Electronic cardiac pacemakers are the primary therapy for sinus node dysfunction and high-degree AV block. Although uncommon, infections, lead failures, and vascular complications do result in mortality and morbidity for some patients.1 Battery life limitations require device changes, which contribute to infection risk. In addition, providing adequate rate adaptation to physical activity as well as pacing the developing heart of pediatric patients is technically challenging. Because of these and other shortcomings, the use of biological pacemakers is of great interest. Several approaches have been studied, including direct gene transfer in native cardiomyocytes to express the β2-adrenoreceptor,2 a dominant-negative form of the Kv2.1 potassium channel,3 or the classical pacemaker channels of the HCN family.4 Despite some promising experimental results, there are still technical limitations, and biological pacemakers are not yet suited to replace implantable pacemakers in the clinic (see Rosen et al5 and Boink and Rosen6 for an extensive review and discussion). In addition to difficulty in achieving pacing at high heart rates, major challenges relate to the fact that gene transfer must be safe; reliable; and ideally, life lasting. An alternative to gene transfer in native cardiomyocytes is the transplantation of cells with pacemaking activity. Such cells are not necessarily excitable themselves because they only need to generate a pacemaking current that is transferred to neighboring cardiomyocytes through gap junctions to evoke an action potential. This concept is called a tandem cell unit (TCU) strategy and has been analyzed previously by in vitro studies and transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells expressing the pacemaker channel HCN2.7

Article see p 753

In this issue of Circulation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology , Jia and colleagues8 combined the concept of a TCU pacing strategy with an optogenetic pacing approach in an in vitro system. The authors have …


In this study, we reported the patterns, epidemiology, and clinical features of anterior uveitis (AU) in Taiwan, an area of Eastern Asia. This prospective, cross-sectional case series study was performed to identify patients with AU at two tertiary medical centers (Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital) located at the southern Taiwan between December 1, 2018, and March 31, 2020. The clinical diagnoses, ocular presentations, and laboratory data, including the results of the aqueous polymerase chain reaction tests, were investigated in these patients. A total of 112 patients, with a mean age of 48.9 years, were included. Most patients (87.5%) presented with unilateral eye disease, with 30 cases of ocular hypertension at the first presentation (27%). The most common clinical diagnoses were idiopathic AU (37.5%), human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-associated acute AU (25.0%), and herpetic AU (18.8%). Among patients with herpetic AU, cytomegalovirus (CMV) was the most common pathogen (17/21, 81%). Compared to HLA-B27-associated acute AU, CMV-related AU was mostly observed in patients that were older in age, exhibited higher intraocular pressure, more keratic precipitates, greater iris atrophy, and more pseudophakia, but was least reported in those with posterior synechiae. This prospective study identified the pattern and clinical features of AU in southern Taiwan.


Canopy height greatly affects the biomass stock, carbon dynamics, and maintenance of biodiversity in forests. Previous research reported that the maximum forest canopy height (Hmax) at global and regional scales could be explained by variations in water or energy availability, that is, the water- or energy-related hypothesis. However, fundamental gaps remain in our understanding of how different drivers (i.e., water and energy) contribute to the Hmax at the local scale. In this study, we selected eight dynamic forest plots (20–30 ha) across a latitudinal gradient (from 21.6° N to 48.1° N) in China and measured the canopy structure using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. Based on the LiDAR point cloud data, we extracted the maximum tree height (Hmax) in a 20 × 20 m quadrat as a proxy for canopy height, and the topographic wetness index (TWI) and digital terrain model-derived insolation (DTMI) were calculated as proxies for water and energy conditions. We used a linear mixed model and spatial simultaneous autoregressive error model to quantify how TWI and DTMI contributed to variations in Hmax at the local scale. We found that the positive effect of TWI was stronger in subtropical and tropical forests, highlighting that water was the main factor that drives the canopy height pattern in these regions. In contrast, although the effects of DTMI can be both positive and negative, its relative contribution was higher in temperate forest plots than in other forest types, supporting the idea that energy input is more critical for Hmax in temperate forests. Overall, our study revealed the directional change from energy to water limitation from temperate to subtropical and tropical forests. Our findings can offer important insights into forest management, especially under global climate change in the Anthropocene.


Ankle propulsion is essential for efficient human walking. In recent years, several working principles have been investigated and applied to ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) to enhance the work of the plantarflexor muscles and achieve proper propulsion during gait. Comparing the performance and effectiveness of different designs is difficult because researchers do not have a standardized set of criteria and procedures to follow. This leads to a wide range of tests being conducted, with variations in important factors such as walking speed and assistance provided, which greatly affect users' kinematics and kinetics. In this work, we investigate the possibilities and potential benefits of two of the most important design principles for supporting ankle propulsion with unpowered AFOs. To this end, we present and evaluate two AFO prototypes with springs parallel to the Achilles tendon based on: (i) a linear compression spring, and (ii) a customized leaf spring-cam transmission with a non-linear ankle torque-angle curve. The effects of both AFOs are reported for a case study with one healthy participant using both prototypes at two walking speeds under the same experimental conditions. Large reductions in muscular activity were found when the user received assistance, and ankle kinematics were influenced by the different assistance approaches. This case study was intended as a first step to provide insights on how two promising principles can passively support push-off during gait.


This study investigated the cancer chemopreventive effects of an acidic methanol extract of purple rice husk on chemically induced carcinogenesis in rats. This purple rice husk extract (PRHE) had high polyphenol contents. Vanillic acid was a major phenolic compound in PRHE. Three major anthocyanins found in PRHE were malvidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside. PRHE was not toxic and clastogenic in rats. The LD50 of PRHE was greater than 2000 mg kg−1 body weight (BW). The oral administration of 300 or 1000 mg kg−1 BW of PRHE for 28 days significantly decreased the number of micronucleated hepatocytes in diethylnitrosamine-initiated rats. The inhibitory mechanisms were associated with the reduction of cytochrome P450 2E1 expression and induction of some detoxifying enzymes in the liver. In addition, treatment with 500 mg kg−1 BW of PRHE for eight weeks did not induce preneoplastic lesions in the liver and colon. It significantly inhibited hepatic glutathione-S-transferase positive foci formation induced by diethylnitrosamine and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine by suppression of hepatocyte proliferation and induction of apoptosis. In conclusion, PRHE did not present toxicity, clastogenicity or carcinogenicity in rats. It exhibited cancer chemopreventive properties against chemically induced early stages rat hepatocarcinogenesis. Anthocyanins and vanillic acid might be candidate anticarcinogenic compounds in purple rice husk.


It has been known about Arabic literature since antiquity, especially from pre-Islamic times, that it is fertile and possesses wonderful fields and treasures, whether in poetry or prose. Modern Arabic literature has spread recently in various studies and artistic and critical forms, which affected this fertile field, and raised its level in front of other foreign literature such as French and American literatures. And he presented it to the circle of great interests of critics, writers, and thinkers, and this is due to the emergence of the prose arts, which occupied the position that was occupied by the arts of poetry in the past, the most important of which are the novel, the story, the play, and the biography, so the biography became the most famous and influential among readers and the strongest expression in technical meanings. Taha Hussain was blind, but God granted him knowledge and insight. He achieved great success in his life. He was a great writer, critic, a great historian, and Egyptian translator. The book "Al-Ayyam" by Taha Hussein is considered the beginning of the biography of the Arab race and an ideal model for him. The book Al-Ayyam was written by the Dean of Literature in three parts, the first part is about childhood and the events that took place in it, and the second part is in the book (Al-Ayyam) in which Dr. Taha Hussein writes about his educational life at Al-Azhar and what he gained in this knowledge environment in Cairo.
As for the third part of "The Days", Taha Hussein tells us about a new period in his life, the period of struggle for renewal and striving for openness, the period of movement and the transition to a new, different world, the world of Europe


Coumarin effects on gravitropic responses of Arabidopsis thaliana roots were here evaluated. Coumarin alone did not cause any alteration on gravitropic response showing a behavior similar to control plants. In contrast, TIBA and NPA, two auxin transport inhibitors, strongly modified root gravitropic responses. The addition of coumarin to the medium together with TIBA or NPA partially restored the effect of both inhibitors. Simultaneously, a semi-quantitative evaluation of ROS distribution was performed on root tips. TIBA and NPA caused a wide distribution of O2-, ROS oxidant species, around the root tip which disappeared with coumarin addition to both treatments, restoring ROS localized distribution. These results indicated a strong correlation between ROS distribution and coumarin-mediated recovery of root gravitropism.


In this study, we investigated the relationships between training load, perceived wellness and match performance in professional volleyball by applying the machine learning techniques XGBoost, random forest regression and subgroup discovery. Physical load data were obtained by manually logging all physical activities and using wearable sensors. Daily wellness of players was monitored using questionnaires. Match performance was derived from annotated actions by a video scout during matches. We identified conditions of predictor variables that related to attack and pass performance (p < 0.05). Better attack performance is related to heavy weights of lower-body strength training exercises in the preceding four weeks. However, worse attack performance is linked to large variations in weights of full-body strength training exercises, excessively heavy upper-body strength training, low jump heights and small variations in the number of high jumps in the four weeks prior to competition. Lower passing performance was associated with small variations in the number of high jumps in the preceding week and an excessive amount of high jumps performed, on average, in the two weeks prior to competition. Differences in findings with respect to passing and attack performance suggest that elite volleyball players can improve their performance if training schedules are adapted to the position of a player.


