The non-conventional wine and beer yeast Dekkera bruxellensis is of great interest for the food industry and academic research. This Crabtree-positive yeast is a good ethanol producer and can compete the baker´s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in ethanol and pH tolerance and could be an even better organism for the biofuel production from alternative carbon sources. D. bruxellensis is considered to be one of the main spoilage organisms in the wine and biofuel industry; on the other hand, it is 'indispensable' as a contributor to the flavor profile of Belgium lambic and gueuze beers. It also adds characteristic aromatic properties to some red wines and sourdough.
There are not many molecular tools available for this yeast species. During my PhD project I characterized some D. bruxellensis promoters and analyzed their expression activity in response to different carbon sources. This led me to the construction of a D. bruxellensis expression vector. Furthermore I analyzed the role of alcohol dehydrogenase gene isoform III (ADH3) in the glucose fermentation and ethanol production. I have also analyzed a collection of 170 strains of the Dekkera/ Brettanomyces genus isolated from different niches from different parts of the world. These strains have been phenotypically characterized regarding the traits as ethanol, pH and temperature resistance, utilization of different carbon and nitrogen sources and osmotolerance. Some of the strains were studied with further genetic analyses. This gives us a better knowledge of the relationship of the phenotype and the genotype in this genus.
Non-conventional yeasts represent a vast potential for industrial application, but most of them have not been characterized yet. I have analyzed 14 non-conventional yeasts for their ability to be alternatives to baker´s yeast. Seven of these strains have been used for baking bread. Two strains (Kazachstania gamospora, Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus) exhibited the same or even better leavening abilities (production of carbon dioxide, resistance towards high sodium chloride and sugar concentrations) comparing to commercial baker´s yeast. On the other hand, the selected strains exhibited an extraordinary taste. This could be further used in the industry for the production of bread with new flavours.
In conclusion, the research presented in this thesis broadens the knowledge about Dekkera/ Brettanomyces yeasts (particularly D. bruxellensis) by delivering molecular tools to manipulate this species. These tools are necessary to further identify and characterize genes of interest. Additionally, the identification of two alternative baker´s yeasts picked out of the huge bulk of non-conventional yeasts illustrates how fruitful research into yet uncharacterized species can be to discover their useful qualities and abilities.


The Rel/NF-kappaB family of transcription factors controls the expression of a wide variety of genes that are implicated in immune and inflammatory responses and cellular proliferation. Disregulation of NF-kappaB is associated with cellular transformation and the maintenance of a high anti-apoptotic threshold in transformed cells. NF-kappaB activity is in turn regulated by its sequestration in the cytoplasm by the inhibitor I kappaB. I kappaB alpha, the most abundant and well-characterized member of the I kappaB multiprotein family, is rapidly degraded in response to multiple physiologic stimuli. In the present study we show that not only the amino-terminus, but also the carboxy-terminus of I kappaB alpha contain transferable signals that must be simultaneously present in an unrelated protein to render it susceptible to activation-induced, proteasome-mediated degradation. We show here that I kappaB alpha amino-terminal modifications occur independently of the carboxy-terminus. Moreover, we present evidence indicating a critical role for the carboxy-terminal region in facilitating proteolysis by the catalytic core of the proteasome. When incubated with 20S proteasome extracted from rat liver, I kappaB alpha was quickly degraded while a deletion mutant lacking the carboxy-terminus was resistant to proteolysis. Likewise, chimeric proteins of beta-galactosidase with the I kappaB alpha carboxy-terminus were degraded in vitro independently of the presence of the I kappaB alpha amino-terminus, whereas chimeric proteins lacking the I kappaB alpha carboxy-terminus were stable. Our results identify the carboxy-terminus of I kappaB alpha as a domain critical for degradation through interaction with an as yet unidentified component of the proteasome.


Summary: This paper presents a new approach for a diagnostic system that detects and isolates sensor faults at engine test benches. The modular system as well as the combination of physics-based and data-driven modelling concepts allow highly flexible application on various types of engine test benches. The adaptability of the system is validated using measurement data from two different engine test benches.


A high level of interest among Indonesians in performing Umrah, a religious tourism, creates the opportunity for banking industries, especially XYZ Sharia bank branch which provides Umrah financing services for the Indonesian Muslim community. The objectives of this study were 1) to analyze the influence of mixed marketing on customer loyalty of XYZ Sharia Bank branch; 2) to analyze the influences of the marketing mix to customer satisfaction of XYZ Sharia Bank branch; 3) to analyze the influence of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty of XYZ Sharia Bank branch; 4) to formulate a marketing strategy to increase customer loyalty of XYZ Sharia Bank branch. This study was conducted using a descriptive method through a case study approach. The data were collected through questionnaires with non-probability sampling technique by using a convenience sampling method. The data were analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling based on partial least square (PLS-SEM). The PLS SEM analysis results indicated that the mixed marketing is influential on customer satisfaction of XYZ Sharia Bank branch with the influential dimensions of products, prices, employees and processes. Besides, mixed marketing also is significantly influential on customer loyalty of XYZ Sharia Bank branch with the influential dimensions of products, prices, employees, physical evidence and processes. The results of the analysis using ANP demonstrated that implementing cooperation with various travels and Umrah Travel Association in Indonesia is the priority key to improve the marketing of Umrah financial products in Syariah Bank branch by the weight score of 56,03%.


Contents: Foreword, by Barry D. Lebowitz, Ph.D. Preface I. UNDERSTANDING LATE-LIFE DEPRESSION 1. Recognizing Depression What is Depression? The Mind-Body Connection Pain or Physical Disability Psychotic Symptoms Suicide Depression and the Quality of Life 2. The Many Forms of Depression Dysthymia Bipolar Disorder Recurrent Depression Postpartum Depression Prementrual and Postmenopausal Depression 3. Medical Reasons for Depression in Later Life Inherited Risk Factors Biomedical Risk Factors Medications That Can Cause or Contribute to Depression Recreational Drugs and Alcohol as Depressants 4. Psychological and Social Reasons for Depression in Later Life Psychological Risk Factors Anxiety with Depression Social Risks: The Loneliness Factor The Role of Personality or Coping Style The Stress Response What Can Be Done about Stress? The Aftermath of September 11, 2001 II. EVALUATING AND TREATING DEPRESSION 5. Getting Help for Depression: Where to Go, What to Expect Which Health Professional Should You Choose? A Thorough Assessment for Late-Life Depression Barriers to Treatment Finding Help in Your Area The Benefits of Treatment and the Consequences of Untreated Depression Advice for Family Members 6. Talking Therapy for Late-Life Depression What is Psychotherapy? Types of Psychotherapy How Psychotherapy Helps Good Grieving 7. What Modern Medicine Can Offer or Late-Life Depression Antidepressant Medication Types of Anitdepressant Medications: A Brief Overview Strategies for Making Antidepressants Work Managing Side Effects of Antidepressant Medication Combined Treatment: Medication and Psychotherapy Electriconvulsive Theray, or Shock Treatment How do Medical Treatments Work? The Maintenance Therapies in Late-Life Dperession Study A Word about Insomnia 8. Complementary or Alternative Treatments Used for Mental Health A Historical Perspective Our Own Perpsective The Alternative Health Care Movement Standards of Safety and Efficacy Alternative Treatments Buyer, BewareIII. STAYING FREE OF DEPRESSION FOR THE LONG TERM 9. Strategies for Living Depression Free for the Long Term Finding the Help You Need Friends and Family Members-An Early-Warning System The Importance of Daily Routine Successful Aging Later Life as a Developmental Stage Planning for the Final Phase of Life Making Plans for Needing Help-A way to Stay in Control End-of-Life Issues 10. Future Research New and Promising Developments Special Considerations of Research Participating in Research: What is Involved


The article presents data on ecotoxicological hazard assessment of different types of deicing chemicals for higher plants. The assessment was carried out according to a specifically developed rapid test on oats seeds. The phytoeffect was determined by comparing the lengths of the seedling roots placed in a solution of deicing chemicals and was calculated by the effect size of root growth inhibition comparing with proof sample. The safest composition of deicing chemicals was determined.


This paper describes a new class of neuro-fuzzy models, called Reinforcement Learning Hierarchical NeuroFuzzy Systems (RL-HNF). These models employ the BSP (Binary Space Partitioning) and Politree partitioning of the input space [Chrysanthou,1992] and have been developed in order to bypass traditional drawbacks of neuro-fuzzy systems: the reduced number of allowed inputs and the poor capacity to create their own structure and rules (ANFIS [Jang,1997], NEFCLASS [Kruse,1995] and FSOM [Vuorimaa,1994]). These new models, named Reinforcement Learning Hierarchical Neuro-Fuzzy BSP (RL-HNFB) and Reinforcement Learning Hierarchical Neuro-Fuzzy Politree (RL-HNFP), descend from the original HNFB that uses Binary Space Partitioning (see Hierarchical Neuro-Fuzzy Systems Part I). By using hierarchical partitioning, together with the Reinforcement Learning (RL) methodology, a new class of Neuro-Fuzzy Systems (SNF) was obtained, which executes, in addition to automatically learning its structure, the autonomous learning of the actions to be taken by an agent, dismissing a priori information (number of rules, fuzzy rules and sets) relative to the learning process. These characteristics represent an important differential when compared with existing intelligent agents learning systems, because in applications involving continuous environments and/or environments considered to be highly dimensional, the use of traditional Reinforcement Learning methods based on lookup tables (a table that stores value functions for a small or discrete state space) is no longer possible, since the state space becomes too large. This second part of hierarchical neuro-fuzzy systems focus on the use of reinforcement learning process. The first part presented HNFB models based on supervised learning methods. The RL-HNFB and RL-HNFP models were evaluated in a benchmark control application and a simulated Khepera robot environment with multiple obstacles.


