The present research work was carried out for the isolation and identification of bacterial flora from internal organs of broiler during the period from January 2012 to June 2012. Ten Hubbard classic broiler bird were purchased from retail market in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The birds were sacrificed and their liver, lung, esophagus, duodenum and tracheal swab samples were collected (n=50). Using standard bacteriological techniques, Escherichia coli was isolated from 26 (52%) samples. Similarly, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., and Pasteurella spp. were isolated from 15 (30%), 10 (20%), 9 (18%) and 4 (8%) samples, respectively. On the basis of individual sample type, E. coli could be isolated from 8 (80%) duodenum samples being the most prevalent organism. On the other hand, Salmonella spp., Staphylococci spp., Bacillus spp. and Pasteurella spp. were identified in 5 (50%) lungs, 5 (50%) liver, 4 (40%) duodenum and 2 (20%) lungs samples, respectively. Among these isolated bacteria, E. coli was found to be pathogenic for mice. Antibiogram studies revealed that Ciprofloxacin was highly sensitive against all the isolated bacteria. Diversified bacterial species are prevalent in broiler. However, E. coli and Salmonella spp. infection might make the bird vulnerable for easy access of infection. Proper vaccination and use of selective antibiotics are crucial in protecting broilers from these pathogens.


In his classificationof brain abscessesDr. Eagletonhas adopted a nomenclature which is unlikely to meet with general acceptance . According to the mode of entry of infection he uses the terms adjacent or secondary and intercurrent or tertiary. The terms used do not seem to be well chosenand do not correspondwith their more generally accepted meanings in pathological terminology. The chapterson the general diagnosisof brain abscess are well planned. The author attaches much importance to the initial vague rigor followed by a subnormal temperature and by repeatedfailure to recoverbacteria from the blood. The localization of brain abscessesis also fUlly ais· cussed. He is of opinion that these occur in situations more or less d'efinitely corresponding to the extra-cranial focus . As valuable localizing signs much importance is attached to "naming aphasia" and transient or incomplete hemianopsia, especia lly for colours in temporo-sphenoidallobe abscesses . The latter is said to be due tothe involvement of the fibres of Meyer's tract in their course from the cuneusto the pulvinar region. The importance of the presence of a capsule in brain abscessill indicated and the mechanical difficulties of draining acuteabscesses without a capsule in an adequate manner are fully dealt with. The author illustrates his encephaloscope for viewing the interior of an abscess. It is a hollow tube of similar pattern to a Kelly's speculum illuminated by a head lamp and fitted over a hollow metal searcher to be inserted into the abscess.It is not clearly disclosed in the text that by the use of the encephaloscopean acute abscess can be more effectively drained. As a record of the author's personalexperienceswith full notesot his operation cases and autopsy findings the, volume will repay careful study. The mortality of brain abs cess is still approximately 75%, but the author is of opinion that with earlier diagnosis and earlier operation his operative resultsin recentyearshave greatly improved.


Gamete cells are electrogenic, i.e. capable of responding to electrical stimuli and modifying their electrical properties during the crucial periods of maturation and fertilization. Ion channels have been widely demonstrated on the plasma membrane of the oocyte and spermatozoon in all animals studied, and electrical modifications in gametes are due to ion currents that are modulated via these ion channels. The modification of intracellular calcium levels in gametes has been extensively studied, and these modifications are recognized to be a second messenger system for gamete maturation and fertilization. Other ions also move through the plasma membrane, either in association with or independent of calcium, and these generate typical features such as fertilization currents and oscillation of resting potential. These modifications were first studied in marine invertebrates, and the observations subsequently compared with mammalian systems, including human. The precise role played by these currents in the processes of maturation and fertilization is still poorly understood; however, recent research opens new frontiers for their clinical and technological application.


The epidemiology of salivary gland tumors worldwide is not very well defined. Although many studies on this subject have been undertaken, the data are generally focused on specific topics such as parotid gland neoplasms or tumors of the major salivary glands. We conducted a study to establish the prevalence and distribution of benign and malignant neoplasms of both the major and minor salivary glands at a single institution. We reviewed 244,204 cases that had come through our pathology department from January 1994 through December 2005 and found 235 cases of a salivary gland neoplasm (0.09%). The female-to-male ratio was 1.04:1, and the mean age of the patients was 47 years. Of the 235 neoplasms, 159 (67.66%) were located in the parotid gland, 34 (14.47%) in the submandibular gland, and 42 (17.87%) in the minor salivary glands. A total of 146 tumors (62.13%) were benign and 89 (37.87%) were malignant. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most common neoplasm, occurring in 98 cases (41.70%). The most common malignancy was mucoepidermoid carcinoma, with 27 cases (11.49%). Our data demonstrate that the characteristics of salivary gland tumors in a Turkish population at a single institution are similar to those reported in the literature worldwide.


Many scientists believe that the only true method of scientific inquiry is the quantitative randomized control study. However, there are parts of the human system that are not amenable to quantitative measurement and need another form of scientific inquiry. Qualitative research methods were developed to meet this need. Qualitative research involves understanding human or social problems and may include methods such as historiography, biography, case study, grounded theory, phenomenology, and ethnography. Because it is so time-intensive and requires extensive resources, undertaking a qualitative study requires a strong commitment to the study. There are several unique aspects to qualitative research. The inquiry is conducted in a naturalistic setting so that the context is considered part of the phenomenon, but the researcher makes no attempt to place experimental controls on the phenomenon being studied. The number of participants is usually small but large enough to obtain rich data, and they are not randomly selected. Rather, the participants are individuals who are willing to discuss and explore a phenomenon, and the researcher determines essences or common themes to explain the phenomenon. Only after the study is complete is the literature review conducted. This article will focus specifically on the qualitative method of phenomenology.


In our previous works, a Switching Linear Gaussian Hidden Markov Model (SLGHMM) and its segmental derivative, SSLGHMM, were proposed to cast the problem of modeling a noisy speech utterance in robust automatic speech recognition by a well-designed dynamic Bayesian network. An important issue of SSLGHMM is how to specify a switching state value for each frame of feature vector in a given speech utterance. In this paper, we propose several approaches for addressing this issue and compare their performance on Aurora3 connected digit recognition tasks.


Simple calibration-free localization techniques using proximity to multiple monitoring stations are cost-effective and avoid the need for laborious measurements, calibration, and large search spaces for RF fingerprints. Proximity-based localization does not suffer from multi-path problems associated with localization that employs time, time difference, or angle of arrival measurements. We propose Sub-Area Localization (SAL) that uses the sub-areas created by the overlapping ranges of monitoring stations (MoSs) to estimate the location of a mobile node. We investigate the relationship between localization accuracy (that depends on the number and sizes of sub-areas) and the monitoring ranges of MoSs when they are placed on a virtual grid in a given workspace. We present analytical and simulation results that allow us to determine the "best" range of monitoring stations, and understand the limits on the accuracy performance of SAL.


Medium-term (i.e. pre-2015) demand for credits from the EU ETS and secondary sources of demand appears to be limited to 1.6 billion tCO2e. The supply of Kyoto credits is relatively predictable, and will cover demand between now and 2013-2014 according to our base-case scenario. Our view is that the demand-supply equilibrium will lead to a decorrelation between the price of Kyoto credits and the EUA price, and may lead to a price for Kyoto credits that is very low, or almost nil. Unless CER and ERU demand-side policies are modified, we do not foresee any rebound in CER and ERU prices beyond the current year.


Local conformal transformations are known as a useful tool in various applications of the gravitational theory, especially in cosmology. We describe some new aspects of these transformations, in particular using them for derivation of Einstein equations for the cosmological and Schwarzschild metrics. Furthermore, the conformal transformation is applied for the dimensional reduction of the Gauss-Bonnet topological invariant in d = 4 to the spaces of lower dimensions.


Clinicians who are selecting dynamic support surfaces such as alternating pressure redistribution mattresses (APRMs) for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers are faced with commercial literature that predominantly reports on magnitudes of interface pressures, rather than on additional parameters. The aim of this preliminary study was to generate a pressure relief index (PRI) to evaluate dynamic support surfaces using the magnitude of interface pressures as well as their duration. Data for generating a PRI were captured from 11 subjects on two different dynamic support surfaces using three different, arbitrarily selected, interface pressure thresholds. Tissue perfusion measurements were used to evaluate the reliability of the calculated PRI. The results demonstrate a good relationship (r=0.7) between PRI and tissue perfusion values. The generated PRI appears to be a reliable indicator of the recovery time allowed below a given interface pressure and is therefore a useful parameter for selecting appropriate dynamic support surfaces.


Abstract Previous studies have identified several anopheline species integral to the transmission of malaria in Belize. The highly efficient vector, Anopheles darlingi Root, is currently considered the most important. The preferred larval habitat of An. darlingi has been described as floating detritus patches, which are commonly associated with overhanging spiny bamboo, Guadua longifolia (E. Fourn.), along river margins. The objectives of this study were to use remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) tools to 1) define the landscape features (i.e., river curvature, land cover, and house locations) associated with An. darlingi-positive breeding habitats and 2) determine the association between cleared land cover and the growth of spiny bamboo. A systematic survey was conducted in which all detritus patches of at least 1 m2 were sampled, mapped using GPS, and characterized by cause of habitat lodging. Bamboo stretches growing along the river margins also were mapped. Spatial analyses of satellite imagery found no associations between river characteristics or land cover with positive An. darlingi habitats. In addition, there was no significant difference in cleared versus forested land cover in relation to the presence or absence of bamboo. Results indicate that the average distance from homes to negative habitats was significantly greater than from positive detritus mats. Based on the land cover and river characteristics used, our results do not support the use of remote sensing as a predictive tool to locate specific areas within rivers positive for An. darlingi habitats.


