Toxic chemicals strictly controlled by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are dangerous goods which can potentially cause environmental degradation in maritime transport. Within the seaports of Hai Phong Quang Ninh, the volume of toxic chemicals accounted for about 1% of container throughput (over 56 million tons per year, 2017) and many incidents took place during goods loading and unloading at the ports. Although they did not cause significant environmental damages, the prevention of and response to these incidents have revealed many drawbacks. This article presents the identification and assessment of environmental risks and the current status of the prevention of environmental degradation in the loading unloading and storage of toxic chemicals at seaports in Hai Phong Quang Ninh.


Problem Statement: Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) remains widespread in many countries including Jordan, mainly due to inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A and carotenoids. Approach: Few researches on carotenoid content in vegetables and fruits are carried out. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary intake of selected common foods among a sample of adult Jordanians, by using Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and to analyze the carotenoid contents in selected vegetable foods by using UV spectrophotometry . Results: Among the total sample of 200 adults men and women, the consumption per person per week of rice was 21.1 serving, olive oil 20.9 serving, fresh carrot 13.6 serving, tomato 8.28 serving, mint 6.63 serving, chickpea 5.07 serving and parsley 5.03 serving. The total carotenoid contents were found in high concentrations in mint 25.2 mg 100 g-1, parsley 21.8 mg 100g-1, mallow 12.6 mg 100 g-1 and carrot 8.79 mg 100g-1. Zucchini, okra, tomato and green beans also contained appreciable amounts of carotenoids 3.38, 2.54, 2.19 and 1.97 mg 100 g-1, respectively. Eggplant had the lowest content of carotenoids 0.48 mg 100g-1. Conclusions: These finding could help the meal planning at a community level by including such high content of carotenoid vegetables in meals, which will lead to decrease the incidence of vitamin A deficiency disease. Further studies in this concern is highly recommended to solve such problem worldwide .


An attempt has been made to improve the sensitivity and stability of the polymer optical fiber (POF) sensor for continuous monitoring of gaseous oxygen. It utilizes the quenching phenomenon of cladding fluorescence. Three polymers namely, poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PCMA), poly(l-menthyl methacrylate) (PMtMA) and poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), which have a relatively large oxygen permeability, were used as cladding layer doped with a sensitive dye such as a 9,10-diphenyl anthracene (DPA), on the polymer cores with 1 mm diameter. When these sensor heads were pumped using a D2-lamp, the response at the fluorescence of λ=431 nm was found to be very fast and reversible in all the cases, for oxygen concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 100%. However, the differences in fluorescence quenching rate, stability and response time were observed to be dependent upon the polymer used. In particular, the PCMA sample showed good long-term stability. These comparative studies of POF oxygen sensors seem to be useful for developing practical devices.


Surgery has long been considered standard treatment in early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Preoperative chemotherapy is a real challenge in the treatment of these stages. Some conclusions can be drawn from the first phase II studies in stage IIIA tumors. Response rates were higher than those observed in stage IV tumors, reaching approximately 70%. Although toxicity seemed acceptable, increased morbidity and mortality have to be taken into account for the choice of preoperative regimens. Two randomized studies that included only a few patients were conducted in stage IIIA disease and showed highly positive survival results. The French randomized study argued in favor of preoperative chemotherapy with an absolute difference in survival rates that remains constant beyond the third year. New studies are ongoing to evaluate the role of the gemcitabine/cisplatin combination. Several phase II studies of this regimen in the preoperative setting or in combination with radiotherapy have been presented at the most recent meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. These studies confirmed both its efficacy and good tolerability. In several ongoing randomized studies, this combination has been chosen to test the concept of preoperative chemotherapy. One such study, which compares two different strategies of preoperative chemotherapy, is by the Intergroupe Francophone de Cancérologie Thoracique.


Jinxi County in Jiangxi Province and Yangxin County in Hubei Province enjoy similar physical geographic conditions, and boast existing traditional residences that primarily date back to the Qing Dynasty. Moreover, the structures' external wall material primarily uses blue brick. However, the exterior quality of the blue brick used for traditional residences in both areas have distinct differences. By conducting electronic micro-analysis and x-ray diffraction analysis testing of samples of blue brick from both sites, comparative analysis of the differences in the blue bricks' elemental composition and microstructure was carried out. The results showed that the samples have differences in fusion degree of the microstructure of crystalline grain, uniformity degree of the distribution of various element content, and contents of TiO2 and Ca0, leading discrepancies in the degree of smoothness of the surface, the uniformity of color, and the variation in color of the blue brick.


Crews of high-altitude aircraft are exposed to radiation from galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). To help determine such exposures, the Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation Project, an international collaboration of 15 laboratories, made simultaneous radiation measurements with 14 instruments on a NASA ER-2 high-altitude airplane. The primary instrument was a sensitive extended-energy multisphere neutron spectrometer. Its detector responses were calculated for energies up to 100 GeV using the radiation transport code MCNPX 2.5.d with improved nuclear models and including the effects of the airplane structure. New calculations of GCR-induced particle spectra in the atmosphere were used to correct for spectrometer counts produced by protons, pions and light nuclear ions. Neutron spectra were unfolded from the corrected measured count rates using the deconvolution code MAXED 3.1. The results for the measured cosmic-ray neutron spectrum (thermal to >10 GeV), total neutron fluence rate, and neutron dose equivalent and effective dose rates, and their dependence on altitude and geomagnetic cut-off agree well with results from recent calculations of GCR-induced neutron spectra.


Background: Radiocapitellar joint snapping due to the presence of synovial plica has been described as a contributory intra-articular pathology of lateral epicondylitis (LE). Hypothesis: The arthroscopic modified Bosworth technique can provide a safe and favorable outcome for refractory LE with radiocapitellar snapping. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Patients treated with the arthroscopic modified Bosworth procedure for refractory LE with radiocapitellar joint snapping were included in this study. The sequential surgical procedures included excision of the upper portion of the anterolateral annular ligament, removal of the synovial plicae, and release of the extensor carpi radialis brevis for all patients. Clinical outcomes were measured at a minimum 1-year follow-up. Results: A total of 22 patients with a mean ± SD age of 51.2 ± 10.4 years were included in this study. The mean follow-up was 29.4 ± 7.7 months (range, 21-42 months). The overall visual analog scale score (from preoperative to final follow-up) was 7.5 ± 1.2 vs 2.5 ± 1.8 (P < .001); flexion-extension motion arc was 133.8° ± 11.2° vs 146.4° ± 7.1° (P = .001); pronation-supination motion arc was 101.8° ± 9.2° vs 141.7° ± 10.2° (P = .001); Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score was 54.5 ± 13.2 vs 3.6 ± 4.1 (P < .001); and Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 51.9 ± 12.2 vs 84.3 ± 10.3 (P < .001). Conclusion: Radiocapitellar joint snapping may coexist with LE as a disease spectrum. The arthroscopic modified Bosworth technique provides safe and favorable outcomes for patients with refractory LE associated with radiocapitellar joint snapping.


Models that encode prior knowledge about a scene provide a means for interpreting image data from that scene in more detail than would otherwise be so. Information about both background clutter and target characteristics should be included in this prior knowledge. We demonstrate the use of a generalized noise model to represent a variety of naturally occurring random terrain clutter textures observed in high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. In addition a similar approach is adopted for the simulation of such textures. Having established the background properties we next introduce prior knowledge about any target within the scene and exploit this in achieving a cross-section reconstruction having improved resolution compared with the original image. Examples of such a super-resolution method based on singular value decomposition are demonstrated and the limits of the technique are indicated.


Maintaining a narrative practice within conventional organisational structures that are informed by modernist and medicalised ideas of identity, professional expertise and ethics can present a variety of challenges. In some contexts, governmental regulations and market-based funding directly affect the practices of service providers by imposing regulations and limits that stand in opposition to the relational intentions of narrative practice. This is particularly true for narrative practitioners who work alongside marginalised communities with intentions of doing justice. One organisation, RECLAIM, in St Paul, Minnesota, USA, is striving to meet this challenge. RECLAIM is building a community organisation that serves queer and transgender young people. Julie Tilsen (co-editor of this issue) sat down with RECLAIM's founder, Janet Bystrom, to learn how, as an organisation, RECLAIM aspires to embody narrative practices and principles, not only in the therapy room, but also in its policies, procedures and everyday organisational practices.


The Rheinisches Schiefgebirge includes the volcanic area of the Eifel and papers in this volume describe the geology, palaeontology and mineralogy of the area as well as of the Ems and Westerwald districts. Short bibliographies are included in each paper and some accounts of mining are given. Trilobites from the Devonian in the Eifel region are major fossil features of this area west of the Rhine. M. J. O'DONOGHUE


The purpose of the study is to highlight the key conditions of the design of a multimedia system, which are created an augmented reality. The research methodology is based on the use of general scientific methods. The analysis of scientific papers on the topic and the analysis of multimedia which are using like AR projects technologies are aimed at determining the features of augmented reality formation. Results.With the advent of a wide variety of multimedia projects, it is not always clear which of them belong to augmented reality. Some multimedia use only similar technologies, such as projections, but there is no question of augmented reality. On the example of simple and visual projections, as well as other projects, consider at what point the phenomenon of augmented reality occurs. The analysis of publications that consider the augmented reality and determine the place of augmented reality in various continuums is carried out. Has been determined the conditions for the AR formation as a phenomenon. We discuss the importance of the simultaneous presence of virtual data, narrative, and context. There were also indicated the significance of the relevance of virtual data for AR, the indirect influence of interactivity on the context, and the difference between the essence of augmented reality and ordinary digital modification. Various cases of optical and video mixing are considered conventional and 3D projections, 3D mapping, augmented images. It has been proven that the formation of a narrative is a prerequisite for creating augmented reality and the connection between virtual data and context. The scientific novelty of the work consists in in determining the conditions for the formation of the augmented reality and their characteristics. The practical significance of the results lies in the fact that the verification of compliance with the conditions and characteristics helps to separate augmented reality projects from other types of multimedia and other uses of similar technologies.


