Machine translation is the use a computer in translating text from one language to another. This application program is designed to search for words and sentences Indonesian to Toba Batak translation.  The purpose design of this application program is tointroducing vocabulary in the Indonesian-language Batak Toba based on Moses. Translated results is generated based on documents that has been created. This application is tested by the method of Black Box Testing, testing the truth table, and using BLEU. Based on the testing that has been done indicates all the functions contained in this application program has been running well. The system is designed to translate the Indonesian words and sentences to Toba Batak must related to the Bible and praise song lyrics. Documents are created for the search system of this translation is documents Indonesian and Toba Batak language of the Bible, the lyrics of the song of praise, and the combined documents Bible and praise song lyrics. The calculation of accuracy values obtained by each is different documents. Values obtained on documents greatest accuracy of song lyrics praise is 96.57%, compared with the Bible documents and combined these two documents is 79.84% and 80.28%.


Many real world tasks such as reasoning and physical interaction require identification and manipulation of conceptual entities. A first step towards solving these tasks is the automated discovery of distributed symbol-like representations. In this paper, we explicitly formalize this problem as inference in a spatial mixture model where each component is parametrized by a neural network. Based on the Expectation Maximization framework we then derive a differentiable clustering method that simultaneously learns how to group and represent individual entities. We evaluate our method on the (sequential) perceptual grouping task and find that it is able to accurately recover the constituent objects. We demonstrate that the learned representations are useful for next-step prediction.


This paper is based on an assessment of information literacy skills of undergraduate students at United States International University Africa (USIU-Africa). The practice of annual assessment of course effectiveness and proposed interventions are aimed at supporting the learning processes for instructors and improving their practice. The study involved final year student from all departments in the university. The study sought to find out whether at their final year, students had acquired the necessary skills requiring them to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. The students did an information literacy test to assess their competence. The data was analyzed statistically. Findings show that students' use of the library and its resources are low with most of them largely relying on search engines such as Google as the main sources of information. The study makes a number of recommendations among them introducing information literacy education and digital information skills as a taught undergraduate course in the university.


Shrew attacks or pulsing attacks are low-bandwidth network-level/layer-3 denial-of-service attacks. They target TCP connections by selectively inducing packet loss to affect latency and throughput. We combine the recently presented DNS CNAME-chaining attack with temporal lensing, a variant of pulsing attacks, to create a new, harder to block attack. For an attack, thousands of DNS resolvers have to be coordinated. We devise an optimization problem to find the perfect attack and solve it by using a genetic algorithm. The results show pulses created with our attack are 14 times higher than the attacker's average bandwidth. Finally, we present countermeasures applicable to pulsing and CNAME-chaining, which also apply to this attack.


The Thermoelectrics Plants are progressive development because of population growth and the consequent increase in demand for energy. However, even with all the benefits for the common good, it can become a major villain in the long term, this because of the generation of toxic waste in its maintenance and operation. In this context, it is of paramount importance to analyze and identify the main impacts of the operation of power plants. The present work had for finality conduct a comprehensive literature review in order to raise the main social and environmental impacts and possible ways to mitigate. It notes that the social and environmental impacts of these projects are immeasurable, being that, mostly, these impacts are unknown and interfere directly and/or indirectly in the local population, flora and fauna, without the necessary protective measures. That way, considered boastful concentration of efforts to develop innovative methods to generate electricity and create more favorable conditions to existing methods. Together, establish means low cost in operation and minimize the impacts resulting from these processes, whether social or environmental.


Plane wave scattering by a three-dimensional step discontinuity on an infinite perfect conducting plane surface is studied in the case where the scattering problem is reduced to the frequency or time domain electric field integral equation (EFIE). The conducting surface is modeled by planar triangular patches for numerical solution and results show that the current induced by the incident wave is highly perturbed because of the presence of a three-dimensional step.


The technique of relevance feedback has been introduced to content-based 3D model retrieval. Support Vector Machine as a learner is one of the classical approaches in relevance feedback. And the Boosting method, as one of the ensemble methods, can establish a strong leaner by combing the component learners. In this paper, a novel relevance feedback mechanism, which makes use of the main idea of boosting and the component SVM, is presented and applied to the content-based 3D model retrieval. The experiments, based on the 3D model database Princeton Shape Benchmark, show that the relevance feedback algorithm can improve the retrieval performance of traditional SVM in 3D model retrieval.


Background/Aims: Hei Yi (meaning black worship and black dress) Zhuang is the most conservative group among the 43 ethnic subgroups of Zhuang in China due to its unique culture and customs. The prevalence of hypertension in this population has not been well defined. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to compare the effects of the demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors and lifestyle factors on the prevalence of hypertension in the middle-aged and elderly of the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations. Methods:A total of 657 people of Hei Yi Zhuang aged 40 and over were randomly selected from 7 villages in Napo County of China. Information on the demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors and lifestyle factors was collected by questionnaire. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as a measure of weight relative to height. The results were compared with those of 520 Han who live in the same district. Results: The prevalence of hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension in Hei Yi Zhuang was significantly higher than in Han (32.9 vs. 24.6%, p < 0.01, and 16.7 vs. 5.2%, p < 0.001, respectively). The systolic blood pressure levels and pulse pressure in Hei Yi Zhuang were also significantly higher than in Han (129 ± 20.1 vs. 125.8 ± 17.4 mm Hg, p < 0.01, and 51.5 ± 16.1 vs. 47.1 ± 12.0 mm Hg, p < 0.01, respectively). The prevalence of hypertension was positively correlated with triglycerides, male, age, and alcohol consumption in Hei Yi Zhuang, whereas it was positively correlated with total cholesterol, male, age, alcohol consumption and BMI in Han. The rates of awareness, treatment and control in Hei Yi Zhuang and Han are 7.9 vs. 19.5%, 4.2 vs. 13.3% and 1.4 vs. 9.4% (p < 0.01 for all), respectively. Conclusion: The current study reveals a significant difference in the prevalence of hypertension, blood pressure levels, and the relative factors between the Hei Yi Zhuang and Han ethnic groups, which may have been due to differences in geographical characteristics, lifestyle, sodium intake, education levels, and even genetic factors.


PURPOSE
To examine how quality of life (QOL) is prospectively conceptualized, defined, and measured in the symptom management clinical trials supported by the National Cancer Institute Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP).

METHODS
All QOL research objectives, rationales, assessment instruments, symptoms treated, and types of interventions from the CCOP symptom management portfolio of clinical trials were extracted and analyzed.

RESULTS
QOL assessments were proposed in 68 (52%) of the 130 total CCOP symptom management trials initiated since 1987. A total of 22 global QOL instruments were identified. Both the frequency of symptom management trials and the frequency of QOL assessment have increased significantly over time. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy and Uniscale instruments were the most widely used QOL instruments, included in 55% of trials assessing QOL. The conceptual framework for QOL inclusion was limited to univariate relationships between symptom relief and global improvements in QOL. No consistent associations were found between QOL assessment and either the symptoms targeted or types of interventions.

CONCLUSION
To advance the state of the science, research protocols need to provide more explicit rationales for assessing QOL in symptom management trials and for the selection of the QOL instrument(s) to be used. Conceptual frameworks that specify the hypothesized links between the specific symptom(s) being managed, interactions with other symptoms, different domains of QOL, and global QOL also need to be more precisely described. Methodologic and conceptual advances in QOL symptom management trials are critical to fulfill the promise of alleviating suffering and improving the QOL of cancer patients.


Expression of the VACM-1/cul5 gene in endothelial and in cancer cell lines in vitro inhibits cellular proliferation and decreases phosphorylation of MAPK. Structure-function analysis of the VACM-1 protein sequence identified consensus sites specific for phosphorylation by protein kinases A and C (PKA and PKC) and a Nedd8 protein modification site. Mutations at the PKA-specific site in VACM-1/Cul5 (S730AVACM-1) sequence resulted in increased cellular growth and the appearance of a Nedd8-modified VACM-1/Cul5. The aim of this study was to examine if PKA-dependent phosphorylation of VACM-1/Cul5 controls its neddylation status, phosphorylation by PKC, and ultimately growth. Our results indicate that in vitro transfection of rat adrenal medullary endothelial cells with anti-VACM-1-specific small interfering RNA oligonucleotides decreases endogenous VACM-1 protein concentration and increases cell growth. Western blot analysis of cell lysates immunoprecipitated with an antibody directed against a PKA-specific phosphorylation site and probed with anti-VACM-1-specific antibody showed that PKA-dependent phosphorylation of VACM-1 protein was decreased in cells transfected with S730AVACM-1 cDNA when compared with the cytomegalovirus-transfected cells. This change was associated with increased modification of VACM-1 protein by Nedd8. Induction of PKA activity with forskolin reduced modification of VACM-1 protein by Nedd8. Finally, rat adrenal medullary endothelial cells transfected with S730AVACM-1/cul5 cDNA and treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (10 and 100 nm) to induce PKC activity grew significantly faster than the control cells. These results suggest that the antiproliferative effect of VACM-1/Cul5 is dependent on its posttranslational modifications and will help in the design of new anticancer therapeutics that target the Nedd8 pathway.


Autologous gut smooth muscle graft of two piglets was used for creating a ring in sigmoidostomy. The graft was investigated several times by histology and electron microscopy. A sort of myofibroblasts were observed the 7th day in the smooth muscle. Three months later the smooth muscle was completely transformed into a cellular connective tissue comprising myofibroblasts and fibroblasts. The experiment points to possible relation of smooth muscle cell, myofibroblast and fibroblast.