Summary : The solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an effective solvent-free sample preparation technique for the capillary gas chromatographic (CGC) analysis of volatile aroma compounds of wines. Using discriminant analysis based upon only two terpene compounds, it was possible to analytically discem between the varieties Riesling, Muller-Thurgau and Silvaner grown in the same region. The discrimination of these varieties was unsuccessful for wines of different vintages ( 1988-1995). In order to obtain a highly significant classification, it was necessary to consider further aroma components described in wine literature. The differentiation between these wines by a similar high classification rate was obtained using a set ofvariables selected by mathematical methods. Wines prepared from known grape varieties were qualitatively recognized by factor- and cluster-analyses as weil as the relative peak intensities ofthe terpene compounds in the SPME-CGC chromatograms. The composition ofwine blendswas quantitatively determined.


Based upon existing experience feedback of French nuclear power plants operated by EDF (Electricite de France), this paper shows that flexible operation of nuclear reactors is possible and has been applied in France by EDF's 58 reactors for more than 30 years without any noticeable or unmanageable impacts: no effects on safety or on the environment, and no noticeable additional maintenance costs, with an additional unplanned capability load factor estimated at only 0.5%. EDF's nuclear reactors have the capability to vary their output between 20% and 100% within 30 minutes, twice a day, when operating in load-following mode. Flexible operation requires sound plant design (safety margins, auxiliary equipment) and appropriate operator skills, and early modifications were made to the initial Westinghouse design to enable flexible operation (e.g., use of "grey" control rods to vary reactor core thermal power more rapidly than with conventional "black" control rods). The nominal capacities of the present power stations are sufficient, safe and adequate to balance generation against demand and allow renewables to be inserted intermittently, without any additional CO 2 emissions. It is a clear demonstration of full complementarity between nuclear and renewable energies.


Burn injury is associated with the greatly increased susceptibility of thermally injured patients to infection from a variety of pathogens. Candida albicans is a commensal of skin and has been reported as a severe pathogen in thermally injured patients. Systemic candidiasis has emerged as a major cause of death in burn patients. In this study, the ability of Candida albicans to infect thermally injured host and the host response to systemic infections with Candida albicans was studied by using burned mice. The C. albicans suspension was spreaded over the burn surface. Mice were sacrificed ten days after burn to check the presence of yeasts in the kidneys, lung, liver and spleen or burn wounds. After 48 hr. of incubation of culture plates yeasts were recovered from the kidneys, lung, liver, spleen of burned mice. This study describes the enhanced susceptibility of burned mice to systemic candidiasis and shows that a systemic infection with Candida can lead organisms to contaminate the wound.


Presentation Link:
Pre-Recorded Pecha Kucha https://www.pechakucha.com/presentations/alex-tsirgialos-sotel

The consistent Learning Management System (LMS) design of large subjects with multiple instructors/coordinators can prove very challenging. Instructors have the freedom to organise their materials in different ways (without specific training on how to do this effectively) which often impacts students' ability to find key resources in a timely manner (Holmes and Prieto-Rodriguez, 2018). Students in two large subjects at the Melbourne Dental School reported this in subject evaluations: accessing learning materials that were essential prior to campus activities and searching resources for revision was proving impossible.

LMS navigation design is seen as important to students' perceived usefulness of the system (Zanjani et al. 2013). Students will often compare their LMS experience against other (sophisticated) online services, expecting the same standards (Naveh et al. 2012). For Blended Learning (BL) subjects Diep et al. (2017) argue that "institutions should enhance the LMS functionality and design in such a way that they are easier to use, more user-friendly, functional, and personalized" (p.474).

Most designs for online learning strive for learning experiences – this is true for online courses where all or most study is asynchronous. In these cases, the learning designer will aim to incorporate a 'chunked' or 'step-by-step' approach to the curriculum. This results in the familiar sight of modules consisting multiple pages which represent this linear learning experience that begins and ends in the LMS. In Blended Learning courses however, the asynchronous component delivered via LMS is often limited to very few resources and activities that represent only the starting and/or end point in a learning sequence, but not the entire experience.

This presentation will showcase how designing the way students interact with the LMS by re-arranging the site's navigation and structure aims to improve students' affective domain while maintaining the same cognitive outcomes (no changes have been made to the existing content). It will also show how the design, moving away from the established 'module as a learning sequence' approach, is enabling multiple instructors to curate the curriculum in large year-long subjects with improved flexibility.

The subjects' LMS sites have been designed to accommodate the projected student activity. Central to the design is a concise Subject Schedule in which the multiple instructors can 'curate' their component's learning for each week to include single Topic Pages (learning materials and activities), instructions for the Campus activities and reminders for Assessment tasks. Workbooks intended for Campus activities have been removed from the LMS (which isn't an ideal place for file sharing) and hosted in Microsoft Sharepoint instead. Each subject component has a Component Hub (for all the component related information) and a Video Management System space to host video recordings of seminars if needed. This restructure has reduced the number of pages from several hundred to less than 50 for each subject.

The design will be evaluated to determine the degree to which the interventions have improved students' 'relationship' with the LMS and instructors' ability to flexibly control the structure of their intended curriculum.
References

Diep, A-N., Zhu, C., Struyven, K., Blieck, Y., (2017) Who or what contributes to student satisfaction in different blended learning modalities? In British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 48, p.474
DOI 10.1111/bjet.12431

Holmes, K. A., & Prieto-Rodriguez, E. (2018). Student and Staff Perceptions of a Learning Management System for Blended Learning in Teacher Education. In Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(3). DOI
10.14221/ajte.2018v43n3.2

Naveh, G., Tubin, D., & Pliskin, N. (2012) Student satisfaction with learning management systems: a lens of critical success factors. In Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 21:3, 337-350. DOI:10.1080/1475939X.2012.720413

Zanjani, N., Nykvist, S., & Geva, S. (2013) What makes an LMS effective: A synthesis of current literature. In Foley, O, Restivo, M T, Helfert, M, & Uhomoibhi, J (Eds.) Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Computer Supported Education. SciTePress - Science and Technology Publications, Portugal, pp. 574-579. DOI 10.5220/0004384905740579


A self-alignment process of sub-mm chips is studied for hybrid integration toward silicon photonics applications. Capillary forces by liquid surface tension drive the tiny chips to precisely and quickly align on silicon wafers. Self-alignment behaviors and the resulting high accuracies of the sub-mm chips are discussed in this work.


Background:IMCLs are an important factor in skeletal muscle insulin resistance. This study aimed to explore the effect of Jianpi Qinghua formula (JPQHF) on IMCLs and its mechanism, as well as the relationship between IMCLs and other skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity factors, thereby elucidating the mechanism by which JPQHF improves insulin sensitivity.Methods: In an in vivo experiment, JPQHF and pioglitazone (PIO) were individually used to treat C57 mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity. In an in vitro experiment, JPQHF and rapamycin in serum were individually used to treat C2C12 cells induced with palmitic acid. The IMCLs of tissue and cells were subjected to oil red O staining. The RNA and protein expression of PPARγ, myogenin, mTORC1 and members of the PI3K/AKT pathway in skeletal muscle tissue and C2C12 cells was examined. Differences between the different intervention groups were determined.Results: IMCLs were significantly increased in mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet and the C2C12 cell line treated with palmitic acid compared to the corresponding controls. mTORC1 phosphorylation and PPARγ levels were also increased, and AKT phosphorylation and myogenin levels were decreased. Intervention with JPQHF reversed the above changes. In addition, the PPARγ level in C2C12 cells was reduced after intervention with rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTORC1. However, AKT phosphorylation and myogenin levels did not recover after rapamycin intervention.Conclusion: IMCLs were significantly increased in obese C57 mice and palmitic acid-treated C2C12 cells. JPQHF reduced IMCLs both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, this effect likely occurred through JPQHF-mediated inhibition of the overactivation of mTORC1 and a subsequent reduction in the expression of PPARγ. However, the function of JPQHF in elevating myogenin levels and the PI3K/AKT pathway may not be entirely dependent on mTORC1.


This study, of theoretical nature, aims to analyse some propositions of Historic and Cultural psychology about human psyche, especially regarding the constitution of affective processes in relation to child development. Therefore, brings together some principles of Spinozist philosophy that underlie the Vigotskian thought about affections and postulates that, for this school of psychology , on the basis of human development are the social experience and subject-object relation, constitutive of cognitive and affective processes. The analyses developed over the text indicate that social mediators - signs and instruments - subsidize the formation of activity and consciousness in a process that legitimizes the historic and social origin of affective functions. The paper aims to highlight the role of education as a privileged place of access to knowledge capable of transforming ways of thinking, feeling and acting of children through the processes of teaching and learning.


The necessity of the individual legal case supervision in China is a well-debated yet unconcluded topic. Urawa Mitsuko incident is a classic case of defending judicial independence and rejecting the individual legal case supervision in Japanese history. It caused people to concentrate on use of census right in judicial field and formed a consensus that, it should be restricted by many factors. The case has three inspirations to judicial independence of China: National People's Congress is the organ of supreme power, but it is not absolutely right for it to perform the individual legal case supervision, the surveillance of National People's Congress to Law Courts should not and must not be the real supervision to individual legal cases, allowing the judgement of right or wrong by National People's Congress will lead to the violation of the finality principle of judicature.


