Cuenca, Ecuador. 3 National Aviary. Pi�sburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. A������� . The páramo ecosystem harbors a high concentration of restricted range and threatened bird species. However, human modifications to the high Andean landscape have generated habitat loss and fragmentation throughout this ecosystem. Therefore, protected areas in this region are a priority for biodiversity conservation. Buffer zones around protected areas aim to reduce perturbation within them. However, these areas are still not exempt from sources of stress. We used abundance and diversity of birds, recorded by walking transects, in order to compare the community composition occurring in protected areas and adjacent buffer zones in a hotspot of diversity and endemism: the Macizo del Cajas Biosphere Reserve, in the southern high-Andes of Ecuador. The bird community did not vary in its composition between protected areas and buffer zones. However, the habitat characteristics explained differences in the presence and abundance of trophic guilds. Particularly, increasingly heterogeneous páramo grassland with greater woody plant cover and less intervention explained a greater presence and abundance of more specialized trophic guilds such as nectarivores in shrubs and aerial insectivores in trees and shrubs. We conclude that there are heterogeneous páramo habitats in buffer zones that should be considered in more formal conservation planning to maintain the diversity of specialized birds


In this paper, two heuristic resource allocation algorithms are proposed for downlink of multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) distributed antenna system (DAS). The objectives are to maximize total system rate under fairness among users constraint. Unlike the existing algorithms that allocate each subcarrier to only one user within the system, the proposed algorithms are based on shared criterion that allow each subcarrier to be allocated to multiple users through different antennas. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms can provide much higher spectral efficiency than the previous algorithm at the expense of the fairness. The improved algorithm can obtain a tradeoff between spectral efficiency and the fairness.


In the face of intractable societal grand challenges, organizations increasingly resort to responsible innovation—that is, they pledge to create value for multiple stakeholders through developing new products or services that avoid doing harm and improve conditions for people and the planet. While the link between responsible innovation and societal improvements has been established, organizations pursuing responsible innovation lack governance mechanisms to guide the allocation of the value created—both economic and social—among heterogeneous stakeholders, in line with their responsible intent. We combine the value-based strategy and stakeholder perspectives and infuse a deliberative process to design a three-stage model of value allocation that rests on three key organizational decisions: i) what value to create and for whom, ii) how to appropriate the value created vis-a-vis unintended value appropriators, and iii) how to distribute the value appropriated among intended stakeholders. We propose a framework of stakeholder governance comprised of four novel mechanisms by which organizations can allocate value among their multiple principal stakeholders as part of participative processes. Our study contributes to responsible innovation and corporate governance research by unpacking how new value is managed to solve societal grand challenges.


This paper presents a novel Kalman-filter-based approach for approximately enforcing a linear constraint in adaptive control. One application is that this leads to alternative forms for well-known modification terms such as e modification. It is shown that employing this approach does not increase the theoretical guaranteed ultimate bounds for the closed-loop error signals of an existing adaptive design. In addition, it leads to smaller tracking errors without incurring significant oscillations in the system response and without requiring high modification gain. Three novel modifications to classical adaptive laws are illustrated and tested on a model of wing rock dynamics.


focusing on fog detection and correction of satellite remote sensing image, a defogging algorithm dcm-htm for R Emote sensing image is proposed by the combination of Dark channel map (DCM) and haze thickness map (HTM). Based on the principle of dark channel mean-shift filter and automatic histogram threshold are to used detect area t the same time, the HTM is obtained by nonoverlapping window. At last, the correction of fog is produced in the fog area. The results show that the algorithm can accurately detect the fog area, and the areas affected by the haze can be effecti Vely corrected in the premise of image normal areas not affected. The results are improved greatly compared with the fog correction of the whole image.


Summary

This study examined the effect of lemon juice on sensory, biochemical and microbiological quality of sous vide (SV)-packaged bonito. Bonitos were salted (0.2%) and divided into two groups. The first group (SV) was vacuum-packaged in a gas barrier plastic pouch, pasteurised (70 °C, 10 min) and stored at 4 ± 1 °C. The second group [(lemon juice-treated sous vide (LSV)] was treated with lemon juice, vacuum-packaged, pasteurised and stored similarly. LSV samples had lower pH, mesophilic and psychrophilic aerobic counts than SV samples (P < 0.05), and they had better sensory quality. SV samples spoiled on the 35th day, while the LSV samples were acceptable until 49th day of storage. This result shows that treatment with lemon juice increased the acceptability and shelf life of SV packaged bonito for 2 weeks (40%). When compared to several other mild preservation procedures, addition of lemon juice to SV fish is inexpensive and uncomplicated method.


A research on the drying characteristics of aerial yam using convectional hot air was done. The raw unblanched and blanched samples were dried using convectional hot air. Fan speed, temperature and slice thickness were varied to determine the change in moisture content. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were done to determine the functional groups and surface morphology respectively for each sample. FTIR results revealed the presence of some important functional groups such as esters, ethers and nitro-compounds, and shows that drying at this temperature (40-70oC) does not alter the nutrient components of this variety of yam. The SEM results showed that important cells were not destroyed at the drying temperature. Batch studies on the drying process also showed that increase in temperature and air speed increased the drying process, but decreases with increase in slice thickness. Effect of drying rate on the sample showed that drying rate increase with increase in temperature and air speed but decrease with increase in slice thickness. After 90 minutes of drying, the drying rate of the 2 mm slice thickness was 0.353 g/g.min for drying of aerial yam while for 4 mm and 6 mm slice thickness, the drying rate were 0.261 and 0.169 g/g.min respectively, for effect of drying rate on sample thickness. It showed also that blanched aerial yam samples had a higher drying rate than the unblanched aerial yam sample at the same conditions. Therefore, the economic advantages of this yam species can be optimized by blanching.


The effects of different kinds of biotic and abiotic stress on crops can be lessened through exogenous application of different biostimulant products. Although some of these products come from enzymatic hydrolysates derived from animal remains, the literature does not contain references to the use of enzymatic hydrolysates obtained from animal hemoglobin, specifi cally porcine blood. With the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of a product obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysis of porcine hemoglobin (PHH) as a biostimulant that lessens the effects of thermal stress, two experiments were carried out in which lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa) were subjected to short-term episodes of intense cold and heat. After these episodes, different doses of the PHH product were administered into the growing medium. Moreover, in the heat episode experiment, one group of plants was fi rst subjected to a heat episode and then administered a commercial biostimulant with the aim of comparing its effi cacy with the PHH product. The biometric measurements carried out on the lettuce plants several days after being subjected to the episodes of cold and heat and then either administered or not administered the indicated treatments show that at the highest tested dose, the PHH product promoted a reaction that lessened the harmful effects caused by the intense cold and heat treatments.


The use of 3D-printing for designing a simple wavelength tunable device based on fiber Bragg gratings is demonstrated. Using fused deposition modeling (FDM), the fiber Bragg grating is embedded into a beam of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Through bending, resulting in compression or tension of the optical fiber, the Bragg wavelength could be continuously tuned over a range of 60 nm, with maintained reflectivity and 3-dB linewidth.


Summary.

The main part of the paper is devoted to a description of differences in the microscopic appearance and structure of the crown-feathers of the Marsh-Tit (Parus palustris) and the Willow-Tit (Parus atricapillus), amending and amplifying an earlier description by Dr. P. R. Lowe (1932), which appeared to indicate a remarkable degree of difference in the minute structure of the feathers of these otherwise remarkably similar species. It is shown:

1
That although anterior crown-feathers of adult birds can usually be separated under the microscope without difficulty, the differences are much less than the earlier account suggested.

2
That the apparent greater breadth of the Marsh-Tit barbule, which is one of the main features enabling the feathers to be distinguished from those of the Willow-Tit, is not due to any marked difference in the real width of the barbules, but to those of the former species being more strongly twisted at their bases, so that their broad faces are more nearly in the plane of the surface of the feather. This, in conjunction with a slightly closer placing of the barbulea on the barb, no doubt helps to increase the amount of light reflected from the surface of the feather, but the most important factor in this connection is the amount of pigment present.

3
The segmented or nodal structure of the barbules is quite well developed in the Willow-Tit as well as in the Marsh-Tit, though obscured in an undisturbed feather by reason of the fact that the barbules in the former species are viewed edge-on.

4
The characteristic specializations of the Marsh-Tit feather decrease from front to back of the black cap, the hinder feathers closely resembling those of the Willow-Tit. This difference between anterior and posterior crown-feathers is less marked in forms with maximum gloss, like Parus major.

5
The juveniles of the glossy-crowned forms have crown-feathers resembling those of the non-glossy forms in microscopic appearance.

The demonstration that there is no real structural or other important difference between the feathers of P. atricapillus and P. palustris removes any support (which the previous description might seem to have afforded) for the view that they represent two distinct stocks which are converging rather than forms diverging from a relatively recent common ancestor.

The second section is devoted to an account of the microscopic characters of the crown-feathers of other black-capped Tits, with reference to various species presenting miscellaneous points of interest. In general it appears that the Marsh-and Willow-Tits may be regarded as representing two stages in the evolution of a strongly glossy blue-black cap from an undifferentiated brown one, the later phases entailing an accentuation of the characters which distinguish the Marsh-Tit feather from the Willow-Tit. The view that the Willow-Tit is a more primitive form than the Marsh-Tit is consistent with its geographical distribution.


