Despite the ubiquity of the term "inquiry" in science education literature, little is known about how teachers conceptualize inquiry, how these conceptions are formed and reinforced, how they relate to work done by scientists, and if these ideas about inquiry are translated into classroom practice. This is a multicase study in which 14 preservice secondary science teachers developed their own empirical investigations—from formulating questions to defending results in front of peers. Findings indicate that participants shared a tacit framework of what it means to "do science" which shaped their investigations and influenced reflections on their inquiries. Some facets of the participants' shared model were congruent with authentic inquiry; however, the most consistent assumptions were misrepresentations of fundamental aspects of science: for example, that a hypothesis functions as a guess about an outcome, but is not necessarily part of a larger explanatory system; that background knowledge may be used to provide ideas about what to study, but this knowledge is not in the form of a theory or other model; and that theory is an optional tool one might use at the end of a study to help explain results. These ideas appear consistent with a "folk theory" of doing science that is promoted subtly, but pervasively, in textbooks, through the media, and by members of the science education community themselves. Finally, although all participants held degrees in science, the participants who eventually used inquiry in their own classrooms were those who had significant research experiences in careers or postsecondary study and greater science-content background. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 481–512, 2004


A new idea of using switching to enhance the transient stability of a transmission network is outlined conceptually and illustrated by means of a simple example where the technical implications are given. A realistic system is used to show the benefit of stabilizing switching for a long distance transmission scheme. Depending on the type of fault, where the most severe is the three phase short circuit, an increase of the maximum transmissible power of about 10 percent can be achieved by the switching scheme. The additional benefits of this scheme include reduced fault currents and minimized effects of unsuccessful line reclosure. This scheme also provides a possibility for applying other control devices in stability control, e.g. surge arresters, current limiters and MOS controlled thyristors in the future. >


The acceptability and digestibility of microcapsules with gelatin-acacia and nylon-protein walls to larvae of Crassostrea virginica were assessed. Larvae were observed to ingest and digest the microcapsules. Gelatin-acacia microcapsules were more digestible than the nylon-protein microcapsules. Results indicated that both types of microcapsules supported some growth of larvae. Larvae fed cod liver oil encapsulated by gelatin-acacia walls grew as rapidly as larvae fed algae. Results also indicated that microcapsule concentration affected growth rate.


Abstract Background and aims Vietnam implemented numerous measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 among school students, including study-at-home/self-quarantine. During the study-at-home period, adolescents may engage in more video gaming than usual, potentially contributing to gaming disorder. However, the regionally-representative prevalence of gaming disorder and its association with parenting practice and discipline practice have not been described. We assessed the prevalence of gaming disorder among Vietnamese adolescents during the initial 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associations between gaming disorder and parenting practice and discipline practice. Methods We conducted a school-based, self-administered cross-sectional survey of 2,084 students in Hanoi, Vietnam (response rate = 97.1%). The survey included standardized instruments translated from English to Vietnamese. We performed multilevel logistic regressions to assess the associations between parenting practice, discipline practice, and gaming disorder. Results The prevalence of gaming disorder among the respondents was 11.6%. Healthy parent-child relationship was protective against gaming disorder (Adj OR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.21, 0.62). Non-supervision, non-discipline, violent discipline were positively associated with gaming disorder. Discussion and Conclusions We found associations between gaming disorder and parent-child relationship, parental supervision, and parental discipline. Future interventional studies should consider assessing the effect of fostering healthy parent-child relationships and appropriate discipline on the occurrence or prognosis of gaming disorders.


A 3.4 V single power supply GaAs single-chip RF transceiver IC for 1.9 GHz digital mobile communication systems such as the Japanese Personal Handy Phone System (PHS) consists of both analog and digital circuits. The analog circuits contain a power amplifier (PA), an SPDT switch (SW), two attenuators (ATTs) for transmitting and receiving modes, and a low-noise amplifier (LNA). The digital circuits contain a negative voltage generator (NVG) for single voltage operation and a logic circuit to control the analog circuits and the NVG.


Extracts from plant tissue are a rich source of lead compounds for nutraceutical or pharmaceutical applications. Nevertheless, the concentration of added value compounds in the plants extracts is usually lower than 1–2%. As consequence, a search for new improved, more efficient technologies combined with solvent engineering has emerged in the last years. In this work, we evaluate the performance of ionic liquids (ILs) as additives in the extraction of saponins and polyphenols from tea and mate. Two families of ILs, imidazolium- and cholinium-based, combined with a wide variety of hydrophilic anions, have been tested. The influence of several parameters such as ionic liquid chemical structure, water content, solvent/raw material ratio, temperature, and contact time period was evaluated. The best performing IL in the extraction of saponins and polyphenols was chosen to pursue to the concentration step using ILs-based aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) were tested. Finally, the saponins and polyphenols existent ...


To assess different approaches to traffic light control design, a systematic literature review was conducted, covering publications from 2006 to 2020. The review's aim was to gather and examine all studies that looked at road traffic and congestion issues. As well, it aims to extract and analyze protruding techniques from selected research articles in order to provide researchers and practitioners with recommendations and solutions. The research approach has placed a strong emphasis on planning, performing the analysis, and reporting the results. According to the results of the study, there has yet to be developed a specific design that senses road traffic and provides intelligent solutions. Dynamic time intervals, learning capability, emergency priority management, and intelligent functionality are all missing from the conventional design approach. While learning skills in the adaptive self-organization strategy were missed. Nonetheless, the vast majority of intelligent design approach papers lacked intelligent fear tires and learning abilities.


The adsorption of phosphate on manganese dioxide (δMnO2) was determined in seawater as a function of pH, temperature, and salinity. The adsorption in a simple electrolyte solution (0.7 M NaCl) was adequately fitted using the triple-layer surface complexation model, assuming that phosphate formed outer-sphere complexes on the surface of δMnO2. SO42- and humic acid were found to suppress the adsorption at low pH, but had no effect in the pH range of seawater. The addition of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in 0.7 M NaCl was found to enhance the adsorption of phosphate on δMnO2 at pH > 4. This increased adsorption might be due to the changes in both the surface charge of δMnO2 and the solution speciation of phosphate in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+. The results suggest that manganese oxides can act as important adsorbents of phosphate in natural waters, as well as in surface sediments, when they are present at higher concentrations than other reactive constituents, such as iron and aluminum oxides.


Background: Genomic profiling of primary TNBC may not reflect the lethal metastatic (mTNBC) lesions that constitute a selected subclone of the primary tumor. Moreover, while the stroma microenvironment of primary tumors has been the subject of study, almost nothing is known about the stromal microenvironment of metastasis. We conducted proteomic signal pathway network analysis of microdissected tumor cells and stroma from mTNBC samples for which whole genome sequencing was known. We addressed the following questions: 1) Can potentially actionable driver mutations in the metastasis be inferred from the activated/ suppressed protein signaling pathways in the tumor cells? 2) Are the tumor cell signaling pathways different between local and distant metastasis? 3) Does the proteomic signaling profile of the stroma provide strategies for stromal therapy of mTNBC? Methods: Enriched populations of mTNBC cells and adjacent stromal cells were collected by Laser Capture Microdissection from 13 fresh frozen mTNBC samples. Signal pathway profiling of 130 protein and/or phosphoprotein endpoints were quantified by reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA). The samples represented local (regional lymph node and chest wall) (n=7) and distant (n=6) metastasis. Spearman rho correlation analysis identified pair-wise protein linakges (rho=0.8, p Results: We compared the protein signaling network of the tumor and matched stroma to investigate tumor-stroma crosstalk, and also to the genomic alterations (GAs) in the same tumor. GAs in mTNBC fell into two major categories: DNA repair or cell cycle/growth factor signaling. Proteomic analysis confirmed the down-regulation of endocrine (ER, AR, PR) and HER2 pathways. PhosphoJAK1/2 and phosphoHer3 were markedly down-regulated in mTNBCs, while EGFR and Her4 signaling were not. Spearman rho pairwise correlations revealed differences between local and distant metastases as well as between local and distant stroma. Cyclin D1 in locally metastatic tumor cells was linked with Autotaxin, PLCgamma and RUNX1, whereas in distant metastatic tumor cells, Cyclin D1 was linked with HIF-1alpha, phosphoJAK1, and HSP70. Growth factor signaling via phosphoEFGR was more prevalent in distant mTNBC tumor samples (322 linkages) compared to local mTNBC tumor samples (146 linkages). Distant stromal cell linkages were dominated by growth factor (phospho mTOR) and immune cell crosstalk, e.g. 21 linkages between CD63 in distant stromal samples compared to 1 CD63 linkage in local stromal cells. Discussion: Proteomic signal pathway data can stratify metastatic lesions into functionally important groups based on a) clinical phenotype (distant versus local metastasis) and b) GA subtype (DNA repair vs growth factor signaling), thereby providing new actionable strategies for novel therapies, e.g. anti-JAK1 and anti-HSP70, and providing a means to prioritize potential driver mutations. Profiling the signal pathway network of mTNBC stroma, for the first time, provides novel strategies for targeting immune cell and mTOR pathways, for new classes of stromal therapy. Citation Format: Virginia Espina, Maren K Levin, John D Carpten, David W Craig, Daniel Von Hoff, Lance A Liotta, Joyce O9Shaughnessy. Triple negative breast cancer metastases: Protein signal transduction networks within the tumor-stromal microenvironment complement genomic analysis and stratify local versus distant metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-07-05.


