OBJECTIVE
Few studies exist on pharmacological interventions for adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD). To this end, we evaluated the response of bupropion hydrochloride sustained release (SR) in SUD adolescents with comorbid psychopathology (both attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a mood disorder).

METHODS
Fourteen adolescent outpatients were treated naturalistically and followed openly for 6 months. Adolescents were rated using the Drug Use Screening Inventory--Revised (DUSI-R), ADHD Symptom Checklist, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale scores were obtained for Substance Abuse, ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression. The ratings were completed at baseline, at month 3, and at the 6-month endpoint. Bupropion SR was initiated at 100 mg once-daily and titrated naturalistically to a maximum dose of 400 mg/day.

RESULTS
Of the 14 subjects followed, 13 subjects completed 6 months of treatment. At the 6- month endpoint compared to baseline, treatment with bupropion was associated with clinical and significant reductions in DUSI scores (-39%; p < 0.05), ADHD symptom checklist (-43%; p < 0.001), HAM-D (-76%; p < or = 0.001); and reductions in the CGIs for ADHD (p < or = 0.001), depression (p < or = 0.001), and substance abuse (p < 0.05). The mean daily dose of bupropion SR was 315 mg (in divided doses). No significant adverse events were noted during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS
These naturalistic data suggest that bupropion is well tolerated and may be an effective medication for the treatment of substance abusing adolescents with comorbid mood disorders and ADHD.


Hybrid plasma simulations, consisting of kinetic ions treated using standard Particle- In-Cell (PIC) techniques and an inertialess charge-neutralizing electron fluid, have been used to investigate the properties of collisionless shocks for a number of years. They agree well with sparse data obtained by flying through Earth's bow shock and have been used to model high energy explosions in the ionosphere. In this doctoral dissertation hybrid plasma simulation is used on much smaller scales to model collisionless shocks in a controlled laboratory setting. Initially a two-dimensional hybrid code from Los Alamos National Laboratory was used to find the best experimental parameters for shock formation, and interpret experimental data. It was demonstrated using the hybrid code that the experimental parameters needed to generate a shock in the laboratory are relaxed compared to previous work that was done[1]. It was also shown that stronger shocks can be generated when running into a density gradient. Laboratory experiments at the University of California at Los Angeles using the high energy kJ-class Nd:Glass 1053 nm Raptor laser, and later the low energy yet high repetition rate 25 J Nd:Glass 1053 nm Peening laser have been performed in the Large Plasma Device (LAPD), which have provided some much needed data to benchmark the hybrid simulation method. The LAPD provides a repeatable, quiescent, ambient magnetized plasma to surround the exploding laser produced plasma that is ablated from a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) target. The plasma density peaks in the machine at n_i ∼ O(10^13 cm^−3), which is sufficiently dense to strongly couple energy and momentum from a laser ablated carbon plasma ejected from the HDPE target into the magnetized ambient plasma. It has been demonstrated that a sub-critical shock is formed in the LAPD using the high energy Raptor laser[2], though the data from this experiment is scant. Hybrid simulation was used as an analysis tool for the shock experiments, but there remained the lingering question as to whether the assumptions made in the model sufficiently capture the relevant ion time scale physics and reproduce the magnetic field structure appropriately. A three-dimensional massively parallel hybrid code package was developed, called fHybrid3D, which was used to reexamine the 2013 data with more realistic laser ablation geometry. The data obtained in the 2015 Peening campaign proved to be useful, even though it did not generate a shock, in that it provided some volumetric data to compare to the 3D hybrid simulation. In addition to the larger magnetic field data sets, an emissive probe designed at UCLA[3] was fielded that could measure plasma potential. This is an important measurement, as previously only magnetic fields were measured on the ablation blow-off axis during the high energy laser experiments. This allows the laboratory experiment to directly validate the use of a simple isotropic electron pressure model close to the target. Though through scaling arguments the Larmor fields are strongest and provide the bulk of the ambient ion acceleration, correctly modeling the radial electric fields in the realm of sub-critical shocks is important for getting the coupling right as at lower Mach numbers. The data collected that is compared to simulation output that was converted to electrostatic potential φ suggests that the electron pressure model is sufficient for modeling perpendicular shocks in the laboratory.


Introduction Schistosomiasis is a trematodes infection more prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas such as Yemen. Giant colonic polyp manifestations of intestinal bilharziasis are uncommon, difficult to differentiate from other colonic polyps, and can mimic cancer. Case Report A 10-year-old child presented with chronic abdominal pain that started ten months ago. The patient had a family history of lymphoma in his brother. The computed tomography scan showed a sigmoid luminal mass measuring 10×3 cm with significant lumen narrowing and diffuse circumferential wall thickening of the sigmoid colon, hepatomegaly, and multiple perilesional, para-hepatic, and pulmonary lymph nodes enlargements. The mass was morphologically mimicked cancer and proved to be of bilharzial etiology (Schistosoma mansoni) after surgical excision. Conclusion Even though the bilharzial colonic polyps are rare, it is challenging to differentiate them from other malignant colonic polyps. Clinicians should have a high suspicion regarding its manifestations to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions, especially in an endemic area, even in patients with a strong family history of cancer.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific impairments in host immunity have been described at multiple levels of the innate and adaptive response, which may lead to viral persistence in the majority of infections. Understanding of HCV-associated immune defects could lead to novel therapeutic advances. Natural killer (NK) cells, the major effector cells of the innate immune system, are functionally impaired in chronic HCV infection. It has been suggested that this phenotype is a result of virus-specific defects in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that regulate NK cell activity, as normal NK function is restored when they are stimulated ex vivo. In this study, we used human NK cell cytotoxicity assays to evaluate the activation-induced effects of NK cells on the HCV replicon-containing hepatic cells. We found that cytokine-activated NK cells were capable of inducing an HCV-associated, perforin/granzyme-dependent lysis of human hepatoma cells and that this required direct cellular contact and was independent of MHC class I expression levels. In contrast, on removal of cytokine stimulation, NK cells failed to exert any direct cytolytic effect on replicon targets. These findings suggest an important underlying mechanism by which NK cells control HCV infection and, with appropriate understanding of HCV-associated immune defects, could lead to novel therapeutic advances.


Reprinted here for the first time in more than forty years is Rice Planter and Sportsman: The Recollections of J. Motte Alston, 1821-1909. This lively memoir offers a candid look into the daily life of a Low Country South Carolina family, as well as commentary and opinion about such matters as rice cultivation, slavery, and the sporting life. J. Motte Alston's memoirs, originally numbering more than five hundred pages, were never intended for official publication. Alston wrote for his grandson, who was fascinated by his family's personal history and how it fit into the larger context of South Carolina and the southern region. For the Alstons, family was more than a domestic affair. It was also a powerful economic consortium. The buying or selling of land and the building or leasing of houses; the management of each detail of the rice crop; the decision to marry, to have children, or to summer in the mountains--all were more than private or economic decisions. Alston included such details to help his grandson navigate the often tense waters of family affairs. Rice Planter and Sportsman also offers an entertaining look at the sport of the day. Much of the land on which Alston hunted with such success is now in privately owned game preserves, running from the rivers to the coast. Alston also included many details on the abundance of fish and game throughout the South Carolina Low Country and Blue Ridge Mountains. Franklin Burroughs' evocative and warm personal memoir conveys the story of the Alstons and places this memoir firmly in its broader historical context.


A new method for recording F-waves from facial muscles in order to assess the function of the intracranial and intracanalicular portion of the facial nerve peri- and intraoperatively has been developed: Direct (M) and F-responses were obtained from the nasal muscle after stimulation of the zygomatic branch of the facial nerve of healthy volunteers. We examined a number of patients with likely or obvious dysfunction of the facial nerve, mostly suffering from cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. F-wave findings were compared to blink reflex and transcranial magnetoelectric evoked potential recordings, the latter obtained from the nasal muscle. The F-wave turned out to be a sensitive parameter for the diagnosis of facial nerve dysfunction. The feasibility of intraoperative nasal muscle F-wave recording and its prognostic value are demonstrated. The nasal muscle F-wave is considered to be a valid parameter for the diagnosis of clinically imperceptible facial nerve lesions, especially of its intracranial portion.


A sampling technique for treating the radiative opacity of large numbers of atomic and molecular lines in cool stellar atmospheres is subjected to several tests. In this opacity sampling (OS) technique, the global opacity is sampled at only a selected set of frequencies, and at each of these frequencies the total monochromatic opacity is obtained by summing the contribution of every relevant atomic and molecular line. In accord with previous results, we find that the structure of atmospheric models is accurately fixed by the use of 1000 frequency points, and 100 frequency points are adequate for many purposes. The effects of atomic and molecular lines are separately studied. A test model computed using the OS method agrees very well with a model having identical atmospheric parameters, but computed with the giant line (opacity distribution function) method.


