With the constant increase in smartphone sales, integrated sensors have become available to the average user. This allows for mobile applications to utilise the user's context to provide more accurate information. The popularity of smartphones also attract developers to create audio functionalities that have earlier been restricted to calling interfaces. There is an increasing interest for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) services aimed at everyday tasks, where Apple's release of SIRI is a good example of a system that has contributed to the gained popularity. This report describes TaleTUC, a proof of concept system for the domain of bus route information. TaleTUC uses ASR combined with context-awareness through Case-based Reasoning (CBR), to recognise spoken bus stop names. It is built on a client-server architecture, where the TABuss (Marcussen and Eliassen, 2011) Android application has been extended to operate as a client. As a TaleTUC client, TABuss uses speech as input to its main query functionality, which provides bus route suggestions through BusTUC and AtB's real-time system. Three modules have been developed server-side, where one is used for ASR, and the two others are used for context-awareness. Testing of the three modules combined showed improved results compared to the ASR module alone, which indicates that context-awareness is a suitable technology to combine with ASR.


Responses to adrenergic nerve stimulation and norepinephrine administered i.a. were elicited in the acutely denervated perfused hindpaw of the dog. During the i.a. infusion of 1-Sar-8-Ala-angiotensin II (P-113), 3.2 µg/min, angiotensin II(0.8 µg/min) exerted only a slight vasoconstrictor effect in the paw and failed to potentiate the responses to nerve stimulation or norepinephrine. After allowing approximately 68 minutes for the effect of P-113 to dissipate, angiotensin, 0.8 µg/min, produced potentiation of the responses to nerve stimulation and exogenously administered norepinephrine. The angiotensin blocking agent, P-113, therefore, very effectively interferes with the adrenergic action of angiotensin as well as its direct effect in the hindpaw. The blocking effect of P-113 on the direct vasoconstrictor effect of angiotensin also was examined in the acutely denervated perfused hindlimb muscle of the dog. Administration of P-113 resulted in a 70 to 80% reduction of the vasoconstrictor action of angiotensin in the muscle bed. The results indicate that the antagonist can produce a comparable bockade of the adrenergic and direct vasoconstrictor actions of angiotensin II in the dog when given at 4 times the dose of the agonist.


The effects of imposed external stimuli on the pattern retrieval properties of attractor neural networks with highly diluted Hebb synapses are examined. It is shown that at intermediate stimulus strength enhanced retrieval results, even above the storage capacity of the unstimulated network. Sequences of networks can lead to further improvement.


This paper explores and compares the loyalty strategies used by the 'Big Four' retail banks in South Africa through an analysis of the relevant documents of the banks. It was ascertained that every loyalty program has its own unique characteristics by way of design and structure, and members are rewarded according to the business and behavioral rules which the program intends to drive. Although the 'earn and spend' strategies are important in that they reflect the purpose and value propositions of the program, all loyalty programmes are not created equally. South African banks should move away from product selling to customer-centric need fulfillment and find ways to make their customer loyalty programs more engaging through product customization and tiering, since transaction-based rewards will encourage greater use of personal accounts, thus driving further loyalty. Furthermore, loyalty programs must be innovative so as to ensure that the multi-channels used by retail banking customers offer high customer experience. Banks also need to effectively use 'big data' to identify who their best customers are and provide them with enhanced offerings that will keep them loyal.


The present work was designed to estimate changes in the quality of the equilibrium function (QEF) and dynamic stabilization indices (DSI) of the vertical position of the body in comparison with the traditional stabilometric characteristics (the length and the area of statokinesigram, mean radius of body deviation, average linear centre of foot pressure displacement velocity). The computed stabilometric technique was used to study the equilibrium function in the patients (n=133) presenting with otorhinolaryngological problems and requiring the surgical treatment. It was shown that selected stabilometric characteristics (such as QEF and DSI) may be useful for control of the efficacy of the treatment of surgical patients; moreover, they can be applied to the evaluation of dynamics of the patients' health status during the postoperative period.


Yemen is one developing country in the Middle East, which suffers from housing shortage. Unprecedented rapid urban growth coupled with lack of infrastructure has led to the problem of housing shortage for the low-income group in Sana'a, the capital city of Yemen. Consequently, informal housing patterns are observed clearly in some sectors of the city. The low-income group has built this kind of housing urgently and in some cases immediately as the final and only solution, yielding serious implications on the quality and safety of the houses. The overriding objective of this study was to identify the significant factors, which have influenced the construction cost of housing in Sana'a to resolve the housing shortage for the low-income group. Specific objectives have included determining the factors causing housing shortage for low-income group in Sana'a; justifying the significant factors influencing the cost of low-cost housing; and recommending to relevant authorities in Yemen to improve housing policies to mitigate the housing shortage in Sana'a. An important contribution of this study is the analysis of the construction cost of housing for the first time through the use of the Hedonic Regression Model (HRM). Two different survey questionnaires were used to achieve the study objectives. The first was to examine the requirements of low-income group, while the second was to analyze the feedbacks from professionals attached to relevant housing agencies in Sana'a. Statistical analyses using the descriptive statistics - Chi- Square tests, T-tests, ANOVA,and HRM analysis were carried out to study the difference in the variables used. HRM for housing was developed and used to analyze the physical characteristics of location;characteristics of building - materials, finishing works and construction methods; and other external factors related to the choice of these characteristics. This study has concluded that most householders were not satisfied with the quality of houses and associated services. They preferred to own new houses but could not afford to do so as obtaining financial assistance or loans have been difficult. In this context,the study has determined that the households wanted to get housing loan with at least 25 years installments. The analysis of professionals' questionnaire has concluded that the significant factors causing the shortage of low-cost housing were high cost of housing,poor handling of available economic resources, lack of legislation policy on housing,and lack of organization and co-ordination of activities related to housing. Reinforced concrete frame structure was regarded as the best construction method and concrete blocks for internal and external walls as the best materials to build low-cost housing in Sana'a. Significant factors affecting construction cost of housing in Sana'a included cost of land, cement and steel. Other factors influencing the shortage of low cost housing included economic condition and uncertainly in foreign exchange,construction materials availability in the market, and unstable political situations. The most important factor, related to construction method, and could also affect the construction cost of housing in Sana'a, was the concrete frame structure. This study has significantly contributed to the housing industry. Firstly, it has employed HRM as a new tool in the field of housing economic to analyze cost of housing characteristics. Secondly, it has formulated valuable housing policies to be implemented by authorities in Yemen.


This paper examines the role of the Lesotho Water Resources Act of 1978 in national development. The paper concludes that the act could be very effective in promoting equitable and efficient use of water resources in the country if it is properly implemented. However, effective implementation of the act is hampered by the lack of fiscal resources, especially those involving personnel, transportation, and hardware for the office of water rights. Some of the strategies to increase the effectiveness of the act include strengthening the enforcement capability of the office of water affairs and educating the population about the implications of the act. Also, the act must be integrated into an overall rural development strategy to be effective.


Avoidance of apoptosis is critical for the development and sustained growth of tumors. The pro-survival protein myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) is an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins which is overexpressed in many cancers. Upregulation of Mcl-1 in human cancers is associated with high tumor grade, poor survival, and resistance to chemotherapy. Therefore, pharmacological inhibition of Mcl-1 is regarded as an attractive approach to treating relapsed or refractory malignancies. Herein, we disclose the design, synthesis, optimization, and early preclinical evaluation of a potent and selective small-molecule inhibitor of Mcl-1. Our exploratory design tactics focused on structural modifications which improve the potency and physicochemical properties of the inhibitor while minimizing the risk of functional cardiotoxicity. Despite being in the "non-Lipinski" beyond-Rule-of-Five property space, the developed compound benefits from exquisite oral bioavailability in vivo and induces potent pharmacodynamic inhibition of Mcl-1 in a mouse xenograft model.


In Roman literature, Troy appears as a locus memoriae on several occasions. As a locus memoriae is an image of a location's past state, it inevitably recalls that past state's absence in the present. Troy as a literary locus memoriae recalls its own present absence, that it is only a ruin, or – according to Lucan – even less than a ruin. In this context, a literary phenomenon, i. e. the depiction of Troy being the equivalent of the absence of/or the grief for the loss of something or somebody can later be traced in the Roman poetry. Catullus, mourning his brother's death at Troy, calls the city the common grave (commune sepulcrum) of Asia and Europe in his carmen 68. Regarding Troy, several complex allusions can be noticed in Vergil's Aeneid recalling both Catullus 68 and 101, the two poems that are in both thematic and intertextual connection with each other. The purpose of the present study is to examine – by means of analysing the above mentioned intertexts – what kind of special locus memoriae Troy becomes in the Aeneid. This will be of crucial importance to observe the way Troy later appears in Lucan's Bellum Civile.


This innovative Research Agenda critically reflects on the state of the art and offers inspiration for future higher education research across a variety of geographical, disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. It explores the impact of Covid-19, and the need to re-engage with the Global South and reconsider conventional paradigms and assumptions. Leading international contributors address a set of salient issues, ranging from research on macro-level themes to meso and micro-level phenomena. © Jeroen Huisman and Marijk van der Wende 2022.


