This study aims to understand the various problems in efforts to alleviate the housing backlog, as well as to present a strategy to alleviate the problem of housing backlog for low-income households in North Sumatra. This research uses descriptive method with the main approach is a qualitative approach, which is complemented and strengthened by quantitative data. The data collection techniques used were observation (observation), in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and literature study. Based on the results of tracing the housing development conditions in North Sumatra and the identification of the problems carried out, using the SWOT matrix strategy analysis, it is concluded that the acceleration strategies that can be carried out by provincial and municipal governments to alleviate housing backlogs for urban low-income families in North Sumatra are: 1) Aggressive strategy (SO). Optimization of Regional Government and Central Government Housing Development Programs, to add new housing for low-income people in urban areas of North Sumatra; 2) Diversification strategy (ST). Fully supports housing development for low-income housing carried out by the central government and developers (provision of unproductive land / land use, sharing of housing development targets with the central government, data collection and mapping of urban MBR, additional space allocation for urban residential areas in RTRW, optimization the implementation of PP 64 2016); 3) Defensive strategy (WO). Forming effective regional PKP partnership institutions (local government, academia, private sector, financial institutions and the community), in an effort to control the population growth rate, increase the empowerment of urban MBR, provide housing development incentives, control the distribution of housing finance for low-income families, and control the flow of urbanization; and 4) Turn around (WT) strategy. Making the issue of the backlog of home ownership for MBR a priority for regional development.
 Keywords: Home ownership backlog, low income community (MBR), urban


Along with the increasing role of information technology (IT), the need of IT governance in organizations also increases. Therefore, an evaluation needs to be performed to discover the actual condition of IT management in the organization aforementioned. The importance of IT in an organization is to aid business activities. Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) has four campuses supported with library and therefore implements integrated libraries system that connects the library of all four campuses. However, the IT service provided for users is yet to be improved. The questions in the IT library service include policy, procedure, activities and documentation related to risk management. UAD library has to ensure that risk management available is appropriate for its necessities and business activities. UAD library also hopes that every problems meets its solution. This research aims to understand the condition of risk management applied in UAD library related to IT using COBIT 5 framework in process domain EDM03 (Ensure Risk Optimisation). In order to obtain data accuracy, raw data was collected through questionnaire, direct observation and interview with the people involved in the field. Results show that EDM03 was at level 2. This research also provides process practice recommendation and its activities that aid UAD library in its IT service.


The compound 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT) is a competitive inhibitor of IDO that can break tolerance and induce fetus, graft, and tumor rejection. Because of its broad effect on immune-related mechanisms, the direct action of 1-MT on human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) was analyzed. It is shown here that the effect of 1-MT on DC is dependent on the maturation pathway. Although 1-MT had no effect on DC stimulated by the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C), it strongly enhanced the Th1 profile of DC stimulated with TLR2/1 or TLR2/6 ligands. Drastic changes in the function of DC stimulated by the TLR4 ligand LPS were induced by 1-MT. These cells could still activate allogeneic and syngeneic T cells but stimulation yielded T cells secreting IL-5 and IL-13 rather than IFN-γ. This action of 1-MT correlated with an increased phosphorylation of p38 and ERK MAPKs and sustained activation of the transcription factor c-Fos. Inhibiting p38 and ERK phosphorylation with synthetic inhibitors blocked the effect of 1-MT on LPS-stimulated DC. Thus, 1-MT can modulate DC function depending on the maturation signal and independently of its action on IDO. This is consistent with previous observations and will help further understanding the mechanisms of DC polarization.


Rumi, who wrote and preached in Persia during the thirteenth century, was inspired by a wandering mystic, or dervish, named Shams al-Din. Rumi's vast body of poetry includes a lengthy poem of religious mysticism, the "Mathnavi," and more than three thousand lyrics and odes. A.J. Arberry, who selected four hundred of the lyrics for translation, calls Rumi "one of the world's greatest poets. In profundity of thought, inventiveness of image, and triumphant mastery of language, he stands out as the supreme genius of Islamic mysticism." "An excellent introduction to Rumi, the greatest mystical poet of Islam. . . . Rumi's scope, like that of all great poets, is universal reaching from sensuous luxuriance to the driest irony." Sherman Goldman, "East-West Journal""


This paper identified the source of inspiration to cooperatively design a fashion collection from US undergraduate clothing design students and addressed how to implement team-based learning strategy to conceptual clothing design in class. Data was collected from the total of 51 students in a senior clothing design course at a large 4-year university in the US. The assigned project for this class was to develop a group collection under a same theme. Each student worked with his/her team member(s) to create an outfit and the entire class worked as a group to create a cohesive collection. The study showed that the sources of inspiration for the themes/ concepts came from 11categories: historic era/old Hollywood glamour, shape/line/structure/architectural, fairy tales movies, nature/abstract, circus/mysterious, occasion/place, object, designer/artist, futuristic, culture, and various movies. To implement cooperative learning strategies in the clothing design class, a total of five class presentation/ discussion sessions were held for theme/concept decision, fabric decision, design decision, test garment evaluation and design modification, and final products. Throughout the design process, team-based learning strategy promoted students' engagement and participation and inspired their critical thinking skills for making decisions within a team.


Declining unionization rates in the private sector have long been a major object of research across the social sciences and among students of the labor movement. Nowhere is this issue felt more acutely than in core productive sectors of the American South, where employers have beaten back nearly every significant organizing effort. These problems are epitomized by the United Autoworkers Workers' 2014 defeat at the hands of German automaker Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where it failed to win an election despite management's ostensible neutrality. Though various competing explanations have been offered, I attribute the UAW's underwhelming performance principally to the union's own mistakes and shortcomings. Applying an analytical framework first proposed by Marshall Ganz, I argue that on three key measures of organizational performance—access to information, strategic capacity, and ongoing learning—the UAW fell short, ultimately sealing its fate. First, the UAW neglected to draw important lessons from its previous efforts to organize foreign-owned automakers, which often bore an uncanny resemblance to Volkswagen. Second, the UAW did not deploy its resources effectively, all but disregarding the widely held "best practices" and often displaying a more fundamental ineptitude. Finally, while successful unions adapt to changing conditions, the UAW suffered from path dependency, refusing to make necessary corrections when its pre-ordained strategy sent it veering off-course. These findings suggest, contra the dominant narrative, that the UAW bears some responsibility for its own organizing failures, with profound implications for the future of unions in the American South and beyond.


Feminist researchers have long argued that re fl exivity is key to a responsible research practice. As a method, re fl exivity has the capacity to reveal power relations and highlight situated perspectives. Consequently, it has become a mainstream tool in qualitative research. Yet it has also been criticised for producing tick-the-box re fl ections and promoting a researcher-centric narrative that undermines participants' contributions to knowledge production. This article takes a sensory approach to re fl exivity and considers its methodological implications. Borrowing our interpretation of recognisability from Skeggs (1997), and that of emplacement from Pink's (2015) conceptualisation of sensory ethnography, we use the compound concept of 'recognisable emplacement' as a re fl exive theoretical lens with which to analyse the researcher-participant relationship. We are furthermore methodolo-gically inspired by duo-ethnography in that we as co-authors create a collective and re fl exive space for analysis. The analysis therefore enables us to illustrate the dynamic negotiations between participants, environment, and researcher, and to shed light on the sensory cues that form these negotiations. Based on an understanding of responsibility as a multifaceted and situated practice we suggest that a sensory approach to re fl exivity increases the researcher's capacity to take responsibility by foregrounding the intersubjectivity of researcher-participant relations.


Sir Archibald Geikie (1835–1924) was one of the most distinguished and influential geologists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was Director-General of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, President of the Geological Society of London, President of the British Association, Trustee of the British Museum and President of the Royal Society. He was also an accomplished writer, a masterful lecturer and a talented artist who published over 200 scientific papers, books and articles. The papers in this volume examine aspects of Geikie's life and works, including his family history, his personal and professional relationships, his art, and his contributions as a field geologist and administrator. Together, they provide a deeper understanding of his life, his career and his contribution to the development of Geology as a scientific discipline. Much of the research is based on primary sources, including previously unpublished manuscripts, donated in part by members of the family to the Haslemere Educational Museum, UK.


Virtual Audio Chat is an interactive Virtual Reality (VR)/Web application that enables real-time audio streaming between multiple Internet users. Users join the audio chat using a VR interface designed as a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) model of a mobile phone. Various interactions implemented using VRML allow users to choose the color/textures applied to the mobile phone and the audio codec used during the audio streaming session. In this paper we address the developed application in terms of user interactions with the VR interface and evaluation of audio quality. Our primary focus is to evaluate and compare audio quality for different audio coders. Overall speech quality and network requirements depend in great deal on the type of codec being implemented. Different coders result in different data rates and Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) relating to subjective quality. We performed measurements of network throughput and subjective speech quality for three different coders: PCM, GSM, and G.723.1. Two sets of measurements were performed: the first set using previously recorded speech and music, and the second set during a live chat between two participants. Results have been analyzed and the coders have been compared in terms of network throughput and achieved subjective speech quality.


Conjugation of maltopentaose to water-soluble homo-poly(sarcosine) induced self-association and formed nanospheres (−150 nm) in water although homo-poly(sarcosine) was water-soluble and did not form any aggregates. Fluorescent probe experiments showed that the spheres were non-ionic glycopeptoid coacervate-like particles with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains inside.