The main focus of the study is on understanding the emerging relationship between state, market and social classes in the Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR) in the context of emerging housing market and citizens' access to a livable house in the Colombo city and its suburbs. This main objective is achieved through the questions of enquiry, listed as: to identify the role of state on formulating various housing policies and their implementation; to describe emerging institutional mechanisms, public or private in facilitating, developing and implementing land and housing properties; to investigate the housing market and its socio-economic impacts on the residents of three communities under focus; to examine residential patterns and formation of social classes in the communities; and to enquire into the nature and forms of relationship among the state, the market and the social classes in regard to urban housing. The main research question addressed in this study is to investigate the impact of recent neoliberalisation policy on urban housing, more so in the context of CMR. The commercialization of housing as a commodity by the private builders, whom the state has found impossible to exclude, due to its dwindling resources and infra-structure, has successfully manipulated the consumerist zeal of consumers, both rich and poor alike, obsessed with status consciousness. Three housing units have been studied in detail;Shahaspura (a heterogeneous public sector condominium housing complex inhabited by lower class residents), Mattegoda (a public sector housing complex inhabited by lower middle class residents), and Millennium City (a private sector housing complex inhabited by middle & upper middle class residents). In all, 325 households were selected randomly for a primary household survey. The sample survey was supplemented by qualitative data collected from respondents by contacting them for detailed informal interviews and non-participant observation. Secondary data presented by the research paper relates to the changing housing policies under various political regimes in the country; constituted institutional bodies to implement land development; housing and policy interventions; emerging public and private financial institutions for facilitating property development sector; role of private developers and promoters in developing lands and housing properties; and finally numerous housing schemes implemented by the public and private sector, in the CMR. The analysis reveals significant variation among these three study areas in terms of neighbourhood relationships and status enhancement. Shifting into these housing complexes signifies for the residents, not just an alternative residence, but more of a status enhancement. However, the study reveals that the rising demand especially among middle and upper income groups for private housing colonies, selling their products along with multiple amenities, has resulted into a steep rise in land prices, hence making the private housing out of reach for the low income groups, who then look for government housing schemes. Further, the study has shown the banking facilities for housing loans have further enhanced the interest of people in private housing societies, providing a big boost to the housing market. The whole process has led to the emergence of urban social classes very distinct from one another and drawing an identity from the housing structures. Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences 2015 38(1): 13-29


Radiotherapy and adjuvant cisplatin chemotherapy are the mainstream treatments for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which effectively improve the outcome and reduce tumor recurrence. However, the resistance mechanism(s) involved in radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is the main barrier in NPC treatment, remains undefined. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement for the identification of new therapeutic strategies or adjuvant drugs. In the present study, the effects of autophagy inhibitors on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced autophagy was investigated. Combining 3-methyladenine (3-MA) with cisplatin (DDP), ionizing radiation (IR), 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) or tunicamycin (TM) resulted in enhanced cell death, as revealed by MTT and colony formation assays. Flow cytometry results demonstrated that the sensitivity of NPC cells to DDP- and IR-induced apoptosis was not significant. DDP, IR, 2-DG and TM induced ER stress and autophagy. Using fluorescence microscopy, 3-MA was identified to increase the apoptotic cell death induced by DDP, IR, 2-DG or TM. In addition, 3-MA inhibited the increased autophagy induced by DDP, IR, 2-DG or TM, as demonstrated by western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry results. Results of the present study indicate that autophagy acts as a protective mechanism response to the apoptosis induced by DDP, IR, 2-DG or TM.


Nord et al. [Am J Physiol 1986; 250:F539-F550] proposed a method to give a high yield of proximal tubule cells by exposing a suspension of rabbit cortical tubules to a hypotonic shock in calcium-free media. The present study describes the effects of both amplitude and duration of the hypotonic treatment on some transport-related characteristics of individual cells as compared to the starting tubule suspension. The averaged cell yield increased by an order of magnitude when the osmolality of the hypotonic solution was varied in four steps from 200 (C200 cells) to 70 mosm/kg H2O (C70 cells) while the proportion of trypan blue-positive cells progressively decreased from 33% for C200 cells to 9.5% for C70 cells. An increase in duration of the hypotonic shock from 0.5 to 6 min did not change the cell yield of C200 cells while it significantly increased that of C70 cells by 61%. Basal and ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption (QO2) increased by 57 and 155%, respectively, from C70 to C200 cells but was approximately one order of magnitude smaller than the QO2 measured for tubule suspension. Intracellular ATP content averaged 5.5 +/- 0.8 nmol/mg for the starting tubule suspension, 4.6 +/- 0.8 nmol/mg for C70 cells but only 1.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/mg for C200 cells. The maximal velocity for phloridzin-sensitive alpha-methyl glucose transport averaged 13.7 +/- 1.7 nmol min-1 mg-1 for C70 cells and only 6.3 +/- 1.3 nmol min-1 mg-1 for C200 cells which is approximately one order of magnitude smaller than what can be expected from a tubule presenting a good access to luminal membrane. We conclude from these results that, in the process of isolating individual cells from a polarized epithelium, membrane transport rates have decreased by one order of magnitude and this reduction is intensified by a large hypotonic shock. In comparison with C200 cells, the cells obtained with a large hypotonic shock give a high yield, a larger proportion of trypan blue-negative cells and their lower overall transport rate allows the cells to maintain a better electrochemical gradient for Na and a higher intracellular ATP level.


A 77-year-old man presented with exertional dyspnea. The patient had a history of ankylosing skeletal hyperostosis and sleep apnea syndrome. Echocardiographic examination revealed severe aortic valve regurgitation. The patient underwent a prophylactic tracheostomy 2 weeks before cardiac surgery to decrease his risk of perioperative respiratory failure. He successfully underwent aortic valve replacement through a lower partial sternotomy. His postoperative course was uneventful, and the tracheostoma was closed 6 months after the cardiac surgery.


This article traces the policing of stray dogs in Paris from the French Revolution to the outbreak of the First World War. It argues that long-standing rabies anxieties dovetailed with the emergence of the public hygiene movement, fears of rapid urbanization, vagrancy and crime, modernization projects, and the veneration of the pedigree pet dog to cast the stray dog as an unwelcome presence on the city's streets. Parisian public hygienists and authorities turned strays into a problem that they would solve to make the city safe, clean and modern. Combating strays became a matter of social defence and medical police.


1. The prolactin response following administration of the D2-dopamine receptor antagonist remoxipride was studied in eight healthy male volunteers. The purpose of the study was to investigate the duration of a refractory period of prolactin release following two doses of remoxipride. A further aim was to compare the prolactin response following remoxipride and thyrotropin release hormone (TRH) during the refractory period. The subjects received two 30 min intravenous (i.v.) infusions of remoxipride 50 mg with different time intervals between the two doses, in a randomized six period crossover design. The time intervals between the two remoxipride doses were 2, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h. On one occasion the remoxipride dose was followed by an i.v. injection of TRH after 2 h. 2. The plasma peak prolactin concentrations obtained after the first remoxipride dose correspond to a maximal release of prolactin according to earlier studies. A small second peak of prolactin was observed after 2 h. The release was gradually increased with longer time intervals between the consecutive doses. The refractory period for a second prolactin release similar to the first one after remoxipride was found to be 24 h for most of the subjects. 3. TRH resulted in a faster and higher increase in prolactin response of a shorter duration than after remoxipride administered 2 h after the first dose.


Virtual environments with avatars can be used in a variety of application areas such as engineering, science, education and entertainment. This paper reports an effective way to control an avatar defined in VRML according to the international ISO/IEC Humanoid Standard. The control system has a hierarchical structure and is built in three levels: joint control, basic behaviors and script language.


Purpose : To evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of  pharmacovigilance (PV) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting among community and hospital pharmacists in Abia and Imo States of Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was done using a validated questionnaire distributed among hospital and community pharmacists in the two States. Results: Out of the 227 copies of the questionnaire administered, 169 (74.4%) were usable. Only 22% of all the pharmacists had postgraduate qualification but 78.0% had more than five years postqualification experience. All respondents were aware of the concept of PV; 73.4% had seen a patient with ADR while 17.7% had not seen the ADR reporting form in use in Nigeria. Only 24.3% had officially reported an ADR. Factors that affected reporting were lack of incentive (52.1%), role conflict (69.2%), and role overload (72.8%). Mean score for KAP-related questions was higher among hospital pharmacists than their community counterparts. Conclusion: The study has shown that while all pharmacists were aware of PV, the attitude and practice of many of them constituted a challenge and accounted for poor level of reporting. Keywords: Adverse drug reactions, Community pharmacists, Hospital pharmacists, National Pharmacovigilance Centre


A rare clinical observation of a 24-year-old patient with clinical and radiological manifestations of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, combined with rupture of saccular cerebral aneurysm and hyperparathyroidism, is presented. A characteristic feature of this case was a combined pathology of cerebral vessels with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, the first manifestations of which appeared after intracranial haemorrhage with the development of severe motor neurological deficiency. It was accompanied by articulate and severe spastic syndromes, tough muscle and joint contractures, and the signs of Vitamin D deficiency and hyperparathyroidism were found later.


