Aspirin sensitive respiratory disease (ASRD) was first described in 1922 by the French physician Widal.1 It is characterised by asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps on a background of aspirin sensitivity. The condition is a distinct, often aggressive, clinical syndrome, and it is rare in childhood with a peak age of onset in the early 30s.2 Rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion are typically the first symptoms with asthma usually manifesting 1–5 years after the onset of rhinitis.3 Once the disease is established, ingestion of aspirin induces the release of critical mediators that provoke an acute exacerbation of rhinosinusitis and asthma. It is estimated that 5–10% of all patients with asthma are aspirin sensitive.4 Often poorly responsive to treatment, patients with aspirin sensitivity are over-represented in the severe asthma group and 50% are steroid dependent.5

The aetiology of ASRD is complex, but most investigators are agreed that the reaction to aspirin is not mediated by allergic mechanisms. Most evidence points towards an abnormality of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. AA is a substrate for both the production of leucotrienes (via the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway) and prostanoids (via the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway).

ASRD is characterised by excessive cysteinyl leucotriene (CysLT) production both in the steady state and for several hours after aspirin challenge.6 Urinary leucotriene E4 (LTE4) levels, as a measure of total body production of CysLTs, are a mean sixfold higher in patients with ASRD, increasing fourfold higher still after aspirin challenge.7 To date, the question of whether ASRD is associated with a fundamental predetermined abnormality in the production of CysLT8 or whether …


Well-crystallized LaNiO3 (LNO) thin films were grown on thermally oxidized silicon (SiO2/Si) and SrTiO3 substrates by a simple chemical solution deposition (CSD) technique. The LNO thin films obtained had pseudocubic phase without the existence of impurity phase. The LNO films on SiO2/Si substrates were polycrystalline, dense, and randomly oriented with a uniform surface and cross-section, whereas those on SrTiO3 substrates were (100) highly oriented with uniform grain size. The room temperature resistivity of the films on SiO2/Si substrates annealed at 750°C was about 0.54 mΩ cm, which is much lower than that of the films derived by the water-based solution technique. The subsequent deposition and electrical measurements of PbTiO3, (Pb,La)TiO3, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films on the CSD derived LNO/SiO2/Si confirmed the LNO films to be promising electrode materials for ferroelectric thin films.


The local density of optical states (LDOS) is an important physical concept, which can characterize the spontaneous emission of microcavities. In order to calculate the LDOS, the relationship between the mode spectrum and the LDOS is established. Then, based on the transfer matrix method and the effective resonator model, the leaky loss of the leaky mode and the mode spectrum in the one-dimensional photonic bandgap crystal waveguide are calculated, results of which indicate that the mode spectrum can characterize the leaky loss of the leaky mode. At last, the density of optical states (DOS), and the LDOS in each layer are calculated. The partial DOS and the partial LDOS in the quantum well, related to the fundamental leaky mode, can be used to find out the optimal location of the quantum well in the defect layer to couple more useful photons into the lasing mode for lasers.


In computational linguistics, it has been shown that hierarchical structures make language models (LMs) more human-like. However, the previous literature has been agnostic about a parsing strategy of the hierarchical models. In this paper, we investigated whether hierarchical structures make LMs more human-like, and if so, which parsing strategy is most cognitively plausible. In order to address this question, we evaluated three LMs against human reading times in Japanese with head-final left-branching structures: Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) as a sequential model and Recurrent Neural Network Grammars (RNNGs) with top-down and left-corner parsing strategies as hierarchical models. Our computational modeling demonstrated that left-corner RNNGs outperformed top-down RNNGs and LSTM, suggesting that hierarchical and left-corner architectures are more cognitively plausible than top-down or sequential architectures. In addition, the relationships between the cognitive plausibility and (i) perplexity, (ii) parsing, and (iii) beam size will also be discussed.


Primate lentiviruses infect target cells by interacting with the cell surface protein, CD4 and additional molecules, termed coreceptors. Recently, HIV-1 coreceptors have been identified as seven transmembrane spanning, G-protein coupled receptors of the chemokine receptor family. Thus, expression of CD4 and an appropriate coreceptor is both necessary and sufficient to render target cell permissive for fusion with virions or infected cells. The spectrum of tissue tropisms exhibited by primate lentiviruses can be largely explained by differential utilization and distribution of coreceptors. This article reviews what is currently known about the selective utilization of particular coreceptors by primate lentiviruses and the nature of the envelope/coreceptor interaction, with particular reference to two important HIV-1 coreceptors, CCR-5 and CXCR-4. It has become clear that these interactions are somewhat 'plastic': Variability is evident, both in the selection of coreceptor and the way in which different viral strains interact with their cognate coreceptors. The implications of these findings both for attempts to block HIV infection with coreceptor targeted agents and for understanding HIV replication in vivo is discussed.


Media psychologists have long puzzled over how individuals can experience enjoyment from entertainment such as tragedies that often elicit profound feelings of sadness. The present research examines the idea that a focus on "meaningful" entertainment and affective responses identified as "elevation" may provide a framework for understanding many examples of sad or dramatic entertainment. The results of this study suggest that many types of meaningful cinematic entertainment feature portrayals of moral virtues (e.g., altruism). These portrayals, in turn, elicit feelings of elevation (e.g., inspiration) that are signified in terms of mixed affect and unique physical responses (e.g., lump in throat). Ultimately, elevation also gives rise to motivations to embody moral virtues, such as being a better person or helping others.


The aim of this article intended to introduce the process and meaning of the 'Kangonji Matsuri' performed in Kangonji-cho of Kagawa-ken. For this study I did a field-work for one year(09. 2005~08. 2006) in Sikoku of Japan. The origin of the Kangonji matsuri as a traditional matsuri goes back to the Kiyon matsure of Kyoto. This is the matsure of 'tasi' type to be made with a cart of wheel. In Sikoku the thing to have a big drum inside of the 'tasi'. is called 'taikodai'. Specially the 'taikodai's of Kangonji district are called 'chyousa'. But the meaning of 'chyousa' is not well-known until now. Generally speaking, it means young age. The matsuri performed in Kotohitan-hachiban shrine at the third week of October every year was managed by the self-government of residents without help of the local government. There are ten 'chyousa's include for children's. An external aspect of the 'chyousa' is much more splendour and grandeur to compare with other's. And the contents of the matsuri to be performed for three days in this district consisted of four parts, 'chyousa' parade, 'mikosi(moving shrine)' parade, lion dance and fireworks. At the first day they assembled a 'chyousa' and go around the their districts with the 'chyousa'. At the second day, invitation god ceremony and the third day, send off god ceremony with parade of 'chyousa', 'mikosi' and lion dance in the shrine square. The fireworks were done at the second night. The matsuri purify the districts with the 'chyousa' through going around at the first day. And the residents dedicate the 'chyousa' as an offering to the god for their safety and good harvest. After finishing a ritual ceremony, they enjoy their life deviated with shouting, running and swing around the 'chyousa' in the street. Therefor in the matsuri there are both sides of reverential and sacred feature as ritual ceremony and disturbing and disordered feature as festival.


Adenylyl cyclase (AC) mediates signalling following activation of G(alphas)-coupled receptors such as the beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2AR). Genetic variation in the receptor component of this pathway can alter signal transduction and the response to beta-agonists in asthma, but little is known about downstream effectors. Here, we characterize the population genomics and signalling effects of a polymorphism within the coding region of the AC9 gene that results in an Ile to Met substitution at amino acid 772 within the C1b region of the enzyme. Allele frequencies were 0.300 and 0.375 in Caucasians and Asians but were lower in African-Americans (0.163). The functional effects were studied in stably transfected HEK293 cells recombinantly expressing equivalent levels of wild-type (Ile772) and polymorphic (Met772) AC9. The polymorphic substitution results in a loss of function compared to wild-type AC9. Met772 AC9 has lower basal and beta2AR-mediated adenylyl cyclase activities compared to Ile772 AC9, as well as reduced activity following stimulation of G(alphas) by NaF. Direct stimulation of AC9 activity by Mn2+/- was also depressed in Met772 membranes, indicating decreased catalytic function, consistent with the location of residue 772. AC9 mRNA and protein were expressed in multiple human lung cell-types, including airway smooth muscle and airway epithelium. In the treatment of asthma, there is marked heterogeneity in the response to inhaled beta-agonists which is associated with polymorphisms of the beta2AR. Identification of a common AC9 variant that confers reduced enzyme activity reveals an additional polymorphism that should be considered in pharmacogenetic studies of beta-agonist therapy of asthma.


This document describes a framework for IPFIX Mediation. This
framework extends the IPFIX reference model by defining the IPFIX
Mediator components.


Abstract There is an overwhelming archeological and genetic evidence that modern speech apparatus was acquired by hominins by 600,000 years ago 1. On the other hand, artifacts signifying modern imagination, such as (1) composite figurative arts, (2) bone needles with an eye, (3) construction of dwellings, and (4) elaborate burials arose not earlier than 70,000 years ago. It remains unclear (1) why there was a long gap between acquisition of modern speech apparatus and modern imagination, (2) what triggered the acquisition of modern imagination 70,000 years ago, and (3) what role language might have played in this process. Our research into evolutionary origin of modern imagination has been driven by the observation of strict dependency between childhood use of full recursive syntactic language and imagination. Modern children, who are not using recursive syntactic language in early childhood, will never acquire a particular component of imagination, specifically, the type of active constructive imagination called Prefrontal Synthesis (PFS). Unlike vocabulary and grammar acquisition, which can be learned throughout one's lifetime, there is only a short critical period for the development of PFS and individuals not exposed to recursive syntactic language in early childhood, can never acquire PFS as adults. If early hominins (during the period of 600,000 to 70,000 years ago) were not exposed to recursive syntactic language before the end of critical period, they would have never acquired PFS and this would explain their pre-modern behavior. Their communication system would have been lacking flexible syntax, spatial prepositions, and recursion that depend on the PFS ability. Furthermore, just as modern individuals without the PFS ability, they would not have been able to learn these recursive elements of language later in life and, therefore, would not be able to teach these elements to their children. Thus, the need to acquire recursive syntactic language in early childhood creates an evolutionary barrier for behavioral modernity. A mathematical model suggests that a synergistic confluence of three events: (1) a genetic mutation that extended the critical period by slowing down the prefrontal cortex development in two or more children, (2) spontaneous invention of recursive elements of language, such as spatial prepositions, by these very children and (3) their dialogic communications using these recursive elements, resulted in simultaneous acquisition of PFS and conversion of the non-recursive communication system of their parents to recursive syntactic language around 70,000 years ago.


