Recently hydraulic and mechanical-based aircraft systems are replaced by electrical-based 'on board aircraft systems' because of their various advantages like less volume and weight, and reliability. So electrical power system architecture needs to be modified. In spacecraft, a major volume is utilised for the electrical subsystem. The main requirements of the electrical power system of spacecraft are better reliability, less volume and weight, and improved power efficiency. Separate power-generating sources are used for propulsion and various auxiliary systems. Solar-based generation, nuclear-based generation, and fuel cells are some electrical energy sources used in aircraft. More reliable power generation techniques are required for long-duration space missions. The multiphase alternator is a better choice for reliable power generation. Another constraining factor for space power systems is volume and weight because of less space availability in the aircraft. Considering these constraining factors very high power density alternators are suitable for space power systems. Hence, High-Speed Homo Polar Inductor Alternator (HSHIA) is the most suitable candidate. High-speed operation up to 1 lakh RPM is possible with this machine due to its better power density and the special structure of the rotor. This machine already finds application in pulse charging as well as for energy storage by NASA and certain defense organizations. For studying its suitability for auxiliary power generation, a performance analysis is to be carried out. In HSHIA the performance is classified into three levels such as magnetic, electrical, and thermal. This paper presents the electrical performance analysis of HSHIA with different load conditions using the 3 -D Finite Element Method.


Aim The aim of the EUROACTION PLUS trial was to determine if the nurse-led preventive cardiology programme in primary care, with an intensive smoking intervention including the optional use of Varenicline, could achieve more effective smoking abstinence among persistent smokers with either established vascular disease, or at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and to reduce overall cardiovascular risk compared to usual care (UC). Methods EUROACTION PLUS (EA PLUS) was a randomised controlled intervention trial carried out in general practices across 4 European countries: Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK. Vascular patients and people at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease who were current smokers were individually randomised to receive either a professional smoking cessation intervention, which included the optional use of Varenicline, delivered in the context of the nurse-led EUROACTION preventive cardiology programme, or their usual care. The primary outcome was the proportion of non-smokers (7-day prevalence of non-smoking) validated by breath CO (<10 ppm) in intervention compared to usual care at 16 weeks. The secondary outcomes included the proportions of patients achieving the Joint European Societies lifestyle, risk factor and therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease prevention. Results 696 patients were recruited: 350 randomised to EA PLUS and 346 to UC. 85% EA PLUS and 83% UC returned at 16 weeks. For the primary endpoint 51% of patients in the EA PLUS arm were abstinent compared to 19% in UC at 16 weeks; OR 4.52 (95% CI 3.20 to 6.39, p<0.0001). In partners, the 7-day point prevalence of abstinence was significantly higher in EA PLUS (73% vs 37%) compared to UC, OR 4.7 (95% CI 1.9 to 11.5, p<0.001). 52.3% of patients in EA PLUS achieved a Mediterranean diet score ≥9, compared to 37.3% in UC (p<0.001). 16.2% in EA PLUS achieved the physical activity target compared to 7.2% in UC (p=0.002) with a significantly higher proportion achieving the METSmax target (Chester Step test): 37.8% in EA PLUS vs 27.3% in UC (p=0.04). Blood pressure target (<140/90 (130/80 diabetes or vascular disease) was significantly higher in EA PLUS (52% vs 43%; OR 1.47, p=0.03) than UC but there were no differences in lipid or glucose management. Prescribing of cardiopr0tective medication was similar in both arms except for lipid lowering drugs; EA PLUS 53% vs UC (45%, p=0.06); high CVD risk individuals 48% EA PLUS vs 39% UC p=0.04). Conclusion This European trial has demonstrated that the EUROACTION nurse-led preventive cardiology programme, with an intensive smoking cessation intervention including optional Varenicline, helps more vascular and high risk patients, together with their partners, to stop smoking and better achieve the other European lifestyle and blood pressure targets for cardiovascular disease prevention than usual medical care.


[John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath has been read typically as period social activism, as sentimental Marxist fable, and as watered-down Christian theology via its failed preacher, Jim Casy. Religious interpretations have at best seen the text as an allegorical reenactment of Exodus. Yet such criticism requires a willful misreading of the text, as the Joads end the story not in a promised land but destitute. The novel makes more sense, however, if seen as a reversal of Exodus. The Joads progress from a despoiled but occupied promised land (Oklahoma) toward bondage in Egypt (California). This extended image pattern permits Steinbeck to draw a larger thematic vision in which material poverty teaches the Joads a broadly Christian worldview. Far from ending in despair, the novel closes in the Joads emerging from a self-satisfied and legalistic moralism into a new ethos of universal love in the pattern of Christ, culminating in Rose of Sharon's spiritual maturity in her selfless act at the novel's end when the family finally moves from "I" to "we.", ]


"This paper deals with aspects of the application of the generalized data editing and imputation software named DIA to the 1991 Population Census [of Brazil] Basic Questionnaire. This software, developed by the Spanish National Statistical Institute, handles editing and imputation of categorical data in one processing cycle and provides comprehensive information to control and assess the automatic correction process. The analysis reveals the data quality and efficiency of the software adopted, which ensures data consistency while preserving basic distribution properties." (EXCERPT)


We consider the problem of designing optimal and efficient algorithms for solving tridiagonal linear systems with multiple right-hand side vectors on two-dimensional mesh interconnection networks. We derive asymptotic upper and lower bounds for these solvers using odd-even cyclic reduction. We present various important lower bounds on execution time for solving these systems including general lower bounds which are independent of initial data assignment, and lower bounds based on classifications of initial data assignments which classify assignments via the proportion of initial data assigned amongst processors. Finally, different algorithms are designed in order to achieve running times that are within a small constant factor of the lower bounds provided.


In this paper, using Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) data for 2013, we explore factors that may affect school principals' job satisfaction across 33 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member and non-member countries. Our results indicate that higher private spending on education, as a percentage of GDP, tends to increase reported job satisfaction. Furthermore, school principals working at privately-managed and financed schools report higher job satisfaction than those working at publically-managed and financed schools. Gender and work experience as a school principal also play significant roles in determining principals' job satisfaction.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the urodynamic and morphologic effects of the administration of estriol alone and in combination with phenylpropanolamine on the lower portion of the urogenital tract in female dogs.

ANIMALS
3 sexually intact and 3 spayed female Beagles without urinary incontinence.

PROCEDURE
Dogs received estriol (2 mg, PO) once daily for 7 days followed by estriol (2 mg, PO) and phenylpropanolamine (1.5 mg/kg, PO) once daily for 7 days. Urethral pressure profilometry, diuresis cystometry, and vaginourethrography were performed before treatment (day 0) and at days 7 and 14. The maximum urethral pressure (MUP) and closure pressure (MUCP), urethral functional and anatomic profile lengths, integrated pressure (IP), plateau, distance before MUP, maximum meatus pressure, threshold pressure, threshold volume, compliance, urethral length, and vaginal length and width were measured.

RESULTS
Before treatment, no urodynamic differences were observed between the 2 groups; however, vaginal length and width were significantly shorter in spayed dogs. Compared with day 0 values, estriol treatment significantly increased MUP, MUCP, and IP values at day 7, but at day 14, this effect decreased despite phenylpropanolamine administration. No morphologic changes from baseline were detected after either treatment in any dog.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Data suggest that estriol mainly acts on the urethral sphincter mechanism by increasing urethral resistance in sexually intact and spayed female dogs without urinary incontinence. Administration of estriol and phenylpropanolamine did not increase the urethral resistance more than estriol alone. The urodynamic effects of estriol in female dogs with urinary incontinence remain to be elucidated.


The development of one-cell mouse zygotes to the blastocyst stage in vitro has been used as a quality control for the media and handling procedures employed for human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF/ET). One-cell mouse zygotes were placed in culture in medium containing bovine serum albumin. Aliquots of the same batch of medium containing female patients' homologous serum were used for the fertilization and culture of human oocytes. The following procedures were associated with high rates of mouse embryo development and human pregnancies following IVF/ET: adequate gassing and equilibration of the medium, double-rinsing of pipets and catheters used to handle embryos, use of a HEPES-buffered medium for manipulating embryos in the absence of an atmosphere containing 5% CO2, control of excessive temperature in the vicinity of the embryos, and ET using medium containing 50% patient's serum. The institution of these procedures gave more consistent pregnancy rates. However, there was no obvious association between fertilization and cleavage of human oocytes and the quality of the medium ascertained by the mouse embryo development test. In a continuing trial, we are comparing two culture media (modified Tyrode's and a medium formulated on the composition of human fallopian tube fluid [HTF]) and two culture techniques (culture in medium under oil in petri dishes and in loosely capped tubes). Significantly more mouse zygotes developed in HTF medium compared to Tyrode's medium. In a randomized 2 X 2 factorial trial with human IVF/ET, the highest pregnancy rate occurred when fertilization and culture were carried out in HTF medium under oil, but numbers are not yet sufficient to show any statistical difference between treatments.


Running resistance of ore trains consisting of Uad-type wagons is determined from full-scale measurements on Malmbanan. Tests are also run in curves with the Uad equipped with three piece bogies where the axles are non-steerable and an ore wagon equipped with bogies allowing the axles to better align themselves on straight track and more radially in curves, thus making them steerable. Influence of speed, axle load, curve radii, and train length is studied and quantified. The running resistance is parameterized and expressed in a general way so that it can be calculated for any Swedish ore train consisting of Uad-type wagons. The study shows that the increase in running resistance is linear due to the increasing axle load on tangent track and train length. The increase in resistance due to curves is significant and increases as the curve radius decreases. If the axles align themselves radially, the curve resistance reduces by 40 per cent, compared with the Uad. The results show which parameters in a running resistance formula should be paid extra attention when constructing a train model for simulation purposes. A comparison is made between ore trains and ordinary Swedish loco-hauled freight trains. The energy consumption of an ore train is not much affected if the operational speed increases from 50 to 60 km/h. Also, a reduced aerodynamic drag has a very little effect on the consumption due to the low operational speed. In this article, a review of the study is made with conclusions.


