A group of Indigenous health and social service evaluators called the "Three Ribbon" panel came together in Toronto in 2015/16 with the goal of informing a set of evidence-based guidelines for urban Indigenous health and social service and program evaluation. The collective knowledge and experiences of the Th ree Ribbon panel was gathered through discussion circles and synthesized around the follow ing areas: barriers to conducting Indigenous health and social service evaluation; decolonizing principles and protocols that support community self-determination and centralize Indigenous culture and worldviews; and guidelines to inform health and social service evaluation moving forward. The wisdom and contributions of the Three Ribbon Panel creates space for Indigenous worldviews, values, and beliefs within program evaluation practice and has important implications for evaluation research and application.


A B S T R A C T The effects of P and K on grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) var. Muscat Rosada were evaluated four years, considering the same levels of N. The experiment was conducted at the Vicuna Experimental Station (30° S; 70°44´ W) of the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA). The soil is alluvial antropic miscellaneous (Entisols). Three fertilization treatments were established: 1) N 160 + P2O5 200 + K2O 300; 2) N 160 + P2O5 0 + K2O 300; and 3) N 160 + P2O5 200 + K2O 0. At the beginning of the experiment, grape vines received all the phosphate fertilizers, 200 kg ha -1 of P2O5 as triple superphosphate in Treatments 1 and 3. Nitrogen was applied as urea for four years. The applications were initiated when the vine buds measured 20 cm. The K was applied to the soils of Treatments 1 and 2, at a dosage of 200 kg ha -1 K2O, using potassium sulphate. Between berry set and 30 d before harvest, 100 kg ha -1 K2O were applied as potassium sulphate by fertigation. Significant effects of the P fertilization were observed by the second year, with increased cluster numbers per plant. K also increased grape fruit yield by the third year. This response was obtained with less than 5 mg kg -1 of P available in the soil and less than 145 mg kg -1 of exchangeable K in the soil. The initially low content of available K and P suggests a high probability of response to the application of both elements.


Background: Business executives' lives have become a never-ending race against time, technology, and targets. This race creates tension, which leads to dissatisfaction and frustration and eventually manifests itself as psychological and physiological stress with mental and emotional drain. This modern lifestyle intensifies the stress leading to "excessive tension" and consequent deterioration in "executive efficiency". Objective: To assess emotional intelligent quotient (EQ) in managers undergoing yoga-based Self Management of Excessive Tension (SMET) program. Materials and Methods: 72 managers participated in this study which is of "single group pre-post design." The EQ test developed by Prof N. K. Chadha from University of Delhi was administered as pre and post the 5 days of SMET program. Statistical Analysis: Means, standard deviations, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to analyze the data. Results: The data analysis showed 72.02% significant increase (P<0.001) in EQ. Conclusion: The results suggest that participation in a SMET program was associated with improvement in EQ and may have implications for "executive efficiency."


Algebraic Riccati equations (AREs) have been extensively applicable in linear optimal control problems and many efficient numerical methods were developed. The most attention of numerical solutions is the (almost) stabilizing solution in the past works. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and challenging issue in finding the extremal solutions of AREs which play a vital role in the applications. In this paper, based on the semigroup property, an accelerated fixed-point iteration (AFPI) is developed for solving the extremal solutions of the discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation. In addition, we prove that the convergence of the AFPI is at least R-suplinear with order r > 1 under some mild assumptions. Numerical examples are shown to illustrate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.


ABSTRACT Following the NPP accident, several hundred tons of heat-generating corium and fuel debris have been cooled permanently by millions of m3 of flowing. Knowledge on the interaction with water is crucial for any decommissioning planning. Starting from knowledge on the evolutions of the accident in the three reactor cores and associated fuel debris formations and some additional isotopic and physio-chemical information on debris fragments collected in Fukushima soils, we review the temporal evolution of the chemistry and leached radionuclide contents of the cooling water, comparing measured concentration ratios of the actinides and fission products in the water to reported results of laboratory leaching studies with either spent nuclear fuel or simulated fuel debris. As for spent fuel leaching, the fractions of inventories of 134,137Cs in the cooling water are orders of magnitude larger than that of the actinides. After more than 10 years of fuel debris/water contact, 137Cs release rates have decreased by about a factor of 100. The total release of actinides from the fuel debris is orders of magnitude lower than that of 134,137Cs or of 90Sr. This high stability makes direct disposal of fuel debris in suitable containers after decommissioning a viable option.


DEBATE. Far from everyone who lives in Sweden has a secure housing situation. According to the National Board of Health and Welfare's latest national survey of 2017, there are about 33,000 homeless people in the country. A significant proportion of them are children. Due to the ongoing corona pandemic, many households are now threatened by unemployment and a deteriorating economy. If the state and municipalities do not act resolutely, there is an imminent risk that the housing crisis will deepen with devastating consequences for the individual as well as for society at large.


Although the vast majority of chronic headache is idiopathic in origin, child abuse can be a very rare cause of paroxysmal headaches in children. The aim of this report was to present a case of migraine headache aggravated after sexual abuse, which did not respond to treatment. An 11-year-old girl admitted to the outpatient department of the Neurology Clinic with headache complaint for the past two years. Neurological examination, neuroimaging and laboratory tests were normal. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-II criteria, the headache was diagnosed as migraine without aura and treatment as prophylaxis was planned. Her headache did not respond to treatment, so she was consulted with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and diagnosed as major depressive disorder. During one of the psychological interviews, she confessed that she had been sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend for two years. After this confession and punishment of the abuser, her headache improved dramatically. The prevalence of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse during childhood has been estimated between 13% and 27%, and these children may suffer chronic pain, headache or depression. Sexual abuse has been strongly associated with the migraine-depression phenotype when abuse first occurred before the age of 12 years. Despite the high prevalence of abuse, many physicians do not routinely ask about abuse history. In conclusion, child abuse must be kept in mind in intractable childhood headache. A multidisciplinary approach with the Departments of Forensic Sciences and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and detailed psychiatric evaluation should be useful in these cases.


Abstract The Automation of Field Operations and Services (AFOS) program of the National Weather Service will provide a new dimension to local weather analysis and forecasting. By providing minicomputers, video displays and high-speed communications to over 200 weather stations around the country, AFOS will greatly increase the forecaster's ability to assess, process, display and disseminate meteorological information. New prediction techniques will become feasible such as automatically monitoring and updating aviation terminal forecasts, providing computer-worded objective public forecasts, and using digitized radar data to update and improve precipitation, hydrologic and thunderstorm forecasts. The progress of research projects to develop these new analysis and forecast method for local application in the AFOS system is described, and the latest status of the AFOS program is discussed.


Diffusion-weighted MR imaging was performed in 5 control subjects and 8 patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD). The mean values of fractional anisotropy(FA) were calculated in the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, and anterior and posterior cerebral white matter. The FA value of the posterior white matter in patients with AD was significantly lower than that of controls. Fractional anisotropy may be useful in the diagnosis of AD.


The motivational climate, as created by coaches, and athletes' goal orientations are key constructs in understanding children's experiences with sport. In this study, the relationship between the perceived motivational climates, male adolescents' goal orientation, and their experiences of self-esteem, sport competence, enjoyment, and ultimately, intention to continue participating in sport was examined. Participants were 405 male adolescents (Sample A: n = 200; Sample B: n = 205) aged 13-15 years old. Structural equation modeling indicated an overall good fit to the structural model for both data sets. A task goal orientation was predicted by higher levels of coach-created task climate. Participants with higher task goal orientation had greater sport competence, self-esteem, and more enjoyment in sport; enjoyment was the only significant predictor of their intention to continue playing the sport they believe is most important over the next three years.


A vitamin B12 deficiency in weanling rats, which reduced their average weight to one-half that of controls, decreased liver concentration of nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) compounds about 10% but had no effect on concentration of disulfide compounds. Fasting did not accentuate the effect of the deficiency. Dams severely depleted of B12 produced offspring whose livers contained significantly less NPSH and correspondingly more nonprotein disulfide (NPSS) compounds than controls. Thus the decreased concentration of NPSH on the B12-deficient liver was accounted for as NPSS. Vitamin B12 deficiency had no effect on the rate of anaerobic glycolysis in liver and brain tissues.


Researchers have demonstrated that age is related to depression among gay men and lesbians, with younger adults experiencing more depression than older adults. Other researchers have indicated that a sense of belonging is related to lower levels of depression. This study investigated whether sense of belonging to the gay and lesbian community moderates and mediates the relationship between age and depressive symptoms among gay men and lesbians. An Australian sample of self-identified gay men (n = 346) and lesbians (n = 270) completed the Psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results indicated that age and sense of belonging were directly and independently related to depressive symptoms for gay men and lesbians. In addition, for lesbians only, sense of belonging moderated the age-depressive symptom relation. For lesbians with low levels of sense belonging to the lesbian community, age was not associated with depressive symptoms. In contrast, for lesbians with high levels of sense of belonging to the lesbian community, the association between sense of belonging and depressive symptoms decreased with increasing age. Encouraging gay men and lesbians (especially younger lesbians) to become involved in the gay and lesbian community is likely to be beneficial for their mental health.


