Research productivity is the topmost concern of most universities. Based on the survey conducted, only few of the faculty at Palawan State University had published research in the last six years. This study aimed to identify the predictors of research productivity to provide administrators with research-based information that will serve as the basis in the formulation of institutional research policies that will help increase research productivity. The researcher used descriptive research design and involved the 277 faculty and 12 administrative officials of Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa City, Philippines as respondents. Triangulated data gathering techniques which include questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion validated by a panel of experts were used. A parametric test such as multiple regression was used in the statistical analysis of data. This study revealed that gender, rank, and number of teaching hours predicted research productivity. Interviews and focus group discussions disclosed that some of the faculties were self-motivated to do research while others were motivated by points for promotion and load reduction. The university must organize research training and mentoring on the research process; give remuneration; reduce the workload of faculty who conducts research; enhance faculty's self-motivation to do research and set guidelines for promotion of outstanding researchers. KEYWORDS - Education, predictors of research productivity, HEIs, descriptive design, Philippines Research productivity is the topmost concern of most universities. Based on the survey conducted, only few of the faculty at Palawan State University had published research in the last six years. This study aimed to identify the predictors of research productivity to provide administrators with research-based information that will serve as the basis in the formulation of institutional research policies that will help increase research productivity. The researcher used descriptive research design and involved the 277 faculty and 12 administrative officials of Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa City, Philippines as respondents. Triangulated data gathering techniques which include questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion validated by a panel of experts were used. A parametric test such as multiple regression was used in the statistical analysis of data. This study revealed that gender, rank, and number of teaching hours predicted research productivity. Interviews and focus group discussions disclosed that some of the faculties were self-motivated to do research while others were motivated by points for promotion and load reduction. The university must organize research training and mentoring on the research process; give remuneration; reduce the workload of faculty who conducts research; enhance faculty's self-motivation to do research and set guidelines for promotion of outstanding researchers. KEYWORDS - Education, predictors of research productivity, HEIs, descriptive design, Philippines


A normal baby girl was delivered after the successful transfer of two thawed embryos which had been frozen for eight weeks. Embryo cryopreservation may improve the chances of conception by women who are undergoing in‐vitro fertilization (IVF), reduce the risks of multiple pregnancies in association with IVF, and offer the chance of conception to women with serious gynaecological disease which threatens ovarian function.


AIM
To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Serbia from 1980 to 2008 and the most important factors affecting its emergence and spread.

METHODS
Public sources of data on brucellosis were used, including official reports of infectious diseases and epidemics, as well as monthly and annual reports of the Serbia and Vojvodina Institutes of Public Health.

RESULTS
From 1980 through 2008, there were 1521 human brucellosis cases in Serbia. The annual number ranged from 2 in 2000 to 324 in 1991. Infections occurred more often in men (67% of cases) than in women (odds ratio, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-3.00; chi2=24.52, P<0.001). The largest number of patients over the entire study period (1184) was recorded in Kosovo and Metohija, which accounted for 78% of the total number of patients. The maximum incidence rate in Kosovo and Metohija was 12 per 100,000 in 1991. In Vojvodina, the first autochthonous human cases of brucellosis were recorded in 1999, and 101 affected persons were registered by the end of 2008. During the period 1994-2008, the largest number of patients in Serbia was recorded from June to September (310 of 623 cases, 50%). The disease was most prevalent among people aged 30-49 years, accounting for 81 of 177 (46%) of the cases in Serbia from 1999 to 2008.

CONCLUSION
Brucellosis has been a significant public health concern in Serbia. This problem may be solved by joint efforts of all relevant factors, first of all human and veterinary medical services.


Although pedestrians have individual preferences, aims, and destinations, the dynamics of pedestrian crowds is surprisingly predictable. Pedestrians can move freely only at small pedestrian densities. Otherwise their motion is affected by repulsive interactions with other pedestrians, giving rise to self-organization phenomena. Examples of the resulting patterns of motion are separate lanes of uniform walking direction in crowds of oppositely moving pedestrians or oscillations of the passing direction at bottlenecks. If pedestrians leave footprints on deformable ground (for example, in green spaces such as public parks) this additionally causes attractive interactions which are mediated by modifications of their environment. In such cases, systems of pedestrian trails will evolve over time. The corresponding computer simulations are a valuable tool for developing optimized pedestrian facilities and way systems.


The sustained interest in the neutron and its use as a probe of the structure and dynamics of condensed matter is examined against the background of neutron availability. An analysis is made of developments in neutron source brightness, instrument physics and experimental methodology which have been or are likely to be of outstanding value in physics, chemistry, biology and materials technology studies. The role of pulsed sources as the next step ahead in neutron source brightness, their need for extensive instrument development to realise this potential and their complementarity with steady-state reactors is analysed using newly available experimental results.


Accurate detection of toxic gases at low concentrations is often difficult because they are colorless, odorless, flammable and denser than air. Therefore, it is urgent to develop highly stable and sensitive toxic gas detectors. However, most gas sensors operate at high temperatures, making the detection of toxic gases more challenging. Two-dimensional materials with high specific surface area and abundant modulation methods of properties provide new inspirations for the development of new toxic gas sensing materials. Here, bismuthene, a single element two-dimensional material with high carrier mobility and excellent stability, was used as a substrate material to investigate the effects of anchoring and doping on its gas detection performance by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is revealed that the surface structure altered by single metal atoms (Ba, Be, Ca, K, Li, Mg, Na, and Sr) can promote the improvement of gas detection sensitivity. Buckled honeycomb bismuthene (bBi) with the Be atom anchored (A-Be-Bi) show superior sensitivity to H2S, while D-Ca-Bi, D-Li-Bi, D-Mg-Bi and D-Sr-Bi also have relatively high toxic gas detection sensitivity. We further discussed the recovery times of these modified bBis at various temperatures to determine the potential for applications. The ultra-fast recovery time of less than 0.5 seconds demonstrates the potential of these systems at room temperature and can be applied to the manufacture of toxic gas sensors used under practical sensing conditions.


The Incident Object Description Exchange Format (IODEF) v2 (RFC7970)
defines a data representation that provides a framework for sharing
information about computer security incidents commonly exchanged by
Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) . Since the IODEF
model includes a wealth of available options that can be used to
describe a security incident or issue, it can be challenging for
security practitioners to develop tools that leverage IODEF for
incident sharing. This document provides guidelines for IODEF
implementers. It addresses how common security indicators can be
represented in IODEF and use-cases of how IODEF is being used. This
document aims to make IODEF's adoption by vendors easier and
encourage faster and wider adoption of the model by CSIRTs around the
world.


A grid dynamic segmentation technique based on fault current limiter (FCL) is presented in this paper. The basic concept of this technique is to install the FCLs on appropriate ac lines according to network structure and segment multi-infeed HVDC systems into a number of sectors interconnected by these FCLs. Under normal conditions, the equivalent impedence of the FCLs is zero and does not affect power flow and bus voltage of the system. When short-circuit faults occur in the ac system, the FCLs are activated to limit the short-circuit current and obstruct the propagation of the faults among the sectors. As a result, for the dc systems, the commutation failure duration of the dc links is reduced, and the recovery of the dc systems is speeded, while, for the ac system, the power imbalance and the power flow transfer caused by the simultaneous commutation failure of the dc links are relieved. The transient stability of the whole ac/dc system is thus improved. The effectiveness of the proposed grid dynamic segmentation technique is demonstrated on two representative multi-infeed HVDC systems.


From a geometric perspective, the caustic is the most classical description of a wave function since its evolution is governed by the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. On the other hand, according to the Madelung-de Broglie-Bohm equations, the most classical description of a solution to the Schrödinger equation is given by the zeros of the Madelung-Bohm potential. In this work, we compare these descriptions, and, by analyzing how the rays are organized over the caustic, we find that the wave functions with fold caustic are the most classical beams because the zeros of the Madelung-Bohm potential coincide with the caustic. For another type of beam, the Madelung-Bohm potential is in general distinct to zero over the caustic. We have verified these results for the one-dimensional Airy and Pearcey beams, which, according to the catastrophe theory, have stable caustics. Similarly, we introduce the optical Madelung-Bohm potential, and we show that if the optical beam has a caustic of the fold type, then its zeros coincide with the caustic. We have verified this fact for the Bessel beams of nonzero order. Finally, we remark that for certain cases, the zeros of the Madelung-Bohm potential are linked with the superoscillation phenomenon.


A neurysmal bone cyst is an expansile, destructive, hemorrhagic, non-neoplastic lesion that is thought to represent a benign reactive vascular process1-4. These lesions have been designated as either primary or secondary, with the latter term used when histological evaluation indicates a coexisting lesion, which can be either benign or malignant5,6.

Occasionally, telangiectatic osteosarcomas have been misdiagnosed as aneurysmal bone cysts7-9, but the true nature of the malignant tumors usually became apparent after rapid progression or recurrence7. Like other benign tumors, aneurysmal bone cysts have been reported to have undergone malignant transformation, although most of the transformations were induced by irradiation7,10,11. In a review of the literature, only two well-documented reports of malignant transformation of an aneurysmal bone cyst without a history of irradiation were found. One transformation was to a malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and the other was to an osteosarcoma7,12.

The purpose of this case report is to describe a patient in whom an osteosarcoma developed at the site of an aneurysmal bone cyst that had been treated with curettage and bone-grafting six years earlier. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication.

