In this study, we examined if differences in initial membrane sensitivity to ethanol were associated with development of membrane tolerance to ethanol. High Alcohol Sensitivity (HAS) and Low Alcohol Sensitivity (LAS) rats were administered a 15% ethanol solution in water as the sole source of fluid for 30 days. The amount of ethanol consumed per day did not significantly differ between the HAS and LAS rats. Development of membrane tolerance to in vitro effects of ethanol has been previously reported for bulk membrane fluidity and protein-lipid interaction. Our data expands the understanding of "membrane tolerance" phenomenon to protein distribution and bilayer interdigitation. We also introduce genotype-dependent and genotype-independent properties of the membrane tolerance to ethanol. ethanol treatment produced genotype-dependent and genotype-independent membrane tolerance to ethanol. The in vitro effects of ethanol on synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) protein distribution and lipid bilayer interdigitation were abolished or decreased in the SPM of chronic ethanol-treated HAS rats, as compared with the SPM of HAS control rats (genotype-dependent tolerance). Protein distribution and bilayer interdigitation were not affected by ethanol in vitro in either chronic ethanol-treated or control LAS rats. Genotype-independent tolerance to ethanol in vitro was observed for SPM annular and bulk bilayer fluidity in chronic ethanol-treated HAS and LAS rats. It is concluded that initial sensitivity to ethanol contributes to the development of membrane tolerance to ethanol in HAS and LAS rats.


The objective was to evaluate differences between prevalence rates for self-reported hearing loss and associated factors, obtained from responses by primary and proxy informants in a Population-Based Study on Human Communication Disorders (DCH-POP in Portuguese). This was a study on epidemiological methods using data from a cross-sectional household survey with a sample of 1,253 individuals from Southern Brazil. To verify differences between prevalence rates comparing primary informants and proxy informants, we used the chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney for continuous variables. The log-binomial model was adjusted for hearing loss as the dependent variable, considering three datasets: the entire sample, only primary informants, and only proxy informants, estimating association by prevalence ratios. In the final models, only the independent variables age and dizziness were associated with hearing loss, independently of the dataset that was used. Proxy informants generally underestimated the prevalence rates for the target outcomes, when compared to primary informants.


Wetlands are a key habitat within the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot and provide important ecosystem services for human well-being. Remote sensing (RS) has significantly boosted our ability to monitor changes in Mediterranean wetlands, especially in areas where little information is being collected. However, its application to wetlands has sometimes been flawed with uncertainties and unrecognized errors, to a large extent due to the inherent and specific ecological characteristics of Mediterranean wetlands. We present here an overview of the state of the art on RS techniques for mapping and monitoring Mediterranean wetlands, and the remaining challenges: delineating and separating wetland habitat types; mapping water dynamics inside wetlands; and detecting actual wetland trends over time in a context of high, natural variability. The most important lessons learned are that ecologists ' knowledge need to be integrated with RS expertise to achieve a valuable monitoring approach of these ecosystems.


Existing Ontologies in the area of agriculture may be unable to provide individual farmers with desired level of information. Therefore, a framework needs to be built which not only provides relevant but contextual as well as scientifically correct information regarding crop production life cycle. In the proposed research work, AGROVOC is used as base vocabulary to develop the proposed ontology (CROPont).AGROVOC vocabulary developed by Food and Agriculture Organization is used for indexing and retrieving data in agricultural information systems.


The purpose of this article is twofold. First, I situate a discussion on Leadership for Chicano/Latino education that is grounded in a history of resistance and activism among these same communities generally, and in particular acknowledging the contributions of Chicana feminist scholarship. Second, I discuss how the topic of Leadership for Chicano/Latino education is mired by a broader political climate that must be acknowledged in scholarly analyses of education and leadership, as well as the pedagogical approaches applied in leadership preparation. This discussion includes the argument that Leadership for Chicano/Latino education must go beyond a pedagogy and epistemology of supervivencia (survivance)—one's singular ability to endure and thrive in systems of oppression (see Galvan, 2014)—if we are to prepare transformative leaders equipped to traverse a political climate overwhelmed by anti-Chicano/Latino sentiments and a diminishing investment in public and higher education.


RNase A (1 mM) was incubated with glucose (0.4 M) at 37 degrees C for up to 14 days in phosphate buffer (0.2 M, pH 7.4), digested with trypsin and analysed by LC-MS. The major sites of fructoselysine formation were Lys(1), Lys(7), Lys(37) and Lys(41). Three of these sites (Lys(7), Lys(37) and Lys(41)) were also the major sites of N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine formation.


Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiologic agent of paratuberculosis. The disease affects cows and other ruminants and causes high economic losses, mainly for dairy production. MAP may also have a role in the development of Crohn's disease in humans. Infected animals shed viable MAP with milk and faeces and humans may assume MAP via the consumption of contaminated milk and dairy products. Current methods of milk pasteurization are not sufficient to kill all MAP cells present in milk and MAP has been found in raw or pasteurized milk and isolated from cheese. The aim of this paper is to review the current knowledge about MAP in dairy production. We analyzed studies on milk contamination, effect of pasteurization and methods for identification of MAP that can be applied to dairy products.


During routine osteology discussion classes for under graduate students, it was observed in 3 of the skulls that their styloid processes were elongated on both the sides approximately measuring more than 5 cm in length. © IJAV. 2010; 3: 30-32.


Fenestration term is derived from the Latin word 'fenestra' means 'window'. Gingival fenestration is not found in routine while its actual occurrence is assumed to be higher. Additionally, if these mucogingival defects persist for a longer duration it may lead to adverse outcomes like compromised esthetics, hypersensitivity, plaque and calculus deposition, and susceptibility to dental caries. Present cases of gingival fenestration were successfully treated by using full-thickness flap elevation with connective tissue graft placement. Two cases were presented with the accumulation of plaque and calculus and having gingival fenestration to the respective sites. After phase 1 therapy, full thickness flap was raised and a connective tissue graft was placed beneath the fenestrated area. The successful results were obtained in both cases in terms of complete closure of gingival fenestration defects and well-adapted margins with adjacent tissues at one year of follow-up. Full thickness flap with connective tissue graft procedure resulted in complete closure of gingival fenestration in both cases with no recurrence at one-year follow-up and can be used as a successful and predictable treatment modality for the management of such cases.


Sera of successive littermates of mothers producing anti‐allotype antibodies (Ab) were analysed for altered a locus or b locus allotype expression. We measured the allotype concentration in sera of 66 individuals (17 litters) of seven mothers producing anti‐al Ab, and 63 individuals (15 litters) of seven mothers producing anti‐b4 Ab, in an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We confirmed that the ability to induce allotype suppression in utero increases with the number of antigen boosts applied to the mother, even though the Ab titre in the maternal serum may be decreased. All individuals of a litter expressed the allotype in about equal concentration. This contrasts the results we obtained when newborn rabbits were injected with anti‐allotype antiserum. Injection of the same amount of anti‐allotype antiserum into nine offspring of two mothers caused allotype suppression in only five individuals, showing no effect in the others. No suppression was observed when IgG‐depleted antiserum was injected into newborn rabbits. As expected, maternal antibodies to a paternal allotype do not affect the Mendelian distribution of the progeny phenotypes.


Getting published a research article in a medical journal is a sensational experience as it symbolizes the aftermath and acknowledgment of a strenuous course. Solely, a research article can have implications in clinical practice if it has followed a clear and through path and can be a savior for the patients. Envisaging a research idea, practically working on it, writing a research article by a health care provider and printing an article by editors are both crucial quality concerns. Mutually they should know the expectations of each other. This editorial features the guiding principles of writing a worthy scientific piece of research so that it is not excluded by any editor from the journal.


Sleep disturbance is common in major depressive disorder (MDD), and is often characterized by early-morning waking. Melatonin is a hypnotic and synchronizes circadian rhythms. It may also be an antidepressant. The melatonin agonists, ramelteon and agomelatine, have hypnotic and antidepressant properties, but there is a dearth of trials investigating the use of melatonin in MDD. This randomized, controlled trial aimed to determine whether exogenous melatonin is a sleep promoter and antidepressant. Thirty-three participants with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition) diagnosis of MDD and early-morning waking were selected for a 4-week, randomized, double-blind trial of slow-release melatonin (6 mg; vs. placebo) given at bedtime over 4 weeks. Sleep was measured subjectively using sleep diaries and the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire and objectively using wrist actigraphy. Of the 33 participants, 31 completed the trial. General Linear Modelling showed significant improvements in depression and sleep over time, but this was not specific to melatonin. However, there was a trend towards an improvement in mood with melatonin, and no adverse side effects were observed. In conclusion, melatonin may be beneficial for treating MDD, it seems to be safe and well tolerated, but its potential for treating depression in people who do not wish to take antidepressants requires further evaluation.


The concept of reinforcer substitutability proposes a continuum of interactions among reinforcers in a given situation. At one end of this continuum, reinforcers are substitutable, with one reinforcer being readily traded for another. We conducted an analysis of reinforcers that were substitutable with those produced by self-injurious behavior (SIB). Three individuals with profound developmental disabilities, whose SIB appeared to be maintained by automatic reinforcement, participated. Results of three experiments showed that (a) object manipulation and SIB were inversely related when leisure materials and SIB were concurrently available, with participants showing almost complete preference for object manipulation; (b) attempts to reduce SIB using the preferred objects as reinforcers in differential reinforcement contingencies were unsuccessful for all 3 participants; and (c) participants' preferences for SIB or object manipulation systematically changed when reinforcer cost (the amount of effort required to obtain the object) was varied. Results of the three experiments illustrate the importance of examining interactions among concurrently available reinforcers when conducting reinforcer assessments.


