Static chambers coupled with GC methods were used to perform in situ monitoring of N2O emissions from vegetable fields during the period from October 2006,to October 2007.The monitoring was conducted in vegetable fields with purple soils with a history of vegetable planting for more than 20 years in the hill region of Middle Sichuan Basin,China.Characteristics of N2O emissions from the vegetable ecosystem were analyzed,and the effects of the factors influencing these emissions,such as nitrogen(N) application,soil temperature,soil moisture and vegetable planting,are discussed.The results of the analysis showed that the mean emission fluxes of N2O in CK(no N applied) and conventional fertilization treatment(N application at rate of 150 kg N/hm2) were(50.7±13.3) and(168.4±37.3) μg·m-2·h-1,respectively.The N2O emission coefficient derived from N fertilizer application at 150 kg N·hm-2 was 1.86%.The N2O emission rate from the vegetable field observed in this study was higher than the emission rate from the grain farmland reported previously.The increase in N2O emissions from the vegetable ecosystem was associated with enhanced soil nutrients,frequent fertilization and irrigation practices.The seasonal pattern of N2O emissions showed that 34% of the annual flux of N2O emissions occurred in the winter and spring and that 64% occurred in the summer and autumn due to more favorable soil moisture and temperatures in summer and autumn.The seasonal differences in N2O emissions from vegetable fields were attributed to the variations in soil moisture and temperature due to vegetable planting.The application of N stimulated N2O emissions in the vegetable field.There is a significant positive relationship between the N2O emission flux and the soil temperature.An exponential equation(F=11.465e0.032(R=0.26,P0.01)) can be employed to quantify the relationship between soil temperature(T) and N2O emission flux(F) in a vegetable field treated by conventional fertilization.A threshold range of water-filled pore space(WFPS) between 60%—75% has been observed for N2O emissions in this study.The N2O emissions from vegetable farmland can be reduced by optimizing the N application rate and time while limiting irrigation frequencies according to vegetable growth and antecedent soil moisture conditions.


The sedimentary rocks intercalated in volcanic and metavolcanic sections of Mayari-Baracoa and Sierra del Purial Mountains (Eastern Cuba), yielded Cretaceous through Danian microfossils. In the Mayari Mountains the Teneme Fm consists of basalts and hyaloclastites with minor intercalations of well-bedded foliated limestone and shaly limestone that in the type area contain a Turonian or early Coniacian planktonic foraminifera assemblage. In the Morel area (Moa-Baracoa massif), back-arc pillow basalts with ribbon cherts include a late Turonian or Coniacian limestone bed intercalated with interbedded organic-rich calcareous shales near the top. The upper part of the Coniacian (?)-Campanian Santo Domingo Fm crops out west of Moa and it consists of finegrained well-bedded volcaniclastic rocks with two intercalated lenses of coarse-grained impure biocalcirudites to biocalcarenites. These rocks yielded a mixed penecontemporaneous planktonic and benthonic microfossil assemblage attributed to the lower part of the late Campanian (Globotruncanita calcarata Zone). At Sierra del Purial, crystalline limestones embedded within the metavulcano-sedimentary Rio Baracoa section (Purial metamorphic complex) yielded Campanian microfossils. The Maastrichtian Yaguaneque (=Canas) limestones crop out extensively in both Mayari-Baracoa and Purial Mountains. All the formations previously mentioned unconformably overlie and tectonically intermingle with the late Maastrichtian-early Danian clastic rocks of the Micara and La Picota Fms. Our new dates demonstrate that in the Greater Antilles the PIA (Primitive Island Arc—tholeiite) recorded by the Teneme Fm would be Late Cretaceous in age in opposition to the Lower Cretaceous age proposed for the PIA basalts. The protolith of the Purial metamorphic complex is probably Maastrichtian-early Danian, but certainly Campanian and older in age. This fact suggests that the metamorphism that affected the Purial rocks took place probably in the late Maastrichtian and was coeval with the detachment, exhumation and emplacement of mafic-ultramafic thrust-sheet bodies. This event recorded in Eastern Cuba/Western Hispaniola and Guatemala might have been related to the insertion of thick oceanic ridges into the subduction zone.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to increase the understanding of the alternative exposure metrics and analysis methods in studies applying job-exposure matrices in analyses of health outcomes, the association between crystalline silica and cancer being used as an example.

METHODS
Observed and expected numbers of cancer cases during 1971-1995 among Finns born in 1906-1945 were calculated for 393 occupational categories, as defined in the 1970 population census. According to the Finnish Cancer Registry, there were 43 433 lung and 21 444 prostate cancer cases. The Finnish job-exposure matrix (FINJEM) provided estimates of the proportion of exposed persons and the mean level of exposure among the exposed in each occupation.

RESULTS
The most comprehensive exposure metric included period- and age-specific estimates of exposure and an estimate of occupational stability, but also remarkably simpler metrics gave significantly elevated estimates of the risk ratio (RR) between 1.36 and 1.50 for lung cancer for occupations with the highest estimated cumulative silica exposure (> or = 10 mg/m3-years), allowing a lag time of 20 years. It proved important to adjust the risk ratios at least for the socioeconomic status and occupational exposure to asbestos. The risk ratios for prostate cancer were close to 1.0 in every model.

CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that the FINJEM-based analysis was able to replicate the well-known association between exposure to crystalline silica and lung cancer. The FINJEM-based method gives valid results, and it can be used to analyze large sets of register-based data on health outcomes.


The development of clastic reservoirs can be complicated by heterogeneity both along the section and along the strike of the formations, therefore, an extended set of studies is especially necessary at such objects, both during drilling and during production. To determine the structure of the void, seismic surveys are usually used, which are limited in scale. An additional tool for defining geological boundaries is well. Well testing carried out in a timely manner, together with the analysis of production data, attribute analysis and geophysical survey data in the open hole, made it possible to identify the heterogeneity of the drainage zone in the early stages of operation and adjust the volume of geological reserves, therefore, to predict production with the highest degree of reliability.


Acute respiratory complications of an interscalene brachial plexus block include ipsilateral phrenic nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsies. A 71-year-old woman who had undergone a total thyroidectomy for papillary carcinoma 35 years ago was administered a right interscalene brachial plexus block for a shoulder hemi-arthroplasty. Subsequently she developed acute respiratory distress associated with marked stridor secondary to an acute right vocal cord palsy, which was superimposed on what was assumed to be a preexisting left-sided vocal cord palsy. On extubation the patient was noted to develop stridor again necessitating reintubation and tracheostomy was performed two weeks later. The vocal cord palsies failed to resolve over the subsequent 18-month follow-up. We describe this case to highlight the significant risk of this procedure in patients with preexisting or suspected contralateral vocal cord palsy.


Background: Blood stream infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in burns, and pathogen identification is important for treatment. This study aims to characterize the microbiology of these infections and the association between the infecting pathogen and the hospitalization course. Methods: We conducted a cohort study that included records of burn patients treated at the Soroka University Medical Center between 2007–2020. Statistical analysis of demographic and clinical data was performed to explore relationships between burn characteristics and outcomes. Patients with positive blood cultures were divided into four groups: Gram-positive, Gram-negative, mixed-bacterial, and fungal. Results: Of the 2029 burn patients hospitalized, 11.7% had positive blood cultures. The most common pathogens were Candida and Pseudomonas. We found significant differences in ICU admission, need for surgery, and mortality between the infected and non-infected groups (p < 0.001). Pathogen groups differed significantly mean TBSA, ICU admission, need for surgery, and mortality (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed flame (OR 2.84) and electric burns (OR 4.58) were independent risk factors for ICU admission and surgical intervention (p < 0.001). Gram-negative bacterial infection was found to be an independent predictor of mortality (OR = 9.29, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Anticipating specific pathogens which are associated with certain burn characteristics may help guide future therapy.


The cosine distribution serves as a very good teaching example for which exact moment properties of extreme order statistics can be expressed in terms of elementary functions. This article presents the limiting joint distribution of the extreme order statistics for the cosine distribution. It is shown that burrows'(1986) result is a special case of the result presented in this article.


The paradox of nonvoting claims that, because one's vote is not pivotal, it is not instrumentally rational to vote. The paradox assumes that voters care only about whether an issue wins or loses, not about vote margins. But it is conceptually mistaken in insisting that redundant votes have no causal influence on the outcome. Next, if a voter also cares about margins, then each vote is pivotal towards that end. The paradoxicalist now objects that such a vote is imperceptible in advancing the public good. Smallness of benefit does not mean absence of benefit, however, and we observe that generally humans contribute imperceptibly to low-cost, continuous public goods. Many voters say they are motivated by duty to contribute and desire to influence the outcome. Thus, it is possibly rational to vote. The same arguments apply against the claim that citizens are necessarily in a state of rational ignorance about politics.


In recent decades, the low economic performance of European countries has been mainly responsible for the emergence of an economic policy increasingly intended to strengthen the innovative and technology capacity of regions. In particular, the European periphery is lagging behind in the transition to a knowledge driven and eventually service-oriented economy. In a general context of de-industrialization and transition to service economy, and bearing in mind the policy debate at the EU level, the aim of this paper is to analyze the factors driving knowledge-intensive service specialization at the regional level in Italy. Our main research questions here can be summarized as follows: What determines the transition to Services and the specialization in Knowledge-Intensive Services (KIS) in Italy? What are the structural characteristics that may explain the regional variation of employment share in high-knowledge services? Using data on Italian regions over the period 1995-2014 (and spatial panel models as a methodology), the analysis carried out in the paper suggests some considerations: the "mere" (but needed) transition to service activities can be positively associated with R&D Personnel, Tertiary Education, University Attractiveness, Tourism and efficient infrastructure (Railroad). But the transition to Knowledge Intensive Services, supposed to pay higher wages, may deserve a more appropriate and focused public intervention, in view of the fact that it seems to be mainly associated with Public R&D, Tertiary Education and University Attractiveness.


Now, more than ever, the time to hasten the efforts made to reduce the energy consumption, especially in the field of radio communications has come. Wireless transmission was often blamed as being energy inefficient. It is well known that, in radio communications, approximatively 80% of the consumed energy is used only to maintain the network connections during standby periods. Moreover, the number of connected devices is continuously growing: as estimated by the International Energy Agency, in 2030 the number of connected devices will be multiplied by eight and, as a consequence, the energy consumption will double.


In a series of 300,000 consecutive patients who underwent excretory urography between January 1, 1964 and January 5, 1982, four deaths were recorded (a mortality rate of 1.3:100,000). All four patients who died were 50 years of age or older, all had a history of some type of hypersensitivity, all had a respiratory component to the reaction, all received a 1 ml test dose and had no reaction, and none had received a prior injection of contrast medium. The mortality rate in this series (1:75,000) is significantly lower than recently reported rates from multiinstitutional studies and is similar to the mortality rate resulting from the parenteral administration of penicillin. Differences in reported series may relate to methods of data collection, variations in patient population, and therapeutic management.


Mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing is a barrier to the performance of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Experimental data suggest that mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing may not be necessary for brief periods of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation until defibrillation is available. These data are insufficient to recommend changes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines, but are compelling enough to recommend further experimental and human trials.


greatly, and so did Nyasaland, but at the expense of Northern Rhodesia. The most powerful reasons for the break-up of the federation were political, however, and no amount of economic success could have persuaded the northern territories to remain linked to white-dominated Southern Rhodesia. For Nyasaland the most satisfactory economic arrangement would have been to be linked simply to Zambia, but politics made this also impossible and the British government has therefore to provide the subsidies that keep Malawi more or less solvent. East Africa is a different kind of case but no less instructive. Kenya, it appears, would sell almost as much inter-territorially if there were no external tariff as when it exists. But this is because its degree of development is greater than that of either Uganda or Tanzania. Moreover East Africa has a highly developed transportation system, unrivalled in other comparable areas, broadly similar commercial law and practice, and a tariff aimed at procuring revenue rather than providing protection. Although Tanzania, in particular, was bitter about inequities in the siting of industries and its rate of development within the East Africa customs union, it seems doubtful that any of the three countries has lost in practice simply because of tariff arrangements. Although these cases indicate that harnessing more mature units to less mature ones may run the danger of accentuating differential development, it is no less true that excessive economic fragmentation and unnecessary duplication of productive facilities will almost undoubtedly slow down and may irretrievably impair the economic growth of African-controlled countries. At their present low level of industrial development, accompanied by competitive production of raw materials for foreign consumption rather than possession of complementary products to satisfy each others' needs, the economic temptation as well as the strong political urge is to build to the exclusive interest of the individual unit, whether ethnic or state. But in the long run, only larger units of both population and area can attract the new productive capacity so badly needed. As other case studies in this volume abundantly illustrate particularly the analyses of pressures in Nigeria and, more encouraging, of the moderate successes of unification in Somalia and in the Cameroon political factors are the dominant ones at this stage in determining policies of integration or disintegration. In the long run, however, economic knitting together will be essential for long-term stability.


Abstract This article aims to reveal the origins and development of the Turkish emergency during the years it was implemented. Turkey's State of Emergency originated following the military coup on September 12, 1980, and lasted until the end of November 2002. Initially, the emergency state created a different set of administrative and legal rules in the areas where it mainly was implemented, the Kurdish-populated regions in the southeast of the country. However, the suspension of the norm under the emergency state that lasted for over two decades caused a perpetuating shift in the civil and military administrations in Turkey. Moreover, it caused the emergency state to be not solely a legal and administrative implementation but a continuous reflection of the Turkish raison d'état when the country faces a crisis.


The electricity market within the United Kingdom has undergone a period of rapid and sustained development since the introduction of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) in 2001. Competition within the market has greatly intensified placing significant downward pressure upon the wholesale price of electricity. In addition, the dynamic nature of the NETA together with the development of distributed and embedded generation technologies will lead to a significant increase in complexity, both within the physical and market domains. We propose that fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM) can act as powerful inference engine with in autonomous adaptive agent (AI-Agent) based architecture to model such systems. This paper will examine the generic structure of the FCMs, their construction, and the learning algorithms to allow them to adapt to the dynamic market based environment. The concept of temporal delay within the FCMs to describe the inertia that exists in real time systems shall also be discussed.


The propagation of a switching wave (kink) in two-component crystals during plastic torsion strain has been considered. The phenomenological Landau theory with consideration of Lifshitz invariants was used. A numerical simulation of the shape of the kink that occurs under various temperatures has been performed.


Routine use of magnet-controlled capsule endoscopy of the stomach has been limited by the inadequate views of specific stomach regions. In the present study, radiology and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) were used to determine optimal subject body positioning and suitable external control magnet placement for capsule endoscopy. Healthy adult volunteers were subjected to upper gastrointestinal X-ray radiography (n=5), spiral computed tomography with volume reconstruction (n=4) or UGIE (n=1). Stomach fundus-to-body (FB) and body-to-antrum (BA) angles were compared when subjects were supine, prone, lying on their left side and on their right side, and when they were standing upright. Vertical distances from the surface of the body to the distal points of the fundus and antrum were also compared in this range of subject positions. Obtuse angles were considered the most beneficial for capsule movement and short vertical distances were considered desirable for optimizing magnetic force. The FB angle was sharply acute in the supine position, relatively open where subjects were on their side, and almost 180° in the standing position. The BA angle was obtuse in the standing position but acute in all other positions. With the subject in any position, the left lower lateral chest had the shortest distance to the fundus, while the ventral wall was closest to the antrum. The present modeling analysis indicates that standing is superior to all decubitus positions for magnetic-capsule endoscopy, including the commonly used supine position. Both the abdominal anterior wall and left lateral lower chest appeared to be advantageous locations for external control magnet placement.


In study, morphologically well-defined TiO2 nano particles (NPs), prepared by sol-gel method was coated on the cotton textile surface to develop self-cleaning, UV blocking and antibacterial cotton textile surfaces. Commercially available Degussa P25 TiO2 powder photocatalyst was used as benchmark for comparison. To evaluate the self-cleaning action of modified textile fabric, tea stains were introduced on the cotton fabric. Under sun-test illumination, decrease in the color of tea stain was followed over time for the determination of self-cleaning performance of the modified textile surface. The effects of TiO2 treatments on the main functions of cotton fabric were investigated by the measurements of tensile strength, tear strength, wrinkle recovery angle and color fastness measurements. The modified cotton textiles with TiO2 NPs and Degussa P25 TiO2 powder showed strong self-cleaning performance under illumination and tea stain was completely removed in 30 min. TiO2 coating improved UV protection factor ...


Abstract The invasion of the pleural membrane by a malignant pleural tumor can lead to the production of malignant pleural effusion (MPE), resulting in the symptoms of dyspnea, and some patients have cough, sputum and other symptoms, which are easily confused with pneumonia. In this case, the initial diagnosis of the patient is pneumonia, and the final diagnosis is pneumonia combined with pleural malignancy. Therefore, if the patient has unexplained symptoms of bloody pleural effusion, it is necessary to examine for malignant tumors and should actively perform thoracentesis and drainage, look for malignant cells in the pleural effusion cell precipitation, evaluate the nature of pleural effusion, conduct pleural biopsy tissue examination, and determine the type and source of lung malignancy by the combined application of cell block technology and immunohistochemistry. Take the cytological examination results in pleural effusion seriously, and finally, surgical or immunotherapy can be performed.


We propose a new resource efficient transmission scheme to achieve cooperative diversity of a distributed smart antenna system consisting of an information source, destination, and two alternating supportive relay stations. Each station is equipped with one antenna element. Furthermore we assume perfect synchronization and channel knowledge at the receivers. The proposed linear encoding functions with interference cancellation at one relay station result in an equivalent space-time delay coded system, but with additionally colored noise from the relay stations. Based on the maximum likelihood sequence estimator we derive criteria to evaluate the performance compared to the direct S1SO transmission. Finally the numerical simulation results of an suboptimal sequence estimator show significant performance gains if the power gain from the hopping is gainful exploited. If not, the additional noise from the relay stations will degrade the performance at reasonable transmit powers.


Waldenstrom9s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma, characterized by bone marrow infiltration and abnormal production of monoclonal immunoglobulin M protein (IgM). Whereas recent gene expression and proteomics studies have advanced our understanding of WM pathogenesis and identified potential therapeutic targets, WM remains incurable, with a 5-year survival rate of 50%. Therefore, there is a need for the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents targeting deregulated signaling pathways specifically present in WM. We have here evaluated role of Sp1 transcription factor and its aberrant activation in WM based on our prior results suggesting its growth and survival effects in multiple myeloma (MM). We observed high nuclear Sp1 expression along with increased Sp1 activity in WM cells compared to normal cells. Moreover, adhesion of WM cells to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) further induced Sp1 activity in WM cells. Binding Sp1 to promoter regions of important genes such as survivin and VEGF, was observed in WM cell lines as compared with resting and activated B lymphocytes from healthy donors as assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and interference with Sp1 activity induced cell cycle arrest, decreased survivin and VEGF expression. Based on these data, we investigated the efficacy of Terameprocol (TMP), a small molecule inhibitor of Sp1 transactivation suitable for clinical application. TMP specifically competes with Sp1-specific DNA binding domains within gene promoter regions. We have confirmed inhibition of both basal and BMSC-induced binding and transcriptional activity of Sp1 in WM cells using an ELISA assay specific for measuring Sp1 binding activity and using Sp1-sensitive luciferase reporter plasmid. Importantly, TMP significantly inhibited the growth of all three WM cell lines (WMWSU, BCWM.1 and the novel IgM-secreting, immunoglobulin light chain-restricted cell line, MWCL-1), as well as IgM-secreting low grade lymphoma cell lines (RL and MEC-1) in a dose-dependent fashion, overcoming the growth promoting affect of BMSC or cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL6). Moreover, inhibition of Sp1 activity by TMP decreased IgM secretion in MWCL-1 culture supernatant after 6 hours following treatment. Finally, TMP had in vivo activity in a murine xenograft model of WM. ChIP assay showed that TMP treatment for 24 hours significantly decreased the binding of Sp1 to the promoters of Survivin and VEGF, as well as other known Sp1-regulated genes, supporting the idea that TMP effects on WM cell growth is due to its interference with Sp1 mediated transcription. In summary, these results demonstrate Sp1 as an important transcription factor that regulates proliferation and survival of WM cells as well as IgM secreting low-grade lymphoma cells and provides preclinical rationale for clinical development of TMP as a specific Sp1 inhibitor in WM. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 288. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-288


In contemporary international relations neutrality is not disappearing, nor is it fully its old self. It is loaded with both problems and promises. This duality calls for a discussion on the space available for neutrality on two different levels: the policies of the main actors and the structural developments of international relations and the level of understanding. It appears, in broad terms, that the latter is a constraint on the former. Neutrality appears to be rich and promising in terms of its history and existing reality, but an underdeveloped, fragmented and too dependent concept of dominant international relations theory. It is therefore the constitutive aspects of neutrality and the space delineated to it in the ordinary discourse that deserve the prime attention in the on-going debate.


This paper describes the purposes served by medical analogies (why they are used) and the different cognitive processes that support those purposes (how they are used). Historical and contemporary examples illustrate the theoretical, experimental, diagnostic, therapeutic, technological, and educational value of medical analogies. Four models of analogical transfer illuminate how analogies are used in these cases.


The study of the EU's relations with its near abroad is increasingly important in the wake of the 2004 enlargement of the Union because it directly relates to the question whether the EU might help to foster peace and stability in its neighbourhood. Euro-Mediterranean relations are highly interesting in this regard since the EU has a rather long, but not entirely successful, history of trying to promote security and cooperation in its southern vicinity. In this article the Regional Security Complex Theory, developed by Buzan and Waever (2003), is applied to shed new light on security aspects of Euro-Mediterranean relations. The article's main argument is that the 'ups and downs' of Euro-Mediterranean security cooperation is better understood if the Mediterranean is not considered as a region in itself but rather as a link between two separated regional security complexes.


Breeding for resistant varieties has been shown to be the most suitable method to control bean anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum though the method is challenged by the existence of many races of the pathogen. This work focused on characterizing races of C. lindemuthianum from potential bean agro ecological zones of Tanzania using a set of differential bean cultivars. From 144 anthracnose infected bean samples collected, 50 pure isolates were obtained and characterized whereby 42 races were identified. The most virulent race identified was race 3610 from the Southern Highland zone of Tanzania while the least virulent was characterized as race 0. Race 2 was the most widely spread (4.2 %) found in Northern, Southern highland and in Eastern zones of Tanzania. The work confirms that G2333 can still be used as a potential donor of resistant genes to varieties that are to be grown in Northern, Eastern and Lake zones but not for the varieties from Southern Highland and Western zones of Tanzania since isolates from these zones overcame resistant genes Co-42, Co-5, Co-7 in G2333. 95% of all races which were identified are new and were not specific to either Mesoamerican or Andean origin common bean.

 Key words: Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, races, resistant genes, differential cultivars, Anthracnose.


This study evaluates the impact of credit on consumption in Laos. A two-stage selection bias correction method based on a multinomial logit framework is used to estimate and compare the consumption of borrowing households with and without credit. The results show that compared to what household consumption would have been without credit, borrowing households tend to have higher overall consumption. However, when consumption is disaggregated into food and nonfood, it is found that only formal credit has a positive impact on food spending. Borrowing from semiformal sources and informal sources without interest has a negative impact on food spending. For nonfood consumption, the impact of credit is found to be positive and statistically significant for all credit sources.


Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder resulting from insufficient insulin release and associated with dysregulation of glucagon secretion. Somatostatin secreted from pancreatic δ-cells is a strong paracrine factor for both insulin and glucagon secretion in islets. Here, we developed an optogenetic approach, through specific expressing light-sensitive channels/pumps in δ-cells, to investigate the paracrine control of hormone release from islets. We generated mouse models that express either a light-sensitive cation channel, channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), or a chloride pump, halorhodopsin (HR), specifically in the pancreatic δ-cells (SST-ChR2 and SST-HR mouse). Their specific expression was confirmed by immunostaining. Optoactivation of ChR2 at 1mM glucose rapidly depolarized δ-cells by 37mV (n=5) and stimulated electrical activity and somatostatin release. At high glucose or tolbutamide, light activation of HR repolarized δ-cells by 15 mV (n=3), suppressing action potentials. Optoactivation of SST-ChR2 δ-cells suppressed, after a variable delay depending on the distance from δ-cells, action potential firing in neighbouring α-cells, inhibited exocytosis by 30% (n=5) and glucagon secretion by 55% at 1mM glucose (n=7). In a subset (35%) α-cells with no spontaneous action potentials, opto-inhibition of SST-HR δ-cells caused a 9mV depolarization (n=7) and induced action potential firing, which may account for the stimulation of glucagon secretion. Neither optoactivation, nor opto-inhibition of δ-cells affected insulin secretion at hypo- and hyperglycaemia. However, at normoglycaemia (6 mM glucose), optoactivation of δ-cells depolarized neighbouring β-cells (via gap-junctions) and evoked action potential firing, leading to a paradoxical 160% stimulation of insulin secretion (n=9). We conclude that δ-cells play a central role in the regulation of both insulin and glucagon release but that the effects are more complex than appreciated to date.

 H.Dou: None. C.A.Miranda: None. J.Tolö: None. Q.Zhang: None. P.Rorsman: None.

 Swedish Research Council


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnostic value of transcranial Doppler ultrasound in early stage cerebral arteriosclerosis.

METHODS
We selected 50 patients with early cerebral arteriosclerosis as the disease group. At the same time we selected another 50 patients as a control group with no significant symptoms in the nervous system. By 2 MHz pulse Doppler probe through double-temporal windows and pillow windows Basilar artery (BA), the bilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) was detected. In the TCD spectrum, we selected the spectrum of a single-family cardiac cycle, identified the starting point (ts), pulse-incisure point (ti), end point (te), and the peak velocity (tp), measured the time of the spectrum starting point to the peak velocity (Tp) and calculated the time required for the peak velocity in the share of ventricular systolic (Tp/Ti), the time required for the peak velocity in the share of the whole cardiac cycle (Tp/T). Tp, Tp/Ti and Tp/T were respectively named as time to peak velocity (TPV), peak-time index-1 (PTI-1) and peak-time index-2 (PTI-2). All data were analyzed by SPSS13.0.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference in blood vessel velocity, PI, RI and S/D of BA and RMCA (P>0.05) between the control group and the disease group. Compared with the control group, TPV of the BA, LMCA and RMCA significantly extended, PTI-1 and PTI-2 of BA, LMCA and RMCA increased significantly in the disease group (P<0.01). In the disease group, there was no significant correlation between peak time index and PI, S/D (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION
TPV, PTI-1 and PTI-2 are sensitive indicators of early stage cerebral arteriosclerosis.


Abstract This paper addresses the general issue of the quality of phonological data, using rendaku as a case study. Rendaku is a widely-discussed voicing process that accompanies compound formation in Japanese. The issue of the quality of phonological data has been discussed from time to time from various perspectives throughout the history of phonological research, and we are recently witnessing renewed interest in this topic. This paper takes up rendaku as a case study to address this issue. Rendaku has been used to argue for many theoretical devices, but it is rarely acknowledged in the theoretical literature that rendaku involves extensive lexical irregularity. The specific question addressed in this study is whether it is appropriate to use rendaku for phonological argumentation. The answer that this paper proposes is yes, but the more crucial lesson is that theoretical phonology should evaluate the quality of phonological data more explicitly. The current discussion offers a first step toward establishing general guidelines about what kind of evidence can be used to decide whether a pattern under question is phonological or not.


In this paper, we study the convergence of the Ishikawa iterative sequence of rank-r to common fixed points of a finite family of asymptotically quasi-nonexpansive type mappings in uniformly convex Banach spaces. Our results extend and improve some known recent results given in the literature.


In this paper, we extend information economics to the literature on R&D alliance partner selection by showing the different ways in which venture capitalists (VCs) shape entrepreneurial ventures' partner selection decisions for R&D collaborations. Specifically, we advance the argument that affiliations with VCs can play a dual role in reducing the risk of adverse selection for R&D collaborations by conveying signals and mediating information about prospective partners. We also suggest that these benefits VC affiliations provide are contingent upon technological resource endowments of entrepreneurial ventures. In particular, we argue that the positive effects of affiliations with VCs will be more pronounced when firms have dissimilar technological resource endowments and therefore face greater challenges in understanding and evaluating each other's resources. Furthermore, we argue that the signaling and information intermediation roles of VCs complement each other in reducing the risk of adverse selection.


Establishment of the receptive uterus is a crucial step for embryo implantation. In this study, the expression profiles and characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in pregnant mouse uteri on day 4, day 5 at implantation sites and inter-implantation sites were conducted using RNA-seq. A total of 7,764 putative lncRNA transcripts were identified, including 6,179 known lncRNA transcripts and 1,585 novel lncRNA transcripts. Bioinformatics analysis of the cis and trans lncRNA targets showed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were mainly involved in tissue remodelling, immune response and metabolism-related processes, indicating that lncRNAs could be involved in the regulation of embryo implantation. We also discovered that differentially expressed lncRNAs might regulate multiple signalling pathways that play an important role in the regulation of embryo implantation. In addition, nine known lncRNAs and four novel lncRNAs were randomly selected and validated by qRT-PCR. The expression of Tug1, Neat1, Gas5, Malat1, H19 and Rmst were significantly regulated in the mouse uterus during the implantation window. Our results are the first to systematically identify lncRNAs in the mouse uterus and provide a catalogue of lncRNAs for further understanding their functions in pregnant mouse uteri during the implantation window.


The article presents an epistemological and partially methodological analysis of cognitive science as a scientific discipline, created as a result of the transformations that took place in the philosophical and psychological concepts of the mind and cognition, which were carried out with the aid of tools and methods of modelling as well as through simulating human cognitive processes and consciousness. In order to describe this interdisciplinary (transdisciplinary) science, and its positions, as well as the stages and directions of its development, it makes use of the epistemological model formulated by Michel Foucault, in which he draws attention to social, ideological and technological conditions of scientific knowledge ( episteme ). The opinions of the leading creators and critics of cognitive science, such as George A. Miller, Howard Gardner, Margaret Boden and Jose Luis Bermudez are referenced to and analyzed with the use of this model. The article shows the epistemologically and methodologically divergent status of cognitive science, as well as its cognitive and institutional conditions and challenges, which stand before it after half a century of intensive development.


The development of pump motors is considered, along with their influence on the evolution of electric pumps as a whole.


Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are an important source of nutrients with beneficial effects on human health. However, they contain lectins, that limit the direct use of flour in food preparations without thermal treatment, and phytic acid, that reduces mineral cation bioavailability. The objectives of this research were: to obtain biofortified snacks and a cream using an untreated common bean flour devoid of active lectins (lec−) and with reduced content of phytic acid (lpa) and to evaluate the sensorial appreciation for these products. The main results of the present work were: the products with the lpa lec− flour did not retain residual hemagglutinating activity due to lectins; they showed higher residual α-amylase inhibitor activity (from 2.2 to 135 times), reduced in vitro predicted glycemic index (about 5 units reduction) and increased iron bioavailability compared to the products with wild type flour; products with common bean flour were less appreciated than the reference ones without this flour, but the presence of an intense umami taste can be a positive attribute. Results confirmed that the use of the lpa lec− flour has important advantages in the preparation of safe and nutritionally improved products, and provide useful information to identify target consumers, such as children and elderly people.


This study aims to analyze the influence of Integrity, Professionalism, and Innovation in order to encourage the achievement of good service performance. This study involved 207 people from 384 employees in seven Kantor Pelayanan Perbendaharaan Negara (KPPN) in the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Treasury, Jakarta Province. The seven KPPNs were chosen because they have the same service user characteristics as other KPPNs and can represent KPPNs throughout Indonesia. Nationally, in terms of the budget managed and the number of work units served, more than half are served by the seven KPPNs. The average amount of the state budget managed by the seven KPPNs is 75.5% of all funds nationally. The technical analysis used is descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, with hypothesis testing tools using Path Analysis. The results of the study show that Integrity has a positive and significant effect on Service Performance, Professionalism has a positive and significant effect on Service Performance, Innovation has a positive and significant effect on Service Performance, Integrity positive and significant effect on Innovation, Professionalism positive and significant effect on Innovation and Integrity, Professionalism, and Innovation together have a positive and significant effect on Service Performance. This research provides evidence that Integrity, Professionalism, and Innovation as elements of the Ministry of Finance Values can create a bureaucracy that has good public service performance, so it needs to be continuously socialized and internalized to all employees of the Ministry of Finance.


In connection with requirements of California's Toxic Air Contaminant Act, 24-h ambient air samples were collected using an XAD-4 resin trap technique capable of simultaneously collecting methyl parathion, methyl paraoxon, molinate and thiobencarb. Sampling was conducted on rooftops of public buildings located in four towns in two counties where methyl parathion, molinate and thiobencarb were used in significant quantities, and at a background site located in a county where no use occurred, for four intervals each week for 5 weeks during the springtime application period of 1986. Satisfactory recoveries (greater than 66%) were obtained from dynamic spiking experiments, and the precision from field replicates was consistently less than 50% relative standard deviation using a protocol designed to accommodate a large number of samples. Daily maximum average concentrations (and the range in averages for all sites over the 19 and 20 sampling days in the two-county use area) were 25.7 ng/m3 (0.2-6.2 ng/m3) for methyl parathion, 3.1 ng/m3 (<0.5-0.8 ng/m3) for methyl paraoxon, 1,720 ng/m3 (60-650 ng/m3) for molinate and 250 ng/m3 (12.9-67.8 ng/m3) for thiobencarb. Concentrations correlated well with reported uses of methyl parathion and molinate in the general vicinity of the sampling sites. The likely sources of observed residue levels, based upon the method of application and pesticide physicochemical properties, were spray drift during application for methyl parathion, vapor-phase oxidation of parent thion for methyl paraoxon, and postapplication volatilization from field water for molinate and thiobencarb.


Background: Health Management Information System (HMIS) is a core health system building block designed to provide important data for continuous quality improvement at all levels of health care administration. Good quality data is an important aspect of health care planning, management and decision making. There was limited information of data quality and information uses in the study area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the HMIS data utilization and its determinants at health facilities in East Wollega, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted. The data was collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaires through interviews. Data analysis was done by SPSS for Windows Version 20.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. P-value<0.05 was used to declare statistically significant variables. Results: The study revealed that the level of HMIS data utilization for different decision making purposes was 57.9%. The level of data quality in terms of report timeliness, data completeness and data accuracy were 70%, 78.2 % and 48%, respectively. The utilization of HMIS data showed significant association with staff motivation (AOR=2.07, 95% CI=1.12, 4.29), decisions based on superior directives (AOR=2.46, 95% CI=1.10, 5.49) and performance monitoring by health professionals (AOR=4.07, 95% CI=1.29, 12.83). Conclusion: Staff motivation, performance monitoring and decisions based on superior directives were found to be determinants of HMIS data utilization. Therefore; policy makers and stakeholders in the area should focus their intervention on these identified factors in order to improve the HMIS data utilization for rendering quality health care services to the community


The research aims to study the quality of surface water for consumer in Samut Songkram province. Water sample were collected from 217 sampling sites conclude 72 sampling sites in Amphawa, 67 sampling sites in Bangkhonthee and 65 sampling sites in Muang. Water sample were collected in December 2011 for winter, March 2012 for summer and August 2012 for rainy season. From the investigation of surface water quality in Mae Klong River, main and tributaries canals in Samut Songkram province, we found that water quality meet the type III of surface water quality standard issued by the National Environmental Quality Act B.E. 1992. Seasonal variations of pH, Temperature, nitrate, lead and cadmium have statistical differences between 3 seasons. Keywords—Samut Songkram Province, Surface water quality.


ABSTRACT This article addresses whether and how unions help to dismantle workplace inequality experienced by people with different types of disabilities. Using pooled 2009–2018 CPS MORG data of 630,799 respondents covering almost a decade, we find that union membership benefits workers with disabilities more than other groups and workers with the severest disabilities benefit the most from being in unionized work. Because union membership increases disabled workers' weekly earnings by more than double the increase experienced by people without disabilities, it brings unionized disabled workers closer to overall average earnings with important implications for inequality. Unionized work reduces earnings inequality between disabled and non-disabled workers, but earnings boosts associated with union membership generate more pronounced inequality within groups of workers with disabilities depending on whether individuals have access to unionized employment. We find that gaps among employed unionized and nonunionized disabled workers are significantly larger than those experienced by unionized and nonunionized female, Black, and Hispanic workers.


Multiple abdominal organs including the liver, pancreas, stomach, and small and large intestine were allografted in pigs receiving intramuscular injections of FK-506 (0.1, 0.15, 0.3, 0.4mg/kg/day). I observed rejection of the liver, and small and large intestine after 7 days post-transplantation in the untreated group. However, I did not observe rejection in all treated groups. The mean survival of the treated group (17.5, 8.5, 14, 10 days) was not significantly longer than that of the untreated group (10.8 days). Lymphocyte depletion and atrophy of the germinal center in the mediastinal lymph node were noted in the untreated group after 11 days post-transplantation, however, these were not noted in the treated groups. The histological improvement in animals receiving FK-506 was consistent with both suppression of rejection and the graft versus host reaction. I conclude that FK-506 is useful and powerful immunosuppressant for multiple abdominal organ transplantation in pigs.


Plant architecture is dictated by morphogenetic factors that specify the number and symmetry of lateral organs as well as their positions relative to the primary axis. Mutants defective in the patterning of leaves and floral organs have provided new insights on the signaling pathways involved, but there is comparatively little information regarding aspects of the patterning of stems, which play a dominant role in architecture. To this end, we have characterized five alleles of the brevipedicellus mutant of Arabidopsis, which exhibits reduced internode and pedicel lengths, bends at nodes, and downward-oriented flowers and siliques. Bends in stems correlate with a loss of chlorenchyma tissue at the node adjacent to lateral organs and in the abaxial regions of pedicels. A stripe of achlorophyllous tissue extends basipetally from each node and is positioned over the vasculature that services the corresponding lateral organ. Map-based cloning and complementation studies revealed that a null mutation in the KNAT1 homeobox gene is responsible for these pleiotropic phenotypes. Our observation that wild-type Arabidopsis plants also downregulate chlorenchyma development adjacent to lateral organs leads us to propose that KNAT1 and ERECTA are required to restrict the action of an asymmetrically localized, vasculature-associated chlorenchyma repressor at the nodes. Our data indicate that it is feasible to alter the architecture of ornamental and crop plants by manipulating these genetically defined pathways.


The Global Maritime Fulcrum (GMF) is a strategic idea hat is realized to ensure inter-island connectivity, development of the shipping industry and fisheries, and focus on maritime security. The implementation of Pushidrosal's tasks, roles, and functions in supporting the government's vision to realize Indonesia as GMF is inseparable from problems that result in the non-optimal role of Pushidrosal as the National Hydrographic Organization. The dominant problems that prevent Pushidrosal include limited, human resources, infrastructure facilities only located in Jakarta, vessel and equipment survey owned by Pushidrosal. This research aims to analyze the role, duties, and functions of Pushidrosal in supporting the government's vision to realize Indonesia as GMF. The research was conducted using qualitative descriptive methods which are based on the implementation theory of George C. Edwards III. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of Pushidrosal's role in supporting the government's vision to realize Indonesia as GMF is not in doubt. This means that the role and application of hydrography strongly support the government's vision of realizing Indonesia as GMF. In order to carry out the duties of the national hydrographic institution more optimally, it is necessary to increase capabilities in terms of human resources based on its qualifications in the sector of hydrographic, infrastructure, budgeting and addition of Hydrographic and Oceanographic Units are needed in three regions, namely West, Central and East, and harmonious cooperation between the Ministries and Institutions (K/L) and stakeholder. Keywords : Pushidrosal, National Hydrographic Institute, Global Maritime Fulcrum DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-3-06 Publication date: March 31 st 2020


Poland syndrome is characterized by partial or complete absence of pectoralis muscles, ipsilateral syndactyly, and occasionally other malformations of the anterior chest wall and breast. Other associated anomalies, including dextrocardia, renal malformations, and vertebral anomalies, have been reported in rare cases. The condition is more frequent among males, and usually occurs on the right hemithorax in the unilateral form. The syndrome is believed to be caused by a genetic disorder that reduces the embryonal circulation in the subclavian and vertebral arteries. We report a 20-year-old man with Poland syndrome on the left hemithorax, which is rarely associated with dextroposition.


The rechargeable zinc-iodine (Zn-I2) battery is a promising energy-storage system due to its low cost and good security, but the practical use of the battery is largely constrained by the shuttle effect and high dissolvability of iodides. Here a multifunctional iodine host, constructed with nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanocages (NCCs) by the polymerization carbonization activation method, is exploited to improve the electrochemical performance and lifespan of the Zn-I2 battery, achieving a high specific capacity of 259 mAh g-1, a good rate performance (maintaining 50.6% expanding 50 times), and a high cycle stability (retention of 100% after 1000 cycles). On the basis of the experimental results and theoretical calculations, NCCs via the introduction of N doping and nanosized porous structure can simultaneously provide rich and robust anchoring and catalytic sites to carry out the electrostatic adsorption of iodides and facilitate the reversible conversion between iodine and iodides. This work shows a novel and efficient strategy to develop high-performance and long-life Zn-I2 batteries.


The purpose of this study is to examine the necessity of 'emergency plumbing equipment for preventing the spread of water leakage'. It reviews social and economic costs when there is spread of water leakage and finds out that those are enormous. Expansion of water leakage causes conflicts between neighbors, economic loss and inconvenience from damages on facilities like elevator and power failure. Next, it examines the inability of existing plumbing equipment when it comes to spread of water leakage. Newly defined 'Surface Leakage' means rapid leak in the surface, and 'Internal Leakage' means seeping out slowly and gradually buried in the pipeline. It will also be analyzed by separating the concept of a leak in the two concepts of a 'Surface Leakage' and 'Internal Leakage'. It proposes emergency plumbing equipment for preventing the spread of water leakage as a solution for the expansion of water leakage. It explains general concepts of emergency plumbing equipment for preventing the spread of water leakage. It will also examine the effectiveness of the user by performing a survey of 420 multi-level building their opinion on the effects of an emergency plumbing equipments to prevent the spread of water leakage.


Carnival Cruise Lines is the market leader in the low-price cruise market. Carnival achieved this position by emphasizing onboard activities, targeting a relatively young cruiser, using extensive television advertising, and focusing on the travel agent as its channel of distribution. As a result of industry growth, new companies have entered the business and existing lines have added ships. Currently, Carnival controls 24 per-cent of the berth space in the North American market. This commentary on Professor Robert Kwortnik's case offers nearly a dozen opportunities for Carnival management to strengthen its position—notably, paying attention to the market's changing demo-graphics and considering expanded marketing opportunities, including operating land-based resorts.


In recent years, ultrasonic vibration rock-breaking technology has aroused great interest in tunnel excavation and underground mineral. To apply this technology to practical engineering, it is necessary to compare the difference between cumulative damage and crack propagation of rock under static load and ultrahigh frequency alternating load. Numerical simulation and laboratory experimental methods were used in this paper to study the damage and fracture characteristics of rock under static loading and ultrasonic vibration. The variation laws of rock infrared temperature characteristics, porosity and compressive strength under different ultrasonic static loads were studied. The discrete element model of rock under ultrasonic vibration was established, and the numerical simulation was carried out by PFC2D software. We designed the ultrasonic rotary drilling device to verify the drilling effect. The process and mechanism of rock fragmentation under static load and ultrasonic vibration load were analyzed from the perspective of energy. Numerical simulation and experimental results showed that the combination of static load and ultrasonic vibration accelerates the failure speed of rock sample. The thermal infrared temperature characteristic test showed that the rock-breaking process under ultrasonic load and static load has three stages: stage I, elastic deformation and the temperature rises linearly; stage II, the development of microcrack and the temperature is further increased uniformly, and stage III, macrobreaking and rock chips falling off, and the temperature fluctuates sharply. There is a minimum threshold value for the promotion of static loading to break rock by ultrasonic vibration. Only when the static load is greater than 200 N, the crack propagation will occur in the rock sample. At this time, with the increase of static load, the crack propagation will further intensify, and the rock-breaking effect is more obvious. Under the same weight on bit (WOB), the penetration of rotary ultrasonic drilling can be increased by 13.93% ∼ 38.11% compared with conventional rotary drilling.


Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The ubiquitin-proteasome system regulates the stability of most proteins controlling various biological processes in human cells. PSMD7, as a core component of the 26S proteasome, is critical for the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins in the proteasome. Currently, PSMD7 expression and its roles in the progression of breast cancer remain largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the level of PSMD7 in breast cancer tissues and investigated the underlying molecular events by which PSMD7 could play a role in tumor progression. The results showed that the PSMD7 level was significantly upregulated in breast cancer tissues. PSMD7 expression was closely associated with tumor subtype, tumor size, lymph node invasion, and TNM stage. A high PSMD7 level predicted poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that lymph node invasion, distant metastasis, and PSMD7 expression were associated with OS and DFS. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that PSMD7 was an independent predictor of OS (HR=1.310, 95% CI=1.038-1.652). Importantly, PSMD7 knockdown induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, leading to cell senescence and apoptosis. PSMD7 knockdown inhibited the expression of key cell cycle-related proteins and promoted the stability of p21 and p27 in breast cancer cells. PSMD7 may be a valuable prognostic indicator and potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.


We analyse various perturbations and projections of Kalman-Bucy semigroups and Riccati equations. For example, covariance inflation-type perturbations and localisation methods (projections) are common in the ensemble Kalman filtering literature. In the limit of these ensemble methods, the regularised sample covariance tends toward a solution of a perturbed/projected Riccati equation. With this motivation, results are given characterising the error between the nominal and regularised Riccati flows and Kalman-Bucy filtering distributions. New projectiontype models are also discussed; e.g. Bose-Mesner projections. These regularisation models are also of interest on their own, and in, e.g., differential games, control of stochastic/jump processes, and robust control.


Existing methods for speaker age estimation usually treat it as a multi-class classification or a regression problem. However, precise age identification remains a challenge due to label ambiguity, i.e., utterances from adjacent age of the same person are often indistinguishable. To address this, we utilize the ambiguous information among the age labels, convert each age label into a discrete label distribution and leverage the label distribution learning (LDL) method to fit the data. For each audio data sample, our method produces a age distribution of its speaker, and on top of the distribution we also perform two other tasks: age prediction and age uncertainty minimization. Therefore, our method naturally combines the age classification and regression approaches, which enhances the robustness of our method. We conduct experiments on the public NIST SRE08-10 dataset and a real-world dataset, which exhibit that our method outperforms baseline methods by a relatively large margin, yielding a 10% reduction in terms of mean absolute error (MAE) on a real-world dataset.


A PLL-based technique, able to reduce phase noise and non linearity of voltage controlled oscillators, is presented. According to this technique, the phase of a VCO can be sampled using an analog circuit (phase to voltage converter). The resulting signal is filtered and fed back to the VCO, decreasing its phase noise. Based on the phase/jitter properties extracted from transistor level analysis, a voltage domain behavioral model of the system was simulated and significant phase noise reduction was confirmed


The occurrence of antibodies to human C-reactive protein (CRP) was analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 56 patient sera known to contain antibodies to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and in 16 sera from patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 15 rheumatoid arthritis, 31 Crohn's disease, and 37 ulcerative colitis. Eighty-seven per cent of the patients with anti-dsDNA antibodies had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the remaining had autoimmune hepatitis. The cut-off for positive anti-CRP test was set at the 95th percentile of 100 healthy blood donors. Twenty of 56 anti-dsDNA sera (36%) and two of 16 SS sera (13%) had antibodies reactive with human CRP, whereas all other samples were negative. Thirteen of 27 SLE patients (48%) were positive on at least one occasion. The sera containing anti-CRP antibodies only reacted with surface-bound antigen, but not with native CRP in solution. In conclusion, we found that autoantibodies to CRP are common in sera from patients with anti-dsDNA antibodies. It is not likely that this explains the relative failure of CRP response in patients with active SLE. However, it cannot be excluded that anti-CRP autoantibodies have other biological potentials of pathophysiological interest in SLE, for instance by binding to CRP deposited on cell and tissue surfaces.


Anaplasma spp. bacteria cause anaplasmosis, a disease which negatively affects livestock production worldwide. Molecular detection by PCR requires efficient extraction of DNA from whole blood, which in turn depends on blood sample quality. Failures in sampling procedures and/or sample storage can lead to hemolysis and blood clotting, which can hamper diagnosis. An established DNA extraction protocol using Chelex 100 resin was modified to optimize detection of Anaplasma spp. in hemolyzed and coagulated bovine blood samples, as well as reduce its cost. The optimized protocol extracted highly pure DNA effective in PCR analysis. Efficiency of the optimized protocol was compared with two commercial DNA extraction kits. When used in PCR detection of Anaplasma spp., the concordance values for all three were high (Cohen's Kappa = 0.72). The optimized Rev Mex Cienc Pecu 2021;12(2):653-664 654 protocol is effective at extracting DNA from complex blood samples and is much less costly than commercial methods, a clear advantage when operating under limited budgets.


OBJECTIVE
Lipemia is one of the causes of interference in immunoassay and LC-MS/MS methods. Increased prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the US, where obesity is gradually increasing, raises the suspicion that high levels of fat diet and blood lipid levels interfere with vitamin D measurement results. The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of blood lipid profiles on vitamin D results and prevent the matrix effect.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
In this study, 25OH vitamin D3 (25OHD3) levels of 100 samples consecutively accepted to biochemistry laboratory regardless of age and sex were measured by the LC-MS/MS method, and each sample was restudied after 1/10 dilution. After dilution restudy, two groups were obtained-group 1 (results deviating below 20%) and group 2 (results deviating above 20%)-and the difference between the groups was investigated. There were 79 patients in group 1 and 21 patients in group 2. In our study, lipid profiles (triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL) from the same samples of consecutive vitamin D patients were studied.

RESULTS
It was observed that the triglyceride, total cholesterol HDL, LDL, and 25OHD3 measurements of group 1 and group 2 were similar (p > 0.05). While the mean vitamin D value in the second group was 9.94 ± 7.85, the mean vitamin D value after dilution was measured as 39.23 ± 18.13 and was statistically significant. 25OHD3 concentrations of 21 patients out of 100 were found to be falsely low. Measurements were repeated to confirm the results.

CONCLUSION
The matrix effect caused by exogenous and endogenous interferences in the blood could be a hidden factor increasing the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency by causing falsely low 25OHD3 values. Suspicious results should be remeasured by a dilution study.


This research departed from the author's interest in the design of medicinal herb product (thereafter called jamu) packaging coming from Madura Island having verbal and visual persuasive messages leading to exoticism esthetics. Persuasion through sexuality exoticism esthetics often appears when medicinal herb product is intended to men and women who want to achieve harmonious relationship biologically. Medicinal herb product (jamu) promoted through verbal and visual persuasion delivered via packaging design media can be attractive and tempting, so that consumers buy it to be consumed. The uniqueness of sexual vulgar exotic persuasive message in the packaging of medicinal herb product is important to be studied in-depth. This research focused on the design of jamu packaging leading to sexuality exoticism produced in Madura, the sample jamu produced in Bangkalan, Sampang, Pamekasan, and Sumenep Regencies. Data was obtained through observation, documentation, and online literature, the results of which were combined through triangulation process and analyzed using Jean Baudrillard's trans-aesthetic theory stating that design contains sign and symbolic values. The result of research showed that the design of jamu packaging in Madura functioning to improve stamina intended to husband-wife couple contain exoticism trans-aesthetic value. The values contained in the packaging design are: (1) sign value consisting of: (a) the use of packaging as product container, as jamu information and promotion media, (b) buying jamu product to be consumed generates spirit to do some activities, (c) packaging design contains modernity sign to the consumers of jamu, and (3) symbols of power, sturdiness, harmony, enjoyment, and satisfaction to consumers. This persuasive strategy is considered to be able to attract the public's interest, most of which come from middle-class economy who like to imagine momentary enjoyment.
Keywords: jamu, packaging design, persuasive, exoticism, aesthetic


The physical and mechanical properties of polyethylene (PE) matrix
reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber composites with different
by weight loading (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt%) have been studied. Two different
types of chemical treatments such as oxidizing agent sodium metaperiodate and
coupling agent urea has been used to improve the properties of the composites.
Scanning electron micrographs photographs of the fractured and surfaces
characteristics were taken to study the fiber/matrix interface adhesion. Reduced fiber
agglomeration and improved interfacial was observed under scanning electron
microscope in the case of PE reinforced with treated OPEFB fiber and improved the
compatibility in the case of urea treated PE reinforced with treated OPEFB fiber
composites. Tensile modulus and flexural modulus significantly increased with an
increase in fiber loading. However, flexural strength is found decreased beyond 15%
by weight fiber loading and tensile strength significantly decreased with an increase
in fiber loading. Effect of water absorption on the composites was also observed and
it was found that PE reinforced with treated OPEFB fiber composites are less
absorbed by water compared with PE reinforced with untreated OPEFB fiber and
urea treated PE reinforced with treated OPEFB fibers composites. Overall,
chemically treated PE reinforced with OPEFB fiber composites showed better
fiber/matrix interactions as observed from the good dispersion of fibers in the matrix
system. Compared to the PE reinforced with untreated OPEFB fiber composites, all
treated OPEFB fiber reinforced composites had same tendency to slightly increase
the mechanical properties of composites.


In the past, industrial countries have tended to pursue countercyclical or, at worst, acyclical fiscal policy. In sharp contrast, emerging and developing countries have followed procyclical fiscal policy, thus exacerbating the underlying business cycle. We show that, over the last decade, about a third of the developing world has been able to escape the procyclicality trap and actually become countercyclical. We then focus on the role played by the quality of institutions, which appears to be a key determinant of a country's ability to graduate. We show that, even after controlling for the endogeneity of institutions and other determinants of ...scal procyclicality, there is a causal link running from stronger institutions to less procyclical or more countercyclical fiscal policy.


The authors envisaged the order of emplacement, tasks, duties, rights and responsibility of chief medical officers of the Defense Ministry of Russian Federation, accented the importance of work planning on the base of clinical-epidemiological analyze and monitoring of morbidity, necessity of cooperation of chief medical officers inter se. Main attention must be paid to military units of medical service. The purpose of it--is further their integration in territorial system of medical maintenance.


Since 1990, many Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and students have made cannabis the focus of scholarship and learning. This work has been shaped by the political, economic, and cultural legacies of cannabis in Humboldt County. Schol-arly interest spans multiple dimensions of cannabis cultivation, commerce, consumption, and related social issues. As a multidisciplinary team of scholars, Cal Poly Humboldt faculty affiliated with the Humboldt Institute for Interdis-ciplinary Marijuana Research (HIIMR) have also shaped the Bachelor of Arts in Cannabis Studies that will launch in Fall 2023. This is the first social science degree program in the United States with this orientation. In this article we trace the origins of cannabis scholarship and learning at Cal Poly Humboldt from a period of domestic cannabis prohibition to the recent period of industry legalization. We also provide an overview of the BA program links to local and state policy and other contexts. Finally, we discuss cultivation communities and strategies of resilience in the context of economic turmoil as a result of legalization.


Women are positioned differently in society, their understanding and perspectives of radicalization are also different from men. Loss of lives, physical disabilities, displacement, destruction of houses and infrastructure etc., affect men and women differently. Consequently, women have different approaches towards de-radicalization, conflict resolution and peace building. Most of the available literature brings together the impact of radicalization and violent extremism in the form of gender blind numbers and statistics, and misses woman as the category of analysis. Moreover, women have mostly been portrayed as passive victims of violent extremism, ignoring diverse role she plays as sympathizer, supporter and preventer of violent extremism. Consequently, women remain excluded from decision making at all levels and stages. Their perspective on radicalization has always been ignored. This study charts and assesses the perspectives of women on violent extremism in Afghanistan; and strategies women use to cope with, and counter, radicalization. Radicalization and violent extremism primarily hit against women's rights. Women not only suffer direct physical and sexual violence in the form of flogging, stoning and beating to death, forced marriage and rape etc., but also bear most of the brunt of loss of livelihood and displacement; disappearances, disabilities and killing of family members. Radicalization specifically hits against marginalized segment of the society such as; women, children, religious, sectarian and ethnic minorities. In confluence with patriarchal cultural practices, violent extremism further intensifies oppression and marginalization of women. It enlarges the ambit of patriarchal control over women's body, mobility, health, education, and social, political and economic participation, impeding them from claiming their fundamental human. Peace and women's rights are interconnected. It is an established fact that women enjoy better status in peaceful societies and contribute more to the socio-economic development; while radicalized and conflict-ridden societies relegate women to lower, rather sub-human status.


Many ecological studies compare the genetic structure of populations undergoing natural or artificial selection across different environments. High-throughput molecular markers are now commonly used for these comparisons and provide information on the adaptation of the populations to their environments. The genetic structure reflects the history of selection, mutation, migration, and the reproductive breeding system of the populations in their environments. This can be investigated by comparing the ordering of markers obtained from the population with that provided by a recombination or physical map. In populations undergoing selection many genes (markers) have low or zero frequency and commonly used disequilibrium coefficients become unstable under these conditions. A method is presented for ordering bi-allelic markers for populations of self-fertilizing plant species which consist of mixtures of related homozygous genotypes. This provides stable pair-wise marker similarity measures even when marker frequencies are low, identification of marker combinations that reflect phenomena that cause differentiation (such as selection and migration), and genetic information on the adaptation of the populations to the environments. The method is illustrated using data from a plant breeding program and inferences are made about accumulation of desirable genes (such as for disease resistance).


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of Shenfu injection on ischemia-reperfusion injury of rat kidney and its mechanism.

METHODS
Fifty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: sham operation group (Sham group), Ischemia-reperfusion group (IR group), Shenfu injection (5 mL/kg) treated group (SF5 + IR group), Shenfu Injection (10 mL/kg) treated group (SF10+IR group) and Shenfu Injection (15 mL/kg) treated group (SF15+IR group). The rats were anesthetized with valebarbitone. Bilateral kidneys were exposed through midline incision. Right kidney was removed and left renal pedicels were occluded for 50 min with a traumatic mini-clamp then unclamped for 24 h. Animals in (SF5+IR group), (SF10+IR group) and (SF15+IR group) received Shenfu Injection of 5 mL/kg, 10 mL/kg and 15 mL/kg respectively through intraperitoneal injection every day for 7 days. At 24 hours after reperfusion, blood and renal tissue were taken for examination.

RESULTS
Ischemia-reperfusion injury rat model was established successfully. The level of serum BUN, CREA and MDA were lower in (SF5+IR) group and (SF10+IR)group and (SF15+IR) group than in IR group (P < 0.05). The level of SOD in (SF5+IR) group and (SF10+IR) group and (SF15+IR) group increased significantly than in IR group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, all of the changes were observed in a dose-dependent manner, (SF15 + IR) group demonstrated the best effect by compared with others (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Shenfu injection can protect rats against acute renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by increasing SOD activity and decreasing MDA content.


In a population-based survey of respiratory disease in New Mexico Hispanics, we validated self-reports of cigarette use by 1,317 subjects against salivary cotinine level and end-tidal carbon monoxide concentration. For identifying likely deceivers about cigarette smoking among self-reported never smokers and former smokers, we used cutoff values of 20 ng/ml and 8 parts per million (ppm) for salivary cotinine and carbon monoxide, respectively. Among males and females, age-standardized prevalences of current smokers based upon questionnaire reports were 30.9 and 27.1%, respectively. After adjustment for cotinine alone, these percentages were 36.2 for males and 31.1 for females, and after adjustment for cotinine and carbon monoxide level, the corresponding percentages were 39.1 for males and 33.2 for females. We conclude that self-reports about smoking habits may lead to underestimation of the prevalence of current smokers and that questionnaire responses should be validated with biologic markers of tobacco smoke exposure.


Array antennas are frequently used on Communication Systems to attend a particular characteristic of gain, directivity, and radiation pattern. Array antennas are special useful when it is not possible to achieve a desired operating condition with a single-element antenna. The parameters of an array antenna as number of elements, element separation, size of elements, phase and magnitude of excitation currents have a strong influence over the resulting radiation pattern. Modeling and simulation of array antennas involving these parameters is a hard task due to the complexity of mathematical solution. Advanced knowledge in electromagnetic waves theory for time variant fields are necessary to obtain the total field provide by an array in a far-field region. The MODSAR project (Modeling and Simulation of Array Antennas) was created to provide a simple computational environment for modeling and simulation of array antennas with results showed by means of graphical interfaces. The aim of this paper is to show the main features of MODSAR program and its application on studies and researches of array antennas.


To evaluate the effectiveness of several types of complementary medicine in patients with rheumatic diseases, a literature search was performed. Clinical trials, blind or open, comparing the effectiveness of forms of complementary medicine with that of placebo or another control therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, soft tissue rheumatism and the fibromyalgia syndrome were selected until half of 1989, using electronic databases. Abstracts and summaries were excluded. The investigation was performed at the department of rheumatology of the Medisch Spectrum Twente hospital at Enschede in cooperation with the department of internal diseases of the Sint Radboud hospital at Nijmegen. For each type of complementary treatment, the results of all the clinical trials were summarized. Furthermore, the placebo-controlled trials were graded according to convincing trials or trials that seemed to be less valid and/or difficult to interpret. Data concerning acupuncture, balneotherapy, dietary measures, enzymic therapy, Seatone, homeopathy, manual therapy and fever few were found. Of these types of complementary medicine in rheumatic diseases, we found no convincing prove that they are more effective than the control or placebo treatment. A considerable number of the studies however can be criticized. It is necessary to perform further studies on the effect of frequently used types of complementary medicine in patients with rheumatic diseases, by or in cooperation with the physicians or paramedics who prescribe or perform these kinds of treatment. This is nearly always possible; directives are given to realize further studies of this kind. If a particular treatment proves to be no more effective than placebo treatment, its use should be discouraged.


This second part of the work deals firstly with carrying out materials characterization, mainly mercury intrusion porosimetry and chloride electrodiffusion tests on two cement pastes. Experimental data allowed fixing the perturbation parameter ϵ and other dimensionless numbers highlighted in part I of this work. Secondly, a series of parametric simulations were performed in order to compute the chloride diffusion coefficient through a gradual complexity of the elementary cell, approaching as close as possible the real microstructure of the cement pastes tested. Results highlighted that taking into account microstructure parameters (porosity, tortuosity and constrictivity) allows to approach the experimental diffusion coefficient. However, they also showed that electrochemical interactions between ions and the liquid‐solid interface, and the multi‐scale character of cementitious material microstructure, must be considered. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


We analyze the structure and phase behavior of long wormlike polymers sterically confined between two parallel, structureless walls, separated by a distance W. We focus on the case where W is comparable to the persistence length ℓp of the polymers, W ∼ ℓp << L, where L is the total contour length of a polymer. We find that three distinct phases (uniaxial, biaxial and condensed) may exist, depending on the polymer density and W, for wormlike chains interacting with each other through the excluded-volume interaction.


The fluid model is proposed to investigate the gas breakdown driven by a short-pulse (such as a Gaussian pulse) high-power microwave at high pressures. However, the fluid model requires specification of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF); the common assumption of a Maxwellian EEDF can result in the inaccurate breakdown prediction when the electrons are not in equilibrium. We confirm that the influence of the incident pulse shape on the EEDF is tiny at high pressures by using the particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision (PIC-MCC) model. As a result, the EEDF for a rectangular microwave pulse directly derived from the Boltzmann equation solver Bolsig+ is introduced into the fluid model for predicting the breakdown threshold of the non-rectangular pulse over a wide range of pressures, and the obtained results are very well matched with those of the PIC-MCC simulations. The time evolution of a non-rectangular pulse breakdown in gas, obtained by the fluid model with the EEDF from Bolsig+, is presented and analyzed at different pressures. In addition, the effect of the incident pulse shape on the gas breakdown is discussed.


The F&B market in Indonesia, including coffee shops such as Brush and Palette, has experienced significant growth due to increased consumption in Indonesia. With increasing consumption in the F&B industry, there is a target market for coffee shops. From interviews with the owner of Brush and Palette, it was revealed that sales were stagnant and below target which raised concerns about revenue stability and sustainable growth. By focusing marketing efforts on promoting and eliciting purchase intent, Brush and Palette can strategize to increase sales and align with customer preferences. Further research is needed to refine market segmentation and develop more precise targeting strategies. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence and increase sales of Brush and Palette. This research uses quantitative research methods with descriptive statistics. The sample for this study consisted of 200 respondents who were taken using the non-probability sampling method. The questionnaire will use a Likert scale with five levels, which represent the scale intervals. Questionnaires will be distributed online. The research tool used in this research is a questionnaire. Data analysis methods are divided into two, namely internal analysis (7Ps of the marketing mix and STP) and external analysis (PESTEL Analysis, Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Competitor Analysis, and Customer Analysis). Then, the data were analyzed using SWOT and TOWS analysis. Based on the research results, companies must carry out effective promotional activities so that they can easily attract potential or existing customers to buy or repurchase Brush and Palette products. Affordable prices and quality products can attract consumers to buy Brush and Palette products. Brand awareness of buyers must be increased by Brush and Palette because it has a positive effect on purchase intentions. Several strategies that can be implemented in Brush and Palette are utilizing strategic locations and interior design to attract new customers and increase menu choices and facilities to strengthen their competitive position through these strategies.