Supersaturation of calcium and phosphate in the bath solution and activation of the metal substrate is essential for effective biomimetic growth of apatite on orthopedic implants. In this work, bioactivation of titanium surface was achieved by electrodeposition of a thin layer of calcium phosphate followed by an alkaline treatment to obtain pure hydroxyapatite crystals. The influence of calcium gluconate in the electrolyte solution was evaluated and optimized. Adhesive strength, thickness, structural, and surface characteristics were evaluated. A highly adhesive and uniform layer of hydroxyapatite was formed on titanium surface when the electrodeposition was carried out with an electrolyte solution-containing calcium gluconate. The electrodeposited hydroxyapatite coatings were subjected for biomimetic growth in Kokubo's simulated body fluid (SBF) and Kokubo's modified SBF containing 1.5 times higher concentration of Ca. Biomimetic growth was also improved by the addition of calcium gluconate in the SBF solution.


An evolutionarily ancient mechanism is used for intracellular membrane fusion events ranging from endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi traffic in yeast to synaptic vesicle exocytosis in the human brain. At the heart of this mechanism is the core complex of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF), soluble NSF attachment proteins (SNAPs), and SNAP receptors (SNAREs). Although these proteins are accepted as key players in vesicular traffic, their molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. To illuminate important structure-function relationships in NSF, a screen for dominant negative mutants of yeast NSF (Sec18p) was undertaken. This involved random mutagenesis of a GAL1-regulated SEC18 yeast expression plasmid. Several dominant negative alleles were identified on the basis of galactose-inducible growth arrest, of which one, sec18-109, was characterized in detail. The sec18-109 phenotype (abnormal membrane trafficking through the biosynthetic pathway, accumulation of a membranous tubular network, growth suppression, increased cell density) is due to a single A-G substitution in SEC18 resulting in a missense mutation in Sec18p (Thr(394)-->Pro). Thr(394) is conserved in most AAA proteins and indeed forms part of the minimal AAA consensus sequence that serves as a signature of this large protein family. Analysis of recombinant Sec18-109p indicates that the mutation does not prevent hexamerization or interaction with yeast alpha-SNAP (Sec17p), but instead results in undetectable ATPase activity that cannot be stimulated by Sec17p. This suggests a role for the AAA protein consensus sequence in regulating ATP hydrolysis. Furthermore, this approach of screening for dominant negative mutants in yeast can be applied to other conserved proteins so as to highlight important functional domains in their mammalian counterparts.


The stellar mass assembly of galaxies can be affected by both secular and environmental processes. In this study, for the first time, we investigate the stellar mass assembly of $\sim90,000$ low redshift, central galaxies selected from SDSS group catalogues (M$_{\rm Stellar}\gtrsim10^{9.5}$M$_{\odot}$, M$_{\rm Halo}\gtrsim10^{12}$M$_{\odot}$) as a function of both stellar and halo mass. We use estimates of the times at which 10, 50 and 90 per cent of the stellar mass was assembled from photometric spectral energy distribution fitting, allowing a more complete investigation than single stellar ages alone. We consider trends in both stellar and halo mass simultaneously, finding dependencies of all assembly times on both. We find that galaxies with higher stellar masses (at constant halo mass) have on average older lookback times, similar to previous studies of galaxy assembly. We also find that galaxies at higher halo mass (at constant stellar mass) have younger lookback times, possibly due to a larger reservoir of gas for star formation. An exception to this is a sub sample with high stellar-to-halo mass ratios, which are likely massive, field spirals. We compare these observed trends to those predicted by the TNG300 simulation, finding good agreement overall as a function of either stellar or halo mass. However, some differences in the assembly times (of up to $\sim 3$ Gyr) appear when considering both stellar and halo mass simultaneously, noticeably at intermediate stellar masses (M$_{\rm Stellar} \sim 10^{11}$ M$_{\odot}$). These discrepancies are possibly linked to the quenched fraction of galaxies and the kinetic mode AGN feedback implemented in TNG300.


The function of a biomacromolecule is related not only to its structure but also to the different conformations that its structural elements can sample. It is therefore important to determine the extent of the structural fluctuations and to identify the states that are actually populated as a result of the rearrangement. However, this accomplishment is undermined by an intrinsic limitation: the amount of experimental data is by and large inferior to the number of the states that a biomacromolecule can actually sample. This means that additional, a priori information must be applied in order to derive the most from the available experimental data but not to run into overinterpretation. In this chapter we will give a summary of the experimental observables that can be used towards the reconstruction of structural ensembles, how the data can be profitably combined and to what extent the data are affected by error; finally we will give an overview of the computational methods that have been developed to model structural ensembles, highlighting their difference and similarities, advantages and disadvantages.


This article examines the role of the state and of education in relation to globalisation and argues that it is not a question of globalisation or the nation‐state, but of globalisation and the nation‐state. In order to understand how globalisation might be represented as having both positive and negative effects on states, two forms of globalisation are distinguished, one which attests to the growing interconnectedness of states, and another which relates to the neoliberal policy agenda amongst western countries since the 1970s. The final section of the paper argues for a version of cosmopolitan democracy based on Foucault's writings, which I term 'thin communitarianism'. It argues that if survival and security are to be possible, then strategies that preserve the openness of power structures, based on dialogical communication are necessary as a way, in Rorty's (1998) sense, of keeping the conversation going.


Activated carbons are widely used adsorbents in sustainable applications, including hydrogen storage and supercapacitance. The performance of activated carbons in these applications is highly dependent on the structural properties of the material including, the pore size distribution, surface area, and pore volume. Lignin, a naturally occurring macromolecule, has received increasing interest as a promising feedstock for nanoporous carbons. Lignins extracted from different feedstocks differ in the ratio of aromatic monomers S, G, and H. On carbonisation, only this aromatic backbone remains. The primary aim of this thesis was to ascertain whether the aromatic structure of lignin affected the porosity of activated carbons, and if the pore size could be tuned for specific applications. An in-depth characterisation of four organosolv-extracted lignins from different feedstocks was performed. Lignins were divided into two groups based on their aromatic unit ratio: high S/G and low S/G. Evolved low molecular weight volatiles coalesced into large bubbles, forming a foam. The aromatic ratio affected the mechanical strength of foams; low S/G ratio lignins produced more stable monoliths. These carbon foams have potentially exciting future applications as binder-free monoliths for supercapacitor electrodes. Lignin carbon powders exhibited reasonable hydrogen uptake (1.8 wt.% at 77 K and 1 bar) due to intrinsic microporosity and capacitance values of 60 80 F g-1 (organic and aqueous electrolytes) with scope for further optimisation, aided by an experimental design protocol produced within this work. No correlation was found between the aromatic lignin structure and activated carbon porosity, determined by gas sorption and small-angle scattering. This lack of correlation was attributed to volatiles coalescing rather than forming internal porosity in the charring stage. These findings are significant for the industrial production of activated carbon powders, implying that an organosolv lignin from any feedstock can produce a microporous carbon with a high surface area (>1000 m2 g-1) and reasonable performance in sustainable applications.


16. Abstract This technical report consists of a collection of task analytic data to support heavy vehicle driver workload assessment and protocol development. Data were collected from professional drivers to provide insights into the following issues: the meaning of the term 'workload' to heavy vehicle drivers (N = 41 drivers interviewed); the demand placed on drivers (N = 55) by various drving conditions using a psychological scaling approach; the safety criticality and difficulty of selected standard driving tasks (N = 30 drivers assessed); the perceptual, motor, and cognitive loads imposed by various tasks while on the road under various conditions (N = 9 drivers observed over-the-road during revenue runs); and a preliminary analysis of the key features of generic high-technology in-cab devices. When professional truck drivers speak of workload, they tend to talk in terms of time stress or stress caused by delays to their schedules. Various driving conditions were unidimensionally scaled in terms of order of impact on drivers, and those results are presented and discussed. Safety criticality and difficulty assessment results provided some validation for the scaling outcomes. Visual allocation measures in this study suggested that the use of common -in-cab tasks would serve as baseline measures, based on the revenue runs. Finally, key features considered in evaluating voice communication systems, vehicle navigation and route guidance systems, single/integrated displays, and text communicaton devices were determined.


Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States with 180,890 males diagnosed and is predicted to cause approximately 26,000 deaths in 2016. The current treatment of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) initially depletes circulating androgens; however, intratumoral androgens rescue androgen receptor (AR) signaling and promotes the development of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been implicated in the development of many cancers including PCa. The disruption of this signaling leads to the stabilization of β-catenin which upregulates many genes involved in tumorigenesis. Additionally, β-catenin acts as AR cofactor. Our previous studies show that AR is a direct target of miR-644a. We hypothesized that targeting the expression of both the β-catenin pathway and AR by conventional drugs and/or tumor suppressor miR-644a would have synergistic therapeutic benefits. In this study, we are investigating miR-644a mediated posttranscriptional downregulation of GSK3-β and β-catenin in the wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The effect of miR-644a in combination with inhibitors (β-catenin or GSK3-β) was also assessed using proliferation assays and a significant downregulation was observed. We will further study the posttranscriptional effects of tumor suppressor miR-644a on the wnt/β-catenin pathway and also the processing and regulation of miR-644a in PCa. Citation Format: Alexis Plaga, Girish C. Shukla. Regulation of cross talk between AR and wnt/beta-catenin pathways in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 478. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-478


In recent years, a large number of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques have been developed and applied to the study of fully or significantly isotopically labelled ((13)C, (15)N or (13)C/(15)N) biomolecules. In the past few years, the first structures of (13)C/(15)N-labelled peptides, Gly-Ile and Met-Leu-Phe, and a protein, Src-homology 3 domain, were solved using magic-angle spinning NMR, without recourse to any structural information obtained from other methods. This progress has been made possible by the development of NMR experiments to assign solid-state spectra and experiments to extract distance and orientational information. Another key aspect to the success of solid-state NMR is the advances made in sample preparation. These improvements will be reviewed in this contribution. Future prospects for the application of solid-state NMR to interesting biological questions will also briefly be discussed.