SUMMARY We model seismic wave propagation from intermediate depth earthquakes in a subduction zone using a 2-D Chebyshev pseudospectral method. Particular attention is directed to the influence of a deep, low-viscosity subduction channel on top of the plate contact where metamorphic rocks may be exhumed by forced return flow. The study is motivated by observations of complicated dispersive and high-amplitude P- and S-wave trains in the forearc of the Hellenic Subduction Zone. The basic model is a subducted slab with a thin oceanic crust forming a lowvelocity layer. Our model setup closely follows recent results on the structure of the Hellenic Subduction Zone obtained from receiver functions and surface wave studies. They exhibit an abrupt change of the dip of the downgoing slab at about 70 km depth. The subduction channel is modelled as a thin, wedge-shaped layer of intermediate seismic velocity above a slower oceanic crust and below a faster overlying mantle wedge. We also look into the effects of a continuous phase transition from basalt to eclogite in the subducted oceanic crust and near-surface crustal structures. In all models, wave propagation is characterized by dispersive guided channel waves trapped in the low-velocity subducted crust. They produce high-amplitude arrivals in the forearc. A fast guided wave train (gP) originates from the direct P wave and a slower one (gS) from the direct S wave. Guided waves are radiated into the overlying mantle where the dip of the slab is abruptly changing. Seismogram sections for models without a subduction channel typically show two spatially separated guided wave trains, one following the oceanic crust and one travelling more steeply towards the forearc high. A subduction channel above the plate contact enhances the radiation effect of gP waves at the slab bend due to the weaker velocity contrast and inhibits the separation of the wave trains. In models with additional near-surface crustal structures the wave field is dominated by reverberations. However, guided waves remain discernible in seismogram sections because of their high amplitudes. When a basalt to eclogite phase transition is considered, guided waves are preferentially generated in the presence of a subduction channel. A pronounced gP-wave train develops particularly for sources inside this channel. On the contrary, guided waves are hardly distinct for sources below the subducted crust.


ABSTRACT Infections due to caspofungin-resistant Candida isolates in patients exposed to caspofungin therapy are increasing. We report here a nested case-control study which aimed at identifying factors associated with bloodstream infections caused by Candida spp. having reduced susceptibility to caspofungin (CRSC) in adults suffering from hematological malignancies. In univariate and multivariate analyses, infections with CRSC were associated with caspofungin exposure in the previous 30 days (odds ratio [OR] = 5.25; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.68–16.35) and with an age of ≤65 years (OR = 3.27; 95% CI, 1.26–8.50).


Cattle (Bos taurus) are biologically able to breed year-round, potentially giving farmers the freedom to choose a calving strategy to best meet their economic goals. Thus, an accurate method to determine cattle birth seasonality from archaeological remains would prove to be a valuable tool when investigating a prehistoric farming community. This paper presents the results of intra-tooth isotope ratio analysis (δ18O, δ13C) of first, second and third molars from 15 cattle. The principal outcome is a possible new approach to determining cattle birth seasonality utilizing both carbon and oxygen isotope ratio measurements of first molar enamel. Although this technique requires verification through more extensive testing, particularly of modern material, initial results suggest that it may produce more accurate predictions of birth seasonality than techniques based on intra-tooth δ18O measurements of second and third molars.


Although most ontologies available on the Web (e.g., consider the DAML ontology library) exhibit only rather simple structures, viz. taxonomies and frame-like links between concepts. There are some domains that frequently needs intricate concept descriptions and interactions — in particular ones about time and space. Despite the last developments in practical theories about time and in the engineering of concept hierarchies and concept frames, the issue of how to engineer complex ontolo-gies with intricate interactions based on time has not been researched very deeply, yet, rendering the engineering of a new complex domain ontology with time a labor intensive, one-off experience with little methodology. Here, we summarize our ontology engineering methodology , FONTE (Factorizing ONTology Engineering complexity), which pursues a 'divide-and-conquer' strategy for engineering complex ontologies with time. FONTE divides a targeted ontology that is complex and that includes time into two building blocks, viz. a temporal theory and a timeless domain ontology. Each one of the two ontologies can be built independently allowing for a factorization of complexity. The targeted ontology is then assembled from the timeless domain ontology and the temporal theory by an operator ª. Thereby, the assembling operator ª is very different from existing operators for merging or aligning ontologies [Noy and Musen, 2000; Rahm and Bernstein, 2001 ]. Merging on-tologies is a process that intends to join different ontologies about overlapping domains into a new one and most of its problems and techniques are related to the identification of similar concepts through structure analysis (e.g. graph analysis , path length, common nodes or/and edges and lexical analysis). For instance, car from ontology 1, O1.car, and auto from ontology 2 O2.auto may be defined to be identical in the merging process because of results of the structure analysis. To formalize the merging and aligning process, Wiederhold proposed a general algebra for composing large applications through merging ontologies of related domains [Wiederhold, 1994] and actually, the operations proposed (Intersection , Union and Difference) are about the similarities and differences of two ontologies. In contrast, the result of ª needs rather to be seen in analogy to the Cartesian product of two entities. For instance, car from ontology 1, O1.car, with its frame O1.licensedInState is assembled by ª with ontology 2 and its O2.timeInterval in a way such that every car in the result ontology has a lifetime as well as multiple O1.licensedInState-frames with different, mutually exclusive life …


This paper analyzes the effects of uncertainty, rent dissipation, and a bundle of patents on corporate licenses. We use a newly developed data set, based on a large-scale survey (4,000 patents) of Japanese inventors, which uniquely covers the nature of the underlying research projects. Our major findings are the following. First, consistent with a theoretical prediction of our model, uncertainty of the licensing value of the patent increases significantly the licensor's willingness to license, for a given license possibility. This effect significantly accounts for a substantial part of the observed gap between unilateral and cross-licensing for upstream inventions. Second, a higher quality patent is more likely to be offered for a license and more likely to be licensed once offered for a license. Third, the positive effect of the importance of the first mover advantage upon the licensor's willingness to license is no weaker when the patent is used internally by the licensor. This suggests that the rent dissipation effect is significantly controlled contractually or is weak due to competition in the technology market. Fourth, the size of the bundle of the complementary patents enhances cross licenses and reduces unilateral licenses, with the former effect becoming increasingly dominant, and that inventions related to the core business of a licensor are more likely to be cross licensed.


Oligonucleotide analogues with replacement of one or more internucleotide phosphodiester linkages with glycine, L- and D-alanine residues have been synthesized (C3'-NH-C(O)-CH(X)-NH-C(O)-C4', X = H, (S)-CH3 and (R)-CH3). The stability of the duplexes formed by the modified oligonucleotides and their wild-type complements have been studied. Incorporation of glycine and L-alanine residues have been shown to substantially decrease the stability the modified duplexes in comparison with that of the wild-type ones (DeltaT(m) approximately -2 degrees C per modification), while the analogs with D-alanine-containing linkages appeared to form duplexes with increased stability (DeltaT(m), approximately +0.2 degrees C per modification).


Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain positive cardiovascular effects observed in studies with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. The reduction in glucose reabsorption in proximal tubuli induced by SGLT2 inhibitors increases urinary glucose and sodium excretion resulting in increased osmotic diuresis and consequently in decreased plasma volume, followed by reduced preload. In addition, the hemodynamic effects of SGLT2 inhibition were observed in both hyper and euglycemic patients. Due to the complex and multidirectional effects induced by SGLT2 inhibitors, this originally antidiabetic group of drugs has been successfully used to treat patients with heart failure as well as for subjects with chronic kidney disease. Moreover, their therapeutic potential seems to be even broader than the indications studied to date.


The study was carried out to investigate the extent of water adulteration and its effect on th e physical characteristics of market milk at the Institute of Food Sciences and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam. For this purpose, two different areas i.e., Hyderabad city (B) and its surrounding areas (C) were selected for sampling of market milk and from each area twenty samples were collected randomly from different sale points. Control milk samples (A) were also obtained from University dairy farm. The data revealed that all the samples of both areas were adulterated with water (100%). The extraneous water in the market milk of Hyderabad city remained 21.18% while in surrounding areas of Hyderabad it occurre d 17.75%. The data regarding physical characteristics between control and market milk samples showed significant differences in pH value, freezing point, specific gravity, titratable acidity and viscosity. It i s concluded from the present study that all the market milk samples did not meet the required quality accepted as standard.


Axisymmetric resonators are key elements of Coriolis vibratory gyroscopes (CVGs). The performance of a CVG is closely related to the stiffness and damping symmetry of its resonator. The stiffness symmetry of a resonator can be effectively improved by electrostatic tuning or mechanical trimming, both of which need an accurate knowledge of the azimuth angles of the two stiffness axes of the resonator. Considering that the motion of a non-ideal axisymmetric resonator can be decomposed as two principal oscillations with two different natural frequencies along two orthogonal stiffness axes, this paper introduces a novel high-precision method of stiffness axes identification. The method is based on measurements of the phase difference between the signals detected at two orthogonal sensing electrodes when an axisymmetric resonator is released from all the control forces of the force-to-rebalance mode and from different initial pattern angles. Except for simplicity, our method works with the eight-electrodes configuration, in no need of additional electrodes or detectors. Furthermore, the method is insensitive to the variation of natural frequencies and operates properly in the cases of either large or small frequency splits. The introduced method is tested on a resonator gyroscope, and two stiffness axes azimuth angles are obtained with a resolution better than 0.1°. A comparison of the experimental results and theoretical model simulations confirmed the validity of our method.