THE ROLE OF GOSSIP IN THE MAINTENANCE OF ONE-ON-ONE relationships is well charted in sociolinguistic studies and much of the study of gossip throughout the 1980s and 1990s considers how women use everyday speech as a means of disseminating information about their domestic roles, of establishing a sense of their own subjectivity, of comparing themselves with others, of negotiating spaces within social arrangements and as a means of entertainment. Gossip in Melbourne author Helen Garner's writing can be viewed as that which is used in attempts to seal friendships, close the spaces and erase the differences that divide "the self from the space of the other" (Nead 6). This discussion will consider how language constructs gendered living and speaking spaces and how Garner's concentration on forms of daily domestic exchange celebrates that which Whitlock refers to as "exalted gossip" over (xxiii), among other things, self-centered masculine discourse. Gossip's effects are shown in Helen Garner's first novel Monkey Grip to be manifold and, in this sense, Garner's first novel set the stage for what was to become one of her major strengths - the ability to tap into what is happening in the Zeitgeist within community settings. The characters in Monkey Grip exist in 1970s Melbourne during a time of considerable social experimentation. However, despite their endeavors to overcome the traditional trammels of established social behaviors, the female characters, in particular, discover that "finding new ways to live is just as difficult as the old stereotypes [. . .] The new boundaries forge different frontiers, but ultimately they remain variations on an old theme" (Smith 204). Gossip in this novel is shown in its capacity to both consolidate a sense of female community whilst also make explicit the ruptures and elisions in group identity. Ultimately, it is suggested, the notion of a fixed social space for Nora and her friends must remain a Utopian "desire" given the unstable condition of all borders and, particularly, the provisional nature of the discourse which they enlist to parole their boundaries. As Lynda Nead says, the lines which demarcate the bounded social body, articulated through daily exchange, constantly threaten to "dissolve apparent unities" and thus make "identity a continuously provisional state" (32).The cultural critic Irit Rogoff identifies studies of gossip as forming three categories: "Anthropologizing," which looks at gossip as "the discourse of Others'" and "the communicative habits of tribes"; "Moralizing," where "exhaustive efforts" are made to "vindicate gossip from its morally inferior position and earnest attempts to find some purpose in its activity"; and the third category, which is the "Sociological" view that deals with "celebrity" and assumes that "gossip is a by-product of mass culture" and is "refracted through the apparatuses of mass, popular culture" (58-59). The last category is certainly one that has produced a prolific amount of discussion, as gossip has attracted much attention for the way that it is seeping into (indeed, it is often thought of as "infecting") "serious" news coverage, much as Monkey Grip attracted the criticism that it did upon its release in 1977 by some who thought it did not rate as "serious literature." Monkey Grip met with some of the harshest criticisms aimed at Garner's works. Garner's style was thought to read too much like a diary, to be too personal, too feminine somehow. Garner had to struggle to be accepted as a legitimate author, one who was considered "worthy" of her popularity - or perhaps condemned precisely because of it. There is a warning in the now oft-quoted line of Peter Pierce's from 1981 ("Helen Garner talks dirty and passes it off as realism" [113]) that there may be a danger in claiming that daily intercourse or gossip - and the integration of diese styles into prose - may involve itself with the private, the personal (and by implication "the dirty"), and that to pass off such a form of information exchange as legitimate and worthy of serious-minded treatment smacks of folly. …


The general objective of our research, targets the agrobiodiversity conservation and the diminishing of genetic erosion on crops. The specific objectives of the research consist in the collection, the identification and the pepper seed production. The resulted seed was intended both in on farm conservation and also in ex situ conservation in the USAMV Cluj-Napoca's genebank. In the genebank every sample of seed is accompanied by the passport descriptors and the characterization descriptors. They were collected and cultivated 18 landraces of pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.), two of wich were bell pepper ( C.annuum L.  ssp.annuum convar.  grossum (L.) var. Filov.   Tetragonum Miller), two of sweet pepper ( C. annuum L.  ssp. annuum convar.  grossum (L.) Filov. var.  grossum ), two of cayenne papper ( C. annuum L.  sp. annuum convar.  longum (DC.) Terp. ) E™i and 12 landraces of hot pepper ( C. annuum L.  sp. Annuum convar.  microcarpum Filov.). The seed was obtained from nine Romanian counties, seven being from Transylvania. During the vegetation period observations and measurements have been made to determine the characterization and agronomic morphology of landraces. IPGRI (Institute for Plant Genetic Resources) descriptors have been used. In this article eight morphological features are described (plant's habitus, colour and leaves dimension, colour and flowers position on the plant, shape and colour of the fruits (mature or immature), respectively seven agronomic aspects (plant height, fruits average weight (g), fruits dimensions (cm), average production per plant, fruits number per plant, resistance to diseases and pests, taste qualities).


To find new contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1)-reducing activities of metal complexes of EDTA, N-hydroxyethyethylenediamine-N,N',N'-triacetic acid (HEDTA), diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N'',N''-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), deferoxamine, mugineic acid, and pectin with Fe(III) or Mn(II) were investigated. Strong activity was found in Fe(III)-deferoxamine, Fe(III)-mugineic acid, or Mn(II)-pectin. In the actual MRI tomogram, Fe(III)-deferoxamine exhibited a contrast-enhancing effect comparable with that of Gd(III)-DTPA, and a much stronger effect was observed for Mn(II)-pectin. Fe(III)-deferoxamine and the Mn(II)-pectin appear to be candidates, respectively, as a new intravenous contrast agent and an oral gastrointestinal one.


The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an assessment of the potential geologic carbon dioxide storage resource in the onshore areas of the United States. To provide geological context and input data sources for the resources numbers, framework documents are being prepared for all areas that were investigated as part of the national assessment. This report is the geologic framework document for the Permian and Palo Duro Basins, the combined Bend arch-Fort Worth Basin area, and subbasins therein of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. In addition to a summarization of the geology and petroleum resources of studied basins, the individual storage assessment units (SAUs) within the basins are described and explanations for their selection are presented. Though appendixes in the national assessment publications include the input values used to calculate the available storage resource, this framework document provides only the context and source of inputs selected by the assessment geologists. Spatial files of boundaries for the SAUs herein, as well as maps of the density of known well bores that penetrate the SAU seal, are available for download with the release of this report.


Resonance characteristics of fiber-optic ring resonators, e,g., the finesse, are mainly determined by the loss and the coupling coefficient of the fused tapered coupler within the resonator. From measuring the resonance characteristics these parameters can be evaluated nondestructively. This is demonstrated by investigating spliceless nonpolarization maintaining ring resonators using an automated measurement system with an enhanced accuracy by numerical approximation of the resonance dip. Standard deviations of the finesse below 1%, of the coupling factor below 0.1% and of the loss coefficient below 0.01% have been achieved.


This dissertation focuses on the characterization of the fully reversed fatigue behavior exhibited by a carbon fiber/polyimide resin, woven laminate at room and elevated temperatures. Nondestructive video edge view microscopy and destructive sectioning techniques were used to study the microscopic damage mechanisms that evolved. The residual elastic stiffness was monitored and recorded throughout the fatigue life of the coupon. In addition, residual compressive strength tests were conducted on fatigue coupons with various degrees of damage as quantified by stiffness reduction. Experimental results indicated that the monotonic tensile properties were only minimally influenced by temperature, while the monotonic compressive and fully reversed fatigue properties displayed noticeable reductions due to the elevated temperature. The stiffness degradation, as a function of cycles, consisted of three stages; a short-lived high degradation period, a constant degradation rate segment composing the majority of the life, and a final stage demonstrating an increasing rate of degradation up to failure. Concerning the residual compressive strength tests at room and elevated temperatures, the elevated temperature coupons appeared much more sensitive to damage. At elevated temperatures, coupons experienced a much larger loss in compressive strength when compared to room temperature coupons with equivalent damage. The fatigue damage accumulation law proposed for the model incorporates a scalar representation for damage, but admits a multiaxial, anisotropic evolutionary law. The model predicts the current damage (as quantified by residual stiffness) and remnant life of a composite that has undergone a known load at temperature. The damage/life model is dependent on the applied multiaxial stress state as well as temperature. Comparisons between the model and data showed good predictive capabilities concerning stiffness degradation and cycles to failure.


We report solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ssNMR) studies on amyloid-like protein complexes formed by DIX domains that mediate key protein interactions in the Wnt signalling pathway. Our results provide insight into the 3D fold of the self-associated Axin-DIX domain and identify a potential lipid cofactor.


Multiple graph alignment (MGA) is a new approach to analyze protein structure in order to exploring their functional similarity. In this article, we propose a two-stage memetic algorithm to solve the MGA problem, named ACO-MGA2, based on ant colony optimization metaheuristic. A local search procedure is applied only to the second stage of the algorithm to save runtime. Experimental results have shown that ACO-MGA2 outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms while producing alignments of better quality.


A 48-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a 4-year history of chronic diarrhea, for investigation of an abnormal chest radiograph. She was free of respiratory symptoms. Ulcerative colitis was diagnosed by colonoscopic and radiological examinations. A chest radiograph showed a patchy area of consolidation in the right middle lung field and a high-resolution CT showed patchy ground-glass opacities mainly in the peripheral regions. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed increased percentages of lymphocytes and eosinophils. Thoracoscopic lung biopsy specimens showed the pattern of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, subpleural fibrosis, and interlobular septal thickening. The patient was treated with salazosulfapyridine, 4 g/day, resulting in improvement in her diarrhea, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, KL-6, and the carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lungs within 6 months. This is a rare case of ulcerative colitis and associated pulmonary involvement successfully treated with salazosulfapyridine.