4-1BB (CD137) is a member of the TNFR superfamily involved in stimulation of several immune cell types, including T cells and NK cells. CD137 is well validated pre-clinically, as agonism with anti-CD137 antibodies is effective in vivo[1], however, clinical utility to date has been limited by dose dependent hepatotoxicity. Bicycles® are a new therapeutic modality - fully synthetic, constrained bicyclic peptides with high affinity and excellent target selectivity. We hypothesized that Bicycle CD137 agonists that lack Fc domains and exhibit rapid renal elimination may induce CD137 mediated anti-tumor activity while avoiding liver toxicity. Initially, we identified and optimized CD137 specific Bicycle agonists which, when multimerized together, induced CD137 mediated anti-tumor activity [2]. We have built on this initial approach and developed second generation molecules to enable potent stimulation of immune cells exclusively at the tumor site. These tumor-targeted immune cell agonists (TICAsTM) comprise CD137 binding Bicycles coupled to tumor antigen binding Bicycles. Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular A2 receptor (EphA2) is a tumor target overexpressed in several human cancers and its overexpression correlates with poor clinical prognosis. Here, we present new preclinical data demonstrating the potent immunomodulatory activity of dual targeting EphA2/CD137 TICAs. EphA2/CD137 TICAs engage EphA2 and CD137 with high affinity resulting in picomolar potency in co-culture assays consisting of cancer cell lines endogenously expressing EphA2, and CD137 Jurkat NF-kB/luciferase reporter cells. Moreover, EphA2/CD137 TICAs potentiate cytokine secretion (e.g. IFNγ) in immune cell co-culture experiments and promote caspase activity in T cell mediated cell killing assays. In vivo, EphA2/CD137 TICA (BCY9173), when dosed at 15 mg/kg (BID) to PBMC-humanized mice bearing HT29 xenografts, increased CD8+ T cells in tumors but not in plasma, suggesting local tumor target specific stimulation of T cells without systemic CD137 agonism. Intermittent dosing with various regimens of BCY12491, an EphA2/CD137 TICA, demonstrated robust anti-tumor activity including complete responses (CR) in 10/12 animals in a syngeneic humanized CD137 MC38 mouse model. Importantly, CR mice are resistant to re-challenge with MC38 tumor cells demonstrating a memory response, a phenomenon which has been previously reported for CD137 agonists [1]. Our EphA2/CD137 TICAs have shown the potential to precisely and potently stimulate immune cells in tumors without systemic immune activation. This provides a strong rationale to further develop first-in-class Bicycle TICAs to potentially treat EphA2 expressing cancers. References 1. Melero I, Shuford WW, Newby SA, Aruffo A, Ledbetter JA, Hellstrom KE, Mittler RS, Chen L. Monoclonal antibodies against the 4-1BB T-cell activation molecule eradicate established tumors. Nat Med. 1997; 3(6): 682-5 2. K. Hurov, P. Upadhyaya, J. Kublin, M. Kleyman, X. Zhou, J. Kristensson, G. Mudd, K. Rietschoten, S. Watcham, R. Lani, W. F. An, T. Stephen, E. Haines, J. Lahdenranta, L. Chen, S. Battula, K. McDonnell, P. Park, and N. Keen. Activation of 4-1BB using multivalent and tumour targeted bicyclic peptides; Poster 2019 Annual AACR meeting, Cancer Research, DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.AM2019-3257 Published July 2019 Citation Format: Sailaja Battula, Gemma Mudd, Punit Upadhyaya, Julia Kristensson, Marianna Kleyman, Elizabeth Repash, Jessica Kublin, Jun Ma, Eric Haines, Kristen Hurov, Liuhong Chen, Johanna Lahdenranta, Paul Beswick, Kevin McDonnell, Nicholas Keen. A fully synthetic EphA2/4-1BB tumor-targeted immune cell agonist (TICATM) induces tumor localized 4-1BB agonism [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6703.


Adjective intensifiers play an important role in the process of communication in conveying the attitude of the speaker or writer. They are used to focus the reader's attention as well as to enhance the meaning of adjectives in their writing. The main problem is that English foreign language learners lack the ability to use these intensifiers in relevant register. Also, these intensifiers may perform syntactic and semantic functions and it may overlap and cause ambiguity. This study aims at highlighting the importance of using these intensifiers in written discourse. This study hypothesizes the following:1. English foreign language learners use adjective intensifiers in their writing.2. English foreign language learner's vocabulary is insufficient, and thus they try to use the intensifiers in order to hide their lexical insufficiency.3. Misuse of intensifiers may lead to semantic or pragmatic misunderstanding and affects negatively on communication.4. The grammatical proficiency of English foreign language learners does not confirm the appropriate use of intensifiers in written production.This work is limited to the fourth-year students in translation department, college of Arts, Tikrit University. The researcher takes the following procedures:1. Constructing T-Test.2. Dividing the test into: a Pre-Test, and a post test.3. Calculating the mean score statistically in both of the two tests.4. The researcher discusses the results of both test in order to prove the hypotheses.In this study, the researcher adopts Quirk et al. (1999) model concerning the intensifiers.


ABSTRACT Emotions evoked in response to others' distress are important for motivating concerned prosocial responses. But how emotion regulation shapes prosocial responding is not yet well understood. We tested the role of empathic emotion regulation in promoting prosocial motivation and costly donations across two studies, first in a community sample and then in a sample of altruistic kidney donors and a matched comparison sample. Participants engaged in hopeful and distancing reappraisals while viewing images of others in distress, then decided whether to help by donating to charity. Whereas hope was expected to evoke approach-based motivation indexed by increased donations, distance was expected to evoke avoidance-based motivation indexed by decreased donations, via varying effects of the two reappraisals on positive and negative affect. Across both studies, both reappraisals decreased negative affect and hopeful reappraisal increased positive affect. In the community sample, hope resulted in higher donations than distancing. Altruists were more prosocial overall, but the associations between affect and donation behaviour in this group mirrored the hopeful reappraisal in the community sample, suggesting that altruists might adopt this strategy by default. These findings clarify the role of empathic emotion regulation in prosocial behaviour and also independent effects of positive and negative affect.


In the present study, two female patients with unilateral scleritis without systemic complications were examined. Both patients were suffering from ocular pain and received corticosteroid therapy. The first patient, a 45-year-old woman, was diagnosed with scleritis and iritis in her right eye. Topical corticosteroid treatment could eradicate the iritis but not the scleritis. Oral corticosteroid administration and corticosteroid pulse therapy were applied with little effect. The application of systemic cyclosporine had a satisfactory effect in controlling the scleritis. The other patient, a 60-year-old woman, was suffering from scleritis and lid swelling in her right eye. Not only did topical and systemic corticosteroid therapy prove insufficient, they also resulted in the elevation of her intraocular pressure. After termination of corticosteroid therapy, the systemic cyclosporine was applied orally. Subsequently, the patient's scleritis improved without any severe side effects. Scleritis is a painful and destructive inflammatory disease of the sclera that causes congestion of the scleral venous plexus. In this study, we have established a new grading system for assessing activity in scleritis that can score the extent of ocular pain and the area of congestion. This system provides a practical method for following the clinical course and monitoring the outcome of therapy. We report two cases of unilateral scleritis that were resistant to corticosteroid therapy but responsive to systemic administration of cyclosporine. Findings from these cases indicate that cyclosporine is an effective drug for controlling severe scleritis.


Introduction Even though Brazil was the first country to provide universal and free access to ARVs, substantial regional differences exist in the timing that services and care are accessed. Studies among people living with HIV have documented delays in accessing services, with the largest proportion of delayed access reported in the Northeastern Region. Further investigation is needed to understand the factors contributing to this delay despite the availability of HIV/AIDS services. Methods This is a retrospective cohort of patients (n=1440) from the only state reference center located in Salvador, the capital city in the Northeastern state of Bahia. The data were abstracted from the electronic medical records of all new patients between 2007 and 2009, and is supplemented with information from two national databases. The dependent variable, delayed access, is defined as patients accessing services with a CD4 count <350 cells/mm3. The independent variables are based on a comprehensive review of the literature. Frequencies and cross tables informed the final logistic regression model. Results Nearly 35% of patients were delayed in accessing HIV/AIDS services. The final logistic regression model (p value=0.05) showed that individuals who both drank and smoked were 3.4 times more likely to delay in accessing services (p value=0.036). Additionally, individuals with a family income of <1 minimum wage were 1.9 times more likely to delay in accessing services (p value=0.07). Conclusions Considering this documented delay, it is clear additional efforts are necessary to ensure HIV/AIDS services in Brazil are truly free and universal.


The Central role that software development plays in today's world is beyond anyone's imagination. Software development is one of the major areas of focus for any organisations. The managers are increasingly focusing on process improvement in software development area. This demand has led to improved approaches to software development, with the most prominent being object-oriented software design. The focus on process improvement has increased the demand for software measures or metrics with which we can manage the things effectively and efficiently. This research addresses these needs through the development and identification of metrics that can be used in a project. We have used Metrics developed in previous research, while contributing to the field's understanding of software design. An automated data analysis tool was used to compare the relevance of these metrics in different projects. We have taken three projects of Web, Desktop and Mobile nature to ascertain the value proposition of these metrics.


This paper aims to generate insights about whether, how, and when workplace event criticality spurs employee proactivity. We conducted multilevel analyses with a three-wave time-lagged survey of 179 employees and their 55 direct leaders in China to test our proposed model. The findings indicate that workplace event criticality is conducive to stimulating proactive work behavior through improving employee engagement. Further, employee mindfulness amplifies the positive relationship between workplace event criticality and work engagement. Despite the increasingly unavoidable influence of events in the workplace on employee proactivity, empirical research around the relationship and its underlying mechanism has been rather sparse. Our event-oriented research advances this knowledge by unpacking the salient motivating role of workplace events' criticality in employee work engagement and proactivity. It also increases our understanding by illustrating that employee mindfulness will amplify and intensify the motivational potential of workplace event criticality for work engagement.