The conspicuous and dignified role of African Women in sexual and reproductive health, commerce, agriculture, governance and education demonstrates the importance place of women in African society. Regrettably, women have been socially discriminated, economically deprived, politically alienated, and educationally disadvantaged, psychologically traumatized and sexually abused based on their sexual orientation. This study is embedded within the context of the prevailing scholarly debate on gender and education in Africa's sustainable development. The researcher situates the discourse on the myth and reality of gender inequality in admission at state Universities in Nigeria. It examines the implication of this situation to educational attainment and policy initiatives. The study made use of secondary data already in the public domain to identify, discuss, compare, and analyze the evolving and complex issues of education admission in Nigeria. The study revealed that admissions in state universities in the southeast were in favor of female in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, while there male counterpart maintained their dominance in the south –south, southwest, north central, northeast and northwestern part of Nigeria within the period under review. In addressing these fundamental issues, the researcher identified cultural bias and patriarchal practices as the key factors militating against gender parity in promoting women's education and by extension economic and political empowerment in Africa. Nevertheless, an attempt was made to suggest for a sustainable solution to the identified problems. Keywords: gender inequality, economic empowerment, Education


The article describes an effectiveness of primary prevention of early forms of cerebrovascular diseases in young adults. The study includes 1200 patients from 16 to 35years (62,5% women, 37,5% men). All patients were divided into 3 groups. The first group consisted of patients with subclinical signs of cerebral blood supply insufficiency (n=400), a second group -with initial displays of CBSI (n=400), the third group with vascular encephalopathy of 1st stage. Patients underwent the following medications: vitaminsA, B, C, E, piracetam, vinpocetine, cerebrolysin, glycine, cinnarizine, dibazol. Results of studies have demonstrated a direct link the effectiveness of primary prevention, treatment and prevention in young adults


In recent years, many algorithms have been proposed to extract process models from process execution logs. The process models describe the ordering relationships between tasks in a process in terms of standard constructs like sequence, parallel, choice, and loop. Most algorithms assume that each trace in a log represents a correct execution sequence based on a model. In practice, logs are often noisy, and algorithms designed for correct logs are not able to handle noisy logs. In this paper we share our key insights from a study of noise in process logs both real and synthetic. We found that all process logs can be explained by a block-structured model with two special self-loop and optional structures, making it trivial to build a fully accurate process model for any given log, even one with inaccurate data or noise present in it. However, such a model suffers from low quality. By controlling the use of self-loop and optional structures of tasks and blocks of tasks, we can balance the quality and accuracy trade-off to derive high-quality process models that explain a given percentage of traces in the log. Finally, new quality metrics and a novel quality-based algorithm for model extraction from noisy logs are described. The results of the experiments with the algorithm on real and synthetic data are reported and analyzed at length.


Euphotic water samples were collected monthly from 16 sites in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada from July to September, 2006 and 2007. Sites represented a range of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and mixing regimes, which was reflected in the spatial variability in phytoplankton biomass and community composition, and cyanobacterial toxin [microcystin-LR (MC-LR)] concentrations. Nutrient concentrations decreased along a south to north transect, concomitant with distance from the main river inlet at the south end of the lake. Filamentous, nitrogen-fixing Aphanizomenon spp. and Anabaena spp. were dominant at most sites: Aphanizomenon was more abundant at southern sites and Anabaena was more abundant at northern sites. MC-LR was detected at all sites at least once (maximum concentration 0. 69 μg L -1 ). However, there was no correlation between MC-LR concentration and the biomass of Anabaena, a documented MC-LR producer. For the pooled data set, total phosphorus and ammonium concentrations were the two parameters most strongly related with MC-LR concentration. Principal components analysis was used to analyze the data set; it indicated that two factors accounted for 81 % of the variability among the 12 environmental parameters tested. Factor 1 represented physicochemical characteristics and phytoplankton biomass and Factor 2 represented Anabaena and Woronichinia biomass.


Internet systems are a typical scenario where sequences of interactions arise. Modeling the factors that drive the dynamics of an online auction, for example, is complex, since successive interactions become a loop-feedback mechanism, that we call reactivity, that is, the user behavior affects the auction negotiation and vice-versa. In this paper we briefly describes our methodology for characterizing online auctions, considering reactivity. We present the reactive transitions, that is the approach we adopt to model reactivity in online auctions. The reactive transition models the reactivity function, providing a way to discover the bidding behavior's patterns. We also validate our model using actual bidding data from eBay. The results show rich details to understand bidding behavior, that can be used to design support-decision agents and simulate e-markets.


This study investigates the contributions of capital market and financial deepening to economic growth in Nigeria over the period of 1981 to 2012. The analysis involves examining the stochastic characteristics of each time series variable by testing their stationarity using Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test and estimates the error correction mechanism model. Several variables were adopted as proxies for capital market and financial deepening. The study revealed that Stock Market Capitalisation (MCAP), Narrow Money Diversification (NMD; involving credit to private sector) and Interest Rate (INT) significantly impacted the promotion of economic growth of the country during the period of study. Though, other measures of liquidity represented by Financial Development (FID) and Monetisation Ratio (MTR) were not significant in explaining the trend in economic growth, they exhibited very strong coefficients in the process. It was recommended that Government and other stake holders in the economy should take measures to further improve the liquidity of the financial market to enhance overall economic efficiency in the country. The focus of policy targets should be specific in the expansion of credit to the producing sectors of the economy and further monetization of the economy by extending financial services to deficient locations. In addition to proper monetary policy management the study further recommends that concrete steps be taken to improve the performance of the Nigerian Stock Market.


In the above-named work (see ibid., vol.IT-33, p.438-43, May 1987), a method was presented for the construction of a variable length code with maximum word-length constraint. The algorithm is partially based on the algorithm of A.H. Murakami et al. (1984), and is extended with heuristic choices for the bifurcations. C.H. Lu (1988) explains why step (1) taken by Murakami, which is used in De Lameillieure's contribution as condition (6), does not guarantee an optimum code when a word-length restriction is imposed. This step (1), or condition (6), does not take the bounded maximum word length into account. Therefore, in the present contribution the author rectifies this difficulty by proposing an adaptation of condition (6) into a composite condition for the case when there is a word-length constraint. Proofs of the components of this composite condition are presented together with numerical results. >


This article presents a case of barogenic (postemetic) rupture of the esophagus that was diagnosed more than 48 hours after the acute event and subsequently treated successfully. The initial approach of direct esophageal repair, pleural drainage, antibiotics, and intravenous hyperalimentation was not successful. The repair site disrupted, and the patient became critically ill and septic. Salvage of the patient with closure of the fistula and normal alimentation was accomplished by partial distal esophageal occlusion, utilizing a serrated (Miles) vena cava clip.


In a series of 23 ampullary carcinomas, confirmed by the pathological examination of the duodenopancreatectomy specimens, 17 were biopsied during the previous ERCP examination. Biopsies were diagnostic of carcinoma in 12 (70.5%). Among 11 exophytic tumours biopsy was positive in 8 (72.7%) while in 6 tumours growing inside the papilla biopsies were positive in 4 (66.6%) (NS). It is concluded that endoscopic biopsy may be diagnostic in two-thirds of ampullary carcinomas.


BACKGROUND – Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4 (TIMP-4) is a secreted multi-functional protein associated with poor survival prognosis among early-stage triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). TNBC represent a highly aggressive form of this disease with an unmet need for effective predictive markers and targeted therapy. Extracellular TIMP-4 binds to the membrane bound tetraspanin CD63 and induces the activation of the tumor promoting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Here we report that TIMP-4 induced aggressive tumor growth and metastasis can be adverted by directly targeting TIMP-4 using a newly developed monoclonal antibody (mAb) to sequester TIMP-4 and the varied responses to common chemotherapy (CTX) regimen. METHODS – The role of elevated TIMP-4 in TNBC cell behavior was tested in cell culture and animal experiments using the human breast cancer line MDA-MB-468. Cells with or without TIMP-4 added to the medium were used to determine the effects on growth, clonogenic survival and response to chemotherapeutic agents such as adriamycin, Taxol, and the new TIMP-4 mAb. The same cell-line was used to induce tumor growth in nude mice with or without TIMP-4 containing slow-release pellets implanted into the mammary fatpad (mfp). Tumor growth and response to therapy was followed over a six-week period. Lungs, liver, spleen and mfp were collected and analyzed for presence of human cells using a specific anti-human MHC I mAb. Prospectively collected patient samples, in accordance with the IRB approved protocol, were tested for circulating levels of TIMP-4 using a commercially available ELISA assay in samples collected prior to chemotherapy and at each treatment cycle. The medical oncology staff recommended therapy without knowledge of TIMP-4 status. RESULTS – Augmentation of TIMP-4 levels in cell culture medium or the mfp of mice resulted in similar tumor phenotype as in the clinic; fast growing tumors with accelerated disease progression. Elevated TIMP-4 levels in the tumor environment resulted in a 1.5-fold increased growth rate with liver and/or lung metastasis in 25% of animals (N=16). No metastases were found in animals with normal TIMP-4 levels. Treating cell cultures or tumor-bearing mice (i.p. injections) with our TIMP-4 mAb resulted in decelerated growth rate and no detectable metastatic disease in the animals. Results from patient samples demonstrated that circulating TIMP-4 levels in breast cancer patients remain elevated after definitive surgery, indicating that TIMP-4 might continuously stimulate any remaining disseminated tumor cells. Adriamycin containing regiments was the only CTX to suppress the TIMP-4 levels independent of primary tumor size and nodal status. CONCLUSIONS – Based on these clinical and experimental data we suggest that TIMP-4 may represent a prognostic and predictive marker, and a therapeutic target for TNBC patients at highest risk. The presence of TIMP-4 identifies a patient population likely to recur quickly due to continuous activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Though adriamycin therapy can reduce the TIMP-4 levels, the toxicity of this agent suggests that targeted therapy of the PI3K/AKT pathway and/or a biological therapeutic approach directed against TIMP-4 may be of benefit in this subset of pts and should be further explored. Citation Format: U Margaretha Wallon, Jennifer L Sabol, Vlasta Zemba-Palko, James S DuHadaway, Erica Sutanto-Ward, Zonera A Ali, Paul B Gilman, Robin M Ciocca, Ned Z Carp, George C Prendergast. TIMP-4 is a prognostic and predictive marker in triple-negative breast cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-54.