The use of mobile phone has increased at a surprisingly high rate over these two decades. For many people, especially young generations, mobile phone has even become a primary need. As a consequence, the production of mobile phone has increased significantly and followed immediately by the disposal, as a result of its short life-cycle nature. Recently, there are substantial initiatives proposed in order to mitigate the effect of e-waste to the environment. Remanufacturing is one of recovery processes that could extend product's useful life and provide a circular life-cycle instead of linear. However, there are many factors that can affect the success of remanufacturing engagement, and specifically remanufacturability of a mobile phone. There are numerous considerations of remanufacturability with regards to the short life-cycle nature of mobile phone, and these factors can be qualitative or quantitative, with conflicting potentials, and some of them may be uncertain. In this study, we use Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach to identify the interrelationship among the factors and analyze those results to identify the prominent factors. Furthermore, an influential-relation map is provided to support visualization for managerial implications. The case results show that innovation-rate and obsolescence are factors that give highest impact while source-of-returns and pricing are factors that receive highest effects from other factors. Also, acquisition-of-usedproduct, pricing, and market-size are dominant factors as they significantly affect and affected by others.


Ankylosing hyperostosis is a condition in which new bone is laid down on the right antero-lateral aspect of the dorsal vertebrae and across the intervertebral spaces forming spurs or bridges. The lumbar and cervical spines, pelvis, hips, and knees may also be involved. There is no single approved name for this condition. Oppenheimer (1942) described 'Calcification and ossification of vertebral ligaments'. Forestier and Rotes-Querol (1950) named it 'senile ankylosing hyperostosis of the spine', but in later works (Forestier and Lagier, 1971) the adjective 'senile' was omitted when the condition was described in younger patients. Smith, Pugh, and Polley (1955) described 'physiologic vertebral ligamentous calcification' and Haijkova, Streda, and Skrha (1965) 'hyperostotic spondylosis'. Beardwell (1969) termed this condition 'ankylosing vertebral hyperostosis' and Julkunen, Heinonen, and Py6rala (1971) referred to 'hyperostosis of the spine'. Bywaters and Forestier (1967) presented a revised system for nomenclature of spinal diseases at the 6th European Congress of Rheumatology. They advised that this condition be named 'ankylosing hyperostosis', and this is the terminology which we have adopted. An association with diabetes mellitus has been shown by several authors, including Boulet and Mirouze, (1954), Hajkova' and others (1965), Bywaters, Doyle, and Oakley (1966), and Ott, Perkovac, and Regehr (1967). Julkunen and others (1971) found an association with diabetes and obesity. Boulet, Serre, and Mirouze (1954) suggested that this condition is due to an increased production of growth hormone occurring when the secretion of gonadal hormones declines, and in fact, Julkunen, Karava, and Viljanen (1966) found six cases of hyperostosis of the spine in 21 acromegalic patients. Beardwell (1969) showed a familial incidence and relationship with tylosis in a Greek Cypriot family. Ott (1953) and Smith and others (1955) considered the disease to be an exaggerated form of osteoarthrosis of the spine. Although many European authors have described the clinical, radiological, and pathological features of ankylosing hyperostosis, there has been no report of a series of patients with this condition from this country. This paper describes the clinical and radiological features of a series of patients seen at various hospitals in the East End of London. Particular reference has been made to the possible association with acromegaly.


A new double-layer grating template is designed to reduce the out-of-band loss as much as 1.8 dB when the loss of LP03 reaches 10.2 dB. Meanwhile, we propose a method to remove the sidelobes in the transmission spectra by the adjustment of the thickness of pressure plates. The plate-thickness-induced shift of resonant wavelength and the attenuation of loss peak intensity when removing sidelobes can be modified by the fibre distance and contact point on the pressure plates.


PURPOSE
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely prescribed. Since their release unexpected adverse effects such as bleeding disorders have been described.

METHODS
Thirty patients with either hematoma or muco-cutaneous bleeding have been selected from case reports of the Saint-Etienne Pharmacovigilance center and from a literature review.

RESULTS
The female/male sex-ratio was 3:4 and the mean age 42 years. Two newborns who had been exposed in utero to SSRIs were also included in the study. Eleven patients presented an underlying disease or were at risk. Various adverse effects such as bruising, hematoma, petechiae or purpura, epistaxis, and more rarely intestinal hemorrhage, ocular bleeding or cerebral hemorrhage were encountered. Symptoms were sometimes associated with prolonged bleeding time and platelet aggregation disorders and usually resolved within two days to four months after treatment discontinuation.

CONCLUSION
Hematoma and muco-cutaneous bleeding would therefore be related to treatment, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. However, these adverse effects are still poorly known and rarely reported. The main mechanism suggested would be a decrease in serotonin platelet leading to a defect in platelet aggregation. However, an increase in capillary fragility or susceptibility related to the patient's condition might be involved. Study of hemostasis history in patients requiring treatment with SSRIs might be of value.


While quantum measurement remains the central philosophical conundrum of quantum mechanics, it has recently grown into a respectable (read: experimental!) discipline as well. New perspectives on measurement have grown out of new technological possibilities, but also out of attempts to design systems for quantum information processing. I will present several examples of how our current ideas on quantum measurement go far beyond the usual textbook treatments, using examples from our entangled-photon and ultracold-atoms laboratories in Toronto. Topics will be drawn from weak measurement, 'interaction-free' measurement, Hardy's Paradox, measurement-induced quantum logic, and techniques for controlling and characterizing the coherence of quantum systems. The moral of the story will be that there are many different kinds of measurement strategies, with their own advantages and disadvantages; and that some things we have been taught not to even think about can actually be measured in a certain sense.


Abstract Introduction: A well-performed spirometry, using a change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) after albuterol, is commonly used to support the likelihood of an asthma diagnosis. The current standard, accepted by the 2007 National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Asthma Expert Panel Report-3 (EPR-3) guidelines, is a 12% improvement in the FEV1 after a bronchodilator. Objective: We sought to determine whether existing studies support or refute using a 12% improvement as a significant change in FEV1 in children and adolescents. Data sources: We reviewed the literature of children and adolescents using Medline searches to discover pertinent population studies and comparative studies that included FEV1 measurements. Result: The majority of the discovered studies suggest a less stringent improvement in FEV1 in children might be applicable. Conclusion: Supported by the published literature, we suggest an alternative interpretive strategy of expressing the results of a spirometry measurement when a diagnosis of asthma in a child is being considered using a bronchodilator response.


In this report, we developed a novel electron donor named 12-(9-phenyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-15H-diindolo[2,3-b:1′,2′,3′-lm]carbazole (CzDICz) by introducing a carbazole unit into the rigid 15H-diindolo[2,3-b:1′,2′,3′-lm]carbazole (DICz) donor for designing a stable green thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter, 5-(4,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-2-(12-(9-phenyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-15H-diindolo[2,3-b:1′,2′,3′-lm]carbazol-15-yl)benzonitrile (CzDICzTrz). The effect of the additional carbazole unit in the CzDICz donor on photophysical and electroluminescence properties was unveiled by comparing the CzDICzTrz with the control molecule viz. 2-(15H-diindolo[2,3-b:1′,2′,3′-lm]carbazol-15-yl)-5-(4,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)benzonitrile (DICzTrz) featuring the DICz donor. Photophysical analysis revealed that the CzDICzTrz exhibited small singlet–triplet energy splitting, a short delayed fluorescence lifetime (td), fast reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency compared to DICzTrz. Therefore, the organic light emitting diode fabricated with CzDICzTrz showed superior device performance with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 19.9% and a current efficiency of 62.3 cd A−1 compared to its congener DICzTrz, which showed a maximum EQE of 12.9% and a current efficiency of 38.6 cd A−1. Moreover, CzDICzTrz based devices achieved 40 times extended operational lifetime up to 80% of its initial luminance (L0 = 1000 cd m−2) of 446 h compared to 11 h of DICzTrz due to its stable CzDICz donor, short td and fast RISC. We believe that the CzDICz donor can contribute to the development of efficient TADF emitters with long operational stability and uncompromised EQE.


To investigate the occurrence of antibiotics in urban rivers and their association with antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli, 20 (fluoro)quinolone antibiotics (FQs), 16 tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) and their degradation products, and 25 sulfonamides (SAs) and some degradation products were determined in 45 river samples and 13 discharged wastewater samples collected from Wenyu River and its tributaries and 4 composite effluent samples from sewage treatment plants in Beijing, China. Fifteen FQs, eight TCs, including four degradation chemicals, and sixteen SAs, including four acetylated products, were detected in the river water. The SAs were the dominant antibiotic (total concentrations up to 3164.0 ng/L) in river water, followed by FQs (1430.3 ng/L) and TCs (296.6 ng/L). The sum concentrations for each class of detected antibiotic in the 13 discharge site samples were higher than those in river samples, up to 12326.7 ng/L for SAs, 6589.2 ng/L for FQs, and 730.1 ng/L for TCs, largely contributing to the high concentrations in the river basin. Log-linear regression analysis confirmed that the concentrations of FQs, TCs, and SAs in the Wenyu River basin were strongly correlated with the number of E. coli resistant to FQs (p < 0.05), TCs (p < 0.05), and SAs (p < 0.05), providing evidence for the environmental impacts of antibiotic usage.


Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that comorbidity rates in bipolar disorder are quite high. Obsessive compulsive disorder is the most frequently encountered anxiety disorder in bipolar disorder and its frequency is reported as 9-35%. The existence of comorbidity anxiety disorder affects sociodemographic and clinical features of bipolar patients. It has been reported that the response to the treatment in these patients is low, psychotic and mixed episodes are excessive, substance use and suicidal attempts are high and hospitalization rates are higher. Although comorbiditiy rates are high in bipolar disorder in the epidemiological and clinical studies performed recently, studies on sociodemographic, clinical and response to the treatment in comorbidity conditions are limited. In order to shed light to the issue clinical features and treatment process of a case with comorbidity of bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder has been presented. On the contrary to the facts reported in the literature, the case was presented since it was found interesting that obsessive compulsive symptoms in manic period were aggressive.


This study examined agricultural marketing information usage among soybean farmers in Nigeria using data from randomly sampled 150 soybean farmers in Benue State. The soybean farmers get agricultural marketing information mainly through other soybean producers (83.33%), family (70.00%), neighbours (67.33%), farmer's cooperative organization (65.33%) and extension agents (62.67%). Other soybean producers (83.33%), family (81.33%), neighbours (80%), farmer cooperative society (80%), extension agents (66.67%) were highly evaluated as USEFUL by the farmers. Other soybean producers, cooperative society, off-farm employment, extension services and access to markets significantly influenced the probability of producers evaluating their agricultural marketing information as adequate. The greatest constraint to access to agricultural marketing information by soya bean farmers included inadequate access to extension services (22%), ineffective communication (20%), distance from other soya bean producers (16.67%), middlemen (16%), lack of capital (13.33%) and illiteracy (12%). Information sources and marketing information usefulness were not independent of one another among the respondents. Information sources and marketing information adequacy are not independent of one another among the respondents. More extension agents should be deployed to where the farmers are residing so as to reach a large number of the farmers and teach them on their areas of critical needs. Other methods of extension information dissemination should be used to transfer current, adequate and useful marketing information to the farmers. It should be ensured that any extension method being used to disseminate marketing information to the farmers is such that the farmers understand the message and marketing information being communicated to them.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether use of a closed urine collection system would decrease the incidence of nosocomial bacteriuria in hospitalized dogs, compared with use of an open urine collection system (used, sterile IV bags).

DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.

ANIMALS
51 hospitalized dogs requiring indwelling urinary catheterization for >or= 24 hours.

PROCEDURES
Dogs were randomly assigned to an open or closed urine collection system group. A standardized protocol for catheter placement and maintenance was followed for all dogs. A baseline urine sample was collected via cystocentesis for aerobic bacterial culture, with additional urine samples obtained daily from the urine collection reservoir.

RESULTS
27 dogs were assigned to the open urine collection system group, and 24 were assigned to the closed urine collection system group. The incidence of nosocomial bacteriuria in dogs with open urine collection systems (3/27 [11.1%]) was not significantly different from incidence in dogs with closed urine collection systems (2/24 [8.3%]). Median duration of catheterization was 2 days for dogs in both groups; the range was 1 to 7 days for dogs in the open group and 1 to 5 days for dogs in the closed group.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Results suggested that for dogs requiring short-term indwelling urinary catheterization, the type of urine collection system (open vs closed) was not associated with likelihood of developing nosocomial bacteriuria. Use of a strict protocol for urinary catheter placement and maintenance was likely key in the low incidence of nosocomial bacteriuria in the present study.


Using a single phase modulator and dispersive fiber, we demonstrate a 12-dB reduction in the phase noise of a train of 6.5-ps pulses at a repetition rate of 10 GHz. A prechirp fiber is shown to improve performance.


Background: The species of ectoparasites that live on a specific host in a geographical region form an ectoparasite community. Species abundance distributions describe the number of individuals observed for each different species that is encountered within a community. Based on properties of the species abundance distribution, the expected total number of species present in the community can be estimated. Methods: Preston's lognormal distribution model was used to fit the expected species abundance distribution curve. Using the expected species abundance distribution curve, we estimated the total number of expected parasite species present and the amount of species that were likely missed by our sampling in the field. Results: In total, 8040 ectoparasites (fleas, sucking lice, gamasid mites and chigger mites) were collected from 431 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from a localized area in southwest China. These ectoparasites were identified to be 47 species from 26 genera in 10 families. The majority of ectoparasite species were chigger mites (family Trombiculidae) while the majority of individuals were sucking lice in the family Polyplacidae. The expected species abundance distribution curve demonstrated the classic pattern that the majority of ectoparasite species were rare and that there were a few common species. The total expected number of ectoparasite species on R. norvegicus was estimated to be 85 species, and 38 species were likely missed by our sampling in the field. Conclusions: Norway rats harbor a large suite of ectoparasites. Future field investigations should sample large numbers of host individuals to assess ectoparasite populations.


Blepharospasm is rarely due to an identifiable etiology. In the majority of cases, imaging fails to reveal any structural lesion. Here we describe an otherwise healthy patient with blepharospasm who was found to have pontine capillary telangiectasia. We propose a potential association between blepharospasm and pontine capillary telangiectasia.


Measurement-driven dashboards provide a unifying mechanism for understanding, evaluating, and predicting the development, management, and economics of large-scale systems and processes. Dashboards enable interactive graphical displays of complex information and support flexible analytic capabilities for user customizability and extensibility. Dashboards commonly include software requirements and design metrics because they provide leading indicators for project size, growth, and stability. This paper focuses on dashboards that have been used on actual large-scale projects as well as example empirical relationships revealed by the dashboards. The empirical results focus on leading indicators for requirements and design of large-scale systems. In the first set of 14 projects focusing on requirements metrics, the ratio of software requirements to source-lines-of-code averaged 1:46. Projects that far exceeded the 1:46 requirements-to-code ratio tended to be more effort-intensive and fault-prone during verification. In the second set of 16 projects focusing on design metrics, the components in the top quartile of the number of component internal states had 6.2 times more faults on average than did the components in the bottom quartile, after normalization by size. The components in the top quartile of the number of component interactions had 4.3 times more faults on average than did the components in the bottom quartile, after normalization by size. When the number of component internal states was in the bottom quartile, the component fault-proneness was low even when the number of component interactions was in the upper quartiles, regardless of size normalization. Measurement-driven dashboards reveal insights that increase visibility into large-scale systems and provide feedback to organizations and projects.


An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) occurred in Surrey on August 3, 2007. A Great Britain-wide ban on livestock movements was implemented immediately. This coincided with the start of seasonal sheep movements off the hills in Scotland; the majority of these animals are sold via markets. The ban therefore posed severe economic and animal-welfare hardships if it was to last through September and beyond. The Scottish Government commissioned an analysis to assess the risk of re-opening markets given the uncertainty about whether FMD had entered Scotland. Tracing of livestock moved from within the risk zone in England between July 16 and August 3 identified contact chains to 12 Scottish premises; veterinary field inspections found a further three unrecorded movements. No signs of infection were found on these holdings. Under the conservative assumption that a single unknown Scottish holding was infected with FMD, an estimate of the time-dependent probability of Scotland being FMD free given no detection was made. Analyses indicated that if FMD was not detected by early to mid-September then it was highly probable that Scotland was FMD free. Risk maps were produced to visualise the potential spread of FMD across Scotland if it was to spread either locally or via market sales.


An operative procedure of mediastinal tracheostomy using a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap is presented. In this procedure, the terminal portion of the trachea penetrates through the center of a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and the tracheal wall is completely wrapped with the muscular portion of the flap. Between 1981 and 1988, eight patients with carcinoma in the cervicothoracic segment of the esophagus underwent mediastinal tracheostomy after laryngoesophagectomy and extended resection of the proximal part of the trachea through sternal manubrectomy, because of invasion into the trachea. In five of eight patients, a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap was used to construct a tracheal stoma. A skin flap only, or both a skin flap and a muscle flap, was used in the other three. In four of eight patients, tracheal necrosis occurred, and rupture of the brachiocephalic artery occurred in one patient when the tracheal stoma had been constructed using both a skin flap and a muscle flap. However, neither skin breakdown nor bleeding from the major vessels occurred when using the myocutaneous flap. Therefore, it is concluded that the construction of the tracheal stoma using a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap is recommended for mediastinal tracheostomy after laryngoesophagectomy with extended resection of the proximal part of the trachea.


Activation and transformation of lipocytes (Ito cells, stellate cells) into alpha-actin-positive myofibroblast-like cells is an essential step in the initiation of liver fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is considered an important mediator of this process. In order to determine mechanisms of fibrotic deposition in a hepatic transplant setting, we analyzed 10 chronically rejected human liver allografts for the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, myofibroblast-like cells (alpha-actin), macrophages, and TGF-beta1 and -beta3. Using single- and double-immunohistochemical staining techniques, all specimens investigated showed increased deposition of the ECM proteins fibronectin, tenascin, undulin, and collagen VI with a characteristic densification especially in pericentral areas. Likewise, strong accumulation of alpha-actin-positive cells and TGF-beta1-expressing macrophages was observed in the same fields, supporting the concept of lipocyte activation/transformation and subsequent ECM production fostered by macrophage-derived TGF-beta1. In contrast, TGF-beta3 was found to be mainly expressed by a markedly increased number of lipocytes. Interestingly, distribution of TGF-beta3 corresponded to that of tenascin, an ECM molecule known to be involved in early matrix organization, suggesting that TGF-beta3 may likewise act mainly in early stages of fibrogenesis. Furthermore, TGF-beta3 restriction to high numbers of a single cell type (i.e., lipocytes) implied a possible role in cell proliferation through autocrine loops. In conclusion, fibrosis in chronic rejection seems to follow similar mechanisms as in non-transplanted livers but additionally suggests differential temporal and functional roles for the TGF-beta isoforms 1 and 3 in the course of a multistep process leading to lipocyte transformation and ECM production.