Abstract Background: Water quality degradation is one of the major challenges especially in under developed and developing countries and Nepal is no exception from it. Adequate water quality and quantity is one of the greatest factors affecting human and ecosystem health, and is essential for socio-economic growth and the improvement in the quality of life. This study aims to assess the water quality of Bagmati River in Kathmandu, the capital city of federal Nepal.Methods: Water quality of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu Valley was analyzed to assess the river water pollution. A total ten sites from Sundarijal to Sundarighat along the Bagmati river corroder was selected for sample collection. The samples were analyzed for physical (pH, Temperature, Conductivity), and chemical (dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation percentage, biological oxygen demand, chloride, nitrate-N, phosphate-P and ammonia-N) parameters in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons using standard methods. Results: The result reveals that water quality of the Bagmati River has degraded due to physical, chemical and biological contaminants. Discharge of untreated sewers, industrial effluents, unmanaged location of solid waste transfer station, dumping and burning of plastic waste and garbage near to the river bank. In both the season pollution was found to be increasing from upstream to downstream as indicated by Bach water quality index. The paired sample t-test of physicochemical parameters in two different seasons showed that all tested parameter were significantly different except dissolved oxygen and phosphate concentration. parameters pH, range between 7.55 to 6.33, temperature 30 °C to 26.23 °C, electrical conductivity 43.73 µS/cm to 810.5 µS/cm, dissolved oxygen 0 mg/L to 9.52 mg/L, oxygen saturation percentage 0 to 119.75 %, biological oxygen demand 2 mg/L to 400 mg/L, chloride 4.97mg/L to 132.54mg/L, nitrate-N 9 mg/L to 110 mg/L, phosphate-P 0.26 mg/L to 2.95 mg/L and ammonia-N range between 0.41 mg/L to 42 mg/L. Conclusion: Untreated sewerage, industrial effluents, dumping and burning of waste, unmanaged location of solid waste transfer stations, poor management of cremation ash has resulted in the excessive water pollution in Bagmati river. Treatment of waste water before discharge to the river and proper management of cremation ash and garbage, and prevention of illegal dumping of solid waste and burning of garbage and plastic materials along the river can alleviate the water pollution in Bagmati river.


OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of supervised exercise on traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors in sedentary, overweight/obese insulin-treated subjects with type 2 diabetes from the Italian Diabetes Exercise Study (IDES). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study randomized 73 insulin-treated patients to twice weekly supervised aerobic and resistance training plus structured exercise counseling (EXE) or to counseling alone (CON) for 12 months. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS The volume of physical activity was significantly higher in the EXE versus the CON group. Values for hemoglobin A1c, BMI, waist circumference, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and the coronary heart disease risk score were significantly reduced only in the EXE group. No major adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS In insulin-treated subjects with type 2 diabetes, supervised exercise is safe and effective in improving glycemic control and markers of adiposity and inflammation, thus counterbalancing the adverse effects of insulin on these parameters.


PURPOSE
To compare the angulation at the origin of dysplastic renal arteries compared to atherosclerotic renal arteries, in order to improve the technique for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of FMD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Retrospective analysis of 40 aortograms in patients who underwent renal angioplasty for dysplastic stenosis, with comparison with 45 control aortograms (with or without atherosclerotic lesions of the renal arteries). The angle of implantation of the renal arteries was measured relative to the aortic axis in the frontal plane, taking into account only the angulation of its proximal segment. We identified three types of kidneys with regard to their position relative to the renal artery ostium.

RESULTS
The angle of implantation of dysplastic renal arteries is significantly sharper compared with the control group (63.8 degrees vs 80.9 degrees, p = 0.0001), irrespective of the side. The angulation did not correlate with the position of the kidney or the direction of the renal artery, suggesting a congenital origin.

CONCLUSION
The angle of implantation of the dysplastic renal arteries relative to the aortic axis in the frontal plane is sharper than the angle measured in non dysplastic renal arteries.


The intermittency of solar thermal energy warrants the integration/utilization of thermal energy storage system for efficient operation. Effective utilization of solar water heating (SWH) system can reduce nearly 70 - 90 % of the energy cost incurred for water heating applications. In this study, a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) solar collector is paired with thermal energy storage (TES) system for the improvement of thermal performance of the collector through enhanced heat transfer rate and minimizing the heat losses. Effects of varying mass flow rate and different arrangement of phase change materials (PCMs) on the performance of the CPC solar collector are investigated. A study of the influence of PCMs configurations in TES systems viz three PCMs (Case 1) and five PCMs (Case 2) on the energy efficiency, exergy efficiency and overall loss coefficient of the solar collector and TES system is made and compared with sensible TES system. The results show the attainment of maximum thermal efficiency of 70 % for 'Case 2'. Comparison with 'Case 1', 'Case 2' exhibited a reduction heat loss of 4 % from the TES system. Results of exergy study reveal a superior performance in Case 2 over other configurations.


Abstract A spherical hydrodynamical expansion flow can be described as the gradient of a potential. In that case no vorticity should be produced, but several additional mechanisms can drive its production. Here we analyze the effects of baroclinicity, rotation and shear in the case of a viscous fluid. Those flows resemble what happens in the interstellar medium. In fact in this astrophysical environment supernovae explosion are the dominant flows and, in a first approximation, they can be seen as spherical. One of the main difference is that in our numerical study we examine only weakly supersonic flows, while supernovae explosions are strongly supersonic.


AIM
To assess endotoxemia episodes and subsequent changes in serum inflammatory biomarkers using the experimental gingivitis model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data from 50 healthy black and white adult males and females were compared for serum concentrations of endotoxin, and serum biomarkers [neutrophil oxidative activity, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen] at baseline, at 3 weeks of experimental gingivitis, and after 2 weeks of recovery. Means were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS
Endotoxemia was reported in 56% of the serum samples at 3 weeks of induced gingivitis. At 2 weeks of recovery, endotoxin levels decreased to levels similar to those reported at baseline. Neutrophil oxidative activity increased significantly following 3 weeks of gingivitis versus baseline (p<0.05). In the endotoxin-negative group this increase was associated with the black subjects whereas in the endotoxin-positive group change in neutrophil activity was driven by the female subpopulation. Serum cytokines, CRP, and fibrinogen levels did not change during the study.

CONCLUSIONS
Experimental gingivitis was associated with endotoxemia and hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils, but not with changes in systemic levels of cytokines and acute-phase proteins. This may be attributed to the mild nature and the short duration of the induced gingivitis.


With over 800 million monthly users, Instagram has become one of the most popular social networking sites utilized by individuals and businesses alike. Guided by interactivity theory, the current study identifies connections between the posting behaviour of popular brands on Instagram and audience engagement. Instagram posts (N = 710) from brands on the Forbes Most Valuable Brands list were coded for image type and the presence of brand-related and social content. Using an individualized engagement score for each post, results found audiences were most responsive when images featured products and logos together and when social content appears in captions. Findings of this study are useful to marketing strategists aiming to capitalize on this platform.


quote Dr. Pickering's words, against the interests of "the Home Office to discharge the obligation, which it shares with all other Government departments, of ensuring that a check is kept on the disbursement of public funds." Dr. Pickering has never known another part-time medical officer resign for this reason. I can assure him that this is by no means the only reason for which I resigned my appointment; to publicize the others would contravene the Official Secrets Act and implicate many other people. I can also further assure him that I am by no means the only doctor who considers the triennial review to be professionally objectionable. -I am, etc., JOHN H. SWAN. London W.13.


When a flexible structure is to be controlled actively, optimum performance is obtained by integrated, or simultaneous, design of the structure and the controller, as opposed to the common practice of designing the structure independently of control consideration and then designing a controller for a fixed structure. The primary design objective from the structural point of view usually is to minimize weight, while the control design objectives depend on the application. An important requirement for a practical control system is robustness with respect to uncertain plant parameters. This paper discusses simultaneous control/structure design when the overall design objective combines the weight of the structure and the robustness of the closed-loop control system. For numerical optimization, robustness is represented by the sensitivity of the closed-loop eigenvalues with respect to uncertain parameters. An example illustrates the optimal design of a flexible structure along with a robust compensator.


It is well known that in an unbounded anisotropic homogeneous medium there are eigen plane wave solutions, and the fields inside a circle can be expressed as an integral of eigen plane waves with respect to the polar angle. In this paper the fields inside a circle are expanded as a finite summation of eigen plane waves with different polar angles. Each eigen plane wave is a wavefunction of the first kind, which can be represented by a series. From this series form of wavefunctions of the first kind for anisotropic media, series representation with explicit coefficients of the circular cylindrical wavefunctions of the second, third, fourth kind for homogeneous anisotropic media are obtained. This paper further deals with the numerical implementation of the above eigenfunction representation for homogeneous anisotropic media. Applications of the theory are made to the case of two-dimensional scattering of a plane wave by an anisotropically coated cylinder and comparisons are made with publishing data. The computational efficiency of the method expounded in this paper is compared with previous work.


Total particulate carbon, nitrogen, adenosine triphosphate ( ATP.), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and chlorophyll have been measured in detailed profiles to 600 and 1,000 m off the coast of southern California. Biomass estimations based on chlorophyll and ATP measurements were in excellent agreement with those estimatf4 by direct examination. Because of the large amounts of DNA in the detrital fraction, it cannot be used as a biomass indicator. Below 200 m, the concentrations of total particulate carbon and nitrogen were fairly uniform, averaging about 7 ,ug C/liter and 0.6 pg N/liter.