The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of visual-neurofeedback-guided motor imagery (MI) of the dominant leg, based on source analysis with real-time sLORETA derived from 44 EEG channels. Ten able-bodied participants took part in two sessions: session 1 sustained MI without feedback and session 2 sustained MI of a single leg with neurofeedback. MI was performed in 20 s on and 20 s off intervals to mimic functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neurofeedback in the form of a cortical slice presenting the motor cortex was provided from a frequency band with the strongest activity during real movements. The sLORETA processing delay was 250 ms. Session 1 resulted in bilateral/contralateral activity in the 8–15 Hz band dominantly over the prefrontal cortex while session 2 resulted in ipsi/bilateral activity over the primary motor cortex, covering similar areas as during motor execution. Different frequency bands and spatial distributions in sessions with and without neurofeedback may reflect different motor strategies, most notably a larger proprioception in session 1 and operant conditioning in session 2. Single-leg MI might be used in the early phases of rehabilitation of stroke patients. Simpler visual feedback and motor cueing rather than sustained MI might further increase the intensity of cortical activation.


The mechanism of interaction of particulate matter with living system is not completely understood. Evaluation of the effect of particulate Indian traditional medicine JB(JB) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) cells is the major focus of the present study. In India, JB is considered as a rejuvenating medicine and used for the treatment of diseases such as diabetes and age-related eye diseases, as well as a health promoting tonic by the traditional practitioners. In presence of JB, higher growth has been observed at the late stationary growth phase of yeast. Ultra-structure analysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has shown that JB-treated yeast cells have better morphology over control in the late stationary growth phase. In this investigation, cellular response from yeast cells after interaction with JB particles was measured using Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy—a noninvasive tool to distinguish between particle-treated and untreated cells—revealed that treatment with JB is able to slow the degradation of cellular components (e.g. DNA, proteins and lipids) with the aging of yeast cells. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


I outline and discuss a somewhat novel reading of the adverbial element in the English middle, This bread cuts easily, in which it relates directly to the subject NP. A subject-oriented reading of easily is suggested by the non-middle This wire conducts (electricity) easily, where easily characterizes the conductive property of the wire, i.e., having low resistance. The proposed general semantic representation of the middle implicates neither the implicit agent nor the genericity often claimed for the middle.


Background: The family caregivers of the people with cancer such as breast cancer experience a decrease in their quality of life and an increase of their caring burden. In most of the cases, the researchers consider the quality of life and physical and psychological problems in patients with cancer and pay less attention to the family caregivers. To reduce the caring burden imposed to the caregivers and improve their quality of life, supportive strategies such as problem solving can be used. These interventions may have benefits for the caregivers although the research results are contradictory. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of a supportive educational program, based on COPE model, which focuses on creativity, optimism, planning, and expert information on individuals, on the caring burden and quality of life in the family caregivers of women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The present study is a clinical trial, which was conducted in Seyed-Al-Shohada Hospital of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and a private center of chemotherapy in 2012. In this study, researchers investigated the effect of a supportive educational program based on COPE model on the caring burden and quality of life in the family caregivers of women with breast cancer. This supportive educational program included two hospital visits and two telephone sessions based on COPE model for 9 days. A total of 64 patients were selected based on the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned into two groups. Data were collected by use of Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOL-C), World Health Organization Quality of Life — Bref(WHOQOL-Bref)_, and Zarit caring burden at the beginning of the intervention and a month after the intervention. Results: The results showed that in the experimental group, the mean score of physical, mental, spiritual, environmental domains and overall quality of life in the family caregivers was significantly increased compared to the control group, but there was no change in the social domain of quality of life in the two groups. In the experimental group, the mean score of caring burden among the caregivers was significantly decreased compared to the control group. Conclusion: Results of the present study suggested that a supportive educational program can improve physical, mental, spiritual, environmental domains and overall quality of life. It can also decrease the caring burden in the family caregivers of women with breast cancer. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of these interventions on quality of life and caring burden in the family caregivers of women with breast cancer undergoing other cancer treatments.


During 2020 and 2021, Australia implemented relatively stringent government restrictions yet had few COVID-19 deaths. This provides an opportunity to understand the effects of lockdowns and quarantining restrictions on short-term mortality and to help provide evidence in understanding how such public health policies can impact on health. Our analysis is based on preliminary mortality data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Rates were estimated by disease and over time and compared with mortality statistics in the period 2015–2019. Comparing deaths in 2020-2021 with 2015–2019 show the annual mortality rate (per 100 000 people) fell by 5.9% from 528.4 in 2015–2019 to 497.0 in 2020–2021. Declines in mortality are across many disease categories including respiratory diseases (down 9.4 deaths per 100 000), cancer (down 7.5 deaths per 100 000) and heart disease (down 8.4 deaths per 100 000). During 2020 and 2021, Australian age-standardised mortality rates fell by 6%. This drop was similar for men and women, and was driven by a reduction in both communicable and non-communicable causes of death. Such evidence can help inform public health policies designed to both control COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.


Abstract. Knowledge of the ecology of the Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) has remained nearly as elusive as the rail itself. Camera trapping methods facilitated the first study of breeding phenology and chick development, courtship and brood rearing behaviors, and flightless molt phenology and duration. Broods (n = 33) were observed between August 2015 - September 2019. Chicks were capable of flight at approximately 40 days after hatching. Nesting was initiated as early as 17 April 2019 ( x̄ = 5 June ± 30.0 SD) and fledging occurred as late as 30 September 2019 (x̄ = 10 August). Behavioral observations combined with phenology data provided evidence of pairs raising two or more broods during a breeding season. Flightless molt (n = 10 adults in molt), which was initiated as early as 15 August 2019 and completed as late as 11 October 2019, was completed within approximately 21 days of initiation. Conservation and management strategies should take into consideration periods of vulnerability, which coincide with increasingly severe and frequent coastal flooding events and hurricanes. It is necessary to understand factors key to fecundity and survival to effectively develop conservation strategies to ensure the persistence of the subspecies.


Copyright marking embedding and detection method could play an active role after the unlawful conduct took place. However, with the request of copyright protection measures continue to improve, it is hoped that the illegal conducts can be warned or prevented during or even before they act. In order to solve the problem, this article based on the watermarking algorithm, tries to show the idea of the operating system realtime monitor technology. Besides, it poses ldquothe access control of spatial data files rdquo by using the file system filter driver technology. Thereby, it realized the functions such as the monitoring of reading and writing as well as the dynamically encrypting and decrypting of the geographical information data. And the experiment shows that it can prevent the illegal behavior made by those unauthorized clients. Therefore, it can be regarded as the effective complement and reinforcement of the protection technology of the watermarking property rights.


Development of an in silico cell is an urgent task of systems biology. The core of this cell should consist of mathematical models of intracellular events, including enzymatic reactions and control of gene expression. For example, the minimal model of the E. coli cell should include description of about one thousand enzymatic reactions and regulation of expression of approximately the same number of genes. In many cases detailed mechanisms of molecular processes are not known. In this study, we propose a generalized Hill function method for modeling molecular events. The proposed approach is a method of kinetic data approximation in view of additional data on structure functional features of molecular genetic systems and actually does not demand knowledge of their detailed mechanisms. Generalized Hill function models of an enzymatic reaction catalyzed by the tryptophan-sensitive 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase and the cydAB operon expression regulation are presented.


Background: War trauma includes some of the most complex injury entities that require complex techniques, often in austere settings. After body armor use and advanced resuscitation and evacuation plans, limb injuries and salvage has increased. In this article, we review the recent war injured care, regarding limb injuries. Methods: Retrospective literature search in PubMed was conducted for articles after 2010, regarding initial limb salvage and advanced reconstruction after evacuation. 43 published articles and manuals were included in the review, so that the latest protocols be interpreted. Results: Protocols of war surgery and extremity injuries have changed in modern warfare, as high energy weapons often cause severe limb injuries affecting multiple tissues. Of utmost importance is the thorough debridement and staged reconstruction, after optimization of injured tissue condition. In priority series, vascular, bony, nerve and soft tissue injuries have to be addressed. Reconstruction techniques must be adapted to each injury. Conclusion: As weapons evolve and war conduction changes, medical care must constantly evolve, too, in order to meet the standard of care required to achieve extremity salvage and good functionality.


Guidelines for the management of either hypertension or hyperlipidaemia have been widely published. However, recent data have shown the high frequency of an abnormal lipid profile in hypertensive subjects. We have therefore surveyed 195 general practitioners throughout Britain to determine current community-based attitudes and management approaches to hypertension with coexistent hypercholesterolaemia. Routine screening for lipids in hypertensive subjects was recommended by 40% of respondents. First-line antihypertensive drug choices were influenced by the knowledge of a hypercholesterolaemia, with preference for drugs known to have no adverse effects on the lipid profile. When first-choice drug failed to effectively lower blood pressure, the additional drug or the substitute choices were not influenced by the metabolic profiles of the alternative selected. The current wide choice of antihypertensive drugs and the complexity of metabolic complications of treatment plus the relationship of risk factor clustering has made the formulation of management strategies very difficult. This was supported by the finding that 88% of respondents in our survey felt that there was a clear need for consensus management guidelines for the treatment of hypertension with coexistent hypercholesterolaemia.


