumours which had the histopathological features of fibropapillomas for the presence of papillomavirus (PV) DNA using touchdown polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing and nonradioactive in situ hybridization. Nine of the tumours contained a 102-bp PCR product demonstrated using consensus PV primers that amplify a portion of the L1 gene. The nucleotide sequences are closely related, but not identical to that of ovine PV type 2, rabbit oral PV and reindeer PV. The deduced amino acid sequences had strong homologies with the major capsid protein L1 of deer PV, bovine papillomavirus (BPV) 1 and BPV 2, and European elk PV. Although PV antigens were not detected in any of the tumours by immunohistochemistry, PV DNA was demonstrated in individual mesenchymal cells or cell nests of 4/12 tumours by in situ hybridization. A nonproductive infection of mesenchymal fibroblast-like tumour cells with a papillomavirus would explain the lack of PV antigen expression and the absence of PV DNA in the hyperplastic epithelium. Because these tumours and their pathogenesis are similar to equine sarcoids, we suggest that they should be reclassified as 'feline sarcoids' instead of fibropapillomas.


In this paper, we take a detailed look at one Polish bank's experiences with financial sector reforms focusing on a bank-led enterprise-restructuring plan that linked directly bank privatization and recapitalization to bad-debt workouts. Based on personal interviews and original statistical data, we evaluate the performance of Bank Depozytowo-Kredytowy (BDK) in promoting financial and operational restructuring of its clients. We found that BDK continued to provide soft lending to keep four old military‐industrial companies afloat and actually increased its exposure to these companies during the program. The five success stories among BDK's clients were companies that had external agents other than the bank promoting and monitoring their operational restructuring. From our case study of BDK, we conclude that, while banks may play a role in financial restructuring of their clients, their ability to affect operational restructuring is quite limited. Moreover, stateowned banks are particularly vulnerable to incentive problems when dealing with large state-owned enterprises that may be too big or too political to fail.


This is the first book about black women's images, performances, and labors in the porn industry. Most criticism of pornography excludes the position of the black female pornographic producer or consumer. Still less discussed are the ways in which black women producers and consumers have sought pleasure, subjectivity, and agency in pornographic representations. This book takes on the important challenge of talking about one of the most controversial businesses (pornography) through the lens of its most marginal workers (black women). To illustrate the sexual economy I am presenting, and to provide readers with a shared vocabulary of visual culture, I have chosen to include images of the films, events, and people I discuss throughout the book. In over ten years of researching black women in pornography, I have grappled profoundly with issues of representation, racism, and violence in pornographic images. I have been called a pervert and a pornographer not only for writing about the history of black women's images, performances, and sex work in pornography, but for showing images from this history in various presentation formats. In this way, I have joined a history of what Sander Gilman has termed "academic pornographers." When Gilman first published his groundbreaking work on the iconography of the Hottentot Venus and early nineteenth century racialscientific inquiry into black female sexuality, he was also accused of being a pornographer. Gilman's amply illustrated study, published in the famed special issue of Critical Inquiry from autumn 1985, and his own monograph Difference and Pathology (1985), displayed images of Saartjie (Sara) Baartman's genitals as they were studied and eventually dissected and exhibited by French scientists. Although Gilman was accused of "bringing black women into disrepute"1 by showing these images, his work revolutionized the study of black female


1. In order to compare spatial and temporal variation in the demography of a metapopulation of house sparrows living on four islands off the coast of Northern Norway, we computed the asymptotic population growth rate (λ) for three transitions between years, using a projection matrix model.

2. The mean growth rate of the metapopulation was positive (λ = 1·05).

3. Large variation was found in space and time in the asymptotic growth rate. Even though the standard deviations of the estimates were large, λ was significantly greater than 1 on one island in 2 out of 3 years. In contrast, λ significantly less than 1 occurred on an island on five occasions.

4. Decomposition of the magnitude of the spatial and temporal components of λ showed that one year (1995) had a particularly negative impact on λ. In contrast, one island had a great positive effect.

5. These differences in λ were most closely related to variation in the juvenile survival rate and in the fecundity rate, which, in turn, was closely related to variation both in space and time in the proportion of the eggs that produced a fledgling.