In this paper we derive a priori error estimates for linear-quadratic elliptic optimal control problems with finite dimensional control space and state constraints in the whole domain, which can be written as semi-infinite optimization problems. Numerical experiments are conducted to underline our theory.


With the current trend for application of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technologies, there has been much research into the possible upsets to production, from the nature of the produced fluids to changes in the scaling regime. The key question being addressed in this publication is the influence of EOR chemicals, such as hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), on scale inhibitor (SI) squeeze lifetime for barium sulphate and calcium carbonate scale risk. Squeeze lifetime is defined as the duration of time (or produced water volume) before the minimum inhibitor concentration (MIC) is reached. This is controlled by the adsorption, and later release, of the inhibitor onto the reservoir rock and the MIC of the inhibitor selected for the produced brine. This paper builds on earlier published work investigating potential changes to inhibitor adsorption caused by polymer EOR produced and moves to the evaluation of the changes in MIC due to the presence of EOR chemical.
 In the static inhibitor performance bottle tests, the EOR polymer alone appeared to show some degree of inhibition performance against BaSO4, but below a level required for effective scale management. However, in combination with the inhibitor (DETPMP) at near MIC levels, the inhibition efficiency was negatively impacted by the presence of degraded HPAM EOR polymer. During dynamic tube blocking tests, the inclusion of even low levels of HPAM (2.5 ppm) were shown to reduce the differential pressure build up suggesting barite scale inhibition or reduced adhesion to the coil. Furthermore, the scale morphology produced in these tests, examined under a scanning electron microscope, was clearly impacted in the presence of HPAM. For the CaCO3 system there appears to be increasing positive impact from HPAM on CaCO3 morphology with HPAM concentration and, as observed for BaSO4, an improved performance in dynamic efficiency experiments. However, at higher HPAM concentrations (500 ppm) the precipitate was amorphous and only a minor pressure rise was observed during the tube blocking experiments.
 From these observations, it is clear that HPAM can impact the way both calcite and barite scale grow, especially at lower inhibitor concentrations (<MIC) and hence impacts the mechanism by which DETPMP can function to prevent scale nucleation and growth.
 This study represents a comprehensive review of both inhibition performance in the presence of an EOR polymer and with these findings the implication to field treatment lifetimes and associated costs of scale management via scale squeeze in a field under HPAM flooding.


Amphotropic murine retrovirus 4070A was demonstrated to be highly leukemogenic when inoculated intravenously into adult DBA/2 mice that were undergoing an intense chronic inflammatory response, but was nonleukemogenic in the absence of inflammation. The virus-induced promoonocytic leukemias, designated AMPH-ML, are similar morphologically and in cell surface marker expression to monocytic leukemias, called MML and MF-ML, previously shown to be induced by Moloney murine leukemia virus and MF-3 virus (a recombinant between Friend murine leukemia virus and Moloney murine leukemia virus) and resemble certain mature acute monocytic leukemias in humans (AML subtype M5). Approximately two-thirds of the AMPH-MLs (subgroup I) were demonstrated to have alterations in the 5' end of the c-myb locus, an event which occurs in 100% of MML and MF-ML. Data indicate that proviral insertions in AMPH-ML subgroup I resulted in aberrant c-myb mRNA expression and truncation of its translation product at the amino terminus. Approximately one-third of the AMPH-MLs (subgroup II) had not undergone any DNA rearrangements at the c-myb locus. In addition, their transcripts and protein products were of normal size. These latter leukemias also had not undergone DNA rearrangements in c-myc, although retroviruses expressing myc have previously been shown to induce monocyte-macrophage tumors in mice undergoing a chronic inflammation. That subgroup II leukemias had at least one clonal viral insertion suggests that there may be other sites in the cellular genome that can be activated by insertional mutagenesis in these murine acute monocytic leukemias.


Erythropoietin (EPO) is one of the most important hormones in the human body, due to its effective pharmaceutical performance, recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) is often produced by Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells as host cells through recombinant DNA technology on an industrial scale. In this study, the reported genome-scale metabolic network of CHO cells was upgraded to integrate EPO production pathways using the INIT algorithm in the RAVEN Toolbox. After quality analysis for the reconstructed model, performance of the model was examined under two different culture conditions provided within the literature. Such analysis were implemented through Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) and Multi-objective Analysis techniques and the results highlighted the effectiveness of these culture conditions. To enhance the efficiency of rhEPO production, analysis of essential genes and reactions, sensitivity of essential amino acid supplementation and flexibility of amino acid uptakes was also performed through a series of standard in silico techniques in constraint-based analysis.


CTL and antibody responses to HIV-1 p17 and p24 antigens were monitored from 1986-1991, in 4 hemophiliacs. The patients had been infected with HIV-1 between 1980 and 1984. Two patients have remained asymptomatic while two progressed to AIDS in 1990. CTL were boosted by culturing with peptides from p17 aa 86-115, or p24 aa 265-279; and aa 270-373 or PHA. Lysis was measured on autologous or allogeneic targets pulsed with peptides or infected with recombinant vaccinia virus carrying HIV-1 gag or influenza A matrix genes. Antibodies to p17 and p24 were tested by ELISA using peptides and by Western blotting. High levels of CTL activity to p17 and p24 antigens could be generated only with lymphocytes from the two asymptomatic patients between 1986 and 1989, but these responses were absent in 1990 and 1991. Antibodies to p17 peptides disappeared in parallel with CTL activity. Antibodies to some p24 peptides also declined but most patients retained activity to others. In all patients a > or = 3-fold increase in CD8+ cell numbers occurred over time and accompanied the decline of CTL and antibody responses. The loss of CTL and p17 antibodies occurred irrespective of whether patients remained asymptomatic or progressed to AIDS in the intervening two years.


By 1966 it had become clear that the doctrine of individual ministerial responsibility, which lay at the heart of the British constitution, had failed to evolve in order to meet the requirements of modern government. This thesis puts forward a review of the doctrine's operation and theoretical basis over a seventeen year period, starting with the advent of new organs of parliamentary scrutiny under the second Wilson Government.
It is argued that individual ministerial responsibility can best be understood with reference to four distinct, yet interlocking elements. One of these, accountability, was the focus of significant change between 1966 and 1983. During these years, it was possible to discern the emergence of a new regime of parliamentary accountability. Within this, the traditional methods of scrutiny continued to operate, but they were joined by new Select Committees and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. These new organs had the effect of increasing the quantity and enhancing the quality of scrutiny which could be brought to bear on ministers and civil servants. In a real sense, ministers became more accountable to Parliament for their role responsibilities, while the civil servants' accountability to their superiors in the administrative hierarchy, to their ministerial masters, and most importantly, to Parliament, was enhanced. In particular, the operation of the new Select Committees created a situation where the de lure statement of civil service non-accountability to Parliament came into obvious conflict with the emerging de facto accountability to this source.
Individual ministerial responsibility remains a useful description of how British government is organised and operates. The doctrine should not be viewed as a constitutional myth, although one of its elements, sanctions, is nearer to myth than reality. The period 1966-83 witnessed no "revival" of this element, only a few false starts.


In this paper, cysts are detected in the ultrasonic images of ovary. PCOS is an endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age. This syndrome is mainly seen in women whose age is in between 25 and 35. We are proposing methods for identifying whether a person is suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or not. Ultrasound imaging of the follicles gives important information about the size, number and mode of arrangement of follicles, position and response to hormonal stimulation. A thresholding function is applied for denoising the image in the wavelet domain. Before the segmentation process the ultrasonic image is preprocessed using contrast enhancement technique. Morphological approach is used for implementing contrast enhancement. This is performed in order to improve the clarity and quality of the image. Fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm is applied to the resultant image. Finally the cysts are detected with the help of clusters. The efficiency of the algorithm depends upon the value of Mean Square Error (MSE) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR).


Objective : To estimate the socioeconomic costs of obesity in Korea,1998. Methods : The 1998 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(1998 NHNES) data was used and 10,880 persons who had taken health examinations were selected for study. Essential hypertension, NIDDM(non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, stroke were included as obesity related disease. The data of direct costs of obesity was obtained from the National Federation of Medical Insurance. The category of indirect costs was the loss of productivity caused by premature death and admission, time costs, traffic costs, nursing fees due to obesity. Multiple logistic regression model was developed to estimate prevalence odds ratio by obesity class adjusted demographic and socio-ecnomic factors and calculate PAF(Population Attributable Fraction) of obesity on obesity related disease. And we finally calculated the socioeconomic costs of obesity in relation to BMI with PAF. Results : The direct costs of obesity were 2,126 billion billion Won in considering out of pocket payment to uninsured services, and the indirect costs of obesity were 2,099 billion billion Won. Consequently, in considering out of pocket payment to uninsured services, the socioeconomic costs of obesity were 4.225 billion billion Won, which corresponded to about of GDP and of total health care costs in Korea. Conclusions : Obesity represents a major health problem with significant economic implications for the society. This results are conservative estimates as far as all obesity related disease and all health care and indirect costs were not included due to missing information. further studies are needed to caculate socioeconomic costs of obesity more exactly.


Tyrosine phosphorylation is an important post-translational modification (PTM) that governs numerous cellular processes. Constructing synthetic phosphotyrosine polypeptides helps expand the horizon of our understanding regarding the fundamental aspects and biological consequences of this PTM. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel monomer, O-diethylphospho l-tyrosine N-carboxyanhydride (pOEt TyrNCA), whose ring-opening polymerization (ROP) mediated by hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) leads to poly(l-phosphotyrosine) (P(pTyr)) derivatives with controllable molecular weights and narrow molecular-weight distributions. Moreover, P(pTyr)15-b-PEG-b-P(pTyr)15 triblock copolymer (TBP15) undergo sol-gel transition in the presence of alkaline phosphatase. The stiffness of the gel is reinforced by the addition of horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide. These phosphotyrosine-mimicking polymers are realized for the first time by NCA polymerization and are promising materials for a variety of biological applications.