The presence of hyaline bodies in the optic disks occasionally produces an appearance that may simulate that of chronic papilledema with secondary optic nerve atrophy. When the glistening bodies are large and lie near the surface, they cause little difficulty in diagnosis, but when they are small and lie buried so deeply within the nerve substance that they are scarcely visible, they may cause a fulness that is difficult to explain. In fact, unless they are looked for specifically, they may pass unnoticed. Not only is the appearance of the optic disks misleading, but field defects are encountered rather frequently in this condition, either in the form of peculiar contractions or of arcuate scotomas. Such defects may confuse the diagnostician still further. This impairment of vision was mentioned by Reese1in his excellent review of the subject in 1940. In general, however, little attention has been paid to the


Introduction:
 Astrocytes from middle-aged reproductively senescent rats, who typically have larger infarcts after stroke, have been shown to have a reduced functional capacity for glutamate clearance and production of trophic factors compared to astrocytes from adult rats, who typically have smaller infarcts. Epigenetic analysis revealed greater H3K4 trimethylation of the promoter region of the mir17-92 cluster in adult astrocytes, and qRT-PCR analysis confirmed increased expression of all members of this cluster including a 240-fold elevation of mir20a-3p. Intravenous injection of mir20a-3p mimics 4h after induction of ischemia improved stroke outcomes in middle-aged female rats. Bioinformatics indicate that mir20a-3p modulates many mitochondrial genes, including Glycerol-3-Phosphate Acyltransferase, Cytochrome B5 Type B, Acyl-coenzyme A synthetase. This study tested the effect of mir20a-3p on mitochondrial function in astrocytes in normoxic and ischemic conditions.

 Methods:
 Male and female human astrocyte cultures were assigned to normoxic (21% O
 2
 , 25 mM glucose) or ischemic (1% O
 2
 , 0 mM glucose) conditions for 6h. Cells were treated with 50 nM mir20a-3p, 50 nM scrambled control miR or vehicle. Mitochondrial function was assessed by Fluorescent Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP).

 Results:
 Imaging of astrocytes indicates FAM-labeled mir20a-3p uptake, and qRT-PCR analysis indicates a significant sex difference in mir20a-3p expression after OGD that recapitulates the
 in vivo
 phenotype. Treatment with mir20a-3p accelerated fluorescent recovery compared to cells treated with scrambled miR or vehicle in normoxia and OGD for both sexes. A significant sex difference was observed in fluorescent recovery, with the male cells experiencing a dampened effect in response to mir20a-3p or scrambled treatment.

 Conclusion:
 Since the rate of fluorescent recovery measures mitochondrial membranes continuity, these data suggest that mir20a-3p promotes mitochondrial fusion. If greater continuity of the mitochondrial membrane compensates for the greater energy demand after stroke, these data may explain why stroke recovery is better in young females compared to males.

 Supported by NIH RF1 AG042189 to FS and a TAMU Graduate Merit Fellowship to TB


Process intensification - history, philosophy, principles, A. Stankiewicz and A.A.H. Drinkenburg chemical processing in high gravity fields, David L. Trent the spinning disk reactor, C. Ramshaw compact multifunctional heat exchangers - a pathway to process intensification, B. Thonon and T. Tochon process intensification through microreaction technology, Wolfgang Ehrfeld structural catalysts and reactors - a contribution to process intensification, Jacob A. Loujin, Freek Kapteijn, and Andrzej Stankiewicz in-line and high intensity mixers, Andrew Green reactive separations in fluid systems, E.Y. Kenig, A. Gorak and H.-J. Bart debottlenecking of reaction and separation processes, David Agar process synthesis/integration, Patrick Linke, Antonis Kokossis and Henk van den Berg process intensification in industrial practice - methodology and application, R.A. Bakker process intensification for safety, Dennis C. Hernshot process intensification contributions to sustainable development, G. Jan Harmsen, Gijsbert Korevaar and Saul M. Lemkowitz.


As there is some evidence that the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is partially attributable to environmental exposure to some metals and metalloids, we examined an association between AD and arsenic, chromium, and selenium in 53 AD patients and 217 controls. Urinary arsenic, blood chromium, and selenium were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Logistic regression models calculating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate AD association with arsenic, chromium, and selenium. In AD patients, urinary arsenic and blood chromium were significantly higher, while blood selenium was significantly lower compared to controls. Increased blood selenium was related to a significant decrease in the odds of AD after adjustment for risk factors. Blood selenium per 1 kg × 10−9/m3 × 10−4 increment was associated with 1.4 times lower risk of AD (OR = 0.71; 95% CI 0.58–0.87). A significant increase in the odds of AD associated with increased blood chromium was also seen in the adjusted model: the OR per 1 kg × 10−9/m3 × 10−3 chromium increment was 2.39 (95% CI 1.32–4.31). The association of urinary arsenic with the risk of AD was not significant. The data obtained provide evidence that selenium reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease, while chromium increases it.


Negative feedback circuits are a recurrent motif in regulatory biological networks, strongly linked
to the emergence of oscillatory behavior. The theoretical analysis of the existence of oscillations
is a difficult problem and typically involves many constraints on the monotonicity of the activity
functions. Here, we study the occurrence of periodic solutions in an n-dimensional class of nega-
tive feedback systems defined by smooth vector fields with a window of not necessarily monotonic
activity. Our method consists in circumscribing the smooth system by two piecewise linear ones,
each admitting a periodic solution. It can then be shown that the smooth negative feedback system
also has a periodic orbit, inscribed in the topological solid torus constructed from the two piecewise
linear orbits. The interest of our approach lies in first, adopting a general class of functions, with a
nonmonotonicity window, which permits a better fitting between theoretical models and experimen-
tal data, and second, establishing a more accurate location for the periodic solution, which is useful
for computational purposes in high dimensions. As an illustration, a model for the "repressilator"
synthetic system is analyzed and compared to real data, and shown to admit a periodic orbit, for a
range of activity functions.


Evolutionary maternal effects occur whenever a mother's phenotypic traits directly affect her offspring's phenotype, independent of the offspring's genotype. Some of the phenotypic traits that result in maternal effects have a genetic basis, whereas others are environmentally determined. For example, the size of a litter produced by a mammalian mother - a trait with a strong genetic basis - can affect the growth rate of her offspring, while a mother's dominance rank - an environmentally determined trait - can affect the dominance rank of her offspring. The first volume published on the subject in more than a decade, "Maternal Effects in Mammals" reflects advances in genomic, ecological, and behavioral research, as well as new understandings of the evolutionary interplay between mothers and their offspring. Dario Maestripieri and Jill M. Mateo bring together a learned group of contributors to synthesize the vast literature on a range of species, highlight evolutionary processes that were previously overlooked, and propose new avenues of research. "Maternal Effects in Mammals" will serve as the most comprehensive compendium on and stimulus for interdisciplinary treatments of mammalian maternal effects.


The attribute alignment approach to team composition allows researchers to assess variation in team member attributes, which occurs simultaneously within and across individual team members. This approach facilitates the development of theory testing the proposition that individual members are themselves complex systems comprised of multiple attributes and that the configuration of those attributes affects team-level processes and outcomes. Here, we expand this approach, originally developed for two attributes, by describing three ways researchers may capture the alignment of three or more team member attributes: (a) a geometric approach, (b) a physical approach accentuating ideal alignment, and (c) an algebraic approach accentuating the direction (as opposed to magnitude) of alignment. We also provide examples of the research questions each could answer and compare the methods empirically using a synthetic dataset assessing 100 teams of three to seven members across four attributes. Then, we provide a practical guide to selecting an appropriate method when considering team-member attribute patterns by answering several common questions regarding applying attribute alignment. Finally, we provide code ( https://github.com/kjem514/Attribute-Alignment-Code ) and apply this approach to a field data set in our appendices.


This short notice, entitled "When a 'Hobo' Works," which appeared in the New York Times, July 13, 1912, might seem overwrought to contemporary readers in its definitive nature. The need to delineate work and nonwork, however, was quite serious business for Americans in the first decades of the 20th century. During this period, as evidenced in newspaper and journal articles, legislation, and popular culture, there was growing apprehension about the perceived differences and slippage among the ideas of the tramp, the hobo, the vagrant, the unemployed worker, and the worker. Most of this conversation was directed toward defining work and nonwork for men — specifically for white men. Tramping came to be viewed as an affliction of both mind and body, with writers, politicians, and reformers seeking to define the tramp and then theorizing how to put these newly codified bodies to work.Some of the most complex images of joblessness from this period were produced by the Ashcan school of artists, who frequently portrayed jobless men in their paintings and drawings. The Ashcan school, a group of six realist painters who lived and worked in New York City from 1900 to the First World War, established a national reputation as radicals rebelling against what they argued was a conservative artistic community woefully out of touch with modern American life. Ashcan artists depicted what they claimed to be the realities of the city around them — busy streets, shopgirls, ethnic communities, construction workers, and prostitutes, as well as tramps. John Sloan's The Coffee Line, 1905 (Figure 1), is typical of the kinds of images that Ashcan artists produced. The scene is a snowy winter's night in New York with a band of men in line to get a free cup of coffee. Jobless men are the stars here; unwitting leads in Sloan's slice of New York City life. The painting did much to communicate nationally a visual image of the tramp in New York City; it won honorable mention in 1905 at the Carnegie Institute International Exposition and was then exhibited in Chicago; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Dallas; and Seattle.


