Background Postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD95) plays an important role in cerebral ischaemia injury, but its mechanism needs further research. This study aimed to explore the role of PSD95 in (Ang-(1-7))-Mas-mediated cerebral ischaemia protection and its regulatory mechanism. Methods Oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) neuron and rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were used as in vitro and in vivo models, respectively. TAT-MAS9C was used to disrupt the interaction between PSD95 and Mas. The recombinant PSD95 adenovirus (Ad-PSD95) was used to overexpress PSD95 in neurons. Results Results showed that in OGD neurons, Ang-(1-7) could promote cell viability; reduce cell apoptosis; reduce the cell membrane localisation of Mas; upregulate the expression levels of pAKT, bcl-2 and I-κB; and downregulate the expression levels of Bax, pI-κB, tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β. TAT-MAS9C could enhance the aforementioned effects of Ang-(1-7). However, the PSD95 overexpression inhibited the aforementioned effects of Ang-(1-7). In the MCAO rat model, the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that Ang-(1-7) reduced the infarct volume. The Morris water maze test showed that the number of crossings over the platform area in the Ang-(1-7) group was significantly increased. TAT-MAS9C could promote the protective effect of Ang-(1-7). Conclusions Results suggested that PSD95 alleviated the activation of AKT and the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B signalling pathway mediated by the Ang-(1-7)–Mas complex, thereby reducing neuronal activity, increasing apoptosis and inhibiting the Ang-(1-7)–Mas-mediated cerebral ischaemia protection.


Abstract We describe the circumstances and effects of a cloud-to-ground lightning flash that lowered positive charge and struck a residential home near Albany, New York. The characteristics of the flash were detected and recorded by a wide-band magnetic direction-finding system operating along the East Coast. The flash contained one stroke, had an estimated peak current of 70 kA and was apparently the only ground flash in the storm. A 70 mm2 hole in a section of iron roof flashing suggests that the charge transfer may have been between 25 and 150 coulomb, depending upon assumptions. Vertical shear in the horizontal wind at the time of the flash is estimated to have been 3 m s−1 km−1, a value consistent with previous observations of lightning lowering positive charge.


The world has been changed irrevocably by the infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. COVID-19 affects everyone everywhere. A separate and significant, though not necessarily as infectious, malady affecting many, though not all, individuals worldwide, is "Fake News†, known alternatively as yellow journalism, junk news, pseudo news, false news, alternative facts, hoaxes, misinformation, disinformation, fabricated news, corrupt news, unfathomable nonsense, or outright lies, which are typically based on provably false statements, and are distributed widely through mainstream news media and social media. The opinion piece presents a brief history of COVID-19 and fake news, and existing international efforts to deal with each of these infections, and to encourage critical comments, concepts and ideas.


Abstract Hill activity with ferricyanide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and photoreduction of NADP and methyl red supported by ascorbate and 2,6-dichloroindophenol were studied as a function of the size of chloroplast fragments. Sonic treatment of chloroplasts resulted in a decrease in Hill activity with NADP and ferricyanide. The decrease was accompanied by a change in the dependency of the reduction rate upon ferricyanide concentration and light intensity. With either electron acceptor, the Hill activity was highest with fragments of medium size and decreased with decreasing size of the fragments. The photoreduction of NADP and methyl red with ascorbate and 2,6-dichloroindophenol increased after sonic treatment. The larger fragments were less active than the sonically disrupted chloroplasts, whereas the small fragments showed a very high activity; that is, they were several times more active than the larger fragments or sonically treated chloroplasts. Evidence is presented to indicate that the increase in the activity induced by sonic treatment was due to an increased accessibility of the electron-donating reaction.


Purpose of review Cord blood is considered an acceptable alternative to hematopoietic stem cells. This review focuses on clinical results of cord blood transplantation including factors associated with transplantation outcomes for aiding graft selection. Immunological analysis of T cell recovery processes and approaches to cellular therapy using cord blood-derived immune cells are also discussed. Recent findings To resolve problems with cord blood transplantation, including high toxicity especially in the early phase after transplant and delayed engraftment, a reduced intensity regimen and double cord blood units from different donors are applied. For adequate graft selection, cell dose and human leukocyte antigen compatibility are important to reduce transplant-related toxicity, although the importance of human leukocyte antigen compatibility seems to disappear in leukemia patients because of a possible graft-versus-leukemia effect in a human leukocyte antigen-mismatched setting. Immune reconstitution after cord blood transplantation is also important to reduce the risk of infectious complication. Recent technologies make it possible to generate antigen-specific T cells from naïve T cells from cord blood in vitro. Summary Stem cell sources are now available for almost all leukemia patients. The efficacy of cord blood transplantation warrants further clarification by larger clinical experience and well designed studies. Efforts to reduce toxicity and improve engraftment are still in progress.


In a recent paper, Shor and Laflamme (see Phys. Rev. Lett., vol.78, p.1600-2, 1997) defined two "weight enumerators" for quantum error-correcting codes, connected by a MacWilliams transform, and used them to give a linear programming bound for quantum codes. We introduce two new enumerators which, while much less powerful at producing bounds, are useful tools nonetheless. The new enumerators are connected by a much simpler duality transform, clarifying the duality between Shor and Laflamme's enumerators. We also use the new enumerators to give a simpler condition for a quantum code to have specified minimum distance, and to extend the enumerator theory to codes with block size greater than 2.


Objective: In this study, we examined the influence of having a functional limitation (FL) on the likelihood of adherence to mammography guidelines, as well as the potential moderating role of barriers to care on this relationship. Methods: Women aged 50-75 years from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey were assessed for FL and barriers to care as predictors mammography screening prevalence using weighted logistic regression. Results: Of 5627 women, most were without FLs (56%), Caucasian (81%), with at least a high school education (62%), married (63%), had a usual source of care (97%), and reported barriers to care (9%). Compared to women without FLs, those with FLs were less likely to adhere to mammography guidelines in the past year. Endorsement of the items, Could not get through on the phone, Not open when you could go, and No transportation negatively moderated this association (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.60, 95% Cl [0.59, 0.60], AOR = 0.54, 95% Cl [0.54, 0.55], and AOR = 0.32, 95% [0.31, 0.33], respectively). Conclusions: Improving the ability of women with FLs to schedule appointments that will suit their functional needs within universal design guidelines may improve compliance.


Fourteen new Tinodes species are described from East Africa. Tinodes guttatus sp. n., Tinodes rungweensis sp. n., Tinodes sanjea sp. n., Tinodes amani sp. n., Tinodes robustus sp. n., Tinodes zigzag sp. n., Tinodes uzungwa sp. n. and Tinodes bumbulii sp. n. are described from the Eastern Arc mountains in Tanzania and represent the first described species of this genus from Tanzania. Tinodes harawa sp. n., Tinodes dehadawate sp. n., Tinodes mohelia sp. n., Tinodes irwini , sp. n., and Tinodes schlingeri sp. n. are described from Madagascar and the Comoros Island, and represent the first described species of this genus from these islands. Tinodes giloensis sp. n. is described from Sudan, and is the first record of Tinodes from the country. With this report the number of known Tinodes species from the Afrotropical region is more than doubled, and the Eastern Arc is made the richest area in number of species of Tinodes in that biogeographical region.


Background: Ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening. Most of ectopic pregnancy located in the fallopian tube. But retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancies are extremely rare.Results: We report a 29-year-old Chinese woman with amenorrhea for 50 days presented to emergency department for abdominal pain. Her serum β-hCG level was 1675mIU/ml. Transvaginal sonography showed irregular anechoic area in uterine cavity without pregnancy sac echo. And nothing wrong was found in bilateral adnexa. Abdominal ultrasound showed a mixed echo region behind the pancreas. The clinical diagnosis was retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancy. The patient's vital signs remained stable with the mass size continue decreased . Because of the huge surgery risk, the mass was followed up by ultrasound closely.Conclusions: 5 months after bleeding, the fourth ultrasound follow-up examination showed the mass disappeared completely and serum β-hCG level was normal .


The objective of the Computer-Aided Manufacturing Engineering (CAME) project is to identify generic interfaces which can be used to demonstrate the integration of manufacturing engineering software applications. A number of software tool kits are envisioned to meet that objective. The first of these tool kits is called the Manufacturing Engineering Tool Kit (METK). It focuses on the integration of operations planning and Numerical Control (NC) program verification. The METK strategy is to use a process plan as a means of transferring the required electronic data between these applications. From the METK viewpoint, a process plan is a collection of work elements which describe the tasks to be done and the resources needed to do them. The exchange of these plans between these packages is the focus of this paper. The paper describes the commercial applications which make up the METK and our efforts to use the protocol specified in ISO DIS 10303-AP213 to exchange plans among these applications.


