AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA

4116

The genetics of breast cancer may be further elucidated by comprehensive pathway-based candidate gene studies. We have recently completed a large-scale genetic screen within the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Study (3,072 SNPs) including assessment of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway. The NF-kappaB family of transcription factors regulates the expression of several hundred cancer-related genes including those involved in immune response, inflammation, and apoptosis. We sought to assess whether variation in genes encoding NF-kappaB subunits ( REL, RELA, RELB, NFKB1, and NFKB2 ) and their primary inhibitors ( NFKBIA and NFKBIB ) was associated with breast cancer risk. Our ongoing hospital-based study solicits questionnaire data and blood samples from invasive breast cancer cases and age- and residence-matched controls at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. European-American participants recruited between 2001 and mid-2005 with residence in the surrounding area were included in the current analysis (798 cases, 843 controls). Gene-specific tagSNP selection used data from the SeattleSNPs PGA ( NFKBIA ) and the HapMap Consortium's release 21 (the remaining six NF-kappaB genes). 48 NF-kappaB tagSNPs were identified using ldSelect (r2 >= 0.80 and MAF >= 0.05) and genotyped along with three 3' UTR SNPs at the Illumina Corporation using genomic DNA and the Illumina Golden Gate AssayTM. Genotyping of 3,072 SNPs on 1,748 samples (including duplicates) yielded data on all but 165 SNPs and two samples; the remaining genotype data showed an average per-SNP call rate of 99.9%, average per-sample call rate of 99.9%, and duplicate concordance rate of > 99.9%. Associations were assessed by multi-SNP logistic regression (using log-additive main effects) and haplotype score testing within genes, as well as single-SNP logistic regression. Overall, global testing with multiple SNPs or haplotypes did not reveal associations with any NF-kappaB gene (all p > 0.10). However, two RELA tagSNPs yielded suggestive results (multivariable adjusted per allele risk: OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0 - 1.3, p = 0.04 and OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0 - 1.4, p = 0.02). Although in independent LD bins, as expected based on HapMap data, LD was present (r2 = 0.69, D' > 0.99), suggesting a common signal. RELA is a strong candidate gene encoding p65 which localizes into the nucleus as a heterodimer with p50 ( NFKB1 ); however the observed association may be due to another regional variant. For example, a tagSNP for MAP3K11 , a gene 25 kb 5' of RELA on chromosome 11 and a potential NF-kappaB activator, was in LD with the RELA tagSNPs (mean r2 = 0.73, D' = 0.95) and showed similar results (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9 - 1.7, p = 0.2). We now aim to clarify this signal using higher LD thresholds and marker density, CART analysis across multiple NF-kappaB genes, and fine-mapping within the RELA region. This study demonstrates the utility of coordinated analysis of multiple candidate genes in the context of a high-throughput SNP screen.


Our goal was to investigate the growth of vocabulary and morphological awareness over time in the context of an intervention for kindergartners with different ability levels in these skills. Participants in this exploratory study were 108 children from schools serving socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Results indicated that children significantly improved their morphological awareness skills and vocabulary over a period of 4 months ( η p 2 = .61 for morphological awareness and η p 2 = .53 for vocabulary), with the greatest gains made by children who were initially low on these measures. Morphological awareness and vocabulary skills were reciprocally related; each made a unique contribution to growth in the other. The results suggest that it may be beneficial to combine instruction in vocabulary and morphological awareness and that kindergarten teachers can successfully do so with guidance.


Biodiversity offsets are most commonly used to mitigate the adverse impacts of development on biodiversity, but some offsets are now also designed to support ecosystem services (ES) goals. Here, we assemble a global database of biodiversity offsets (n = 70) to show that 41% already take ES into consideration, with the objective of enhancing cultural, regulating, and provisioning services. We found that biodiversity offsets were more likely to consider ES when (1) development projects reported impacts on services, (2) offsets had voluntary biodiversity goals, and (3) conservation organizations were involved. However, offsets that considered ES were similar in design (eg offsetting approach, extent, and location) to offsets focused solely on biodiversity, suggesting that including ES goals may represent an attempt to strengthen community support for development projects, rather than to offset known ES impacts. We also found that 34% of all offsets displaced people and negatively affected livelihoods. Therefore, when biodiversity and ES are linked, current practices may not actually improve outcomes, instead incurring additional costs to communities and companies.


Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most important opportunistic infections in transplant recipients. Currently sero-positivity for CMV IgG before solid organ transplantation is the laboratory test of choice for stratifying the risk of CMV reactivation after solid organ transplantation. Theoretically, CMV-specific cell-mediated immune responses before solid organ transplantation should further categorize patients as high or low risk of CMV development. We therefore evaluated the usefulness of the CMV-specific enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay in kidney transplant (KT) candidates for predicting the development of CMV infections after transplantation. Materials and Methods All adult CMV IgG (+) recipients admitted to the KT institute between March 2014 and June 2014 were enrolled, and CMV infections after KT were observed between March 2014 and December 2014. All patients underwent CMV pp65 and IE1-specific ELISPOT assays before transplantation. CMV infection was defined in the presence of CMV antigenemia, CMV syndrome, or tissue-invasive CMV disease. We used the data to select optimal cut-off values for pp65 and IE1, respectively, on ROC curves. Results A total of 69 transplant recipients involving 54 (78%) living-donor KT, 9 (13%) deceased-donor KT, 3 (4%) kidney-pancreas transplants, and 3 (4%) pancreas transplants were enrolled. Of the 69 patients, 27 (39%) developed CMV infections. There was no association between the IE1-specific ELISPOT assay and CMV infection. However, only 15 (31%) of the 48 patients with positive pp65-specific ELISPOT results (>10 spots/2.0 × 105 cells) developed CMV infections, whereas 12 (57%) of the 21 patients with negative pp65-specific ELISPOT results developed CMV infection (P = 0.04). Conclusion Negative pp65-specific ELISPOT assay results before transplantation appear to predict the subsequent development of CMV infections after transplantation in CMV IgG (+) KT recipients. Therefore, risk stratification of CMV IgG (+) recipients using the CMV-specific ELISPOT, together with preventive strategies, may further reduce CMV development.


An analysis is presented showing the effect of grid displacement on the plate current of a planar triode. This is defined in terms of a new parameter called the motional transconductance. The analysis indicates that a useful mechanical displacement indicator may be constructed by moving the grid and noting the change in plate current. The analysis also indicates that the effect of certain modes of grid displacement on the plate current may be eliminated under conditions which are stipulated. Since microphonic effects are, in great part, caused by the mechanical motion of grid structures, the analysis indicates how microphonism may be reduced. It is shown that the electrical transconductance is large under these conditions, for the case investigated, so that the tube functions normally as an amplifier. Preliminary experimental results for comparison with the theory are presented.


IN THIS WORK TWO QUANTIFYING CONTRAST MODELS ARE PROPOSED. THE FIRST CONTRAST MEASURE METHOD EMPLOYS THE CONCEPT DE-NOMINATED DIFFERENCE OF CONTRAST; WHILE THE SECOND ONE TAKES IN CONSIDERATION THE LUMINANCE GRADIENT CONCEPT. THESE MODELS ALLOW THE SELECTION OF THE BEST PARAMETERS IN A GROUP OF OUTPUT IMAGES OBTAINED FROM THE APPLICATION OF THE MOR-PHOLOGICAL TOGGLE MAPPINGS WITH SIZE CRITERIA. THESE MORPHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS HAVE THE CHARACTERISTIC OF MODIFYING THE OUTPUT CONTRAST BASED ON SOME PROXIMITY CRITERION. IN ORDER TO ILLUSTRATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE QUANTIFYING CONTRAST MODELS, A NUMBER OF IMAGES WERE PROCESSED AND COMPARED AT PIXEL AND PARTITION LEVEL


This study attempts to  improve students' vocabulary achievement by using Personal Vocabulary Notes. This research was conducted by using classroom action research. The subject of this study was VIII-B class SMP Santa Maria Medan which consisted of 46 students. The research was conducted in two cycles and each cycle consisted of three meetings. The result showed that the improvement of the students' scores from the first test in orientation test to the third test in cycle-II test. In the first test in orientation test, the mean was 46.95, in the second test in cycle-I test, the mean was 64.86, and the third test in cycle-II test, it was improved to be 80.45. Based on the diary notes, observation sheet, and questionnaire, it was found that the teaching learning activities ran well. Students were active and enthusiastic during the teaching learning process in the second cycle than the first one. The result of the researcher showed that the use of personal vocabulary notes significantly improved students' vocabulary. Keywords : Vocabulary, Action Research, Personal Vocabulary Notes


The NA62 experiment at CERN aims at the very challenging task of measuring with 10% relative error the Branching Ratio of the ultrarare decay of the K+ into pi+ neutrino and antineutrino, which is expected to occur only in about 8 out of 10^11 kaon decays. This will be achieved by means of an intense hadron beam, an accurate kinematical reconstruction and a redundant veto system for identifying and suppressing all spurious events. The good resolution on the missing mass in the decay is achieved using a performant beam tracker (Gigatracker) tomeasure the kaonmomentum andwith a spectrometer equippedwith straw tubes operating in vacuum. Hermetic veto (up to 50 mrad) of the photon from pi0 decays is achieved with a combination of large angle veto (with a creative reuse of the old OPAL lead glass blocks), the NA48 LKr calorimeter and two small angle calorimeters to cover the angle down to zero. The identification of the muons and the consequent veto is performed by a fast hodoscope plane (used in the first level of the trigger to reduce the rate) and by a 18-meter, neon-filled RICH counter which is able to separate pions andmuons in themomentum interval between 15 and 35 GeV. Particle identification in the beam (kaon-pion separation) is achieved with an hydrogen differential Cherenkov counter (CEDAR). The trigger for the experiment is based on a multilevel structure with a first level implemented in the readout boards and with the subsequent level done in software. The aim is to reduce the 10 MHz L0 rate to few KHz sent to the CERN computing center. Studies are underway to use GPU boards in some key point of the trigger system to improve the performance. The talk will review the layout of the detector and give an update on the construction status and prospects.