A nineteen-year-old man was treated at another hospital in July 1993 because of painful swelling of the right leg of four months' duration. Radiographs of the tibia made at that time showed a well-defined intracortical radiolucent lesion in the proximal part of the tibia (Fig. 1). On physical examination, the patient had a tender bulging mass measuring 5 × 2 × 2 cm in the proximal part of the right leg. A technetium-99m whole-body bone scan revealed a focal area of increased uptake of radioactivity involving …


This paper proposes a framework for conceptualizing, planning for and implementing an education agenda for sustainable development within the Jamaican context. The strategic questions informing this framework are: What is the context within which sustainable development is being proposed? What are the educational needs that arise within the given context? and what mechanism would best facilitate these needs thus satisfying the sustainable development objectives?

The central thesis of the paper is that "sustainable development ultimately depends on enhancing people's capacities as individuals and groups to improve their own lives and to take greater control over their own destinies" (Ogun, 1982 p.2). Thus, education is contended to be a critical tool for achieving sustainable development. The educational implications of sustainable development within the Jamaican context are therefore assessed using the national social policy goals (2003) as the agenda for sustainable development. This assessment is facilitated through secondary and primary data collected through document analysis and interviews with a number of professionals working within the social and environmental sectors.


The noninvasive proximal adhesive restoration (NIPAR) technique is a noninvasive approach that utilizes a one-component universal adhesive for infiltration and a filled flowable resin for impermeable sealing. This technique offers several benefits. The noninvasive treatment approach is particularly significant in restorative dentistry, as it entails identifying and managing caries in their initial phases. The efficacy of the noninvasive proximal adhesive restoration technique is limited to non-cavitated lesions. In this case report, a 24-year-old male patient with no relevant medical conditions with a history of dental extractions and restorations visited the University of Geneva Dental School for a complete dental check-up. Orthopantomogram (OPG) and bitewing radiographs revealed multiple initial proximal caries in teeth # 37 (mesial), # 36 (mesial & distal), and # 35 (distal). In addition, DIAGNOcam (KaVo) was used as a diagnostic tool to establish proximal caries' progression. After discussing treatment options with the patient, a decision was made to treat the lesions at the enamel level using NIPAR.


This paper investigates the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy in New Zealand using a structural Vector Autoregression (SVAR) model. The model is the five-variable structural vector autoregression (SVAR) framework proposed by Blanchard and Perotti (2005), further augmented to allow for the possibility that taxes, spending and interest rates might respond to the level of the debt over time. We examine the dynamic responses of output, inflation and the interest rate to changes in government spending and revenues and analyse the contribution of shocks to New Zealand's business cycle for the period 1983:1-2010:2. We find that the effects of government expenditure shocks in New Zealand appear to be positive but small in the short-run at the cost of higher interest rates and lower output in the medium to long-run. The sign of the effects of tax policy changes are less clear cut, but again the effects on GDP appear similarly modest. Past fiscal policy is analysed through a historical decomposition of the shocks in the model. This suggests that discretionary fiscal policy has had a generally pro-cyclical impact on GDP over the last fifteen years, and a material impact on the real long-term interest rate. A fiscal expansion has a positive but limited impact on inflation.


WE Investigated whether the enhanced negativity of the human event-related brain potential elicited by changes in auditory lateralization is due to a higher-order change-detection process or whether it can be explained exclusively in terms of selective sensory adaptation. Infrequent changes in lateralization of a repetitive standard tone, generated by changes in interaural time differences, elicited a frontocentrally distributed negative brain wave in the 100–250 ms range relative to stimulus onset. This brain wave was also elicited when possible sensory adaptation was prevented by controlling for the state of refractoriness of location-specific neurones. The results demonstrate that changes in lateralization elicit a genuine mismatch negativity (MMN), indicating the activity of an automatic higher-order change-detection process.


In an attempt to study the relative toxicity of anthraquinonic laxatives on intestinal mucosa, we compared in mice the effects of fruit pulp containing sennosides A and B with those of a free anthraquinone, 1-8 dihydroxyanthraquinone. Observations have been made with transmission electron microscopy (EM) after 16 weeks of treatment with the two drugs. Although the doses used in this study were equipotent in terms of laxative activity, no damage to the intestinal tissue was observed with the sennosides. A number of changes, however, were detected in intestinal nervous tissues of all the animals treated with 1-8 dihydroxyanthraquinone, mainly in the form of vacuolisation of the axons, formation of lysosomal structures and in some cases appearances of fibrillar degeneration.


The apartheid/separation wall's visualization of Palestinian narratives that epistemologically destabilize the U.S.-Israeli security paradigm necessitates an analysis of the writings on the wall as expressions of dissent. Elaborating on both the segregative concepts of Zionist settler-colonialism and the decolonizing potential of the discursive space offered by Palestine's wall, this paper explores the writings on the wall around Bethlehem as aesthetic interventions that formulate indigenous biographies. As articulations of resistance and deconstructions of Zionism, the writings simultaneously antagonize the dehumanization of Palestinians and substitute the lack of a national archive.


Education as the bedrock of development and one of the fundamental factors determining sustainable economic development has been faced with a lot of challenges; most especially examination malpractice the paper examined the effect of examination malpractice conceptually by reviewing the related literature. Based on the literature reviewed, the paper concluded that there is a gap between the certificates obtained by graduates and their productivity at the labour market due to the various examination malpractice perpetuated by them when they were in school. The paper recommended that Examination malpractice should be discouraged in its entirety. The government, the citizens, the teachers/trainers, the students/trainees, the family and the school, employers and employees, must take this as a critical assignment that must be done. Keywords: Education, Examination Malpractice, Labour Market, Challenges, Development.


Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is a key enzyme in the glyconeogenesis pathway. The AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPK-α) pathway regulates PEPCK, which itself is activated by the AMP/ATP ratio and liver kinase B1 (KB1). The Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (okra) plant contains a large amount of quercetin that can function as an agonist or an antagonist. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of quercetin flavonoid and A. esculentus extract on the level of AMPK-α expression and associated metabolic pathways. The findings demonstrate that metformin, quercetin, and okra extract may significantly raise AMPK-α levels while significantly lowering PEPCK and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) levels, in addition to improving glucose and lipid profiles. By stimulating KB1, these substances increased AMPK-α activation. Additionally, AMPK-α activation improved insulin resistance and Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) gene expression levels. Since AMPK-α maintains energy balance and its activity has not been reported to be inhibited so far, it could be a potent therapeutic target. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The development of effective AMPK-α agonists and antagonists holds promise for the treatment of metabolic disorders like diabetes. Dietary polyphenols are a valuable source for developing new drugs. However, due to the lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of their effect on cells, their use in the treatment of diabetes is controversial. In addition to chemicals that have medicinal benefits, chemists are searching for less harmful substances. Using plants containing bioactive chemicals for this purpose can be a good alternative to chemical drugs.


The static structure and thermodynamic properties of two-dimensional dusty plasma are analyzed for some typical values of coupling and screening parameters using classical molecular dynamics. Radial distribution function and static structure factor are computed. The radial distribution functions display the typical characteristics of fluids, which is pronounced maxima at some inter-particle distance followed by successive minima and maxima of reduced amplitudes. Static structure factor has typical for a fluid like structure with repulsive forces acting between the particles. Internal energy of our system covering the domain of weak, intermediate and strong coupling with 0.5 < 2 are also computed. The results of the internal energy are expressed by simple interpolation formula, which is useful for obtaining other thermodynamic quantities. The interpolation results compared favorably with those of simulation. Keywords : Radial distribution function, static structure factor, molecular dynamics, dusty plasma, Yukawa system, thermodynamics International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences , 6(2): 189-195, 2010


This study compares the amount of available biomass for wild herbivores (red deer (Cervus elaphus L.), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.), and hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas)) depending on three different types of forest silvicultural systems—presented using the example of beech and spruce stands in wintertime. During the winter period, spruce provided ten times more biomass for herbivores than beech. However, beech provided more metabolizable energy, 7.38 MJ/kg on average, whereas spruce only provided 6.57 MJ/kg. From the point of view of "risk of damage by herbivores", artificial regeneration suffered the worst damage after using the Clear Cutting method of forest regeneration, as there was the least amount of biomass available, and thus, herbivores caused the greatest damage. On average, 12% of shoots were damaged in clearings. Most at risk was young forest vegetation up to 1 m tall. In summer, the area was overgrown with available plants, but in winter, the herbivores focused mainly on eating woody shoots. Damage to the natural regeneration when using the Shelterwood Cutting and Strip Cutting regeneration methods ranged up to 3%. At the same time, a high amount of available biomass was measured there, most likely due to its frequent natural regeneration. Thus, both types of trees regenerated in this way were not as susceptible to damage by herbivores as when regenerated using the Clear Cutting method.


In general, famines have become less frequent and of decreasing magnitude in recent decades, a generalization to which sub-Saharan Africa is the striking exception. The underlying factors preventing famine continue to weaken in sub-Saharan Africa, while they grow stronger elsewhere. The basic elements of famine prevention are: a substantial surplus of agricultural production beyond the subsistence needs of the rural population; highly developed transportation systems within rural areas, between rural and related urban areas, and with the rest of the world; and a democratic form of government. The first makes a shortage of food and income to buy food less likely, the second makes it possible to deal with food and income shortages if they do occur, and the third ensures that necessary and feasible actions will be taken. In a democratic framework a free press brings attention to famine even in isolated areas, and public opinion refuses to countenance inaction by the bureaucracy. Once conditions of famine arise, market mechanisms concentrate food where the purchasing power exists, drawing food from the rural to the urban areas and from the poor to the rich. In such circumstances governments must take direct action to prevent starvation. Famine is predicted by successive years of poor crops, a rapid rise in food prices, a decline in the prices of goods that the poor sell (particularly including the livestock of pastoralists), and a decline in employment.