Introduction. New digital technology in education and its constantly evolving paradigm have completely transformed the model of learning and the learning methods. E-learning has become an important tool for teaching and learning environments. Moreover, virtual learning has become a required alternative teaching method in educational system change during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for learners in elementary schools.Aim. This research aimed to explore the necessities, lack, and want of learning English, which is done virtually at home.Methodology and research methods. This research employs descriptive methods using questionnaires and interviews as instruments to get responses from teachers and students about their learning needs. In the course of the needs analysis process, the importance and priority of teachers' and students' needs are discussed. The participants of this study were second-grade elementary school students, and the sample was 40 students and 2 English teachers for 10 months.Results. The research results demonstrate a gap between the needs of learners and current conditions; therefore, the whole language approach, the multimedia, and technology-based English teaching materials will become an inevitable need and even become a solution in the world of education.Scientific novelty. Further research is needed to study educational system change during the COVID-19 pandemic or after, especially in designing teaching materials in various disciplines and at different educational stages. Future studies could be generalised by these research findings to other populations in different learning contexts, and the findings presented in thisarticle should be further explored. In particular, technology-based and multimedia-based teaching materials must be explored more deeply. Furthermore, further research should focus on utilising a different model for needs analysis in language education to verify the need for effective English learning in changing the education system during the pandemic and after.Practical significance. It is thought that this study will contribute to the stakeholders in terms to provide empirical evidence of what necessities, lack, and want should be considered when a teacher will design and develop teaching materials during the COVID-19 period or afte.


In Reply.— It is difficult in a short article for physicians to do full justice to all the intricacies of philosophic ethics and the medical ethics that is deduced from it. The best approach is to look at possible conceptual moves. We argue that the predominant intellectual move is "autonomy ethics," by whatever name an individual ethicist calls it. This may be anathema to ordinary language philosophy, but in the world of practice, operations count more than names. For Culver and Gert, 1 paternalism always involves violating a moral rule. They also want to consider some violations "justified." They employ the notion that an irrational action is defined as harming oneself without an adequate reason. Reasons, which are not "motives" in their system, make otherwise irrational acts rational (we could substitute "cognitively demonstrated" or "intellectually proved"). Finally, "competent patients should make their own medical decisions" (p 49) and the "consent


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the communication patterns adopted by special organisations, called Producers' Consortia, to promote Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products. In particular, the paper analyses the key differences among the communication patterns in terms of the task assigned to communication, the communication tools employed to convey key messages to customers and the amount of the budget allocated to the mix of communication.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors analysed the communication activities conducted by all the Italian Consortia (112 in total) over a period of four years. A centred log-ratio transformation (clr) was applied to make the compositional data treatable in the Euclidean space. A clustering procedure was then followed to identify the different communication patterns adopted by the Consortia. The authors adopted an analytical framework where different communication patterns of Consortia are identified by the mostly used types (traditional advertising, public relations and digital communication) and the corresponding aimed consumer response (i.e. awareness, attitude and engagement).

Findings
This paper identifies four relevant and different communication patterns that co-exist in the Italian PDO market. Each pattern responds to a different logic and focusses on a specific task assigned to communication: to increase the awareness of the PDO label, to improve the attitude towards the PDO products and to enhance the engagement with the PDO's values.

Research limitations/implications
PDO products are key assets of a growing relevance for the European agri-food industry and consumer education is at the very core of the PDO labelling system. By law, the Consortia are in charge of the crucial task of communicating to customers. This research suggests that the communication of PDO is a complex activity that requires a careful choice of the right communication mix. Different patterns are driven by specific logic and are suitable for Consortia with different characteristics. Future research could complete the results of this study using a qualitative analysis of the content of communication activities. Caution should be used when generalising these findings to markets that present relevant differences in consumer food culture.

Practical implications
This research identifies some possible communication mixes that managers of the Consortia can adopt to promote PDO products and some options that can guide the development of their communication activities over time.

Originality/value
This work adds value to the literature on food marketing, and more specifically on food communication, by analysing the yet underexplored issue of how PDO products can be promoted in the "post-modern" food consumption era.


Learn how New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA) incorporates the science of learning at all levels — from new teacher professional development sessions to improved classes for students. The science of learning provided the NMSA community with a shared language around many of their arts education practices, and the confidence to creatively apply relevant research findings in their classrooms.


This study attempted to explore parents`perceptions on character and character education for their children using a focus group interview method. According to previous research, the concept of character consists of wholeness of three components: relationship, individuality, and morality. This study investigated how parents` perception differ from the widely agreed concept of character. Forty-four mothers and ten fathers participated in eleven focus group interviews. The results showed that parents recognized social relationship and self realization as two most important components of character education of children. However, the parents paid less attention on morality and wholeness. The parents conceptualized character as an alternative to academic achievement. For example, they considered self realization as an alternative to academic achievement. These tendencies could be a barrier in character education in family. Based on these findings, this study recommends that parent education should take more attention on character education in family and help parents develop a balanced understanding on the concept of character.


A new routine is proposed to relate loop quantum cosmology (LQC) to loop quantum gravity (LQG) from the perspective of effective dynamics. We derive the big-bang singularity resolution and big bounce from the first principle of full canonical LQG. Our results are obtained in the framework of the reduced phase space quantization of LQG. As a key step in our work, we derive with coherent states a new discrete path integral formula of the transition amplitude generated by the physical Hamiltonian. The semiclassical approximation of the path integral formula gives an interesting set of effective equations of motion (EOMs) for full LQG. When solving the EOMs with homogeneous and isotropic ansatz, we reproduce the LQC effective dynamics in the μ0-scheme. The solution replaces the big-bang singularity by a big bounce. In the end, we comment on the possible relation between the μ¯-scheme of effective dynamics and the continuum limit of the path integral formula.


The biochemical composition of the hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle tissue of adult male Jasus lalandii in two size classes was examined on a monthly and moult-cycle basis over four years to determine the accumulation and utilization of the major reserves in these tissues. The possibility of using this information to predict moult increment, defined as the increase in carapace length, was examined. Two study areas were selected to provide contrasting information on high and low growth rates, and the annual moult increments in these areas were determined from tag-and-recapture studies. The biochemical composition of abdominal muscle did not meet the prerequisites for a predictive index of growth. Hepatopancreas moisture content (lowest values measured during accumulation of reserves) showed a negative correlation with growth increment. Peak lipid content (as both percentage and absolute values) showed a positive correlation with measured moult increment. The relationship between percentage of lipid (both size classes combined) and moult increment was highly significant. Notwithstanding the limitations introduced by the small number of high-growth data points in this study, it appears that hepatopancreas lipid content can be used as a simple and robust predictive indicator of growth in adult male J. lalandii.


The concept of virtual machines dates back to the 1960s. Both IBM and MIT developed operating system features that enabled user and peripheral time sharing, the underpinnings of which were early virtual machines. Modern virtual machines present a translation layer of system devices between a guest operating system and the host operating system executing on a computer system, while isolating each of the guest operating systems from each other. 1 In the past several years, enterprise computing has embraced virtual machines to deploy a wide variety of capabilities from business management systems to email server farms. Those who have adopted virtual deployment environments have capitalized on a variety of advantages including server consolidation, service migration, and higher service reliability. But they have also ended up with some challenges including a sacrifice in performance and more complex system management. Some of these advantages and challenges also apply to HPC in virtualized environments. In this paper, we analyze the effectiveness of using virtual machines in a high performance computing (HPC) environment. We propose adding some virtual machine capability to already robust HPC environments for specific scenarios where the productivity gained outweighs the performance lost for using virtual machines. Finally, we discuss an implementation of augmenting virtual machines into the software stack of a HPC cluster, and we analyze the affect on job launch time of this implementation.


Obstructive sleep apnea is a prevalent disease which if left untreated can negatively impact many physiologic systems, most notably the cardiovascular system, resulting in chronic dysfunction, and even has the potential to present as sudden unexpected death. This review details prevalence of the disease, the physiologic mechanisms which account for its sequelae, clinical diagnosis in the living, treatment options, and morbidity and mortality. Additionally, specific discussion focuses on death investigation where obstructive sleep apnea may have contributed to the death of an individual and implications for death certification.


Cambodian/Canadian human rights NGO LICADHO estimates that more than half a million people have been affected by land grabs and land rights issues (LICADHO, 2014).  Land conflict in Cambodia is a clear manifestation of structural violence - affected communities are almost exclusively low income and many of them are home to indigenous and ethnic minorities.  This article explores the complex interplay of actors, particularly women and youth, in land rights social mobilization (LRSM) in Cambodia, focusing on urban Boeung Kak Lake and rural Areng Valley.  I argue that the disproportionate representation of women and youth in LRSM in Cambodia is both practical as well as strategic.  However, despite the role of women and youth and the grassroots and lower levels of mobilization, this movement also appears to be driven and shaped by men and questions remain regarding to what extent LRSM comes from the grassroots.


ObjectiveTo report the impact of visual field quality control (QC) procedures on the rates of visual field unreliability, test parameter errors, and visual field defects attributed to testing artifacts in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS). MethodsOHTS technicians were certified for perimetry and were required to submit 2 sets of visual fields that met study criteria before testing study participants. The OHTS Visual Field Reading Center (VFRC) evaluated 46,777 visual fields completed by 1618 OHTS participants between February 1994 and December 2003. Visual field QC errors, rates of unreliability, and defects attributed to testing artifacts were assessed. The OHTS QC system addressed 3 areas of clinic performance: (1) test parameter errors, (2) patient data errors, and (3) shipment errors. A visual field was classified as unreliable if any of the reliability indices exceeded the 33% limit. Clinical sites were immediately contacted by the VFRC via fax, e-mail, and/or phone and instructed on how to prevent further testing errors on fields with defects attributed to testing artifacts. Main Outcome MeasuresQC errors (test parameter errors) and unreliability rates. ResultsA total of 2.4% (1136/ 46,777) of the visual fields were unreliable and 0.23% (107/46,777) had incorrect test parameters. Visual field defects attributed to testing artifacts occurred in approximately 1% (483/46,777) of the visual fields. ConclusionsPrompt transmission of visual fields to the VFRC for ongoing and intensive QC monitoring and rapid feedback to technicians helps to reduce the frequency of unreliable visual fields and incorrect testing parameters. Visual field defects attributed to testing artifacts were infrequent in the OHTS.