As of late much research has been given to locate the reasonable elective fuel to oil based items. The present examination assesses the exhibition, burning and discharge parameters of the single chamber four-stroke diesel motor stacked up with the mixes of diesel and diethyl ether (DEE) as energized included substance. The radiations assessed were carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), smoke, O2, NOx. It was represented that including oxygenated included substances improved the gleam point, thickness and consistency of the diesel fuel, dependent upon the course of action of included substances. Diesel is injected to start chamber with diethyl ether as an additional substance with various blend degree (5,10 and 15%). Engine execution regards didn't change out and out with diesel empowers, yet exhaust release profile was improved. The additional substance showed as an improvement in the capability of the engine. Antagonistic to oxygen included substances found very fruitful in controlling NOx game plan and HC release. In this paper the examination of mean gas temperature and fumes gas temperature of a pressure start (CI) motor utilizing diesel and diethyl ether mixes are finished. The outcomes are determined at various motor burdens at consistent pressure proportion of 18:1. It is seen that the most extreme ignition gas temperature, brake warm productivity increases with increase in load. The fumes gas temperature increments with increment in load for all mixes of fuel. The crucial objective of this assessment is to propel the key execution and release parameters. The examination result revealed that mf(mass of fuel) and B.P(brake control) had higher impact in giving the best outcomes to execution and emanation qualities. DEE15 was seen as the ideal mix for brake explicit fuel consumption(BSFC) and brake warm efficiency(BTE).


Gene associated with retinoid-interferon (IFN)-induced mortality 19 (GRIM-19), a novel IFN-β/retinoic acid-inducible gene product, has been identified as a potential tumor suppressor, which is associated with the inhibition of tumor growth. GRIM-19 has been demonstrated to be downregulated in the ovarian tissue of patients with breast cancer, however, its role in breast cancer remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, a recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid carrying GRIM-19 was constructed and then transfected into the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line to examine its effects on breast cancer cell growth, migration and invasion using several in vitro approaches. The results demonstrated that upregulation GRIM-19 in the MCF7 cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis. Additionally, upregulation of GRIM-19 also suppressed the secretion of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It was also demonstrated that the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was downregulated by the expression of GRIM-19. These results revealed that overexpression of the GRIM-19 gene may be an effective approach to control the growth and invasion of human breast cancer cells.


This paper provides an overview of verbal markers of evidentiality in Early Modern German (1650-1800) in light of Boye's propositional scope hypothesis. The markers under investigation include the semi-auxiliary scheinen 'to shine, appear, seem' and the perception verbs sehen 'see' and horen 'hear.' It is shown that, although Boye's hypothesis sheds new light on and calls into question previous diachronic accounts of scheinen, it appears not to fully account for why cases where perception verbs do not scope over propositions are also found with evidential readings in light of the larger discourse context. It will be shown that Boye's hypothesis is still feasible when such contexts are taken into account. Data are drawn from the German Manchester Corpus (GerManC), a representative multi-register corpus of Early Modern German from 1650 to 1800.


Requirements analysts rarely use manual stencils nowadays. Technological advances mean that analysts can draw many types of diagrams. In this column, invited columnist Colin Codephirst asks whether this is progress, reflects on the advantages of old-style stencils, and muses on whether these stencils offered some advantages that have been forgotten. He outlines the requirements for a new stencil for analysts in the 21st century.


BACKGROUND
Several recent studies have reported that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a frequent occurrence in survivors of an intensive care unit (ICU) admission.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the frequency of PTSD symptoms at three and nine months post-ICU admission and examine possible risk factors that predispose to the development of PTSD symptoms.

METHOD
Using the following scales: Davidson Trauma Scale, Impact of Event Scale and the Post-traumatic Symptom Scale, 69 ICU survivors were assessed for PTSD symptoms at three months post-ICU admission. Of the original 69 patients, 37 completed the same questionnaires at the second follow-up at nine months post-ICU admission. Mean symptom levels for avoidance, intrusive thoughts and hyperarousal were calculated, and risk factors for the development of PTSD symptomatology were examined.

RESULTS
Depending on which scale was used, 16% to 33% of ICU survivors met the criteria for PTSD at either three or nine months. Younger age and the use of a prescription psychoactive medication at time of ICU admission were both independently associated with a higher risk of developing PTSD symptoms. Interestingly, symptoms of hyperarousal worsened during the follow-up interval for female patients, while they remained constant for males.

CONCLUSION
The frequency of PTSD symptoms was high in patients who survived an admission to the ICU. Depending on sex, symptoms may present and evolve differently. The adoption of screening tools and a multicentre ICU database in Canada is recommended to identify patients who are most at risk.


One of the basic values and principles governing public administration enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Chapter 10) is that "a high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained. Ethics is a process by which we clarify right and wrong and act on what we take to be right, that is, a set or system of moral principles that are generally accepted. Ethics simply means  what is right and wrong, what is acceptable or unacceptable and is intertwined with the value system of people. Ethics can also be seen as being relative, not absolute, as ethical behaviour is in the eyes of the beholder. Be that as it may, however, ethical conduct and behaviour normally refer to conforming with generally accepted social norms. Relative to ethics is professionalism, which entails a high standard of work and adherence to certain standards and principles pertaining to specific work to be done. Professionalism embodies skills, competence, efficiency and effectiveness. Public institutions exist for the public good and employ public servants to render services to ensure a better life for all. The public sector is characterised by unprofessional and unethical conduct. The article unearths these and suggests strategies/mechanisms to address this 'ill'. Can an unethical,  unprofessional public servant be trusted to deliver services? Can, for example, a debt-trapped public servant who survives on borrowing money from micro-lenders, who cannot manage personal finances, be trusted to efficiently manage public funds and thus enhance service delivery? Can an incompetent, corrupt, disloyal, unaccountable, shoddy public servant who flouts the principles of Batho Pele and the code of conduct be entrusted with the  responsibilities of ensuring a better life for all? The answers to these questions constitute the core of this article.


The study focused on the emission reduction and fuel economy benefits of the application of hybrid/electric powertrain technology to tight-duty vehicles (mid-size and compact passenger cars). The approach taken was to calculate the exhaust emissions (gm/mi) energy use (Wh/mi and mpg) for a wide range of vehicle designs (steel and light-weight materials), engines, energy storage devices, control strategies, and driving cycles using two vehicle simulation programs (SIMPLEV and AVTE). The full fuel cycle total emissions were then calculated for each of the hybrid designs using an EXCEL macro, which used as inputs the vehicle simulation results and upstream emissions to account for the vehicle evaporative and refueling emissions and the production and distribution of the fuel and electricity used by the vehicles. The total emissions calculations included the effects of the vehicle use-pattern. The key conclusions drawn from the results of the study were the following: (1) light-duty vehicles using an engine-powered hybrid driveline can have up to double the fuel economy and thus one-half the total CO2 emissions of conventional ICE vehicles of the same weight and road load, (2) Vehicles using a load-leveled fuel cell fueled with compressed hydrogen can have about one-third the total CO2 emissions of a conventional vehicle using gasoline, (3) the calculated total emissions of mid-size, battery-powered vehicles in the LA Basin are close to or less than the CARB EZEV standards, (4) hybrid vehicles with an all-electric range of 50 miles more have total emissions close to those of an electric vehicle for a use-pattern of 10,000 miles per year, (5) regulated emissions and CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles should be set terms of total full fuel cycle emissions for NMOG, CO, NOx, and CO2 rather than exhaust emissions and mpg as is current practice, and (6) the marketing of advanced hybrid vehicles, including fuel ceil powered vehicles, will be driven by CAFE or other vehicle efficiency standards and not regulated emission standards, because the ultra-clean emission standards can also be met using advanced engine technologies in conventional engine drivelines with catalytic exhaust after-treatment without large retooling investments by the auto industry.


A periodic perturbation of a Gaussian measure modifies the sharp constants in Poincare and logarithmic Sobolev inequalities in the homogenization limit, that is, when the period of a periodic perturbation converges to zero. We use variational techniques to determine the homogenized constants and get optimal convergence rates towards equilibrium of the solutions of the perturbed diffusion equations. The study of these sharp constants is motivated by the study of the stochastic Stokes' drift. It also applies to Brownian ratchets and molecular motors in biology. We first establish a transport phenomenon. Asymptotically, the center of mass of the solution moves with a constant velocity, which is determined by a doubly periodic problem. In the reference frame attached to the center of mass, the behaviour of the solution is governed at large scale by a diffusion with a modified diffusion coefficient. Using the homogenized logarithmic Sobolev inequality, we prove that the solution converges in self-similar variables attached to the center of mass to a stationary solution of a Fokker-Planck equation modulated by a periodic perturbation with fast oscillations, with an explicit rate. We also give an asymptotic expansion of the traveling diffusion front corresponding to the stochastic Stokes' drift with given potential flow.


We have isolated and characterized a cDNA encoding the mouse proteasome subunit MC3 and identified four proteasome subtypes which differ in their peptide-hydrolyzing and polypeptide-cleavage properties. Immunoblotting data show that the 25-kD MC3 subunit is a constitutive proteasome subunit which exists in several isoforms. In addition, by immunoprecipitation of proteasomes with AbMC3, a subset of enzyme complexes could be recognized which differ in their relative subunit composition from the bulk of proteasomes. Using DEAE-column chromatography we identified three different proteasome subtypes in sol-80 mouse liver extracts and, by Trition X-100 extraction, a distinct membrane-bound subtype. The four proteasome subtypes are shown to differ in their trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like hydrolyzing activities as well as in their ability to cleave a 25mer polypeptide substrate derived from the MCMV IE pp89. Our data indicate that the enzymatic properties observed for the total proteasome population may be the summary of cleavage properties of different types of proteasome complexes.


Only a fraction of the extensive investigations of aerobiological techniques over the last decade has appeared in technical journals and adequate reviews of the literature are almost nonexistent. Consequently, an embarrassing array of possible subjects is available for discussion in a generalized paper relating to technique. The present paper will be limited to a brief discussion of the procedures which have become more or less standardized in several rather specialized laboratories for the estimation of the basic parameters of particulate biological aerosols. Although field studies are essential for the evaluation of the significance of airborne infection as it relates to public health and as a problem in civil defense, research in aerobiology, medical or otherwise, depends primarily upon techniques for generating reproducible aerosols into controlled environments and for observing the subsequent behavior of these aerosols in time.