Constructing vascular access for hemodialysis causes changes in blood flow to the extremity, which can lead to distal ischemia. Ischemic steal syndrome is manifested by pain; weakness; pallor; and, in severe cases, ulceration and tissue loss. Severe ischemia, requiring reintervention, has an incidence of 4%, although some degree of ischemia causing pain or parasthesias occurs in 10% to 20% of patients following access construction. Pathophysiology may be on the basis of inadequate arterial collateral inflow due to occlusive disease, particularly involving the medium-sized vessels, or high flow in a fistula exceeding the inflow capacity in the absence of intrinsic occlusive disease of the inflow arteries. Predicting steal remains difficult, although certain patient characteristics and preoperative techniques can help identify those patients in whom arteriovenous fistulas have an increased risk of causing steal. Patients with diabetes, multiple access procedures, and constructions based on proximal arteries are more prone to ischemia. Ultrasonography and digital-brachial indices measured by photoplethysmography or Doppler techniques have been used to predict fistulas that are more likely to cause ischemia, but these fall short of reliability. Operative techniques for correcting steal include arteriovenous fistula ligation, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, banding or restrictive procedures, and distal revascularization interval ligation or modifications of this technique. Operative intervention for ischemic steal syndrome successfully resolves ischemia in 80% to 95% of patients. Some patients can have persistent pain despite healing of ulceration.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the claim that the human 60-kd heat-shock protein (HSP) is highly expressed in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but is not readily detected in normal tissues.

METHODS
Monoclonal antibodies were raised against the human 60-kd mitochondrial heat-shock protein (P1 protein; hsp60), and their specificity was established. They were then applied to synovial tissue.

RESULTS
HSP was expressed similarly in normal, osteoarthritic, and RA synovium. Low levels of hsp60 were detected in synovial fluid by immunoprecipitation.

CONCLUSION
Minor differences in the distribution of hsp60 in synovium from RA joints were attributable to increased cellularity and to the disorganization of the tissue architecture.


Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey S M 2 5PT internally ridged, which may reduce the degree of obstruction if kinking occurs. This may explain the normal oxygen saturation and clinically clear airway in the two patients described. However, the manufacturing process is now being altered to increase the kink resistance of the size 2 mask. Meanwhile, all users should exercise extra caution and avoid neck flexion when using the existing size 2. Further sales of size 2 will resume when the product has been appropriately modified. P.L. GOLDBERC P.F. EVANS J . FILSHIE


This paper describes the determination of TVB-N-value, indol, biogenic amines and sensory skor in a representative number of frozen (20) /cold (5) storage shrimps und mussels (10) of the Turkish market. Over all 45 Products of shrimps und mussels were tested. Indole concentrations of 15 frozen shrimps, 5 frozen mussels were determined. Products contained >100 pg/kg indol. In 10 frozen and 5 cold storage of shrimpssamples TVB-N- value was >35 mg/100g, but in 10 samples putrescin content >60 mg/100.


DAΦNE is a lepton collider working at the energy of the φ-meson resonance, it became operational in 2000. It provided data in consecutive data-taking periods for the KLOE, DEAR and FINUDA experiments until 2006. Since 2007 it implements a new interaction scheme, the so-called "Crab-Waist" collision scheme. It is the only machine that had successfully operated this collision scheme with and without large experiment with solenoids in 2009 with the SIDDHARTA experiment and between 2014 and 2018 with the KLOE-2 experiment, respectively. It will continue operating for PADME (just using the upgraded Linac) and for Siddharta-2 in 2019-2020.Currently only few accelerator test facilities exists: the ATF2 (KEK), a top-class facility designed for the development of the International Linear Collider, CLASSE(Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Science and Education), a centre of excellence in the development of accelerator technologies located in an university campus, and ANKA (Karlsruhe), devoted to RD ii) New components for accelerators (vacuum chambers,collimators, masks, kickers) and innovative beam diagnostic techniques; iii) Accelerator components realized with 3D printers; iv) High power solid state RF amplifiers; v) Wide-excursion adjustable permanent magnets; vi) High-power positron sources; vii) Components for future SLED and pulse flatness compensation; viii) Emittance manipulators; ix) Beams interacting with amorphous materials, crystals, lasers, plasma; x) Testing new methods to generate terahertz coherent radiation.In this contribution, a selection of the different activities proposed during a dedicated workshop held in Frascati Laboratories in December 2018 will be summarized.


Azade Seyhan provides a concise, elegantly argued introduction to the critical theory of German Romanticism and demonstrates how its approach to the metaphorical and linguistic nature of knowledge is very much alive in contemporary philosophy and literary theory. Her analysis of key thinkers such as Friedrich Schlegel and Novalis explores their views on rhetoric, systematicity, hermeneutics, and cultural interpretation. Seyhan examines German Romanticism as a critical intervention in the debates on representation, which developed in response to the philosophical revolution of German Idealism. Facing a chaotic political and intellectual landscape, the eighteenth-century theorists sought new models of understanding and new objectives for criticism and philosophy. "Representation and Its Discontents" identifies the legacy of this formative moment in modern criticism and suggests its relevance to contemporary discussions of post-structuralism, orientalism, theories of textuality, and the nature of philosophical discourse.


[1] The ionospheric features of traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) over the Western Pacific region have been observed by the Wuhan, NCU-DPS, and Cebu ionosondes and the ROCSAT-1 satellite during the 6–7 April 2000 magnetic storm. The nighttime observations are further compared with the simulation results of the Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM). Both observation and model demonstrate that the TADs propagate equatorward with a phase speed of 610–650 m/s. The observations and corresponding TIEGCM simulations show a negative initial correlation between NmF2 and HmF2 caused by equatorward wind surges at various locations from midlatitudes to the equator. These qualitative agreements reveal that the TIEGCM is capable of simulating the TADs. The TIEGCM simulations of two locations located in the downwind hemisphere further show decreases in NmF2 and HmF2 mainly due to the enhanced transequatorial winds. After lowering the F2 layer at the two locations, the HmF2 is raised for several hours and shows slightly enhanced NmF2 daytime values while the meridional wind is at background magnitude. We propose that this effect is caused by accumulation of plasma transported from northern latitudes. However, we also find that the NmF2, HmF2, and the lifetimes of HmF2 uplift phase and equatorial vertical drift in the model results are quantitatively inconsistent with that in the observed data.


The article describes an implementation of a synthesis module capable of performing all known types of time based granular synthesis. The term particle synthesis is used to cover granular synthesis and all its variations. An important motivation for this all-inclusive implementation is to facilitate interpolation between the known varieties of particle synthesis. The requirements, design and implementation of the synthesis generator is presented and discussed. Examples of individual varieties are implemented along with a longer interpolated sequence morphing between them. Finally an application, the Hadron Particle Synthesizer, is briefly presented.


A silicon compiler (DECGEN) which generates a decimation filter for oversampling A/D converters is described. It generates a multistage filter consisting of two stages of sinc filter and an equiripple bandshaping FIR filter. A heuristic procedure is derived for dividing the decimation ratio between the two stages of sinc filter in an optimum fashion. Digit serialization and hardware multiplexing are used for the target architecture in order to reduce silicon area.<<ETX>>


An experiment was conducted at five locations in North Carolina during 2000 and 2001 to evaluate weed control, crop injury, and cotton yield. Weed management systems included different combinations of pyrithiobac preemergence (PRE), fluometuron PRE, CGA-362622 postemergence (POST), pyrithiobac POST, and monosodium salt of methylarsonic acid (MSMA) plus prometryn applied late POST-directed (LAYBY). At Goldsboro in 2000, cotton was injured 74 to 78% by CGA-362622 POST when evaluated 4 to 7 d after treatment (DAT). Injury at Clayton, Goldsboro, and Lewiston in 2001 and Rocky Mount in 2000 was less than 16% 4 to 7 DAT with the same treatment and was not apparent by 62 DAT. CGA-362622 controlled common lambsquarters, common ragweed, Palmer amaranth, sicklepod, smooth pigweed, and Ipomoea species including entireleaf, ivyleaf, and pitted morningglory, and the addition of pyrithiobac to the herbicide system, either PRE or POST, increased control of Amaranthus species, jimsonweed, and prickly sida. CGA-362622 did not control jimsonweed or prickly sida. Fluometuron PRE, pyrithiobac PRE, and MSMA plus prometryn LAYBY were beneficial for increasing weed control and cotton lint yields. Prometryn plus MSMA LAYBY increased control of common ragweed, entireleaf morningglory, jimsonweed, pitted morningglory, and smooth pigweed and provided higher cotton yields than similar systems without a LAYBY. The greatest weed control and greatest cotton lint yields required complete weed management systems that included a combination of PRE, POST, and LAYBY treatments. Nomenclature: CGA-362622, N-[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)carbamoyl]-3-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)-pyridin-2-sulfonamide sodium salt; fluometuron; monosodium salt of methylarsonic acid; prometryn; pyrithiobac; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. #3 CHEAL; common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. # AMBEL; entireleaf morningglory, Ipomoea hederacea var. integriuscula Gray # IPOHG; ivyleaf morningglory, Ipomoea hederacea (L.) Jacq. # IPOHE; jimsonweed, Datura stramonium L. # DATST; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmerii L. # AMAPA; pitted morningglory, Ipomoea lacunosa L. # IPOLA; prickly sida, Sida spinosa L. # SIDSP; sicklepod, Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby # CASOB; smooth pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L. # AMACH; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. 'Paymaster 1218 BG/RR', 'Fibermax 989', 'Stoneville 474'. Additional index words: Crop injury, crop yield. Abbreviations: DAT, days after treatment; EPOST, early postemergence; fb, followed by; LAYBY, late postemergence directed; MSMA, monosodium salt of methylarsonic acid; POST, postemergence; PRE, preemergence.