History.— J. M., a white woman, aged 42, married, a house-wife, who weighed 70 Kg. (154 pounds), was advised by her physician to take dinitrophenol, 0.1 Gm., three times a day. Thirty capsules of sodium dinitrophenol 2-4 (Eastman Kodak Company) were taken with a weight loss of 4 pounds (1.8 Kg.) during ten days. There was no excessive sweating or other untoward symptoms, and with the telephonic consent of her physician the druggist supplied sixty more capsules. On the morning of the eleventh day, a slight rash, which itched moderately, appeared on the chest. On the night of the fourteenth day, a generalized erythematous papular eruption appeared over the whole body, including the scalp. These papules were hard and shotty, about 6 mm. in diameter, and raised 3 mm. There was considerable discomfort from itching. The use of the drug was discontinued and the usual measures of diet and therapy


Nonprofit organizations have become an important part of the U.S. economy, but Information Systems (IS) research in the nonprofit context has been limited so far. In this paper we argue that the nonprofit sector presents a unique context for IS research and call for more research efforts at this new frontier. In particular, we discuss the differences between nonprofit, private, and public contexts for IS deployment and usage and explore what the differences imply for IS research in nonprofit organizations. On the basis of these discussions, we identify a few challenges and opportunities that warrantee greater research attention.


Introduction: This study introduces the first German Open Scale of Social Information Processing (GOSSIP) and evaluates its psychometric properties. Even though social information processing (SIP) and its important role in developmental psychopathology is a rising field of interest, model-based standardized assessment tools are still scarce. Methods: GOSSIP was developed to assess SI processes in boys and girls aged eight to 21 years. First, 61 vignettes (combinations of pictures and short written descriptions of the situation depicted) were evaluated by an expert group and piloted with 48 healthy participants (aged 8–21). The best-rated vignettes were then implemented in a Web-based application. 191 participants completed GOSSIP. Of those, 76 answered additional questionnaires to assess their social skills and psychopathology. Internal consistencies for the emotional and cognitive GOSSIP scales were determined. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of children and adolescents characterized by specific SIP profiles (i.e., patterns of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to the GOSSIP). Furthermore, the external validity of the participants' attribution tendencies in GOSSIP was evaluated in real life by smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA). Results: The internal consistencies for the emotional and cognitive scales (angry, ashamed, physical aggression, pro-social response, revenge, and outcome expectancy) were good to excellent. The scales of hostile interpretation, relation aggression, sadness, and exclusion showed borderline/acceptable internal consistency. Correlation analysis confirmed convergent validity with self-reported social skills and external validity with ratings of aggressive and pro-social behaviors. The LPA revealed three profiles as the best fit of the data. The first group is named "aggressors," the second "social-emotional group," and a third named "ashamed-internalizing group." However, no significant association was found between the attribution tendencies derived from GOSSIP and EMA data. Discussion/Conclusion: GOSSIP is the first model-based German Web-based assessment for several SIP mechanisms that showed overall adequate psychometric properties. GOSSIP can be used to classify individuals into SIP profiles that differ in terms of their cognitive and emotional response tendencies and therefore could contribute to the development of targeted interventions. Integrating assessments of emotional responses into GOSSIP revealed an important role of "shame" in SIP and the development of psychopathology. Furthermore, the lack of external validity between GOSSIP and EMA calls into question how attribution tendencies are best assessed in future studies.


The development of the temperature difference between the rectum and testis has been studied in 20-, 25-, 30and 35-day-old as well as adult rats. Temperatures were recorded with thermocouple needles without anaesthesia. The temperature difference was approximately 3\m=.\5\s=deg\C in the adult and 35-day-old animals. The difference was about 2\s=deg\C in the 25and 30-day-old rats and about 1\s=deg\C in the youngest ones. The three younger groups (20, 25 and 30 days) had significantly higher intratesticular temperatures than the adult rats. In the young rats variations in body temperature between 35\m=.\6\s=deg\C and 38\m=.\4\s=deg\C did not significantly affect the rectum-testis temperature difference. In the adult rats, the difference began to increase when the rectal temperature rose above 37\m=.\6\s=deg\C. The relationship of developing temperature difference to the onset of endocrine puberty, functional maturity of the seminiferous tubules and development of the scrotal sac is discussed.


Habitual pregnancy miscarriage is one of the serious problems of reproductive health in the modern world. Habitual miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous termination of two or more pregnancies before the fetus reaches viability from conception to 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, some differences of opinion are determined among specialists in habitual miscarriage. Some experts in their clinical practice for habitual miscarriages use the definition of three or more consecutive miscarriages. Habitual miscarriage occurrence varies from 0.5 to 2.3%, but the exact prevalence is very difficult to estimate, which depends on the used definition. The pathogenesis of habitual miscarriage is determined based on the age of the mother and the gestational age of the fetus. Habitual miscarriage can be caused by chromosomal errors, autoimmune disorders, endometrial dysfunction, endocrinopathies, hormonal and metabolic disorders, infections, and uterine anatomical defects. Currently available treatments target suspected risk factors for miscarriage, although the effectiveness of many medical interventions appears to be controversial.
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for habitual miscarriage of various origins, such as antiphospholipid syndrome, subclinical hypothyroidism, and idiopathic habitual miscarriage.


Candida-related infections are becoming a universal threat to the health of human who undergo immunosuppressive therapy or aggressive medical intervention. Objectives: The aim was to study the distribution of Candida species among winter and summer seasons and to determine the expression of their virulence factors. Methods: A total of 164 Candida isolates were collected from clinical specimens at Mansoura University Hospitals. Candida species were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Extracellular phospholipase, secretory aspartyl proteinase (SAP) and coagulase enzymes and biofilm formation were determined. SAP 9 and 10 genes were detected by PCR. Results: Non-albicans (NAC) isolates were more dominant than C. albicans isolates (P value < 0.0001). C. tropicalis was the most prevalent (59.2%) followed by C. albicans (31.1%), then C. glabrata, C. krusie, unidentified NAC and C. kefyr in 3.7%, 2.4%, 2.4% and 1.2% respectively. Extracellular phospholipase activity was detected in 31.7% of Candida isolates. All C. albicans had phospholipase activity (100%) and one isolate of C. tropicalis was positive while other species were negative. SAPs activities were determined in 61.6% of Candida isolates and were detected in 70.1% and 62.7% among C. tropicalis and C. albicans isolates respectively. SAP9 and SAP 10 genes were detected in 27.7% and 12.9% of Candida isolates showed positive SAPs activity respectively and they were all C. albicans strains. Other species did not harbor either SAP9 or SAP10. Coagulase activity was detected in 80.4% of Candida isolates with higher activity in C. albicans (88.2%), followed by C. tropicalis (81.4%), then other NAC isolates. Biofilm formation was determined in 69.5% of Candida isolates and was more prevalent in C. tropicalis (82.5%) followed by C. albicans (19.6%), C. krusie (100%), unidentified NAC (75%), C. glabrata (33.3%) and C. kefyr (50%). Conclusion: NAC with a preponderance of C. tropicalis was the most common isolated Candida species. Biofilm production, proteinase, phospholipases and coagulase enzymes were observed in both C. albicans and NAC. SAP9 and SAP 10 genes were detected only in C. albicans strains.


The relation between burstiness and self-similarity of network traffic was identified in numerous papers in the past decade. These papers suggested that the widely used Poisson based models were not suitable for modeling bursty, local-area and wide-area network traffic. Poisson models were abandoned as unrealistic and simplistic characterizations of network traffic. Recent papers have challenged the accuracy of these results in today's networks. Authors of these papers believe that it is time to reexamine the Poisson traffic assumption. The explanation is that as the amount of Internet traffic grows dramatically, any irregularity of the network traffic, such as burstiness, might cancel out because of the huge number of different multiplexed flows. Some of these results are based on analyses of particular OC48 Internet backbone connections and other historical traffic traces. We analyzed the same traffic traces and applied new methods to characterize them in terms of packet interarrival times and packet lengths. The major contribution of the paper is the application of two new analytical methods. We apply the theory of smoothly truncated Levy flights and the linear fractal model in examining the variability of Internet traffic from self-similar to Poisson. The paper demonstrates that the series of interarrival times is still close to a self-similar process, but the burstiness of the packet lengths decreases significantly compared to earlier traces.


Current mode operation of the NE451 ZnS scintillation detectors of the TFTR neutron collimator has enabled us to record the development of radial neutron emission profiles with much faster speed and higher accuracy than in the pulse counting mode. During high power deuterium–tritium (DT) operation, the intrinsic shot noise on the detector traces was so low that we could observe sawtooth instabilities and disruptions with good precision and, in addition, were able to identify precursor magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity and fishbone instabilities. These results demonstrate that in future tritium burning machines like ITER or TPX, the neutron collimator should be designed not only as a monitor of radial fusion power profiles but also as a wave detector for MHD activity.


To reveal the effects of biogas slurry application on soil microbial community structure and function, a soil column experiment was constructed with three treatments[(no N addition, CM; conventional fertilization, SN; biogas slurry addition, SZ)]. The differences in composition, diversity, and structure of bacterial and fungal communities on day 1 and day 21 after soil flooding were evaluated, and their functions were predicted using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. The results of the analysis of α diversity showed that the fungal α-diversity indexes of CM, SN, and SZ treatments on day 1 were significantly higher than those on day 21, and there was no significant difference among the three treatments. However, the bacterial Simpson index differed among the three treatments on day 21, with SZ-21 showing a higher Simpson index but lower Chao1 index compared with those of SZ-21. The analysis of bacterial community structure showed that Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, and Actinobacteria in the SN-1 treatment were different from those in the other treatments on day 1, whereas the relative abundance of bacterial phyla in the SZ and SN treatments were similar on day 21. The analysis of fungal community structure showed that the relative abundance of Ascomycota and Zygomycota in the SZ-1 treatment were higher than those in the SN-1 and CM-1 treatments on day 1. The relative abundance of Ascomycota in the SN-21 and SZ-21 treatments were lower, whereas that of Zygomycota were higher compared with that in CM-21. The analysis of NMDS showed that the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the SN and SZ treatments showed a gradually similar trend. The PICRUSt analysis showed that the function of the soil bacterial community was similar in the CM, SN, and SZ treatments. The FUNGuild function prediction reflected that the main differences in trophic type between the SN-21 and SZ-21 treatments occurred in saprotroph and pathotroph forms. Therefore, biogas slurry addition in the wheat-rice stubble stage could contribute to balancing soil nutrients and maintaining soil ecological function to a certain extent, but there may still be a risk of fungal disease.