The COVID-19 pandemic has wrecked great havoc in many spheres of life, including education, health, economy, and agriculture. This paper x-rayed the effects of the pandemic on crop production in Nigeria, and efforts made to proffer viable solutions through the application of biological and digital technologies. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on crop production was palpable in shortage of farm labour and labour immobility, disruption of agricultural input supply chain (e.g., fertilizers, agrochemicals, and seeds) and food distribution network. These irregularities grossly escalated food insecurity challenges, sparked price hikes, increased hunger and food losses. Considering the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on crop production which invariably extends to farmers' income, food security, family nutrition and health, prompt measures to minimize the onward transmission among key players in crop production and food supply chain are imperative. The application of biological technologies including vaccination, use of natural herbs and spices, organic agriculture options (such as organic manuring, use of botanical protectants, farmers' own seeds, cover cropping, mulching, biofertilizers, etc.), agricultural mechanization, and the digital technologies (mobile phones, remote sensing services, online platforms, robotics and artificial intelligence) would go a long way in resolving the negative effects of the pandemic on crop production in Nigeria. Strict adherences to the recommended public health safety measures (social distancing, compulsory use of face masks in the public, regular hand hygiene, covering of one's mouth when sneezing or coughing, disinfection of high touch surfaces) are crucial in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 infection.
Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, crop production, food security, bio-and digital technologies, Nigeria


Background/Objective: There is no report about the relationship between the thickness of gastric wall layers measured with transabdominal ultrasonography and the presence of gastritis or Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of sonography in diagnosis of gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection. Patients and Methods: One-hundred children aged 1 to 15 years who needed upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy because of suspected gastritis underwent transabdominal ultrasonography to measure thickness of different layers of the stomach antrum and duodenal bulb wall. The wall layer thickness was compared with the results of endoscopy for gastritis and the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Results: The mean thickness of muscularis mucosa and the sum of muscularis mucosa and submucosa in both gastric antrum and duodenal bulb were significantly higher in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection than those without infection (mean thickness in gastric antrum: 0.65 ± 0.25mm vs. 0.53 ± 0.19mm [p-value=0.03] and 1.21 ± 0.35mm vs. 1.07 ± 0.26mm [p-value=0.03], respectively; mean thickness in duodenal bulb: 0.69 ± 0.32mm vs. 0.48 ± 0.20mm [p-value=0.001] and 1.25 ± 0.35mm vs. 0.99 ± 0.28mm [p-value=0.002], respectively). The mean thickness of muscularis mucosa plus submucosa in the duodenal bulb was also more in patients with gastritis (1.09 ± 0.35mm vs. 0.95 ± 0.20mm [p-value=0.02]). Several cut points were determined to predict the results of endoscopy. Conclusion: Transabdominal ultrasonography is a noninvasive and easily available method in evaluating children with suspected gastritis and predicting some findings of endoscopic evaluations.


This paper presents an extensive account and assesses the legality of the recent naval constabulary operations – undertaken by Italian and Libyan military vessels – in the central Mediterranean Sea, aimed at intercepting boat people in international waters and returning them to the Northern African coasts. If considered as a border control operation, the interception of migrants and their debarkation in a third country often lacks a valid legal basis. The latter is easier to be found under maritime law, by 'labelling' interceptions as rescue missions. Nevertheless, such operations must be conducted according to state obligations under human rights law and refugee law (especially the non-refoulment rule), which only allow Italian vessels to disembark boat people to a 'safe third country'. The paper concludes that since Libya cannot be considered a 'safe third country' in this sense, the interception of migrants on the high seas and their forced return to Tripoli may entail violations of maritime, human rights, migration and refugee law at both an international, European and domestic level.


Abstract We explore the relevance of the idealized Jeffery–Hamel similarity solution to the practical problem of flow in a diverging channel of finite (but large) streamwise extent. Numerical results are presented for the two-dimensional flow in a wedge of separation angle $2\ensuremath{\alpha} $, bounded by circular arcs at the inlet/outlet and for a net radial outflow of fluid. In particular, we show that in a finite domain there is a sequence of nested neutral curves in the $(\mathit{Re}, \ensuremath{\alpha} )$ plane, each corresponding to a midplane symmetry-breaking (pitchfork) bifurcation, where $\mathit{Re}$ is a Reynolds number based on the radial mass flux. For small wedge angles we demonstrate that the first pitchfork bifurcation in the finite domain occurs at a critical Reynolds number that is in agreement with the only pitchfork bifurcation in the infinite-domain similarity solution, but that the criticality of the bifurcation differs (in general). We explain this apparent contradiction by demonstrating that, for $\ensuremath{\alpha} \ll 1$, superposition of two (infinite-domain) eigenmodes can be used to construct a leading-order finite-domain eigenmode. These constructed modes accurately predict the multiple symmetry-breaking bifurcations of the finite-domain flow without recourse to computation of the full field equations. Our computational results also indicate that temporally stable, isolated, steady solutions may exist. These states are finite-domain analogues of the steady waves recently presented by Kerswell, Tutty, & Drazin (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 501, 2004, pp. 231–250) for an infinite domain. Moreover, we demonstrate that there is non-uniqueness of stable solutions in certain parameter regimes. Our numerical results tie together, in a consistent framework, the disparate results in the existing literature.


Our series of studies would like to draw attention to the fact that China, which has so far had considerable foreign policy experience, is also forging serious capital from dealing with its own internal conflicts. A diverse, high-spread country is testing the effectiveness of 'soft power' in its provinces. Without foreign policy adventures, these locations provided the Chinese Communist Party with adequate experience in resolving certain types of conflicts. Uyghur, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong, Macao embody archetypes of problems that pose a direct threat to the Chinese state. In addition to regional conflicts, we can also consider the problems of the Christian community of about one hundred million. Uyghur is an excellent example of how to achieve results along the fault lines of cultures and religions. The first part of the series of studies shows how Uyghurs with significant separatist traditions have been persuaded to make 'modern life' the same as accepting the Chinese order. Through the Uyghurs, China is learning how to refine its methods concerning Muslim countries in Central Asia.


Recently, we have developed a vector-capping method for constructing a full-length cDNA library. In the present study, we performed in-depth analysis of the vector-capped cDNA library prepared from a single type of cell. As a result of single-pass sequencing analysis of 24 000 clones randomly isolated from the unamplified library, we identified 19 951 full-length cDNA clones whose intactness was confirmed by the presence of an additional G at their 5' end. The full-length cDNA content was >95%. Mapping these sequences to the human genome, we identified 4513 transcriptional units that include 36 antisense transcripts against known genes. Comparison of the frequencies of abundant clones showed that the expression profiles of different libraries, including the distribution of transcriptional start sites (TSSs), were reproducible. The analysis of long-sized cDNAs showed that this library contained many cDNAs with a long-sized insert up to 11 199 bp of golgin B, including multiple slicing variants for filamin A and filamin B. These results suggest that the size-unbiased full-length cDNA library constructed using the vector-capping method will be an ideal resource for fine expression profiling of transcriptional variants with alternative TSSs and alternative splicing.


The antitumor activity of the cell-wall skeleton (CWS) of Propionibacterium acnes C7 was examined by using transplantable tumors in syngeneic mice and in guinea pigs, and autochthonous tumors in mice. P. acnes-CWS was shown to suppress the growth of fibrosarcomas, EL4 leukemia, and MH134 hepatoma in syngeneic mice, and to regress the established tumors of a fibrosarcoma (MC104) in C57BL/6J mice, and a hepatoma (line-10) in strain-2 guinea pigs. The oil-attached P. acnes-CWS mixed with fructose mycolate was effective for suppression of the autograft of fibrosarcoma in mice. The repeated intralesional injections of suspension of P. acnes-CWS in phosphate-buffered saline was effective for prolongation of survival period of mice bearing 3-methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma. The test results on the cell fractions of P. acnes indicated that the CWS, but not the cytoplasmic or glucan fraction, of P. acnes had anti-tumor activity. The activation of peritoneal macrophages of mice was observed when P. acnes-CWS, but not the cytoplasmic fraction, was injected intraperitoneally 4 days before. The relationship between the cytolytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and antitumor activities of P. acnes-CWS was also discussed.


Circulating platelets of lethally irradiated mice given injections of rat bone marrow were tested with species-specific antiplatelet sera. Rat platelets were detected in the peripheral blood of treated mice at various intervals from 7 to 114 days after treatment. The 100 per cent rat platelet level was attained in some mice by the 14th day and in all mice by the 20th day. The results indicate that platelet precursors implant and produce functional platelets in irradiated mice given injections of rat bone marrow.