Alf Proysen's Mrs Pepperpot has been adopted by Swedish children's literature. Still, there is little research done on the stories about her. In this article, I explore the impact of Proysen's popular miniature character using topical research on the concept of elderly women or, so called, "aunts". Mrs Pepperpot's gender and age, as well as the nature of her shrinking, set her apart from other children's literature miniatures. This reading, which takes into account how gender and age are made in literary texts, throws new light upon Mrs Pepperpot's dual nature. The analysis shows how her dramatic adventures whilst a minikin are set off against everyday "little life", at the same time as interesting cracks appear in her role as caring wife and good mother via her childish playfulness and rebellious outbursts characterized by non-age adequate behaviour. Thus, Mrs Pepperpot is read as a complex literary character, or a "super aunt", who encompasses both a female ideal and a resistance towards that ideal. Keywords: Alf Proysen; Mrs Pepperpot; children's literature; elderly women; aunts; literary miniatures; gender; age


Luminescence assay technology is based on the detection of light produced by certain chemical reactions taking place in the sample. PerkinElmer's luminescence assay systems offer exceptional efficiency, speed and simplicity for research and drug discovery applications. However, since the measurement data obtained from the instrument is given in relative light units, it is very difficult to normalize and compare data obtained from different instruments and experiments.


Strains of the cyanobacterial genus Calothrix display pronounced tapering filaments. These cyanobacteria are benthic, have a worldwide distribution and are among the most easily recognizable cyanobacterial genera. However, it is not clear whether cyanobacterial strains assigned to the genus Calothrix constitute a natural monophyletic group. We sequenced 16S rRNA genes from 42 cyanobacterial cultures and environmental samples belonging to the genus Calothrix, and the morphologically similar genera Rivularia, Gloeotrichia and Tolypothrix. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene identified large sequence diversity among the Calothrix morphotype strains. Our results demonstrate that Calothrix, Gloeotrichia and Tolypothrix do not form a monophyletic group but instead display a high level of genetic diversity. The evolutionary distances between cyanobacteria, morphologically identified as Calothrix, suggest that they belong to at least five different genera. Our results also suggest that the genus Gloeotrichia is distantly related to the genus Calothrix. We found correlations between genetic grouping and morphology in redundancy analysis. However, morphology alone was not sufficiently reliable to distinguish strains from different 16S rRNA gene clusters. The high level of diversity that we observed confirms the hypothesis that the Rivulariaceae are species rich.


The paper presents the measurement of optics parameters in Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source, which include betatron tune, beta function, dispersion function, natural chromaticity, corrected chromaticity, central RF frequency, momentum compaction factor, and linear betatron coupling. Two methods were used for beta function measurement; a conventional quadrupole scan method and a method using the fitting of the orbit response matrix. A robust Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was used for nonlinear least square fitting of the orbit response matrix. In this paper, detailed methods for the parameter measurements are described. The measured results are discussed and compared with the theoretical values obtained using accelerator simulation code Accelerator Toolbox in MATLAB.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects and mechanism of colonic electrical stimulation (CES) on colonic transit.

METHODS
76 male SD rats were equipped with colonic electrodes for stimulation and a catheter in the colon and then randomly divided onto 6 groups: normal saline-(NS)/CES group (14 rats), NS-non-CES group (14 rats), N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA)/CES group (12 rats), L-NNA/non-CES group (12 rats), atropine/CES group (12 rats), and atropine/non-CES group (12 rats). All rats underwent intraperitoneal injection of NS, L-NNA, nitric oxide synthesis blocker, or atropine before colon transit. Colonic transit was assessed by calculating the output of phenol red from the anus every 10 min for 90 min CES with trains of short-pulses was performed during the first 40 min of the transit test in the 3 CES groups.

RESULTS
(1) CES significantly enhanced the colonic transit. The colonic emptying rate 90 min after the injection of phenol red of the NS/CES group was 82% +/- 5%, significantly higher than that of the NS/non-CES group (57% +/- 6%, P = 0.002) with a 43% increase. (2) L-NNA delayed the colonic transit and prevented the accelerative effect of CES on colonic transit. (3) The phenol red emptying rate 90 min after the injection of the atropine/non-CES group was 16% +/- 3%, significantly lower than that of the NS/non-CES group (P < 0.001). The phenol red emptying rate 90 min after the injection of the atropine/CES group was 41% +/- 6%, significantly higher than that of the atropine/non-CES group (16% +/- 3%, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION
CES has an excitatory effect on colonic transit and this excitatory effect may be mediated via the nitrergic pathway, not the cholinergic pathway.


One hundred cases of head injuries were submitted to thorough repeat neuro-otological examinations. The results were evaluated with respect to the diagnostic importance of vestibular symptoms. Positional nystagmus was found to be the most common symptom (51%). In 25% of the cases, spontaneous nystagmus could be demonstrated up to two years following head injury. Pathologic caloric responses were found in only one-third of the patients. Positional and positioning nystagmus were found to be the most important symptoms of a vestibular disorder following head injury, and seem to be the most reliable criteria for the assessment of disability and working capacity.


The ability of pullets to selectively consume calcium to meet the requirements of the rearing and early laying period was studied in White Leghorns. In the first of two experiments, 456 pullets were fed either an .89% calcium rearing diet (control) or a .35% calcium diet in combination with a separate source of 38% calcium chick-sized grit (calcium self-selection) from 35 to 126 days of age. Twenty-four pullets from each of these rearing treatments were selected for the second experiment at 112 days of age and were housed in individual laying cages. Rearing treatments were continued until 176 days of age with mash and grit consumption recorded daily for each pullet. From 177 to 225 days of age these pullets were fed a 3.50% calcium diet containing either ground limestone or oyster shell as a calcium source or a .35% calcium diet fed in combination with a separate source of oyster shell. Pullet calcium intake reflected the requirements for growth during the rearing period, calcium storage in the medullary bone 19 days prior to lay, and egg shell formation during the laying period; average calcium intake for these periods was 1.18, 2.08, and greater than 3.50%, respectively. Pullets also demonstrated the ability to compensate for rearing deficiencies by increased calcium consumption when fed oyster shell on an ad lib basis. Calcium consumption was found to be significantly higher on days when an oviposition occurred than when no eggs were laid. Mash consumption during the early laying period also reflected the reproductive status of the hen with the highest consumption on days when both oviposition and ovulation occurred, intermediate consumption when either oviposition or ovulation occurred, and lowest consumption when neither oviposition nor ovulation was detected.


Membrane associated interactions play important roles in various biological processes. The aim of this thesis is to study two types of membrane associated interactions by using biophysical methods, particularly NMR. First, the interaction of a targeting peptide and a receptor attached to membrane has been studied. Secondly, we were interested in the interaction between a galactosyltransferase and the involved membrane lipids, galactolipids, and thus novel membrane mimetic models containing galactolipids have been studied. In addition, membrane mimetic models, bicelles, under different conditions have been characterized. The targeting peptide studied here is a dual targeting peptide, ThrRS-dTP(2-60), which is capable of targeting a t-RNA synthase, ThrRS, to both the mitochondrial matrix and the chloroplast stroma. Tom20 is the first component in the mitochondrial outer membrane import machinary that interacts with ThrRS-dTP(2-60). Biophysical studies in this thesis on the dTP-Tom20 interaction showed that it shares several features with the interaction between mitochondrial targeting peptides and Tom20. An amphiphilic helix with a fccff motif from ThrRS-dTP(2-60) is crucial for the interaction with Tom20 and more than one region was involved. However, a relatively long C-terminal part of the peptide was not affected by the interaction with Tom20. Novel membrane mimetic media were developed by introducing the galactolipids MGDG and DGDG into DMPC/DHPC bicelles. Diffusion NMR results indicated that there is no phase separation upon incorporation of as much as 30% galactoplids. The sizes of the new bicelles were, however, larger than DMPC/DHPC bicelles. 13C relaxation measurements showed that galactolipids in the bicelles have two distinct local dynamic regions: the galactose units together with the glycerol linker region, with limited local motion, and the acyl chains with extensive motion. The bicelles with galactolipids are suitable for studies of e.g. the interaction between the galactosyltransferases and galactolipids. Additionally, studies on the morphology of DMPC/DHPC mixtures under various conditions were performed. The size distribution for small, fast-tumbing bicelles was observed to be dependent on the q-value (the mole ratio between the long-chained lipids and the short-chained lipids), temperature and the total lipid concentration. With larger q-values and low concentrations, the DMPC/DHPC mixture was not monodisperse, as additional structures were observed in both dynamic light scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy experiments. Hence, care is needed when using bicelles under new conditions.