ABSTRACT Complicated structures in Recent beach sands were seen to be related to circular depressions of the beach surface at about the upper limit of swash. The structures were interpreted to be either products of `air-heave', or consequent upon deformation of normal beach stratification by horse-hooves. Trials showed that the structures are matched by horse-hoof prints partly modified and infilled by swash.


Indonesia positioned copyright art and culture based on its strength as a nation or community rights over an Alliance grouping of the society which can give the effect of distortions in its protection. Which institution can be megurus and oversee the interests between countriesCultivate ideas/ideas in the fields of art, literature and science in the context of intellectual property rights (HKI) categorized into areas of HKI named Copyright (Copyright). The scope of the rights provided for the protection of copyright in the context of this very broad following elements known in several countries. There is a different understanding about the copyright status of culture from both the substance of the right nor of the appreciation of the case which threatens foreign claims copyright over the culture of Indonesia


There is an increasing body of evidence showing the impact of air pollutants on human health such as on the respiratory, and cardio- and cerebrovascular systems. In China, as people begin to pay more attention to air quality, recent research focused on the quantitative assessment of the effects of air pollutants on human health. To assess the health effects of air pollutants and to construct an indicator placing emphasis on health impact, a generalized additive model was selected to assess the health burden caused by air pollution. We obtained Baidu indices (an evaluation indicator launched by Baidu Corporation to reflect the search popularity of keywords from its search engine) to assess daily query frequencies of 25 keywords considered associated with air pollution-related diseases. Moreover, we also calculated the daily concentrations of major air pollutants (including PM10, PM2.5, SO2, O3, NO2, and CO) and the daily air quality index (AQI) values, and three meteorological factors: daily mean wind level, daily mean air temperature, and daily mean relative humidity. These data cover the area of Beijing from 1 March 2015 to 30 April 2017. Through the analysis, we produced the relative risks (RRs) of the six main air pollutants for respiratory, and cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. The results showed that O3 and NO2 have the highest health impact, followed by PM10 and PM2.5. The effects of any pollutant on cardiovascular diseases was consistently higher than on respiratory diseases. Furthermore, we evaluated the currently used AQI in China and proposed an RR-based index (health AQI, HAQI) that is intended for better indicating the effects of air pollutants on respiratory, and cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases than AQI. A higher Pearson correlation coefficient between HAQI and RRTotal than that between AQI and RRTotal endorsed our efforts.


Long-distance quantum communication with high fidelity is the main obstacle to creating a quantum network. A scheme to recover the loss of one photon with a three-to-eight qubit encoding is presented. The qubit loss is first detected using a quantum nondemolition measurement and is then transformed into a standard qubit error by inserting a new photon. The state of qubits is reconstructed via a sequence of one projective measurement, two single-qubit gates, and seven controlled-NOT operations. No ancillary qubits are required. Finally, the cost of resources is analyzed.


Abstract Aim To assess the role of ascites calprotectin in early detection of SBP in patients with cirrhosis and to investigate its prognostic value in determination of the 6-month outcome. Methods and material: In this cross-sectional study, patients with liver cirrhosis who were consecutively referred to Imam Reza hospital, tertiary referral center in the northwest of Iran, underwent abdominal paracentesis. The samples were collected for measurement of calprotectin, albumin, total protein, WBCs, and PMNs. Results The mean age of a total of 87 included patients was 56.86 (SD 16.05) years old with over half of the subjects (55.2%) being female. About 28.7% of performed paracenteses tested positive for SBP. Ascitic calprotectin was positively correlated to the PMN counts. Patients with SBP were found to have higher levels of ascites albumin, total protein, and calprotectin. Only 51 individuals survived the 6-month follow-up period and mortality outcomes were significantly related to the levels of aforementioned biochemical markers (p-value <.05). Conclusion Alongside with standard PMN counts, calprotectin measurement in the ascitic fluid could be used as an available test for early diagnosis of SBP. Calprotectin can also serve as a valuable prognostic marker in the evaluation of cirrhotic patients.


Abstract Although the red striped mullet is one of the main target fish of the Hellenic demersal fisheries, information about its biology is limited. The aim of this study was to describe the reproductive biology and growth of the species in the south Aegean Sea based on 1032 individuals sampled under the Data Collection Framework Program in 2016. According to the monthly variation of the maturity stages and the gonadosomatic index, spawning activity took place from March to July, although it appeared to occur throughout the year. Length at 50% maturity (L50) was 153.3 and 139.2 mm in females and males, respectively. Individual ages were determined by counting the annuli of otoliths macroscopically. Marginal increment analysis (MIA) combined with complementary information derived from otolith edge analysis, the assessment of the reproductive period and the length–frequency distribution modes of the population showed that annulus formation occurs between February and April. The length–weight relationship revealed a significant sex effect and was described by the parameters α = 0.0155 and b = 2.915 in females, and α = 0.0032 and b = 2.976 in males. The von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) parameters for sexes combined were Linf = 346.1 mm, k = 0.299 year−1 and t0 = −0.984 years. Longevity (tmax) was estimated at 11.75 years. This study provides valuable data for the stock assessment of M. surmuletus in one of the major Hellenic fishing grounds located in the south Aegean Sea.


The future perspective of fluorescence imaging for real in vivo application are based on novel efficient nanoparticles which is able to emit in the second biological window (1000-1400 nm). In this work, the potential application of Nd(3+) -doped LaF(3) (Nd(3+) :LaF(3) ) nanoparticles is reported for fluorescence bioimaging in both the first and second biological windows based on their three main emission channels of Nd(3+) ions: (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(9/2) , (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(11/2) and (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(13/2) that lead to emissions at around 910, 1050, and 1330 nm, respectively. By systematically comparing the relative emission intensities, penetration depths and subtissue optical dispersion of each transition we propose that optimum subtissue images based on Nd(3+) :LaF(3) nanoparticles are obtained by using the (4) F3/2 →(4) I11/2 (1050 nm) emission band (lying in the second biological window) instead of the traditionally used (4) F(3/2) →(4) I(9/2) (910 nm, in the first biological window). After determining the optimum emission channel, it is used to obtain both in vitro and in vivo images by the controlled incorporation of Nd(3+) :LaF(3) nanoparticles in cancer cells and mice. Nd(3+) :LaF(3)nanoparticles thus emerge as very promising fluorescent nanoprobes for bioimaging in the second biological window.


It is difficult at times to know if the welfare and well-being of an organization is being best served by the individuals who make decisions on its behalf. Sometimes decisions made are driven more by the needs of individual persons rather than by the needs of the organization. Company politics, conflicts, work relationships, territory and turf, individual status and power and personality issues all influence what happens and how decisions are made. Major decisions in areas such as downsizing, re-organization and corporate strategy are often made by individuals. Do these decisions best suit the agenda of the organization or reflect the agenda of the individual? Who looks after the organizational agenda? Noer's (1993) model is used to illustrate how what is best for the organization, and not just individuals within it, can be attained.


To the Editor. —Nelson has recently reviewed the dangers of intraspinal injection of methylprednisolone acetate,1and has concluded that methylprednisolone acetate is contraindicated for intrathecal or epidural injection. Nelson's conclusion is based on two premises: (1) both intrathecal and epidural injection are likely to produce neurotoxic effects, and (2) intrathecal and epidural steroid injections are ineffective in the treatment of sciatica. I agree with the premise that intrathecal injections of methylprednisolone acetate are potentially harmful. On the other hand, I am not convinced that epidural injection of long-acting corticosteroids are hazardous. We have performed approximately 4000 epidural steroid injections at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, mainly with triamcinolone diacetate (which contains the same concentration of polyethylene glycol as methylprednisolone acetate), over a 13-year period. There have been no serious reactions to the procedure during that time. Delaney et al2cite experience at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville


We calculate the frequency-dependent effective interaction between 3d electrons for Fe, Ni, and MnO (antiferromagnetic type II) in the random-phase approximation (RPA), where the contributions of 3d electrons to the dielectric function are projected out. It is concluded that the real part of the interaction for Fe and Ni shows only a weak frequency dependence.


In this paper, slurry fluid motion, abrasive particle motion, and roles of groove patterns on the pads are numerically investigated in the 2D and 3D geometries. The simulation results are analyzed in terms of experimental removal rate and WIWNU (Within Wafer Non-Uniformity) for ILD (Inter Level Dielectric) CMP process. Numerical investigations reveal that the grooves in the pad behave as uniform distributor of abrasive particles and enhance the removal rate by increasing shear stress. Higher removal rate and desirable uniformity are numerically and experimentally observed at the pad with grooves. Numerical analysis is very well matched with experimental results and helpful for understanding polishing mechanism and local physics.


Background Fingertip injuries are the most common type of traumatic injury treated at emergency departments and require prompt and adequate interventions for favorable wound survival outcomes. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy is well known for its many positive effects on wound healing. We hypothesized that treatment with HBO2 would improve the graft survival outcomes of amputated fingertip injuries treated with composite grafts. Methods This retrospective observational study included fingertip amputations that were treated between January 2013 and December 2017. A conventional group and an HBO2 therapy group were statistically compared to evaluate the effect of HBO2 treatment. Graft survival was categorized as either success or failure. Results Among 55 cases (digits), 34 digits were conventionally treated, while 21 digits were treated with HBO2. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups with regard to general characteristics. Among patients with guillotine-type injuries, the composite graft success rate was statistically significantly higher in the group that received HBO2 therapy than in the conventional group (P=0.0337). Overall, the HBO2 group also demonstrated a statistically significantly shorter healing time than the conventional group (P=0.0075). As such, HBO2 treatment facilitates composite graft survival in cases of fingertip injury. Conclusions HBO2 treatment was associated with an increased composite graft survival rate in guillotine-type fingertip injuries and reduced the time required for grafts to heal.