Background: Normal levels of ghrelin and insulin hormones play an important role in energy-balance, weight control and preventing type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of twelve weeks physical activity with omega-3 supplementation consumption on insulin and ghrelin hormones in young women. Materials and methods: In this semi-experimental study 60 young women aged 19-25 years randomly divided into four groups including. (Exercise with supplementation, exercise alone, supplementation alone and control group). Exercise group and exercise- supplementation group followed the basketball training for 12 weeks under the supervision of skillful trainers. Supplementation group and exercise- supplementation group were asked to take 3gram omega-3 capsules per day for 12 weeks. Anthropometric indicators and blood samples were obtained in the morning after an 8-12 hr fast prior to the start of the study and again 12weeks after at the end of the study under the same conditions to measure plasma ghrelin and insulin hormones (Elisa method). Data analysis using tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted through SPSS-16 software. Results: The results of ANOVA test showed that after 12 weeks of study ghrelin and insulin levels in exercise-supplement group, (P=0.000, P=0.000), exercise group (P=0.000, P=0.000), and supplement group (P=0.044, P=0.017) significantly increase and decrease respectively. But no significant changes were observed in control group for ghrelin (P=0.740) and insulin (P= 0.108) levels before and after the study. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, physical activity with omega-3 supplementation can create significant changes on the levels of ghrelin and insulin hormones in young women. These changes may help to control and prevent diabetes and its, complications.


We address the problem of representing and processing non-regular, non-manifold two-dimensional simplicial meshes, that we call triangle-segment meshes, at different levels of detail. Such meshes are used to describe spatial objects consisting of parts of mixed dimensions, and with a non-manifold topology. First, we describe a multi-resolution model for non-regular, non-manifold meshes, that we call a Non-manifold Multi-Tessellation (NMT). We consider the selective refinement query, which is at the heart of several analysis operations on multiresolution meshes. Next, we focus on a specific instance of a NMT, generated by a simplification process based on vertex-pair contraction, and we describe a compact data structure for encoding it. We also propose a new data structure for triangle-segment meshes, capable of representing both connectivity and adjacency information with a small memory overhead, that we use to describe the mesh extracted with selective refinement. To this aim, we define algorithms to efficiently perform mesh updates on such a data structure.


Serum leptin levels are upregulated in proportion to body fat and also increase over the short term in response to meals or insulin. To understand the mechanisms involved, we assessed leptin synthesis and secretion in samples of adipose tissue from subjects with a wide range of BMI. Tissue leptin content and relative rates of leptin biosynthesis, as determined by metabolic labeling, were highly correlated with each other and with BMI and fat cell size. To understand mechanisms regulating leptin synthesis in obesity, we used biosynthetic labeling to directly assess the effects of insulin and glucocorticoids (dexamethasone) on leptin synthesis and secretion in human adipose tissue. Chronic treatment (1-2 days in organ culture) with insulin increased relative rates of leptin biosynthesis without affecting leptin mRNA levels. In contrast, dexamethasone increased leptin mRNA and biosynthesis in parallel. Acute treatment with insulin or dexamethasone (added during 1-h preincubation and 45-min pulse labeling) did not affect relative rates of leptin biosynthesis, but pulse-chase studies showed that addition of insulin nearly doubled the release of [35S]leptin after a 1-h chase. We conclude that the higher leptin stores in adipose tissue of obese humans are maintained by chronic effects of insulin and glucocorticoids acting at pre- and posttranslational levels and that the ability of insulin to increase the release of preformed leptin may contribute to short-term variations in circulating leptin levels.


: After 8 years of screening all blood donations in Canada for HBsAg, first by CIEP and later by RIA, the prevalence of HBsAg in the regular panel of "repeat" donors has been reduced from 267/10(5) to 39/10(5). Marked geographic variations exist, but the available data do not indicate whether the high prevalence of HBsAg in young adults, particularly males, may be a factor. The ad : ay subtype ratio across Canada is 2.0, but noticeable geographic differences are present, varying from 3.5 in Quebec to 0.5 in the Atlantic Provinces.


A new modified 9 wt% Cr steel has been developed in order to improve the resistance against coke deposition on the internal surface of refinery tube furnaces, in comparison to widely used grades, such as Grade 5 (5 wt% Cr) or Grade 9 (9 wt% Cr). The new grade has an improved composition, based on Cr and Si and further additions of Cu and Ni. This optimal chemical analysis has been specified after extensive laboratory testing on different laboratory and industrial heats. Thermogravimetric analyses have been performed to benchmark various materials (ferritic and austenitic grades) in terms of coking rate. Specimens of these alloys have been exposed to this coking atmosphere in a wide temperature range. The new modified 9Cr steel exhibits an almost 10 times lower coking rates than typical Grade 9 steel. The new 9Cr steel shows allowable stress levels up to 90% higher than Grade 9 at temperatures below 500°C (time independent regime) and up to 7% higher stress levels at temperatures above 500°C (creep regime). The industrial feasibility of production of elbows has been successfully implemented and a welding solution using a commercially available filler material has been established.


The Norton scale was devised in 1960 as an additive scale to facilitate the prediction and prevention of pressure sore development. The scale has been used both in the original version and in modified versions both in practice and as an instrument in nursing research. In a previous study the reliability had been analysed. The present investigation comprises 501 patients who were examined weekly by registered nurses with regard to the variables in a modified Norton scale and on admission with regard to the nutritional status. There are significant correlations between the variables establishing the modified Norton scale and the different criteria included in the nutritional assessment form.


Background: Luffa cylindrica is a tropical fibrous flowering plant used in folkloric medicine. This study aims to examine the effect of methanolic leaf extract of Luffa cylindrica on hematological parameters of Swiss albino mice. Materials and methods: 70 adult mice of both sexes with mean weight of 22 ± 5 g were used for this study. Luffa cylindrica leaves was pulverized to coarse powder from where methanolic extract was obtained. 0.2 ml of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg respectively of leaf extract was administered to mice for four days. After administration, 1 ml of blood was collected from each mice through cardiac puncture into EDTA bottle for full blood count estimation using Abacus-80 hematological analyzer. Results: The administration of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg doses of the extract resulted in increased lymphocyte count from 29.4 ± 7.35% to 82.6 ± 0.30%, 81.9 ± 0.25% and 60.0 ± 0.35% respectively at P>0.05 while neutrophil value was reduced from 55.2 ± 11.05 × 109/l to 11.0 ± 0.12 × 109/l, 04.8 ± 0.13 × 109/l and 17.0 ± 0.11 × 109/l. The administration of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg doses of the extract increases platelet count from 99.0 ± 0.52 × 103/ul to 979 ± 1.03 × 103/ul, 286 ± 0.32 × 103/ul and 913 ± 0.70 × 103/ul respectively. Conclusion: Ingestion of methanolic leaf extract of Luffa cylindrica resulted in a dose dependent changes in hematological parameter of albino mice including significant increase in lymphocyte and platelet counts. This plant's leaf extract may therefore have the potentials of being effective in the treatment of diseases caused by thrombocytopenia and lymphocytopenia in mammals. It is believed that information provided in this study can enhance appropriate usage of Luffa cylindrica in folkloric medicine in Nigeria.


This paper proposes an explicit model predictive control design approach for regulation of linear time-invariant systems subject to both state and control constraints, in the presence of additive disturbances. The proposed control law is implemented as a piecewise-affine function defined on a regular simplicial partition, and has two main positive features. First, the regularity of the simplicial partition allows one to efficiently implement the control law on digital circuits, thus achieving extremely fast computation times. Moreover, the asymptotic stability (or the convergence to a set including the origin) of the closed-loop system can be enforced a priori, rather than checked a posteriori via Lyapunov analysis.


The aim of this research was to reveal the influence of Leadership Emotional Intelligence (x1) and Commitment of School Organization (x2) on Teacher Self Efficacy (x3). Hypotheses tested: (1) there is a direct and positive influence of Leadership Emotional Intelligence on Teacher Self Efficacy, (2) there is a direct and positive influence of Commitment of School Organization on Teacher Self Efficacy, (3) there is a direct and positive influence of Leadership Emotional Intelligence on Commitment of School Organization. Applying Slovin Formula, 109 teachers were proportionally and randomly surveyed out of population 151 teachers. The researcher used validated and reliable questionnaires for collecting data. Croanbach's reliability tested Likert Scales. Statistical requirements for analyses were fulfilled using test of normality (Liliefors), test of linearity and test of homogeneity. In this study the researcher used simple regression and path analyses and found that Leadership
Emotional Intelligence and Commitment of School Organization have direct and positive influence on Teacher Self Efficacy.


People read and write a range of English every day, yet what counts as 'correct' English has been narrowly defined and tested for 150 years. This book is written for educators, students, employers and scholars who are seeking a more just and knowledgeable perspective on English writing. It brings together history, headlines, and research with accessible visuals and examples, to provide an engaging overview of the complex nature of written English, and to offer a new approach for our diverse and digital writing world. Each chapter addresses a particular 'myth' of "correct" writing, such as 'students today can't write' or 'the internet is ruining academic writing', and presents the myth's context and consequences. By the end of the book, readers will know how to go from hunting errors to seeking (and finding) patterns in English writing today. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.


Traditional scholarship on pre-and postconquest Central Mexico describes an institution of elite warriors commonly called eagle or jaguar "knights ." These works heavily rely on a small set of Spanish chronicles in which the authors (primarily religious officials) crafted ideas of indigenous military orders to make indigenous culture comprehensible for their Spanish readers . Eagle and jaguar military orders do not exist in Nahuatl texts . Instead, Nahuas invoked rhetoric about eagles and jaguars not to refer to warrior orders, but to met-onymically refer to warfare, rulership, or socially respected qualities attainable by all members of the social strata . Spanish religious officials not only were aware of this practice, but also fused the notion of acting "with eagle-ness, with jaguar-ness" into Christian sermons, ceremonies, and iconography .