In certain experiments on the ultraviolet absorption of normal and cancer rat plasma, fractionated with zinc hydroxide powder, described in a previous paper, 1 it was found that the absorption curves of various samples of normal rat plasma treated with zinc hydroxide were practically identical between wavelengths of 2900 and 3400 A, while those of cancer rat plasma similarly treated deviated from the normal. The deviation was roughly proportional to the size of the tumor growth. It seemed desirable to investigate the plasma of rats which were known to be immune to cancer in order to determine whether a similar difference between normal and immune rats existed. The present study was therefore undertaken, using the same technic, but no significant difference was detected. Procedure The rats used in these experiments were standardized Germantown albino rats, some of which exhibited a natural immunity to cancer. According to the procedure regularly used in this laboratory, implants of a transplantable rat tumor, Walker carcinoma 256, were made into the flanks of the animals. Normally such tumors grow, increasing in size, until the death of the animal. In the case of an immune rat, however, the tumor reaches its maximum growth of about 3 or 4 grams in weight in about two weeks, and then regresses, finally disappearing about ten days thereafter. Subsequent attempts to inoculate these rats with cancer, either sarcoma, Philadelphia No. 1, or with carcinoma, Walker 256, are unsuccessful. In some cases such immunity has been known to last six or seven months. The rats used in these experiments had been originally inoculated six or eight weeks prior to the time of the experiment. In the hope that the immunizing agent might be increased, rat R-11 was injected with a suspension of carcinoma 256, six days before the experiment.


Sera of group O mothers of infants with and without ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn were fractionated by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography and density gradient ultracentrifugation. Whole sera and serum fractions were evaluated for activity by various test systems currently used for the antenatal prediction of ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn. The results of these studies did not show any single serologic property that would unequivocally diflerentiate between the isoantibodies of mothers of affected infants and mothers of normal infants of incompatible blood group.


ABSTRACT: This paper discusses challenges and opportunities facing international accounting researchers and demonstrates the relevance of markets‐based international accounting research to those new to the area. We review recent research in the following areas: required GAAP for foreign‐listed firms and adoption of international standards, accounting classifications, earnings management, the impact of foreign operations on firm valuation, capital market anomalies, and accounting reforms. We also provide suggestions for future research in each area and examples of domestic research issues that can be addressed with international data. The opportunities for conducting international accounting research are many and growing.


Hyperglycemia is correlated with poor prognosis in ischemic strokes and also increases the risk of hemorrhagic transformation after thrombolysis. The toxicity of hyperglycemia, already well established in animals, is beginning to be clear for humans. On the other hand, the beneficial effect of insulin remains controversial in animals and has never been demonstrated in humans. Preliminary data, which suggest that the speed and quality of glycemic control may be decisive in the efficacy of treatment, merit testing in a randomized trial.


The survey was carried out in the Panga Ecological Reserve, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. A plot survey was used to analyze the floristic and phytosociology of arboreal species; with equal or more than 15cm of trunk girth, in a transect of 840m x 20m (1.68ha). The survey included plant communities of open cerrado and cerradao. Soil samples were collected, from 0 to 10cm depth, in 12 different plots, to define its chemical composition. The total survey included 3,137 individuals, in 107 species and 43 families. In the cerradao 25 plots (1.0ha) presented 93 species, with Qualea grandiflora, and Vochysia tucanorum showing the highest index of importance value (IVI). In 0.68ha of cerrado we found 76 species and 37 families, with Qualea grandiflora and Qualea parviflora presenting the higher IVI index. Fabaceae Vochysiaceae and Myrtaceae showed the largest number of species in the two plant communities


Enucleation in birds requires special consideration. Two case reports are presented as examples of 2 techniques for enucleation in raptors. The first technique utilizes a transaural approach and is suitable only in owls that have extensive external ear openings. The major advantage of this technique is that it allows complete histologic examination of the globe. The second technique is a globe-collapsing procedure that is suitable for any avian species. This technique precludes complete histologic examination.


The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of common vetch seed (CVS), used at various levels (0, 15 and 25%), as a protein source in diets replacing different proportion of barley, wheat bran and soybean meal on fattening performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Awassi male lambs at approximately 8 months of age. The lambs were divided into three treatment groups, T1 (control, fed a diet without CVS; n = 12), T2 (15% CVS; n = 12) and T3 (25% CVS; n = 12), at the beginning of the fattening period. The T2 and T3 lambs were fed with a concentrate including 15 and 25% of ground CVS. The main protein source was soybean meal in T1 diet treatment, partially replaced by vetch in T2 and T3 diet treatments. All groups were fed a diet consisting of concentrate mixture offered ad libitum, and 300 g of grass hay per lamb per day during the 60 day fattening period. Daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency (concentrate and hay consumption for 1 kg of live weight gain) were 1.716 kg, 0.26 kg and 6.60 for T1, 1.756 kg, 0.28 kg and 6.27 for T2 and 1.806 kg, 0.29 kg and 6.23 for T3, respectively. Growth, carcass and meat quality traits were almost the same across the groups. In conclusion, CVS supplementation to diets of Awassi lambs at a 0, 15 and 25% rates showed no statistical differences in fattening performance, wholesale cuts of carcasses, meat color parameters (L* = lightness, a* = redness, b* = yellowness, H = huge angle and C = chroma) and pH values, but there were numerical differences (improvement) in feed conversion efficiency. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry


Purpose: Identification of osseous metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) is traditionally based on bone scan and computerized tomography (CT) imaging. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been investigated to improve detection of metastatic disease. Given the high number of false positive and false negative results with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET, novel tracers including 11C-Choline have been investigated for earlier identification metastatic disease. We present a prospective pilot study comparing 11C-Choline PET/CT against traditional bone scan in detecting osseous metastases in newly diagnosed high risk PCa. Methods: High-risk PCa patients underwent a standard initial workup: H&P, transrectal US-guided biopsy, PSA evaluation, CT scan, and bone scan. An experimental 11C-Choline PET/CT scan served to evaluate the extent of disease and predict for occult metastases. Pre-treatment bone scan and 11C-Choline PET/CT interpretations were compared with follow-up imaging, PSA, and clinical assessments to determine the predictive value of pre-treatment 11C-Choline imaging and overall outcomes. Results: Nine patients were successfully enrolled with 11C-Choline PET imaging during the initial workup. Three patients had evidence of osseous metastases on both CT and bone scans. Two of three patients had clinical findings consistent with their imaging, with all three patients exhibiting baseline PSA levels >50. Of the three patients deemed metastatic by conventional radiography, only two of the three corresponding 11C-Choline PET/CT images were in agreement with conventional imaging. The final patient had a negative 11C-Choline study with a T10 sclerotic focus on conventional imaging that was unchanged in follow-up scans despite post-treatment biochemical failure. A fourth patient without evidence of osseous metastatic disease on conventional scans demonstrated a positive 11C-Choline PET/CT scan on initial workup. In follow-up, the patient had evidence of diffuse osseous metastatic disease visualized on conventional imaging. Conclusion: In this limited prospective series, our results suggest an increased sensitivity of 11C-Choline PET/ CT in identifying active lytic lesions and true bony metastasis.


This paper describes a Markov random field (MRF) model with weighting parameters optimized by conditional random field (CRF) for on-line recognition of handwritten Japanese characters. It also presents updated evaluation using a large testing set. The model extracts feature points along the pen-tip trace from pen-down to pen-up and sets each feature point from an input pattern as a site and each state from a character class as a label. It employs the coordinates of feature points as unary features and the differences in coordinates between the neighboring feature points as binary features. The weighting parameters are estimated by CRF or the minimum classification error (MCE) method. In experiments using the TUAT Kuchibue database, the method achieved a character recognition rate of 92.77%, which is higher than the previous model's rate, and the method of estimating the weighting parameters using CRF was more accurate than using MCE.


This thesis presents the dynamics of capacitively coupled atmospheric pressure plasmas driven by tailored voltage waveforms (TVW). They are composed of a fundamental frequency (13.56 MHz) and a number of harmonics varied from 2-5.
This work concentrated on studying the electron excitation dynamics obtained experimentally in helium-nitrogen admixtures and helium-oxygen electronegative plasmas. Peaks-type waveforms and sawtooth-type waveforms operate plasma with different numbers of harmonics. The electron impact excitation dynamics are extracted from the emission of plasma photon through the use of phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy (PROES). As the electron dynamics are influenced by the transition of the plasma boundary sheath, however, a field reversal builds up in the plasma because the reduction of electron motion due to the collisions. Consequently, the electric field initiates an acceleration of electrons toward the electrode and therefore contribute to ionisation or excitation mechanisms. This electric field was observed through the application of peaks or valleys waveforms, either via helium-nitrogen or helium-oxygen. Electron impact excitations are influenced by two parameters used in this work. First, with more harmonics applied, the excitation rates increase. This is applicable on all types of TVW used here. Therefore, the plasma density increases as observed from the thickness of the plasma sheath being smaller with more harmonics applied. The second factor affecting electron dynamics is the variation of the molecular gases used (nitrogen and oxygen). In electro-negative plasma (He-O2), the transition from sheath expansion-dominated excitation to sheath collapse-dominated excitation occurs when adding more admixtures of oxygen. However, this kind of transition is not fulfilled in the case of helium-nitrogen plasmas. When operating the helium-oxygen plasma, the resultant effluent was exploited to measure the ozone density. In all cases ozone densities rise with more concentrations of oxygen.