For the past forty years the sun has been the object of extensive observation at ultraviolet (100 to 300 nm), extreme-ultraviolet (20 to 100 nm), and x-ray ultraviolet (1 to 20 nm) wavelengths. The temperature structure of the solar atmosphere, and perhaps that of most stellar atmospheres, display the unlikely characteristic of rising outward from a relatively low temperature near their base to exceedingly high values, greater than 106 K. Strong emission lines from hydrogen, helium, and the heavier elements, together with most of their ionization states, dominate the solar VUV spectrum. Due to its proximity, the sun is easier to observe than its stellar counterparts. It is an extended object such that individual features can be resolved and therefore processes occurring in this low-density, collisionally excited plasma have been studied in great detail. Observations of solar phenomena have provided new insights not only into the sun's own unique character but have also improved our understanding of other astrophysical plasmas. Most solar processes are best studied with high spatial and high spectral resolution. In addition, the sun's radiation is the dominant energy source to our solar system. The dynamics, temperature and photochemistry of the Earth's atmosphere are driven by solar radiation with wavelengths below 300 nm. Variability of the sun's output, which is known to exist on all time scales, will produce associated changes in our atmospheric system. Recognition of the effects that human activity has on our atmosphere lends new urgency to understanding its photochemistry, including the time-varying solar VUV irradiance that drives it.


The BaZrSi3 O9 :Cr3+ phosphors were prepared by a high temperature solid state method. Their structures were confirmed with XRD and their luminescence properties were investigated. Under excitation at 455 nm, BaZrSi3 O9 :Cr3+ phosphors exhibited a broad near infrared emission band peaked at 800 nm, which was assigned to the 4 T2 →4 A2 transition of Cr3+ . The near infrared emission intensity reached a maximum at Cr3+ concentration of 0.7%. There was a concentration quenching phenomenon of Cr3+ in BaZrSi3 O9 matrix and the corresponding concentration quenching mechanism was investigated. With efficient near infrared emission in the range of 700-1000 nm, BaZrSi3 O9 :Cr3+ phosphors may find applications in solar energy conversion.


Rationale: Although we and others have recently shown that mast cells play an important role in plaque progression and destabilization, the nature of the actual trigger for (peri)vascular mast cell activation during atherosclerosis is still unresolved. Objective: In this study, we confirm that perivascular mast cell content correlates with the number of nerve fibers in the adventitia of human coronary atherosclerotic plaque specimen. Because peripheral C-type nerve fibers secrete, among others, substance P, a potent mast cell activator, we set out to study effects of adventitial administration of this neuropeptide on mast cell dependent destabilization of carotid artery plaques in apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE−/−) mice. Methods and Results: Substance P treatment significantly enhanced the number and activation status of adventitial mast cells compared to controls and promoted intraplaque hemorrhages. These phenomena could be prevented by coadministration of the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist spantide I and did not occur in mast cell deficient apoE−/− mice, establishing the critical involvement of mast cells in substance P–elicited plaque destabilization. Conclusions: Our data suggest that neurotransmitters such as substance P are capable of promoting mast cell dependent plaque destabilization and provide a new, direct link between neural factors and vascular inflammation.


abstract Forty of the larger peak accelerations at source-site distances R ≃ 10 km for earthquakes in the magnitude range 3.2 ≦ M ≦ 7.1 are the basis of a geophysical interpretation of peak acceleration data. For 4 1 2 ≲ M ≦ 7.1 these peak acceleration data are essentially independent of magnitude; for 3.2 ≦ M ≲ 4 1 2 these data increase from 0.1 to 0.2 g at M = 3.2 to about 1 2 g at M ≃ 4 1 4 . A qualitative argument is advanced to attribute the observed dependence on magnitude in the range 3.2 ≦ M ≲ 4 1 2 to the effects of faulting duration, anelastic attenation, and instrumental response. If this argument is valid, physical processes in the source region responsible for generating these high-frequency acceleration amplitudes at R ≃ 10 km are independent of magnitude. A simple theoretical argument predicated on the basis that high-frequency ground accelerations reflect isolated and localized bursts of faulting, suggests that this should be the case if the dynamic shear-stress differences gs accompanying localized failure in the source region are magnitude-independent. The peak acceleration data at R ≃ 10 km suggest that σ ˜ ≃ 2 2kb, a value nearly coincident with the maximum shear-stress differences likely to be sustained by active crustal fault zones at depths ≦ 10 km. If 5 kb is a more reasonable limit to the shear strength of crustal rocks at 10-km depth, 1.8 g is a more reasonable limit to ground accelerations caused by sources of faulting at R = 10 km.


LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) has become the fuel for cooking for most households in Indonesia. The use of LPG for cooking requires high level of caution, due to the danger that may arise from gas leakage. If the molecules of flammable LPG gas are present in the air at a certain concentration and there is a triggerring factor in the form of flame or sparks, explosion and fire may occur. To prevent disasters caused by a LPG gas leakage, the author proposed an Arduino-based LPG gas leak detector (GLD). The GLD is equipped with a MQ-2 gas sensor, capable of measuring the LPG concentration in air in units of parts per million (ppm). Based on the measurement result, the GLD provides an early warning of LPG leakage through 3 condition levels: Normal, Alert, and Danger. Each condition level is characterized by the activation of LED indicators, a miniature air circulation fan , and a buzzer. Alert warning is released when the sensor reads more than 400 ppm (2.05% of LPG Lower Explosive Level). Danger warning is given at 800 ppm (4.10% of LPG Lower Explosive Level) or higher reading. An HC-06 Bluetooth module creates a wireless connection between the GLD and a smartphone. Through an application created on Blynk platform, the smartphone can monitor the LPG concentration at a distance of 10 m from the GLD. The GLD is tested and succeeded to detect gases coming from an LPG cylinder and from a gas lighter. The GLD also runs perfectly for the designed early warning scheme.


Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are either entirely disordered or contain disordered regions in their native state. IDPs were found to be abundant in complex organisms and implicated in numerous cellular processes. Experimental annotation of disorder lags behind the rapidly growing sizes of the protein databases, and thus computational methods are used to close this gap and to investigate the disorder. MFDp2 is a novel content-rich and user-friendly web server for sequence-based prediction of protein disorder that builds upon our residue-level disorder predictor MFDp and chain-level disorder content predictor DisCon. It applies novel post-processing filters and uses sequence alignment to improve predictive quality. Using a new benchmark data set, which has reduced sequence identity to corresponding training data sets, MFDp2 is shown to provide competitive predictive quality when compared with MFDp and a comprehensive set of 13 other state-of-the-art predictors, including publicly available versions of the top predictors from CASP9. Our server obtains the highest Mathews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) and the second best Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC). In addition to the disorder predictions, our server also outputs well-described sequence-derived information that allows profiling the predicted disorder. We conveniently visualize sequence conservation, predicted secondary structure, relative solvent accessibility and alignments to chains with annotated disorder. We allow predictions for multiple proteins at the same time and each prediction can be downloaded as text-based (parsable) file. The web server, which includes help pages and tutorial, is freely available at biomine.ece.ualberta.ca/MFDp2/.


We present an approach for adding directed gaze movements to characters animated using full-body motion capture. Our approach provides a comprehensive authoring solution that automatically infers plausible directed gaze from the captured body motion, provides convenient controls for manual editing, and adds synthetic gaze movements onto the original motion. The foundation of the approach is an abstract representation of gaze behavior as a sequence of gaze shifts and fixations toward targets in the scene. We present methods for automatic inference of this representation by analyzing the head and torso kinematics and scene features. We introduce tools for convenient editing of the gaze sequence and target layout that allow an animator to adjust the gaze behavior without worrying about the details of pose and timing. A synthesis component translates the gaze sequence into coordinated movements of the eyes, head, and torso, and blends these with the original body motion. We evaluate the effectiveness of our inference methods, the efficiency of the authoring process, and the quality of the resulting animation.


Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is a physiological reaction, which adapts lung perfusion to regional ventilation and optimizes gas exchange. Impaired HPV may cause systemic hypoxemia, while generalized HPV contributes to the development of pulmonary hypertension. The triggering mechanisms underlying HPV are still not fully elucidated. Several hypotheses are currently under debate, including a possible decrease as well as an increase in reactive oxygen species as a triggering event. Recent findings suggest an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells by complex III of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and occurrence of oxygen sensing at complex IV. Other essential components are voltage-dependent potassium and possibly L-type, transient receptor potential channel 6, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channels. The release of arachidonic acid metabolites appears also to be involved in HPV regulation. Further investigation of the HPV mechanisms will facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HPV-related disorders.


Traditional external surgical approaches have been used for the surgical management of the oropharyngeal and laryngeal tumors. Trans‐oral robotic surgery allows surgeon to operate oropharyngeal and supraglottic tumors through the mouth with preservation of functions. The surgeons must be knowledgeable about the anatomy of the oral cavity and oropharynx medial to lateral perspective. In this article, we will describe the relevant inside out surgical anatomy and its clinical implications for trans‐oral robotic surgery. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015;112:690–696. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe form of malaria in humans and is responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually. It is an obligate intracellular parasite and invades erythrocytes where it grows in a relatively protected niche. Invasion of erythrocytes is essential for parasite survival and this involves interplay of multiple protein–protein interactions. One of the most important interactions is binding of parasite invasion ligand families EBLs and PfRhs to host receptors on the surface of erythrocytes. PfRh5 is the only essential invasion ligand within the PfRh family and is an important vaccine candidate. PfRh5 binds the host receptor basigin. In this study, we have determined the crystal structure of PfRh5 using diffraction data to 2.18 Å resolution. PfRh5 exhibits a novel fold, comprising nine mostly anti-parallel α-helices encasing an N-terminal β-hairpin, with the overall shape being an elliptical disk. This is the first three-dimensional structure determined for the PfRh family of proteins. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04187.001


Pressure-induced orientational phases of methylammonium ions in hybrid per-ovskite MAPbBr 3 are investigated at room-temperature in a pressure range 0-2.8 GPa. Through appropriately designed MA orientational distribution-functions and other order parameters, including a nematic scalar tensor, we show two transitions at 0.7 and 1.1 GPa involving confinement of MA orientational fluc-tuations to a crystal plane. The first transition involves dynamic disordering over the plane whereas the second one corresponds to a static disordering of MA dipoles along two crystal axes on the same plane. In the latter phase, both local anti-polar and polar domains, consisting of at least two units, are formed. The static disordering of MA dipoles along two crystal axes is stabilized by H-bonding interactions which are also responsible for strong organic-inorganic coupling.