The mitochondrial enzyme glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (mGDH) plays an essential role in the B-cell glucose-sensing device and its activity in islet homogenates is impaired in several animal models of type 2 diabetes. We have now developed a polyclonal antibody, raised against a recombinant mGDH fragment product, that could be used for the immunodetection of mGDH. Total RNA was isolated from rat pancreatic islets and used in the synthesis of cDNA. Specific primers were designed that corresponded to the FAD binding domain of mGDH. The PCR product was purified and cloned into an appropriate expression vector used for transformation of Escherichia coli cells. The fusion protein was extracted from the transformed cells, further purified, and used for immunization of rabbits. The antibody recognized a single band of 72 kDa in rat islets and testis. The recombinant mGDH product was also recognized as a single band with the expected 65-kDa reference. An ELISA procedure was designed for detection of antibodies against the recombinant mGDH fragment product. The availability of the mGDH antibody opens the way to a number of further applications such as immunocytochemis- try and mGDH quantification in biological material.


Several recent studies have characterized neuroanatomical and neurophysiological aspects of ferret airways, but regional differences in reactivity and cholinergic, adrenergic and non-adrenergic-non-cholinergic (NANC) neural responses have not been examined. The aim of this study was to characterize the contractile and relaxant response elicited by electrical field stimulation (EFS), and the contractions induced by cholinergic agonists in isolated ferret tracheal and bronchial preparations. EFS produced frequency-dependent contractions and relaxations. Contractions in both the trachea and bronchi were inhibited by atropine and potentiated by neostigmine. Tracheal relaxations were found to be entirely adrenergic, but bronchial relaxations were mediated by a combination of adrenergic and inhibitory NANC (i-NANC) innervations. Trachea and bronchi were more sensitive to methacholine (MCh) and carbachol than to acetylcholine (ACh); middle tracheal segments being more sensitive to ACh than distal segments, however, in the presence of neostigmine ACh potency was equal in both segments. The results suggest that regional differences exist in cholinergic responsiveness of ferret trachea and bronchi, resulting from differences in ACh degradation.


Procedure Appropriateness Category Relative Radiation Level CT abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast Usually Appropriate ☢☢☢ CT abdomen and pelvis without IV contrast May Be Appropriate ☢☢☢ MRI abdomen and pelvis without and with IV contrast May Be Appropriate O MRI abdomen and pelvis without IV contrast May Be Appropriate O US abdomen transabdominal May Be Appropriate O CT abdomen and pelvis without and with IV contrast Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢☢ Fluoroscopy contrast enema Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢ Radiography abdomen and pelvis Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢ US pelvis transvaginal Usually Not Appropriate O


Sebkha Imlili (Atlantic Sahara) is a salt flat with over 160 permanent holes of hypersaline water generated in the Holocene and inhabited by euryhaline organisms that are considered to be relics of the past, including the cichlid fish Coptodon guineensis. We surveyed the fish parasites four times over one year, to i) identify the parasites, and ii) determine possible seasonality in infection patterns. Over 60% of the fish were infected by one to three helminths: an acanthocephalan in the intestine and two digenean metacercariae in the kidney, spleen, liver, muscle, and mesenteries. The acanthocephalan Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) cf. tilapiae was identified morphologically and molecularly; only one digenean (the heterophyid Pygidiopsis genata) could be identified molecularly. Both identified parasites were present throughout the sampling periods; the unidentified metacercariae were present only in summer and fall. Mean intensities, but not prevalence of infection by the acanthocephalan, reflected a biannual pattern of transmission. Infection accrued with fish size, possibly due to cannibalism. Because the water holes include only a few invertebrates, the intermediate hosts of these parasites can be inferred to be the gastropod Ecrobia ventrosa for the digeneans and either the copepod Cletocamtpus retrogressus or the ostracod Cyprideis torosa for the acanthocephalan. This ecosystem appears stable and provides a window into the past, as the acanthocephalan likely switched from freshwater tilapia to C. guineensis when the Sebkha formed. However, this is a vulnerable environment where the survival of these parasites depends on interactions maintained among only very few hosts.


Aim: To report on the evaluation of a nutrition intervention that was designed to prevent the early introduction of solids to infants and to ensure food texture and variety were age appropriate. Method: A "Nutrition Screening Tool", was administered to consecutive parents for three months by Maternal and Child Health nurses (MACH) at the two and six-month immunisation schedules. At the two-month immunisation, parents were asked to predict the age at which they proposed to introduce solids to their child and discus the factors that influenced their decision making. At the six-month immunisation schedule, parents were asked to report the actual age at which they introduced solids to their child. Results: More than 85% of parents reported that they actually, or intended to introduce solids after their baby is four months of age. There was no relationship between the age of introduction of solids and the source or number of information materials received or the birth order of the child (p>0.05). Conclusion: Parents in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) already have high rates of adherence to existing guidelines for the introduction of solid food to infants. The timing of a nutritional intervention to coincide with the six-month immunisation schedules was not optimal for this population.


An important component of nonspecific defense of vertebrates against microbial invasion is that of nutritional immunity. Hosts attempt to withhold growth-essential iron from invading bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Clinical conditions in which hosts are stressed by excess quantities of iron in specific fluids, tissues, or cells result in enhanced susceptibility to infection. Methods for strengthening nutritional immunity are known in theory; research is needed to determine if these would be useful in clinical practice.


Abstract A new species of the genus Cleome L. from Pakistan is described and illustrated. The new species is described under the name C. karachiensis sp. nov. and compared with two closely related species i.e., Cleome brachycarpa and C. viscosa in terms of morphology, palynology, seed morphology and seed protein profile. A key to the species of genus Cleome L. from Pakistan is also provided.


Knowledge Management plays an important role in any organization by facilitating the capture, storage, transformation, and dissemination of knowledge in order to achieve organizational goals. It is a collaborative and integrated approach adopted on an organizationwide basis to ensure that an organization's knowledge assets are best utilized to increase organizational performance. Universities as 'knowledge intensive' organizations thrive on the production and dissemination of knowledge which calls for its professional management. Effective management of this knowledge can only happen when well-established platforms exist, that have clearly laid down strategies and policies on how employees can share their know-how. Communities of practice is a knowledge management practice that can be used to encourage knowledge sharing among employees in universities. Through descriptive research design, the study examined the influence of communities of practice on employee performance in public universities in Kenya Simple regression analysis revealed a positive and significant influence of communities of practice on employee performance in public universities in Kenya.


Phosphodiesterase 7 (PDE7) is an intracellular enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes the second messenger, cyclic-3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), into inactive noncyclic nucleotide, 5'-AMP. To date, many structurally diverse compounds with PDE7 inhibitory properties have been described, including selective PDE7 inhibitors, dual PDE4/PDE7, PDE7/PDE8, and PDE7/GSK-3 inhibitors, and non-selective PDE inhibitors with high affinity for PDE7. Inhibitors of PDE7 have provided beneficial effects in animal models of inflammatory and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and many others. This review is a comprehensive summary of the current state-of-the-art in the field of design and synthesis of PDE7 inhibitors, their physicochemical properties, biological evaluation, and structure-activity relationships as well as it highlights the updated evidence for a potential therapeutic utility of these compounds. Moreover, new approaches to obtain more effective and safer PDE7 inhibitors than those available now are presented.


The strain that produces the glycopeptide antibiotic avoparcin (LL-AV290) has been described previously as a strain of "Streptomyces candidus." Morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of this strain are typical of the genus Amycolatopsis. The results of a study of the physiological properties of this organism and its levels of DNA relatedness to previously described Amycolatopsis species supported the decision to describe a new species for this strain, for which the name Amycolatopsis coloradensis is proposed. The type strain of A. coloradensis is NRRL 3218.


Linear regression models are widely used in empirical studies. When serial correlation is present in the residuals, generalized least squares (GLS) estimation is commonly used to improve estimation efficiency. This paper proposes the use of an alternative estimator, the approximate generalized least squares estimators based on high-order AR(p) processes (GLS-AR). We show that GLS-AR estimators are asymptotically efficient as GLS estimators, as both the number of AR lag, p, and the number of observations, n, increase together so that $p=o({n^{1/4}})$ in the limit. The proposed GLS-AR estimators do not require the identification of the residual serial autocorrelation structure and perform more robust in finite samples than the conventional FGLS-based tests. Finally, we illustrate the usefulness of GLS-AR method by applying it to the global warming data from 1850–2012.


An experimental test was made of four different focused lead collimators with a phantom to represent the liver containing a solid non-radioactive ` tumour ' void positioned at different depths. Six different radionuclides were used with photon energies ranging from 30 kev to 412 kev. To explore the influence of collimator design and photon energy, a figure of merit Q/ρ was used as an index of detection effectiveness. The best Q/ρ was found using 158 kev photons and the lower energy collimator with a 3 in. focal length. A second figure of merit, Q/D, which was normalized to unit absorbed liver dose, was used as an index of detection effectiveness when radiation dose to the patient was considered as the significant parameter. Of four compounds used in liver scanning, the most effective agent was found to be 99mTc colloid. The analysis showed that a marked improvement in liver scanning data should result from the use of large millicurie amounts of radionuclides with physical characteristics that keep the liver dose low. A smaller, but still substantial, improvement should result if the photon energy is chosen to be in the 150 kev range and a collimator is used that is appropriately designed for lower energy radiation.


This paper studies how the drivers of portfolio flows change across periods with a model where regression coefficients endogenously change over time in a continuous fashion. The empirical analysis of daily equity portfolio flows to emerging markets shows that the regression coefficients display substantial time variation. Major changes in the importance of the drivers of the flows coincide with important market events/shocks. Overall, investors pay more attention to regional developments in emerging markets in periods when market tensions are elevated. However, extreme tensions generate panics, i.e. periods when changes in uncertainty and risk aversion drive flows, while regional developments play only a marginal role.