The soils of the big cities, owing to the various anthropogenic activities, can be contaminated by heavy metals. The surroundings of the roads with heavy traffic as significant metal emitter source can be contaminated by heavy metals. The hobby gardens and the vegetable gardens directly along roads can be potential risky for people since unknown amount of heavy metals can be accumulated into organization of local residents due to consumption of vegetables and fruits grown in their own garden. Most metals are well-known to have toxic characters but we have known little what extent these metals exert influence on people living directly along road with busy traffic. During our research, metal contamination has been investigated in the gardens near the roads with heavy traffic in Szeged by measuring of metal contents in soil and plants samples. Enrichment factor has been calculated with the help of control soil samples far from roads having heavily traffic. Besides determination of the metal content of soil and plant samples, soil properties basically influencing on metal mobility has been examined in order to characterize the buffering capacity of the studied soils. The health risk quotients have also been determined to evaluate human health risk of the contaminated soils.


This study uses in-depth interviews and participant observation with gun carriers in Michigan to examine how socioeconomic decline shapes the appropriation of guns by men of diverse class and race backgrounds. Gun carriers nostalgically referenced the decline of Mayberry America—a version of America characterized by the stable employment of male breadwinners and low crime rates. While men of color and poor and working-class men bear the material brunt of these transformations, this narrative of decline impacts how both privileged and marginalized men think of themselves as men because of the ideological centrality of breadwinning to American masculinity. Using Young's (2003) "masculine protectionism" framework, I argue that against this backdrop of decline, men use guns not simply to instrumentally address the threat of crime but also to negotiate their own position within a context of socioeconomic decline by emphasizing their role as protector.


BACKGROUND
Multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB and XDR- TB) threaten local and global control of the disease. The molecular line-probe assay (LPA) provides rapid diagnosis and early management of MDR-TB. The LPA detects mutations of katG and inhA genes associated with isoniazid (INH) resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. The katG and inhA genes are associated with high- and low-level INH resistance, respectively, as well as cross-resistance to ethionamide in the case of inhA gene mutations. Patients with MDR-TB due to an inhA mutation could benefit from the use of high-dose INH - instead of ethionamide - in their MDR-TB regimen.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the frequencies of katG and inhA mutations that conferred INH resistance among MDR-TB isolates during 2014 - 2016 in Free State (FS) Province of South Africa.

METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed MDR-TB isolates assayed with GenoType MTBDRplus (Hain Lifescience, Germany) (LPA) at the central TB laboratory of Universitas Academic Hospital, Bloemfontein, FS, and calculated the frequencies of katG and inhA mutations.

RESULTS
Among 918 MDR-TB isolates, the prevalence of katG, inhA and katG plus inhA mutations was 63.9%, 13.4% and 22.7%, respectively. Approximately 60% (n=536; 58.4%) of the isolates were obtained from male patients. The patients' ages ranged from 1 to 89 (median 37) years. The Xhariep district had the highest incidence of INH resistance-conferring mutations in the province.

CONCLUSIONS
katG-associated mutations are the predominant INH resistance-conferring mechanism among MDR-TB isolates in the FS. Patients infected with isolates that harbour the katG mutation are unlikely to benefit from high-dose INH therapy in the bedaquiline (BDQ)-containing modified short MDR-TB regimen. They may, however, benefit from the inclusion of ethionamide in the regimen. Dual katG and inhA gene mutations make these patients unlikely to respond to either high-dose INH or ethionamide and should now be considered for either the BDQ-containing long MDR-TB regimen or an individualised treatment regimen, depending on fluoroquinolone susceptibility. Clinicians should familiarise themselves with interpreting various INH resistance-conferring mutation results and their implications for management of MDR-TB treatment.


Treatment of keratosulfates with alkali leads to the formation of 3,6-anhydroglucosaminyl groups in high yield. A similar reaction takes place with heparin and heparitin sulfate, though to a lesser extent. The anhydrosugar was isolated and compared with synthetic 3,6-anhydroglucosamine. The isolated compounds were identical in ion exchange chromatography in the amino acid analyzer and on Dowex 50 H(+) eluted with dilute HCl. The spectra of the isolated and synthesized anhydrosugar were identical in infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance. Derivatized compounds were identical in gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy. The peracetylated compound isolated from keratosulfate gave the nuclear magnetic reasonance and fragmentation pattern of the postulated compound. The reaction is expected to be useful in structural studies of hexosamine-containing polymers.


Abstract The aim of this study was to compare morphologic, electrophysiologic, and visual function parameters in non-glaucomatous cupping of prematurity to those of controls. Twenty children (7 to 18 years) with non-glaucomatous cupping of prematurity were prospectively recruited, along with 20 controls. Visual function parameters, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and visual evoked potentials (VEP) parameters were measured. RNFL thickness was reduced in children with non-glaucomatous cupping of prematurity compared with controls. VEP P100 amplitude was significantly lower in children with non-glaucomatous cupping of prematurity than in the control group. Kinetic perimetry visual fields were normal in all but one patient. Static perimetry revealed increased overall pattern defect in children with non-glaucomatous cupping of prematurity compared with controls. Despite these morphological, electrophysiological, and subtle visual field defects, many other visual function parameters, such as visual acuity, color vision, and contrast sensitivity, appear similar to normal controls.


We have previously reported that endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine is impaired in small mesenteric arteries from spontaneously diabetic (db/db) mice. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of treatment of the db/db and the insulin-resistant ob/ob mice with the PPARγ agonist 2-(2-(4-phenoxy-2-propylphenoxy)ethyl)indole-5-acetic acid (COOH). In the db/db model, an 8-week treatment with COOH (30 mg/kg/day) reduced plasma glucose from 48.0 ± 2.5 (untreated) to 12.6 ± 1.1 mM. In contrast, plasma glucose was not elevated in untreated ob/ob mice. Relaxation of small mesenteric arteries mediated by acetylcholine was impaired in the untreated db/db diabetic mice (51.7 ± 7.4% maximal relaxation, n = 6) but not in the ob/ob mice (70.8 ± 8.6% maximal relaxation, n = 3). This impairment was reversed with COOH treatment (86.9 ± 0.4% maximal relaxation, n = 5). Malondialdehyde was elevated in plasma from diabetic db/db mice (13.9 ± 1.1 versus 12.0 ± 0.7 μmol/ml); however, when normalized to total cholesterol, no significant differences in the ratio of lipid peroxidation in plasma were identified. Western blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for eNOS was performed on the isolated mesenteric vessels and revealed no differences in the relative levels of eNOS expression in diabetic and control animals; in addition, treatment with COOH had no significant effect on eNOS levels in either group. In summary, endothelial dysfunction and hyperglycemia were completely normalized in COOH-treated db/db mice. In contrast, nonhyperglycemic ob/ob mice exhibited normal vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine and, consequently, COOH treatment had no effect on endothelial function.


Governments, universities, and other public institutions not only use open source software (OSS) but also contribute to existing OSS projects or even initiate new OSS communities. Public administrations such as City of Munich are actively involved in the development of LibreOffice (City of Munich 2012; Sneddon 2015); others like the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo) supported the OpenLayers 3 implementation
substantially via an international crowdfunding campaign (Moullet 2014). Starting a new OSS project may simply mean publishing source code on public repositories as the UK government is doing on GitHub using the GitHub and Government service. Or it may also include establishing governance rules as the Swiss Federal Court did when releasing its internal court decision administration system thus initiating the OSS project OpenJustitia (Brunner 2013).


The Ice Crystal Environment Modular Axial Compressor Rig (ICE-MACR) was developed by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) with support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in response to the need to understand ice crystal icing of aircraft engines at high altitudes. Icing wind tunnel tests on static hardware lack some of the real physics of turbofan compressor such as centrifuging and fracturing of particles, and melting of particles due to compression heating, heat transfer through a casing wall, as well as annular geometry effects. Since the commissioning of ICE-MACR in 2019 new insights have been gained on the physics behind ice crystal icing of turbofan engines. Additionally, the results of various test campaigns have been used to validate engine ice accretion numerical codes. This paper summarizes the key insights into ICI of turbofans gained from the ICE-MACR to date.


This paper presents the conceptual design and sample calculations of a new global land use model "LandShift". The model is designed to be highly modular in order to incorporate submodels that cover different parts of the global land use system and to allow new models to be added from the rapidly advancing field of land use research. It combines GIS and simulation analyses to provide both a dynamic and spatially-resolved picture of global land use changes. The basic idea is to use a modified cellular automata approach to allocate land after the suitability of land is evaluated with a suite of state-of-the art dynamic models. New features for a large-scale land use model include (i) the simulation of crop productivity with a dynamic model that provides a link between changing land use and other global change processes, (ii) the first scheme for dynamically estimating the potential of irrigated land worldwide, and (iii) a user interface for automatically translating qualitative knowledge from land use research into internal model coefficients.