6. As expected from the large spatio-temporal variation in λ, the sensitivities and the elasticities of λ to variation in the different elements in the projection-matrix also differed both in space and time. When λ was small, it was most influenced by variation in adult survival rate. In contrast, for large λ, it was most sensitive to variation in the recruitment rate.

7. We suggest that conditions during the breeding season determine whether a population acts as a source or sink in this temperate small passerine metapopulation, and that the ratio of juveniles to adults can be used to characterize populations as sources or sinks.

8. These results demonstrate large variation in space and time in the demography of a small passerine metapopulation. These differences result from a combination of regional effects on the whole metapopulation, and factors that occur at one particular island in a single year.


Abstract For a long time, the situation of students' learning in physical education (PE) was not optimistic, especially the basic movement learning after class, which lacked effective online learning tools. With the in-depth research of deep neural network and the rapid development of computer hardware, the artificial intelligence technology based on deep learning has performed well in the field of basic teaching. Therefore, in this paper, an intelligent teaching system of basic movements in PE is designed. First, the information of coordinate points is collected according to the Gaussian model, and the pose of students is estimated by OpenPose. Second, the overall architecture and functional modules of the system are designed. Finally, the deviation limbs that affect the standard of overall movements are identified by the matching algorithm, which realises the evaluation and feedback of basic movements in PE. Through this teaching system, teachers can obtain the learning situation of students' movements, and students can adjust their movements through the feedback, which achieves the convenient interaction of PE teaching.


Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been suggested as a sustainable alternative textile for apparel. Previous studies have evaluated the production of BC sheets and the suitability of these to form garment shapes. The laboratory measured physical performance characteristics of BC from an apparel perspective remain relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was to produce reproducible sheets of BC, enabling the evaluation of the performance of the BC in an apparel textile testing context, and comparison to other textile materials. Grown in sterile black tea with glucose, the BC presented as a mesh of non-woven nanofibers, and thus comparison was made with three non-woven fabrics. It has also been suggested that BC could be used as 'vegetable' leather; therefore, performance comparisons were conducted with animal skins. Utilizing British, European and International standard test methods, the selected fabrics were evaluated for their performance in tensile, elongation, moisture vapor permeability and abrasion tests, relevant for an apparel end-use. Tensile strength testing revealed that BC is weaker than its animal counterparts but does display similar physical characteristics at the point of failure; however, it displayed a higher tensile strength than the non-woven fabrics chosen for comparison. BC was the least breathable and most moisture-retentive of all the fabrics tested, raising questions regarding its suitability and comfort for apparel applications in its untreated state. However, BC displayed superior performance when tested for resistance to abrasion, suggesting it could be best utilized in the form of encapsulated patches in items subjected to this type of damage.


Purpose: This study was done to identify the relationship between perception of the importance and job performance of patient safety management. Methods: This descriptive study was performed using self-report questionnaires. Participants were 200 nurses who worked at 4 tertiary university hospitals where data were collected for 4 weeks in June 2016. Results: The scores for perception and performance were 4.28 and 4.37 points. A positive correlation was found between perception of the importance of patient safety management and job performance (r=.74, p〈.001). In regression analysis, the perception of the importance of patient safety management (β=.74, p〈.001) was a significant factor in the performance of patient safety management. The regression model was statistically significant (F=134.43, p〈.001) and the explanatory power of the model was 58%. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate a need to develop strategies to improve perception of the importance of patient safety management. Also, this data should be used as a basis to develop education programs to improve awareness of the importance of patient safety management.


A modified method for friction welding of incompatible materials was investigated. Friction welding of brass to copper, bronze to steel and titanium to nickel with different interlayer materials was performed, and varying degrees of success and mechanical joint strengths were observed. Metallurgical analyses and observations of the extent of metallic bonding and diffusion showed that incompatible materials can be friction welded with an interlayer and mechanically improved joints obtained.