Recent meta-analysis data showed that alkylating agents had a detrimental effect on survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but that cisplatin-containing regimens afforded a modest but significant survival advantage. Regrettably, there is no standard therapy for the treatment of NSCLC. The development of new drugs is clearly an important avenue for improving the treatment of NSCLC. Several cytotoxic agents with promising single-agent activity, including vinorelbine, irinotecan, paclitaxel, docetaxel, and gemcitabine have recently been defined. The data on combination chemotherapy of new agents in the treatment of advanced NSCLC is then reviewed here.


The challenges posed by complex stochastic models used in computational ecology, biology and genetics have stimulated the development of approximate approaches to statistical inference. Here we focus on Synthetic Likelihood (SL), a procedure that reduces the observed and simulated data to a set of summary statistics, and quantifies the discrepancy between them through a synthetic likelihood function. SL requires little tuning, but it relies on the approximate normality of the summary statistics. We relax this assumption by proposing a novel, more flexible, density estimator: the Extended Empirical Saddlepoint approximation. In addition to proving the consistency of SL, under either the new or the Gaussian density estimator, we illustrate the method using two examples. One of these is a complex individual-based forest model for which SL offers one of the few practical possibilities for statistical inference. The examples show that the new density estimator is able to capture large departures from normality, while being scalable to high dimensions, and this in turn leads to more accurate parameter estimates, relative to the Gaussian alternative. The new density estimator is implemented by the esaddle R package, which can be found on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN).


The study aimed to assess how the Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management (BFARMC) in Tadlac, Los Banos, Laguna were empowered.  A total of thirty members of BFARMC in Tadlac were interviewed.  The Philippine governance of the fishery resources has undergone several paradigm shifts with several policies formulated to involve fisherfolk in resource management.  One of these policies is the institutionalization of the fisheries management known as the Fisheries Aquatic Resources Management Council.  The case of Tadlac BFARMC shows different issues in terms of motivation, attitudes, leadership, communication, coordination, members' participation, livelihood, and most of all, empowerment.  The lack of budgetary support for the activities of BFARMC is one of the major struggles of the leadership.  In addition, the lack of support from the present barangay administration added to the problems in communication, interaction, and coordination of the leaders to its members and within/among the members.  These problems had caused chaos in the BFAMRC. Most of the members know that the ultimate goals of the council will benefit them, but without the financial and technical support from the Local Government Unit, specifically the barangay and municipal level, members will not be empowered.  Recommendations were formulated to address the different issues in the Tadlac BFARMC. The most significant issue that needs immediate remedy is to guarantee that implementation and effectiveness of BFARMC's policies, laws, and programs will uplift the lives of the fisherfolk.


PURPOSE
Adolescent females with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are reported to have greater risk of early microvascular complications than males. We hypothesize sex differences in retinal vascular geometry (RVG) through puberty are associated with earlier-onset microvascular complications.

METHODS
Prepubertal patients (n = 64, 35 male) with T1D, complication-free at baseline, were followed through to sexual maturity with detailed Tanner-staging and repeated diabetes complications assessments. Retinal vascular geometry from digitized retinal photographs at each visit was assessed using a semiautomated computer program. Determinants of RVG measurements (pre-, during, and post puberty) were explored using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Factors associated with time to onset of retinopathy and albumin excretion rate (AER) were examined using multivariable Cox regression.

RESULTS
Median follow-up was 7.2 years. Retinopathy developed in 69% and elevated albumin excretion in 56%. In multivariable GEE, female sex was associated with wider venular caliber (prepuberty: lowest-quartile, odds ratio 0.40 [95% confidence interval: 0.17, 0.96]); P = 0.04) and lower arteriolar length-to-diameter-ratio (LDRa) (during puberty: lowest-quartile 2.87 [1.01, 8.13]; P = 0.047 and post puberty: 2.93 [0.96, 8.64]; P = 0.06). In Cox-regression, females developed retinopathy earlier than males (8.1 vs. 9.6 years; P = 0.002). Female sex (hazard ratio [HR] 3.8 [1.6-8.6]; P = 0.002) and growth velocity (1.3 [1.1-1.5]; P = 0.001) were associated with earlier retinopathy.

CONCLUSIONS
This is the first longitudinal study to repeatedly examine RVG through puberty in youth with T1D. Sex dimorphism was observed. Female sex was associated with lower LDRa, wider venules, and earlier onset of retinopathy. These RVG patterns have been associated with incident microvascular complications but did not reach statistical significance in this study. Larger studies are needed to investigate the RVG, microvascular complications, and sex associations early in the course of T1D.


One of the obstacles from SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) today is less of capital and banking access (bankable). This is become a challenge for banking institution to create some of credit products for SME institution. It's called KUR (Kredit Usaha Rakyat). The objective of this research is to observe what factors determine of people decisions to choose KUR which issued by Bank Nagari Sijunjung. The data was collected through questionnaires which consist of Likert scale answers at 1-5 scales. There were 80 questionnaires being distributed to the respondents while 100% of them were can be used to be analysed. Researchers found that there are some factors influence people to choose KUR in Bank Nagari Sijunjung. They are Introduce Of Needs As Capital Enterprises (F1), Looking For Information (F2), Alternative Evaluation (F3), Decision To Pay (Such As Interest Of Bank) (F4), Post Evaluation Payment (F5). From all of factors, F1 is the high significant for people (customers) to apply KUR in Bank Nagari Sijunjung


Quantitatively linking observations from independent non-invasive soil assessment methods enhances our ability to understand root zone processes. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) are two advanced non-invasive technologies routinely employed in soil science. ERT allows 4D process monitoring ( e.g., solute transport) and is sensitive to changes in moisture content (MC) and soil texture. X-ray CT is a higher resolution method used to appraise soil structure. We measured the variation of electrical resistivity and X-ray absorption with gravimetric moisture content (GMC) for two distinct soil types. Experimental results were compared with existing pedophysical relationships that express these dependencies. Based on the good fit between measurements and model predictions, we formulated a new pedophysical relationship that links directly the two soil properties. This will allow a direct translation between ERT and X-ray data for the study of root-zone parameters under well-defined experimental circumstances.


Hypertension becomes the main reason behind various deaths. About 20% of the American population is suffering from hypertension and 33% of these Americans are unaware that they are hypertensive. Consequently, hypertension is sometimes known as a silent killer as well. Hypertension is mostly without any symptoms till the destructive consequences of high blood pressure like myocardial infarction, stroke, renal disorders, and visual issues are detected. It's a major risk factor that describes heart attacks and coronary artery disease which sometimes needs coronary artery bypass surgery. High blood pressure is defined as constantly high blood pressure increasing from 140/90 mm HG or even more than this, nowadays it's a very common problem faced by almost everyone and almost billions of dollars are consumed every year to investigate cardiovascular ailments and may dollars are utilized for their medication as well Because high blood pressure majorly causes cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ailments. Recently, traditional medicine has managed little to decrease the patient ratio with this dangerous ailment. Natural remedies provide very useful ways to reduce the increasing patient ratio with hypertension. Taking supplements such as magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, potassium, amino acids, taurine, and vitamins C and E have been efficiently utilized in dealing with cardiovascular ailments involving hypertension. The mentioned medicinal plants were effective against blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. This review highlights the herbs proven scientifically for the treatment of hypertension.


The orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) scheme allows all transmitters in a radio broadcasting network to transmit identical signals in the same frequency block, forming a so called single frequency network (SFN). The simultaneous transmission creates a severe artificial multipath propagation, which translates into intersymbol interference (ISI). The extra large symbol duration needed in SFN to prevent ISI has raised doubts concerning the performance at high carrier frequencies and high mobile receiver speed. Normally the receiver in an SFN is experiencing a diversity gain of receiving several signals. However, if the received signals are exposed to different carrier offsets and Doppler spread it will lead to interchannel interference (ICI), resulting into performance degradation. A method to analyse the performance including ISI and ICI is presented. The increased outage probability caused by the presence of frequency offsets at the transmitter sites and Doppler spread is then evaluated. Furthermore, the frequency offset and time synchronisation errors at the receiver is also investigated.


Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are engaged in a harsh battle for market dominance. This article examines the emergence of a dominant design in terms of technology, service, and business model innovation. We conduct a theoretical synthesis of the literature on industrial organization, technology management, network economics, operations management, and strategic management—with the implications of each theory related to the dominant-design battle in AI. The findings indicate a dominant design for AI will be based on innovation concerning business models as much as on technology, and that the dominant business model will include AI as a service.


OBJECTIVES
Antibiotics are inappropriate for the treatment of toothache, yet many seek them. Social media allows users to express their opinions, share experiences and offer support. This study used social media to investigate the public's experiences of, and attitudes towards, antibiotics for toothache.