Abstract Background Physical activity is a key determinant for health and considered as an important factor in the prevention of lifestyle related-diseases. All physical activity domains are generally considered to be health enhancing. However, accumulating evidence in recent years suggests that occupational physical activity may not have the same beneficial health effect as leisure time physical activity. Our aim was to assess the association of occupational and leisure time physical activity and all-cause mortality. Methods We obtained individual participant data from published and unpublished cohort studies and assessed their risk of bias. We harmonized the data, and used Cox survival regression models to assess the association between occupational and leisure time physical activity with all-cause mortality, in a two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis. Different models were performed to assess the impact of relevant confounders including behavioral, health-related and socio-economic factors. Results of the data were reported with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results Data from 22 prospective cohort studies showed that male workers with high occupational physical activity had an increased risk of all-cause mortality in comparison with sedentary occupational physical activity (HR: 1.12, 95%CI: 1.03- 1.23). For female workers, no such association was found (HR: 1.01, 95%CI: 0.85-1.19). when comparing high with sedentary occupational physical activity. Increasing levels of leisure time physical activity were inversely and dose-dependently associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. For example, high compared with sedentary leisure time physical activity was associated with reduced risks for males (HR: 0.53, 95%CI: 0.36-0.79) and for females (HR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.31-0.79). All associations remained robust when adjusting for additional relevant confounders, leaving one study out analysis, and when assessing the role of bias and reverse causality. Conclusion We consistently found a reduced risk of all-cause mortality with increasing levels of leisure time physical activity, but not for occupational physical activity. These findings indicate that occupational activity may not be health-enhancing. These findings suggest that occupational physical activity may not be considered a suitable substitute to leisure time physical activity when striving for health enhancement.


Microscopic fuel fragments, so-called "hot particles", were released during the 1986 accident at the Chornobyl nuclear powerplant and continue to contaminate the exclusion zone in northern Ukraine. Isotopic analysis can provide vital information about sample origin, history and contamination of the environment, though it has been underutilized due to the destructive nature of most mass spectrometric techniques, and inability to remove isobaric interference. Recent developments have diversified the range of elements that can be investigated through resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS), notably in the fission products. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of multi-element analysis on hot particles as relates to their burnup, particle formation in the accident, and weathering. The particles were analysed with two RIMS instruments: resonant-laser secondary neutral mass spectrometry (rL-SNMS) at the Institute for Radiation Protection and Radioecology (IRS) in Hannover, Germany, and laser ionization of neutrals (LION) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, USA. Comparable results across instruments show a range of burnup dependent isotope ratios for U and Pu and Cs, characteristic of RBMK-type reactors. Results for Rb, Ba and Sr show the influence of the environment, retention of Cs in the particles and time passed since fuel discharge.


Data visualization is one of the major issues of database research. OLAP a decision support technology, is clearly in the center of this effort. Thus far, visualization has not been incorporated in the abstraction levels of DBMS architecture (conceptual, logical, physical); neither has it been formally treated in this context. In this paper we start by reconsidering the separation of the aforementioned abstraction levels to take visualization into consideration. Then, we present the Cube Presentation Model (CPM), a novel presentational model for OLAP screens. The proposal lies on the fundamental idea of separating the logical part of a data cube computation from the presentational part of the client tool. Then, CPM can be naturally mapped on the Table Lens, which is an advanced visualization technique from the Human-Computer Interaction area, particularly tailored for cross-tab reports. Based on the particularities of Table Lens, we propose automated proactive support to the user for the interaction with an OLAP screen. Finally, we discuss implementation and usage issues in the context of an academic prototype system (CubeView) that we have implemented.


The novel concept of a simultaneous, controlled release of a drug and a prodrug with different physicochemical properties was applied in order to prolong the release period of antibiotics and estimate their high local concentrations, which are the necessary preconditions for the treatment of some chronic infection diseases. For this purpose poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite (PLGA/HAp) core–shell nanostructures were used as the carrier of clindamycin-base, as a drug, and clindamycin-2-phosphate, as a prodrug model. As a result, a two-step release was observed: the controlled release of the more soluble phosphate form and the sustained release of the less-soluble base form of clindamycin, resulting in a high overall concentration of the released drug during the period of 30 days in vitro. The HAp phase within the PLGA core–shells, applied as a drug carrier, delayed the process of the degradation of the polymer; however, the presence of the drug affected the process of degradation and this influence was the dominant factor in the control over the degradation of the polymer phase of PLGA/HAp and the consequent kinetics of the drug release. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Until now, scholars trying to unravel the phenomenon of nationalization have seldom considered the local policy layer or the ideological dimension as their main subject. This paper, however, studies the ideological nationalization of Flemish local party branches. It applies the method of content analysis of electoral manifestos to the local elections and examines the programmatic overlaps between the party headquarter and its local branches. An innovative nationalization measure is introduced and subsequently included in an explanatory regression model. The results show that ideological similarities are ubiquitous and especially prevailing among leftist parties, in majority-participating party branches and in large municipalities.


In 1994, I rejected the modern Supreme Court's assertion that Article III, as originally understood, used "Cases" and "Controversies" synonymously to establish a requirement of "justiciability": limiting federal judges to deciding disputes between adverse parties. My linguistic and historical study revealed that only "Controversies" (e.g., between citizens of different states) necessarily involved such disputes. By contrast, "Cases" were proceedings in which a party asserted his rights in a form prescribed by law, regardless of whether an adversarial contest existed. Therefore, in "Cases" the federal courts' main role would be interpreting and applying federal law, not umpiring a dispute. Professor Pfander's exhaustive research has led him to agree with me on all but one point. He accepts my definition of "Cases," but not my conclusion that the Framers chose that word primarily to signify that federal judges' key function would be expounding the law. Instead, Pfander argues that Article III's drafters, following English and American legal tradition, used "Cases" as an umbrella term that encompassed all "litigable interests": Claimants could bring any recognized court action to vindicate their legal rights. Such jurisdiction could be "contentious," as exemplified by common law suits in which a plaintiff alleged the violation of a contract, tort, or property right by an adverse defendant. However, England also incorporated elements of the European civil law system, which allowed several types of "noncontentious" jurisdiction. In such cases, a court decided a petitioner's request for a "constitutive" order, which recognized a legal right in an area such as family law, probate, bankruptcy, naturalization, admiralty, and equity. This review describes Professor Pfander's three important scholarly contributions. First, his thorough research has unearthed the deep historical roots of noncontentious jurisdiction. Second, he demonstrates that the First Congress and the early Supreme Court embraced such uncontested adjudication. Third, to integrate Article III's original meaning with modern precedent, he proposes restricting federal court access to plaintiffs who have a "litigable interest"- a valid claim of a legal right presented in a form authorized by law. If such a claim is set forth in any Article III "Controversy" or in a "Case" with adverse parties, courts may demand a showing of a "litigable interest" and also a concrete dispute (as justiciability doctrines demand). By contrast, in "Cases" of noncontentious jurisdiction, the latter requirement makes no sense. I applaud Professor Pfander's recommended approach as pragmatic, yet faithful to Article III's text and history. Moreover, Professor Pfander and I have reached similar conclusions about the historical meaning of Article III even though we have radically different political views. Therefore, our work suggests that originalism can be nonpartisan, contrary to the conventional wisdom that conservatives employ this methodology as a smokescreen to impose their political agenda.


InSAR ( Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar ) techniques are a very good tool for identification and observation of surface area displacements. Achieved accuracy of several centimeters, still do not allow for the quantitative analysis of the observed movements. Due to the high dynamics of phenomena in the Earth's atmosphere, one of the biggest limitations of InSAR are disturbances caused by changes in the atmosphere, between two measurements, on the basis of which an interferogram is created. In order to reduce the impact of the atmosphere on the SAR signal course, an atmospheric correction is applied.This study presents the results of calculations using the PSInSAR technique for the Tahmoor mining area located in south-eastern Australia, from 2006-2010. The atmospheric correction was determined: in an empirical way - on the basis of a linear relation between the signal phase and the topography of the area, based on data from the ERA - Interim weather model and data from the MERIS spectrometer.


Species in northern Europe re-colonized the region after the last glacial maximum via several routes, which could have lingering signatures in current intraspecific trait variation. The spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, occurs across Europe, and biological differences have been found between southern and northern Scandinavian populations. However, the postglacial history of I. typographus in Scandinavia has not been previously studied at a fine geographical scale. Therefore, we collected specimens across northern Europe and analysed the genetic variation in a quite large mitochondrial fragment (698 bp). A high genetic diversity was found in some of the most northern populations, in the Baltic States, Gotland and central Europe. Detected genetic and phylogeographic structures suggest that I. typographus re-colonized Scandinavia via two pathways, one from the northeast and one from the south. These findings are consistent with the re-colonization history of its host plant, Picea abies. However, we observed low haplotype and nucleotide diversity in southern Scandinavian populations of I. typographus, indicating that (unlike P. abies) it did not disperse across the Baltic Sea in multiple events. Further, the divergence among Scandinavian populations was shallow, conflicting with a scenario where I. typographus expanded concurrently with its host plant from a 'cryptic refugium' in the northwest.


Abstract Weeds can cause significant yield loss in watermelon production systems. Commercially acceptable weed control is difficult to achieve, even with heavy reliance on herbicides. A study was conducted to evaluate a spring-seeded cereal rye cover crop with different herbicide application timings for weed management between row middles in watermelon production systems. Common lambsquarters and pigweed species (namely, Palmer amaranth and smooth pigweed) densities and biomasses were often lower with cereal rye compared with no cereal rye, regardless of herbicide treatment. The presence of cereal rye did not negatively influence the number of marketable watermelon fruit, but average marketable fruit weight in cereal rye versus no cereal rye treatments varied by location. These results demonstrate that a spring-seeded cereal rye cover crop can help reduce weed density and weed biomass, and potentially enhance overall weed control. Cereal rye alone did not provide full-season weed control, so additional research is needed to determine the best methods to integrate spring cover cropping with other weed management tactics in watermelon for effective, full-season control. Nomenclature: Common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L.; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson; smooth pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L.; cereal rye, Secale cereale L.; watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai


Although fertility has shown some decline in Pakistan in recent years, contraceptive use remains low. Despite high knowledge of modern methods of contraception (94 per cent of married women know of a modern method of contraception) only 17 per cent of married women of reproductive age currently use a modern method of contraception (Pakistan Reproductive Health and Family Planning Survey, 2001; Sathar and Casterline, 1998). This is in part a product of poor physical access to family planning services. The coverage and quality of family planning services is poor, with only 10 per cent of the population living within easy walking distance of government-operated family planning services (Rosen and Conly, 1996). Consequently, there exists a large unmet need for family planning services in Pakistan (Mahmood and Ringheim, 1997). Previous research, however, into the barriers to family planning service use has highlighted the importance of looking beyond physical access to examine barriers that arise from the socio-economic and cultural environment in which an individual lives (Bertrand and others, 1995; Foreit and others, 1978). Pakistan presents an interesting context for examining the range of potential barriers to the use of family planning services, with a low level of economic development and strict cultural norms that may inhibit service utilization. This paper identifies the barriers to family planning service use among women in urban slum areas. The paper also examines the characteristics of urban poor women who report different types of barriers to using family planning services. Gaining a better understanding of the types of women who are likely to experience particular barriers to family planning services is valuable for developing service promotion strategies and for informing service delivery protocols.