We study unification in the SU(5) model with an extra Dirac multiplet in the 24 representation. After spontaneous symmetry breaking, we have, at low energies, a singlet, a colorless triplet and a neutral color-octet. All other particles can be taken at the unification scale. This combination leads to a unification very near the Planck scale. The triplet is light, its neutral component is a dark-matter candidate. The model is in agreement with a recently derived anomaly condition, that implies that the number of (Weyl)-fermions has to be a multiple of 16.


Parameters of the cardiovascular system of a group of individuals of the Arctic and alpine adaptive types from a position of the theory of chaos and self-organization have been studied. It has been established that volumes of quasiattractors of a condition vector of an organism of representatives of the alpine type right after their moving to the north were higher than the volumes of the Arctic representatives. Identification of the most significant parameters (signs) of a condition vector of a human body has been made.


Progressive dyspnea and hypoxaemia in the subacute phase after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are uncommon and warrant immediate assessment of valve and prosthesis leaflet function to exclude thrombosis, as well as investigation for other causes related to the procedure, such as left ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary embolism, and respiratory sepsis. In this case, we report the observation of a patient presenting two weeks after TAVI with arterial hypoxaemia in an upright position, relieved by lying flat, and coupled with an intracardiac shunt detected on echocardiography in the absence of pulmonary hypertension, raising the suspicion of Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome (POS). Invasive intracardiac haemodynamic assessment showed a significant right-to-left shunt (Qp/Qs = 0.74), which confirmed the diagnosis, with subsequent closure of the intracardiac defect resulting in immediate relief of symptoms and hypoxaemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an interatrial defect and shunt causing Platypnea-Orthodeoxia Syndrome after transcatheter aortic valve implantation, resolved by percutaneous device closure.


There have some advantages like as Good working conditions, High Security, Guaranteed production capacity and Low loss for Open pit mining, therefore the degree of opencast mining increasing. In this paper numerical simulation and limit equilibrium are used for Stability of west project of side slope which are under the conditions of Normal and Saturation. Draw slope stability results under the two conditions in order to take appropriate measures to provide appropriate post- mining safety protection.


It is shown how the characteristic thermal effects that observers experience in space-times possessing an event horizon, can manifest already in a simple quantum system with affine symmetry living on the real line. The derivation presented is essentially group theoretic in nature: a thermal state emerges naturally when comparing different representations of the group of affine transformations of the real line. The freedom in the choice of different notions of translation generators is the key to the Unruh effect "on a line" we describe.


This paper proposes a novel system which provides 3-axis orientation and 3D location estimation for a Mobile Device based on Time of Flight (ToF) and Angle of Arrival (AoA) measurements using ultrasonic signals. Robustness is provided to the system by means of a Slow Frequency-Hop Spread Spectrum modulation and a robust 2D AoA estimation method with a Uniform Circular Array (UCA). In simulation, the system shows an accuracy of 1.7 degrees in the orientation estimates and location estimates under 1 cm in 95% of cases under conditions of noise and reverberation.


The Na+/H+ exchangers (NHXs) are a class of transporters involved in ion balance during plant growth and abiotic stress. We performed systematic bioinformatic identification and expression-characteristic analysis of CaNHX genes in pepper to provide a theoretical basis for pepper breeding and practical production. At the whole-genome level, the members of the CaNHX gene family of cultivated and wild pepper were systematically identified using bioinformatics methods. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction were performed using MEGA X software, and the gene functional domain, conserved motif, and gene structure were analyzed and visualized. At the same time, the co-expression network of CaNHX genes was analyzed, and salt-stress analysis and fluorescence quantitative verification of the Zunla-1 cultivar under stress conditions were performed. A total of 9 CaNHX genes were identified, which have typical functional domains of the Na+/H+ exchanger gene. The physical and chemical properties of the protein showed that the protein was hydrophilic, with a size of 503–1146 amino acids. Analysis of the gene structure showed that Chr08 was the most localized chromosome, with 8–24 exons. Cis-acting element analysis showed that it mainly contains cis-acting elements such as light response, salicylic acid response, defense, and stress response. Transcriptom and co-expression network analysis showed that under stress, the co-expressed genes of CaNHX genes in roots and leaves were more obvious than those in the control group, including ABA, IAA, and salt. The transcriptome and co-expression were verified by qRT-PCR. In this study, the CaNHX genes were identified at the genome level of pepper, which provides a theoretical foundation for improving the stress resistance, production, development, and utilization of pepper in genetic breeding.


BACKGROUND: Nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNx) and cup-stacked-type carbon nanofibres (CST) were modified with nitric acid, at 85 °C, for 1–3 h to enhance their cation adsorption capacity, and were used for cadmium removal from aqueous solutions. These carbon nanostructures were characterized by SEM, EDX, FTIR, BET surface area, TGA and acid/base titrations. In addition, cadmium adsorption experiments were carried out at different pH values and constant temperature.

RESULTS: EDX and FTIR revealed a 0.4 times increase in oxygen content after acid treatment, which was reflected in an increment of up to 1.93 mmol g−1 of acid sites and in a shift of about two units of the zero point charge to lower pH values. The BET surface area, in general, decreased as the oxidation time increased. Finally, batch sorption experiments indicated that CNx are more effective than CST to sequester Cd2+ at pH 7; the sorption capacities of these materials increased as pH rose.

CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained indicate that it is feasible to modify both physical and chemical properties of the carbon nanostructures CNx and CST by HNO3 in such a way that they can be used to adsorb cations present in aqueous solutions. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry


Invertebrate herbivores are important and diverse, and their abundance and impacts are expected to undergo unprecedented shifts under climate change. Yet, past studies of invertebrate herbivory have documented a wide variety of responses to changing temperature, making it challenging to predict the direction and magnitude of these shifts. One explanation for these idiosyncratic responses is that changing environmental conditions may drive concurrent changes in plant communities and herbivore traits. Thus, the impacts of changing temperature on herbivory might depend on how temperature combines and interacts with characteristics of plant communities and the herbivores that occupy them. Here, we test this hypothesis by surveying invertebrate herbivory in 220, 0.5 meter-diameter herbaceous plant communities along a 1101-meter elevational gradient. Our results suggest that increasing temperature can drive community-level herbivory via at least three overlapping mechanisms: increasing temperature directly reduced herbivory, indirectly affected herbivory by reducing phylogenetic diversity of the plant community, and indirectly affected herbivory by altering the effects of functional and phylogenetic diversity on herbivory. Consequently, increasing functional diversity of plant communities had a negative effect on herbivory, but only in colder environments while a positive effect of increasing phylogenetic diversity was observed in warmer environments. Moreover, accounting for differences among herbivore feeding guilds considerably improved model fit, because different herbivore feeding guilds varied in their response to temperature and plant community composition. Together, these results highlight the importance of considering both plant and herbivore community context in order to predict how climate change will alter invertebrate herbivory.


Teachers should be able to respond to technological developments, especially about technologies that support the learning process, such as making learning media by utilizing technology. Microsoft Office PowerPoint, is one of the media that can be used in designing more interesting learning. Because, with the help of Microsoft Office PowerPoint, the teacher can design learning that combines several media, such as audio, images, text and so on or called multimedia. To overcome the inability of teachers to design multimedia-based learning, training needs to be held. This paper is an exploration of the training activities conducted by the author of teachers in MIN 11 Aceh Tenggara. The results of the activity showed that, every teacher in MIN 11 Aceh Tenggara already had a laptop as a medium for making PowerPoint, the obstacle faced was how to operate it that could not. Then, after doing the training the teacher felt that the use of PowerPoint was very helpful in making learning interesting and fun, and students were also more enthusiastic and motivated in participating in the learning, because students felt that they seemed to be directly in the events set forth in Power point.


&NA; Self‐acceptance has been identified as a key element in successful rehabilitation of physically disabled adults. This study sought to identify factors that contributed to self‐acceptance. Four factors were investigated as predictors of self‐acceptance. Using the multiple regression statistics, the study found that knowledge of disability and perceived physical ability comprised a significant portion of the variance of self‐acceptance. The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficent Analysis indicated that both factors have a significant correlation to self‐acceptance. The other factors, interpersonal support and self‐care, did not form a significant portion of the variance in self‐acceptance. They also did not have a significant correlation with self‐acceptance.


A vehicular driving assist device of the present invention includes: a determination means which determines the traffic flow status in a lane where the vehicle is driving, said determination being made on the basis of the acceleration of the vehicle and the distance between the vehicle and another nearby vehicle; and a driving control means which controls the driving of the vehicle and is capable of changing driving control in response to a determination result from the determination means. The driving control means changes the driving control when the determination result indicates that the traffic flow status is a critical region status which exists during transition from a free-flow status where there is a low possibility of congestion to a mixed-flow status where a vehicular braking status and an acceleration status are mixed.


To the Editor. — Let us look at those suggesting a physician recredentialing process. First, we have Gellhorn 1 from the New York Department of Health—a government bureaucracy. Second, we have Dr Langsley 2 from the American Board of Medical Specialties—a professional bureaucracy. Both are from bureaucracies that would ascend in power over the lives and livelihoods of practicing physicians. Recredentialing? "Educational, not punitive," the recredentialing bureaucrats tell us. "This won't hurt," the dentist tells us. What of the National Physician Data Bank? What of the friendly reviews of the Medicare civil "servants"? What of the national trial lawyers? Only those who stand to gain power and influence will tout recredentialing. Only those who hold honest jobs stand to lose. Let organized medicine not stand again as procurer for the power mongers or their dupes.