METHODS
A systematic search of posts on Facebook and Twitter was undertaken. Eligibility criteria were applied to select relevant social media posts for thematic analysis of word content. An inductive descriptive coding system was developed from the data and exemplary quotes were identified to illustrate the themes and subthemes identified. Key findings Searches identified 174 posts, of which 144 were selected for analysis. Five themes were identified: experience and expectations, self-care and professional treatment, access to dental care, quality of life and coping strategies. The belief that antibiotics are an appropriate treatment for a toothache was widespread. Antibiotic-seeking behaviour was related to access to professional dental care, including avoiding dental appointments due to dental anxiety and the perceived affordability of dentistry. A range of strategies to cope with the severe impact toothache was having on people's quality of life were identified, from prayer to antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS
Social media is used extensively to seek antibiotics, avoid dental treatment and provide support to people with toothache. A general belief that antibiotics are an appropriate and necessary treatment for toothache exists. This improved understanding about the factors driving antibiotic-seeking behaviour provides new targets for the development of approaches to tackling antibiotic resistance, by reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in dental clinics and beyond.


The cloud-nucleating properties of the atmospheric aerosol were studied in an area under strong influence of vegetation burning. The measurements were part of Large-Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia-Smoke Aerosols, Clouds, Rainfall and Climate (LBA-SMOCC) and were carried out at a ground site located in the state of Rondonia in southwestern Amazonia, Brazil, September to November 2002, covering the dry season, a transition period, and the onset of the wet season. The concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) were measured with a static thermal gradient CCN counter for supersaturations ranging between 0.23 and 1.12%. As a closure test, the CCN concentrations were predicted with a time resolution of 10 min from measurements of the dry particle number size distribution (3-850 nm, Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMPS)) and hygroscopic growth at 90% relative humidity (Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (H-TDMA)). No chemical information was needed. The predicted and measured CCN concentrations were highly correlated (r(2)=0.97-0.99), and the predictions were only slightly lower than those measured, typically by 15-20%. Parameterizations of the predicted CCN concentrations are given for each of the three meteorological periods. These are based on averages taken during the afternoon hours when the measurements at ground level were representative for the aerosol entering the base of convective clouds. Furthermore, a more detailed parameterization including the mixing state of the aerosol is given, where the hygroscopic properties are expressed as the number of soluble ions or nondissociating molecules per unit volume dry particle. (Less)


Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are regulated by cyclin proteolysis and CDK inhibitors (CKIs) during mitotic exit and G1 phase in yeast and Drosophila, and disruption of both regulatory pathways leads to genomic instability. Our study using mouse cell lines that constitutively express a stabilized mutant of cyclin A revealed that three CKIs, p21, p27, and Rb-related p107, are responsible for cyclin proteolysis-independent inactivation of CDK during mitotic exit and G1. Enforced expression of cyclin A in the cells lacking all three CKIs induced rapid tetraploidization. Thus, the redundant pathways consisting of cyclin proteolysis and CKIs control CDK activity during mitotic exit and contribute to maintenance of genome stability in mammalian cells.


Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) produce unprecedentedly large signals that have enabled routine optical recording of single neuron activity in vivo in rodent brain. Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) offer a more direct measure of neuronal electrical status, however the signal-to-noise characteristics and signal polarity of the probes developed to date have precluded routine use in vivo. We applied directed evolution to target modulable areas of the fluorescent protein in GEVI ArcLight to create the first GFP-based GEVI (Marina) that exhibits a ΔF/ΔV with a positive slope relationship. We found that only three rounds of site-directed mutagenesis produced a family of "brightening" GEVIs with voltage sensitivities comparable to that seen in the parent probe ArcLight. This shift in signal polarity is an essential first step to producing voltage indicators with signal-to-noise characteristics comparable to GECIs to support widespread use in vivo.


The anisotropy study cosmic microwave background (CMB) is one of the main observational tools for modern cosmology. However, alongside the study of the thermal fluctuations of the CMB are other equally important information, which is known as the polarization of the CMB. The inflationary model predicts that the CMB is linearly polar- ized and the physical mechanism of this polarization is studied from the Thompson scattering, the dominant process on the surface of last scatter- ing. There are basically two types of polarization called E and B modes, the first produced by scalar perturbations and the latter by tensor per- turbations, such as those due to gravitational waves in the primordial universe. So if we are able to measure these types of polarization will have an entry to the study of the inflationary epoch. This paper presents the main physical mechanisms that support theoretically the polarization of the CMB due to primordial gravitational waves (PGW) and the revi- sion of the main observables, grouped in so-called Stokes parameters (Q, U, I), Which brings us information to achieve the contrast the angular power spectrum produced by the polarization of the CMB, which shows to be in excellent agreement with the CDM model.


This thesis deals with the representation of the body and space in the theatre of Bernard-Marie Koltes and Helene Cixous. From the theoretical point of view, it looks at transition in French theatre from a modern to a postmodern predicament, from a discursive to a corporeal theatre. It then looks at the ways postmodern culture maps, configures, disciplines, and violates the body, particularly through the relationship of the new textuality to its stage manifestations. Textually, it analizes three plays by each playwright. The juxtaposition of the works of Koltes and Cixous allows for an in depth look at the theatre of the 1970's and 80's in France, a period marked by theatrical decentralisation and experimentation. Both favoured a strong tie to theatre practice while developing a close relationship with a theatre director: Patrice Chereau, in the case of Koltes, and Ariane Mnouchkine, in the case pf Cixous. Aside from looking at the relationship with theatre practitioners, this thesis examines a number of aesthetic and political affinities which bring Koltes and Cixous together, such as redefining a postmodern mythology and a political role for theatre. Unlike many postmodernist theatre practices that try to evade political commitment, both Cixous and Koltes are preoccupied with the resistance to a nihilistic discourse, and propose an evolving and corporeal stage presence inscribed in a pluralistic space of representation. For Koltes, the body on the stage resists symbolic categorization in Combat de negre et de chiens (1979), it then becomes related to spatial reality outside language in Quai ouest (1985), and finally the corporeal body is culturally and ideologically mapped in Le Retour au desert (1988). This triple dimension is also reflected in the work of Cixous, for whom the theatre is a space of feminist praxis. First, the space of representation, through the subversive performativity of the body, questions the premises of the psychoanalytic gaze in Portrait de Dora (1976), then classical mythology is rewritten to disrupt patriarcal discourse in Le Nom d'Oedipe: chant du corps interdit (1978), and a post-colonial role for theatre is redefined in order to question the historical subject in L'Indiade ou l'lnde de leurs reves (1987). Finally, this thesis looks at the ways both Koltes and Cixous join in with postmodernism in declaring the impossibility of grand-narrative, while trying to show how identity cannot be based on essentialist categories of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, but on the performance of all these various categories as they intersect in the performing body.


This study describes an initial cycle of inquiry within a multi-year research initiative for a new Naval Workforce Program (NWP) designed to increase the number of underrepresented individuals (veterans and minorities) in STEM professional contexts, particularly within the context of naval engineering and design. The research practices within the NWP follow a logic of inquiry that is grounded in Interactional Ethnography (IE) and is based on interactions and collaborative work among all participating stakeholders, including program coordinators, naval-base professionals, university researchers, and all student participants. These lines of inquiry are shaped by observed stakeholder experiences, perspectives, and attitudes that are systematically documented via recorded exchanges, discussions, individual and collaborative work products, and field notes. We argue that such ethnographic research is culturally responsive to the underrepresented students, with particular interest in increasing the potential for meeting the goals of increasing the number of veteran individuals in STEM professional contexts. Our telling case focuses on a discovery that emerged from discussion with a group of participants who are veterans; several members comment on how perceptions about public views of veterans can be a hindrance in pursuing civil (non-military, non-combat) careers in STEM. Our exploration of this interaction doubly serves as an illustration of the inquiry process and insight derived from IE in action.


Background Toxicity, such as hyperpyrexia, associated with the use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy') appears to be related to serum MDMA concentrations. However, there does not appear to be a similar association with the number of tablets ingested, suggesting variation in the tablet content of MDMA. Although work has shown this variation in other areas of the world, no studies have reported on the variation of MDMA content in UK ecstasy tablets. Methods Ecstasy tablets seized from individuals attending nightclubs were analysed qualitatively to determine if they contained MDMA and quantitatively to determine the MDMA content per tablet. Results The mean amount of MDMA hydrochloride in 101 seized ecstasy tablets was 58.7±22.9 mg per tablet, with a range of 20 mg to 131 mg per tablet. The majority (96.0%) of tablets contained less than 100 mg MDMA per tablet. There appeared to be a bimodal distribution of MDMA content at approximately 20–40 mg per tablet and 60–80 mg per tablet. Conclusion There is variability in the MDMA content of ecstasy tablets in the UK. This variability could potentially put users at increased risk of acute harm due to inadvertent excess ingestion of MDMA, as they are unaware of the differences in the MDMA content. Repeat sampling and quantification of MDMA content of ecstasy tablets in the UK will allow better education of users about the potential harms associated with the variability in the MDMA content. In addition, it will provide information to allow the monitoring of changes in not only the MDMA content, but also other adulterants, in ecstasy tablets.


Proper nutrition and management are necessary to provide adequate numbers of healthy herd replacements. Satisfactory heifer programs must take into consideration care of the dam and characteristics of the newborn calf, including the deficiency of circulating antibodies at birth and the lack of a functioning rumen. Nutrition. Nutrition of the dry cow is very important because of the effect this has on the next lactation as well as 0[1 the developing fetus. Several points should receive special attention. (l) Provide adequate protein and energy to meet requirements. (2) Increase concentrate intake gradually during the last part of the "¢ dry period, so that rumen microorganisms will be adapted to the ration to be fed "¢ ,. after freshening. Do not allow cows to get too fat. (3) Be sure intake and balance of minerals are correct. A calcium-phosphorus ratio of about 1.4:1 is recommended. Housing. By nature, the cow attempts to isolate herself from other animals to deliver her calf, and this practice helps prevent contamination of the newborn calf with infectious agents. With increased confinement, this is not possible, and special precautions should be taken to provide a clean environment for the calf during and following calving, when it is highly susceptible to diseases. A clean, well bedded, well ventilated stall should be provided in a location where the cow can be observed frequently with a minimum amount of disturbance. Other. The udder of the cow should be cleaned before the calf nurses. It is especially important that bacteria do not gain entrance to the intestines before absorption of colostrum takes place.; Dairy Day, 1986, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 1986;


Abstract:Background: This paper describes a study circle and a series of conversations with a community partner that were part of a project that grew out of a partnership between Native People for Cancer Control, a research program at the University of Washington, and five tribes in Washington, Idaho, and Montana.Methods: Researchers undertook a study circle to build bioethics capacity and, specifically, to better understand the values that should guide community-based participatory research (CBPR).Results: Study circle members identified five action guiding principles for CBPR: respect tribal sovereignty, promote transparency, hear community priorities, learn from each other, and take collective action. This activity led to a series of conversations between researchers and the chair of Shoalwater Bay Tribe, Charlene Nelson. Nelson suggests the metaphor of "exploration" as a way to think about what good CBPR looks like. Exploration reframes the research enterprise, from a systematic scientific inquiry conducted by academic investigators to a less predictable activity that reaches into the uncontrolled and unknown. We used this metaphor to explore three features of CBPR we believe to be essential to building trust: ongoing commitment and time, direct collaboration with community members and new learning for all involved, and candid and cautious action.Conclusions: The CBPR literature underscores many of these same points; however, we found the metaphorical language offered by Nelson enriched their meaning and deepened study circle members' appreciation of them.


This study investigated kindergarten children's understanding of the causes of anger and sadness. Previous research has shown that before 6 or 7 years of age, children have difficulty distinguishing hypothetical situations designed to evoke anger from those designed to evoke sadness. In this project, 80 kindergarten children (ages 5-1 to 6-5, M = 5-10) predicted and explained protagonists' emotional responses to a variety of hypothetical events. The results showed that intentional harm was not the feature young children used to distinguish anger from sadness. Children predicted anger most often when they believed that protagonists could change undesirable situations and reinstate their goals and when children focused on the person or conditions that brought about undesirable situations. Children predicted sadness most often when they believed that goal reinstatement was impossible and focused on the losses that would ensue as a result.


Occupational Pension Schemes in PolandThe aging of society, the financial and economic crisis and low interest rates have astrong impact on mature pension systems. This leads to fiscal difficulties in pay-as-you-go public systems. As aresult, there is aconflict between income adequacy and financial stability of pension systems. In order to reconcile the adequacy with stability, many countries reform pension systems in areas such as system structure, pension contributions, eligibility criteria, funding methods, management methods, pension benefits, taxation. There is also aquestion of how to obtain additional funding sources for retirement. It seems that one of the instruments to obtain additional financial resources in old age may be participation in Occupational Pension Schemes PPE, which in Poland offered their services in 1999 on the basis of the Act of 22 August 1997 on Occupational Pension Plans. Thus, the research objective of the work, which is the analysis of PPE in Poland in the years 1999–2016, is revealed.


Synopsis : Structures of polyester films having high melamine-formaldehyde resin (MF) concentration in the surface were investegated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy , and high frequency grow discharge spectroscopy. In films in which methylated MF enriched in the surface, MF concentration had a gradient from the surface to the interface with primer film. This structure of the film gave excellent stain resistance and excellent formability because of high MF concentration in the surface and low MF concentration in the bulk of the film. A mechanism proposed in the previous paper seemed correct from the film structure. In films in which butylated MF enriched in the surface, MF concentration was very high only in the surface of the film and constant in the bulk. This structure gave excellent stain resistance because of high surface MF concentration , but not so good formability. Butylated MF seemed to be enriched in the surface of the film because of low surface tension compared with that of polyester resin or solvents in paints. In combination of methylated MF and non-neutralized catalyst , the film had uniform MF concentration through the depth. This film didn't show good formability and stain resistance because of both low surface concentration of MF resin and uniform concentration of MF resin in the bulk .


A model for predicting the masked thresholds of the voiceless plosive bursts /k,t,p/ in background noise is proposed. Because plosive bursts are brief, are generated by a noise source, and have different spectral characteristics, the modeling approach accounts for duration, center frequency, and signal bandwidth. Noise-in-noise masking experiments are conducted using a broadband masker and bandpass noise signals of varying bandwidth (100-5483 Hz), duration (10-300 ms), and center frequency (0.4-4 kHz). Data from these experiments are used to parametrize an auditory filter model in which the effective bandwidth and the signal-to-noise ratio at threshold for each filter are duration dependent. The duration-dependent filter model is then used to predict the thresholds of synthetic and naturally spoken plosive bursts in background noise. Finally, results from pilot notched-noise experiments are presented which support duration-dependent frequency selectivity.


This paper describes a novel method that enables users to teach systems the phoneme sequences of new words through speech interaction. Using the method, users can correct mis-recognized phoneme sequences incrementally by making corrective utterances. Each corrective utterance may include the whole or a segment of the word. During the interaction, if the correction using the utterance results in a better phoneme sequence than the previous one, a user can stop the interaction or make a corrective utterance again. Otherwise the user can reject the utterance. The originalities of this method are 1) interactive correction by speech, 2) the use of spoken word segments for locating mis-recognized phonemes and, 3) the use of generalized posterior probability (GPP) as a measure of correcting mis-recognized phonemes. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieved 96.8% in phoneme accuracy and 79.1% in word accuracy, with less than seven corrective utterances.


The object of this study was to establish possible influences of long-term cannabis usage on plasma testosterone levels. The plasma testosterone levels of 66 male Pakistani who for years had smoked cannabis daily or drank cannabis regularly where measured after chronic and acute intake of the drug and compared with a material of 41 normal controls, i.e. persons who did not use cannabis. An evaluation of the results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups. No influence of long-term cannabis usage on plasma testosterone levels was found. Furthermore we wished to find out wether long-term heroin abuse showed an effect on plasma testosterone levels. The concentrations of testosterone in the plasma of 102 heroin addicts assigned to a Methadone Program were measured and compared with the values of 29 male healthy students as controls. Plasma testosterone levels were found to be significantly decreased in heroin addicts as compared to controls.


Abstract Phoenixin is novel neuropeptide, recently identified following the description of a peptide sequence highly conserved across several animal species, including humans, cows, and pigs. Expressed both centrally in the hypothalamus and arcuate nucleus and peripherally in cardiac and gastrointestinal tissue, it appears to modulate reproductive hormone secretion in a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone–dependent manner and may also influence anxiety and memory. While there remains much to be described regarding its signaling, this review assesses the currently available literature in both animal and human studies to summarize our understanding of the physiological role of this novel neuropeptide, and its function in reproductive hormone release.


This paper analyzes the distributional impacts of trade reforms in rural areas of Bangladesh. The liberalization of trade in irrigation equipment and fertilizer markets during the early 1990s has led to structural changes in the agricultural sector and a significant increase in rice productivity. A resulting increase in output has been associated with a decline in producer and consumer rice prices of approximately 25 percent. Using a combination of ex-post and ex-ante approaches, the authors investigate the implications of the changes in rice productivity and prices for the welfare of households. They find that the net effects of increased rice productivity and lower rice prices have benefited the poor. Regardless of the particular category analyzed, the poorest households emerged as being particularly positively affected by reforms in the 1990s. This mainly reflects the fact that they are predominantly net rice buyers in both urban and rural markets. In contrast, large net sellers of rice, among the better-off households in the rural areas, were the main losers. Since net buyers in rural areas tend to be poorer than net sellers, trade liberalization has benefited the poor. Although the authors are not able to test empirically what has happened to the welfare level of agricultural wage earners, secondary evidence suggests that they have gained from trade liberalization.


Timelapse seismic surveys are particularly useful for detecting changes in material characteristics. Distinguishing changes in subsurface conditions from noise, source and receiver coupling variability, source wavelet change, and other sources of error related to the dynamics of surface conditions in timelapse seismic images is challenging, at best. The objective of this study is to identify factors that affect repeatability of high-resolution near surface time-lapse seismic data when using a projectile source in unconsolidated sediments and investigate minimizing the effects of these factors. Data for this study were acquired as part of a 2D time-lapse seismic reflection survey in the floodplain of the Rio Grande near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The source was a 30.06 fired into pre-drilled holes in sandy soil; the holes were used for the baseline and eight monitor surveys. Changes in wavelet characteristics clearly indicate that the source signature varied nonlinearly as a function of the number of shots fired downhole. Results indicate that changes in the wavelet become increasingly nonlinear at increasing distance from the source and spectrally degrade with continuous use despite attempts to maintain the same firing conditions. This change through use is caused in part by change in source signature due to degradation of the holes during initial shots. It appears necessary to fire multiple shots downhole prior to acquisition to compact unconsolidated sediments and condition holes to increase repeatability of the data. The number of conditioning shots is likely related to soil conditions (saturation, compaction, clay to sand content, etc.).


Conformational change during the binding of Cu2+ and Zn2+ to the thiazole and oxazoline containing cyclic octapeptides, the patellamides, is examined by a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. Circular dichroism and NOE-restrained molecular dynamics studies indicate that upon complexing with one equivalent of Cu2+, patellamide C undergoes a change in conformation which pre-organises a second Cu2+ binding site, and that the binding of a second Cu2+ induces no further conformational change. The binding of Zn2+ induces little conformational change in patellamide C. A restrained conformational search shows that the conformational change induced by the addition of one equivalent of Cu2+ to patellamide C is an intrinsic design feature of the system. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the patellamides provide an ideal coordination environment for
Cu2+. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can be proposed that Cu2+ is the biologically relevant metal for the patellamides.


Previous studies have shown (1) that stickleback males enjoy increased mating success when their nest is concealed, (2) that males reduce their courtship in the face of predation risk to a lesser extent when their nest is concealed, and (3) that eggs in concealed nests have higher hatching chances. Here we test the prediction that male sticklebacks prefer to establish a territory at a site with a macrophyte under which they can conceal their nest. We planted macrophytes at half of the potential nest sites at two depths, in a section of a channel in which sticklebacks naturally occur. Subsequently, we found significantly more nests with eggs at the sites concealed by macrophytes than at the control sites, suggesting that wild sticklebacks preferred to build their nests at sites that offer concealment. At the shallow depth, males occupying a site with a macrophyte were larger and redder than males at control sites, but not at the deeper level. This suggests that males of higher competitive ability and greater conspicuousness were more likely to settle at shallow sites where predation risk by the grey heron is high.


Piperidine nitroxides such as TEMPOL have been widely used as antioxidants in vitro and in vivo. MitoTEMPOL is a mitochondria-targeted derivative of TEMPOL designed to protect mitochondria from the oxidative damage that they accumulate, but once there is rapidly reduced to its hydroxylamine, MitoTEMPOL-H. As little is known about the antioxidant efficacy of hydroxylamines, this study has assessed the antioxidant activity of both MitoTEMPOL and MitoTEMPOL-H. The hydroxylamine was more effective at preventing lipid-peroxidation than MitoTEMPOL and decreased oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA caused by menadione. In contrast to MitoTEMPOL, MitoTEMPOL-H has no superoxide dismutase activity and its antioxidant actions are likely to be mediated by hydrogen atom donation. Therefore, even though MitoTEMPOL is rapidly reduced to MitoTEMPOL-H in cells, it remains an effective antioxidant. Furthermore, as TEMPOL is also reduced to a hydroxylamine in vivo, many of its antioxidant effects may also be mediated by its hydroxylamine.


Wireless networks are becoming increasingly popular in professional environments as well as in the home. The success of IEEE 802.11 has cut down equipment costs and people are now building their own residential wireless networks, connecting PCs, MPS players, broadband gateways and Hi-Fi systems. However, such dramatic growth is creating problems in crowded areas, as the Wi-Fi bandwidth is limited and interference effects start to limit the technology usability. This paper describes a framework for managing the quality of the overall home wireless network, so that interference or bulk noise effects can be alleviated allowing users to enjoy digital content with the reliability they expect. By means of universal plug 'n play, events that may deteriorate the quality of existing services can be propagated to all interested devices so that a smart allocation of network resources can be applied. A simple admission control scheme is also used to regulate the admission of real-time streams


In this study, the electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) behavior of cations derived from 27 different peptides (22 of which are tryptic peptides) has been studied in a 3D quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. Ion/ion reactions between peptide cations and nitrobenzene anions have been examined at both room temperature and in an elevated temperature bath gas environment to form ETD product ions. From the peptides studied, the ETD sequence coverage tends to be inversely related to peptide size. At room temperature, very high sequence coverage (approximately 100%) was observed for small peptides (< or =7 amino acids). For medium-sized peptides composed of 8-11 amino acids, the average sequence coverage was 46%. Larger peptides with 14 or more amino acids yielded an average sequence coverage of 23%. Elevated-temperature ETD provided increased sequence coverage over room-temperature experiments for the peptides of greater than 7 residues, giving an average of 67% for medium-sized peptides and 63% for larger peptides. Percent ETD, a measure of the extent of electron transfer, has also been calculated for the peptides and also shows an inverse relation with peptide size. Bath gas temperature does not have a consistent effect on percent ETD, however. For the tryptic peptides, fragmentation is localized at the ends of the peptides suggesting that the distribution of charge within the peptide may play an important role in determining fragmentation sites. A triply protonated peptide has also been studied and shows behavior similar to the doubly charged peptides. These preliminary results suggest that for a given charge state there is a maximum size for which high sequence coverage is obtained and that increasing the bath gas temperature can increase this maximum.


&NA; This study aimed to describe the attitudes of patients with breast cancer and those with prostate cancer toward complementary therapies. The data were collected with a postal questionnaire administered to 216 patients with breast cancer (response rate, 55.4%) and 190 patients with prostate cancer (response rate, 54.9%) in southern and southwestern Finland. The questionnaire was composed of 44 Likert‐type statements, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, &khgr;2 tests, t tests, and two‐way analyses of variance. More than half (54%) of the patients with breast cancer and 45% of the patients with prostate cancer believed that people with cancer may benefit from complementary therapies, although they did not think these therapies actually could cure cancer. More than half of the respondents were dubious about using complementary therapies as long as there was no solid scientific evidence. Most believed that complementary therapies were used because they gave people hope (women, 88%; men, 72%) or something to cling to (women, 83%; men, 76%). The respondents believed most in dietary therapies and least in healing. There was much confusion and uncertainty about the professional competencies and expertise of the people who provided complementary therapies. Approximately one fourth of the respondents had spoken to their physician about complementary therapies. Only a few had talked about the matter with nursing staff. About half of the respondents thought that physicians and nurses took a negative attitude toward complementary therapies. In both groups, patients who had talked with their physician about complementary therapies tended to show a more positive attitude.


Jamun (Syzygium cumini Skeels) which is nature indigenous to India has been used as medicine for last hundred years in Unani and Ayurveda health system. Jamun is very effectively used long a traditional as a preventive measure in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, inflammation, ulcers and diarrhea and preclinical studies have also shown it to keep chemopreventive, Radioprotective and antineoplastic properties. The tree is a potential source of compounds comprising anthocyanins, glucoside, Ellagic acid, isoquercetin, Kaempferol and myrecetin. The presence of bioactive compounds comprising alkaloids, tannins, phenols, lipids, flavonoids in jamun leaves, barks, fruits, stems, and roots contribute to immense potential source of health beneficial nutrition and medicine. The active presence of these compounds sustains pharmacological effects with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, central nervous system activity (CNS), chemo preventive, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and hepatoprotective properties strong upon intake of jamun in human health and metabolism. The seeds are claimed to comprise alkaloid, Jambosine and glycoside Jambolin or antimellin, which halts the diastatic conversion of starch into sugar. Jamun is also profoundly known for its antidiabetic activity as it has been demonstrated to be the most promising nutraceutical value as reported by several research workers. Bioactive compounds are the result of involuntary developmental mechanism which may be due to specific requirement thus facilitating beneficial physiological processes there by promoting preventive mechanism for mitigating various disease and disorders of plant by mutualistic or antagonistic interaction with another organism.


Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis for unmanipulated haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation includes posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). Utilizing data in the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation registry, we compared ATG- versus PTCy-based GvHD prophylaxis in 434 adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation. Of the 434 patients included in this study, ATG was used in 98 and PTCy in 336.. The median follow-up was approximately 2 years. The baseline characteristics of the patients were similar between the groups except that the ATG group was more likely to have had relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (P=0.008), had conditioning not including total body irradiation (P<0.001), have had peripheral blood as the source of their grafts (P≤0.001) and to have been transplanted in an earlier timeperiod (median year of transplantation: 2011 vs. 2015). The 100-day rates of grade II-IV and III-IV acute GvHD were similar in the ATG and PTCy groups, as were 2-year chronic GvHD rates. On multivariate analysis, leukemia-free survival and overall survival were better with PTCy than with ATG prophylaxis. Relapse incidence was lower in the PTCy group (P=0.03), while non-relapse mortality was not different. Advanced disease and lower performance score were associated with poorer leukemia-free survival and overall survival and advanced disease was associated with inferior GvHD-free/relapse-free survival. Compared to bone marrow grafts, peripheral grafts were associated with higher rates of GvHD. In patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing unmanipulated haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation, PTCy for GvHD prevention resulted in a lower incidence of relapse and improved leukemia-free survival and overall survival, compared to ATG.


We address the problem of modeling in B object-oriented specifications. The contribution of this research is to give a way to a formal verification of object-oriented specifications by analyzing the corresponding B specifications. This is significant where B support tools are available. We can also use object-oriented specifications as tools for building B specifications. Thus, an approach for a practical and rigorous software development, which is based on object and B from the requirements elicitation to the executable code, is proposed.


This paper presents a method to design an optimal disturbance rejection PID controller. First, a condition for disturbance rejection of a control system-H/sub /spl infin//-norm-is described. Second, the design is formulated as a constrained optimization problem. It consists of minimizing a performance index, i.e., the integral of the time weighted squared error subject to the disturbance rejection constraint. A new method employing two genetic algorithms (GA) is developed for solving the constraint optimization problem. The method is tested by a design example of a PID controller for a servomotor system. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance and validity of the method.