This doctoral thesis is concerned with the application of the international framework for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing to the threats emerging from the criminal misuse of non-traditional payment methods. The international framework plays a significant role in the development of national responses to money laundering and terrorist financing, it is therefore important to understand how it, and then individual countries have responded to this emerging threat. The thesis will explore three developed economies, with advanced anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing frameworks, they are: the UK, the US and Australia. From these countries best practices and deficiencies will be identified. This thesis will examine five NTPMs and outline the money laundering and terrorist financing risks associated with them. It will then Identify and analyse the relevant parts of the international AML and CTF framework, in relation to NTPMs. The analysis that follows will be broken down into the following thematic headings: 1. Global Role and Implementation of the International Framework; 2. Competent Authorities; 3. Application of the Risk-based Approach; 4. Preventive measures; 5. Confiscation of the Proceeds of Crime; and 6. Mutual Legal Assistance. Following on from this it will assess the compliance of three case study countries with the parts of the international AML and CTF framework that are relevant to NTPMs. The abuse of NTPMs, whilst still an emerging trend, are likely to increase in frequency and evolve in nature, in the coming years. It is therefore important to know how both the international framework and national responses adapt to these emerging challenges. For these reasons the area is worthy of academic consideration.


Background: Mucus overproduction is a hallmark of otitis media (OM) induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Results: PDE4B mediates S. pneumoniae-induced MUC5AC up-regulation by inhibiting the expression of a negative regulator MKP-1. Conclusion: PDE4-specific inhibitor rolipram inhibits S. pneumoniae-induced MUC5AC up-regulation. Significance: Identifying PDE4B as a molecular target for inhibiting MUC5AC by up-regulating MKP-1 may have significant therapeutic potential for treating OM. Otitis media (OM) is the most common childhood bacterial infection and the major cause of conductive hearing loss in children. Mucus overproduction is a hallmark of OM. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common Gram-positive bacterial pathogen causing OM. Among many mucin genes, MUC5AC has been found to be greatly up-regulated in the middle ear mucosa of human patients with OM. We previously reported that S. pneumoniae up-regulates MUC5AC expression in a MAPK ERK-dependent manner. We also found that MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) negatively regulates S. pneumoniae-induced ERK-dependent MUC5AC up-regulation. Therapeutic strategies for up-regulating the expression of negative regulators such as MKP-1 may have significant therapeutic potential for treating mucus overproduction in OM. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which MKP-1 expression is negatively regulated during S. pneumoniae infection is unknown. In this study we show that phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) mediates S. pneumoniae-induced MUC5AC up-regulation by inhibiting the expression of a negative regulator MKP-1, which in turn leads to enhanced MAPK ERK activation and subsequent up-regulation of MUC5AC. PDE4B inhibits MKP-1 expression in a cAMP-PKA-dependent manner. PDE4-specific inhibitor rolipram inhibits S. pneumoniae-induced MUC5AC up-regulation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we show that PDE4B plays a critical role in MUC5AC induction. Finally, topical and post-infection administration of rolipram into the middle ear potently inhibited S. pneumoniae-induced MUC5AC up-regulation. Collectively, these data demonstrate that PDE4B mediates ERK-dependent up-regulation of mucin MUC5AC by S. pneumoniae by inhibiting cAMP-PKA-dependent MKP-1 pathway. This study may lead to novel therapeutic strategy for inhibiting mucus overproduction.


Direct optical impression system with or without powder opacification are commonly used in fixed prosthodontics, but little information is offered about the effect of the powder parameter on the accuracy of the intra-oral optical scanner. The objective of this present in vitro study was to evaluate the marginal and internal fitness of all ceramic crowns fabricated with direct powder and powder free system (Bluecam camera and Omnicam camera). Twenty four sound upper first premolar teeth of similar size were collected. Standardize preparation of all teeth samples were carried out to receive all ceramic crown restoration with deep chamfer finishing line (1mm), axial length (4mm) and axial convergence (6 degree). All specimens were then divided into two groups according to the type of intra-oral digital impression technique: Group A, Twelve prepared teeth were scanned directly using Omnicam camera; Group B, twelve prepared teeth were scanned directly using Bluecam camera. VITABLOCS MarkII for CEREC/ inlab was used to construct all ceramic crowns for each tooth sample using CEREC MCXL Milling machine. Marginal and internal discrepancy was measured at eight points per tooth using replica technique and stereomicroscope at (120X) magnification. ANOVA and T test post Hoc tests were used to identify and localize the source of difference between the two groups. It was found that there is nonsignificant difference in the marginal and internal gap mean values between (group A and group B). From the above result we can conclude that the two types of intra-oral camera (powder-free Omnicam and powder based Bluecam) have the same accuracy.


At the 1800 km long Gakkel Ridge, the lithosphere underlying the Eurasia Basin is formed at rates of less than 15 mm/y full rate. Contrary to any faster spreading ridges, the melt production and hence the composition and geophysical properties of the lithosphere vary dramatically along axis, reflected in provinces of pronounced geological differences. Magma-rich segments with a thin basaltic crust alternate with stretches exposing mantle rocks at the seafloor of a deep rift valley. Earthquakes accompany the formation of the lithosphere at mid-ocean ridges and shed light on the active spreading processes.

We present here a comprehensive seismicity analysis that compares the teleseismic earthquake record of 35 years drawn from the catalogue of the International Seismological Centre with reconnaissance-style local earthquake records at five locations along the ridge that were instrumented with seismometers on drifting ice floes. The teleseismic earthquake activity varies along the ridge and reflects ultraslow spreading processes with more and larger earthquakes produced in magma-rich regions than in magma-starved areas. Large magnitude earthquakes M > 5.5 are common along this ultraslow spreading ridge especially in the presence of a basalt-containing lithosphere. A sharp contrast in size, frequency and clustering behaviour of the seismicity along with a change in magnetic anomaly pattern and geochemical signature is seen across the 3°E boundary. This boundary may have persisted for a long time and influenced the formation of the Eurasia Basin.
Locally recorded earthquakes are of small magnitude (M< 2) and probably reflect the formation of the pronounced topographic relief of Gakkel Ridge. Their hypocentres extend into the upper mantle. Focal depths do not depend on spreading rate but rather reflect the thermal state of the lithosphere with very deep earthquakes indicating an exceptionally cold lithosphere.
The duration and resolution of the ice floe based surveys is limited, but the first longterm ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) surveys of the geologically similar Southwest Indian Ridge indicate that seismicity can image the lithosphere in detail, constraining its mechanical thickness and temperature gradient, and giving further hints on its composition and the extent of serpentinization. To prepare for comparable studies at Gakkel Ridge, we undertook a pilot test of an OBS deployment in dense sea ice of westernmost Gakkel Ridge during Polarstern cruise PS86 in summer 2014 (Fig. 1). We successfully recovered a prototype ice-OBS that can be tracked during ascent from the seafloor. Its 10-day continuous data show an almost complete absence of microseismic noise due to the ice cover yielding ideal conditions for future passive seismic studies that employ wave trains of regional and teleseismic earthquakes to study the Arctic Basin lithosphere.


Background and Objectives: This prospective, randomized, doubleblind study compared the effects of the ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block performed by either intraneural or subparaneural approach followed by an electrophysiological evaluation. We hypothesized that intraneural injection provides a faster onset with a better success rate compared with the subparaneural approach. Methods: Eighty-eight patients were enrolled and randomized to receive an ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block injecting 15 mL ropivacaine 1% according to an intraneural injection (group INTRA = 44) or a subparaneural injection (group SUBPARA = 44). The primary end point was the onset time of sensory and motor block, whereas secondary end points were successful, duration of the block, and the variation of the electrophysiological assessment after 5 weeks. The study was registered prior to patient enrollment (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01987128). Results: The median onset time for successful sciatic nerve block in the INTRA group was 10 (5–15 [5–30]) minutes versus 25 (15–35 [5–45]) minutes in the SUBPARA group (P < 0.001), with a rate of 41/43 (95.3%) comparedwith 25/40 (62.5%) in the SUBPARA group (P < 0.001). No difference was found regardless of the duration of the block. Fifty-three patients also performed the electrophysiological assessment at 5 weeks, showing a subclinical, significant reduction in amplitude of the action potentials with no difference between groups. No patients reported any clinical neurological complications after 6 months. Conclusions: In ultrasound-guided popliteal sciatic nerve block, intraneural injection provided a faster onset and better success rate compared with subparaneural. Both techniques resulted in a similar subclinical reduction in amplitude of the sciatic action potentials at 5 weeks after surgery. These findings should not be extended to other approaches.