Between Vietnam's independence and its reunification in 1975, the country's socialist land tenure system was underpinned by the principle of "land to the tiller". During this period, government redistributed land to farmers that was previously owned by landlords. The government's "egalitarian" approach to land access was central to the mass support that it needed during the Indochinese war. Even when the 1993 Land Law transitioned agricultural land from collectivized to household holdings with 20-year land use certificates, the "land to the tiller" principle remained largely sacrosanct in state policy. Planned amendments to the current Land Law (issued in 2013), however, propose a fundamental shift from "land to the tiller" to the concentration of land by larger farming concerns, including private sector investors. This is explained as being necessary for the modernization of agricultural production. The government's policy narrative concerning this change emphasizes the need to overcome the low productivity that arises from land fragmentation, the prevalence of unskilled labor and resource shortages among smallholders. This is contrasted with the readily available resources and capacity of the private sector, together with opportunities for improved market access and high-tech production systems, if holdings were consolidated by companies. This major proposed transition in land governance has catalyzed heated debate over the potential risks and benefits. Many perceive it as a shift from a "pro-poor" to "pro-rich" policy, or from "land to the tiller" to the establishment of a "new landlord"—with all the historical connotations that this badge invokes. Indeed, the growing level of public concern over land concentration raises potential implications for state legitimacy. This paper examines key narratives on the government-supported land concentration policy, to understand how the risks, benefits and legitimacy of the policy change are understood by different stakeholders. The paper considers how the transition could change land access and governance in Vietnam, based on early experience with the approach.


Selected bacterial isolates from a Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp culture system and gut environment were assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing method to identify their identity and to construct their phylogenetic relationship. In a preliminary study, a total of 19 isolates were selected as probiotics. These isolates were prepared using freeze and heat-shock method to obtain the DNA template. PCR amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA gene of isolates was carried out using bacterial universal primers 9F and 1510R and was sequenced using an automated DNA sequencer. These gene sequences were compared with other gene sequences in the GenBank database (NCBI) using a BLAST search to find closely related sequences. Alignment of these sequences with sequences available from GenBank database was carried out to construct a phylogenetic tree for these bacteria. Most of the isolates obtained, i.e. 17 out of the 19 isolates, belonged to different species of Bacillus, sharing 95 to 99% 16S ribosomal RNA identity with the respective type-strain, whereas the remaining 2 isolates belonged to Micrococcus sp. and Micrococcus luteus, with 97 to 99% 16S rRNA homology, consecutively. Key words: Bacillus, Micrococcus, PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene, phylogeny


Using earnings functions estimates on a survey of Egyptian establishments conducted in 1990, standard decomposition techniques of wage differentials show that both males and females have an earnings disadvantage in the public enterprise and government sectors after correcting for a range of personal and job characteristics. Gender based pay discrimination is small in the public sector. In contrast, it is quite high by international comparisons in the private sector and mainly takes place by paying a pure rent premium to men estimated at about 82 % of female pay, with a large proportion (35 % of female pay) attributable to segregation or entry barriers facing females in certain occupations. Quantile regression methods were further used to examine the distribution of wage premia across occupations and wage quantiles. The results show that public sector wage premia exist only at the lower level of the wage distribution and gender-based pay discrimination is highest in the private sector for the low wage quantiles of unskilled workers and higher wage groups in technical and managerial positions. The paper's results highlight the need to reform pay policy in the government and the expected disproportionate impact of privatisation and civil service reform on women in the Egyptian labour market.


The discussion of vowel harmony in this paper continues the theoretical discussion that was sparked by Clements' first proposals concerning an autosegmental treatment of vowel harmony in general (1980 [1976]). I will attempt to show that problems that arose in early autosegmental treatments of certain types of vowel harmony can be elegantly overcome and that autosegmental theory more generally provides an attractive framework for the treatment of vowel systems and vowel harmony. I will discuss three distinct types of systems here: the slightly asymmetrical system of Khalkha Mongolian, the canonical five-vowel system as it can be seen in Bantu (Yaka, in this case), and the well-known Finnish/Hungarian type of system. The kinds of advances made here answer, I believe, the critical comments made in Anderson (1980), in which significant sceptical questions are raised concerning whether the successes of autosegmental accounts of West African systems can be extended to other types of vowel harmony systems.


Chronic urticaria (CU) is a skin condition characterized by sudden and recurrent episodes of wheals, angioedema, or both and commonly associated with itching for a duration of more than six weeks. The available data indicate that urticaria markedly affects both objective functioning and subjective well-being of patients. A review of patients' records with chronic urticaria attending Civil Service Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 was done. A detailed demographic data of all patients with chronic urticaria was also retrieved. Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire (DLQI) Nepalese version was used for the assessment of the impact of disease on life quality. Mann–Whitney U-test was applied to compare means, and principle component analysis for factor analysis was used. A total of 149 patients were included, with a male-to-female ratio of 1 : 1.9. The mean age of the study population was 32.86 ± 12.837 years. The mean DLQI score was 8.30 ± 6.73 with men having a significantly greater score than women (p < 0.02). DLQI scores negatively correlated with age (p < 0.01). There was a high internal consistency among items (Cronbach's alpha 0.89), and all items had satisfactory correlation with each other as well. Principle component extraction revealed that there were two underlying factors in the DLQI questionnaire on measuring quality of life in chronic urticaria. Males had a greater impairment in quality of life than females due to chronic urticaria. Most severe impairment was seen in symptoms/feelings subdomain. It also revealed that there were two different underlying factors in DLQI questionnaire.


Aim of this study is to propose fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) algorithm based on input and output residuals that consider both sensor and actuator faults separately. The existing methods which have capability of fault diagnosis and its magnitude estimation suffer from great computational complexity, so they would not be suitable for the real-time applications. The proposed method in this paper has the advantage of simple structure and straightforward computations but at the cost of losing precision. The introduced approach incorporates an auxiliary-PI controller in a feedback configuration with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm to constitute an actuator input-output residual generator (AIORG) unit. Similarly, a sensor output residual generator (SORG) unit is realized with an EKF-based algorithm to cover for simultaneous sensor possible faults. The generated residuals are then fed to a FDD unit to extract diagnostic and fault estimation results using a threshold-based inference mechanism. A set of test scenarios is conducted to demonstrate the performance capabilities of the proposed FDD methodology in a simulated continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) benchmark against sensor and actuator faults.


Low (120 mosM) tonicity of incubation media of mitochondria was found to be associated with anomalous phase transition at 19--26 degrees C. A rise in temperature caused a decrease in the pyrene excitation in border lipids of the mitochondrial membrane. Within this temperature range the quenching of intrinsic protein fluorescence by pyrene was sharply decreased. It may be inferred from these data that at 100mosM tonicity and temperatures below 19 degrees C, mitochondrial membrane proteins are in an aggregated state. At temperatures above phase transition protein deaggregation takes place. It was shown that a decrease in tonicity from 300 to 120 mosM at 15 degrees C or a rise in temperature from 15 degrees to 37 degrees C at 300 mosM tonicity increased the phosphorylation of the 52 kDa mitochondrial protein. It was assumed that swelling of mitochondria in hypotonic media simulates one of the steps of the hormone-induced signal transfer in mitochondria in vivo.


In this study, an environmentally friendly composite was prepared from cantala fiber and recycled high-density polyethylene. Alkali treatment was utilized to improve the fiber–matrix interface of cantala fiber. The alkali treatment was carried out with a 2% NaOH solution for periods of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 hours. Various recycled high-density polyethylene composites reinforced with treated and untreated short cantala fiber were produced by hot press. The tensile and impact properties of the composites were examined to reveal the effect of alkali treatment. Changes in fiber–matrix bonding were investigated via composite fractography using scanning electron microscopy. A study of fiber morphology and other supporting tests, such as the fiber tensile test, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared microscopy were also carried out. The results show that the addition of alkali-treated fiber to recycled high-density polyethylene composites enhanced the composites' tensile and impact performance: Tensile strength improved by 15.5% and impact strength by 24.8%.


Background: Pre-transfusion compatibility testing is performed in order to prevent transfusion of incompatible donor red cells that might result in an immune mediated hemolytic transfusion reaction, thereby forming a critical element in the process of transfusion to enhance blood safety. Titers are generally determined with a semi-quantitative assay by serial double-fold dilution. Several different techniques have been employed for titration, of which the conventional tube test (CTT) and column gel card test –Column Agglutination Technique (CAT) are the most frequently used. Historically, CTT has been used as the standard technique for immunohaematological studies, such as direct antihuman globulin test for the diagnosis of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and in screening for specific antibodies in transfusion medicine. Study Design and Methods: For this study, 51 plasma samples from donors were subjected to antibody titration using the two techniques CAT and CTT. For the purpose of standardization and reproducibility of results, all 51 samples were tested by two technicians and the results obtained were a total of 70 antibody titers. Dilutions were continued to a titer of 1:1024 with the aim of allowing for at least two negative tubes beyond the titer end-point. The statistical analysis of the data has been done in MS-Excel. Results: Out of the 70 titer samples, 57 samples showed identical titer values in the methods performed by both the technicians. 8 samples showed titer values higher in Technician 2 by one dilution as compared to Technician 1, whereas 5 samples showed titer values lower in Technician 2 when compared to Technician 1 (one dilution low in 4 samples and two dilutions low in 1 sample). Conlcusion: CAT titers demonstrated up to a twofold difference as compared to CTT titres, as demonstrated in the figures presented. This disparity is not unusual and can be attributed to the lack of standardization which can be reduced by Column Agglutination Technology. CAT uses specific volumes of red blood cells and the reagents are dispensed by pipettes. Also, the procedure is technically simpler due to the elimination of washing steps and results in well-defined end points. Column Agglutination Technique offers not only sensitivity, but also the best titer turnaround time, eliminating almost 45 minutes of incubation period alone. The results of testing by CAT are comparable to CTT but have the advantages of ease of performance, better standardization of cells, most importantly stable results and reproducibility. Implementation of antibody titers by the gel method would clinically benefit the management of ABO incompatible solid-organ transplant patients.


The turnover of cells in renewing epithelia presents an opportunity to examine cell death pathways in adult vertebrates. In mouse lingual epithelium a typical taste receptor cell survives for 9 days, until it is killed by an unknown cascade of death factors. Apoptosis was implicated by the presence of fragmented DNA in about 8% of taste receptor cells in the vallate papilla. In using immunocytochemistry to seek putative death factors, we observed that squamous epithelial cells of the tongue were negative for Bax, a death factor in the Bcl‐2 family of survival/death factors, and were also negative for p53, a tumor‐suppressor protein linked to apoptosis and Bax transcription. In contrast, 8–10% of the taste receptor cells were Bax‐positive, and 9–11% were p53 positive. These immunopositive taste receptor cells were more likely to display death‐related morphologic defects than other receptor cells, and they frequently coexpressed p53 and Bax. In both neonatal and adult mice, the labeling of dividing cells with 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine indicated that all Bax‐positive taste cells were at least 5 days old. On postnatal day 7, when few taste cells were old, no more than 1% of taste cells were immunopositive for either p53 or Bax. We inferred that old taste receptor cells employ p53 and Bax as part of their apoptotic death pathway. The routine expression of p53 by postmitotic, aged taste cells broadens the conventional view that p53 is restricted to mitotic cells that have stress‐damaged DNA. Furthermore, the scattered distribution of aged receptor cells within the taste bud excludes some explanations for stable taste signals during receptor cell turnover. J. Comp. Neurol. 413:168–180, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Paste electrodes have been constructed using single-wall carbon nanotubes mixed with mineral oil. The electrochemical behavior of such electrodes prepared with different percentages of carbon nanotubes has been compared with that of graphite paste electrodes and evaluated with respect to the electrochemistry of ferricyanide with cyclic voltammetry. Carbon nanotubes were purified by a treatment with concentrated nitric acid, then oxidized in air. In addition, electrochemical pretreatments were carried out to increase the selectivity of carbon nanotube electrodes. Performances of carbon nanotube paste and carbon paste electrodes were evaluated by studying such parameters as current peak, deltaEp, anodic and cathodic current ratio, and charge density toward several different electroactive molecules. Data interpretation based on the carbon nanotubes and carbon surface area is presented. Carbon nanotube paste and carbon paste electrodes were tested as H2O2 and NADH probes, and several analytical parameters were evaluated. The oxidative behavior of dopamine was examined at these electrodes. The two-electron oxidation of dopamine to dopaminequinone showed an excellent reversibility in cyclic voltammetry that was significantly better than that observed at carbon paste electrodes.


When fibers of fibrin clots or fragments of fibrinogen pellets are negatively stained they exhibit in the electron microscope characteristic patterns of cross-striations or bands. Those found in pellet material are indistinguishable from those seen in thrombin-induced fibrin fibers. The pattern seen in fibrin from bovine sources contains three equally spaced faint bands between every two of the broad prominent ones, spaced 23 nm apart. Human material shows a different pattern, one wherein no central faint band is seen, whereas the two remaining ones are broader. Its character is unaffected by crosslinking following fiber formation and preceding negative staining. The bovine pattern, however, is converted by such crosslinking to one that closely resembles the human. It is suggested that the striation pattern in human fibrin is due to juxtapositions of E domains of the parallel-aligned fibrin monomers with tightly coiled COOH-terminal regions of beta and gamma polypeptide chains, with no discernible contribution to the pattern from the alpha chain. In negatively stained untreated fibers of bovine fibrin, however, it is proposed that the COOH-terminal region of the alpha chain becomes tightly coiled, thereby contributing the faint central striation to the band pattern. Crosslinking prevents this conformational change in the alpha chain.


A novel three-phase dc-dc converter based on the three-phase neutral point clamped (NPC) commutation cell is proposed. A static analysis is made for a particular mode of operation, allowing the development of a design procedure for the power stage. The small-signal analysis based on the phasor transformation is also proposed, providing fundamental knowledge for a satisfactory compensation in closed-loop operation. From the theoretical analysis carried out, a design procedure is elaborated, providing the values of all power stage components. Experimental results of a 10kW prototype are also presented to validate the theoretical considerations made in the paper.


Tourism has a significant impact on both employment and the economy in many countries. This work develops a region tourism ecosystem model to simulate the importance of service cooperation among SMEs. And a novel technology called CoopeVision based on service-dominant logic (SDL) is also proposed to facilitate cooperation among SMEs to increase sustainability. In the foundation of CoopeVision technology, a platform which further integrates destination image theory, metaphor theory, and color theory is designed for SMEs to provide additional unique and attractive services to increase sustainability. We also evidence the positive effects of the adoption of the CoopeVision technology in regional tourism development through the system dynamic simulations.


The paper presents experimental results on influence of tungsten, molybdenum nanopowders and aluminum oxyhydroxide phase introduced into the molten pool on the corrosion resistance of welded joints. It was shown that the nature of nanopowders significantly impacts intercrystalline corrosion of the welding joint.


This paper develops a reliability-based computational methodology for modeling nonstationary random critical earthquake loads on structures using the site response spectra. The power spectral density function and the envelope parameters of the ground acceleration are taken to be unknown and are computed such that the structural reliability index is minimized subjected to constraints reflecting known knowledge on the site seismicity. Specifically, bounds on the total energy, zero-crossing rate and entropy rate of the earthquake signal and positivity requirements are considered. These constraints are derived from the site response spectra. The formulation combines methods of structural reliability analysis, response surface fitting, FORM and nonlinear programming. Numerical illustrations on reliability-based critical earthquake inputs for elastic and inelastic frame structures are presented.


Multilayered Ag/Bi(Pb)-2223 tapes with high critical current densities have been fabricated using partially heat treated, textured monolayered tapes. Cut sections of the monolayered tapes have been stacked one over the other and folded together using high-purity silver foil and further rolled and heat treated to obtain multilayered tapes of different thickness with an HTS layer thickness varying from 9 to . A comparison of the superconducting properties of the multilayered tapes with those of monolayered tapes prepared under identical heat treatment conditions shows that the ratio at 77 K is as high as 0.57. The ratio is found to decrease with a decrease in the HTS core thickness of the multilayered tapes. XRD studies of `banana peeled' samples show that the monolayered tapes at the folding stage acquire a good degree of texturing. The relatively high value of the ratio obtained in the present case compared with those reported by the existing techniques is attributed to the use of pretextured monolayered tapes.


The carbonate-rich sediments of the Eocene Green River Formation (53–43 Ma) were deposited in a complex lake system in present-day Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah during the Laramide orogeny. Although syndepositional tectonic activity has been inferred previously for this interval, sedimentary deformation features linked to ancient earthquakes have never previously been studied. Stratigraphic intervals with synsedimentary deformation features were studied at several locations in all the sub-basins to provide information on the paleotectonic history of the area. Laterally extensive deformed horizons are common in laminated deposits of Fossil Basin (WY), and include folds, water-escape structures, dikes, microfaults, and chaotically brecciated intervals that preserved flow structures. These indicate hydrofracturing, dewatering, and the liquified state of sediments during deformation. Sediments deposited in sublittoral environments of the Bridger Basin (WY), at the boundary between the Tipton Shale and Wilkins Peak members, also show evidence of synsedimentary deformation. These features, some traceable laterally for tens of kilometers, imply tectonically influenced changes in sedimentary processes during that time. Pervasive deformation features are also present in the Mahogany Oil Shale Zone in the Piceance Creek and Uinta basins (CO, UT). Behavior ranges from brittle (fragmented laminites and faulted beds) to plastic (convolution, folds), to cmto m-scale cracks filled with injected sediment. Deformation styles were controlled by the rheological properties of the host sediment. Grain size and morphology, abundance of organic matter (which influences ductility), and degree of diagenesis (compaction, cementation) all, in turn, influenced the deformation structures. All these structures resulted from increased pore pressures from cyclic loading, and vertical and horizontal stresses induced by ground motion. Masstransport deposits, triggered by seismic shaking, contain chaotic deformation features. Typically, undeformed strata separate the deformed horizons; this indicates that brief (tectonically-driven) events affected only near-surface sediments that were rheologically susceptible to syndepositional deformation. In many examples, the deformed horizons are overlain by beds showing contrasting lithology and/or degrees of bioturbation. This implies that many abrupt changes in the Green River Formation were tectonically, rather than climatically, driven.


This article provides policy guidelines for personnel managers within security bureaucracies on sexual dispositions. Contentions usually arise as to the import and impact of sexual dispositions on the structure, function, and process--hereafter termed mission(s)--of security bureaucracies. These contentions often are dependent on various conceptions of sexual dispositions, values ascribed to these dispositions, and nomological nets linking dispositions, values, and consequences to bureaucracies' missions. What follows are guidelines for developing policy on sexual dispositions. 1. The term sexual disposition comprises many denotatively independent characteristics. (a) Gender identity refers to whether one is physically male, female, or something else. This identity is largely based on indicators such as external sexual organs and the structure of chromosomes. It also depends on social constructions by authorities and arbiters of opinion--often culturally distinct--that stem from social perceptions of physical characteristics judged to be somehow sexually identifying or differentiating. A strong case can be made that there may be a continuum of maleness and femaleness, two oblique or orthogonal continua respectively of maleness and femaleness, or even one continuum or multiple continua of sexuality that may yield only one or multiple sexual labels--including the label of "nothing." Assessing gender identity may yield different results at different times. (The last two sentences apply equally to characteristics (b) through (d) below. (b) Sexual identity refers to the sexual sense of self that one attributes to oneself. This identity is based on a contiguous calculus of biopsychosocial features. Often there appears to be a congruence between gender identity and sexual identity, but certainly not always. One may believe oneself to be male in a female body, female in a male body, both male and female, neither of the two, something else, or nothing at all. (c) Sex role refers to normative expectations and stereotypes for social motivations, emotions, cognitions, and behaviors largely dependent on gender identity. In the last thirty years within the United States, sexual dispositionrelated legislation has most often related to modifications of sex role and next often to management of the characteristic described in (d) below. (d) Sexual orientation refers to how one prefers to seek sexual gratification depending on biopsychosocial situations. This orientation includes, but is not limited to, preferred objects of gratification--e.g., same-sex humans, opposite-sex humans, humans with specific features of size, shape, color, and inanimate objects--accompanying fantasies, frequency of gratification, impulsivity and compulsivity of gratification, and specific gratification techniques--manual, oral, vaginal, anal, degrees of friction and motion, and degrees of activity. Values ascribed to the above characteristics are usually based on religious beliefs; political ideology; legal, ethical, moral, social, and cultural prescriptions and proscriptions; and congruence with one's own sexual dispositions. These varying bases have their own metaphysical foundations--some combination of the intrinsic goodness or badness of various sexual dispositions and their consequential goodness or badness. Policy guidelines concerning characteristics of sexual dispositions should be based on nomological networks linking them and associated values to mission consequences. These networks should be 1 et al.: Policy Guidelines on Sex for Security Bureaucracies Published by Scholarly Commons, 1998 International Bulletin of Political Psychology 2 developed through combinations of conceptual and empirical analysis. Rarely should these networks be mindlessly applied through generalization. Instead, generalizations and exceptions to generalizations should form guidelines to inform judgment in individual cases. Example 1. A sexual disposition is illegal. The security mission will be significantly compromised if an employee engages in illegal behavior. This compromise may be dependent on the illegal behavior's detection, identification, and adjudication or the very nature of the illegality somehow hurts the bureaucracy. Note that the Issue here is behavior, not predilection or tendencies. (After all, in matters of the immortal soul, heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, and others are allowed to become priests dependent on whether or not they promise to act on their proclivities and abide by the promise without detection. And there may well be "white-knuckled" sexualists like there are "white-knuckled" alcoholics.) Example 2. A sexual disposition is associated with a degree of mental preoccupation or behavioral perseverance that precludes satisfactory discharge of mission responsibilities. Example 3. A sexual disposition involves an unacceptable tendency to divulge sensitive information or engage in mission-endangering behaviors--e.g., allowing oneself to be doubled by an agent of a hostile intelligence service to enhance sexual gratification. Example 4. A sexual disposition involves a shame factor so that detection of the disposition creates significant blackmail opportunity. Example 5. A sexual disposition is associated with other psychological characteristics, e.g., psychopathy or psychosis, that significantly impede adequate mission performance. Example 6. A sexual disposition is judged to be immoral by authorities on whom the security bureaucracy politically depends. In the security world of hardball politics, even the bogus quality of the authorities' moral judgment becomes moot. These examples are not comprehensive but merely illustrate a reasonable procedure--conceptually and empirically--as an alternative to knee-jerk platitudes concerning morals, integrity, and character. The latter, of course, become significant when nomological networks are developed as suggested above. Finally, the possibility that sexual dispositions can be strengths as well as irrelevant or weaknesses should be conceptually and empirically entertained. This might even involve the sexual element of socalled military fraternization proscriptions. Is it inevitable that this element is either prejudicial to good order and discipline and/or characterized by unacceptable dyadic power imbalances permeated with sexual discrimination and harassment? Is "in-house" sexual affiliation more of a security risk than affiliation elsewhere? In individual cases, conceptual and empirical analysis might forge interesting and even surprising answers. (See Alpert, G.P., & Crouch, B.M. (1991). Cross-gender supervision, personal privacy, and institutional security: Perceptions of jail inmates and staff. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 18, 304-317; Baumrind, D. (1995). Commentary on sexual orientation: Research and social policy implications. Developmental Psychology, 31, 130-136; Hertz, R. (1996). Guarding against women? Responses of military men and their wives to gender integration. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 25, 251-284; Kane, E.W., & Schippers, M. (1996). Men's and women's beliefs about gender and sexuality. Gender and Society, 10, 650-665; Kurian, G., & Kukreja, S. (1995). 16 PF correlates of masculine gender identity: A preliminary report. Psychological Studies, 40, 175-178; Skoe, E.E. (1995). Sex role orientation 2 International Bulletin of Political Psychology, Vol. 4, Iss. 8 [1998], Art. 1 https://commons.erau.edu/ibpp/vol4/iss8/1 International Bulletin of Political Psychology 3 and its relationship to the development of identity and moral thought. Scandanavian Journal of Psychology, 36, 235-245.) (


Stephen L. Cook offers an accessible translation and interpretation of the final sections of Ezekiel. These chapters, the most challenging texts of scripture, describe the end-time assault of Gog of Magog on Israel and provide an incredible visionary tour of God's utopian temple. Following the approach of Moshe Greenberg, the author of the preceding Anchor Yale Bible commentaries on Ezekiel, this volume grounds interpretation of the book in an intimate acquaintance with Ezekiel's source materials, its particular patterns of composition and rhetoric, and the general learned, priestly workings of the Ezekiel school. The commentary honors Greenberg's legacy by including insights from traditional Jewish commentators, such as Rashi, Kimhi, and Eliezer of Beaugency. In contrast to preceding commentaries, the book devotes special attention to the Zadokite idea of an indwelling, anthropomorphic "body" of God, and the enlivening effect on people and land of that indwelling.


In this report we discuss some cases of AILD and IBL-like T-cell lymphomas and attempt to clarify the cytogenetic relationship between these complex disease states. During the period 1980-1987 we have studied No. 6 patients affected with AILD, three of which showed final evolution into Immunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. Cytogenetic studies, carried out on surgical lymphonodal material with histological diagnosis of AILD and leukemic cells obtained from the peripheral blood at the time of diagnosis, were analysed with IBAS 2000 for a computerized analysis, according to ISCA 1978 criteria. We have found similar translocations in three of our patients with AILD and terminal T-cell immunoblastic lymphoma, occurring between chromosomes 7 and 14 with breakpoints at 7q35 and 14q11. The arising of T-cell lymphoma in patients with AILD seems to be related to the presence of clonal cells with abnormal 7:14 translocation, which represent a very sensible marker of clonality desides of T-cell maturational lineage. In our opinion, the forms of AILD with these cytogenetic aberrations are pre-lymphomatous lesions. On the contrary, the lack of such rearrangements is indicative of non-neoplastic patterns.


Thelastoma vanwaerebekei n. sp. was extracted from the hindgut of Gymnetis litigiosa. The new species is included in the group of species with females having the excretory pore at the same level as the pharyngeal basal bulb (or slightly anteriorly), long tail length (approximately 30% of total body length) and males without spicules. Females of T. vanwaerebekei n. sp. differ from those of T. madecassum in tail shape (filiform and conical, respectively). They differ from T. basiri, T. imphalensis and T. dessetae in the morphology of the anterior region. In females, pharyngeal length is shorter than in T. depressum. In males, T. vanwaerebekei n. sp. differs from T. blabericola in the tail length, and from T. raoi in the number of caudal papillae. The partial 18S SSU and 28S LSU rRNA gene regions were amplified.


Population estimates for the Netherlands for 1986 are presented. These estimates are based on monthly data on demographic events. They are compared with previous official projections. The author notes that the estimate of total population by January 1, 1987, lies somewhere between the medium and high variant of the 1985 forecast (SUMMARY IN ENG)


A complementary recognition pair of a short-peptide tag and a small molecular probe is a versatile molecular tool for protein detection, handling, and purification, and so forth. In this manuscript, we report that the binuclear Ni(II)-DpaTyr (DpaTyr=bis((dipicolylamino)methyl)tyrosine) complex serves as a strong binding probe for an oligo-aspartate tag tethered to a protein. Among various binuclear metal complexes of M-DpaTyr (M=Zn(II), Ni(II), Mn(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Co(III), and Fe(III)), we have found that Ni(II)-DpaTyr (1-2Ni(II)) displays a strong-binding affinity (apparent binding constant: K(app) approximately 10(5) M(-1)) for an oligo-aspartate peptide under neutral aqueous conditions (50 mM HEPES, 100 mM NaCl, pH 7.2). Detailed isothermal-titration calorimetry (ITC) studies reveal that the tri-aspartate D3-tag (DDD) is an optimal sequence recognized by 1-2Ni(II) in a 1:1 binding stoichiometry. On the other hand, other metal complexes of DpaTyr, except for Ni(II)- and Zn(II)-DpaTyr, show a negligible binding affinity for the oligo-aspartate peptide. The binding affinity was greatly enhanced in the pair between the dimer of Ni(II)-DpaTyr and the repeated D3 tag peptide (D3x2), such as DDDXXDDD, on the basis of the multivalent coordination interaction between them. Most notably, a remarkably high-binding affinity (K(app)=2x10(9) M(-1)) was achieved between the Ni(II)-DpaTyr dimer 4-4Ni(II) and the D3x2 tag peptide (DDDNGDDD). This affinity is approximately 100-fold stronger than that observed in the binding pair of the Zn(II)-DpaTyr (4-4Zn(II)) and the D4x2 tag (DDDDGDDDD), a useful tag-probe pair previously reported by us. The recognition pair of the Ni(II)-DpaTyr probe and the D3x2 tag can also work effectively on a protein surface, that is, 4-4Ni(II) is strongly bound to the FKBP12 protein tethered with the D3x2 tag (DDDNGDDD) with a large K(app) value of 5x10(8) M(-1). Taking advantage of the strong-binding affinity, this pair was successfully applied to the selective inactivation of the tag-fused beta-galactosidase by using the chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) technique under crude conditions, such as cell lysate.


A campus wide network based on AT&T's ISN (Information System Network) provides the university community with access to a variety of computing resources from any classroom, lab, office, or residence hall room equipped with a telephone jack. There are about 250 student workstations distributed in various labs around campus, all of which are connected to a LAN and have access to larger processors attached to the ISN. Nearly all faculty members have a workstation on their desktop, and the vast majority of these also have LAN and ISN access.


A detailed study in the Sahibganj district of Jharkhand state in the middle Ganga plain was carried out to determine the severity of groundwater arsenic contamination and related adverse health effects due to chronic arsenic exposure. Arsenic was analyzed by flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS) in water and biological samples in both contaminated and noncontaminated areas. Health effects in three villages where tubewells (n = 178) were highly contaminated (91, 79.8, and 42% above 10, 50, and 300 µg L−1) were determined. Analyses of a total of 367 biological samples (nail, hair, and urine) from affected villages revealed that an average 88% of samples contained arsenic above normal level. Out of 522 people screened from these three villages, 71 were registered with arsenical skin lesions. A case involving arsenical skin lesions resulting in cancer was noted during the study. A representative histopathological picture of skin biopsy was presented. Out of 40 children examined, nine were registered with arsenical skin lesions. A child of 18 months drinking arsenic concentration water 1150 µg L−1 displayed arsenical skin lesions, indicating arsenical skin lesions may appear earlier if arsenic concentration is high in drinking water. Different clinical and electrophysiological neurological features and abnormal quantitative sensory perception thresholds were noted amongst patients. Provision of safe water, better nutrition, and proper awareness about the arsenic danger to exposed population may save lives and avoid sufferings.


In Asia, vegetarianism is a well-established eating behavior. It appears that the adoption of a vegan diet leads to a lessening of several health risk factors. Although vegetarianism has some notable effects on the hematological system, the effect on the nephrological system has not been well clarified. The pattern of renal function parameters was studied in 25 Thai vegans compared with 25 non-vegetarians. Of the studied parameters, it was found that urine protein was significantly different (p < 0.05) in vegans and controls. Vegans had significantly lower urine protein level.


VARIETIES OF UNCINARIA. The uncinaria or hook-worm belongs to the family Strongylidœ , subfamily Strongylinœ , genus Uncinaria . As the name indicates, the parasite is characterized by a dorsal curvature of the anterior end of the body resembling a hook. The mouth is armed with teeth which have great penetrating power. The worms vary from one-half inch to an inch in length and are peculiar in that they live by sucking blood from the host. The parasite is not confined to man, but exists in many animals. Uncinaria canina , according to Stiles, 1 is common in Washington, D. C., and has caused among pups in some communities the death of over 25 per cent. It also occurs in cats. Uncinaria stenocephala is found in dogs, foxes and other animals. Uncinaria trigonocephala occurs among the sheep in Texas and has killed 25 to 50 per cent. of certain flocks. Uncinaria radiata was described


There are salient features that distinguish Jizani Arabic such as the deletion and neutralization of particular sounds. Some sounds are specified with others occurring as parts of affixes. The processes of deletion and neutralization of sounds can be explained from morphological and morph syntactic perspectives whose influence rearranges the pronunciation and effects phonological aspects. We studied Jizani Arabic and identified the most important phonological processes in terms of glottal stop deletion, /m/ neutralization in suffix final position, and /m/ insertion in the definite article. These processes are predictable and are thought to be motivated by frequency of usage among speakers.


The greater consciousness awakened in recent years on healthy and organic has led to increase "natural" products demand worldwide. The quality and high content on bioactive compounds have consolidated their penetration in cosmetic and food market, showing great potential within the pharmaceutical sector too. For this reason, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors have been forced to develop natural products manufactured by efficient and environmentally clean process. Mango leaves extract have showed potential use in food and cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries due to its high content in potent antioxidant phenolic compounds. The aim of this work was analyse the valorization of pruning mango residues into valuable chemical products by high pressure extraction techniques. An economic feasibility study was realized including industrial scale up, manufacturing costs and financial study, showing the viability of mango leaves extraction by high pressure technologies at industrial scale and the applications of extracts in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Despite being implicated in multiple types of human epithelia-origin cancer, laminin-binding (LB) integrins (e.g., α3α1 and α6β4) have rarely been investigated for their roles in human ovarian tumors. More recently, we and others have shown that CD151, a member of the tetraspanin family, not only forms tight surface complexes with these adhesion receptors, but also mediates the malignancy of human carcinomas largely in a LB integrin-dependent manner. Here we report our studies on the role of CD151 in human ovarian cancer. Initially, we stained human ovarian tumor tissue microarrays with CD151-specific antibody. Our data showed that the majority of ovarian tumors exhibited a reduced expression of CD151 protein, compared to the fallopian tube, implying a putative suppressing role of this tetraspanin in ovarian cancer. With this hint we next evaluated the impact of CD151 ablation on the behaviors and proliferation of cultured human ovarian cancer cells. While CD151 removal had a minimal impact on cell motility or invasion, it markedly enhanced cell proliferation. Also, CD151-deficeint cells appeared to have reduced cell-cell contacts, suggestive of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like changes. However, there was no dramatic difference in the surface expression of E-cadherin protein, according to our FACS analyses. To substantiate these observations, we also injected ovarian cancer cells with or without CD151 knockdown into immuno-deficient nude mice subcutaneously or orthotopically (intra-peritoneal). Results from these ex vivo analyses showed that disruption of CD151 accelerated ovarian tumor growth and production of ascites fluid in mice, further supporting a role of CD151 in ovarian tumor progression. While tumors in the control group had homogenous epithelial-like appearance, those derived from CD151-ablated cells exhibited mucin-related vacuoles and diverse morphologies. Our subsequent DNA array and protein analyses indicated that there was indeed a marked increase in the expression of a mucin family member in CD151-deficient tumor cells. Collectively, these results provide strong evidence that CD151 suppresses human ovarian cancer progression by regulating tumor cell proliferation and extracellular microenvironment.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4613. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4613


A novel, effective, and label-free electrochemical sensor was constructed for investigating the interactions between cancer cells and molecules, based on targeted cancer cells immobilized on a bilayer architecture of N-doped graphene-Pt nanoparticles-chitosan (NGR-Pt-CS) and polyaniline (PANI). The interactions between folic acid (FA, positive control) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, negative control) and the choice of targeted cells, HepG2 and A549 cells, were investigated by measuring the current change of the sensor to [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- before and after interactions, and the binding constants were calculated to be 1.37 × 105 and 1.92 × 105 M-1 by sensing kinetics. Furthermore, 18 main components from Aidi injection (ADI) were studied to screen compounds that have interactions with different targeted cancer cells including HepG2 and A549 cells. The potential target groups of the interactions between screened active compounds and targeted cancer cells were analyzed through computer-aided molecular docking. In this sensing system, molecules did not require electrochemical activity, and different targeted cancer cells could be immobilized on the modified electrode surface, truly reflecting the categories and numbers of targets. Additionally, the proposed sensor specifically circumvented the current paradigm in most cells-based electrochemical sensors for screening drugs, in which the changes in cell behavior induced by drugs are monitored. This study provided a novel, simple, and generally applicable method for exploring the interaction of molecules with cancer cells and screening multitarget drugs.


For several years various companies have been developing voice recognition software. Yet, there are few applications of voice control in the robotics field and virtually no examples of voice controlled three dimensional (3-D) systems. In late 1987 ARD developed a highly specialized, voice controlled 3-D vision system for use in remotely controlled, non-tethered robotic applications. The system was designed as an operator's aid and incorporates features thought to be necessary or helpful in remotely maneuvering a vehicle. Foremost is the three dimensionality of the operator's console display. An image that provides normal depth perception cues over a range of depths greatly increases the ease with which an operator can drive a vehicle and investigate its environment. The availability of both vocal and manual control of all system functions allows the operator to guide the system according to his personal preferences. The camera platform can be panned +/-178 degrees and tilted +/-30 degrees for a full range of view of the vehicle's environment. The cameras can be zoomed and focused for close inspection of distant objects, while retaining substantial stereo effect by increasing the separation between the cameras. There is a ranging and measurement function, implemented through a graphical cursor, which allows the operator to mark objects in a scene to determine their relative positions. This feature will be helpful in plotting a driving path. The image seen on the screen is overlaid with icons and digital readouts which provide information about the position of the camera platform, the range to the graphical cursor and the measurement results. The cursor's "range" is actually the distance from the cameras to the object on which the cursor is resting. Other such features are included in the system and described in subsequent sections of this paper.


Introduction The Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale runs a twenty four hour specialist palliative care telephone advice service for patients, relatives and other health care professionals. It supports a seven days a week clinical nurse specialist (CNS) palliative care service in all settings across South East Wales. Calls are handled by hospice in patient nurses. Calls from healthcare professionals are passed onto the appropriate specialist palliative care team which consists of a CNS team and on call specialty trainees or consultants in palliative medicine. Calls from patients and relatives are either dealt with by the inpatient nurses, passed onto the appropriate specialist palliative care team or GP out of hours. Method A Retrospective review of advice calls received at the hospice between 1st April-20th September 2018. Results There were 336 calls to the advice line in the 6 month period, a mean of 56 calls per month. Of these 34% were previously known to Marie Curie. 74% of the calls were from the patient's own home. The duration of advice calls to the inpatient nursing staff amounted 46.2 hours. 53% of the calls were over the weekend and 27% of calls were passed onto the oncall Doctor. 17% of the calls were passed onto the CNS. Of the callers to the advice line 36% were relatives and 21% were other doctors (GP or junior doctor) calling for advice. The majority of calls to the advice line were regarding symptom control, patient advice or medication queries. Conclusion As demonstrated, the advice line is a successful means of support for patients, their carers and other health care professionals. The Marie Curie hospice in Cardiff is working collaboratively with other organisations to extend support and advice beyond its usual patient population 24 hours a day seven days a week.


The increasing demand for plant-based enriched diet has encouraged the food industry to produce fiber-supplemented products such as composite breads using locally available plants products. In the present study, composite breads from doum (Hyphaene thebaica Mart.) fruit and wheat flours were produced. Control bread (0% doum fruit) and four different composite breads (10%, 20%, 30% and 40% doum fruit) were produced. The physical properties, sensory evaluation, shelf-life, proximate composition, antinutrients content and glycemic index (GI) of the composite breads were investigated. Supplementation of wheat bread with doum fruit improved the nutritional content by increasing the fiber and mineral contents with reduction in phytate content. The composite bread, especially at 40% doum fruit inclusion was moderately accepted by the product testing panels. Inclusion of doum fruit further improved the shelf-life of the composite breads at both ambient and refrigerated temperatures. Similarly, the GI was observed to improve with doum fruit inclusion at all the concentration used. Conclusively, inclusion of doum fruit to the wheat flour produced composite breads with improved physical and nutrients quality with moderate overall acceptability and lower GI.


The heterogeneity of today's Web sources requires information retrieval (IR) systems to handle multi-modal queries. Such queries define a user's information needs by different data modalities, such as keywords, hashtags, user profiles, and other media. Recent IR systems answer such a multi-modal query by considering it as a set of separate uni-modal queries. However, depending on the chosen operationalisation, such an approach is inefficient or ineffective. It either requires multiple passes over the data or leads to inaccuracies since the relations between data modalities are neglected in the relevance assessment. To mitigate these challenges, we present an IR system that has been designed to answer genuine multi-modal queries. It relies on a heterogeneous network embedding, so that features from diverse modalities can be incorporated when representing both, a query and the data over which it shall be evaluated. By embedding a query and the data in the same vector space, the relations across modalities are made explicit and exploited for more accurate query evaluation. At the same time, multi-modal queries are answered with a single pass over the data. An experimental evaluation using diverse real-world and synthetic datasets illustrates that our approach returns twice the amount of relevant information compared to baseline techniques, while scaling to large multi-modal databases.


According to statistical analysis, the first half of 2009 once China surpassed the United States became the world's first automobile-producing country, while China's auto consumption, the proportion of total world consumption has reached 12%. In the trend of development of modern logistics, automobile enterprises must be based on the survival of the entire supply chain's competitive edge relies on strengthening the supply chain, logistics costmanagement for enterprises increasingly become a priority project. In this paper, the use of supply chain management and logistics cost management theoretical knowledge, from the overall situation of China's automotive industry in the supply chain, logistics cost control on the status and development trend of research, further to improve the program, reduce supply chain logistics costs and improve economic efficiency for automotive enterprises to provide decision-making.


We report on the experimental investigation of supercontinuum generation by propagating subnanosecond pulses at both 1064 and 532 nm in a nonlinear microstructured optical fiber. We accurately study the influence of several parameters such as input power, polarization state, and fiber length. We clearly show the nonsymmetrical role of the two pump waves on the spectrum build-up and the strong impact of group velocity


The syntheses and optical, electronic, and structural properties of a series of bent N-heteroarenes are described. The targets were obtained by condensation reactions of substituted aromatic o-diamines with 1,2-naphthoquinone and 1,2-anthraquinone in yields between 34 and 94%; naphthoquione-based products are generally formed in higher yields.


This paper describes a parsing system specifically designed for spoken rather than written input. The parser is part of a project in progress at Stanford Research Institute to develop a computer system for understanding speech. The approach described uses as much heuristic knowledge as possible in order to minimize the demands on acoustic analysis.


In this study, 2 reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were developed and compared for simultaneous detection of bovine and ovine respiratory syncytial viruses (RSVs). One assay was based on a set of primers, which amplified a 426-bp fragment of either bovine or ovine RSV F gene (RT-PCR F). The F products could be distinguished by EcoRI or BstYI restriction endonuclease cleavage. In the other assay, a set of primers amplified a 542-bp fragment of either ovine or bovine RSV G gene (RT-PCR G). EcoO1091 and RsaI restriction enzymes were used to differentiate between the ovine and bovine PCR-G products. Sequencing of the PCR products confirmed the fidelity of both assays. The 2 assays were evaluated using 18 bovine RSV isolates, 1 ovine RSV, 1 bighorn sheep RSV isolate, 1 caprine RSV isolate, 2 human RSV isolates, and several other viruses associated with bovine respiratory tract disease. RT-PCR G may be more sensitive in detecting viral RNA. Because the target sequence of the F gene is more conserved than that of the G gene, RT-PCR F followed by the appropriate restriction enzyme cleavage may be superior to RT-PCR G to discriminate between the 2 ruminant RSV subgroups. This assay should prove useful for determining the relative contribution of ovine and bovine RSV to the pathogenesis of bovine respiratory tract disease.


A novel and compact ultra-wideband printed antenna with band-rejection characteristic is proposed. By cutting an L-shaped notch on the radiating patch, the impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna can be enhanced. In addition, a C-shaped slot is introduced to obtain the band-rejection operation of the antenna. The antenna, with compact size of 15.5/spl times/21 mm including the ground plane, operates over 3.08-10.97 GHz and has the rejected band from 5.03 to 5.91 GHz.


This paper revolves around the reduction of a number of switches and the sources for a multilevel inverter, for this, we have proposed a transformer-based topology which has helped us in reducing the number of switches from twenty-four to sixteen and also in the reduction of sources from eight to one. The circuit consists of two H-Bridges which are coupled by a single-phase transformer, the topology gives us a liberty of changing the number of levels in accordance to the number of turns in the secondary side of the transformer for example if our ratio is 1:1 the number of levels will be five subsequently if it is changed to 1:2 the number of levels will be changed to seven. As the number of switches is reduced the size and complexity of the circuit is also decreased. In order to improve on the part of switching efficiency, we have used space vector pulse width modulation which is a better method as compared to its counterpart switching methods such as sinusoidal pulse width modulation and multiple pulse width modulation techniques.


Integration of people with disabilities to the labor market constantly remains in society as particularly timely, because employers are rather cautious about working abilities of people with disabilities. The physical environment is still not enough adapted, also there are left legal gaps. People with disabilities can not evaluate their possibilities to enter into labor market. Professional and social integration concept of the last decades changed in particular. This was influenced by development of information technologies, which allows redefining work and workplace concept. This article examines the professional and social integration issues of people with disabilities that are relevant to capacity of professional assessment and follow-up care institutions. This article is oriented to case aspects of the people with physical disabilities.


Dyspnoea affects a multitude of patients with a multitude of diseases, and therefore concerns a multitude of physicians and other healthcare professionals. In view of the physical and psychological distress associated with dyspnoea, and in view of the pervasive impact of dyspnoea on the patient's psychological state and social life [1, 2], relieving dyspnoea should constitute a leading and universal clinical goal. Some have even proposed that failing to provide a patient with dyspnoea with "state of the art" management of this symptom would constitute an infringement of human rights [3, 4]. The application of a stream of air onto the face by a hand-held fan has a real place in the treatment of dyspnoea http://ow.ly/tKJk30dJ5Pv


This paper considers the problems of feature variation and concept uncertainty in typical learning-based video semantic classification schemes. We proposed a new online semantic classification framework, termed OOIL (for Online-Optimized Incremental Learning), in which two sets of optimized classification models, local and global, are online trained by sufficiently exploiting both local and global statistic characteristics of videos. The global models are pre-trained on a relatively small set of pre-labeled samples. And the local models are optimized for the under-test video or video segment by checking a small portion of unlabeled samples in this video, while they are also applied to incrementally update the global models. Experiments have illustrated promising results on simulated data as well as real sports videos.


The considerable importance of housing to the urban and national economy contrasts sharply with housing conditions and official policies that exist in many developing countries. For all but the middle- and upper-income groups, housing is usually costly in relation to income and the quality of dwellings available. Cramped, crowded, and unsanitary settlements are the lot of low-income families, conditions that debilitate their energy and reduce national productivity. Families in illegal dwellings constantly face the threat of eviction as well as scarcities of water, sewerage, and transport. Often, under the banner of slum clearance, low-income groups are removed to higher-quality dwellings located far from income-earning opportunities and asked to pay rents they cannot afford. This study is intended to contribute to the discussions of housing policy options among urban planners and policymakers in developing countries. It does not attempt to analyze the optimal allocation of investment in urban areas or to suggest what place housing should have in such investment. There is no argument for a shift of capital and other resources from other sectors into housing. Instead, the principal intention is to achieve a better understanding of the workings of the urban housing market, especially as it affects low-income families, so as to bring about an improved use of the resources already used for housing and to allow new resources to be used effectively.


Indentation tests have been extensively utilized to evaluate coating–substrate systems. However, only cracks on the surface of the coating after unloading can be observed experimentally, which may cause inaccurate evaluation of the failure of the system. In this work, a finite element model (FEM) of a thin elastic coating (Al2O3) firmly attached to an elastic–plastic substrate (WC–Co) was built, which was compressed by spherical indenters with radii of 1.5 and 0.2 mm. It was found that there is a significant difference in the critical loads required for the generation of ring and radial cracks between the loading and unloading stages, and the failure evaluation of coating–substrate systems using an indentation test with optical observation is not precise, particularly for radial cracks. The interfacial delamination was also studied simultaneously. Additionally, these results were compared with experimental data and reproduced by extended finite element model (XFEM).


The study of electromagnetic field theory and bioenergy has established that there is an extensive communication system throughout the body by way of a functional matrix. This enables the body to use the mouth to assist it during the expenditure of effort elsewhere in the body. A variety of oral behaviors can be identified as contributing to this. To some extent, these behaviors indicate where an imbalance is present in the body.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a malignant tumor of epithelial origin, represents more than 90% of all head and neck cancers. While lymph node metastases are more common in SCCHN patients (∼60%), approximately 20 to 25% of patients with SCCHN develop distant metastases, primarily in the lungs, liver, and bone. We established metastatic SCCHN subclones from a poorly metastatic parental cell line by in vivo selection. These metastatic subclones expressed high levels of CXCR4 chemokine receptor while non-metastatic parental cells did not, which suggests that CXCR4 is required for metastatic progression. CXCR4 plays a key role as a homing receptor to the lymph nodes, lung, liver, and bone. Homing, the mechanism that allows foreign tissue-origin cells to reside and proliferate, is believed to be the rate-limiting step of the multi-step metastatic process. Therefore, CXCR4 overexpression can be a predictor of the metastatic potential and the lethality of tumor cells. Here, we developed a novel small molecule CXCR4-reporting PET tracer. We have identified a novel small molecule CXCR4 antagonist, N, N′-(1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)) dipyrimidin-2-amines (M508F), through rational design by analysis of emerging structural and functional data. Its binding potency (EC50) is <10 nM in a binding affinity assay, with a great inhibitory efficacy against CXCR4/CXCL12-mediated Matrigel invasion and cAMP reduction. [18F]M508F was generated from M508Cl by a one-step chloride substitution. This reaction yield was reproducibly 30%. Biodistribution in mice was studied, and mouse tumor models with primary tumor or lung metastasis were imaged in microPET. Competition assays against cold form [19F]M508F and CXCL12 showed that [19F]M508F or CXCL12 blocked [18F]M508F binding to CXCR4 in a dose-dependent manner. In 30 minute post-injection microPET imaging, [18F]M508F-PET images of an orthotopic SCCHN animal model and an experimental animal model for lung metastasis of SCCHN exhibited fast blood clearance and significant uptake of [18F]M508F in the primary tumor as well as in the lung metastases.

To date, several CXCR4 antagonists have been developed. Fujii's group at Kyoto University pioneered development of a series of peptide analogs that exhibited excellent potency against CXCR4. An attempt to label a peptidic antagonist for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with In-111 showed that the blood clearance was too slow for 18F-PET. Currently, [64Cu]AMD3100, a metal-chelating bicyclam, is the only reported PET tracer for CXCR4 imaging. [18F]M508F reported here has a CXCR4 binding affinity over 50 times better than [64Cu]AMD3100. So far, we have finished toxicity studies in macaque monkeys and we are in a process of eIND filing for clinical translation. As the first CXCR4-detecting [18F]PET tracer, [18F]M508F has a great potential to become a clinical imaging agent for prediction and early detection of SCCHN metastasis.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5227. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5227


The purpose of this study is as follows: To find out the problems faced in PTSL services during the Covid-19 Pandemic at the Pekalongan City Land Office, to find out and analyze the implementation of PTSL services during the Covid-19 Pandemic at the Pekalongan City Land Office. This study uses a sociological juridical approach. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded: (1) Existing Problems in PTSL Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic Period at the Land Office of Pekalongan City, including: (a) The factor of social distancing so it is not allowed to carry out measurements as before the pandemic, thus progress of implementation becomes hampered, while there is still a PTSL completion target that must be met, (b) The budget factor of the ministry of ATR/BPN is saved for the needs of handling the pandemic, so that the target is reduced / unit costs are lowered / there is even work in the implementation of PTSL that cannot be paid, (c ) The time period for the announcement of physical data and juridical data differs between the Government Regulation and the Ministerial Regulation concerning PTSL, (d) The factor of law enforcement facilities,the presence of an invalid resident e-KTP has been brought to the sub-district office but is still not recorded in the KKP application so that the efforts made are to coordinate with the Population and Civil Registry Office of Pekalongan City, (e) The factor of low public interest in participating in the implementation of PTSL activities from from the beginning until the issuance of certificates in 2020 there were 504 certificates printed, 504 certificate signatures, and G. Scan BT PTSL 2020, (2) Implementation of PTSL Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic Period at the Land Office of Pekalongan City, the results namely Print Certificate: 504 fields, Certificate Signature: 504 fields, and G. Scan BT PTSL 2020: 504 fields.


The impact of band lineup and source doping concentration on the performance of heterojunction tunnel FETs (H-TFETs) with type-II heterointerface is investigated by simulations. Exemplarily, H-TFETs based on InAs/AlxGa1-xSb heterostructures are studied. Varying the Al content x, the band lineup can be adjusted from staggered to broken. We find that a staggered band lineup and a medium source doping concentration yield the best ON/OFF-state performance in terms of an inverse subthreshold slope that is smaller than 60 mV/dec and fT values in the terahertz range.


The study was carried out on ten local dairy cows called Zebu at a research centre located in the west part of Burkina Faso. Dairy cows were supplemented 53.8 MJ metabolized energy and 735.7 g Crude Protein and were free access to natural pasture. Milk yield recording and individual milk sample collection took place within one month. Milk samples were analyzed for composition with the method of mid infrared spectroscopy and for somatic cell count with fluorescent method. The results showed that saleable milk yield varied between dairy cows and days. The lowest milk yield (1.04 ± 0.29 L/day) was associated to higher somatic cell count (5.30 ± 0.73 = Log10) compare to cows with the highest daily milk yield in this study (3.46 ± 0.39 litres/day and 4.73 ± 0.45 = Log10). But, the higher fat content (5.79 ± 1.62) was found for cow with higher somatic cell count. Saleable milk yield and milk composition were strongly associated to somatic cell count but the study did not show how much milk and its components could vary with higher somatic cell count.

 Key words: Local cow, milk yield, Somatic cell count, composition.


A method for measuring the surface energy of solids and for resolving the surface energy into contributions from dispersion and dipole-hydrogen bonding forces has been developed. It is based on the measurement of contact angles with water and methylene iodide. Good agreement has been obtained with the more laborious γc method. Evidence for a finite value of liquid-solid interfacial tension at zero contact angle is presented. The method is especially applicable to the surface characterization of polymers.


Abstract Mandates of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions increasingly include stabilisation and peace enforcement components, which imply a proactive use of force often carried out by national, regional or multinational non-UN partners, operating either in support of or with the support of the UN, acting as 'proxies'. This article analyses the legal, policy and perception/security implications of different types of 'peace operations by proxy' and the additional challenges that such operations create for humanitarian action. It suggests some mitigating measures, including opportunities offered by the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, for a more coherent approach to the protection of civilians, but also acknowledges some of the limitations to an independent UN-led humanitarian action.


Compositional variability provides important clues to the glacigenic mechanisms of entrainment and transportation of debris and deposition of basal tills. This paper examines contrasting homogenization and stratification of textural and geochemical composition for two late Wisconsinan till units, exposed in a near-vertical section at Port Albert, Ontario. Q-mode cluster and multivariate discriminant analysis are used to delineate compositional layers, which occur in both units, although in the upper unit the distinction is less noticeable because of compositional homogeneity. It is inferred that compositional stratification is inherent in the entrainment process, whereas englacial thrusting and shearing tend to homogenize the glacial load. It is suggested that recognition of the degree of homogenization or the occurrence of stratification is essential for the application of analytical results in the study of till units.


In this study, the optimal design for the support and the binding device for the protection of crops for the maximum allowable stress of the shape necessary to minimize volume has been proposed. Optimization of the support and the binding device for the crops should be designed to support businesses in terms of profit, in part to reduce the material, and to profit from the ease and speed of working that part of the farmers. We used CATIA for the mechanical design and the ANSYS program for the structural analysis. Additionally, the optimization was performed by PIAnO with seven design variables for the binding device and three parameters for the support. The weight method using a multi-objective function was also determined by the Pareto optimal solution. The volume of the binding device in the optimum design result was found to be reduced by 16%, from 2.278e-005m3to1.912e-005m3. From the result, we confirmed the effectiveness of the design method proposed as a multi-objective function optimization problem.


Detection of cancer-causing mutations within the vast and mostly unexplored human genome is a major challenge. Doing so requires modeling the background mutation rate, a highly non-stationary stochastic process, across regions of interest varying in size from one to millions of positions. Here, we present the splitPoisson-Gamma (SPG) distribution, an extension of the classical Poisson-Gamma formulation, to model a discrete stochastic process at multiple resolutions. We demonstrate that the probability model has a closed-form posterior, enabling efficient and accurate linear-time prediction over any length scale after the parameters of the model have been inferred a single time. We apply our framework to model mutation rates in tumors and show that model parameters can be accurately inferred from high-dimensional epigenetic data using a convolutional neural network, Gaussian process, and maximum-likelihood estimation. Our method is both more accurate and more efficient than existing models over a large range of length scales. We demonstrate the usefulness of multi-resolution modeling by detecting genomic elements that drive tumor emergence and are of vastly differing sizes.


Acute stroke is a serious cerebrovascular disease and has been the second leading cause of death worldwide. Conventional diagnostic modalities for stroke, such as CT and MRI, may not be available in emergency settings. Hence, it is imperative to develop a portable tool to diagnose stroke in a timely manner. Since there are differences in impedance spectra between normal, hemorrhagic and ischemic brain tissues, multi-frequency electrical impedance tomography (MFEIT) shows great promise in detecting stroke. Measuring the impedance spectra of healthy, hemorrhagic and ischemic brain in vivo is crucial to the success of MFEIT. To our knowledge, no research has established hemorrhagic and ischemic brain models in the same animal and comprehensively measured the in vivo impedance spectra of healthy, hemorrhagic and ischemic brain within 10 Hz–1 MHz. In this study, the intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic models were established in rabbits, and then the impedance spectra of healthy, hemorrhagic and ischemic brain were measured in vivo and compared. The results demonstrated that the impedance spectra differed significantly between healthy and stroke-affected brain (i.e., hemorrhagic or ischemic brain). Moreover, the rate of change in brain impedance following hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke with regard to frequency was distinct. These findings further validate the feasibility of using MFEIT to detect stroke and differentiate stroke types, and provide data supporting for future research.


Bioassay-guided metabolomic analyses led to the characterization of four new 20-membered glycosylated polyketide macrolactams, macrotermycins A-D, from a termite-associated actinomycete, Amycolatopsis sp. M39. M39's sequenced genome revealed the macrotermycin's putative biosynthetic gene cluster. Macrotermycins A and C had antibacterial activity against human-pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus and, of greater ecological relevance, they also had selective antifungal activity against a fungal parasite of the termite fungal garden.


We provide and test a method to obtain significant improvement of available Chandrayaan-1 M data. The advance is achieved using the Gaussian λ-convolution of spectra and Fourier filtration of images. The main result is imagery of the reflectance across different wavelengths as well as parameters of 1 μm and 2 μm absorption bands with unprecedented quality. This approach can be particularly useful for further investigations using M data, since it produces improved imagery of various lunar surface characteristics. We studied a region comprising a portion of the Aristarchus Plateau, Montes Agricola, and a small part of the mare surface in Ocean Procellarum to the north of Montes Agricola. We found that the lava flows in the area between the Aristarchus Plateau and Montes Agricola have a chemical/mineral composition different in comparison with mare areas to the northwest of the ridge Montes Agricola. We also identified distinct spectral properties of morphologically young craters located on the plateau and mare surface. A correlation diagram for positions of the minima of the 1 μm and 2 μm bands allows a cluster analysis of the region, and we map areas associated with a cluster corresponding to pyroclastic glasses. Relationships between geologic and spectral parameter maps were estab-


Abstract Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) employed for the treatment of atopic dermatitis exhibits limited penetration into the epidermis. This investigation aimed to explore the role of binary solvents in topical drug delivery of TA by developing nanoethosomal glycolic lipid vesicles by infusion method. Screening of vesicles (TA1-TA17) formulated by Box Behnken design identified the optimized formulation (TA10) that was developed as carbomer gels. The gels were then evaluated for pharmaceutical properties and compared with control and reference ethosomal gel (RG). Higher in vitro permeation was found in gels containing TA10, prepared with or without using penetration enhancer (EGP 83.76 ± 0.72% and EG 82.42 ± 0.89%, respectively). CLSM studies depicted deeper uniform penetration of fluorescent tracer into the epidermis via EG as compared with RG and control gel. Enhanced penetration was due to combinational solvent effect exerted by ethanol and propylene glycol. Histological analysis confirmed the non-irritant potential of the gel. Thus, it can be concluded that nanoethosomal glycolic vesicles proved to be an effective non irritant carrier for improvised penetration of triamcinolone acetonide for potential topical therapeutics.


Eddy-current losses in a form-wound stator winding of a 1250-kW cage induction motor was modeled using time-discretized finite- element analysis (FEA). A simpler and faster model, typically a circuit model, is needed to include these losses in the loss control algorithms of a frequency converter. The conventional T-equivalent circuit was augmented by an additional branch both in the stator and rotor to model the eddy-current effects. The parameters of the refined circuit were estimated using the voltages and currents from the FEA simulations. The circuit model was verified by comparing the calculated losses and torque with those obtained from the FEA.


This paper considers arguments in favour of federal responsibility for indigenous affairs provided to the 1927-29 Royal Commission on the Constitution. Various humanitarian organisations, including women's groups, argued that the future of the Aborigines in Australia was a matter of national importance and was above state and federal politics. Constitutional acknowledgement of Aboriginal Australians as the original owners of the land would mark Australia's progress as a modern nation.


At the Anniversary meeting a list of newly elected Fellows was presented, as was a list of deceased Fellows and a report on how this affected the Society's roll overall. Other reports presented included:A report on the meetings of the SocietyA note on the Rhind LecturesA report on the Society's publicationsA report on the excavations that took place during the preceding session The Treasurer then presented the Society's accounts.


Contents: Prologue: Tierra del Fuego, 1832a "33 Introduction 'Green confusion': evolution and entanglement in Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau The entangled heroine of Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles What ' "modernity" cannot kill': evolution and primitivism in Stoker's Dracula Death and the jungle in Conrad's early fiction Conclusion Epilogue: Galapagos 1835 (2004) Works cited Index.


Objective: This pilot open-label clinical study evaluated the safety and pharmacokinetics of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) in patients with advanced solid tumors and hepatic dysfunction. Research design/methods: Dosing was determined according to baseline bilirubin levels as described in the package insert for Taxol® (paclitaxel), and patients received 130, 200 or 260 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel every 3 weeks. Results: Thirty patients with elevated baseline bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase levels received nab-paclitaxel. The most commonly-occurring grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia and fatigue. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 10, 30 and 30% of patients receiving 130, 200 and 260 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel, respectively. Grade 3 fatigue presented in 50 and 30% patients receiving 130 and 200 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel, respectively (no grade 4 event). Only one (10%) patient had a grade 3 sensory neuropathy in the 260 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel arm. Treatment-related grade 3 bilirubinemia and elevated aspartate aminotransferase was observed in patients receiving 130 mg/m2 (30 and 10%, respectively) and 260 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel (20 and 10%, respectively). One patient had a grade 4 bilirubinemia in the 200 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel arm. Total bilirubin levels were inversely correlated to paclitaxel clearance (p < 0001). Conclusions: nab-Paclitaxel has an acceptable tolerability profile in patients with solid tumors and hepatic dysfunction. The safety and pharmacokinetic results support the same dose modification scheme recommended for cremophor-based paclitaxel.


Homeworkers are a globally significant part of the informal workforce, commonly regarded as invisible because their work is not recognized (Burchielli et al., 2008; Prugl, 1999). In this qualitative study, we examine homeworker invisibility in the case of Argentinian garment homework using the concepts of work invisibilization and work denial. The work invisibilization concept (Krinsky and Simonet, 2012), referring to devalorized work resulting from the neoliberal agenda, is used to understand recent global trends away from standard work arrangements/protections. Arising from the social relations of domination, invisibilized work is precarious, with irregular/ non-existent employment contracts and relationships. Invisibilization thus provides a valuable lens for analysing homework, which shares key characteristics with emerging forms of invisibilized employment. Homework however, has not transformed but has always been informal, characterized by inferior standards. To account for this, we articulate a concept of denial of work. Cohen's (2001) concept of denial describes broad dimensions, including different forms, strategies and levels of denial. Adapting these, we construct a framework to analyze the denial of Argentinian garment homework, enabling a detailed examination of the specific social actors and processes involved in casting homework as non-work. In considering the denial of homework in relation to invisibilization, we argue that these are related but distinct concepts. Used together, they help explain the low-power condition of two types of garment homeworkers in Argentina while also accounting for their differences: the mostly male, migrant workers employed in clandestine workshops (such as the Bolivians interviewed in our study), and the traditional, mostly female, Argentinian garment homeworkers. Our findings suggest that Bolivian immigrant homeworkers are partially visibilized due to NGO advocacy. However, as there are no improvements to their working conditions, they remained largely invisibilized through the effects of capitalism. By contrast, traditional women homeworkers have no representation and internalize their condition: their invisibilization is explained by the cumulative effects of capitalism and patriarchy.


In this article I appeal to freedom of association to defend a state's right to control immigration over its territorial borders. Without denying that those of us in wealthy societies may have extremely demanding duties of global distributive justice, I ultimately reach the stark conclusion that every legitimate state has the right to close its doors to all potential immigrants, even refugees desperately seeking asylum from incompetent or corrupt political regimes that are either unable or unwilling to protect their citizens' basic moral rights. This article is divided into four sections. First, I argue for a presumptive case in favor of a state's right to limit immigration as an instance of its more general right to freedom of association. In the second and third sections, I respond to egalitarian and libertarian cases for open borders. Finally, in the fourth section, I consider the permissibility of screening immigrants based upon their race, ethnicity or religion.


New materials from Russian bibliographic magazines which reveal the main forms of interaction between media and readers at the turn of 19th and 20th centuries are being introduced into scientific discourse. The author concludes that established feedback from the audience, organizational and mass work of the editorial offices and their advertising created a taste for reading in Russians. Focusing on both professional readers and a wide audience of intelligent readers, bibliographic magazines also helped to establish contacts at the author — reader and author — publisher levels.