In English language teacher education (hereafter ELT) programs of Turkish universities, teaching practicum has a critical value due to its pivotal role in equipping student teachers with the necessary competences and preparing them for the teaching profession. Practicum experience turns out to be of greater importance for the graduates of other English language departments (hereafter non-ELT) such as English Linguistics, English Language and Literature or American Culture and Literature who attend pedagogical formation certificate programs offered by faculties of education. These student teachers do not have as much opportunity to observe teachers and practice teaching as ELT department graduates. Therefore, reflections on the teaching practicum experiences of these student teachers might provide insights into the nature of the aforementioned intensive teacher education programs, and the special needs of non-ELT department graduates who decide to become teachers of English and attend these programs. The present study aims to examine non-ELT student teachers' practicum experiences and put forward some practical suggestions in order to improve their teaching skills. Data were collected from ten randomly selected non-ELT student teachers enrolled in a pedagogical formation certificate program at a state university in Turkey using three major sources: observations of video recordings of student teachers' teaching practices by means of an observation form, the university supervisor's reflections on these teaching practices and the teacher candidates' self-reflections. Initially, the teaching performances were analyzed statistically, and the qualitative data gathered from the remaining two sources were separately subjected to thematic analysis. The results were then integrated. The study revealed that non-ELT student teachers need more practicum opportunities in the classes of truly expert and experienced teachers and supervisors to develop their English language teaching abilities.


Author(s): Yu, Jin-Yi; Mechoso, Carlos R | Abstract: Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the eastern equatorial Pacific have a pronounced annual variation. The SSTs are warmer than the annual mean in the first half of the year (warm phase) and colder in the latter half (cold phase). The warm phase is not identical to the cold phase with opposite sign. For example, SST anomalies in the warm phase have stronger westward propagation and larger amplitude than those in the cold phase. Also, the strongest SST anomalies in the cold phase last longer than those in the warm phase. The reasons for this "temporal asymmetry" are investigated by performing sensitivity experiments with the UCLA coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (GCM), in which an idealized, time-independent distribution of Peruvian stratus clouds is prescribed at different seasons of the year.The results suggest that the annual evolution of SSTs over the eastern equatorial Pacific is highly sensitive to the annual variation of Peruvian stratus. It is found that Peruvian cloudiness affects the surface wind speed in the equator through local meridional circulation. The strength of surface wind determines the correlationship between SST and surface evaporation over the eastern equatorial Pacific. The observed negative correlation, which is needed to produce the observed temporal asymmetry, can be simulated by the coupled GCM only when the observed annual variation of Peruvian stratus cloudiness is prescribed in the model.A simulation with the revised version of the UCLA coupled GCM, in which the parameterization of marine stratus clouds is improved, shows significant improvement in the simulated annual cycle and interannual variability. Results from this simulation confirm the findings obtained from the sensitivity study.


The international relations has been marked with the increased intra state ethnic conflicts which are able to cause huge humanitarian disasters and harbour instability and various threats for the international community. As a result, conflict resolution as a long term process combining social, economic and political levels and activities concerning structural change has been advocated in recent years. In that sense, the post Cold War era implies intensification in the attempts by the EU to become an actor in conflict resolution through various instruments. The rapid development of EU capabilities and convergence between member states at policy level are generally attributed to the external stimuli provided by the disaster in Kosovo. From the very beginning the EU has been continuously expanding its engagement in Kosovo; which, today, has reached to the status of the main actor on the ground. This situation sets forth the motivation for this study: given the extensive involvement of the EU in Kosovo, the question of its impact is shaped by many factors and still remains ambiguous. The main goal of the research is to inquire the policy impact of the EU in conflict resolution and the pattern which (re)shapes the impact given the comprehensive structures and capabilities employed by the EU. In that sense, the study conducts in-depth case study of Kosovo informed by comprehensive conflict resolution theory. Throughout the paper, the EU foreign policy and conflict resolution is put under constructivist lenses, i.e. structural foreign policy which acknowledges the co-existence of goal and norm-oriented foreign policy behavior. Kosovo represents the deepest level of involvement of the EU. However, a comparison with Macedonia is also conducted in order to highlight the importance of conditioning factors and EU engagement further. At the end, the paper discusses that the policy impact of the EU is shaped by dynamic relationship between conditioning factors, EU conflict resolution engagement across political capacity building, economic reconstruction and local capacities developed as an outcome of EU engagement.


As a part of the 21st Century Frontier R&D Program in Korea being performed from 2004, a non-inductive winding type superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is being developed. The target of the second year in phase II of the program is to develop a 220 V/300 A class non-inductive winding type SFCL as a prototype for a 13.2 kV/630 A class, the final goal of phase II. This SFCL has three solenoid type non-inductively wound coils in series using a 2G high temperature superconducting (HTS) wire and it was tested in sub-cooled nitrogen of 65 K, 1 atm. A coil which is composed of four parallel windings in a bobbin and winding directions are opposite to have non-inductive characteristics. Three coils were connected in series and the total length of 108 m of 2G HTS wire was used. Short-circuit tests were performed at applied voltage of 220 V and the SFCL limited the fault current to a few kA extents at the tests. Recovery time of the SFCL was measured after short-circuit tests.


This paper explores a range of perceived similarities and differences between male and female academics in the context of contemporary European Union "gender mainstreaming" policy. It concentrates upon the higher education systems of Germany and the United Kingdom, and is based upon questionnaire responses. A large majority of respondents believe that more needs to be done to remedy inequalities arising from maternity leave and child rearing, and that their universities are still gendered organisations with too few women at the top. Many females regard themselves as less strategic than males in managing their careers, and believe that they need to behave the same as men to succeed. They think that men have historically dominated in their subject area and still do so. Relatively small percentages of men endorse these opinions in relation to women, and their responses are often positive in their perception of female academics. It is almost universally agreed that women are doing a good professional job, and very few employees (either male or female) experience gross forms of bullying and harassment at work. A certain convergence between the genders in some respects may indicate the erosion of binary gender hierarchies in the current policy environment.


We estimated the prevalence of psychiatric disability and disorders (depression, mania, schizophrenia, alcohol disorder, drug disorder, antisocial personality, and somatization) in the parents, siblings, and children of three groups of index cases: primary care patients with somatization disorder (n = 70), primary care patients who approached, but did not reach, DSM-III-R criteria for somatization disorder (n = 29), and randomly-selected community residents with no psychiatric disorder (n = 1633). Nearly all psychiatric disorders were more common in relatives of both patient samples than in relatives of community residents, and the patient samples rarely differed from each other. In the patient samples, the 22.9% rate of patients with multiple unexplained medical problems is substantially higher than previous investigations of somatization would predict. The most common disorders in patients' relatives were depression and alcohol disorder. There was little difference in the rates of depression in relatives of somatization patients who were or were not themselves depressed. A similar pattern occurred for alcohol disorder. There was a high risk for antisocial personality disorder in parents of patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for somatization disorder, but this increase was not found for other relatives.


Abstract: Lannea microcarpa is an important food plant and herbal medicine in West Africa. The present study critically reviewed the medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of L. microcarpa. The keywords including L. microcarpa, its synonyms, English common names, medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties were searched using electronic databases such as ISI web of knowledge, ProQuest, science direct, OATD, scopus, Open-thesis, pubmed and google scholar. The search for pre-electronic literature such as conference papers, scientific articles, books, book chapters, dissertations and theses were carried out at the University library. Literature studies revealed that L. microcarpa is used as herbal medicine in 58.3% of the countries where the species is indigenous. The major diseases treated by L. microcarpa extracts include fever and malaria, gastro-intestinal problems, ulcers and wounds, respiratory problems, pain and musculoskeletal disorder, haemorrhoids, intestinal worms and skin diseases and used as ethnoveterinary medicine. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include amino acids, anthocyanins, fatty acids, flavonoids, myricetin glycosides, phenolic compounds and triglycerides. Pharmacological studies revealed that L. microcarpa extracts have antibacterial, antifungal, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiprotozoal and antitrypanosomal, inhibition of α-amylase, shea butter stabilization and trypsin inhibition activities. Detailed studies are required aimed at establishing the efficacy, clinical relevance, safety and mechanisms of action of the plant extracts and its compounds.


This article is a description and evaluation of the University of Utah Medical Center's effort to enhance patient care through the establishment of a hospital staff human relations program. The program, focused on select hospital staff, aimed at greater staff awareness and sensitivity to the problems and needs of patients resulting from hospitalization. Because of the positive initial response, the program has been extended and has become a major staff development and education project. This program was presented by a team of social workers and represented a new contribution to the health care system by social work.


Organic–organic heterojunctions (OOHs) are critical features in organic light‐emitting diodes, ambipolar organic field‐effect transistors and organic solar cells, which are fundamental building blocks in low‐cost, large‐scale, and flexible electronics. Due to the highly anisotropic nature of π‐conjugated molecules, the molecular orientation of organic thin films can significantly affect the device performance, such as light absorption and charge‐carrier transport, as well as the energy level alignment at OOH interfaces. This Feature Article highlights recent progress in the understanding of interface energetics at small molecule OOH interfaces, focusing on the characterization and fabrication of OOH with well‐defined molecular orientations using a combination of in situ low‐temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, synchrotron‐based high‐resolution ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure measurements. The orientation dependent energy level alignments at the OOH interfaces will be discussed in detail.