Received Apr 3, 2022 Revised Jul 7, 2022 Accepted Jul 29, 2022 In order to prevent unwanted access to sensitive data by unauthorized individuals, color images are encoded. Because chaotic-DNA encoding can make information highly secure, it is often employed in image encryption. In this study, a new image encryption technique has been proposed based on a new 4D-chaotic system and DNA computing. The algorithm consists of two phases: in the first phase, the pixel positions are permuted by chaotic sequences. In the second phase, according to the concept of DNA cryptography, a set of operations (like DNA addition, DNA XOR, DNA subtraction, shift right, and shift left) are performed on the DNA encoding sequence. The performance of the suggested algorithm is evaluated through analyses like correlation coefficient, entropy, histogram, and key space. The results show that the encryption method that was exhibited has good encryption performance and high security. For encrypted images, the histogram is fairly uniform, the correlation values between adjacent pixels are very small and close to zero, and the entropy is near to the ideal value of eight. In addition, the proposed system has a very large key space that is equal to 2 keys, which makes it resistant to brute-force, differential, and statistical attacks.


Urban food action plans seek quantitative data on household agriculture gardening, traditionally difficult to quantify rapidly, as well as data on inequality to explore the potential to improve equitable access to fresh vegetables through household agriculture. This article presents a novel hybrid field survey (HFS) method, combining ground surveys with satellite imagery to quantify the prevalence and area of household agriculture gardens, as well as inequality by neighborhood income. We test the method in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, (Twin Cities), USA, analyzing the presence/absence (prevalence) and size of agriculture gardens across a total of ~17,500 households in 2017 and repeated in 2020 (during COVID-19). In 2017, the overall mean frequency of household agricultural gardening was 5.0%, with significant differences (2.7 vs. 7.0%) across low- vs. high-income neighborhoods. The city-wide median area per agriculture garden size was 14.6 m2 with greater size (19.8 vs. 11.6 m2) in low- vs. high-income neighborhoods, respectively. Across all income groups, the gardening area was a small fraction of the yard area, suggesting little land availability constraints. Measurements in the summer of 2020 during COVID-19 found the method sensitive over time, showing an overall 60% increase in the prevalence of household agriculture with low-income neighborhoods increasing rates from 3 to 5%. Overall, the method can inform aggregate production potential and inequality in household agriculture.


Cyber violence is verbal abuse or expression crime that violates personal rights in cyber space. The personal rights of victim can not be inferior to the dissolute freedom of harmful information sender who lead to cyber violence. There is no reason to protect perpetrator who makes an irresponsible comments through expression media of strong diffusion, more heavily than unliable victim. The improvement of criminal measures against cyber violence may be summarized as follows: We don`t have to design cyber insult as a independent constituent requisite, because of ① mismatch of the system of constituent requisite, ② lack of justification for additional punishment, ③ possibility of flexible reaction through established contempt, ④ concern about abuse of political power. Because cyber libel is an ordinary crime in these days which cyber culture is becoming more common, it should be fixed by the articles of basic criminal law to further raise the function of general prevention and standard of conduct. In regard to cyber sexual harassment, there is no vacuum of punishment because the offender is punished for an obscene act through telecommunication media against article 12 in the Act of Punishment for Sexual Violence. But it is necessary to adjust its statutory penalty, compared with cyberstalkiog of article 44-7(1) in the .Act of Information and Telecommunication. In regard to cyberstalkiog, it is necessary to be fixed by the articles of basic criminal law or special law with off line stalking. Also should be aggravated punishment applied to child or juvenile stalking. Cyber obscene material in the Act of Information and Telecom- munication should be admitted into article 243 of promulgation of obscene materials in the Criminal Law. Also should be aggravated punishment applied to child or juvenile cyber sexual exploitations. In order to protect children and juveniles from sex trafficking. most effective measure is law enforcement agency should intervene the course of purchasing child or juvenile`s sexuality, and block sexual trade in advance


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the features of adenomas identified in a first endoscopic examination may predict the presence of polyps with advanced pathological features that may have gone unnoticed and whether early colonoscopy may benefit these patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We examined 133 patients with diagnosis of colonic adenomas who had undergone complete colonoscopy and endoscopic polypectomy. All of them underwent colonoscopic follow-up at 3 years. Seventy nine patients underwent colonoscopic follow-up both at 6 months and at 3 years, while 54 patients underwent just colonoscopic follow-up at 3 years and 47 just at 6 months.

RESULTS
Fifteen per cent of the patients analyzed developed polyps with pathological features after 6 months. The size and histological analysis of the polyps detected in the initial colonoscopic examination did not affect these results (p < 0.05). The number of polyps was statistically significant: patients with 3 or more polyps in the initial colonoscopic examination presented more polyps with pathological features after six months (25.8 versus 5.8%, p = 0002). This follow-up examination at 3 years did not reveal a higher occurrence of polyps with pathological features in any of the two groups of patients, namely, those who had undergone early colonoscopy and those who had not.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with multiple polyps have greater probability of developing synchronous polyps with some pathological features which may have gone unnoticed. Since early examination has not shown to provide a benefit for these patients, the first follow-up colonoscopy should be performed at 3 years, particularly if the initial colonoscopy is negative.


The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate the difference of temperament, self-regulation, and problem behavior according to children's gender and age, (2) to investigate the relationship among three variables by use of canonical correlation analysis. The subjects were 210 children ages from 3 to 5 in five day-care center in Incheon city. The SPSS WIN 12.0 Program was used to analyze the collected data. The statistical methods were Frequency, Percentage, Cronbach's α, Two-way ANOVA, Correlation analysis, and Canonical Correlation analysis. The major results of this research are summarized as follows: (1) Children's temperament were significantly different by their gender and age. The boys got higher score than girls in adaptability, activity, and total temperament. Girls got higher score than boys in reactivity. The age 3 got higher score than the age 5 in activity and the ages 3, 4 got higher than the age 5 in total temperament. (2) Children's self-regulation were significantly different by their age. The children who were older got higher scores in self-regulation ability. (3) Children's problems behavior were significantly different by their gender and age. The boys got higher score than girls in anxiety behavior, aggressive behavior, hyperactive/distractive behavior, and total problem behavior. And the ages 3, 4 got higher score than the age 5 in anxiety behavior and hyperactive/distractive behavior. The age 4 got higher score the ages 3, 5 in aggressive behavior and the age 3 got higher score the ages 4, 5 in total problem behavior. (4) Canonical correlation results showed that stable temperament and self-regulation were positively correlated and self-regulation and problem behavior were negatively correlated.


This research examined the association between identity status and self-monitoring behavior including age and gender differences in these variables in 476 adolescents (15 to 22 years old) in Turkey—a non-Western society characterized by traditional and modernist culture elements. Identity was assessed with the Extended Version of the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, and self-monitoring was measured by the Self-Monitoring Scale. Identity and self-monitoring were significantly associated for ideological identity with identity-achieved students lowest and diffusion students highest in selfmonitoring. There were no associations for interpersonal or general identity status. Consistent with research in North America, there were significant increases in identity achievement and moratorium with age and no gender differences in identity status. Males were significantly higher than females in self-monitoring, but there were no age differences. These findings are discussed in relation to the influences on identity formation in Turkey.


The present invention provides a high throughput method to quantify and characterize the size and integrity of viruses and viral molecules using chromatographic system and in-line Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) technique. In one embodiment, the present method quantifies and characterizes the size and integrity of enveloped or non-enveloped virus, live or live-attenuated or inactivated virus, recombinant viral vectors, or virus-like particles (VLPs). In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a column-switching system for running multiple analyses simultaneously. The present invention also provides a method to develop and evaluate virus containing products for the prevention of viral diseases. In another embodiment, the methods described herein serve as in- process quality control for manufacturing processes of virus vaccines.


OBJECTIVE
to compare the clinical and morphological parallels of the mother-placenta-fetus system in diffuse toxic goiter (DTG) through current morphological examinations.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Sixty-five women whose pregnancy occurred with DTG were examined using both clinical and morphological studies (light, scanning electron, and atomic-force microscopies and macro- and microelement analysis); the placenta and uterus were investigated.

RESULTS
Destructive changes and microrelief impairment, resulting from circulatory disorders (ischemia) and hemic hypoxia, were observed in the presence of DTG during pregnancy. Abnormal placental immaturity developed; the number of terminal villi decreased; sclerosis occurred. The magnitude of changes showed up to a greater extent in the myometrium, umbilical cord, and placenta of women, whose pregnancy occurred with DTG, and in patients with disease recurrence. In preeclampsia, plethora, stasis, and thrombosis were added to circulatory disorders.

CONCLUSION
Not only the diagnosis itself of DTG, but also the type of its course and the pattern of obstetric disease, primarily preeclampsia, affect the state of structural components of the uteroplacental unit.