The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of e-marketplaces, including a variety of electronic exchanges in the B2B arena, but many of these have also collapsed (e.g., Chemdex/Ventro). The question addressed in this paper is what are the underlying factors that affect which transactions are likely to be supportable by B2B exchanges. In particular, we identify and study three factors: supplier management, idiosyncratic investments in information systems, and codifiability (i.e., digitalizability) of product and order-fulfillment specifications underlying transactions. We show that transaction codifiability plays a fundamental role in influencing the nature of sustainable contracting and IT investments in e-markets. Hypotheses are derived from an analytical model of codifiability in e-marketplaces; these hypotheses are supported by several case studies by the authors and others on the key success factors underlying B2B exchanges.


Yrast states of Sb-106 have been investigated in the Fe-54(Ni-58, alpha pn) reaction using in-beam gamma-spectroscopic methods and in the Cr-50(Ni-58,pn) reaction performing delayed gamma and conversion electron studies. A new isomeric state was found at 103 keV with t(1/2) = 232(21) ns. The number of start's and transitions in the proposed level scheme have been doubled. The experimental results are discussed within the framework of the shell model. [S0556-2813(99)08502-7].


Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition with nodules and fistula formation and scarring. It is a debilitating disease with a severe negative impact on quality of life. There is a need for increased knowledge about the social and lifestyle characteristics of patients with HS in general, and pregnant women in particular. Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate and describe social characteristics and comorbidity in all HS patients in Sweden as well as to study the prevalence of lifestyle factors associated with negative impact on health and pregnancy in Swedish pregnant women with HS. Methods: A registry-based cross-sectional study was performed by record linkage between Swedish registers covering the entire population. A cohort of 13,538 HS patients diagnosed with HS in specialised care during the years 2001–2014 and a subgroup of 1,368 HS patients who had undergone pregnancy during 2010–2015 were defined and described. Aggregated public data on the entire Swedish population and all pregnancies in 2014 were described for reference. Results: The HS population had an average age of 44 years on December 31, 2014. The prevalence of HS was 0.14%. In comparison to the Swedish reference population the HS patients were more often women, unmarried (36 vs. 44% married), and had lower education (68 vs. 82% with an upper-secondary school degree or higher) and lower income (39 vs. 16% made SEK <100,000 a year). Comorbidity was 3% for inflammatory bowel disease and 8% for type 2 diabetes. The subgroup analysis showed high prevalence of overweight, obesity, and smoking in pregnant women with HS. Conclusions: The results from this comprehensive characterisation of Swedish HS patients may be used to improve preventive measures, information, and care for this vulnerable group.


The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a tubular structure in the roof of nasal cavity. The important role of this organ is olfaction of sexual odour. In this study, position, anatomical structure and histology of VNO in Iranian camels (camelus domesticus var. dromedaris persica) were determined. Fourteen healthy male camel heads were collected from an industrial slaughterhouse in Tehran, Iran, for anatomical and histological studies (seven each). The length of VNO and width of dental pad and the number and width of palatine crests were measured. For anatomical studies, the mandible was removed, and maxilla and nasal cavity was cut longitudinally and transversely. For histological studies, the mandible was removed, and first 0.5 cm of initial part of VNO was cut. Then, nasal cavity was cut in some segments with 2 cm thickness. The width of VNO was 3.85 ± 0.31 cm and 1.57 ± 0.18 cm in front and distal parts, respectively. The length of VNO was 15.61 ± 0.59 cm. In histological examinations, VNO was surrounded by J‐shape hyaline cartilage. The lining epithelium of lateral wall of VNO was originated from respiratory epithelium, while it had an olfactory epithelium origin in the medial wall. Lamina propria and tunica submucosa were a cavernous connective tissue with seromucous gland with abundant of serous secretory units. The lumen of VNO opens into nasal cavity. The presence of olfactory epithelium found in our study indicates an important role for VNO in pheromone perception and beginning of sexual behaviour.


The concept of universal access, which originated in the United States, is now part of the telecommunications policy frameworks of many developing countries. This article uses the case of Bangladesh as a vehicle for examining the transferability of the universal service concept to developing countries. The analysis suggests that liberalization and privatization of the telecommunications sector policies pushed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Bank, and other international agencies, will not by themselves create universal access in countries with rudimentary urban-centric networks. The policymakers need to incorporate build-out obligations when licensing operators and also develop cross-subsidy mechanisms even though they are now out of fashion in the industrialized world.


We earlier isolated peroxisome biogenesis-defective Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutants, ZPEG241, by the 9-(1'-pyrene)nonanol/ultraviolet selection method, from TKaEG2, the wild-type CHO-K1 cells transformed with two cDNAs encoding rat Pex2p and peroxisome targeting signal type 2 (PTS2)-tagged enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Peroxisomal localization of PTS2-EGFP was specifically impaired in ZPEG241 due to the failure of Pex5pL expression. Analysis of partial genomic sequence of PEX5 revealed one-point nucleotide-mutation from G to A in the 3'-acceptor splice site located at 1 nt upstream of exon 7 encoding Pex5pL specific 37-amino acid insertion, thereby generating 21-nt deleted mRNA of PEX5L in ZPEG241. When ZPEG241-derived Pex5pL was ectopically expressed in ZPEG241, PTS2 import was not restored because of no interaction with Pex7p. Together, we confirm the pivotal role of Pex5pL in PTS2 import, showing that the N-terminal 7-amino acid residues in the 37-amino acid insertion of Pex5pL are essential for the binding to Pex7p.


The quality of an adolescent's relationship with his or her parents is a key component to healthy adolescent development. Secure bonds between parents and their adolescent children allow young people the freedom to grow and explore, knowing their home represents a safe haven to which they can return when necessary. Yet conflict, which may denote weak or weakening interpersonal bonds, often occurs within parent-adolescent relationships. In most families, however, this conflict usually amounts to little more than mild arguments and bickering (Hill, 1993; Steinberg, 1990), and some researchers believe that such disputes may serve to strengthen the parent-adolescent relationship (Anderson & Sabatelli, 1990; Cooper, 1988; Galatzer-Levy & Cohler, 1993; Steinberg, 1990). These writers have suggested that parents and their adolescent children raise important developmental issues during disagreements. By successfully negotiating responses to issues such as adolescent demands for greater autonomy, parent-adolescent relations are restructured to allow adolescent growth while maintaining close family ties. Unfortunately, some families do not successfully resolve disputes between parents and adolescents and disagreements become intense or long lasting. When this occurs, conflict can weaken the parent-adolescent relationship (Patterson & Bank, 1989) and thus pose a threat to healthy adolescent development. In fact, adolescent reports of severe or unresolved disagreements with their parents have been associated with many adolescent adjustment problems, including emotional difficulties (Montemayor, 1983; Robin, Koepke, & Moye, 1990), alcohol or other drug use (Brook, Whiteman, & Finch, 1993; Selnow, 1987; Thompson & Wilsnack, 1987), poor school performance (Forehand, Long, Brody, & Fauber, 1986; Robin et al., 1990), and conduct problems (Adams, Gullotta, & Clancy, 1985; Garbarino, Schellenback, & Sebes, 1986; Montemayor, 1983; Rutter, 1980). An important question, then, addresses what conditions lead to healthy parent-adolescent disagreements and what conditions result in detrimental conflict (Steinberg, 1990). A growing group of developmental scientists favors a theory suggesting that whether or not parent-adolescent conflict becomes dysfunctional (i.e., persistent or severe) depends in large part on the family context (cf. Anderson & Sabatelli, 1990; Cooper; 1988; Galatzer-Levy & Cohler, 1993; Hauser & Bowlds, 1990; Hill, 1993; Paikoff & Brooks-Gunn, 1991; Steinberg, 1990). According to this theory, an atmosphere of trust and emotional closeness among family members sets the stage for the successful resolution of parent-adolescent differences. In the absence of these qualities--that is, when critical and coercive interactions characterize the family's typical interactions--family negotiations are often doomed to failure, and differences between parents and adolescents grow to dysfunctional levels. In spite of its large following, this theory has not received a strong test due to methodological limitations in previous investigations. For example, the theory describes a process that unfolds over time. However, most studies of parent-adolescent conflict utilize a cross-sectional research design, precluding the examination of dynamic, longitudinal family interactions (e.g., Holmbeck & Hill, 1986; Sabatelli & Anderson, 1991; Werrbach, Grotevant, & Cooper, 1992; Youniss & Keterlinus, 1987). Also, this theory proposes several important factors (e.g., family atmosphere, problem-solving ability, parent-adolescent disagreements). An optimal test requires simultaneous analysis of the relationships among these factors. Unfortunately, small sample sizes have limited the power and the range of statistical techniques available to many earlier studies (Forehand et al., 1986; Papini & Sebby, 1988; Rubenstein & Feldman, 1993). Finally, the theory suggests that the family's typical interaction style sets the stage for members' behavior during a situation calling for flexible negotiations. …


This document describes a new solution to the problem of visualizing real-time data. Nowadays eld-bus systems are used to connect actors, sensors and monitoring computers. A new time-triggered eld-bus system was been developed. Therefore a visualisation software was designed and implemented. This software implements some innovative features. These key features are multi-instruments for displaying several values in one virtual instrument, histories for displaying old and actual data at the same time, and redundant visualization. Easy and intuitive interaction and the regard for human perception resulted in an innovative piece of software.