Obesity increases the risk of developing multiple myeloma (MM). Adiponectin is a cytokine produced primarily by adipocytes, but paradoxically decreased in obesity, that has been implicated in progression of multiple myeloma. Herein, we evaluated the effects of prolonged exposure to adiponectin on the survival of MM cells as well as putative signaling mechanisms. We found that adiponectin activates PKA, which leads to decreased AKT activity and increased AMPK activation. AMPK, in turn, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Adiponectin-induced apoptosis may be mediated, at least in part, by the PKA/AMPK-dependent decline in the expression of the enzyme acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (ACC), which is critical to lipogenesis and thus cell survival. Importantly, supplementation with palmitic acid, the preliminary end product of fatty acid synthesis, rescues MM cells from adiponectin-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furan carboxylic acid (TOFA), an ACC inhibitor, exhibited potent anti-proliferative effects on MM cells that could also be inhibited by fatty acid supplementation. Thus, the effect of adiponectin to reduce survival of MM cells appear to be mediated via its ability to suppress lipogenesis. Our findings suggest that activators of the PKA/AMPK pathway, or inhibitors of ACC, may be useful adjuvants in the treatment of MM. Moreover, the anti-myeloma effect of adiponectin supports the concept that decreased circulating levels of the adipokine, as occurs in obesity, promotes MM tumor progression. Citation Format: Edward Antonio Medina, Srikanth R. Polusani, Kelli Oberheu, Babatunde Oyajobi. PKA/AMPK signaling is a mediator of the anti-proliferative effect of adiponectin on multiple myeloma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2437. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2437


A preliminary study to reduce the turbidity of drinking water by electrocoagulation method has been previously investigated. Subsequent studies were then conducted with various turbidity and initial precipitation treatments. Cikapundung River and Cisangkuy River are the main drinking water sources in Bandung with very fluctuating turbidity. In the water supply system, turbidity is one of the important factors to be observed due to several reasons such as aesthetic, consideration of load to filtration, and disinfection process. This study aims to apply the electrocoagulation process to reduce turbidity as an alternative to conventional coagulation system by utilizing Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC). Electrocoagulation is one method of water treatment by combining the process of coagulation, flotation and electrochemistry. In this work, the electrocoagulation experiments were set up by varying the current density from 10-30 volts with 530 minutes detention time so that the turbidity variation could be created in a range of 25 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) up to 400 NTU. In addition, the experiments were carried out by a precipitation process prior to the electrocoagulation process. The optimum conditions of the electrocoagulation process with both initial and non-precipitated depositions occurred at initial turbidity of 400 NTU with electrocoagulation time and with a 100 RPM fast stirring for 10 minutes to have a turbidity reduction of 99.52% and 98.28 %. The optimum current density for non-precipitating conditions was 21.33 A / m2, whereas it is with precipitating of 46.22 A / m2. This optimum condition is useful for a pilot scale development.


Recently, enormous volume of data is created and it has been increasing. Various types of data are collected in data storages. Each of data management system utilises individual retrieval mechanism arbitrarily, users get into difficulty that they need to obey a query manor for each systems. In our work, we focus on the ubiquity of the retrieval and we discuss about a representation of user's query intention and a method for reflecting it in the retrieval. Conceptually, fork and chain on a tree structure could be regarded as coordinate and subordinate respectively. Therefore, we attempt to use for data retrieval with lapping relationships between user input keywords on the tree structure. Our assuming user is a person or a device which can make a tree to issue a query. We introduce an elaborate use of the tree


Thanks to the enhanced cancer cell affinity, modification of polymeric drug carriers with an active targeting ligand has been one of the most effective strategies to achieve better therapeutic efficacy. However, hydrophobic ligands (e.g. folate), when conjugated to hydrophilic carriers, encounter the problem of reduced targeting effectiveness due to the fact that the ligand may be buried inside the carrier. In the present study, we studied the impact of the hydrophilic polymer structure on the targeting efficiency of the conjugated folate (FA). After modification with folate, the linear N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methacrylamide (HPMA) polymer (P-FA, 27.3 kDa) exhibited a neutral surface charge (1.5 mV), while the graft HPMA polymer (GP-FA, 117.4 kDa) possessed a mild negative charge (−7.2 mV), which suggests different exposure levels of negatively charged folate on the surface of P-FA and GP-FA. Notably, on folate receptor positive MCF-7 cells, P-FA exhibited comparable cell uptake with the unmodified linear polymer, whereas GP-FA resulted in 2-fold higher cell internalization over the untargeted graft polymer. Meanwhile, the involvement of folate receptor mediated endocytosis and augmented folate binding affinity of GP-FA were observed in comparison with P-FA. Moreover, GP-FA exhibited significantly enhanced tumor accumulation relative to GP, while marginally improved tumor accumulation was observed for P-FA compared with P. In summary, the structure of the hydrophilic polymer plays a vital role in the targeting efficiency of the conjugated hydrophobic ligand.


We examine the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence on the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) modulation of the cold‐point tropopause (CPT) temperatures. An analysis of approximately five decades (in most cases 1950s to near‐present) of radiosonde data from 10 near‐equatorial stations, distributed along the Equator, shows that the ENSO influence on the QBO is quite zonally symmetric. At all stations analyzed, the QBO has larger amplitude and longer period during La Niña conditions than during El Niño over this total period. We also show that as a consequence of the ENSO influences on QBO periods and amplitudes, the differences between the warmer CPT temperatures during QBO westerly shear conditions and colder temperatures during QBO easterly shear conditions are larger during La Niña than during El Niño for all stations for the entire period considered here. This strengthens earlier findings that the greatest dehydration of air entering the stratosphere from the troposphere occurs during the winter under La Niña and easterly QBO conditions. In addition, stratosphere/troposphere wind and temperature profiles are derived to establish the degree of QBO downward penetration necessary to influence zonal winds and temperatures in the upper troposphere.


Chaos has an intrinsically richness related to its structure and, because of that, there are benefits for a natural system of adopting chaotic regimes with their wide range of potential behaviors. Under this condition, the system may quickly react to some new situation, changing conditions and their response. Therefore, chaos and many regulatory mechanisms control the dynamics of living systems, conferring a great flexibility to the system. Inspired by nature, the idea that chaotic behavior may be controlled by small perturbations of some physical parameter is making this kind of behavior to be desirable in different applications. Mechanical systems constitute a class of system where it is possible to exploit these ideas. Chaos control usually involves two steps. In the first, unstable periodic orbits (UPOs) that are embedded in the chaotic set are identified. After that, a control technique is employed in order to stabilize a desirable orbit. This contribution employs the close-return method to identify UPOs and a semi-continuous control method, which is built up on the OGY method, to stabilize some desirable UPO. As an application to a mechanical system, a nonlinear pendulum is considered and, based on parameters obtained from an experimental setup, analyses are carried out. Signals are generated by numerical integration of the mathematical model and two different situations are treated. Firstly, it is assumed that all state variables are available. After that, the analysis is done from scalar time series and therefore, it is important to evaluate the effect of state space reconstruction. Delay coordinates method and extended state observers are employed with this aim. Results show situations where these techniques may be used to control chaos in mechanical systems.


The heterogeneous and locally anomalously thick Icelandic upper crust cannot be fully explained with current models of crustal construction. A model that invokes frequent shifts of the volcanic zone (accreting plate boundary) is proposed as an alternative. Three important parameters, which result from a complex history of shifting, determine the upper crustal structure of Iceland: (1) the time interval between two successive shifts, (2) the scale of lateral displacements of the volcanic zone, and (3) the intensity of volcanism at each volcanic zone.


This book contains 51 chapters based on papers presented at the GALA (Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition) conference held in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2011. It thus reflects the GALA 2011 scientific presentations and discussions and raises issues that are currently at the centre of language acquisition research. Such issues examined in this volume include first and second language acquisition and processing by children and adults; language acquisition by individuals with linguistic and/or cognitive impairment; and cross-linguistic comparisons in (a)typical language acquisition. As such, Advances in Language Acquisition constitutes a valuable reference guide for current work on the interdisciplinary research field of language acquisition.


Congenital defects presenting at an adult age are subject to diagnostic errors because of their relative rarity and often odd clinical presentation. We illustrate a 63-year-old male patient with multiple ileal carcinoid tumors along with a carcinoid tumor in Meckel's diverticulum. The Meckel's diverticulum is a congenital abnormality arising from a patent vitelline duct and is found at the anti-mesenteric side of the ileum. In the Meckel's diverticulum, ectopic tissue or neoplasms are sometimes found, which may lead to intussusception, hemorrhage, or inflammation. The carcinoid tumor is a neuroendocrine neoplasm originating from the neural crest and is diagnosed at virtually all ages. It may exhibit malignant behavior but generally has a mild clinical course. It is most often found in endodermally derived organs, especially the digestive and pulmonary tracts, and coexists frequently with malignant tumors, predominantly of endodermal origin such as colorectal carcinoma. The carcinoid tumor and Meckel's diverticulum are known to coincide, whereas the carcinoid is not really considered to be an embryologically determined defect. We hypothesize that both lesions are derived from local erroneous interaction among the neural crest and the endoderm.


Epidemiological studies have demonstrated significant relationships between serum vitamin A level and biochemical Indicators of Iron status. It is assumed that vitamin A is involved in the regulatoin of iron transport from the llver. It is also believed that vitamin A Improves the haemoglobin level by improving the absorption or utilisation of iron by the bone marrow. Recent studies done at different centres in India have shown a beneficial effect of vitamin A supplementation to pregnant women on haemoglobin values. This is significant. In the context of high prevalence of both anaemia and vitamin A deficiency in pregnant women. Hence, the present study was planned io study the impact of iron and vitamin A supplementation on anaemic pregnant women.