This review focuses on structural engineering of lasers from the macroscale to the nanoscale, with an emphasis on plasmon nanolasers. Conventional lasers based on Fabry-Pérot cavities are limited in device size. In contrast, plasmon nanolasers can overcome the diffraction limit of light and incorporate unique structural designs to engineer cavity geometries and optical band structure. Since the spaser concept was introduced in 2003, tremendous progress in nanolasing has been made on architectures that exploit metal films and nanoparticles. Theoretical approaches in both frequency and time domains have inspired the development of plasmon nanolasers based on mode analysis and time-dependent lasing buildup. Plasmon nanolasers designed by band-structure engineering open prospects for manipulation of lasing characteristics such as directional emission, real-time tunable wavelengths, and controlled multimode lasing.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
The structure of the pyloric sphincter (PS) muscle has recently been shown to divide into two parts (proximal and distal parts). To clarify the functional differences in the human PS between proximal and distal parts, we investigated the enteric nerve responses in normal proximal and distal PS specimens.

METHODOLOGY
Normal PS specimens derived from 20 patients with early gastric cancer (13 men and 7 women aged from 50 to 64 years, average 58.2 years) were used. These PS muscles were divided into 2 parts [1/2 oral site of PS; proximal part (PPS; n=26), 1/2 anal site of PS; distal part (DPS; n=24)]. A mechanographic technique was used to evaluate in vitro muscle strip responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) before and after treatment with various autonomic nerve blockers.

RESULTS
Findings were: (1) Response to EFS before blockade of the adrenergic and cholinergic nerves: Excitatory responses (contraction reaction) via cholinergic nerves in the PPS were regulated more predominantly than in the DPS. Inhibitory responses (relaxation reaction) via adrenergic nerves in the DPS were regulated more predominantly than in the PPS. (2) Response to EFS after blockade of the adrenergic and cholinergic nerves: Excitatory responses (contraction reaction) via non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) excitatory nerves in the PPS were regulated significantly more than in the DPS (P = 0.0439). Inhibitory responses (relaxation reaction) via NANC inhibitory nerves in the DPS were also regulated significantly more than in the PPS (P = 0.0439). (3) EFS response in the pylorus was blocked by tetrodotoxin.

CONCLUSIONS
There are differences between the PPS and DPS in the regulation of the enteric nervous system. Contraction reaction via excitatory nerves, especially cholinergic nerves, was mainly involved in the regulation of enteric nerve responses to EFS in the PPS. Relaxation reaction via inhibitory nerves, especially NANC inhibitory nerves, was mainly involved in the regulation of enteric nerve responses to EFS in the DPS.


The Japan Cancer Surveillance Research Group estimated the cancer incidence in 2005 as part of the Monitoring of Cancer Incidence in Japan (MCIJ) project, on the basis of data collected from 12 of 30 population-based cancer registries. The total number of incidences in Japan for 2005 was estimated as 646,802 (C00-C96). The leading cancer site was the stomach for men and the breast for women. Age-standardized incidence rates remained almost the same level as the previous 2 years.


Abstract The estimation of ice/snow accumulation is of great significance in quantifying the mass balance of ice sheets and variation in water resources. Improving the accuracy and reducing uncertainty has been a challenge for the estimation of annual accumulation over the Greenland ice sheet. In this study, we kriged and analyzed the spatial pattern of accumulation based on an observation data series including 315 points used in a recent research, plus 101 ice cores and snow pits and newly compiled 23 coastal weather station data. The estimated annual accumulation over the Greenland ice sheet is 31.2 gcm−2yr−1, with a standard error of 0.9 gcm−2yr−1. The main differences between the improved map developed in this study and the recently published accumulation maps are in the coastal areas, especially southeast and southwest regions. The analysis of accumulations versus elevation reveals the distribution patterns of accumulation over the Greenland ice sheet.


The angular dependence (x-ray linear dichroism) of the $\text{Cr}\text{ }K$ pre-edge in ${\text{MgAl}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{4}:{\text{Cr}}^{3+}$ spinel is measured by means of x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy and compared to calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and ligand field multiplet (LFM) theory. We also present an efficient method, based on symmetry considerations, to compute the dichroism of the cubic crystal starting from the dichroism of a single substitutional site. DFT shows that the electric dipole transitions do not contribute to the features visible in the pre-edge and provides a clear vision of the assignment of the $1s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3d$ transitions. However, DFT is unable to reproduce quantitatively the angular dependence of the pre-edge, which is, on the other side, well reproduced by LFM calculations. The most relevant factors determining the dichroism of $\text{Cr}\text{ }K$ pre-edge are identified as the site distortion and $3d\text{\ensuremath{-}}3d$ electronic repulsion. From this combined DFT, LFM approach is concluded that when the pre-edge features are more intense than 4% of the edge jump, pure quadrupole transitions cannot explain alone the origin of the pre-edge. Finally, the shape of the dichroic signal is more sensitive than the isotropic spectrum to the trigonal distortion of the substitutional site. This suggests the possibility to obtain quantitative information on site distortion from the x-ray linear dichroism by performing angular dependent measurements on single crystals.


As one ages, the chance of acquiring functional limitations increases dramatically. Thus, a remarkably high proportion of older workers will likely qualify for workplace accommodations. The current study aimed to gain an understanding of subgroups of older workers who were less likely to request and receive accommodations, associations of psychosocial factors (i.e., workplace supports, employees' knowledge of the Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA] and accommodations, and whether an individual has a work goal) with requesting and receiving accommodations, and differences on these psychosocial factors within various demographic subgroups of older workers. Two hundred thirty-one individuals 50 years and older recruited from multiple national organizations and rehabilitation agencies participated in this study through an online survey. The study found that the psychosocial factors were positively associated with requesting and receiving accommodations. In addition, participants who were less likely to request and receive accommodations reported lower scores in the psychosocial factors. Practical implications for rehabilitation counselors and further research are discussed.


SUMMARY: Methods are described for isolating the walls of the intracellular parasite Mycobacterium lepraemurium in good yields. The walls were treated with solvents and reagents and their effects were followed by chemical analyses and electron microscopy. The walls resemble those of other mycobacteria, consisting of mucopeptide, arabinogalactan and ester-linked lipid. The lipid forms the outer, electron-transparent layer of the wall. The information available so far offers no explanation of the bacterium's outstanding resistance to destruction by phagocytic cells.


The problem of increasing energy saving and energy efficiency in the system of traction power supply of the Moscow Metro is considered due to the use of energy storage devices of uncontrolled type. The results of simulation modeling of the operation of an energy storage device of uncontrolled type in the system of traction power supply of the subway are presented. A particular line of the Moscow Metro, Filevskaya, was studied, on which experiments on the introduction of energy storage devices based on electrochemical super capacitors were conducted. With the help of experimental measurements, the electric power indicators of the operation of a stationary energy storage device had been obtained at regular service on the traction substation of the Filevskaya line of the Moscow Metro for several months. The maximum levels of the converted energies, the cyclicity, the efficiency of the plant operation, and the amount of the energy economy are determined. By statistical processing of the instantaneous values of the performance of the traction substation with the accumulator and the analysis of the data of the energy monitoring of the Moscow metro, an important parameter of reducing the installed capacity was investigated. The similarity of the data of theoretical calculations and experimental measurements is shown.


This study's objective was to improve the communication resources of deaf-blind children through writing coupled with Libras, dactylology, and reading. Three (4, 5 and 8-year old) deaf-blind children enrolled in a special needs school in Brasilia, DF, during the period from February to December, 1999, participated in the study. Three phases were developed: initial appraisal, intervention, and final assessment. The characterization of the students was carried out based on interviews with their families and the analysis of reports. The intervention was performed as a routine in the classroom, based on four daily activities: reception, roll call, snack time, novelty. The results gave evidence of the importance of diversification of resources during the process of communication acquiring by deaf-blinds.


Generally, judder vibration is a low-frequency vibration phenomenon caused by a braking force imbalance that occurs when a vehicle is lightly decelerated within a range of 0.1 to 0.2g at a speed of 120 to 60 km/h. This comes from the change in the brake disk thickness (DTV), which is mainly caused by the side run-out (SRO) and thermal deformation. The adoption of hydro-bushing in the low arm G bushings of the vehicle front suspension has been done in order to provide great damping in a particular frequency range (<20Hz) in order to prevent this judder vibration from being transmitted to the body. The hydro bushing was formulated using a lumped parameter model. The fluid passage between the two chambers was modelled as a nonlinear element such as an orifice, and its important parameters (resistance, compliance) were measured using a simplified experimental setup. The main design parameters are the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the chamber to the fluid passage, the length of the fluid passage, etc., and their optimal design is such that the loss angle is greater than 45 ° in the target frequency range of 10 to 20 Hz. The hydro bushing designed for reducing the judder vibration was prepared for the actual vehicle application test and applied to the actual vehicle test. In this study, the proposed hydro bushing was applied to the G bushing of the low arm of the front suspension system of the vehicle. The loss angle of the manufactured hydro bushing was measured using acceleration signals before and after passing through the bushing. The actual vehicle test was performed on the noise dynamometer for the performance analysis of the judder vibration reduction.


Stimulated Brillouin scattering is one of the predominant limitations for fiber-based narrowband lasers, amplifiers, or passive transmission links. In addition to the output power limitation, stimulated Brillouin scattering imprints a broadband excess intensity noise on the signal for which several theoretical explanations have been reported. Some studies suggested the conversion from phase to intensity noise due to an asymmetric Brillouin gain spectrum. In this work, we present new and consistent measurements of such asymmetric gain profiles and corresponding intensity noise spectra. Based on our results, we were able to reconstruct the shape of the measured excess intensity noise.


This article reports on the long-term impact of an innovative module designed for specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) students entitled Working Therapeutically with Families. The module was designed to develop students' skills and abilities in working therapeutically with families through the use of specific, systemic therapy techniques. The objective of the study was to evaluate the module and assess the effect and sustainability of skills learnt. Forty-three alumni were emailed regarding participation with a link to an online questionnaire. A total of 18 alumni took part in the study. The questionnaire data were analysed by descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Three years after completing the module, students said that they continued to use the ideas and implement specific systemic therapy techniques. Students also reported improved skills in reflexivity. The module was found to be valuable in SCPHN training and the concepts relevant to practice.


Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are compounds of diverse origins that have not been deeply studied in the past which are now accruing growing environmental interest. The NOR-Water project aimed to identify the main CECs and their sources in the water environment of Northern Portugal–Galicia (located in northwest Spain) transnational region. To achieve these goals, a suspect screening analytical methodology based on the use of liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was applied to 29 sampling sites in two campaigns. These sampling sites included river and sea water, as well as treated wastewater. The screening was driven by a library of over 3500 compounds, which included 604 compounds prioritized from different relevant lists on the basis of the persistency, mobility, and toxicity criteria. Thus, a total of 343 chemicals could be tentatively identified in the analyzed samples. This list of 343 identified chemicals was submitted to the classification workflow used for prioritization and resulted in 153 chemicals tentatively classified as persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) and 23 as very persistent and very mobile (vMvP), pinpointing the relevance of these types of chemicals in the aqueous environment. Pharmaceuticals, such as the antidepressant venlafaxine or the antipsychotic sulpiride, and industrial chemicals, especially high production volume chemicals (HPVC) such as ε-caprolactam, were the groups of compounds that were detected at the highest frequencies.


In this paper, using $m$-th order difference operator $\Delta^{(m)}$ and a sequence $\{\alpha_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ of strictly positive real numbers, sequence spaces $\Delta^{(m)}l_\alpha\{f_n\}=\{x\in s:(\Delta^{(m)}x)_j\in l_\alpha\{f_n\}\}$ and $\Delta^{(m)}l^\alpha\{g_n\} = \{x\in s :(\Delta^{(m)}x)_j \in l^{\alpha}\{g_n\}\}$ are introduced, where $x=\{\xi_j\}_{j=0}^{\infty}\in s$ and $ \{f_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$, $ \{g_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ are sequence of Orlicz functions. It is shown that these are separable Banach spaces and dense $F_\sigma$-set of the first Baire category in $s$, the space of all real sequences with the Fr\`{e}chet metric. Some earlier results related to Baire category are obtained when the sequence $\{\alpha_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ is chosen specifically.


The calibration of satellite radar altimetry has been extremely important for altimetry community and studying sea level changes. The main purpose of this contribution is to provide ongoing absolute calibration of altimeter bias near the Southern seas of Iran using the Iranian tide gauge network that equipped with GPS receivers to measure the sea surface heights synchronously in the same geocentric reference frame as the corresponding altimetry records. The sea level time series of coastal tide gauges have been used to estimate the bias, drift and annual/semiannual constituents of altimeter range measurements using (i) linear regression and (ii) combination of linear regression and harmonic analysis. To this end, three Iranian tide gauges located at Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Chahbahar ports as well as Geophysical Data Records (GDR) products of Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1and Jason-2 have been considered. The numerical results have indicated that the mean absolute biases of Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1 and Jason-2 are about –26.23, 120.21 and 205.17 mm, respectively. The reliability of method has been assessed via GPS vessel at the altimeter bin nearby the Bushehr tidal stations. The presented method is viable to perfectly estimate the systematic errors, and as such, it can address the demands of high-accurate applications.


Introduction: Using mesh or a synthetic prosthesis during the laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernias has been demonstrated to be safe and effective. A new material, porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS mesh), has been successfully used in canine and rodent animal models with excellent results. This mesh is degradable and resorbable with a marked decrease in the possibility of becoming infected. However, the amount of fibroblast ingrowth is equal to that with polypropylene mesh. Methods: A comparison was made between this new SIS mesh to repair 15 inguinal hernias in 12 patients and polypropylene mesh used in 12 similar patients. A preperitoneal approach with balloon dissection was used in all patients. Results: Demographics were similar in both groups. The results were excellent and compared equally. Complications (seroma, discomfort) were minimal in both groups and were similar. Conclusions: Porcine small intestinal submucosa, SIS mesh, can be used for laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernias. Long-term follow-up will be necessary to confirm these preliminary results.


ABSTRACT Endoxylanases are important enzymes in bioenergy research because they specifically hydrolyze xylan, the predominant polysaccharide in the hemicellulose fraction of lignocellulosic biomass. For effective biomass utilization, it is important to understand the mechanism of substrate recognition by these enzymes. Recent studies have shown that the substrate specificities of bacterial and fungal endoxylanases classified into glycoside hydrolase family 30 (GH30) were quite different. While the functional differences have been described, the mechanism of substrate recognition is still unknown. Therefore, a gene encoding a putative GH30 endoxylanase was cloned from Streptomyces turgidiscabies C56, and the recombinant enzyme was purified and characterized. GH30 glucuronoxylan-specific xylanase A of Streptomyces turgidiscabies (StXyn30A) showed hydrolytic activity with xylans containing both glucuronic acid and the more common 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid side-chain substitutions but not on linear xylooligosaccharides, suggesting that this enzyme requires the recognition of glucuronic acid side chains for hydrolysis. The StXyn30A limit product structure was analyzed following a secondary β-xylosidase treatment by thin-layer chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis. The hydrolysis products from both glucuronoxylan and 4-O-methylglucuronoxylan by StXyn30A have these main-chain substitutions on the second xylopyranosyl residue from the reducing end. Because previous structural studies of bacterial GH30 enzymes and molecular modeling of StXyn30A suggested that a conserved arginine residue (Arg296) interacts with the glucuronic acid side-chain carboxyl group, we focused on this residue, which is conserved at subsite −2 of bacterial but not fungal GH30 endoxylanases. To help gain an understanding of the mechanism of how StXyn30A recognizes glucuronic acid substitutions, Arg296 mutant enzymes were studied. The glucuronoxylan hydrolytic activities of Arg296 mutants were significantly reduced in comparison to those of the wild-type enzyme. Furthermore, limit products other than aldotriouronic acid were observed for these Arg296 mutants upon secondary β-xylosidase treatment. These results indicate that a disruption of the highly conserved Arg296 interaction leads to a decrease of functional specificity in StXyn30A, as indicated by the detection of alternative hydrolysis products. Our studies allow a better understanding of the mechanism of glucuronoxylan recognition and enzyme specificity by bacterial GH30 endoxylanases and provide further definition of these unique enzymes for their potential application in industry. IMPORTANCE Hemicellulases are important enzymes that hydrolyze hemicellulosic polysaccharides to smaller sugars for eventual microbial assimilation and metabolism. These hemicellulases include endoxylanases that cleave the β-1,4-xylose main chain of xylan, the predominant form of hemicellulose in lignocellulosic biomass. Endoxylanases play an important role in the utilization of plant biomass because in addition to their general utility in xylan degradation, they can also be used to create defined compositions of xylooligosaccharides. For this, it is important to understand the mechanism of substrate recognition. Recent studies have shown that the substrate specificities of bacterial and fungal endoxylanases that are classified into glycoside hydrolase family 30 (GH30) were distinct, but the difference in the mechanisms of substrate recognition is still unknown. We performed characterization and mutagenesis analyses of a new bacterial GH30 endoxylanase for comparison with previously reported fungal GH30 endoxylanases. Our study results in a better understanding of the mechanism of substrate specificity and recognition for bacterial GH30 endoxylanases. The experimental approach and resulting data support the conclusions and provide further definition of the structure and function of GH30 endoxylanases for their application in bioenergy research.


Minimizing the dimension is one of the most challenging requirements for automotive radar sensor designs. Investigations for a very compact automotive radar antenna have been done based on TDK Low Loss LTCC. For the automotive radar band (76–81 GHz), an antenna element and a via transition have been simulated, manufactured and measured.


Modified-live herpesvirus vaccines are widely used in humans and animals, but field strains can emerge that have a higher virulence and break vaccinal protection. Since the introduction of the first vaccine in the 1970s, Marek's disease virus overcame the vaccine barrier by the acquisition of numerous genomic mutations. However, the evolutionary adaptations in the herpesvirus genome responsible for the vaccine breaks have remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that point mutations in the multifunctional meq gene acquired during evolution can significantly alter virulence. Defined mutations found in highly virulent strains also allowed the virus to overcome innate cellular responses and vaccinal protection. Concomitantly, the adaptations in meq enhanced virus shedding into the environment, likely providing a selective advantage for the virus. Our study provides the first experimental evidence that few point mutations in a single herpesviral gene result in drastically increased virulence, enhanced shedding, and escape from vaccinal protection.


Abstract Australia, with a land area of 2,974,581 square miles, is the largest accessible land area in the world which is relatively unexplored for oil and gas. Approximately 600 exploratory wells have been drilled in the country whereas the figure for the United States, on a comparable area basis, is 1,500,-000. Exploration has resulted in the discovery of one medium-sized field (Moonie) in Queensland. Oil and gas indications and residual hydrocarbons have been found in several basins in Late Precambrian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata. The island continent is one of the most stable cratonic regions of the world. No major orogeny has affected it since Permian times, the structural history since then being primarily one of epeirogenic movements. Throughout the western two-thirds of the continental mass, no geosynclinal development or extensive orogeny has occurred since the Precambrian. No widespread marine invasions of the western half of the craton have taken place since the Ordovician. A Precambrian craton, exposed throughout most of central and western Australia, forms the nucleus of the continent. Large areas of unmetamorphosed, mildly deformed Late Precambrian sedimentary rocks are an integral part of this craton. Relatively minor additions to the western and southern parts of the continent have occurred through deposition in a series of fringing, partly embayed, partly transient sedimentary basins which have been intermittently negative since the early Paleozoic. East of the exposed Precambrian craton, additions to the continental mass took place during the Paleozoic through deposition in a series of belts which appear to have progressed generally to the north and east with time. Zones of tectonic activity and igneous intrusions occur in broadly similar time and spatial patterns. Sandstones, siltstones and limestones are the predominant lithic types in most of the sedimentary basins; shales, clays and marls are generally subordinate in amount. However, as the basinal facies of most areas are as yet unknown, conclusions based primarily on surface data may be incorrect. Precipitates, other than carbonates, appear generally to be scarce in the continental area. Chlorides and sulphates are present in the Canning-Fitzroy Basin of Western Australia and in the Amadeus trough of the Northern Territory. Major regional unconformities exist in all the major basins. In many places, the sedimentary strata above these discontinuities are arenaceous, a condition usually not conducive to the entrapment of hydrocarbons. Lithic variability does exist throughout the sedimentary section .however, and appreciable numbers of situations exist where entrapment could occur. The conclusion is hardly escapable that stratigraphy will prove to be the key factor in localization of petroleum in most regions. Cenozoic sedimentary rocks are present only in thin sequences on the south and west coasts. Their possible extent and thickness in offshore areas is hardly more than conjectural. Where presently known, they are generally of only poor to moderate quality from the standpoint of oil prospects. Mesozoic formations are also relatively small in area and extent. Fairly thin Cretaceous formations, of moderately favorable to unfavorable facies, occur in the Great Artesian, Murray, and Western Australian basins. Marine Jurassic strata are known in the Perth and Carnarvon basins whereas marine to paralic sequences occur in parts of the Great Artesian basin and in the southern coastal basins of Victoria. Triassic sequences are present in several areas in eastern Australia but, again, the lithofacies are generally unfavorable. Paleozoic sedimentary rocks are widespread. In eastern Australia these sequences possess considerable thickness and variable lithic character but, except for the Permian and part of the Carboniferous, they are commonly altered sufficiently to be judged non-prospective. In central and western Australia, early to middle Paleozoic strata of generally favorable facies are well preserved in several basins. Late Precambrian (Eocambrian) sedimentary sequences are also widespread in central and western Australia. They are partly of favorable lithofacies, are unmetamorphosed to moderately deformed, and demonstrably contain hydrocarbons and an evaporitic sequence in the Amadeus basin. Structural traps abound in the basins but, as yet, the key to petroleum accumulations is unknown. Severe deformation does not appear to be responsible for the apparent absence of hydrocarbons on structures tested to date. Time of folding, on the other hand, may be a significant factor in this respect. Summary: Cenozoic and Mesozoic prospects are generally slight to moderate; they appear to be best offshore on the western continental shelf, in the Torrens and Bass Straits, and possibly in the Timor Sea. Paleozoic prospects are zero to slight in easternmost Australia; they are poor to good in the Paleozoic basins of the Great Artesian region. Lower to middle Paleozoic prospects are moderate to good in the central and western Australian basins and in the southwestern portion of the Great Artesian basin. Late Proterozoic (Eocambrian) prospects are fair to good in a few basins of central and northwestern Australia.


Ivan Minaev (1840-1890) was one of the first great Russian Indologists and students of Buddhism. Between 1874 and 1886, he made three long journeys in which he visited Ceylon, India, Burma and Nepal. Thanks to his profound knowledge of the classic (Sanskrit and Pali) and modern languages of the Indian subcontinent, he had the opportunity not only to read ancient works, but also to meet government and elite figures as well as the people. This paper focuses in particular on Minaev's depiction of Nepal in a series of travel notes such as Ocherki Tsejlona i Indii (Eng. trans. Sketches of Ceylon and India, 1878) and in a number of essays. Aware of the military and ideological clash between England and Russia that was taking place in Central and South Asia, Minaev took an original stance towards the British colonial domination: he supported the need for the Russian government to imitate the British Empire in building important infrastructures (roads, bridges, railways), but, with regard to Nepal, he emphasises the importance of respecting the appalling richness, variety and originality of its languages, religious rites, legends and songs, which are preserved in a much uncontaminated form here than in India.


In the design of fatigue sensitive components, attention is often focused on defining a representative load spectrum that can be used with the fatigue properties of the material to assess the relative merits of a particular design. In practice, these techniques often employ conservative assumptions on the loads and large safety factors on the fatigue properties (e.g. S-N curve) to evaluate successful performance over a design lifetime. While such approaches are usually sufficient there are many examples where successful design against fatigue failure has proven to be a challenging and costly endeavor. In these cases the fatigue problem is complicated by variability in the underlying load environment, the stress response, or shortcomings with the computational techniques employed for fatigue. Successful design against fatigue failure can only be achieved by considering all of these contributions to the fatigue problem and properly modeling the uncertainty in their definition. In this paper a generalized fatigue formulation is presented that includes the effects of the load environment, the stress response given the load environment, and a fatigue failure criterion. Structural reliability techniques are used to determine the relative impact that each underlying variable has on fatigue life and to compute the failure probability. With this information the designer is more informed about critical deficiencies in his design and can take the necessary steps to address them. Proper use of the proposed methodology is demonstrated with suitable examples.


We investigate the effects of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) based organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices by inserting thermally evaporated PTFE films between indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene-sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) layers. Significant improvement in terms of open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and thereby in its commensurate power conversion efficiency is achieved compared to devices with PEDOT:PSS layers. The OPVs performance enhancement is attributed to the formation of an artificial dipole layer resulting from the rich, negatively charged fluorine that facilitates the hole extraction process.


(1) Phoronopsis has been observed to reproduce asexually by transverse division of the body. (2) The division occurs in the muscular region of the body. (8) The detached part is capable of locomotion, and divides a second time below the lophophore, which is thrown off and disintegrates. (4) The remaining part, after moving about freely, develops an anterior projection (epistome ?), a lophophoral ridge, and later an aboral projection. (5) The epidermis of the aboral projection is thrown into a number of folds or involutions, by the unfolding of which it somewhat suddenly increases in length at later stages and assumes the form of a peduncle. (6) The animal then becomes fixed by a mucous secretion at the free end of this peduncle. (7) The whole process, from first division to pedunculate fixed form, occupied fourteen days. (8) The peduncle consists externally of a proliferation of the epidermis of the body and internally of modified cells of the cœlomic epithelium, fatty particles and muscular elements.


Researches of chemical transformation products of diclofenac sodium and glucosamine hydrochloride at their joint presence have been carried out by means of the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Mechanical mixes of substances were investigated before and after technological operations of humidifying and drying. It has been proven that one medicinal substance influences another. The formation of several reaction products during the chemical interaction between diclofenac sodium and glucosamine hydrochloride has been shown.


Thirty-one mongrel female dogs were submitted to a standard lesion on the right uterine horn, consisting of crushing, scratching, and ischemia of the segment. Three groups were formed for the study: control group (GC), experimental group I (G1), and experimental group II (G2). In GC, continuous washing with simple ringer solution was applied during surgery. In G1, heparin was added to the ringer solution at a doses of 100 IU/kg. In G2, in addition to the heparin diluted in the ringer solution, subcutaneous heparin was given at 12 hours intervals for three days, at a doses of 100 IU/kg/doses. The percentage of dogs with pelvic adhesions was determined by laparotomy. Adhesion intensity in the incision and in the pelvis was determined. 100% of dogs in G2 had adhesions in the incision, whereas 66.66% had incision adhesion in GC. There was no statistical difference. All groups presented around 50% of pelvic adhesions. Intensity of pelvic adhesions was not different in the three groups, but G2 had more adhesions than GC, such difference being statistically significant.


Abstract This edited transcript of a conversation with composer Monty Adkins explores a wide range of topics: the fundamental aspects of Adkins' compositional aesthetic, the history and development of his practice, musical influences, considerations of beauty, narrative vs. abstract approaches to composition, types of listening, perceptions of time, notions of the sacred, the imposition (and benefits) of compositional restrictions, the organisation/structuring of non-teleological music, combining electronics with live instruments, and Adkins' relationship with the listener. The conversation took place on 24 February 2017 at the University of Huddersfield, during the annual Electric Spring festival. Audio of the complete, three-hour conversation can be downloaded and streamed at http://5against4.com/2017/04/18/the-dialogues-monty-adkins/.