Adsorption of phenol on Goda Sand was investigated to assess the possibility of treating waste water streams from resin and Pharmaceutical works for removal of toxic materials. The effect of several factors governing the adsorption such as initial concentration, temperature, pH, have been studied. The adsorption equilibrium is well co-related by Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms.


Recently, neural network for scene flow estimation show impressive results on automotive data such as the KITTI benchmark. However, despite of using sophisticated rigidity assumptions and parametrizations, such networks are typically limited to only two frame pairs which does not allow them to exploit temporal information. In our paper we address this shortcoming by proposing a novel multi-frame approach that considers an additional preceding stereo pair. To this end, we proceed in two steps: Firstly, building upon the recent RAFT-3D approach, we develop an improved two-frame baseline by incorporating an advanced stereo method. Secondly, and even more importantly, exploiting the specific modeling concepts of RAFT-3D, we propose a U-Net architecture that performs a fusion of forward and backward flow estimates and hence allows to integrate temporal information on demand. Experiments on the KITTI benchmark do not only show that the advantages of the improved baseline and the temporal fusion approach complement each other, they also demonstrate that the computed scene flow is highly accurate. More precisely, our approach ranks second overall and first for the even more challenging foreground objects, in total outperforming the original RAFT-3D method by more than 16%. Code is available at https://github.com/cv-stuttgart/M-FUSE.


We investigate a cognitive radio scenario involving a single cognitive transmitter equipped with K antennas sharing the spectrum with M primary users (PUs) transmitting over orthogonal bands. Each terminal has a queue to store its incoming traffic. We propose a novel protocol where the cognitive user transmits its packet over a channel formed by the aggregate of the inactive primary bands. We study the impact of the number of PUs, sensing errors, and the number of antennas on the maximum secondary stable throughput.


ABT-200 is a novel potential antidepressant which antagonizes both norepi-nephrine uptake and noradrenergic a2 receptors. This single-site study conducted over 5 months compared the safely and efficacy of ABT-200 (titrated up to 280 mg/day) to a fixed dose offluoxetine (20 mg/day) and placebo in 216 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder. Following a 1-week placebo lead-in phase, patients were randomized to receive ABT-200 (n = 72), fluoxetine (n = 72), or placebo (n = 72) for 9 weeks of double-blind treatment. At the end of the study there were no differences (P > 0.05) in HAM-D total score changes from baseline between ABT-200-treated and placebo-treated patients, whose mean scores were reduced by 4.6 points (16.8%) and 6.4 points (23.3%), respectively. Patients on fluoxetine, however, showed statistically significant improvement over placebo on total HAM-D scores with a decrease of 8.6 points (30.5%,P < 0.05). While there were no serious adverse events thought to be related to the study drug, 36.1% of ABT-200 patients discontinued the study due to adverse events, compared to only 5.6% of placebo patients and 4.2% offluoxetine patients. If ABT-200 produced the spectrum of biochemical effects in humans predicted from preclinical studies, our results suggest that these actions do not lead to antidepressant effects in general depressed outpatient populations. Depression 3:199–203 (1995). © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


This study considers the importance of location for new and relocated major league franchises in the more than 130 years since the National League was founded. Included are an analysis of market differences and similarities, team performances and demographics and area economic comparisons. Market data are used to predict future expansions and relocations of major league teams.


ABSTRACT Integrated aquaculture can be defined as aquaculture systems sharing resources with other activities, commonly agricultural, agroindustrial, and infrastructural. Freshwater prawns are excellent options for integration, since they are omnivores and can therefore take advantage of a wide range of feed residuals, either from aquatic or terrestrial species. Furthermore, due to their benthic habit, they have a well-defined spatial distribution in the environment, thus favoring interaction with various species of fish, other animals, and even with plants. The integrated farming of freshwater prawns includes different culture systems, such as polyculture and coculture with other aquatic species, rice-prawn culture, hydroponics, and integration with terrestrial animals and plants. Our review includes a worldwide perspective on the main commercial integrated systems involving freshwater prawns, the present status of research on integrated freshwater prawn production and the main opportunities for integrated freshwater prawn farming in a world that is moving toward sustainability. The review continues by providing a brief summary of the future prospects for this form of aquaculture. Finally, we conclude that integrating freshwater prawn farming with other aquaculture and farming activities has considerable potential as a means of increasing food production in a sustainable fashion.


SYNOPSIS. Superimposed upon seasonal changes in morphology, physiology and behavior, are facultative responses to unpredictable events known as labile ( i.e. , short-lived) perturbation factors (LPFs). These responses include behavioral and physiological changes that enhance survival and collectively make up the "emergency" life history stage. There is considerable evidence that glucocorticosteroids, and other hormones in the hypothalamo—pituitary—adrenal (HPA) cascade, initiate and orchestrate the emergency life history stage within minutes to hours. This stage has a number of sub—stages that promote survival and avoid potential deleterious effects of stress that may result from chronically elevated levels of circulating glucocorticosteroids over days and weeks. These sub—stages may include: redirection of behavior from a normal life history stage to increased foraging, irruptivetype migration during the day, enhanced restfulness at night, and elevated gluconeogenesis. Once the perturbation passes, glucocorticosteroids may also promote recovery. Additional evidence from birds indicates that glucocorticosteroid responses to a standardized capture, handling and restraint protocol are modulated both on seasonal and individual levels. Field work reveals that these changes in responsiveness to LPFs have ecological bases, such as reproductive state, body condition etc., that in turn indicate different hormonal control mechanisms in the HPA cascade.


The development of novel therapies for cancer and other diseases is an area of enormous research effort due to the growing need for better patient outcomes. As such, not only is the chemical synthesis of new drugs and adjuvants required, but ways to improve drug delivery also need to be explored. Accordingly, there has been much recent effort towards the synthesis and the biological evaluation of bacterial cell wall components as immunomodulatory compounds. To this end, trehalose glycolipids (TGs), which have been isolated from bacteria of the Mycobacteria family, are of significant interest, due to their anti-tumour and adjuvant activities.  In this thesis, the efficient synthesis of trehalose monoesters (TMEs) was investigated and the ability of these monoesters to activate macrophages via Mincle was studied and compared to the activities of their trehalose diester (TDE) counterparts. In this way, a better understanding of how TG structure influences biological activity was explored. Liposomes containing a representative TG (the C26 TDE) were also synthesised, with the objective being to explore whether TGliposomes could be used as improved drug delivery vehicles. To meet these overall objectives, TGs in solution, as well as TG incorporated into liposomes, were tested for their ability to activate macrophages derived from both C57BL/6 and Mincle-/- mice, whereby the Mincle receptor is a known receptor for TDEs.  In the TME studies, an optimised synthesis of the monoesters was developed. The ability of the TMEs to active macrophages was explored and, for the first time, it was observed that TMEs have similar biological activities to TDEs. In the TGliposome studies, a variety of liposomes containing different concentrations of phosphatidylcholine (PC) as well as the C26 TDE was prepared, so as to explore how differences in these two constituent parts influence the activation of macrophages. From this work, it was observed that increasing concentrations of TG in the liposome and increasing concentrations of liposomes gave increased macrophage activation. A concentration of PC above 200 !M also led to macrophage activation, and non-specific cell death was observed at time points > 48 h (for the wild type macrophages) and at time points ≥ 48 h for the Mincle-/- macrophages. Thus, in the case of the TG liposomes, macrophage activation is independent of Mincle, which was unusual as macrophage activation in the case of the individual TGs was dependent on this receptor.  Taken as a whole, these results pave the way for further investigations into utilising TGs in the treatment of diseases. In particular, this work provided insight into the requirement of TG/Mincle binding for improved TGs as potential adjuvants. Moreover, these studies demonstrated that the incorporation of TGs into liposomes leads to enhanced macrophage activation and therefore, potentially enhanced phagocytosis by these immune cells. Accordingly, TG-liposomes may find future application as drug delivery vehicles, in diseases where macrophages play a prominent role.


Query-based information retrieval refers to the process of scoring documents given a short natural language query. Query-based information retrieval systems have been developed to support searching diverse collections such as the world wide web, personal email archives, news corpora, and legal collections. This thesis is motivated by one of the tenets of information retrieval: the cluster hypothesis. We define a design principle based on the cluster hypothesis which states that retrieval scores should be locally consistent. We refer to this design principle as score autocorrelation. Our experiments show that the degree to which retrieval scores satisfy this design principle correlates positively with system performance. We use this result to define a general, black box method for improving the local consistency of a set of retrieval scores. We refer to this process as local score regularization. We demonstrate that regularization consistently and significantly improves retrieval performance for a wide variety of baseline algorithms. Regularization is closely related to classic techniques such as pseudo-relevance feedback and cluster-based retrieval. We demonstrate that the effectiveness of these techniques may be explained by their regularizing behavior. We argue that regularization should be adopted either as a generic post-processing step or as a fundamental design principle for retrieval models.