The traditional role of clinical laboratory technicians is to perform biochemical and physiological tests quickly and accurately in the laboratory. Currently, however, clinical laboratory technicians should look out outside the laboratory because of marked changes in circumstances, such as recent advances of medical technology and the development of the team approach to medical care by many medical specialists. The team approach for diabetic patients is a representative case, in which clinical laboratory technicians can play an active role more than before. At our Sumitomo Hospital, clinical laboratory technicians joined the diabetes care team in 2004. Our activities are wide-ranging, for instance, individual advice regarding laboratory tests, group lectures and making individual data sheet that shows graphs of the improvement of test values, named "Valuable Information". We here describe the present activities in our hospital, evaluate the problems and issues, and discuss the favorable image of clinical laboratory technicians expected in the future.


OBJECTIVE
To compare Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) calculations with and without bone mineral density (BMD) in predicting the 10-year probability of hip and major osteoporotic fractures (MOF).

METHODS
A cross-sectional review of patients requiring screening for osteoporosis as part of their routine medical care was conducted. Postmenopausal women and men over 50 years of age who were never diagnosed with osteoporosis or treated with U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved agents for osteoporosis were included. Height, weight, FRAX questionnaire, femoral neck BMD, and T-score data were obtained. FRAX scores with BMD (FRAX/BMD) and without BMD (FRAX) were calculated. Subjects were separated on the basis of identical and different treatment recommendations. Fracture risk factors were compared between groups using simple Student's t test analysis of numerical variables and Fisher's exact test analysis of binary variables.

RESULTS
Of 151 total subjects, 127 (84%) had identical fracture risk predictions with or without BMD included in the FRAX calculation. Thirty subjects met treatment criteria and 97 did not, but the FRAX prediction was the same with risk factors alone or with risk factors plus BMD. Age was the only risk factor that was significantly different between those with identical and different predictions (median age, 64.42 and 76.25 years, respectively; P<.001).

CONCLUSION
In most cases, FRAX alone provides the same prediction as FRAX with BMD. Younger age is more indicative of an identical prediction.


This paper is a systematic revision of the lizards of the genus Tropidurus (torquatus group) occurring south of the Rio Amazonas. Following an analysis of meristic characters in five areas where lizards with different types of mite pockets occur synpatrically, eleven species are recognized, seven of which described as new. Diagnoses, descriptions and geographic distribution are given for each species, and an artificial key to species is presented. Ecologically, there seem to be two species assemblages: the first includes all species with wide geographic distribution, and the second includes species with restricted distributions, usually limited to mountain or sandy soil areas. Probably present climatic conditions are more suitable for the first group, than for the second. A model based on the geographic ecology of the recent past of a pair of species is proposed to explain the present complex distribution of some species of the torquatus group. The geographic differentiation of T. torquatus and T. hygomi is studied and a sequence of events proposed to explain its origin, ecologic differentiation and evolution.


Diabetes is associated with impaired vascular reactivity and the development of diabetic nephropathy. In a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy, the effects of systemic nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibition on intrarenal diffusion and oxygenation were determined by noninvasive magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging and blood O2 level-dependent (BOLD) imaging, respectively. Eight weeks after the induction of diabetes, 21 rats [n = 7 rats each in the untreated control group, diabetes mellitus (DM) group, and DM with uninephrectomy (DM UNX) group] were examined by MRI. Diffusion tensor imaging and BOLD sequences were acquired before and after NO synthesis inhibition with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). In the same rats, mean arterial pressure and vascular conductance were determined with and without the influence of L-NAME. In control animals, NO synthesis inhibition was associated with a significant increase of mean arterial pressure of 33.8 ± 4.3 mmHg (P < 0.001) and a decrease of vascular conductance of -17.8 ± 2.0 μl·min(-1)·100 mmHg(-1) (P < 0.001). These changes were attenuated in both DM and DM UNX groups with no significant difference between before and after L-NAME measurements in DM UNX animals. Similarly, L-NAME challenge induced a significant reduction of renal transverse relaxation time (T2*) at MRI in control animals, indicating reduced renal oxygenation after L-NAME injection compared with baseline. DM UNX animals did not show a significant T2* reduction after NO synthesis inhibition in the renal cortex and attenuated T2* reduction in the outer medulla. MRI parameters of tissue diffusion were not affected by L-NAME in all groups. In conclusion, BOLD imaging proved valuable to noninvasively measure renal vascular reactivity upon NO synthesis inhibition in control animals and to detect impaired vascular reactivity in animals with diabetic nephropathy.


We present in this report a comparative study between models of line network extraction, within a stochastic geometry framework. We rely on the theory of marked point processes specified by a density with respect to the uniform Poisson process. We aim to determine which prior density is the most relevant for road network detection. The "Candy" model, introduced in [21] for the extraction of road networks, is used as a reference model. This model is based on the idea that a road network can be thought of as a realization of a Markov object process, where the objects correspond to interacting line segments. We have developed two variants of this model which use quality coefficients for interactions. The first of these two variants is a generalization of the "Candy" model and the second one is an adaptation of the "IDQ" model proposed in [13] for the problem of building extraction from digital elevation models. The optimization is achieved by a simulated annealing with a RJMCMC algorithm. The experimental results, obtained for each model on aerial or satellite images, show the interest of adding quality coefficients for interactions in the prior density.


The International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and with the support of the Commission of the European Communities is developing a database (called FISHBASE) to summarize global information on living aquatic resources (fish, crustaceans and molluscs) in a standardized form to be made available on CD-ROM to institutions in developing countries. For all species, stocks and strains relevant to fisheries or aquaculture, FISHBASE summarizes information comparable in scope to that normally provided in species synposis such as those pubished by FAO. FISHBASE provides not only fast access to information on a given species but also allows for comparative studies between species groups or geographical areas. In more than 1200 fields, the database contains information on nonmenclature, distribtution, ecology morphometrics, population dynamics, reproduction, eggs and larvae, diseases, genetics, and aquaculture. The first version of FISHBASE will be distributed by the end of 1992.


Abstract. GPRs (Ground Penetrating Radar) are widely adopted in underground space survey and mapping, because of their advantages of fast data acquisition, convenience, high imaging resolution and NDT (Non Destructive Testing) inspection. However, at present, the automation of the GPR data post-processing is low and the identification of underground objects needs expert interpretation. The heavy manual interpretation labor limits the GPR applications in large-scale urban scenarios. According to the latest research, it is still an unsolved problem to detect targets or defects in GPR data automatically and needs further exploration. In this paper, we propose a deep learning method for real-time detection of underground targets from GPR data. Seven typical targets in urban underground space are identified and labelled to construct the training dataset. The constructed dataset is consist of 489 labelled samples including rainwater wells, cables, metal/nonmetal pipes, sparse/dense steel reinforcement, voids. The training dataset is further augmented to produce more samples. DarkNet53 convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained using the constructed training dataset including realistic data and augmented data to extract features of the buried objects. And then the end-to-end YOLO detection framework is used to classify and locate the seven specific categories buried targets in the GPR data in real time. Experiments show that the automatic real-time detection method proposed in this paper can effectively detect the buried objects in the ground penetrating radar image in real time at Shenzhen test site (typical urban road scene).


Acalabrutinib is a second‐generation, highly selective Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor (BTKi) indicated for use in some mature B‐cell malignancies. The authors describe a uniquely distributed drug reaction presenting as palpable purpura over the bilateral upper limbs. BTKi is theorised to cause haemorrhage through off‐target inhibition of Tec kinases and EGFR receptors. Dermatologists play an integral role in the multidisciplinary management of these patients to limit the negative impact on patient quality of life and, more importantly, to restrict dose reduction or treatment discontinuation.


This is a discussion of Liu & Zhu (2021), which develops a novel statistical disease mapping framework for neuroimaging data analysis.


Antigen Capture-ELISA based on eight different neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) was used to study Polish infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) isolated from two epidemics on the turn of 70/80s (early IBDV) and in the 90s (recent IBDV). They were compared to the Faragher 52/70 (F52/70) reference strain of European classical serotype 1 IBDV and to the 89/163 (typical) and 91/168 (atypical) French very virulent (vv) IBDV isolates. All Polish viruses, irrespective of the isolation date, exhibited antigenic profile which was different from the F52/70 reference strain (no binding of Mabs 3 and 4). Two of the early IBDVs did not react with Mab 5 and two of six recent IBDV did not react with Mab 8. The other recent Polish viruses had an antigenic reactivity similar to that of typical vvIBDV.


Nocardial brain abscesses are uncommon and rarely occur in patients without predisposing factors. They may be mistaken for gliomas or necrotic metastases, and surgical intervention may be required to make the diagnosis. We report the first case of Nocardia farcinica cerebellar abscess in a patient without immunosuppression. He presented to us with headache and instability beginning a week before. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a cystic lesion located at the right cerebellar hemisphere, hypointense in T1 and hyperintense in T2, with a fine wall that enhanced after injection of gadolinium. Image tests also showed a cavitated lesion at the upper lobule of the right lung. The patient underwent craniotomy and drainage of the cerebellar abscess. Initial post-operative treatment with linezolid produced a limited response. He was re-operated and vancomycin, imipenem and ciprofloxacin were added with an excellent outcome of the cerebellar and lung lesions.