Abstract : The Coupled Cluster Theory Electron Correlation Workshop "Fifty Years of the Correlation Problem" was held at Cedar Key, Florida, from June 15-19, 1997, to recognize the essential developments for one of the dominant topics in the quantum theory of atoms, molecules, and solids. The instantaneous Coulombic interactions among electrons that correlate their motion (the electron correlation problem) has been the focal point of ab initio quantum chemistry and physics for many years. Only with the proper inclusion of electron correlation in approximate solutions of the Schroedinger (or Dirac-Fock) equation is it possible to provide predictive accuracy for most properties of atoms and molecules. Such quantities include energetics (involving multiplets, dissociation pathways, and activation barriers), excited states and first- and second-order properties (like moments, field, gradients, polarizabilities, and magnetic susceptibilities), and vibrational, electronic, EPR and NMR spectra, among others.


This paper presents the reverse priority impedance control of manipulators with reference to redundant robots of a given task. The reverse priority kinematic control of redundant manipulators is first expressed in detail. The motion in the joint space is derived following the opposite order compared with the classical task priority–based solution. Then the Cartesian impedance control is combined with the reverse priority impedance control to solve the reverse hierarchical impedance controlled, so that the Cartesian impedance behavior can be divided into the primary priority impedance control and the secondary priority impedance control. Furthermore, the secondary impedance control task will not disturb the primary impedance control task. The motion in the joint space is affected following the opposite order and working in the corresponding projection operators. The primary impedance control tasks are implemented at the end, so as to avoid the possible deformations caused by the singularities occurring in the secondary impedance control tasks. Hence, the proposed reverse priority impedance control of manipulator can achieve the desired impedance control tasks with proper hierarchy. In this paper, the simulation experiments of the manipulator will verify the proposed reverse priority control algorithm.


Every village has a leader. The uniqueness of the leadership of Tenganan Pegringsingan village is interesting to be observed. Therefore, the researcher is interested to observe it with three main problems as follows: 1.How is the leadership system in Tenganan Pegringsingan traditional village? 2. How is the job and leadership function in Tenganan Pegringsingan traditional village? 3. How is the ethics education in leadership system in Tenganan Pegringsingan? with the general objects and specific objects and also the benefits of theoretical and practical. Furthermore, theoretical mapping in this study uses as follows: 1. system theory to distinguish the problem of leader system; 2. structural functional theory to distinguish the problem about the leadership's job and the function; 3. the value theory to distinguish the problem of leadership ethics education. Whereas, the method used is the method of collecting data as the beginning for accuracy and foresight in preparing the thesis. The method of collecting the data as follows: observation method, interview method, library method, and method of documentation study. After the data collected and processed by using descriptive analysis method is how data processing is done by the way of arranging systematically to get the general conclusion. Based on the research methods, the result of the study can be describe as follows: 1. leadership system of Tenganan Pegringsingan traditional village such as: a. general leadership; b. the role of traditional village; c. devotion of leadership rules; d. the level of krama desa's structure; e. the relationship between traditional village and the government; f. routine krama desa activities. 2. Tenganan Pegringsingan's duties and functions of village leadership such as: a. tradition and religion functions; b. political and the law function; c. social and civic security function. 3. Leadership ethics education such as:  a. ehical education in taking decision; b. ethical education in rituals and religions; c. ethical education in environmental management; d. ethical education in maintaining tradition and culture.


This research was conducted with the aim of knowing the effect of the work environment and work motivation on teacher work discipline. A case study of teachers at Vocational High School Muhammadiyah Tasikmalaya. The method used in this study is a survey method using data obtained directly through questionnaires distributed to 30 respondents who are teachers of Vocational High School Muhammdiyah Tasikmalaya. The technique used in this research is Path Analysis. The results showed that: (1) the work environment had a positive and significant effect on the work Motivation of teachers at Vocational High School Muhammadiyah Tasikmalaya; (2) the work environment has a positive and significant effect on work discipline; (3) there is a positive and significant influence of work motivation on work discipline for teacher of Vocational High School Muhammadiyah Tasikmalaya (4) the work environment has a significant effect on work discipline through work motivation


The storage life of 'Clementine' mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. pollen was effectively extended in an oxygen-free atmosphere. 'Clementine' pollen held at 4°C enabled satisfactory germination (20%) up to 7 weeks; a similar rate of germination was maintained after 20 weeks by use of N atmosphere. By combining deepfreeze temperatures (−18°) with either N or CO2 atmosphere for pollen storage, a germination rate of 13% was maintained after 57 weeks. With Poncirus, lower germination rates were obtained (7-9% after 57 weeks), but results paralleled those obtained with 'Clementine' mandarin pollen. Poncirus pollen, stored in an oxygen-free atmosphere at −18° for one year, maintained its fertilizing capacity.


Purpose - – This study aims to examine the effects of balanced scorecard (BSC) usage on performances in the context of four contingent variables in Singaporean manufacturing firms. The results show that firms are more likely to adopt BSC if they are large in size, have products at an early product lifecycle (PLC) stage, operate in highly uncertain environments or adopt differentiation strategies. However, the adoption of BSC improves performance only in firms that are large or have products at an early PLC stage. The results suggest that contingent factors in which a firm operates can exert significant effects on the results of adopting BSC. Design/methodology/approach - – Survey data are collected, then the authors check data correlations, principle components analysis, run regression analysis and ANOVA. Findings - – BSC use is positively and significantly correlated with PLC stage, external environment and performance. Size and strategy are positively correlated with BSC usage, but are not statistically significant. Higher BSC use is found in large firms with products at an early PLC stage or operating in a highly uncertain environment. Companies with a cost leadership strategy are significantly associated with BSC use. Research limitations/implications - – This study has small sample size and uses survey research method. The measurements to capture all aspects of BSC usage are non-exhausting. Future research can use different methodologies, such as field studies, case studies and lab experiments, to examine other industries than manufacturing. Practical implications - – The authors results show the positive association between BSC use and certain firm characteristics. Firms with those characteristics should get insights about the benefit of using BSC and extract the maximum benefit from their investment on the BSC use and those firms which don't have BSC in implication may think of implementing the BSC use. Social implications - – Firms' contingent factors affect the value of adopting BSC. With the authors research result, firms will be aware of how to extract the most value out of BSC and improve the social wealth of the manufacturing industries. Originality/value - – The authors paper is the first paper to use survey method to examine the association between BSC and firms' contingent factors in the Singaporean manufacturing firms setting.


The statistics of power dropouts in semiconductor lasers subjected to delayed optical feedback have been numerically investigated using the Lang-Kobayashi model. The data from the numerical simulations have then been used to calculate the probability distribution functions, mean values, and return maps of the time that elapses between dropouts. In addition, the transition from the "low frequency fluctuation" to the "coherence collapse" regime has also been investigated. The numerical simulations compare well with both experimental results, obtained from multilongitudinal mode lasers, and analytical results obtained from other theoretical models. Evidence of "excitability" within the Lang-Kobayashi model is also reported.


192Ir sources have been widely used in clinical brachytherapy. An important challenge is to perform dosimetric measurements close to the source despite the steep dose gradient. The common, inexpensive silver halide film is a classic two-dimensional integrator dosimeter and would be an attractive solution for these dose measurements. The main disadvantage of film dosimetry is the film response to the low-energy photon. Since the photon energy spectrum is known to vary with depth, the sensitometric curves are expected to be dependent on depth. The purpose of this study is to suggest a correction method for silver halide film dosimetry that overcomes the response changes at different depths. Sensitometric curves have been obtained at different depths with verification film near a 1 Ci 192Ir pulsed-dose-rate source. The depth dependence of the film response was observed and a correction function was established. The suitability of the method was tested through measurement of the radial dose profile and radial dose function. The results were compared to Monte Carlo-simulated values according to the TG43 formalism. Monte Carlo simulations were performed separately for the beta and gamma source emissions, using the EGS4 code system, including the low-energy photon and electron transport optimization procedures. The beta source emission simulation showed that the beta dose contribution could be neglected and therefore the film-depth dependence could not be attributed to this part of the source radioactivity. The gamma source emission simulations included photon-spectra collection at several depths. The results showed a depth-dependent softening of the photon spectrum that can explain the film-energy dependence.


A network of cytoplasmic microtubules in PE cells disassembles at 37 degrees C under 1000 atm pr. in 12 to 14 hours; under 2000 atm pr., the disassembly time is not more than 2 hours. The reconstitution process sets in 20 minutes after pressure dropping to proceed diffusely throughout the cytoplasm. Microtubules attached to the cell center reappear in 45 minutes. The dynamics of microtubular disassembly and reconstitution indicates a complete inactivation of the cell center as a microtubule-organizing center.


The cement industry is facing pressure to find technological solutions in reducing greenhouse gas emissions owing to the large amount of process emissions originating from the calcination of limestone. In this communication, an all-fibre gas monitoring system based on anti-resonant hollow-core fibres is proposed. An on-field test was performed in the harsh environment of a cement factory and it demonstrated the feasibility of using this system for low-concentration carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide monitoring in exhaust fumes.


OBJECTIVES
Assessment of the selected aspects of memory in Polish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the associations between memory and clinical course, neurological status, mood, fatigue, and employment status.

METHODS
The initial five learning trials of the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), the initial three learning trials of the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-revised (BVMT-R), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale were administered to 100 MS patients and 150 healthy participants (HP).