This paper will primarily examine the context of Londons orbital routes, in terms of their history, patronage over the years, decline and in many instances, subsequent rebirth and regeneration. It will also address wider economic and social benefits that the improvement of orbital travel is intended to deliver. There will be analysis of the proposals by Transport for London for a large-scale rebuilding of the North London Line and associated routes, those routes over which that Mayoral body had been given concession (operator) specification rights. There will also be an analysis of some of the constraints that exist on orbital routes, particularly their use by other, non-passenger traffic. The paper will identify the measures to be taken by different parties, including Transport for London, Network Rail (the infrastructure owner), the Olympics Delivery Agency and freight operators. This will include funding streams for the work, especially in the context of identifying lasting legacy benefit from Olympic-related investment. Comparisons will be drawn with some smaller cities in Britain, such as Birmingham and Manchester, although detailed analysis will be conducted the way in which Parisian railways (RER and SNCF) have developed. In particular, two Parisian orbital railways, the Grande Ceinture and the Petite Ceinture, have been in part unused, and for the most part, under-utilised, for some time. Various studies have been undertaken into the potential for reopening, either as heavy rail, light rail, or tram, and the paper will outline the authors research into the rationale for and the issues involved in such development work. Some exchange of research has already taken place between TfL and IAURIF (an organisation responsible for urban and spatial development in the Ile de France region of France, not dissimilar to the broader remit of the London Mayor and his agencies). It is proposed to share further research on the experience of IAURIF concerning good provision of transport and wider socio-economic development. The method of approaching the issues concerned in Paris and in London will be compared in an attempt to establish the optimum means of pursuing orbital rail development. Also included in this paper will be references to the multi-modal nature of urban transport, given that other modes of transport may be equally or better suited than rail to deliver an efficient service to passengers. This will focus especially on the devolution of responsibility from a national to a local or urban authority, and the issues that this can create with regard, in particular, to other users of the line in question. An important part of the analysis will be on the relative benefits of a national or local authority controlling the train service specification, fares and other issues in the context of a broad transport policy framework. This will be related to defining the most efficient means of delivery of the scheme in question. For the covering abstract see ITRD E137145


Pilot plant-scale experiments have been carried out to study a new technology for nitrogen removal from digester supernatant. The plant comprises two parallel lines, which now operate as a two-step process. Two pilot plant reactors (each volume of 2 m3) were filled with Kaldnes rings up to 50 % of their volume. In the First step of the process, half of the ammonium is oxidized to nitrite without further oxidation to nitrate (nitritation). Then the second step follows, where equal amounts of ammonium and nitrite reacts to form nitrogen gas (Anammox). The pilot plant is continuously fed with supernatant from digested sludge dewatering process at the Himmerfjarden WWTP. This type of wastewater has a high ammonium concentration and a low content of biodegradable organic matter.


This paper investigates the deployment of collaborative estimation and actuation scheme of wireless sensor and actuator networks for the agriculture industry. In our proposed scheme, sensor nodes conduct a local estimation based on the Kalman filter for enhancing the estimation stability and further transmit data to the actuator nodes under a multi-rate transmission mode for enhancing the overall energy efficiency of the wireless network. Considering the mutual effect of related clusters, a collaborative actuation scheme of actuator nodes is integrated into our proposed scheme for improving the estimation accuracy and convergence speed. With an accurate estimation of the changes in the environmental parameters, combining the fuzzy neural network with the PID control algorithm, the actuator exerts reliable control over the environmental parameters. Performance evaluations and simulation analysis conducted based on the effects of temperature demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme in controlling the greenhouse environmental changes for in the agriculture industry.


Progress in the management of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas has clearly been documented in recent years. Surgical outcomes have improved dramatically, and the preponderance of data from randomized clinical trials affirm that adjuvant therapy, in the form of combination chemoradiotherapy, improves outcomes over surgery alone in patients with resected disease. Newer chemotherapeutic agents such as gemcitabine have led to significant improvements over 5-fluorouracil alone, and patients have benefited from improved methods of delivering conformal radiotherapy. As the clinical benefits of postoperative adjuvant therapy become increasingly evident, researchers have begun to explore the utility of including preoperative or "neoadjuvant" regimens to standard 5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiotherapy. Initial results with this strategy are promising, and will likely influence the direction of future research. A growing understanding of the molecular biology of the disease has opened doors to rich new areas of research, and targeted therapies will likely play an important role in newly developing treatment paradigms. Just cause for optimism exists, but much work remains to be done. New adjuvant therapies need to be developed and tested, in carefully designed, well-executed, efficient clinical trials.


This report, in two volumes, compiles the static, pendulum and full-scale crash test results of alternative small sign support systems for Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The tests were conducted and evaluated in accordance with the recommendations of NCHRP Report 230 and the 1985 AASHTO "Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires and Traffic Signals". Results of this research indicate that three-3 lb/ft or (based on energy based analysis) two-4 lb/ft 80 ksi Marion steel u-post supports and stubs assembled using a 4 inch nested splice (support assembled behind the stub) with 1/2 inch spacers and grade 9 bolts, nuts and washers will meet the evaluation criteria. It also is apparent from the results of this study that a slip-base retrofit for a sign support system with up to three P2 Uni-Strut posts will meet the evaluation criteria. In all cases, tests were conducted in NCHRP Report 230 (2) Classification Sl (STRONG) soil. In cases where installation in a "weak" soil is anticipated, further evaluation is required (A).


ing Old Smyrna, Tell Defenneh, and the Athenian Agora deposits need not detain us here, but both C. and D. fail to rehearse the details for why such deposits can be used as secure points for the chronology of East Greek ceramics. Perhaps what lets this book down most is the poor quality of illustrations, especially the line drawings (e.g. 53 fig. 8.18; 133 fig. 19.1). Three chapters (20: 'Grey ware and bucchero', 21: 'Relief ware', 22: 'Faience') are completely unillustrated. Only profiles of transport amphoras are provided; illustrations of impressed stamps and commercial marks would have been welcome. Some important pieces, such as the inscribed Middle Wild Goat style 'Euphorbos' plate from Camirus, Rhodes, are unillustrated (62). It is more than significant that the script on this plate is Argive (Jeffery, LSAG 154, 354, pi. 69, no. 47; see also Boardman, Early Greek Vase Painting, 143). Discussion of the letter forms is disappointingly tucked away in a footnote (199 n. 65), and the suggestion that such work was the product of Argive emigrants left unexplored. Some of the East Greek pottery from sites in Turkey (e.g. Pitane, Gryneion) are illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, The Anatolian Civilisations 11: Greek/Roman/Byzantine (Istanbul 1983). East Greek amphoras from Motya will appear in B.S.J.Isserlin (ed.), Moyta 2 (Leiden, in press) and this may alter some of D.'s conclusions. Those seeking an introduction to East Greek pottery would be best pointed towards Boardman's readable and wellillustrated Early Greek Vase Painting (1998).


Considering motional effects in the steady-state finite element simulation of single-phase induction machines inevitably requires a transient approach. The resulting computation time seriously hampers the application of finite elements within technical designs. In this paper, time-harmonic finite element simulation, as commonly applied to a three-phase induction machine model, is enabled also for single-phase motors by decomposing the air gap field in two revolving fields with oppostie direction. The advantages and drawbacks of the novel approach are illustrated by a benchmark model. Issues such as ferromagnetic saturation, external circuit coupling, adaptive mesh refinement, and torque computation are addressed. The method is used to simulate a capacitor start/run motor.


The digital revolution has placed public broadcasting funding in Germany under pressure, because it has led to a multiplication of technological devices for radio and television. Radio and television can not only be consumed through particular devices, but also through literally any device like mobile phones, tablet computers and many more. The funding of public broadcasting system rested on a device-dependent fee. Any person or enterprise had to pay the broadcasting fee, if devices for reception of public broadcasting were in their possession. Over time more and more people did not pay the broadcasting fee, because they abstained from public broadcasting through traditional television or radio devices. Instead more and more modern devices were used, like mobile phones, laptops, tablet computers and so on. In the long run the digital revolution would have decreased the overall public broadcasting funding, because less and less people would be paying the broadcasting fee. In response to this pressure the former device-dependent fee was replaced by a device independent, flat fee per household or work place from January 1st 2013 on. This institutional reform of public broadcasting funding provokes questions about the reasons why and how the reform succeeded. Broadcasting policy powers were decentralized in the aftermath of the Second World War, so that the powers are shared among Lander, the German states. Because of the unitary German culture and society the decentralized broadcasting powers have to be executed jointly. Hence any single actor is able to block joint decisions, because unanimity is required. The Lander broadcasting commission and the commission to assess financial needs (KEF) mirror this functional compulsory negotiation system. The concept of joint decision making doubts under this condition the potential of institutional reforms and suggests incremental change. Nevertheless an institutional reform took place in public broadcasting funding. Reasons for the reform lay in the negotiation process. Among Lander a veil of ignorance, a segmented decision-making process and a combination of positive and negative coordination resulted in the institutional reform.


The transfer of mitochondrial genes to the nucleus is a recurrent and consistent feature of eukaryotic genome evolution. Although many theories have been proposed to explain such transfers, little relevant data exist. The observation that clonal and self-fertilizing plants transfer more mitochondrial genes to their nuclei than do outcrossing plants contradicts predictions of major theories based on nuclear recombination and leaves a gap in our conceptual understanding how the observed pattern of gene transfer could arise. Here, with a series of deterministic and stochastic simulations, we show how epistatic selection and relative mutation rates of mitochondrial and nuclear genes influence mitochondrial-to-nuclear gene transfer. Specifically, we show that when there is a benefit to having a mitochondrial gene present in the nucleus, but absent in the mitochondria, self-fertilization dramatically increases both the rate and the probability of gene transfer. However, absent such a benefit, when mitochondrial mutation rates exceed those of the nucleus, self-fertilization decreases the rate and probability of transfer. This latter effect, however, is much weaker than the former. Our results are relevant to understanding the probabilities of fixation when loci in different genomes interact.