Background: Current studies examining the effects of high concentrations of red blood cell (RBC) or serum folates assume that high folate concentrations are an indicator of high folic acid intakes, often ignoring the contributions of other homeostatic and biological processes, such as kidney function. Objective: The current study examined the relative contributions of declining kidney function, as measured by the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and usual total folic acid intake on the concentrations of RBC folate and serum folate (total as well as individual folate forms). Design: Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected in 2-year cycles were combined from 2011 to 2018. A total of 18,127 participants aged ≥16 years with available folate measures, kidney biomarker data (operationalized as a categorical CKD risk variable describing the risk of progression), and reliable dietary recall data were analyzed. Results: RBC folate concentrations increased as CKD risk increased: low risk, 1089 (95% CI: 1069, 1110) nmol/L; moderate risk, 1189 (95% CI: 1158, 1220) nmol/L; high risk, 1488 (95% CI: 1419, 1561) nmol/L; and highest risk, 1443 (95% CI: 1302, 1598) nmol/L (p < 0.0001). Similarly, serum total folate concentrations increased as CKD risk increased: low risk: 37.1 (95% CI: 26.3, 38.0) nmol/L; moderate risk: 40.2 (95% CI: 38.8, 41.7) nmol/L; high risk: 48.0 (95% CI: 44.3, 52.1) nmol/L; the highest Risk: 42.8 (95% CI: 37.8, 48.4) nmol/L (p < 0.0001). The modeled usual intake of folic acid showed no difference among CKD risk groups, with a population median of 225 (interquartile range: 108–390) µg/day. Conclusion: Both RBC and serum folate concentrations increased with declining kidney function without increased folic acid intake. When analyzing associations between folate concentrations and disease outcomes, researchers may want to consider the confounding role of kidney function.


Tunicamycin is a new antiviral antibiotic produced by Streptomyces lysosuperificus, nov. sp. The active substance in culture broth is purified by solvent extraction followed by chromatography on silicic acid. It has a mole- cular weight of about 870. The antibiotic is active against animal and plant viruses, Gram-positive bacteria, yeast and fungi. Tunicamycin is similar in some properties to a few known antibiotics but differs from them in certain special characteristics.


In this paper, based on the new concept air power of pneumatic system's energy consumption, we proposed series of practical program to optimize the air supply system. This program discussed a method of how to keep air pressure stable and how to make the amount of air compressors to match the real-time air consumption after using different air pressure for different devices, thus reducing energy loss of air supply system and energy consumption of air compressor group. The result of present work implied that this program achieved the desired effect of energy saving and provided a reference for energy-saving pneumatic system's design.


Adenosine monophosphate deaminase (AMPD; EC 18.104.22.168) catalyses the hydrolysis of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to commensurate amounts of inosine monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia. The production of AMP deaminase in Candida albicans was measured in Lee's medium grown cultures. The highest AMPD activity was observed at 24 h of growth. The enzyme had an optimum pH and temperature at 6-7 and 28 degrees C, respectively. This enzyme was inhibited under iron-limited growth conditions as well as by protease inhibitors. The AMPD of C. albicans showed a moderate increase in activity when cultures were grown in the presence of the divalent cations Mg2+, Ca2+, and Zn2+. Moreover, ADP, ATP, adenine, adenosine, deoxyribose and hypoxanthine increased the enzyme activity. Cultures grown in trypticase soy broth exhibited maximum AMPD activity compared with those grown in Sabouraud dextrose broth or Lee's medium.


Silicosis remains a common occupational respiratory disease. Even in this era of highly sophisticated hygiene in European countries, new occupational cases of silicosis continue to be reported. Four cases of silicosis which developed after a relatively short occupational exposure to respirable silica among the members of one family are described. Four young men worked illegally abroad in mining in one of European countries. All of them were employed together in the same working conditions. One of the brothers died due to the acute form of the disease (lipoproteinosis). Two of the brothers suffered from simple nodular silicosis, and the fourth brother developed very early nodular silicosis and small airway dust disease. A one year follow-up revealed moderate/severe worsening of the disease in all surviving brothers.


The effect of a mixture of natural phospholipids applied as substrate on filter paper on in vitro germination of tomato seeds of three varieties (Amalia, Campbell 28 and Vita) was evaluated. In all cases, an inducing effect on the radicular growth of seedlings derived from newly germinated seeds, given by lengths of radicles significantly higher in treated groups compared to controls were showed. Althought hypocotyles maxims longitudes were higher in this group with respect to control, no statistical difference in this growth indicator were evidenced. There was not homogeneous behavior in terms of percentages of germination. These results demonstrate the potential use of these compounds as inducers of radicles growth plant and are the first obtained in Cuba on the exogenous application of phospholipids as roots bio-stimulants, opening a new way to study the biological roles of these biomolecules and its exogenous application in economic and social impact crops.


The time of delivering the embedded system solution to market is very important, because of the highly competitive market and demand of the consumer needs. In Real Time Operating System (RTOS) based embedded systems, the overall correctness of the embedded system depends on logically correct output within the specified time. Developing, testing and debugging of an RTOS based embedded system takes lots of time. The virtual platform provides the great advantage in developing, testing and debugging the RTOS based embedded system. This work describes the design and development of a reconfigurable virtual platform for real-time kernel. Eclipse IDE platform, NXP LPC-2129 target, OpenOCD have been chosen to develop this reconfigurable virtual platform for real-time kernels. For the selected target, GNU Toolchain has been configured as a plug-in in Eclipse IDE for both Windows and Linux to get own virtual platform. The μC/OS-II Board Support Package and the virtual timer for gdb debugger to support selected target has been developed and added in this virtual platform. This virtual platform facilitates the reconfiguration of the various RTOS such as μC/OS-II, DrRTOS and AVX. From the implementation of this design framework on real system, it can be concluded that the virtual platform increases the efficiency of the RTOS based applications. It gives the single solution for the developers to develop, execute, test, debug and verify the applications for various RTOS in a shorter span of time and with substantial reduction of developmental cost.


[1] Seismic reflection profile data are used to determine the stratigraphic "architecture" of the flexural moat that flanks the Cape Verde Islands. The moat region is characterized by upward of 1–2 km of poorly to well-stratified material. The two lowermost units thicken from west to east and are attributed to sediment loading and flexure at the nearby West Africa continental margin during Early Cretaceous to early Miocene. The two uppermost units, in contrast, thicken concentrically around the islands and are attributed to the infilling of a flexural moat that formed by volcanic loading since the early Miocene. Flexure modeling shows that the thickness of the moat infill cannot be explained only by surface loading and requires that the downward flexure due to surface loads is opposed by an upward acting subsurface load. The best fit combined surface and buried loading model is for an elastic thickness, Te, of 29 km, a load and infill density of 2700 kg m−3, and a ratio of surface to subsurface loads, f, of 0.2. These results are in accord with spectral studies of free-air gravity anomaly and topography data based on the admittance technique. The subsurface loads are spatially limited to the islands and their submarine flanks. Nevertheless, they are associated with a broad regional uplift of up to ∼400 m. The uplift is large enough to explain why the moat infill is generally tilted away from, rather than toward, the islands. The uplift is too small, however, to account for the height of the swell, upon which the Cape Verde Islands are superimposed. The origin of the Cape Verde swell is not known. However, a normal Te and a modest heat flow anomaly suggest that the swell cannot be fully explained by uplift due to thermal reheating of the lithosphere by an underlying "hot spot" and that other, deep-seated, mantle processes must be involved.


We recently reported the identification of EFA6 (exchange factor for ARF6), a brain-specific Sec7-domain-containing guanine nucleotide exchange factor that works specifically on ARF6. Here, we have characterized the product of a broadly expressed gene encoding a novel 1056 amino-acid protein that we have named EFA6B. We show that EFA6B, which contains a Sec7 domain that is highly homologous to EFA6, works as an ARF6-specific guanine exchange factor in vitro. Like EFA6, which will be referred to as EFA6A from now on, EFA6B is involved in membrane recycling and colocalizes with ARF6 in actin-rich membrane ruffles and microvilli-like protrusions on the dorsal cell surface in transfected baby hamster kidney cells. Strikingly, homology between EFA6A and EFA6B is not limited to the Sec7 domain but extends to an adjacent pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and a approximately 150 amino-acid C-terminal region containing a predicted coiled coil motif. Association of EFA6A with membrane ruffles and microvilli-like structures depends on the PH domain, which probably interacts with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate. Moreover, we show that overexpression of the PH domain/C-terminal region of EFA6A or EFA6B in the absence of the Sec7 domain promotes lengthening of dorsal microvillar protrusions. This morphological change requires the integrity of the coiled-coil motif. Lastly, database analysis reveals that the EFA6-family comprises at least four members in humans and is conserved in multicellular organisms throughout evolution. Our results suggest that EFA6 family guanine exchange factors are modular proteins that work through the coordinated action of the catalytic Sec7 domain to promote ARF6 activation, through the PH domain to regulate association with specific subdomains of the plasma membrane and through the C-terminal region to control actin cytoskeletal reorganization.


BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Preoperative evaluation is important in the detection of patients at risk for difficult tracheal intubation. Thyromental distance (TMD) is often used for these purposes, but its value as an indicator for difficult intubation is questionable, as it varies with patient size and body proportions. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare the accuracies of the Ratio of Patient's Height to TMD (ratio of height to TMD=RHTMD), with TMD and Modified Mallampati classification (MP) in the prediction of difficult tracheal intubation. OBJECTIVE: This study is an attempt in finding an airway index by making simple measurements to anticipate difficult airway and compare RHTMD with TMD and MP classification for predicting difficult airway. METHODS: 170 apparently normal ASA I & II patients who were undergoing elective surgeries under General Anaesthesia (GA) were included in the study. The MP, TMD and RHTMD were determined in each patient preoperatively and Cormack – Lehane (CL) grading was assessed during laryngoscopy. TMD ≤6.5cm, RHTMD >25 and MP class III & IV were considered difficult intubation; these values were compared with CL grading. CL grade III&IV were considered as difficult intubation. The optimal predictive value was chosen using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The areas under the ROC curves (AUC) of TMD and RHTMD were compared to determine the performance of the different predictive tests used. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of each of the predictive tests were calculated according to standard formulae. RESULTS: Difficult intubation occurred in 6 out of 170 patients (3.5%) in the study. The sensitivity of Modified Mallampati classification was 33.3% and specificity was 90.8%. The test has a positive predictive value of 11.7%, negative predictive value of 97.3% and overall accuracy of 88.8%. The sensitivity of TMD was 33.3% and specificity was 79.2%. The test has a positive predictive value of 5.5%, negative predictive value of 97% and overall accuracy of 77.6%. The sensitivity of RHTMD was 83.3% and specificity was 97.5%. The test has a positive predictive value of 55.5%, negative predictive value of 99.3% and overall accuracy of 97%. In our study the Area Under Curve (AUC) of RHTMD was 0.87, it is significantly higher than TMD (0.184) and MP test (0.726), indicating a more accurate prediction of RHTMD.A p value was calculated based on AUC, it shows that RHTMD had a higher and significantly better predictive value than MP classification and TMD with p value of 0.028. CONCLUSION: The Ratio of Height to Thyromental Distance has a better predictive value than Thyromental Distance and Modified mallampati classification. Ratio of Height to Thyromental Distance may represent a useful means of achieving a faster, simpler and more accurate predictor of difficult airway. DOI: 10.18410/jebmh/2015/1009


This review aims to provide the reader with an update on the present and potential clinical applications in Doppler ultrasound in perinatalmedicine. Umbilical artery Doppler plays an important role in the management of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and pre-eclampsiaand aids in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome management while notching in the waveform is a predictor of umbilical cord abnormalities.Middle cerebral artery Doppler reliably detects fetal anemia and may be useful in the assessment of IUGR as well. Abnormal uterine arteryDoppler may play a role in predicting growth restriction, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and preterm delivery. Abnormal ductusvenosus waveforms can also be used to predict adverse fetal outcome and may allow for better timing of delivery while umbilical venouspulsations may be a sensitive marker for fetal heart failure in hydropic pregnancies. 3D power Doppler allows better small vessel visualizationthat is not affected by angle of insonation and has been used to diagnose placental and cord abnormalities. Significant improvements haverecently occurred, improving the visualization and evaluation of placental vascularity, resulting from enhancements in delineation of tissuedetail through electronic compounding and harmonics as well as enhancements in signal processing of frequency- and/or amplitude-basedcolor Doppler ultrasound. Spatial representation of vascularity can be improved by utilizing 3D processing. Greater sensitivity of 3D Dopplerultrasound to macro- and microvascular flow has provided improved anatomic and physiologic assessment throughout pregnancy. Therapid development of these new ultrasound techniques will continue to enlarge the scope of clinical applications in placental studies. Asclinical experience with these new technologies increases and as the technology improves further, it is reasonable to expect that 3D Dopplerand 4D ultrasound will be complementary addition to well-established 2D Doppler ultrasound imaging.


UNLABELLED
Eighteen patients (12 female) with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) treated from 1982-2001 were studied. Mean duration of patients' symptoms prior to diagnosis was 13.5 months, and mean age 41.2. Lung biopsy confirmed WG in 5 patients, nasal biopsy was made in 12, endobronchial in 3. In 11 of 14 patients cANCAs were found. Prednisone and 2 mg/kg/day doses of oral cyclophosphamide were used to treat 17 patients, prednisone was used alone for 1. Patients with severe symptoms were given i.v. 'pulse' methylprednisolone. Mean duration of treatment was 34.8 months and of follow-up, 71.9 months. A total of 4 patients died: 3 from complete renal failure. Four patients still undergo treatment, improving markedly. Complete remission was achieved in 6 patients. A total of 3 patients relapsed and are recently treated. In another one chronic renal failure developed. Three of them had moderate symptoms at diagnosis but were treated inadequately.

IN CONCLUSION
manifestation of WG and severity of symptoms may be different among patients. ANCA is not universally present in all patients with WG. The absence of ANCA does not exclude WG diagnosis. Complete remission can be achieved in WG patients, including the severely ill, if adequate therapy is given. Moderate symptoms at presentation do not justify less intensive treatment.


The zirconia-yttrium aluminum garnet (Zr–YAG) long fibers were successfully prepared through sol-gel method following by sintering at 1000°C, with aluminum powder, yttria, zirconium oxychloride and aluminum chloride as raw materials and polyvinylpyrrolidone as spinning additive. YAG phase was only observed in the fibers with smooth surface after sintering at 1000°C for 2 hours. However, a rough surface with an average grain size of 2 μm could appear when gel fibers were sintered at 1400°C for 6 hours. Calculated from Kissinger equation, the crystallization activation energy value (Ea) of Zr–YAG fibers was 59.69 kJ/mol. The Ea value is lower than YAG crystallization values by other authors.


Decrease in process yield in acid copper plating is usually attributed to the great number of items that should be controlled. Consequently, we focused our study on the IrO2/Ti insoluble anode that neither changes in size nor forms black films, and evaluated various changes in the acid copper plating solution for via-filling. From our evaluation, we found that highly pure CuO, which has a very high dissolution rate, was suitable as the salt for supplying copper ions. However, its addition increased the volumes of dissolved oxygen and organic impurities, respectively causing decomposition of a part of the additives and decreasing the via-filling performance. On the other hand, neutral diaphragms for anodes to prevent decomposition of the additives, and activated carbon treatment against the increase in the impurities were found to be effective remedies.


The Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS) includes variables related to travel for clinicians to fill when notifying travel-associated infections. We measured the completeness and validated the travel-history information for salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, giardiasis and shigellosis reported in 2009-2010. Of all 8,978 selected infections in MSIS, 8,122 (91%) were reported with place of infection of which 5,236 (65%) were notified as acquired abroad, including 5,017 with symptoms. Of these, 2,972 (59%) notifications had information on both date of arrival in Norway and date of symptom onset, so time between travel and illness onset could be assessed. Taking in account the incubation period, of the 1,435 infections reported as travel-associated and for which symptom onset occurred after return to Norway, 1,404 (98%) would have indeed been acquired abroad. We found a high level of completeness for the variable 'place of infection'. Our evaluation suggests that the validity of this information is high. However, incomplete data in the variables 'return date to Norway' and 'date of symptoms onset', only allowed assessment of the biological plausibility of being infected abroad for 59% of the cases. We encourage clinicians to report more complete travel information. High quality information on travel-associated gastrointestinal infections is crucial for understanding trends in domestic and imported cases and evaluating implemented control measures.


cAMP receptor protein (CRP), allosterically activated by cAMP, regulates the expression of several genes in Escherichia coli. As binding of cAMP leads to undefined conformational changes in CRP, we performed a steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence study to show how the binding of the ligand influences the structure and dynamics of the protein. We used CRP mutants containing a single tryptophan residue at position 85 or 13, and fluorescently labeled with 1,5-I-AEDANS attached to Cys178. Binding of cAMP in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex leads to changes in the Trp13 microenvironment, whereas its binding in the CRP-(cAMP)4 complex alters the surroundings of Trp85. Time-resolved anisotropy measurements indicated that cAMP binding in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex led to a substantial increase in the rotational mobility of the Trp13 residue. Measurement of fluorescence energy transfer (FRET) between labeled Cys178 and Trp85 showed that the binding of cAMP in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex caused a substantial increase in FRET efficiency. This indicates a decrease in the distance between the two domains of the protein from 26.6 A in apo-CRP to 18.7 A in the CRP-(cAMP)2 complex. The binding of cAMP in the CRP-(cAMP)4 complex resulted in only a very small increase in FRET efficiency. The average distance between the two domains in CRP-DNA complexes, possessing lac, gal or ICAP sequences, shows an increase, as evidenced by the increase in the average distance between Cys178 and Trp85 to approximately 20 A. The spectral changes observed provide new structural information about the cAMP-induced allosteric activation of the protein.


Abstract Objectives Rheum ribes L. is a perennial plant that belongs to the family of Polygonaceae, which is often used in traditional therapy because it possesses many bioactivities, such as antioxidant and antibacterial ones. Here we examined the effect of different R. ribes L. extracts on oxidative stress in experimental diabetic rats. Methods Thirty-six rats were divided into six groups as follows: group I, control group; group II, diabetic rats; group III, diabetic rats treated with the aqueous extract of R. ribes L. by gavage at 50 mg/kg for 15 days; group IV, diabetic rats treated by gavage with the ethanolic extract of R. ribes L. at 50 mg/kg for 15 days; group V, nondiabetic rats treated by gavage with the aqueous extract of R. ribes L. at 50 mg/kg for 15 days; group VI, nondiabetic rats treated by gavage with the ethanol extract of R. ribes L. at 50 mg/kg for 15 days. After 15 days, the animals were sacrificed and the liver and kidney tissues of each animal were isolated. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the tissue samples were measured, and histopathologic examination was carried out. Results R. ribes L. was effective in reducing the oxidative stress and increasing the levels of the antioxidant enzymes. Increased levels of MDA and decreased levels of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px were observed in both the liver and kidney tissues in group II. Decreased levels of MDA and increased levels of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px were observed in group III compared with group II. In group IV, decreased levels of MDA and increased levels of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px were observed in comparison with group II. Conclusions Diabetes increases oxidative stress and causes a decrease in antioxidant enzyme levels. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of R. ribes L. decrease oxidative stress activity and increase the levels of antioxidant enzymes. The ethanol extract of R. ribes L. has a higher antioxidant effect than the aqueous extract.


Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV are major health concerns worldwide and most infections are found in Africa and Asia. Due to shared modes of transmission, the three viral infections are found as co-infections in areas the three viruses are endemic. In Kenya, most studies performed have been among blood donors, however, among individuals seeking medical care, consensus on their prevalence has not been reached. There are ten known HBV genotypes (A-J) geographically distributed worldwide. However, there is limited information on their prevalence, distribution and clinical significance in Kenya. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of HBV HBsAg marker, antibodies of HCV and HIV among patients attending liver clinic of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and to determine the HBV genotype(s) circulating among this population. This was a cross-sectional study. Participants filled a questionnaire sheet for collection of bio-data, socioeconomic data and medical history. Blood was drawn from the patients for serology of HBsAg, HCV-Ab and HIV-Ab. HBV genotypes on positive samples were determined using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The data was tabulated using Microsoft excel and statistically analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 software. A total of 181, 108 males and 73 females patients were recruited, from July 2009 to March 2010. The prevalence of HBsAg, HCV-Ab and HIV-Ab were found to be 27.6%, 2.21% and 11.6% respectively. Co-infection prevalence was 3.9% and 0.5% for HBV/HIV and HBV/HCV respectively. HBV/HCV and HBV/HCV/HIV co-infections were absent. HBV genotype D was the most prevalent (80%) and then genotype A (20%). There was significant association between HBV and gender with males being more infected than females (χ2, p=0.008) and between HBV and HIV and/or both infections with age, marital status, and alcohol consumption (χ2, p<0.05). Awareness of HBV and HCV was low (23.7%) compared to HIV (76.2%). HBV vaccination among adults was rare, with 94% not vaccinated. In conclusion,prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV and their co-infections among patients attending the liver clinic of Kenyatta National Hospital were found to be higher compared to other studies. HBV genotype D was prevalent among this population unlike HBV genotype A that is common among blood donors. Public health education programs and adult hepatitis B vaccination programs should be promoted in the country in order to target the risk group.


Objective: We examined the relationship between urinary pentosidine concentration and vascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes in order to investigate the pathophysiological roles of pentosidine. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 119 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. The correlation of urinary pentosidine concentration with age, diabetes duration, HbA1c and blood glucose levels was investigated. Urinary pentosidine concentration was compared between patients with and without diabetic microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy), and macrovascular disease. Results: Urinary pentosidine concentration showed a significant positive correlation with age and duration of diabetes. However, it did not correlate with HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and postprandial plasma glucose. Patients with diabetic retinopathy showed a significantly higher urinary pentosidine concentration than those without retinopathy. On the other hand, urinary pentosidine concentration did not differ between patients with and without nephropathy, neuropathy, and macrovascular diseases. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that age, body mass index, and retinopathy were independent determinants of urinary pentosidine concentration. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that urinary pentosidine concentration and duration of diabetes were independent determinants of diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion: Urinary pentosidine might have significance as a novel biomarker of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.


The high biodiversity of the Mexican montane forests is concentrated on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, where several Protected Natural Areas exist. Our study examines the projected changes in suitable climatic habitat for five conifer species that dominate these forests. The species are distributed sequentially in overlapping altitudinal bands: Pinus hartwegii at the upper timberline, followed by Abies religiosa, the overwintering host of the Monarch butterfly at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, P. pseudostrobus, the most important in economic terms, and P. devoniana and P. oocarpa, which are important for resin production and occupy low altitudes where montane conifers merge with tropical dry forests. We fit a bioclimatic model to presence-absence observations for each species using the Random Forests classification tree with ground plot data. The models are driven by normal climatic variables from 1961-1990, which represents the reference period for climate-induced vegetation changes. Climate data from an ensemble of 17 general circulation models were run through the classification tree to project current distributions under climates described by the RCP 6.0 watts/m2 scenario for the decades centered on years 2030, 2060 and 2090. The results suggest that, by 2060, the climate niche of each species will occur at elevations that are between 300 to 500 m higher than at present. By 2060, habitat loss could amount to 46 to 77%, mostly affecting the lower limits of distribution. The two species at the highest elevation, P. hartwegii and A. religiosa, would suffer the greatest losses while, at the lower elevations, P. oocarpa would gain the most niche space. Our results suggest that conifers will require human assistance to migrate altitudinally upwards in order to recouple populations with the climates to which they are adapted. Traditional in situ conservation measures are likely to be equivalent to inaction and will therefore be incapable of maintaining current forest compositions.


– Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) architectures have been increasingly well-known for image processing applications such as object detection, and remote sensing. Some applications like these systems need to adopt CNN methods for real-time implementation. Embedded devices like Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) technologies are a favorable alternative to implementing CNN-based algorithms. However, FPGA has some drawbacks such as limited resources and bottlenecks, it is difficult and so crucial to map the whole CNN that has a high number of layers, on FPGA without any optimization. Therefore, hardware optimization techniques are compulsory. In this study, an FPGA-based CNN architecture using high-level synthesis (HLS) is demonstrated, and a synthesis report is created for Xilinx Zynq-7000 xc7z020-clg484-1 target FPGAs. By implementing the CNN architecture on an FPGA platform, the implemented architecture has been fastened. To improve the throughput, the proposed design is optimized for convolutional layers. The most important contribution of this study is to perform optimization on the convolution layer by unrolling kernels and input feature maps and examine the effects on throughput, latency, and hardware resources. In this study, throughput is 15.6 GOP/s for the first convolution layer. With the proposed method in the study, approximately x2.6 acceleration in terms of latency and throughput was achieved compared to the baseline design.


The article presents multi-contour position vehicle control system ensuring astaticism and adaptive tuning of parameters. Positioning of the controlled object in a pre-defined point is considered. In the first contour the control action is calculated to provide the desired dynamics of the closed-loop system with astaticism of the second order. The second control contour performs tuning of the parameters according to the known algorithms of searchless adaptation using the reference models. An algorithm is proposed resulting in pre-set values of the characteristic equation of the tuned system. The first and the second contours of the control system compensate the external disturbances and adapt to parametric disturbances. The third contour performs tuning of the reference model that makes it possible to change the requirements to the closed-loop system depending on whether the system satisfies the limitations on control actions. When the limitations on the amplitude of control actions are reached, the system increases the time constants of the reference control. Stability of the closed-loop system was analyzed using the Lyapunov functions method. The proposed control algorithms are demonstrated using an example of a vehicle described by equations of solid body kinematics and dynamics. In the equations of dynamics the resisting forces are accounted. The disturbances are presented in a form of linear functions of time. The presented modeling results confirm the correctness of the theoretical conclusions.


Meaning making in new media presents new opportunities and challenges for those working in formal and informal educational contexts. How this impacts on a literacy curriculum that attempts both to deliver 'the basics' and to respond to new technology demands careful exploration. This paper examines what we mean by digital literacy and how it differs from traditional print literacy, identifying some key priorities for literacy educators. Drawing on the work of Gee, Kress and Lankshear and Knobel, it maps the field of digital literacy and locates areas for research and development. A discussion of the significant changes in materiality and textual form is followed by an exploration of the concept of critical digital literacy. The paper concludes with an overview of future trends in digital communication, which suggest that written representation will continue to be important and that digital literacy will continue to develop distinct registers.


Like all viruses, hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and pathogenesis depends on the critical interplay between viral and host factors. In this review, we will focus on the recent progress in understanding the virus–host interactions at the level of the infected cell. These interactions include the requirement of cellular chaperones for the initiation of HBV reverse transcription, the role of the HBV X protein (HBx) in modifying viral and cellular transcription and signaling, the formation of the HBV episomal DNA and its epigenetic regulation in viral persistence, and the cellular factors involved in viral entry, nucleocapsid maturation, and virion secretion. J. Cell. Physiol. 216: 289–294, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


ABSTRACT The fluorogenic TaqMan reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay was developed for detecting each of the dengue virus (DV) types 1 to 4. DV genome was detected in all the 35 serum samples from confirmed dengue cases by the TaqMan RT-PCR, although it was not detected in 13 and 21% by conventional type-specific and cross-reactive RT-PCR, respectively.


Weakly ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles can assemble spontaneously into nanosized "bracelets" when dispersed in organic solvents containing resorcinarenes as surfactants. Bracelet self-assembly occurs in solution and is directed by magnetic dipolar interactions, whereas nanoparticle rings with larger diameters are produced by evaporation-driven flow on wetted surfaces.


Immunosuppression can allow organisms that are not usually pathogenetic to cause disease; under such circumstances, Aspergillus species frequently form large masses of fungal elements. We describe the case of a 12-year-old girl with hematologic remission of leukemia. She had a left ventricular pedunculated mass that was detected by echocardiographic study; at surgery, the presence of Aspergillus terreus was confirmed.


Shielding analysis of an early design of Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) has been carried out by using the Monte Carlo code MCBEND. The issues of concern were damage to the core barrel and the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), activation of the core barrel, RPV, top plate and bottom plate, and also burn-up of boron in the control layer underneath the core. The analysis below the core was complicated due to the presence of the de-fuelling chute, which meant that multiplication had to be taken into account. The analysis of boron burn-up was particularly challenging and was tackled using a combination of MCBEND and the criticality code MONK in the depletion mode. The application of MCBEND to the shielding analysis of the PBMR is described, with particular attention being paid to the regions below the core.


This book describes a comparative zakat management, especially going to explain about the government's fiscal policy part of Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam on development programs and poverty reduction with charity instruments in both countries. For the sake of economy, zakat distributed for the mustahik poverty alleviation. Even the results of this research will test the theory of "income distribution" in the form of direct cash assistance in the form of money, materials, or other objects that are consumptive, and compared with the economic aid in the form of zakat that is productive. In addition, this book has an important meaning to analyse the effectiveness of the management of zakat by the government through regulation and the establishment of zakat management institutions.


We have realized a polymeric 1 to 2 electro-optic switch based on an asymmetric X-coupler exhibiting two complementary outputs at the exit of the device. A switching voltage of 14V and an extinction ratio of 12dB were obtained at a wavelength of 1.32μn.