Helplessness, a belief that the world is not subject to behavioral control, has long been central to our understanding of depression, and has influenced cognitive theories, animal models and behavioral treatments. However, despite its importance, there is no fully accepted definition of helplessness or behavioral control in psychology or psychiatry, and the formal treatments in engineering appear to capture only limited aspects of the intuitive concepts. Here, we formalize controllability in terms of characteristics of prior distributions over affectively charged environments. We explore the relevance of this notion of control to reinforcement learning methods of optimising behavior in such environments and consider how apparently maladaptive beliefs can result from normative inference processes. These results are discussed with reference to depression and animal models thereof. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Background: the effects and costs of different policies for breast cancer screening in Catalonia (Spain) were analysed, to give a basis for setting priorities and deciding on the introduction of a screening programme. Methods: the MISCAN (Mlcrosimulation Screening ANalysis) model of the natural history of breast cancer was used. The epidemiology of breast cancer in Catalonia and the demography of the Catalan population was taken into account as well as the results on mortality reduction from a Swedish overview of breast cancer screening trials. Results: the reduction in breast cancer mortality in the total female population due to a screening programme for the age group 50-64 years would be 16,12 and 9%, with screening intervals of one, two and three years respectively. The cost-effectiveness ratios (CE ratios) for these scenarios were 924,000, 730,000 and 719,000 pesetas (Pt) per life-year gained respectively (5% discounting). The most cost-effective screening scenario is the one in which women aged 50-69 years are screened with an interval of three years with a mortality reduction of approximately 12% in the total female population (CE ratio = 694,000 Pt). Screening until the age of 69 years (two year interval) was almost as cost-effective as screening the age group 50-64 years with a two year interval, with a reduction in breast cancer mortality of 15%. Extension to under the age of 50 years resulted in diverging results depending on the assumptions for improvement in prognosis for younger women (40-49 years). Conclusion: if the extension of a two yearly screening programme for women aged 50-64 years is considered (mortality reduction of 12%), extension to older women would be more advisable, based on proven benefits and costs, than extension to younger age groups.


We analyze the effect of targeted triggering on a forest-fire model, a discrete system displaying self-organized criticality in a fractal space. From an initially empty grid, "trees" are grown for a certain period, after which a "lightning" is introduced at a random location, simultaneously burning an affected "forest" of connected trees in its wake. In the limit of no targeting, we recover a decaying power-law distributions of burnt forest sizes with scaling exponent 1.0, consistent with the self-organizing nature of the grid. When the lightning is targeted, i.e. directed at the largest forest patch with a particular probability, the system begins to show deviations from the power-law curve in the form of unimodal curves centered about a characteristic fire patch size that scales monotonically with system size. The targeted triggering probability affecting an otherwise self-organizing system is deemed to represent the interplay between human intervention and self-organization in natural systems.


The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of listed companies' indebtedness on their financial performance. Theoretical research was relied on the specialty literature concerning the analysis of the capital structure and financial structure of the company based on calculation of the financial structure ratio and financial leverage. This paper focuses on the analysis of debt policy impact on companies' financial performance using the financial leverage method. The financial leverage method reflects the influence of debt policy on company's return on equity, as well as the ways it engages loans to finance operating assets so it can get higher return on equity. The main aim of this paper is to investigate and analyze the determinants of leverage effect and financial structure of companies that are operating in Romanian food industry, namely manufacturing of dairy products. The conclusion that emerges in this study is the importance of choosing and establishing funding sources by an enterprise, according to funding costs, in order to obtain the optimal combination between external financing resources and internal funding.


Esophageal manometry was performed in a group of extremely obese subjects in order to investigate the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and its relationship to extreme obesity, weight reduction and altered anatomy of the stomach. Forty subjects were examined before gastric surgery for treatment of their obesity, and 14 of these were reexamined after weight reduction. Normal LES pressure (20 mmHg) was found before operation, and also normal length and position of the LES. No significant changes were found in the group which was examined twice. In persons younger than 50, LES manometric findings do not seem to be influenced by extreme obesity, weight reduction or gastric surgery for obesity.


Study aims to see the extent of modernization and development of the professional development of existing religious teachers. Of course, professional teachers who are proven by their competencies will encourage the realization of processes and performance products that can support improving the quality of Indonesian education. The method used in this study uses a qualitative research method with a descriptive analytical approach. Where this research approach seeks to explain a symptom, event or event that is happening at the present time where the researcher tries to photograph the events and events that are the center of attention and then describe what they are related to the term educator in the hadith review. The results of the study indicate that the Professionalism of Islamic Religious Education Teachers cannot be separated from three factors that are quite important, namely teacher competence, teacher certification, and teacher professional allowances. Teacher professionalism is a condition in which the work or activities carried out by a teacher become a source of income for life that requires expertise, proficiency, or skills that meet certain quality standards or norms and require professional education. Teacher's Professional and Career Guidance and Development (P3KG) includes the development of pedagogic competence, personality competence, social competence, and professional competence.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest a model that reflects the role that web site cognitive and experiential signals, firm reputation, bricks-and-mortar experience, and consumer satisfaction play as determinants of trust in the web site, taking into account the moderating effect of consumer-perceived risk when buying online. Design/methodology/approach – The investigation uses quantitative research methods. Data collected from interviews with 507 Spanish online buyers are analysed through structural equation modelling. Findings – Internet users who buy online more frequently can trust a web site only based on their previous satisfaction, whereas users who perceive more risks need to perceive that the firm has a good reputation and bricks-and-mortar experience apart from other signals such the quality of the service. Practical implications – The results show interesting implications for online vendors, who should apply different commercial strategies to potential buyers according to the level of perceived risk. Originality/value – This study empirically considers several signals that electronic retailers send to the market in order to create buyer trust and satisfaction, while most studies on signals have been theoretical and normative or have not contemplated so many signals simultaneously. Besides, this paper has extended knowledge of the process of the generation of customer trust in online contexts for different types of users according to their level of perceived risk.


: A geographic information system (GIS) was used to determine the relation between the stream-water quality and underlying geology in Roberts Creek watershed, Clayton County, Iowa, for base-flow conditions during the spring and summer of 1988–90. Geologic, stream, basin and subbasin boundaries, and water-quality sampling-site coverages were created by digitizing available maps. A contour coverage was created from digital line-graph data. The areal extent of geologic units subcropping in each subbasin was quantified with GIS, and the results then were output and joined with the discharge and water-quality data for statistical analyses. Illustrations showing the geology of the study area and the results of the study were prepared using GIS. By using GIS and a statistical software package, a weak but statistically significant relation was found between the water temperature, pH, and nitrogen concentrations in Roberts Creek and the underlying geology during base-flow conditions.


Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is an autoimmune skin disease that causes itchy, blistering rash, typically on the elbows, knees and buttocks. DH and coeliac disease share the same genetic background, glutendependent enteropathy and antibody response against tissue transglutaminase. DH is currently considered a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease, and the prevailing hypothesis is that DH develops as a late manifestation of subclinical coeliac disease. The incidence of DH is decreasing contemporarily with the increasing incidence of coeliac disease. The IgA immune response in DH skin is directed against epidermal transglutaminase, while the autoantigen in the gut is tissue transglutaminase. Granular IgA deposition in the papillary dermis is pathognomonic for DH, and is a finding used to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment of choice for DH is a life-long gluten-free diet, which resolves the rash and enteropathy, increases quality of life, and offers a good long-term prognosis.


The world is shrinking.  We, as neurosurgeons, are enjoying an ever-increasing opportunity to communicate with each other via email, WhatsApp, webinars, virtual visiting professorships, and on and on.  This 'movement' provides much-needed augmented access to experts and each other worldwide.  This, simply put, is the essence of the term 'Global Neurosurgery.'
'Global neurosurgery' is increasingly referenced in manuscripts and social media.  Of course, neurosurgeons have traveled the world for educational purposes for over 100 years.  However, in those days gone by, only the elite few were afforded the opportunity for such travel and education.  Accompanying the marked increase in opportunities to communicate and educate, the term 'global neurosurgery' now takes on a new meaning.  In a sense, it is a banner phrase that heralds the introduction and implementation of the latest communication and education access to all neurosurgeons.  Global neurosurgery has become the words on the banner of a new and exciting movement – i.e., disseminating neurosurgery knowledge, skills, and hopefully, resources to all neurosurgical world reaches.


Recent research revealed that mutations in ras genes contribute to tumorigenesis in a number of tissues. In order to achieve a biologically active state during mitosis, Ras proteins need to undergo a number of post-translational modifications of which farnesylation is the most important one. Mutation of ras genes blocks the physiological dephosphorylating process of Ras proteins. This can result in tumour development and growth. Inhibition of farnesylation by farnesyltransferase inhibitors may prevent these processes. Several types of farnesyltransferase inhibitors have been developed, each with its own unique mechanism of interference. Pre-clinical studies revealed promising tumour regression in several models as well as limited side-effects. Several phase I Studies have been completed and currently phase II and III investigations are in progress focused on pancreatic and colon cancer. However, prior to routine use of these agents more clinical research is required to demonstrate efficacy and safety.


Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) have drawn much attention because of their potential applications such as gas storage, separation and heterogeneous catalysis. There is great interest in the design, synthesis and property evaluation of poly(arylene ethynylenes) (PAEs) with intrinsic microporosity. In addition to Sonogashira coupling reaction between terminal alkynes and halides, the oxidative dimerization of terminal alkynes is an alternating strategy for the buildup of the microporous PAE frameworks. In this paper, a series of MOPs were synthesized by the oxidative dimerization of terminal alkynes using triethynyl monomers such as tris(4-ethynylphenyl)amine, tris(4-ethynylphenyl)methylsilane and poly-tris(4-ethynylphenyl)phenylsilane. The resulting MOPs were characterized by FT-IR spectra, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements. FT-IR spectra indicate the success of the homocoupling reaction for constructing the dialkyne-bridged polymer frameworks. These polymer frameworks exhibit high thermal stability with onset of decomposition temperature above 350 ℃ at 5% mass loss under nitrogen flow. PXRD and TEM measurements revealed that all the polymer frameworks are amorphous solid in nature. These dialkyne-bridged MOPs exhibit moderate surface areas ranging from 602 to 715 m 2 •g –1 . The incorporation of triphenylamine moieties into the polymer skeleton increases the number of electron donating basic nitrogen sites in the porous frameworks. Thus, the triphenylamine-based polymer polytris(4-ethynylphenyl)amine (TE-PA-MOP) with the highest Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area shows the highest CO 2 uptake capacity of 1.59 mmol•g –1 at 273 K and 1.13 bar among the resulting polymer frameworks. In addition, TEPA-MOP showed the highest H 2 adsorption up to 1.04 wt% at 1.13 bar and 77 K and polytris(4-ethynylphenyl)phenylsilane (TEPP-MOP) displayed the lowest H 2 adsorption of 0.64 wt% at the same conditions. As for separation of CO 2 , both TEPA-MOP and TEPP-MOP exhibit rela-tively high CO 2 -over-N 2 selectivities of 69.9 and 73.2 at 273 K, respectively. The above results show that TEPA-MOP might be the good candidate for the balanced CO 2 uptake capacity with impressive CO 2 /N 2 selectivity among the microporous PAE frameworks.


ABSTRACT Introduction Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) and asthma are common ailments affecting both children and adults worldwide. Multiple studies have demonstrated an association between these two disorders. However, the exact reason for this observed association is not apparent. Areas covered The current review has explored available literature and outlined multiple underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, common to both asthma and FAPDs, as possible reasons for this association. Expert opinion Smooth muscle dysfunction, hypersensitivity and hyper-responsiveness, mucosal inflammation, and barrier dysfunction involving gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts are the main underlying pathophysiological mechanisms described for the generation of symptoms in FAPDs and asthma. In addition, alterations in neuroendocrine regulatory functions, immunological dysfunction, and microbial dysbiosis have been described in both disorders. We believe that the pathophysiological processes that were explored in this article would be able to expand the mechanisms of the association. The in-depth knowledge is needed to be converted to therapeutic and preventive strategies to improve the quality of care of children suffering from FAPDs and asthma.


Transmitting information about singer's quality is an important function of song in many bird species, and this information should be useful in territorial interactions. Fast trills, being physically demanding song structures, are particularly suitable candidates for signalling of quality or aggressive motivation. We have evaluated trill characteristics in songs within a population of the Tree Pipit, a common European songbird with no sexual dimorphism, in which song apparently plays a key role in territory defence as well as mate choice. Two types of relatively fast trills (each of them in multiple variants differing in complexity) were commonly observed in repertoires of Tree Pipit males. Trill rates significantly differed among individuals, suggesting that these song structures may carry information about male quality in this species. We tested by playback experiments whether both trill types are used in territorial encounters. Only one of the trill types was sung by males in response to playback, regardless on the trill type played to them. In an immediate response to playback, they increased the frequency of use of this trill, and also significantly increased the trill rate in comparison with spontaneous songs. This confirmed field observations, suggesting that this trill is important in male–male interactions. On the contrary, the use of the fastest, apparently more demanding, trill type actually decreased after the simulated territorial intrusion. We hypothesize that the latter one is more directed towards females, and that while performance of both trill types may reflect male quality, they are primarily used in different contexts.


Despite intensive explorations by speleologists, karstic systems remain only partially described as many conduits are not accessible to humans. Paleokarsts are buried karstic systems with a significant reservoir potential but they are not easily identifiable on seismic images, which leads to a huge uncertainty on the corresponding underground flow simulations. Stochastic simulations of karstic networks allow to better assess that uncertainty but only if the simulated networks are comparable to those observed in the field. One way to ensure some realism is to reproduce the topologies and geometries of explored networks, as proposed in various recent works. The height and width of the conduits are directly measured by speleologists. The general width-height ratio of different networks was already studied (Pardo-Iguzquiza et al., 2011; Jouves et al., 2017), but no generic study seems to have be done on their spatial repartition. It leads to a lack of constraints when simulating conduit dimensions (sections or volumes) during modeling, which is, however, a crucial parameter for further flow simulations. In this study, we analyze a set of different explored karstic systems to check if there are typical distributions of height, width and section of conduits within the networks. For the analysis, the karstic network is considered as a graph, whose nodes are the measurement stations while the edges correspond to lines-of-sight. Instead of directly working on the height and width, we chose to work on the average radius of the conduits. The distributions tend to be close to log-normal and the range of variation is rather similar from a network to another, both for the width-height ratio and the average radius. A direct correlation between these metrics and the degree of the nodes (i.e., the number of neighbors) also seems to exist. Besides, we propose a new method to spatially hierarchize the networks and check the consistency of usual approximations made when performing flow simulations. Even so, no relation between the point location inside the network and the studied metrics was observed. The spatial continuity of the conduit geometrical properties was also characterized by the use of 1-dimensional curvilinear variograms inside the whole network and its different branches. This method is more adapted to the case of karstic networks than the use of variogramms based on Cartesian coordinates. Based on these results, we propose a method to stochastically simulate the average radius and width-heigth ratio of karstic conduits. These simulated average radiuses can be directly taken into account when running flow simulations on explicit conduit networks (SWMM, Epanet…), while the WH ratios allow keeping information about the form of the conduits.


The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the ability of heart tissue to release the mediators of anaphylaxis after antigenic challenges. Guinea pigs were sensitized with ovalbumin. Hearts were excised, perfused in a langendorff apparatus, and challenged with a bolus injection of ovalbumin. Analysis of the perfusates demonstrated the presence of histamine as determined by radioenzymatic assay. Histamine release was observed to be maximum after 2 min (8 +/- 1 nmol) of perfusion, then decreased to baseline level. The heart also released LTB4, LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 as determined by high performance liquid chromatography and bioassays. The release of LTC4 occurred rapidly, reaching maximum after 2 min (4.2 +/- 1 pmol) and then returned to baseline level. Although the release of LTD4 paralleled the release of LTC4, it reached a maximum after 5 min (7.7 +/- 2 pmol). LTE4 was detected after 10 min and was undetectable after 15 min. Maximum release of LTB4 was observed after 5-10 min (15 +/- 3 pmol) and was no longer detectable after 15 min. These results indicate that the isolated sensitized heart undergoing antigenic challenge releases leukotrienes and histamine suggesting the cardiac anaphylaxis might occur by the locally released mediators.


In case of maritime pollution, man-overboard, or objects adrift at sea, national maritime authorities of the 9 countries bordering the European North West Continental Shelf (NWS) rely on drift model simulations in order to better understand the situation at stake and plan the best response strategy. So far, the drift forecast services are mainly managed at national levels with almost no integration at the transnational level. Designed as a support service to the national drift forecasting services, NOOS-Drift has the ambition to change this paradigm.

NOOS-Drift is a distributed transnational multi-model ensemble system to assess and improve drift forecast accuracy in the European North West Continental Shelf. Developed as a one-stop-shop web service, the service allows registered users (national drift model operators or trained maritime authorities) to submit on-demand drift simulation requests to be run by all the national drift forecasting services connected to NOOS-Drift. Within 15 minutes after activation, the NOOS-Drift users shall get access to the drift simulation results of the individual ensemble members, as well as the results of a multi-models joint analysis assessing the ensemble spread and delineating risk areas to locate possible maritime pollution. This operation of such a distributed multi-models service is to our knowledge a world premiere.

In this communication, we will present the technical and scientific developments that had to be done to make this service possible, including:

a robust, secure and latency-free communication system that coordinates the execution of the different national models

a strategy to build the multi-model ensemble

a definition of drift forecast accuracy

the joint multi-model analysis tools

the standard file formats and visualisation means

Finally we will illustrate on an example how the NOOS-Drift service could change the decision making process.


We introduce DisplayBowl which is a concept of a bowl shaped hemispherical display for showing omnidirectional images. This display provides three-way observation for omnidirectional images. DisplayBowl allows users to observe an omnidirectional image by looking the image from above. In addition, users can see it with a first-person-viewpoint, by looking into the inside of the hemispherical surface from diagonally above. Furthermore, by observing both the inside and the outside of the hemispherical surface at the same time from obliquely above, it is possible to observe it by a pseudo third-person-viewpoint, like watching the drone obliquely from behind. These ways of viewing solve the problem of inability of pilots controlling a remote vehicle such as a drone to notice what happens behind them, which happen with conventional displays such as flat displays and head mounted displays.


