Due to the declining fortunes in agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors, many developing countries have turned to tourism as a panacea to the numerous economic problems facing them. However, emphasis in Kenya has been mainly on beach and wildlife tourism, to the total exclusion of cultural tourism. This paper discusses critically the contribution of international tourism in the conservation of cultural heritage in Kenya. The cultural impacts of international tourism are found to be both positive and negative and much more pronounced at the coast and in Maasailand. Doxey's irritation index (irridex) is used as the main theoretical framework in the paper. Although Doxey suggests that in the last stage of tourism development the local communities are likely to be antagonistic to the tourists, in the case of the Maasai, the relation between them and the tourists has been rather harmonious. This could be so because the local community is actively involved in tourism development and derives benefits from the industry. The issues discussed in the paper are relevant to other parts of the world including Asia Pacific region. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for proper visitor management through planning to minimize negative cultural impacts on local communities.


The photo-induced one-electron reduction of hypocrellin A (abbreviated as HA) and hy-pocrellin B (abbreviated as HB) in the presence of cysteine or ascorbic acid has been studied in this paper. The semiquinone radical anions of HA and HB obtained from the photo-reduction of HA and HB respectively, and the following protonation and disproportionation of these radical anions were detected via the ESR and UV-Vis spectra. Through comparison of their UV-Vis spectra with those of the chemically synthesized compounds of similar structures, it has been suggested that the metastable products formed after the acceptance of net two electrons and two protons in the photoreduction of HA and HB were tetrahydroxyl-per-ylene derivatives.


Background/Foreground separation is a fundamental and challenging task of many computer vision applications. The F-measure performance of state-of-the-art models is limited due to the lack of fine details in the predicted output (i.e., the foreground object), and the limited labeled data. In this paper, we propose a background/foreground separation model based on a transformer that has a higher learning capacity than the convolutional neural networks. The model is trained using self-supervised learning to leverage the limited data and learn a strong object representation that is invariant to changes. The proposed method, dubbed Trans-Blast, reformulates the background/foreground separation problem in self-supervised learning using the augmented subspace loss function. The augmented subspace loss function consists of two components: 1) the cross-entropy loss function and 2) the subspace that depends on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). The proposed model is evaluated using three benchmarks, namely CDNet, DAVIS, and SegTrackV2. The performance of TransBlast outperforms state-of-the-art background/foreground separation models in terms of F-measure.


A genetic library consisting of over 5000 clones with an average insert size of 6.9 kilobasepairs (kbp) of Streptococcus mutans GS-5 has been constructed in a bivalent plasmid vector pMK3, which is capable of replicating in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The recombinant plasmid pSUCRI, containing a 6.0 kbp fragment of S. mutans GS-5 DNA, was the focus of this study. Using Southern hybridization, in vitro and in vivo gene expression techniques, and biochemical analysis, this clone was shown to encode the 55 kiloDalton (kDal) GS-5 gtfA gene product, as well as a 38 and a 66 kDal polypeptide. In addition to the gtfA gene, pSUCRI encodes a dextranase activity with specificity for α(1→6)-linked glucans, and with no detectable activity on mutan. The dextranase enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 66 kDal as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE analysis of the proteins produced by a dextranase-negative deletion derivative. The pH optimum of the enzyme was approximately 6.0, and there was no detectable activity below pH 5.0. By subcloning various combinations of DNA fragments from pSUCRI, it was demonstrated that the dextranase gene (designated dexB) can be separated from the gtfA gene and still be efficiently expressed in both E. coli and B. subtilis. The dexB gene contained its own promoter and ribosome-binding site. The genetic linkage of the gtfA and dexB genes in the S. mutans GS-5 chromosome was confirmed by Southern hybridization and by the independent isolation of four distinct clones containing the gtfA gene and common flanking sequences. In addition to a glucosyltransferase and dextranase, an invertase-like activity is also encoded on pSUCRI, indicating that there is a cluster of genes on the S. mutans GS-5 chromosome which is devoted to the dissimilation of sucrose and concomitant synthesis or modification of glucans into a water-insoluble form, perhaps constituting an operon for glucan modification which can be coordinately regulated in response to environmental alterations.


Foundation models are first pre-trained on vast unsupervised datasets and then fine-tuned on labeled data. Reinforcement learning, notably from human feedback (RLHF), can further align the network with the intended usage. Yet the imperfections in the proxy reward may hinder the training and lead to suboptimal results; the diversity of objectives in real-world tasks and human opinions exacerbate the issue. This paper proposes embracing the heterogeneity of diverse rewards by following a multi-policy strategy. Rather than focusing on a single a priori reward, we aim for Pareto-optimal generalization across the entire space of preferences. To this end, we propose rewarded soup, first specializing multiple networks independently (one for each proxy reward) and then interpolating their weights linearly. This succeeds empirically because we show that the weights remain linearly connected when fine-tuned on diverse rewards from a shared pre-trained initialization. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach for text-to-text (summarization, Q&A, helpful assistant, review), text-image (image captioning, text-to-image generation, visual grounding, VQA), and control (locomotion) tasks. We hope to enhance the alignment of deep models, and how they interact with the world in all its diversity.


Senescence or programmed cell death is a process that interacts with many biochemical and physiological changes in living organism and is generally induced by aging. Many environmental stresses that accelerate the production of activated oxygen can also induce senescence artificially. One of the important aspects of senescence is possibly degradation of macromolecules such as DNA. It is believed that the random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique is a good method to compare the DNA quality of juvenile and senescence samples in which oxidative stress is induced. In this study, juvenile, senescence and plant paraquat treated leaves from tomato, tobacco and rose, as well as juvenile and senescence human tissues were processed for DNA extraction followed by RAPD technique. We discovered that plant and human genomes are influenced by senescence and environmental stresses underwent genome diversity. Using some molecular markers proved that senescence and oxidative treated samples show different DNA pattern compare to the juvenile-un- treated samples. We also concluded that RAPD technique can be used as a useful tool in genomics study to provide researchers reliable information of DNA quality and can effectively help to resolve the environment condition.


ABSTRACT The lungs are a significant organ site of murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) latency. We have shown that activity of the major immediate-early promoter (MIEP), which drives the transcription from the ie1-ie3 transcription unit, does not inevitably initiate the productive cycle (S. K. Kurz, M. Rapp, H.-P. Steffens, N. K. A. Grzimek, S. Schmalz, and M. J. Reddehase, J. Virol. 73:482–494, 1999). Thus, even though MIEP activity governed by the MIEP-enhancer is unquestionably the first condition for recurrence, regulation of the enhancer by transcription factors is not the only mechanism controlling latency. Specifically, during latency, focal and stochastic MIEP activity in lung tissue was found to selectively generate IE1 transcripts, while transactivator-specifying IE3 transcripts were missing. This suggested a control of mCMV latency that is effectual at IE1-IE3 precursor mRNA cotranscriptional processing. Here we have used this model for studying the kinetics of reactivation and recurrence in individual lung tissue pieces after hematoablative, genotoxic treatment. Notably, reactivation was triggered, but the number of transcriptionally active foci in the lungs did not increase over time. This result is not compatible with a model of spontaneous reactivations accumulating after withdrawal of immune control. Instead, the data support the idea that reactivation is an induced event. In some pieces, focal reactivation generated IE3 transcripts but not gB transcripts, while other pieces contained foci that had proceeded to gB transcription, and only a few foci actually reached the state of virus recurrence. This finding indicates the existence of several sequentially ordered control points in the transition from mCMV latency to recurrence.


It has been suggested that L-type Ca(2+) channels play an important role in cell swelling-induced vasoconstriction. However, there is no direct evidence that Ca(2+) channels in vascular smooth muscle are modulated by cell swelling. We tested the hypothesis that L-type Ca(2+) channels in rabbit portal vein myocytes are modulated by hypotonic cell swelling via protein kinase activation. Ba(2+) currents (I(Ba)) through L-type Ca(2+) channels were recorded in smooth muscle cells freshly isolated from rabbit portal vein with the conventional whole cell patch-clamp technique. Superfusion of cells with hypotonic solution reversibly enhanced Ca(2+) channel activity but did not alter the voltage-dependent characteristics of Ca(2+) channels. Bath application of selective inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), Ro-31-8425 or Go-6983, prevented I(Ba) enhancement by hypotonic swelling, whereas the specific protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor KT-5720 had no effect. Bath application of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) significantly increased I(Ba) under isotonic conditions and prevented current stimulation by hypotonic swelling. However, PDBu did not have any effect on I(Ba) when cells were first exposed to hypotonic solution. Furthermore, downregulation of endogenous PKC by overnight treatment of cells with PDBu prevented current enhancement by hypotonic swelling. These data suggest that hypotonic cell swelling can enhance Ca(2+) channel activity in rabbit portal vein smooth muscle cells through activation of PKC.


The design of three types of loaded-line p-i-n diode digital phase shifter circuits is presented. The three configurations considered are 1) main line mounted, 2) stub mounted, and 3) switchable stub length. Expressions for various design parameters are derived. Calculations show that for the 22.5/spl deg/ phase bit the maximum bandwidths for three circuits are 22.7, 19.2, and 18.4 percent, respectively. Starting from the p-i-n diode parameters, optimum designs of these circuits for obtaining minimum insertion loss, maximum bandwith, and minimum size are also discussed. It is found that the switchable stub length type configuration is suitable when nearly ideal p-i-n diodes are used while stub mounted type configuration is suitable for nonideal diodes. Experimental and theoretical performance (bandwidth and insertion loss) of stub mounted type circuits are compared and found to be in good agreement.


To reveal the cytotoxic activity of antitumor drugs the experiments were conducted in vitro-in vivo. Active substances in the dosage of 800 mg per 1 Kg of tumor were found to suppress sarcoma 45 transplantability during 1 hour in vitro. But inactive substances did it only in much larger doses. The result of the in vivo-in vitro experiments coincided with the results obtained by other investigators studying the antitumor activity in vivo. The experiments using the proposed method of selection required a much less amount of the substance (a biological experiment, repeated twice, can be carried out having 1--3 mg), animals, time and efforts of the researcher.


Three different antibodies against a human TNF receptor (htr-1, htr-5, and htr-9) have been examined for their binding pattern to U937 cells and ability to mimic TNF-alpha activity in U937 cells, Fs4 fibroblasts, and human endothelial cells. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that htr- 5 and htr-9 bound specifically to a TNF receptor on U937 cells that could be blocked by pretreatment with rTNF-alpha. Pretreatment of U937 cells with rTNF-beta blocked the binding of htr-9, but to a lesser extent htr-5 binding. Pretreatment with htr-5 inhibited the binding of htr-9 to U937 cells while pretreatment with htr-9 did not inhibit htr-5 binding. These results indicate that htr-5 and htr-9 recognize distinct but overlapping epitopes of a human TNF receptor on U937 cells and that htr-5 may be close to a TNF-alpha-specific domain of the binding site. Pretreatment with htr-5 or htr-9 only minimally reduced binding of BrTNF-alpha to U937 cells; however, these antibodies were much more effective in inhibiting BrTNF-alpha binding to HL-60 cells. Furthermore, it was found that htr-1 and htr-9, but not htr-5, had TNF- alpha activity on U937 cells, Fs4 fibroblasts, and endothelial cells and that the TNF-alpha activity induced by htr-9 was completely inhibited by htr-5. However, the cytotoxic activity of TNF-alpha was only partially inhibited by htr-5 on U937 cells while htr-5 had no effect on TNF-alpha activity on Fs4 cells. The data suggest that a common epitope is involved in inducing TNF-alpha activity in three different cell systems.


Turkey has very rich natural plant diversity due to its geographical location and the terrain is located. In this study, especially endemic Astragalus vulnerariae DC. from Fabaceae family were propagated by cutting in semi-controlled greenhouse in the spring and autumn periods of 2016-2017. Their morphological characteristics and usage areas in landscape studies were also determined. While plant cuttings were rooted, 3 applications were made, including the control group, IBA concentrations of 5.000 ppm and 10.000 ppm. According to the data obtained after rooting, a statistically significant difference was found. The best rooting of A. vulnerariae cuttings was observed in the spring period with 60% IBA hormone application of 5.000 ppm. It is determined that A. vulnerariae taxa, which attract attention with their aesthetic and functional features, can be used in landscaping works, especially in the use of ground coverings, in rock gardens, roof and terrace gardens, and landscape repair works.


This article analyzes the regulation on adultery, status and legal consequences of marrying pregnant woman because of adultery from the perspective of the Islamic law and Law No 1/1974 on Marriage. The research used judicial normative and descriptive analytic method. The regulation on adultery is stipulated in the Islamic law. Meanwhile, Law on Marriage only regulates the status of a child from adultery in civil law with his mother and with his mother's relatives. Legal status in the Islamic law of a marriage with pregnant a woman because of adultery is valid for the man who has made her pregnant, while there is different opinion about the validity of marriage of a man who does not make her pregnant. According to the Marriage Law, a marriage with a pregnant woman is valid when it is done according to the couple's religion. The legal consequence of marrying in this case regarding to the child in relationship in kinship, guardianship, inheritance, and livelihood with his parents or the man who has married his mother since the pregnant woman is married legitimately.


We used stochastic one-dimensional chemical master equation (CME) simulation to gain insight into the dynamics of the reaction of HNO((1)A') with HO2((2)A″). The reaction takes place over a multiwell, multichannel potential energy surface that is based on the computations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. The calculated multipath potential energy surface consists of three potential wells and three van der Waals complexes. In solving the master equation, the Lennard-Jones potential is used to model the collision between the collider gases. The fractional population of different intermediates and products in the early stages of the reaction is examined to determine the role of the energized intermediates and van der Waals complexes on the kinetics of the title reaction. The major products of the title reaction at lower temperatures are OH, HNO2, HNOH, and O2(X(3)Σg(-)). The temperature- and pressure-dependence of the reaction over a wide range of temperature (300-3000 K) and pressure (0.1-2000 Torr) are studied. No sign of pressure dependence was being observed for the title reaction over the stated range of pressure. The calculated rate constants from the CME simulation are compared with those obtained from the RRKM-SSA method that is based on strong collision assumption. Our results indicate that the strong collision assumption increases the calculated rate constant for the formation of the main products (HNO2 + OH) by a factor of 2 at 300 K and 1 atm pressure, compared to the results of CME simulation, although the results are in good agreement at higher temperatures.


The royal astronomical observatory compiled the Astronomical Almanac during the Joseon dynasty, though there were some changes of its organization. However, the observatory underwent sudden changes in the late period mainly due to the influence of historical events such as the Gabo ( 甲午 ) and The Eulmi ( 乙未 ) Reforms in 1894 and 1895, respectively, and the Japanese invasion in 1910. In this paper, we study the changes of the compilation institution of the Korean Astronomical Almanac and of its organization for the period of 1894 to 1912. During this period, the name of the observatory had been changed several times, from Gwansanggam ( 觀象監 ) to Gwansangguk ( 觀象局 ) in 1894 and to Gwansangso ( 觀象所 ) in 1895. In addition, the affair of the Astronomical Almanac compilation was transferred to the Editorial Bureau [ 編輯局 ] of the Ministry of Education [ 學部 ] and to the Editing Department [ 編輯課 ] of the Governor-General of Korea [ 朝鮮總督府 ]. In 1907, the Gwansangso was abolished. Moreover, the affair of timekeeping was separated and the official number of personnel was reduced to less than 5% compared to that of Gwansanggam . Consequently, the royal astronomical observatory was significantly reduced in terms of its functions and the organization through the process of those changes. Therefore, we believe that this period is important when seeking to understand the transition between the traditional Astronomical Almanac of the Joseon dynasty and its modern astronomical counterpart of the present day.


In this paper, the behavior of oxidized methylcelluloses is compared with that of the initial methylcellulose, an amphiphilic cellulose derivative. Methylcelluloses are important for many applications in the cosmetic and food industries. The mechanism of thermo-gelation of methylcellulose is briefly explained as well as the method of oxidation of polysaccharides. Then, our experiments involve the preparation of oxidized methylcelluloses: three degrees of oxidation are prepared and the new polymers are characterized by NMR, IR, SEC and rheology. Oxidation with periodate theoretically allows introduction of two aldehydic groups on C2-C3 glycol positions of anhydroglucose units. This reaction not only enhances the flexibility of the cellulosic backbone, but also causes a decrease in the molecular weight. In particular, the rheological behavior of methylcellulose and oxidized methylcellulose as a function of temperature is examined. The oxidized methylcelluloses prepared, being rich in aldehyde functions, become interesting intermediaries to prepare new cellulose derivatives. In this paper, three examples of reductive amination based on the reaction of modified methylcelluloses and −NH2 groups of different molecules are described: -alanine produces a polyelectrolyte; chitosan and hyaluronan-ADH (derivative obtained with adipic dihydrazide allowing introduction of −NH2 functions on HA backbone) are crosslinked and give new biocompatible hydrogels.


BACKGROUND
Imaginal retraining, a type of approach-bias-modification performed in one's own imagination, is effective in reducing alcohol craving in problem drinkers. This study aims to segregate three main components of the original technique and compare their effectiveness in reducing craving and alcohol consumption.

METHODS
The study was conducted online. Interested individuals wishing to reduce their alcohol consumption underwent a baseline assessment (T0), whereby a total of N = 200 included participants were randomly assigned to one of four study arms. There were three active groups receiving different training manuals: psychoeducation + advice only (PE), PE + a simplified motor in-sensu AAT instruction (AAT0), and the 'enriched' original imaginal retraining technique (including the components PE + enhanced movements + an embodied cognition/ emotion induction instruction) (AAT+), vs. a wait-list control (WLC). Participants in the three active arms were instructed to train twice a day (10 mins. each) over the course of four weeks, whereafter a post-test was conducted (T1). A follow-up took place one month later (T2). Repeated measures ANOVAs were computed to test for differential changes of the four groups over time (group*time interaction effects) concerning craving and alcohol consumption. Both per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses (PPA, ITTA) were conducted.

RESULTS
In both PPA and ITTA, significant group*time interaction effects were identified, whereby false-discovery-rate corrected post-hoc tests revealed that AAT0 most consistently reduced craving with stability towards follow-up. Results concerning alcohol consumption (g ethanol) were inconsistent.

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that a simplified version of the imaginal retraining technique yields consistent results concerning craving reduction. This may hint towards the central importance of the core element of retraining: a movement of pushing (imagined) alcoholic beverages away. Possibly, more complex forms of imaginal retraining need further instruction than a written manual, such as instructive videos.


A wide range of rocket propulsion test work occurs at the NASA John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) including full-scale engine test activities at test facilities A-1, A-2, B-1 and B-2 as well as combustion device research and development activities at the E-Complex (E-1, E-2, E-3 and E-4) test facilities. The propulsion test engineer at NASA SSC faces many challenges associated with designing and operating a test facility due to the extreme operating conditions (e.g., cryogenic temperatures, high pressures) of the various system components and the uniqueness of many of the components and systems. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe the NASA SSC Engineering Science Directorate s design and analysis processes, experience, and modeling techniques that are used to design and support the operation of unique rocket propulsion test facilities.


Canadian Nuclear Standard CSA N285.8, "Technical requirements for in-service evaluation of zirconium alloy pressure tubes in CANDU® reactors"(1), permits the use of probabilistic methods when performing assessments of the reactor core. A non-mandatory annex has been proposed for inclusion in the CSA Standard N285.8, to provide guidelines for performing uncertainty analysis in probabilistic fitness-for-service evaluations within the scope of this Standard, such as the probabilistic evaluation of leak-before-break. The proposed annex outlines the general approach to uncertainty analysis as being comprised of the following major activities: identification of influential variables, characterization of uncertainties in influential variables, and subsequent propagation of these uncertainties through the evaluation framework or code.
 The application of the proposed guidelines for uncertainty analysis was exercised by performing a pilot study for one of the evaluations within the scope of the CSA Standard N285.8, the probabilistic evaluation of leak-before-break based on a postulated through-wall crack. The pilot study was performed for a representative CANDU reactor unit using the recently developed computer code P-LBB that complies with requirements of Canadian Nuclear Standard N286.7 for quality assurance of analytical, scientific, and design computer programs for nuclear power plants. This paper discusses the approach used and the results obtained in the first stage of this pilot study, the identification of influential variables.
 The proposed annex considers three approaches for identifying influential variables, which may be used separately or in combination: analysis of probabilistic evaluation outputs, sensitivity analysis and expert judgment. In this pilot study, local sensitivity analysis was used to identify and rank the influential variables. For each input variable in the probabilistic evaluation of leak-before-break, the local sensitivity coefficient was determined as the relative change in the output variable associated with a relative change of a small magnitude in the input variable. Each input variable was also varied across a large range to assess the linearity of the relationship between the input variable and the output variable. All relevant input variables were ranked according to the absolute value of their sensitivity coefficients to identify the influential variables. On the basis of the results obtained, the pressure tube wall thickness was found to be the most influential variable in the probabilistic evaluation of leak-before-break based on a postulated through-wall crack, followed by the fracture toughness of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube material and the pressure tube inner diameter. The results obtained at this stage were then used at the second stage of this pilot study, the uncertainty characterization of influential variables, as discussed in the companion paper PVP2018-85011.


ABSTRACT Water quality in aquaculture farms is highly related to the quality of aquaculture products and the connected environment. Cadmium (Cd2+) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are two of the most common pollutants in the aquaculture water, while biochar derived from waste algae (Enteromorpha prolifera), namely BE, was applied in farms ponds to improve water quality. Firstly, the adverse environmental impact of BE was minor, while the concentrations of the heavy metal (Cd2+ in the present study) and PAHs (FLU, PHE, FLT and PYR) were removed with efficiencies of 49%, 88%, 90%, 91% and 88%, respectively. The ecological risk values (RQs) were reduced subsequently with a rate of 58 ± 11%. After dosing BE, the ecological risk values in all the studied ponds were lower than 1, indicating no ecological risk in the corresponding aquaculture environment. The sorption capacities (qm ) of BE were 15, 12, 6.3, 0.41, 0.29 and 0.56 mg·g−1 for Cd2+, FLU, PHE, FLT, PYR and BaP, respectively. The sorption capacities were acceptable compared with those derived from other types of biomass. The removal mechanisms were partition (PAHs), complexation (Cd2+), π-π interaction (Cd2+ and PAHs), precipitation (Cd2+) and ion-exchange (Cd2+). Practically and theoretically, the algae biochar is applicable in the aquaculture environment, where Cd2+ and PAHs co-exist. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Background: The hypomethylating agents (HMAs) azacitidine and decitabine are both approved for treatment of MDS, but only azacitidine has been shown to have an overall survival (OS) advantage over conventional care in a randomized phase III trial for patients with HR-MDS. Azacitidine has not been directly compared to decitabine in clinical trials of patients with HR-MDS. In addition, it is unknown whether the OS observed with azacitidine in clinical trials would hold in "real-world" clinical practice. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, patients were identifiedfromthe Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database using the following criteria: 1) having an International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd edition (ICD-O-3) code for MDS; 2) diagnosedbetween 1/1/2005 and 12/31/2011; 3) aged ≥66 years at diagnosis; and 4) enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B continuously through death or end of study (12/31/2013). Patients with the ICD-O-3 code 9983 (RA with excess blasts) were classified as having HR-MDS. Healthcare Common Procedural Coding System codes identified outpatient treatment with azacitidine and decitabine. Patients who had Results: Of 27,422 patients diagnosed with MDS, 2,025 were eligible for inclusion; 1,580 (78%) received azacitidine and 445 (22%) received decitabine. Median age at diagnosis was 77 years, 64% were males, and 91% were white. Patients received a median of 6 cycles. A total of 1,205 patients (60%) received ≥4 cycles of either HMA. By end of follow-up, 1,729 patients (85%) had died. Median OS for the entire cohort from time of HMA initiation was 15 months (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 14-15 months). Of the 532 HR-MDS patients who received HMAs, 76% received azacitidine and 24% received decitabine. The median OS for these 532 patients was 12 (95% CI: 11-14) months, and there was no statistical difference in median OS between patients who received different HMAs; 11 (95% CI: 10-14) months for azacitidine vs. 12 (95% CI: 11-16) months for decitabine, p = 0.26, Figure. In multivariate analysis of OS among patients with HR-MDS, the hazard ratio was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.78-1.24) indicating no significant improvement (or decrement) for decitabine compared to azacitidine. Conclusions: In this large cohort of HR-MDS patients treated with HMAs, we found no significant differences in OS between azacitidine versus decitabine. Additionally, we found significantly shorter OS for HR-MDS patients treated with azacitidine in real-world clinical practice compared to results from randomized trials (11 vs. 24.5 months). Although the shortened OS could be partly related to the older age of this patient cohort, our data provides a real-life reference for counseling older MDS patients regarding this drug9s potential benefits. Additionally, these results provide rationale for older patients with HR-MDS to consider enrollment into clinical trials upfront, potentially in HMA-based combinations, rather than defaulting to the use of "standard-of-care" HMA monotherapy. Disclosures Prebet:CELGENE: Research Funding. Gross:21st-Century Oncology LLC: Research Funding; Johnson and Johnson: Research Funding; Medtronic: Research Funding. Gore:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Ma:Incyte Corp: Consultancy; Celgene Corp: Consultancy. Davidoff:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding.


. We begin by introducing the main ideas of the paper, and we give a brief description of the method proposed. Next, we discuss an alternative approach based on B-spline expansion, and lastly we make some comments on the method's convergence rate.


The present paper reviews the recent status of research and development activities of concrete-polymer composites such as polymer-modified concrete (mortar), polymer concrete (mortar) and polymer-impregnated concrete (mortar) in the Japanese construction industry. Polymer-modified concrete (mortar) comprise of repair systems for deteriorated reinforced concrete structures, strengthening (or retrofitting) methods and exfoliation (or delamination) prevention methods for existing reinforced concrete structures, liquid-applied membrane waterproofing systems, advanced polymeric admixtures such as high-grade redispersible polymer powders and hardener-free epoxy resins, intelligent repair materials, application of accelerated curing, semi flexible pavements, and drainage pavements with photo catalyst. Polymer mortar and concrete are related to new liquid resins, setting shrinkage control, thermal properties and temperature dependence, lightweight or porous polymer mortars and concretes, artificial marble products and precast products. The polymer-impregnated mortar and concrete are mainly concerned with field polymer impregnation techniques using silane-based barrier penetrants.


In this paper, it is shown that any projective plane Π of order n ≤ q, q odd, that admits a group G ∼= PSL(3, q) as a collineation group contains a G-invariant Desarguesian subplane of order q. Moreover, the involutions and suitable p-elements in G are homologies and elations of Π, respectively. In particular, if n ≤ q, actually, n = q, q or q.


A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of imidacloprid in vegetable and tea samples. The sample was first extracted with acetonitrile and then cleaned up with Florisil and active charcoal column. The precursor ion/product ion transitions m/z 256.0/209.3 and m/z 256.0/175.2 were monitored, and m/z 209.3 was used for quantification. The good linearity was obtained in the range of 0.01 - 0.5 mg/L with the correlation coefficients (nu2) more than 0.997. The limit of quantification was 0.01 mg/kg. The recoveries were 76% - 90% at the spiked levels of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.2 mg/kg with the relative standard deviations of 7.4% - 11.0%. The method is rapid, sensitive and specific for imidacloprid analysis.


In the past, Tunisia's growth has fluctuated greatly with agricultural output; investment has been a major engine of growth although productivity has played an increasingly important role. On the one hand, with the ongoing implementation of the association agreement signed with the European Union (EU) in July 1995, tariffs on manufactured goods imported from the EU are being gradually removed. To compete against cheaper imports from the EU, domestic manufacturers who operated for decades behind high tariff barriers must improve competitiveness. In order to identify tariffs for Tunisia to realize its long term goal amidst competition challenges, the report is structured as follows: section one gives introduction; section two analyzes the factors that have contributed to economic growth in the past. Section three provides a framework for analyzing prospects for realizing faster growth in Tunisia and for achieving Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) status in long term. Section four derives implications and structural changes required for faster growth to be achieved. Section fives gives some concluding remarks.


Agent technology is a software paradigm that permits to implement large and complex distributed applications. In order to assist analyzing, conception and development or implementation phases of multi-agent systems, we've tried to present a practical application of a generic and scalable method of a MAS with a component-oriented architecture and agent-based approach that allows MDA to generate source code from a given model. We've designed on AUML the class diagrams as a class meta-model of different agents of a MAS. Then we generated the source code of the models developed using an open source tool called AndroMDA. This agent-based and evolutive approach enhances the modularity and genericity developments and promotes their reusability in future developments. This property distinguishes our design methodology of existing methodologies in that it is constrained by any particular agent-based model while providing a library of generic models


Purpose: To investigate whether nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/interleukin 6 (IL-6) was linked to docetaxel response in human prostate cancer cell lines, and whether inhibition of NF-κB sensitized tumor cells to docetaxel. We also aimed to correlate IL-6 (as a surrogate marker of NF-κB) and docetaxel response in hormone-independent prostate cancer (HIPC) patients. Experimental Design: Hormone-dependent (LNCaP) and hormone-independent (PC-3 and DU-145) prostate cancer cell lines were exposed to docetaxel alone or combined with the NF-κB inhibitor PS-1145 (an inhibitor of IκB kinase-2). Effects of dose, exposure time, and schedule dependence were assessed. Activation of NF-κB was assayed by electrophoresis mobility shift assay and luciferase reporter assay, IL-6 levels by ELISA, and cell viability by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Apoptosis was also measured by detection of cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. In patients with metastatic HIPC receiving docetaxel-based chemotherapy, IL-6 serum levels were assayed before chemotherapy and every 3 to 4 weeks thereafter. Results: PC-3 and DU-145 cells had higher NF-κB activity, secreted more IL-6, and were more resistant to docetaxel than LNCaP cells. NF-κB activity was induced by docetaxel. Cotreatment with docetaxel and PS-1145 prevented docetaxel-induced NF-κB activation, reduced IL-6 production, and increased docetaxel effects on cell viability in PC-3 and DU-145 cells but not in LNCaP. Synergism with docetaxel and PS-1145, as assayed by median-effect principle, was observed in DU-145 and PC-3. In HIPC patients, pretreatment IL-6 serum levels correlated to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response: median IL-6 level was 10.8 ± 9.5 pg/mL in PSA responders versus 36.7 ± 20.8 pg/mL (P = 0.006) in nonresponders. A PSA response was also linked to a decline in IL-6 levels during treatment. Median overall survival was 6.8 months in patients with high IL-6 versus 16.6 months in those with low IL-6 (P = 0.0007). On multivariate analysis, pretreatment IL-6 (P = 0.05) was an independent prognostic factor for time to disease progression and survival. Conclusions: Inhibition of NF-κB emerges as an attractive strategy to enhance docetaxel response in prostate cancer. The interest of this view is further supported by a significant association between high IL-6 in sera of HIPC patients and decreased response to docetaxel.


To provide meat processors with data to assess the safety of cooked ready-to-eat roast beef production parameters, a study was conducted to determine the contribution of humidity to the lethality of salmonellae during thermal processing. Destruction of Salmonella during thermal processing at different levels of humidity and a constant cooking temperature of 82.2 degrees C was examined. Raw beef top round roasts purchased from a commercial supplier were inoculated with a seven-strain cocktail of heat-shocked Salmonella. Inoculated roasts were thermally processed to an internal temperature of 62.8 degrees C at 0 to 90% humidity. Salmonella counts were determined utilizing the thin agar layer method on xylose-lysine-desoxychlolate agar to facilitate the enumeration of injured cells. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in Salmonella counts were observed between roasts processed at 30% humidity and those processed at 15% humidity or lower. Salmonella reductions were less than the regulatory performance standard of 6.5 log units at a humidity of < 30%. These results indicate that cooked ready-to-eat roast beef can be safely processed under conditions outside of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service "safe harbor" guidelines. However, the results also indicate that one of these current safe harbor guidelines for the production of cooked ready-to-eat roast beef (> or = 62.8 degrees C product internal temperature with humidity introduced for > or = 50% of the cooking cycle) could result in a finished product that does not meet USDA performance standards. This specific guideline should be clarified with a minimum relative humidity requirement to ensure the production of a safe product.


In my article I describe the experiences I have had as a social housing tenant. In particular, I document my struggles as a black disabled woman to be recognised as an intelligent human being and tenant in my own right. I am writing this so that other disabled tenants will be encouraged to fight for their rights. I also want housing staff to use this article to reflect on their and their organisation's practice.


A hypothetical incident of sexual harassment at the workplace was presented to 720 undergraduate students of the University of Bombay who attributed blame to the female victim of a superordinate male harasser and rated the appropriateness of her response to the harassment. The experiment had a 2 (Subject's Sex) × 3 (Victim's Marital Status: unmarried, married, or divorced) × 2 (Type of Harassment: verbal vs. physical) × 4 (Victim's Response: ignoring, complaining, scolding, or slapping) between-subjects factorial design with 15 subjects per cell. Male subjects blamed the victim of harassment more than female subjects, the unmarried and married victims were blamed more than the divorced victim, and the ignoring victim was blamed more than the complaining, scolding, and slapping victims. Perceived appropriateness of victim's response was higher with the divorced victim as compared to the unmarried and married victims, with physical harassment as compared to verbal harassment, and with the complaining, scolding, and slapping victims as compared to the ignoring victim. A three-way interaction on perceived appropriateness suggested that female subjects, as compared to male subjects, were more in favor of strong self-assertive action against harassment, but relatively less so in the case of the unmarried victim.


Clinical observations of 17 goat kids inoculated with 100-1000 infective larvae of Elaphostrongylus rangiferi and autopsied 21-154 days post inoculation (p.i.) are reported. Pruritus was common in the period 4-10 weeks p.i. Six animals displayed neurological signs starting 35 to 94 days p.i. The most frequent sign was posterior paresis. Other signs included cranial nerve paresis, ataxia, lameness, scoliosis, reduced vision, abnormal behaviour, depression and mental confusion. Recoveries were recorded. An apparent dose-response related eosinophilia was observed at days 14 and 32 p.i. None of the experimentally infected kids shed E. rangiferi first-stage larvae in the faeces, indicating that the nematode will not complete its life-cycle in goats.


Herbal medicines (HMs) have been utilized to prevent and treat human ailments for thousands of years. Especially, HMs have recently played a crucial role in the treatment of COVID-19 in China. However, HMs are susceptible to various factors during harvesting, processing, and marketing, affecting their clinical efficacy. Therefore, it is necessary to conclude a rapid and effective method to study HMs so that they can be used in the clinical setting with maximum medicinal value. Non-targeted analytical technology is a reliable analytical method for studying HMs because of its unique advantages in analyzing unknown components. Based on the extensive literature, the paper summarizes the benefits, limitations, and applicability of non-targeted analytical technology. Moreover, the article describes the application of non-targeted analytical technology in HMs from four aspects: structure analysis, authentication, real-time monitoring, and quality assessment. Finally, the review has prospected the development trend and challenges of non-targeted analytical technology. It can assist HMs industry researchers and engineers select non-targeted analytical technology to analyze HMs' quality and authenticity.


Iron deficiency, one of the most widespread nutritional disorders, affects millions of people in emerging economies and, increasingly, in industrialized countries. Due to the high iron requirements during growth and development, infants and young children are among those most severely affected by iron deficiency. Iron deficiency that occurs during the critical phases of early life development has long-lasting health consequences that are reflected in increased risk of disease, reduced economic productivity and premature death, underscoring the importance of infants and young children as a key target group for addressing iron deficiency. This chapter focuses on the use of fortified foods as a cost-effective mechanism to address iron deficiency in this particularly vulnerable subpopulation. Nutritional policies that include food fortification need to be implemented within the context of effective public-private partnerships in order to address the fundamental mechanisms of accessibility, affordability and availability of nutritious food items for those in the lowest socio-economic strata.


The Arnavon Islands Marine Conservation Area (AMCA) was declared in August 1995 as a refuge for marine
invertebrates. Protection from harvesting was done with agreement from, and active participation by, local
communities. Protection was also facilitated by appointment of a local management committee and conservation
officers. Using a sampling design based on the assessment of environmental impacts, variation in abundance of
species at the AMCA and at three fished "reference" areas was established before declaration, and monitored over the
next four years. The monitoring program designed to test the effectiveness of the AMCA was based on assumptions
related to the effectiveness of compliance within the AMCA, patterns of exploitation outside the AMCA, the period
of time required for any recovery in stocks and the suitability of habitat within the AMCA to support any such
recovery. Marine invertebrates responded in different ways to the harvesting closure. Some species showed no
change after 3 years, but several others showed responses that were consistent with an effect due to the AMCA. One
species, Tridacna maxima, increased in abundance across the region which, without the data from reference areas,
would be incorrectly interpreted as an effect due to the AMCA. The study provides valuable lessons for the
management of marine reserves: It highlights the need for close collaboration with participating communities, for
understanding changes in fishing practices and effort within the region and for the design of rigorous monitoring
programs to test the effectiveness of marine reserves.


Nufus, Dewi Hanim Shofiyatun. 2018. The Historical aspect of "Kitab Jadwal Tarikh (Text Editing and Content Analysis)". Essay (S1) Department of Indonesian Literature Faculty of Humanities Diponegoro University Semarang. Supervisor: Dr. M. Abdullah, M. Hum. dan Nur Fauzan Ahmad, S.S., M.A.

 "Kitab Jadwal Tarikh" is a script written in Arabic, using Arabic and Pegon. It was found in Kudus. In the past, it was kept by the Nurus Siroj Islamic Boarding School in Undaan Kidul, 12th alley Undaan, Kudus. However, in the present, the script is kept by Mr. Syafi'i. The author of the script is KH. Ahmad Siroj and KH. Ahmad Anshor. The condition of the script is not good enough. There are some texts that cannot be read because of the flood in Undaan on 2004.
 The purpose of this study is to describe, to edit, and also to uncover the historical aspects in the KJT. The research method used in this study is the content analysis method. The theories used in this study are philology theory, content analysis theory, and historical theory. In the KJT's script edit, it uses the method of standard editing, because the text of the script is a single text.
 The result of this analysis is that the KJT contains the history of the Prophet Muhammad, the history of the birth and the death of the companion of Prophet Muhammad, the history of the birth and the death of sufi figure, and the history of the birth and the death of the author's relatives. Then, this study shows that there is a discrepancy between the birth and the death of several figures in the KJT. Furthermore, the study discovers that there are some Arabic texts with some miswriting and there are also some ambiguous texts that cannot be translated.

Keywords: Philology, Script, History


The study was conducted to examine the nexus between financial education and entrepreneurship development with the aim of evaluating how knowledgeable entrepreneurs are about managing their business finances in an efficient manner. Primary data was generated from the use of questionnaire. The survey covered educated entrepreneurs in Osun state with a minimum of O'levels. A total sample size of 385 respondents was randomly selected from an infinite population. The study employed a binary logit regression model for the analysis with the help of STATA (14) because the dependent variable is coordinated in a binary form and the model of the study is ordered in the context of multivariate latent structural model. The result with Prob > chi2 = 0.0000 showed that financial education influences the growth and development of businesses in Osun state. Hence, we conclude that the encouragement of financial education for Nigerian entrepreneurs in order to encourage financial literacy, financial inclusion and financial behaviour of entrepreneurs for effective and efficient management of businesses will have direct effect on entrepreneurship growth and development in the economy. The study identified areas of inadequacies and proposed recommendations to improve the financial literacy level; encourage prudency in financial behavior; and ensure the availability of financial services for entrepreneurship purposes.


The best physical and geometrical parameters of the main sequence close visual binary system (CVBS), HIP 105947, are presented. These parameters have been constructed conclusively using Al-Wardat's complex method for analyzing CVBSs, which is a method for constructing a synthetic spectral energy distribution (SED) for the entire binary system using individual SEDs for each component star. The model atmospheres are in its turn built using the Kurucz (ATLAS9) line-blanketed plane-parallel models. At the same time, the orbital parameters for the system are calculated using Tokovinin's dynamical method for constructing the best orbits of an interferometric binary system. Moreover, the mass-sum of the components, as well as the Δθ and Δρ residuals for the system, is introduced. The combination of Al-Wardat's and Tokovinin's methods yields the best estimations of the physical and geometrical parameters. The positions of the components in the system on the evolutionary tracks and isochrones are plotted and the formation and evolution of the system are discussed.


We compute the boundary two point functions of operators corresponding to massive spin 1 and spin 2 de Sitter fields, by an extension of the " S-Matrix " approach developed for bulk scalars. In each case the two point functions are of the form required for conformal invariance of the dual boundary field theory.


ABSTRACT Although it has been used for centuries; silk's appearance, touch, and other high-quality properties maintain the popularity of the fiber. However, there are different types of silkworms, so different types of silk fibers are available. Other than Mulberry silk there are some others: eri, muga, tasar and tussah, which are generally deemed "wild silk". In this study, color fastness properties of one of these wild silk fibers: tussah was investigated in comparison with mulberry silk fiber. For comparison, mulberry and tussah silk fibers were blended with cotton, viscose rayon, and modal fibers and spun using open-end rotor spinning system. After yarn productions; single jersey fabrics were knitted, pretreated and dyed. Color fastness tests were made to evaluate the performances. Results indicate that both types of silk fibers are appropriate for spinning and knitting processes and the fastness results revealed that mulberry fibers resulted with better color fastness properties in comparison with tussah silk fibers


Abstract Between 9 and 22 January 1999, radio-tracking revealed that nine Sturnira lilium (seven females, one lactating, and two males) used hollow trees (N = 5), vine tangles (N = 2), or the bases of palm fronds (N = 1) as day roosts near Lamanai in Belize over 43 roost days. The bats roosted in hollows of four tree species, and the roost entrances ranged from 2.0 to 7.9 m above the ground. Radio-tagged individuals returned to the same roosts day after day, with the exception of a subadult female that used at least three day roosts over the course of the study. In their day roosts, S. lilium were inconspicuous, difficult to flush, and easily overlooked. Radio-tagged bats usually roosted alone and emerged significantly later than bats without radio tags.


The article confirms an earlier discovered phenomenon that during comas and in post-coma periods the brain releases glucose and consumes lactate. It is suggested that the phenomenon is based on glucogenesis taking place in the brain from non-carbohydrate glucose precursors, which is phylogenetically predetermined and biologically expedient.


Historically, echocardiography has focused on the assessment of cardiac dimensions and indices of cardiac function. However, when referred to ultrasonographic coronary arteries characterisation in the horse, information is scarce. The purpose of this study was to describe the right coronary artery in both long and short axis and to analyse its variability between horses with different levels of performance. Sixty healthy horses were included in the study. The animals were eventing horses at different levels of performance and were allocated into two groups according to their athletic level. The internal lumen diameter and the area of the right coronary artery (RCA) were measured in the right parasternal long and short axis views in the 3rd and 4th intercostal space respectively, during systole and diastole. The results were compared between groups using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t-test. The correlation between the physiological parameters and the RCA was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Statistically significant differences were found when the RCA internal diameter was assessed between groups in both short and long axis. There were no statistically significant differences intra-group when short and long axis measurements were compared between each other. A positive correlation was observed between RCA and age, height, left atrium diameter, aortic valve diameter, sinus of Valsalva diameter, and aorta diameter. In conclusion, the level of training might affect the ultrasound measurement of the RCA in sport horses. Non-invasive echocardiography can be used to consistently assess the size of the right coronary artery in athletic horses in both short and long axis.


Abstract There has been extensive work in the space of Indigenous epistemological approaches to research. Because Australian Indigenous peoples have been researched significantly, there are guidelines around the ethical and cultural conduct of this type of research. Via investigating the Academy's approach to research in general, we can illuminate the vast differences between empirical approaches to research from the 'West' compared to knowledge acquisition and sharing through 'relationality' from an Indigenous perspective. This paper investigates this dichotomy and brings into question the premise of power and value attributed to each approach, arguing that this is still not an equal ascription. This paper posits a reconfiguration of approaches to research as a way of extending on research in general, and provides a platform of how Indigenous knowledges can extend on and reconfigure, in a positive way, approaches to research.


The equilibrium and stability properties of ideal compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows are investigated. The domain is taken to be cylindrical with arbitrary cross-section. Variational principles for plasma equilibria with mass flow are formulated, where we associate the cylindrical MHD equilibrium states to critical points of a conserved Lyapunov functional. This functional consists of the sum of the total energy, the mass, the circulation along field lines (cross-helicity), the momentum and the magnetic helicity. Lyapunov stability conditions for compressible cylindrical ideal MHD flows with arbitrary cross-section are determined.


The zebrafish model is an attractive candidate for screening of developmental toxicity during early drug development. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) arouse concern for the risk of teratogenicity, but the data are limited. In this study, we evaluated the teratogenic potential of seven AEDs (carbamazepine (CBZ), ethosuximide (ETX), valproic acid (VPN), lamotrigine (LMT), lacosamide (LCM), levetiracetam (LVT), and topiramate (TPM)) in the zebrafish model. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to AEDs from initiation of gastrula (5.25 hours post-fertilization (hpf)) to termination of hatching (72 hpf) which mimic the mammalian teratogenic experimental design. The lethality and teratogenic index (TI) of AEDs were determined and the TI values of each drug were compared with the US FDA human pregnancy categories. Zebrafish model was useful screening model for teratogenic potential of antiepilepsy drugs and was in concordance with in vivo mammalian data and human clinical data.


SUMMARY: Dictyostelium discoideum wild-type amoebae incorporate 3H-uridine into RNA at a linear rate during the developmental sequence until the terminal stage of fruiting body construction. However, 3 aggregateless strains perform in similar fashion (except for the final decrease). A sensitive criterion of bacterial contamination, making use of MAK-column chromatography of the labelled RNA, is described.


In orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, time- and frequency-domain two-dimensional minimum mean square error (2D-MMSE) channel estimation is optimum. However, accurate channel statistics, which are often time-varying and unavailable in practice, are required to realize it. In this paper, we propose two-dimensional recursive least square (2D-RLS) adaptive channel estimation for OFDM system. 2D-RLS adaptive channel estimation does not require accurate channel statistics, and at the same time can make full use of time-and frequency-domain correlations of the frequency response of time-varying wireless channels. With properly chosen parameters, 2D-RLS adaptive channel estimation can converge into the steady state in only several OFDM symbols' time. Computer simulations demonstrate that 2D-RLS adaptive channel estimation is very effective and suitable for a broad range of channel conditions. Furthermore, with proper training sequences design on transmitter antennas, 2D-RLS adaptive channel estimation can be applied to multiple inputs multiple outputs (MIMO) OFDM system.


Previously, studies have focused mainly on the precept that tumors depend on glycolysis for energy and growth (the Warburg effect) and that the mitochondria are dysfunctional in cancer cells. However, there is mounting evidence that some cancer cells exhibit elevated mitochondrial respiration. Recent studies in our lab have demonstrated that Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cells exhibit intensified mitochondrial respiration and oxygen consumption. We further demonstrated that targeting increased mitochondrial respiration by a therapeutic agent effectively hampers proliferation of Non-Small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells in vitro. The purpose of the study is to determine to what extent mitochondrial respiration is affected by the therapeutic agent in vivo. In order to achieve this goal, NSCLC cells were transduced with lentiviral particles carrying luciferase sequence. NSCLC cells expressing luciferase cells were implanted on the right flank of 4-6 weeks old female NOD/SCID mice to generate subcutaneous xenografts. The therapeutic agent was administered intravenously. Tumor implantation and growth were monitored by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) using Perkin Elmer's IVIS Lumina III Imager. On sacrificing the mice, the tumors were harvested, formalin fixed and paraffin embedded for Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Our BLI data suggest that there is a considerable reduction in radiance (total flux in photons per second) in the group of mice that were treated with therapeutic agent in comparison to control. Further, there is a significant reduction in tumor volume in mice that received treatment. Our IHC data suggest that there is a reduction in expression of a vital enzyme involved in heme synthesis and hemoproteins involved in mitochondrial respiration. Our BLI and IHC data suggest that the therapeutic agent affects mitochondrial respiration by affecting mitochondrial complexes in vivo. Additional experiments to corroborate the results are underway. Citation Format: Sarada Preeta Kalainayakan, Poorva Ghosh, Sanchareeka Dey, Li Zhang. Assessing the efficacy of targeting mitochondrial respiration in delaying lung tumor growth by using subcutaneous xenografts in mouse models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2129. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2129


This study examined the probability of (a) being placed in a disciplinary alternative education setting for mandatory versus discretionary reasons and (b) returning within the same year among an ethnically diverse sample (African American, Caucasian, Hispanic) of middle and high school students (N=270). Participants were compared based on ethnicity, gender, grade level, and special education status. Minority students were significantly more likely than Caucasian students to be placed in disciplinary alternative education for discretionary reasons and were more likely to return within the same school year. A similar result was revealed for high school students when compared to middle school students. Differences were found between boys and girls, but none were found between students who qualified for special education services and those who did not. The cultural and developmental implications of these findings are discussed, as well as suggestions for future practice and research.


The elastic-plastic large deformation behavior and the collapse load of a tubular trussed tower which has legs of unequal length and mechanically severe shape is studied by a numerical analysis. An original method for three dimensional steel structures and members with closed thin walled section is used to investigate the behavior. It is shown that the tower designed by a conventional method has a sufficient strength for the design loads.


Oxidative processes, especially lipid peroxidation (LPO), are assumed to increase during ageing. In an attempt to provide experimental evidence for this assumption lemon balm plants (Melissa officinalis L.) of different age and location were analyzed for oxidatively caused changes in the etheric oil composition. The investigation revealed that the caryophyllene oxide (CarO) content of lemon balm plants - a main constituent - depends on two factors: age and habitat. The content of CarO increased with age continuously up to a factor of 3. Poor nutritive conditions, as growth on unfertilized soil, also caused an increase in CarO content. Addition of Fe2+/ascorbate - enhancing oxidative processes - promoted the formation of CarO. Hydroperoxides of unsaturated fatty acids (LOOHs) in the lipid extract of lemon balm leaves were converted to corresponding hydroxy acids (LOHs) by sodium borohydride reduction. These were hydrogenated and subjected to GC/MS analysis after derivatisation. A surplus of 9-hydroxy-octadecanoic acid over the 13 isomer indicated at least in part enzymatic lipid peroxidation. Polarographie determination of the oxygen consumption revealed a generally low but in ageing plants increased lipoxygenase activity. This indicates a contribution of lipid peroxidation in the epoxidation process of caryophyllene


Background: The lymphatic system as a key component in the organism's body can be affected by used drugs. Methylphenidate or Ritalin is widely used for treatment of behavioral disorders in children and some depressed people. This study carried out to examine the immunotoxic effects of Ritalin. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 healthy adult female mice were selected and randomly divided into a control and three experimental groups. The experimental groups received Ritalin as 0.5,5 and 50 mg/kg body weight and control groups received distillated water by gavage method for 21 consecutive days. At the end of experiment, the structure and function of the lymphoid organs were evaluated. Results were analyzed by ANOVA and Duncan's test (p<0.05). Results: Significant alterations including a reduction in the size and number of lymphoid follicles, increasing in the megakaryocytes numbers as well as spleen capsular thickens were seen following Ritalin administration. The atrophy of the lymph nodes together with significant reduction in the number and size of lymph follicles but an increasing in the parenchyma hyperemia were seen. Also lymphocyte numbers increased while the monocytes numbers decreased (p<0.05). Conclusion: The consumption of Ritalin could be exerted detrimental effects on the lymphoid organs in the mouse model.


Acquired idiopathic generalized anhidrosis is a rare condition, where the exact pathomechanism is unknown. We report a case of acquired idiopathic generalized anhidrosis in a patient who later developed lichen planus. Here an autoimmune-mediated destruction of sweat glands may be the probable pathomechanism.


MOTIVATION
Generalised Read-Across (GenRA) is a data-driven approach to estimate physico-chemical, biological, or eco-toxicological properties of chemicals by inference from analogues. GenRA attempts to mimic a human expert's manual read-across reasoning for filling data gaps about new chemicals from known chemicals with an interpretable and automated approach based on nearest-neighbours. A key objective of GenRA is to systematically explore different choices of input data selection and neighbourhood definition to objectively evaluate predictive performance of automated read-across estimates of chemical properties.

RESULTS
We have implemented genra-py as a python package that can be freely used for chemical safety analysis and risk assessment applications. Automated read-across prediction in genra-py conforms to the scikit-learn machine learning library's estimator design pattern, making it easy to use and integrate in computational pipelines. We demonstrate the data-driven application of genra-py to address two key human health risk assessment problems namely: hazard identification and point of departure estimation.

AVAILABILITY
The package is available from github.com/i-shah/genra-py.


The electrochemical reduction of CO2 at the Cu electrode was investigated in methanol-based electrolyte using various cesium supporting salts as the ionophore at an extremely low temperature (243 K). Cesium acetate, chloride, bromide, iodide, and thiocyanate were used as the ionophore. The main products from CO2 by electrochemical reduction were methane, ethylene, ethane, carbon monoxide, and formic acid. In the methanol-based electrolyte using cesium supporting salts, except for acetate, the Faradaic efficiency for ethylene was larger than that for methane. This research can contribute to large-scale manufacturing of petrochemical interme diate products, such as methane and ethylene, from readily available and cheap raw materials: CO2-saturated methanol from industrial absorbers (the Rectisol process). Thus the synthesis of hydrocarbons by the electrochemical reduction of CO2 may be of practical interest for fuel production, storage of solar energy, and production of intermediate materials for the petroc...


Every task we perform in our day-to-day lives requires us to make judgements about size, distance, depth, etc. The same is true for tasks in an immersive virtual environments (IVE). Increasingly, Virtual Reality (VR) applications are being developed for training and entertainment, many of which require the user to determining whether s/he can pass through an opening. Typically, people determine their ability to pass through an aperture by comparing the width of their shoulders to the width of the opening. Thus, judgments of size and distance in an IVE are necessary for accurate judgments of passability. In this experiment, we empirically evaluate how passability judgments in an IVE, viewed through a Head-Mounted Display (HMD), compare to judgments made in the real world. An exact to scale virtual replica of the room and apparatus was used for the VR condition. Results indicate that the accuracy of passability judgments seem to be comparable to the real world.


Summary It has been recognized that immunity to tumor transplantation may exist; it may be either spontaneous or produced by certain definite means. The existence of an antibody comparable to those in bacterial infections has been demonstrated only in connection with the filtrable tumors and with transplantable tumors which produce concomitant immunity. It has been hitherto believed that there are only three types of tumors which are definitely caused by a specific virus: namely, the Rous fowl sarcoma, the Shope infectious rabbit papilloma, and the kidney tumor in frogs. Opinions are divided at the present time concerning the viral nature of the milk factor of mice bearing mammary cancer (2). We have succeeded in isolating the virus in question from the tumor ascites. This isolation has been successful in our hands in every instance. The antisera produced by the application of our virus actually inhibited the growth of the ascites tumor whenever the virus in the tumor cell was neutralized by corresponding antisera. It should be stressed that these inhibited tumor cells completely regained their malignant characteristics when the virus in question was re-introduced. If all these facts are taken into consideration, it appears permissible to conclude that the virus isolated from the ascites tumor is an indispensable agent of the tumor ascites. Reproduction of the ascites tumor by means of the administration of our virus to rats unfortunately has been unsuccessful so far, although the HST virus after about 40 successive transmissions acquired a progressively more viscerotropic character and caused, to a marked degree, a chronic inflammation of the granulation type in the omentum, the liver, the spleen, the lymph nodes, the lungs, etc. Mice inoculated with the virus often showed anaplastic growth of peritoneal serous cells and produced an ascites which occasionally produced an ascites tumor containing neoplastic cells derived from the peritoneum. On the whole, the mouse ascites tumor resembles very closely that of rats from which the virus has been isolated. Further details of these findings will be given in a future report.


The objective of this study is to construct a new distribution known as the weighted Burr–Hatke distribution (WBHD). The PDF and CDF of the WBHD are derived in a closed form. Moments, incomplete moments, and the quantile function of the proposed distribution are derived mathematically. Eleven estimate techniques for estimating the distribution parameters are discussed, and numerical simulations are utilised to evaluate the various approaches using partial and overall rankings. According to the findings of this study, it is recommended that the maximum product of spacing (MPSE) estimator of the WBHD is the best estimator according to overall rank table. The actuarial measurements were derived to the suggested distribution. By contrasting the WBHD with other competitive distributions using two different actual data sets collected from the COVID-19 mortality rates, we show the importance and flexibility of the WBHD.


Mark Maxwell is a filmmaker, painter and installation artist. His first job in the art world was working as an assistant to artist & musician Brian Eno on a series of projects relating to set and lighting designs for live musical performances entitled "Opal Evenings". The designs would incorporate sculptural suspended forms with light projections.


The concept of "Artificial Intelligence (AI)" also contains the adaptive controllers that are able to observe the behavior of the a priori only insufficiently known physical systems under their control, and automatically can adjust themselves in order to achieve precise control. Regarding their implementations, certain approaches use the rather "conventional" means of AI as rule bases, fuzzy, neural or neurofuzzy systems, others can more strictly utilize the specialties of the available analytical models. In this paper the behavior of a novel version of the "Model Reference Adaptive Controllers" is investigated. In contrast to the traditional approaches the design of these controllers does not need the use of the difficult technique of Lyapunov's "direct" method. Instead of the use of Lyapunov functions that can guarantee global asymptotic stability it applies "Robust Fixed Point Transformations" that work with a local, bounded basin of convergence of the iteration that converges to the solution of the control task. The method applies only three control parameters that in the most of the cases can be fixed. It is shown that by properly tuning only one of the three parameters the convergence of the controller can be stabilized. The theory does not uniquely define the details of this tuning in which we have a great freedom. The operation of various tuning strategies were investigated for the adaptive control for two interesting paradigms: an underactuated mechanical system and an other mechanical system that contains a dynamically coupled internal degree of freedom neither observed nor directly manipulated by the controller.


DOI: 10.7764/RDLC.16.2.249 Composite Steel Plate Shear Wall (CSPSW) is a resistant system to lateral forces with suitable performance which can be utilized by corrugated trapezoidal plates enhancing the stiffness of shear wall. In this study, when the space between the corrugations of trapezoidal plates is either filled or empty, the deformability, stiffness and other seismic parameters of Composite Steel Plate Shear Wall have been studied by Abaqus software. The use of CSPSW with corrugated trapezoidal plate with horizontal and vertical corrugations when the space between the corrugations of Infill plate and concrete layer is empty exhibits more deformability as compared to just the same system when the space has been filled with concrete layer. In fact, applying this application detail in CSPSW with corrugated trapezoidal plate is believed to improve the behavior of this lateral resistant system. If we use trapezoidal plate in CSPSW, it would be recommended that the space between corrugations and concrete layer to be empty.


Regulatory pressure has been mounting globally to address the issue of climate change. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with high global warming potentials (GWPs), used as working fluids across many applications, are coming under increasing scrutiny because they are forecast to become significant contributors to global warming in the future. Therefore, there is a need for low GWP working fluids for many applications for which HFCs have been historically preferred. This paper evaluates a new developmental refrigerant, Hydro-Fluoro-Olefin HFO-1336mzz-Z (cisCF3CH=CHCF3), as a potential working fluid for Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC). It has a favorable toxicity profile based on testing to date and it is non-flammable at both 60 o C and 100 o C. It offers both non-flammability and a very low one-hundred year GWP of 2, thus discrediting an early stereotype about fluids based on HFOs. Even more surprisingly, HFO-1336mzz-Z remained chemically stable in the presence of carbon steel, copper, aluminum, air and moisture up to the maximum temperature tested of 250oC despite its unsaturated chemical nature. It also remained stable to stereo-isomerization in the presence of carbon steel, copper and aluminum at 250oC despite the thermodynamic driving force for isomerization to the more energetically favored HFO-133mzz-E isomer. The stability of HFO-1336mzz-Z was found to be significantly higher than other saturated and unsaturated working fluids. HFO-1336mzz-Z has a normal boiling point of 33.4oC and a relatively high critical temperature of 171.3 oC, which result in relatively low vapor pressures and high cycle energy efficiencies. The performance of HFO1336mzz-Z in subcritical and transcritical power cycles at conditions representative of potential applications was evaluated through computational modeling. Subcritical Rankine cycles with recuperators operating between an evaporating temperature of 160 oC and a condensing temperature of 25 oC with HFO-1336mzz-Z could reach net cycle efficiencies of 25%. HFO-1336mzz-Z could enable more environmentally sustainable ORC platforms to generate power from available heat at higher temperatures and with higher energy efficiencies than incumbent working fluids.


China produces 28% of global rice supply and is currently self-sufficient despite a massive rural to urban demographic transition that drives intense competition for land and water resources. At issue is whether to remain self-sufficient, which depends on the potential to raise yields on existing rice land. Here we report the first high-resolution spatial analysis of rice production potential in China and evaluate scenarios to 2030. We find that China is likely to remain self-sufficient in rice assuming current yield and consumption trajectories and no reduction in production area. Focusing research and development on rice systems and regions with the largest potential to close yield gaps, as identified in this study, provides greatest opportunity to remain self-sufficient, even with reduced rice area.


The relationships among a cluster of attitudes toward work and job were investigated using a sample of 171 nurses. The hypothesis was that involvement in work and job, commitment to the employing organization, and satisfaction with the job (overall, and with specific facets of the job) would be significantly correlated. The results showed that involvement was not related to overall satisfaction but only to two specific facets, satisfaction with work and promotion opportunities. In contrast, the degree of relationship between overall and various facets of satisfaction and commitment and between involvement and commitment was moderately high.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of evidence-based nursing combined with exercise rehabilitation on cardiac function indices, self-care ability and incidence of adverse reactions in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS
In this retrospective study, the medical records of 200 AMI patients undergoing PCI in Ganzhou People's Hospital from June 2020 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into a control group (n=100) and a study group (n=100) according to the nursing methods after PCI. The cardiac function index, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), behavioral self-management, physiological index, angina questionnaire and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS
After intervention, the study group exhibited significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction and lower pro-B-type natriuretic peptide index than the control group (P<0.05). At 1, 3 and 6 months postoperative, the study group exhibited significantly longer 6MWD than the control group (P<0.05). At 3 and 6 months postoperative, the total Coronary Artery Disease Self-Management Scale scores except for emotional management were significantly higher in the study group than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 3- and 6-month postoperative visits, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein in the study group were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05). The study group showed higher scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire and lower incidence of complications than the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION
Evidence-based nursing combined with exercise rehabilitation can ameliorate cardiac function and physiological indices, increase treatment compliance and satisfaction, reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, and improve the quality of life in patients with AMI after PCI.


Between 1990 and 1997, 36 thyroid cancer patients were observed at the III Department of Surgical Oncology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute in Rome. There were 31 (86.1%) women and 5 (13.9%) men, with a mean age of 47.7 years (range 17-72). Diagnostic data consisted of: papillary carcinoma in 25 patients, follicular carcinoma in 9 and Hürthle cell carcinoma in 1. Twenty patients were less than 45 years old (15 papillary and 5 follicular carcinoma) and 16 were more than 45 years old (10 papillary and 4 follicular carcinoma, 1 Hürthle cell carcinoma and 1 with undifferentiated cancer). We performed total thyroidectomy in 32 cases and isthmectomy in 3 (2 papillary carcinoma, T1, < 45 years, 1 follicular carcinoma with minimal invasion). At the time of diagnosis, 6 patients with papillary carcinoma showed signs of local metastasis. No patients exhibited distant diffusion. A follow-up was performed at mean 41 months (2-84 months). Two patients with follicular carcinomas had been treated with radioiodine and showed disease progression with distant metastasis. Our results coincide with the literature on this topic. Total thyroidectomy is preferred, in low-risk patients as well, because subsequent radioiodine treatment and disease relapse monitoring are facilitated. Lateral cervical lymphadenectomy was performed only in cases when there was clinical evidence of metastasis and recurrent disease at this level has never been observed.


SUMMARY Patients with urolithiasis, particularly hypercalciuria, may have reduced bone mineral density (BMD). There are numerous risk factors contributing to reduction of BMD such as advanced age, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, low calcium intake, etc. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of lifestyle risk factors and daily intake of milk and dairy products with determinants of BMD in a group of recurrent calcium stone formers (RSF) compared with healthy subjects (HS). The study was carried out at the Department of Mineral Research, Faculty of Medicine in Osijek, Croatia. The study included 144 subjects, i.e. 56 RSF and 78 HS. BMD was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. A standard self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data on lifestyle risk factors. Current dietary intake was assessed by personal interview that included questions about milk and dairy product intake. Low BMD was observed in 44.64% of RSF and 35.90% of HS. RSF consumed significantly less milk and dairy products than HS. Calcium restriction in dietary recommendations might be unnecessary due to the impact on bone mineral loss in RSF and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry should be included in the routine evaluation of RSF.


The paper presents the variability of solar UV index in main cities of Nepal. The latitude and longitude of the cities are (27.72°N, 85.32°E), ( 28.22°N, 83.32°E) and (26.45°N 87.27°E) are located at an elevation of 1350m, 800m and 72m respectively from the sea level. The NILU- UV irradiance meter of serial number (135, 137 and 133) was used to record UV radiation on these stations.  From the measurement and data analysis it was found that there were distinct diurnal, hourly mean and spring variations in the UV index. The UV index is primarily controlled by solar zenith angle for both the diurnal and seasonal variations. The highest values of hourly mean UV index was found at noon time in all seasons. Atmospheric parameters such as Solar Zenith angle (SZA), Cloud cover, aerosols  and Ozone contribute to the daily fuctuations in the UV Index. The UV Index was found to be 8.72, 9.9 and 9.2 in June 9, in Kathmandu (KTM), Pokhara (PKR) and Biratnagar (BRT).While the UV Index (UVI) in September 27 was found to be 8.52, 8.18 and 9.36 in KTM, PKR and BRT respectively. Daily mean highest UV Index before monsoon at PKR was found to be 10.6 and 8.98 at day number 144 and 100. Journal of the Institute of Engineering, 2016, 12(1): 114-119


In this work, a simple, low-cost, green, and mild method for the preparation of three-dimensional nanocomposite materials of gold nanorods (Au NRs)@TiO2 is reported. The surface of Au NRs was coated with TiO2 in situ reduction at room temperature without a complicated operation. The synthetic Au NRs@TiO2 nanocomposites were used as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) active substrates for the reusable and sensitive detection of environmental pollutants. The results showed that the pollutants on Au NRs@TiO2 nanocomposites have higher SERS activity and reproducibility than those on the Au NR substrate without the presence of TiO2. Moreover, the SERS substrate can be readily recycled by UV-assisted self-cleaning to remove residual analyte molecules. Malachite green (MG) and crystal violet (CV) were used as examples to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed sensor for the sensitive detection of environmental pollutants. The results showed that the limit of detections (LODs) were 0.75 μg/L and 0.50 μg/L for MG and CV, respectively, with the recoveries ranging from 86.67% to 91.20% and 83.70% to 89.00%. Meanwhile, the SERS substrate can be easily regenerated by UV light irradiation. Our investigation revealed that within three cycles, the Au NRs@TiO2 substrates still maintained the high SERS enhancement effect that they showed when first used for SERS detection. These results indicated that the method can be used to detect MG and CV in really complex samples. Due to the high sensitivity, reusability, and portability and the rapid detection property of the proposed sensor, it can have potential applications in the on-site detection of environmental pollutants in a complex sample matrix.


Take-all is a disease of wheat root caused by the soil borne fungus , Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc) Von Arx and Oliver var tritici Walker (Ggt) all over the word. There has been considered biological control using the microorganisms departed from suppressive soils or wheat roots, widely. In this study, strains of Bacillus (B. subtilis and B. pumilus ), Pseudomonas (P. fluorescent , P. putida and P. aeruginosa ) and Chromobacteria sp., separated from wheat rhizosphere, were assessed for their ability to control this disease. Three fungal isolates (23, 35 and 45) were used in all experiments. Out of 45 bacterial strains in laboratory conditions, 15 strains were selected for isolates 23; 14 strains for isolates 35, and 25 strains for isolates 45 based on dual culture tests. In volatile metabolites test, for isolate 45 the most effective bacteria were strains 132 ( P. fluorescens ) and 159 ( P. putida ) and for isolates 23 and 35, strains 73 ( P. fluorescens ) and 10 ( P. putida ) were the best, respectively. Antibiotic production results indicated that for isolate 23 strains 93, 196, 142 ( P. fluorescens ) and 106 (P. putida ); isolate 35, strain 10 ( P. putida ) and isolate 45, strain 66 ( B. subtilis ), 68, 103, 159 ( P. putida ), 173, 93 (P. fluorescens ) and 78 ( P. aeruginosa ) reduced pathogene growth significantly (p<0.05). Regarding siderophore production, among fluorescent pseudomonads, strains 189, 87, 5 and MP were selected. The effectiveness of bacteria on take-all was assessed in test tubes and greenhouse by seed treatment, too. Disease severity was assessed based on 0-6 scale and in all three fungal isolates, there were significant differences between treatments (p<0.01). In growth chamber experiments for isolate 35, P. fluorescens (VN) was the best one and for isolates 23, wheat treated with P. fluorescens strains VN and 196 showed less disease. Finally, for isolates 45, the most effective strains were VN, 132, 39, 73, 189, 196, MP ( P. fluorescens ), 53, 103 and 147 ( P. putida ). According to greenhouse results, in isolate 35 wheat treated with strains 10 ( P. putida ) and VN ( P. fluorescens ) showed no infection indicating bacterial effectiveness in fungal inhibition. Isolate 23, strains 100 ( P. putida ), 196, 5, VN ( P. fluorescens ) and 65 ( B. pumilus ) and in isolate 45, strains VN, 132, 93 ( P. fluorescens ) and 53 ( P. putida ) were the most effective ones. In these cases there was no infection as well. The role of bacteria in promoting plant growth was assessed. There was no difference in growth indices between intact plant and plant treated with bacteria (without any fungal inoculation), so bacteria cause growth enhancement by disease control. Key words. Gaeumannomyces graminis var tritici, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Chromobacteria, take-all, biological control.


A distributed computation algorithm based on the virtual force method supports the computation of dynamic redundancy resolution for modular reconfigurable robotic systems. Such systems have many redundant degrees of freedom in order to meet the combined demands of strength, rigidity, workspace kinematics, reconfigurability, and fault tolerance. An efficient distributed computational scheme computes the kinematics, dynamics, and redundancy resolution for real-time application to the control of these systems. A potential function which depends only on the local information of adjacent nodes of the structure is introduced and applied to the Tetrobot modular reconfigurable system. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed distributed algorithms, and these results are compared to the centralized Jacobian method which requires global information.


Foster's Group Limited (Foster's) has been notified of a potential A$39.5 million claim under an indemnity provided to SABMiller Group in relation to Foster's former brewing business in India now owned by SABMiller. The potential claim relates to a notice of demand issued by the Director of Income Tax in India to SABMiller for tax and interest. Foster's is confident of the positions that were taken in relation to Indian tax. Those positions will be defended vigorously in the Indian Courts. In the event that the demerger of Foster's proceeds any liability under the indemnity will remain with Foster's.


We present a tutorial on knowledge management (KM) and a roadmap of this special issue around the knowledge life-cycle. Knowledge management is a discipline that provides a strategy, process and technology to share and leverage information and expertise that increases our level of understanding, to more effectively solve problems and make decisions. We address three key views: (1) codification (tacit and explicit knowledge types); (2) various knowledge environments; and (3) cognitive aspects, followed by detailed descriptions of features and technology, and how this capability is being leveraged in forward-looking organizations.


Multiple posttranslational modifications of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) coordinate passage through the transcription cycle. The crosstalk between different modifications is poorly understood. Here, we show how acetylation of lysine residues at position 7 of characteristic heptad repeats (K7ac), a modification only found in higher eukaryotes, regulates phosphorylation of serines at position 5 (S5p), a conserved mark of polymerases initiating transcription. Using mass spectrometry, we identified Regulator of Pre-mRNA Domain-containing (RPRD) proteins as reader proteins of K7ac. K7ac enhanced in vitro binding of CTD peptides to the CTD-interacting domain (CID) of RPRD1A and RPRD1B proteins and inversely regulated S5p levels genome-wide. Treatment with deacetylase inhibitors globally enhanced levels of K7ac‐ and decreased levels of S5-phosphorylated polymerases ≥500 base pairs downstream of transcription start sites of expressed genes, consistent with acetylation-dependent S5 dephosphorylation via a previously identified RPRD-associated S5 phosphatase. Consistent with this model, RPRD1B knockdown increased S5p, but also enhanced K7ac levels, indicating that RPRD proteins recruit a K7 deacetylase. Collectively, our data identify RPRD CIDs as K7ac reader domains and reveal auto-regulatory crosstalk between K7ac and S5p via RPRD proteins at the transition from transcription initiation to elongation in higher eukaryotes.


Soil heavy metal contamination is becoming a matter of great global concern. The extent of Lead (Pb) concentration which causes toxicity in lower vascular plants, pteridophytes, remains unclear. So the present study was carried out to investigate the extent of Pb accumulation with its impact on physiological and biochemical basis of heavy metal tolerance in Marsilea minuta Linn. Lead salt in lower concentrations (0 μM, 0.1 μM, 0.3 μM, 0.5 μM and 1.0 μM) was allowed to absorb by the plants for 12 days in hydroponic culture and a significant deterioration of the plant biomass was recorded. However, roots absorbed more metals than the leaves. Changes in leaf area, biomass allocation, chlorophyll content in leaf, total carbohydrate and protein content were monitored. Higher concentrations upto 1.0 μM reduced biomass and chlorophyll contents. A noticeable decrease in total protein content was noticed on early days of treatment followed by a sharp increase in 0.3 μM, 0.5 μM and 1.0 μM treatments. Total carbohydrate content were decreased, as compared to control condition, in 1.0 μM and increased in 0.5 μM treatment. Short Communication Saranya and Shereena ; IJPSS, 6(3): 140-149, 2015; Article no.IJPSS.2015.105 141


Previous research showed the positive impact of social capital measured as trust, social and political activism, and the frequency of communication via information channels on life satisfaction. The usage of new technologies brings changes in human communications and connections. At the same time, the recent massive digitalization of social life questions happiness sustainability. This research highlights the moderation effect of digital development at the national level on the association of social capital and subjective well-being at individual level. With the help of multilevel modeling based on the latest wave of World Value Survey data for 2017–2020, we test how the Internet, mobile phone and social media penetration in a given country moderate the link between subjective well-being of individuals and their social capital measured as trust, confidence in institutions, social and political activism, and frequency of usage of information channels. The results demonstrated a significantly important role of the new technologies for individual happiness and life satisfaction. Thus, for example, the higher number of social media users in a given country improves membership opportunities, which positively contributes to individual happiness.


This thesis presents an analysis of the poetics of Artavazd Peleshyan's cinema based on the theory of poetics of cinema developed by David Bordwell. The first part introduces the reader to the director's work, includes a literature overview and outlines the methodological approach. The main theoretical frame of reference was provided by David Bordwell's concept of the poetics of cinema, which he developed in several publications. The second part of the thesis focuses on the analysis itself, and consists of three chapters that present the main components of a film work: thematics, stylistics and large-scale form. The first of these chapters focuses on basic thematic elements in individual Peleshyan's films and summarizes key themes represented throughout his work. The second chapter presents an analysis of the stylistic component of his work, consisting primarily of combining images and sounds expressed through the montage. This part also deals with Peleshyan's theory of distance montage and illustrates its mechanisms of distance connections using specific examples. The third and final chapter focuses on the formal aspects of Peleshyan's work and discusses its large-scale from the perspective of the essay film. This thesis presents the basic characteristics of Peleshyan's cinema aesthetics, namely its formal, stylistic and thematic structural components.


Objective: This study examined the effects of maintenance treatment for late-life depression on social adjustment. The authors hypothesized that elderly patients recovering from depression would have better social adjustment with medication and interpersonal psychotherapy than with medication or psychotherapy alone. Method: Patients aged 60 and older recovering from recurrent major depression were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: nortriptyline and interpersonal psychotherapy, nortriptyline and clinic visits, placebo and psychotherapy, or placebo and clinic visits. The Social Adjustment Scale was administered every 3 months until illness recurrence. Combined treatment was compared to monotherapy on scores over 1 year among patients who remained in recovery (N=49). Results: Patients receiving nortriptyline and interpersonal psychotherapy maintained social adjustment, which declined in those receiving monotherapy. Conclusions: Treatment of late-life depression with nortriptyline and psychotherapy...


The generalized optic acceleration cancellation (GOAC) theory of catching proposes that the path of a fielder running to catch a ball is determined by the attempt to satisfy 2 independent constraints. The 1st is to keep the angle of elevation of gaze to the ball increasing at a decreasing rate. The 2nd is to control the rate of horizontal rotation necessary to maintain fixation on the ball. Depending on the lateral velocity of the ball relative to the fielder, this rate may be zero or constant at a negative or positive value. The authors show that a simulated fielder implementing the GOAC strategy follows a path indistinguishable from that of real fielders running to catch balls thrown on the same trajectories.