The most ambitious and diverse survey of the book arts published to date, Book Art Object 2 serves as a record of the third biennial Codex Book Fair and Symposium, "The Fate of the Art," held in Berkeley, California in 2011. The event showcased contemporary artist books, and fine press and fine art editions produced by the world's most esteemed printers, designers, book artists, and artisans. In addition to showcasing 300 projects by 140 artists/printers, Book Art Object 2 also presents a selection of the papers delivered at the 2009 and 2011 symposium lectures: Paul van Capelleveen, The National Library of the Netherlands: Changing Books: Art and the Contemporary Dutch Private Press Book Richard Ovenden, Keeper of Special Collections and Associate Director, Bodleian Library, Oxford: Book Arts in the 21st Century Research Library Juan Nicanor Pascoe, Proprietor, Taller Martin Pescador, Michoacan: Fine Printing in Mexico: Taller Martin Pescador, Michoacan Antoine Coron, Head of Special Collections, Bibliotheque Nationale de France: Publishing Artists' Books in France Today Ron King, artist, History and Collaboration: Circle Press Also presented are 'dispatches' from renowned artists, printers, and curators including Johannes Strugalla and Ulrike Stoltz of Germany; Jason Dewinetz of Canada; Des Cowley of New Zealand; Sarah Bodmen and Tom Sowden of United Kingdom; and Sandro Berra of Italy.


The purpose οf this study is to review the existing literature on Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), while offering an overview of the "going public" process and highlighting certain aspects of this type of equity financing, such as underpricing, and to investigate for interrelations between corporate governance, firm value and performance upon the IPO completion. Firms undertaking an IPO have to adhere to a standardized process, which obliges them to reassess and enhance their management, and to develop corporate governance practices in alignment with the legislation and regulations of the State and the Stock Exchange, respectively. Changes on corporate governance level are of great importance for the post-IPO performance of the firm. Therefore, this study encompasses an empirical approach in an attempt to present findings that reveal significant effects of corporate governance characteristics over firm value and performance. This study employs a sample comprising 66 companies of the transportation sector listed on American stock exchanges.


Critics of Dewey's metaphysics point to his dismissal of any philosophy which locates ideals in a realm beyond experience. However, Dewey's sustained critique of dualistic philosophies is but a first step in his reconstruction and recovery of the function of the metaphysical. Detaching the discussion of values from inquiry, whether scientific, philosophical, or educational, produces the same end as relegating values to a transcendent realm that is beyond ordinary human discourse. Dewey's naturalistic metaphysics supports his progressive educational philosophy. The duty of education is grounded in its service to democracy; it must help students develop the ability to express, discuss, and develop their moral reasoning through experiential and experimental learning.


Most malignancies occurring in the oral cavity are squamous carcinoma for which radiotherapy as a treatment is the first choice. However, radiostomatitis, which occurs as a concomitant symptom due to radiation, largely disturbs the effect of radiotherapy. Antibiotics or a gargle are used to treat this concomitant symptom, but these preparations are not satisfactorily effective especially in cases in which the symptoms are severe and/or wide spread. Salcoat, a spray-type preparation of Beclomethasone dipropionate that is used to treat stomatitis, has excellent features which compensate for the disadvantage of the previously mentioned therapy. This preparation can be administered in a non-contact manner, and it contains hydroxypropyl cellulose which assures good adhesion to the mucosa, thus covering and protecting the affected area for a long time. In our clinical trials, this preparation was found to be highly useful in relieving pain and dysgeusia due to radiostomatitis, there by maintaining the quality of life.


Objective Prostaglandins (PGs) use for cervical ripening with small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses is controversial since it remains uncertain if use increases the chance of cesarean delivery (CD). We aimed to assess the association between PG use for cervical ripening and mode of delivery between SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates. Study Design Secondary analysis of the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b), a prospective observational cohort study of 10,038 nulliparas. We included women undergoing induction with nonanomalous fetuses in the cephalic presentation. Women with > 2 cm cervical dilation or prior uterine scar were excluded. We assessed the association of PG use with CD among women with SGA and AGA neonates. SGA was de fi ned as birth weight < 10th percentile for gestational age and sex. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders and test for interaction. Secondary outcomes included adverse neonatal outcomes, indication for CD, maternal hemorrhage


The modification of expressed proteins is critical to numerous applications in biochemistry and cell biology, including for fluorescence labelling for imaging and biophysics, for immobilization and affinity purification and for conjugation of small molecules and solubilizing groups. Strategies for protein modification can be broadly divided into categories based on the generality of the approach: methods which are specific for particular naturally-occurring amino acids, methods which require a specific sequence of amino acids and methods which require metabolic incorporation of unnatural, biorthogonal functional groups either in place of natural amino acids or as part of post-translational modifications. In all three cases, modern approaches to protein modification frequently rely upon the use of bio-orthogonal reactions in which functional groups with reactivity orthogonal to that found in natural biomolecules is used to direct protein modification.