Background: EIF3S3 that encodes a p40 subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3), has been reported overexpression in several human malignancies. The expression of EIF3S3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical role in the disease progression is still unclear. Here we aimed to study the effect of EIF3S3 on HCC prognosis.Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain-reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess the mRNA levels of EIF3S3 in 120 HCC tissues samples and 60 adjacent noncancerous specimens. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis was used to study the prognostic value of EIF3S3.Results: The expression of EIF3S3 was significantly increased in HCC compared to the expression found in adjacent tissues (P<0.001). Furthermore, high EIF3S3 expression was positively correlated with vascular invasion, tumor size, cirrhosis, AFP levels and TNM stage (all P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with high EIF3S3 expression had worse overall survival (OS) (P<0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P<0.001) than those with low EIF3S3 expression. In addition, multivariable analysis revealed that EIF3S3 could be an independent prognostic factor of OS (P<0.001) and DFS (P<0.001) for patients with HCC.Conclusion: The results suggested that EIF3S3 might serve as a promising prognostic factor for OS and DFS of HCC patients.


This study presents the thermal comfort properties of woven fabrics made of Kermel, cotton/nylon and cotton/nylon /Kermel-blended yarns. Our aim in this study is to combine the high comfort properties of cotton/nylon fibres with high thermal protective properties of Kermel fibre in different woven fabrics. Thus, Kermel (100%), cotton/nylon (50:50) and four blends of the 50% cotton fibres with nylon and Kermel (40:10, 30:20, 20:30 and 10:40) were spun on a ring-spinning frame and twisted into two-folded yarns with the same yarn count of 30/2(Ne) and twist level of 560 TPM. Using the produced yarns, woven fabrics with identical characteristic and structure were also produced. Then, the thermal comfort and physical properties of fabrics were studied in terms of fabric porosity, thermal resistance, thermal conductivity, water vapour resistance and air permeability. The results show that the porosity, air permeability and thermal resistance increase with Kermel fibre blend ratio. Conversely, the water vapour resistance decreases with increase of Kermel fibre blend ratio up to 40%, while 100% Kermel-woven fabric exhibits a higher water vapour resistance value. Nevertheless, the thermal conductivity of cotton/nylon-blended Kermel woven fabric is unchanged with increase of Kermel fibre blend ratio up to 40%, whereas at 100% Kermel fibre blend ratio, the lowest thermal conductivity is obtained. The obtained results implied that woven fabric produced from cotton/nylon (50/10) blended with 40% Kermel fibre resulted in proper thermal comfort properties.


A major point of dispute among libertarian theorists and thinkers today as always revolves around the age-old question of whether man can live in total anarchy or whether the minimal state is absolutely necessary for the maximization of freedom. Lost in this dispute is the question of whether man is capable of getting out of anarchy at all. Can we really abolish anarchy and set up a Government in its place? Most people, regardless of their ideological preferences, simply assume that the abolition of anarchy is possible, that they live under Government and that anarchy would be nothing but chaos and violence.' The purpose of this paper is to question this venerated assumption and to argue that the escape from anarchy is impossible, that we always live in anarchy, and that the real question is what kind of anarchy we live under, market anarchy or non-market (political) anarchy. Further, it is argued that political anarchies are of two types-hierarchical or plural. The more pluralist political anarchy is, the more it resembles market anarchy. The performance of hierarchical and plural anarchies is evaluated in terms of their ability to minimize the level of force in society. It is shown that plural anarchies are much less violent than hierarchical anarchies. We conclude that the real question libertarians must solve is not whether minimalism or anarchy, but which type of anarchy, market or political, hierarchical or plural, is most conducive to the maximization of freedom.


Predicting the contact mechanical response for various types of surfaces is and has long been a subject, where many researchers have made valuable contributions. This is because the surface topography has a tremendous impact on the tribological performance of many applications. The contact mechanics problem can be solved in many ways, with less accurate but fast asperity-based models on one end to highly accurate but not as fast rigorous numerical methods on the other. A mathematical model as fast as an asperity-based, yet as accurate as a rigorous numerical method is, of course, preferred. Artificial neural network (ANN)–based models are fast and can be trained to interpret how in- and output of processes are correlated. Herein, 1,536 surface topographies are generated with different properties, corresponding to three height probability density and two power spectrum functions, for which, the areal roughness parameters are calculated. A numerical contact mechanics approach was employed to obtain the response for each of the 1,536 surface topographies, and this was done using four different values of the hardness per surface and for a range of loads. From the results, 14 in situ areal roughness parameters and six contact mechanical parameters were calculated. The load, the hardness, and the areal roughness parameters for the original surfaces were assembled as input to a training set, and the in situ areal roughness parameters and the contact mechanical parameters were used as output. A suitable architecture for the ANN was developed and the training set was used to optimize its parameters. The prediction accuracy of the ANN was validated on a test set containing specimens not seen during training. The result is a quickly executing ANN, that given a surface topography represented by areal roughness parameters, can predict the contact mechanical response with reasonable accuracy. The most important contact mechanical parameters, that is, the real area of contact, the average interfacial separation, and the contact stiffness can in fact be predicted with high accuracy. As the model is only trained on six different combinations of height probability density and power spectrum functions, one can say that an output should only be trusted if the input surface can be represented with one of these.


Enzymes play an imminent role as biocatalyst for various biotechnological applications as well as production of biodiesel. Here, we focused on the preparation of biosupport materials (polyvinyl alcohol/AlgNa) and their use in immobilization of lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia . Lipase was successfully immobilized onto polyvinyl alcohol/AlgNa in the form of biosupport materials by entrapment method. The mechanical strength, swelling ratio, thermal properties, optimum temperature and pH, lipase loading, leaching, immobilization yields and activity, characterization of the support materials were performed. The optimized pH and temperature for free lipase were 8.0 and 40°C, respectively, while the best pH and temperature for polyvinyl alcohol/AlgNa immobilized lipase were 8.0 and 50°C. 73.12% of the initial activity was retained for the immobilized biosupport catalyst in 6 cycles. The biosupport catalyst beads showed a fascinating degree of immobilized lipase activity along with high immobilization yield. The highest immobilized lipase activity and loading efficiency found to be 87.28 (U/g) and 55.2%, respectively. SEM analysis confirms the development of macro-porous structure from the combination of alginate. No sharp chemical interaction was observed in the behaviour of the functional groups of polyvinyl alcohol and AlgNa in the polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate blends, which were confirmed from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. The immobilized biosupport catalysts are easily separable, recyclable and could be frequently used for transesterification.


Ethyl-hexyl substituted polyfluorene (PF) with its high level of molecular disorder can be described very well by one-carrier space-charge-limited conduction for a discrete set of trap levels with energy � 0.5 eV above the valence band edge. Sweeping the bias above the trap-filling limit in the as-is polymer generates a new set of exponential traps, which is clearly seen in the density of states calculations. The trapped charges in the new set of traps have very long lifetimes and can be detrapped by photoexcitation. Thermal cycling the PF film to a crystalline phase prevents creation of additional traps at higher voltages.


Stratification of moose survey areas is a key step to reduce population estimation variance. In the Yukon and Alaska, use of fixed-area grids for early winter moose counts combined with the increasing availability of GIS and remotely sensed data provide the opportunity to develop standardized and repeatable habitat-based stratifications. I used univariate comparisons, stepwise regression and AIC modelling to describe moose distribution as a function of landscape level variables for an area in west central Yukon during 1998 and 1999. Results quantified early winter habitat use of upland shrub habitats and support previous observations for early winter moose habitat use in Alaska, Minnesota and Montana. Number of patches, in association with areas of alpine and shrubs, were found to be highly influential for survey blocks where moose are expected to be present and in high numbers. Overall, model performance based on relative abundance of moose was less predictive than for blocks where moose were present or absent. Spatial resolution of GIS and remotely sensed data used in this study (25 m grid cells) provided sufficient spatial detail to generate correlations between moose presence and habitat for a first level stratification.


ABSTRACT Five commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the measurement of anti-tetanus toxoid immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were evaluated for performance. The data suggest that there are manufacturer-dependent differences in sensitivity and accuracy for the determination of tetanus toxoid IgG antibodies that could result in different diagnostic interpretations.


Images recorded at low-light levels inherently suffer from Poisson noise. A filter based on the maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) criterion is developed to remove this noise. The filter is adaptive; it responds to local changes in image statistics and, thus, removes the noise along the edges without significantly affecting the edge sharpness. It does not require any a priori information about the original image because all the parameters needed for the filter are adaptively estimated from the noisy image by assuming local stationarity. Additionally, the simple structure of the filter can be easily implemented in hardware.


Abstract This article presents the results of a randomized trial to test a psychoeducation intervention's ability to relieve or forestall dementia caregiver distress over a one-year period. We also introduce a global measure of caregiver distress developed during the trial. Based in a stress mediation framework, the intervention aimed to increase care-giver knowledge and skills and develop a more clinical perspective on caregiving through a six-week (2-hour per week) program. A total of 215 dyads (caregivers and care receivers) were randomized into two experimental groups and a wait-list control group. Results confirm the assertion that strengthening caregivers' ability to better understand and undertake their caregiving role staves off increasing distress (p = .035) and improves caregiving attitude (p = .016) at 6 months. However, at one-year, between-group effects deteriorated on key measures, pointing out an inherent weakness of offering a stand-alone program. The Distress measure demonstrated stability at six months (coefficient = .75) and twelve months (coefficient = .72).