RESULTS
The MS group performed worse than the HP group on both the CVLT and the BVMT-R. The lowest scores were obtained by secondary progressive MS patients. There were significant differences between the MS and HP group on fatigue and depression, but not anxiety. Multivariate analysis showed worse neurological status was the only clinical predictor of memory disturbances. CVLT scores were significantly associated with employment status.

CONCLUSIONS
Memory impairment occurs in patients with MS and affects employment status. Depressive symptoms, anxiety and fatigue, unlike neurological status, were not directly related to memory status.

https://www.psychiatriapolska.pl/pdf-125747-81777?filename=Memory in Polish multiple.pdf


enhancement is plays a vital role in various applications. There are many techniques to remove the noise from the image and produce the clear visual of the image. Moreover, there are several filters and image smoothing techniques available in the literature. All these available techniques have certain limitations. Recently, neural networks are found to be a very efficient tool for image enhancement. A novel two-stage noise removal technique for image enhancement and noise removal is proposed in this paper. In noise removal stage, an adaptive two-level feed forward Neural Network (NN) with a Modified Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm was used to eliminate the impulse noise. In the image enhancement stage, the fuzzy decision rules inspired by the Human Visual System (HVS) are used to categorize the image pixels into human perception sensitive class and nonsensitive class, and to enhance the quality of the image. The Hyper trapezoidal fuzzy membership function is used in the proposed technique. In order to improve the sensitive regions with higher visual quality, a Neural Network (NN) is proposed. The experiment is conducted with standard image. It is observed from the experimental result that the proposed two stage technique shows significant performance when compared to existing methods.


The aim of this study was to characterize dental anomalies. The pretreatment records (photographs and radiographs) of 2897 patients (41.4% males and 58.6% females) were utilized to detect dental anomalies. The dental anomalies studied were related to number, size and shape, position, and eruption. A Chi-square test was carried out to detect associations between dental anomalies, jaw, and sex. A total of 1041 (36%) of the subjects manifested at least one dental anomaly. The prevalence of all dental anomalies was jaw-dependent and greater in the maxilla, except for submerged and transmigrated teeth. The most frequently missing teeth were the maxillary lateral incisor (62.3%) and the mandibular second premolars (60.6%). The most frequent supernumerary teeth were the incisors in the maxilla (97%) and the first premolars in the mandible (43%). Dental anomalies are more frequent in the maxilla and mainly involve the anterior teeth; in the mandible, however, it is the posterior teeth. These differences can be attributed to the evolutionary history of the jaws and their diverse development patterns.


To investigate the phenomenon that occurs during interactions between used objects and autobiographical memories, which are both ever-changing and imbedded with personal significance, an adapted probing method capable of managing these complex qualities is needed. This pictorial is our attempt to find a nuanced indication of how probes could go beyond common usage to facilitate complex felt experience, and how probes can be used in less prescriptive ways to instead promote reminiscent dialogues that are rich and open to interpretation for both participants and researchers. It illustrates our exploration into potential Memory Probes and how this might be done that reflects the value we see in creating restrictions or limitations in technology-mediated interactions to encourage active participation by users in social acts such as memory creation and remembrance.


was the cause some neurogenic symptom or sign would be present. The pain in the early stages was caused by ligamentous lesions and occasioned by spasm of the cervical muscles. Later, when the protruded fragments of disk impinged upon one of the cervical nerves, radicular pain appeared-both a distally shooting superficial pain' and a more proximal aching myotonic pain in the muscles supplied by the affected segmental nerve. Paraesthesiae in the peripheral distribution of the affected nerve were common. Examination would disclose hypotonia, wasting, and eventually weakness of the muscles supplied by the involved nerve, and diminution of the tendon reflexes was common. Objective sensory disturbance was, however, rare. Radiological examination of the cervical spine in such cases would often show narrowing of disk spaces and osteoarthritic change. but the significance of these x-ray changes was far from clear, since identical changes might be present in the absence of symptoms. In treatment rest was all-important. Ideally this should be in bed in a half-sitting position, the head supported on pillows with a sandbag on each side to prevent lateral movement, and a pillow beneath the knees to facilitate the maintenance of the sitting position. The weight of the arms should be carried on pillows. Adequate doses of analgesic drugs were required. morphine being given in the early stages if necessary. Later a mixture containing two or three compound codeine tablets with half a grain (32 mg.) of codeine phosphate added was useful. This was given four-hourly by day, and at night 15 to 20 minims (0.9 to 1.2 ml.) of "nepenthe" was added. Basal sedation with amylobarbitone, 1 gr., was also useful. Heat applied to the shoulder by means of an electric pad might be helpful, but other forms of physiotherapy were contraindicated. If pain continued for two to three weeks in spite of this regime traction was applied to the neck by means of a Crile halter to which was attached a weight of 6 to 14 lb. (2.72 to 6.35 kg.), the traction being maintained for three to four weeks. Should pain then recur a plastic collar should be provided to limit neck movement. Also if bed rest was impossible a collar must be fitted and analgesics provided.


Interoperability is the among the key functionalities of an intelligent systems. Home Healthcare Monitoring Systems (HHMS) investigates patients activities at home, but lacks critical information exchange with Health Management Information System (HMIS). This information is vital for physicians to take necessary steps for timely and effective healthcare provisioning for patients. Physicians can only monitor and prescribe patients in time, if the data is shared with their HMIS. HMIS can be compliant to different healthcare standards. Therefore, mediation system is required to enable interoperability between HHMS and HMIS such that physicians and patients information can easily be exchanged. We propose Interoperability Mediation System (IMS) that provides interoperability services for exchange of information among HHMS and HMIS. We consider that HMIS are compliant to two heterogeneous EHR standards (HL7 CDA and openEHR). Alzheimer's patient case study is described as a proof of concept. Sensory information gathered at HHMS, is communicated with HMIS compliant to EHR based healthcare standards. Sensors information in XML form is converted by interoperability service to HL7 CDA and openEHR instances and communicated to HMIS afterwards. This allows the physicians registered with HHMS to monitor the patient using their HMIS and provide timely healthcare information.


Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal brain cancer in adults, characterized by rapid growth, extensive invasiveness, and poor prognosis, and there is still a lack of effective treatments. Here, we aimed to explore the role of triptolide (TPL), purified from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, on glioblastoma cell growth, apoptosis, proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as potential underlying mechanisms. Methods The publicly available clinical data of Brain Lower Grade Glioma (LGG) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) had been screened to observe PROX1 expression. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to analyze the relationship between PROX1 expression and GBM prognosis. CCK8, cell cycle, EDU, apoptosis, wound healing, and transwell assays were performed to detect the effects of TPL on glioblastoma U251 cell viability, cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion, respectively. Further, a soft agar colony assay was used to calculate the growth of glioblastoma cells. The qRT-PCR and western blot were conducted to quantify PROX1 mRNA and protein levels. The transcriptional regulation of TPL was detected by Dual luciferase reporter assay. Results We found that TPL inhibited glioblastoma cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle, migration and invasion, but enhanced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of cell cycle inhibitor, P21, and pro-apoptosis factor, Bax was increased, while invasion-related factors MMP2 and MMP9 were silenced after TPL treatments. Mechanistically, TPL showed transcriptional inhibition of PROX1 appearance. Moreover, ectopic expression of PROX1 partially rescued the effects of TPL on glioblastoma cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion, and on the expression of cell function-related genes. Conclusion This study verified that TPL inhibited the progression of glioblastoma cells by transcriptionally depressing the expression of PROX1.


ABSTRACT Successful transition from conflict and fragility hinges on the quality and legitimacy of public financial management (PFM) systems. This article shows that such systems develop asymmetrically in these settings. Formal aspects of modern systems are adopted, but a layered series of informal arrangements govern resource management. Analysis of data from Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability assessments of 101 countries explores aspects of this asymmetry and different explanations are considered for why elites seem to choose not to invest trust, resources, and capacity in making mainstream PFM systems functional. These explanations focus on the incentives created by three "public" resources: illicit flows, domestic revenues, and strategic or aid flows. Mainstream PFM systems are applied to a small part of these flows. The illustrative case of Cambodia shows how a layered system has emerged to govern such flows, undermining the influence of formal public finance management systems. The article offers suggestions to address these issues.


The 2007 Law of Historical Memory, which aimed to excise the spatial remnants of Francoism from the Spanish landscape, and to recognise Republican victimhood, was blatantly inadequate, and left victims in the same legal position as before. 1 In the immediate aftermath of the law, the Spanish state institutionally divorced itself from the recuperation of Republican memory by closing down the Office for Victims of the War and Dictatorship, 2 and reducing the funding devoted to historical memory from 6.5 to 2.5 million in 2011. This article will examine the subsequent transnationalisation of Republican memory, in the form of its Argentinisation, and economic protest movements' appropriation of the memory of the Second Republic. Relatedly, it seeks to answer overarching questions concerning the reach and scope of global memory edicts in national memory debates.


Buttrick. Protein kinase C- (cid:1) modulates apoptosis induced by hyperglycemia in adult ventricular myocytes. Am J We evaluated the direct effect of hyperglycemia on apoptosis of adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVM) in vitro. Hyperglycemia (16.5 mM) for 24 h increased apoptosis by greater than threefold (48.2 (cid:2) 4.4%, by the TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling method) compared with baseline (14.7 (cid:2) 2.5%). Hyperosmolarity with mannitol (11.0 mM) in the presence of 5.5 mM glucose also increased apoptosis by approximately twofold of baseline. Both glucose and mannitol treatment resulted in the membrane translocation of protein kinase C (PKC)- (cid:1) , and the activation of PKC- (cid:1) was confirmed by immune complex kinase assay. PKC- (cid:1) -specific translocation inhibitor peptide ( (cid:1) V1-1) attenuated only apoptosis induced by hyperglycemia but not by mannitol. A PKC- ε -specific translocation inhibitor peptide ( ε V1-1) affected neither type of apoptosis. Moderate overexpression of PKC- (cid:1) by adenovirus gene transfer prevented the antiapoptotic effect of (cid:1) V1-1. Furthermore, (cid:1) V1-1 attenuated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by glucose. Taken together, our results indicate that increased ROS production regulated by PKC- (cid:1) is in part responsible for the induction of apoptosis by hyperglycemia and that apoptosis by hyperglycemia is mechanis-tically different from that by hyperosmolarity.