This paper presents an improved model for the one-dimensional behavior of a membrane mirror strip actuated using a piezoelectric bimorph. This model specifically accounts for the changes in physical properties of the membrane strip at the location of the piezoelectric bimorph. The membrane strip is modeled as a pinned-pinned beam under tension and the finite element method (FEM) is used to represent the system mathematically. The frequency response obtained from the proposed model is shown to be in agreement with experiments. Furthermore, the importance of including local mass and stiffness effects is demonstrated.© 2006 ASME


The regularity theory of the degenerate complex Monge-Amp\`{e}re equation is studied. The equation is considered on a closed compact K\"{a}hler manifold $(M,g)$ with nonnegative orthogonal bisectional curvature of dimension $m$. Given a solution $\phi$ of the degenerate complex Monge-Amp\`{e}re equation $\det(g_{i \bar{j}} + \phi_{i \bar{j}}) = f \det(g_{i \bar{j}})$, it is shown that the Laplacian of $\phi$ can be controlled by a constant depending on $(M,g)$, $\sup f$, and $\inf_M \Delta f^{1/(m-1)}$.


This paper presents sclera-based biometric recognition. The vessel patterns in sclera are different for every individual and this can be used to identify a person uniquely. In this analysis, we are using sobal filter and Otsu's thresholding methodology for sclera segmentation. Second we have designed a Gabor filter for sclera pattern enhancement to high light and binarize the sclera vessel patterns because the segmented sclera area is highly reflective. As a result, the sclera vascular patterns are unclear or/and have very low contrast. To accomplish the illumination impact and to achieve an illumination-invariant method, it is important to enhance the vascular patterns. Finally, we tend to plan a line-descriptor based feature extraction, registration, and matching technique. We have used the UBIRIS version one


Background Childhood falls are an important global public health problem, but there is lack of evidence about their prevention. Falls on one level result in considerable morbidity and they are costly to health services. Objective To estimate ORs for falls on one level in children aged 0–4 years for a range of safety behaviours, safety equipment use and home hazards. Design, setting and participants Multicentre case–control study at hospitals, minor injury units and general practices in and around four UK study centres. Participants included 582 children less than 5 years of age with a medically attended fall injury occurring at home and 2460 controls matched on age, sex, calendar time and study centre. Main outcome measure Fall on one level. Results Cases' most common injuries were bangs on the head (52%), cuts or grazes not needing stitches (29%) or cuts or grazes needing stitches (17%). Comparing cases to community controls in the adjusted analyses, significant findings were observed for only two exposures. Injured children were significantly less likely to live in a household without furniture corner covers (adjusted OR (AOR) 0.72, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.95), or without rugs and carpets firmly fixed to the floor (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.98). Conclusions We did not find any safety practices, use of safety equipment or home hazards associated with a reduced risk of fall on one level. Our findings do not provide evidence to support changes to current injury prevention practice.


Influence maximization (IM) is one of the most important problems in social network analysis. Its objective is to find a given number of seed nodes that maximize the spread of information through a social network. Since it is an NP-hard problem, many approximate/heuristic methods have been developed, and a number of them repeat Monte Carlo (MC) simulations over and over to reliably estimate the influence (i.e., the number of infected nodes) of a seed set. In this work, we present an inductive machine learning method, called Monte Carlo Simulator (MONSTOR), for estimating the influence of given seed nodes in social networks unseen during training. To the best of our knowledge, MONSTOR is the first inductive method for this purpose. MONSTOR can greatly accelerate existing IM algorithms by replacing repeated MC simulations. In our experiments, MONSTOR provided highly accurate estimates, achieving 0.998 or higher Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients in unseen real-world social networks. Moreover, IM algorithms equipped with MONSTOR are more accurate than state-of-the-art competitors in 63% of IM use cases.


A three-dimensional X-ray diffuse scattering investigation of the short-range order in a-phase Cu-AI alloys, and its dependence on alloy composition, quenching temperature and isothermal annealing at 250°C, has been carried out. The Cowley-Warren order coefficients were determined after separation of the size effects using a procedure based on the Boric-Sparks quadratic approximation of atomic displacements. These short-range-order coefficients were analyzed in terms of the complete spectrum of nearest-neighbor atomic configurations, without the necessity of invoking a specific model for the characteristic feature(s) of the localorder structure. Although in the composition range investigated the equilibrium condition is a short-rangeordered structure, the nearest-neighbor configurations bear a marked resemblance to the long-period antiphase-shift structures which have been found in alloys with more AI. Because essentially all of the most highly ordered configurations were found to exist isolated from each other in a 9.13 at.% A1 alloy, it is concluded that they represent inherently stable, spatial arrangements of the atoms. In alloys containing 13.56 and 14.76 at.% AI, connected ordered configurations, or small ordered domains, were detected, and this effect increases markedly with increasing A1 content. Isothermal annealing at 250°C of a Cu-14.76 at.% A1 alloy quenched from 650°C results in a net disordering process; however, superimposed on this, in the early stages of annealing, is an enhancement of the population density of an atomic configuration confined to planes of the { 111 } type. This is interpreted as evidence for occurrence of the Suzuki mechanism. It is argued that the body of published experimental observations on this alloy system is better understood if one recognizes the existence of stacking faults, and their interaction with the matrix, in addition to that of short-range order.


The paper discusses the mechanics for decomposing the total change in per hectare rice output owitig to inception of new production technology among various components, as well as to ascertain the technical bias of the new rice production technology with respect to different factor inputs especially in the north and south regions of Bihar. The analysis reveals that the contribution of new rice production technology is more pronounced in southern region as compared to the northern region of the state. With the introduction of high yielding varieties of rice, per hectare production was found to be 43.47 per cent and 47.77 per cent higher in northern and southern regions, resp.ectively. Moreover, the technological bias with respect to factor inputs in rice production was estimated as land and labour saving as well as fertilizer, and capital using in northern region, though it was found to be statistically non-significant. In southern region of the state, technological bias was observed as labour, fertilizer and capital using on one hand and land-saving on the other. However, the technical bias was found to be statistically significant only in case of capital and land.


Samoan ceremonial greetings both assume and reconstitute particular views of a hierarchical social order. At the same time, they also display a relatively fluid system in which negotiation of status and authority is frequent and one's ability to access the desired place in the social order is made perceptually available for public assessment. The codes (language, gestures, gaze) and channels (voice, body, sight) employed during such activities can produce meaning only inside of a cultural space that is never neutral. Eye gaze avoidance during the greetings is discussed vis-a-vis pan-Polynesian taboos surrounding individuals with extraordinary mana.


This study examines the professional image of teaching as it develops in prospective teachers in the course of their participation in initial teacher education. The setting for this study is university-based teacher education in the Netherlands, providing one year of postgraduate teacher education for university graduates wanting to qualify for teaching in secondary and higher education. The development of the image of teaching among these prospective teachers is studied in relation with a professional image of teaching developed on the macro level of teacher education to serve as a standard for curriculum and final attainment level. In order to study differences in the elaboration of this common standard by different teacher education establishments two of these establishments have been included in the study. The study also goes into the training conditions in teacher education supporting the development of a professional identity by prospective teachers. The theoretical basis of the study is provided by the tradition of Vygotskian and Neo-Vygotskian social science, allowing a view of assignment of meaning to teaching as a multi-level process (from macro-institutional to personal) and encouraging an approach in which cognitive, affective, and experiential elements in the assignment of meaning are studied in mutual relationship.


The development of specific inhibitors that can block nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation is an approach for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases. Several diterpenoids, oridonin, ponicidin, xindongnin A, and xindongnin B were isolated from the herb Isodon rubescens. These compounds were found to be potent inhibitors of NF-κB transcription activity and the expression of its downstream targets, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric-oxide synthase. The mechanisms of action of the diterpenoids against NF-κB are similar, but significant differences were also identified. All of the diterpenoids directly interfere with the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB to its response DNA sequence. Oridonin and ponicidin have an additional impact on the translocation of NF-κB from the cytoplasm to nuclei without affecting IκB-α phosphorylation and degradation. The effect of these compounds on the interaction of NF-κB with consensus DNA sequences is unique. Different inhibitory effects were observed when NF-κB bound to various DNA sequences. Both p65/p65 and p50/p50 homodimers, as well as p65/p50 heterodimer association with their responsive DNA, were inhibited. Kinetic studies on NF-κB-DNA interaction indicate that the diterpenoids decrease the Bmax app but have no effect on Kd app. This suggests that this class of compounds interacts with both p65 and p50 subunits at a site other than the DNA binding site and subsequently modulates the binding affinity of the transcription factor toward DNA with different NF-κB binding sequences. The diterpenoid structure could therefore serve as a scaffold for the development of more potent and selective NF-κB inhibitors that target regulated gene transcription.


We investigated, theoretically and experimentally, the effect of optical amplification on the dynamic range performance of both externally modulated direct detection and coherent RF optical links. Our results show that, for lowto medium-loss links, a direct detection link with or without an optical amplifier, depending on the loss range, gives the best dynamic range. For high-loss links, the best link to use is a coherent link with the optical amplifier after the modulator. We also showed that the position of an amplifier is an important design parameter; it determines whether or not an optical amplifier improves the link's dynamic range.