Alternative techniques to the ageing on lees are being looked for in order to guarantee the improvements provided by this technique but eliminating its disadvantages. The aim of this work was to study the effect of ageing on lees and other alternative techniques (addition of b-glucanase enzymes to the lees; use of different yeast commercial preparations with or without b-glucanase enzymes; use of non-toasted oak chips; and ageing on lees together with micro-oxygenation) on the phenolic compounds, colour, proteins, polysaccharides and sensorial characteristics of red wines during vinification and ageing in oak barrels for 6 months on two consecutive vintages. Only the use of lees together with micro-oxygenation seemed to have a positive effect on the colour stability, due to the formation of new pigments that allows the intensity and blue notes of wines to be maintained during the barrel ageing process. All the techniques studied released total and neutral polysaccharides, although the type and content of these compounds depended on the technique used, and the yeast derivative added. No clear effect was observed with the use of b-glucanase enzymes. The sensory analysis showed that some of the wines treated were better valued than the control wines. The results obtained indicated that is difficult to select the technique that allows us to obtain the best quality wine. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


Two trends can be witnessed in educational game design: Problem-Based Learning and Drill & Practice Training approach. The general assumption appears to favor Problem-Based approach above Drill & Practice, in regard to players' motivation. However, the differences between the approaches are seldom studied. The authors examined the motivational impact of one game consisting of a Problem-Based-, and a Drill & Practice learning mode. The first presents players with an ill-defined problem and offers various solutions to a challenge. In the Drill & Practice mode, there is only one correct answer. Secondary school students played the game and completed a pre-and post-test questionnaire about their experienced regulatory style for studying mathematics. Results suggest that the Problem-Based mode may decline the experience of feeling controlled by others to engage in mathematics learning. In comparison, players of the Drill & Practice mode reported increased intrinsic motivations towards mathematics.


ABSTRACT The selection of kale genotypes more resistant to dehydration is important, since this product is marketed fresh and characterized as perishable. For the post-harvest study, the adjustment of regression models is useful. However, when there are many treatments, it is difficult to identify the superior one through the graphical representation of the curves. In this sense, the model identity test groups the curves establishing genotypes that have statistically similar behavior. Thus, we aimed to select kale accesses for post-harvest dehydration using the model identity test. The accumulated loss of fresh matter of 22 kale genotypaes was evaluated, being 19 of the germplasm bank of the UFVJM and three commercial cultivars (COM). The model identity test was used for the statistical grouping of the regression curves. The UFVJM-19 and UFVJM-32 accessions had lower rates of dehydration as a function of time. The test facilitated the interpretation of the results, with a reduction of 22 to six regression curves, helping to select the best genotypes. The UFVJM-19 and UFVJM-32 accessions are the most indicated because they present lower post-harvest dehydration, being the most recommended for commercialization.


Background:Developments in anaesthesia during the recent decades include new drugs with limited unwanted side effects and the need for anaesthesia in new interventions, together with new groups of patients that in the past were considered to be beyond help. Aims:Study I: To determine the bolus dose of remifentanil that depresses the ventilatory drive as deeply as 1 µg/kg of fentanyl.Study II: To test the hypothesis that the combination of rocuronium (0.2 mg/kg) with modest doses of propofol and remifentanil during anaesthesia induction always achieves good or excellent intubation conditions in infants.Study III: To compare the safety of propofol in a large cohort of patients with a known sensitization to soy and/or peanuts to that of non-propofol hypnotic use in a control group.Study IV: To assess muscular endurance from subparalyzing doses of rocuronium on awake subjects.Methods:Study I: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in healthy subjects comparing the effect on ventilation of three different doses of remifentanil and one dose of fentanyl.Study II: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating intubation conditions with and without a low-dose of rocuronium in combination with propofol and remifentanil.Study III: A retrospective observational cohort study in patients sensitised to peanut and/or soy anaesthetized with either propofol or another anaesthetic agent.Study IV: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study where the effect on muscular endurance of subparalyzing doses of rocuronium was studied in healthy subjects.Results:A remifentanil bolus of 0.5 µg/kg give similar ventilatory depression as a fentanyl bolus of 1 µg/kg.Intubation conditions were classified as 'poor' in 14 of 34 (41 %) patients given placebo and in 10 of 36 (28 %) patients given rocuronium. There were no identifiable allergic reactions in either the propofol or in the non-propofol group in patients sensitised to soy and/or peanuts. The sustained handgrip strength after rocuronium (0.08 mg/kg) was one third compared to placebo.Conclusions:Remifentanil bolus is twice as potent as fentanyl bolus in producing ventilatory depression.Adding a low-dose rocuronium did not significantly improve intubation conditions compared to placebo. Propofol was safe to use in a cohort of patients sensitised to soy and/or peanut. Recommendations to withhold propofol because of soy or peanut allergy should be questioned. Low doses of rocuronium may partly exert its effect by reducing muscular endurance. (Less)


Ayurveda is the science of living beings which deal with maintenance of a healthy individual as well as removal of the diseases through which one can get the Sukha (happiness) and removal of Dukha (Miseries). There are three most auspicious books of Ayurveda or triad of Charaka samhita, Sushruta samhita and Ashtanga hridaya jointly known as Brihattrayi . Sushruta samhita is written by Acharya sushruta ( Vriddha sushruta ). Sushruta has compiled and collected all the speech of lord Dhanvantari in a systematic form which became the famous book of Shalyatantra as a Sushruta samhita . Ayurveda stands on its own basic pillars and concepts regarding Doshas are one of them. Doshas are responsible for physiological actions in the body manifested as health and pathologically manifested as disease specially Vata dosha . Vatadoshas etymology has been described in two forms, aetiologies, separate group of diseases under Vatavyadhi , six stages of Kriyakala according to Vata dosha , characteristics of Vataprakritti etc. have been innumerated and analysis regarding Vata dosha in available Sushruta samhita has been presented in this paper.


Objective: To determine the correlation of mean serum levels of uric acid with mean modified Rankin score at 72 hours in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
 Study Design: Correlational study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi, from Oct 2016 to Apr 2017.
Methodology: Total of 40 ischemic stroke patients, aged 15 to 85 years were selected after fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Serum uric acid levels were obtained within 24 hours of admission. Functional outcome was measured after 72 hours by modified Rankin Scale. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 23. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between mean SUA levels and mean MRS. p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant.
 Results: Mean age was 66.53 ± 12.20 years. 19 (47.5%) patients were males. The SUA was 4.78 ± 1.46 mg/dl while MRS was 3.15 ± 1.72. Poor outcome (MRS ≥3) was noted in 22 (55%) patients. Out of these, five patients (12.5%) died. The Pearson correlation between SUA and MRS was 0.511 (p=0.001). The correlation was statistically significant for all age and gender groups except female (r=0.363, p=0.106).
Conclusion: Our study results yielded that Serum Uric acid (SUA) levels are correlated with the severity of ischemic stroke.


Students in private schools routinely outperform those in public schools both in the United States and around the world. But do private schools make students better or do they simply cream skim better students? In this article I take advantage of the remarkable fact that in many districts in India a majority of students attend private schools. As the private share of school enrollment increases, cream skimming becomes less plausible as the explanation for a higher rate of achievement in private schools. Evidence for cream skimming is found when the private share of schooling is low, in the range of 0–15%, and thus private schools have a large public pool from which to skim. But the private effect on achievement does not appear to diminish greatly even in districts where more than 70% of students are in private schools. Most importantly, mean scores taken over the entire population of students, private and public, increase with the share of private schooling. These findings support a significant productivity effect of private schools.


Abstract In this paper we present a surprising example of a Cr unimodal map of an interval f:I→I whose number of periodic points Pn(f)=∣{x∈I:fnx=x}∣ grows faster than any ahead given sequence along a subsequence nk=3k. This example also shows that 'non-flatness' of critical points is necessary for the Martens–de Melo–van Strien theorem [M. Martens, W. de Melo and S. van Strien. Julia–Fatou–Sullivan theory for real one-dimensional dynamics. Acta Math.168(3–4) (1992), 273–318] to hold.


The field of artificial intelligence (AI) has gained immense traction over the past decade, producing increasingly successful applications as research strives to understand and exploit neural processing specifics. Nonetheless emotion, despite its demonstrated significance to reinforcement, social integration, and general development, remains a largely stigmatized and consequently disregarded topic by most engineers and computer scientists. In this article, we endorse emotion's value for the advancement of artificial cognitive processing, as well as explore real-world use cases of emotion-augmented AI. A schematization is provided on the psychological-neurophysiologic basics of emotion in order to bridge the interdisciplinary gap preventing emulation and integration in AI methodology, as well as exploitation by current systems. In addition, we overview three major subdomains of AI greatly benefiting from emotion, and produce a systematic survey of meaningful yet recent contributions to each area. To conclude, we address crucial challenges and promising research paths for the future of emotion in AI with the hope that more researchers will develop an interest for the topic and find it easier to develop their own contributions.