Unmanned helicopters (UH) can evade radar detection by fl ying at ultralow altitudes, so as to conduct raids on targets. Path planning is one of the key technologies to realize UH ' s autonomous completion of raid missions. Since the probability of UH being detected by radar varies with height, how to accurately identify the radar coverage area to avoid crossing has become a di ffi cult problem in UH path planning. Aiming at this problem, a heuristic deep Q-network (H-DQN) algorithm is proposed. First, as part of the comprehensive reward function, a heuristic reward function is designed. The function can generate dynamic rewards in real time according to the environmental information, so as to guide the UH to move closer to the target and at the same time promote the convergence of the algorithm. Second, in order to smooth the fl ight path, a smoothing reward function is proposed. This function can evaluate the pros and cons of UH ' s actions, so as to prompt UH to choose a smoother path for fl ight. Finally, the heuristic reward function, the smooth reward function, the collision penalty, and the completion reward are weighted and summed to obtain the heuristic comprehensive reward function. Simulation experiments show that the H-DQN algorithm can help UH to e ff ectively avoid the radar coverage area and successfully complete the raid mission.


In this paper, we propose an advanced automatic modulation classification (AMC) method for cognitive radio (CR). Conventional AMC algorithms employ some pattern recognition algorithms such as hidden markov model (HMM) and support vector machine (SVM) to recognize the signal modulations through the characters of spectral correlation, e.g., a-profile, f-profile, average value, and etc. However, these methods are one dimensional approaches and might not extract the whole characteristics of modulations completely. In this paper, we exploit a two dimensional property of cyclostationarity: spectral correlation function (SCF). Compared with those of one dimensional spectral correlation, the SCF exhibit more classification information. Moreover, we employ two dimensional principal component analysis (PCA) which minimize the size of original data not losing own features so that we can have better performance than choice of few characteristics.


In this study, the authors study the relays assignment problem in cooperative wireless networks with self-interested nodes. The authors propose a cooperation mechanism which includes the cooperative relationship formation stage and cooperation maintenance stage. The cooperative relationship among the nodes can be modelled as an exchange market game where nodes trade transmission power between each other to obtain diversity gain. The exchange games have a basic assumption that each node conforms to trade agreement so that each agent has the option to trade its good to obtain a better one. In such a game, strict core is considered as individual rational, Pareto optimal and relationship-stable solution. A cooperation cycle formation (CCF) algorithm is proposed to obtain the strict core solution. However, in networks, some deviated nodes may break the cooperation agreement to obtain more utility gain. Such deviated behaviours in the cooperation cycles can totally destroy the cooperation relationship. However, the data transmissions in networks have the repeated element. Hence, based on the cooperative cycle formed by CCF, the authors introduce a repeated game model for cooperation maintenance in the second stage. A dynamic punishment and recover mechanism is proposed to punish the deviated behaviours and recover cooperation.


OBJECTIVE
It is known that Notch signal is very important to vascular remodeling during the process of embryonic development, vessel repair and tumor growth, but there are few studies about pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension. This study was to explore the effect of inhibiting Notch signal on pulmonary vascular remodeling induced by angiotensin II.

METHODS
Vessel strips taken from healthy Wistar rats were co-cultured with extrogenous angiotensin II and the potent smooth muscle cell proliferation stimulators for 7 days. Vascular wall thickness, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive cell rate and caspase-3 positive cell rate were examined in vessel strips. Then some vessel strips were cultured with angiotensin II and γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT, a Notch signaling inhibitor for 7 days. The levels of Notch 1 to 4 receptor and HERP1/2 mRNA were ascertained by FQ-PCR.

RESULTS
Angiotensin II stimulation in the cultured normal pulmonary arteries resulted in an increase in the vascular medial thickness by nearly 50%, and a significant increase in the PCNA positive cell rate and a decrease in the caspase-3 positive cell rate. DAPT treatment did not result in the alterations of Notch 1 to 4 receptor levels, but decreased remarkably HERP1 and HERP2 mRNA expression. DAPT treatment also decreased angiotensin II-induced vascular medial thickness and PCNA positive cell rate and increased caspase-3 positive cell rate.

CONCLUSIONS
Inhibiting Notch signal by γ-secretase inhibitor may lead to the suppression of pulmonary vascular remodeling induced by angiotensin II, suggesting that the inhibition of Notch signal pathway might be a novel strategy for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.


Background: Aggression often occurs alongside alcohol and drug misuse. However, it is not clear whether the latent and manifest relations among alcohol-related, drug-related, and non-substancerelated aggression are separate manifestations of a single construct or instead are three distinct constructs. Methods: To examine these associations, we conducted a preregistered analysis of 13,490 participants in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). In a structured interview, participants reported their lifetime perpetration of these three aggression phenotypes. Results: The data were better fit by a model that treated these aggression phenotypes as three distinct latent factors, as compared to models in which the items all loaded onto one ('general') or two ('substance-related' and 'non-substance-related') aggression factors. This three factor model fit better for men than women. Subsequent exploratory analyses then showed that among these three factors, alcohol-related aggression explained the variance of overall aggression better than the other two factors. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that these three forms of aggression are distinct phenotypes (especially among men). Yet, people's alcohol-related aggression can accurately characterize their overall aggressive tendencies across these domains. Future research will benefit from articulating the unique and shared pathways and risk factors underlying each of these facets of aggression.


Particle trajectories around an aircraft will change during a flight; therefore, analyzing particle distribution around the aircraft is necessary to accurately sample aerosols. Both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and wind tunnel experiments are employed to optimize the sampling zones around an aircraft. The wind tunnel model is the Harbin Y-12, similar to the Twin Otter and King Air. The aircraft head is taken as the coordinate original point. The coordinate X is parallel to the wings, the coordinate Y is parallel to the fuselage, and the coordinate Z is perpendicular to the fuselage. The results show that the closer the distance to the central line for the X direction is, the greater the velocity error is. A suitable position for sampling is under the fuselage because of low turbulence, convenient connection pipelines, and safety considerations. The shadow and enhancement zone area thicknesses gradually increase with increasing particle size. The shadow zone thickness under the fuselage is approximately 20, 70, 110, and 350 mm for particle sizes of 1, 10, 20, and 50 μm, respectively. The greater the distance from the aircraft head for the Y direction is, the smaller the velocity error is. The attack angle has no obvious effect on the flow speed at different positions. The CFD simulation results are in basic agreement with the wind tunnel experiment results. The optimal sampling zone is approximately 2300–6500 mm for the Y direction for the aircraft head, 250–500 mm for the X direction for the aircraft head, and 490–600 mm for the Z direction under the fuselage of aircraft.


A simplified method for the determination of urinary estriol in pregnancy by thin layer chromatography is described. After precipitation of the conjugated substances with ammonium sulfate a short hydrolysis is carried out. Estriol is extracted with diethylether and coupled with dark blue R salt to an azo-dye. After thin layer chromatographic isolation, a spectrophotometric determination from the chromatogram is done. The recovery rate is 94%. The mean error in serial determination is +/- 5,4%. 1 nanogram (10(-9) g) of estriol can be determined from the thin layer chromatogram. The time required to obtain a result is just over 1 hour.


Abstract 14N chemical shifts of a series of cyclic and noncyclic aminophosphines are reported. The nuclear shielding of nitrogen decreases with increasing number of halogen substituents at phosphorus as well as with increasing number of phosphinyl groups attached to nitrogen. In addition to the influence of electronegativity PN(π)-interactions may account for the observed shielding. Steric effects are discussed.


Process intensification is the term which describes an innovative design approach in chemical engineering aiming on a significant increase of the specific performance of chemical reactors and plants miniaturization, of at least an order of magnitude. In addition, the running costs should be reduced and the process should be more efficient, safer, and less polluting than the existing ones. Micro process technology is considered as means of process intensification leading to better use of raw materials and energy.


Appetite loss or anorexia substantially deteriorates quality of life in various diseases, and stand upstream of frailty. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and ghrelin released from stomach are potent inducers of appetite. We previously reported that Ninjin'yoeito, a Japanese kampo medicine comprising twelve herbs, restores food intake, and body weight in cisplatin-treated anorectic mice. Furthermore, Ninjin'yoeito increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in not only ghrelin-responsive but ghrelin-unresponsive NPY neurons in ARC. The cellular lineage/differentiation of ghrelin-unresponsive neuron is less defined but might alter along with aging and diet. This study examined the occupancy of ghrelin-unresponsive neurons among ARC NPY neurons in adult mice fed normal chow, and explored the mechanisms underlying Ninjin'yoeito-induced [Ca2+]i increases in ghrelin-unresponsive vs. ghrelin-responsive NPY neurons. Single ARC neurons were subjected to [Ca2+]i measurement and subsequent immunostaining for NPY. Ghrelin failed to increase [Ca2+]i in 42% of ARC NPY neurons. Ninjin'yoeito (10 μg/ml)-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were abolished in Ca2+ free condition in ghrelin-responsive and ghrelin-unresponsive ARC NPY neurons. Ninjin'yoeito-induced [Ca2+]i increases were inhibited by N-type Ca2+ channel blocker ω-conotoxin in the majority (17 of 20), while by L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nitrendipine in the minority (2 of 23), of ghrelin-responsive neurons. In contrast, Ninjin'yoeito-induced [Ca2+]i increases were inhibited by nitrendipine in the majority (14 of 17), while by ω-conotoxin in the minority (8 of 24), of ghrelin-unresponsive neurons. These results indicate that ghrelin-unresponsive neurons occur substantially among NPY neurons of ARC in adult mice fed normal chow. Ninjin'yoeito preferentially target N-type and L-type Ca2+ channels in the majority of ghrelin-responsive and ghrelin-unresponsive neurons, respectively, to increase [Ca2+]i. We suggest ARC N- and L-type Ca2+ channels as potential targets for activating, respectively, ghrelin-responsive, and unresponsive NPY neurons to treat anorexia.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different sodium butyrate levels on the antioxidant capacity of selected organs (liver and kidney) in pigs. The study was conducted on 48 weaned piglets (28 to 54 days old) fed one of three diets (group C had no added sodium butyrate, group E-I had 3 g and group E-II 5 g of sodium butyrate added per kg of diet). The guaiacol peroxidase and pyrogallol peroxidase activities in liver tissues of E-II pigs were significantly lower than those in E-I pigs, while the activities of these enzymes in kidney tissues were significantly lower than in control pigs for both butyrate levels. Glutathione peroxidase activity in liver tissues was not upregulated by either level of dietary sodium butyrate. Also, the contents of malondialdehyde, indicative of lipid peroxidation, were not significantly different among the pig dietary groups. No significant differences in the enzyme activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase or the oxidation product, reduced glutathione) of control pigs and of animals consuming 3 g or 5 g sodium butyrate per kg of diet was found. The results showed that oral administration of sodium butyrate had an impact only on guaiacol peroxidase and pyrogallol peroxidase enzyme activities.