Making Disciples of the Post-Christian Generation: A Strategy for Auckland Bible Church Tim Collins Doctor of Ministry School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary 2018 The purpose of this doctoral project is to develop a relational approach as an apologetic for Auckland Bible Church (ABC) to reach the younger, more postChristian generations in New Zealand and to help them grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. The current religious climate in New Zealand shows that church attendance is declining. Many young people today consider that what the church is offering is irrelevant and disconnected to their everyday existence. This project is looking to examine and critique what these young adults are turning to instead in contemplating how they live. I have examined what is typical of our postmodern culture by calling it a "Richard Dawkins, Lady Gaga, and Amazon.com" culture. These three icons represent secularism/atheism, sex, and consumerism/materialism. These are some of what our young adults believe will offer meaning and purpose in their lives. I have suggested and critiqued how these factors influence culture. I have also provided some examples in how young adults are using these cultural stimuli to give them meaning and purpose in their everyday decision making. Through this analysis I have shown that what young adults most value today is genuine relationships. Truth, whilst still important, is secondary to belonging and experiencing. In the past, the approach to apologetics involved rational proof discussions. Today such a methodology is ineffective in this post-Christian age where truth is relative. These young adults are looking for experience before explanation. I have critiqued these thoughts theologically as to why it is vital to take a relational approach to make disciples. I have then discussed and implemented new relational initiatives ABC can pursue to both retain and attract young adults. Finally I have reviewed the results of these initiatives to demonstrate how they have been effective. Content Reader: Dr. Tim Morey


The purpose of this study was 1) to characterize the morphology of lumbar commissural neurons (CNs) with reticulospinal inputs and 2) to quantitate their activity during locomotor rhythm generation. Intraaxonal recordings at the L4–7 level of the spinal cord were obtained in 67 neurons in the decerebrate, paralyzed cat. Fourteen of them were subsequently nearly fully visualized following their intraaxonal injection with the tracer neurobiotin. All 14 were CNs with axons projecting across the midline of the spinal cord. Their somata were located mainly in lamina VIII and additionally in laminae VII–VI. Most of the lamina VIII CNs were excited monosynaptically from reticulospinal pathways. They were judged to be interneuronal CNs if they had no, or a short, rostral projection. These CNs commonly gave off multiple axon collaterals in and around their somata's segmental level. They projected mainly to laminae VIII–VII and some additionally to lamina IX. Some laminae VIII and the laminae VII–VI CNs were excited polysynaptically from reticulospinal pathways or were not excited. They were judged to be long propriospinal or ascending tract CNs because they had only an ascending axon. Most lamina VIII CNs discharged rhythmically during fictive locomotion evoked by stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region, exhibiting one peak per locomotor cycle. The peak was in phase with neurographic activity of either a left or a right hindlimb extensor nerve. These results suggested that lamina VIII CNs are reciprocally connected bilaterally at each segmental level. Such an arrangement suggests their participation in the generation and coordination of reciprocal and bilateral locomotor activity. J. Comp. Neurol. 474:546–561, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


In our investigations, Au, Al, Ni, Pt, Ti, and combinations thereof were deposited on InP and InGaAs by e-beam evaporation to form Schottky contacts. The Schottky-barrier heights of these diodes determined by forward I–V and (or) reverse C–V measurements lie between 0.38–0.48 eV. To increase the Schottky-barrier height, a strained GaxIn1−xP layer was inserted between the electrode metal(s) and the semiconductor. This material, which has a band-gap larger than InP, was grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy. The Schottky-barrier heights, which generally depend on the gallium fraction, x, and the thickness of the strained GaxIn1−xP layer, increase and are in the range of 0.56–0.65 eV in different contact schemes.


Along the main water courses in the sparsely populated areas of the Sous-Préfecture of Tcholliré, the vectors of onchocerciasis were mainly Simulium damnosum s. str. and S. sirbanum, together with a small proportion of S. squamosum. Over a period of one to three years, vector biting rates were measured at 23 fly-catching sites in the vicinities of nine villages with different endemicities of onchocerciasis. Annual Biting Rates (ABR) on man were estimated as 26,100-83,800 fly-bites per man per year along the rivers Mayo Rey and Vina du Nord, and 11,000-37,400 at rainy season tributaries. Biting rates decreased rapidly at increasing distances from the river, and were between 10,700 and 2400 at 2-10 km cross-country from the breeding site. Lowest biting rates (50-6000) were measured at the village centres. The ABR varied from year to year in relation to the water-discharge of the main rivers, the coefficient of variation of the mean being 34-49%. The parous rates were 64-73% at the perennial breeding sites and only 17-44% away from the breeding sites, indicating dispersal mainly of young nulliparous flies and a reduced flight-range after oviposition.


Background. Donor-specific tolerance to heart allografts in the rat can be achieved by donor-specific blood transfusions (DST) before transplantation. This tolerance induction requires the presence of host CD8+ T cells and is characterized by the infiltration of numerous leukocytes. Methods. To identify new mediators involved in tolerance induction, gene searching was performed and resulted in the identification of the Fractalkine receptor, CX3CR1, as being highly expressed in tolerated allografts. Results. We showed that the high CX3CR1 mRNA accumulation found in tolerated allografts was related to the active recruitment of monocytes/macrophages. CX3CR1 transcript accumulation was preceded by an early expression of its ligand, Fractalkine, by graft endothelial cells. Interestingly, depletion of recipient CD8+ cells led to a dramatic decrease in both CX3CR1 and Fractalkine mRNA levels. Moreover, in vitro, CD8+ T cells from DST-primed animals were found to strongly induce Fractalkine expression in an allogeneic endothelial cell line. Conclusion. This is the first report describing Fractalkine, a chemokine usually described in inflammatory processes, as being expressed in a model of allograft tolerance.


In the paper we discuss the possibility of using stone dust for utilizing as building material. The tested material was amphibolite, found in the Sudeten Mountains and the Tatra Mountains in Poland. The chemical composition of dust was determined by means of spectrometry methods. Moreover, the basic physical properties of the material were designated. Stone dust was mixed with starch or cement binder. The binder addition was from 5% to 20% by weight. The water content was adjusted to about 25% humidity. The mixture was then compressed in a hydraulic press at 50 MPa. The results of the mechanical toughness of agglomerates were shown. On the basis of the results, acceptable toughness of agglomerates was found, with the addition of cement in mass share 20% and seasoning for 48 hours. However, starch was not suitable as a binder for agglomeration of amphibolite.


The objective of this study was to determine the impact of Ageratina adenophora (A. adenophora) on splenic immune function in a rat model. Rats were fed with 10 g/100 g normal feed and an experimental feed, which was composed of 3:7 A. adenophora powder and normal feed for 60 days. On days 14, 28, and 60, subsets of rats (n = 8 rats/group/time point) were selected for blood and spleen tissue sample collection. The results showed that the proportion of CD3+ T cells in the spleen was decreased at day 60 (vs. control). Also, mRNA and protein expression of chemokines CCL21 and CCL19 and functional protein gp38 in spleen decreased significantly versus the control at day 60. In addition, ER-TR7 antigen protein expression was also decreased at day 60. Levels of T-helper (Th)1 cells significantly increased, whereas those of Th2 cells decreased significantly versus the control at day 60 in spleen. The finding revealed that A. adenophora could affect splenic immune function in rats by altering the fibroblast reticulocyte (FRC) network, as well as by causing an imbalance in Th1/Th2 cell ratios. This research provides new insights into potential mechanisms of spleen immunotoxicity due to exposures to A. Adenophora.


Considering the influence of marketing system on the environment, sustainability and sustainable marketing are becoming an imperative of business performance. The aim of the current paper is to present the theoretical background and to determine, on the sample of top ten Croatian socially responsible firms according to the CSR Index, sustainable marketing approaches and strategies that may be useful for achieving competitive advantage. The present survey-based study shows that firms follow certain aspects of sustainability integrated into their vision or mission and everyday activities. The primary factors of competitive advantage refer to human resources and continuous innovations. The strategy of primary importance refers to differentiation. The firms included in this study mostly consider that their socially responsible behaviour improves their relations with stakeholders. It has been concluded that the above-stated firms, through implementing theoretical suppositions of sustainable marketing, have the potential to achieve competitive advantage through all aspects of sustainability.


The increasing risk of a mass casualty scenario following a large scale radiological accident or attack necessitates the development of appropriate dosimetric tools for emergency response. Luminescence dosimetry has been reliably applied for dose reconstruction in contaminated settlements for several decades and recent research into new materials carried close to the human body opens the possibility of estimating individual doses for accident and emergency dosimetry using the same technique. This paper reviews the luminescence research into materials useful for accident dosimetry and applications in retrospective dosimetry. The properties of the materials are critically discussed with regard to the requirements for population triage. It is concluded that electronic components found within portable electronic devices, such as e.g. mobile phones, are at present the most promising material to function as a fortuitous dosimeter in an emergency response.


Legislators have begun to recognize the importance of how electronically stored data should be maintained and secured. Similarly, the courts have begun to differentiate electronic data from their paper analogs. Examples of some sweeping electronic record management legislation include: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) of 1999, and the more recent Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002. Altogether, there exist over 4,000 acts and regulations that govern digital storage, all with a varying range of requirements for maintaining electronic records.
Many current storage solutions fail to meet the new demands legislation placed on storage systems. Systems must now provide confidentiality through encrypted storage and data transmission. Some legislation requires an auditable trail of changes made to electronic records that are accessible in real-time. This implies versioning files and providing a means of quickly retrieving versions from any point in time. Other legislation sets limits on the amount of time an organization may be liable for maintaining their electronic data, but for those data that go out of scope, permanently deleting data from magnetic media can be challenging. Because electronic data is dynamic, and therefore easily malleable on disk, new methods for authentication and non-repudiation need to be developed to ensure a binding of an individual to an auditable trail of data changes. Further, these systems must be robust against both external and internal attacks. A data loss or compromise due to negligence may result in an organization falling out of compliance and susceptible to litigation.
We present three technical contributions to the field of regulatory compliant storage. The first is an open-source versioning file system designed to be a platform for developing regulatory compliant storage technologies. We then introduce algorithms and an architecture for the secure deletion of individual versions of a file. Lastly, we construct an audit trail model for a versioning file system so that the changes made to data, and the order in which they occurred, may be verifiable.