Vehicle ownership or transaction models in the literature are used for a variety of purposes and their applications are considerably increasing. The recent dramatic increase of fuel price has even further stimulated the need for such models. Additionally, with increasing concerns about environmental issues and fuel consumption, a reliable vehicle ownership model has become a vital tool for national, regional and local agencies. Some of the fundamental and most complex decisions made by households include the relatively long-term decisions on work and home location and automobile ownership. There are complex interdependencies among these three decisions which jointly determine household mobility that can influence the entire household travel pattern. One can postulate that job and home location choices can influence individual's vehicle ownership and utilization behavior. Therefore, transportation system cannot be accurately analyzed if the correlations between these influential elements are ignored. To a great extent such decisions are made either by the household or influenced by the household structure rather than made exclusively by individual household members. Therefore, it is also important to incorporate group decision making process within such modeling framework. One can argue that the household vehicle fleet size in a target year can be estimated as a function of current total number of vehicles in the fleet plus all the vehicles that will be purchased, minus those vehicles that will be disposed out of the household fleet of vehicles. Therefore, understanding the timing of the transaction is an important element for predicting the number of vehicles within a household fleet. While typically, modeling the transaction time is usually ignored in household vehicle ownership models. This study concentrates on presenting the results of developing a system of hazard-based equations in which timing of the residential relocation, job relocation and vehicle transaction are the endogenous variables. This study utilizes data from the Puget Sound Transportation Panel Survey (PSTPS) along with the land-use, network skims, and built environment attributes from the Seattle Metropolitan Area. The PSTPS is a panel survey that covers 10 waves starting from 1989 until 2002 and covers Seattle and its surrounding areas. In this study, the interaction between the residential relocation and the job relocation is initially modeled at a lower level of the proposed framework while the impact of the correlated job and residential relocation on vehicle transaction timing is modeled at an upper level of the modeling framework. Timings of the endogenous variables are estimated by a hazard-based duration formulation in a system of simultaneous equations. Moreover, unobserved heterogeneity is included among the exogenous variables through a normal distribution in all of the equations. Two different approaches are utilized in order to estimate the coefficients of the models. First, coefficients are estimated in a hierarchical system of equations, and second, the coefficients are estimated in a joint simultaneous system of equations. Then the results of both approaches are presented, compared, and discussed.


There is ample evidence that factor momentum exists in the standard long--short mixed approach to factor investing. However, the excess returns are put under scrutiny due to the high implementation costs. We present a novel real-life approach that relies on the long-only integrated approach to factor investing. Instead of exploiting the potential momentum in factor portfolios, our strategy builds on the momentum of the optimal factor score weights in the integrated approach, which allows us to additionally profit from the serial dependence in the factors' interaction effects. One limitation of short-term timing strategies is their high turnover. By including the information of the covariance matrix and minimizing the strategy's risk to the market portfolio, we can substantially reduce turnover. The resulting timing alpha remains significant even after transaction costs in a robust statistical test framework across the major stock markets.


The simplistic, optimistic view surrounding Internet discourse suggests that because of the Net's ability to quickly and cheaply distribute vast amounts of information and facilitate communication, citizens can use digital networks to influence decision-making in society, which will lead to democratisation in communication. While there is indeed an inherent interactive capacity in the technologies of new media that facilitates discussion and debate, computer-mediated communication generally does not live up to the democratic hype. More to the point, the discursive inequalities and exclusions that result from the uneven distribution of power in society tend to be reproduced in the online environment.


This paper presents a new cycle time synchronization method to transmit isochronous multimedia data by real time in IEEE 1394 over a UWB (ultra wide-band) network. The 1394 TA recommended two methods for the cycle time synchronization. The first method must use two consecutive beacon signals to calculate a drift correction, while the second one eliminates this dependency with minor algorithm changes. As experimental results, the second method achieves 21% performance improvement over the first one. The receipt of two consecutive beacons every time is hard due to the noise in a wireless channel. In addition, this paper provides the procedure of cycle time synchronization, as well as the transaction between 1394 protocol adaptation layer and IEEE 802.15.3 media access layer. The proposed synchronization technique will contribute to transfer isochronous data at IEEE 1394 over UWB audio/visual appliances such as camcorder, HDTV, etc.


The field of model order reduction (MOR) is growing in importance due to its ability to extract the key insights from complex simulations while discarding computationally burdensome and superfluous information. We provide an overview of MOR methods for the creation of fast & accurate emulators of memory- and compute-intensive nuclear systems, focusing on eigen-emulators and variational emulators. As an example, we describe how "eigenvector continuation'' is a special case of a much more general and well-studied MOR formalism for parameterized systems. We continue with an introduction to the Ritz and Galerkin projection methods that underpin many such emulators, while pointing to the relevant MOR theory and its successful applications along the way. We believe that this will open the door to broader applications in nuclear physics and facilitate communication with practitioners in other fields.


Nitrogen (N) is considered the most important factor to help the growth and development of plants. This is the building block for plant protoplasm and the chlorophyll molecule component for the photosynthesis process. Although it is apparent that the availability of N affects disease, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Many data indicate that the greater use of N fertilizers affected crop disease incidence. In comparison, cases are also recorded in which a decrease in N fertilization increases the severity of the disease, suggesting a complex relationship between them. N plays a significant role in regulating signaling networks that are active in reacting to a broad variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. In terms of physical, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms, the relationship between N and plant defense is considered. N has negative effects on physical defenses and the development of anti-microbial phytoalexins, but positive effects on defense-related enzymes and proteins that influence both local defense and systemic resistance. These all factors are implicated in plant defense signaling pathways but their role in plant defense is less well studied. This review aims to explain current knowledge of pathways connecting plant N status with the plant disease severity and plant defense. While this analysis highlights the crucial role of N nutrition in plant defense, further research is desperately required to provide a thorough overview of how interacting networks affect competing virulence and defense mechanisms.


Ideas and concepts that enable us to analyze the genesis and path of Ernest "Che Guevara" as icons were primarily set by Panofsky, Martin Kemp and Bart. The first understands iconology as the meaning of a certain image in relation to the different social, historical and geographical contexts of the observer. According to Martin Kemp, the icon can be defined as a phenomenon that has reached an extraordinary degree of recognizability and prevalence, which has acquired diverse and numerous connotations through different epochs and cultures, transcending its original meanings and functions. The concepts of denotation and connotation, especially as Bart developed them, represent an important tool in discovering the meaning that the character of Che Guevara gained over time.


A number of large UK charities have extended their product sales into areas not traditionally associated with non‐profit organisations. Examines the connection between a person's assessment of the quality and value for money of conventional charity goods (T‐shirts or coffee mugs for example) and their evaluation of the likely merits of new and unfamiliar charity products (such as package holidays or household insurance). Emerges that the former variable exerted a strong and statistically significant impact on the latter, but that the form of the relationship was moderated by individual perceptions of the degree of similarity between the old and new products. "Similarity" was defined in terms of the skills and resources that consumers considered necessary in order to supply various items and the charity's perceived capacity to employ these skills and abilities in ways which generate fresh products of the same calibre as existing goods.


The group of 6 patients with interstitial pulmonary changes in the course of polymyositis or dermatomyositis treated in years 1986-1999 was assessed. In one woman pulmonary changes occurred ten years before other symptoms of the connective tissue disease. Lung function tests showed a restrictive ventilatory defect in all patients. High resolution computed tomography revealed different changes, from ground glass attenuation to honey--combing. Only one patient, probably with bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, responded to corticosteroids. Four women died from respiratory failure. In 2 pneumomediastinum occurred, which is a rare complication.


This abstract reports the near completion of the first phase of this program. It is the aim of this program to provide the operator of a N/C diamond turning machine or N/C grinding machine (jig grinder) with the wear characteristics necessary to achieve uniform material removal. The second phase of this program addresses a different problem, although solving this problem is highly dependent on the results of the first phase. Diamond turned, or any lathe turned surface, exhibits regular tool marks due to the tool passing over the surface being cut. Changes in depth of cut, feed rate and work rpm will change the character of these groves, but will not eliminate them. Optical surfaces produced by this process exhibit increased scattering as the light wavelength decreases limiting their use; at least for optical purposes, to IR and some visible applications. Utilizing wear information gathered in the first part of this program we will attempt to reduce these residual tool marks by polishing. The polishing of diamond turned surfaces is not new. Diamond turned metal surfaces, especially in electroless nickel and high phosphorus nickel electroplate have been polished to improve their scatter characteristics. What we believe is unique is the more » use of a spherical wheel, rotating on axis and being moved over the part in a prescribed manner by numerical control. Over the past year we have made some major changes in our polishing methods and procedures. We have listed below these changes, as a refresher for the reader as to our previous procedures. These changes will be addressed in the body of the text. « less


Although there were few specific studies of incidence of speech disorders, a conference report on research needs by Steer and others (1959) substantiated previous indications that persons with impaired speech and hearing make up one of the largest handicapped groups. This same report and an article by Newman (1961) suggested that more study should be undertaken to delineate the degree of impairment and the methods of determining this level. Loretz, Westmoreland, and Richards (1961) found cleft palate and cleft lip in California to occur in a ratio of 1 case per 851 live births.


Some features of changes in the electrophysical properties of adipose tissue of animal origin in the postmortem period when working with direct-current sources are considered.

OBJECTIVE
Evaluate experimentally the possibilities of registering changes in the electro-physical properties of biological tissues using a direct current source when working with a specific resistance as well as to identify the possible recorded changes in biological tissues when a reverse electromotive force and polarization phenomena occur. At the first stage the fatty subcutaneous layer of a pig was used as samples of adipose tissue which is closely similar to human adipose tissue in composition. In total, during the period of the experimental study the 340 samples of pork fat from two different animals were prepared and used with a reliably unknown slaughter age. As a constant current source in the experiment it was used a system made on the basis of a standard alkaline battery with a declared nominal voltage of 9 V supplemented with necessary radio components. The changes were recorded daily with a digital multi-meter once a day for 10 days. At the end of the experiment the parameters of the electro-physical properties of biological samples were determined using an available direct current source. It was revealed and recorded a clear dynamics of changes in electrophysical parameters associated with the duration of material storage.


Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme expressed in a variety of cells. In non-pregnant individuals elevated serum ALP activity is usually a marker of bone or liver disease. A number of assays for the bone isoenzyme have been developed in order to provide a specific assessment of bone turnover, not influenced by coexisting liver disease. The development of an enzyme immunoassay specific for bone ALP using a murine monoclonal antibody was a significant improvement over previous techniques in terms of assay simplicity, sensitivity and specificity for the bone isoenzyme. 1 Nevertheless, this technique is still associated with 3-8% cross-reactivity with hepatic ALP, a fact often overlooked in clinical practice. We report here a patient whose test results demonstrate this crossreactivity, highlighting the fact that supranormal values of bone ALP can be misleading if this cross-reactivity is not considered. A 56-year-old women entered a clinical trial investigating the effect of a thiazide diuretic on bone density. She was well, with no diseases known to affect bone metabolism, was on no other medication, and baseline blood tests were normal. She was randomized to receive 50mg hydrochlorothiazide daily. Bone ALP was measured using an isoenzyme-specific immunocapture assay (Alkphase-B, Metra Biosystems, Mountain View CAl as described by Gomez et al.' Total and bone ALP were normal at baseline (III UIL and 39 UIL, respectively; reference ranges (RR) 25-120U/L, 15--43 U/L) and at 2 months (114U/L, 29U/L), but became markedly elevated at 2 years (457U/L, 57U/L). Other hepatic enzymes were also normal at baseline, but became elevated at 2 years [yglutamyl transferase 226U/L (RR 0-50 U/L), aspartate transaminase 104U/L (RR 5--45 U/L)]. Urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratios, markers of bone resorption, were normal at both baseline and 2 years (29 and 40 mol/mmol, respectively, postmenopausal RR < 60mol/ mmol). Further investigations revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in the gastric


We describe a study of programs to deepen families' scientific inquiry practices in a science museum setting. The programs incorporated research-based learning principles from formal and informal educational environments. In a randomized experimental design, two versions of the programs, called inquiry games, were compared to two control conditions. Inquiry behaviors were videotaped and compared at pretest and posttest exhibits. Family members were also interviewed about their perceptions and use of the inquiry games. Results indicated that visitors who learned the inquiry games improved their inquiry more than those who did not. Effect sizes ranged from 0.3σ to 0.7σ, depending on the assessment measure. Visitors who learned the collaborative inquiry game showed even more improvement than those who learned the individualized game, spending more time investigating the posttest exhibit, making more frequent and more abstract interpretations of their experiments, building more collaborative explanations, and engaging in more coherent inquiry investigations than controls. Qualitative analysis suggested that the collaborative inquiry game was superior because it required all family members to participate, work together, and explicitly articulate their interpretations. Visitors in all conditions enjoyed their experience, varied in what they liked and disliked, and reported applying what they had learned at new exhibits. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed94:710–742, 2010


Evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) is now overwhelmingly convincing that climate is not only real but can also become worse. Climate change poses many challenges for Cities and Urban centres across the globe. The vulnerability to Climate Change related disasters is regularly brought to public attention by the incidences of tropical cyclones, floods, landslides and even drought through local and international media. Responses to climate change include adaptation to reduce the vulnerability of people and ecosystems to climatic changes and, secondly, mitigation to reduce the magnitude of climate changes impact in the long term. However, neither adaptation nor mitigation alone can offset all climate change impacts. This calls for the simulation of how nature operates into city design process to evolve eco city concept. This study will therefore identify green infrastructure component of eco city principles including introduction of non-motorized transportation mode; street tree programme; wetland restoration and management to accommodate small scale aquaculture and home gardening; and establishment of parks as effective climate change mitigation measures in the city.


A large proportion of marketing communication concerns feedback to consumers. This article explores what feedback people seek and respond to. We predict and find a shift from positive to negative feedback as people gain expertise. We document this shift in a variety of domains, including feedback on language acquisition, pursuit of environmental causes, and use of consumer products. Across these domains, novices sought and responded to positive feedback, and experts sought and responded to negative feedback. We examine a motivational account for the shift in feedback: positive feedback increased novices' commitment, and negative feedback increased experts' sense that they were making insufficient progress.


The electromagnetic field excited by an arbitrary current source embedded in an unbounded uniform cold magnetoplasma is investigated in this paper. The Green's function method for solving the radiation equation is used, and the derived solution is valid for any cold plasma parameters. There are always two wave modes excited, and in the far field each mode has the form of a spherical wave. A refractive index for spherical waves is introduced to describe the propagation. The properties of these excited spherical waves are discussed in this paper in comparison with the plane wave representation. It is shown that the energy flow of the spherical wave is always in the radial direction, i.e., parallel to the wave normal.


Significant enhancement (25X) of third-harmonic generation is observed in both 1-D and 3-D photonic crystals. The phase matching conditions and the local field enhancement are analyzed through the numerical simulations and the effective medium theory.


The evolutionary history of echolocation in bats is poorly understood, as fossils provide little direct evidence, and most studies into echolocation have taken an ecological approach. Bats use a wide variety of echolocation call structures despite facing similar sensory challenges, and it is not clear how and why these echolocation call types evolved, or what impact they have on other aspects of the evolution of bats. Here, I use phylogenetic comparative methods and newly-collated echolocation call data from 410 species in 120 genera and all 19 families to investigate the origination and evolution of echolocation in bats (Chiroptera). I construct an updated phylogenetic supertree of the bats using source phylogenies from the literature between 1970 and 2009. I ask three main questions: (1) Are echolocation call structures really a product of present-day ecological conditions, or are they much more constrained by evolutionary history than is currently thought? (2) What did the first echolocation calls sound like? (3) Are echolocation calls 'key innovations' that promote diversification? I found that early divergences and subsequent constraints in evolutionary history have resulted in a greater variety of bat call structures than appear to be functionally necessary. The structure of the first echolocation calls was predicted to be short duration, multi-harmonic, and narrowband, suggesting that the proto-bat was a slow and manoeuvrable flier with an opportunistic and omnivorous diet, and may have used a perch-hunting foraging strategy. Finally, some echolocation call types were found to correlate with higher diversification rates such that they may be considered key innovations, but, unexpectedly, the most rapidly diversifying clades were those in which species either did not use echolocation at all (Pteropodidae), or where less sensory reliance was placed on echolocation (Stenodermatinae: Phyllostomidae).


The neuroglial extracellular matrix (ECM) provides critical support and physiological cues for the proper growth, differentiation, and function of neuronal cells in the brain. However, in most in vitro settings that study neural physiology, cells are grown as monolayers on stiff surfaces that maximize adhesion and proliferation, and, therefore, they lack the physiological cues that ECM in native neuronal tissues provides. Macromolecular crowding (MMC) is a biophysical phenomenon based on the principle of excluded volume that can be harnessed to induce native ECM deposition by cells in culture. Here, we show that MMC using two species of Ficoll with vitamin C supplementation significantly boosts deposition of relevant brain ECM by cultured human astrocytes. Dopaminergic neurons cocultured on this astrocyte–ECM bed prepared under MMC treatment showed longer and denser neuronal extensions, a higher number of pre ad post synaptic contacts, and increased physiological activity, as evidenced by higher frequency calcium oscillation, compared to standard coculture conditions. When the pharmacological activity of various compounds was tested on MMC-treated cocultures, their responses were enhanced, and for apomorphine, a D2-receptor agonist, it was inverted in comparison to control cell culture conditions, thus emulating responses observed in in vivo settings. These results indicate that macromolecular crowding can harness the ECM-building potential of human astrocytes in vitro forming an ultra-flat 3D microenvironment that makes neural cultures more physiological and pharmacological relevant.


In this work the growth in diameter, merchantable volume and merchantable form factor as a function of the age of Grevillea robusta A. Cunn. were studied, in the area of Central Depression of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For this purpose, dominant trees were sampled, cut down and cubic scaled according to the Smalian method. Next, slices of stem were taken for annual growth rings analysis. The measurements of the growth rings were accomplished through the technique of stem analysis, by measuring four radii. The results obtained for the estimate of growth indicated that several equations can be used for this purpose with high statistical precision. The medium growth, at 30 years of age, in diameter was 36.0 cm, merchantable volume, 1.2388 m 3 and merchantable form factor, 0.79, indicating great potential for commercial reforestation.


Abstract:
 Lücking, R., Mangold, A. & Lumbsch, H. T. 2016. A worldwide key to species of the genera Myriotrema and Glaucotrema (lichenized Ascomycota: Graphidaceae), with a nomenclatural checklist of species published in Myriotrema. — Herzogia 29: 493–513. A worldwide key to 54 species currently accepted in the genera Myriotrema sensu Frisch (50) and Glaucotrema (4) is presented, including six species with provisional placement in Myriotrema. We also provide a nomenclatural checklist of all 138 names published in Myriotrema and their current status, with the following eleven new combinations being proposed: Myriotrema leucohymenium, M. zollingeri, Ocellularia craterella, O. extendens, O. masonhalei, O. parvidisca, O. pertusarioides, O. squamuloides, Schizotrema flavolucens and Thelotrema configuratum.


Denoising surfaces is a a crucial step in the surface processing pipeline. This is even more challenging when no underlying structure of the surface is known, id est when the surface is represented as a set of unorganized points. In this paper, a denoising method based on local similarities is introduced. The contributions are threefold: first, we do not denoise directly the point positions but use a low/high frequency decomposition and denoise only the high frequency. Second, we introduce a local surface parameterization which is proved stable. Finally, this method works directly on point clouds, thus avoiding building a mesh of a noisy surface which is a difficult problem. Our approach is based on denoising a height vector field by comparing the neighborhood of the point with neighborhoods of other points on the surface. It falls into the non-local denoising framework that has been extensively used in image processing, but extends it to unorganized point clouds.


Oahu has been selected by the Ocean Thermal Corporation as the site for the first commercial ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant. The plant will be constructed offshore at Kahe Point in a water depth of 50 feet. The purpose of this paper is to report on research on the probable nature of the underwater sound generated by UTEC activities based on the plant design. Those findings will be applicable to assessing the plant's potential impact on marine biota, and possibly on the U.S. Navy Fleet Operational Readiness Accuracy Check Site (FORACS) range which is located nearby. Approximately 200 cubic meters of seawater must be pumped through the plant per second to generate the planned 40 megawatts of electricity. The seawater pumps will be the dominant source of underwater noise. A simple model of spherical acoustic spreading of the generated noise indicates that OTEC generated pump noise would have a spreading loss of 70 decibels at 3500 yards from the source, and would fall below the measured ambient noise of a sea state 1.


Along with nutritive value and sensory acceptability of meat product, economics is also very important criteria that determine the marketability of any product. The characteristics of mutton such as high nutritive value and its gradual increasing demand in other countries provide a wide scope for its use in meat products processing. But in order for the meat sheep producer to survive, new avenues for marketing mutton must be created and it can be best accomplished by the production of value added products with appeal to Indian consumers. Therefore, the present study was envisaged to determine the production cost of extended restructured mutton chops by incorporating pre-optimized level of different bind enhancing agents i.e tamarind seed powder (1%), flaxseed flour (1%), gum tragacanth (0.1%) and gum acacia (0.5%) and compared with control and it was found that the cost of 1 kg product was worked out to be Rs. 244, 237, 240, 245 and 245 for control and treatments including TSP, FF, GT and GA respectively. The studies indicated that out of four bind enhancing agents, two of them i.e TSP and FF resulted in reduction in cost of ERMC by Rs.6 and Rs.3per kg, respectively as compared to control. Hence, it could be inferred that restructured mutton chops could be prepared with 10% extension and the quality can also be improved with 1% TSP incorporation to make it a profitable enterprise.


Ground failure by liquefaction can occur not only during shaking but also as the result of the post-liquefaction process after an earthquake. During the process of ground deformation and failure, excess pore water pressure in soil is redistributed, which can then lead to changes in the effective stress of soils. Therefore, in order to provide a further understanding of the phenomenon, we have to estimate the properties of effective stress during the recompression process in post-liquefaction as well, not only the total amount of pore water drained. The primary objectives of this study are to determine and compare the recompression properties in the post-liquefaction process in terms of the relationship between volumetric strains and mean effective stresses under the various conditions of relative density and shear stress history. In all experimental cases, the volumetric strains increase greatly in the low effective stress level, almost to the zero zone, and granite soil, which has fine grains, undergoes gradual changes in the relationship between volumetric strains and mean effective stresses compared with fine sand. And, we can also find that recompression properties in the post-liquefaction process by cyclic loading depend highly on the dissipation energy and maximum shear strain, and this fact can be obtained in all cases regardless of the existence of fine content, relative density, and loading history. Especially, granite soil having fine grains can be defined uniformly in the relationship between dissipation energy and maximum volumetric strain, while fine sand cannot be so uniformly defined.


We demonstrate the selective excitation of Raman Stokes lines of up-to 9th order with relatively high extinction ratio pumped by rectangular shaped optical pulses at 530 nm of 100 ns duration. The rectangular shaped optical pulses at 530 nm were generated by frequency doubling of an adaptively pulse shaped fiber MOPA operating at 1060 nm. This kind of pulse shape is optimal for frequency conversion since all parts of the pulse experiences the same Raman gain. Therefore, it is possible for a pulse to transfer all of its energy through sequential frequency Raman shifts to successive order Stokes components. Consequently, by adjusting the pump power it is possible to achieve selective excitation of the Raman shift with little residual pump powers. Here, we have achieved extinction ratio as much as 15 dB from successive Stokes lines by coupling 530 nm light in a 1 km long Pirelli Freelight fiber. In addition, we were able to obtain up-to 9th order Stokes shift by launching 5 W of average pump power to the Raman gain medium. Maximum Stokes shifted power of 54 mW was recorded for a launched pump power of 5W. We attribute this to the large background loss of silica fibre in the visible region.


In this paper, I elaborate on the very political dimension of epistemology that is opened up by the radical change of focus initiated by constructivism: from science as knowledge to science as practice. In a first step, this brings me to claim that science is political in its own right, thereby drawing on Mouffe and Laclau's framework of radical democracy and its central notion of antagonism to make explicit what is meant by 'the political.' Secondly, I begin to explore what this intrinsic politi- cal dimension of science might entail for democratic thought. I do so by connecting my preliminary explorations in the field of science with Andrew Feenberg's elaborate frame of thought on the democratization of technology. Interestingly, Feenberg is one of the few thinkers who have connected questions of power and ideology, typically treated of within the field of political theory, with a constructivist approach to tech- nological progress. In this sense, this paper can be seen as a first attempt to expand Feenberg's framework of democratic rationalization from the world of technology to the world of science.


A method has been developed for monitoring male and female industrial workers and other persons exposed to environmental agents which may impair fertility. The essential feature of the method is its ability to distinguish the potential effects of occupational exposure from a multitude of other factors known to affect fertility. Information is collected primarily through use of a questionnaire which takes less than three minutes to complete and can be administered to persons of either sex. The advantages and limitations of the method are considered in the context of pilot studies at two small chemical plants and of a review of attempts to assess occupational effects on fertility from interviews or health records.


Piercing The Corporate Veil principle is a common law doctrine that teaches about the veil special breakout company (corporate veil) covering the Board of Directors and other organs in running the company does not fit or have violated the principle of fiduciary duty (good faith) to the intent and purpose of the company.This type of research in this thesis is a normative legal research means tend to use secondary data in the form of primary legal materials, secondary law and tertiary  legal materials. To collect the data in this research is a stud y done by the descriptive analysis. The resulted in losses for both the company and third parties, First Defendant's actions can be categorized  as a tort (onrechtmatige daad) under Article 1365 of the Civil Code. In the verdict the judge in his ruling has been applying the principle of piercing the corporate veil but does not necessarily resolve the matter of debts between the Compa- ny (Plaintiff) with rights holders of promissory notes "mayofield notes" or the Board of Directors (Defendant 1) with the holders of promissory notes " mayofield note. Keywords: Piercing the corporate veil, directors fiduciary duty


The testes of several species contain oxytocin and/or neurophysin, but the content or localization of oxytocin in epididymal tissue has not been studied. The present study was undertaken to localize oxytocin and neurophysin in epididymal tissue of the ram, and to quantify oxytocin in the ductus epididymidis and fluids entering and leaving the ductus epididymidis. Neurophysin was not detected in the epididymis; thus, synthesis of oxytocin by the epididymis is unlikely. Immunohistochemical localization of oxytocin was confined to the epithelium and capillaries. Oxytocin immunostaining was most intense for epithelium of the caput and declined in corpus and cauda regions. However, based on radioimmunoassay, no difference in oxytocin concentration was detected among regions of the epididymis. Since rete testis fluid entering and cauda epididymal fluid leaving the epididymis contained at least fourfold more oxytocin than testicular venous plasma, it was concluded that regional differences in epithelial concentration of oxytocin may have been masked by oxytocin contained in the luminal fluid. It was concluded further that the epididymis of the ram does not synthesize oxytocin, but about 22 ng/day enters the epididymis in rete testis fluid. Most of this luminal oxytocin apparently is absorbed by the epithelium of the caput epididymidis, with additional adsorption in the corpus and cauda. Although a role for oxytocin in ductal contractility cannot be excluded, it is more likely that the luminal oxytocin influences epithelial or sperm function.


The key parameters that characterize the long wavelength behaviour of correlation functions, including the Fermi momenta and the correlation length, are calculated using the transfer matrix renormalization group for the one-dimensional Kondo lattice model. The Fermi momentum varies slowly at high temperatures, but changes sharply at low temperatures in association with the formation of the Kondo singlets. By comparison with the temperature dependence of the conduction electron density, we find that the long wavelength correlations of conduction electrons are strongly affected by the localized spins at low temperatures. At high temperatures, the conduction electrons behave as for a system with a small Fermi surface. However, at low temperatures, the Fermi momentum of the conduction electrons is altered by the coupling with the localized spins.


In this study, a far-field power pattern separation approach is proposed for the synthesis of directional modulation (DM) transmitter arrays. Separation into information patterns and interference patterns is enabled by far-field pattern null steering. Compared with other DM synthesis methods, for example, bit error rate-driven DM optimisation and orthogonal vector injection, the approach developed in this study facilitates manipulation of artificial interference spatial distributions. With such capability more interference power can be projected into those spatial directions most vulnerable to eavesdropping, that is, the information side lobes. In such a fashion, information leaked through radiation side lobes can be effectively mitigated in a transmitter power efficient manner. Furthermore, for the first time, the authors demonstrate how multi-beam DM transmitters can be synthesised via this approach.


CDK4 and CDK6 regulate ciliogenesis and Hedgehog signaling via their novel substrate SMYD2. Dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) by unknown mechanisms is highly prevalent in human disease. In this study, we identify direct cross-talk between CDK4/6 and the epigenome via its previously unidentified substrate, SMYD2, a histone/lysine methyltransferase. CDK4/6 positively regulates the phosphorylation and enzymatic activity of SMYD2, while SMYD2 also positively regulates the expression of CDK4/6. We also identify SMYD2 as an α-tubulin methyltransferase, thus connecting CDK4/6-SMYD2 signaling to microtubule dynamics. In addition, depletion or inhibition of CDK4/6 and SMYD2 resulted in increased cilia assembly by affecting (i) microtubule stability and (ii) the expression of IFT20, further connecting CDK4/6-SMYD2 to ciliogenesis. In clinical settings such as breast cancer and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), targeting the up-regulated CDK4/6 and SMYD2 with inhibitors results in restoration of the primary cilium in tumor and cystic cells, which may normalize cilia-mediated extracellular signals that regulate growth, development, and cellular homeostasis.


A theoretical study of monoboronyls of different metals has been carried out. We have chosen Mg as representative of s‐block elements, Al for the p‐block, and Group 11 metals (Cu, Ag, and Au) for the d‐block. Different behaviors are observed: bonding through the oxygen atom is preferred in the case of Al, for all Group 11 monoboronyls bonding through the boron atom prevails and both interactions give rise to almost isoenergetic compounds in the case of Mg. Predictions for the spectroscopic parameters relevant for rotational and vibrational spectroscopy of the different competitive species are provided. Al and Group 11 boronyls have relatively high dissociation energies, whereas Mg boronyl has moderate dissociation energy. The molecular structure of metal boronyls has been rationalized through an analysis of the bonding. The similarities and differences between metal boronyls and their isoelectronic cyanide analogues have been discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Objectives: Increasing antimicrobial resistance has presented new challenges to the treatment of recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis fuelling a continuous search for novel antibiofilm agents. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of Chitogel (Chitogel®, Wellington New Zealand) combined with novel antibiofilm agents Deferiprone and Gallium Protoporphyrin (CG-DG) as a topical treatment against S. aureus biofilms in vivo. Methods: To assess safety, 8 sheep were divided into two groups of 7 day treatments (n = 8 sinuses per treatment); (1) Chitogel (CG) with twice daily saline flush, and (2) CG-DG gel with twice daily saline flush. Tissue morphology was analyzed using histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To assess efficacy we used a S. aureus sheep sinusitis model. Fifteen sheep were divided into three groups of 7 day treatments (n = 10 sinuses per treatment); (1) twice daily saline flush (NT), (2) Chitogel (CG) with twice daily saline flush, and (3) CG-DG gel with twice daily saline flush. Biofilm biomass across all groups was compared using LIVE/DEAD BacLight stain and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Results: Safety study showed no cilia denudation on scanning electron microscopy and no change in sinus mucosa histopathology when comparing CG-DG to CG treated sheep. COMSTAT2 assessment of biofilm biomass showed a significant reduction in CG-DG treated sheep compared to NT controls. Conclusion: Results indicate that CG-DG is safe and effective against S. aureus biofilms in a sheep sinusitis model and could represent a viable treatment option in the clinical setting.


Speciation of heavy metals in soils determines the availability for metals for plant uptake and potential for contamination of groundwater following application of composts to agricultural lands. Methods used to characterize heavy metals in solid phase of composts and compost amended soils include physical fractionation and chemical extraction. Chemical extraction schemes are most frequently used approach to fractionate trace metals in soils, sewage sludge and composts. Several variations exist in the sequential extraction procedures. These variations include reagent types, strength, volume and extraction time. A main drawback shared by all sequential extraction schemes is that the procedures themselves are complex and time consuming. This setback has been overcome by the use of ultrasound accelerated extraction which reduce the extraction time for the entire extraction steps to about 90 minutes allowing composting process to be monitored more frequently which help to provide detailed understanding of the partitioning behaviour of heavy metals. Inspite of the variability the sequential extraction schemes, they all aimed at correlating each fraction with the mobility and plant availability of each metal. Several studies have shown that phase association of heavy metal in composts include water-soluble, exchangeable, precipitated as discrete phases, co-precipitate in metal oxides and adsorbed or complexed by organic ligands and residual forms. The phase association and solubility of metals changes over composting time thereby altering metal availability. It is apparent that the positive effects of resulting from compost application far outweigh the negative effect, but more research is needed on a wide range of municipal solid waste compost with more precise determination of the fate of municipal solid waste compost applied trace metals in the environment.


As you read this article it is the year 2000. The advent of this New Year's Day piqued the kind of anticipation (running the gamut from hope to dread) that always accompanies such milestones on the scale that we use to measure the passage of time;lf those of us following the Gregorian calendar, that is. In the Jewish calendar, for instance, it was 23 Tevet, 5760—not nearly as ominous-sounding. The awareness of the passage of time, the ability to record the present, learn from the past, and anticipate the future, are important aspects of human consciousness—they separate us from all other organisms on this planet. This awareness and fascination is evident in the words of our storytellers ("Once upon a time…", "Long, long ago…") as well as in religious scripture ("In the beginning…"- Genesis , "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven;lf"- Ecclesiastes , set to music by the Byrds ).

Paleontologists, of course, have a different perspective of time than most humans—we tend to think of what a historian friend of mine refers to as "deep time." Even those of us who primarily study the Quaternary routinely consider spans around a hundred times that of recorded history, and our planet is one million times older than the oldest written records. The record of life extends back roughly 3.5 billion years, a span of time almost impossible to grasp, even for those of us accustomed to talking about "deep time." Human historical records only subdivide the most recent, …


Introduction: Thrombotic Antiphospholipid syndrome (TAPS) is an autoimmune condition where venous thromboembolism (VTE) and/or arterial thromboembolism (ATE) occurs in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). TAPS is traditionally managed with long-term anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKA).
 Over the past decade, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been increasingly replacing VKAs as the oral anticoagulant of choice given their lower risk of bleeding, fixed dosing, and no requirement for routine monitoring. However, recent evidence has demonstrated inferiority of DOACs compared to VKAs in TAPS patients with high risk (triple positive) aPL profiles or previous arterial events. It remains unclear whether TAPS patients with low risk aPL profiles (single positive), and without previous ATE, can be treated effectively and safely with DOACs.
 Objectives: To assess the effectiveness and safety of DOACs at preventing recurrent VTE or ATE in TAPS patients with a low risk aPL profile, and without prior ATE.
 Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all TAPS patients with a low risk aPL profile, without prior ATE, who were anticoagulated with a DOAC at two tertiary care hospitals in Toronto, Canada from January 2010 to July 2020.
 All patients with any positive aPL test results were first identified through the laboratory information system. This list was cross referenced with patients seen in specific thrombosis clinics and confirmed through individual electronic chart review. TAPS was defined as persistent (>12 weeks apart) lupus anticoagulant (LA) positivity, anti-cardiolipin titre (ACA) >40 GPL, or anti-2-glycoprotein 1 titre (a2GP1) >40 GPL, with a preceding thrombotic event. Patients were excluded if any of the aPLs were deemed to be simultaneously positive or if there was a history of previous ATE. a2GP1 was not systematically tested in all patients.
 Patient outcomes were assessed throughout the duration of anticoagulation with a DOAC. Recurrent VTE included deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or VTE of atypical location, and required objective confirmation with appropriate diagnostic imaging. ATE included ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), myocardial infarction, or other systemic arterial embolism. Major bleeding (MB) and clinically relevant non major bleeding (CRNMB) were defined by International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis criteria.
 Results: 1195 patients were identified with at least one instance of single positive aPL who had been seen in one of the thrombosis clinics. Patients were excluded for the following reasons: 858 for non-persistent aPL positivity, 70 for simultaneous aPL positivity, 20 for a likely false positive LA due to DOAC therapy, 93 due to an absence of preceding VTE, 45 for history of previous ATE, and 59 due to no prior DOAC therapy. After exclusions, 50 patients were included in the analysis, encompassing 157.2 years of patient-follow up.
 The study population was comprised of 24 women and 26 men with a mean age of 49.6 (standard deviation (SD) 16.3)years at the start of DOAC therapy (Table 1). The mean duration of DOAC treatment was 37.7 (SD 23.8) months. Fifteen (30%) patients had prior diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), while 4 (8%) had other systemic autoimmune disease diagnoses. Only 1 patient met criteria for obstetric APS, on the basis of 3 consecutive fetal losses before 10 weeks gestation. None of the patients had documented valvular disease or thrombocytopenia. All patients were treated initially with therapeutic dose rivaroxaban, although 6 (12%) patients were switched to therapeutic dose apixaban due to increased bruising or menorrhagia. Five patients on rivaroxaban and 3 patients on apixaban were switched to a reduced dose DOAC.
 No patient had recurrent VTE. One patient had a possible ATE as a TIA, presenting with an episode of loss of sight for 15 minutes while on reduced dose apixaban. None of the patients experienced MB. Two patients experienced CRNMB, both severe menorrhagia, one on therapeutic dose of rivaroxaban and the other patient on reduced dose of rivaroxaban.
 Conclusions: In our retrospective case series of 50 patients with TAPS, a low risk aPL profile and no previous ATE, DOACs were effective and safe in the secondary prevention of thrombotic events with no MB. Larger, prospective controlled studies are required to confirm these findings.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a convenient and powerful tool for modeling and evaluating the performance of centrifugal compressors, fans, and pumps. Typically, the use of CFD requires significant labor in mesh generation and refinement. Moreover, for rotating transient simulations, a grid-to-grid interface is usually needed to incorporate the rotating impeller. In this work, a finite-volume-based Cartesian cut-cell method is employed to model a centrifugal fan. Both rotating transient simulations and steady steady multiple reference frame (MRF) simulations are analyzed. The cut-cell-based method automatically generates the Cartesian mesh on-the-fly based on the current location of the rotating boundaries, without requiring any grid-grid interface between the rotating part and the stationary part for the rotating transient cases. The grid is also dynamically refined based on the velocity field and y-plus values at the walls. These features greatly save the pre-processing time of the modeling and make it easy for performing global grid convergence studies. The flow is validated against experiment data for both point velocity measurements, and global measurements of mass flow rate and pressure rise. Key simulation parameters and model constants that can affect the global output and local flow details are discussed.


The article deals with the problem of preschool children' formation of the creative activity. The author understands creative activity as integrative, qualitative characteristic of personality, which includes a complex of motivational, creative, volitional components. According to the selected indicators, a diagnostic methodology for the three main blocks was constructed. All indicators were evaluated by a 3-point system, in which each score expressed the content of the existing level of formation of diagnosed indicators. Four levels of creative activity of older preschool children are distinguished: high (creative), middle (research), below average (imitative), low (performing). It is established that the most unformed components of creative activity in preschool age are creative and volitional. It is substantiated that development of speed, flexibility and originality of thinking, as well as stimulation of children's initiative and independence will allow to increase the level of creative activity.


Dr Green and colleagues observe that many laboratories do not measure both sweat sodium and chloride; thus, in marginal cases, it is impossible to determine whether the chloride is higher than the sodium. While I would support the value of their observation that the chloride is commonly higher than the sodium in patients with cystic fibrosis who have marginal values and agree with their advice to measure both electrolytes, the higher chloride value in patients with cystic fibrosis can only be regarded as useful supportive evidence for the diagnosis.1 I would not accept that 'it was the interpretation of the results of the sweat test together with the natural history that excluded the diagnosis'. Unfortunately, Dr Green and colleagues provide little evidence that their small series of children with marginal results of the sweat test did not have cystic fibrosis. Certainly, normal results of a para-aminotenzoic acid test and faecal chymotrypsin test cannot be taken to exclude a minor degree of pancreatic involvement. All evidence to the present suggests that demonstration of normal pancreatic function by pancreozymin secretin stimulation, particularly a normal bicarbonate secretion, remains the most reliable supportive evidence for the exclusion of cystic fibrosis.2 3 Our experience at the Leeds regional cystic fibrosis unit, derived from comprehensive assessment of over 200 patients with cystic fibrosis, in addition to many referred where the diagnosis was in doubt, suggests that individuals with cystic fibrosis who have marginal sweat electrolyte values usually have additional supportive evidence-for example, pseudomonas lung disease, obvious malabsorption, and pancreatic abnormality. Furthermore, there seems to be no direct correlation between the degree of sweat electrolyte abnormality and either the severity of the pancreatic lesion or the clinical score. Thus I would reiterate the suggested diagnostic criteria as previously stated.4 While the relation of sodium to chloride is a valuable observation when a reliable sweat test gives a marginal result, confirmation or exclusion of the diagnosis must thereafter depend on findings other than the sweat test. It should be re-emphasised that the common diagnostic difficulties and not uncommon actual mistakes usually result from an incorrect determination of the sweat electrolytes by the biochemist and an uncritical acceptance of the result by the clinician who also fails to show any gastrointestinal lesion or request a confirmatory sweat test at a later date.


Abstract The purpose of orthognathic surgery procedures is to manipulate the elements of the facial skeleton to reestablish normal anatomy and function. These elements could be repositioned with the technique known as Le Fort I osteotomy. This technique can be modified to be adapted on each patient, depending on the anomaly presented and the planned objective. The versatility, offered by the modifications of the Le Fort I osteotomy, has taken us to design one that allows the capability to correct the malar region hypoplasia in the same surgical procedure. A total of 9 patients were included with malocclusion as indication for orthognathic surgery who also presented with malar hypoplasia diagnosed clinically and cephalometrically. A modified technique, the "U"-shaped maxillary osteotomy, was performed with excellent functional and aesthetics results, and none of the patients presented complications associated directly to the maxillary osteotomy. Some patients with maxillary zygomatic deficiency combined with malocclusion continue to present a special challenge to clinicians treating these deformities. This technique is useful in improving zygomatic projection in bloc with the Le Fort I advancement without the need to place a bone graft and the advantage of rigid fixation along with the one used in the Le Fort I osteotomy. The U-shaped maxillary osteotomy is a safe, trustworthy, and reproducible technique that allows the resolution of the maxillomalar hypoplasia in a single surgical time, providing satisfactory aesthetic results. Any surgeon with adequate training in orthognathic or craniofacial surgery could perform it and incorporate it to his technical armamentarium.


ABSTRACT
The Nursing Curriculum Committee has a critical role in improving the quality of nursing programs and ensuring that standards from accreditation agencies and professional organizations are met. The work of the committee also presents opportunities for faculty to confirm that programs meet the needs of the community and address current trends. A systematic schedule for review helps with organization and ensures that all courses and programs are reviewed. Developing a systematic approach and sharing this information with faculty allows for a transparent method of reviewing courses and programs, as well as preparing faculty for their role in this process.


The F VI spectrum in the 400-6000 Å region has been obtained through the beam-foil excitation technique. In this wavelength interval 177 F VI lines have been observed. With the addition of 123 lines below 200 Å from un unpublished analysis by Edlén, 158 energy levels have been established. Using polarization formulae the first ionization limit is determined to 1267606 ± 2 cm-1, and all available experimental polarization parameters in the Be sequence are collected and compared to theoretical calculations. Some of the strong configuration interactions in the F VI term system are studied by comparing the experimental results with theoretical predictions obtained in single- and multi-configuration calculations.


This paper draws on 159 survey responses of fourth year Education students in one institution as they embark on a research project based in their internship school and explores predisposition to research and the level of preparedness to undertake a research project. The questionnaire consists of items grouped into the areas research efficacy, learning motivation research orientation, and research environment. The students who met most frequently with their supervisor and showed higher research self-efficacy were also most likely to want to undertake postgraduate study and reacted positively to good personal support and a feeling of belonging to a research 'community'. Many felt they were essentially going it alone and were 'unconnected' to a learning community, and specifically to their supervisor. They were generally positive about their ability to do the necessary preliminary tasks, such as finding and writing up literature, even though they were overwhelmed by the tasks themselves and concerned about managing the commitment. Despite this they were optimistic about completion. That being said only 5% were sure they would undertake postgraduate study in the future, and 65% were sure they would not do so. In an environment where there is commitment to promoting research skills consistent with the needs of a knowledge society and drawing on evidence to inform practice, the findings not only raise the question of how to best support and give meaning to the early research endeavours of pre-service teachers, but also highlights the challenge of achieving this against a high level of disinterest in further tertiary study.


Summary Conditions which led to inactivation of rabbit γG-globulin in direct passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) experiments in guinea pig skin also produced inactivation in reverse PCA experiments. Thus acetylation, carbamylation, picrylation and phthylation of reverse PCA antigens (rabbit Fc or dinitrophenylated rabbit γ-globulin) caused loss of skin-sensitizing activity whereas amidination did not. These results strongly favor the possibility that inactivation of skin-sensitizing activity is due to loss of fixation in guinea pig skin. In further support of this view no correlation was seen between complement-fixing activity and skin-sensitizing activity. Amidinated preparations of rabbit antibody which retained their ability to sensitize guinea pig skin fixed very little complement.


The production of ozone in a negative corona discharge fed by carbon dioxide with embedded traces of oxygen and water has been studied. The presence of traces of oxygen in both pure and dry CO2 leads to an increase in nascent ozone concentrations. In contrast, traces of water vapour (0–800 ppm) are shown to rapidly suppress ozone concentrations with the largest decreases being observed at lowest gas pressures in the discharge (300 Torr). The presence of water vapour did not considerably affect the electrical properties of negative dc corona suggesting that a chemical process is responsible for the ozone loss. We have shown that the addition of water up to a concentration of 1500 ppm has only a marginal effect on the processes of ozone formation but the catalytic cycle of ozone destruction involving OH radicals can be the reason for observed decrease in the total ozone concentration with increasing water concentration.


Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been demonstrated as an efficient surgical treatment in patients with Parkinson's disease suffering from severe disabilities in their motor symptoms (tremor, akinesia, rigidity) [1]. Sometimes, patients with STN DBS have secondary neuropsychological and/or psychiatric effects because the STN has a small size and a functional subdivision into motor, associative and limbic parts [8]. Therefore, targeting is an important step of the neurosurgical procedure as the DBS could induce undesirable side-effects. To improve targeting, many authors created either anatomical atlases [2,4] or multimodal databases [5-7]. They demonstrated that multimodal databases improved targeting accuracy over anatomical atlases. We presented a validation automatic segmentation of the basal ganglia based on a manual segmentation of these structures completed on a 3T MRI-template. This is the first step to increase accuracy of the targeting of DBS in order to improve the clinical outcome of DBS procedures.