Whilst African civil conflicts are usually presented in the media as either political struggles, terrorism or mere banditry, in some at least there is a substantial spiritual element. Conflicts Zimbabwe, Mozambique and elsewhere in Af- rican have been shown to contain highly significant contributions from spirit forces intermediated by mediums, traditional healers, and prophets. Aspects of the Acholi insurgency in Northern Uganda have been initiated and led by spirit medi- ums, notably Alice Auma and Joseph Kony. Because Kony's career as an insurgent leader has been marked by atrocity and the lack of an explicit political programme, he has often been dismissed as a terrorist. It is argued here that he at least deserves the status of 'social bandit' as defined by Hobsbawm, and that his role as a voice for spirit messages is still a sig- nificant factor. It is concluded that without recognition of the role of spirit messages in African conflicts these conflicts will be imperfectly understood and their resolution will be correspondingly more problematic.


This article explores the gendered politics of residential space in the contested city of contemporary Jerusalem. I focus on the spatial construction of identity and alterity in this urban center with the aim of detailing how competing national identities are expressed in place and space. Looking specifically at the quotidian realities that unmarried, adult Palestinian women experience across this divided terrain, this article analyzes the potent intersections of gender and class-based oppressions, racism, and national chauvinisms under Israeli occupation. This article examines the multiple ways in which both Israelis and Palestinians have deemed unmarried, Palestinian women as "out of place," particularly as the latter have increasingly traversed different national and cultural spaces in Jerusalem and struggled for greater degrees of independence beyond the boundaries of the familial realm. This article challenges the bulk of the scholarly literature on this national conflict, writings that tend to ignore the colonial character of Israeli rule and the regimes of land and housing so central to the Jewish State's continual appropriation and reconfiguration of Palestinian land. I argue that the failure to properly examine the colonizing dimensions of Israeli power has hampered understandings of spatial relations in Jerusalem and across the fractured landscape of Palestine and Israel more generally.


In Estate of Helen P. Richmond, the Tax Court determined the proper value for estate tax purposes of a minority interest in a family-owned corporation holding mostly appreciated securities. The court also sustained an accuracy-related penalty against the estate, finding that it used an unsigned draft report by a noncertified appraiser as the basis for the stock valuation reported on Form 706.


Many robotic tasks are still teleoperated since automating them is very time consuming and expensive. Robot Learning from Demonstrations (RLfD) can reduce programming time and cost. However, conventional RLfD approaches are not directly applicable to many robotic tasks, e.g. robotic suturing with minimally invasive robots, as they require a time-consuming process of designing features from visual information. Deep Neural Networks (DNN) have emerged as useful tools for creating complex models capturing the relationship between high-dimensional observation space and low-level action/state space. Nonetheless, such approaches require a dataset suitable for training appropriate DNN models. This paper presents a dataset of inserting/piercing a needle with two arms of da Vinci Research Kit in/through soft tissues. The dataset consists of (1) 60 successful needle insertion trials with randomised desired exit points recorded by 6 high-resolution calibrated cameras, (2) the corresponding robot data, calibration parameters and (3) the commanded robot control input where all the collected data are synchronised. The dataset is designed for Deep-RLfD approaches. We also implemented several deep RLfD architectures, including simple feed-forward CNNs and different Recurrent Convolutional Networks (RCNs). Our study indicates RCNs improve the prediction accuracy of the model despite that the baseline feed-forward CNNs successfully learns the relationship between the visual information and the next step control actions of the robot. The dataset, as well as our baseline implementations of RLfD, are publicly available for bench-marking at https://github.com/imanlab/d-lfd.


This study analyzes the role of the "military government police" in South Korean politics during American military occupation, 1946-48. It stresses that the Korean National Police (KNP), many of whose members had served in the police under the Japanese, was not a mere instrument of the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) but functioned as an active participant in the creation of a rightist regime in southern Korea. More specifically, the police were the undisputed "vanguard" of the rightist Syngman Rhee-Korean Democratic Party (KDP) coalition. The police force also functioned as the "big brother" of the rightist youth organizations which shared values and ideology with them. Finally, the police served as the "midwife" in the creation of the Rhee regime in the Republic of Korea. In sum, the KNP was an important political player actively taking part in the political process during U.S. military occupation.


A stably rotating spiral wave in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction studied in an open spatial reactor becomes unstable when forced by a periodic chemical oscillation. The instability starts from the spiral center and occurs when the ratio of the spiral-rotation period to that of the forcing is close to 3/2. The resulting disordered state involves drifting line sources that emit waves in both directions. These unusual objects are reminiscent of the travelling hole solutions to the one-dimensional complex Ginzburg-Landau equation.


Abstract
Brown rot is one of the fungal disease in the north of Iran. Symptoms on infected fruit in the initiation of infection appear as small dusky spots resembling peteca. Then infected tissues were removed and cultured on the PARPH selective medium. Based on morphological characters, growth rates, growth patterns and cardinal temperatures for growth, P. parasitica as a causal agent for mandarin varieties and P. citrophhtora for sweet oranges were identified. In pathogenicity test Phytophthora spices (P. parasitica and P. citrophthora) respectively on fruit of mandarin varieties and sweet orange were found to be pathogenic.


The vertical and horizontal structure of the atmosphere and the typical timescales of atmospheric phenomena and processes largely determine the design and performance of atmospheric measurement techniques. Each meteorological process can be characterized by typical spatial and temporal scales. This is based on the spectral organization of atmospheric turbulence and on wavelike processes, where relevant wavelength ranges (spatial dimensions) relate to distinct durations (frequencies). The development of a suitable measurement strategy for any observational task should therefore be based on a careful consideration of the specific processes to be described and resolved. This should govern the decision on, e.g., the measurement range, the measurement levels / range resolution, the horizontal spacing of sensors or sites, the measurement frequencies and averaging times, and sensor characteristics such as response time, resolution, accuracy, sensitivity etc. When using in-situ technologies, a wide variety of measuring platforms can be used, from the classic weather station arrangements, masts, and towers to balloons or controlled airborne platforms (including both manned and remotely piloted aerial vehicles). With remote sensing technology, various measurement systems (both passive and active) are available in terms of measured variables, pointing and scanning options, altitude range, spatial and temporal resolution. It will be shown that the extensive overview tables in the recently published Springer Handbook of Atmospheric Measurements can provide guidance on how in-situ and remote sensing techniques can be optimally used for both routine observations and process studies (field campaigns) for a large variety of applications and how measurement concepts, strategies and networks can be designed.


The analysis of amino acids in meteorites dates back over 50 years; however, it is only in recent years that research has expanded beyond investigations of a narrow set of meteorite groups (exemplified by the Murchison meteorite) into meteorites of other types and classes. These new studies have shown a wide diversity in the abundance and distribution of amino acids across carbonaceous chondrite groups, highlighting the role of parent body processes and composition in the creation, preservation, or alteration of amino acids. Although most chiral amino acids are racemic in meteorites, the enantiomeric distribution of some amino acids, particularly of the nonprotein amino acid isovaline, has also been shown to vary both within certain meteorites and across carbonaceous meteorite groups. Large l-enantiomeric excesses of some extraterrestrial protein amino acids (up to ∼60%) have also been observed in rare cases and point to nonbiological enantiomeric enrichment processes prior to the emergence of life. In this Outlook, we review these recent meteoritic analyses, focusing on variations in abundance, structural distributions, and enantiomeric distributions of amino acids and discussing possible explanations for these observations and the potential for future work.


Coadministration of amprenavir (APV) with small doses of ritonavir (RTV) results in a significant increase in APV plasma concentrations. Viruses showing resistance to other protease inhibitors (PI) may remain susceptible to APV, supporting a role for this drug in salvage therapy. We enrolled 35 patients who began a rescue intervention based on APV/RTV 600/100 mg twice daily. Their median viral load before beginning APV/RTV was 4.15 logs and their median CD4 count was 247 cells per microliter. The median prior PI exposure was of 43 months. At baseline, the median number of PI resistance mutations was 7. A significant virologic response (VR) (>1 log drop in plasma HIV-RNA and/or to <50 copies per milliliter) was recorded in 21.7% (5/23) of treated patients at week 48 (14.3% in the intent-to-treat analysis). The VR was significantly more frequent among subjects with less than 5 PI resistance mutations (66.6% vs. 5.8%; p = 0.008). Patients with prior exposure to lopinavir showed VR significantly less frequently than those not exposed to that drug (11% versus 60%; p < 0.05). The mean APV plasma trough concentration at week 12 was 1.3 microg/mL, and did not differ significantly comparing subjects having or not having VR. A trend toward a higher VR rate at week 48 was noticed among subjects with high genotypic inhibitory quotients (GIQ). In summary, HIV genotyping but not drug levels might be helpful to predict which patients would benefit from a rescue intervention based on APV/RTV 600/100 twice daily.


The results of complete numerical optimisation of an electron-beam-pumped Xe laser emitting at 1.73, 2.03, 2.65, 2.63, 3.37, and 3.51 μm are presented. At all these wavelengths, the best output parameters are achieved in the Ar—Xe mixture. The maximum lasing efficiency (4.5 %) and the highest specific energy output (19 J L-1) are obtained at a wavelength of 1.73 μm. For wavelengths 2.03, 2.65, 2.63, 3.37, and 3.51 μm, the maximum efficiencies were 2 %, 1.7 %, 1.2 %, 0.6 % and 0.48 %, respectively. These maximum values of output characteristics in the Ar—Xe mixture can be obtained in a certain range of operating parameters.