The national cycling proficiency scheme (ncps) includes maintenance of the bicycle in the training syllabus. A survey of children's bicycles was carried out to see whether the bicycles of children who had passed the ncps test were in a better state of maintenance than those of children who had not had this training. Examination of 439 bicycles, of which 35 per cent were ridden by children who had passed the ncps test, failed to show any such relationship. Over one-third of bicycles examined were included in the category "dangerous". Many of these faults were a matter of simple adjustment. (Author/TRRL)


Importance The function of rods and cones in children born extremely preterm has not yet been fully investigated. Objective To compare retinal function via full-field electroretinographic (ffERG) recordings in 6.5-year-old children born extremely preterm with children born at term. Design, Setting, and Participants A subcohort study was conducted from July 1, 2010, to January 15, 2014, of the national Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study, including preterm children (<27 weeks' gestational age) and children born at term, at 6.5 years of age and living in the Uppsala health care region in Sweden. Full-field electroretinography was performed binocularly, using DTL electrodes and electroretinographic (ERG) protocols with flash strengths of 0.009, 0.17, 3.0, and 12.0 candelas (cd)/s/m2, together with 30-Hz flicker and 3.0 cd/s/m2 single-cone flash. Main Outcomes and Measures The ffERG recordings were analyzed, and their associations with gestational age and retinopathy of prematurity were examined. Results Adequate ffERG recordings were obtained from 52 preterm children (19 girls and 33 boys; mean [SD] age at examination, 6.6 [0.1] years) and 45 children born at term (22 girls and 23 boys; mean [SD] age at examination, 6.6 [0.1] years). Lower amplitudes of the combined rod and cone responses (the a-wave of the dark-adapted ERG protocol of 3.0 cd/s/m2: mean difference, –48.9 &mgr;V [95% CI, –80.0 to –17.9 &mgr;V]; P=.003; the a-wave of the dark-adapted ERG protocol of 12.0 cd/s/m2: mean difference, –55.7 &mgr;V [95% CI, –92.5 to –18.8 &mgr;V]; P = .004), as well as of the isolated cone response (30-Hz flicker ERG: mean difference, –12.1 &mgr;V [95% CI, –22.5 to –1.6 &mgr;V]; P = .03), were found in the preterm group in comparison with the group born at term. The implicit time of the combined rod and cone responses (the a-wave of the dark-adapted ERG protocol of 12.0 cd/s/m2) was longer (mean difference, 1.2 milliseconds [95% CI, 0.3-2.0 milliseconds]; P = .01) in the preterm group, as were the isolated cone responses (30-Hz flicker ERG: mean difference, 1.2 milliseconds [95% CI, 0.5-1.8 milliseconds]; P < .001), than in the group born at term. No association was found between the ffERG recordings and gestational age or retinopathy of prematurity in the preterm group. Conclusions and Relevance Both rod function and cone function were reduced in children born extremely preterm when compared with children born at term. There was no association with retinopathy of prematurity in the preterm group, which suggests that being born extremely preterm may be one of the main reasons for a general retinal dysfunction.


ConspectusBiominerals are unique materials found in many living organisms that often display outstanding functionalities attributed to their mesocrystalline structure. Mesocrystals are nanocrystal superstructures with mutual crystallographic alignment of the building units. One could thus imagine these optimized evolutionary systems as archetypes to fabricate advanced materials. The main advantage of such systems relies on their ability to combine the features of the nanocrystals with those of single crystalline microscopic structures, yielding assemblies with directional, enhanced, and potentially emergent properties. Moreover, fueled by the promises of multifunctional materials with unprecedented and tunable properties, the rational design of mesocrystals assembled from two distinct colloidal nanocrystal ensembles has become a recent focus of research. However, the combination of dissimilar nanocrystals into ordered binary superstructures is still a major scientific challenge due to the nature of the coassembly process.We focus this Account on the growth of tridimensional (3D) binary mesocrystals and the understanding of the self-assembly of two colloidal nanocrystal ensembles with the ultimate goal to serve as a basis for more rational mesocrystal syntheses in the future. The formation of mesocrystals demands nanocrystals with defined surface faceting, the primary factor influencing their oriented self-assembly. Notably, such a process cannot be successfully afforded without functionalized nanocrystals with high and, in many cases, tunable colloidal stability. Besides, the nature and solvation degree of the surface ligand shell influences the effective shape of the nanocrystals and the kinetics of self-assembly. If the assembly is triggered by reducing the colloidal stability with nonsolvents, 3D single-component mesocrystals are often grown. Here, the different magnitude of the van der Waals attraction forces between nanocrystals with differing compositions, dimensions, and morphologies generally favors the segregation and growth of single component mesocrystals. This phenomenon was illustrated during the successful preparation of 3D binary mesocrystals composed of iron oxide and platinum nanocubes. Although the building blocks possessed comparable sizes and were stabilized by similar ligands, the amount of the second component could only be arbitrarily tuned up to some extent, even when the assembly conditions were rationally optimized to achieve 3D binary mesocrystals. Only a small amount of it was effectively incorporated into the matrix of the initial mesocrystal. The 3D binary mesocrystal growth process demands a delicate control over the size, shape, and surface chemistry of the nanocrystals, the solvent nature, and the self-assembly process. Hence, the improvement of our ability to control the synthesis of 3D binary mesocrystalline materials is critical to exploit their potential toward technological applications in catalysis, energy storage, or structural materials.


Polysilicon thin-film technology has become of great interest due to the demand for large area electronic devices. Display applications, memories and optical copier are among the fields where polysilicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) are most commonly used. However the design of analogue blocks, by using Poly-Si TFTs, with constant specifications is very difficult because of the large variation of the threshold voltage of the poly-Si TFT across the wafer and the kink effect makes. In this paper we propose a circuit that can sense the voltage difference between two TFTs. This voltage can be used in order to design an improved current mirror with cancellation of threshold voltage variation


: The study utilizes Landsat-7 ETM+ 2001and Landsat TM5 2009 based on Normalized Differences Vegetation Index (NDVI) and 457 colour composite at the study area located in Leihitu Peninsula, Ambon City District, Ambon Island, Moluccas Province. The classified satellite data under NDVI and 457 colour composite of 2001 and 2009 of 2001 and 2009 were used to determine land cover change that have occurred in the study areas. This study attempts to use a comparative change detection analysis in land cover that has occurred in the study area with NDVI and 457 colour composite over 9 year period (2001 to 2009). The results of the present study disclose that total area increased their land cover were bare land and impermeable surface, herbaceous and shrubs, low density vegetation, and medium density vegetation, while high density vegetation is decreasing in both NDVI and 457 colour composite analysis. Overall accuracy was estimated to be around 94.3 % for NDVI and for 457 Colour composites was 84.7%. The study area has experienced a change in its land cover between 2001 and 2009 in both NDVI and 457 false colour composite analyses. The whole land cover types have experienced increased in both methods, except high density vegetation. The transformations of spectral vegetation (NDVI) product more closely with actual land cover compared with 457 colour composite product.


Currently Internet of Things (IoT) and multimedia technologies have entered the healthcare field through ambient aiding living and telemedicine. However there are still several obstacles blocking in the way, the toughest ones among which are IoT interoperability, system security, streaming Quality of Service (QoS) and dynamic increasing storage. The major contribution of this paper is proposing an open, secure and flexible platform based on IoT and Cloud computing, on which several mainstream short distant ambient communication protocols for medical purpose are discussed to address interoperability; Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), authentication and auditing are taken into consideration to solve the security issue; an adaptive streaming QoS model is utilized to improve streaming quality in dynamic environment; and an open Cloud computing infrastructure is adopted to support elastic Electronic Health Record (EHR) archiving in the backend. Finally an integrated reference implementation is introduced to demonstrate feasibility.


The patriarchal structure of the traditional Chinese family suggests that sons, more than daughters, provide financial support to elderly parents. However, the norm of receiving support in old age primarily from sons may have been undermined by dramatic demographic, economic, and cultural changes occurring over the last several decades in China, especially in urban areas. We examine gender differences in financial support to parents provided by children using a recent dataset ("Study of Family Life in Urban China") collected in 1999 in three cities, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Xi'an. In our analyses, we pay particular attention to the interaction effects of gender and coresidential status. We also test three standard hypotheses for intergenerational support: the power model, the exchange model, and the altruism model. Interestingly, the results show that married daughters, especially those living with parents, provide more financial support to parents than sons do. This significant gender difference can be primarily explained by daughters' resources, such as education and income. Our results lend empirical support to the altruism model, but not to the other two models. Gender Gap in Support to Parents in China 3


This study explored two models of sentencing in urban and rural districts in Nevada (2007 felony sentencing data, N=10,873). It was hypothesized that sentence lengths and dispositions would differ between rural and urban districts. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that urban districts would follow a formal legal model – in which only legal variables (crime features, criminal history) act as predictors of sentencing outcomes, whereas rural districts would follow a substantive political model – in which extralegal factors (age, sex, race / ethnicity, etc.) also predict sentencing outcomes. The authors found that urban and rural districts in Nevada conformed to a substantive political model of sentencing (including both legal and extralegal factors), though legal factors were often the strongest predictors of sentencing outcomes.


Sensory impairment is defined as the inability to interpret outside stimuli such as visual, auditory, verbal, sense of touch, taste or smell or feelings of pain. This leads to absence of sensation and neuronal coordination. The impairment may be caused by ageing and other physiological changes, accident or injuries or can be found in some cases of mental retardation (MR) also referred to as intellectual disability. Known cases of MR involving inability to accurately interpret an outside source or stimuli are: Fragile-X syndrome; Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) with associated autism spectrum disorder (ASD); Rett syndrome; Autism and ASD with or without MR; Chromosome 22q13.3 deletion syndrome; familial dysautonomia, Prader-Willi's syndrome, Williams syndrome. In this review we will discuss in particular form of ASD and altered sensory sensitivity. The role of NGF in causing pronociceptive activity and its role in peripheral sensitisation is discussed under the light of its involvement in forms of MR where loss of pain perception is a main feature due to mutations to NGF receptors or NGF genes during development. Other forms of MR with altered sensory impairment will be considered as well as additional potential mechanisms involved.