Abstract Associations between anti-M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies and disease activity and prognosis have been suggested in primary membranous nephropathy (MN); however, more evidence is needed. We aimed to establish a clinically useful method to measure anti-PLA2R antibodies. We developed a western blot assay and a cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-PLA2R antibodies were evaluated retrospectively using these assays and the commercial solid-phase ELISA. Anti-PLA2R antibodies were detected in 12, 6, and 12 out of 23 Japanese patients with biopsy-proven primary MN using the western blot, the cell-based ELISA, and the solid-phase ELISA, respectively. The samples of the lupus MN patients tested negative. The levels of proteinuria correlated moderately with the titres of anti-PLA2R antibodies measured by the three methods (r = 0.39–0.47). Anti-PLA2R antibodies were significantly associated with physicians' decisions on immunosuppressive treatment without prior knowledge of anti-PLA2R antibody positivity (p < .01). In the longitudinal analysis, the titres of anti-PLA2R antibodies measured by the solid-phase ELISA declined significantly following treatment (p = .03). In conclusion, these results suggest the usefulness of anti-PLA2R antibody as a diagnostic, prognostic, and surrogate biomarker in primary MN. The three methods proved to be reliable for measuring anti-PLA2R antibody titres, but their performances differ.


Viet Nam has enjoyed more than a generation of rapid economic growth, led by labour-intensive exports. This form and pace of growth has increased schooling opportunities, but has also reduced incentives for some students to advance to higher education. We hypothesise that these conflicting influences help explain another puzzle – the relatively slow growth of educational progression to upper secondary school. Slow and unevenly distributed increases in schooling attainment are warning signs for the sustainability of future aggregate growth and for the distribution of growth gains. We use a new data set on participation rates and scores in an exam to enter Grade 10, the first year of upper secondary school, to analyse the variation in test participation rates due to demandand supply-side factors. The data are drawn from less advanced provinces within Viet Nam. As such, they shed light on the challenges of expanding educational development at the extensive margins of lower socio-economic status and higher grades, especially in areas with large ethnic minority populations.


A new topology for a distributed power amplifier (DPA) is presented to maximise DC-RF conversion (i.e. for high output power). The topology is featured by vectorially combined current sources when loading power transistors into distributed output and input networks using impedance termination values gathered by device load pull. To the authors' knowledge, the output power achieved in this work is the best for DPAs within the frequency range up to 2 GHz.


For ice-jam flood forecasting it is important to differentiate between intact ice covers and ice runs. Ice runs consist of long accumulations of rubble ice that stem from broken up ice covers or ice-jams that have released. A water wave generally travels ahead of the ice run at a faster celerity, arriving at the potentially high flood–risk area much sooner than the ice accumulation. Hence, a rapid detection of the ice run is necessary to lengthen response times for flood mitigation. Intact ice covers are stationary and hence are not an immediate threat to a downstream flood situation, allowing more time for flood preparedness. However, once ice accumulations are moving and potentially pose imminent impacts to flooding, flood response may have to switch from a mitigation to an evacuation mode of the flood management plan. Ice runs are generally observed, often by chance, through ground observations or airborne surveys. In this technical note, we introduce a novel method of differentiating ice runs from intact ice covers using imagery acquired from space-borne radar backscatter signals. The signals are decomposed into different scatter components—surface scattering, volume scattering and double-bounce—the ratios of one to another allow differentiation between intact and running ice. The method is demonstrated for the breakup season of spring 2018 along the Athabasca River, when an ice run shoved into an intact ice cover which led to some flooding in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.


Abstract Shaeffer and Avery's textbook, Diseases of the Newborn (1971), estimated the limit of viability to be around 28 weeks' gestation and/or 1000 g. Contemporarily, however, attempts are being made to resuscitate infants as early as 22 weeks' gestation. Clearly the "limit of viability" is a moving target, and the acceptable risk of intervening to attempt to "save" these small infants/fetuses is a value judgment and not one that can be answered by science. Even though the dilemma is not one that can be resolved empirically, the emphasis on resolution continues to be one of demands for "further research" by critics as well as advocates for the care of these small infants. Patrick Romanell (1912–2002) was a major philosopher in the critical naturalist movement in the United States and internationally. His observations on the tragic quality of human life and the dilemmas associated between the conflicts of good vs good rather than the epic quality of good vs evil lend themselves well to understanding the conflicts involved in determining the limits of viability of extremely preterm infants.


The freedom of association in trade unions is accorded a special status in the international covenants on human rights, in ILO Conventions and in national constitutions. Moreover, trade unions are usually the sole subjects of special privileges for negotiating collective agreements, consultation and permissible industrial action. Human rights and constitutional litigation usually focus on removing obstacles from individuals' choice to associate and on the scope of the positive right to freely associate. However, there are other fundamental aspects of the right that are more covert, which are designated as its 'hidden components'. These include the rules regarding representative status, which crudely prescribe the relationship between trade unions and their membership. Despite the prevalence of requirements for representativeness in all national industrial relations systems, the variations are immense. This article probes into the nature of representativeness, displaying its significant effect on the ability of workers to negotiate, on the capacity of trade unions to achieve collective agreements, and on the distributive effects of such agreements. The article concludes that the constitutional dimension of representativeness must be considered, demonstrating rare instances of robust constitutional challenges and directing attention to the seemingly more mundane forms of response, legal or extra-legal, that actually shape the course of their incremental legal development.
Labour Law, Trade Unions, Representation, ILO, Comparative


The employment of inorganic fertilizers to overcome soil nutrient deficiency causes the depletion of microfloral diversity in the soil. Hence, there is a necessity to implement different eco-friendly strategies to maintain the nutrient level. In a series of experiments funded by SITINPLANT European Project, we have previously determined the interaction between the mycorrhizae and antagonistic biocontrol micro-organisms and their effect on diseases and plant nutrient uptake of several plants and trees. On the basis of the inferences obtained from that project, we are presently working on the utilization of mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria as organic fertilizers (i.e. biofertilizers) for wheat development. Our specific aim is to determine the strategies that may support to decrease the usage of commercial P fertilizers. The results of these experiments will provide an insight into the effective usage of different microorganisms for improving crop productivity and increasing food security.


There is an increasing need for a validated grading system to assess sinusitis severity as observed on endoscopic examination. Existing endoscopy scales have limitations in complexity, validation, and/or applicability. We present a novel and straightforward endoscopic scoring system measuring discharge, inflammation, and polyps/edema (DIP). The aim of this study is to determine correlation of the DIP score with existing sinus endoscopy scoring systems, and to determine interrater and test‐retest reliability.


The imaging features of a cavernous angioma, which originated from the meninges, are presented. The patient harbored a second cavernous angioma within the brain parenchyma. Cavernous angioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of dural lesions, especially when other cavernous angiomas are present.


The standard neural machine translation model can only decode with the same depth configuration as training. Restricted by this feature, we have to deploy models of various sizes to maintain the same translation latency, because the hardware conditions on different terminal devices (e.g., mobile phones) may vary greatly. Such individual training leads to increased model maintenance costs and slower model iterations, especially for the industry. In this work, we propose to use multi-task learning to train a flexible depth model that can adapt to different depth configurations during inference. Experimental results show that our approach can simultaneously support decoding in 24 depth configurations and is superior to the individual training and another flexible depth model training method——LayerDrop.


Water is the most essential basic amenity of human life. Availability of water for domestic as well as commercial purpose is in the two forms i.e. ground water & Inland Surface water. As the percent of fresh water is less so it becomes very important that whatever fraction of water we are utilising it should meet the designated best use of it. In the present paper different regions of Haryana are taken & analysed with respect to physiochemical & Biological parameters given by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) directly indicating the designated best use of the water pertaining to different Class along with BIS standards for drinking water. The significance of this study is to get the appropriate notion regarding various Inland surface water utility in different regions of Haryana. The results obtained revealed that the surface water quality varied spatially. Water at most of the locations is not suitable for drinking purposes as per BIS guidelines. It is further suggested that some kind of treatment for TDS is immediately required in the studied areas to avoid water borne health problems in residents.


[1] Holocene sea surface temperatures (SST) of the Black Sea have been reconstructed using sedimentary C37 unsaturated alkenones assumed to be derived from the coccolithophorid haptophyte Emiliania huxleyi, whose fossil coccoliths are an important constituent of the unit I sediments. However, alkenones can also be biosynthesized by haptophyte species that do not produce microscopic recognizable coccoliths. A species-specific identification of haptophytes is important in such U37K′-based past SST reconstructions since different species have different alkenone-SST calibrations. We showed that 18S rDNA of E. huxleyi made up only a very small percentage (less than 0.8%) of the total eukaryotic 18S rDNA within the up to 3600-year-old fossil record obtained from the depocenter (>2000 m) of the Black Sea. The predominant fossil 18S rDNA was derived from dinoflagellates (Gymnodinium spp.), which are predominant members of the summer phytoplankton bloom in the modern Black Sea. Using a polymerase chain reaction/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis method selective for haptophytes, we recovered substantial numbers of a preserved 458-base-pair (bp)-long 18S rDNA fragment of E. huxleyi from the Holocene Black Sea sediments. Additional fossil haptophyte sequences were not detected, indicating that the E. huxleyi alkenone-SST calibration can be applied for at least the last ∼3600 years. The ancient E. huxleyi DNA was well protected against degradation since the DNA/alkenone ratio did not significantly decrease throughout the whole sediment core and 20% of ∼2700-year-old fossil E. huxleyi DNA was still up to 23,000 base pairs long. We showed that fossil DNA offers great potential to study the Holocene paleoecology and paleoenvironment of anoxic deep-sea settings in unprecedented detail.


A retrospective analysis of clinico-morphological data of 222 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma of the trunk was made. General results of 5-year survival of the patients after a radical surgical treatment was 56.3 +/- 3.3%. Five clinico-morphological risk factors of the regional metastazing of the primary cutaneous melanoma of the trunk were established. Prophylactic regional lymphadenectomy along with a wide dissection of the primary tumor is recommended by the authors for patients with primary melanomas of the trunk skin having 3 and more risk factors of regional metastazing.