Summary Differences were found between the toxicologic effects of tubercidin and those of 7-deazainosine which were consistent with the idea that 7-deazainosine requires conversion into anabolites of tubercidin in order to exert biologic effects. In rodents treated parenterally, and in dogs treated orally, tubercidin was 6- to 20-fold more toxic than 7-deazainosine. Severe local reactions occurred only in rats treated with tubercidin. In contrast, necrosis of the walls of the intrahepatic bile ducts and of the myocardium was found only in rats treated with 7-deazainosine. Pulmonary edema, focal necrosis of hepatic parenchyma, and generalized lymphoid depression were observed after either drug. After treatment of dogs with tubercidin, pneumonia, renal tubular necrosis, and gastrointestinal toxicity were severe, whereas hepatotoxicity was slight and infrequent. In contrast, after treatment with 7-deazainosine, hepatotoxicity was severe, whereas the other toxic effects were insignificant. Only tubercidin caused atrophy of the Islands of Langerhans. In view of the lack of local and renal toxicity, 7-deazainosine may offer therapeutic advantages over tubercidin provided that hepatotoxicity is not a limiting factor.


Most active devices focused on vehicle stability concern on-road cars and cannot be applied satisfactorily in an off-road context, since the variability and the non-linearities of tire/ground contact are often neglected. In previous work, a rollover indicator devoted to light all-terrain vehicles accounting for these phenomena has been proposed. It is based on the prediction of the lateral load transfer. However, such an indicator requires the on-line knowledge of the tire cornering stiffness. Therefore, in this paper, an adapted backstepping observer, making use only of yaw rate measurement, is designed to estimate tire cornering stiffness and to account for its non-linearity. The capabilities of such an observer are demonstrated and discussed through both advanced simulations and actual experiments.


Polymer material has been developed to replace the porcelain insulator material and glass. When it is used as outdoor insulator, environmental conditions have a significant influence to the value of surface discharge current, especially for the coastal area and industry. Salt, dust and chemicals contaminant are suspected as the causes of initial current of surface discharge and the insulator surface degradation which lead to a flashover. To analyze the performance of the insulator surface when the leakage current occurs, the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is needed to be determined. The value of THD leakage current indicates the hydrophobic characteristic of surface material. This paper analyzes the results of leakage current measurement in laboratory-scale based on IEC 587:1986 with Inclined-Plane Tracking (IPT) method to the High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) polymer material which is provided in smooth and rough surface. The testing voltage is 50 Hz AC. Data of leakage current magnitude values cover its maximum average as a function of time and the result of FFT to the wave form of the leakage current. As the result, the value of percentage THD decrease as the function of time. The smooth surface material has THD value 43.42% and the rough surface has 15.89%.


Purpose: This study was done to examine the effect on turnover intention (TI) of terminal care stress (TCS) on
nurses working in long-term care hospitals (LCH). Methods: Participants were 182 nurses from 6 Seoul LCH. Data
were collected from October to December, 2017. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect data on general
characteristics, TCS, and TI. Results: Subjective satisfaction on the job (r=.52, p<.001), number of monthly terminal care elders (r=.16, p=.043), TCS (r=.16, p=.027), and sub-categories of TCS, 'difficulty for assigning timetable to care for terminally ill patients' (r=.17, p=.025), 'feeling a burden of caring for terminally ill patients' (r=.23, p=.002), and 'conflict with terminally patients' (r=.16, p=.034) showed statistically significant correlation with TI. Multiple regression analysis showed significant influence of subjective satisfaction with job (β=.52, p<.001) and TCS (β=.23, p=.001) with a 30.3% explanatory power. When sub-categories of TCS were entered, subjective satisfaction with the job (β=.50, p<.001) and 'feeling burden of terminally ill patients' (β=.28, p<.001) were factors significantly influencing TI with explanatory power of 32.8%. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that it is needed to develop standardized practice guidelines and educational programs for terminal care in LCH as well as stress healing programs for nurses.


FFLUX is a novel machine-learnt force field using pre-trained Gaussian process regression (GPR) models to predict energies and multipole moments of quantum atoms in molecular dynamic simulations. At the heart of FFLUX lies the program FEREBUS, a Fortran90 and OpenMP-parallelized regression engine, which trains and validates GPR models of chemical accuracy. Training a GPR model is about finding an optimal set of model hyperparameters (θ). This time-consuming task is usually accomplished by maximizing the marginal/concentrated log-likelihood function LLy|x,θ, known as the type-II maximum likelihood approach. Unfortunately, this widespread approach can suffer from the propagation of numerical errors, especially in the noise-free regime, where the expected correlation betweenLLy|x,θ̂ [maximized value of theLLy|x,θfunction] and the models' performance may no longer be valid. In this scenario, the LLy|x,θ function is no longer a reliable guide for model selection. While one could still rely on a pre-conditioner to improve the condition number of the covariance matrix, this choice is never unique and often comes with increased computational cost. Therefore, we have equipped FEREBUS with an alternatively simple, intuitive, viable, and less error-prone protocol called "iterative hold-out cross-validation" for the optimization of θ values. This protocol involves (1) a stratified random sampling of both training and validation sets, followed by (2) an iterative minimization of the predictive RMSE(θ) of intermediary models over a sufficiently large validation set. Its greatest asset is the assurance that the optimization process keeps reducing the generalization error of intermediary GPR models on unseen datasets, something that maximizing LLy|x,θ does not guarantee.


The wrist is the key joint of the upper extremity and is frequently seriously involved in rheumatoid arthritis. Surgery is often indicated to control the effects of the synovitis which often includes rupture of both flexor and extensor tendons. Early synovectomy is indicated. Tenosynovectomy, synovectomy, distal ulnar resection and transposition of the dorsal carpal ligament beneath the extensor tendons, has been effective in preventing rupture of the extensor tendons. The wrist also has an effect on ulnar drift of the fingers. Transfer of the extensor carpi radialis longus to the extensor carpi ulnaris is recommended in patients who do not have the ability to actively ulnar deviate the wrist. Wrist fusion has proven to be effective in patients with marked destruction, deformity or pain, or where there has been a rupture of both radial wrist extensors.


This paper examines elements of the complex place/role/influence of psychology in the history of consumer choice theory. The paper reviews, and then challenges, the standard narrative that psychology was 'in' consumer choice theory early in the neoclassical revolution, then strictly 'out' during the ordinal and revealed preference revolutions, now (possibly) back in with recent developments in experimental, behavioural and neuroeconomics. The paper uses the work of three particular economic theorists to challenge this standard narrative and then provides an alternative interpretation of the history of the relationship between psychology and consumer choice theory. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.


The dynamic of Cold War confrontation in the 1960s and 1970s depended to a high extent on the policies of the new revolutionary states. Cuba and Vietnam challenged not only Washington in defense of their revolutions; they also challenged the course set by the Soviet Union for the development of socialism and for Communist interventions abroad. In launching their defiance of the Cold War as it had developed up to the 1960s, the two countries provided inspiration for a range of left-wing states and movements in the Third World (and some groups in Europe and America). As often happens in history, this inspiration was – in most cases – more indirect than direct, and at times based on a very superficial knowledge of the Cuban or Vietnamese revolutions themselves, what could be called – if one wants to be charitable – creative misunderstandings. What mattered most, however, to the Third World movements that raised the banner of Che Guevara or Ho Chi Minh was that the example of these revolutionaries implied a license to take action for and by themselves, in spite of US military dominance or Soviet political dogma. The Cuban and Vietnamese challenges to the Cold War would have been impossible without the early 1960s Sino-Soviet split in the international Communist movement. That Mao Zedong – himself, as he was fond of pointing out, the head of a Third World country – could claim to speak of Marxist-Leninist theory with an authority that he denied the Soviets, meant more room to maneuver for Marxists elsewhere.


Giardia spp. is a common cause of diarrhoeal disease in humans and is also known as a zoonotic agent in humans and animals. There are three risk factors of zoonotic Giardia, the first is individual characteristics, the second is hygiene, and the last is environmental. This study aimed to analyze the hygiene related risk factors for Giardia infection in Sukowono District, Jember. The research design was a cross-sectional study with 52 subjects from Sukowono District, Jember. The study was carried out from December 2020 to April 2021. The sampling method used purposive sampling is a non-probability sample and chi-square test for data analysis. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistics programme. P value < 0,05 was considered statistically significant.The result of microscopic examination of 52 fecal samples found 1.9% of the subjects were infected with Giardia spp. There was no association between hygiene behavior factors with Giardia spp. in Sukowono District, Jember (p>0.05). Data suggest that risk factors may not contribute to Giardia spp. infection. Based on these findings, need to do further research about hygiene related risk factors for Giardia spp. infection in Jember especially Sukowono District.
Keywords: Hygiene factor, Giardia infection, zoonosis


The development of anti-tetanus antibodies in CBA/Ca and Balb/c mice immunised with two tetanus-toxoid preparations has been investigated by sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassays. These studies revealed the presence in both strains of mice of naturally occurring antibodies to tetanus toxoid. These were of the IgM, IgA and, to a lesser extent, the IgG3 isotypes. Differences in the responses of mice to the two toxoid preparations were noted; the purer preparation elicited a more rapid and pronounced response. Both strains of mice exhibited similar isotype responses.