Background Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and ectopic pregnancy among women and epididymitis among men are important sequelae of chlamydia. In Australia, chlamydia prevalence is higher among younger populations, Indigenous Australians, and in regional and remote areas. The burden of chlamydia sequelae by Australian region is unknown. We assessed if rates of emergency department (ED) presentations in Australia for chlamydia sequelae vary by remoteness of residence. Methods Age and sex specific ED rates per 100,000 population of PID, ectopic pregnancy or epididymitis among 15–44 year-old Victorian, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australian residents were calculated for the years 2009 and 2010 using hospital and Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated resident population data. Logistic regression was used to assess regional variation in rates and adjusted for age, remoteness and socio-economic group (SES) of residential postcode in deciles. Results During 2009–2010, overall ED rates per 100,000 among 15–44 year-old residents from all four states were 76.8 (95% CI: 74.8–78.8) for PID, 73.0 (95% CI: 71.1–75.0) for ectopic pregnancy and 86.4 (95% CI: 84.3–88.4) for epididymitis. Multivariable analysis showed that PID rates in female residents: were higher in inner-regional (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.5–1.7) and outer regional/remote areas (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.9–2.3) compared with metropolitan areas; increased by 6%(95% CI: 5%–7%) per decile of increasing disadvantage of postcode; and were higher in women aged 15–24 (AOR = 2.4,95% CI: 2.3–2.6) and 25–34 years (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.6–1.8) compared with 35–45 years. Ectopic pregnancy rates in females were higher in inner-regional (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.2–1.4) and outer regional/remote (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5–1.8) areas; increased by 6% (95% CI: 5%–7%) per decile of increasing disadvantage; and were highest among 25–34 year-old women (AOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 2.0–2.3). In men, epididymitis rates were higher in inner-regional (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.5–1.7) and outer regional/remote (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI: 2.2–2.5) areas and did not differ by age or SES. Conclusion Possible explanations for higher ED rates of chlamydia sequelae in non-metropolitan Australian residents could be higher chlamydia prevalence or variable access to primary healthcare in these areas. Disclosure of interest statement These data are being analysed as part of the Australian Chlamydia Control Effectiveness Pilot (ACCEPt) study funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and the National Health and Medical Research Council.


Targeted poverty alleviation is the development of rich industrial resources in the central and western regions, bringing considerable economic benefits and achieving poverty alleviation. Henan is an important economic province in China, and its GDP ranks fifth in China, which is the first in the mid-western regions. In the context of targeted poverty alleviation, we will vigorously develop manufacturing and improve the living conditions of residents. This article systematically sorted out the status and constraints of the manufacturing industry in Henan Province, the relevant policies and measures of Henan's financial support for the real economy, and SWOT in detail from the aspects of changes in financial aggregates to analyze the relevant results of the manufacturing industry's efficiency improvement. Overall, the total amount of financing in Henan continues to expand, the financing structure continues to improve, financing costs tend to decline, and financial support for the real economy has achieved significant results. In addition, the research has practical significance for improving the economic efficiency of the manufacturing industry.


1. Relativistic quantum mechanics 2. Fock space, the scalar field and canonical quantization 3. Symmetries, conserved currents and conserved quantities 4. The scattering matrix and Feynmann diagrams 5. Differential transition probabilities and predictions 6. Representations of the Lorentz group 7. Two-component scalar fields 8. Four-component scalar fields 9. Massive vector fields 10. Reformulating scattering theory 11. Functional integral quantization 12. Quantization of gauge theories 13. Anomalies of gauge theories 14. SU(3) representation theory 15. The structure of the standard model 16. Hadrons, flavor symmetry and nucleon-pion interactions 17. Tree-level applications of the standard model 18. Regularization and renormalization 19. Renormalization of QED 20. Renormalization and preservation of symmetries 21. The renormalization group equations.


The article presents the experience of researching the needs of older people in a way that includes their perspective during the research process as well as in the planning of responses to their everyday needs. The findings presented in the paper are part of a larger research study that aimed to discover the needs of older people in the Municipality of Ljubljana as the basis for planning a strategy and responses to the needs of older people in the city. The research findings point out the significance of researching needs in a way that enables needs to be embedded into an everyday context. To understand the context of older people's needs, the following five areas were explored in in-depth interviews: position of older people in society, their social and health context, types of risks they face as people in old age, and the assessment of existing services for older people. In researching the needs, the premise that needs are a socially constructed concept was followed, thus expressing them and discussing them would be the first step to older people getting heard, to having a voice in planning services and for the planners to gain the knowledge from older people's experiences, to come closer to users' worlds and their immediate experiences. The results demonstrate that older people expressed most varieties of needs when talking about daily routines and the necessary chores of the day, while the greatest worries were conveyed about changes in the future, mostly related to conditions that maintain an independent life. The wish of older people is to be able to keep their independent life in the community and maintain the possibility to combine a mix of help.


A new experimental technique for short range gravity measurements using pico-precision displacement sensor using digital image analysis is presented. We have developed a new experimental setup using torsion balance pendulum, aiming to test the Newton's inverse square law at below millimeter scale. Weak equivalence principle can also be tested using the same experimental setup. Detector techniques and the detail of the experimental setup are described.


Parity-violating spin asymmetries are given for lepton pairs produced in collisions of pp and pp at collider energies. Their M(ll), xperpendicular to and y dependence is studied in the SU(2)*U(1) standard model for two types of structure functions which exhibit (i) polarisation of valence quarks only, and (ii) polarisation of valence and sea quarks. The rapidity distributions of the spin asymmetries differ strongly for these two models and hence offer the possibility to determine the sea polarisation.


Two-dimensional MoS2 with a controllable morphology was prepared via a simple one-step hydrothermal method. Citric acid was used as a complexing agent and self-assembly inducer. The morphology of MoS2 changed from clusters to nanosheets, and, eventually, to stacked nanorods. A formation mechanism is proposed for the observed evolution of the morphology. The nanosheet structure presents a relatively large specific surface area, more exposed active sites and greater 1T phase content compared to the other morphologies. The electrochemical performance tests show that the MoS2 nanosheets exhibit excellent electrochemical behavior. Their specific capacitance is 320.5 F g−1, and their capacitance retention is up to 95% after 5000 cycles at 5 mA cm−2. This work provides a feasible approach for changing the morphology of MoS2 for high efficiency electrode materials for supercapacitors.


We present results for $f_B$, $f_{B_s}$, $f_D$, $f_{D_s}$ and their ratios in the presence of two flavors of light sea quarks ($N_f=2$). We use Wilson light valence quarks and Wilson and static heavy valence quarks; the sea quarks are simulated with staggered fermions. Additional quenched simulations with nonperturbatively improved clover fermions allow us to improve our control of the continuum extrapolation. For our central values the masses of the sea quarks are not extrapolated to the physical $u$, $d$ masses; that is, the central values are "partially quenched." A calculation using "fat-link clover" valence fermions is also discussed but is not included in our final results. We find, for example, $f_B = 190 (7) (^{+24}_{-17}) (^{+11}_{-2}) (^{+8}_{-0})$ MeV, $f_{B_s}/f_B = 1.16 (1) (2) (2) (^{+4}_{-0})$, $f_{D_s} = 241 (5) (^{+27}_{-26}) (^{+9}_{-4}) (^{+5}_{-0})$ MeV, and $f_{B}/f_{D_s} = 0.79 (2) (^{+5}_{-4}) (3) (^{+5}_{-0})$, where in each case the first error is statistical and the remaining three are systematic: the error within the partially quenched $N_f=2$ approximation, the error due to the missing strange sea quark and to partial quenching, and an estimate of the effects of chiral logarithms at small quark mass. The last error, though quite significant in decay constant ratios, appears to be smaller than has been recently suggested by Kronfeld and Ryan, and Yamada. We emphasize, however, that as in other lattice computations to date, the lattice $u,d$ quark masses are not very light and chiral log effects may not be fully under control.


Bogomolnyi-type bound is constructed for the topological solitons in O(3) nonlinear $\sigma$ model coupled to gravity with a negative cosmological constant. Spacetimes made by self-dual solutions form a class of G\"{o}del-type universe. In the limit of a spinless massive point particle, the obtained stationary metric does not violate the causality and it is a new point particle solution different from the known static hyperboloid and black hole. We also showed that static Nielsen-Olesen vortices saturate Bogomolnyi-type bound only when the cosmological constant vanishes.


A systematic genome-wide RNA interference screen was performed in the Caenorhabditis elegans lin-15b;eri-1 strain, which has an enhanced response to double-stranded RNA including the nervous system, to identify life-span regulatory factors. In total, 16,757 genes were examined, revealing 115 gene inactivations that extended life span. A more stringent longitudinal analysis revealed 18 gene inactivations that induced the greatest increase in life span (10-90%), all of which extended life span when inactivated either in eri-1 alone or in a second strain with an enhanced response to double-stranded RNA, eri-3. Most reduced the rate of aging, implying that animals aged more slowly. As was the case in previous studies, genes critical for metabolism caused the greatest extension of longevity. Extension of life span occurs through disparate mechanisms as increased resistance to thermal stress, oxidative damage, and decreased age pigment accumulation analysis of the 18 stronger positives failed to demonstrate a correlation between enhanced stress resistance and decreased lysosomal function. Consistently, aps-3 and lys-10, two genes annotated to have lysosomal functions, extended life span when inactivated without enhancing stress resistance. The results of this study reinforce the importance of metabolism, mitochondrial and lysosomal functions, genomic stability, and stress resistance on animal life-span determination.