The effect of human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) extracts and PMN granule lysates on in vitro immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis by autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells was studied. The mononuclear cells were cultured for 3 days with or without autologous plasma. Newly synthesized Ig in the culture supernatants was measured using 14C-labelled amino acids by an immune coprecipitation method. Upon addition of a PMN extract to plasma-free cultures Ig synthesis was stimulated, the mean stimulation index (SI) of cultures from thirteen individuals, including nine normals, three patients with rheumatoid arthritis and one with psoriatic arthritis being 1-8 +/- 0-2 in comparison with control cultures (P less than 0-05). By contrast, in 10% fresh autologous plasma, PMN extracts yielded a mean SI of 0-9 +/- 0-1 indicating inactivation of the active extracts by plasma inhibitors. In experiments using PMN granule lysates containing high concentrations of beta-glucuronidase and cultured in RPMI 1640, the mean stimulation index was 3-2 +/- 0-7. Stimulation of Ig synthesis was also produced by trypsin. Stimulation of Ig synthesis was also produced by trypsin. Stimulating factors in PMN extracts were inhibited by Trasylol, a protease inhibitor. These results indicate that trypsin and proteolytic lysosomal enzymes in PMN increase Ig synthesis of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. They suggest a possible new role of PMN in the potentiation of immunoglobulin synthesis.


In planning the sequential transfer of free flaps with an adequate time interval, the transferred prior flap can be considered a potential donor site when it becomes partially dispensable as a result of redundancy. Increased control of the range of flap thickness is one of the advantages of a perforator flap. Therefore, a transferred perforator flap with a redundancy in thickness could be reelevated later as a thin perforator flap that leaves significant subcutaneous tissue intact. We present an unusual case in which a prior free perforator flap was reelevated as a thin flap and transferred as a free flap to another location. Two years after the first transfer, the medial thigh septocutaneous perforator-based flap in the calf region was elevated again, with only the inclusion of a thin subcutaneous layer based on the same perforator pedicle, and was moved as a free flap to the anterior tibial region. The use of a prior perforator flap as a donor site for a later flap can avoid the additional sacrifice of a new donor site. The recycling of redundant perforator flaps to yield another flap through tangential splitting is another advantage of perforator flaps.


In certain scenarios of deformed relativistic symmetries relevant for noncommutative field theories particles exhibit a momentum space described by a non-Abelian group manifold. Starting with a formulation of phase space for such particles which allows for a generalization to include group-valued momenta we discuss quantization of the corresponding field theory. Focusing on the particular case of {kappa}-deformed phase space we construct the one-particle Hilbert space and show how curvature in momentum space leads to an ambiguity in the quantization procedure reminiscent of the ambiguities one finds when quantizing fields in curved space-times. The tools gathered in the discussion on quantization allow for a clear definition of the basic deformed field mode operators and two-point function for {kappa}-quantum fields.


The authors have studied the effect of thermal radiation on measurements of the thermal conductivity of small samples below room temperature. By using the different thermal conductivity technique they were able to measure the importance of these effects for temperatures greater than about 100K and to determine the principal source of error of the double flux correction, i.e. the different heater temperature with each different heat flux. They thus propose a better configuration for performing such measurements.


We study theoretically and experimentally the role of fatigue and recovery within a competitive work environment. At work, agents usually make their effort choice in response to competition and monetary incentives. At the same time, they have to take into account fatigue, which accumulates over time if there is insufficient recovery. We model a sequence of work periods as tournaments that are linked through fatigue spillovers, inducing a non-time-separable decision problem. We also allow for variations in incentives in one work period, in order to analyze spillover effects to the work periods \"before\" and \"after\". Making recovery harder should, generally, reduce effort. This theoretical prediction is supported by the experimental data. A short-term increase in incentives in one period should lead to higher effort in that period, and, due to fatigue, to strategic resting before and after. Our experimental results confirm the former, whereas we do not find sufficient evidence for the latter. Even in the presence of fatigue, total effort should positively respond to higher-powered incentives. This is not supported by our data. Removing fatigue, we find the expected increase in total effort. For work environments, this may imply that the link between monetary incentives and effort provision becomes weaker in the presence of fatigue or insufficient recovery between work periods.


During the 16th century CE, the town of al-Lajjun in the Marj ibn 'Amir (the Jezreel Valley), served as one of Ottoman Palestine's provincial capitals under the administration of the Turabay Dynasty (1517–1688 CE), and was an important centre on the imperial highway between Damascus and Cairo. However, the town of this period has never been the subject of historical investigation. This paper seeks to bring together, assess and synthesize, rarely accessed Arabic and Ottoman Turkish sources, along with oral histories and an archaeological survey, to provide the first comprehensive historical account of Turabay al-Lajjun and it its ultimate demise in the 19th century CE.


Human monocytes respond to LPS by releasing proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6. Here we show that inhibitors of ADP-ribosylation namely nicotinamide and meta-iodobenzylguanidine prevent production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 at the protein and mRNA level. The inhibitors also influence the LPS-induced phosphorylation pattern of cytosolic proteins. They consistently lead to changes of the phosphorylation state of two proteins with an apparent molecular mass of 36 kDa and 38 kDa. The changes are both time and dose dependent. The data suggest that the conditions leading to altered phosphorylation of p36/38 may correlate with conditions initiating and regulating TNF-alpha and IL-6 production.


Trousseau was the first who describe an association of venous thromboembolism (VTE) with malignancy. The prevalence of occult cancer in patients with secondary VTE is comparable with the prevalence of cancer in general population (2-3%), while the prevalence of occult cancer in patients with idiopathic VTE is 4-10%. It has been demonstrated that the frequency of malignancy is higher in the first 6 to 12 months after diagnosis of VTE. 113 consecutive patients (50 males, 63 females) with first or recurrent VTE before the age 50, mean age (mean age 34.1 at time of VTE diagnosis) were followed retrospectively. Patients with known cancer were excluded for follow-up. The presence of known malignancy and concomitant cancer at the time of diagnosis of VTE and during follow-up (average 29 months) was investigated. The use of routine or extensive screening detection of occult cancer was also assessed. Extensive screening was performed in 61% of patients and compared with 39 % of routine screening. Overall of occult cancer was 1.8 %. The incidence of occult cancer was 1.2% during one year follow-up, and the prevalence at the time of diagnosis of VTE was 0.9%. The authors confirmed the low prevalence of occult cancer in cohort of consecutive young patients with VTE under the age of 50. It seems that only routine investigation with careful history taking, physical examination and simple laboratory tests are sufficient to detect of occult cancer in this age population. The authors recommend the follow-up of these patients, mainly those with idiopathic VTE. Inherited thrombophilia much more prevails in this young thrombophilia patients but risk of occult malignancy exists as well.


Optical channel waveguides with depressed cladding configurations have been produced in Nd,Gd:CaF2 laser crystals by using ultrafast laser inscription. Waveguide properties are investigated in terms of guiding behaviors and localized laser-induced lattice damages. Under an optical pump of 808 nm light, continuous-wave waveguide lasing at 1.06 µm is achieved, with a single-mode operation and a minimum lasing threshold of 98.8 mW. Furthermore, the visible emissions of Nd3+ with short wavelengths ranging from 415 nm to 550 nm and long wavelengths from 550 nm to 625 nm are observed upon 808 nm laser excitation via the up-converted process. The intensity ratios of two wavelength ranges are proved to be tunable through changing the pumping polarizations.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Introduction: The discovery of novel non-invasive tumor biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis and therapy monitoring remains an undeniable imperative necessity. Circulating miRNAs have recently attracted a lot of interest as novel promising tumor biomarkers. In the present study, we investigated the expression levels of three cancer-associated miRNAs in plasma and evaluated their prognostic significance in breast cancer.

Materials and Methods: We examined the expression levels of miR-21, miR-146a and miR-210 in plasma samples of 134 breast cancer patients (57 patients with verified metastasis and 77 patients with operable breast cancer) and 20 healthy individuals. Circulating miRNAs were isolated from 200μL of plasma using mirVana PARIS kit and in each sample 25fmol of the synthetic cel-miR-39 were spiked as exogenous control. For the quantification of plasma miRNAs, a stem-loop cDNA approach and TaqMan real time PCR (LightCycler 2, Roche Applied Science) were used. The normalization procedure was based on a combination of cel-miR-39 as exogenous control and hsa-miR-191 as endogenous control. Relative expression of circulating miRNAs in plasma was evaluated as previously described (Sourvinou et al., J. of Mol. Diagn, 2013).

Results: Our results indicate that the expression levels of all three circulating miRNAs are significantly increased in plasma both in operable and metastasis verified breast cancer patients in comparison to those of healthy individuals (p<0.001). The expression levels of plasma miR-210 are slightly increased in patients with operable breast cancer in respect to patients with verified metastasis (p=0.034). In patients with verified metastasis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated an association between elevated levels of plasma miR-21 and overall survival (OS) (p= 0.001) and there was a trend with disease-free interval (DFI) (p=0.053). Concerning miR-146a, increased plasma expression levels were correlated with short OS (p=0.029), but there was no correlation with DFI (p=0.914). Finally, respecting miR-210, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis did not show any association with OS or DFI of these patients.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that quantification of circulating miR-21 and miR-146a in plasma are promising prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer and should be further evaluated in a large number of patients.