Nonlinear dynamics of a semiconductor laser with delayed negative optoelectronic feedback are studied both numerically and experimentally. Mappings of the dynamic states and bifurcation diagrams are compared between a delayed negative optoelectronic feedback system and a delayed positive optoelectronic feedback system. Both systems follow a quasiperiodic route to chaos, where regular pulsing, quasiperiodic pulsing, and chaotic pulsing states are observed. Frequency-locked pulsing states are also found in a delayed negative optoelectronic feedback system, but not in a delayed positive optoelectronic feedback system. These frequency-locked pulsing states are experimentally observed to exhibit a harmonic frequency-locking phenomenon, where the pulsing frequency is locked to a harmonic of the delay loop frequency instead of the delay loop frequency itself. The rotation numbers of these frequency-locked pulsing states show a Devil's staircase structure.


You are a scientist. You see your science being put to evil purposes, with disaster looming ahead. What do you do? This was the dilemma that confronted nuclear physicists in 1945 after the atomic bomb had been exploded over Japan. The search to understand the ultimate nature of matter, driven by intellectual curiosity and carried out in an abstruse mathematical framework, had produced the ultimate weapon of war.

Whether the development and use of these first atomic bombs was morally justified is today deeply disputed, but the problem that confronted the scientists at the end of the war was how to control the genie that had escaped from the bottle. They had produced a weapon that threatened the future of humankind. Their collective responsibility (or guilt) was unambiguous, but what should they do?

This was the genesis of the Pugwash organisation, an informal group of scientists who saw it as their responsibility to prevent the catastrophe of nuclear war in the future. From the beginning they were international, including, crucially, scientists from both sides of the Iron Curtain; they were experts, in both scientific and military spheres; and they conducted their discussions out of the limelight. The aim was to bring calm academic thinking to the complex scientific, military, and political issues involved.

#### Summary points

The Pugwash organisation was set up by physicists after the building of the atomic bomb to try to contain the malign uses of their science

Since then other scientists have become involved as other sciences have been used for destructive purposes

Pugwash has been involved in various conventions designed to prohibit the use of biological and chemical weapons, though many problems remain in monitoring the use of such weapons

Pugwash also increasingly grapples with wider …


Radio frequency interference (RFI) is an important challenge in radio astronomy. RFI comes from various sources and increasingly impacts astronomical observation as telescopes become more sensitive. In this study, we propose a fast and effective method for removing RFI in pulsar data. We use pseudo-inverse learning to train a single hidden layer auto-encoder (AE). We demonstrate that the AE can quickly learn the RFI signatures and then remove them from fast-sampled spectra, leaving real pulsar signals. This method has the advantage over traditional threshold-based filter method in that it does not completely remove contaminated channels, which could also contain useful astronomical information.


Unsteady magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection flow of an incompressible hybrid nanofluid (Cu-Al2O3/water) past an isothermal cylinder with thermal radiation effect has been studied. Appropriate non-dimensional variables are initiated to reduce the governing equations into a convenient form. By utilizing the procedure of finite difference, reduced equations are then solved for all time. Besides, series solutions are obtained using perturbation technique for short time and asymptotic method for long time which agree with the acquired numerical solution up to a good accuracy. When the mixed convection parameter Ri, radiation conduction parameter Rd, magnetic field parameter M and the volume fractions of nanoparticles ϕ1 and ϕ2 are increased, the local skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number are found to increase. Results revealed that the hybrid nanofluid (Cu-Al2O3/water) enhances the heat transfer about 28.28% in comparison to the Al2O3-water nanofluid and about 51.15% than the pure fluid. Contrary to this, the heat transfer of hybrid nanofluid is augmented about 41.76% than the Cu-water nanofluid and 71.41% than the base fluid. The streamlines and isotherms reveal that higher values of Ri, M and Rd delay the boundary layer separation and accordingly shrink the vortices. Moreover, the thermal boundary layer is thickened for the increment of aforesaid quantities. The surface temperature parameter augments the local skin friction coefficient, however, the reverse characteristic is observed for the local Nusselt number.


ObjectiveTeam-based learning is an active learning modality that is gaining popularity in medical education. The authors studied the effect of using trainees as facilitators of team-based learning sessions.MethodsTeam-based learning modules were developed and implemented by faculty members and trainees for the third-year medical student clerkship in psychiatry in the 2007–2008 academic year. Evaluation forms were used to elicit student opinions about the team-based learning sessions. Scores for trainee and faculty facilitators were compared using Student's t tests.ResultsOverall scores were positive, reflecting acceptability of this form of instruction. Eight of nine comparisons showed no difference in students' ratings of faculty versus trainee facilitators. The other comparison showed a modest preference for faculty facilitators.ConclusionTeam-based learning modules can be led as effectively by trainees as by faculty members to teach medical students in the classroom setting.


In recent years there has been a growing interest in the comparative study of youth transitions. National and international studies have analysed the role of individual and institutional (education and labour market) factors in shaping the transition from school to the labour market. Using data drawn from a cross‐national database of secondary school leavers and multilevel modelling, this paper aims to improve upon the existing research through the analysis of the effect of school factors (as well as individual factors) on pupils' post‐school outcomes. Results show that school variations in pupils' post‐school outcomes are mainly accounted for by curriculum type in the Netherlands, individual factors in Scotland and a mix of individual and school factors in Ireland.


Introduction:
 Surgical education relies heavily on operative exposure with live patients. However, the carotid endarterectomy (CEA) demands an experienced surgeon with a very low complication rate. The high-risk nature of this procedure and the decline in number of CEAs performed annually has created a training gap. Current surgical skill simulators do not provide a comparable surgical experience.

 Hypothesis:
 The SIMPLE-CEA is a comprehensive and realistic operative exercise that replicates all vital steps in a CEA and permits measurement of clinically significant metrics.

 Methods:
 Using a novel method, anatomically accurate models of the human neck and carotid artery were created using poly-vinyl alcohol hydrogels. Relevant structures were also fabricated including the vagus and hypoglossal nerves, internal jugular and facial veins, sternocleidomastoid and sternohyoid muscles, and carotid sheath. 3D models were created based on an amalgamation of patient data using CAD software. Injection molds of the modeled tissues were 3D printed. Graded polymerization of the hydrogel was achieved by inducing crosslinks during freeze/thaw cycles, which stiffened the simulated tissues to realistic tactile properties. Bleeding was simulated using pressure bags and a ventricular assistive device was used to create pulsatile flow in the carotid.

 Results:
 Realistic models were produced using 3D printed injection models and polymer hydrogels. Preliminary findings show an average of 4/5 for face validity surveys according to experts who performed preliminary testing. Comparison of surgeon performance was feasible using construct metrics such as carotid clamp time, estimated blood loss, and nerve injury.

 Conclusion:
 SIMPLE-CEA is a realistic, inexpensive model of high fidelity, offering comprehensive training for CEA and allows residents to master required skills prior to operating on a live patient. Next steps include testing content and construct validity of the model.


ABSTRACT. The determination of phosphorus in rain water is of great significance. In this paper the optimum conditions of phosphorus molybdenum blue spectrophotometric method for the determination of phosphorus content were obtained. At the maximum absorption wavelength 690 nm, the apparent molar absorptivity is ε690 nm = 1.44 × 104 L·mol-1·cm-1. Beer's law is followed over the range of 0.02-1.8 μg·mL-1 for phosphorus(V) content. Bismuth(III) and antimony(III) as the sensitizer has a sensitization effect on the phosphomolybdenum blue photometry. The addition of both simultaneously increases the sensitivity by 71.3%. The present method has been used for the determination of phosphorus in water samples. The recovery of method is between 99.20 - 100.1% and the relative standard deviation is between 1.31-1.33% for eleven determination. The results determined by the present method were in agreement with those of atomic absorption spectrometry. This method can avoid the harm of organic reagent to human body and to environmental pollution without organic solvent extraction. This method does not need heating with room temperature color development. Compared with other methods, it has the advantages that the operation is simple, fast and the sensitivity is high.
Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(6), 1307-1313.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i6.1


We study the properties of generalized stochastic gradient (GSG) learning in forward-looking models. We examine how the conditions for stability of standard stochastic gradient (SG) learning both differ from and are related to E-stability, which governs stability under least squares learning. SG algorithms are sensitive to units of measurement and we show that there is a transformation of variables for which E-stability governs SG stability. GSG algorithms with constant gain have a deeper justification in terms of parameter drift, robustness and risk sensitivity. JEL Code: C62, C65, D83, E10, E17.


We study action rule-based systems with two forms of negation, namely classical negation and "negation as failure to find a course of action". We show, by means of several examples, that adding negation as failure to such systems increases their expressiveness in the sense that real-life problems can be represented in a natural and simple way. Then we address the problem of providing a formal declarative semantics to these extended systems by adopting an argumentation-based approach which has been shown to be a simple unifying framework for understanding the declarative semantics of various nonmonotonic formalisms. In this way, we naturally define the grounded (well-founded), stable and preferred semantics for production systems with negation as failure. Next, we characterize the class of stratified production systems, which enjoy the properties that the above-mentioned semantics coincide and that negation as failure to find a course of action can be computed by a simple bottom-up operator. Stratified production systems can be implemented on top of conventional production systems in two ways. The first way corresponds to the understanding of stratification as a form of priority assignment between rules. We show that this implementation, though sound, is not complete in the general case. Hence, we propose a second implementation by means of an algorithm which transforms a finite stratified production system into a classical one. This is a sound and complete implementation, though it is computationally hard.