The existing techniques used to estimate and manage the compressive strength of concrete do not include the environmental factors that influence the development character of compressive strength and the compressive strength itself. Thus, it is necessary to develop a reasonable yet simple way to measure the compressive strength of concrete structures at construction sites by considering concrete's mechanical properties and curing environment. This study was conducted to propose an acrylic form and a junction isolation mold with crack-inducing boards that uses non-destructive methods to create and collect concrete test samples that are cured in the same condition as the actual concrete structures. junction isolation molds were used in high-strength and super high-strength concrete to evaluate the reliability of compressive strength evaluation on the test sample. The following were the findings of this study.


During emergencies or natural disasters, or at remote areas, the main electrical grid might be damaged or not accessible, therefore, a sustainable electricity generation is critical for human survivals or other electricity needs. This paper presents a sustainable, portable, and efficient electricity delivery (SPEED) system for community emergency, disaster relief, and power supply at remote areas. A demonstrated system with utility-level AC power output is built up with a 180 W photovoltaics (PV) array which consists of six serial-connected solar panels, a 1.8 kWh battery pack, a SYNDEM power converter, and a data monitoring subsystem. The autonomous operation of the system is achieved by advanced control technologies for power electronic converters in both islanded mode and grid-connected mode, while providing the overcharging and overdischarging protections of the battery pack. Field testing is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed SPEED system under different scenarios.


The issue of lead-free soldering has gripped the electronics assembly industry as of late. What was once something that appeared to be too far away to worry about now has become a pressing reality. In order to avoid confusion, panic, and a misunderstanding of how the issue of lead-free soldering will affect the industry and individuals, it is necessary for all suppliers and assemblers to become educated in this matter. There currently exist several lead-free alloys deemed acceptable for various applications. However, it is important to note that many differences occur from alloy to alloy, and much research and background information is required before the successful implementation of a lead-free solder. This paper shall provide a comparison of the tin-silver, tin-copper, and tin-silver-copper alloys with each other and the tin-lead alloy. Process advice for the implementation of these solders and an overview of where the industry stands on the issue today also is provided.


While nominal COPs which are determined under a steady static condition cannot represent the actual system efficiency of heat pumps, seasonal energy efficiency ratings (SEER) are used for the more realistic performance assessment. SEERs are calculated by taking account of building energy partial load patterns which are determined by outdoor temperature bin and simplied heating/cooling load calculation. Although SEERs could be used for the assessment of the system performance, it is questionable that the nature of the simplified calculation provides accepvy accuracy of the results taking account of building configuration(e.g. thermal capacity, window ratio etc), regional climate conditions etc). The purpose of this study is to test the applicability of SEERs of heat pump systems integrated within a building. The KS C 9306 method for calculating SEERs was investigated and used for the comparison analysis with the detailed simulation tool Energyplus in terms of system efficiency rates according to the partial load profiles.


Cyclic nucleotide-regulated ion channels are present in bacteria, plants, vertebrates, and humans. In higher organisms, they are closely involved in signaling networks of vision and olfaction. Binding of cAMP or cGMP favors the activation of these ion channels. Despite a wealth of structural and studies, there is a lack of structural data describing the gating process in a full-length cyclic nucleotide-regulated channel. We used high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) to directly observe the conformational change of the membrane embedded bacterial cyclic nucleotide-regulated channel MlotiK1. In the nucleotide-bound conformation, the cytoplasmic cyclic nucleotide-binding (CNB) domains of MlotiK1 are disposed in a fourfold symmetric arrangement forming a pore-like vestibule. Upon nucleotide-unbinding, the four CNB domains undergo a large rearrangement, stand up by ∼1.7 nm, and adopt a structurally variable grouped conformation that closes the cytoplasmic vestibule. This fully reversible conformational change provides insight into how CNB domains rearrange when regulating the potassium channel.


Wetlands have been proposed as a sink for pollutants such as heavy metals. Wetland plants play a significant role in the phytoremediation of heavy metals. Here, we isolated and characterized three novel nickel (Ni)-resistant endophytic bacteria (NiEB) from the wetland plant Tamarix chinensis. The NiEB were identified as Stenotrophomonas sp. S20, Pseudomonas sp. P21 and Sphingobium sp. S42. All isolates tolerated 50 mg L-1 Ni, with isolates S20 and P21 being more tolerant to Ni at up to 400 mg L-1. Moreover, isolate S42 removed 33.7% of nickel sulfate from the water by forming white precipitates. The three isolates exhibited different plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits related to the production of indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophores and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase. Phytotoxicity studies revealed that the growth of the wetland plants in a high Ni concentration (200 mg L-1) recovered after co-incubation with isolate S42. Overall, this study presents the first report of NiEB isolation from wetland plants and provides novel insights into the diverse functions of endophytic bacteria in a plant host with the potential to improve Ni phytoremediation.


This paper describes the feasibility of a novel finite-volume based Mach-uniform semi-implicit/explicit numerical framework, MUSE for brevity, to solve unsteady compressible flows of general fluids at arbitrary Mach numbers. For high-speed flows, an explicit temporal discretization with a high-resolution upwind scheme is used so as to accurately capture shock, contact and rarefaction waves. For low-speed flows, a semi-implicit discretization with a pressure-prediction-correction method is used in order to circumvent the time step restriction arising from the Courant-Freidrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition ; the high-resolution upwind scheme is used so as to preserve accuracy on the convective transport. These explicit and semi-implicit discretizations are integrated into a hybrid algorithm. In this paper, the E-CUSP scheme by G.-C. Zha is incorporated into the MUSE framework. To deal with general fluids, the GCUP method originated by K. Watanabe is introduced in a general form. Numerical experiments have been performed on a series of one-dimensional Riemann problems over a wide range of Mach numbers, from M=O(10-4) to supersonic, for a perfect gas and a liquid governed by the Tammann equation of state. The accuracy, efficiency and robustness of the proposed MUSE/E-CUSP_GCUP are discussed, and we have confirmed the validity of the method at all speeds. Smooth transition between the semi-implicit and the explicit discretizations is demonstrated in the computation of a subsonic-supersonic flow transient due to a strong local heat generation.


Abstract. Climate change induced droughts pose a serious threat to ecosystems across the tropics and sub-tropics, particularly to those areas not adapted to natural dry periods. In order to study the vulnerability of cacao (Theobroma cacao) – Gliricidia sepium agroforestry plantations to droughts a large scale throughfall displacement roof was built in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. In this 19-month experiment, we compared soil surface CO2 efflux (soil respiration) from three roof plots with three adjacent control plots. Soil respiration rates peaked at intermediate soil moisture conditions and decreased under increasingly dry conditions (drought induced), or increasingly wet conditions (as evidenced in control plots). The roof plots exhibited a slight decrease in soil respiration compared to the control plots (average 13% decrease). The strength of the drought effect was spatially variable – while some measurement chamber sites reacted strongly (responsive) to the decrease in soil water content (up to R2=0.70) (n=11), others did not react at all (non-responsive) (n=7). A significant correlation was measured between responsive soil respiration chamber sites and sap flux density ratios of cacao (R=0.61) and Gliricidia (R=0.65). Leaf litter CO2 respiration decreased as conditions became drier. The litter layer contributed approximately 3–4% of the total CO2 efflux during dry periods and up to 40% during wet periods. Within days of roof opening soil CO2 efflux rose to control plot levels. Thereafter, CO2 efflux remained comparable between roof and control plots. The cumulative effect on soil CO2 emissions over the duration of the experiment was not significantly different: the control plots respired 11.1±0.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, while roof plots respired 10.5±0.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. The relatively mild decrease measured in soil CO2 efflux indicates that this agroforestry ecosystem is capable of mitigating droughts with only minor stress symptoms.


Abstract : The Deepwater Ports Act of 1974 gives the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and, by delegation, the U.S. Coast Guard, specific authority to regulate the design, construction and operation of Deep Water Ports (DWPs) off the coast of the United States. Some of the regulations deal with safety and prevention of oil pollution. This study is one of several providing information for future regulations dealing with pollution. It identifies and assesses inspection methods and procedures for the Oil Transfer System (OTS) of DWPs. Recommendations are made for inspection methods and procedures that would provide an effective means of minimizing accidental oil spills from the OTS of DWPs in U.S. waters. The recommendations were based primarily on a cost-effectiveness analysis for both commonly used and technologically advanced inspection methods and procedures that were considered to provide the best available technology for DWPs in U.S. waters. Inspection methods considered apply primarily to the components of the OTS, onsite, during normal operations and also to components of other systems whose failure could affect the integrity of the OTS. Failure of components and subsystems of the OTS, which contributed most significantly to the risk of oil spills, were identified in a system safety analysis. (Author)


Radar with the linear frequency-modulated signal may range the target. Its range resolution is decided by the signal frequency bandwidth. This paper proposes an interpolation algorithm based on fast Fourier transform to improve the accuracy of range estimation without increasing the frequency bandwidth. The algorithm application in practice is described. The simulation result of estimation accuracy is also given.


The most severe form of citrus canker disease is caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) and affects all types of important citrus crops, reducing fruit yield and quality. Copper-based products are routinely used as a standard control measure for citrus canker. In this work we demonstrate that copper treatment induces the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state in Xac but does not prevent the development of symptoms in susceptible plants. Short-term exposures to different concentrations of copper solutions were assayed to determine which treatment resulted in Xac nonculturability. Treatment of 10(6) mL(-1) Xac cells for 10 min in a 135-muM CuSO(4) solution (equivalent to three times the free soluble copper concentration applied in one field treatment) resulted in nonculturability. However, 16% of cells were viable based on 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride staining and 1% were capable of producing canker lesions after infiltrating grapefruit plants. If induction of the VBNC state in Xac cells were to occur under field conditions, this would have to be taken into consideration for an effective control of canker disease.


Autonomic networks are an emerging technology which is promising to reduce the complexity of human-driven network management processes and enable a variety of so-called self-∗ features such as self-configuration, self-optimization, etc, inside the network devices and the network as a whole. Autonomic behaviors are widely understood as a control loop implemented by an autonomic entity that automates management processes and controls diverse aspects of a set of resources. Though automation is necessary and achievable, autonomic decision-making-elements of the network can not fully perform decisions on every task of the network without requiring some degree of "a human-in-the-loop" in some of the decisions. From the operator's perspective, controllability of the control loop and decision notification from the autonomic network is a vital issue that needs to be addressed. In this paper we present our considerations on how an Autonomic Fault-Management control loop ("detect an incident" — "find the root cause behind it" — "remove the root cause") can be controlled by the network operation personnel.


We introduce a new hybridized discontinuous Galerkin method for the incompressible magnetohydrodynamics equations. If particular velocity, pressure, magnetic field, and magnetic pressure spaces are employed for both element and trace solution fields, we arrive at an energy stable method which returns pointwise divergence-free velocity fields and magnetic fields and properly balances linear momentum. We discretize in time using a second-order-in-time generalized-$\alpha$ method, and we present a block iterative method for solving the resulting nonlinear system of equations at each time step. We numerically examine the effectiveness of our method using a manufactured solution and observe our method yields optimal convergence rates in the $L_2$ norm for the velocity field, pressure field, magnetic field, and magnetic pressure field. We further find our method is pressure robust. We then apply our method to a selection of benchmark problems and numerically confirm our method is energy stable.


Traditional Chinese municipal governance set up on "information islands" brought negative effect to municipal governance reform. E-government has become a hot topic in public management recently just as lean supply chain does in business management. However, there is little discussion about their relationship. This article focused on this gap through referring to lean principles in supply chain management. The aim was to illustrate the determinants of efficient public service provision for citizens to support flexible municipal governance reform to satisfy increasing public demand. The explorative and deductive principles were put forward following by a case study on Jiangmen municipal service hotline that set an example of cross-network integration for lean public management. The determinants of different dimensions were demonstrated by analyzing the process and key points of the cross-network integration. Direction and endeavor for implementing lean management in public sectors were further discussed. This paper contributed to identifying framework, determinants and criteria of lean public management for municipal governance, and, was essential for ensuring the successful practices of lean public management in future. It provided a new insight for public sector reform and contributed to public management research as well as business management study.

 Key words: Public management, lean principle, municipal governance reform, cross-network integration, municipal service hotline, case study, China.


In this paper we present the formulation, preparation and characterization of new polymeric composite materials containing a nano-hybrid to be used for the controlled molecular delivery of an anti-inflammatory molecule, Diclofenac. The nano-hybrid consists of a layer of double hydroxide of an Mg-Al hydrotalcite type, in which we replaced the chloride anions present in the host galleries with Diclofenac anions by a simple ion-exchange reaction. Different amounts of the hybrid material were incorporated in polycaprolactone and processed as films of 0.15 mm thickness. The composite materials were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetry and for their mechanical properties, and showed properties even better than those for the pristine polymer. The release process of the anti-inflammatory molecules was very interesting and promising for tuneable drug delivery. It consists of two stages: a first stage, very rapid as a burst in which a small fraction of the drug is released, and of a second stage that is much slower, extending for longer and longer periods. The parameters influencing the drug release were individuated and discussed.


This paper describes a spectral index (SI)-based multiple subcodebook algorithm (MSCA) for lossy hyperspectral data compression. The scene of a hyperspectral dataset to be compressed is delimited into n regions by segmenting its SI image. The spectra in each region have similar spectral characteristics. The dataset is then separated into n subsets, corresponding to the n regions. While keeping the total number of codevectors the same (i.e. the same compression ratio), not just a single codebook, but n smaller and more efficient subcodebooks are generated. Each subcodebook is used to compress the spectra in the corresponding region. With the MSCA, both the codebook generation time (CGT) and coding time (CT) can be improved by a factor of around n at almost no loss of fidelity. Four segmentation methods for delimiting the scene of the data cube were studied. Three hyperspectral vector quantization data compression systems that use the improved techniques were simulated and tested. The simulation results show that the CGT could be reduced by more than three orders of magnitude, while the quality of the codebooks remained good. The overall processing speed of the compression systems could be improved by a factor of around 1000 at an average fidelity penalty of 1.0 dB.


As part of the USAF, Army, Navy and FAA sponsored halon replacement project, the pipe flow characteristics of selected alternative agents for engine nacelle tire protection are being studied. Due to the remote location of the agent storage bottle, piping is required to transport the agent to various locations in an engine nacelle. The pipe flow from an agent bottle is characterized as a transient, two-phase flow. Since the selected alternative agents have thermo-physical properties different from halon 1301, the flow characteristics will be different, which may require system design changes. An experimental apparatus to study the flow characteristics of the alternative agents was designed and is described. A key feature of the experimental set-up is the ability to provide a constant head in the simulated storage bottle. This will allow quasi-steady state pressure drop data to be gathered. It may then be possible to use the quasi-steady data to estimate the transient case. The pipe flow Characteristics for different initial vessel temperatures and pressures, and pipe configurations will be examined. Preliminary results on the flow characteristics of HFC-227ea and halon 1301 are presented.


Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a rapid tool for detection of breast carcinomas. Evaluation of estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR) and HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) are routinely performed in breast carcinomas. Formalin fixation of tissue for a minimum of 6 hours, and for HER2 not more than 48 hours is the current recommended practice. In this retrospective study, we compared ER, PR and HER2 expression in breast carcinomas using archival ethanol-fixed FNA cell block with formalin fixed resection tissue block preparations. 34 archival breast carcinoma FNA cell blocks of primary origin with subsequent resection tissue blocks were identified retrospectively. All 34 cases were diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma. Cases with neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. Cell blocks were initially fixed in 50% ethanol (4-12 hrs), followed by formalin fixation (minimum 6 hrs). Tissue blocks were formalin-fixed within 4-8 hrs for 6-48 hrs. ER, PR, and HER2 IHC results on the cell blocks and tissue blocks were compared. Alcohol fixed cell block samples for detection of ER and PR by IHC show good agreement with tissue block samples and are therefore a reliable method (weighted Kappa of 0.773 and 0.785, respectively) to triage patients for hormonal treatment. However, HER2 results show only moderate agreement with a weighted kappa of 0.571. The increase in discrepant results may be due to ethanol fixation which results in false positive increased HER2 expression. These results demonstrate the importance of adherence to the College of American Pathologists/ASCO guidelines for HER2 IHC.


This volume critically reviews the use of fossils for the analysis of palaeoenvironments. The papers are multi-disciplinary, drawing on a host of geochemical, palaeoecological and palaeontological methods from traditional taxonomic uniformitarianism to more recently developed geochemical isotopic analyses. The approach of the book is analytical rather than taxonomic, concentrating on a range of techniques. The common thread, however, is that it is palaeontological material that is being considered, whether it be identifiable body fossils, trace fossils, distinctive fossil associates, diagenetically unaltered material or organic compounds. Using a number of methods, and comparing their results, allows different environmental controls to be isolated and provides more information on the record of past environmental parameters. The volume focuses on the data obtained from organisms and their remains and will be of importance to sedimentologists, stratigraphers and palaeontolgists who need to maximize their palaeoenvironmental interpretations of depositonal environments, facies models, sequence stratigraphy and palaeoclimates.


The paper is for the structural analysis of continuous simply supported pre-stressed inverted-T girder using splicing technique. This paper represents variation of inflection points (point of contra flexure) for different variable loading conditions such as superimposed dead load, lane load, HS-20 truck load etc. The load (live load) for which inflection point changes its location greatly, amount of changes etc. also noticed and amount determined with several trials in this research. Finite element analysis method applied in this case for maximum bending and shear. The effect of false box action considered and found that due to false box action the reduction of bending stress shows lighter section of inverted-T girder. Without considering box action it shows inverted T-girder depth requires greater depth whereas false box girder action reduces its depth extensively.


The precise mechanisms of cortical damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) remain unknown. Microglia, the resident immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS), are involved in the chronic neuroinflammation in MS cortical lesions. Microglia produce various inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-β, reactive oxygen species, and glutamate. IL-β secretion is induced by NLRP3. ROS is induced by GM-CSF-producing Th17 cells. Glutamate is released via gap junctions. These molecules exert neurotoxicity. Meanwhile, damaged neurons produce fractalkine and FGF-2, which suppress microglial activation and enhance microglial neuroprotection through anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effect. Fractalkine accelerates microglial clearance of neuronal debris via inducing the release of MFG-E8. FGF-2 induces microglial migration through the FGFR3-Wnt-ERK signaling pathway. These molecules suppress microglial neuroinflammation, and enhance neuroprotection, which may give us clues for future therapeutic strategy cortical damage in MS.


Fracturing treatments are often challenging in high-pressure/high-temperature, tectonically stressed areas with heterogeneous and complex lithology. This study presents case histories of two multistage fracturing campaigns executed on a tight gas formation in a deep volcanic reservoir onshore Japan. This work begins by highlighting the technical difficulties experienced during the first campaign, reviews the countermeasures developed over the course of the decade between campaigns, and finishes lessons learned from execution and evaluation of the second campaign.
 A root-cause analysis was undertaken to understand the poor treatment results from the first campaign where stages were defined by no formation breakdown, poor injectivity or early screen-out. It included re-evaluation of core/petrophysical interpretation, stress model and net pressure history matching, and development of injectivity index diagnostic plots. The findings were used to identify updated technologies and workflows for the second campaign with consideration of limitations in the target well drilled +10 years before and uncompleted. Finally, details of field execution and post-job logging results are presented to verify effectiveness of proposed techniques and extract lessons learned for future operations.
 The breakdown and injectivity issues of the first campaign appear to be tied to the initiation interval location and facies, where initiating in a massive lava facies was most problematic due to high stress and extreme tortuosity. Uncertainty in the propped height from the net pressure history matches showed room for optimization in treatment design. In the second campaign, with mitigation plans for breakdown issues, premature screen-outs and detection of propped height in place, nine fracture stages were attempted. Eight stages achieved successful breakdown with careful target selection and weighted brine. Two conventional treatments with crosslinked gel were placed in the intervals with high injectivity and, as a field trial, two slickwater treatments with high viscosity friction reducer were placed in intervals to deal with low injectivity. Issues with high apparent net pressure due to tortuosity continued, comparable to the first well, and efforts to further reduce treating pressure for future campaigns continues. Logging of the non-radioactive traceable proppant pumped revealed thin propped heights while production logging showed contribution from the zones treated with slickwater indicating it may be a viable solution for this type of challenging reservoir.
 This work highlights a series of technical issues and possible solutions of multistage fracturing in a volcanic reservoir, validated through field execution. Proposed solutions partially solved the challenges, but at the same time they open further questions for future campaigns. This study can serve as a reference for fracturing operations in challenging analogue reservoirs.


Considering the resistance development-potential of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) against control tactics with limited action mechanisms, the present study investigated the accumulation of two different silicon (Si) sources (SiO2 and K2SiO3) in cotton plants. The tested dose rates (0, 200, and 400 mg/L) of both Si sources were applied directly to the soil or through foliar application on cotton leaves. Moreover, a laboratory bioassay was also conducted to evaluate the performance of applied Si sources against the oviposition preference and biology of B. tabaci. A significantly higher Si accumulation, reduction in oviposition preference, and prolonged developmental period of all nymphs and total life cycle of B. tabaci was observed in the case of foliar-applied silicon. Similarly, among Si sources, a significant decline in the number of oviposited eggs and delay in the developmental period of B. tabaci was observed in the case of SiO2, followed by K2SiO3. Moreover, cotton plants subjected to SiO2 treatments possessed higher Si contents in their leaves than K2SiO3 treated plants. The results further revealed that both Si sources showed promising results at their higher concentrations regarding the tested parameters of Si accumulation, fecundity, and developmental period of B. tabaci. Our results strongly suggest that among emerging pest control strategies in cotton plants lies the use of foliar application of Si, which can also be incorporated in different integrated pest management programs due to its safety for humans and beneficial insect fauna.


Global warming is a long-term environmental hazard demonstrated by a gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth. It is caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane. Although, in terms of the volume, methane is considered secondary to carbon dioxide, it is about 21 times more damaging when compared over a 100-year period. Fugitive methane emissions from underground coal mines significantly contribute to global warming. Amongst all the known methods to reduce the fugitive methane, application of thermal oxidation (or, simply, burning) is deemed the most effective and practical. This process produces water vapour and carbon dioxide, which has significantly lower adverse impact on the atmosphere than methane. The thermal oxidisers operate at high temperatures, which may introduce a risk of fire and explosion to the mine. In order to mitigate such risk, a thorough understanding of the methane explosion characteristics is essential. Methane fire and explosion experiments under conditions pertinent to underground coal mines are expensive, risky and necessitate significant effort, and thus require enormous preparation and safety procedures. It is cheaper and safer to analyse existing data to discover patterns and predict explosions than to conduct new extensive experiments. In this paper, we present a comparative study of data mining and machine learning techniques used for these purposes.


ABSTRACT : The main aim of the study is to analyze the impact of profitability on share prices by adopting NTPC in India as case example. Moreover, the study also aimed to explore the decision making criteria of investors on the basis of profitability from share prices. Literatures find that, firm size, growth, lagged profitability, capital structure, debt, liquidity, and lagged debt are responsible for impacting the profitability of a company. On the other hand, profitability of a company has a significant impact on share prices. Since, increasing or high share price shows better strength and development in terms of profitability of the company, it is impendent to further explore the impact of profitability on share prices using a case example.


Following the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, assessment of internal radiation exposure was indispensable to predict radiation-related health threats to residents of neighboring areas. Although many evaluations of internal radiation in residents living north and west of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant are available, there is little information on residents living in areas south of the plant, which were similarly affected by radio-contamination from the disaster. To assess the internal radio-contamination in residents living in affected areas to the south of the plant or who were evacuated into Iwaki city, a whole body counter (WBC) screening program of internal radio-contamination was performed on visitors to the Jyoban hospital in Iwaki city, which experienced less contamination than southern areas adjacent to the nuclear plant. The study included 9,206 volunteer subjects, of whom 6,446 were schoolchildren aged 4–15 years. Measurements began one year after the incident and were carried out over the course of two years. Early in the screening period only two schoolchildren showed Cs-137 levels that were over the detection limit (250 Bq/body), although their Cs-134 levels were below the detection limit (220 Bq/body). Among the 2,760 adults tested, 35 (1.3%) had detectable internal radio-contamination, but only for Cs-137 (range: 250 Bq/body to 859 Bq/body), and not Cs-134. Of these 35 subjects, nearly all (34/35) showed elevated Cs-137 levels only during the first year of the screening. With the exception of potassium 40, no other radionuclides were detected during the screening period. The maximum annual effective dose calculated from the detected Cs-137 levels was 0.029 and 0.028 mSv/year for the schoolchildren and adults, respectively, which is far below the 1 mSv/year limit set by the government of Japan. Although the data for radiation exposure during the most critical first year after the incident are unavailable due to a lack of systemic measurements, the present results suggest that internal radio-contamination levels more than one year after the incident were minimal for residents living south of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, and that the annual additional effective doses derived from internal Cs contamination were negligible. Thus, internal radio-contamination of residents living in southern radio-contaminated areas appears to be generally well controlled.


Hans Duncker (1881–1961) is among the first avian geneticists, but remains poorly known. He trained as a biologist, completing his PhD at the University of Gottingen in 1905 and then became a high-school teacher in Bremen where he remained for the rest of his life. In 1921 he met Karl Reich (1885–1970) who was the first person to make recordings of bird song and was well-known for creating a strain of canaries that sang Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) songs. Duncker provided a novel Darwinian/Mendelian explanation for how Reich's canaries acquired their songs. In the early 1920s, a time during which the field of genetics was rapidly developing in the USA and Britain, but not Germany, Duncker and Reich conducted large-scale breeding experiments to establish the pattern of inheritance of variegation and other traits in canaries. In 1925 Duncker met Generalkonsul Carl Cremer (1858–1938), who provided the financial backing for a massive and comprehensive study of inheritance of colour patterns in Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulates). At the same time Duncker also initiated a project to create a red canary by hybridising canaries with the Red Siskin (Carduelis cucullata). Duncker recognized that bird-keepers had much to offer professional scientists (and vice versa) and was keen to bridge the gap between them and to this end in 1927 began his own journal "Vogel ferner Lander". His research on the genetics of the canary and budgerigar resulted in the publication of a large number of papers in ornithological journals and magazines and several books. Duncker was a eugenicist, and when the National Socialists came to power in 1933 he supported and promoted the notion of positive eugenics. He was later (in 1990) condemned for these activities and for having been a Nazi, but we show that Duncker joined the Party only reluctantly. After WWII Duncker restored and re-catalogued the bird collections at the Ubersee-Museum in Bremen. We discuss the possible reasons why Duncker's research, much of it very innovative, has been largely ignored internationally.


Previous analyses of oblique stagnation-point flow at a plane wall are discussed and unified with reference to a free parameter. The oblique flow consists of orthogonal stagnation-point flow to which is added a shear flow whose vorticity is fixed at infinity. Physically the free parameter may be viewed as altering the structure of the shear flow component by varying the magnitude of the pressure gradient. For large adverse pressure gradients, the shear component has a region of reversed flow near the wall. Remarkably, combining an orthogonal flow with shear flows featuring different levels of reversed flow always produces the same oblique flow but with the stagnation-point of attachment shifted along the wall by a predictable amount.