Power grids are supposed to be fault-tolerant, but you doubt the premise when you consider daily outages in more populated parts of the world and more recent brownouts and blackouts globally. Power engineers have been pushing forward the frontiers of power systems, and the hard-fought battle against the darkness is supposed to have been won, but the struggle is by no means over. Indeed, the electricity grid today is faced more intensely with challenging issues concerning cyber and physical system security. The recent blackout in Turkey on 31 March 2015, which knocked out the transportation infrastructure in major cities, causing massive traffic jams, is a testimony to this claim. It also shut down vital services to thousands of offices for several hours, inflicting business and social losses (see Figure 1). Although widespread blackouts are regarded as low-probability events, they carry immense socioeconomic costs. In such events, the burden of responsibility often lies with extreme weather events, cascading failures, or similar low-probability, high-impact incidents. According to a report from the White House Council of Economic Advisors, severe weather is the major cause of power grid outages in the United States. Meanwhile, it is estimated that weather-related power outages cost the American economy more than US$300 billion between 2003 and 2012. The report calls for increased investment to enhance the resilience of the power grid against rising incidences of extreme weather such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, and blizzards predicted by climate models.


Multiple mating of females is widespread, and females often obtain direct and/or indirect benefits by mating with multiple males. However, female control of multiple paternity broods is usually only possible in internally fertilising animals with complex reproductive systems including cryptic female choice. Here we present direct evidence that a cooperative polyandrous cichlid fish with external fertilisation, Julidochromis transcriptus, uses environmental factors to manipulate male access to, and therefore paternity of, their egg clutches. Polyandrous females receive more paternal investment from both of large alpha males and small beta males than monogamous females. We used a 'step nest' design, in which large alpha males and small beta males were restricted to the wide and narrow nest areas respectively, and found that when kept in polyandrous trios, females laid their egg clutches exactly at the borderline between the two regions each male could access. In contrast, females in pairs laid their clutches in either the wide or narrow area depending on the size of their mating partner. Our results demonstrate that polyandrous females carefully choose egg deposition site, increasing the direct benefits they receive from mating partners by using environmental structures to manipulate paternity. In this way, externally fertilising J. transcriptus manipulate male behaviour in a manner similar to cryptic female choice in internally fertilising animals.


We studied the apoptosis-inducing properties of the antimicrobial peptide cecropin of Musca domestica in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line BEL-7402 and its underlying mechanism. Proliferation inhibition of the human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells and the human normal liver cells were determined by the MTT assay, and the cell viability was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion assay. The apoptotic tumor cells treated with cecropin were examined by transmission electron microscopy and terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling. The apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry (FCM) with PI/Annexin-V double staining. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR were used to determine the expression levels of proteins involved in apoptosis, such as Fas, Fas-L, caspase-8, and caspase-3. The experimental results showed that Musca domestica cecropin inhibited the proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells in dosedependent and time-dependent manners, without affecting the proliferation of normal liver cells. FCM showed that the cell apoptosis rates were 5.1+/-0.11%, 8.1+/-0.04%, and 10.9+/-0.15% after the treating with 100 mM cecropin for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. The rates of apoptosis were 5.4+/-0.14% and 8.0+/-0.13% after the treating with 25 and 50 microM cecropin for 72 h, respectively. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR showed that the apoptosisrelated molecules including Fas, Fas-L, caspase-8 and caspase-3 were activated. This study showed that the antimicrobial peptide cecropin-inducing apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells, which might be associated with upregulation of Fas, Fas-L, and caspase-8 and caspase-3 and triggering extrinsic apoptotic pathway.