We study the problem of optimally managing an inventory with unknown demand trend. Our formulation leads to a stochastic control problem under partial observation, in which a Brownian motion with non-observable drift can be singularly controlled in both an upward and downward direction. We first derive the equivalent separated problem under full information, with state-space components given by the Brownian motion and the filtering estimate of its unknown drift, and we then completely solve this latter problem. Our approach uses the transition amongst three different but equivalent problem formulations, links between two-dimensional bounded-variation stochastic control problems and games of optimal stopping, and probabilistic methods in combination with refined viscosity theory arguments. We show substantial regularity of (a transformed version of) the value function, we construct an optimal control rule, and we show that the free boundaries delineating (transformed) action and inaction regions are bounded globally Lipschitz continuous functions. To our knowledge this is the first time that such a problem has been solved in the literature.


Background: Bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from humans cultured under hypoxic conditions increase bone healing capacity. Hypothesis: Rat MSCs cultured under hypoxic conditions increase the tendon healing potential after transplantation into injured Achilles tendons. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Biomechanical testing, histological analysis, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling/collagen immunohistochemistry were performed to demonstrate that augmentation of an Achilles tendon rupture site with hypoxic MSCs increases healing capacity compared with normoxic MSCs and controls. Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the experiments, with 2 rats as the source of bone marrow MSCs. The cut Achilles tendons in the rats were equally divided into 3 groups: hypoxic MSC, normoxic MSC, and nontreated (vehicle control). The uncut tendons served as normal uncut controls. Outcome measures included mechanical testing in 24 rats, histological analysis, and BrdU labeling/collagen immunohistochemistry in another 24 rats. Results: The ultimate failure load in the hypoxic MSC group was significantly greater than that in the nontreated or normoxic MSC group at 2 weeks after incision (2.1 N/mm2 vs 1.1 N/mm2 or 1.9 N/mm2, respectively) and at 4 weeks after incision (5.5 N/mm2 vs 1.7 N/mm2 or 2.7 N/mm2, respectively). The ultimate failure load in the hypoxic MSC group at 4 weeks after incision (5.5 N/mm2) was close to but still significantly less than that of the uncut tendon (7.2 N/mm2). Histological analysis as determined by the semiquantitative Bonar histopathological grading scale revealed that the hypoxic MSC group underwent a significant improvement in Achilles tendon healing both at 2 and 4 weeks when compared with the nontreated or normoxic MSC group via statistical analysis. Immunohistochemistry further demonstrated that the hypoxic and normoxic MSC groups had stronger immunostaining for type I and type III collagen than did the nontreated group both at 2 and 4 weeks after incision. Moreover, BrdU labeling of MSCs before injection further determined the incorporation and retention of transplanted cells at the rupture site. Conclusion: Transplantation of hypoxic MSCs may be a better and more readily available treatment than normoxic MSCs for Achilles tendon ruptures. Clinical Relevance: The present study provides evidence that transplantation of hypoxic MSCs may be a promising therapy for the treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures.


Adrenal mineralocorticoid function was studied in 195 male albino Wistar rats with a different level of thyroid hormones in the organism. Aldosteronemia, aldosteronuria, and plasma renin activity were studied in in vivo experiments. In vitro experiments were carried out to study the content of aldosterone in the adrenals and its discharge into the incubation medium in euthyroid, hyper- and hypothyroid animals. Hyperthyroidization leads to manifest inhibition of the adrenal mineralocorticoid function, and suppresses aldosterone excretion in the urine and plasmic metabolic clearance in diminished formation of aldosterone in the glomerular zone. Changes of an opposite character occur in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system of rats after total thyroidectomy. Injection of small doses of thyroxine also reduces aldosterone production in the adrenals of thyroidectomized animals. It is shown that an excess of endogenous thyroxine in the organism produces an inhibiting effect not only on the level of aldosterone production and secretion, but, to a definite measure, also on the level of the possible realization of its peripheral action.


Penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) in the UK has been declining since 19841 and accounts for only 4-6% of gonococcal infections at some centres in London.2 We reviewed the proportion of PPNG among gonococcal isolates obtained from patients attending our genitourinary medicine clinic since 1981. Production of ,B-lactamase in N gonorrhoeae isolates was detected by activity on a chromogenic cephalosporin (Nitrocephin, Oxoid). Duplicate isolates from the same patient were excluded. Although the total number of cases of gonorrhoea has declined from a peak of 486 in 1986 to 128 in 1994, the proportion ofPPNG remains elevated. PPNG accounted for over 5% of patient isolates in 10 of the last 12 years and for over 10% in 1993 (21 of 158 isolates) and 1994 (15 of 128 isolates). The notes of all patients from whom PPNG was isolated in 1993 were reviewed. Thirteen patients were probably infected abroad (Africa 7, West Indies 3, Southeast Asia 2, South America 1) and their contacts accounted for a further four cases. No obvious overseas factor was noted in four patients. At our hospital, PPNG accounts for a higher proportion of gonococcal infections than has been reported elsewhere in London. We believe this is because a large number of patients seen at our clinic have a history of


A retrospective study of 120 children from birth to seven years of age suffering from acute infectious hepatitis was carried out from 1971 to 1974 at the Children's Hospital "La Fe". Only the most serious cases from the region were admitted to the Hospital and were classified and analyzed according to HBAg+ and HBAg- groups. Clinical and biochemical evaluations were done at admission, and again after 15 and 30 days. The main findings were as follows: hospital incidence was 5%; seasonal distribution did not follow the expected epidemiological pattern; the disease was more common among malnourished children; HBAg+ and HBAg- cases were not randomly distributed among the various blood groups: A+ children were four times more susceptible to HBAg- than to HBAg+, and 0+ children were more than twice more susceptible to HBAg+ than to HBAg-; clinical and biochemical recovery occurred within 30 days after hospital admission; mortality was 2.5%. Steroid therapy was reserved for the most serious cases; however, it was not possible to evaluate in this study its contribution to the course of the disease.


The design of folded structures in peptides containing the higher homologues of α-amino acid residues requires the restriction of the range of local conformational choices. In α-amino acids stereochemically constrained residues like α,α-dialkylated residue, aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), and D-Proline ((D)Pro) have proved extremely useful in the design of helices and hairpins in short peptides. Extending this approach, backbone substitution and cyclization are anticipated to be useful in generating conformationally constrained β- and γ-residues. This brief review provides a survey of work on hybrid peptide sequences concerning the conformationally constrained γ-amino acid residue 1-aminomethyl cyclohexane acetic acid, gabapentin (Gpn). This achiral, β,β-disubstituted, γ-residue strongly favors gauche-gauche conformations about the C(α)-C(β) (θ(2)) and C(β)-C(γ) (θ(1)) bonds, facilitating local folding. The Gpn residue can adopt both C(7) (NH(i)→CO(i)) and C(9) (CO(i-1)←NH(i+1)) hydrogen bonds which are analogous to the C(5) and C(7) (γ-turn) conformations at α-residues. In conjunction with adjacent residues, Gpn may be used in αγ and γα segments to generate C(12) hydrogen bonded conformations which may be considered as expanded analogs of conventional β-turns. The structural characterization of C(12) helices, C(12)/C(10) helices with mixed hydrogen bond directionalities and β-hairpins incorporating Gpn residues at the turn segment is illustrated.


This thesis reports an alternative method for fully acomplete characterization of the UV pump pulse and white lightcontinuum probe pulse, which is commonly used in the pump-probeexperiments to investigate the ultrafast dynamics of molecules.Besides that, real dynamics of infrared cyanine dye molecules(Methyl-DOTCI) and photo-induced dissociation of trihalide ions(I3-or I2Br-) solvated in different organic solvent has alsobeen carefully investigated.The traditional way to measure the time profile ofultrashort laser pulse like autocorrelation and FROG (frequencyresolved optical gating) fails in the ultraviolet region due tothe nonlinear crystal's absorption edge. We developed analterative simple method to explore the time-domain spectrum ofultraviolet-region ultrafast laser pulse by taking theadvantage of fast-chirped white light continuum. The method wasimplemented by cross-correlating ultraviolet pulse with awhite-light continuum in a two-photon absorption pump-probetransient absorption experiment. The high chirp rate of thecontinuum, in combination with frequency-resolved detection,effectively makes it act like a δ-pulse. The spectral andtemporal characteristics of ~150 fs laser pulses centered at387.5nm, generated by second-harmonic generation (SHG) of aregenerative amplified mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser pulses ina non-linear BBO (b-Barium Borate) crystal, were investigatedexperimentally. The phase of SHG pulses were also obtainedthrough information from both spectral and temporal profiles.In order to test our method, theoretically calculated timespectrum were compared with experimented ones.Molecular dynamics in liquid phase is much more complex thanits counterpart in gas phase. Besides electronic transition andnuclear rotation and vibration, it also involves solute-solventinteraction. With the advanced weapons of transient absorptionspectroscopy, the various intra- and intermolecular relaxationprocesses of cyanine dye molecules (Methyl-DOTCI) solved indifferent solvents, such as methanol, acetone, and ethyleneglycol has been probed. The electronic relaxation time constantfrom the excited state SN down to the first excited state S1 isobtained as 10 ps for both 390 nm and 260 nm excitationwavelength. For the more viscous solvent ethylene glycol therelaxation is slightly slower (t ~12 ps) relative to the othersolvents. The vibrational cooling constant of Methyl-DOTCIvaries with solvents: 6 ps is determined for Methyl-DOTCI inethylene glycol, 7 ps for the case of methanol, and 10 ps forboth acetone and acetonitrile cases. The time difference withsolvent can be rationalized through the formation ofhydrogen-bond between dye solute and methanol/ethylene glycolsolvents.Femtosecond transient absorption measurement is presentedfor the photodissociation of trihalide anion (I3-and I2Br-) in methanol and acetonitrile solution. Theultrafast (below 300fs) transient state dynamics are revealedthough interpreting transient absorption spectrum. Real-timeobservation of the wavepacket motion at these very early stagesof the reaction is made possible through wavelength selectiveprobing. The effect of solvent and solute geometry on coherentvibration, vibration cooling, and geminate recombinationprocesses of di-iodide ions are also investigated . Thevibration relaxing constants have been determined as 2 ps forall three solutions.