Citation Format: Ioanna S. Sourvinou, Athina Markou, Nikolaos Malamos, Vasilis Georgoulias, Evi S. Lianidou. Circulating miR-21, miR-146a and miR-210 levels in plasma are associated with clinical outcome in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4786. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4786


Background MicroRNAs (miRs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Studies of transgenic mouse models have indicated that deregulation of a single miR can induce pathological cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac failure. The roles of miRs in the genesis of physiological left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), however, are not well understood. Objective To evaluate the global miR expression in an experimental model of exercise-induced LVH. Methods Male Balb/c mice were divided into sedentary (SED) and exercise (EXE) groups. Voluntary exercise was performed on an odometer-monitored metal wheels for 35 days. Various tests were performed after 7 and 35 days of training, including a transthoracic echocardiography, a maximal exercise test, a miR microarray (miRBase v.16) and qRT-PCR analysis. Results The ratio between the left ventricular weight and body weight was increased by 7% in the EXE group at day 7 (p<0.01) and by 11% at day 35 of training (p<0.001). After 7 days of training, the microarray identified 35 miRs that were differentially expressed between the two groups: 20 were up-regulated and 15 were down-regulated in the EXE group compared with the SED group (p = 0.01). At day 35 of training, 25 miRs were differentially expressed: 15 were up-regulated and 10 were decreased in the EXE animals compared with the SED animals (p<0.01). The qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated an increase in miR-150 levels after 35 days and a decrease in miR-26b, miR-27a and miR-143 after 7 days of voluntary exercise. Conclusions We have identified new miRs that can modulate physiological cardiac hypertrophy, particularly miR-26b, -150, -27a and -143. Our data also indicate that previously established regulatory gene pathways involved in pathological LVH are not changed in physiological LVH.


The present research employs the ReaxFF (a force field for reactive systems)
molecular dynamics simulation method to investigate the detailed microscopic
modelling for complex chemistry of fuel oxidation and catalytic reactions on graphenebased
nanomaterials at the atomic level. Specifically, in total, four different systems are
studied in detail. Firstly, the fundamental reaction mechanisms of hydrous ethanol
oxidation in comparison with the ethanol oxidation under fuel-air condition is
investigated. The results indicate that it is the addition of water that promotes the OH
production due to the chemical effect of H2O leading to the enhancement of ethanol
oxidation and reduction of CO production. Secondly, the fundamental study on
mechanisms of thermal decomposition and oxidation of aluminium hydride is
conducted. It is found that the thermal decomposition and oxidation of aluminium
hydride proceed in three distinctive stages ((1) Pre-diffusion; (2) Core-shell integration;
(3) Post-diffusion, and (I) Oxygen adsorption; (II) Fast dehydrogenation; (III) Al
oxidation), respectively. Thirdly, the catalytic mechanisms and kinetics of methane
oxidation assisted by Platinum/graphene-based catalysts are studied. Platinumdecorated
functionalized graphene sheet is reported to be the most effective catalyst
among all the involved nanoparticle candidates and it improves the catalytic activity by
dramatically lowering the activation energy by approximately 73% compared with pure
methane oxidation. Fourthly, the initiation mechanisms of JP-10 pyrolysis and
oxidation with functionalized graphene sheets in comparison with normal JP-10
reactions are revealed. The results suggest that both pyrolysis and oxidation of JP-10
are advanced and enhanced in the presence of functionalized graphene sheets.
Additionally, the functional groups also participate in various intermediate reactions to
further enhance the pyrolysis and oxidation of JP-10. In summary, the new findings from the present research could contribute to the
design and improvement of the future high-performance energy and propulsion systems,
especially for the promising graphene-containing fuel/propellant formulations.


Objective: The associations between religiousness, authoritarianism, and religious fundamentalism and anti-gay/lesbian (GL) attitudes were examined as well as the possible mediating function of religious fundamentalism on the religiousness–anti-GL attitude relation. Method: A sample of 249 Jewish Israeli undergraduate students participated in an online survey and filled out self-report measures of religiousness (religious behavior and belief), intratextual religious fundamentalism, right-wing authoritarianism, and anti-GL attitudes. Results: Religiousness, authoritarianism, and religious fundamentalism were all positively and significantly associated with anti-GL attitudes (rs = .69–.79). Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that religious fundamentalism had a unique contribution to the prediction of these attitudes even after controlling for religiousness and authoritarianism. Respondent gender and target gender did not moderate these relations. Finally, a mediation analysis using boot-strapping methodology indicated that religious fundamentalism and authoritarianism each mediated the religiousness–anti-GL attitude relation, and multimediation analysis showed that religious fundamentalism and authoritarianism together mediated this relation and that each variable had a unique and significant contribution to the mediating function. Conclusions: There are two paths between religiousness and anti-GL attitudes where one path—religious fundamentalism—is inherently religious and the other—authoritarianism—is not. It may be more profitable to attenuate anti-GL attitudes, that are associated with anti-GL violence, via the nonreligious path.


Forecasts of sea-ice evolution in the Arctic region for several months ahead can be of considerable socio-economic value for a diverse range of marine sectors and for local community supply logistics. However, subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) forecasts represent a significant technical challenge, while translating user needs into scientifically manageable procedures and robust user confidence requires collaboration among a range of stakeholders. We developed and tested a novel, transdisciplinary co-production approach that combined socio-economic scenarios and participatory, research-driven simulation-gaming to test a new S2S sea-ice forecast system with experienced mariners in the cruise tourism sector. Our custom-developed computerized simulation-game ICEWISE integrated sea-ice parameters, forecast technology and human factors, as a participatory environment for stakeholder engagement. We explored the value of applications-relevant S2S sea-ice prediction and linked uncertainty information. Results suggest that the usefulness of S2S services is currently most evident in schedule-dependent sectors but expected to increase due to anticipated changes in the physical environment and continued growth in Arctic operations. Reliable communication of uncertainty information in sea-ice forecasts must be demonstrated and trialed before users gain confidence in emerging services and technologies. Mariners' own intuition, experience, and familiarity with forecast service provider reputation impact the extent to which sea-ice information may reduce uncertainties and risks for Arctic mariners. Our insights into the performance of the combined foresight/simulation co-production model in brokering knowledge across a range of domains demonstrates promise. We conclude with an overview of the potential contributions from S2S sea-ice predictions and from experiential co-production models to the development of decision-driven and science-informed climate services.


On 30 October 2008 Indonesia's parliament passed a controversial pornography bill after following years of heavy debate. According to the wording of the law, pornography means not only the production and distribution of pornographic material, but also behaviour that violates moral ethics in the community or incites sexual exploitation. This vague definition led to massive protests by human and women's rights groups, some provinces, and supporters of the state's pluralism. The opponents of the law claim that women's rights and the traditions of the non-Muslim minority, as well as the pluralism and the unity of the country, are endangered. Furthermore, they worry that conservative Islam will grow in importance. The enduring dispute on the porn bill mirrors a fundamental conflict: the impacts of Islam on policy in pluralistic communities. This article illustrates the debate on the pornography bill and at the same time considers the question of to what extent pluralism in Indonesia is threatened and restricted by Islamism.


Abstract We present here a shear-creep apparatus. This has been designed to study grain-boundary behaviour in ice bi-crystals. The design and dimensions of this apparatus were determined by taking into account the results of earlier tests, performed on the same types of sample. Improvement with the new device is obtained; it allows a displacement with two degrees of freedom in the grain-boundary plane, and direct observations of micro-structural changes during the test.


Quality control systems can be divided into process control and product control. Inspection plans play a vital role in product control and must be used wisely. Recently, researchers in various quality control procedures consider the possibility of inspection errors as an important issue. To assess the performance of Single Sampling Plan, Average Outgoing Quality (AOQ) and , Average Total Inspection (ATI) are used. The impacts of inspection error for varying producer's and consumer's risk are examined using AOQ and ATI to assess the performance. A statistical software R (R-package) was used to obtain the two parameters and their plots at varying producer's and consumer's risk points. From the analyses, increase in both producer's and consumer's risks (α, β) resulted in reduced AOQ for p < 0.06. Between p = 0.07 and p = 0.08, there was no pattern. However, when p > 0.09, as α and β increase, AOQ also increases.


Cambridge O Level Physics matches the requirements of the Cambridge O Level Physics syllabus. Cambridge O Level Physics matches the requirements of the Cambridge O Level Physics syllabus. All concepts covered in the syllabus are clearly explained in the text, with illustrations and photographs to show how physics helps us to understand the world around us. The accompanying CD-ROM contains a complete answer key, teacher's notes and activity sheets linked to each chapter.


This course provides a basic introduction of volume matching techniques in the field of structural bioinformatics. It explains the use of electron microscopy (EM) and electron tomography (ET) data in creating 3D volume maps of proteins, and the approaches that can be used to compare volumes. It describes how volume matching can be used to find similar structures, or to highlight specific differences between related structures.


Sparse code multiple access (SCMA), as a codebook-based non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique, has received research attention in recent years. The codebook design problem for SCMA has also been studied to some extent since codebook choices are highly related to the system's error rate performance. In this paper, we approach the SCMA codebook design problem by formulating an optimization problem to maximize the minimum Euclidean distance (MED) of superimposed codewords under power constraints. While SCMA codebooks with a larger MED are expected to obtain a better BER performance, no optimal SCMA codebook in terms of MED maximization, to the authors' best knowledge, has been reported in the SCMA literature yet. In this paper, a new iterative algorithm based on alternating maximization with exact penalty is proposed for the MED maximization problem. The proposed algorithm, when supplied with appropriate initial points and parameters, achieves a set of codebooks of all users whose MED is larger than any previously reported results. A Lagrange dual problem is derived which provides an upper bound of MED of any set of codebooks. Even though there is still a nonzero gap between the achieved MED and the upper bound given by the dual problem, simulation results demonstrate clear advantages in error rate performances of the proposed set of codebooks over all existing ones not only in AWGN channels but also in some downlink scenarios that fit in 5G/NR applications, making it a good codebook candidate thereof. The proposed set of SCMA codebooks, however, are not shown to outperform existing ones in uplink channels or in the case where non-consecutive OFDMA subcarriers are used. The correctness and accuracy of error curves in the simulation results are further confirmed by the coincidences with the theoretical upper bounds of error rates derived for any given set of codebooks.