The purpose of this paper is to develop a "calculus" on graphs that allows graph theory to have new connections to analysis. For example, our framework gives rise to many new partial differential equations on graphs, most notably a new (Laplacian based) wave equation; this wave equation gives rise to a partial improvement on the Chung-Faber-Manteuffel diameter/eigenvalue bound in graph theory, and the Chung-Grigoryan-Yau and (in a certain case) Bobkov-Ledoux distance/eigenvalue bounds in analysis. Our framework also allows most techniques for the non-linear p-Laplacian in analysis to be easily carried over to graph theory.


Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins) are industrially relevant small nonimmunoglobulin
scaffold proteins that bind their target with high affinity. G3 is a DARPin
designed to target the receptor tyrosine kinase protein HER2 (human epidermal growth factor
receptor 2). Overexpression of HER2 is prevalent in many cancer types and development of
targeting agents for imaging during the course of treatment is an unmet need. The research aims
to develop a bioprocess for the production of clinical grade DARPin from Pichia pastoris.
In the pilot stage, the effects of the common hexahistidine (His6) purification tag on
biodistribution and tumour targeting were assessed in vivo. Three constructs were created; the
(His) 6-, the histidine-glutamate (HE) 3- and the regulatory standard, untagged G3 DARPin. The
final products were characterised in terms of purity, identity and functionality prior to testing
in mice. The (HE) 3-tagged G3 was the superior product in terms of non-target specific uptake
and was taken forward as a clinically relevant example for bioprocess development.
A regulatory compliant bioprocess for G3 was established in the yeast P. pastoris. The
fermentation procedure was transferred to a 20-L bioreactor and a 5 hour induction run
implemented. Tangential flow filtration (TFF), immobilised metal affinity (IMAC), size
exclusion (SEC) and anion exchange (AEX) chromatography steps were utilised to generate
~60 mg of fully functional homogenous G3. The level of host cell protein (HCP) and endotoxin
was within regulatory compliance at <1 ng/mg and <0.05 EU/mg, respectively. The process
was then adapted for production of an imaging agent and enabled the addition of maleimide-
DOTA via the free cysteine on the C-terminal of the DARPin. This yielded 38-42 mg / run of
high purity DOTA_G3 which radiolabelled with 111In at greater than 95% efficiency.
Sites of proteolytic cleavage were identified and protein engineering carried out to mitigate
breakdown. Mutation of the amino acid methionine (30) to leucine resulted in notable inhibition
of proteolytic activity and allowed for increased fermentation times, improving titre by ~75%.
The mutation did not alter DARPin binding affinity nor baseline expression. The bioprocess
and identified mutation were tested on an independent DARPin (E69) to assess the potential of
a 'universal' DARPin production platform. As with the G3 the mutated E69 DARPin proved
to be far more resistant to proteolytic activity than its wild type counterpart and the bioprocess
generated 40 mg of fully functional E69 of equivalent purity at <0.05 EU/mg endotoxin and
<3.4 ng/mg HCP.
In summary, this study has generated a holistic and innovative end to end development strategy
for the production of DARPins in the yeast P. pastoris.


A growing field at the intersection of literary and trauma studies makes the persuasive case for creative writing as a means to represent and process trauma across a range of genres from traditional memoir to hybrid and fictionalized approaches. Yet, despite this, how the specific qualities
 of short fiction can expand on existing modes remains theoretically underexplored. This article offers an intervention into the aforementioned field through an exploration into how the qualities of brevity and experiment that are associated with short fiction can be employed to mirror and
 synthesize aspects of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung's ground-breaking work on the unconscious and his narrative approaches to processing trauma. First, this article presents the short story 'Disappearing Act', a hybrid of memoir and short fiction based on a personal traumatic
 experience of childhood abuse and informed by the Jungian concept of individuation (commonly referred to in contemporary psychoanalytic circles as shadow work). Second, it includes an accompanying critical reflection on the story's creative process and the ways in which autobiographical
 short fiction can be employed as a mode of shadow work to demonstrate how the form operated as a creatively rich device to process traumatic life material for this writer.


Rationale. Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) and apoliprotein E (APOE) polymorphisms were related to serum lipids in association studies. In a mouse model of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) hypoxia inhibited clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Since hypoxia might interfere with genetic background to affect lipid levels, we examined effects of interactions between CETP and APOE variants and hypoxia on serum lipids in OSA patients.

Methods. 634 adult subjects evaluated for suspected OSA underwent overnight polysomnography. The association of HDL-cholesterol (HDLC), triglycerides (TG) and LDL-cholesterol (LDLC) with OSA-related hypoxia reflected by oxygen desaturation index (ODI) was examined and adjusted for relevant covariates.

Findings. Patients were 69.1% male (age 51.1±11.2 years, apnoea-hypopnoea index 30.4±29.9). In univariate analyses, HDLC was related to the both ODI and CETP polymorphism (R=-0.196, p<0.001; R=0.123, p=0.002). In multivariate analysis only CETP genotype remained associated with HDLC (R2=0.185, p=0.002) and no interaction between CETP variant and ODI was observed. In contrast, TG were related to ODI and APOE polymorphism in the univariate analyses (R=0.284, p<0.001; R=0.100, p=0.013), and also after adjustments (R2=0.382, p=0.046, p=0.002). Significant interaction between APOE genotype and ODI was observed with respect to TG levels (p=0.010 for the interaction term APOE*ODI).

Conclusion. Our findings support the role of CETP and APOE polymorphisms in atherogenic dyslipidaemia in OSA patients, and suggest the presence of an interaction between hypoxia and APOE genotype to affect TG levels.

Funding. APVV-0134-11, VEGA 1/0111/12, Slovakia.


Examined the interpersonal responses of persons engaged in dyadic interactions with confederates who enacted either depressed or socially appropriate roles and appeared either with or without a physical disability. Subject negative evaluations of confederates were indirectly obtained from a thought-listing measure. The overt behaviors of subjects were surreptitiously recorded on videotape and measures of verbal and nonverbal behavior were acquired. Subjects spoke less to the depressed targets and had significantly higher rates of negative evaluations of these persons. In addition, subjects gazed less at the depressed confederates. These effects were not moderated by target physical appearance. Findings are discussed as they relate to social models of depression and the stigmatizing effects of disability.


BACKGROUND The pathophysiology of takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is not well understood, however, it is often precipitated by psychological or physical stress. Marital status is related to emotional stress, but its associations with TTS are limited. AIM To explored the potential association between marital status and TTS. METHODS We conducted a case-control study using data on patients aged ≥ 40 years with marital status data in the National Hospital Discharge Survey (2006-2010). The International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision codes were used to identify cases with TTS and other comorbid conditions. Each case was matched to 5 controls by age, sex, year of TTS diagnosis and bed size of hospital. Two sets of controls were selected: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) controls and non-cardiovascular disease (CVD) controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of marital status with TTS. RESULTS The 59 patients with TTS who had information on marital status were matched to 295 controls with AMI and 295 non-CVD controls, resulting in a sample of 649 patients. The average age of cases was 69.7 ± 11 years with 90% being women and 88% reporting White race. In multivariable-adjusted models, compared to singles, patients who were married had lower odds of TTS (OR = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.79–0.93) while those who were widowed (OR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.05–1.23) or divorced/separated (OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.21–1.45) had elevated odds for TTS when compared to non-CVD controls. Similar results were observed when cases were compared to controls with AMI. CONCLUSION In this study, being married was associated with lower odds for TTS while being divorced/separated or widowed was related to elevated odds for TTS. These novel findings that underscore the potential importance of social factors like marital status in the development of TTS need confirmation in larger studies.


The performance of a sensor platform for environmental or industrial monitoring is sensitive to the cost and performance of the individual sensor elements. Thus, the detection limits, accuracy, and precision of commercially available, low-cost carbon dioxide and methane gas concentration sensors were evaluated by precise measurements at known gas concentrations. Sensors were selected based on market availability, cost, power consumption, detection range, and accuracy. A specially constructed gas mixing chamber, coupled to a precision bench-top analyzer, was used to characterize each sensor during a controlled exposure to known gas concentrations. For environmental monitoring, the selected carbon dioxide sensors were characterized around 400 ppm. For methane, the sensor response was first monitored at 0 ppm, close to the typical environmental background. The selected sensors were then evaluated at gas concentrations of several thousand ppm. The determined detection limits accuracy, and precision provides a set of matrices that can be used to evaluate and select sensors for integration into a sensor platform for specific applications.


This article presents a LabView virtual instrument (VI) that automatically measures the I–V plasma probe characteristic and obtains the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) in plasmas. The VI determines several parameters characterizing the plasma using different methods to verify the validity of the results. The program controls some parameters associated with color coded warnings to verify the fidelity of the measured data and their later numerical treatment. The measurement process and data treatment are very fast, about 0.5 s, so that temporal evolutions of the EEDF can be scanned, to analyze the drift of the plasma. Finally, the program is easily portable since it is developed in the LabView environment, so it can be adapted to any platform using common laboratory instruments.


Mudik is an annual community activity in Indonesia that is carried out simultaneously and in a short time. The government has made various physical or non-physical efforts to reduce the negative impacts arising from Mudik activity. One effort is by providing information related to the condition of Mudik routes. Study of preferences of travelers for changing Mudik routes after obtaining information is needed to anticipate these differences in decisions. The method used in the study is quantitative and qualitative descriptive analysis and uses non-parametric statistical analysis with McNemar and ChiSquare K free samples test to determine whether there are differences in decisions after providing information and differences in preferences for route changes based on factors. The study results show that the factors that cause the same route decisions for travelers who regularly Mudik with private vehicles are the fastest route, and there is no other route choice. The analysis shows that for both factors there is a preference of travelers to change the route by 68.5%, uncertainty by 15%, and not change the route by 16.5%. This study also shows there are differences in decisions after providing information, and there are no differences in route change preferences based on factors.