In schools across the country, many students who consistently score below their white peers on state standardized tests are English language learners (ELLs). Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the reauthorized ESEA under President Obama, all 50 states are and will be required to have English language proficiency (ELP) standards and state assessments aligned to those ELP standards. Every school's ELL population must show yearly growth in English language proficiency and must meet state standards on state exams in English. Education departments in colleges and universities must adequately prepare bilingual teacher candidates to meet the challenges of increased accountability for the ELLs they will educate. This paper will explore the linguistic conundrum bilingual teacher candidates must consider regarding teaching ELLs in English verses the native language as well as the dispositions bilingual teacher candidates need to exhibit in their work with ELLs. Background and issues


The structural basis of the interaction of integrin heterodimers with their physiological ligands is poorly understood. We have used solution x-ray scattering to visualize the head region of integrin α5β1 in an inactive (Ca2+-occupied) state, and in complex with a fragment of fibronectin containing the RGD and synergy recognition sequences. Shape reconstructions of the data have been interpreted in terms of appropriate molecular models. The scattering data suggest that the head region undergoes no gross conformational changes upon ligand binding but do lend support to a proposed outward movement of the hybrid domain in the β subunit. Fibronectin is observed to bind across the top of the head region, which contains an α subunit β-propeller and a β subunit vWF type A domain. The model of the complex indicates that the synergy region binds on the side of the β-propeller domain. In support of this suggestion, mutagenesis of a prominent loop region on the side of the propeller identifies two residues (Tyr208 and Ile210) involved in recognition of the synergy region. Our data provide the first view of a complex between an integrin and a macromolecular ligand in solution, at a nominal resolution of ∼10 Å.


Background. Sport climbing is rapidly becoming a popular trend sport, which has resulted in a surge of climbing-specific injuries. Objectives. The goal of this paper is to delineate the incidence of climbing-specific injuries focusing on finger and shoulder injuries. Furthermore, we aim to illustrate clinical symptoms and therapeutic strategies based on the current literature. Materials and methods. The incidence of climbing-specific injuries in a large patient population was recorded and diagnosis and treatment options were assessed considering the current literature. Results. Finger and shoulder injuries are the most common entities in sport climbing. With regard to finger injuries, more than 30 different differential diagnoses were identified, with pulley injuries, tenosynovitis, epiphyseal fractures, as well as lumbrical muscle tears being of the greatest importance due to their climbing-specific nature. With regard to shoulder injuries, SLAP lesions play a particularly important role, currently representing the fifthmost common diagnosis in the patient population analyzed. Further pathologies that are becoming increasingly important among sport climbers are injuries of the rotator cuff, long biceps tendon ruptures, impingement syndromes and injuries caused by shoulder dislocations (e.g. Bankart lesions). Conclusions. Finger injuries are common in sports climbing and can be challenging to diagnose and treat correctly. The number of shoulder injuries is expected to rise as new competition modalities and subdisciplines (e.g. bouldering) increasingly stress athletes'musculoskeletal systems. An increase of degenerative injuries in long-time climbers is expected due to changes in the sport.


AIM: To observe the effect of crocetin on the apoptosis and the changes of its related regulating proteins caspase-3 and Bcl-2 expression induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in cultured cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Changes of cellular morphology were detected under microscope. Apoptosis rates of the cells were analyzed by PI staining with flow cytometry. Expressions of caspase-3 and Bcl-2 proteins in the cells were determined by immunofluorescence with flow cytometry. RESULTS: In the concentrations used, more severe morphological changes with higher apoptosis rate of the cultured myocardial cells were seen in each H2O2 group than that in control group. When treated with 1 × 10^(-4) mol•L^(-1) H2O2, the caspase-3 was increased and Bcl-2 protein decreased remarkably in the cells. But each dosage of crocetin, especially the highest one (5×10^(-5) mol•L^(-1), P<0.05 compared with 5×10^(-7) mol• L^(-1) group), seemed efficient in maintaining the cell morphology, reducing the cell apoptosis rate and improving the changes in caspase-3 and Bcl-2 protein expression in the cells exposed to 1 × 10^(-4) mol•L^(-1) H2O2. CONCLUSION: Crocetin obviously inhibits the apoptosis induced by H2O2 in the cultured myocardial cells. The mechanisms may involve the balance of the functions of the apoptosis-related regulating proteins, caspase-3 and Bcl-2 protein.


Blake Plateau basin on the continental margin off Georgia and Florida contains 12 to 13 km (39,000 to 43,00 ft) of Jurassic and younger sedimentary rock. Although such thicknesses of strata are common to sedimentary basins off the eastern United States, the Blake Plateau basin is underlain by unusually thick basement rocks (20 to 24 km; 66,000 to 79,000 ft) and is much wider (350 km; 220 mi) in comparison with other basins. Simple extensional models for the basin's origin would suggest thinner basement to correspond with the observed sedimentary thicknesses, i.e., basement 4 to 16 km (13,000 to 52,000 ft) thick. In contrast, a two-dimensional gravity model across the continental margin details the anomalous crustal structure. The basement is about 30 km (98,000 ft) thick nder the shelf; 18 km (59,000 ft) under the basin, thickening seaward to 24 km (79,000 ft) under the basin's eastern edge; and 6 km (20,000 ft) thick seaward of the Blake Escarpment. The basin's subsidence history places limits on possible models of the crustal development of this part of the margin. Because of the paucity of well data, a detailed "backstripping" analysis of the stretched continental-crust area is not possible, but an estimation End_Page 555------------------------------ can be made of the post rift, thermal-subsidence history using multichannel seismic data. Stratigraphic control for Cretaceous and younger reflectors observed in these seismic profiles is available from the Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Test GE-1 well on the landwardside and from an eroded exposed escarpment on the seaward edge of the basin. The Jurassic age assignments were based on correlations with Jurassic sea level history. When a different and simplified technique is used, the subsidence due to stretching and cooling, but not to sedimentation, during the pre-, syn-, and post-rift periods combined, can be obtained by calculating the depth of basement that would exist without a sedimentary load. Unlike the other east coast basins, in the Blake Plateau basin this unloaded basement depth indicates local maximum values in both the subsidence due to stretching and cooling and in sedimentary thickness. These maxima occur where the gravity model shows a transition to increasing crustal thickness seaward and near the southwest continuation of the trend of the East Coast Magnetic Anomaly, which marks where, on the rest of the margin, the stretched continental crust finally separated and new oceanic crust began to form. Rifted crust of the Blake Plateau basin never failed, and generation of new oceanic crust seems finally to have begun far to the east, east of the present Blake Plateau and almost against the West African craton. The presence of rift-stage crust on either side of this aborted break, and lack of an extensional basin on the opposing African margin south of Senegal basin, and the paleoreconstruction of the area imply that the Blake Plateau basin continued to be rifted after the rift-to-drift transition had taken place in the basins to the north. This extended period of rifting may be responsible for the anomalous width of the Blake Plateau basin and for continued volcanism (dike injection?) which produced the unusual thickness of its rift stage crust. End_of_Article - Last_Page 556------------


The protein Sup35 has prion properties. Its aggregation is at the origin of the [PSI+] trait in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In vitro, the N-terminal domain of Sup35p alone or with the middle domain assembles into fibrils that exhibit the characteristics of amyloids. The vast majority of in vitro studies on the assembly of Sup35p have been performed using Sup35pNM, as fibrils made of Sup35pNM assembled in vitro propagate [PSI+] when reintroduced into yeast cells. Little is known about the assembly of full-length Sup35p and the role of the functional C-terminal domain of the protein. Here we report a systematic comparison of the biochemical and assembly properties of full-length Sup35p and Sup35pNM. We show that the native structure of the C-terminal domain is retained within the fibrils. We determined the size of Sup35p nuclei and the critical concentration for assembly that both differ from that of Sup35pNM. We demonstrate that Sup35pNM co-assembles with the full-length protein and that fibrils made of Sup35p or Sup35pNM seed the assembly of soluble Sup35pNM and Sup35p with different efficiencies. Finally, we show that fibrils made of full-length Sup35p induce with higher efficiency [PSI+] appearance as compared with those made of Sup35pNM. Our findings reveal differences and similarities in the assembly of Sup35p and its NM fragment and validate the use of Sup35pNM in studying some aspects of Sup35p aggregation but also underline the importance of using full-length Sup35p in studying prion propagation both in vivo and in vitro.


This paper contains a result proving that a predictor feedback controller can effectively yield asymptotic convergence for a class of linear systems with input-dependent delay. The delay is implicit and its model involves past values of the input. It is representative of systems where transport phenomena take place. This situation is frequent in the process industry. The conditions on asymptotic stabilization require the feedback gain to be small. Arguments of proof for this novel result include general Halanay inequalities for delay differential equations and build on recent advances of backstepping techniques for uncertain or varying delay systems.


Solanum anomalum, a medicinal plant, used in ethnomedicine for their antimalarial, antidiabetic, and antiphlogistic activities was investigated for cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on the root meristem cells of Allium cepa. The extract and fractions was also screened for total flavonoid and phenol content using standard methods. Onion bulbs were exposed to 2.5 mg/mL, 5mg/mL, and 10 mg/mL concentrations of the leaf extract for macroscopic and microscopic analysis. Tap water was used as a negative control and Methotrexate (0.1 mg/mL) as a positive control. There was statistically significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of root growth depending on concentration by the extract when compared with the negative control group. All the tested concentrations of the extract were observed to have cytotoxic effects on cell division in A. cepa. The extract- induced chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei (MNC) formations in A. cepa root tip cells were significant (p<0.05) when compared with control group. The extract treatment further induced cell death, ghost cells, cells membrane damage, and binucleated cells. The dichloromethane fraction was found to contain the highest level of total flavonoid and phenol followed by the crude extract. These results suggest that Solanum anomalum leaf extract possess cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on A. cepa which is as a results of its phytochemical constituents.