The importance of primary care has already been recognized in the developed countries, where the structure and function of primary care is very heterogeneous. In the QUALICOPC study, the costs, quality and equity of primary care systems will be compared in the 34 participating countries. Representative samples of primary care practices were recruited in Hungary. An evaluation with questionnaire was performed in 222 practices on the work circumstances, conditions, competency and financial initiatives. Ten patients in each practice were also questioned by independent fieldworkers. In this work, the methodology and Hungarian experience are described. The final results of the international evaluation will be analyzed and published later. It is expected that data obtained from the QUALICOPC study may prove to be useful in health service planning and may be shared with policy makers.


This paper explores the relations between patriarchy and class in the context of the capitalist mode of production. The relations between these terms, patriarchy and class or patriarchy and capitalism have been, in the women's movement, embedded in an often rancorous debate. For Marxistfeminists in particular, the dilemmas of how to locate ourselves in what were often represented by both sides as contradictory and opposing struggles, were serious and painful. On the one side, radical feminists posed men as the 'main enemy'.' For them, therefore, any struggle must oppose patriarchy directly as a form of domination imposed by men on women. For them, Marxist-feminists, who link the struggle against patriarchy with a struggle with men against the ruling class, work with the oppressor and are thereby complicit in the reproduction of patriarchal relations. They have gone over to the other side. On the other side, Marxist feminists, viewed as traitors by radical feminists, encountered a parallel accusation from the Left. Basing arguments on the theoretical work of Engels, women's oppression was identified with the historical emergence of private property and hence of class relations. The struggle for a classless society subsumed the struggle for women's emancipation. To struggle separately for immediate gains for women, or worse, to struggle within Marxist organisations against male chauvinism, served only to divide and weaken organisations committed to class struggle. The problems for Marxist-feminists have been how to represent feminism within class struggle, how to understand the relations between patriarchy and capitalism, how to confront and oppose male chauvinism in the working class and in the often petty bourgeois character of Left organisations, how to relate revolutionary organisation and struggle to the autonomous women's movement and how to bring understandings learned there into the struggle for socialism.


Overall, in China the payment system is less developed and electronic payment methods are less widely used than in European countries, while in this regard China is also relatively underdeveloped among the BRICS countries.1 That said, data indicate that in accordance with China's economic growth since the turn of the millennium, major changes have also been taking place in this field. Although it enjoyed a monopoly in the country until recently, the Chinese payment card system now competes with international card companies, and innovative mobile payment solutions are also popular. This latter is also remarkable because despite the steady growth in the number of people using mobile payment solutions in Western states, even the most developed payments systems have so far failed to convince a wide range of consumers to use the latest technologies. By contrast, in China a significant group of consumers has skipped over arguably traditional payment methods such as credit transfers or card payments, and switched from cash usage directly to mobile payment solutions. This has also caused the role of banks to become less central, and that of other payment service providers more prominent, which may also significantly influence the situation of the banking sector going forward.


Theoretical background: Sustainable development is a new widely desirable course in the economy of the 21 st century. Its goals can be met by consumers implementing a zero waste concept understood as a lifestyle that assumes the maximum reduction of household waste production. Purpose of the article: The paper sheds a light on consumer awareness of the zero waste concept among young people, who face a long consumption life, and identifies the gender role in the process of applying this concept in practice. Research methods: To achieve the research goal, a survey was carried out among consumers aged 19–24, and the original consumer zero waste sensibility scale was proposed and employed to obtain results. Main findings: The outcomes suggest that the zero waste concept is more widely known among women, who show a higher level of consumer zero waste sensibility than men. results all eight this respondents deficiencies for whom no gender was 176 of the young respondents were selected (110 female and 66 The average results and standard deviations for the gender groups were


A descriptive polytheist thinks there are at least two gods. John Hick and Richard Swinburne are descriptive polytheists. In this respect, they are like Thomas Aquinas and many other theists. What sets Swinburne and Hick apart from Aquinas, however, is that unlike him they are normative polytheists. That is, Swinburne and Hick think that it is right that we, or at least some of us, worship more than one god. However, the evidence available to me shows that only Swinburne, and not Hick, is a cultic polytheist: he actually worships more than one god. I conclude that only Swinburne is a polytheist par excellence.


Carbon nanoforms exhibit exceptional physical and chemical properties due to their nano-scale dimensions. They also have very high aspect ratio which makes them an excellent reinforcement material ...


For RFID tags to proliferate in our day to day life, they will have to offer practical, low cost and secured mechanisms for tag authentication which has been in the midst of researcher's interest for almost a decade. One extension of RFID authentication is RFID tag searching, which has not been given much attention so far. But we firmly believe that in near future tag searching will be a significant issue. In this paper we propose a lightweight and serverless RFID tag searching protocol. This protocol can search a particular tag efficiently without server's intervention. Furthermore they are secured against major security threats.


Forests and the forest industry were very important for the development of economy in Finland in the twentieth century. It was an obvious choice to rely on forests when the losses of the Second World War had to be cured and the building of the welfare state had to be started. Forests were of great importance also to settlement farms. In this article, I ask what meanings the settlement farmers assigned to the forest as a working place, how their relation to nature appears based on these meanings, and how these meanings and modes of working intertwine with identity and agency in narratives. Theoretically it can be stated that people construct and interpret their identities and agency by narrating their life stories. The data consist of settlement farmers' interviews and autobiographical essays. The meanings that settlement farmers assigned to forest can be summarized as follows: living space, resource, work, money, and recreation. The forest-relation was expressed as utilization, action, economy, and emotion. When settlement farmers defined their life through agency, it strengthened their possibilities of expressing different identities and redefining them in a flexible way. One owns forest because of emotional reasons and because it strengthens one's identity and promotes a feeling of continuity.


Abstract Local governments in autocracies typically undercompensate residents for their land and take it through eminent domain, while residents lack effective formal channels for bargaining with them. I find that some residents nonetheless can defend against such predation through extralegal land bargaining. By sending resistance signals to challenge the legitimacy of local governments, publicize their grievances, and garner public sympathy, such residents embarrass governments, make it likely higher-level governments will punish local governments, and spur concessions. Such signals, however, are often costly or unavailable, so only resistant entrepreneurs can send them. I illustrate the argument by treating 'nail-house resistance' in China as a resistance signal: by refusing to vacate their houses, engaging in violence or self-burning, or turning to the media, some residents stop land takings or gain compensation. The findings enrich our understanding of the political and moral economy of land bargaining and institutional change in a transitional autocracy.


A unified theory is developed for supersonic and hypersonic flow with attached shock waves over the lower surface of a delta wing at an angle of attack. The flow field on the lower surface of a delta wing consists of uniform flow regions near the leading edges, where the cross flow is supersonic and a nonuniform flow region near the central part, where the cross flow is subsonic. In the nonuniform flow region, the theory is based on the assumption that the flow differs slightly from the corresponding two-dimensional flow over a flat plate. Thus a linearized perturbation on a nonlinear flow field is first calculated and then strained and corrected so that the flow is matched continuously to the uniform flow which is obtained exactly. When compared with available exact numerical solutions the theory gives, in all cases, almost identical results, except near the crossflow sonic line where existing numerical methods fail to produce a discontinuous slope in the pressure curve, whereas the present theory predicts such a discontinuity and shows that the slope has a square root singularity at the crossflow sonic line similar to that in the supersonic linear theory.


Astronauts experience disturbances in balance and gait function when they return to Earth. The highly plastic human brain enables individuals to modify their behavior to match the prevailing environment. Subjects participating in specially designed variable sensory challenge training programs can enhance their ability to rapidly adapt to novel sensory situations. This is useful in our application because we aim to train astronauts to rapidly formulate effective strategies to cope with the balance and locomotor challenges associated with new gravitational environments—enhancing their ability to "learn to learn." We do this by coupling various combinations of sensorimotor challenges with treadmill walking. A unique training system has been developed that is comprised of a treadmill mounted on a motion base to produce movement of the support surface during walking. This system provides challenges to gait stability. Additional sensory variation and challenge are imposed with a virtual visual scene that presents subjects with various combinations of discordant visual information during treadmill walking. This experience allows them to practice resolving challenging and conflicting novel sensory information to improve their ability to adapt rapidly. Information obtained from this work will inform the design of the next generation of sensorimotor countermeasures for astronauts.


Since the disclosure of Project Tinkertoy in the fall of 1953, a program of research and development has been pursued aimed at improving the techniques and general electrical characteristics of modular electronic components. This article reviews the progress that has been made in the phases related to the electrical characteristics of the module. The program has been concerned chiefly with improving, modifying, or redeveloping the resistive, capacitive, and inductive elements of the modular system. For example, the range of the resistors has been expanded both with respect to power-handling capacity and tolerance limits. Two new types of capacitors have been developed for use with the module: a plastic film capacitor and a glass capacitor. An inductor has been designed for applications allowing the use of a universally wound, fiat type of element having a range up to 10 millihenries. A new tube socket has been developed that lends itself more easily to inexpensive mechanized handling. As a result of these and other developments, the principles of modular design are being more widely applied in commercial, industrial, and military electronic equipment.