Diastolic dysfunction is associated with major adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery. We hypothesized that multisystem endpoints of morbidity would be higher in patients with diastolic dysfunction. A total of 142 patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass were included in the study. Intraoperative assessments of diastolic function according to the 2016 American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines using transesophageal echocardiography were performed. Cardiac Postoperative Morbidity Score (CPOMS) on days 3, 5, 8, and 15; length of stay in ICU and hospital; duration of intubation; incidence of new atrial fibrillation; 30-day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were recorded. Diastolic function was determinable in 96.7% of the dataset pre and poststernotomy assessment (n = 240). Diastolic dysfunction was present in 70.9% (n = 88) of measurements before sternotomy and 75% (n = 93) after sternal closure. Diastolic dysfunction at either stage was associated with greater CPOMS on D5 (p = 0.009) and D8 (p = 0.009), with CPOMS scores 1.24 (p = 0.01) higher than in patients with normal function. Diastolic dysfunction was also associated with longer durations of intubation (p = 0.001), ICU length of stay (p = 0.019), and new postoperative atrial fibrillation (p = 0.016, OR (95% CI) = 4.50 (1.22–25.17)). We were able to apply the updated ASE/EACVI guidelines and grade diastolic dysfunction in the majority of patients. Any grade of diastolic dysfunction was associated with greater all-cause morbidity, compared with patients with normal diastolic function.


Methylglyoxal is an endogenous cytotoxic compound formed as a byproduct of glycolysis. We systematically analyzed the metabolic fate of methylglyoxal in various microorganisms and found that glyoxalase I is a ubiquitous and critical enzyme for its detoxification. We found that glyoxalase I consists of five segments (regions I-V) which are conserved among the glyoxalase Is of various species. We hypothesize that yeast glyoxalase I evolved by gene duplication and here show supporting evidence. We also found that expression of the structural gene for the glyoxalase I of S. cerevisiae is induced by osmotic stress through the HOG-MAG kinase signaling pathway. We identified the physiological significance of this glycolytic-methylglyoxal pathway in S. cerevisiae.


Traditional Earth-observing satellite constellations must preselect orbits to match established mission objectives, inherently limiting the capability of the system to respond to dynamic events. A more flexible approach to constellation design which maneuvers satellites to new orbits throughout the mission lifetime can enable the tracking of mobile targets; such a concept will be explored and evaluated in the following paper. Currently, an existing approach for creating a reconfigurable constellation of satellites (ReCon) demonstrates some increased functionality. However, the repeating ground track (RGT) orbits used are only well-suited for static ground targets (i.e. particular latitude and longitude points) as they are defined by their repetitious passes over the particular points on the globe; inherently these orbits are not ideal for tracking mobile targets such as ships, oil spills, hurricanes, and other weather events. By addressing this gap and designing the constellation to follow these mobile targets, data return can be of higher quality and quantity leading toward improved predictions of future movements. Traditional non-maneuverable satellites may of course capture mobile feature data; however, the quality and quantity of data returned is driven by the satellites' orbits which were not designed for the particular mobile target. A proposed concept of operations that models possible sequential satellite maneuvers as a graph has shown promise for tracking mobile targets in the case of a single satellite. In the following paper, this concept is further explored by the addition of an optimizer to this method, applied to both a single satellite and a constellation of maneuverable satellites, like ReCon. Results for a tropical storm case study indicate that with relatively low amounts of delta-V per satellite, many possible maneuver combinations are found which result in improved accesses with greater total access time and closer passes. Trade-offs are shown between total target access time, mean distance to targets upon access, and total delta-V used. The performance of increased constellation size is also explored. By having satellites dynamically respond to mobile targets such as hurricanes, satellite imagery and remote sensing can be of better quality and even contribute to better predictions for developing storms.


Based on information about the major microbial composition of kimchi and its relation to the taste, Leuconostoc mesenteroides K2M5 and Lactobacillus sakei K5M3 were selected as kimchi starter candidates. These two strains were found to be safe for industrial use because they showed neither harmful characteristics like β-hemolysis, ammonia and indole formation, and gelatin liquefaction, nor enzymatic activities like phenylalanine deaminase, β-glucuronidase, β-glucosidase, 7α-dehydroxylase and nitroreductase. Starter kimchi made with these strains were better in taste than the conventional kimchi when they are evaluated both by laboratory personnel and the public. Also microbial analysis of starter kimchi showed only starter bacteria after they were fermented to have the optimum acidity. Starter kimchi prepared with these two strains were not much different in physicochemical properties to the conventional kimchi except in that the starter kimchi were much higher in volatile organic acid content such as lactic acid. These results suggest that kimchi quality can be controlled to have consistent properties, both in taste and microbial composition, by using bacterial starters.


Abstract We analyze resources and models for Arabic community Question Answering (cQA). In particular, we focus on CQA-MD, our cQA corpus for Arabic in the domain of medical forums. We describe the corpus and the main challenges it poses due to its mix of informal and formal language, and of different Arabic dialects, as well as due to its medical nature. We further present a shared task on cQA at SemEval, the International Workshop on Semantic Evaluation, based on this corpus. We discuss the features and the machine learning approaches used by the teams who participated in the task, with focus on the models that exploit syntactic information using convolutional tree kernels and neural word embeddings. We further analyze and extend the outcome of the SemEval challenge by training a meta-classifier combining the output of several systems. This allows us to compare different features and different learning algorithms in an indirect way. Finally, we analyze the most frequent errors common to all approaches, categorizing them into prototypical cases, and zooming into the way syntactic information in tree kernel approaches can help solve some of the most difficult cases. We believe that our analysis and the lessons learned from the process of corpus creation as well as from the shared task analysis will be helpful for future research on Arabic cQA.


The relationship between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and educational level was examined in 2182 white females and 2368 white males ages 20-59 years in nine North American populations surveyed by the Lipid Research Clinics Program. Mean HDL cholesterol values were positively associated with reported educational achievement. Among females of all ages and males ages 20-39 years, a gradient of HDL cholesterol levels from lowest to highest educational stratum was found. A similar trend of lower magnitude was noted among older males. The positive association between educational and HDL cholesterol levels was statistically significant in both sexes (p < 0.0002) and was consistent for each of the study populations. Differences in mean HDL cholesterol between educational strata were in part explained statistically by education-related differences in body mass, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, age and, in women, gonadal hormone use. These findings indicate that socioeconomic status and lifestyle, as measured by level of educational achievement, are associated with HDL cholesterol concentrations in adult populations.


A new method that automatically determines the modality of an observed particle size distribution (PSD) and the representation of each mode as a gamma function was used to characterize data obtained during the High Altitude Ice Crystals and High Ice Water Content (HAIC-HIWC) project based out of Cayenne, French Guiana in 2015. PSDs measured by a 2-D stereo probe and a precipitation imaging probe for particles with maximum dimension (Dmax) > 55 μm were used to show how the gamma parameters varied with environmental conditions, including temperature (T) and convective properties such as cloud type, mesoscale convective system (MCS) age, distance away from the nearest convective peak, and underlying surface characteristics. Four kinds of modality PSDs were observed, unimodal PSDs and three types of multimodal PSDs (Bimodal1 with breakpoints 100 ± 20 μm between modes, Bimodal2 with breakpoints 1000 ± 300 μm and Trimodal PSDs with two breakpoints). The T and Ice Water Content (IWC) are the most important factors influencing the modality of PSDs, with the frequency of multimodal PSDs increasing with increasing T and IWC. An ellipsoid of equally plausible solutions in (No-λ-μ) phase space is defined for each mode of the observed PSDs for different environmental conditions. The percentage overlap between ellipsoids was used to quantify the differences between overlapping ellipsoids for varying conditions. The volumes of the ellipsoid decrease with increasing IWC for most cases, and (No-λ-μ) vary with environmental conditions related to distribution of IWC. HIWC regions are dominated by small irregular ice crystals and columns. The parameters (No-λ-μ) in each mode exhibit mutual dependence.


Effective communication between nurses and patients is an important factor to quality nursing care but ineffective nonverbal communication could take a toll on health care. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence nonverbal communication between nurses and hospitalized older adults could help solve communication problems, thus improve nursing care. A sample of 13 nurses and 4 student nurses from two hospitals in Cameroon participated in the study. Data were collected using participant observations and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using open coding and constant comparative analysis. Three categories were identified as influencing factors: nurse views of hospitalized older adults, hospitalized older adult-related factors, and nurse intrinsic factors. Effective nurses' nonverbal communication with hospitalized older adults relies mostly on nurses' intrinsic factors. Identification and nurturing of the positive nurse intrinsic factors are important to develop effective nonverbal communication skills among nurses.


Multi-object relationship information can help eliminate some incorrect combinations or locations of objects. Moreover, it is favorable to extract scene information for object recognition. In this paper, we introduce a new way to generate image representation and propose a deep learning framework to fuse the contextual dependencies among objects and scene information in an image. It adopts a bidirectional long short-term memory recurrent neural network (BLSTM-RNN) to deal with the problem of variable-length sequence produced by local detectors in different images. Then it is applied to the existing tree context model for further recognition. Experimental results on SUN09 dataset show that our model outperforms the state-of the-art object localization methods.