In this study we reviewed and analyse the effect of external debt service payment practices on sustainable economic growth and development with particular emphasis on Nigeria. To achieve the objective of this research, we use debt payment to Multilateral Financial creditors, Paris club creditors, London club creditors, Promissory notes holders and other creditors (Non-Paris Creditors) as variables to statistically determine whether they have inverse relationship with gross domestic product (GDP) and gross fixed capital formation at current market prices (GFCF). Data pertaining to 1981 through 2004 were used with the ordinary least square multiple regression method. We found that debt payment to London club creditors, Paris club creditors, promissory notes holders and Other creditors have significant impact on the GDP and GFCF. Debt payment to Paris club creditors and debt payment to promissory notes holders are positively related to GDP and GFCF, while debt payment to London club creditors and Other creditors shows a negative significant relation to GDP and GFCF. We therefore recommend among others that government should ensure that any loan deal with either London club or Other creditors should be deal that will open Nigeria to greater trade and investment and can stimulate the private sector, since debt payment to these two creditors impact negatively on our economic growth. KEYWORDS: Debt Management, Creditors, Debtors, Gross Domestic Product


Primary adrenal lymphoma is an extremely rare entity which constitutes less than 1% of extranodal lymphomas. Most cases present with bilateral adrenal masses and without extraadrenal involvement, which can lead to symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. The prognosis is usually poor and chemotherapy is the first-line treatment option. We report here on a 78-year-old man admitted to our Internal Medicine Department because of constitutional symptoms and high fever spikes. He was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency and a CT-scan revealed bilateral adrenal masses of about 6 cm in diameter. A percutaneous biopsy was performed and the histological exam was consistent with diffuse large B cell lymphoma. A review of the literature of this unusual entity was also carried out.


The structure of every protein in the cell is determined by its appropriate gene which is represented chemically by a strand of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The units out of which the nucleic acids are constructed are the nucleotides, each consisting of a purine or pyrimidine base, a pentose sugar and a phosphate group. In DNA the sugar is deoxyribose and the chief bases are adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T); the constituent nucleotides are joined together by the phosphate bonds linking carbon-5 in the sugar of one nucleotide to carbon-3 in the sugar of the next nucleotide in sequence.


This paper argues that the notion of liberal democracy is inadequate in explaining the challenges faced by the Namibian government in its attempts to consolidate democracy. The contention is that political freedoms gained, such as free elections, a respect for human rights, and equality before the law are, inter alia, crucial to endowing the political regime in Namibia with legitimacy. For democracy to be truly consolidated in the country, however, these intrinsic elements must be complemented by an instrumental component. Simply put, political freedoms must be supported by economic delivery. Ultimately, the paper postulates that people measure their support and satisfaction with democracy holistically, hence the distinction between economic and political support becomes blurred.


The article examines the relationship between external debt, economic growth, unemployment and national expenditure in Viet Nam between 1987 and 2016. We found that the influence of a variable on other variables varies in the short run. We found that there are directional relationships between GDP and external debt and GDP and national expenditure. We also found that there are directional relationships between unemployment and external debt, GDP, and national expenditure. Results addressed directional relationships between national expenditure and external debt and GDP. There are two co-integrations among variables. In order to sustain macroeconomic stability in Viet Nam, fiscal policy should be re-examined to meet large development needs and monetary policy should be tightened to reduce credit growth. Specifically, external debt should be effectively managed by the government because an increase in external debt leads to a decrease in GDP and a growth of unemployment. Moreover, GDP should be facilitated to reduce unemployment in the economy. Lastly, unemployment needs to be controlled because it generates a boom of national expenditure and vice versa.


A literary event: The first-ever selection from the letters of Dashiell Hammett, the genius of American crime fiction . "This book is a thing of beauty, from concept to execution, taking us all the way down to the life-marrow of hardboiled's one true icon. Under Richard 'Shadow Man' Layman's masterful guidance, we find what Hammett sought (and fought for) his entire life...Truth."Andrew VachssMore than any book before it, this one gives us the complete Hammett, in his own words. Here is Hammett the family man, distant but devoted, sometimes late with the check but never too late; Hammett the student of politics, scanning the headlines from a Marxist perspective; Hammett the lover of Lillian Hellman, delighting in her style, humor, accomplishments but maintaining his independence. Celebrity, soldier, activist, survivor--Hammett was each in turn, but he was always, above all else, a writer. The artist is present in every line, and this book adds to his stature as a classic American writer."That these letters read exceptionally well is no surprise...[Hammett] comes across here as authentically, contradictorily human." Book magazine"An illuminating collection of the famed writer's letters...A fine rendering of Hammett's life in his own words--and a remarkable slice of Americana."Kirkus Reviews"A dry fatalism in the letters sent me back to the novels and their absence of mercy. No book on Hammett has made that tone clear in terms of his life. But these letters show the old-fashioned literary gent (vaguely tickled by praise from Gide and Malraux) who still kept a thug in tow, a kind of inner Ned Beaumont, to make sure that pride or pleasure never got out of hand." David Thomson, New York Times Book Review "The key revelations are personal: self-portraits of the author as doting father, unremitting drunk, self-educated intellectual, committed Marxist, patriot, soft touch, seducer, and romantic...Compelling and informative."Dick Lochte, Los Angeles Times Book Review"They do not disappoint. They sound gloriously like Hammett, full of wry observation, whether he is describing his evening at the Brown Derby or finally reading Wuthering Heights." Lisa Levy, Entertainment Weekly (A-)


The rate of dentin mineralization and the influence of indomethacin on the dentin mineralization rate during orthodontic treatment was determined in miniature pigs by intravital labeling with tetracycline. The results demonstrated that the dentin mineralization rate in the control animals was 3.8 microns/day, a rate corresponding to that of human teeth. Both indomethacin and orthodontics had an effect on the dentin mineralization rate, indomethacin reducing and orthodontic forces increasing it. In combination, the two factors neutralized each other.


The war in Ukraine dealt a crushing blow to the country's economy. The relevance of the topic is due to the marketing ability to be an effective tool for restoring and developing business in Ukraine. The paper aims to define the state and prospects for developing business and its marketing component during the war in Ukraine. The research analysis demonstrates that the share of business representatives who completely or partially ceased their activities during the first three months of the war decreased from 75.3% in March to 49.0% in May (compared to February 24, 2022), which is indicative of the gradual resumption of business in Ukraine. At the same time, it was found that in May 2022, the food retail, non-food retail, household appliances, and electronics sectors partially resumed their work. The best renewal rates are observed in the jewelry sector, and the worst – in the entertainment sector. A study of marketing activities in Ukraine shows that the most positive changes regarding gradual renewal are observed in digital marketing. The paper highlights the key consequences of hostilities for Ukrainian business and its marketing activities: supply chain disruption, reduced purchasing power, changes in consumer demand, stockpiling, and a state of uncertainty among business representatives. In addition, the study offers general approaches to adapting marketing and SMM during the war to preserve, restore, and further develop business in Ukraine.


In this paper, a new combined system is proposed for recovering thermal energy at medium temperature using a cascade organic Rankine cycle to feed a cascade refrigeration cycle. Energy and exergy analysis is applied to the combined system to determine its performance using different working fluids under the same operating conditions taking into account the effect of some operating parameters and the selection of organic fluids on cycle performance. The pair of organic fluid (Toluene/R245fa) used for the cascade organic Rankine cycle and the pairs (R717/R744, R717/R23, R134a/R23) used for the cascade refrigeration cycles. The results show that the combined system function with the couple (R717/R23) for cascade refrigeration cycle gives better exergy efficiency 50.03% compared to other couples, 49.57% for the couple (R717/R744), and 48.01% for the couple (R134a/R23). The thermodynamic evaluation shows that the operating temperatures, such as the cascade organic Rankine cycle evaporation temperature and the cascade refrigeration cycle evaporation temperature influence the performance of the combined system.


-In recent years, with the expansion of existing institutions as well as the establishment of new ones, higher education institutions have suffered the problem of declining available resources. Each university must assess the performance of its critical business units to measure effectiveness and efficiency. The purpose of this study is to assess university performance. In this study, we apply the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (Fuzzy AHP) and the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model with an assurance region (AR) for measuring the efficiency scores of universities. In the first phase, the fuzzy AHP is employed to get the weights of output indicators. The derived weight ranges are then used for the AR to allow weights varying within a region determined by lower bounds and upper bounds. In the second phase, the DEA with AR approach measures the performance of Vietnamese universities to illustrate the approach. The framework may be a useful tool by which institution managers may improve their performance levels and effectively allocate resources.


Background: Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes the survival and differentiation of vertebrate neurons, and their actions are mediated by two classes of cell surface receptors: tyrosine kinase A receptor (TrkA) and p75 neurotrophic receptor (p75 NTR ). We evaluated the role of NGF receptors in neuronal survival and the physical interactions between them. Methods: Organotypic hippocampal slices were obtained from 5 to 7-day-o ld rat pups and were grown for 14 days in vitro. The expression of the TrkA and p75 NTR was evaluated by the western blot and immunohistochemical methods. The neuroprotective effect of NGF on the bloc king of antibody-induced neuronal cell death was tested by the application of NGF (0, 50 and 150 ng/ml) to the culture media in the presence of 200 ng/ml of blocking antibodies against TrkA and p75 NTR . Functional interactions between the two receptors were examined using the immunoprecipitation method. Results: TrkA and p75 NTR were co-expressed in the principal neurons of the hippocampal slice culture, and the expression level was increased time dependently until 14 days of culture. The blocking antibody against each receptor induced neuronal damage in time and dose-dependent manners. NFG delayed or prevented the blocking antibody from inducing neuronal damage. Results from the immunoprecipitation experiment showed physical interactions between the two NGF receptors. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the co-expressed NGF receptors, TrkA and p75 NTR , might have protective roles in the survival of neuronal cells through the cooperative interactions between them. J Korean Neurol Assoc 24(6):564-570, 2006


We developed a low-temperature atomic layer deposition route to deposit phase pure and crystalline hematite (α-Fe2O3) films at 230 °C without the need for postannealing. Homogenous and conformal deposition with good aspect ratio coverage was demonstrated on a nanostructured substrate and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. These as-deposited α-Fe2O3 films were investigated as photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water oxidation and found to be highly photoactive. Combined with a TiO2 underlayer and a low-cost Ni(OH)2 catalyst, hematite films of less than 10 nm in thickness reached photocurrent densities of 0.3 mA cm(-2) at 1.23 V vs RHE and a photocurrent onset potential of less than 0.9 V vs RHE, previously unseen for films this thin and without high temperature annealing. In a thickness-dependent photoelectrochemical analysis, we identified a hematite thickness of only 10 nm to yield the highest internal quantum efficiency when using a suitable underlayer such as TiO2 that induces doping of the hematite film and reduces electron/hole recombination at the back contact. We find that, at high bias potentials, photocurrent density and quantum efficiency proportionally increase with light absorption in films thinner than 10 nm and are limited by the space charge layer width in thicker films. Thus, we propose to apply hematite films of 10 nm in thickness for future developments on suitable nanostructured conductive scaffolds that can now be extended to organic scaffolds due to our low-temperature process.


Libya has a growing demand for electricity and presently generates almost all of its electrical energy using fossil-fuelled generation plant. An opportunity exists to use the naturally high solar radiation resource that occurs in the south of the country to meet this demand with a renewable energy source. This paper describes the design of a 50 MW photovoltaic (PV) power plant which has been modelled on the conditions pertaining to Al-Kufra. The general energy situation within Libya is described, along with the solar conditions at the proposed location of the power plant. An HIT type PV module has been selected and modelled. The effectiveness of the use of a cooling jacket on the modules has been evaluated. The results show an average increase in efficiency of 0.6%; however, this is not considered to be a justifiable expense. The optimum tilt angle and array layout have been evaluated for the proposed site. The projected energy output has been determined to be 114 GWh per annum with a payback time of 2.7 years and a reduction of CO 2 pollution by 76 thousand tonnes per year. It is recommended that very large-scale PV plants of this type are installed within Libya for the sake of benign environmental impact and diversification of the electrical generation mix. Copyright , Oxford University Press.


L–H transition experiments have recently been performed on JET to characterize the local edge ion parameters. Evidence of a threshold in the edge ion temperature to access the H-mode is presented and comparisons are made with edge electron temperature. These results provide the first scaling of pedestal ion temperature on JET. The threshold edge ion temperature scales approximately linearly with toroidal magnetic field and shows no dependence on electron density in the range explored. Reference shots have been repeated with the ion ∇ B drift away from the X-point and counter neutral beam injection. The L–H transition is also considered in terms of dimensionless parameter space. The effective edge ion collisionality does not appear to play a significant role in the L–H transition, providing no clear distinction between the L- and H-modes. In contrast, the normalized poloidal ion gyroradius provides a sharp H-mode boundary at any given field and current, consistent with a threshold ion temperature for H-mode access being dependent on toroidal field but not on density. However, comparison of ρ* and with forward and reversed fields across a range of fields and currents demonstrates that these dimensionless parameters simply describe an operation trajectory for the JET L–H transition.


Low-glycemic load (GL) diets improve insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis in individuals with diabetes. Less is known about whether low-GL diets, independent of weight loss, improve the health profile for persons without diabetes or other preexisting conditions. We conducted a randomized, cross-over feeding study testing low- compared to High-GL diets on biomarkers of inflammation and adiposity in healthy adults. Eighty participants (n = 40 with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m²; n = 40 with BMI 28.0-40.0 kg/m²) completed two 28-d feeding periods in random order where one period was a high-GL diet (mean GL/d = 250) and the other a low-GL diet (mean GL/d = 125). Diets were isocaloric with identical macronutrient content (as percent energy). All food was provided and participants maintained weight and usual physical activity. Height, weight, and DXA were measured at study entry and weight assessed again thrice per week. Blood was drawn from fasting participants at the beginning and end of each feeding period and serum concentrations of high-sensitivity CRP, serum amyloid A, IL-6, leptin, and adiponectin were measured. Linear mixed models tested the intervention effect on the biomarkers; models were adjusted for baseline biomarker concentrations, diet sequence, feeding period, age, sex, and body fat mass. Among participants with high-body fat mass (>32.0% for males and >25.0% for females), the low-GL diet reduced CRP (P = 0.02) and marginally increased adiponectin (P = 0.06). In conclusion, carbohydrate quality, independent of energy, is important. Dietary patterns emphasizing low-GL foods may improve the inflammatory and adipokine profiles of overweight and obese individuals.


The climate and energy crisis requires a strong state to change the direction, speed, scale, and financing of innovation in world capitalism in order to create a bio-digital energy paradigm. Four states are possible contenders for catalyzing this survival governance: China, the European Union, India, and the United States. China is an improbable leader, but less improbable than the other three. No US president can close down the fossil fuel industry in time. The US state, worried about the slippage of its technological superiority, is turning to regulatory mechanisms like intellectual property to slow China's technological development. China will have to manage the risk of a United States bent on military primacy. China is urbanizing innovation on a historically unprecedented scale. Lying at the heart of the bio-digital energy paradigm is a global city-based network of innovation. China, more than the other three states, is scaling technology innovation through the building of experimental cities such as eco-cities, hydrogen cities, forest cities, and sponge cities. The Belt and Road Initiative will take this innovation well outside of China's borders. China could help to place cities into a new relationship with their surrounding ecosystems. Drawing on more than 250 interviews, carried out in 17 countries, including the world's four largest carbon emitters, the book shows how cities and their networks represent the best chance for growing climate survival governance for the 21st century.


Nitrogen fixation in nodules that contain symbiotic rhizobial bacteria enables legumes to thrive in nitrogen-poor soils. However, this symbiosis is energy consuming. Therefore, legumes strictly control nodulation at both local and systemic levels. Mutants deficient in such controls exhibit a range of phenotypes from non-nodulation to hypernodulation. Here, we isolated a novel hypernodulation mutant from the M(2) progeny derived from Lotus japonicus MG-20 seeds mutagenized by irradiation with a carbon ion beam. We named the mutant 'plenty' because it formed more nodules than the wild-type MG-20. The nodulation zone in the plenty mutant was wider than that in the wild type, but not as enhanced as those in other previously reported hypernodulation mutants such as har1, klv or tml of L. japonicus. Unlike these hypernodulation mutants, the plenty mutant developed nodules of the same size as MG-20. Overall, the plenty mutant exhibited a unique phenotype of moderate hypernodulation. However, a biomass assay indicated that this unique pattern of hypernodulation was a hindrance to host plant growth. The plenty mutant displayed some tolerance to external nitrates and a normal triple response to ethylene. Grafting experiments demonstrated that the root of plenty was responsible for its hypernodulation phenotype. Genetic mapping indicated that the PLENTY gene was located on chromosome 2.


JOANNE E. RACE,1 FADI N. MAKHLOUF,1,2 PAUL J. LOGUE,2 FREDERICK H. WILSON,3 PHILIP B. DUNHAM,2 AND ELI J. HOLTZMAN1,4 1Renal Division, Department of Medicine, and 4Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse 13210; 2Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244; and 3Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520


Abstract : NPSAT1 is a small satellite providing education and hands-on experience to NPS students; it also serves as a platform for small satellite technology proof-of-concept demonstrations and experiments. One of these experiments is the MEMS rate sensor experiment. Comprising a triad of COTS MEMS devices, this experiment will use the MEMS rate sensors to measure angular rates for NPSAT1. The NPSAT1 MEMS 3-Axis rate sensor was originally characterized and tested in 2007. Subsequently, the decision was made to fly the MEMS subsystem unpressurized. This new requirement, along with the replacement of a damaged sensor, necessitated the recalibration of the MEMS subsystem. In addition, the rate compensation algorithm has been updated by determining the systematic errors of the subsystem-bias, thermal and pressure in-run drift, scale factor errors, and nonorthogonality through thermal ramp tests and rate transfer tests. Furthermore, other inertial sensor error sources such as hysteresis, repeatability, run-torun error, and noise have been investigated. Acceptance testing was also performed to investigate vibration sensitivity and screen for workmanship defects. The performance and characterization results verify that the MEMS subsystem is able to meet the flight requirements for rates 0.1 deg/sec, while the acceptance tests demonstrate the robustness and reliability of the unit.


In this paper we introduce bit-interleaved pragmatic space time codes (BI-PSTC) and evaluate their performance over correlated fading channels taken into account by a block fading channel (BFC) model. More precisely, the BI-PSTC proposed here are obtained with the serial concatenation of a convolutional encoder, a bit-interleaver and a space-time mapper. A simple decoder based on a Viterbi algorithm with suitably defined branch metrics can be used, but iterative decoding can be also applied. In this paper we also discuss the diversity achievable and the performance of BI-PSTC obtained by using the classical optimal convolutional codes for AWGN channel and QPSK constellations. Performance evaluation shows that a considerable gain over known space-time codes can be achieved.


Background and Aims:  This study aimed to investigate the sensory properties and aroma compounds responsible for driving consumer preference of Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Methods and Results:  Three thiols, including their respective enantiomers, a methoxypyrazine and a combination of esters were added singly and in combinations to a neutral white wine at realistic concentrations to mimic Sauvignon Blanc wines. A sensory descriptive analysis of 21 samples was conducted. While each thiol contributed to tropical and cat urine/sweaty attributes, 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA) was of particular importance. The 'green' characteristics were primarily related to methoxypyrazine, but thiols were also found to contribute to a cooked green vegetal attribute. The aroma and flavour of the methoxypyrazine dominated the sensory properties of other components. The thiol S-enantiomers gave higher cooked green vegetal or cat urine/sweaty than their R-counterparts. Six combinations and the base wine were evaluated for liking by 150 consumers. One cluster of consumers (31%) preferred wines with higher tropical and confectionary aroma; a second cluster (43%) preferred wines with 'green' attributes; and the final cluster's liking was positively related to solvent and 'green' attributes, and negatively to tropical and cat urine/sweaty.

Conclusions:  There were strong and varied interactive effects among the compounds studied. A sizeable proportion of consumers tested preferred the samples with 'green' attributes, with a minority preferring the 'fruit' aromas.

Significance of the Study:  This study has shown clear definition of sensory attributes resulting from aroma compounds important to Sauvignon Blanc wines, their interactions and their effects on consumer preference.


This study validates a case-based survey method and analyzes the extent to which Danish dental professionals apply current concepts and strategies for occlusal caries management in children, adolescents, and young adults. A case-based, precoded questionnaire consisting of 10 clinical cases/patients with 26 teeth/occlusal surfaces was developed. The cases were set up in a PowerPoint presentation and color printed as a booklet illustrating patients with different patterns of caries activity, severity, and risk. A total of 69 dental professionals participated. Content and face validity of the survey method was established using a panel of experts. The panel also assessed the reliability of the method using a test-retest procedure (κ ≥ 0.80) and acting as benchmark. Measurements of agreement between dental professional and benchmark assessments showed substantial agreement for overall caries activity and risk assessment of patients and for clinical and radiographic severity of occlusal lesions (κ = 0.61-0.67). For assessment of caries lesion activity on occlusal surfaces, the agreement was moderate (κ = 0.50). Regarding treatment decisions, dental professionals showed substantial agreement when indicating restorative treatments (κ = 0.68). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant influence of various patient-, lesion-, and participant-related variables in the assessment of caries risk, caries activity and severity, and treatment decision. In conclusion, Danish dental professionals participating in the study apply reasonably well current concepts on overall caries activity and risk assessment, clinical and radiographic severity of occlusal lesions, and, to a certain extent, assessment of caries lesion activity on occlusal surfaces. Nonoperative treatment decisions had a high priority among Danish professionals.


During postnatal development of the visual cortex the thalamocortical afferents serving the two eyes segregate into alternating patches called ocular dominance (OD) columns. Interested in the dynamics of this segregation process we studied the appearance of functional OD columns in the primary visual cortex of normally raised and strabismic kittens aged 2–6 weeks using 2-deoxyglucose labelling in awake animals. In both experimental groups, OD columns covering the entire area 17 and spanning all cortical laminae are first visible at 3 weeks and appear already adult-like at 4 weeks, much earlier than thought on the basis of previous anatomical studies. We hypothesize that a small and anatomically undetectable imbalance between the afferents from the two eyes is amplified by intracortical interactions so that their activity patterns become different and may guide the segregation process of the afferents in cortical layer IV.


Accurate modelling and prediction of speech-sound durations is an important component in generating more natural synthetic speech. Deep neural networks (DNNs) offer a powerful modelling paradigm, and large, found corpora of natural and expressive speech are easy to acquire for training them. Unfortunately, found datasets are seldom subject to the quality-control that traditional synthesis methods expect. Common issues likely to affect duration modelling include transcription errors, reductions, filled pauses, and forced-alignment inaccuracies. To combat this, we propose to improve modelling and prediction of speech durations using methods from robust statistics, which are able to disregard ill-fitting points in the training material. We describe a robust fitting criterion based on the density power divergence (the ß-divergence) and a robust generation heuristic using mixture density networks (MDNs). Perceptual tests indicate that subjects prefer synthetic speech generated using robust models of duration over the baselines.


The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the radiation accumulated through the history of the Universe in the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the far infrared. Local foregrounds make the direct measurement of the diffuse EBL notoriously difficult, while robust lower limits have been obtained by adding up the contributions of all the discrete sources resolved in deep infrared and optical galaxy observations. Gamma-ray astronomy has emerged in the past few years as a powerful tool for the study of the EBL: very-high-energy (VHE) photons traversing cosmological distances can interact with EBL photons to produce e$^+$e$^-$ pairs, resulting in an energy-dependent depletion of the gamma-ray flux of distant sources that can be used to set constraints on the EBL density. The study of the EBL is one of the key scientific programs currently carried out by the MAGIC collaboration. We present here the results of the analysis of 32 VHE spectra of 12 blazars in the redshift range 0.03 - 0.94, obtained with over 300 hours of observations with the MAGIC telescopes between 2010 and 2016. A combined likelihood maximization approach is used to evaluate the density and spectrum of the EBL most consistent with the MAGIC observations. The results are compatible with state-of-the-art EBL models, and constrain the EBL density to be roughly within $\simeq 20\%$ of the nominal value in such models. The study reveals no anomalies in gamma-ray propagation in the large optical depth regime - contrary to some claims based on meta-analyses of published VHE spectra.


The inflammatory events in the airways at the time of acute respiratory failure from acute severe asthma are poorly understood. To determine the patterns of cellular inflammation in the airways in acute severe asthma, we analyzed tracheal aspirates collected within 12 h of intubation from patients intubated emergently for acute severe asthma (n = 10) and from patients intubated electively for nonpulmonary surgery (n = 14). The number of neutrophils in tracheal aspirates from asthma patients was 10 times higher than normal (4.2 [0.6 to 335.0] [median, range] versus 0.4 [0.009 to 9.4] x 10(6)/ml, p = 0.001), and there was a strong trend for a positive relationship between neutrophil number and duration of intubation (r(s) = 0.64, p = 0.06). Although eosinophil numbers were also significantly higher than normal (0.5 [0.0 to 23.3] versus 0.0 [0.0 to 0.1] x 10(6)/ml, p = 0.003), the numbers of eosinophils were 8-fold less than neutrophils, and there was no significant correlation between eosinophil number and duration of intubation (r(s) = 0.4, p = 0.26). Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a chemoattraction for neutrophils, was 19 times higher than normal in tracheal aspirates from asthmatic patients (75.0 [9.0 to 168.0] versus 4.0 [0.08 to 24.0] ng/ml, p < 0. 05) and correlated significantly with the neutrophil number (r(s) = 0.77, p = 0.03). Furthermore, the IL-8 levels correlated positively with the duration of mechanical ventilation (r(s) = 0.74, p = 0.03). Surprisingly, the number of neutrophils increased significantly during the period of intubation in the asthmatic subjects, possibly because of intravenous corticosteroid treatment. We conclude that neutrophils are the dominant inflammatory leukocyte characterizing airway inflammation in acute severe asthma that requires mechanical ventilation, and that IL-8 is an important mediator of this neutrophilia.


In the prophylactic anticoagulation of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), effective prophylaxis and risk of major bleeding event are two key concerns. In a recent study (Willey et al, Clin Ther2004: 26(7);1149–59), we demonstrated that VTE treatment in routine care in the managed care setting seems to be less effective from the outcomes perspective than what has been reported in clinical trials. It has been clearly demonstrated in chronic non valvular atrial fibrillation that there is an association between INR values and thromboembolic events and major bleeding events (Hylek et al, Ann Intern Med1994: 120;897–902 and Hylek et al, N Engl J Med1996: 335;540–46). In the actual practice setting, we examined the quality of INR control and the relationship between INR and recurrent VTE and bleeding event as well as the prognostic utility of INR monitoring for anticipating bleeding event and VTE recurrence. We conducted a retrospective, case-control analysis using medical and pharmacy claims spanning 4.5 years (10/1998–2003). A cohort of patients with incident VTE followed by anticoagulation prophylaxis was identified using pharmacy and medical claims (ICD-9 codes 451.1x, 451.8x, 415.1x). All subsequent hospitalizations were identified using the medical claims, and diagnoses for bleeding event and VTE were validated during medical record abstraction. INR values from both outpatient and inpatient settings were used to yield a continuous history of coagulation status. The resulting population (mean age 67 ±14; 38% male) had VTE, had begun anticoagulation, and was subsequently hospitalized. Within this population, groups were hospitalized for VTE (n=141), bleeding event (n=48), or for reasons other than VTE or bleeding event (control, n=275). The average time in therapeutic INR range (2.0 – 3.0) was 34% with 48% below and 18% above (Rosendaal's linear interpolation method). Odds ratios relating bleeding event or VTE to INR values outside therapeutic INR range were calculated using univariate logistic regression analysis. First inpatient INR upon admission was predictive for the VTE or bleeding event (see figure). However, the outpatient INR values in closest time proximity prior to the VTE or bleeding appeared only to predict bleeding event and not VTE. Bleeding event was predicted by last outpatient INR > 3.0; bleeding likelihood was increased by a factor of approximately 2 to 3 for analyses using mean and lowest of last 3 INR values, respectively. Most recent INR value(s) prior to event did not predict VTE regardless of whether lowest, highest, or mean of last 3 values was used. Last outpatient INR value preceded the event by a median of 18, 26, and 21 days (VTE, bleeding event, and control, respectively). There is a clear relationship between INR at time of event and adverse outcome. However, for outpatient INR, low percent time in range and an apparent lack of predictive value for recurrent VTE signal there may be opportunity for quality improvement in management of anticoagulation for recurrent VTE.


In this paper, a MOSFET-based pulsed power supply capable of supplying square pulses of up to 3000 V and widths from nanoseconds to milliseconds is presented and used for an investigation into electroporation-mediated delivery of a plasmid DNA molecule into the pathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli O157:H7. It was concluded that increasing the electric field strength and pulse amplitude resulted in an increase in the number of transformants. However, increasing the number of pulses had the effect of reducing the number of transformants. In all the experiments, the number of cells that were inactivated by the exposure to the pulsed electric field were also measured.


Agro-ecological, economic and social evaluation of the sustainability of farm operations run on light soils and involving different farming systems: fruit, vegetable, mixed and cattle farming were the subject of this study. The farms were located in the poviat of Przysucha, province of Mazowieckie, Poland. The farms under study were characterized by low level of sustainability in terms of agro-ecology whereas in terms of economic and social sustainability their rating was high. Vegetable farms showed the highest level of economic sustainability. Under combined assessment which involved all three criteria vegetable and cattle farms showed the highest sustainability. Fruit and mixed farms were rated as average in this respect.