In order to investigate the characteristics of bacterioplankton in the spring in Zhushan Bay, Lake Taihu, the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterioplankton at four sampling sites in Zhushan Bay was sequenced by high-throughput sequencing using water samples collected from Yapugang, Shatanggang, Zhushanhunan, and Jiaoshan. The results showed that the coverage of the sequencing library was very high and could accurately represent the bacterioplankton community in the samples. The species richness of Jiaoshan was the highest, but the species evenness was lower. Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phylum in Zhushan Bay. The average abundance of Cyanobacteria was as high as 64.73%, which indicated an outbreak of cyanobacteria bloom in the water. At the genus level, Anabaena, hgcI_clade, CL 500-29 _marine_group, Microcystis, Synechococcus, and Mycobacterium were predominant. The results of redundancy analysis (RDA) for the relationship between bacterioplankton and environmental factors showed that water temperature, chlorophyll a (Chl-a), ammonia nitrogen(NH4+-N), dissolved oxygen (DO), and phosphate (PO43--P)were the main environmental factors affecting the bacterioplankton community. Dissolved oxygen could significantly affect Microcystis; nutrient and water temperature also had an effect.


Population aging has led to an increased recognition of the problems encountered by older persons. As a consequence, the most recent years have been marked by a series of changes with regard to the organization and provision of social services for dependent older people. The aim of this article is to identify factors associated with the quality of life in old age, using a logistic regression applied to the data collected following a field survey among the beneficiaries of social services. The analysis revealed that men are more likely to appreciate that life does not make sense, compared to dependent elderly women. Age is also a significant factor that influences the quality of life: the older the people are, the more they tend to think in a positive manner about their life. Health, social participation and food are also important factors that influence the perception regarding the quality of life.


A method using nisin and a chelating agent to inactivate Salmonella species and other gram-negative bacteria has been developed. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of treatment conditions on the application of this method. Ten gram-negative organisms were used in this study, including six Salmonella species commonly associated with foodborne illness. Organisms were selected on the basis of sensitivity to nisin and a chelating agent. The following parameters were examined: (a) chelating agent, (b) nisin concentration, (c) incubation temperature, and (d) protein interference. Chelating agents included EDTA, ethylenebis (oxyethylene-nitrilo) tetraacetic acid, citric acid monohydrate, and sodium phosphate dibasic. The most effective treatment consisted of 50 to 100 μg/ml nisin applied in combination with 20 mM EDTA or citric acid monohydrate at a temperature range of 30 to 42°C. All of the chelators examined exhibited some inhibitory activity. The addition of bovine serum albumin to the treatments containing nisin and EDTA did not result in a significant decrease in inhibitory action.


An improved version of the Slovene text-to-speech system S5 is described. S5 can be used either as a standalone reading system or it can be integrated into other applications. S5 is based on concatenation of basic speech units, diphones, using the TD-PSOLA technique. The input text is transformed into its spoken equivalent by a series of modules. F0 modeling is based primarily on predicting the appropriate tonemic accent. Phone duration is predicted by a two level approach, taking into account how acceleration or slowing down applies to the duration of individual phones. The adequacy of the spoken output was evaluated by several subjective tests as they are recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).


This study investigates the impact of the current financial crisis on Canada's potential GDP growth. Using a simple accounting framework to decompose trend GDP growth into changes in capital, labor services and total factor productivity, we find a sizeable drop in Canadian potential growth in the short term. The estimated decline of about 1 percentage point originates from a sharply decelerating capital stock accumulation (as investment has dropped steeply) and a rising long-term unemployment rate (which would raise equilibrium unemployment rates). However, over the medium term, we expect Canada's potential GDP growth to gradually rise to around 2 percent, below the pre-crisis growth rate, mostly reflecting the effects of population aging and a secular decline in average working hours.


BACKGROUND
Benzodiazepines have many benefits for persons with severe mental disorders, but they may also lead to or exacerbate substance abuse. An American Psychiatric Association taskforce established practice guidelines in 1990 to assist physicians in managing these and other potential side effects of benzodiazepine use. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of benzodiazepine use among persons with psychiatric disorders and to evaluate compliance with published prescribing guidelines.

METHOD
We studied benzodiazepine use among New Hampshire Medicaid beneficiaries aged 18 to 64 years with ICD-9 diagnoses that were grouped under the headings "schizophrenia," "bipolar disorder," "major depression," and "other psychiatric disorders" from Jan. 1995 through Dec. 1999. Rates and length of use, frequency of high-potency/fast-acting prescriptions, and diazepam-equivalent dosages were compared for those with and without retrospectively determined evidence of substance abuse, substance dependence, or a procedure code indicating treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD).

RESULTS
Five-year prevalence of benzodiazepine use for persons with and without SUD was 63% versus 54% for schizophrenia, 75% versus 58% for bipolar disorder, 66% versus 49% for major depression, and 48% versus 40% for other psychiatric disorders. Differences were statistically significant over 5 years and in 1999 (p <.0001). Among persons with major depression or other psychiatric disorders, those with comorbid SUD were more likely to use fast-acting/high-potency benzodiazepines; there were no such differences for those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Persons with bipolar disorder or other psychiatric disorders and SUD received significantly higher diazepam-equivalent dosages than did those without SUD.

CONCLUSION
Contrary to published guidelines, rates of benzodiazepine use are higher among Medicaid beneficiaries with severe mental illness and co-occurring SUD than among persons with severe mental illness alone. Additional research and possibly a reassessment of prescribing guidelines are recommended.


In this paper, dielectric properties of low-cost and ultrathin flexible materials are accurately determined over frequency range from 1.0 GHz – 12.0 GHz. In particular, four substrate samples of cotton, jeans, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and silicone rubber (Ak-Sil T1310) owing to their flexibility and robustness are considered in this study. The dielectric constant ($\varepsilon_{\mathrm{r}}^{\prime}$) and loss factor ($\varepsilon_{\mathrm{r}}^{^{\prime\prime}}$) of these samples are extracted using microstrip resonator method and X-band rectangular waveguide method. The accuracy of the applied techniques for the dielectric characterization is confirmed by measuring the dielectric properties of a commercially available FR4 substrate using the same employed methods. The average dielectric constant values of 1.80, 168, 2.87, 2.70 for 0.4 mm thick cotton, 0.6 mm jeans, 1 mm PDMS, 1 mm Sk-Sil T1310 substrates, respectively are achieved in this study. The results demonstrated the use of such softwear materials in effective modeling of wearable biomedical antennas, frequency selective surfaces, and conformal reflectarray antennas.


Ac‐SYN is the core protein of a cell surface proteoglycan of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina. To examine the functions of Ac‐SYN, embryos were cultured in the presence of affinity‐purified antibody against Ac‐SYN. At the late pluteus stage, severe inhibition of elongation of the postoral arms was seen in treated embryos compared with control embryos. Blastocoeleic microinjection of the antibody did not affect morphogenesis. The relationship between the number of cells in the postoral arms and the length of the postoral rods was investigated in normal embryos. This showed that postoral arm elongation has two phases: the first phase accompanies the increase in cell numbers while the second does not. The syndecan antibody inhibited the increase in cell numbers in the postoral arms. Furthermore, in the treated embryos, cell numbers continued to increase normally until 31 h post fertilization (hpf), while cell division stopped after 31 hpf. These results suggest that Ac‐SYN participates in postoral arm formation via cell division in sea urchin embryos.


In this paper we study how neighbourhood-related spillovers affect location choices of manufacturing firms at a local level. A spatial Dirichlet-multinomial regression model is applied to 90,000 new establishments of the Spanish Mediterranean Axis. Empirical findings show that spatial spillovers play an important role, together with traditional explanatory factors, in driving decisions of companies. Their size and scope depends on two main issues, the specific characteristics of the manufacturing industry the firm belongs to, and the accessibility of the urban environment where the firm is located.


Sleep is essential for health. Indeed, poor sleep is consistently linked to the development of systemic disease, including depression, metabolic syndrome, and cognitive impairments. Further evidence has accumulated suggesting the role of sleep in cancer initiation and progression (primarily breast cancer). Indeed, patients with cancer and cancer survivors frequently experience poor sleep, manifesting as insomnia, circadian misalignment, hypersomnia, somnolence syndrome, hot flushes, and nightmares. These problems are associated with a reduction in the patients' quality of life and increased mortality. Due to the heterogeneity among cancers, treatment regimens, patient populations and lifestyle factors, the etiology of cancer-induced sleep disruption is largely unknown. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding the pathways linking cancer and the brain and how this leads to altered sleep patterns. We describe a conceptual framework where tumors disrupt normal homeostatic processes, resulting in aberrant changes in physiology and behavior that are detrimental to health. Finally, we discuss how this knowledge can be leveraged to develop novel therapeutic approaches for cancer-associated sleep disruption, with special emphasis on host-tumor interactions.


The focus of this research is to find out the learning background. This research is a qualitative descriptive method with a case study. Data collection techniques are interviews, observation, and documentation. The results of this study are an important reason for teachers to innovate in learning to count is to be facilitators and observers, teachers as learners, adopters, developers, and creators; the teacher's innovation process in the three stages of learning through introductory concepts, transitions/ stages, and symbol stages; and effects of teacher innovation in numeracy learning methods to stimulate logical-mathematical intelligence to be able to think logically, be able to improve memory, be able to classify, be able to increase numbers, be able to find ways to work, become problem solvers, able to understand cause and effect, and be able to improve accuracy.