Open innovation is a paradigm that focuses on the benefits of inbound and outbound knowledge flows to improve the success of an organization?s innovation efforts. Since its introduction early in this century, the concept of open innovation has evolved and matured considerably through thousands of subsequent publications. This has included refinement of the open innovation theory across different contexts and levels of analysis, as well as better evidence regarding the costs and benefits of open innovation strategies. Researchers have also continued to build upon and integrate with other theories, including business models, platforms, organizational innovation and the theory of the firm. Here I suggest two under-researched areas of open innovation. One is the tension in open innovation collaborations when one party has pecuniary motives and the other does not. The second is how a better understanding of the geographic localization of knowledge flows impacts the process of open innovation. JEL Codes: O36, O30, O31, R11


Background:

Information technology (IT) is a new way of teaching and learning. One of the promising media of information technology is e-Learning, which is used to enhance knowledge and skills among users. A student gains better and deep knowledge through a useful tool. This survey aimed to determine practices among medical students for e-Learning.

Methods:

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 184 students amongst the 500 students currently enrolled in medical college. Data was collected using questionnaires and were analyzed through SPSS version 22. Chi-square was used for qualitative values.

Results:

Majority 90.80% (n=167) students were aware of e-Learning and were statistically high in first year students (p-value: 0.018). The student did not show statistically significant results for content learned through e-Learning with a p-value of 0.063. Different resources were used for e-Learning in which videos had the highest percentage (87.60%) and audios were used as the least resource for e-Learning (29.20%). Daily, 56% of the students use e-Learning for 1 hour or less and only 3% of the students used it for more than 4 hours.

Conclusion:

Majority of undergraduate medical students were aware of the use of e-Learning and most of them preferred e-Learning for their course work and studies showing a significant increase in understanding and use, compared to studies conducted earlier. Participants found e-Learning useful and effective tool in increasing knowledge and understanding of their subject.

Keywords: e-Learning; Practices; Students.


The electron affinity, electronegativity, and electrophilicity of several neutral atoms and their positive and negative ions are calculated at various levels of theory using different basis sets in the gas phase as well as in the presence of solvent and counterions. The electron affinity and electronegativity of all of the anions and dianions are negative in gas phase, and accordingly the electrophilicity is unexpectedly large vis-a-vis its quadratic definition. Many of these trends get altered in case the effects of solvent and counterions are taken into account.


Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is mainly used for the evaluation and sampling of mediastinal and abdominal lymph nodes, luminal and submucosal lesions of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, as well as in the diagnostic approach for pancreatic, biliary and liver disease. However, several non-digestive pathologies may be encountered as well, expanding the diagnostic potential of EUS. In this article, we present nine examples of extra-digestive abnormalities detected by means of EUS, including pathologies of the thyroid gland, mediastinal and abdominal vessels, lungs, kidney and the urinary bladder. The purpose of this article is to review the capabilities of EUS beyond routine evaluation of gastrointestinal organs.


In this paper is given a mathematical analysis of the armature terminal voltage of a d-c welding generator at interruption of the short circuit current, with and without neutralizing transformer. Also, consideration is given to the voltage transients across the field circuit winding of the neutralizing transformer caused by the make and break of the armature circuit. Comparisons are shown between oscillograms and calculations for these transient voltages.


AIM
To detect the differentiation effects of retinal cells or extracts on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC).

METHODS
Human fetal BMSC were previously labelled by carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE), and co-cultured with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells which were pre-treated with ultraviolet irradiation at a ratio of 1:1 to induce the differentiation of BMSC for up to 14 days. In some assays, a retinal extract of bovine retinal extract (BRE) was added to detect the potential effects of retinal component on the differentiation of BMSC. In addition, Neuron-specific enolase (NSE), Nestin and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunostaining were performed to determine the characteristics of BMSC.

RESULTS
The results indicated that by co-cultured with RPE cells, fetal BMSC were differentiated into neural-like cells expressing special neuronal markers Nestin, GFAP and NSE. And the expression of these markers was obviously increased by BRE.

CONCLUSION
Retina derived cells and extracts can induce the differentiation of BMSC into neural-like cells.


Six semipurified canned diets ranging in composition from 0 to 62% of energy from carbohydrate and from 20% to 48% of energy from protein were fed to female beagle dogs for 8 months. Additionally, three commercial-type diets were also fed. The effects of these diets on growth, body composition and selected blood metabolite levels in the dogs were studied. The dogs readily consumed each of the nine diets fed. The level of carbohydrate, fat or protein in the diet did not influence body weight gain during the first 16 weeks nor was nitrogen balance affected by the diets. At the end of the 32-week study, dogs fed the high-carbohydrate (62% of energy) diet contained less body fat but an equal-free mass, than did dogs fed lower-carbohydrate (20--42% of energy) diets with a similar quantity of protein. Consumption of carbohydrate-free diets did not influence postprandial levels of circulating glucose or insulin in the dogs. Plasma cholesterol levels were elevated in dogs consuming in the diets high in fat but plasma triglyceride levels were not influenced by the diets fed. Consumption of high-protein (46--48% of energy) diets elevated plasma urea nitrogen levels but had minimal influence on plasma amino acid levels. The general response of these young dogs was not markedly influenced by consumption of diets ranging from carbohydrate-free to high-carbohydrate and from adequate-protein to high-protein.


The advent of relatively cheap general purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) is having a huge impact on scientific computing. This is opening the door to high performance fuzzy computing (HPFC) to the masses, due to the low cost and the possibility to have GPUs on desktop computers at home. Furthermore, even mobile HPFC seems imminent, provided that your laptop is equipped with a general purpose GPU. Very recently another innovation has occurred: the availability of libraries for high level GPU programming. By using them, the programmer avoids the necessity of having detailed knowledge of the GPU's hardware architecture. The availability of such facility on Matlab (today among the most used rapid prototyping software) is also opening the door to the rapid prototyping of high performance applications, in general, and to the rapid prototyping of HPFC, in particular. In this work we show how to speed up an existing Matlab software prototype (which computes spatial maps for supporting decision making during maritime operations) with little effort. By delegating the GPU Matlab library to take care of low level optimizations, we not only save time, but also build rapidly prototyped software that is portable over different GPU hardware types.


The industrial contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is associated with inflammatory disorders in women and other mammals. The current studies were performed to investigate the effect of TCDD on RANTES expression in an in-vitro model of endometriosis. The biochemical effects of dioxins are mediated by binding to aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhR). This study showed that both normal and endometriotic endometrial stromal cells express AhR protein, which was observed to be down-regulated by 40-60% after exposure to TCDD. Treatment with TCDD for 24 h increased the luciferase activity of the RANTES promoter by 2.5 +/- 1.0-fold in stromal cells derived from normal endometrium and endometriotic implants. When AhR were over-expressed in these cells, luciferase activity increased 6.1 +/- 1.4-fold, and RANTES protein secretion increased from undetectable to 31 +/- 10 pg/100,000 cells. TCDD failed to activate a RANTES construct with a mutated dioxin response element. Other AhR ligands had similar effects to TCDD on RANTES transcription and secretion. Control transfections using tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB response element reporters indicated that these pathways are not activated by TCDD in endometrial stromal cells. This study has demonstrated that functional AhR are present in endometrial and endometriotic stromal cells and that TCDD up-regulates the expression of RANTES, providing a possible mechanistic link between dioxin exposure and chemokine expression in endometriosis.


with 19% of its 476 openings unfilled. Although many of those 91 vacancies have since been filled by graduates of foreign schools, Sandra Banner thinks the results point to serious problems within a specialty that used to be very popular. "Students appear to be voting with their feet," says Banner, executive director of the Canadian Resident Matching Service. At Dalhousie University alone, 21 of the 41 family medicine slots sat empty after the first round. The news was almost as dismal for specialized programs in rural family medicine, for which one-third of positions went unfilled. CMA President Peter Barrett says those results didn't come as a complete surprise, since "concern has been growing about this over the past year." Dr. Paul Rainsberry, director of education with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), says the college has responded by helping to prepare a questionnaire for 2001 match participants. It will also organize focus groups to gain medical students' opinions. "Something about family medicine as a career is not as attractive as it once was," he says. Rainsberry adds that the shortage of FPs is now so severe that family doctors can set up shop in underserviced cities without having to venture near a remote community. This helps explain why 14 of 20 new rural medicine slots in Alberta were unfilled after the first round. Rainsberry says the college is worried that a trend is developing, since the number of vacant positions has increased every year since 1997, when there were 10. Dr. Carol Herbert, dean of medicine and dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, thinks the problem is not the number of unfilled slots but the number of Canadian-trained medical students available to fill all positions. (This year, there were 77 more residency slots in Canada than there were Canadian-trained students to fill them.) "Across Canada, we matched only 8 fewer students to family medicine than last year," she says. "The large number of unmatched positions reflects in part that a substantial number of positions have been added but the number of [Canadian-trained] medical school graduates remained the same." Herbert does agree that family medicine has to sell itself to students. "It needs to advertise itself as a wonderful career path. With all of the press about the difficult lot of family physicians, especially in rural communities, it is little wonder that students choose a different path. "The future of the system depends upon committed, energetic young physicians who will drive change in primary care." Banner says the 2001 match is good news for 500 international medical graduates (IMGs) who trained outside Canada and applied for the 2001 match, since there were 153 vacancies after the first round — 91 in family medicine and the rest in medical and surgical specialties. IMGs aren't guaranteed clear sailing, since there are limits on residency applications from them in some provinces, but Banner says "it looks like the doors are opening." Ilana Porzecanski, a Canadian studying medicine at University College Dublin (CMAJ 2000;162:869), thinks the latest match "not only increases opportunities for Canadian IMGs but also increases opportunities for foreigntrained physicians now living in Canada as citizens or landed immigrants." (Such immigrants need Canadian training in order to practise here.) "Residency positions should be filled on the basis of the best qualified applicant," she says. "This means using a common denominator to compare applicants, and the MCCQE 1 [qualifying examination] is the ideal tool for this because everyone who wants to practise in Canada has to write it." The 2001 match was full of surprises: • Eight of the 37 positions in orthopedic surgery remained unfilled on match day. This is the first time there has been an opening since a single spot went unfilled in 1997; the number of spots available has remained constant. • Anesthesia, one of the most popular specialties in 2001, was one of the least popular just 5 years ago. "Anesthesia was a real surprise," says Banner. "Seventysix applicants made it their first choice, and there were only 58 spots." She noted that 22% of students unmatched after the first round chose only anesthesia. • The popularity of obstetrics and gynecology continues to wane, with 20% of residency slots remaining unfilled. In psychiatry, 9 of 79 slots went unfilled. Banner hopes the survey of match participants being prepared with cooperation from the CFPC will provide a hint about family medicine's lost lustre. "Maybe hospital-based practices with more regular hours are more in line with today's lifestyle choices," she says. Meanwhile, the 2001 results left her shaking her head. "When 20% of family medicine positions go unmatched," she says, "we've entered uncharted territory." — Patrick Sullivan, CMAJ Family medicine loses lustre as students "vote with feet" in 2001 residency match