The ϝράτρα for the Chaladrioi and Deukalion falls under a definite group of Elean documents, archaic and classical, that is the oracular pronouncements enacted by Olympian Zeus for the Eleans and their dependent political communities, whether allies, perioikoi, or members of an alleged Elean confederacy. The god instructs the Chaladrioi (a political community which is elsewhere unattested) to bestow on the foreign Deukalion and his descent citizenship and some distinctive privileges (isoproxeny and isodamiurgy). These privileges enable him 'to speak in the god's presence', with the same authority that lies with Olympian officials and the Elean damos, and to take care of the sole Chaladrian land in Pisa, relevant to the Olympian sanctuary. This land, allocated to a new citizen receiving special honours, seems actually linked to the Olympian sanctuary – whether consecrated or not – by the pronouncement of Zeus for the first time. After the Persian Wars, Pindar and Bacchylides started to sing about Pisa as the very place of the Olympian Games and the sanctuary of Zeus reached a new level of Panhellenic renown, which was emphasised in the construction of the first temple of the god and other important building activities (such as the enlargement and partial displacement of the stadium) and surely brought about a lot of new visitors and pilgrims, in need of hosting land.


The article contains two observations of centrogenic reactions (systemic hemodynamic responces) during posterior fossa tumors removal. PICCOplus was used as additional monitoring modality. In the second case, where authors observed second type of centrogenic reactions by their classification, significant increasing of extravascular lung water was noted. Causes of this effect are disscussed.


Acute focal bacterial nephritis (AFBN) is a rarely diagnosed interstitial bacterial infection of the kidney. Due to the non-specific clinical presentation of this entity, correct diagnosis can be challenging. In this work, we present three cases of AFBN aiming to stress the diversity of clinical presentation associated with the disease and the fact that patients with AFBN are at risk of undergoing unnecessary invasive procedures. The employment of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures on the management of AFBN should be limited, as the majority of patients respond well to conservative therapy.


Abstract: The guanine nucleotide analogue, 5′‐p‐fluorosul‐phonylbenzoyl guanosine (FSBG), can react covalently with GTP‐binding proteins (G proteins). In rat brain membranes, FSBG causes a time‐dependent loss of β,γ‐imido[8‐3H]guanosine 5′‐triphosphate binding sites. Using 1 mM FSBG, the guanyl nucleotide modulation of opioid agonist binding is abolished, whereas the guanyl nucleotide sensitivity of neurotensin binding is retained. The action of FSBG can be prevented by the presence of opioid agonists, but not the antagonist naloxone. Iodoacetamide treatment of membranes in the presence of agonist, but not antagonist, can attenuate the action of FSBG in blocking guanyl nucleotide modulation of opioid agonist binding. These results suggest that FSBG covalently modifies essential thiol groups, whose exposure to the reagent is modified by agonist occupancy of the receptor, on a species of G protein linked to opioid receptors, but not on a species of G protein linked to neurotensin receptors. Thus, FSBG may have selectivity for the forms of Gi or Go, proteins associated with opioid receptors.


Research project submitted in fulfillment for the requirement of the award of Degree in Master of Business Administration University of Nairobi


For several good business reasons, rapid application development has become increasingly popular. In general, RAD gives you earlier product payback and more payback time before the pace of technology makes your product obsolete. For software product sales, RAD also helps you debut a product earlier in a market window, which lets the product capture more market share, revenues, and profits. To gain maximum benefit from RAD, however, you must choose the RAD form that best suits your project. The article presents the various forms of RAD available and give advice on which to choose.


The article analyses the clinical course of parotid virus infection in 207 servicemen basicly from the scene of epidemic outbreaks. The period of disclosure of illness and further hospitalization of patients was considerably rapid. The diagnosis was frequently impeded by polymorphism of clinical features of illness and resulted in 25.8% of errors which enveloped localization of pathological process and the gravity estimation of the infection. Error diagnoses were also provoked by frequent appearance of slight and obscure forms of illness. The article stresses that unfavourable cases of parotid virus infection are no longer exceptional in the modern conditions.


this thesis the problem of maximum likelihood (ML) detection for the linear multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel is considered. The thesis investigates two algorithms previously proposed in the literature for implementing the ML detector, namely semide nite relaxation and sphere decoding. The first algorithm, semide nite relaxation, is a suboptimal implementation of the ML detector meaning that it is not guaranteed to solve the maximum likelihood detection problem. Still, numerical evidence suggests that the performance of the semide nite relaxation detector is close to that of the true ML detector. A contribution made in this thesis is to derive conditions under which the semide nite relaxation estimate can be guaranteed to coincide with the ML estimate. The second algorithm, the sphere decoder, can be used to solve the ML detection problem exactly. Numerical evidence has previously shown that the complexity of the sphere decoder is remarkably low for problems of moderate size. This has led to the widespread belief that the sphere decoder is of polynomial expected complexity. This is however unfortunately not true. Instead, in most scenarios encountered in digital communications, the expected complexity of the algorithm is exponential in the number of symbols jointly detected. However, for high signal to noise ratio the rate of exponential increase is small. In this thesis it is proved that for a large class of detection problems the expected complexity is lower bounded by an exponential function. Also, for the special case of an i.i.d. Rayleigh fading channel, an asymptotic analysis is presented which enables the computation of the expected complexity up to the linear term in the exponent.


Spectrophotometric observations of the Be star η Cen obtained in May, 1993 show smooth variations of both the stellar and circumstellar Balmer discontinuity (BD) on a time scale of hours. Simultaneous photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy suggest possible correlations with the large-amplitude brightness and line-profile variations.


Full-depth longitudinal cracks have been developed in many empirically designed bridge decks. Such cracks run along the entire length of the bridge over the top flange edges. Star City Bridge is among those bridges that developed longitudinal deck cracking. The bridge was instrumented with 750 sensors during its second phase of construction in November 2003 and the longitudinal cracks were visible on the deck surface in 2005. Therefore, additional twelve sensors were installed across the cracks in June 2007 to continuously monitor their opening and closure as well as the differential settlement across the cracks. The collected data indicate that some cracks have continued to open. In particular the crack along the first interior girder at the edge bay developed a permanent opening of 0.25 mm and a permanent settlement of 0.08 mm. The opening of the longitudinal cracks was correlated to the lateral bending of the steel girders, which adversely affect their flexural capacity as well as the axial stresses in the transverse steel rebar and diaphragm members. Additionally, the presence of the longitudinal cracks induce shear stress in the transverse steel rebar due to the passage of traffic loading that would affect their fatigue life.


A brief review and evaluation of the provisions of existing codes and standards regarding steel piles is presented. The reasoning behind the current proposal for an allowable bearing load of 50 percent of the steel yield strength is presented. The use of existing codes and standards to provide adequate guidance for preventing foundation failures is questioned. Codes based on load factor concepts and improved field inspection are thought to be necessary.


With willow catkins as highly accessible carbon sources, hierarchical porous carbon microtubes (denoted as HPNCTs) have been successfully prepared by a facile carbonization and subsequent KOH activation process. The resulting materials not only inherited the natural tubular morphology of willow catkins, but also developed a hierarchical porous structure by activation, with nitrogen from the biomass being self-doped in the resulting carbon. A maximum specific surface area of 1775.7 m2 g−1 with a pore volume of 0.8516 cm3 g−1 was achieved for HPNCT-800. When evaluated as an electrode by a three-electrode system in 6 M KOH aqueous solution, the material exhibited a high gravimetric capacitance of 292 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, with a good rate capability of 83.5% retention at 10 A g−1. HPNCT-800 was further employed in a coin-type symmetric device with 1 M LiPF6 electrolyte, and exhibited a high energy density of 37.9 W h kg−1 at a power density of 700 W kg−1, with excellent cycling stability with 90.6% retention after 4000 cycles. By taking advantage of the unique structure of abundant biomass from nature, this work sheds light on the creation of advanced porous carbon materials towards energy storage applications.


In this paper, the author takes the Olympic forest park as the research object and investigates the Olympic forest park tourism interpretation system through the study of the sampling survey of 300 visitors inquired by some related problems. The aim which the author examined is giving some improve mental measures and providing some guidance for other forest park of Beijing, according to the present situation of Olympic forest park tourism interpretation system and the willing of the 300 respondents. The study found that the independent interpretation system is not perfect and the leading interpretation system has some deficiencies. It needs to improve some aspect certainly, although tourists pretty satisfy the whole system of the park which a stream of visitors came here every day. The author proposes some suggestions at the end of the article, and hopes to consolidate and improve the satisfaction and loyalty of tourists to the scenic spot.


This article is concerned with questions of sexism and misogyny in the context of post-feminism. It examines the particular case of former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's 'misogyny speech', a rare instance of a woman in high political office directly accusing her opponent of sexism. Through a critical discourse analysis of the coverage of that speech in the Australian print media, the article explores the radical disjuncture between how the speech resonated with women, both in Australia and internationally, and its construction in the print media as an illegitimate and ill-conceived 'playing of the gender card'. In forwarding this analysis, the article highlights how, in a post-feminist media environment, the possibilities for women of naming experiences of sexism are being closed down not least because such naming is positioned as a strategic choice on the part of women deployed only to gain advantage.