The purpose of this study is to look into the importance of educational processes, practices, and research activities in predicting knowledge skills and competences (KSC) and employability in Indonesian higher education. A survey was used in the quantitative research approach. Respondents to this study selected 500 instructors and students from 31 universities in Indonesia that offer outstanding approved study programs. The Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology oversees all universities. Scoring and structural equation modeling were used to evaluate the data. The educational process is significantly influenced by facilities. Significant relationships have been discovered between facilities and practicum activities, facilities and research activities, practical activities and employability, research activities and employability, research activities and KSC, and practical activities to KSC. There is no significant relationship between the educational process and employability, nor between the educational process and KSC. This study's findings also show that the educational process does not mediate the effect of facilities on employability but does mediate the effect of facilities on KSC, that the effect of facilities on employability was mediated by the practical activity variable, that practical activity variables mediated the effect of facilities on KSC, and that research activity variables mediated the effect of facilities on employability. Variables related to research activity influenced the effect of facilities on KSC. This research's contribution can become literature for future research and can be used by education stakeholders to identify applicable policies to assist KSC and its graduates' employability.


We study codimension schemes in that are scheme-theoretic intersections of three hypersurfaces. The results of Peskine, Szpiro and Rao about invariant smooth three-generated schemes are generalized to Cohen-Macaulay schemes. We also give criteria for stability and splittability of the associated vector bundles.


Like many other German-speaking writers, Hermann Broch was forced to emigrate from Nazi Germany at the end of the 1930s. It was partly due to the criticism of the fascist movement that he had presented in the then-titled Bergroman [Mountain Novel], which took its final shape as Der Versucher [The Seducer] and was published posthumously under the title The Spell [Die Verzauberung]. Another novel depicting the development of fascism is Broch's Die Schuldlosen: Ein Roman in elf Erzahlungen [The Guiltless Ones. A Novel in Eleven Stories]. Broch also wrote Adolf Hitler's Farewell Address, an essay that can be read as a sort of completion to the abovementioned books since it providesan even more directinsight into the Nazi mind, portraying it from within. In his works, Hermann Broch describes spiritual as well as specifically social roots of fascism: any autocratic movement characterized by the rejection of Platonic idealism and thus, inevitably, of the Christian tradition itself.


The Hubble tension, revealed by a $\sim 5\sigma$ discrepancy between measurements of the Hubble-Lemaitre constant from early- and local-Universe observations, is one of the most significant problems in modern cosmology. In order to better understand the origin of this mismatch, independent techniques to measure $H_0$, such as strong lensing time delays, are required. Notably, the sample size of such systems is key to minimising statistical uncertainties and cosmic variance, which can be improved by exploring the datasets of large-scale sky surveys like DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument). We identify possible strong lensing time-delay systems within DESI by selecting candidate multiply imaged lensed quasars from a catalogue of 24,440,816 candidate QSOs contained in the 9th data release of the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys (DESI-LS). Using a friend-of-friends-like algorithm on spatial co-ordinates, our method generates an initial list of compact quasar groups. This list is subsequently filtered using a measure of the similarity of colours of a group's members and the likelihood that they are quasars. A visual inspection finally selects candidate strong lensing systems based on the spatial configuration of the group members. We identify 620 new candidate multiply imaged lensed quasars (101 Grade-A, 214 Grade-B, 305 Grade-C). This number excludes 53 known spectroscopically confirmed systems and existing candidate systems identified in other similar catalogues. When available, these new candidates will be further checked by combining the spectroscopic and photometric data from DESI. The catalogues and images of the candidates in this work are available online (https://github.com/EigenHermit/lensed_qso_cand_catalogue_He-22/).


This research has developed a child pedestrian training module using Virtual Reality (VR) system. Children can have an immersive experience of walking on streets in different street-crossing scenarios. Past literature and crash data analysis revealed higher and more severe injury cases for child pedestrians in school zones serving low-income and underrepresented communities. This training was developed to fulfill the needs for a child-pedestrian, living in such communities, to understand basic pedestrian rules and develop safe walking behavior. The training module has been created as a VR "game" where the child played the game as a "player". Each child experienced eight critical street-crossing scenarios named "levels" and numbered from 1 through 8. These levels are designed and developed based on crash data analysis to test the player's decision-making ability. A head-mounted device (HMD) was used to play the game, where a right-hand game controller was used to change levels. As the game was developed, it had to go through a quality test of the developer. Players' experience survey responses were also recorded. These measures were collected to ensure the effectiveness and user-friendliness of the game. Results show that the game was effectively developed to perform it's defined task in the improvement of child-pedestrian behaviors. Future research can include objective measures to evaluate participants' improvement in walking behavior and make the training module more comprehensive with additional crossing scenarios.


Abstract Objectives Although trichotillomania (TTM) is classified in the obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) chapter of the DSM-5, several studies showed that it has several differences. The aim of this study was to examine the phenomenology, comorbidity, and family psychiatric characteristisc of childhood TTM and OCD. Methods This study compared youth ages 6–17 years with a primary diagnosis of TTM (n = 63) to those with primary OCD (n = 65) on clinical and familial psychiatric characteristics. Results In our study, the findings showed that family history of schizophrenia (42.3%) was higher among patients with TTM than the OCD group, while the history of OCD (55.8%) in the family was significantly higher among the OCD group (p < 0.001). The behaviour of plucking eyebrows was significantly higher among patients with TTM comorbid OCD than patients with only trichotillomania. TTM patients with comorbid OCD had one-dimensional symptom distribution than the presence of the OCD-only group, and the severity of OCD was lower. The incidence of pathological doubting was higher among the TTM group with comorbid OCD, than those with only OCD diagnosis. Conclusions These findings support significant differences between OCD and TTM. Differences between OCD and TTM may reflect differences in underlying psychobiology, and may necessitate contrasting treatment approaches. KEYPOINTS We aimed to compare the trichotillomania in itself and in the presence of OCD with the OCD group. Even if OCD accompanied trichotillomania, OCD symptom dimensions and severity were found to be lower than in the OCD-only group. Trichotillomania is a heterogeneous disorder with different dimensions besides the OCD spectrum.


A cross-sectional study was conducted in four districts of Afar region to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants. One thousand fifty sera were tested using modified Rose Bengal plate test (mRBPT) and complement fixation test (CFT) as screening and confirmatory tests, respectively. The results showed that 7.1 and 13.6% of sheep and goats were sero-positive, respectively. District level sero-prevalence ranged from 3.6 to 13.6% and 3.3 to 6.7% in sheep and goats, respectively. The logistic regression model for small ruminants identified goats (odds ratio (OR) = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.46 to 3.82) are at higher risk of brucellosis as compared to sheep. In addition, small ruminants greater than two years (OR = 3.132; 95% CI: 1.6 to 6.15), and larger flock size (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.35 to 3.1) are at higher risk of brucellosis than their counter categories. The results of this study demonstrated that livestock brucellosis is widely prevalent in the study areas. Hence, the study suggests the need for implementing control measures and raising public awareness on prevention methods of brucellosis.


The hot extruded rods of aluminum alloy AlZn6,43Mg2,23Cu1,78 (AA7010) were subjected to, in sequence, deformation by drawing, annealing to the O temper and precipitation hardening to the T6 temper. The samples of rods drawn with the variable strain value (area reduction of 5–67%), were annealed in the wide range of temperatures (300–465°C) and times (1–10 h). The applied annealing conditions activate recovery, recrystallization and grain growth processes. It was shown that recrystallization process of rods annealed to the O temper is controlled by a distribution and thermal stability of active phase η (MgZn2). The annealing at the temperatures lower than the temperature of active phase solubility limit (below 400°C) maintains a linear distribution of this phase precipitates. It hinders recrystallization fronts migration in radial direction of rods and leads to formation of grains with considerable shape anisotropy. The increase of annealing temperature results in significant acceleration of the active phase precipitates dissolution process, whereby a release of recrystallization fronts and in consequence formation of grains with appreciable lower shape anisotropy, as well as change of distribution and morphology of mentioned phase precipitates take place. Moreover, it was found that – despite considerable structural differences – strain value during drawing hardly influences strength and plastic properties of the rods in the O temper, as well as in the most cases in the T6 temper. The weak relationship between grain size and strength properties of Al and its alloys, as well as significant influence of hardening phases pre-precipitates (precipitates) type and distribution on mechanical properties of these alloys in the T6 temper were experimentally confirmed.


Patients with juvenile muscular atrophy of distal upper extremity (Hirayama's disease) often show marked weakness of the fingers occurring with exposure to cold. We term this phenomenon cold paresis. We conducted an original test to induce cold paresis (Cold Paresis Inducement Test) in 11 patients of this disease and 10 normal controls. Cold paresis was induced in 9 of 11 patients, but was not induced in the 2 patients who had the disease longer than 20 years and in all normal controls. We examined the electromyogram of abductor digiti minimi during 5 Hz and 20 Hz rate of ulnar nerve stimulation at cooling. The patients in whom cold paresis was induced exhibited a waning of amplitude of compound muscle action potential (M wave) during 20 Hz stimulation. This waning was aggravated by intravenous administration of anticholinesterase (edrohponium). We found a remarkable conduction delay of M waveform at the waning by means of waveform analysis. These results suggest that cold paresis may be caused by a conduction block of the muscle fiber membrane in re-innervating muscles after active denervation.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate attitudes of managers at Food Industry Enterprises towards Quality Assurance Systems (QAS). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the hypotheses and results of the surveys conducted with the company officials. Age, position, level of education and experience play a role in enterprises' caring QAS, according to results of the analysis. Considering mean rank of level of education, university graduates with a mean rank of 64.58 have a more positive attitude than graduates of high school and secondary school towards the factor that QAS increases productivity and reduces customer complaints. It was also determined that company officials at the age of 20-29 considering age factor, managers with an experience of 15 years and over considering experience factor and enterprise directors considering position factor have a more positive attitudes compared to other groups. It is possible to state that young managers with little experience have a positive attitude towards the factor that QAS gives the enterprise an opportunity to compete.