Research has shown that voters are willing to stereotype candidates on the basis of their gender, which can sometimes pose obstacles and sometimes prove advantageous for female politicians. But the literature is uncertain about how candidate gender interacts with candidate party affiliation to shape voters' perceptions. In this article, I draw on political psychology, the women and politics literature, and recent work on partisan "trait ownership" to suggest that the application of gender stereotypes will be limited by the salience of partisan stereotypes. I use nationally representative survey data and a content analysis of news coverage from the 2006 U.S. Senate elections to test the argument. Focusing on voter evaluations of candidate traits, I find that party stereotypes are more powerful than gender stereotypes, and that assessments of candidate attributes can be affected by news coverage when candidates are portrayed in ways that challenge traditional partisan images. The results suggest that gender stereotyping is limited by the relevance of party stereotypes, and that as the Republican and Democratic parties continue to polarize at the elite level, the importance of partisan stereotyping is likely to increase.


The good seedling formation for forest stand toward wood production and mixed stands toward environment preservation and/or degraded land recuperation is related to substrate efficiency. The aim of this work was to evaluate organic composite influence in aroeira-vermelha ( Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) seedling production. The experiment was realized at Forest Garden of Gaspar/Regional University of Blumenau-SC (FURB). The structure of the experiment was Completely Randomized Design with 6 treatments and 25 repetitions, it means, each plant was considered one repetition. The results of the quality index about seedling production on 100% of organic composite, in general, presented the lower index, except for the MSPA/MSR (aerial dried mass/root dried mass) index. However, the relation h/D (height/root collar diameter) is the one that presented similar values at the seeding quality index for all the treatments used. The seedlings that were produced with high proportions of organic composite at substrate had a negative effect, both about root length and dry biomass root production.


Dispersal and life span of individual plant species within five plant communities were assessed to obtain a characterization of these communities in this respect. Such a characterization is important in the context of restoration and maintenance. The most frequent species of five communities were ranked in eight classes according to their level of seed dispersal capability, their seed bank formation (dispersal in time and space) and their individual life span. In the communities, all eight classes were found, but communities differed in the distribution of the species over the classes. A theoretical framework was constructed to use the level of specialization of plant species in terms of dispersal in space and time, and life span, to define the characteristics of safe site dynamics within communities. Following simple rules, the relative reliability of the occurrence of safe sites in space and time was defined. After that, the relative reliability of the habitat was linked to the best fitting combination of trait specialization level. Having defined this link, communities could be characterized in a comparative way by their level and pattern of reliability of the opportunities for recruitment in space and time. The meaning of the coexistence of a range of trait combinations in one community was discussed. It was postulated that habitat reliability can explain this by assuming that the habitat of the community is part of a larger system, or consists of several "subsystems". These insights need to be considered in nature conservation. Succession and also specializations beyond the scope of dispersal and life span may influence the occurrence of species in a seemingly unfit habitat (for instance the occurrence of semi parasitic annuals in a community of perennials, because they use the perennial root system of other species). Finally, the meaning of safe site reliability in space and time in the context of restoration of communities was discussed. The reliability in space and time may be different today from that of the past, which restricts the feasibility of restoration of communities.


This paper describes a novel technique to analytically generate feasible hopping trajectories that can be applied to passively compliant bipedal humanoid robots. The proposed method is based on exploiting the inherent passive compliance through a reduced model, while the dynamic balance is maintained via the zero moment point (ZMP) criterion. To begin with, a computational resonance frequency analysis and a system identification routine are performed for the actual robot so as to determine the base resonance frequency, which is of special interest. Subsequently, the vertical component of the center of mass trajectory is generated by using a periodic function in which the aforementioned resonance frequency is utilized. The horizontal component of the center of mass trajectory is generated via the ZMP concept to ensure the dynamic balance. Having analytically generated both vertical and horizontal elements of the center of mass trajectory, joint motions are computed through the utilization of translational and angular momentum constraints. Applying the proposed method, a series of periodic forward hopping experiments is conducted on our actual compliant bipedal robot. As a result, we observe repetitive, continuous, and dynamically equilibrated forward hopping cycles with successful landing phases.


Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of aluminum oxide as a surface treatment on shear bond strength of etched and non-etched GIC for sandwich restoration with different types of tooth colored restorations .In addition, failure type was assessed. Materials and Methods: Sixty Teflon molds (5mm diameter and 4mm height) of a chemically cured GIC were prepared. They were divided into two main groups 1st control, 2 ed air-abraded with 50μm aluminum oxide particles. Both groups were sub divided into two subgroups 1st control, 2 ed etched with 37% phosphoric acid. Bonding material was applied to the treated surface of all groups and cured. The second split of Teflon mold (3mm diameter and 4mm height) was placed onto the prepared specimen Each subgroups (1st control, 2 nd etched with phosphoric acid) were farther subdivided into three subgroups which entrain filled as fallow: 1st split filled with a tg microhybrid, in 2 ed split filled with tg fine glass, and in 3 rd split filled with Ceram X. Shear bond strength was measured by using Universal Testing Machine, and mode of failure examined by a stereomicroscope. Results: Anova test showed that there was a highly significant difference for all variables except acid etching effect. Aluminum oxide surface treatment displays superior shear (2.280MPa). tg micro hybrid composite and Ceram X showed highest shear bond strength. Conclusions: Phosphoric acid etching did not improve shear value of sandwich restorations, while uses of aluminum oxide surface treatment, tg micro hybrid and Ceram X filling material gave an improvement on it. The failures were mainly cohesive within the GIC except tg fine glass was cohesive in filling material itself.


Schwartz (1, 2) and Taylor (3) have suggested that sera from patients with pernicious anemia may contain antibody to intrinsic factor. Both investigators studied the interaction of serum and intrinsic factor in these patients by measuring vitamin B12 absorption after oral test doses of cobalt°0labeled vitamin B12 (Co60B,2) mixed with hog intrinsic factor and serum (1-3). In these tests, sera from 40 to 50 per cent of the patients with pernicious anemia inhibited vitamin B12 absorption. This inhibition was observed not only with serum from patients who had received oral therapy with intrinsic factor preparations (1, 2) but also with serum from those who were untreated and those who had received only parenteral vitamin B12 (2, 3). Sera from rabbits which had been immunized with hog intrinsic factor preparations similarly inhibited vitamin B12 absorption (4). Immunological studies by in vitro tanned red cell agglutination techniques have yielded positive agglutination reactions between pernicious anemia sera and tanned red cells coated with hog intrinsic factor (2, 5). However, in correlating this in vitro test with in vivo absorption studies, Schwartz (2) reported a 33 per cent incidence of false positive or negative agglutination reactions. While these observations are consistent with the conclusion that specific antibody to intrinsic factor may be present in the serum of pernicious anemia patients, direct evidence for this is lacking. Although immunological studies in vitro have shown that sera from pernicious anemia patients may react with hog intrinsic factor, a more specific interaction of gammaglobulin derived from pernicious anemia serum and purified human intrinsic factor has not been demonstrated. The experiments described here were carried out in an attempt to define more precisely the in-


We discuss the t-𝒥 model with arbitrary magnitudes of t and 𝒥 where the condensate is a supermatrix on the graded complex space. We reformulate the Lagrangian in terms of this supermatrix, find extremes and frequences of bosonic and fermionic collective modes.


Recently, combining histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors with chemotherapeutic drugs or agents, in particular epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, is considered to be one of the most encouraging strategy to enhance the efficacy of the antineoplastic agents and decrease or avoid drug resistance. Therefore, in this work, based on introducing 3,4,5-trimethoxy phenyl group as a part of the CAP moiety, in addition to incorporating 4–6 aliphatic carbons linker and using COOH or hydroxamic acid as ZBG, 12 novel EGFR/HDAC hybrid inhibitors 2a–c, 3a–c, 4a–c and 5a–c were designed, constructed, and evaluated for their anticancer activities against 4 cancer cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, HCT116 and A549). Among all, hybrids with hydroxamic acid 4a–c and 5a, exhibited the highest inhibition against all cancer cell lines with IC50 ranging from 0.536 to 4.892 μM compared to Vorinostat (SAHA) with IC50 ranging from 2.43 to 3.63 μM and Gefitinib with IC50 ranging from 1.439 to 3.366 μM. Mechanistically, the most potent hybrids 4a–c and 5a were further tested for their EGFR and HDACs inhibitory activities. The findings disclosed that hybrid 4b displayed IC50 = 0.063 µM on the target EGFR enzyme which is slightly less potent than the standard Staurosporine (IC50 = 0.044 µM). Furthermore, hybrid 4b showed less HDAC inhibitory activity IC50 against HDAC1 (0.148), 2 (0.168), 4 (5.852), 6 (0.06) and 8 (2.257) than SAHA. In addition, the investigation of apoptotic action of the most potent hybrid 4b showed a significant increase in Bax level up to 3.75-folds, with down-regulation in Bcl2 to 0.42-fold, compared to the control. Furthermore, hybrid 4b displayed an increase in the levels of Caspases 3 and 8 by 5.1 and 3.15 folds, respectively. Additionally, the cell cycle analysis of hybrid 4b revealed that it showed programmed cell death and cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase. Moreover, all these outcomes together with the molecular docking study recommended the rationalized target hybrids 4a–c and 5a, particularly 4b, may be considered to be promising lead candidates for discovery of novel anticancer agents via dual inhibition of both EGFR/HDAC enzymes.


Knowledge embedded in a group's structures and processes can be leveraged to create sustainable advantage for organizations. We propose that knowledge embedded with a transactive memory system (TMS) helps groups apply prior learning to new tasks and develop an abstract understanding of a problem domain, leading to sustained performance. We present a framework for understanding TMSs as learning systems that affect group learning and learning transfer, and we test the major outcomes of the framework in an empirical study. We found that groups with a prior TMS and experience with two tasks in the same domain were more likely to develop an abstract understanding of the principles relevant to the task domain-a critical factor for learning transfer in general. We did not, however, find strong support for our contention that a TMS facilitates learning transfer after experience with only a single task. Further examinations of our findings showed that the extent to which members maintained expertise across tasks influenced the degree of learning transfer, especially for groups whose members had previously developed a TMS with another group. Our findings show that a TMS has broader benefits beyond the task for which it first developed because a TMS affects members' ability to apply prior learning and develop a collective, abstract understanding of the task domain. More generally, our study demonstrates that TMSs influence group learning and learning transfer. We discuss our study's implications for practice and for TMS and group learning theories.


Although the role of reciprocity in international cooperation is central to neoliberal institutionalism, empirical understanding of the concept remains weak. We analyze strategic response patterns—the use of reciprocity or inverse response (bullying)—in the Bosnia conflict from 1992 to 1995. We construct weekly time series of conflict and cooperation among the parties to the Bosnia war, using machine-coded events data. Time-series statistical analysis identifies several important patterns of strategic response, both reciprocal and inverse. These include bilateral responses, which are central to the concepts of reciprocity and evolution of cooperation, and triangular responses, which are central to the debates on containment versus accommodation in regional conflicts. Specifically, Serb forces displayed inverse triangular response, cooperating toward Bosnia after being punished by NATO. Outside powers displayed triangular reciprocity, increasing hostility toward Serb forces after Serbian attacks on the Bosnian government.


The authors have been working on simulating virtual humans for several years. Until recently, these constructs could not act in real time. Today, however, many applications need to simulate in real time virtual humans that look realistic. They have invested considerable effort in developing and integrating several modules into a system capable of animating humans in real-time situations. This includes interactive modules for building realistic individuals and a texture-fitting method suitable for all parts of the head and body. Animating the body, including the hands and their deformations, is the key aspect of the system; to their knowledge, no competing system integrates all these functions. They also included facial animation, as demonstrated below with virtual tennis players. They have developed a single system containing all the modules needed for simulating real-time virtual humans in distant virtual environments (VEs). The system lets one rapidly clone any individual and animate the clone in various contexts. People cannot mistake virtual humans for real ones, but they think them recognizable and realistic.


The base station router (BSR) femto node—a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Node B for domestic use that admits a limited number of simultaneous communications—is gaining interest among mobile operators worldwide. Its main advantages are that it connects with the mobile core network through the land digital subscriber line (DSL) at the user's home, relieving the macro network from the indoor traffic that uses a substantial part of the mobile network resources. This paper explains the network deployment and dimensioning rules used in the massive deployment of this type of node. The proposed models are verified through node performance network simulations in different types of residential configurations, taking into account challenging aspects such as the neighboring effect, macro-femto cell interaction, arbitrary node localization, and service (voice, data, and video) mix. The model is applied to 2 GHz and 850MHz bands.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to distinguish Campylobacter jejuni from C coli as causes of reproductive failure.

PROCEDURE
Review of clinical cases of reproductive failure attributed to C jejuni or C coli.

RESULTS
A case of swine abortion was attributable to infection with C coli. The porcine abortion isolates were verified as C coli by restriction fragment length polymorphism and multiplex PCR. Cases of endometritis in a fox and in mink caused by C jejuni were reviewed, and isolates were confirmed as C jejuni by results of the multiplex PCR.

CONCLUSION
Multiplex PCR was useful in identifying C coli and C jejuni recovered from atypical cases of reproductive failure. Multiplex PCR in conjunction with conventional assays may be useful for verifying other unusual instances of campylobacteriosis.


Single-cell open-chromatin profiles have the potential to reveal the pattern of chromatin-interaction in a cell-type. However, currently available cis-regulatory network prediction methods using single-cell open-chromatin profiles focus more on local chromatin-interactions despite the fact that long-range interaction among genomic sites plays a significant role in gene regulation. Here, we propose a method that predicts both local and long-range interactions among genomic sites using single-cell open chromatin profiles. Using our method's better sensitivity, we could predict almost 0.7 million interactions among genomic sites across 7 cell-types in the human brain. The chromatin-interactions estimated in the human brain revealed surprising but useful insight about target genes of human-accelerated-elements and disease-associated mutations.


The general dietine (sejmik) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania became a non-functioning body in the first half of the 17th century. That is why organizing an assembly in Slonim in 1685 by Lithuanians made a great impression all over the country. Its success was possible thanks to the combined influences of the Sapieha and the Radziwill families, who united against the king for a short period of time. This initiative was triggered by the decision of the king and the Senate council on moving the 1685 sejm from Grodno to Warsaw, which caused protests of Lithuanians. As a result, it was easier to stir turmoil against the policy of the court among them. The citizens of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who gathered in Slonim sent a few representatives to the sejm in Warsaw to block the election of the marshal. At the same time the majority of the participants of the Slonim assembly went to Grodno as the rightful place of the sejm. It was only after a few weeks of negotiations that the king managed to convince Lithuanians to agree to come to Warsaw. However, they managed to accomplish their aim of demonstrating their dissatisfaction and hampered the celebration of the Vienna victory, which was supposed to strengthen the king's authority. During the assembly a new constitution was passed, securing the sejm in Grodno. However, the events of 1685 did not have much influence on the very institution of the Lithuanian general sejmik, which continued to be a non-functioning body in the subsequent years.


Carbonate cements in late Dinantian (Asbian and Brigantian) limestones of the Derbyshire carbonate platform record a diagenetic history starting with early vadose meteoric cementation and finishing with burial and localized mineral and oil emplacement. The sequence is documented using cement petrography, cathodoluminescence, trace element geochemistry and C and O isotopes.

The earliest cements (Pre-Zone 1) are locally developed non-luminescent brown sparry calcite below intrastratal palaeokarsts and calcretes. They contain negligible Fe, Mn and Sr but up to 1000 ppm Mg. Their isotopic compositions centre around δ18O =−8.5‰, δ13C=−5.0‰. Calcretes contain less 13C. Subsequent cements are widespread as inclusion-free, low-Mg, low-Fe crinoid overgrowths and are described as having a'dead-bright-dull'cathodoluminescence. The'dead'cements (Zone 1) are mostly non-luminescent but contain dissolution hiatuses overlain by finely detailed bright subzones that correlate over several kilometres. Across'dead'/bright subzones there is a clear trend in Mg (500–900 ppm), Mn (100–450 ppm) and Fe (80-230 ppm). Zone 1 cements have isotopic compositions centred around δ18O =−8.0‰ and δ13C=−2.5‰. Zone 2 cement is bright, thin and complexly subzoned. It is geochemically similar to bright subzones of Zone 1 cements. Dull Zone 3 cement pre-dates pressure dissolution and fills 70% or more of the pore space. It generally contains little Mn, Fe and Sr but can have more than 1000 ppm Mg, increasing stratigraphically upwards. The δ18O compositions range from −5.5 to −15‰ and the δ13C range is −1 to + 3.20/00. Zone 4 fills veins and stylolite seams in addition to pores. It is synchronous with Pb, Ba, F ore mineralization and oil migration. Zone 4 is ferroan with around 500 ppm Fe, up to 2500 ppm Mg and up to 1500 ppm Mn. Isotopic compositions range widely; δ15O =−2.7 to −9‰ and δ13C=−3.8 to+2.50‰.

Unaltered marine brachiopods suggest a Dinantian seawater composition around δ15O = 0‰ (SMOW), but vital isotopic effects probably mask the original δ13C (PDB) value. Pre-Zone 1 calcites are meteoric vadose cements with light soil-derived δ13C and light meteoric δ18O. An unusually fractionated'pluvial'δ15O(SMOW) value of around — 6‰ is indicated for local Dinantian meteoric water. Calcrete δ18O values are heavier through evaporation. Zone 1 textures and geochemistry indicate a meteoric phreatic environment. Fe and Mn trends in the bright subzones indicate stagnation, and precipitation occurred in increments from widespread cyclically developed shallow meteoric water bodies. Meteoric alteration of the rock body was pervasive by the end of Zone 1 with a general resetting of isotopic values. Zone 3 is volumetrically important and external sources of water and carbonate are required. Emplacement was during the Namurian-early Westphalian by meteoric water sourced at a karst landscape on the uplifted eastern edge of the Derbyshire-East Midland shelf. The light δ18O values mainly reflect burial temperatures and an unusually high local heat flow, but an input of highly fractionated hinterland-derived meteoric water at the unconformity is also likely. Relatively heavy δ13C values reflect the less-altered state of the source carbonate and aquifer.

Zone 4 is partly vein fed and spans burial down to 2000 m and the onset of tectonism. Light organic-matter-derived δ13C and heavy δ18O values suggest basin-derived formation water. Combined with textural evidence of geopressures, this relates to local high-temperature ore mineralization and oil migration. Low water-to-rock ratios with host-rock buffering probably affected the final isotopic compositions of Zone 4, masking extremes both of temperature and organic-matter-derived CO2.


Objective: This study was carried out to use pine needles as a passive air sampler (PAS) of atmospheric Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Methods: PCB concentrations in ambient air (, ng/) and deposited on pine needles (, ng/g dry) were analyzed simultaneously from June 1 to December 31. Air samples were taken using a low volume PUF active air sampler and the overall average air volume was about 900-1,000 . Pine needles were collected at the end of August and December near the air sampler. Results: were higher at higher air temperature and lower chlorinated PCB congeners, but showed irregular distribution. The average PCB sampling rates from air to pine needles were 0.116 (0.002-0.389) /day - g dry. Conclusions: A poor correlation was shown between and . However, a good correlation was shown between the logarithm of octanol-air partitioning coefficient () and log (), and the interrelation was better with longer sampling time (June to December) than shorter sampling time (June to August). The average PCB sampling rates from air to pine needles were the lowest with respect to PUF disk, XAD-2 resin and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) PAS. The average ratio () of calculated () and measured () PCB concentration was 0.69 with a shorter sampling time and 1.24 with a longer, so was close to . It was found that pine needles can be used as PAS of atmospheric PCBs, and are especially suitable for long-time PAS.