In recent years, there have been considerable advances in the characterization of the cyanide-resistant alternative pathway associated with plant respiration. The pathway consists of a single enzyme, a cyanide-resistant quinol oxidase called the AO, that shunts electrons off the cyanide-sensitive Cyt pathway at the level of the ubiquinone pool and reduces oxygen to water with no conservation of energy (for recent reviews, see Day et al., 1995; Siedow and Umbach, 1995; Wagner and Krab, 1995). cDNA and gene sequences for the AO from several species have been reported (Day et al., 1995), which has led to some understanding of the structural features of the oxidase (Day et al., 1995; Siedow and Umbach, 1995). Studying the partitioning of electron flow between the alternative and Cyt pathways using isolated mitochondria, Bahr and Bonner (1973) found that low concentrations of Cyt pathway inhibitors such as cyanide or antimycin diverted electrons onto the alternative pathway. However, specific inhibition of the AO, using compounds such as SHAM, did not divert electrons onto the Cyt pathway. These results suggested that electron flow through the alternative pathway took place only when electron transfer through the Cyt pathway was either at or near saturation. The validity of the Bahr-Bonner, or electron overflow, paradigm has been debated within the plant respiration community (Laties, 1982; Lambers, 1985). Most experimental evidence was consistent with the paradigm, and simultaneous measurement of oxygen uptake and ubiquinone redox poise qualitatively confirmed the Bahr-Bonner model (Dry et al., 1989). During succinate oxidation by isolated mitochondria, AO activity appeared only when the ubiquinone pool was more than 40 to 50% reduced, whereas the activity of the main pathway increased as a linear function of reduced ubiquinone at levels well below those needed for significant AO activity. The general acceptance of the electron overflow paradigm had several consequences. First, regulation of the alternative pathway through an electron overflow mechanism culminated in the proposal that the AO acted primarily in an "energy overflow" capacity (Lambers, 1985). The alternative pathway was envisioned as being active when the cytoplasm contained excess reducing equivalents and/or had a high adenylate charge (i.e. ATPADP ratio). The latter circumstance, in particular, will restrict electron flow through the Cyt pathway. Shunting electrons onto the alternative pathway allows continued operation of glycolysis and the TCA cycle, providing carbon skeletons and oxidation of excess carbohydrate, among other possibilities (Lambers, 1985). Second, acceptance of the electron overflow paradigm led to the use of AO inhibitors to quantify alternative pathway activity during respiration by intact plant tissues (Laties, 1982; Lambers, 1985). Any Question


Rhipicephalus camicasi Morel, Mouchet et Rodhain, 1976 is thought to be distributed across Africa, Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean region. It belongs to the Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) species complex. Mitochondrial genome sequences are becoming frequently used for the identification and differentiation of tick species. In the present study, the entire mitochondrial genome of R. cf. camicasi (~15 kb) collected from a camel in Saudi Arabia was sequenced and compared with mitogenomes of two species of Rhipicephalus Koch, 1844. The mitochondrial genome is 87.8% and 91.7% identical to the reference genome of R. sanguineus (sensu stricto, former "temperate lineage") and Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826) (former "tropical lineage"). The current study delivers a molecular reference for material that resembles R. camicasi. We propose to consider the current material, including the complete mitogenome, as the reference for R. camicasi, until a revision using topotypical material is available.


Jane Eyre is a masterpiece of the famous English writer Charlotte Bronte's in 19 th century. From its coming into being,it has appealed a lot of literary critics to explore the heroine, Jane Eyre. Their opinions are positive, negative, or they study it from different aspects. So it's very necessary to have a review about these different views in order that readers can understand it more clearly. This essay attempts to summarize these different literary critics in the recent years in China, mainly from Jane Eyre's characters, and through the approaches of feminism, religious consciousness, and comparison with other females.


Secondary school pupils and their parents were investigated using the scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–28) and by a questionnaire designed to study attitudes involved in inter-generational conflict in psychiatric patients. Parent-pupil and interparental conflict in answers to the attitude questionnaires were taken as measures of inter-generational and intra-generational conflicts respectively. The former significantly exceeded the latter. Parent-student conflict was higher when the students involved were females, Kuwaiti, or had less educated fathers. The tendency of the number of reported GHQ symptoms to be higher in members of families with higher inter-generational conflict did not reach statistical significance. There is an apparent discrepancy between this finding and the prominence of inter-generational conflict in clinical material.


Incubators for biotech firms are popping up around the world, with the Boston and Northern California regions home to some of the most popular—and most successful, in terms of firms "graduated" to bigger sites and money raised by tenants. For example, LabCentral, a nonprofit organization occupying a renovated, 2600-square-meter facility leased from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, allows any scientist with an idea and ambition to rent a lab bench and an office, sharing space, services, and high-cost tools with others pursuing their own entrepreneurial dreams. There's already a waiting list for slots, and LabCentral tenants last year raised some $200 million in funding. "It is very exciting because we are there at the nascent moment of many really, really cool companies," says molecular biologist Johannes Fruehauf, a LabCentral founder.


In this paper we present the study of the azimuthal correlation function of non-photonic electrons with low-pT hadrons produced in Cu+Cu collision at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV measured by STAR experiment at RHIC. Possible modification of the awayside peak is observed.


Nowadays, corruption is still the most and biggest problem facing by Indonesian, due to its impacts on the nation. It caused huge loss to the state finance and even to the democratic life in this country. Various efforts have been resorted to fight corruption, but the results are unfruitful. Until recently, Indonesia is still the third most corrupt country in Asia according to the survey of Transparency International Indonesia (TII) in 2015, with the Corruption Perceptions Index of 36 points. The fight in eradicating corruption cannot be separated from the effort to deter the criminals through severe punishment. However, ICW's most recent data shows otherwise. During the first half of 2014, there were 261 accused of corruption, with 242 of them were convicted guilty by the Corruption Courts. Among them, 193 were sentenced lenient (between 1-4 years imprisonment), 44 moderate (4-10 years), and only 4 with over 10 years imprisonment. The average length of sentence is therefore 2,9 years. The lenient sentence can also be found in criminal restitution. Only in 87 of the total cases state compensation is imposed, amounting 87.04 billion rupiahs in total. The amount is only 0.022% of the total financial loss of 3.863 trillion rupiahs. The weak penalty triggered then the idea of impoverishing corruptors as a strategic step to accelerate the eradication of corruption while restoring the loss to the state. In contrast to the criminal restitution, which is restricted only to the state loss caused by the perpetrators, criminal confiscation of assets has no limit in amount.


This study aimed to have a full understanding of the steroidogenic acute regulatory gene family member and evolutionary relationship in grape. 23 VvSTARD gene members were identified and divided into five groups in different species. Analyses of the gene codon preference, selective pressure, and tandem duplication of the VvSTARD, AtSTARD, and OsSTARD genes indicated that synteny relationship occurred in grapes, Arabidopsis thaliana, and rice genomes. The 8 lipid transporter proteins were found in the tertiary structure of the STARD gene family in grape. Expression profiles of the three species microarrays showed that the expression levels of the STARD genes in different organs and the response to abiotic stress in the same subgroup had similar characteristics. In addition, analysis of the VvSTARD genes expression levels was detected in response to different hormones and abiotic stresses by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the results were the same as those predicted by the cis-elements and the expression profiles. Meanwhile, VvSTARD5 gene was screened in high concentration NaCl treatment by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the VvSTARD5 was located at the nucleus by subcellular location. Through the function analysis of salt tolerance in transgenic tomato, overexpression VvSTARD5 obviously improved tolerance to salt stress. Taken together, our findings Preliminary identify the functions of VvSTARD gene family and vertify STARD5 that be likely involved in regulating salt tolerance, which may have potential application molecular breeding in grape.