Individuals with type 2 diabetes have a two to four fold increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease than persons without diabetes. The presence of traditional and nontraditional risk factors that frequently coexist with type 2 diabetes are associated with this higher cardiovascular risk. Diabetes itself has been considered a cardiovascular disease equivalent. Nevertheless, the American Diabetes Association has recognized that absolute risk for cardiovascular disease varies among individuals with diabetes and has recommended the use of designed models and algorithms to estimate risk, especially in younger patients (<40 years). Cardiovascular risk is best evaluated with an estimation that takes into account the individual's characteristics and risk factors. The algorithms and models that have been designed specifically for the assessment of cardiovascular risk in individuals with diabetes will be the subject of this review. Specifically, the DECODE (Diabetes Epidemiology: Collaborative analysis of Diagnostic criteria in Europe) equation has been shown to have discriminative capacity of 0.67; the UKPDS Risk Engine model is reported to have a sensitivity of around 90% and specificity of 33%; and the Diabetes Personal Health Decisions (PHD) in our study had a sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 41%. In this review we will discuss the pros and cons of each model, their use in clinical practice and the application of the UKPDS risk engine and PHD model in a Mexican population.


Phosphatic nodules are abundant in the Glauconitic Marl (Cretaceous, Cenomanian) of south-east England, particularly where the sequence is condensed. Some of the nodules are derived from the underlying Upper Greensand, and are phosphatic fossil fragments, fossil moulds, and calcareous concretions. Concretions in particular show signs of a complex history of multiple phases of boring, encrustation, phosphatisation, and glauconitisation. Phosphate and glauconite are both replacements after fine-grained carbonate sediment and cement. The majority of the phosphates are whole and fragmentary moulds of fossils. The origin of theses nodules involved: (1) infilling of shells, (2) burial, (3) prefossilisation-cementation of fossil infillings. probably by high magnesian calcite, (4) dissolution of aragonitic shell material, (5) disinterment and exposure of moulds on the sea floor, followed by (6) phosphatisation. boring. and enerustation by various organisms, and sometimes glauconitisation. Many nodules bear evidence of several cycles of cementation, exposure, mineralisation, boring and enerustation.

The closest Recent analogues to the Glauconitic Marl phosphates appear to be the phosphatic crust and nodules forming today off the coast of southern California. The features described and processes inferred from the Glauconitic Marl occurrences appear to have been widespread in nodular phosphatic facies.


This study of the causes of death among Australian insured lives over the period 19951999 is based on data collected by the Institute of Actuaries of Australia (IAAust) as part of its Personal Business Insured Lives Mortality Investigation. A comparison against population experience reveals low insured lives mortality for external causes of death (motor vehicle accidents, suicide and other external causes), cerebrovascular disease, digestive diseases and AIDS. It is clear from the analysis that both male and female insured cancer mortality relative to the population is substantially heavier in 1995-1999 than it was in 1990-1994, though the actual reason for the change cannot be determined with certainty. There is also the suggestion of a relative worsening in insured male suicide. As expected, there is evidence of selection effects for the nonexternal causes of death, and of high mortality among policies in the minimum evidence underwriting category. An unexpected finding is that medically underwritten policies experience the same or even slightly heavier mortality than non-medically underwritten policies; however it is possible that these groups have different underlying mortality prior to the underwriting process. Overall female insured mortality is 69% of that for males – identical to the result for 1990-1994 – with relatively light experience for the external causes of death and ischaemic heart disease, and relatively heavy experience for other neoplasms (which includes breast cancer).


Two alkaloids, canthin-6-one 9-O-beta-glucopyranoside and 7-hydroxy-beta-carboline 1-propionic acid, were isolated from the roots of Eurcoma harmandiana together with the five known canthin-6-one alkaloids, 9-hydroxycanthin-6-one, 9-methoxycanthin-6-one, 9,10-dimethoxycanthin-6-one, canthin-6-one and canthin-6-one N-oxide, and the two known beta-carboline alkaloids, beta-carboline 1-propionic acid and 7-methoxy-beta-carboline 1-propionic acid. Their structures were based on analyses of spectroscopic data.


In the literature, the effects of physostigmine on involuntary muscle, including the heart, are, broadly speaking, ascribed to two different actions: ( a ) a stimulation of parasympathetic nerve ends and ( b ) a direct stimulation of the muscle. Considering first the effect on the heart of small doses, the experiments described above show: ( a ) no action on the heart of the rabbit, ( b ) slowing and weakening of the heart of the frog and toad, not affected by atropine, ( c ) no evidence of stimulation of the muscle with any dose in these animals, and ( d ) marked slowing of the heart of the dog, attributed to stimulation of the vagus nerve ends, as it is abolished by atropine. With larger doses, the effects are more pronounced. In the rabbit heart, there is slowing and weakening, not due to vagus stimulation as it is not removed by atropine. Similarly, in the frog and toad, there is more marked slowing and weakening, even diastolic arrest; this is not affected by atropine. In these 3 cases the cause of the depression must be direct action on the cardiac muscle. In the intact dog, more marked slowing of the beat occurs. The only animal, in which slowing of the heart due to action on the vagus has been found, is, therefore, the dog. There is some slight evidence that this may occur in man (12), but the author has not attempted to obtain any confirmation of this. In the toad, rabbit and dog, there is evidence of paralysis of the ganglion cells on the course of the cardiac vagus, after large doses. Physostigmine causes a large rise of tone in isolated rabbit intestine, which is abolished by atropine and so attributed to stimulation of the parasympathetic nerve ends. With larger amounts, the ganglion cells of the parasympathetic are paralyzed and with excessive doses the muscle is itself depressed. In the case of the dog, evidence was obtained of a direct stimulant action on the unstriated muscle of the blood vessels.


Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the surgical treatment of choice for many patients with medically refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). UC patients with IPAA (UC-IPAA) are, nevertheless, susceptible to inflammatory and noninflammatory sequelae such as pouchitis, which is only rarely noted in FAP patients with IPAA. Pouchitis is the most frequent long-term complication of UC-IPAA patients, with a cumulative prevalence of up to 50%. Although the aetiology of pouchitis remains unclear, accumulating evidence suggests that a dysbiosis of the pouch microbiota and an abnormal mucosal immune response are implicated in its pathogenesis. Studies using culture and molecular techniques have detected a dysbiosis of the pouch microbiota in patients with pouchitis. Risk factors, genetic associations, and serological markers suggest that interactions between the host immune response and the pouch microbiota underlie the aetiology of this idiopathic inflammatory condition. This systematic review focuses on the dysbiosis of the microbiota that inhabit the pouch in UC and FAP patients and its interaction with the mucosal immune system. A meta-analysis was not attempted due to the highly heterogeneous microbiota composition and the different detection methods used by the various studies. Although no specific bacterial species, genus, or family has as yet been identified as pathogenic, there is evidence that a dysbiosis characterized by decreased gut microbiota diversity in UC-IPAA patients may, in genetically predisposed subjects, lead to aberrant mucosal immune regulation triggering an inflammatory process.


We theoretically explore nonlinearities of ferromagnets in microwave cavities in the classical and quantum regimes, and assess the resources for quantum information, i.e. fluctuation squeezing and bipartite entanglement. The (semi-)classical analysis of the anharmonic oscillator (Duffing) model for the Kittel mode when including all other magnon modes, reveals chaotic and limit-cycle phases that do not survive in quantum calculations. However, magnons with nonzero wavenumbers that are driven by the Suhl instability of the Kittel mode, form a genuine limit cycle. We subsequently compute bounds for the distillable entanglement, as well as entanglement of formation for the bipartite configurations of the mixed magnon modes. The distillable entanglement of bipartite states accessible from a covariance matrix vanishes, but can be recovered by injection locking. The predicted magnon entanglement can be experimentally tested with yttrium iron garnet samples under realistic conditions.


The clinical efficacy of intraperitoneal administration of OK-432 plus interleukin-2 (IL-2) for treating malignant ascites was evaluated in gastric cancer patients. Ten KE of OK-432 and 200,000 Jurkat units of IL-2 were intraperitoneally administered in tandem in the order given on alternate days at paracentesis. Of the 22 evaluable patients, 18 (81%) developed complete or partial responses, showing a cytologic disappearance of cancer cells and decrease of ascites. More than 50% of the patients obtained positive responses within 2 weeks after the initial administration of the drugs. Improvements of performance status and clinical symptoms such as abdominal fullness, followed by restoration of oral food intake and prolongation of survival time were observed in responders treated with OK-432 plus IL-2. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a predominant increase of the CD3+CD4+ cells, especially of the CD4+CD45RA- subset in the peritoneal cavity of the responders. Cytotoxicity assay after negative selection of the CD4+ cells with the antibody and complement revealed that the CD4+ subset possessed cytotoxic activity against autologous tumor cells. The results suggest that intraperitoneal administration of OK-432 plus IL-2 may not be only a practical but also an effective protocol for treating malignant ascites in gastric cancer patients.


When the Modern History Division of the British Columbia Provincial Museum was set up in late 1967, the core of the division's collections were items inherited from the Provincial Archives of British Columbia. Among these were a number of earthenware pitchers and crocks, royalty commemoratives, and several pieces of chinaware marked with the Hudson's Bay Company coat of arms. In 1971 the division purchased the entire collection of a private museum (the Watson Collection, accession numbers 9 7 1 . 6 1 . 1 ) which included a number of pieces of chinaware and pottery. Since that period, this division has had a policy of collecting only British Columbia manufactured goods. No staff member has yet seriously researched and acquired the province's manufactured pottery or ceramics. As a consequence, the division's collection consists of miscellaneous donations and purchases with several interesting individual pieces, illustrated here.