Introduction Chronic energy deficiency is an important public health problem among older (aged ≥ 65 years) population. Globally, one in seven older people has a medium to high risk of malnutrition. The situation of chronic energy deficiency among older people is quite poorly known in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the magnitude of chronic energy deficiency and associated factors among elders' aged ≥ 65 years, in Aykel town administration, Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross-sectional survey was carried out from March 28th to April 20th, 2018. Study participants were recruited by a census technique. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis used to identify factors associated with chronic energy deficiency. All variables with p–values of < 0.2 in the bivariate analysis were remarked for the multivariable analysis. Both Crude Odds Ratio (COR) and Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) were computed to determine the strength of association. In the multivariate analysis, all variables at p–values of < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results A total of 892 participants recruited for the study. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency was 17.6% (95%CI: 15.00, 20.20) among the study community. It was significantly associated with female sex (AOR: 1.58; 95%CI: 1.04, 2.41), age (AOR: 3.90; 95%CI: 1.85, 8.25), household food insecurity (AOR: 1.95; 95%CI: 1.16, 3.00), poor household wealth status (AOR: 1.77; 95%CI: 1.07, 2.94), loss of appetite due to illness (AOR: 2.93, 95%CI: 1.92, 4.48) and poor dietary diversity score (AOR: 5.51; 95%CI: 2.89, 10.52). Conclusions The magnitude of chronic energy deficiency was high in the study area. It was significantly associated with female sex, age, poor dietary diversity score, loss of appetite due to illness, household food insecurity and poor wealth status. Therefore, there is a need to design and implement programs and strategies to improve nutritional status particularly focusing on female older population in improving dietary practices and food security. In addition, improving household economic and living standards is an essential measure to address the burden of CED among the older community.


The results of inspection fatigue damage by two magnetic nondestructive methods are presented. The magnetic hysteresis method can detect fatigue damage in the later stages of fatigue life. Magnetic Barkhausen signals, being highly sensitive to the surface condition of a material, show continuous change during the whole fatigue process. The Barkhausen effect measurement, aided by signal processing techniques, is therefore capable of monitoring surface modifications due to cyclic stress. >


Background—Chest pain is frequently reported in Fabry disease (FD). However, its mechanism and clinical relevance are unclear. Methods and Results—Basal troponin I level, exercise stress test, single-photon emission computed tomography imaging with 99mTc sestamibi, coronary angiography with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count and left ventricular angiography and endomyocardial biopsy were obtained in 13 patients with FD with angina. Ratio of external to lumen diameter of intramural arteries (E/L ratio), myocyte diameter, and extent of fibrosis were morphometrically evaluated by using tissue sections. Controls for coronary angiography and histology were 25 patients with FD without angina and 20 mitral stenosis patients with normal left ventricular function. Troponin I level was elevated in 6 of the 13 patients. Exercise stress test showed evidence of myocardial ischemia, and single-photon emission computed tomography was positive for stress-induced perfusion defects in all patients with FD with angina. Epicardial coronaries were structurally normal but showed slow flow in all and were associated with aneurisms of posterior left ventricular wall in 3 cases. Histology showed remarkable lumen narrowing of most intramural arteries (mean E/L ratio=3.5±1.2; P<0.001 versus both control groups), because of hypertrophy and proliferation of smooth muscle and endothelial cells, both engulfed by glycosphingolipids. Replacement fibrosis exceeded that of both controls (P<0.001). Small vessel disease correlated with coronary slow flow and extent of fibrosis, but did not with patients' age, sex, and degree of left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusions—patients with FD with angina have perfusion defects, slow coronary flow, and luminal narrowing of intramural arteries. Small vessel disease may contribute to symptomatic limitation and progressive myocardial dysfunction.


The impact of water deficit on stomatal conductance (gs), petiole hydraulic conductance (Kpetiole), and vulnerability to cavitation (PLC, percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity) in leaf petioles has been observed on field-grown vines (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chasselas). Petioles were highly vulnerable to cavitation, with a 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity at a stem xylem water potential (Ψx) of –0.95 MPa, and up to 90% loss of conductivity at a Ψx of –1.5 MPa. Kpetiole described a daily cycle, decreasing during the day as water stress and evapotranspiration increased, then rising again in the early evening up to the previous morning's Kpetiole levels. In water-stressed vines, PLC increased sharply during the daytime and reached maximum values (70–90%) in the middle of the afternoon. Embolism repair occurred in petioles from the end of the day through the night. Indeed, PLC decreased in darkness in water-stressed vines. PLC variation in irrigated plants showed the same tendency, but with a smaller amplitude. The Chasselas cultivar appears to develop hydraulic segmentation, in which petiole cavitation plays an important role as a 'hydraulic fuse', thereby limiting leaf transpiration and the propagation of embolism and preserving the integrity of other organs (shoots and roots) during water stress. In the present study, progressive stomatal closure responded to a decrease in Kpetiole and an increase in cavitation events. Almost total closure of stomata (90%) was measured when PLC in petioles reached >90%.


The use of Lithium ion batteries in electronic devices continues to grow, the popularity stems from the excellent cycle life and the ability to store more energy per volume than any other portable rechargeable battery currently available. 1 However, one major problem of the Li-ion battery is preventing it from going into an abuse situation. An abuse situation is when a cell is overcharged; causing degradation of the battery and in some cases exothermic reactions at elevated temperatures. 2 There are however several safety mechanisms that can be employed to prevent the overcharge situation.


Growth and carcass merit of Dorset-(DO) and Dorper-sired (DP) lambs were compared over 3 yr in matings with 50% Dorset, 25% Rambouillet, 25% Finnsheep ewes. The DP were slightly lighter (P = 0.09) at birth than the DO lambs. In the first year of the study, DP lambs produced by AI using imported South African sires were heavier than DO lambs when weaned at 60 d of age (21.7 vs. 19.5 kg; P = 0.05). In yr 2 and 3, however, offspring of natural-service Dorper sires produced in the U.S. did not differ in weaning weight from DO lambs (16.9 vs. 17.8 kg; P = 0.02 for breed x year interaction). Lamb survival was also affected by breed x year interaction (P = 0.04). In 2000 and 2001, with 12 to 16% triplet or larger litters, mortality was higher for DP lambs (14.9 vs. 7.7%; P = 0.12). However, in 2002, with approximately 33% triplet or larger litters and with higher mortality levels in all birth types, DP lambs had fewer death losses than did DO lambs (23.2 vs. 36.1%; P = 0.11). No differences between DO and DP lambs were observed in postweaning gain during summer grazing or in drylot in autumn. At chilled carcass weights of approximately 25 kg, DP lambs were somewhat fatter than DO lambs, with greater body wall thickness (P < 0.01; 22 vs. 19 mm) and slightly greater backfat thickness (P = 0.15; 6.4 vs. 5.5 mm) and yield grades (P = 0.15; 2.9 vs. 2.6). The DP lambs also had more desirable leg scores (P = 0.01; 11.6 vs. 10.9) and slightly larger LM area (P = 0.13; 14.1 vs. 13.5 mm2) than did DO lambs, confirming acceptable muscling and conformation in carcasses from Dorper-sired lambs. However, differences were not observed in the percentage of carcass weight in the leg or loin, or in the lean:bone ratio in the dissected leg. Ultrasonic measurements of backfat thickness and LM area taken in live lambs before slaughter were positively associated with direct measures on chilled carcasses with correlations of 0.77 for backfat thickness and 0.51 for LM area.


The emission of PM from combustion engines (given not only as mass but also number) has become the main determining factor influencing the design of drivetrains of modern vehicles. The PM measurement to date, based on the gravimetric method does not guarantee results on an expected accuracy and repeatability level. The introduction of emission standards, containing requirements related to the PM counting in the exhaust gases shows the need of identifying other PM parameters as well. The paper discusses the possibility of a synthetic approach to the parameters of PM generated by diesel engines. The authors felt compelled to realize the task following the obtainment of positive results of the PM parameters research under different operating conditions of diesel engines. The purpose of the tests described in the paper was to verify how the payload of vehicle effects on the PM emissions. It presents the results of road tests of commercial vehicles (LDV type) powered by diesel engines. The paper contains the results of measurements of concentration, mass and size distribution of PM emitted by the engines of these vehicles. The tests were conducted in actual traffic conditions. The AVL Micro Soot Sensor (measurement of the concentration and mass) and Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer 3090 by TSI Inc. (measurement of the size distribution) were used to measure the PM emissions.


We report a successful case of metal stent replacement utilizing venovenous extracorporeal life support (VV-ECLS). A 71-year-old woman, who had previously undergone tracheal metal stent placement, encountered dyspnea associated with inversion of the stent. Metal stent replacement was planned under general anesthesia. After securing the VV-ECLS in the right and left femoral vein, anesthesia was induced with propofol and remifentanil. Metal stent replacement was conducted under rigid and flexible bronchoscope through the tracheal tube. Oxygenation and carbon dioxide excretion were achieved uneventfully. VV-ECLS was considered useful for the management of subglottic difficult airway such as complex tracheal stenosis.