PHYSICSU.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officials this week announced that a special review panel will take a fresh look at the science underpinning a $100,000 award that is intended to test a new method of transforming radioactive waste into harmless byproducts--a project which critics complain is based on the questionable principles of "cold fusion." The restudy represents a potentially embarrassing stumble for the department's new $19 million Nuclear Energy Research Initiative, which DOE officials pledged would use top-notch external reviewers to pick the best projects.


FSH activates the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/acute transforming retrovirus thymoma protein kinase pathway and thereby enhances granulosa cell differentiation in culture. To identify the physiological role of the PI3K pathway in vivo we disrupted the PI3K suppressor, Pten, in developing ovarian follicles. To selectively disrupt Pten expression in granulosa cells, Ptenfl/fl mice were mated with transgenic mice expressing cAMP response element recombinase driven by Cyp19 promoter (Cyp19-Cre). The resultant Pten mutant mice were fertile, ovulated more oocytes, and produced moderately more pups than control mice. These physiological differences in the Pten mutant mice were associated with hyperactivation of the PI3K/acute transforming retrovirus thymoma protein kinase pathway, decreased susceptibility to apoptosis, and increased proliferation of mutant granulosa cells. Strikingly, corpora lutea of the Pten mutant mice persisted longer than those of control mice. Although the follicular and luteal cell steroidogenesis in Ptenfl/fl;Cyp19-Cre mice was similar to controls, viable nonsteroidogenic luteal cells escaped structural luteolysis. These findings provide the novel evidence that Pten impacts the survival/life span of granulosa/luteal cells and that its loss not only results in the facilitated ovulation but also in the persistence of nonsteroidogenic luteal structures in the adult mouse ovary.


In this paper, we formulate the first law of global thermodynamics for stationary states of the binary ideal gas mixture subjected to heat flow. We map the non-uniform system onto the uniform one and show that the internal energy U(S*,V,N1,N2,f1*,f2*) is the function of the following parameters of state: a non-equilibrium entropy S*, volume V, number of particles of the first component, N1, number of particles of the second component N2 and the renormalized degrees of freedom. The parameters f1*,f2*, N1,N2 satisfy the relation (N1/(N1+N2))f1*/f1+(N2/(N1+N2))f2*/f2=1 (f1 and f2 are the degrees of freedom for each component respectively). Thus, only 5 parameters of state describe the non-equilibrium state of the binary mixture in the heat flow. We calculate the non-equilibrium entropy S* and new thermodynamic parameters of state f1*,f2* explicitly. The latter are responsible for heat generation due to the concentration gradients. The theory reduces to equilibrium thermodynamics, when the heat flux goes to zero. As in equilibrium thermodynamics, the steady-state fundamental equation also leads to the thermodynamic Maxwell relations for measurable steady-state properties.


The purpose of this research was to determine the methodology of land capability evaluation with regard to an array of objective limiting factors when growing, for example, perennial crops. The methodology of relief parameterization was used in the method for calculating geomorphological parameters, and pedometric mapping methods were used to calculate pedological variables. Inventory of the actual condition of land cover was made based on sketches and maps that were gathered during field research. These sketches were then geo-referenced and overlapped with LANDSAT satellite images to determine the actual situation. The best locations for a particular type of perennial plantation were selected by using logic and spatial queries. Best locations, in this example for vineyards, were identified as an area overlap, areas with, according to the spatial plan, either valuable, especially valuable or other arable soils, southern relief exposition with the total annual incident light >1, 208 KWh/m2, and the location where the relief slope is between 2 and 12% or where elevation exceeds 110 m and soil acidity does not exceed 5.6 pH. The query resulted in a simple map. The map shows areas which are either suitable for viticulture "1" or not suitable for viticulture "0". Analysis of the results obtained from the example revealed the methodology for development of thematic maps in geo-information systems (GIS) environment, a total of 17, 782 ha in the Osijek-Baranja County, Republic of Croatia, area is suitable for viticulture.

 Key words: Geo-information systems (GIS), thematic maps, resource management, spatial plan, land capability mapping, viticulture, European union (EU) pre-accession funds, Croatia.