Pregnancy is intrinsically imperfect, with high rates of complications for mothers and babies. A minority of pregnancies is entirely uncomplicated. Medical disorders are frequent contributors to morbidity for mothers and babies, and have become the major source of maternal mortality. For these reasons, Medicine plays a central role in the care of pregnant women. Provision of resources to maternity services must recognise the changing demographics and clinical characteristics of pregnant women in Australia, and their increased medical risk status in recent years.


In nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, a deficiency in the number and function of invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKT cells) contributes to the onset of type 1 diabetes. The activation of CD1d-restricted iNKT cells by alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) corrects these deficiencies and protects against spontaneous and recurrent type 1 diabetes. Although interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 have been implicated in alpha-GalCer-induced protection from type 1 diabetes, a precise role for these cytokines in iNKT cell regulation of susceptibility to type 1 diabetes has not been identified. Here we use NOD.IL-4(-/-) and NOD.IL-10(-/-) knockout mice to further evaluate the roles of IL-4 and IL-10 in alpha-GalCer-induced protection from type 1 diabetes. We found that IL-4 but not IL-10 expression mediates protection against spontaneous type 1 diabetes, recurrent type 1 diabetes, and prolonged syngeneic islet graft function. Increased transforming growth factor-beta gene expression in pancreatic lymph nodes may be involved in alpha-GalCer-mediated protection in NOD.IL-10(-/-) knockout mice. Unlike the requirement of IL-7 and IL-15 to maintain iNKT cell homeostasis, IL-4 and IL-10 are not required for alpha-GalCer-induced iNKT cell expansion and/or survival. Our data identify an important role for IL-4 in the protection against type 1 diabetes by activated iNKT cells, and these findings have important implications for cytokine-based therapy of type 1 diabetes and islet transplantation.


In this paper we show the results of a study concerning 42 axes, mainly discovered in the Copper Age pile dwellings of Ljubljansko barje (central Slovenia) and in the neighbouring areas of Caput Adriae. The studied shaft-hole axes, characterized by homogeneous typology but slightly different raw materials, have been called 'Ljubljana-type' axes (Lt). The raw materials show a common OIB-like signature and metamorphic and spilitization features that recall oceanic conditions. The typological and geochemical characteristics and the very high percentage of Lt axes among the polished stone axe assemblages of Ljubljansko barje suggest that the raw material was probably gathered from one or more relatively small outcrops close to Ljubljansko barje. Similar igneous rock types outcrop in the presumably Palaeozoic diabase/shale complex (Eisenkappler Diabaszug), intruded by the northern Karawanken plutonic belt. A probable provenance from this area, particularly rich in copper ore deposit, would confirm the important role of Ljubljansko barje as a metallurgical district, as well as a strong relation between lithic raw materials and Cu cultivation districts during the Copper age.


SUMMARY
The growth rate of Amphidinium carterae Hulburt in axenic culture was unaffected by gentle shaking (100 rpm); in contrast, growth rates of Amphidinium klebsii Kof et Swezy, Scrippsiella trochoidea (Stein) Loeblich III and Gyrodinium aureolum Hulburt were lowered and the latter species was killed by shaking.

Amphidinium carterae and Scrippsiella trochoidea grew taster under continuous illumination than under the two light/dark regimes tested. However, growth of Gyrodinium aureolum was much slower under continuous illumination (0·15 divs d-1) than in the photoperiods (0·21–0·36 divs d-1). Growth rates of Amphidinium carterae aerated with elevated CO2 (0·5% v/v) were saturated at a photon flux density of 80μE m-2 s-1. Cells grown at the lowest irradiance used (15 μE m2 s-1) had the highest pigment (chlorophyll a, c and carotenoids) per cell and the highest rate of photosynthesis both on a unit cell and a unit chlorophyll a basis. However, these cells showed no photoinhibition of photosynthesis when rates were measured at photon flux densities up to 150 μE m-2 s-1.

Culture filtrates failed to support any further growth of A. carterae, S. trochoidea or O. aureolum when reinoculated with the same dinoflagellate species. However, the growth of A. carterae, but not that of the other two species, resumed when fresh nutrients were added to culture filtrates.

Cell yields of A. carterae were increased by over 50% by doubling the nutrient addition to be medium. The nutrient responsible for this increase appears to be nitrate. Nitrate and arginine were also good sole nitrogen sources for the growth of A. carterae. However, ammonium supplied at the same concentration (1 mg atom N NI-1) was toxic; growth was slower, motility was impaired and cells become enlarged and rounded. Lowering the ammonium concentration to 0·2 mg atom N 1-1 restored growth and cellular morphology to normal.


Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted worldwide research interest due to their high energy density and long cycle life. Solid-state LIBs improve the safety of conventional liquid-based LIBs by replacing the flammable organic electrolytes with a solid electrolyte. Among the various types of solid electrolytes, hybrid solid electrolytes (HSEs) demonstrate great promise to achieve high ionic conductivity, reduced interfacial resistance between the electrolyte and electrodes, mechanical robustness, and excellent processability due to the combined advantages of both polymer and inorganic electrolyte. This article summarizes recent developments in HSEs for LIBs. Approaches for the preparation of hybrid electrolytes and current understanding of ion-transport mechanisms are discussed. The main challenges including unsatisfactory ionic conductivity and perspectives of HSEs for LIBs are highlighted for future development. The present review provides insights into HSE development to allow a more efficient and target-oriented future endeavor on achieving high-performance solid-state LIBs.


A study was structured to evaluate the effect of selenium and vitamin E supplementation on the humoral immune response to hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) vaccination in calves. Twenty unvaccinated calves, two to four months old were randomly selected and divided into four groups, each group consisting five calves. Group A was control; Group B was vaccinated against HS, Group C was supplemented with selenium and vitamin E (VESS) and Group D was vaccinated against HS along with VESS. Groups C and D were supplemented with VESS on day 0 of experimental trial. After fifteen days, vaccine was administered to Groups B and D. Blood samples were collected at day 0, 30 and 45 from each animal and serum was separated by centrifugation. Antibody titer was determined by complement fixation test. One way  analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test were used for statistical analysis of data with 0.05 as level of the significance. Results showed significantly higher antibody titer (P<0.05) in Group D as compared to Group B at day 45 of experimental trial. It was concluded that selenium and vitamin E significantly improve the antibody titer when given along with HS vaccine in calves. Key words: antibody titer, calves, hemorrhagic septicemia, selenium, vitamin E


Rex and Moore's Race, Community and Conflict: A Study of Sparkbrook has the status of a modern sociological classic. The argument presented here is that this can be attributed in part to its methodological underpinnings. The use of a combination of methods to collect material on the lives of Sparkbrook residents in the 1960s allowed a more rounded account to be developed than would have been possible had only the originally planned survey been undertaken. The resultant study is by no means perfect, but its underlying ambition and the determination with which the project was seen through have served to inspire subsequent generations of researchers.


With the constant growth of technology, the human mindset is being programmed to be "informatized." With a few taps on a smartphone, people can receive information to a meticulous level for any subject matter. Mobile marketing becomes essential to any business plans as a communication tool that could soon replace the traditional form of promotion. Millennials and Generation Z are the most common mobile users who renovate the growth of m-commerce. The purpose of this journal is to expand awareness of how these younger generations are treating e-commerce as part of their lives [1].


The aim of this paper is to examine the phonetic realizations of English unstressed vowels produced by advanced Korean learners (KLs) of English compared with English native speakers (NSs) focusing on the comparative study of English words and English loanwords. The result shows that KLs are usually not native-like in producing the English unstressed vowel /?/ and loanword orthography affects the way the KLs produce /?/. The vowel quality of the unstressed vowels produced by the KLs is different from that of the NSs. In duration and pitch, KLs show significantly less difference between the stressed and unstressed vowels than do the NSs. The KLs usually have a high pitch in the stressed and the last syllable while the NSs usually produce peak F0 in the stressed syllable. When the KLs have a similar vowel quality with that of the NSs, they produce a shorter duration of the unstressed vowels. However, there is no correlation between the realization of the pitch and the vowel quality in KLs speech.