In this thesis we lay the foundations for a distributed, community-based computing environment to tap the resources of a community to better perform some tasks, either computationally hard or economically prohibitive, or physically inconvenient, that one individual is unable to accomplish efficiently. We introduce community coding, where information systems meet social networks, to tackle some of the challenges in this new paradigm of community computation.
We design algorithms, protocols and build system prototypes to demonstrate the power of community computation to better deal with reliability, scalability and security issues, which are the main challenges in many emerging community-computing environments, in several application scenarios such as community storage, community sensing and community security. For example, we develop a community storage system that is based upon a distributed P2P (peer-to-peer) storage paradigm, where we take an array of small, periodically accessible, individual computers/peer nodes and create a secure, reliable and large distributed storage system. The goal is for each one of them to act as if they have immediate access to a pool of information that is larger than they could hold themselves, and into which they can contribute new stuff in a both open and secure manner. Such a contributory and self-scaling community storage system is particularly useful where reliable infrastructure is not readily available in that such a system facilitates easy ad-hoc construction and easy portability. In another application scenario, we develop a novel framework of community sensing with a group of image sensors. The goal is to present a set of novel tools in which software, rather than humans, examines the collection of images sensed by a group of image sensors to determine what is happening in the field of view. We also present several design principles in the aspects of community security. In one application example, we present community-based email spam detection approach to deal with email spams more efficiently. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)


The C(5')-R epimer of 8,5'-cycloadenosine crystallizes in the monoclonic space group P2(1) (Z = 2) with unit cell dimensions a = 5.755 (1), b = 16.895 (1), and c = 5.511 (1) A and beta = 104.16 (1) degree. X-ray intensity data were measured on a diffractometer, and the crystal structure was determined by direct methods. Least-squares refinement converged at R = 0.037 for 1008 reflections. The conformation about the glycosyl bond is anti, as imposed by the 8,5' cyclization, with XCN = 29.8 degrees. The ribose ring adopts the unusual C(1')endo-O(4')exp (o1T) conformation with pseudo-rotation parameters P = 289.0 degrees and tau m = 490 degrees. The six-membered ring formed by the 8,5' linkage is approximately a half-chair with C(4') and O(4'), respectively, above and below a plane defined by the other four atoms. These results are compared with those previously reported for the corresponding S epimer [Haromy, T. P., Raleigh, J., & Sundaralingam, M. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 1718-1722]. The conformations of the sugar rings and the exocyclic groups of both epimers in the solid state are compared to the conformations in solution, as determined by analysis of the systems of proton-proton vicinal coupling constants from the 1H NMR spectra. The foregoing findings are employed to examine the role of the conformational parameters of adenosine and 5'-AMP in reactions catalyzed by the appropriate enzymes.


Predators may utilize signals to exploit the sensory biases of their prey or their predators. The inclusion of conspicuous silk structures called decorations or stabilimenta in the webs of some orb‐web spiders (Araneae: Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, Uloboridae) appears to be an example of a sensory exploitation system. The function of these structures is controversial but they may signal to attract prey and/or deter predators. Here, we test these predictions, using a combination of field manipulations and laboratory experiments. In the field, decorations influenced the foraging success of adult female St. Andrew's Cross spiders, Argiope keyserlingi: inclusion of decorations increased prey capture rates as the available prey also increased. In contrast, when decorations were removed, prey capture rates were low and unrelated to the amount of available prey. Laboratory choice experiments showed that significantly more flies (Chrysomya varipes; Diptera: Calliphoridae) were attracted to decorated webs. However, decorations also attracted predators (adult and juvenile praying mantids, Archimantis latistylus; Mantodea: Mantidae) to the web. St. Andrew's Cross spiders apparently resolve the conflicting nature of a prey‐ and predator‐attracting signal by varying their decorating behaviour according to the risk of predation: spiders spun fewer decorations if their webs were located in dense vegetation where predators had greater access, than if the webs were located in sparse vegetation.


A MAN who is 42 years old has a blood pressure of 230/150 mm Hg. Does he have malignant hypertension? Should the blood pressure be lowered immediately or gradually? The answers to these questions require a clear concept of the nature and treatment of malignant hypertension. Unfortunately, there is no single, all-inclusive definition of malignant hypertension. The disease is actually a clinical syndrome characterized by severe diastolic hypertension and varying degrees of retinal or renal changes or both. It may be accompanied by visual impairment, headache, nausea, vomiting, a variety of neurologic abnormalities, and rapid deterioration of renal function. The pretreatment diastolic blood pressure usually exceeds 130 mm Hg, although occasional patients may have the typical syndrome with lower blood pressure levels. A few patients seem to tolerate equally severe hypertension without ever developing the syndrome, so that it is not possible to predict which patient will develop the typical


Force gauge is an instrument used to measure the force on the traction unit. The purpose of this study is made a force gauge meter which used during traction operation. The main component of this force gauge meter is Atmega 328, HX711 module and Loadcell type S sensor.n The mikrokontroller Atmega 328 is the main board. Loadcell type S used to detect the force of traction, and the module HX711 is used to amplify the output of the loadcell sensor. In this study, the measurements were performed in the hospital. The error nof this design is 0.01% nand 4.8% for minimum and maximum, respectively. The force gauge designed portable and comes with a battery indicator.


In many inference and learning tasks, collecting large amounts of labeled training data is time consuming and expensive, and oftentimes impractical. Thus, being able to efficiently use small amounts of labeled data with an abundance of unlabeled data—the topic of semi-supervised learning (SSL) [1]—has garnered much attention. In this paper, we look at the problem of choosing these small amounts of labeled data, the first step in a bootstrapping paradigm. Contrary to traditional active learning where an initial trained model is employed to select the unlabeled data points which would be most informative if labeled, our selection has to be done in an unsupervised way, as we do not even have labeled data to train an initial model. We propose using unsupervised clustering algorithms, in particular integrated sensing and processing decision trees (ISPDTs) [2], to select small amounts of data to label and subsequently use in SSL (e.g. transductive SVMs). In a language identification task on the CallFriend1 and 2003 NIST Language Recognition Evaluation corpora [3], we demonstrate that the proposed method results in significantly improved performance over random selection of equivalently sized training data.


Integrated fiber-wireless (FiWi) access networks provide a powerful platform to improve the throughput of peer-to-peer communication by enabling traffic to be sent from the source wireless client to an ingress optical network unit (ONU), then to the egress ONU close to the destination wireless client, and finally delivered to the destination wireless client. Such wireless-optical-wireless communication mode introduced by FiWi access networks can reduce the interference in wireless subnetwork, thus improving network throughput. With the support for direct inter-ONU communication in the optical subnetwork, throughput of peer-to-peer communication in a FiWi access network can be further improved. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid wavelength division multiplexed/time division multiplexed passive optical network (WDM/TDM PON) architecture supporting direct inter-ONU communication, a corresponding decentralized dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) protocol for inter-ONU communication and an algorithm to dynamically select egress ONU. The complexity of the proposed architecture is analyzed and compared with other alternatives, and the efficiency of the proposed system is validated by the simulations.


Aim. The article deals with developing and assessing the efficiency of a complex nutritional support program for the joint-ligament system in athletes and physically active people. Materials and methods. The clinical evidence of biologically active substance (BAS) efficiency and functional orientation was obtained from the representative group of people with knee-joint osteoarthrosis. The main group of participants received a BAS complex with synergistic properties in terms of metabolism correction during osteoarthrosis: BAS 1 – 2 pills, BAS 2 – 1 capsule (2 times per day, 12 weeks), and BAS 3 – 1 capsule (2 times per day, 8 weeks). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were also prescribed to participants from the main and control groups. We used the general and special methods for assessing the quality and functional properties of specialized products. Knee joints were studied by using the Lequesne index (scores) characterizing pain syndrome, maximal distance, and daily movement activity. The intensity of pain syndrome was assessed with the visual analog scale (VAS, in mm). Results. We provided a scientific justification for the qualitative and quantitative content of BAS recipes for complex nutritional support of the joint-ligament system: BAS 1 – chondroprotective orientation; BAS 2 – an optimal source of minerals and vitamins; BAS 3 – polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results obtained revealed that specialized products improve the movement activity of participants with osteoarthrosis and significantly decrease pain syndrome (36 %). Apart from a chondroprotective effect such nutrition provides an anti-inflammatory effect and allows decreasing the intake of Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the absence of side effects. We revealed an insignificant number of disease recurrence – 6.7% (in the control group – 36.5 %) and established the mechanisms of such an influence. Conclusion. The application of biologically active complexes could serve as a reliable means of preventing and treating the diseases of the joint-ligament system, providing physical performance, and preserving health in athletes and physically active people.


By focusing on Malaysian data, this study investigates the response of the Islamic stock market to changes in major macroeconomic variables such as industrial output, money supply, unemployment rate, exchange rate and foreign interest rate. It focuses on the period from January 2010 to December 2014 to capture the period of a prolonged downturn in the global financial market due to the U.S. financial crisis which started in 2007. The study adopts the co-integration approach of the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model in order to capture the long-run relationship between the variables. The results show that the Islamic stock price reacts positively to the domestic factors, namely industrial activities, money supply, unemployment rate and real effective exchange rate disturbances. Interestingly, it reacts negatively to the foreign interest rate, suggesting investors' "flight to quality" behaviour during a downturn in the global equity market.


The low pathogenic H9N2 influenza viruses are a threat to poultry as well as global public health due to their ability to reassort with other avian influenza viruses leading to the emergence of novel reassortant viruses having pandemic potential. The continued inter-subtypic reassortment events between influenza viruses in the Indian sub-continent have led to the replacement of the already existing G1 lineage of H9N2 viruses with the UDL genotype-like (A/chicken/Pakistan UDL-01/08/H9N2) viruses, which are triple reassortants between H9N2 virus (G1 lineage), HPAI H5N1 virus (clade 2.2) and HPAI H7N3 viruses. G1 lineage of H9N2 viruses in China has also been replaced with a fitter G57 lineage which donated internal genes to novel H7N9 viruses in 2013. We assessed and compared the replication, transmission and pathogenic potential of UDL01/2008/H9N2 virus and A/Ck/Vietnam/H7F-14-BN4-315/2015 H9N2 virus of G57 lineage isolated from Vietnam in 2015. Vietnam H9N2 virus was found to be relatively more virulent compared to the UDL genotype-like H9N2 in Chickens. Our in-vitro and in-ovo infection studies also showed that Vietnam/BN4-315/H9N2 virus has greater replication fitness compared to UDL-01/08/H9N2 virus. The UDL-01/08 H9N2 reassortants carrying internal genes of Vietnam/BN4-315 virus also showed improved replication fitness in MDCK cells. It is, therefore predicted that genetic reassortment between dominant strains in the Far East and the Indian subcontinent/Middle East may generate more virulent H9N2 viruses.