After a brief overview of the various theories of imprecise probabilities, the paper focuses on the issue of measuring uncertainty and uncertainty-based information in the individual theories. This issue is covered in three parts. First, essential requirements that must be satisfied by any measure of uncertainty are discussed in generic terms. Next, an overview of established uncertainty measures for the various types of imprecise probabilities is presented. Finally, open problems in this area of research are briefly surveyed.


"Background. In an attempt to find genetic explanations for the heterogeneous characteristics of autistic patients, research has shown that parents of autistic children are more likely than parents of neurotypical children to exhibit autistic-like characteristics, meeting the criteria for the so-called "broad autism phenotype" . Subclinical autistic traits have been identified in the families of children with ASD, in both fathers and mothers, but the way in which specific parental phenotypes influence the child's pathology remains unclear.
Methods. This study aimed to analyse the progress that a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have made during a behavioural therapy programme and the way their evolution has been influenced by the parents' systemizing level. 52 participants (aged 2 to 5 years old) diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and both of their parents were included in the study. The severity of ASD symptomatology was assessed using the ADOS-G instrument, at the beginning of the study (T0) and after one year of behavioural therapy as well (T1), while the parents' systemizing level was evaluated using the self-report Systemizing Quotient (SQ).
Results. The ADOS-G scores showed a significant improvement after one year of therapy in both Communication and Social Interaction domains. Only the fathers` systemizing level (SQF) had a significant effect on the ADOS-G scores after one year of therapy, with greater improvements reported for children having fathers with higher SQF scores.
Conclusion. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory. We consider that it's particularly important to continue investigating the way that specific parents' traits, including their systemizing level or their possible broad autism phenotype, can influence the severity of their children's ASD or the outcome of the behavioural intervention."


Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) is composed of heterogeneous subgroups that require a multidisciplinary team approach in order to ensure optimal therapy for each patient. Since 2010, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has recommended chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for bulky mediastinal disease and surgical combination for those patients with single-station N2 involvement who respond to neoadjuvant therapy. According to lung cancer tumor boards, thoracic surgeons make a decision on the resectability of the tumor, if it is determined to be unresectable, concurrent CRT (CCRT) is considered the next choice. However, the survival benefit of CCRT over sequential CRT or radiotherapy alone carries the risk of additional toxicity. Considering severe adverse events that may lead to death, fit patients who are able to tolerate CCRT must be identified by multidisciplinary tumor board. Decelerated approaches, such as sequential CRT or high-dose radiation alone may be a valuable alternative for patients who are not eligible for CCRT. As a new treatment strategy, investigators are interested in the application of the innovative radiation techniques, trimodality therapy combining surgery after high-dose definitive CCRT, and the combination of radiation with targeted or immunotherapy agents. The updated results and on-going studies are thoroughly reviewed in this article.


Tobacco contains various toxic contents which produce oxygen-free radicals that damage oral tissues. Since saliva encounters tobacco, it has antioxidant defense system and also can serve as a biomarker for oral diseases. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate salivary oxidative stress levels among smokers and chewers. Unstimulated saliva from 240 males who visited tobacco cessation clinic for the first time was collected. Standard protocol was followed to collect saliva and assess salivary antioxidant levels from 80 participants with the habit of smoking, smokeless, and both (smoking and smokeless) tobacco users. The collected data were statistically analyzed. The mean salivary superoxide dismutase and malonyldialdehyde levels were significantly high for participants with both habits (P < 0.000). There was a significant high reduction of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in participants with both habits (P < 0.000). Both smoking and smokeless tobacco modify salivary antioxidant activity. The estimation of salivary oxidative stress can serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for oral tissue damage and dysplasia. Furthermore, they can function as early biomarkers in preventing dysplastic changes in the oral cavity.


Broadband wireless access is the most challenging segment of the wireless revolution since it has to demonstrate a viable alternative to the cable modem and DSL technologies that are strongly entrenched in the last mile access environment. The Analysis, Research, and Consultancy (ARC) Group forecasts that the fixed wireless deployments in both homes and businesses will reach almost 28 million by 2005, with North America and Western Europe accounting for 24 percent and 27 percent of these, respectively. Whether the promise of BWA will materialize depends on its appeal to telecom operators from the perspective of deployment economics, where the critical factor is the ease of installation of broadband wireless subscriber units. This ultimately leads to nonprofessional installation of integrated all-indoor BWSUs. Consequently the physical layer (PHY) has to mitigate the very tough impairments that characterize these non-line-of-sight environments. In this context we overview the work of the one of the IEEE 802.16 standard subcommittee projects that deals with a BWA solution based on OFDM access (OFDMA) aiming at the most challenging NLOS scenarios.


Industrial development of the economic system of any state is directly related to the use of energy potential. China's industrial breakthrough is no exception. Today, China is one of the largest importers–consumers of oil, whose economy is extremely dependent on the energy market. The growing production and population, as well as climatic changes that directly determine the well-being of society, have become the causal basis for the development of alternative ways of generating energy. The aim of the study is to model the implementation of the sustainable development strategy in China through the production and use of biofuels. The simulation is made taking into account the following. The production capacities of Chinese licensed producers of fuel ethanol are calculated. The efficiency of bioethanol production from various types of biological raw materials is evaluated. An economic and mathematical model of bioethanol production is built. The article forecasts the profitability of bioethanol sales from various types of biological raw materials (sugar sorghum, corn) in Chinese and European markets. The study comprehensively reveals the features of the use of biofuels in an industrial country, taking into account geopolitical factors, social and market contexts, as well as technical analysis of the raw materials and production potential of Chinese companies. The article also interprets the economic processes associated with the introduction of biofuels in the ecological and economic systems of China. The article demonstrates other concepts regarding the consequences of the energy sector's transition to the principles of energy production from biomass. The article shows the contradictory nature of the impact of biofuel production on the food market and the agricultural sector. The article analyzes possible social, resource and macroeconomic risks, and also indicates possible vectors for further research that might be aimed at diversifying the associated negative processes.


Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily of cytokines which, in spite of being initially described as a strong anti-resorptive factor, has lately been considered as a possible link between bone and vascular disease. In the last few years, several studies have evidenced its close relationship with the development of diabetes. In this review, we analyse the role of OPG in diabetic patients and its links with the most relevant associated diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, endothelial dysfunction and diabetic nephropathy, as well as its connection with related pathologies as fibrosis, obesity and metabolic syndrome.


The physical and chemical properties of clay deposits around Isua-Akoko, Akure, Lafe and Ayadi in Ondo State southwestern Nigeria have been examined. The results have shown that Isua-Akoko, Akure and Lafe Clays are plastic fire clays while Ayadi clay is kaolinite. Grain size analysis reveals that Isua Akoko Clay contains 45% of clay, 18% silt, 12% fine sand,14% medium sand and 11% coarse sand and no gravel; Akure clay contains 42% clay, 14% silt, 13% fine sand, 20% medium sand and 8% coarse sand with 1% gravel. Lafe Clay contains 21% clay, 8% silt, 25% fine sand, 37% medium sand and 8% coarse sand with 1% gravel while Ayadi clay contains 83% clay and 17% silt. The liquid limits of these clay samples range from 41% to 73%% and plastic limits range from 18% to 26% respectively. The chemical analysis reveals that the most abundant mineral is silica (60.97%) and aluminum was next in abundance (23.69%) while other oxides are low. The results show that Isua-Akoko and Akure are residual while Lafe and Ayadi are sedimentary and transported Clays. The firing test, PH, and bleaching tests of the clays are also discussed. The chemical and physical characteristics of the clay deposits are strongly indicative of their industrial importance in the production of ceramics, refractories, paving bricks, paint and pharmaceutical products. KEYWORDS : Kaolinite, fire clay, gravel, ceramics and alumina.


Previous research has identified a relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and substance dependence, but there is a dearth of research investigating EMS and alcohol use in non-clinical populations, despite alcohol being the most commonly misused substance in the UK population. The aim of this study was to explore if EMS mediate the relationship between adult insecure romantic attachment (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and alcohol use in a student population. A cross-sectional study of 128 student participants were recruited through the University of Liverpool intranet and by poster advertisement. Participants completed self-report measures comprising of: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Leeds Dependence Questionnaire (LDQ), Drinking Motive Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF), Experiences in Close Relationships –Revised (ECR-R) and Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form, Third Version (YSQ-S3). Bias-corrected bootstrapping indicated that the EMS domain 'impaired limits' mediated the relationship between adult insecure romantic attachment (both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and alcohol use. Furthermore 'impaired limits' and drinking to cope with depression and anxiety were serial mediators in the relationship between attachment avoidance and alcohol use, but not for attachment anxiety and alcohol use. This research highlights the relationship between EMS and avoidant coping strategies (attachment avoidance and drinking to cope) on drinking behaviour. Key Words: Alcohol, student, schema, attachment, drinking motives.


For continuous-time multi-bit Delta-Sigma data converters, mitigating the dynamic mismatch of the multi-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with the so-called ISI-shaping DAC-encoder is a currently active research topic. ISI-shaper linearizes both static and dynamic DAC mismatch via spectral shaping of mismatch noise. However, such encoder may be too timing-, area-or power-critical for Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital converters. This paper proposes a novel approach viable for Delta-Sigma analog-to-digital data conversion. Here, the static portion of the DAC mismatch is linearized in the DAC feedback and the dynamic portion will be linearized digitally. Measuring and storing the ISI-error digitally requires error calibration for which this paper suggests an online approach. The proposed digital ISI-error correction can be used for both one-and multi-bit data converters.