Non-flammable and highly concentrated electrolyte solutions were designed using tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphate (TFEP) as a main solvent toward a radical improvement in the safety and energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Unlike conventional carbonate ester-based solutions, simple TFEP-based electrolyte solutions were not intrinsically compatible with 5 V-class LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 positive electrodes, even at high concentrations. Based on the degradation mechanism that was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a fluorinated diluent of methyl 3,3,3-trifluoropropionate (FMP) was introduced to suppress the decomposition of LiBF4 and TFEP at high potentials. A nearly saturated LiBF4 /TFEP+FMP electrolyte solution with a specific composition improved the charge and discharge performance of a LiNi0.5 Mn1.5 O4 electrode, and the solution structure was studied by pulsed-field-gradient NMR spectroscopy.


Purpose of reviewThe increasing availability of new medications for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis has made the accurate assessment of treatment outcomes critically important. The purpose of this review is to describe recent investigations focused on the development of new outcome measures in the domains of disease activity and joint damage, and to summarize recently published data within the area of health-related quality of life. Recent findingsSince the development of the preliminary definition of disease improvement in 1997, the American College of Rheumatology pediatric response criteria have become the primary outcome measures in therapeutic trials in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Additional definitions, including preliminary definitions of flare and remission have subsequently been added. Investigations have also sought to determine whether measures currently in use in adult rheumatoid arthritis might have utility in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. As the pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis becomes better understood, biomarkers have significant potential as outcome measures. Lastly, recent reports regarding the health-related quality of life in large cohorts of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis are important in guiding investigators towards areas most in need of improved treatment. SummarySignificant progress has been made in the measurement of outcomes in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Outcome measures will continue to be designed and tested to keep pace with the development of new therapies and the improved understanding of the disease pathogenesis.


Objectives: Early diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may delay disease progression and reduce the burden of disease. This study examined the epidemiology and treatment of CKD among commercially-insured patients in the U.S. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using January 2010-December 2018 MarketScan® data. Patients with ≥2 outpatient (≥ 30 days apart) and/or ≥1 inpatient claims containing a diagnosis code for CKD were eligible for analysis. The earliest CKD diagnosis date served as the index date. Continuous enrollment for ≥6 months pre- and post-index was required. Baseline characteristics and use of ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs pre/post-index were analyzed for the overall CKD population and patients with pre-existing diabetes (Types 1 and 2). Annual CKD prevalence and incidence were calculated from the total enrollee population in a given year. Results: Of 753,097 CKD patients identified, 310,837 (41.3%) had pre-existing diabetes. More CKD patients with pre-existing diabetes had hypertension (81.7% vs. 75.7% for overall CKD). Approximately 45% of patients in both cohorts were diagnosed at Stage 3. Overall CKD prevalence per 1,000 enrollees increased from 11.7 in 2011 to a high of 16.7 in 2016 before decreasing to 13 in 2018. Among persons with pre-existing diabetes, prevalence was 2.0 per 1,000 enrollees in 2011, falling to 1.6 in 2018, with a high of 2.83 in 2015. In the pre-index period, 55.3% of CKD patients overall and 66.2% of CKD patients with pre-existing diabetes received an ACE/ARB. Following CKD diagnosis, use of ACE/ARBs increased to 63.2% and 73.7% for the overall CKD and diabetes populations, respectively. Conclusions: On a population basis, the annual incidence of new CKD patients enrolled in commercial plans is not inconsequential. Greater efforts are needed to identify patients at earlier stages of disease and ensure that treatment guidelines are being followed. Disclosure T. Kauf: Consultant; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. W. Wang: Consultant; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. A. Dillon: Consultant; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. I. Singh: Employee; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. J.T. Odegard: None. C. Ringemann: Employee; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. S. Haldrup: Employee; Self; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.


Would it be good for the dairy industry if consumers suddenly developed a greater taste for dairy either by a popular new product or if some popular doctor or television celebrity such as Prof Tim Noakes, Dr Oz or Noeleen could say something to excite demand? Of course, but is this really the correct answer for the current dairy industry? Would the industry be able to handle increased demand from local resources? In this article, I will try to act as a futurist and consumer trend spotter.


Key points Societies face increasing pressure to contain costs and retain revenues, which are threatened by open access mandates. Funders and other science publishing campaigns need to recognize the value of learned societies and work with them to sustain the production of quality knowledge. Self‐publishing via preprint servers may threaten the quality of academic research. Societies can reinforce their value proposition through a model of academic entrepreneurship, including research activities, media engagement, and consultancy.


The NYSSCPA Financial Accounting Standards and Not-for-Profit Committees deliberated the Exposure Draft and prepared the attached comments. If you would like additional discussion with the committees, please contact Margaret Wood, chair of the Financial Accounting Standards Committee, at (212) 542-9528, Allan M. Blum, chair of the Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee, at (212) 867-4000 or Ernest J. Markezin, NYSSCPA staff, at (212) 719-8303.


The vast majority of 401(k) plan participants want access to investments that match their personal values, yet a small fraction of plans offer those types of investments. The culprit for the existing misalignment has been unstable regulation, which has discouraged plan fiduciaries from including some categories of investments, such as sustainable investments, on 401(k) plan menus. In late 2022, the Department of Labor issued guidance that for the first time explicitly states that fiduciaries do not violate their duty of loyalty by considering participant preferences when making investment-related decisions. This Article makes two unique contributions. First, it evaluates the research on participant preferences for sustainable investments. Second, it provides a framework that fiduciaries can use to assess and consider those preferences while simultaneously fulfilling their duties of loyalty and prudence. If fiduciaries adopt the framework developed in this Article, it could be a triple win. Data indicate, and experts believe, that employees will save more in their 401(k) plans if they have access to investments that support their personal values. An increase in retirement savings would help close the substantial pension gap that exists, particularly for young employees and women who are particularly vulnerable to under saving. Companies will benefit if employees place greater value on their 401(k) plans. And, the world would benefit from increased assets flowing to sustainable investments at a time when climate and social sustainability are close to or in crisis.


Software analytics is to enable software practitioners to perform data exploration and analysis in order to obtain insightful and actionable information for data-driven tasks around software and services. In this position paper, we advocate that when applying analytic technologies in practice of software analytics, one should (1) incorporate a broad spectrum of domain knowledge and expertise, e.g., management, machine learning, large-scale data processing and computing, and information visualization; and (2) investigate how practitioners take actions on the produced information, and provide effective support for such information-based action taking. Our position is based on our experiences of successful technology transfer on software analytics at Microsoft Research Asia.


Function is a key central concept to the practice of biomimicry. Many published models of the biomimicry process include steps to identify, understand, and translate function of biological systems. Examples include functional modeling, decomposition, or abstraction with tools specifically designed to facilitate such steps. A functional approach to biomimicry yields a semantic bridge between biology and engineering, enabling practitioners from a variety of backgrounds to more easily communicate and collaborate in a biomimicry design process. Although analysis of function is likely a necessary part of biomimicry design, recent work suggests it is not sufficient without a more systematic understanding of the complex biological context in which a function exists (e.g., scale and trade-offs). Consequently, emerging tools such as ontologies are being developed that attempt to capture the intricacies of biological systems (including functions), such as their complex environmental and behavioral interactions. However, due to the complexity of such tools, they may be under-utilized. Here, we propose a solution through a computer-aided user interface tool which integrates a biomimetic ontology with a thesaurus-based functional approach to biomimicry. Through a proof of concept illustrative case study, we demonstrate how merging existing tools can facilitate the biomimicry process in a systematic and collaborative way, broadening solution discovery. This work offers an approach to making existing tools, specifically the BioMimetic Ontology, more accessible and encompassing of different perspectives via semantic translation and interface design. This provides the user with the opportunity to interface and extract information from both the Engineering-to-Biology Thesaurus and the BioMimetic Ontology in a way that was not possible before. The proposed E2BMO tool not only increases the accessibility of the BioMimetic Ontology, which ultimately aims to streamline engineers' interaction with the bio-inspired design process, but also provides an option for practitioners to traverse biological knowledge along the way, encouraging greater interdisciplinary collaboration and consideration when conducting biomimicry research.


BitTorrent technology is one of the most popular peer-to-peer solution. The technology ensures fast download speed without large servers. The download procedure needs special torrent les, which contains information about the requested content and the tracker address. The main tasks of the trackers are to control the tra c and help the participant to nd each other. The main goal of the protocol is not to share illegal content, it is because how it works. In order to stop the illegal tra c, we have to stop only the tracker, which is responsible for the copyrighted les. The BitTorrent technology based on a standard, but it has several extensions. One important question about the protocol is the defense of the shared content. How can we share something through BitTorrent if we do not want to make it available for everybody, only for a set of people? This function would be very useful, if we want to share private content to our friends, or if a company wants to share large les between the employees. Peer-to-peer le sharing technology has a play to role in the mobile world too. We took part of developing the SymTorrent application, which is a complete BitTorrent solution for mobile devices. Defending the shared content is also very important on mobile devices. We worked on a solution, how we can ensure that the shared content can be downloaded only by those, who we want to share it. We introduce some ideas and solutions about the topic, and a concrete method, with which the download can begin only after an authentication. We focus on SymTorrent application and solution for mobile devices, but we use the existing experiences in the PC world.