Two-factor crosses between the non-allelic spore colour mutants r2 and lu of the fungus Sordaria macrospora were used to investigate the effect of clinostatic rotation (= simulated weightlessness) on crossover frequencies. The experiment was carried out with different rotary directions at a rotary rate of 4 rpm. Second-division segregations of the gene lu, which result from crossover between the gene locus and centromere, are significantly smaller in the clinostat experiments than in the static controls. No differences were found between the two rotary directions. A similar influence of clinostatic rotation was not observed for the gene r2 which in contrast to the lu locus is located very close to the centromere. The suitability of this approach for the investigation of the effect of space flight conditions on cytogenetic processes is pointed out.


Iron is vital for all living organisms. However, excess iron is hazardous because it produces free radical formation. Therefore, iron absorption is carefully regulated to maintain an equilibrium between absorption and body loss of iron. In countries where heme is a significant part of the diet, most body iron is derived from dietary heme iron because heme binds few of the luminal intestinal iron chelators that inhibit absorption of non‐heme iron. Uptake of luminal heme into enterocytes occurs as a metalloporphyrin. Intracellularly, iron is released from heme by heme oxygenase so that iron leaves the enterocyte to enter the plasma as non‐heme iron. Ferric iron is absorbed via a β3 integrin and mobilferrin (IMP) pathway that is not shared with other nutritional metals. Ferrous iron uptake is facilitated by DMT‐1 (Nramp‐2, DCT‐1) in a pathway shared with manganese. Other proteins were recently described which are believed to play a role in iron absorption. SFT (Stimulator of Iron Transport) is postulated to facilitate both ferric and ferrous iron uptake, and Hephaestin is thought to be important in transfer of iron from enterocytes into the plasma. The iron concentration within enterocytes reflects the total body iron and either upregulates or satiates iron‐binding sites on regulatory proteins. Enterocytes of hemochromatotics are iron‐depleted similarly to the absorptive cells of iron‐deficient subjects. Iron depletion, hemolysis, and hypoxia each can stimulate iron absorption. In non‐intestinal cells most iron uptake occurs via either the classical clathrin‐coated pathway utilizing transferrin receptors or the poorly defined transferrin receptor independent pathway. Non‐intestinal cells possess the IMP and DMT‐1 pathways though their role in the absence of iron overload is unclear. This suggests that these pathways have intracellular functions in addition to facilitating iron uptake. Am. J. Hematol. 64:287–298, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The switching variables in a switching circuit are considered as binary random variables. The input signals are given joint probabilities, from which the output signals' probabilities are known. The joint entropy, or average information content, of subsets of variables is defined, and a proof is given that a set of these entropies are characteristic invariants of the PCN equivalence classes.


Birdsong may have several functions as a communicative signal. Zebra finches?produce acoustically similar songs while alone (undirected) and to female birds (directed). Recent studies have shown that the level of neural activity and of expression of the immediate early gene egr-1 in the anterior forebrain (AF) nuclei LMAN and Area X are much higher during undirected than directed singing. To investigate possible sources of this modulation, we examined singing-related gene expression in the medial Habenula (Hb) and interpeduncular (IPN) nuclei. Consistently there is an opposite pattern of expression in these nuclei, compared to AF nuclei; a high level of egr-1 expression is seen only after directed singing. Furthermore, expression is stronger in limited subregions of IPN, in a pattern suggesting that the synaptic inputs from MHb to IPN may be lateralized. We are combining anterograde tracer injection into left and right MHb with egr-1 expression after courtship singing to test this possiblility. As a possible behavioral source of such lateralization, in initial behavioral results 4 of 5 birds tested viewed the female during initial courtship preferentially with the right eye.


Many case reports have been published concerning the development or exacerbation of psoriasis after administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between psoriasis and ACE inhibitors using the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) data. After excluding patients with psoriasis-related primary diseases, the association of psoriasis with 14 ACE inhibitors was examined using disproportional analyses reporting odds ratio (ROR) and information component (IC). Signals were detected for all 14 ACE inhibitors combined (ROR: 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14-1.37; IC: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.17-0.44) and individually for lisinopril (ROR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.05-1.37; IC: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.06-0.45), perindopril (ROR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.38-2.52; IC: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.43-1.30), and ramipril (ROR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.36-1.96; IC: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.42-0.96). ACE inhibitors are widely used in patients with hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes mellitus, which are considered comorbidities of psoriasis. Our results suggest that the involvement of ACE inhibitors should be considered in patients on ACE inhibitor therapy who have developed (or show exacerbated) psoriasis.


This paper reports on an expert advisor for forex trading based on Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) in MetaTrader4 platform. A single hidden layer feedforward network was established for foreign exchange rate prediction. Trading rules based on the prediction results was designed and realized. Finally, we optimized the parameters according to the profitability performed on EUR/USD, GBP/USD currency pairs separately. The optimized results are able to achieve good results in the training series. In the test series, the strategies are consistently profitable for at least the first twenty days. It is concluded that the BPNN based model do have the ability to make profits from the experimental currency pairs for the period investigated.


The performance of a Reed-Solomon (RS) code has an analytical expression if the errors at the input of the decoder are independent. In concatenated schemes, this condition is often obtained through an interleaving device disrupting the correlation between erroneous symbols. Sometimes the ideal depth of such interleaver is too large to implement, and the RS decoder must operate in suboptimal conditions, for which no analytical formulas are available. In this paper, we present a statistical model that allows analytical evaluation of the performances of a concatenated scheme with an inner turbo code and an outer RS code, in the case of under-dimensioned interleavers. The model requires a statistical analysis of the erroneous symbols at the output of the inner decoder.


Researchers from several US institutions used the Childhood Cancer Survival Study (CCSS) registry to study the impact of cumulative radiation exposure on pregnancy outcomes among childhood cancer survivors. CCSS cohort members who were under age 21 years at the time of cancer diagnosis from 1970 to 1986 at 26 North American centers were included if they survived at least five years after diagnosis. All singleton live births and stillbirths (defined as fetal deaths after week 20) between 1971 and 2002 were included. The cumulative radiation treatment doses absorbed by the testes, uterus, ovaries, and pituitary gland were determined for each patient. Treatment with mutagenic chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and dacarbazine was evaluated as a key potential confounder. Other factors adjusted for in multivariable analyses included maternal smoking and alcohol use; pregnancy complications such as diabetes, hypertension, and toxemia; use of medications to aid conception; and time since cancer diagnosis. The final cohort consisted of 2,805 childhood cancer survivors (1,657 women and 1,148 men) who had 4,853 live births and 93 stillbirths or neonatal deaths during the study period. The 1,774 (63%) survivors who had received radiation therapy accounted for 3,077 (63%) of the live and 60 (64.5%) of the stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Leukemias and Hodgkin's lymphoma accounted for 49% of female and 44% of male cancers. Irradiation of the testes (mean doses of 0.53 ± 1.4 Gy to 16 men) was not associated with risk of stillbirth or neonatal death (adjusted RR=0.8; 95% CI, 0.4-1.6). There was no increase in risk of stillbirth or neonatal death with any cumulative uterine or ovarian radiation dose received after menarche. However, premenarchal cumulative doses as low as 1.0 Gy increased risk 4.7-fold (95% CI, 1.2-19), while doses of 2.5 Gy or more increased risk 12.3-fold (95% CI, 4.2-36). There were no associations of irradiation of the pituitary gland or exposure to alkylating agents with risk of stillbirth or neonatal death. The authors conclude that prepubertal uterine and ovarian irradiation can adversely affect birth outcomes of future offspring of females, most likely due to age-related vulnerability to radiation-induced uterine damage rather than a heritable germline genetic event. The authors acknowledge, however, that transmissible mutations could not be totally excluded with current technology as contributory to stillbirth or neonatal death. The analysis revealed no basis for concern about heritable genetic changes from male gonadal irradiation. The key learning is that pregnancies in women who received high doses of prepubertal pelvic irradiation warrant being managed as high-risk pregnancies.


Theoretical B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) density functional theory has been employed to examine the structural properties of donor-bridge-acceptor molecular system and determine the energies. The electronic states of the system have been calculated depend on Koopman's theorem under the orbital-vertical theory. The results show that the functional used in the description of the studied molecular system has been proved its validity in calculating the HOMO and LUMO energies and it is a suitable for studying the geometry optimization for the organic molecular system, there are localized orbitals in different parts of the D-B-A molecular system in which that satisfy important property for the D-B-A system to show rectification.