Most of the cities all over the world have the problem of traffic jam, but Beijing is probably one of the typical cities. Researchers and government have applied the energies to finding a solution to solve this problem in Beijing, but the effect is not satisfying. Space syntax theory and its mode to solve problems can provide instructive reference for analyzing the urban traffic problem. Based on the current condition of urban traffic network in Beijing, this paper was in virtue of space syntax theory and GIS visualization technology, extended the space syntax theory, divided the traffic network according to roads' designation, and improved the axial map. We put forward the concept of accessibility, discussed the method that how to deal with loops, and proved the optimizing measures which are supposed to revive the current traffic pressure in Beijing based on the iterative optimizing experiments. It is concluded that increasing radialized roads can help to improve the traffic status obviously of Beijing traffic network, which is in the framework of loops. Moreover, we conducted different simulating experiments, such as adding 2 more, 4 more, 6 more, 8 more, and up to 14 more radialized roads in different directions. We discovered that there is a critical of the added roads. Adding 6~8 more roads can lead to an optimal yield. In accordance with this finding, we selected the axial lines of roads on the spot according to current urban planning, and had validated the feasibility and rationality of the optimizing method. It is concluded that building some new radialized roads and rebuilding some main roads are available for improve the traffic condition and the input-output ratio is better. Consequently, the extended space syntax method can instruct road reconstructing and urban planning, and be generalized to other cities.


The sacredness that is attached to human life in both social and religious spheres forbids its termination at will; hence, the entrenchment of right to life in the constitutions and other legal documents of countries in the world. Given this, murder attracts capital punishment. In spite of this understanding, some lives are perceived to be miserable and are thus not worth living. This is what led to the idea of euthanasia or mercy killing, which has generated much controversy amongst scholars in different fields of study like law and medicine, with no agreement arrived at. However, peoples' disposition to euthanasial given religious teaching on the sanctity of life in the light of contemporary reality has not been significantly explored. Therefore, this paper examined euthanasia from a religious perspective, with emphasis on Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion. It was premised on prudential personalist ethics of B. M. Ashley, which holds that the 'ends' of human actions are always persons and the community of interrelated people responding to one another, and John Locke's natural rights theory. Oral interviews were conducted with twenty purposively selected respondents comprising 3 legal practitioners, 4 medical practitioners, 3 traditionalists, 4 Muslims and 6 Christians. Their responses were complemented with a content analysis of relevant academic materials. The paper established that life is sacred in every religious tradition. However, euthanasia could be the last resort in some respects. Keywords: euthanasia, sanctity of life, prudential personalist ethics, natural rights, religion


This appeal calls for sound to be considered as a geophilosophical provocation to, and a method for, political thought. It arises from experiments in ways of knowing and inhabiting the world, gesturing toward disciplines concerned with sound, the politics of language, and the physical and philosophical environment. Anchoring sound as an inherently political medium, it outlines five propositions on inequality, imperceptibility, translation, commons, and the future; it argues that these are critical arenas into which the particularities of sound afford inquiry. Developing this specific reading of sound positions the sonic as a means for opening spaces that challenge hegemonic and violent forms of subjectivation, which are productive of contemporary states of ecological and economic crisis.


Background: Preservatives are widely used in personal and industrial products. Frequent and sustained exposure to preservatives can cause contact allergy. Objective: We investigated the prevalence of contact allergic reactions to common preservatives in Taiwan over a 20-year period. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted among patients with allergic contact dermatitis who underwent patch testing at our clinic between 1996 and 2015. Patients who showed positive reactions to preservatives were enrolled. The location of the reaction, likely source of the allergen, and patient occupation, sex, and age were recorded. Thirteen common preservatives, including methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI), MI, formaldehyde (FA), paraben mix, and quaternium-15, were investigated. Results: Of 757 enrolled patients, 151 showed at least one positive reaction to preservatives. Allergy to MCI/MI (12.5%), the most frequent allergen in the standard series, showed a steeply increasing trend over time. FA (4.8%) and paraben mix (2.1%) were the next common allergens. Cosmetic products were the most common source of exposure (63.6%), while hairdressers and massage therapists were most commonly associated with occupational contact dermatitis. A sharp increase of sensitivity to MCI/MI was observed after 2006 and that of allergy to MI after 2013. Conclusions: In Taiwan, the prevalence of contact allergy to MCI/MI, MI, and parabens has increased in recent years. Individuals who are frequently exposed to cosmetic products should consider precautions against sensitization.


We introduce version 2.0.0 of the computer program HiggsBounds. The program tests neutral and charged Higgs sectors of new models against the current exclusion bounds from LEP and the Tevatron. As input, it requires a selection of model predictions, such as Higgs masses, branching ratios, effective couplings and total decay widths. The program then uses the expected and observed topological cross section limits from the Higgs searches to determine whether a given parameter scenario of a model is excluded at the 95% C.L. by those searches. Version 2.0.0 includes 39/53 LEP/Tevatron Higgs search analyses, compared to 13/36 in the previous release (1.2.0). Among the newly included analyses are LEP searches for neutral Higgs bosons (H) decaying invisibly or into hadrons, LEP searches via the production modes (tau+ tau- H) and (b b-bar H), Tevatron searches via (t t-bar H), and LEP and Tevatron searches for charged Higgs bosons. Also, all Tevatron results presented at the ICHEP'10 are included in version 2.0.0. In this talk, we explain the basic ideas behind the implementation of HiggsBounds and provide a list of search topologies implemented in version 2.0.0. Furthermore, we apply HiggsBounds 2.0.0 to (a) determine the allowed Higgs mass range for a simple 4th generation model, (b) update/reproduce LEP/Tevatron Higgs exclusion plots for the MSSM m_h-max benchmark scenario, and (c) show exclusion results for the scalar sector of the Randall-Sundrum model.


FPGAs with supply voltage programmability have been proposed recently to reduce FPGA power. In this paper, we propose CLB-clustering design technique that employs VDD programmable and power gating methods to reduce leakage in standby mode. Compared to the conventional VDD-programmable architecture, our architecture reduces the leakage power by − 32.78dB with 2.32% more area.


One of the changes that compose history is the migration of peoples. The human development of colossal numbers from one geographical area to another and their first contact with other social and economic backgrounds is a major source of change in the human state. For at least two centuries long before the great brook of the Hungry Forties, Irish immigrants had been making their way to the New World. Yet, the tragedy of the Great Famine is still seen as the greatest turning point of Irish history for the future of Ireland was forever changed. The paper tends to explore the conception of emigration and how it steadily became "a predominant way of life" in Ireland, so pervasive and integral to Irish life that it had affected the broad context of both Irish and American histories simultaneously. From the post-colonial perspective, my study presents emigration as one of the greatest emotional issues in Irish history, as it tends to have a very negative image especially in the post-Famine era. People are generally seen as involuntary "exiles", compelled to leave Ireland by "British tyranny" and "landlord oppression" - an idealized Ireland where everyone was happy and gay and where roses grew around the door of the little white-washed cottage.


Fusion genes have been implicated in the development and progression of several types of sarcomas, serving as valuable diagnostic and prognostic markers, as well as potential therapeutic targets. We discovered a novel major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 7 (MFSD7) and adenosine triphosphate 5I (ATP5I) gene fusion from sarcomas. In this study, the MFSD7-ATP5I fusion transcript was screened using RNA sequencing in 55 sarcoma samples and sixteen normal samples. The MFSD7-ATP5I fusion transcript was detected in 58% of sarcoma samples. The correlation between the expression of MFSD7-ATP5I fusion transcript and clinicopathological information was analyzed, and MFSD7-ATP5I expression is associated with marked pleomorphism and lower tumor necrosis. Cell migration and invasion was significantly reduced by knock-down of MFSD7-ATP5I. Cell migration and invasion was increased by overexpression of MFSD7-ATP5I. A phosphokinase assay demonstrated that MFSD7-ATP5I is involved in the GSK-3 pathway. The current study found that MFSD7-ATP5I is associated with increasing pleomorphism and decreasing necrosis of tumors. And our gain and loss of function experiments prove that MFSD7-ATP5I promotes the invasiveness of tumor cells.


In late August last year the St George's Healthcare NHS Trust in south-west London signed what the Trust's Estates and Facilities team described as 'a historic partnership' with British Gas for a £12 m Energy Performance Contract energy reduction scheme--via which the energy company has guaranteed to deliver £1.1 m in annual savings over the next 15 years. The agreement will see British Gas replace four 35-year-old gas-powered steam boilers and an ageing CHP plant in the boiler house at the Trust's main acute facility, the StGeorge's Hospital in Tooting, and upgrade some of the associated infrastructure. British Gas will also maintain the new plant to ensure that the projected savings are achieved while the Trust owns the new assets. The Trust should gain financially--via lower energy costs and carbon emissions, while estates personnel will be better able to complete the many other estate maintenance issues that would otherwise be contracted out at one of London's biggest acute hospitals.


Reachability analysis is a crucial part of the heuristic computation for many state of the art classical and temporal planners. In this paper, we study the difficulty that arises in assessing the reachability of actions in planning problems containing sets of interdependent actions, notably including problems with required concur-rency as well as hierarchical planning problems. We show the limitation of state-of-the-art techniques and propose a new method suitable for both temporal and hierarchical planning problems. Our proposal is evaluated on FAPE, a constraint-based temporal planner.


In this paper, we employ group rings and some known results on group codes to study reversible group DNA codes. We define and study reversible cyclic DNA codes from a group ring point of view and we also introduce the notion for self-reciprocal group ring elements. Moreover, we search for reversible group DNA codes with the use of a virus optimisation algorithm. We obtain many good DNA codes that satisfy the Hamming distance, the reverse, the reverse-complement and the fixed GC-content constraints.