Stratified Exhaust Gas Recirculation (SEGR) can enable a spark ignition engine to tolerate more exhaust gas recirculation than when the EGR is premixed in the intake manifold. Experiments were conducted on a VW aircooled engine modified to incorporate exhaust gas transfer ports in the cylinder walls. A unique arrangement of interconnected ports allowed the exhaust blow-down pressure from one cylinder to push EGR into a high swirl velocity during the intake stroke of an opposite cylinder. In-cylinder swirl of the EGR was the stratification mechanism. Evidence of effective stratification is that the engine could tolerate 26% SEGR via the ports but could tolerate only 10% EGR via the intake manifold. The benefit of SEGR is improvement in part-load fuel economy. Efficient part-load operation may be achieved by controlling the amount of SEGR, rather than by throttling the intake. Thus pumping loss is decreased. Gains in fuel economy were measured at 10% in the experimental engine.


In our introductory article to our upcoming review series on Maple, Mathematica, and Matlab, we asked for feedback. The letters to the editor we subsequently received deliver two messages: first, that this review series will serve a real need, and second, that we must be thorough in our treatment of each product. We didn't intend the introductory article to be an in-depth account in any sense. Instead, we tried to set a context for the future reviews by relating certain background information--histories and design principles--and a brief overview of current uses for each of the three productivity packages.At the time, we had more such information about Mathematica and Maple than for Matlab. Subsequently, Matlab's inventor, Cleve Moler, authored an article that addressed much of the points we were missing. In view of this information's emergence, and in response to the feedback we've received, we felt we should include some selections from Moler's article in this installment.


Abstract. Self-regulation is highly needed during pandemics learning. It supports students with appropriate actions, thoughts, and feelings in learning. Embedding self-regulation in the class will anticipate the learning loss. The objective of this research is to enhance self-regulation through growth mindset stimulation specifically through the implementation of an e-module. This research is applying a research & development method. The research was conducted with samples of 126 students from the 7th grade of junior high school. Students mindset were measured with mindset check up (Brainology), while student's self-regulation was identified based on the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) test. The result of the study shows that the stimulation given from the growth mindset is effective to enhance self-regulation. Students' attitude toward their learning is improving due to the growth mindset stimulation.


As managed care has disseminated throughout our health system, physicians have increasingly assumed the status of employees. The pressures associated with this cultural change, and the changes in medical practice style and pattern required by managed care employers, could result in a significant increase in the number of physicians experiencing burnout. This in turn could lead to a decrease in the quality and efficiency of the health care delivered by such organizations. In view of this, physician employers should become more aware of the problem and take appropriate preventive measures.


This paper describes a new model and method for accurate estimation of forward path geometry of an automobile. In this work, the forward geometry is modeled by two contiguous clothoid segments with different geometries, but continuous curvature across the transition between them. This results in a closed-form parametric expression of the same polynomial order as previous models. A recursive estimation method based on the new road model is also described. The performance evaluation of the proposed method on various simulated road geometries and comparisons with previous approaches demonstrate the feasibility and higher accuracy of the proposed method. This higher accuracy comes without a concomitant increase in computational cost or/and sensitivity to noise. The high accuracy estimation of forward path or road geometry is directly useful in applications that rely on detecting targets in the forward path of the host vehicle, e.g., adaptive cruise control and automotive collision warning.


Herein, the synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) via the simple heating of cheap and readily available urea as the starting material has been reported. The catalytic activity of the prepared g-C3N4 was investigated for the synthesis of chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine and benzylpyrazolyl coumarin derivatives in an ethanol medium. The reactions were performed under mild conditions to achieve widely functionalized target products in a one-pot operation. The as-synthesized g-C3N4, being a heterogeneous catalyst, demonstrates excellent recyclability up to the 5th consecutive run without a significant decrease in its catalytic activity and yield of the product. A gram-scale reaction was performed to demonstrate the industrial applications of the present protocol. The green chemistry metrics such as environmental factor (E-factor), atom economy (AE), carbon efficiency (CE), and reaction mass efficiency (RME) were calculated and found to be very close to the ideal values. Additionally, operation simplicity, wide substrate scope, easy reusability of the catalyst, and avoidance of metal contamination in the products drive the process toward green and sustainable development.


I examine the Aristotelean conception of virtuous character as firm and unchangeable, a normative ideal endorsed in the currently influential, broadly Aristotelean school of thought known as 'virtue ethics'. Drawing on central concepts of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics , I offer an account of how this ideal is supposed to be realized psychologically. I then consider present-day empirical findings about relevant psychological processes, with special attention to interpersonal processes. The empirical evidence suggests that over time, the same interpersonal processes that sometimes help to sustain character may also disrupt it, even among agents who have the right values in principle. Fortunately, the evidence also suggests some remedial measures. An important philosophical measure, I conclude, is for advocates of virtue ethics to address agents' psychological need for a systematic decision procedure that will focus attention primarily on substantive ethical considerations, rather than characterological assessment.


Musical score for voice and piano or harp written in Paris in November 1818. Cover has black and white lithograph depicting a man standing with a shovel.


Abstract : Acquiring defense systems in the face of urgent needs, budget challenges, and scarce resources drives the need for designing affordable systems by anticipating uncertain futures and related mission volatility. Despite recent strategies to mandate designing for affordability as a requirement in acquisition management, current processes for performing early lifecycle affordability tradeoffs remain underdeveloped. Methods for exploring design tradespaces have matured but have lacked specific focus on evaluating affordability. Affordability tradeoffs have also largely been limited to static tradeoffs of systems in current operating environments, or in single point futures. Given that systems exist in a dynamic and uncertain world, designing for affordability necessitates a method capable of evaluating systems across many possible alternative futures. A new method that leverages both Multi-Attribute Tradespace Exploration and Epoch-Era Analysis is proposed to augment current practices in designing for affordability. This method can be applied to the evaluation of system concepts across multiple epochs (periods of fixed context and needs) and multiple eras (ordered sequences of epochs) and uses the Multi-Attribute Expense metric to provide a measure for aggregate costs and schedule considerations. This paper presents interim research outcomes of an ongoing research project, demonstrating the viability of the approach with a case study.


Paramagnetic, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic properties are reported for as-quenched amorphous, annealed quasicrystal and crystal Al-Fe-Ce alloys. The first ferromagnetic quasicrystal was studied. Its Curie temperature is about 340K and μ(Fe) = 2.3μB.


It is now generally accepted that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has thyroid-stimulating activity. Heterologous forms of the hCG molecule occur in the purified preparations extracted from urine of pregnant women and patients with trophoblastic diseases. This work was undertaken to determine the effect of peptide nicking in the hCG-beta subunit on its thyrotropic potency. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing functional human thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptors, we examined the effect of nicked hCG on cycliC AMP (cAMP) production and receptor binding. The effect of human leukocyte elastase (hLE), a nicking enzyme, on standard hCG also was examined in the cAMP assay and on receptor binding. We studied five hCG preparations extracted from the urine of normal pregnancy (CR-127 and P8) and trophoblastic diseases (C2, C5 and M4). Two preparations (C2, 96% nicked and M4, 100% nicked in the beta 44-49 region) showed about a 1.5-fold potency of standard hCG CR-127, which is also 20% nicked in the same region. Non-nicked hCG (P8) had the weakest potency among all of the samples tested. Treatment of standard hCG with hLE increased the cAMP response about two-fold. Dose-dependent displacement of bovine [125I]TSH by standard hCG and hLE increased the cAMP response about two-fold. Dose-dependent displacement of bovine [125I]TSH by standard hCG and hLE-digested hCG was observed and was almost identical. We have confirmed the increased in vitro thyrotropic activity of hCG nicked in the beta-intercysteine loop on recombinant human TSH receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The theoretical analysis of the velocity distribution function of ions in weakly ionised gases is developed under the condition of induced dipole interaction between ion and molecule by using the BGK approximation in the Boltzmann equation. The derived functions is valid for arbitrary reduced field strength E/N and ion-neutral mass ratio m/M. The results are compared with the previous works of Whealton and Woo (1971), and Wannier (1958), and it is found that predicted distribution function exhibits great power in the case of nearly the same mass. Also the anisotropy of the distribution function is investigated.