Generative adversarial imitation learning (GAIL) has attracted increasing attention in the field of robot learning. It enables robots to learn a policy to achieve a task demonstrated by an expert while simultaneously estimating the reward function behind the expert's behaviors. However, this framework is limited to learning a single task with a single reward function. This study proposes an extended framework called situated GAIL (S-GAIL), in which a task variable is introduced to both the discriminator and generator of the GAIL framework. The task variable has the roles of discriminating different contexts and making the framework learn different reward functions and policies for multiple tasks. To achieve the early convergence of learning and robustness during reward estimation, we introduce a term to adjust the entropy regularization coefficient in the generator's objective function. Our experiments using two setups (navigation in a discrete grid world and arm reaching in a continuous space) demonstrate that the proposed framework can acquire multiple reward functions and policies more effectively than existing frameworks. The task variable enables our framework to differentiate contexts while sharing common knowledge among multiple tasks.


Abstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was initially used for the treatment of schizophrenia, but over the years with the advent of antipsychotics, its use in schizophrenia has been limited. Treatment guidelines vary in their recommendations for the use of ECT in schizophrenia. The usual indications of its use among patients with schizophrenia include treatment resistance, to augment pharmacotherapy, to manage catatonia, suicidal behaviour, severe agitation and clozapine-resistant schizophrenia. Available literature, including meta-analysis and systematic reviews, suggest that ECT is a safe and effective treatment in patients with schizophrenia. However, despite the available evidence, it is highly underutilised and is often used as one of the last resort among patients with schizophrenia. This review focuses on the indications of use of ECT in schizophrenia, studies evaluating its effectiveness, efficacy in certain special situations like first episode schizophrenia, adolescents, catatonia etc., predictors of response to ECT in schizophrenia and influence of various ECT-related parameters on efficacy/effectiveness among patients with schizophrenia. From the review, it can be concluded that ECT is not only is beneficial as an augmenting strategy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia but also can be used effectively in patients with schizophrenia in various other situations.


Executive Summary This report presents estimates of the undocumented population residing in the United States in 2018, highlighting demographic changes since 2010. The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) compiled these estimates based primarily on information collected in the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). The annual CMS estimates of undocumented residents for 2010 to 2018 include all the detailed characteristics collected in the ACS. 1 A summary of the CMS estimation procedures, as well as a discussion of the plausibility of the estimates, is provided in the Appendix. The total undocumented population in the United States continued to decline in 2018, primarily because large numbers of undocumented residents returned to Mexico. From 2010 to 2018, a total of 2.6 million Mexican nationals left the US undocumented population; 2 about 1.1 million, or 45 percent of them, returned to Mexico voluntarily. The decline in the US undocumented population from Mexico since 2010 contributed to declines in the undocumented population in many states. Major findings include the following: The total US undocumented population was 10.6 million in 2018, a decline of about 80,000 from 2017, and a drop of 1.2 million, or 10 percent, since 2010. Since 2010, about two-thirds of new arrivals have overstayed temporary visas and one-third entered illegally across the border. The undocumented population from Mexico fell from 6.6 million in 2010 to 5.1 million in 2018, a decline of 1.5 million, or 23 percent. Total arrivals in the US undocumented population from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras — despite high numbers of Border Patrol apprehensions of these populations in recent years — remained at about the same level in 2018 as in the previous four years. 3 The total undocumented population in California was 2.3 million in 2018, a decline of about 600,000 compared to 2.9 million in 2010. The number from Mexico residing in the state dropped by 605,000 from 2010 to 2018. The undocumented population in New York State fell by 230,000, or 25 percent, from 2010 to 2018. Declines were largest for Jamaica (−51 percent), Trinidad and Tobago (−50 percent), Ecuador (−44 percent), and Mexico (−34 percent). The results shown here reinforce the view that improving social and economic conditions in sending countries would not only reduce pressure at the border but also likely cause a large decline in the undocumented population. Two countries had especially large population changes — in different directions — in the 2010 to 2018 period. The population from Poland dropped steadily, from 93,000 to 39,000, while the population from Venezuela increased from 65,000 to 172,000. Almost all the increase from Venezuela occurred after 2014.


Although Namikas does not emphasize the point, her narrative makes clear that Western, especially U.S., behavior is what drove Lumumba into the arms of the Soviet Union. This development paralleled what had only recently occurred in Cuba. Washington's inability to understand the driving force of nationalism throughout the Third World and its view that challenges to continued Western dominance were part of a Soviet-oriented plot, became a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Other important points, though not original to Namikas's analysis, reinforce known aspects of U.S. policy and place them in context, including U.S. plans to assassinate a political leader, in this case Lumumba, whose policies Washington found distasteful (and the failure to act when Belgian allies did, in fact, facilitate his execution). This was part of a broader pattern of U.S. efforts from the 1950s and into the 1970s— in Iran, Guatemala, Belgian Congo, Indonesia, and Chile—to intervene directly in the domestic affairs of other countries to remove legitimate governments whose policies the United States opposed. In almost all cases the long-term results were disastrous for the local population, and inimical for U.S. interests in the country or region concerned. The book also makes clear that policymakers in Washington viewed the United Nations (UN) largely as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy. However, what a growing number of newly independent states interpreted as the pro-Western bias of key UN officials such as Dag Hammarskjöld, Conor Cruise O'Brien, Ralph Bunche, and Andrew Cordier contributed to the growing frictions between them and the United States. The long-term impact of U.S. policy in the Congo, based as it was on an exaggerated view of the "Soviet threat," was the emergence of Mobutu's dictatorship, which bred the factors that contribute to today's continuing chaos in the region. Throughout this important new analysis of the Congo conflict, Namikas does not neglect the overall negative role of Belgium at nearly all stages. Battleground Africa: Cold War in the Congo, 1960–1965 is a magnificent treatment of a topic of great importance in the evolution of the Cold War from its origins in Europe after the Second World War to its truly global impact less than two decades later. Namikas has made understandable the immensely complex set of factors that made up the conflict.


ABSTRACT Hong, Y.T., 2020. Research on port logistics and coastal economic development. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 280-282. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The coastal economy has different levels of development and characteristics of resources. Only by adjusting measures to local conditions can resources be effectively allocated and sustainable economic development be realized. The port logistics park plays an important role in improving the function of the port, improving the organization level of port operations and expanding the radiation service capability of the port. At present, the concept of port as an important node in the logistics system has gradually attracted the attention of governments, industry and theory circles of various countries and has effectively promoted the development of modern port logistics. On the basis of port resources, relevant logistics enterprises and other institutions form a spatial agglomeration nearby, and gradually become a port logistics industry cluster. With the rapid development of China's coastal economy, the port logistics industry in coastal cities has developed rapidly, showing the phenomenon of industrial agglomeration. With the continuous development of port economy, the competition of port logistics has changed from the cost difference competition to the service difference competition. The logistics capability index reflects the key factors that affect the logistics enterprises to provide logistics services.


Due to the necessity of a formula for representing a given set of numerical data on a pair of variables by a suitable polynomial, in interpolation by the approach which consists of the representation of numerical data by a suitable polynomial and then to compute the value of the dependent variable from the polynomial corresponding to any given value of the independent variable, one such formula has been derived from Newton's divided difference interpolation formula. This paper describes the derivation of the formula with numerical example as its application.


The development of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) techniques in Palaeobotany is briefly reviewed. Special reference is made to the use of these techniques in the investigation of Gondwana plants. Examples are given of their application in recent research on silicified wood from Zambia, pyritised stems and leaves from South Africa, and leaf impressions from Antarctica. The limitations and potentialities of SEM in studies of Gondwana fossil plants are summarised.


BACKGROUND
A canine model was used to define whether Nissen fundoplication inhibits gastro-oesophageal reflux by inhibiting transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations (TLOSR) or by creating a pressure barrier at the gastro-oesophageal junction.

METHODS
Four surgical models were studied pre-operatively and postoperatively. These were: (i) the surgical mobilization required for fundoplication (sham fundoplication, n = 5); (ii) a standard fundoplication (n = 4); (iii) anterior and posterior myotomy of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS; cardiomyotomy, n = 4); and (iv) combined cardiomyotomy and fundoplication (n = 4). Each operative procedure was assessed for its effect on the incidence of TLOSR and gas reflux events, the mean LOS pressure and the LOS pressure profile during swallow events.

RESULTS
Sham fundoplication reduced the rate of evoked TLOSR in response to gaseous gastric insufflation from 9.8+/-1.6/h (mean +/- SEM) to 5.4 +/-1.5/h. The mean LOS pressure was reduced from 25.1+/-2.6 to 18.5+/-2.1 mm Hg but nadir LOS pressure during swallowing was not altered. Nissen fundoplication virtually abolished evoked TLOSR from 10.4+/-1.2/h to 0.4+/-0.4/h, increased mean basal LOS pressure from 19.8+/-2.1 to 27.0+/-1.1 mm Hg and increased the nadir pressure on swallowing from 3.4+/-1.0 mm Hg to 14.4+/-1.0 mm Hg. Cardiomyotomy was associated with a near continuous leakage of gas across a chronically hypotensive LOS. Cardiomyotomy reduced the resting LOS pressure from 14.7+/-1.2 mm Hg to 2.3+/-1.0 mm Hg. Cardiomyotomy with fundoplication was associated with no loss of LOS competence. No gas venting episodes occurred either by passive leakage or by TLOSR. Cardiomyotomy with fundoplication was associated with a fall in mean LOS pressure from 14.3+/-1.5 mm Hg to 7.1+/-1.8 mm Hg but no LOS relaxation occurred during swallowing.

CONCLUSION
Nissen fundoplication is highly effective in preventing reflux across a normal or chronically hypotensive LOS. Fundoplication results in a constant, measurable pressure barrier at the lower end of the oesophagus that is not due to a change in intrinsic LOS tone. Following fundoplication TLOSR are prevented by the constant low-pressure barrier.