Introduction: Pregnancy and childbirth are physiological processes experienced by women, but they sometimes have risky conditions. There are still many pregnant women and their families who are unable to detect a high-risk of pregnancy early. This study aims to determine family behaviour in conducting early detection of a high-risk of pregnancy in terms of sociodemographic and information factors.Methods: This study uses an explanatory survey design with a cross sectional design. The sample size of this study was 146, with simple random sampling. The independent variables were sociodemographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and religion) and information factors (experience, and media exposure) while the dependent variable is family behaviour. The instrument with the questionnaire used the Likert scale. The data was analysed using partial least square.Results: The results showed that Structural Equation Modelling-Partial least square (SEM-PLS) statistical analysis, through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), obtained sociodemographic factors on family behaviour of 1,999, and information factors on family behaviour of 13,78. The value of the influence of sociodemographic factors (0.102) and the value of the influence of information factors (0.754). R2 (0.63) and Q2 value of 0.65.Conclusion: Sociodemographic  factors and information factors significantly influenced family behaviour factors in early detection of high-risk of pregnancy. Information factors have a greater effect on family behaviour than sociodemographic factors. Midwives as health service providers at the health care centre need to optimize family empowerment through health information efforts in health promotion efforts. Further research requires the involvement of other factors to improve family behaviour, especially in the ability of families to detect early high-risk pregnancies.


Otoplasty for the correction of protruding ears is being performed with increasing frequency, but, as yet, the technique has not been standardized. The purpose of this paper is to present a simple effective method of correcting this congenital defect. When seen in the newborn, the "lop ear" deformity is easily recognized, and frequently the distraught parents attempt to hold the protruding auricle back with external pressure, but to no avail. As the child grows older, he may become self-conscious and embarrassed by his defect, especially if it is brought to his attention by his family. For this reason, and also because the elasticity of the cartilage in the young lends itself to excellent surgical correction, I believe the preschool age is the opportune time for operation. No alteration in the normal growth of the auricular cartilage is seen postoperatively. Correction may be done at any age, however. Anatomy The pinna


Even though many situations in driving involve more than one road user and interaction between those road users, most car driving models utilize a single driver perspective. Collisions between cars constitute a significant part of the total number of crashes each year. A consequence is that driver modeling should move beyond single driver behavior and aim at explaining interaction between drivers. In this paper we will present an approach that merges Hollnagel's Extended Control Model with Clark's Joint Action perspective on coordination. The purpose is to suggest a basic model to help explain coordination in traffic.


The differential mode of the grazing-incidence diffraction is employed for the characterization of a thin Ga1-xAlxAs/GaAs (001) heterostructure. Using a high resolution detector system a conventional X-ray source is appropriate to record the fine structure of the diffraction curve. The quality of experimental curves permits the authors to detect the thickness of both the nondiffracting top part and the perfect crystalline portion of the layer. Their quantitative determination results from simulation of the curve by means of the dynamical and the kinematic theory. Both yield nearly the same crystalline thickness; however, they differ somewhat for the top part. A quantitative interpretation of the real structure of sample is impossible due to the limited experimental resolution.


We describe the design and implementation of a file server for variable bit rate continuous media. We address the problem of building a server where each stream may have a different bit rate and, more importantly, where the bit rate within a single stream may vary considerably. Such a server has been implemented within a high-speed network environment. The server is designed to be used in a heterogeneous environment and is linearly scalable. A significant aspect of the design of the system is the detailed consideration of the variable bit-rate profile of each data stream in performing admission control for the disk and for the network. This paper describes the system model, the user interface design, implementation details, and performance results based on initial experience with the server.


A highly sensitive micro strain gauge may be created by building up a thin-film micro transformer with one leg of its flux guide made out of magnetoelastic material. Locating the magnetoelastic leg at the bottom of the micro transformer structure directly on top of the wafer lends itself for integration in a cantilever beam subjected to bending. On the other hand, putting the magnetoelastic layer on top and placing it on an external tension bar instead of integrating it into the sensor allows for strain measurement without exposing the strain gauge itself to stain. By choosing a modular design, both types of micro transformers may be fabricated in the same wafer process. This paper describes design, fabrication, and performance of such a modular system


Abstract The re-adoption of trial by jury in Russia in 1993 was heralded as a significant break with the discredited legal system of a crumbling regime. However, in less than twenty years the jury in Russian criminal trials has been significantly undermined; that process is particularly evident in the field of counterterrorism. This article examines the history of trial by jury in Russia, the constitutional and legislative provisions adopted in the 1990s, and the rolling back of these provisions in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Given the adoption of jury trial in a number of democracies in the early 1990s the underlying causes of the rapid Russian retrenchment are of significance beyond the Russian Federation. The jury was not a legal transplant in Russia and it was hoped that conditions were fertile for the jury to flourish. This has not proven to be the case: Russian jury trial may have a long history but it has shallow roots.


Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) is an emerging technology for the valorization of (wet) biomass into a valuable fuel gas composed of hydrogen and/or methane. The harsh temperature and pressure conditions involved in SCWG (T > 375 °C, p > 22 MPa) are definitely a challenge for the manufacturing of the reactors. Metal surfaces are indeed subject to corrosion under hydrothermal conditions, and expensive special alloys are needed to overcome such drawbacks. A ceramic reactor could be a potential solution to this issue. Finding a suitable material is, however, complex because the catalytic effect of the material can influence the gas yield and composition. In this work, a research reactor featuring an internal alumina inlay was utilized to conduct long-time (16 h) batch tests with real biomasses and model compounds. The same experiments were also conducted in batch reactors made of stainless steel and Inconel 625. The results show that the three devices have similar performance patterns in terms of gas production, although in the ceramic reactor higher yields of C2+ hydrocarbons were obtained. The SEM observation of the reacted alumina surface revealed a good resistance of such material to supercritical conditions, even though some intergranular corrosion was observed.


Among different matrices prepared, ampicilloic acid-polymer matrix offered 86.7% adsorption, 95% elution and 82.4% overall recovery of penicillinase. The structure of both the side chain and penicilloic or cephalosporoic acid moieties contribute to the affinity interactions.


This paper considers the state estimation problem for nonlinear systems based on the quantized outputs. This problem plays an important role in achieving higher control performance when we use low-resolution sensors or networked control systems. First, the problem is formulated in a general setting, which could deal with a broad class of nonlinear systems in the presence of non-Gaussian noises. Second, it is proposed to apply the particle filter, which does not depend on linearity of the target systems nor Gauss noises, for the state estimation subject to quantized outputs. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate its effectiveness, where it is also shown how to deal with a class of uncertainty of the target systems.


This is a collection of two stories, one fiction and one non-fiction, in communication with one another. Both stories explore how trauma can transform a life. In "Tabula Rasa," Mena is unable to recall her past after being beaten and left for dead. She must choose whether to uncover her past or forget it and move forward with her life. Set in a town run by witches, Mena learns that both choices are dangerous. In "Eternal Second," the narrator recounts the aftermath of her husband's suicide. She explores how trauma invades all aspects of her life. In both stories, women must navigate a new life created by the destruction of the old one.


This article addresses the problems presented by the effective overlap of copyright's exclusive rights in the context of transmission on computer networks. Simple activities such as sending email or posting to Web pages may implicate the reproduction right, the adaptation right, the distribution right, the performance and display rights, and the new digital performance as well as triggering liability for contributory infringement and under the proposed transmission right. The article suggests that this overlap creates serious problems not only for user rights and defenses, but also for copyright owners who wish to license only a subset of their rights or who wish to divide ownership of their copyright. The article considers as possible solutions to this problem a theory of implied license, as well as a unified statutory transmission right that displaces other exclusive rights.


Nucleoside analogs are widely applied in antiviral and antitumor therapy. A severe limitation of these compounds arises from the need of biotransformation to the eventually active nucleoside triphosphates by stepwise addition of phosphate by kinases. This problem can be circumvented by employing reversibly masked nucleotides (prodrugs). However, the known concepts to bypass enzyme activation have almost exclusively been applied to nucleoside monophosphates. Here, we report on the transfer of the bis-(acyloxybenzyl)-concept (BAB-concept) from nucleoside monophosphates to nucleoside diphosphates (NDP) of the anti HIV drugs AZT and d4T. After successful synthesis and isolation of the compounds (BAB-NDPs), it was shown that these compounds exhibit promising hydrolytic properties ranging from high stability at physiological pH to very low stability in cellular extracts. Furthermore, we demonstrated that for some of the compounds a selective cleavage mechanism resulted in the exclusive delivery of the corresponding nucleoside diphosphate within 15 minutes without any degradation of the pyrophosphate unit, which is a unique result in the field of NDP-prodrugs.


A collocation method based on modified cubic trigonometric B-spline (MCTB) basis functions is presented for convection-diffusion equation (CDE). The CTB basis functions are modified and used as test functions in the collocation technique which yields a system of linear equations. To express the accuracy as well as efficiency of the method, four examples are taken. The obtained results are compared with exact and numerical solutions. The extremely small error norms are evident for accuracy of the method. Furthermore, the present method may be a reasonable and efficient to estimate the higher order PDEs.