Tackling the problem of aggression and violence in health care is high on the agenda for healthcare professionals. In an endeavour to protect both patients and staff alike when managing aggressive behaviour, the use of physical restraint is under scrutiny, particularly as a result of the reported deaths of a number of patients whilst being restrained. The challenges of employing this type of intervention, implications for safe and effective practices and the need for the suitable training of staff are explored in this paper.


While reading a recent anicle on the extraperitoneal exposure of the abdominal aona,l my attention was drawn to a comment in the discussion by Dr Charles Rob, who referred briefly to an operation carried out in Cape Town in 1834 by a Dr Murray. The operation consisted of the extraperitoneal exposure and ligation of the aona· for an expanding iliac aneurysm. The reference provided by Dr Rob was to a brief description entitled 'Dr Murray's case of ligature of the abdominal aona', which had appeared in the Annals of che Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1984.2 The original description of this operation is to be found in both the first (1839) and second editions (1850) of Surgical Anatomy of che Arteries and DescnjICive Anatomy of che Hearr by Valentine Flood.3 Despite the obvious historical significance of this operation, its performance is not recorded or noted in the standard texts that deal with the early history of medicine in the Cape,4-1 nor was its performance known to knowledgeable medical historians (J. H. Louw and J. c. de Villiers - personal communications).


abstract:This article examines the genealogy of Scandinavian influence in France since the early 2000s and the shift in mentalities that has taken place over the last fifteen years or so regarding transparency. The analysis focuses on the notion of virtue and argues that the French representation of a virtuous Scandinavia can be interpreted as a Utopia, a counterpart that French society may use to bring about change. Whereas political leadership in France has traditionally been protected by a certain opacity and the lack of clear legislation, nepotism and corruption are no longer accepted by the French people. The main case study is the French press coverage of the Fillon scandal in the 2017 presidential campaign. The article also looks at the legislation on transparency passed under Hollande and Macron and finally asks the question: Is France in fact in the process of becoming more Scandinavian?


In this paper, we present a mobile collaboration environment based on the distributed object group framework (DOGF) for supporting mobile devices. Our design and implementation of a healthcare application service on the top of DOGF is presented. Our mobile collaboration framework called Compact Distributed Object Group Framework(CDOGF) is based on DOGF. We designed various interfaces in DOGF for interactions between our framework and three entities: sensors, mobile devices and a home server. Mobile devices(e.g. PDAs) are classified into two types: stationary-type and moving-type mobile devices. The information collected by sensors attached to arbitrary spaces can be shared by any mobile device or home server and exchanged between participating devices using the Push and Pull methods. To manage the information exchanges, DOGF provides functions such as object group management, information storage and security services to CDOGF via defined application interfaces. The information is arranged according to the user's security demands. Consequently, user profile information is used to verify the authority of each service object. The components for executing service functions of mobile devices and the home server are implemented using TMO scheme. TMOSM handles the interactions between distributed components. Finally, we show the successful execution of our healthcare application on our CDOGF using GUI screen capture according to various contexts: time, location, roles and etc.


A facile and direct ion-exchange (DIE) method has been developed to prepare Cu-exchanged SAPO-34s, in which as-synthesized SAPO-34 is used as a precursor. This approach is simple and economical as compared with the conventional multistep ion exchange procedure. The ion exchange behavior of the as-synthesized SAPO-34s is found to be template-dependent. For SAPO-34s templated by smaller amines, they show a better Cu exchange ability than the corresponding NH4+-SAPO-34 and the Cu loadings rise with the increasing template size. Coordination between amine and Cu2+ in the as-prepared DIE sample is clearly evidenced. However, oversized amine in the CHA cage may cause a failure of the DIE process due to the steric effect. An obvious surface Cu enrichment is observed for the as-prepared DIE sample, which migrates to the interior of the crystals upon calcination. The Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst prepared by DIE method displays excellent performance in the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 (NH3-SCR). Its better low-temperature activity as compared with that of the conventional one is likely due to the higher isolated Cu2+ amount and surface Cu content. This promising strategy is expected to facilitate the large-scale industrial preparation of NH3-SCR catalyst.


Following a decade of slow progress in improving the genetic prediction of common diseases with tempered expectations about the ultimate predictive ability of polygenic risk scores (PRSs),3 the emerging zeitgeist is that PRSs based on millions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can identify individuals who are at increased risk for common diseases. In recent studies, this increased risk is claimed to be similar to conditions associated with known causal genetic mutations. Thus, the argument goes, it is time to start thinking about implementing PRSs in routine clinical care (1, 2).

PRSs are generally calculated using SNPs that are statistically significantly associated in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These SNPs are replicated across studies and more likely implicated, directly or by association, in the development of the disease. The predictive ability of PRSs improves when more SNPs are added, either by new GWAS "hits" or by lowering the statistical significance threshold.

Several recent studies have used a new statistical method, LDpred, which does not select SNPs but optimizes the weights for all genotyped SNPs using their GWAS weights, the correlation between neighboring SNPs (known as linkage disequilibrium), and an estimate of the proportion of SNPs that are expected to contribute to risk and have nonzero weights (3). When this proportion is unknown, researchers may apply the method for several hypothetical proportions and select the one at which PRS explains the highest percentage of phenotypic variance.

When LDpred is applied to millions of SNPs, it is unsurprising that most of them have negligible impact on disease risk. Researchers disagree whether the inclusion of millions of SNPs with close to zero effects in PRSs makes sense. From a bioinformatics perspective, there is no need to exclude them: SNPs with close to zero effects that don't improve PRSs won't make them worse either. …


Maize is a main food and feed crop with great production potential and high economic benefits. Improving its photosynthesis efficiency is crucial for increasing yield. Maize photosynthesis occurs mainly through the C4 pathway, and NADP-ME (NADP-malic enzyme) is a key enzyme in the photosynthetic carbon assimilation pathway of C4 plants. ZmC4-NADP-ME catalyzes the release of CO2 from oxaloacetate into the Calvin cycle in the maize bundle sheath. Brassinosteroid (BL) can improve photosynthesis; however, its molecular mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of maize seedlings treated with epi-brassinolide (EBL) showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in photosynthetic antenna proteins, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and photosynthesis pathways. The DEGs of C4-NADP-ME and pyruvate phosphate dikinase in the C4 pathway were significantly enriched in EBL treatment. Co-expression analysis showed that the transcription level of ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 transcription factors was increased under EBL treatment and moderately positively correlated with ZmC4-NADP-ME. Transient overexpression of protoplasts revealed that ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 activate C4-NADP-ME promoters. Further experiments showed ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 transcription factor binding sites on the −1616 bp and −1118 bp ZmC4 NADP-ME promoter. ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 were screened as candidate transcription factors mediating brassinosteroid hormone regulation of the ZmC4 NADP-ME gene. The results provide a theoretical basis for improving maize yield using BR hormones.


Let r denote a finite group and R a commutative ring. Factorizability theories seek to describe similarities between the local structure of R1-modules M and N, where M and N are related by, for example, being isomorphic when tensored up with Q. In the first three chapters of this thesis, we define two families of factorizability theories, the invariance and coinvariance factorizability theories. We will consider three members of these families. We demonstrate that monomial invariance factorizability is equivalent to monomial factorizability as defined in [19]. We go on to consider the two cyclic cases. We demonstrate that the weak cyclic invariance factorizability theory is strict and is identical to the weak cyclic coinvariance factorizability theory. We also demonstrate that the strong cyclic invariance factorizability theory and the strong cyclic coinvariance factorizability theory are not identical but are equivalent. In chapters 4 and 5, we discuss C.M.M. F-functors over R. Thus we find relations which can simplify the calculation of the invariance and coinvariance factorizability theories. An index of the less well known definitions used in this thesis is included as an appendix.


Researchers emphasized acute lacunar stroke (ALS) patients suffer from poor social/physical outcomes, cognitive decline, and decreased quality of life. We hypothesized brain abnormalities may occur in ALS during this particular stage and may be associated with cognitive deficits upon evaluation. We investigated structural abnormalities in ALS using magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry conducted on 28 healthy controls (HC) and 29 patients with ALS and proximal anterior circulation occlusion within 12 hours of symptom onset. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were used to evaluate cognitive dysfunction. Decreased gray matter (GM) in ALS vs. HC was predominantly in the superior frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, superior temporal gyrus (STG), heschl gyrus, middle temporal gyrus (MTG), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), hippocampus (HIP), and others. Positive correlation was found between GM density and MMSE scores in STG (r = 0.59, p = 0.0007), MTG (r = 0.46, p = 0.01), PCC (r = 0.42, p = 0.02), HIP (r = 0.4, p = 0.03), and medial prefrontal cortex (r = 0.5, p = 0.005). This study provided further information on pathophysiological/morphological mechanisms related to cognitive impairment in ALS and is the basis for further studies in aging-related diseases.


Introduction Patients with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) or weight loss are usually referred to gastroenterology services through the 2 week wait (2ww) referral pathway. When these patients undergo an oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) it is common practice to take biopsies from the second part of the duodenum (D2) to exclude coeliac disease. Both BSG (British Society of Gastroenterology) and NICE (National Institute for Health and care Excellence) guidelines recommend that patients with suspected coeliac disease should be screened with serology initially. If coeliac serology is negative then small bowel biopsies are generally not necessary. Despite this D2 are routinely taken which results in an increased workload and cost. Method The aim of this study was to determine if D2 biopsies were necessary and cost effective in patients with IDA or weight loss referred on the 2ww pathway. We analysed retrospective data collected from the endoscopy database (Adam) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for 400 patients referred through 2ww pathway (200 for IDA and 200 for weight loss) who underwent an OGD. Demographic data, histological findings and cost of analysing histology were evaluated. Results Of the 200 IDA patients who had D2 biopsy during the study period, 2 patients were excluded (1 had a prior diagnosis of coeliac and 1 did not have histology results on our system). 3 patients had villous atrophy (serology was not checked in 1 patient, 2 had positive serology). The overall pick up rate for significant pathology on D2 biopsies for IDA was 1.5% With D2 biopsy for weight loss, 2 patients were excluded (no histology results was available), 2 patients had villous atrophy (serology was not checked in 1 patient and was negative in 1 patient who had a low IgA), 1 patient had Crohn's disease on histology. The overall pick up rate for significant pathology on D2 biopsies for weight loss was 1.0%. The cumulative cost of analysing these biopsies was £ 13,440 (£33.6/biopsy). Conclusion Overall only a single patient with villous atrophy would have been missed if celiac serology was used in place of D2 biopsies. The cost of performing these biopsies is considerable and burdens the histopathology with large numbers of specimens that have to be processed urgently. Coeliac serology should therefore be done in place of D2 biopsies in 2ww patients undergoing OGD. Disclosure of interest None Declared.


A microwave diversity imaging system conventionally uses a vector network analyzer (VNA) to directly measure the object scattered field (amplitude and phase) over a selected frequency range and viewing angles, then reconstructs the scattering object characteristic function through two dimensional Fourier inversion. In this paper, we present a cost-effective microwave diversity imaging system using a six-port reflectometer, which measures four amplitude (or power) values to acquire the object scattered field indirectly. One can then eliminate the coherent detectors in a VNA. The calibration procedure for this microwave diversity imaging measurement is also described. Experimental results of three types of scattering objects, a metallic cylinder, four distributed line scatterers, and a 72:1 scaled B-52 aircraft model, are presented using the described six-port microwave imaging system.


French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a major export crop in Kenya where it serves as a cash crop for smallholder farmers and a source of employment. However, there is limited information on characterization of available germplasm which is essential in genetic improvement of this crop. The present study was therefore aimed to identify the gene pool affiliations of Kenyan French bean germplasm using specific molecular markers in order to understand the available germplasm for future use in breeding programs. The germplasm panel consisted of 46 accessions, comprising 40 French bean and six dry bean genotypes. The accessions were characterized using four gel-based molecular markers: SHP1-A, SHP1-B, SHP1-C and phaseolin protein marker. The most informative marker was the phaseolin protein marker which indicated that 82% of the French bean genotypes are of Andean origin, while 18% are of the Mesoamerican origin. Low polymorphism was observed for the SHP1 markers and the data from the three SHP1 markers did not correspond to the phaseolin protein marker for the French bean germplasm although SHP1-A and SHP1-B were able to differentiate the Andean from the Mesoamerican differential cultivars. The information on the gene pool affiliations of Kenyan French bean accessions is important for breeders to harness the divergence between the two gene pools in order to broaden the genetic base of the crop.

 Key words: Gene pool, phaseolin protein, shatterproof, molecular markers, French beans.


Engineering Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud services to provide a coherent software layer for continuous deployment, provision, and execution of applications for various domains is complex. The authors consider whether IoT cloud systems could provide a uniform layer to enable continuous execution of complex applications consisting of diverse types of software components, although these systems are built by integrating and blending IoT infrastructures with cloud-based datacenters. The authors analyze requirements and perspectives for engineering such IoT cloud systems and discuss the main engineering principles that should be supported. They then highlight seven main principles, covering different development and operation phases of IoT cloud systems. To show the importance and feasibility of these principles, they present some of their recent work in providing concepts and tools for IoT cloud systems.


This paper is devoted to a study of time-dependent hemivariational inequality. We prove existence and uniqueness of its solution, provide fully discrete scheme and reformulate this scheme as a series of nonsmooth optimization problems. This theory is later applied to a sample quasistatic contact problem describing a viscoelastic body in frictional contact with a foundation. This contact is governed by a nonmonotone friction law with dependence on normal component of displacement and tangential component of velocity. Finally, computational simulations are performed to illustrate obtained results.


Background Longitudinal melanonychia (LM) is a common clinical finding. Most cases of LM are benign, and a wait-and-see approach is preferred in the management of this condition. Nevertheless, it is important for clinicians to distinguish subungual melanoma (SUM) from other benign LMs. Objective To evaluate the demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of LM in the Korean population and to identify the predictor of SUM against other benign conditions. Methods This was a single-center retrospective cohort study including patients who underwent nail biopsy for LM from January 2000 to May 2019. To identify the predictor of SUM, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses was performed. Results A total of 68 cases of biopsy-proven LM were included in the analysis. Among the 68 cases, 8 were SUM. In univariable analysis, patients diagnosed with SUM were older (p=0.035) and had a longer disease duration (p=0.004). They also showed multicolor pigmentation of LM (p=0.022), a larger width of LM (p<0.001), and associated nail plate dystrophy (p=0.010) than patients diagnosed with benign conditions. In multivariable logistic regression, width of LM showed statistical significance (odds ratio, 1.083; 95% confidence interval, 1.018~1.153). ROC analysis suggested that an LM width >28% of the whole nail was the predictor of SUM (area under the curve=0.883; p<0.001). Conclusion SUM has distinct demographic and clinical features. The width of LM can predict SUM against other benign LMs.


PERSONS who present ocular hypertension following iritis, traumatism or tumour may have hard eyes and increased intraocular tension without necessarily being glaucomatous. While certain cases of this kind may be benefited by decompressive treatment, it is necessary to distinguish such conditions from true glaucoma and to define the signs of this affection, which illuminate its pathogeny and thus serve to direct its treatment. (a) In glaucoma, ocular hypertension is an essential diagnostic sign, but one not exclusively peculiar to glaucoma. In the latter, the characteristic condition is not hypertension in itself, but the manner in which it occurs. Hypertension assumes a particular type in each of the several forms of glaucoma (prodromal glaucoma, chronic glaucoma with intermittent hypertension, chronic glaucoma with constant hypertension, irritative glaucoma, or acute glaucoma). In prodromal glaucoma, ocular hypertension is of low degree. Subjectively, it is indicated by the appearance of a foggy or smoky veiling or by coloured arcs. Objectively, it presents pupillary


Low electronic conductivity and slow faradic processes limit the performance of MnO2 as an electrochemical pseudocapacitor with respect to cycling and power density. Herein, we report preparation of single-phase α-MnO2, composed of an interconnected nanowire network with "cocoonlike" morphology, and its application as electrode in a symmetric aqueous supercapacitor. Increased "effective" surface area, coexistence of micropores and mesopores, and enhanced electron transport in these nanowire networks result in a specific pseudocapacitance (CS) of 775 F·g(-1) in 3 M KOH, derived from cyclic voltammetry in the potential window of -1 to +1 V at a scan rate of 2 mV·s(-1), the highest reported for two-electrode symmetric configuration. Furthermore, introduction of K4Fe(CN)6 as a redox-active additive to KOH results in ∼7 times increase in energy density at a power density of ∼6000 W·kg(-1). The presence of the Fe(CN)6(4-)/Fe(CN)6(3-) redox couple provides an electron buffer source compensating for the slow faradic reactions. The results demonstrate that this simple approach might be an effective way to enhance the redox kinetics and reversibility of transition metal oxide-based pseudocapacitors.


Objective: Ready access to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is crucial for students as the majority group of the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) community. This study aimed to explore the meaning of accessibility to EMS based on PSU students' perception, their experiences in accessing these services, and management when facing unanticipated EMS accessibility situations. Their suggestions to improve access to the EMS are also described. Material and Method: A qualitative method was conducted on 10 PSU students who had used the EMS of the PSU Hospital during the study period. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and were analyzed with simple content analysis. Results: Participants perceived the meaning of accessibility as the readiness of services in terms of time, personnel and equipment at both the pre-hospital and emergency room (ER) situations. Overall, the EMS was good in terms of convenience and being provided free of charge, and the quality of the help provided by the EMS personnel. However, participants faced various barriers such as not knowing the EMS telephone number, waiting time, facing communication problems with the health care providers and feeling alone or treated in a non-private setting. Participants managed unanticipated EMS accessibility situations either by themselves or seeking help from others. Their suggestions included providing EMS information, preparing available equipment and improving health care provider's communication and waiting time at the ER. Conclusion: PSU students had positive and negative experiences while using the EMS. To improve the quality of EMS in PSU community, the EMS personnel should provide the EMS information and equipment effectively, make the PSU students feel comfortable, and improve their communication and overall waiting times at ER.


Toponym detection in scientific papers is an open task and a key first step in place entity enrichment of documents. We examine three common neural architectures in NLP: 1) convolutional neural network, 2) multi-layer perceptron (both applied in a sliding window context) and 3) bidirectional LSTM and apply contextual and non-contextual word embedding layers to these models. We find that deep contextual word embeddings improve the performance of the bi-LSTM with CRF neural architecture achieving the best performance when multiple layers of deep contextual embeddings are concatenated. Our best performing model achieves an average F1 of 0.910 when evaluated on overlap macro exceeding previous state-of-the-art models in the toponym detection task.


In this paper we give a short survey on a problem on extremal quasiconformal extensions. It had been a conjecture for a long time that the dilatations K0(h) and K1(h) are equal before Anderson and Hinkkanen disproved this by constructing concrete examples of a family of affine mappings of some parallelograms. The problem also engendered many interesting results. At the end of the current paper, we discuss relationships among K0(h), H(h) and K1(h) as a concluding remark.


ABSTRACT Historical masonry aqueducts were constructed to convey water over rivers, valleys, etc. Many of them have deteriorated due to different effects and may need to be repaired or strengthened to increase their load carrying capacities. Historical aqueducts are invaluable cultural heritage, and they require particular attention and appropriate seismic strengthening techniques including minimal intervention, better workability and reduced cost. The present study proposes filling the canal with water to improve structural seismic performance of historical masonry aqueducts. The influence of fluid–structure interaction in seismic performance improvement of historical masonry aqueducts is numerically investigated in this study. Three-dimensional (3D) finite element models of an aqueduct including without and with fluid–structure interaction are created using the coupled acoustic fluid–structure (CAS) approach. Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) material model adjusted to masonry units and ground motion records matched to site-dependent are utilized in the nonlinear seismic analyses. Seismic performances of the aqueduct models with and without fluid–structure interaction for the only-transverse, combined transverse and longitudinal, and combined transverse and longitudinal and vertical component cases are evaluated and compared with each other.


Visible light, particularly in the blue region of the spectrum, can cause cell dysfunction through the generation of singlet oxygen, contributing to cellular aging and age-related pathologies. Although photooxidation of nucleic acids, lipids, and amino acids has been extensively studied, the magnitude and span of blue-light-induced protein damages within proteome remain largely unknown. Herein we present a chemoproteomic approach to mapping blue-light-damaged proteins in live mammalian cells by exploiting a nucleophilic alkyne chemical probe. A gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that cell surface proteins are more readily oxidized than other susceptible sets of proteins, including mitochondrial proteins. In particular, the integrin family of cell surface receptors (ITGs) was highly ranked in the mammalian cells tested, including human corneal endothelial cells. The blue-light-oxidized ITGB1 protein was functionally inactive in promoting cell adhesion and proliferation, suggesting that the photodamage of integrins contributes to the blue-light-induced cell dysfunction. Further application of our method to various cells and tissues should lead to a comprehensive analysis of light-sensitive proteins.


Phosphorus fertilizer application and planting distance play a major role in the production of shoot, root and nodule dry biomass of cowpea. However, phosphorus is a major limiting nutrient in soils in Ghana. Selection of cowpea varieties that produce good biomass yield under low soil phosphorus or those with high phosphorus response efficiency can be a low input approach in solving this problem in Ghana. Two-season experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of phosphorus (P) fertilizer and row spacing on growth, nodulation and biomass yield in cowpea. Each of the two experiments comprised of 16 treatment combinations of 4 cowpea varieties, 2 levels of row spacing and 2 levels of P2O5 application laid out in a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial experiments in RCBD with four replications. The cowpea varieties were IT x P 148, Valenga, Bengkpla and DPC. The levels of row spacing were 60 x 20 cm and 40 x 20 cm, whilst the levels of P were 0 and 30 kgha-1 P2O5. The study revealed that varieties DPC and Valenga performed relatively better with respect to shoot and root dry biomass production, number of nodules produced and nodule dry biomass production across both levels of row spacing and phosphorus fertilizer application. The study further established that row spacing of 60 cm x 40 cm and P level of 30 kgha-1 also produced significantly higher quantities of shoot and root dry biomass, number of nodules and nodule dry biomass as compared to row spacing of 40 cm x 20 cm and P level of 0 kgha-1. For the purpose of producing leguminous fodder crops for feeding livestock, varieties DPC and Valenga should be cultivated for improved animal nutrition. Row spacing of 60 cm x 40 cm and phosphorus fertilizer application level of 30 kgha-1 should also be used for increased biomass yield.


A comprehensive comparative study of dissociative ionization of a linear triatomic species, carbon disulphide (S-C-S), has been made using a battery of different interactions involving (i) intense laser fields, (ii) fast, highly-charged, positive ion projectiles (90 MeV Si8+ and F7+), (iii) negative ion projectiles (70 keV O-, Si- and C-) and (iv) fast (700 eV) electrons. The main focus is on the fragmentation channel which gives rise to the formation of S2+ dimer ions from CS2. It is found that while S2+ dimers are formed in all the collisional interactions involving charged projectiles, dissociative ionization of CS2 by intense (1012-1014 W cm-2) 532 nm and 1064 nm laser fields does not proceed along the S2++C dissociation channel. Differences in the interactions which lead to dissociative ionization of CS2 are discussed, particularly with reference the interaction with intense laser fields in which the linear CS2 molecule tends to have its S-C-S axes strongly aligned in the direction of the polarization vector.


Brucellosis is an endemic zoonotic infectious disease in Middle East countries including Iran. This infection may involve central nervous system. Psychosis has been reported in rare cases with chronic brucellosis. A 26-year-old male shepherd patient who developed neurobrucellosis and psychosis is presented. He had hallucinations (visual and auditory) and delusions. He was also impulsive and had serious difficulty in speech. In patients with atypical psychosis in endemic areas, physicians should consider the portability of chronic brucellosis.


Quantum Coherence Between States with Even and Odd Numbers of Electrons (A F Andreev) Electron Spin in Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (P E Lindelof et al.) Superfluidity and Coherence in Bose-Einstein Condensates (W Ketterle) Jahn-Teller Bipolarons and Their Condensation (K A Muller) Probing Quantum Mechanics Towards the Everyday World: Where Do We Stand? (A J Leggett) The Question of Phase in a Bose-Einstein Condensate (S Stenholm) Experiments with d-Wave Superconductors (J Mannhart et al.) Noise and Decoherence in Quantum Two-Level Systems (A Shnirman et al.) Coherent Manipulations of Charge-Number States in a Cooper-Pair Box (Y Nakamura et al.) Quiet Readout of Superconducting Flux States (J Clarke et al.) and other papers.


This paper identifies opportunities for increasing individual wellbeing to provide a basis for its measurement and improvement. Opportunities for increasing wellbeing exist in the private, non-profit and government sectors by introducing elements of network governance to complement, restrain and improve the operations of hierarchical organisations. Identifying elements of network governance provides a statistical basis for quantifying wellbeing. This also provides a basis for assessing the degree that signatories to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment are honouring their commitment to encourage their investee firms to improve their operations and wellbeing of their stakeholders.


A 61-yr-old male patient presented with severe chest pain with cardiogenic shock due to an extensive anterolateral myocardial infarction. Two-dimensional echocardiogram showed severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction=17%). Emergent coronary angiogram obtained immediately after placing temporary pacing electrode revealed total thrombotic occlusion in the left main stem. We performed direct coronary intervention using kissing balloon technique with the aid of Abciximab (ReoPro) infusion. Residual stenosis with thrombus remained even after high pressure balloon dilatations, therefore we placed two stents, one in the ostia of left anterior descending (LAD) and the other in left circumflex artery (LCX). Coronary angiogram after kissing stents showed improved LAD and LCX flows without residual stenosis. Chest pain resolved and blood pressure normalized after coronary intervention. The whole procedure time was 15 min. Follow-up coronary angiogram taken one week later showed patent previous stented arteries, and echocardiography demonstrated 40% of left ventricular ejection fraction. The clinical course for one-year follow-up was uneventful.


We consider the canonical symplectic form evaluated explicitly on the solitons of a general integrable model defined in terms of the inverse scattering procedure. This paper establishes a direct link between the symplectic form for the solitons and the underlying loop groups which occur in the inverse scattering procedure. The integral over space in the form which arises because the canonical method uses the Lagrangian density, is performed explicitly in terms of functions arising in the group doublecross product formulation of the inverse scattering procedure, and we are left with a simple expression given by two boundary terms. The expression is then evaluated explicitly in terms of the changes in the positions and momenta of the solitons, after we restrict our attention to the sine-Gordon case for simplicity. In this case, we find agreement with a result of Babelon and Bernard who have evaluated the form using a different argument, where it is diagonal in terms of `in' or `out' coordinates. Using the result, we also investigate the higher conserved charges within the inverse scattering framework, obtaining expressions for them, and check that they Poisson commute.


A 29-year-old woman with keratoconus underwent posterior chamber toric implantable Collamer lens (Visian ICL; STAAR Surgical, Monrovia, CA) implantation 12 months after corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin and ultraviolet radiation-A. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. Three months postoperatively, uncorrected distance visual acuity improved from counting fingers to 20/40 and corrected distance visual acuity improved from 20/100 to 20/30. Combined cross-linking treatment and posterior chamber toric phakic Collamer lens implantation in a two-step procedure seems to be an effective method for correcting keratoconus in patients with high myopia and astigmatism. Despite the encouraging results, longer follow-up is necessary to evaluate the outcomes of this approach.


Mg-rich diopsides on the MgrSirO.-CaMgSirOu join were synthesized from glasses or gels and subsequently annealed at atmospheric pressure between 1000' and 1350'C for varying lengths of time. A marked change in the exsolution kinetics was observed at 1325'C for Diun.t and at 1275"C for Di.rs. Below these temperatures the respective composit ions exsolve rapidly (in one day or less), and the resulting microstructure, observed by transmission electron microscopy, consiSts of closely-spaced, irregular lamellae paral lel to (001). Above 1325"C (for Di*r) and 1275"C (for Diurr) no exsolut ion was observed after equivalent or longer annealing t imes. In addit ion, no exsolut ion occurred for a composit ion of Ditt .u annealed at temperatures as low as 1000'C for 144 hours. A microstructure consisting of straight widely-spaced lamellae, also parallel to (001), was observed in long-term runs ofDiuro annealed at 1125'C for several hundred hours; however, the method of synthesis was different from that used for the other compositions and may have introduced chemical inhomogeneit ies into the start ing material. In al l cases the exsolved phase is perfect ly coherent with the host, but inverts to low pigeonite during cool ing. Because ofthe coherency between the phases, the exsolution must occur beneath the c0herent solvus, and the sharp break in the kinetics is attributed to the (001) coherent spinodal.


Significant laser energy was transferred from the near field scanning optical microscope tip to a silicon wafer producing nanopatterns on the sample surface. The patterns changed from nanoprotrusions to nanocraters when the background gas was changed from air to argon. Two physical mechanisms were attributed to this dramatic change, namely, oxidation and laser ablation. When air was present, oxidation dominated over ablation in the formation of the nanoprotrusions obtained after multiple laser pulses. When oxygen was absent, e.g., pure argon was the background gas, laser ablation was dominant, and nanocraters resulted after multiple laser pulses.


Abstract Representatives of the family Sapindaceae exhibit high morphological diversity of the nectary structure. The present paper shows for the first time the results of micromorphological, anatomical, and ultrastructural analyses of floral nectaries in Aesculus hippocastanum. We have also described the forage and signal attractants of these flowers, which are important for the ecology of pollination. Using light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy, we demonstrated that the A. hippocastanum nectary forming a lobed disc is histologically differentiated into the epidermis with stomata, nectariferous parenchyma, subglandular parenchyma, and vascular bundles reaching the basal part of the nectariferous parenchyma. The use of histochemical assays revealed the presence of insoluble polysaccharides, lipids, terpenoids, and polyphenols including coumarins in the nectary tissues. Nectar is exuded onto the nectary surface via stomata and the permeable cuticle. As indicated by the observation of the ultrastructure of the nectary cells, transport of pre-nectar into parenchymal cells may proceed via the symplast and apoplast. We have also demonstrated that nectar transfer outside the protoplasts of parenchymal cells has a character of granulocrine secretion. A. hippocastanum flowers produce nectar abundantly; one flower secreted on average 2.64 mg of nectar and the concentration of sugars in the nectar was 33%.


Abstract Tinea pedis is a common condition seen in clinical practice and has a significant impact on quality of life. Recommendations of over-the-counter antifungal products based on consumer preferences may guide dermatologists in treating patients with tinea pedis and preventing onychomycosis recurrences. Our study aimed to determine consumer preferences of antifungal products for tinea pedis, focusing on features that may guide purchases and usage. A search was performed for antifungal products used to treat athlete's foot on Amazon.com as of 2018, and the top one percentile of over-the-counter products were sorted by rating and number of reviews. Functionality was the most cited positive feature (42% of comments) followed by cosmetic characteristics (14%). The median price of all products was $1.80 (range $0.33–$95.42), with solutions and balms associated with higher costs and soaks being the least expensive. Our study showed that the range of antifungal products available online for treatment and prevention of tinea pedis is large and variable in terms of type/vehicle, price, and ingredients. Physicians must counsel patients on the efficacy and Food and Drug Administration approval of listed ingredients, especially for those products associated with numerous supplementary claims.


1 An international group of scientists has built an open internet data base of life‐history traits of the Northwest European flora (the LEDA‐Traitbase) that can be used as a data source for fundamental research on plant biodiversity and coexistence, macro‐ecological patterns and plant functional responses. 2 The species‐trait matrix comprises referenced information under the control of an editorial board, for ca. 3000 species of the Northwest European flora, combining existing information and additional measurements. The data base currently contains data on 26 plant traits that describe three key features of plant dynamics: persistence, regeneration and dispersal. The LEDA‐Traitbase is freely available at http://www.leda‐traitbase.org. 3 We present the structure of the data base and an overview of the trait information available. 4  Synthesis. The LEDA Traitbase is useful for large‐scale analyses of functional responses of communities to environmental change, effects of community trait composition on ecosystem properties and patterns of rarity and invasiveness, as well as linkages between traits as expressions of fundamental trade‐offs in plants.


A discrete-time fuzzy control system which is composed of a dynamic fuzzy model and a fuzzy-state feedback controller is proposed. Stability of the fuzzy control system is discussed and two sufficient conditions to guarantee the stability of the system are given in terms of uncertain linear system theory. An algorithm is developed to check the stability condition. The controller design method is divided into two procedures, one is to get the state feedback matrix by linear system theory in every local rule map; the other is to determine conditions of global stability by using a nonlinear analysis method. Two examples are used to show the design method.


ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) has been a major threat to human health due to its increased morbidity and mortality in clinical settings. Carbapenemase genes are less frequently found in CRPA compared with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, of which carbapenemase producers are common. In this study, we identified 11 bla KPC-2-harbouring P. aeruginosa isolates from 139 carbapenemase-insensitive P. aeruginosa isolates collected between 2010 and 2021 in a tertiary hospital in China. Nine isolates belonged to ST697, while the other two were ST463. The antibiotic susceptibility testing showed that all the isolates were multidrug resistant, including resistance to imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, and tigecycline. Patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2 (KPC-2)-producing P. aeruginosa infections were mostly associated with complicated diseases and prolonged hospital stay, with 30% deterioration. The whole-genome sequencing analysis showed that these isolates carried multiple antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes, and the KPC-2 genetic elements were highly related in ST697 isolates. The complete sequencing of ST697 isolate SE5416 showed that the harbouring of bla KPC-2 resulted from complex transposition and homologous recombination of an IncpRBL16 plasmid and other mobile elements. The Galleria mellonella infection model experiment showed that these KPC-2-producing P. aeruginosa–infected larvae had low survival rates and high virulence. The present study revealed the shifting of CRPA from ST697 to ST463 in East China; ST463 had higher drug resistance, posing greater challenges for clinical management.


. This paper discusses fundamental issues involved in word selection for title generation. We review several common methods that have been used for title generation and compare the performance of those methods using an F1 metric. Both a KNN (k nearest neighbor) method, which we are the first to apply to title generation, and a limited-vocabulary Naïve Bayesian method outperform other evaluated methods with an F1 score of over 20%. We conclude that KNN (k nearest neighbor) is a simple and promising method in title generation under the assumption that strong content overlap exists between the training corpus and the test collection. We also point out ways to improve the performance both from the learning side and from the generation side.


Cellulose/silica hybrid (CSH) composites were prepared from bleached Eucalyptus globulus kraft pulp or primary treatment sludge cellulose fibers by a sol–gel method, using solely tetraethoxysilane or with the addition of trimethoxyoctylsilane as the silica precursors and heteropoly acid (H3PW12O40) as the catalyst. Silica aging was accomplished during the hot pressing of preformed CSHs plates, and the properties of the resulting materials have been evaluated. The incorporation of a silica network in cellulosic materials increased their dimensional stability significantly during soaking in water, hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and bending strength. The thermal conductivity of these hybrid materials is comparable to commercially available insulation foams. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers


General Information 1. Why are districts rated A–F but campuses are rated Met Standard or Improvement Required? 2.  My district is a single-campus district. Why did it not receive an A–F rating this year? 3.  Are the Met Standard/Improvement Required ratings that campuses receive in August 2018 based


A detailed analysis of Zeeman splittings of highly resolved spin-forbidden transitions in [Cr(bpy)3](PF6)3 is presented. Assignments of vibronic bands are made based on low-temperature absorption, emission, and infrared spectra. The pattern of doublet states, obtained for H ) 0 and H ) 5 T, is consistent with angular overlap model (AOM) calculations, which allow one to consider o- and ð-interactions between the metal-d and relevant ligand orbitals and the particular angular geometry of the chromophore simultaneously. The observed level splittings are found to result from the combined effect of trigonal distortion and contributions of the symmetry adapted dð-orbitals involved due to coupling with corresponding counterparts from the bidentate ligand (phase coupling). The larger splitting of the lowest excited state 2Eg(Oh) in the analogous ClO4 - salt is due to the more distorted geometry of the [CrN6] moiety. Related properties of the bipyridine ligand, which turn out to show donor behavior in the present compounds, and the acetylacetonate ligand are discussed, and AOM parameters for the metalligand ð-interaction are correlated with results of MO calculations.


People routinely develop their own theories to explain the world around them. These theories can be useful even when they contradict conventional technical wisdom. Based on in-depth interviews about home heating and thermostat setting behavior, the present study presents two theories people use to understand and adjust their thermostats. The two theories are here called the feedback theory and the valve theory. The valve theory is inconsistent with engineering knowledge, but is estimated to be held by 25% to 50% of Americans. Predictions of each of the theories are compared with the operations normally performed in home heat control. This comparison suggests that the valve theory may be highly functional in normal day-to-day use. Further data is needed on the ways this theory guides behavior in natural environments.


This paper addresses the scalability problem of Bayesian deep neural networks. The performance of deep neural networks is undermined by the fact that these algorithms have poorly calibrated measures of uncertainty. This restricts their application in high risk domains such as computer aided diagnosis and autonomous vehicle navigation. Bayesian Deep Learning (BDL) offers a promising method for representing uncertainty in neural network. However, BDL requires a separate set of parameters to store the mean and standard deviation of model weights to learn a distribution. This results in a prohibitive 2-fold increase in the number of model parameters. To address this problem we present a method for performing BDL, namely Kernel Seed Networks (KSN), which does not require a 2-fold increase in the number of parameters. KSNs use 1x1 Convolution operations to learn a compressed latent space representation of the parameter distribution. In this paper we show how this allows KSNs to outperform conventional BDL methods while reducing the number of required parameters by up to a factor of 6.6.


Background Few data is available on triage of critically ill patients. Because the demand for ICU beds often exceeds their availability, frequently intensivists need to triage these patients in order to equally and efficiently distribute the available resources based on the concept of potential benefit and reasonable chance of recovery. The objective of this study is to evaluate factors influencing triage decisions among patients referred for ICU admission and to assess its impact in outcome. Methods A single-center, prospective, observational study of 165 consecutive triage evaluations was conducted in patients referred for ICU admission that were either accepted, or refused and treated on the medical or surgical wards as well as the step-down and telemetry units. Results Seventy-one patients (43.0%) were accepted for ICU admission. Mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE)-II score was 15.3 (0 - 36) and 13.9 (0 - 30) for accepted and refused patients, respectively. Three patients (4.2%) had active advance directives on admission to ICU. Age, gender, and number of ICU beds available at the time of evaluation were not associated with triage decisions. Thirteen patients (18.3%) died in ICU, while the in-hospital mortality for refused patients was 12.8%. Conclusion Refusal of admission to ICU is common, although patients in which ICU admission is granted have higher mortality. Presence of active advance directives seems to play an important role in the triage decision process. Further efforts are needed to define which patients are most likely to benefit from ICU admission. Triage protocols or guidelines to promote efficient critical care beds use are warranted.


We have made a gain-switched all-solid-state quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) tunable Ti:sapphire laser system, which is pumped by a 532 nm intracavity frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser. Based on the theory of gain-switching and the study on the influencing factors of the output pulse width, an effective method for obtaining high power and narrow pulse width output is proposed. Through deliberately designing the pump source and the resonator of the Ti:sapphire laser, when the repetition rate is 6 kHz and the length of the cavity is 220 mm, at an incident pump power of 22 W, the tunable Ti:sapphire laser from 700 to 950 nm can be achieved. It has a maximum average output power of 5.6 W at 800 nm and the pulse width of 13.2 ns, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 25.5% from the 532 nm pump laser to the Ti:sapphire laser.


High Dynamic Range (HDR) deghosting is an indispensable tool in capturing wide dynamic range scenes without ghosting artifacts. Recently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown tremendous success in HDR deghosting. However, CNN-based HDR deghosting methods require collecting large datasets with ground truth, which is a tedious and time-consuming process. This paper proposes a pioneering work by introducing zero and few-shot learning strategies for data-efficient HDR deghosting. Our approach consists of two stages of training. In stage one, we train the model with few labeled (5 or less) dynamic samples and a pool of unlabeled samples with a self-supervised loss. We use the trained model to predict HDRs for the unlabeled samples. To derive data for the next stage of training, we propose a novel method for generating corresponding dynamic inputs from the predicted HDRs of unlabeled data. The generated artificial dynamic inputs and predicted HDRs are used as paired labeled data. In stage two, we finetune the model with the original few labeled data and artificially generated labeled data. Our few-shot approach outperforms many fully-supervised methods in two publicly available datasets, using as little as five labeled dynamic samples.


Previous studies suggested Ataxia-telangiectasia group D complementing gene (ATDC) as an oncogene in many types of cancer. However, its expression and biological functions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. Herein, we investigated its expression pattern in 109 cases of human NSCLC samples by immunohistochemistry and found that ATDC was overexpressed in 62 of 109 NSCLC samples (56.88%). ATDC overexpression correlated with histological type (p<0.0001), tumor status (p = 0.0227) and histological differentiation (p = 0.0002). Next, we overexpressed ATDC in normal human bronchial epithelial cell line HBE and depleted its expression in NSCLC cell lines A549 and H1299. MTT and colony formation assay showed that ATDC overexpression promoted cell proliferation while its depletion inhibited cell growth. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis showed that ATDC overexpression decreased the percentage of cells in G1 phase and increased the percentage of cells in S phase, while ATDC siRNA treatment increased the G1 phase percentage and decreased the S phase percentage. Further study revealed that ATDC overexpression could up-regulate cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in HBE cells while its depletion down-regulated cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in A549 and H1299 cells. In addition, ATDC overexpression was also associated with an increased proliferation index, cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in human NSCLC samples. Further experiments demonstrated that ATDC up-regulated cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression independent of wnt/β-catenin or p53 signaling pathway. Interestingly, ATDC overexpression increased NF-κB reporter luciferase activity and p-IκB protein level. Correspondingly, NF-κB inhibitor blocked the effect of ATDC on up-regulation of cyclin D1 and c-Myc. In conclusion, we demonstrated that ATDC could promote lung cancer proliferation through NF-κB induced up-regulation of cyclin D1 and c-Myc.


In the frames of the present dissertation we try to detail the use of insurance distribution systems, in practice. We will analyze substantially subjects that concern the choice of an insurance distribution channel by an insurance company and the economic theories on which the companies are organized, we will also study the public policy and regulatory issues related to the insurance distribution. Our study focuses on the major economic issues in insurance distribution which concern the distribution system choice, the nature of the insurer-agent relationship with particular area of interest: the structure of agent compensation and the resale price maintenance. We will study the regulatory oversight of insurance distribution activities including the regulations of entry and information of consumers. To continue, there will be a reference to the Bancassurance-led and the Internet-led distribution systems and finally we will complete the study with the quantitative comparison of the insurance distribution systems in the countries of European Union.


One of the classic relationships in personality psychology is that extraversion is associated with emerging as an informal leader. However, recent findings raise questions about the longevity of extraverted individuals as emergent leaders. Here, we adopt a social network churn perspective to study the number of people entering, remaining in, and leaving the leadership networks of individuals over time. We propose that extraverted individuals endure as emergent leaders in networks over time, but experience significant changes in the people being led, including the loss of people who once considered them a leader but now no longer do. In Study 1 (N = 545), extraverted individuals had a larger number of new and remaining people in their leadership networks, but also lost more people, above and beyond differences in initial leadership network size. In Study 2 (N = 764), we replicated and extended these results in an organizational sample while controlling for alternative explanations such as formal rank, network size, self-monitoring, and narcissism. Extraversion predicted the number of people entering, remaining in, and leaving leadership networks over time. Our findings suggest that while extraverted individuals tend to emerge as leaders, they are also more likely to experience greater network churn-they tend to lead different people over time and leave people in their wake who once perceived them a leader but now no longer do. We discuss the challenges posed by this network churn perspective for extraverted emergent leaders and highlight its importance for our understanding of extraversion and emergent leadership. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).


Infectious diseases caused by etiological agents are still a major threat to public health. Their impact is particularly large in developing countries due to relative unavailability of medicine and the emergence of widespread drug resistance. In the current research, trace metals were detected in lichens species through inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The antimicrobial potency of Pseudevernia furfruracea, Physcia species, Dermatocarpon vellerum and Parmellia species (lichens) extracts have been investigated against three local clinical bacterial isolates i.e. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis through various agar disc and well diffusion methods. The antioxidant potential effect was also evaluated by DPPH and ABTS.+ free radical scavenging methods. Phytochemical constituents were screened through thin layer chromatography (TLC) and qualitative methods. Methanolic extract of P. furfruracea, Physcia spp, and D. vellerum showed a significant inhibition of S. epidermidis (14.3±1.7mm, 12.3±2.0mm, and 11.3±0.9mm) by pouring method of disc diffusion. Moderate zone of inhibition (8.0±1.4 mm) against S. epidermidis was observed by methanolic extract of Parmellia spp, through spreading method. All the results were evaluated by ANOVA and LSD tests at p<0.05. The diethyl ether extracts showed considerable antioxidant potential activity with 80%, 81%, 79% and 66%. Thin layer chromatography profiling gave us the idea about the presence of phytochemical constituents such as tannins, phenols, saponins, and terpenoids. Various Rf values on silica gel plates provided the valuable clues about polarity and the selection of solvents for separation of phytochemicals. Significant inhibition of E. coli was also observed through TLC-Bioautography. The findings revealed the considerable inhibitory and antioxidant effect of lichens may be due to the presence of bioactive compounds. Therefore, lichens could be a potential source of new antimicrobial and antioxidant agents.


We show that electron-phonon coupling strongly affects transport properties of the Luttinger liquid hybridized with a resonant level. Namely, this coupling significantly modifies the effective energy-dependent width of the resonant level in two different geometries, corresponding to the resonant or antiresonant transmission in the Fermi gas. This leads to a rich phase diagram for a metal-insulator transition induced by the hybridization with the resonant level.


Robust PCA, the problem of PCA in the presence of outliers has been extensively investigated in the last few years. Here we focus on Robust PCA in the column sparse outlier model. The existing methods for column sparse outlier model assumes either the knowledge of the dimension of the lower dimensional subspace or the fraction of outliers in the system. However in many applications knowledge of these parameters is not available. Motivated by this we propose a parameter free outlier identification method for robust PCA which a) does not require the knowledge of outlier fraction, b) does not require the knowledge of the dimension of the underlying subspace, c) is computationally simple and fast. Further, analytical guarantees are derived for outlier identification and the performance of the algorithm is compared with the existing state of the art methods.


T-lymphocytes (LYs) from normal and IFN-gamma knockout mice were activated by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies and cultured in inserts in the presence of interleukin (IL)-12 (IL-12-activated LYs) or not (activated LYs). Their ability to modulate the genetic programs of two tumor lines growing at the bottom of transwells was evaluated. cDNA gene expression array, reverse transcription-PCR, and protein expression showed that LPS, transcription termination factor 1, transforming growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor genes were up-modulated by factors other than IFN-gamma released by activated LYS: The high levels of IFN-gamma released by normal IL-12-activated LYs up-modulated the expression of STAT1, IRF-1, LMP2, LMP7, monokine induced by IFN-gamma, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and angiopoietin 2 genes but down-modulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. PA28, IFN-inducible protein 10, inducible NO synthetase, and macrophage-inhibitory protein 2 genes were up-modulated by factors released only by IL-12-activated LYs apart from IFN-gamma. The opposite modulations of vascular endothelial growth factor expression and of angiopoietin 2, monokine induced by IFN-gamma, IFN-inducible protein 10, and inducible NO synthetase by IL-12-activated LYs fit in well with the inhibition of angiogenesis that characterizes the antitumor activity of IL-12. T-LYs thus modify a tumor's behavior so that it becomes a party to its own inhibition.