The subject of research –a set of organizational and legal relations that arise in the process of creating a system of public control of the activities of local self-government bodies in Ukraine. The purpose of the article is the statement of the problem of the need to define and legislatively establish the concept of public control of the local government in Ukraine. The article suggests possible effective ways of carrying out public control over the activity of representatives of local self-government. Methodology of work – system-structural analysis of the legal support of social control of the system of local self-government. Modeling and forecasting on the growth of the effectiveness of the positive interaction of society and government. The results of the work – presented the legal strategy and technology of implementation a social control over local self-government. Conclusions –system of effective use of legal possibilities in the sphere of ofsocial control over the actions of elected local authorities and as a consequence of social-economic development of the region


At the post 1990s, African countries undertook some democratic reforms following the end of one party authoritarian regimes and return to multiparty elections, which resulted in a more competitive political system. However, the central clog to economic transformation namely, public corruption remains germane. The paper explores some of the theoretical issues raised by the dynamics of socio-political change in Africa within the context of corruption and public administration including the internal and external dimensions of the unfolding corruption. It recognized that corruption in Africa is a development issue and therefore defines corruption as activities that undermine development and argued that corruption, which is largely conceived as diversion of public resource for private gains, significantly constricts development administration. This in turn impedes transition to developmental state. Corruption thus remains a theme that requires adequate attention in Africa's development discourse. Using the institutional approach and secondary data sources, it corroborates Sen's model of "development as freedom", and argues that development administration practice should now be guided by certain ethical guidelines defined on the basis of social justice, transparency, accountability   and equality in order for African states to transform to developmental states.  The paper refutes existing practices in Africa where bureaucratic corruption undermines economic growth, rather proposes institutional overhaul to usher in a developmental state.

 Key words: Development administration, corruption, developmental state, Africa.


On many Calabi - Yau manifolds there is no unique way to define spinor fields. We point out that, through the usual procedure of `embedding the spin connection in the gauge algebra', this non-uniqueness can have major (and invariably unwelcome) consequences for the corresponding string theories. For example, topological effects can lead to ambiguities in the breaking of and even to a loss of the supersymmetry that originally motivated consideration of Calabi - Yau manifolds themselves. We argue that, in string theory, attention should be concentrated on non-simply-connected Calabi - Yau manifolds which nevertheless have a unique spin structure, of which the Tian - Yau manifold is an example.


This study examined the pronunciation of consonants /ð/ & /θ/ by adult Vietnamese learners of English. Ten adult Vietnamese learners of English were selected to be the sample for the audiotape observation, which aimed at identifying the participants' mistakes in pronouncing /ð/ and /θ/. Secondly, 115 learners of English in Vietnam were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the causes of their pronunciation errors. The findings indicated that substitution phenomenon was a dominant problem in the students' pronunciation of /θ/ and /ð/. The most outstanding problem in pronouncing the consonant /θ/ was replacing this sound by Vietnamese /t'/. With regards to /ð/ sound, it was most frequently mispronounced as /z/. Besides, there was a new kind of mistake found: it was the tendency to pronounce /dʒ/ instead of /ð/, which has not been reported ever. Apart from that, participants also confirmed some causes of their erroneous pronunciation. As perceived by the learners themselves, the most popular causes of their problems were the lack of English exposure and practice, which implicated that an effective environment for using English was highly necessary.


Submodular optimization, particularly under cardinality or cost constraints, has received considerable attention, stemming from its breadth of application, ranging from sensor placement to targeted marketing. However, the constraints faced in many real domains are more complex. We investigate an important and very general class of problems of maximizing a submodular function subject to general cost constraints, especially focusing on costs coming from route planning. Canoni- cal problems that motivate our framework include mobile robotic sensing, and door-to-door marketing. We propose a generalized cost-benefit (GCB) greedy al- gorithm for our problem, and prove bi-criterion approximation guarantees under significantly weaker assumptions than those in related literature. Experimental evaluation on realistic mobile sensing and door-to-door marketing problems, as well as using simulated networks, show that our algorithm achieves significantly higher utility than state-of-the-art alternatives, and has either lower or competitive running time.


In this paper, we have developed a fast and accurate 3-dimensional registration algorithm using surface gradients for motion tracking of Time-Varying Meshes (TVM). Hierarchical skeleton-based mesh decomposition is used to segment each TVM frame into a kinetic model without user intervention. An iterative closest point matching algorithm with the use of vertex normal data is developed to resolve translational and rotational motion vectors. As only vertices with large surface gradients are used as matching features, processing speed can be reduced by 80% retaining a high level of accuracy. Multi-temporal registration, where historical and future data are used in the 3D shape registration, is used to increase robustness against potential bad registrations, achieving 50% error reduction.


Local ablation therapy is considered as a conventional treatment option for patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although radiofrequency (RF) ablation is widely used for HCC, the use of cryoablation has been increasing as newer and safer cryoablation systems have developed. The thermodynamic mechanism of freezing and thawing used in cryoablation is the Joule-Thomson effect. Cryoablation destroys tissue via direct tissue destruction and vascular-related injury. A few recent comparative studies have shown that percutaneous cryoablation for HCCs is comparable to percutaneous RF ablation in terms of long term therapeutic outcomes and complications. Cryoablation has several advantages over RF ablation such as well visualization of iceball, no causation of severe pain, and lack of severe damage to great vessels and gallbladder. It is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of cryoablation compared with RF ablation for improvement of therapeutic efficacy and safety.


Recently, highly functional biosensors have been developed in preparation for possible large-scale terrorist attacks using chemical warfare agents. Practically applicable sensors are required to have various abilities, such as high portability and operability, the capability of performing rapid and continuous measurement, as well as high sensitivity and selectivity. We developed the detection method of capsaicinoids, the main component of some lachrymators, using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor as an on-site detection sensor. Homovanillic acid, which has a vanillyl group similar to capsaicinoids such as capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, was bound to Concholepas concholepas hemocyanin (CCH) for use as an immunogen to generate polyclonal antibodies. An indirect competitive assay was carried out to detect capsaicinoids using SPR sensor chips on which different capsaicin analogues were immobilized. For the sensor chip on which 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylamine hydrochloride was immobilized, a detection limit of 150 ppb was achieved. We found that the incubation time was not required and the detection can be completed in five minutes.


The three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer equations are solved numerically using a finite difference technique identical to that explained in "The solution of the laminar and turbulent three-dimensional boundary layer equations with a simple finite difference technique", FFA 126, 1974 by T.K. Fannelop and D.A. Humphreys. The calculations dealt with in the present report put forward new solutions using anisotropie viscosities Ein and eout. The new definitions of Ein, x and Ein, z are arrived at by taking into account the skewing effect discussed by I.L. Ryhming and T.K. Fanne1op in "A 3-D law-of-the-wall including skewness and roughness effects", IUTAM Symposium on Three-Dimensional Turbulent Boundary Layers, published by Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New-York, 1982. The expression Eout where the intermittence is generally represented by Klebanoffs function, is modified to advantage by Sarnecki's correlation function. The measurements obtained by the classic experiment BEEL72 done by the NLR (National Aerospace Laboratory, Amsterdam), which simulates the three-dimensional boundary layer on an infmite span swept wing leading to separation have been used to test the calculations. These measurements are sufficiently accurate to allow us to conclude that the anisotropy (Ez/Ex) evaluated experimentally is initially of the order of 0.3, and reaches 0.8 in the separation zone. It is therefore relatively simple to test the validity of the hypothese used in the anisotropic caIculations. However, there is one difficulty which complicates the situation as the formula for anisotropic Ein, z -- 0 is no longer valid Ein, z) when we approach the depth where the speed component w reaches its maximum value. Three possibilities are discussed briefly to try to solve this problem provisionally. The results of the three-dimensional boundary layer ca1culations are given in the form of graphs. The Figures include measurements and values calculated (a) for the integral characteristics of the boundary layer (Rθ, H, βw, CF) as a function of the distance travelled on the distance travelled on the wing surface and (b) for the speed components and shear stress (u, w, tx, tz) as a function of the depth of the layer at a fixed point in the distance travelled. The comparisons show that the anisotropic speed profiles are slightly better, that the integral characteristies differ very little and that the separation region is systematically calculated too early, even if the results are very satisfactory elsewhere.


Abstract:A classification scheme for categorizing organizationally relevant information as either vital or supportive is validated empirically. The impact of the hierarchy on information dissemination was found to vary somewhat for both types of information. These results are based on a study of 118 managers at three hierarchical levels from 18 business firms.


Long‐lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) may eliminate the need for retreatment of mosquito nets used for the control of malaria and other vector‐borne diseases. The efficacy of LLINs after repeated washing under laboratory conditions has been used to predict long‐lasting efficacy under field conditions. We evaluated under laboratory conditions the wash resistance of two LLINs (PermaNet® 1.0, Vestergaard‐Frandsen, Denmark; Olyset®, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Japan), two candidate LLINs (Dawa®, Siamdutch Mosquito Netting Co., Thailand; Insector, Athanor, France) and a net treated with a process designed to increase its wash resistance and compared them with conventionally treated nets (deltamethrin, 25 mg/m2). Nets of all six types were washed using a standard protocol and tested weekly using WHO cone bioassays with Anopheles gambiae (Kisumu strain). The PermaNet® 1.0 was the most wash resistant with >50% mosquito mortality in WHO cone bioassays after as many as 20 washes. The Dawa® net also retained some activity after repeated washing but exhibited wide variation in insecticide retention and biological activity. The remaining nets lost >90% of their biological activity after six washes as measured by 24‐h mortality of A. gambiae in WHO cone tests. After 20 washes, all nets lost >50% of their initial insecticide concentrations except for the Olyset® net. After 20 washes, nets were heated for 4 h at 60 °C to determine whether biological activity could be restored by heat‐assisted regeneration. Only the Olyset® net was regenerated by heating, with average mosquito mortality and knockdown in WHO cone tests rising to >90% after heating for 4 h at 60 °C. However, regeneration of the biological activity of Olyset® nets that had been washed three times did not occur at 30 °C or 35 °C after 12 weeks. The wash resistance of these LLINs corresponded well to their retention of biological activity observed in a field trial, suggesting that wash resistance may be a good predictor of the longevity of insecticidal activity of LLINs under field conditions.