Verso l'alto is a multi-disciplinary research and development project whose goal is to gain insight into the upper atmospheric electromagnetic environment above the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Using high altitude weather balloons, Verso l'altos' payload carries scientific equipment in order to record cosmic radiation fluctuations and locate gamma rays that produce terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). TGF's commonly form in high electrical fields within and above thunderstorms and snowstorms in the troposphere and tropopause; where they produce a shot of intense gamma radiation that is hurled into space. Four successful launches have been completed from October 2012-November 2013. A high-speed camera is also included within the payload to capture images of the region. Live tracking and telemetry of the flight is performed by an amateur radio communications payload, and beacon coordinates are uploaded to aprs.fi for real-time access online. The chase teams consist of three or more licensed mobile amateur radio operators who track and retrieve the payload. New scientific equipment flown in November provided a broader range of data collection, including a temperature sensor and effected radiation dose rate per hour in Sieverts. Data from the November flight concludes that fluctuation peaks within the tropopause was due to the Pfotzer maximum, where incoming primary cosmic radiation components decrease upon entering the tropopause and secondary components increase and radiate near altitudes of 15-20 km. This finding is important to atmospheric space physics, where the maximum spikes in counts are confined to lower altitudes below the stratosphere. This impacts the exposure rate of ionizing radiation to airline travelers, and high altitude scientific airline flights. Atmospheric mixing of solar radiation concluded that the geomagnetic field fluctuation coincides with the radiation counts and is directly related. All flights are coordinated on a specific date to ensure the retrieval of the project by the cooperation between local communities, scientific organizations and academic institutions. Future flights scheduled for 2014 include winter flights and spring thunderstorms. The goal of this project is to better understand the impact of cosmic radiation fluctuations from the ground into the mid-stratosphere, where direct observation is extremely limited. This project brings together interdisciplinary scientists, engineers and students, which further enhances multiple STEM fields throughout the region.


OBJECTIVES
This article is exploring different forms of constraint that are exerted in the field of drug addiction treatment. The objective of this article is to establish benchmarks and to stimulate reflection about the ethical and clinical implications of those constraints in the field of drug addiction treatment.

METHODS
This article is presenting a critical review of different forms of constraint that can be exerted in Canada in regard to the treatment of drug addiction. In the first section of the article, a definition of therapeutic intervention is proposed, that includes the dimension of power, which justifies the importance of considering the coercive aspects of treatment. The second section, which represents the core section of the paper, is devoted to the presentation of different levels of constraint that can be distinguished in regard to drug addicts who are under treatment.

RESULTS
Three levels of constraint are exposed: judicial constraint, institutional constraint and relational constraint. The coercive aspect of treatment can then be recognized as a combination of all tree levels of constraint. Judicial constraint refers to any form of constraint in which the court or the judge is imposing or recommending treatment. This particular level of constraint can take different forms, such as therapeutic remands, conditions of a probation order, conditions of a conditional sentence of imprisonment, and coercive treatment such as the ones provided through drug courts. Institutional constraint refers to any form of constraint exerted within any institutional setting, such as correctional facilities and programs offered in community. Correctional facilities being limited by their own specific mission, it might have a major impact on the way the objectives of treatment are defined. Those limitations can then be considered as a form of constraint, in which drug users don't have much space to express their personal needs. Finally, relational constraint refers to any form of constraint in which the drug addict might be coerced to treatment under the pressure of people from the immediate environment, such as members of family, friends or employers. Even if this form of constraint is not as obvious as the ones exerted by court and correctional facilities, it has to be considered by practitioners who are evaluating the motivation of drug addicts under treatment.

CONCLUSION
Considering the diversity of constraints that are exerted on drug addicts who are under treatment, it appears that we should be always aware of the ethical and clinical challenges facing practitioners every day. The recognition of those constraints can also help to understand how important it is to consider the institutional and social context in which treatment is being provided.


(1) Background: TP53 deficiency remains a major adverse event in Multiple Myeloma (MM) despite therapeutic progresses. As it is not possible to target TP53 deficiency with pharmacological agents, we explored the possibility of activating another p53 family member, p73, which has not been well studied in myeloma. (2) Methods: Using human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) with normal or abnormal TP53 status, we assessed TP73 methylation and expression. (3) Results: Using microarray data, we reported that TP73 is weakly expressed in 47 HMCLs and mostly in TP53 wild type (TP53wt) HMCLs (p = 0.0029). Q-RT-PCR assays showed that TP73 was expressed in 57% of TP53wt HMCLs (4 out of 7) and 11% of TP53 abnormal (TP53abn) HMCLs (2 out of 18) (p = 0.0463). We showed that TP73 is silenced by methylation in TP53abn HMCLs and that decitabine increased its expression, which, however, remained insufficient for significant protein expression. Alkylating drugs increased expression of TP73 only in TP53wt HMCLs but failed to synergize with decitabine in TP53abn HMCLs. (4) Conclusions: Decitabine and melphalan does not appear as a promising combination for inducing p73 and bypassing p53 deficiency in myeloma cells.


This paper draws several observations from our experiences in building support for object groups. These observations actually go beyond our experiences and may apply to many other developments of object based distributed systems.Our first experience aimed at building support for Smalltalk object replication using the Isis process group toolkit. It was quite easy to achieve group transparency but we were confronted with a strong mismatch between the rigidity of the process group model and the flexible nature of object interactions. Consequently, we decided to build our own object oriented protocol framework, specifically dedicated to support object groups (instead of using a process group toolkit). We built our framework in such a way that basic distributed protocols, such as failure detection and multicasts, are considered as first class entities, directly accessible to the programmers. To achieve flexible and dynamic protocol composition, we had to go beyond inheritance and objectify distributed algorithms.Our second experience consisted in building a CORBA service aimed at managing group of objects written on different languages and running on different platforms. This experience revealed a mismatch between the asynchrony of group protocols and the synchrony of standard CORBA interaction mechanisms, which limited the portability of our CORBA object group service. We restricted the impact of this mismatch by encapsulating asynchrony issues inside a specific messaging sub-service.We dissect the cost of object group transparency in our various implementations, and we point out the recurrent sources of overheads, namely message indirection, marshaling/unmarshaling and strong consistency.


In this paper we consider cognitive radios (CR) that employ orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation at the physical layer and present an algorithm for transmitter adaptation subject to specified quality of service (QoS) constraints. The proposed algorithm explicitly considers multipath channels between the CR transmitter and its intended receiver, and performs joint spectral shaping and transmitter power control in order to avoid spectral bands used by licensed users of the spectrum while maintaining specified target signal-to-interference+noise-ratios (SINR) at the CR receiver. The algorithm is illustrated with numerical examples obtained from simulations in which dynamic scenarios are considered with licensed transmitters getting in and out of the system.


Adopting Cloud Computing is a decision-making problem that raises a number of critical issues for organisation management. The aim of this paper is to apply Holistic Approach Framework for Cloud Computing Strategic Decision-Making in Healthcare Sector (HAF-CCS) to provide a systematic approach that takes into account different perspectives. This framework has been developed to act as an assessment tool for healthcare organisations that are considering adopting Cloud Computing. This framework will provide health organisations with strategic planning and risk assessment strategies to avoid the risks, and gain the full advantages of, Cloud Computing. This framework is based on a holistic view of the organisation that covers multiple perspectives and includes factors other than Technology such as: Human, Business, Organisational and Environmental factors.


Heart failure is a clinical syndrome induced by structural and/or functional cardiac abnormalities, resulting in reduced cardiac output and/or elevated intracardiac end-diastolic pressures and causing symptoms, often accompanied by typical physical signs [1]. The number of subjects living with heart failure has increased over recent decades because of demographic changes and, at least in part, because of the success of modern cardiology, which achieved a marked reduction in short-term mortality of several acute conditions (e.g., myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, congenital heart disease) and, by combining several drug classes and devices, improved long-term survival of patients with reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction. As a consequence, heart failure has become a major public health problem, affecting 2% of the adult population in developed countries, and the number of hospital admissions related to heart failure has tripled over the last three decades [2].


The microstructural evolution of surface snow under the influence of wind is hardly understood and poorly quantified, but crucial for polar and alpine snowpacks. Only few field studies addressed the process of wind affecting surface snow at the snow-atmosphere interface in detail. Available descriptions are based on empirical relations between snow density, wind velocity and air temperature. A microstructural picture discerning independent controls of snow crystal fragmentation, abrasion and sublimation is yet missing.

The goal of this project is to analyze the relevant physical processes responsible for wind induced microstructural modifications, and develop parametrizations from controlled wind-tunnel experiments. A ring-shaped wind tunnel (RWT) with an infinite fetch was used in a cold lab to quantify the snow microstructural evolution through systematic variations of flow, snow, and temperature conditions. For the drift experiments, dendritic fresh snow was produced in a WSL/SLF snowmaker and slowly added to the wind tunnel during the experiments simulating precipitation. Measurement techniques like X-ray tomography, SnowMicroPen, density cutters and IceCube were applied to characterize the snow density (ρ), specific surface area (SSA), particle size and shape and vertical layering before and after the highly dendritic new snow was exposed to the wind.

The vertical heterogeneity of the deposited snow was characterized by SnowMicroPen measurements, showing increasing densities towards the snow surface. Densification rates (normalized by the initial density ρ0) of the surface layer measured with a density cutter show an increase with increasing wind velocity and are two to three orders of magnitude higher than those measured for isothermal metamorphism, underlining the importance of accurately understanding wind induced microstructural modifications. Densification rates simulated with stat-of-the-art snow physical models span an order of magnitude, significantly deviating from the measured values. The SSA, measured with the IceCube instrument, decreases with a rate of change of approximately -0.1 h-1, which is an order of magnitude higher than the rates for isothermal metamorphism. We hypothesize that the smallest fragments disappear because of sublimation while being transported by the wind.

The results of this project will lead to an improved, fundamental understanding of optically and mechanically relevant microstructural properties of surface snow and are thus applicable to many cryospheric processes like avalanche formation, exchange of chemical species with the atmosphere, alpine and polar mass balances, or radiative transfer.