Copyright: © 2012 Varela M . This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The development of a vaccine against HIV is a global health priority and a tremendous scientific challenge that has been hampered by the extraordinary genetic diversity of HIV and the immune evasive properties of the HIV envelope glycoprotein to which neutralizing antibodies target. In 2006, Robert Gallo commented: "...if AIDS had to come, we were lucky (scientifically speaking) it came at a very good time" [1]. He referred to the accumulated knowledge on the retroviral replication cycle and the modern tools in molecular biology that were developed in the seventies which became available in the eighties when HIV was discovered. Although the HIV/AIDS epidemics came at a "good time", HIV has proven to be unique in its transmission, pathogenesis and replication, hampering the way to the discovery of a vaccine and effective therapy. It is unquestionable that the tools, resources and international effort invested to prevent HIV infection and end the global pandemic is unprecedented in the history of infectious agents. Despite the development of antiretroviral therapy that can extend the life of infected individuals, these drugs are not widely available in the underdeveloped world and, thus, a therapeutic vaccine would be of great benefit. Unfortunately, traditional vaccination approaches have failed to confer protection and, thus, complex and rational antigen design approaches have been proposed. These have also proven in most cases ineffective when tested in pre-clinical vaccine trials in nonhuman primates. There are multiple reasons why it has been so difficult to develop a protective vaccine. From the virus perspective, the extreme genetic diversity within and between hosts with the presence of distinct clades affecting different parts of the world, along with circulating recombinant forms, complicates the design of antigens that can provide protection across different subtypes. From the host point of view, it is still not clear which are the responses that should be developed to confer protection. And from the experimental point of view, which is the best animal model for pre-clinical trials. The bottom line is that we find ourselves 30 years after HIV was discovered under the light of just a single phase III trial were modest protection was observed [2]. Luckily, as scientists we are not convinced that the raw results of this trial and all the downstream analysis including the dissection of the immune correlates of protection, or the investigation of the breakthrough viral population, among others, will provide all the answers needed to generate the ultimate antigen and immunization strategy that will contain this pathogen. We should take this trial as a new beginning to re-evaluate, think and question antigens, strategies and protocols, but most importantly, to help accelerate the advance of candidates into the clinics. This special issue gathers several articles going from antigen development to HIV animal models that aim at updating the current state of HIV vaccine research. Has HIV come at a good time? We still can turn the answer around.


This paper discusses the steering kinematics for a center-articulated mobile robot. Several models have been recently proposed in the literature and we use experimental data to compare and validate these models. The vehicle heading response to steering command is shown to include a dominant zero due a nonholonomic constraint, and this is verified by experiments conducted using a 30-t mobile vehicle at our laboratory. Simulation results are then used to show the significance of this zero and its effect on closed-loop heading angle control


Mentoring staff is an essential role of the nurse manager. Developing a workable system and investing the time to carry it through has many positive outcomes for both the manager and the nursing staff. Staff nurses are able to function independently and make decisions concerning their practice as well as their work environment, leaving the nurse manager free to assume a true leadership role.


Morphometric analysis and thymidine autoradiography were used to test the hypothesis that differential growth in the form of proliferative asymmetry is a major contributor to formation of lateral body folds in somatopleure. Chick embryos provided an opportunity to study both spatial and temporal differentials within an individual stage of development. Ectoderm and mesoderm were studied as separate tissues. Thymidine labeling index ranged from 34% to 49% in ectoderm and 43% to 66% in mesoderm and was assumed to reflect rate of proliferation in populations with a 100% proliferation index. Density of cells ranged from ten to 13 cells/1,000 micrometers2 in ectoderm and ten to 15 cells/1,000 micrometers2 in mesoderm, with a mean density of 12 cells/1,000 micrometers2. Cellular proliferation was important in folding, because ectoderm showed highest frequencies of labeling and highest cell density in folding levels. Correlation of proliferative differentials with morphogenesis suggests that proliferation is the form of growth contributing to formation of lateral body folds in 20-somite chick embryos.


The surface protein TIGIT (T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) domain) has been characterized as an important regulator of cell-mediated immune responses in various infections. However, TIGIT expression in immune cells of mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii has not been investigated. Here, we detected TIGIT expression and related phenotypes by flow cytometry and real-time PCR in splenic and circulatory T cells of mice infected with the T. gondii RH strain. We found that the expression of TIGIT on the surface of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells from the spleen and peripheral blood mononuclear cells decreased in the early stage, but increased significantly in the late stage of acute T. gondii infection in mice. Importantly, TIGIT expression was positively correlated with lesions in the murine spleen. In addition, T. gondii-specific TIGIT+TCM cells in the spleen were activated and transformed into TIGIT+ TEM cells. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of spleen sections and real-time PCR showed that the severity of splenic lesions was positively correlated with the T. gondii load. This study demonstrates that acute T. gondii infection can regulate the expression of TIGIT in T cells and affect immune cell function.


Many scholars have alarmed the rise of new extreme nationalism in many countries which is actively  promoted by some important national and international leaders. This paper examines the discourses of nationalism in popular culture and compares them with the nationalism ideas as promoted by those political leaders. Assuming that popular culture represents the bedrock belief of the society, this study has investigated the ideology of nationalism in 10 American and 10 Indonesian films applying the discourse historical approach from Ruth Wodak and Martin Reisigl. This study has identified nine features of nationalism in American films, i.e. us against them, saving life of Americans versus taking life of enemies,  individual versus institutional hero, hero as common people, anti war narratives, individual versus national interest, absence of governmental supports, white as the dominant, and superpower. While six main features of nationalism in Indonesian films are against poverty, against foreign power, against corruption, sacrifice and service for the nation, imagination as a nation, and developing the nation. This study concludes that the discourse of nationalism in American and Indonesian films do not in line with the nationalism ideas as proposed by the politicians or the government. While the politicians are campaigning new hostile nationalism, popular cultures are promoting nationalism with individual freedom and equality, striving for prosperity, and fighting poverty.Keywords: Discourse-Historical Approach; nationalism; new nationalism; popular culture; American film;   Indonesian film.


For relational structures A, B of the same signature, the Promise Constraint
Satisfaction Problem PCSP(A,B) asks whether a given input structure maps
homomorphically to A or does not even map to B. We are promised that the input
satisfies exactly one of these two cases.
 If there exists a structure C with homomorphisms $A\to C\to B$, then
PCSP(A,B) reduces naturally to CSP(C). To the best of our knowledge all known
tractable PCSPs reduce to tractable CSPs in this way. However Barto showed that
some PCSPs over finite structures A, B require solving CSPs over infinite C.
 We show that even when such a reduction to finite C is possible, this
structure may become arbitrarily large. For every integer $n>1$ and every prime
p we give A, B of size n with a single relation of arity $n^p$ such that
PCSP(A, B) reduces via a chain of homomorphisms $ A\to C\to B$ to a tractable
CSP over some C of size p but not over any smaller structure. In a second
family of examples, for every prime $p\geq 7$ we construct A, B of size $p-1$
with a single ternary relation such that PCSP(A, B) reduces via $A\to C\to B$
to a tractable CSP over some C of size p but not over any smaller structure. In
contrast we show that if A, B are graphs and PCSP(A,B) reduces to tractable
CSP(C) for some finite digraph C, then already A or B has a tractable CSP. This
extends results and answers a question of Deng et al.


Aiming at a practical industrial network control system, this paper makes an analysis of types of data, their traffic and directions under different working conditions, and a selection of a link of maximum traffic as a typical one. The method of passive measurement is used to obtain the packets of different protocols passing through the link. The traffic of the corresponding protocols can be calculated according to the size and arrival time of packets. It is found from the analysis of the characteristics of main protocols that the traffics of this control system are of relatively smooth periodicity as well as abruptness, but not of obvious self-similarity or long-range dependence, which are theoretical verified. Hence, the traffic is considered a periodically abrupt process approximately on a large time scale, but not suitable for a long-range dependent or self-similar model.


The innovation of the Metaverse heralds a new milestone in the Information Age as investors move forward with the plan to bring the metaverse to fruition. The metaverse will offer a heightened experience in terms of interactivity, economics, and platform, while paving the way for greater immersion through virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. It is likely that as the metaverse develops, gaming will offer a unique social experience through its features such as virtual worlds. Based on this, it is important for policymakers to look at extremist subcultures that will operate in the metaverse through these virtual features. Due to the role played by fringe subcultures in facilitating the recent mass shooting event in Buffalo, this article aimed to examine the main features of the metaverse and how its immersive properties could influence the creation of future metaversal subcultures that could act as a gateway towards future mass shooting incidents. To that end, it applied the model of malevolent creativity to the extremist use of online spaces to gain insight on how such properties could aid online extremists towards mobilization. Results show that the concatenation of malevolent creativity, innovation, and subcultural extremism may bridge the gap between ideation of mass shootings and mobilization. Based on this, the implication of this research suggests that tech entrepreneurs for the metaverse should be mindful of the risks that disconnection from the real-world society can create for young, isolated users and aim to implement safeguards in integral areas of the metaverse seven-layer chain, such as spatial computing, discovery, and the creator economy.


This paper provides a longitudinal examination of local inequalities in health behaviours during a period of austerity, exploring the role of 'place' in explaining these inequalities. Data from the Stockton-on-Tees prospective cohort study of 836 individuals were analysed and followed over 18 months (37% follow-up). Generalised estimating equation models estimated the deprivation gap in health behaviours (smoking status, alcohol use, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity practices) between the 20% most- and least-deprived neighborhoods (LSOAs), explored any temporal changes during austerity, and examined the underpinning role of compositional and contextual determinants. All health behaviours, except for frequent physical activity, varied significantly by deprivation (p ≤ 0.001). Smoking was lower in the least-deprived areas (OR 0.21, CI 0.14 to 0.30), while alcohol use (OR 2.75, CI 1.98 to 3.82) and fruit and vegetable consumption (OR 2.55, CI 1.80 to 3.62) were higher in the least-deprived areas. The inequalities were relatively stable throughout the study period. Material factors (such as employment, education and housing tenure) were the most-important and environmental factors the least-important explanatory factors. This study suggests that material factors are the most important 'place' determinants of health behaviours. Health promotion activities should better reflect these drivers.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

In previous paper we reported on the much higher selectivity toward cancer cells and tissues of tetra-branched neurotensin peptides (NT4) compared to monomeric NT peptide. We also demonstrated that NT4 can be coupled to many different functional units for cancer cell tracing and drug delivery and can induce tumor growth reduction in animal studies. We then proposed NT4 as promising cancer selective theranostics for different human cancers, including CRC, pancreas adenocarcinoma and urinary bladder cancer. Nonetheless, multimeric binding of tetrabranched peptides, together with the chemical modification produced by coupling to the branched core, might have modified receptor selectivity of NT4 with respect to native monomeric NT and actually we had no conclusive indication on which receptor our branched NT4 peptides were binding to.