Abstract Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, is one of the most epidemiologically important vector-borne zoonoses in Mexico. Among the 32 reported triatomine species from Mexico, Meccus mazzottii (Usinger) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is one of the most important vectors of T. cruzi in the southern part of the country. Variability among populations of triatomines has been recorded for several species ( Meccus longipennis (Usinger) and Meccus pallidipennis (Stal)) that are closely related to M. mazzottii , showing an apparent influence of local environmental conditions on the biology of each population, which could modify the impact of vector control measurements. Therefore, this study sought to compare the biological features of populations of M. mazzottii from two geographically far apart areas that have similar environmental characteristics and to compare populations from close geographical areas that have different environmental characteristics. The mean longevity, percentages of mortality of nymphs, the total mean number of bloodmeals to molt (considered instar by instar), the mean number of eggs laid by females, and the percentage of hatched eggs were similar between the two localities that are geographically far apart but have similar environmental characteristics. On the other hand, important differences were noticed when a comparison was carried out on the two localities with similar environmental conditions with respect to that locality with different conditions, independent of geographic distance. Most of the studied parameters led us to conclude that the three studied populations are very highly influenced by local environmental conditions. The results of this study indicate the importance of studying the biological characteristics of local populations of triatomines to carry out specific control measurements, instead of using standard ones that could fail if they are not adapted to the target population.


The study evaluated the level of compliance with Construction Design Management (CDM) regulation by Nigerian clients based on the main duties of the client as stipulated in CDM regulation specification. To achieve this goal, sixty (60) questionnaires were distributed among construction firms and clients involved in the execution of projects in Lagos State in Nigeria. The survey showed that the client`s level of compliance based on the CDM regulation on client duty's requirement has not been encouraging. The regulation requires that enough information should be given by the client; the study found that clients did not give enough information especially on building and number of the floor to be constructed also on the units of accommodation, land survey and report on soil investigation. Most of the respondents believed that the problem associated with the level of client compliance to CDM, includes poor level of communication and inadequate time allowed by the client at every stage in the construction process. In addition, some of the amenities that exist on the construction site are toilets and changing rooms while the sickbay which is important is the least to be found in the construction sites. Also the necessary amenities and are not place in the construction sites. The level of awareness of CDM regulation among the construction workers is low but client is meant to make the information available adequately as contained in the CDM regulation. It should be noted that however, that the problems on the health and safety might have effect on performance of the construction industry in terms of cost, time and quality of the construction. It is therefore concluded that Construction Design Management (CDM) regulation is not fully known among the construction industry's client, contractors and site workers. The study recommended that for improved services, efforts should be made by project managers to create the awareness 42 Covenant Journal of Research in the Built Environment (CJRBE) Vol. 1, No. 1 (Maiden Edition), June, 2014. while clients attend short course and seminars on CDM regulation.The consulting firms of the project manager are enjoyed to improve on the necessary amenities available on the construction site and at the same time, the construction design management regulation should be conspicuously placed so that construction workers can have access to and be fully aware of the regulations. Finally, the client should appoint a CDM co -coordinator for each project site and that there should be agencies to monitor the implementation of the CDM regulation.


Slow-darkening (SD) pinto beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) possess a desirable new trait, conditioned by the recessive sd gene, that slows seed coat darkening under delayed harvest and under storage. The effect sd may have on performance needs investigation. We examined agronomic performance and cooking quality of SD pinto beans. There were 30 (15 SD and 15 regular darkening [RD]) recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from each of two biparental inbred populations. The 60 RILs were tested across three locations in North Dakota and Washington. In addition, advanced SD and RD pinto breeding lines were tested in trials from 2010 to 2012 and in 2018. Across 2010–2012 trials, the "early generation bred" SD pintos, as a group, had significantly lower emergence, increased lodging, less seed yield, and smaller seed size than the RD group. Conversely, in the 2018 trial, "recently bred" SD pinto breeding lines had competitive agronomic performance to RD lines for seed yield, reduced lodging, and increased emergence. Further research on cooking time is warranted given that SD RILs cooked 20% faster than the RD RILs in one population. Overall, SD pintos exhibited slightly better canning quality than RD pintos. Whether raw or cooked, SD pintos were much lighter in color than RD pintos, emphasizing the need to keep them separated as distinct market classes. Breeders should continue to focus on improving agronomic performance for emergence, lodging, seed yield, seed size, and canning quality of SD pinto beans.


Localization of nitrogenase, glutamine synthetase (GS), phycoerythrin (PE) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) was studied with immunocytochemical techniques in the cyanobiont and the free-living cultured isolate Nostoc 7801 of Anthoceros punctatus. In both cases nitrogenase was located in heterocysts only and was uniformly distributed within the cell. GS was located both in heterocysts and vegetative cells, with a uniform cellular distribution in each cell type. Whereas heterocysts of Nostoc 7801 had about twofold higher label than vegetative cells, labelling in heterocysts and vegetative cells of the cyanobiont was similar. While the GS content of the vegetative cells of the cyanobiont and Nostoc 7801 was comparable, the apparent GS content of the cyanobiont heterocysts was 60% less than that in Nostoc 7801 heterocysts. PE and RuBisCO were located in vegetative cells only. PE was located on thylakoid membranes and RuBisCO in the cytoplasm and carboxysomes. In each case the pattern of labelling in the cyanobiont and Nostoc 7801 was similar.


Employers' past solutions to rising health benefit costs--adopting managed care strategies, cost shifting to employees and reducing benefits-are no longer effectively controlling costs and are depressing the value of health benefits for employee recruitment and retention. An alternative strategy is to implement health management approaches that improve the health status of employees. These programs reduce medical costs and have a documented positive impact on workers' compensation, disability costs, absenteeism and productivity. Further, this approach is complementary to health care consumerism as a strategy for health improvement and benefit cost reduction and results in improved employee health, outlook and satisfaction.


IoT networks are increasingly becoming target of sophisticated new cyber-attacks. Anomaly-based detection methods are promising in finding new attacks, but there are certain practical challenges like false-positive alarms, hard to explain, and difficult to scale cost-effectively. The IETF recent standard called Manufacturer Usage Description (MUD) seems promising to limit the attack surface on IoT devices by formally specifying their intended network behavior. In this paper, we use SDN to enforce and monitor the expected behaviors of each IoT device, and train one-class classifier models to detect volumetric attacks. Our specific contributions are fourfold. (1) We develop a multi-level inferencing model to dynamically detect anomalous patterns in network activity of MUD-compliant traffic flows via SDN telemetry, followed by packet inspection of anomalous flows. This provides enhanced fine-grained visibility into distributed and direct attacks, allowing us to precisely isolate volumetric attacks with microflow (5-tuple) resolution. (2) We collect traffic traces (benign and a variety of volumetric attacks) from network behavior of IoT devices in our lab, generate labeled datasets, and make them available to the public. (3) We prototype a full working system (modules are released as open-source), demonstrates its efficacy in detecting volumetric attacks on several consumer IoT devices with high accuracy while maintaining low false positives, and provides insights into cost and performance of our system. (4) We demonstrate how our models scale in environments with a large number of connected IoTs (with datasets collected from a network of IP cameras in our university campus) by considering various training strategies (per device unit versus per device type), and balancing the accuracy of prediction against the cost of models in terms of size and training time.


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. inducer, disease resistance, allelopathy, climate change, soil quality SUMMARY. Over the last century, climate change, adoption of new regulations, and changes in cropping systems have signifi cantly impacted weed and pest management in horticultural crops. The objective of this workshop was to provide a critical review of major changes and discuss current and future trends for weed and pest management. Speakers touched on a broad range of topics including climate change and disease dynamics, the use of disease resistance inducers, soil management for pest management, and the role of allelopathy in weed management. Major recommendations included 1) increased grower education related to the impact of climate change on plant diseases; 2) more research directed towards a better understanding of the interaction of plant-pathogen-inducer; 3) use of organic soil amendments, cover crops, crop rotations, and resistant culti- vars to enhance the weed and disease suppressive effect of soils; and 4) enhancement of allelochemical produc- tion and subsequent weed suppression through conventional breeding and molecular techniques.


Though master's programmes are rapidly gaining attention from students, evidence concerning the labor market returns to master's degree remains scarce. There is a widespread opinion that Russian employers can barely distinguish between graduates with bachelor's and master's degree making it unreasonable to pursue a graduate degree. This paper contradicts this opinion. Based on a unique administrative dataset about employment of Russian HEI graduates in 2020, this study reveals a significantly positive association between master's degree acquisition and labour market outcomes one year after graduation. Master's degree increases probability of employment by 3—8% in male sample and by 10—16% in female sample, respectively. Moreover, graduate degree is associated with a wage premium of 5—21% for females and 2—11% for males. Despite a short period of time passed after the Bologna reform, Russian labour market encourages having a graduate degree, though the size of the premium varies drastically between fields of study and types of university.


The polarizable embedding (PE) approach, which combines quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics (MM), is applied to predict solvatochromic effects on excitation energies of several representative molecules in aqueous, methanol, acetonitrile, and carbon tetrachloride solutions. Good agreement with experimental results for excitation energies and for solvatochromic shifts is demonstrated on the basis of either density functional theory or coupled cluster methods. Solvent-dependent trends are fully reproduced in this diverse set of solvents. Furthermore, it is shown that the inclusion of higher order multipole moments and anisotropic polarizabilities in the electrostatic embedding potentials leads to a faster convergence with respect to a full QM treatment (within about 0.1 eV of estimated full QM treatments). It is thereby illustrated that the use of advanced solvent potentials can provide higher accuracy compared to various simpler approaches for the prediction of solvent shifts and do so in a computationally competitive manner.