Some types of land development can be associated with increased impervious area causing increase in surface runoff and decrease in ground water recharge. Both of these processes can have large scale ramifications through time. Increased runoff results in higher flows during rain events, which in turn increases the number of times that a river floods adjacent lands. Likewise, this increase in runoff and channel flows can drastically increase the erosion of river channel beds and banks, potentially destabilizing bridges or local structures. Understanding how the landuse change influence the river basin hydrology may enable planners to formulate policies to minimize the undesirable effects of future landuse changes. Hence there is a growing need to quantify the impacts of landuse changes from the point of minimizing potential environmental degradation. The main objective of this study was to develop a model to assess the impacts of landuse changes on the watershed runoff. While conceptual or physically based models are of importance in the understanding of hydrologic processes, there are many practical situations where the main concern is with making accurate predictions at specific locations. Remote sensing was used in this study because of its ability in providing useful information on landuse dynamics. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed. To evaluate the model performance in both training and testing phases, mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE), U' Theil and regression analysis were performed. The correlation coefficients were 0.94 and 0.89 for the training and testing, respectively. Most of the data points were within the confidence level of 95%. Most of the scatter values were within 15 % deviation bands. The model was applied to future scenarios using a certain rainfall amount; deforestations of 10%, 50% and 80% will increase the runoff amount by about 60%, 250% and 300% respectively.


Selenium (Se) was determined in human milk from women residing in Niamey (Niger) at different periods of lactation. To this purpose, a rapid electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric (EAAS) method using Zeeman background correction and palladium matrix modifier was developed. Linear range (10 nmol/L-6.25 mumol/L, 0.8-494 micrograms/L), within-run (7.6%), between-run (10.4%), precision and recovery of standard addition (101 +/- 7%) were sufficient to allow routine determination of Se in breast milk. Values of breast milk Se decreased from 5 days to 6 months postpartum. No significant correlation was found between the milk Se and any of the following parameters: mother serum Se, parity, age of the mother, age of the previous child. In mother serum, Se concentration increased from delivery to 3 months postpartum and remained stable afterwards. The Se concentrations found in breast milk and in mother serum suggest that Se status is adequate in Niger.


Understanding solute transport in fractured rocks is of particular importance in many applications. Aperture values ranging from 4.7 to 8.7 mm and Reynolds number (Re) values at 9.38~1743.8 were set for investigating fluid flow through synthetic horizontal single smooth and rough fractures. The Brilliant Blue FCF dye was chosen as the tracer to visualize the transport process. This paper focuses on the dispersion process in rough single fractures under non-Darcian flow conditions. Non-Darcian flow existed in both smooth and rough single fractures and the average flow velocity–hydraulic gradient (V–J) relationships were best described by the Forchheimer equation. The main objectives were to check the existing flow and transport models and to study possible correlations between fitting parameters and heterogeneities. The classical advection dispersion equation (ADE) model failed to capture the long-tailing of breakthrough curves (BTCs). Instead, the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model was better at explaining BTCs in both smooth and rough fractures, especially in capturing the long-tailing feature. The non-Darcian coefficient βc in the Forchheimer equation and the coefficient β in the CTRW model appeared to be most relevant for characterizing the heterogeneity of the rough single fractures.


The paper discusses several areas of research conducted by Vyacheslav Tanaev (1940–2002), mainly on scheduling. His contribution to parametric decomposition of optimization problems is also addressed. For each area we focus on the most important results obtained by V.S. Tanaev and trace how his research has been further advanced.


Violence, as a means of power, has generally been envisaged in its negative effects. On the contrary, in this paper the thesis is expounded, based on the results of research on insurrectional movements and ethnic organizations for violence, that violence may also be a productive and fertile means of creation. Firstly, the three principal stages of development characteristic in a general way of the nuclei or foci of violence are described, that is, the process through which they become efficient in certain areas of action. In second place, inquiry is made into the theoretical pertinency of descriptive propositions expounded from the point of view of theories of action and autopoetical systems.


Horning-crown macrocycles, 1(R = (CH2)2) and 2(R = (CH2)3) form inclusion complexes with C60 and C70 fullerenes which have been structurally authenticated using X-ray diffraction data. Macrocycle 1 affords a C60 complex as a toluene solvate with overall composition C60(1)2(tol)2, 3, whereas the larger macrocycle, 2, affords complexes with both C60 and C70 fullerenes, also as toluene solvates: C60(2)(tol)2, (4); C70(2)(tol)2, (5); and C70(2)2(tol)2, (6). The higher degree of flexibility of such macrocyles relative to classical calixarenes is noteworthy in forming fullerene complexes, with the smaller ring size of 1 favoring fullerene complexation toward the smaller C60 molecule. The supramolecular assemblies involve host−guest interactions as well as interaction of fullerenes in zigzag chains with interfullerene contacts close to the van der Waals limit.


To treat Cushing's disease, we studied the length and exterior diameter of the inferior phrenic and superior adrenal artery and vein, and the reflow of the adrenal vein. The length and exterior diameter of those blood vessels were divided and measured by veiner calipor. Six patients with Cushing's disease were treated by pedicled adrenal transposition to the musculus of the back. The right inferior phrenic artery was 75-110 mm from the exterior edge of the vena cava to the distant branch of the superior adrenal artery, while the left inferior phrenic artery was 70-90 mm from the left edge of the aorta to the distant branch of the superior adrenal artery, both of which have veins to accompany them. The superior adrenal artery came from the inferior phrenic artery relatively common and was divided into six branches. The exterior diameter of the distal superior adrenal artery was 1.5-2.5 mm and could be freed for 40-80 mm. Lateral veins could complete the adrenal blood drainage after the left central adrenal vein was ligated. The transpositioned blood vessel pedicle consisted of the distant inferior phrenic artery and vein, the distant branches of the superior adrenal artery and vein. The patient who had received the transposition treatment had neither hypocortisolism nor recurrence after 4 to 35 months. The length of the inferior phrenic, superior adrenal gland vessels could content the remained adrenal gland to reach their transposition bed when freed. The pedicled adrenal transposition to the musculi is an ideal method in the treatment of Cushing's disease.


Airborne pollen grains in Aydın, an important city for agriculture and tourism in the western part of Turkey, were studied for 2 years (2014 and 2015) using the volumetric method. During a 2-year study conducted in the city center, an average of 19,226 pollen grains belonging to 46 taxa were detected. Among these detected taxa, 29 (average 73.97%) belonged to arboreal plants and 17 (average 24.95%) to nonarboreal plants. The highest pollen concentrations belonged to Olea europaea (21.02%), Quercus (15.23%), Poaceae (11.89%), Pinaceae (11.47%), Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (11.11%), Platanus(4.12%), Morus (3.83%), and Urticaceae (3.58%), which were considered to be the dominant species. We used the Spearman correlation test to assess the relationship between the daily pollen concentrations belonging to these 8 taxa and the mean average temperature (°C), daily precipitation (mm), mean average relative humidity (%), and mean average wind speed (m/sec), which yielded significant results. A negative correlation was found between the average temperature and the pollen concentrations of Poaceae, Pinaceae, Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Morus, and Urtica in both years. Furthermore, while the average wind speed only had a negative effect on the pollen concentrations of some taxa, the effects of relative humidity and precipitation on the pollen concentrations of dominant taxa varied from one taxon to another and between the 2 years. The results obtained in this study indicated that the top 3 dominant airborne pollen types (Olea europaea, Quercus, and Poaceae) in the atmosphere of Aydın generally had allergenic effects at high levels, and the highest pollen concentration during the study period was detected in May.


In this letter, a novel port-to-port isolation technique suitable for a two-antenna system positioned at the top corner of a mobile phone is presented. The chosen planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs) are intended to operate in the UMTS band [1.92-2.17] GHz and more precisely in the UMTS Rx band for diversity purpose. First, the distance between the PIFAs is severely reduced to 4 mm (0.027 lambda0) in order to obtain a very compact system. This proximal placement causes an increase of the insertion loss between the feeding ports of the PIFAs and therefore degrades the overall diversity performance of the two-antenna system. To compensate for this effect, the neutralization technique previously proposed by the same authors is implemented. Then, a novel way to implement this technique is studied to further improve the PIFAs' port-to-port isolation. It consists in achieving the neutralization of the antennas trough folded lines connected to the printed circuit board (PCB). A new prototype is fabricated and measured. The S-parameters and the total efficiency are presented. Additionally, the most important diversity metrics are computed to evaluate the potential of this novel two-antenna system for diversity applications in the UMTS Rx mode.


The addition of heavily irradiated or mitomycin-treated spleen cells to cultures containing syngeneic spleen cells and foreign erythrocytes may stimulate to some extent the hemolytic plaque-forming cell responses of these cultures, but the addition of semi-allogeneic irradiated or mitomycin-treated spleen cells may cause much greater stimulation. This semi-allogeneic stimulation is completely reciprocal; the plaque-forming cell responses of F1 hybrid spleen cell cultures often are stimulated as much after the addition of non-proliferating parental cells as are the responses of parental spleen cell cultures after the addition of non-proliferating F1 hybrid cells. The possibility that an in vitro manifestation of hybrid resistance might be involved was ruled out. It was found that irradiated or mitomycin-treated cells, although unable to proliferate, were still able to initiate a recognition reaction against histoincompatible cells, releasing in the process a soluble factor which stimulated proliferation of cells of the antibody-forming series. The significance of this finding for "one-way" mixed lymphocyte reactions is discussed.