Data reported in the present paper demonstrate that synthesis of neurotensin sequence in a tetra-branched form induce a switching of receptor selectivity, by decreasing affinity to the NT high affinity receptor NTR1 and contemporarily acquiring binding to additional receptors, which produces a much higher cancer cell selectivity of NT4 with respect to monomeric NT peptides. We demonstrate here that NT4 binds sortilin and SorLa and also acquire the ability to bind different receptors belonging to the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Related Protein (LRP) family as well as heparin and other Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPG).

The much higher binding of NT4 in respect to native NT to either cancel cell lines or human cancer surgical samples, as well as the higher selectivity toward human cancer tissues of NT4 is due to binding to different membrane receptors, which are very selectively expressed by many different human cancers. Moreover, our results confirm that sulfated proteoglycan can mimic the ligand binding site of different LRP receptors and indicate that targeting of multiple LRP receptors together with sulfated proteoglycans produce an extremely high selectivity towards many different human cancers.

Citation Format: Luisa Bracci, Chiara Falciani, Jlenia Brunetti, Barbara Lelli, Niccolo Ravenni, Luisa Lozzi, Lorenzo Depau, Alessandro Pini. Targeting different LRP receptors and sulfated proteoglycan by branched neurotensin provide high cancer selectivity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5625. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5625


The determined abundances of primordial $^4He$ and $^7Li$ provide a basis with which to test the standard model of big bang nucleosynthesis in conjunction with the other two light element isotopes $D$ and $^3He$, also produced in the big bang. Overall, consistency in the standard big bang nucleosynthesis model is best achieved for a baryon-to-photon ratio of typically $3 \times 10^{-10}$ for which the primordial value of $D$ is five times greater than the present observed abundance and about three times greater than the pre-solar value. We consider various models for the chemical evolution of the Galaxy to test the feasibility for the destruction of D without the overproduction of $^3He$ and overall metallicity. Models which are capable of achieving this goal include ones with a star formation rate proportional to the gas mass fraction or an exponentially decreasing star formation rate. We discuss the effect of parameters that govern the initial mass function and of surviving fractions of $^3He$ in stars between one and three solar masses.


A new type of model for the determination of spectral line shapes and intensities originating from complex autoionizing atomic and ionic levels is proposed. It is based on the introduction of a generalized line profile function (GLPF) for the total contour. GLPF removes the separation of population kinetics and line profile calculations. An analytical solution unifying low- and high-density limits is derived which permits to shrink population kinetics by several orders of magnitude without loss of spectral details when using GLPF. Exact numerical calculations show that even under extreme conditions such as hot electrons and transient plasma evolution the generalized line profile function approach holds true.


The mining activity provides significant benefits to society with strong passions, but it should be sustainably planned and controlled. Clay mining activity is widely used in all parts of the world which impact on drying of wells and rehabilitation problems in large scale. Clay is a natural and earthy fine-grained material which contains a significant amount of minerals in the form of crystalline hydrous silicate material. The degradation in the level of clay causes severe impact on water hence this paper intends to evaluate the impact of clay mining on the physical and chemical characteristics of drinking water sources in and around the mining zone of Payangadi North of Kannur, Kerala. This research uses water samples collected in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon period for examining various physicochemical characteristics like pH, acidity, salinity, hardness, silica, Mg, Cl-, SO4, total dissolved solids (TDS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). APHA (American public health association) 2012 test method used for analytical purposes and the permissible limits for the physic-chemical parameters of the water samples based on IS-10500:2012 and WHO 2012. The findings of the study revealed that the quality of drinking water is considerably affected by clay mining activity wherein only an average of 30.09% post-monsoon water samples is found to be within the permissible limit as stated in IS-10500:2012 and WHO 2012.


Introduction Obesity is an increasing health burden in the western world and a known risk factor for oesophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of obesity on circumferential resection margin (CRM), lymph node yield (LNY) and survival among a 10 year cohort of surgically resected oesophageal cancer patients. Methods All patients who underwent transthoracic oesophagectomy for histologically proven adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, performed at a supra-regional upper GI cancer centre, were registered on a prospective database between 2002 and 2012. Total LNY, CRM and survival was compared between different BMI groups: normal (18.5–24.9), overweight (25–30), and obese (>30). Patients who were malnourished prior to surgery were excluded from the analysis. Results A total of 482 consecutive patients underwent oesphagectomy during the study period, of which the complete dataset was available for 441 (91%); normal (155), overweight (177) and obese (91). The median lymph node yield was 16 (IQR 11–22), normal 15 (10–23), overweight 17 (12–23) and obese 15 (10–21), with no significant difference seen between the three groups (p=0.4565, χ2 test). The CRM was involved in 30 (27%) of the obese patients compared to 55 (31%), 54 (35%) and of overweight, healthy patients respectively (p=0.0615, χ2 test). Conclusion Obesity appears to confer a survival advantage in patients undergoing surgical resection for oesophageal cancer. Interestingly, there appeared to be a trend towards an uninvolved CRM in obese patients but no significant impact on the lymph node yield. Competing interests None declared.


A novel measurement setup for determining the change in color perception due to laser protection filters is described. The developed system overcomes color space limitations common to thin-film transistor displays by using a LED illumination system, creating a large gamut covering a wide range of human color perception, and allowing adjustment of the respective spectra. An objective color matching method is used that is based on the work of MacAdam [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A32, 247 (1942)] and enhanced by employing discrimination ellipses fitted on color discrimination thresholds on axes in the CIE 1976 USC chromaticity diagram. We present several measured color discrimination ellipses with and without laser protection filters.


Since first described in 1922, Stevens-Johnson syndrome has been associated frequently with pneumonia of many etiologies. This "mucosal respiratory syn drome," first reported by Stanyon and Warner in 1945, is associated with "early" pneumonia which resolves 2 to 3 weeks after onset of the rash. In our patient, pneumonia began 10 days after rash onset and was nearly resolved by day 20. The unique feature of this case was the onset of late pulmonary complications 25 days after the appearance of the exanthem, manifesting as acute noninfectious interstitial disease with superimposed airway obstruction.


Vibrio cholerae infection is mainly caused acute diarrhoea disease. Bacteraemia due to non-O1 V. cholerae is rare and mainly reported in liver cirrhotic patients. We report one case of non-O1 V. cholerae bacteraemia in splenectomised thalassaemic patient who presented with septic shock secondary to abdominal sepsis. She had undergone emergency laporatomy and was managed in the intensive care unit for nine days. She was treated with meropenem and doxycyline and discharged well after fourteen days of admission. The V. cholerae was identified by API 20NE, serotype and polymerase chain reaction showed as non-O1, non-O139 strain. Besides known cholera-like toxin and El Tor hemolysin, with increasing reported cases of V. cholerae bacteraemia, there is possibility of other virulence factors that allow this organism to invade the bloodstream.


"I don't know," our chief told the service patient. "I can't tell you for sure." I was shaken and taken aback. As a third-year medical student, I had not heard such a frank admission before. Our elders had seemed omniscient; these words were foreign and unprecedented. Hearing them unnerved me because a medical student who said "I don't know" admitted ignorance or failure, even guilt. How could the chief say them so blithefully? It used to be okay to say "I don't know." As freshmen newly arrived at medical school, we freely admitted our many uncertainties. The city was new to most of us, some of us had left economics or language undergraduate majors for medicine, and no one really knew what to expect. Not knowing was our first shared experience, and banding together before our uncertainties made us into a class. Not knowing was the mark of a freshman.


With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of tourism attraction problems has attracted extensive attention from all over the world. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated decision-making method for EIA of tourism attractions in China by using the improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and the extended picture fuzzy preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE) II method. Herein, picture fuzzy numbers (PFNs) are used to describe decisionmakers' preference, which can precisely express uncertain and hesitant information in the decisionmaking process. Then the improved AHP method based on expert mean assessment is used to obtain the weights of EIA of tourism attractions, which can reduce the spiteful assessment in the traditional AHP method. Based on the results of the improved AHP method, the picture fuzzy PROMETHEE II method, which can consider the psychological behavior of decision-makers, is applied to assess candidate tourism attractions. Finally, an example of EIA of tourism attractions in China is provided to verify the effectiveness of the developed approach and the credibility of the results.


In the molecule of the title compound, C23H18BrN3O3, the benzotriazole mean plane makes dihedral angles of 1.26 (1) and 87.39 (1)° with the tolyl and bromophenyl benzene rings, respectively, and the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 87.27 (1)°. In the crystal structure, molecules are linked into chains along the a axis by C—H⋯O intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The structure is further stabilized by C—H⋯π and π–π interactions, with a distance of 3.700 (1) Å between the centroids of the bromophenyl and benzotriazole benzene rings related by symmetry code (x, −1 + y, z).


MLL fusion proteins activate target genes in part via recruitment of the histone-modifying enzyme, DOT1L (disruptor of telomeric silencing 1-like), a unique histone methyltransferase with selective activity for histone H3 lysine 79 (H3K79). The resulting hypermethylation of H3K79 at the HOX and MEIS1 loci appears to be pivotal for leukemogenesis in both AML and ALL. These findings emphasize the central role of DOT1L in leukemogenesis and strongly suggest that pharmacologic inhibition of DOT1L could be of therapeutic benefit for a number of ALL and AML subtypes. Applying a biochemical screening approach, two classes of small molecule DOT1L substrate competitive inhibitors were discovered. They selectively inhibit the cell growth in leukemic cells with MLL-translocation, in comparison with leukemic cells without MLL translocation, resulting in a dose and time dependent decrease of cellular H3K79 methylation, decrease in expression of MLL-target genes HOXA9 and MEIS1, inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, an increase in expression of differentiation markers and death by apoptosis. Although the DOT1L inhibitors showed no toxicity on normal bone marrow, knockout studies show that DOT1L deficiency is associated with chromosomal instability and fatal progressive anemia. This suggested that developing therapeutic strategies other than global inhibition of DOT1L activity may be necessary. Therefore we characterized the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between DOT1L and ENL/AF9 and assessed its importance on MLL fusion protein-mediated transformation. We found that ENL and AF9 C-terminal domains bind to DOT1L with Kd of 238 nM and 111 nM respectively. We have mapped the binding site in DOT1L and found that only 10 amino acid of DOT1L are involved in interaction with ENL and AF9. Synthetic DOT1L 10mer peptide binds ENL/AF9 and disrupts the interaction between DOT1L/ENL and DOT1L/AF9. Alanine scanning mutagenesis studies showed that four hydrophobic residues are detrimental for the binding of DOT1L to both proteins ENL/AF9. To examine the critical role of the DOT1L-AF9 interaction in transformation by MLL fusion protein, colony forming unit (CFU) assay was performed using MLL-AF9 transformed cells lacking endogenous DOT1L. The colony forming potential of the MLL-immortalized cells was completely abolished by introducing DOT1L construct lacking 10 amino acid AF9 interacting residues (DOT1L (Δ10aa)), while the wild type DOT1L construct was able to restore CFU formation. Importantly global levels of H3K79 methylation were equivalent, but only the DOT1L (Δ10aa) construct failed to restore CFU formation. These results demonstrate that DOT1L interaction with MLL-AF9 in addition to H3K79 methylation is required for transformation of MLL-AF9. This suggests that selective disruption of this PPI is a promising therapeutic strategy with potentially fewer adverse effects than enzymatic inhibition of DOT1L for MLL-fusion protein associated leukemias. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A158.


Higher plasma fibrinogen levels are associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction in adults, but little is known about factors that influence fibrinogen levels in childhood. The authors examined the associations of measures of obesity, presence of the (G-455-->A) allele in the beta-fibrinogen promoter gene, and family history of early onset of ischemic heart disease with plasma fibrinogen levels in children. Children (n = 299) were recruited during 1994-1997 from 276 families living in a racially mixed area of New York City. The mean age of the study children was 9.9 years; 79% were Hispanic. The frequency of the (G-455-->A) allele was lower in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic Whites (15.5% vs. 28.3% in children (p < 0.01) and 13.9% vs. 28.3% in parents (p < 0.001)). Graded relations of children's plasma fibrinogen levels were found with tertiles of body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) and sum of skinfolds (tests for linear trend: p < 0.001). Plasma fibrinogen levels in the children were not related to race/ethnicity, presence of the (G-455-->A) allele, or family history. Multiple linear regression analyses adjusting plasma fibrinogen levels for age, sex, race/ethnicity, the (G-455-->A) allele, and family history of early onset of heart disease showed a significant association with either body mass index or sum of skinfolds (p < 0.001 for both models) but not with the other variables.


This study examined the extent of availability and utilization of electronic resources by postgraduate (PG) students in the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Library. Five research questions and a single hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey was adopted and the population of the study was two thousand, seven hundred and twenty six, while a sample of four hundred postgraduate library users were selected through stratified sampling; two hundred postgraduate student  each from Faculty of Education and Faculty of Science. Questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) was the statistical analysis technique adopted to test the hypothesis under study at 0.05 level of significance. Three hundred and eighty two dully filled questionnaires were received, giving an overall response rate of 95.5 per cent. The result of the analysis revealed that electronic resources were available in Unical Library and P.G. students utilized them. However, online databases were underutilized. The University Library had e-journals, e-books and access to databases and Internet resources. E-journals were the most often used electronic resources. Lack of computer skills, slow network, inconsistent internet connectivity, power outage and irrelevant electronic information resources were the problems postgraduate students encountered while accessing and using electronic resources in Unical Library. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: adequate budgetary allocation should be given to the University Library for subscription to online databases and acquisition of electronic books, more relevant open access databases should be made accessible to users, creation of awareness on the available electronic resources in Unical Library, installation of inverter and battery system in the Electronic Library, and organising users education for better use of electronic resources in Unical Library. Keywords: Availability, Utilization, Electronic Resources, University of Calabar library, Postgraduate Students.


Builiding on earlier studies of single InGaN quantum dots (QDs), we are considering their potential for use in blue- and green-emitting single photon sources. Envisaging a device based on a resonant cavity light emitting diode, we have studied the effect of growing QDs on an underlying AlN/GaN distributed Bragg reflector, and have shown that enhanced single QD emission may be obtained. Additionally, we have studied the effect of the growth and activation of a p-type cap on an underlying QD layer and have shown that the QDs survive the anneal process.


The article is devoted to the publication and analysis of new burial materials of the pre-Scythian period (9th – 7th centuries BC), obtained as a result of excavations of several burial mounds in the Volgograd region. The work was carried out by the expedition of Volgograd State University from the end of the past to the beginning of the present century. The burial mounds were located on the coastal terraces of the Don river and some of its tributaries, as well as on the steppe watersheds associated with the Don basin. The sample includes seven pre-Scythian burials, the burial rite and clothing material of which allows us to correlate them with the previously discovered monuments of the Chernogorovskaya Culture of the southern Russian steppes and date them within the boundaries of the initial stage of the early Iron Age. According to archaeological and anthropological data, various components were involved in the formation of this culture in the Lower Volga region and the neighbouring Don and the Volga-Ural regions. The basis was autochthonous substrates of the Late Bronze Age, as well as cultural formations derived from them at the final stage of the Late Bronze Age. The combination of local and imported cultural traditions is also reflected in the grave inventory of the studied series, especially in the ceramic complex, which shows technological and typological features of various origin. The variety of elements of the funeral rite and the mixed nature of the accompanying inventory of the presented burial series reflect the complex processes of cultural genesis in the Lower Volga region in the pre-Scythian period during transition to a nomadic economy.


Prostate cancer responds well to androgen depletion therapy(ADT). However, when ADT was initiated on advanced prostate cancer, many become Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer(CRPC)within a few years. Thus, development of new agents against CRPC is warranted. At the 2012 ASCO Meeting, results from two global randomized trials were given a warm reception. One trial involved abiraterone acetate and the other MDV3100.


Viperin is an evolutionarily conserved interferon-inducible protein that localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and inhibits a number of DNA and RNA viruses. In this study, we report that viperin specifically localizes to the cytoplasmic face of the ER and that an amphipathic α-helix at its N terminus is necessary for the ER localization of viperin and sufficient to promote ER localization of a reporter protein, dsRed. Overexpression of intact viperin but not the amphipathic α-helix fused to dsRed induced crystalloid ER. Consistent with other proteins that induce crystalloid ER, viperin self-associates, and it does so independently of the amphipathic α-helix. Viperin expression also affected the transport of soluble but not membrane-associated proteins. Expression of intact viperin or an N-terminal α-helix-dsRed fusion protein significantly reduced secretion of soluble alkaline phosphatase and reduced its rate of ER-to-Golgi trafficking. Similarly, viperin expression inhibited bulk protein secretion and secretion of endogenous α1-antitrypsin and serum albumin from HepG2 cells. Converting hydrophobic residues in the N-terminal α-helix to acidic residues partially or completely restored normal transport of soluble alkaline phosphatase, suggesting that the extended amphipathic nature of the N-terminal α-helical domain is essential for inhibiting protein secretion.


The nature of the non-trivial low-frequency (LF) current noise of both generation-recombination (GR) and 1/f type observed in accumulation and depletion mode (AM/DM) p-MOSFETs and enhancement mode (EM) n-MOSFETs fabricated in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) substrates is investigated, for gate biasing conditions where either the front or the back p-Si/SiO2 interface is in weak or strong inversion. The noise considered increases sharply with increasing positive gate voltage near the inversion threshold and is very high under strong inversion conditions. For the GR noise, it has been shown that both the noise relaxation time and the spectral density SI(0) at the low frequency plateau of the corresponding Lorentzians are only determined by the inverting front (back) voltage UGf,b in AM/DM p-MOSFETs, while the drain current is the main factor determining and SI(0) in EM n-MOSFETs. As to the 1/f noise, a high scatter in the data obtained in different samples has been observed in SOS DM p-MOSFETs and a correlation between the level of this noise and the behaviour of the current has been revealed. Arguments are presented that the GR and 1/f noise at stake are of a similar physical nature and are typical for devices with an inverted p-Si/SiO2 interface. It is shown that the responsible noise centres are located in a narrow layer of the p-type silicon film in the close vicinity of the p-Si/SiO2 interface. A model to explain all non-trivial features of both the noise and the current is proposed and validated.


Maintaining effective customer contact is important because customer interaction is seen as a valuable asset for building lasting and profitable customer relationships. Contact centres, are the primary interaction point between a company and its customers. One of the important challenges in today's contact centre solutions is to increase the speed at which contact centre agents (CCAs) retrieve information to answer customer queries. CCAs however have different capabilities, experience and expertise. Studies have provided empirical support that user performance can be increased when the computer user interface (UI) characteristics match the user skill level. As a result, software systems have to become more individualised and cater for different users. Users are normally classified as either experts or novices, and in some cases somewhere in-between. There is evidence to support the fact that novice and expert users behave differently when using a specific UI. Expertise and skill affects the way users interact with software. It is thus envisaged that an adaptive user interface (AUI) which dynamically changes from a novice UI to an expert UI could possibly improve users' performance. This research focuses on applying this concept of AUIs to the domain of contact centres and investigates whether an AUI for CCAs could improve the CCA's performance. A model was proposed for AUIs which was applied to the domain of contact centres. Implementation was done on the proposed model as proof of concept and the model was then evaluated. Results indicate a difference in interaction data for novice and expert CCAs and this shows that the proposed model can be used to provide an AUI for both novice and expert CCAs. Most users approved the use of AUIs and the research showed that AUIs can improve the speed at which CCAs provide call resolution.


New complexes of ytterbium with asymmetric porphyrins containing substituents in β-positions and hydrophobic meso-(monophenyl-p-oxypropyl)triphenylporphyrin (OPP) were obtained and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis absorption and luminescence spectroscopy. Electronic absorption, luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra of these complexes were studied at 295 K in DMF solutions and in the water-lecithin medium. The 4f-luminescence of ytterbium-porphyrins in the near infrared (IR) spectral region (λmax = 980 nm) is observed under excitation in Soret band (400-430 nm). The effect of substituent in porphyrin macroring on the 4f-luminescent properties was also investigated. The conjugates of these compounds with protein molecules - bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated as well. These compounds are interesting at the initial stage of diagnostics of tumor tissues as IR-luminescent probes due to their spectral-luminescent characteristics and some biochemical properties.


Starch is a glucose polymer synthesized by green plants for energy storage and is crucial for plant growth and reproduction. The biosynthesis of starch polysaccharides is mediated by members of the large starch synthase (SS) protein superfamily. Here, we showed that in cassava storage roots, soluble starch synthase II (MeSSII) plays an important role in starch biosynthesis and the formation of protein complexes with other starch biosynthetic enzymes by directly interacting with MeSSI, MeSBEII and MeISAII. The MeSSII-RNAi cassava lines showed increased amylose content and reduced intermediate chain of amylopectin (B1 type) biosynthesis in their storage roots, leading to altered starch physicochemical properties. Further gel permeation chromatography analysis of starch biosynthetic enzymes between the wild type and MeSSII-RNAi lines confirmed the key role of MeSSII in the organization of heteromeric starch synthetic protein complexes. The lack of MeSSII in cassava also reduced the binding capacity of MeSSI, MeSBEII, MeISAI, and MeISAII to starch granules. These findings shed light on the key components of the starch biosynthesis machinery in root crops.


Background: Due to the concerns about the overtreatment of low-risk prostate cancer, active surveillance (AS) is now a recommended alternative to the active treatments (AT) of surgery and radiotherapy. However, AS is not widely utilized, partially due to psychological and decision-making factors associated with treatment preferences. Methods: In a longitudinal cohort study, we conducted pretreatment telephone interviews (N = 1,140, 69.3% participation) with newly diagnosed, low-risk prostate cancer patients (PSA ≤ 10, Gleason ≤ 6) from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We assessed psychological and decision-making variables, and treatment preference [AS, AT, and No Preference (NP)]. Results: Men were 61.5 (SD, 7.3) years old, 24 days (median) after diagnosis, and 81.1% white. Treatment preferences were: 39.3% AS, 30.9% AT, and 29.7% NP. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that men preferring AS (vs. AT) were older (OR, 1.64; CI, 1.07–2.51), more educated (OR, 2.05; CI, 1.12–3.74), had greater prostate cancer knowledge (OR, 1.77; CI, 1.43–2.18) and greater awareness of having low-risk cancer (OR, 3.97; CI, 1.96–8.06), but also were less certain about their treatment preference (OR, 0.57; CI, 0.41–0.8), had greater prostate cancer anxiety (OR, 1.22; CI, 1.003–1.48), and preferred a shared treatment decision (OR, 2.34; CI, 1.37–3.99). Similarly, men preferring NP (vs. AT) were less certain about treatment preference, preferred a shared decision, and had greater knowledge. Conclusions: Although a substantial proportion of men preferred AS, this was associated with anxiety and uncertainty, suggesting that this may be a difficult choice. Impact: Increasing the appropriate use of AS for low-risk prostate cancer will require additional reassurance and information, and reaching men almost immediately after diagnosis while the decision-making is ongoing. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(8); 1240–50. ©2016 AACR.


The MACE model of Canada employs a nested production structure in which there is a vintage bundle of capital and energy that is combined with efficiency units of labour to define potential output for given quantities of employed factors. The actual level of output is derived from an estimated utilization-rate equation, in which the ratio of actual to potential output depends on unexpected sales, profitability, and the gap between actual and desired inventories. Using this production structure, it is possible to attribute 30% of the decline in labour productivity between 1973 and 1982, relative to a steady growth case, to desired substitution of labour for energy, one-third to unexpectedly low demand, and one-fifth to low profitability. The unexplained residual is less than one-fifth. The macroeconomic structure of the model is then used totrace the underlying reasons for the differences between steady growth and actual history. It is concluded that most of the changes in factor proportions, demand, and profitability in Canada were due to the changes in world oil prices and the parallel changes in inflation and real output in other industrial countries.


Photos and chapter excerpts by Siomonn Pulla, Bernard Schissel and Doctor of Social Sciences graduates, Royal Roads University. Photography by Dan Anthon, Royal Roads University.


Centella asiatica is ranked among the top few wonder herbs for its medicinal properties. It acts as a panacea for a number of ailments and diseases. The present study revealed with an objective of studying appropriate harvesting intervals in two different ecotypes of Centella asiatica for leaf yield. Field experiment was conducted in kharif season in the campus of botanical garden at St. Columbas College, Hazaribag, Jharkhand. The treatment included three harvesting intervals in 6, 9 and 12 months after sowing with two different ecotypes of small leaf and big leaf, replicated in quadruplicate in factorial randomized block design. The  result indicated that among harvesting interval the dry weight of leaves was higher at all harvest interval in the big leaf ecotype compare to the small leaf type. Further, it was also observed that the accumulation of dry weight of leaf was low at 6 months of planting, gradually increased and reached a peak at 12 months in two ecotypes of Centella asiatica.The contents of Ca, N, P and K were higher at all stages of harvest in the big leaf ecotype 1s compared to small leaf ecotype.


Baroque Opera from Venice: Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea, Handel's Agrippina, and Cavalli's JasonReview of Claudio Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea, conducted by Michael Rosewell, directed by James Conway; George Frideric Handel's Agrippina, conducted by Jonathan Peter Kenny, directed by James Conway; and Francesco Cavalli's Jason, conducted by Joseph McHardy, directed by Ted Huffman. English Touring Opera, Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire, October 24-26, 2013.This season the English Touring Opera (ETO) supported by the early instruments orchestra, the Old Street Band, has selected to perform three operas first performed during the Venice Carnival season from the mid seventeenth to the early eighteenth centuries. These are Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea, performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice during the 1643 Carnival season; Cavalli's Jason, performed at the Teatro San Cassiano in Venice in 1649; and Handel's Agrippina, performed at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in 1709. Although the ETO performed all three operas in English, helpful screen prompts also gave either the words or the gist of the action.Venetian operas of this period were often cut and pasted together with popular arias or successful duets moved from opera to opera. Vocal and instrumental improvised elaborations were often added, the orchestration and instrumentation is frequently ambiguous, and even whether roles were taken by castrati or female singers is either unknown or variable. The operas were almost always full of contemporary political references, now lost on a modern audience. These considerations have given modern directors a free hand in their staging, most notably in David McVicar's 2005 Glyndebourne production of Handel's Giulio Cesare with Danielle de Niese as a memorable singing and dancing Bollywood Cleopatra. However, shock tactic staging and updating need to be handled with tact and this process has not been entirely successfully undertaken by the ETO.The ETO's revival of Coronation of Poppea, probably the best known and most frequently performed of the trio, was conducted by Michael Rosewell and directed by James Conway (who also adapted the translation by Anne Ridler). Conway set the performance in Revolutionary Russia with mezzosoprano Helen Sherman as grimly self-obsessed Nero/Stalin and soprano Paula Sides as a "Baby-Doll" clad Poppea complete with over-sized teddy bear. A split-level set emphasized the sense of a surveillance society with spies lurking above and around the action. This was a musically superb, powerful, and grim production, with little by way of visual pleasure-except for the scantly clad Poppea. Drab uniforms, ill-fitting suits, and limp dresses created a world of scarcity. The final love duet between Nero and Poppea is watched from above by Seneca (bass Piotr Lempa), Ottavia (mezzo-soprano Hannah Pedley), Ottone (countertenor Michal Czerniawski), and Drusilla (soprano Hannah Sandison). If these characters are not yet dead (and Seneca definitely is) the implication is they soon will be. The grim Soviet setting and costumes are there, doubtless, to remind one that tyranny, cruelty, and murder are not unique to the Roman or Renaissance eras, but then alas, whoever thought they were? Equally, tyrannies take different forms and faces. Totalitarian tyrannies today are substantially different in range and consequences from the personal forms of tyranny practiced by ruling families in Rome or during the Renaissance which is the topic and setting of Coronation. There is no obvious gain, except perhaps that of surprise, in shifting the setting of this opera to Stalinist Russia.Jason, directed by Ted Huffman, also sung and orchestrated beautifully, suffered from similar "concept" driven staging. It was set for the first act in what looked like a rather run-down 1930s hotel graced by a staircase which swayed alarmingly when the singers ascended or descended it. The role of Jason was taken by countertenor Clint Van der Linde, and Medea was performed by mezzo-soprano Hannah Pedley. …