Mitragyna speciosa is an indigenous tree found in Southeast Asia particularly in Thailand and Malaysia. It is popularly known as 'kratom' in Thailand and 'ketum' in Malaysia. The medicinal properties of this plant were due to its opium-like effects and cocaine-like stimulant ability in combating fatigue and as hard work tolerance. The major alkaloid from this plant, mitragynine was extracted and isolated by solvent systems. Standard spectroscopic analysis was performed to identify the compound. Due to its potential properties as psychostimulant ability and anti-anxiety, this study was designed to determine the effects of mitragynine on locomotor activities and anxiety level in eustress and stress-induced rats. An effect of mitragynine on the corticosterone level was also determined. Locomotor and grooming activity in open-field test (OFT) and anxiety study in elevated plus-maze (EPM) were performed for the behavioral profiles. A hundred and sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study and divided into two groups which were eustress and stress-induced rats. Mitragynine of different dosages (1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 30.0 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to each rat. Stress-induced rats were restrained for 2 hours in the restrainer before the behavioral activities were conducted. The findings showed that locomotor activity statistically increased (P<0.05) in 5.0 and 30.0 mg/kg mitragynine treated rats compared to 1.0 mg/kg mitragynine in non-stressed rats. Locomotor activity also increased in stressed-rats in all doses of mitragynine, however the results were not statistically significant. Grooming activity increased significantly (P<0.05) in stressed rats treated with 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 30.0 mg/kg mitragynine compared to control group. In non-stressed rats, grooming activity also increased in all doses of mitragynine but the results were not statistically significant. In anxiety study, three parameters were performed on each rat including time spent in open arms, open arm entries and time spent in central platform. Thirty (30.0) mg/kg mitragynine increased the time spent in open arms and open arm entries in non-stress and stress-rats. However, 30.0 mg/kg mitragynine decreased the time spent in central platform in non-stress and stress groups. Time spent in central platform only increased in non-stress rats treated with 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg mitragynine. Corticosterone levels in stress-rats treated with all doses of mitragynine increased significantly (P<0.05) compared to control group. Higher dosages of mitragynine are able to induce behavioural changes by increasing the locomotor, grooming activity and anxiety parameters. Thus, the study showed that mitragynine produced sensitivity towards the locomotor, grooming and anxiety by increasing the parameters and is highly correlated with corticosterone levels in stressed rats. In conclusion, mitragynine is able to exert the possible psychostimulant and anxiolytic properties in non-stressed and stressed rats through the possible mechanism of action of mitragynine in rats.


A variety of aryleneethynylenes are synthesized by double elimination reaction of β-substituted sulfones. The acetylenic bond is formed from readily available aromatic aldehydes and benzylic sulfones. A sequence of aldol reaction, trapping of the aldolates with a leaving group, and eliminations proceeds in one pot. The utility of this protocol is exemplified by synthesis of dihalo diphenylacetylenes, 5,6,11,12-tetradehydrodibenzo[a,e]cyclooctene, and double-helical aromatic acetylenes.


Effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contain disinfection byproducts (DBPs) of health concern when the water is utilized downstream as a potable water supply. The pattern of DBP formation was strongly affected by whether or not the WWTP achieved good nitrification. Chlorine addition to poorly nitrified effluents formed low levels of halogenated DBPs, except for (in some cases) dihalogenated acetic acids, but often substantial amounts of N-nitrosodimethyamine (NDMA). Chlorination of well-nitrified effluent typically resulted in substantial formation of halogenated DBPs but much less NDMA. For example, on a median basis after chlorine addition, the well-nitrified effluents had 57 microg/L of trihalomethanes [THMs] and 3 ng/L of NDMA, while the poorly nitrified effluents had 2 microg/L of THMs and 11 ng/L of NDMA. DBPs with amino acid precursors (haloacetonitriles, haloacetaldehydes) formed at substantial levels after chlorination of well-nitrified effluent. The formation of halogenated DBPs but not that of NDMA correlated with the formation of THMs in WWTP effluents disinfected with free chlorine. However, THM formation did not correlate with the formation of other DBPs in effluents disinfected with chloramines. Because of the relatively high levels of bromide in treated wastewater, bromine incorporation was observed in various classes of DBPs.


Grazing is the predominant land use across western North America and directly affects the structure, composition, and productivity of native grasslands. Thus, grazing management has a significant impact on the quality and extent of wildlife habitat. Sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) have large home ranges and utilize a wide range of habitat types, allowing them to serve as an ideal indicator species for grassland habitats. To better understand the relationship between rangeland management, habitat conditions, and nesting ecology, we monitored 50 radio-collared sharp-tailed grouse in eastern Montana to assess the effects of grazing management, local habitat, and female attributes on nest survival. In the first year of a three-year study, we monitored 73 nests, 27 of which successfully hatched at least one chick. Probability of daily nest survival was 0.96 ± 0.006 and overall nest survival during the nesting period was 0.24 ± 0.05. Variables at the home-range scale, including grazing system and grassland shape complexity, were better predictors of nest survival than variables at the nest-scale. Nest survival declined with female age, and was higher for nests located in pastures managed with season-long grazing than for pastures managed with rotation and rest-rotation grazing. However, confidence intervals of effects overlapped 0 and a null model was considered parsimonious, suggesting little to no direct effect of grazing system on nest survival during our first year of study. By evaluating the influence of different rangeland management practices on demographic rates, this project will develop specific management recommendations for the conservation of sharp-tailed grouse.


The paper proposes an admission control scheme based on adaptive bandwidth reservation to provide QOS guarantees for multimedia traffic carried in highspeed wireless cellular networks. The proposed scheme allocates bandwidth to a connection in the cell where the connection request originates and reserves bandwidth in all neighboring cells. It combines admission The proposed scheme adjusts the amount of reserved bandwidth based on the current network conditions. It distinguishes new calls and hand-off calls. It gives higher priority to hand-off calls to provide higher connectivity to users who are already accepted in the network. It reduces the bandwidth assigned to non-real time calls (i.e., low priority calls) to provide higher quality of service to real time calls (i.e., high priority calls), if necessary. The proposed scheme is performed at each base station in a distributed manner. The amount of bandwidth reserved is adjusted dynamically.


In the United Kingdom the emergence of a "New Labour" has been closely associated with the development of the notion of the "third way." Tony Blair, for example, stated that "New Labour is neither old left nor new right. . . . Instead we offer a new way ahead, that leads from the centre but is profoundly radical in the change it promises." In a similar vein Giddens locates the "third way" by reference to two other "ways" of classical social democracy and neoliberalism. Although some notable contributions have been made on the subject of the "third way," rather little has been written specifically on the economic analysis underpinning it. This paper infers such an analysis by working back from the policies and policy pronouncements of governments. To do so, the paper examines the types of economic analyses being used to underpin the ideas of the "third way"; the suggestion that the ideas surrounding the economic analysis of the economic and monetary union's (EMU's) theoretical and policy framework are firmly embedded in that of "third way"; and the argument that the challenge for EMU macropolicies lies in their potential to achieve full employment and low inflation in the euro system. On the last point, the author concludes that these policies, as they currently operate, are not very promising. Alternatives are therefore suggested.


The study adapted the Questionnaire of Sociocultural Attitudes Regarding Appearance (SATAQ-3) for Brazilian adolescents. We tested the factorial structure using confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA), exploratory factorial analysis (EFA), concurrent validity and internal consistency in 347 adolescents (171 males) aged 10-13 years. The AFC did not find a good fit of our sample to the models. The AFE, however, resulted in satisfactory adjustment, with factorial structure of six factors explaining slightly more than 50% of the variance. Correlations between SATAQ-3 scores and body image estimation and satisfaction indices, as well as the Body Mass Index, showed concurrent validity of the instrument. The internal consistency is adequate for the general sample and for groups stratified by sex (α Cronbach> 0.804). It has been shown that SATAQ-3 is suitable for administration to Brazilian adolescents aged 10-13 years to analyze sociocultural pressures and the internalization of appearance ideals.


Oxidized hairdyes which are frequently used in dyeing cause abnormal scalp and contact dermatitis. And they even do hair loss in severe cases. Pleuropterus multflorus extract cream was used to relieve damaged scalp due to frequent use of oxidized hairdyes. First, the result which carried out the cytotoxicity test (mtt-assay) to check the safety of Pleuropterus multflorus extract has found that there is no cytotoxicity on concentration of less than 100 ?g/mL. The result which observed the effect by applying polygonum multiflorum extract cream which was made based on them three times per week to the SD-rat back part that caused scalp damage as the oxidized hairdye is as follow: We applied Pleuropterus multflorus cream to SD-rat whose scalp was damaged by oxidized hairdye. In contrary to control group, erythema and edema appeared in first 2~4 weeks which completely alleviated in week 6~8. We also conducted a patch test on 20 people to investigate allergic reaction of Pleuropterus multflorus cream. As a result, P.I.I was 0.072, which is equivalent to non-irritation reaction, thus proving rare existence of skin irritation. Therefore, the study confirmed safety of Pleuropterus multflorus cream and alleviation effect on scalp damage through basic level test.


The general principle of equality in European law is often held to be inconsistently applied by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and insufficiently supported by methodology. Contrary to this assessment, this paper argues that there is substantial coherence and theoretical underpinning to the court's equality reasoning. First, it shows that the respective case‐law can be subdivided into three groups, depending on the level of scrutiny applied. Second, it establishes that the prevailing accounts have difficulty in explaining the court's choice of scrutiny due to their limited selection of analytical parameters. Third, it concludes that comparative institutional analysis offers an alternative framework to make the ECJ's testing approaches in equality matters more intelligible.