Background Historic methods of classifying temporal bone fractures have been shown to poorly correlate with clinical findings. Due to the mechanisms of injury associated with these fractures, complete examination of patients can be difficult. An effective and simple way of correlating radiological findings in temporal bone fractures with complications like facial nerve weakness and paralysis will better guide physicians in treatment of their patients. We hypothesize that a classification system based on the medial extent of a fracture will best predict facial nerve injuries. Study Design and Methods A retrospective chart review identified 109 patients with 131 temporal bone fractures. Temporal bone CT scans and a record of facial nerve evaluation was available in 115 fractures (99 patients). CT scans were reviewed and fractures were classified by our proposed system and by the traditional system (longitudinal, transverse, and mixed). Our proposed system is as follows: Group A is a lateral fracture involving the mastoid, external auditory canal, and/or temporomandibular joint; Group B involves the tympanic cleft; Group C involves the course of the facial nerve; and Group D involves the otic capsule. A final rating of A-D was given based on the medial most extent of the fracture line. Fractures were grouped according to the classification schemes and correlated with clinical reports of facial nerve dysfunction. Results In 115 temporal bone fractures, 16 patients with facial nerve weakness or paralysis were identified. Using the new classification scheme, facial nerve injury was present as follows: Group A fractures - 0/20, Group B - 5/55 (9%), Group C - 6/31 (19%), Group D - 5/9 (56%). Using the traditional classification system, facial nerve dysfunction was present as follows: 11/72 (13%) of longitudinal fractures, 4/21 (19%) of transverse fractures, and 3/22 (14%) of mixed fractures. Conclusion When compared to the traditional classification system for temporal bone fractures, these results demonstrate that the new system appears to have a higher predictive value with facial nerve function. This simple system can help physicians to triage patients and guide treatment even if a complete examination of the patient is not possible.


AIM
Animal protection laws will lead to stricter and more selective criteria thus resulting in a decline of available animals. Yet to train cardiac surgical skills a totally artificial training model was developed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAINING MODEL
The model is based on differently hardened polyurethane. Cover is a 1:1 replica of the human thoracic wall. Disposable coronaries are integrated in the heart-model. Vessels and part of the ascending aorta can be rinsed. By means of a newly designed air-pump stroke volume, heart-rate and rhythm can be adjusted.

EXPERIENCES
Set-up of the model is easy and quick. Accustomed instruments can be used. Handling of artificial tissue is nature-like. Degree of difficulty is dependent on stroke volume, heart rate, arrhythmia, vessel-size and vessel-quality.

CONCLUSION
The phantom helps to achieve confidence in coronary revascularisation. It facilitates an accompanying training for the less-trained as well as the skilled surgeon. The nature-like characteristics will help to reduce animal experiments in future.


Previous anatomochemical and experimental investigations had resulted in the histochemical characterisation of the epileptogenic focus by the presence of "activated astrocytes"; cortical reactive astrocytes acquiring an intense activity of sundry dehydrogenases (DH) and becoming visible in spite of the positivity of the neuropil, and stopping at the amylose step in the synthesis of glycogen. This activation exists from the first electrical sings of epilepsy and even preceeds them in the case of glucose-6-phosphate DH. The present study deals with the fate of activated astrocytes after the disappearance of electrical signs of the epileptogenic focus produced by implantation of a cobalt powder-gelatin pellet into the cerebral cortex of the rat. After extinction of the focus, high activity of DH persists in astrocytes only in the immediate vicinity of the glial scar surrounding the implant. Later, among the DH investigated only glutamate and specially glucose-6-phosphate DH maintain an activity intense enough to reveal these cells on the background of the neuropil. These results point to a progressive return to a normal metabolism of astrocytes after the disappearance of the electrical signs of epilepsy by way of steps similar to those preceeding these signs.


We studied the replacement therapy of different doses of AVP in DI rats. It is surprising that relatively high levels of plasma AVP were needed to achieve significant antidiuretic effects. Measured plasma AVP concentrations are less than those predicted from the release rates of AVP by the minipumps. This difference may be due to the subcutaneous mode of release of AVP. The study also provides evidence that urinary excretion of AVP is a good indicator of the plasma AVP level.


As American water resources fall under increasing scrutiny, with shortages costing millions of dollars annually, questions about the effectiveness of the policy managing these resources arises. In particular blurred responsibilities and goals generated as a result of the American federalist system raise questions about the nature of the state and federal relationship and the ability of it effectively develop a functioning water policy. To garner an understanding of American federalism, American water policy, and the relationship between them, I utilized a comparative analysis of both the history of water policy and federalism in America. Following this history, I offer an analysis for understanding the state and federal levels of water policy. In this analysis, I argue that the state level evolution of water policy is highly adaptable, and well suited to handle issues associated with supply, demand, and allocation. Contrarily, the federal government is well equipped to deal with interstate resources and issues where benefits are not as easily quantified in market terms. However, as a result of the evolution of federal water policy and trends in federal devolvement, the federal government may be fragmented to the point where it is not able to properly address the inadequacies in the state government's water policies. To remedy this I propose the following three solutions. A) centralize federal legislative and bureaucratic institutions, B) create watershed planning organizations, and C) undertake a National Water Assessment.


Rapid advances in the utility of molecular testing to identify common and uncommon driver mutations as well as the expeditious rate of drug development have intensified the need to obtain multiplex next generation sequencing from tissue and/or blood at the time of diagnosis in order to determine the most appropriate treatment for patients with advanced lung cancers. In this review, we discuss the currently available investigational targeted therapies for the treatment of sensitizing epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK ) fusions, ROS proto-oncogene 1 ( ROS1 ) fusions, B-Raf proto-oncogene ( BRAF ) V600E mutations, and neurotrophin receptor tyrosine kinase ( NTRK ) fusions. In addition, we have highlighted promising investigational therapies aimed at high level mesenchymal-to- epithelial transition factor ( MET ) amplifications or exon 14 skipping mutations, EGFR or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ( HER2 ) exon 20 insertion mutations, rearranged during transfection ( RET ) fusions, and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog ( KRAS ) G12C mutations that lend support towards routine testing for these driver mutations as well.


This is a magnificent effort. Those of us who remember with joy and gratitude the original book by W. Noel Goldsmith and who found good use for the second volume by Goldsmith and F. F. Hellier will open this third member of the series with some doubts and an "I'm from Missouri— show me" attitude. As the editor, Arthur Rook questions: Is it possible in 1973 to compile the recent advances in dermatology with as great a success as was done in 1936? Will not the mass and the growth rate of information newly acquired in the past decade make the task impossible? Moreover, is such a compilation needed today when there is such a plethora of published monographs, proceedings of societies, and symposia dealing with special fields? This book answers these questions in no uncertain manner. Its contents fill a place not covered by any other publication, for this


The aim of this research is to present an integrated system, based on the Web/WAP framework for remote monitoring and control of industrial processes. A Web-server/WAP-gateway located near to the industrial process is responsible for executing the supplied control algorithm, while serving concurrent requests from other client/supervisors. Users can gain access to the system through Web browser or a WAP-enabled mobile phone. The kernel of the integrated system relies on a dataflow programming platform (Labview). The kernel has interfaces to a WAP-server through Active-X, Java-servlets, and Active Server Pages (ASP). The user can remotely: 1) define set points, 2) alter the control algorithm, and 3) monitor parameters of interest. The system has been tested in several common industrial processes and the experimental results reflect the efficacy of the suggested scheme.


Nonself fusion and nuclear genetic exchange have been documented in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), particularly in Rhizophagus irregularis. However, mitochondrial transmission accompanying nonself fusion of genetically divergent isolates remains unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy occurs in the progeny of spores, obtained by crossing genetically divergent mtDNAs in R. irregularis isolates. Three isolates of geographically distant locations were used to investigate nonself fusions and mtDNA transmission to the progeny. We sequenced two additional mtDNAs of two R. irregularis isolates and developed isolate-specific size-variable markers in intergenic regions of these isolates and those of DAOM-197198. We achieved three crossing combinations in pre-symbiotic and symbiotic phases. Progeny spores per crossing combination were genotyped using isolate-specific markers. We found evidence that nonself recognition occurs between isolates originating from different continents both in pre-symbiotic and symbiotic phases. Genotyping patterns of individual spores from the progeny clearly showed the presence of markers of the two parental mtDNA haplotypes. Our results demonstrate that mtDNA heteroplasmy occurs in the progeny of the crossed isolates. However, this heteroplasmy appears to be a transient stage because all the live progeny spores that were able to germinate showed only one mtDNA haplotype.


Background: A sedentary lifestyle is a risk of obesity. One of the negative effects of obesity is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is found in 50% - 90% of women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).Objective: This study aimed to analyse the relationship polymorphism exon 17 of insulin receptor (INSR) gene in Malay ethnicity in SouthSumatera.Methods: This is an observational analytic study with a case-control design conducted at the Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty ofMedicine, Sriwijaya University. This study sample used blood taken from 80 people consisting of 40 cases and 40 controls. Genotyping and allotypicwere performed using PCR-RFLP. Analysis was performed using SPSS 16.Results: The statistical analysis using the Chi-Square test on IMT resulting p-value = 0.003 (OR = 4.660 95% CI = 1.764 - 12.311). (Wild type) CC, (Mutant heterozygous) CT, (Homozygous Mutant) TT. The statistical analysis using the Pearson Chi-Square Genotype PCOS resulting p-value = 0.970 and fisher exact test on SOPK allotype resulting p-value = 0.500 (OR = 0.949 95% CI = 0.503 - 1,790).Conclusion: In conclusion, there was a significant relationship between BMI and PCOS among Malay ethnic in South Sumatera. There was no significant relationship between genotypic polymorphism and allotype exon 17 of INSR with PCOS in Malay ethnic groups in South Sumatera.