In military operations, Commander's Intent describes the desired end state and purpose of the operation, expressed in a concise and clear manner. Command by intent is a paradigm that empowers subordinate units to exercise measured initiative to meet mission goals and accept prudent risk within commander's intent. It improves agility of military operations by allowing exploitation of local opportunities without an explicit directive from the commander to do so. This paper discusses what the paradigm entails in terms of architectural decisions for data fusion systems tasked with real-time information collection to satisfy operational mission goals. In our system, information needs of decisions are expressed at a high level, and shared among relevant nodes. The selected nodes, then, jointly operate to meet mission information needs by forwarding and caching relevant data without explicit directives regarding the objects to fetch and sources to contact. A preliminary evaluation of the system is presented using a target tracking application, set in the context of a NATO-based mission scenario, called Anglova. Evaluation results show that delegating some decision authority to the data fusion system (in terms of objects to fetch and sources to contact) allows it to save more network resources, while also increasing mission success rate. The system is therefore particularly well-suited to operation in partially denied or contested environments, where resource bottlenecks caused by adversarial activity impair one's ability to collect real-time information for mission-critical decision making.


A 66-year-old woman presented a spastic quadriparesis due to compression of the cervical cord 6 years after the beginning of chronic hemodialysis. Five years later, she developed a second episode of compressive myelopathy affecting the lumbar spine. On both occasions, surgical laminectomy with removal of fibroligamentous rings that compressed the cord led to a total recovery of the patient. Histological study demonstrated the presence of massive amyloid deposits in the surgically excised material.


In a recent article appearing in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, J. J. Hennessey and C. H. Romig presented a review of the experiments involving identification by voice-print spectrograms, concluding that the various experiments in the field were conflicting, neither denying nor confirming the validity of voiceprint identification. This disagreement among scientists has had a tremendous affect on the admissibility of voiceprint identification as evidence in judicial proceedings. With one exception, until the end of 1970 evidence of voiceprint identification has been held inadmissible. Since that time, the results of an extensive experiment on voice identification conducted by Dr. Oscar Tosi, Professor of Audiology and Speech Sciences, Michigan State University, have been released and greatly strengthened the argument for the admissibility of voiceprint identification as competent evidence.


We have found a fast and efficient method for the interpolation of nonstationary seismic data. The method uses the fast generalized Fourier transform (FGFT) to identify the space-wavenumber evolution of nonstationary spatial signals at each temporal frequency. The nonredundant nature of FGFT renders a big computational advantage to this interpolation method. A least-squares fitting scheme is used next to retrieve the optimal FGFT coefficients representative of the ideal interpolated data. For randomly sampled data on a regular grid, we seek a sparse representation of FGFT coefficients to retrieve the missing samples. In addition, to interpolate the regularly sampled seismic data at a given frequency, we use a mask function derived from the FGFT coefficients of the low frequencies. Synthetic and real data examples can be used to examine the performance of the method.


Adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) is a novel 50-kDa membrane-associated protein whose message levels are induced rapidly and maximally after triggering adipocyte differentiation. The gene encoding mouse ADRP has been isolated and characterized from four overlapping lambda phage clones. The gene spans 14 kb and contains 8 exons and 7 introns. Exons range in size from 50 to 696 bp and intron sizes range from 87 bp to 4.3 kb. Major and minor transcription initiation sites were determined 76 and 78 bp, respectively, upstream of the initiator methionine. A TATTTTA sequence is centered 30 bp upstream of the major transcription start site, and within the 5'-flanking region there are several putative transcription factor binding sites. ADRP has been mapped to chromosome 4, specifically between the b and Ifa loci. A second ADRP-like gene was isolated and partially characterized. This second locus is not expressed in 12 different mouse tissues and shares 87% sequence similarity to ADRP over exon and intron regions analyzed. Finally, this is the first reported genomic structure of ADRP.


Herein, preparation and modification of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from recycled old corrugated box (OCB) raw material is reported. CNF were synthesized from cellulose microfiber obtained after the pre-treatment of alkaline, acetic acid/sodium chlorite followed by bleaching with hydrogen peroxide. Intermediate fractions during the pre-treatment were collected and examined for the lignin and hemicelluloses contents using FTIR, GPC, GC-MS and HPLC methods. Both the treated and untreated OCB microfibers were analyzed using XRD, TGA, and SEM to confirm the removal of non-cellulosic contents. Resultant pre-treated microfiber was break-down into nanofibers under high-pressure using high-pressure homogenizer at ≈1600 bar pressure for 30 cycles. Nanofibers were characterized by SEM which shows the average diameter of ≈66 nm. XRD analysis confirms the crystalline nature and a cellulose type-I structure of the nanofiber. In addition, obtained nanofibers were chemically surface modified by 12.91% of acetyl and 72.23% of carboxyl groups by varying reaction conditions.


PURPOSE
High-resolution sonography (US) with color Doppler imaging (CDI) is a simple, noninvasive, safe and repeatable technique able to highlight the presence of hyperplastic parathyroid glands and changes in their volume, structure, and vascularization during uremia. The primary aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of US and the sensitivity for localizing parathyroid glands with a volume ≥ 500 mm(3). The secondary aim was to assess the parameters that define parathyroid glandular perfusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The diagnostic use of US was assessed in 40 consecutive uremic patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) who were receiving maintenance hemodialysis or conservative therapy with a hypoproteic-hypophosphoric diet and had undergone parathyroidectomy. Prior to surgery (99m)TC-sestamibi scintigraphy (SM) was performed in all patients.

RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy of US were 74 %, 75 %, 98 %, and 74 %, respectively. The sensitivity for localizing glands with a volume ≥ 500 mm(3) was 90 %. US and SM had a combined sensitivity of 83 %. The vascularization of parathyroid glands became more evident with increasing glandular volume. With CDI, the signs of hypervascularization (i. e. an enlarged feeding artery at the hilum, a peripheral arc of vascularity and/or ray-like endonodular vessels) were present in 77 % of glands with a volume ≥ 500 mm(3).

CONCLUSION
The sensitivity of US is higher than that of SM, but it cannot be compared with that of parathyroidectomy (74 vs. 95 %). However, US/CDI is able to characterize glands with different volumes and vascular patterns. Since glandular volume and vascularization are indicative of the severity of sHPT, this study suggests that the main role of US/CDI in the setting of sHPT should be to complete the diagnosis and to evaluate the morphological changes of enlarged glands during uremia in order to define surgical timing, rather than to assess the presurgical location of glands.


Incidental to their account of a riot against the Emperor Maurice in 602, the Byzantine historians give some valuable information about the observance of the feast of the Purification. These passages are isolated and out of the way and have so far escaped the attention of students of the subject. The only purpose of the present note is to make them available.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between religion/spirituality and perceived stress in prenatal and postpartum Hispanic women.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING
An urban, publicly funded hospital in California.

PARTICIPANTS
Two hundred and forty-eight pregnant and postpartum Hispanic women between age 18 and 45 years.

METHOD
Patients presenting for prenatal or postpartum care or for the first infant visit were recruited to participate in the current study. PARTICIPANTS completed surveys consisting of questions about demographic characteristics, religiosity, spirituality, social support, and stress.

RESULTS
Most participants were unmarried, low-income women with low educational attainment. Ninety percent of women reported a religious affiliation, with more than one half (57.4%) listing their religious affiliation as "Catholic." Overall religiousness/spirituality was significantly associated with increased negative experiences of stress in women who selected English language instruments (Spearman's r=.341, p=.007); there was no such relationship in women who selected Spanish language instruments. Social support and greater relationship quality with a significant other were significantly associated with reduced perceived stress in Spanish reading and English reading women.

CONCLUSIONS
In this sample of pregnant and postpartum Latinas, religiousness/spirituality was not associated with reduced perceived stress and was in fact associated with increased perceived stress among women who selected English-language surveys. Additional research is needed to investigate this association. On the other hand, the current study reinforces the importance of social support and relationship quality for pregnant and postpartum women.


is that, as the daughter cells migrate away from the bile duct, some acquire additional somatic mtDNA mutations. This is consistent with "the streaming liver" hypothesis, where regenerating hepatocytes arise from a stem cell population in the canal of Hering and move outward into the liver parenchyma.2 As previously observed,1 the COX-deficient zones were morphologically normal, and in some healthy aged subjects, up to 5% of the liver showed a COX defect despite having normal biochemical indices of liver function. A strong selection bias, either for or against the mtDNA mutations, therefore seems unlikely. This is supported by our observation of clonally expanded synonymous mtDNA substitutions in regions with normal COX activity, which have presumably accumulated through random genetic drift.3 The mtDNA mutations therefore appear to be a reliable marker of hepatocyte lineages. The prevailing view is that mature hepatocytes divide every year, gradually replacing adjacent liver cells. On the other hand, stem cell activation is only thought to occur after an acute insult, or after chronic liver damage when the capacity for mature hepatocyte division has been overwhelmed. Our observations indicate that the stem cell population is active in healthy liver and contributes to hepatocyte turnover. Although we found no evidence that the mtDNA mutations compromise liver cell function, there is emerging evidence that stem cell proliferation could be compromised by somatic mtDNA mutations. If correct, then this could explain why the prognosis following acute liver insult is worse in older subjects.4,5 Acknowledgment: We are very grateful to Dr. Simon Elliot and Mr. Derek Manas for their assistance in obtaining biopsy tissue. P.F.C. is a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow in Clinical Science who also receives funding from the Medical Research Council (UK), the UK Parkinson's Disease Society, and the UK National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Ageing and Age-Related Disease award to the Newcastle upon Tyne Foundation Hospitals National Health Service Trust. NIMANTHA DE ALWIS1 GAVIN HUDSON1 ALASTAIR D. BURT2 CHRISTOPHER P. DAY3 PATRICK F. CHINNERY1,3 1Mitochondrial Research Group, Institute for Ageing and Health, 2Institute of Cellular Medicine, and 3Institute of Human Genetics, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK