The generation of electricity from nuclear power has become increasingly important due to the growing concerns of global climate change. Nuclear energy has long been recognized as a leading energy source that produces minimal pollution to the environment that can contribute to this phenomenon. In addition, nuclear power offers an attractive option for countries looking for energy source diversification. Currently there are 442 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in the world (International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA], 2010, 2011). These power plants contribute about 19% of the electricity production today. The United States of America (U.S.) has the largest commercial nuclear reactor fleet in the world with 104 operating reactors (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [USNRC], 2010). Of these reactors, 69 are pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and 35 are boiling water reactors (BWRs), located on 65 sites around the country. These power plants contribute about 20% of the U.S. electricity production. Although it is known that commercial nuclear power plants release small amounts of radioactivity into the environment, there is still the potential for these releases to impact public health. This is especially important today as changes are occurring in nuclear power plant operations including: higher electric generating capacities, increased power levels due to mechanical uprates, and plant life extensions. Public health effects must be reexamined as new light water reactor designs are being considered for construction. In addition, recent events at multiple nuclear power plants in the U.S. involving unplanned releases, especially tritium (3H), have led to increased scrutiny on monitoring and evaluating releases. Changes in radiation protection recommendations and regulations also warrant further and continued investigations in these matters. Although Harris (2007) and Harris & Miller (2008) have performed numerous studies of nuclear power effluent releases and environmental monitoring, data collection and analysis must continue to be performed for the entire nuclear industry. This chapter focuses on recent research that has been conducted in the areas of commercial nuclear power radiological releases and environmental monitoring by the author. Although the emphasis will be on studies performed in the United States of America, international comparisons will be made where appropriate.


Based on reading a very large number of research
reports, and conducting a wide range of different
projects, this article illustrates a simple yet inclusive
model of research. Research is considered as a cyclical
activity with various designs and methods more or less
appropriate at each phase but in the same field of
investigation. This leads to the realisation that designs
and methods are to a very great extent entailed in the
research question(s) being addressed. This approach is
illustrated through a range of our own studies, including
aggregated trials of literacy improvement, school choice,
and adult learning. It is clear that they are just research—
and that schisms/paradigms, or even attempting to
resolve such schisms via 'multiple methods' and the like,
are irrelevant in real-life research.


Objective: To evaluate antiviral activity, safety, and pharmacokinetics of short-term monotherapy with bictegravir (BIC), a novel, potent HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI). Design: Phase 1b, randomized, double-blinded, adaptive, sequential cohort, placebo-controlled study. Methods: HIV-infected adults not taking antiretroviral therapy were randomized to receive BIC (5, 25, 50, or 100 mg) or placebo once daily for 10 days. Primary endpoint was time-weighted average change from baseline to day 11 (DAVG11) for plasma HIV-1 RNA. HIV-1 RNA, adverse events (AEs), and laboratory assessments were evaluated through day 17. Results: Twenty participants were enrolled (n = 4/group). Mean DAVG11 ranged from −0.92 to −1.61 across BIC doses versus −0.01 for placebo. Significant reductions in plasma HIV-1 RNA from baseline at day 11 were observed for all BIC doses compared with placebo (P < 0.001); mean decreases were 1.45–2.43 log10 copies/mL. Increased BIC exposures correlated with increased reduction in plasma HIV-1 RNA from baseline on day 11. Three participants on BIC (50 or 100 mg) achieved plasma HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL by end of study. Median Tmax ranged from 1.0 to 1.8 hours (day 1, postdose) and 1.3–2.7 hours (day 10), with median t1/2 ranging from 15.9 to 20.9 hours. No participant developed primary INSTI-R substitution through day 17. BIC was well tolerated, with no discontinuations because of adverse events. Conclusions: BIC is a novel, potent, unboosted INSTI that demonstrated rapid, dose-dependent declines in HIV-1 RNA after 10 days of monotherapy. BIC was well tolerated, and displayed rapid absorption and a half-life supportive of once-daily therapy in HIV-infected subjects.


The energy splittings between the proton $1h_{11/2}$ and $1g_{7/2}$ states in the Sb (Z=51) isotopes and the neutron $1i_{13/2}$ and $1h_{9/2}$ states in the ${N=83}$ isotones are analyzed within relativistic quasiparticle-vibration coupling (QVC) model. Although a common viewpoint is that an effective tensor interaction is needed to reproduce these splittings, we show, for the first time, that quasiparticle-vibration coupling also improves their description considerably. The remaining differences between the experiment and the QVC calculations point to a complex scenario in which both tensor interaction and quasiparticle-vibration coupling are needed to reproduce accurately the observed energy splittings. This scenario, however, requires a considerably weaker tensor interaction as compared with the previous estimates.


The problem considered here-that of the relationship between anatomical structures of the nervous system and animal behavior-is one of the most important in the field of child development. The studies of the behavior development of the growing infant were undertaken "in order to provide schedules of developmental changes in overt behavior against which structural changes as determined by histological analysis could be appraised." The correlations are not here established. However, these studies represent a basic attack on the problem and are presented in the frame of the theoretical assumption that early infant behavior patterns are chiefly reflex, mediated by the suWbcortical nuclei; that these give way to a period of diminution of activity and disorganization of the reflex patterns as the cortex matures; and that as cortical maturation proceeds further there is a subsequent development of the deliberate and voluntary aspects of behavior. Outstanding stages observed in the development of such neuromotor activities as swimming, rolling, creeping, sitting, and erect locomotion are descnibed. There is a consistency in the treatment of each postural activity which helps to yield a clear picture of total development. The chief weakness of the book lies in the fact that an accurate, dynamic picture of the actual development in any given behavior is frequently sacrificed in the attempt to objectify and schematize the material. The descriptions of developing behavior patterns, although not inaccurate, are not always adequate. Specific age designations would have been useful in orienting the reader. An excellent final chapter discusses maturation and learning in relation to educational theory and practice, with special emphasis on the importance of waiting for neural readiness of the organism before instituting training, and of giving due recognition to the periods of regression or loss of achievement which occur normally as part of the process of growth. -LOUISE BATES AMES.


It can be argued that development geography has left few traces either on the broader canvas of development theory or on the thought and practices of social actors engaging with material processes of change typically framed within the language of development. This paper argues that this is because the sub-field has been somewhat too case study oriented, and because its prac-titioners have, with some exceptions, kept themselves - or at least their identities - at the margins of debates within and among development actors. Yet development geography has much to con-tribute to on-going reflections on the nature of development. The paper explores themes that might be at the centre of an empirically grounded but theoretically oriented development geography that might speak to contemporary processes of globalisation and local change. It suggests that comparative case study work exploring the ways in which the development of capitalism and processes of intervention are both linked and vary across space still offers fruitful terrain for theory. Copyright 2003 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.


OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immediate and mid-term outcomes in a series of patients submitted to endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm in a reference center for cardiovascular medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present retrospective study included a series of patients treated in the period from January 2009 to July 2010, and evaluated demographic characteristics, technical success, therapeutic success, morbimortality, immediate complications and perioperative reintervention rate in a one-year follow-up. RESULTS: The authors evaluated 102 consecutive patients with a mean age of 72 ± 9 years (79% were men). Technical success was observed in 97.1% of cases, and therapeutic success, in 81%. Perioperative mortality was 0.9% and one-year mortality rate was 7.8%. Reintervention was necessary in 18.8% of the patients during follow-up. CONCLUSION: The outcomes observed in the present study justify performing such a procedure in patients with suitable anatomy.


Recently, Deep Convolution Networks (DCNNs) have been applied to the task of face alignment and have shown potential for learning improved feature representations. Although deeper layers can capture abstract concepts like pose, it is difficult to capture the geometric relationships among the keypoints in DCNNs. In this paper, we propose a novel convolution-deconvolution network for facial keypoint detection. Our model predicts the 2D locations of the keypoints and their individual visibility along with 3D head pose, while exploiting the spatial relationships among different keypoints. Different from existing approaches of modeling these relationships, we propose learnable transform functions which captures the relationships between keypoints at feature level. However, due to extensive variations in pose, not all of these relationships act at once, and hence we propose, a pose-based routing function which implicitly models the active relationships. Both transform functions and the routing function are implemented through convolutions in a multi-task framework. Our approach presents a single-shot keypoint detection method, making it different from many existing cascade regression-based methods. We also show that learning these relationships significantly improve the accuracy of keypoint detections for in-the-wild face images from challenging datasets such as AFW and AFLW.


Background. The cause of anemia in chronic renal failure seems to be multifactorial. The aim of our investigation was to verify the hypothesis that the causes of anemia are at a higher stem cell level. Therefore, beside peripheral blood BFU E which require erythropoietin, we cultivated peripheral blood stem cells which do not require it – CFU GM and CFU GEMM. Patients and methods. Peripheral blood BFU E, CFU GM and CFU GEMM were studied in 65 uremic patients who were placed on maintenance hemodialysis three times weekly. All were anemic. In regard to creatinine concentration they were divided into Group 1 with creatinine concentration 900 µmol/L (41 pts). Hematopoietic colony-forming cells from blood were assayed in a methylcellulose culture with growth factor addition. Results. The growth of colonies BFU E and CFU GM was significant inhibited in whole group of patients, growth of CFU GEMM was significantly inhibited in the Group 2. A positive correlation of the CFU GM and BFU E, CFU GEMM and BFU E and CFU GM and CFU GEMM colonies was found in the whole group of patients. There was a negative correlation between the growth of the CFU GEMM, CFU GM and BFU E colonies and the urea concentration in the entire group of patients. In Group 1 a negative correlation was found between the growth of the BFU E and CFU GM colonies and creatinine concentration. In the Group 2 a negative correlation between growth of the BFU E and CFU GM and urea concentration was found. Conclusions. According to our study, erythropoetin concentration, although normal, is still too low with regard to the grade of anemia. In patients the number of stem cell colonies was decreased significantly, correlating with the severity of uremia. This confirms the hypothesis that disturbed hematopoiesis in uremia is affected by additional factors and that their influence in uremia is permanent.


A patient with secondary hypersplenism due to follicular lymphoblastoma of the spleen exhibited neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, the latter being of sufficient severity to require splenectomy. Splenectomy was followed by clinical improvement due to restoration of the platelet count and cessation of purpura, whereas the neturopenia persisted. The significance of the blood, bone marrow, and splenic findings is discussed in the light of current concepts of the mechanism of the hypersplenic effect on the peripheral blood picture.


Lead is often referred to as a lead or of lead, the metal is denoted by Pb.Heavy metal lead can cause poisoning and accumulate in the human body.Process of entry into the body can lead through food and drink, the air and the penetration of the skin.Absorption through the skin may occur due to these compounds soluble in oils and fats.Lead through the air into the respiratory tract to be absorbed and binds to lung blood is then circulated to all the tissues and organs of the body, while by foods possible cause fish was foods source of protein had bepouled of lead.On the hair can be bound to sulfhydryl groups so that the lead content in the hair can be an indicator of lead contamination.This study aims to analyze the levels of lead in the hair tire repair shop workers and goldfish keep in along the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Lampung.Examination conducted quantitative analysis using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry.The determination of the concentration of lead in Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry obtained linear regression equation of lead standard solution is y: 0.0100x - 0.00933, the correlation coefficient (r x,y ) of 0.999.Lead provides maximum absorption at a wavelength of 283.3 nm.The results showed that the positive tire repair shop workers have polluted lead.The highest lead level is 4.813 ppm while the lowest lead content was 0.258 ppm. In fish gills and meat of goldfish the highest lead level ware 0.15878 and 0.1160 ppm while the lowest lead content ware 0.1136 and 0.0539 ppm.


In recent years historians have paid substantial attention to the origins of modern political conservatism and the record of the Nixon administration in building a Republican majority in the late twentieth century. In Richard Nixon and the Quest for a New Majority, Robert Mason analyzes Nixon's response to the developing conservative climate and challenges revisionist claims about the activist nature of the Nixon administration. Nixon was an activist in intent, Mason contends, but not in deed. Nixon's "silent majority" speech of 1969 not only undermined the growth of the antiwar movement, Mason shows, it also identified a constituency for Nixon to cultivate in order to secure reelection. However, the implementation of his new-majority project was hindered by the resort to dirty tricks against political opponents and the ineffectual pursuit of a policy agenda. Although some Nixon initiatives were enacted, says Mason, they were not substantial enough to rival the Democrats' bread-and-butter issues. While Nixon built Republican strength at the presidential level, Mason argues that he did not succeed in mobilizing popular support for broad-based political conservatism.


A novel MNOS device structure is described. It solves the parasitic leakage problem, sometimes also known as the sidewalk effect.


All employee benefit plans are potential targets of fraudulent schemes. Smaller plans are targeted by unscrupulous brokers and promoters selling fraudulent policies; plans large enough to be self-insured face greater risks of fraud by providers and participants misrepresenting claims. Plan trustees, administrators and consultants should be alert to the many ways fraudulent schemes manifest themselves and to the legal remedies available; establish investigative programs to detect and discourage fraud; and promote education and plan incentives for participants to report fraud.


Azimuthal P-receiver functions are influenced by crustal anisotropy and heterogeneity. To study these effects we created a catalogue of 30 crustal models and corresponding azimuthal P-receiver functions. The crustal models are grouped in five classes of anisotropic and isotropic horizontal and dipping plane layers. The model design was motivated by geological structure found by deep seismic reflection profiling and deep drilling. In the synthetic seismogram catalogue, we identified 14 azimuthal waveform features that could be used to narrow the range of possible crustal model for seismic inversion or interactive forward modelling. Based on a hierarchical classification of these waveform features 80 per cent of the input models could be uniquely identified. In case of field data the hierarchical classification can be used to find a starting model for forward modelling or non-linear inversion. To test the applicability of the method we applied it to records of four permanent stations of the German Regional Seismic Network. In two cases the procedure led to a satisfactory agreement of observed and modelled azimuthal data in both R and T components. The obtained subsurface models are plausible because they correspond to anisotropy values and structures found for similar settings by deep drilling and deep seismic profiling. In the other two cases only partial agreement of real and synthetic data could be obtained. These stations are located in a complicated tectonic setting that cannot be modelled satisfactorily by an approach based on plane dipping layers.


Five multiparous, ruminally and duodenally cannulated Holstein cows were assigned to 5 x 5 Latin squares at wk 2 (experiment 1), wk 11 to 13 (experiment 2), and wk 17 to 19 postpartum (experiment 3) to determine extent of Met limitation. Treatments were duodenally infused and consisted of 10 g/d of l-Lys plus 0, 3.5, 7.0, 10.5, or 16.0 g/d of dl-Met in experiments 1 and 2 and 8 g/d of l-Lys plus 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 g/d of dl-Met in experiment 3. Calculated Lys contributions to total AA (TAA) in duodenal digesta for control treatments were 8.6, 7.5, and 9.0% for experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Methionine contributions to TAA for the 5 infusion treatments were 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.7% for experiment 1; 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, and 2.7% for experiment 2; and 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, and 2.5% for experiment 3, respectively. Milk protein yield increased linearly in experiments 1 and 2, indicating that Met contribution to TAA in duodenal digesta for maximal milk protein synthesis exceeded 2.7 for early-lactation cows. In experiment 2, a quadratic relationship was found between level of infused Met and milk protein content, with the response reaching a plateau when 12.2 g of Met was infused, corresponding with a Met contribution to TAA in duodenal digesta of 2.4%. In experiment 3, milk protein content increased quadratically, but milk yield declined linearly with increasing levels of infused Met; hence, milk protein yield was unaffected by treatment. The calculated plateau point of the milk protein content response curve was determined to be 12.4 g of infused Met, which corresponds to a Met contribution to TAA in duodenal digesta of 2.3%. Experiment 3 results indicate that the required level of Met in duodenal digesta for maximizing milk protein yield is lower than that required for maximizing milk protein content.


The power dissipated by the level-I Instruction cache is often a considerable part of the total power dissipated by the entire microprocessor. In this thesis, we focuses on reducing the power consumption of the I-cache by using an in-cache instruction compression technique that uses gated wordlines to reduce the number of bitline swings. First, we develop a cache power consumption model to estimate the power dissipated in the I-cache. Next, we examine the effectiveness of two design techniques previously proposed to reduce power consumed in the I-cache; sub-banking and reducing the frequency of tag compare. We then investigate two versions of our technique that uses gated wordlines. The first version involves using instructions of one of two sizes, medium or long. The second version uses three instruction sizes, short, medium and long. We evaluate our technique by applying it to the MIPS-II instruction set. Our dynamic compression for programs in SPECInt95 achieves an average reduction in bits read out of 23.73% in the 2-size approach and 29.10% in the 3-size approach. Thesis Supervisor: Krste Asanovic Title: Assistant Professor


This paper represents the results of a small-scale qualitative study, exploring public perceptions of the redistributive effects of taxation and public spending in the UK. Redistribution is not at the top of people's minds when they consider these issues and it is a complex subject on which they have thought little. People appear to apply separate principles of 'fairness' and 'mutuality' to the structures of taxation and public spending. Fairness in taxation may involve more progressivity than the current system, and those with low incomes may need more help. The support this implies for the redistributive impact of government does not appear to be primarily motivated by concerns about making incomes more equal, but rather the outcome of belief in a system in which everyone can get help when they need it, and everyone contributes according to their means.


The preceding chapters of this volume illustrate the vitality and creativity of grassroots sustainability enterprises around the globe. Fundamentally grassroots sustainability enterprises are concerned with providing accessible basic material human needs such as shelter (housing), warmth (energy), food (gardening) alongside higher order needs including empowering marginalised groups or communities through employment, training and personal development. However they also often provide spaces for alternative practices, creative responses and even artistic expression. Undoubtedly such enterprises are sites of innovation focused on positive transitions across the sustainability troika of economy, environment and society. However, as Campbell et al. in this volume suggest, often this innovation is invisible to policy communities, other practitioners and wider publics (following Escobar, 1994). In part this is because the entrepreneurs at the centre of the enterprises are not seeking personal reward for their work and are not interested in the nuances of innovation theory, but it is also due to the unconventional nature of the innovations involved. Nonetheless this lack of profile does affect the ways in which grassroots sustainability enterprises and their work are received. As a result many enterprises remain niche spaces of innovation with limited impact beyond the locale in which they operate (Longhurst, this volume).


Abstract The preparation of biodiesel from fatty materials HDO provides a very constructive idea to solve the global clean energy problem. The application of catalytic technology to convert oils into green liquid hydrocarbon fuel has great potential for industrial application. The main problem with the development of green diesel technology is the limited number of available non-food sources of fatty acid triglycerides. Also the researchers have made remarkable achievements in the field of catalyst, the stability of the catalyst is insufficient and the selectivity of large molecules of direct alkanes is low. These defects hinder the large-scale resource development of biodiesel. In current paper the potential of hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of fatty materials and model esters was explored by enhancing the synergy of platinum and tin by using heterometallic (PPh4)3 [Pt (SnCl3)5 complex. Heterometallic (PPh4)3 [Pt (SnCl3)5] complex provides in its structure platinum and tin atoms linked by a metal–metal bond that causes the originality of catalytic performance. The performance of bimetallic Pt-Sn/Al2O3 catalyst, which is characterized by the Sn/Pt molar ratio of 5/1, has been studied at hydrogen pressure 50 atm and temperature 400–480 °C. HDO reaction of a number of fatty materials has been shown to proceed with the highest ever yield of direct hydrocarbons derived from alkoxy and acyl groups of the initial ester. Also it was investigated a performance in HDO reaction of mixture containing rapeseed oil oleic acid and water that simulate cooked oil that may be a prospective soure for green hydrocarbons in megalopolises. A structural studies of the catalyst showed that its high selectivity in HDO reaction of fatty materials provided by two important factors: impregnated particles size and formation of intermettallic species of PtSn3±σ. Finally, catalysts sustained activity and stability were tested during five turns of 24 h each.


This article reports on the value of career construction counselling for a black man facing a career crossroads. The participant was purposefully selected from a number of people participating in a career construction counselling course who had sought career counselling. An intrinsic, single-case study design was implemented and a qualitative, interpretive paradigm was adopted as the framework for the research. Data were collected using the Career Construction Interview (CCI). The findings suggest that the intervention enabled the participant to regain his sense of purpose and direction and also inspired others to deal with the apprehension and fear in their own lives. Future research should investigate the use of the CCI with people in diverse settings to establish its trustworthiness in non-traditional contexts.


This paper examines the surface water and groundwater pollution which results from wastes generated by industrial, commercial and household activities in several urban centers of Nigeria. The various efforts made at promoting standards are described and their effectiveness in achieving desired objectives is evaluated. Other response strategies for reducing the health risks from water contamination are presented. The paper emphasizes the need for (a) improved water quality standards and criteria; (b) effluent and site control guidelines; (c) effective monitoring of industrial discharges; and (d) effective water resources management programmes.


Data comparability between different laboratories strongly depends on the individually applied analysis method. This factor is often a critical source of variation in rodent phenotyping and has never been systematically investigated in Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigms. In rodents, fear is typically quantified in terms of freezing duration via manual observation or automated systems. While manual analysis includes biases such as tiredness or inter‐personal scoring variability, computer‐assisted systems are unable to distinguish between freezing and immobility. Consequently, the novel software called MOVE follows a semi‐automatized approach that prefilters video sequences of interest for the final human judgment. Furthermore, MOVE allows integrating additional data sources (e.g. force‐sensitive platform, EEG) to reach the most accurate and precise results. MOVE directly supports multi‐angle video recordings with webcams or standard laboratory equipment. The integrated manual key logger and internal video player complement this all‐in‐one software solution. Calculating the interlaboratory variability of manual freezing evaluation revealed significantly different freezing scores in two out of six laboratories. This difference was minimized when all experiments were analyzed with MOVE. Applied to a genetically modified mouse model, MOVE revealed higher fear responses of CB1 deficient mice compared to their wild‐type littermates after foreground context fear conditioning. Multi‐angle video analysis compared to the single‐camera approach reached up to 15% higher accuracy and two fold higher precision. Multidimensional analysis provided by integration of additional data sources further improved the overall result. We conclude that the widespread usage of MOVE could substantially improve the comparability of results from different laboratories.


This paper describes the motor constant of a cylindrical moving magnet-type linear actuator for obtaining high response characteristics. The theoretical expression of motor constant square density G is deduced using the permeance method. A prototype linear actuator is designed in both permeance method and the finite element method. Measured motor constant and motor constant square density of the prototype linear actuator are 17.1 N/sup 2//(Wm/sup 3/) and 2.6/spl times/10/sup 6/N/sup 2//(Wm/sup 3/) respectively, where these values are over twice as large as those of conventional linear motors.


The pulse activity of medullar respiration center neurons and rat's respiration as a function of excitation of the lateral mammillary (LM) nucleus of the hypothalamus were studied in differing hypoxic conditions. Electrical stimulation of the LM nucleus in normoxia had a predominantly activating effect. A moderate pO2 fall at the start of "ascent" to 4000-5000 m increased pulsation of the respiratory neurons. On this background the activating effect of LM nucleus stimulation was less pronounced as compared to normoxia although it still prevailed over inhibition. The alleviating effect of LM nucleus stimulation was particularly evident with a sharp inhibition of respiratory neurons caused by critical oxygen deficiency at the highest altitude (7500-8000 m). After the "descent" to the normal atmospheric pressure the spontaneous rhythmic activity of rat's neurons and reaction to stimulation gradually recovered baseline values.


Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended for intermediate-stage HCC patients. Owing to substantial variation in its efficacy, indicators of patient responses to TACE need to be determined. Methods A Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset consisting of patients of different TACE-response status was retrieved. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were calculated and variable gene ontology analyses were conducted. Potential drugs and response to immunotherapy were predicted using multiple bioinformatic algorithms. We built and compared 5 machine-learning models with finite genes to predict patients' response to TACE. The model was also externally validated to discern different survival outcomes after TACE. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor stemness index were evaluated to explore potential mechanism of our model. Results The gene set variation analysis revealed enhanced pathways related to G2/M checkpoint, E2F, mTORC1, and myc in TACE nonresponders. TACE responders had better immunotherapy response too. 373 DEGs were detected and the upregulated DEGs in nonresponders were enriched in IL-17 signal pathway. 5 machine-learning models were constructed and evaluated, and a linear support vector machine (SVM)-based model with 10 genes was selected (AQP1, FABP4, HERC6, LOX, PEG10, S100A8, SPARCL1, TIAM1, TSPAN8, and TYRO3). The model achieved an AUC and accuracy of 0.944 and 0.844, respectively, in the development cohort. In the external validation cohort comprised of patients receiving adjuvant TACE and postrecurrence TACE treatment, the predicted response group significantly outlived the predicted nonresponse counterparts. TACE nonresponders tend to have more macrophage M0 cells and lower resting mast cells in the tumor tissue and the stemness index is also higher than responders. Those characteristics were successfully captured by our model. Conclusion The model based on expression data of 10 genes could potentially predict HCC patients' response and prognosis after TACE treatment. The discriminating power was TACE-specific.


Abstract Background Trichoderma spp. are filamentous fungi causing invasive fungal diseases in patients with haematological malignancies and in peritoneal dialysis patients. Objectives To analyse clinical presentation, predisposing factors, treatment and outcome of Trichoderma infections. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted for published cases of invasive Trichoderma infection in PubMed until December 2021 and by reviewing the included studies' references. Cases from the FungiScope® registry were added to a combined analysis. Results We identified 50 invasive infections due to Trichoderma species, including 11 in the FungiScope® registry. The main underlying conditions were haematological malignancies in 19 and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in 10 cases. The most prevalent infection sites were lung (42%) and peritoneum (22%). Systemic antifungal therapy was administered in 42 cases (84%), mostly amphotericin B (n = 27, lipid-based formulation 13/27) and voriconazole in 15 cases (30%). Surgical interventions were performed in 13 cases (26%). Overall mortality was 48% (n = 24) and highest for allogeneic HSCT and solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients [80% (4/5) and 77% (7/9), respectively]. In patients treated with amphotericin B, voriconazole and caspofungin, mortality was 55% (15/27), 46% (7/15) and 28% (2/7), respectively. Three out of four patients treated with a combination therapy of voriconazole and caspofungin survived. Conclusions Despite treatment with antifungal therapies and surgery, invasive Trichoderma infections are life-threatening complications in immunocompromised patients, especially after HSCT and SOT. In addition, Trichoderma spp. mainly affect the lungs in patients with haematological malignancies and the peritoneum in CAPD patients.


EBM PEARL: CONFIDENCE INTERVAL (CI) VERSUS CREDIBLE INTERVAL (CrI): Let's say your experiment demonstrates a number needed to treat (NNT) of 10 with a 95% CI (4-12). You may be tempted (or were taught) to state: "One can be 95% confident that the 'true' NNT is within the [4-12] 95% CI." In fact, that statement is not technically correct. A correct statement of the CI in the example is: "If the experiment were repeated 100 times, 95 of the CIs generated would contain the 'true' NNT" (and the 95% CI, [4-12] is only one of those 100 CIs). This technically-correct definition does not really help us understand the precision of the NNT we calculated. CrI calculations employ a priori information that some NNTs are more likely than others. The CrI (relating to the specific effect estimate [in this case, the NNT] calculated from your experiment) is more intuitive, and you would be able to state: "One can be 95% confident that the 'true' NNT is within the [4-12] 95% CrI." When a priori information is lacking, CrIs and CIs are numerically similar. See the abstract to the commentary by Dr Marcus (below) for an example of the CrI in the literature. (I am grateful to Alan Schwartz, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, for his help with this Pearl.)


Abstract Honey bees are crucial pollinators for agricultural crops but are threatened by a multitude of stressors including exposure to pesticides. Linking our understanding of how pesticides affect individual bees to colony‐level responses is challenging because colonies show emergent properties based on complex internal processes and interactions among individual bees. Agent‐based models that simulate honey bee colony dynamics may be a tool for scaling between individual and colony effects of a pesticide. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are developing the VarroaPop + Pesticide model, which simulates the dynamics of honey bee colonies and how they respond to multiple stressors, including weather, Varroa mites, and pesticides. To evaluate this model, we used Approximate Bayesian Computation to fit field data from an empirical study where honey bee colonies were fed the insecticide clothianidin. This allowed us to reproduce colony feeding study data by simulating colony demography and mortality from ingestion of contaminated food. We found that VarroaPop + Pesticide was able to fit general trends in colony population size and structure and reproduce colony declines from increasing clothianidin exposure. The model underestimated adverse effects at low exposure (36 µg/kg), however, and overestimated recovery at the highest exposure level (140 µg/kg), for the adult and pupa endpoints, suggesting that mechanisms besides oral toxicity‐induced mortality may have played a role in colony declines. The VarroaPop + Pesticide model estimates an adult oral LD50 of 18.9 ng/bee (95% CI 10.1–32.6) based on the simulated feeding study data, which falls just above the 95% confidence intervals of values observed in laboratory toxicology studies on individual bees. Overall, our results demonstrate a novel method for analyzing colony‐level data on pesticide effects on bees and making inferences on pesticide toxicity to individual bees.


We examined specific immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG3 responses to Plasmodium falciparum schizont and Schistosoma mansoni egg and worm antigens in individuals from Kenya, Uganda, and the Sudan who had been exposed to malaria and schistosomiasis. A strong correlation between malaria- and schistosome-specific IgG3 responses was observed. This association appears to result from the presence of cross-reactive components of the 2 parasites that bind IgG3 antibodies, rather than to be mediated by immunological cross-regulation or specific regulatory mechanisms induced by either parasite. Cross-reactivity of IgG3 antibodies was confirmed in a Brazilian cohort of individuals living in an area where schistosomiasis is endemic but no malaria occurs and in a Pakistani cohort from an area where malaria is endemic but no schistosomiasis occurs. An IgG3 interaction with antigens from both parasites was observed in individuals from both cohorts, but not in uninfected European control subjects. The immunological and biological implications of this observation require further exploration.


Durum wheat mitochondria (DWM) possess an ATP-inhibited K(+) channel, the plant mitoK(ATP) (PmitoK(ATP) ), which is activated under environmental stress to control mitochondrial ROS production. To do this, PmitoK(ATP) collapses membrane potential (ΔΨ), thus suggesting mitochondrial uncoupling. We tested this point by studying oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in DWM purified from control seedlings and from seedlings subjected both to severe mannitol and NaCl stress. In severely-stressed DWM, the ATP synthesis via OXPHOS, continuously monitored by a spectrophotometric assay, was about 90% inhibited when the PmitoK(ATP) was activated by KCl. Contrarily, in control DWM, although PmitoK(ATP) collapsed ΔΨ, ATP synthesis, as well as coupling [respiratory control (RC) ratio and ratio between phosphorylated ADP and reduced oxygen (ADP/O)] checked by oxygen uptake experiments, were unaffected. We suggest that PmitoK(ATP) may play an important defensive role at the onset of the environmental/oxidative stress by preserving energy in a crucial moment for cell and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Consistently, under moderate mannitol stress, miming an early stress condition, the channel may efficiently control reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (about 35-fold from fully open to closed state) without impairing ATP synthesis. Anyway, if the stress significantly proceeds, the PmitoK(ATP) becomes fully activated by decrease of ATP concentration (25-40%) and increase of activators [free fatty acids (FFAs) and superoxide anion], thus impairing ATP synthesis.


Helium is generally used as coolant in Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR), but a small amount of impurity gas will inevitably be mixed in the primary coolant during construction, operation and maintenance. At high temperature, these impurity gases will corrode with the alloy materials of the intermediate heat exchanger, resulting in the decline of the properties of the superalloy materials. This paper mainly studied the changes of microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 617, a candidate material for high temperature reactor intermediate heat exchanger, after aging for 50 hours in impure helium at 950 °C. The microstructure of the alloy was characterized by weighing, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. After corrosion, Cr oxide layer was formed on the alloy surface, and Al internal oxidation appeared below the oxide layer. The mechanical test results showed that the strength and plasticity of Inconel 617 decreased significantly, which was related to the intergranular oxides and carbides. The fracture morphology of the alloy is mainly brittle fracture.


Among shellable complexes a certain class is shown to have maximal modular homology, and these are the so-called saturated complexes. We show that certain conditions on the links of the complex imply saturation. We prove that Coxeter complexes and buildings are saturated.


The effect of hypoxaemia on the heart at rest was studied using the electrocardiogram (ECG) in 38 patients. The majority had symptoms of cardiac disease and all were scheduled to have an exercise ECG test under standard conditions. Two ECG variables were examined; (i) depression of the ST segment at the point 60 ms after the QRS-ST junction as well as (ii) the slope of the J-60 ms segment. During exercise breathing air, 11 patients showed positive changes of cardiac ischaemia, 5 were equivocal and 22 showed little or no change. When the patients had recovered from the exercise study they breathed a hypoxic mixture to lower their arterial oxygen saturation to 85% for 3 minutes. No changes were seen in the ST segment in any subject. We conclude that a 3-minute period of hypoxaemia at an oxygen saturation of 85% with subjects at rest did not cause ST segment depression in patients with either positive or negative exercise tests.


In this paper, we investigated the influence of a turbulence jet engine exhaust on Laguerre-Gaussian correlated shell-model beams (LGSMBs). The analytical formulae of the cross-spectral density function as well as the beam width are derived based on the Huygens-Fresnel diffraction principle and the second-order moments of the Wigner distribution function, respectively. From our main results, the spectral density, the degree of coherence and beam width of a LGSMB are analyzed numerically. It is found that for high source coherence width, the spectral density changes gradually its profiles from circular to elliptical shape at short propagation distance, then the beam transforms into a well like Gaussian at long propagation distance. Although, at very short propagation distance, the beam becomes an elliptical dark hollow if the source coherence is very lower. Also, the numerical results show that the LGSMB spreads more rapidly than the GSMB in the same conditions.


We study the task of predicting a set of salient questions from a given paragraph without any prior knowledge of the precise answer. We make two main contributions. First, we propose a new method to evaluate a set of predicted questions against the set of references by using the Hungarian algorithm to assign predicted questions to references before scoring the assigned pairs. We show that our proposed evaluation strategy has better theoretical and practical properties compared to prior methods because it can properly account for the coverage of references. Second, we compare different strategies to utilize a pre-trained seq2seq model to generate and select a set of questions related to a given paragraph. The code is available.


underlying chemosensory coding and learning in this moth species (Kvello et al., 2009). Like for all fi ve insect brain atlases, the ALs are included as a single brain compartment without internal structures. Different from the other atlases, the AL of the H. virescens brain atlas includes exclusively the glomerular layer as a single labelled identity, an advantage for registering the AL glomeruli as separate units into the atlas. Numerous studies have been devoted to the neuronal network of the primary olfactory centres, the olfactory bulb in vertebrates and the AL in insects, in trying to elucidate how olfactory information is processed and coded (Laurent et al. Common for the two systems are the input elements of sensory neurons, the output elements of mitral/tufted cells and projection neurons (PNs) respectively, intrinsic local interneurons, as well as centrifugal modulatory neurons. Typical are the numerous glomeruli, spheric-ovoid structures of fi ne neuropils with condensations of synapses forming a neuronal network; in insects between all four elements. Each glomerulus represents a functional unit receiving information from one set of sensory neurons with the same receptor protein type and sending out the processed information to olfactory areas of higher order


Information and communication technology had opened a new era for community to obtain information autonomously. Automatically, screens of information had been eliminated by individual strong initiative who want to know further what had happened around them. Each individual has access for information resource everywhere in this world. As a consequence, community to be critic and respond against whatever is in progress.


Background: Acquired immunity is impaired in hemodialysis (HD) patients, and decreased T-cell number may contribute. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and arginase type I (ARG) catabolize tryptophane and arginine, respectively, and exert proapoptotic and antiproliferative effects on T-cells. Plasma levels of IDO and ARG and their relation to blood T-cell number were evaluated in HD patients. Methods: Thirty-two HD patients and 20 healthy controls participated in the study. Plasma IDO and ARG were measured by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. T-cell number was assessed by means of flow cytometry. Results: IDO concentration was significantly higher in HD patients than in healthy volunteers (44.30 ± 31.83 ng/mL vs. 21.28 ± 26.21 ng/mL, p = 0.009). There was a trend for higher ARG concentration in HD patients (13.43 ± 11.91 ng/mL) than in healthy volunteers (9.56 ± 4.03 ng/mL), which, however, did not reach statistic significance (p = 0.099). Absolute T-cell count was significantly lower in HD patients than in healthy controls (1176.99 ± 567.71 cells/mm3 vs. 1519.85 ± 594.96 cells/mm3, p = 0.040). Absolute blood T-cell number was inversely related to plasma IDO (r = −0.490, p = 0.004) and to plasma ARG (r = −0.387, p = 0.029) concentrations. Conclusions: Plasma IDO and ARG may contribute to decreased blood T-cell count in HD patients.


Myosin VIIa functions in the outer retina, and loss of this function causes human blindness in Usher syndrome type 1B (USH1B). In mice with mutant Myo7a, melanosomes in the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) are distributed abnormally. In this investigation we detected many proteins in RPE cells that could potentially participate in melanosome transport, but of those tested, only myosin VIIa and Rab27a were found to be required for normal distribution. Two other expressed proteins, melanophilin and myosin Va, both of which are required for normal melanosome distribution in melanocytes, were not required in RPE, despite the association of myosin Va with the RPE melanosome fraction. Both myosin VIIa and myosin Va were immunodetected broadly in sections of the RPE, overlapping with a region of apical filamentous actin. Some 70-80% of the myosin VIIa in RPE cells was detected on melanosome membranes by both subcellular fractionation of RPE cells and quantitative immunoelectron microscopy, consistent with a role for myosin VIIa in melanosome motility. Time-lapse microscopy of melanosomes in primary cultures of mouse RPE cells demonstrated that the melanosomes move in a saltatory manner, interrupting slow movements with short bursts of rapid movement (>1 μm/second). In RPE cells from Myo7a-null mice, both the slow and rapid movements still occurred, except that more melanosomes underwent rapid movements, and each movement extended approximately five times longer (and further). Hence, our studies demonstrate the presence of many potential effectors of melanosome motility and localization in the RPE, with a specific requirement for Rab27a and myosin VIIa, which function by transporting and constraining melanosomes within a region of filamentous actin. The presence of two distinct melanosome velocities in both control and Myo7a-null RPE cells suggests the involvement of at least two motors other than myosin VIIa in melanosome motility, most probably, a microtubule motor and myosin Va.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate a potential immunomodulatory effect of the 60-kd heat-shock protein (Hsp60) on experimental spontaneous Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

METHODS
Seven-week-old nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice were immunized with eukaryotic Hsp60 or an Hsp60-derived peptide (amino acid residue [aa] 437-460). At 21 weeks of age, nondiabetic mice were investigated for salivary gland inflammation, exocrine function, and extraglandular disease manifestations. In addition, biomarker profiles comprising 87 analytes in serum and 75 in saliva were analyzed.

RESULTS
In mice immunized with Hsp60 and aa 437-460, SS-related histopathologic features were significantly reduced compared with NOD controls. In addition, 50% of Hsp60-injected mice and 33% of aa 437-460-injected mice retained normal exocrine function. Both treatments induced similar changes in biomarker profiles. Notably, levels of circulating interferon-gamma-inducible 10-kd protein (IP-10) and eotaxin were decreased significantly after treatment. Anti-type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (anti-M3R) IgG1, interleukin-10, and leptin discriminated best between the different treatment groups. Successful prevention of hyposalivation was accompanied by quantitative alterations in 36 biomarkers, of which 19 mediators of inflammation declined to levels comparable with those found in BALB/c mice. Low secreted vascular endothelial growth factor A was the most accurate predictor of successful prevention of hyposalivation. Low salivary granulocyte chemotactic protein 2 was identified as the best predictor of normal secretory function across the strains.

CONCLUSION
Immunization with Hsp60 and its peptide aa 437-460 led to inhibition of SS in NOD mice. Comprehensive analyses revealed specific biomarker signatures capable of predicting treatment group and treatment outcome. Molecules involved in inflammatory chemotaxis, neovascularization, and regulatory pathways caused the differences displayed by the biomarker profiles.


This study was performed to investigate the effect of androgen on the metabolism of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor, in order to clarify the mechanism of the higher levels of serum BPA in men and hyperandrogenemic women compared with normal women. Castrated female rats (OVX) were subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP) (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg) every day for 2 weeks. Serum BPA concentrations in OVX rats showed a TP dose-dependent increase and were significantly higher at 0.1 and 1.0 mg of TP. The enzyme reaction of BPA glucuronidation in the rat liver microsomes showed that the ratio of glucuronide in the OVX rats was significantly reduced in a TP dose-dependent manner. Analysis of the mRNA expression of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B1 (UGT2B1) by real-time quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the relative expression level of UGT2B1 mRNA showed a TP dose-dependent decrease. The results of enzyme analyses demonstrated that the ratio of BPA glucuronidation and the expression level of UGT2B1 mRNA were significantly lower under the hyperandrogenemic conditions. The clearance of BPA may be slowed in a TP dose-dependent manner, resulting in an increase of serum BPA concentration under hyperandrogenemic conditions.


Since its initiation by Connie Smith, the process of Software Performance Engineering (SPE) is becoming a growing concern. The idea is to bring performance evaluation into the software design process. This suitable methodology allows software designers to determine the performance of software during design. Several approaches have been proposed to provide such techniques. Some of them propose to derive from a UML (Unified Modeling Language) model a performance model such as Stochastic Petri Net (SPN) or Stochastic process Algebra (SPA) models. Our work belongs to the same category. We propose to derive from a UML model a Stochastic Automata Network (SAN) in order to obtain performance predictions. Our approach is more flexible due to the SAN modularity and its high resemblance to UML' state-chart diagram.


A politics of exclusion is gaining ground in the global North and South, actively excluding and delegitimizing certain groups. At the same time, in global policy discourse, such as the sustainable development goals, there is an increasing focus on inclusion of the most marginalized and a reduction of inequalities. This article explores the politics and practice of inclusion through grounded examples of intersectional participatory action research (PAR). It uses examples from South Africa and India to consider the added value of taking an intersectional approach to PAR. We trace how intersectionality in practice draws attention to hidden knowledge and experience, challenges discriminatory labels, and requires careful navigation between individual and group processes. We analyse the potential for PAR processes to enable groups to surface and acknowledge inequalities across difference. We propose that, through creative processes and iterative dialogue and reflection, exclusionary attitudes and discourses which undermine people's agency can be challenged, and alternative, inclusive narratives may be constructed. Finally, we argue that this process is relevant to wider political debates.


Street dust samples were collected from Tema Motorway (near Ashiaman overhead) and Tetteh Quarshie interchange in Accra. The samples were segregated into two groups of grain sizes be-tween 100 um - 250 um and the other being less than 100 um. Energy dispersive X-ray flores-cence technique was used to determine their elemental compositions. In all twenty (20) elements were identified: K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Pb. The results show significant concentrations levels of K, Ca, Ti Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Cr in all the samples. Enrichment factors determined for the elements show high enrich-ment of V, Zn, Cu, Zr, Cr, Br and Pb from the sample sites. There was no indication of signifi-cant anthropogenic contribution of manganese (Mn) which gave average enrichment factor val-ues of 0.60 and 0.78 in the road dust at the Tema motorway and Tetteh Quarshie Interchange respectively. Risk assessment of selected heavy metal contaminants from both sites indicate that Pb gave Hazard Index (HI) values of 0.56 and 0.62 which falls below the safe level of one (1). It was also observed that ingestion which gave HI values of 2.1 and 2.3 was the highest risk of ex-posure pathway. Tetteh Quarshie Interchange gave the highest cumulative risk of exposure.


Octadecahedral alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were hydrothermally synthesized in the presence of formamide. These octadecahedral alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles have a threefold axis and are enclosed by twelve dominant {112} facets and six {104} facets. In comparison with the {104} facets, the sterically less hindered {112} facets induced the selective adsorption of formamide more easily, which resulted in the gradual increase in the amount of {112} facets by decreasing the amount of {104} facets with increasing formamide. The coercivity (Hc) of these octadecahedral particles increased successively as the aspect ratio (c/a) increased. The sensing capability of these particles toward H2O2 was investigated, and the response currents of the particles dominated by {112} facets showed a linear relationship with a concentration of H2O2 in the range from 40 mu M to 6.66 mM in different stages. Octadecahedral alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were hydrothermally synthesized in the presence of formamide. These octadecahedral alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles have a threefold axis and are enclosed by twelve dominant {112} facets and six {104} facets. In comparison with the {104} facets, the sterically less hindered {112} facets induced the selective adsorption of formamide more easily, which resulted in the gradual increase in the amount of {112} facets by decreasing the amount of {104} facets with increasing formamide. The coercivity (Hc) of these octadecahedral particles increased successively as the aspect ratio (c/a) increased. The sensing capability of these particles toward H2O2 was investigated, and the response currents of the particles dominated by {112} facets showed a linear relationship with a concentration of H2O2 in the range from 40 mu M to 6.66 mM in different stages.


The effect of early rehabilitation on the outcome of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory failure (ARF) in intensive care units (ICUs) remains unclear. We examined the effect of early rehabilitation on the outcomes of COPD patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) in the ICU. This retrospective, observational, case–control study was conducted in a medical center with a 19-bed ICU. The records of all 105 ICU patients with COPD and ARF who required MV from January to December 2011 were examined. The outcomes (MV duration, rates of successful weaning and survival, lengths of ICU and hospital stays, and medical costs) were recorded and analyzed. During the study period, 35 patients with COPD underwent early rehabilitation in the ICU and 70 demographically and clinically matched patients with similar COPD stage, cause of intubation, type of respiratory failure, and levels of disease severity who had not undergone early rehabilitation in the ICU were selected as comparative controls. Multiple regression analysis showed that early rehabilitation was significantly negatively associated with MV duration. Early rehabilitation for COPD patients in the ICU with ARF shortened the duration of their MV.


Two aspects of a TPP investment chapter would be particularly noteworthy. First, a large number of States would participate in an investment chapter that likely would include joint interpretation mechanisms. Second, one of those States, Australia, likely would not participate in the dispute settlement section of that investment chapter. Those two distinctive features give rise to two corresponding challenges with respect to the proper operation of joint interpretation mechanisms under a TPP investment chapter. First, how to ensure that such a large number of States are able to coordinate effectively when developing joint interpretations. Second, how to ensure the proper operation of TPP joint interpretation mechanisms, given that key provisions concerning such mechanisms would likely be included within the dispute settlement section that one of the TPP negotiating States had declined to join. Given those challenges, this chapter makes two recommendations. First, for the issuance of joint interpretations, a TPP investment chapter should not require participation by senior political representatives of each Party, which would allow coordination to occur primarily at the staff level. Second, assuming that Australia does not join the dispute settlement section of a TPP investment chapter, the TPP negotiating States should express their shared understanding — whether in the text of the treaty or in some other source — with respect to the proper operation of TPP joint interpretation mechanisms. That shared understanding should address the following points: (i) whether, and under what circumstances, Australia can participate in joint interpretations of TPP provisions, (ii) whether joint interpretations are binding on TPP investment chapter tribunals, and (iii) whether investment chapter tribunals have authority to request joint interpretations from the TPP Parties of annex reservations or exceptions. The establishment of an investor-State dispute settlement mechanism within a trade agreement that would reach economies representing nearly 40 percent of global GDP would be a highly significant development for international investment arbitration. The economic significance of a TPP agreement heightens the importance of ensuring the proper operation of a TPP investment chapter. Given a few distinctive aspects of the TPP negotiations, securing effective joint interpretation mechanisms under a TPP investment chapter will present a particular challenge, but one that can be addressed through careful drafting and the clear articulation of shared understandings.


Education is weakly related to employment for some groups of U.S. women. As such, it may be less of a resource for reducing gender inequality than commonly believed. Drawing on ethnographic field notes and in-depth interviews with Arab Americans, we recast the motivations and consequences of female education in terms of cultural schemas and resources and then analyze the processes that underlie the education-employment link in ethnic and religious contexts. Arab American women are a particularly useful case study because they have higher educational attainments but lower employment rates than most other groups of U.S. women. Our findings shed light on this paradox. Arab Americans universally support female education as a resource, not for economic mobility, but to ensure the proper socialization of children, solidarity of the family, and ultimately the maintenance of ethnic and religious identity. Contrary to the widely held assumption that female education will equalize gender power dynamics, our results highlight how and when women's education may reproduce patriarchal gender relations. This is the case in religious and ethnic contexts where women forgo market opportunities to fulfill familial responsibilities, and where parents and children view female education as a collective family resource—a resource to be invested in the home rather than in the market.


A non-dissipative force Fnd acting on a vortex in Fermi superfluids and superconductors is calculated taking into account the spectral flow of fermion zero modes in the vortex core. The spectral-flow effect casts a new light on the problem of mutual friction in superfluids. We demonstrate that, for vortices in an isotropic system, the reactive mutual friction parameter D' (T) is negative in the collisionless regime and it is positive in the hydrodynamic regime. This agrees with 3He-B measurements, which thus give the experimental verification of the spectral-flow effect on the vortex dynamics.


The rate of sweat secretion has been shown to decrease during prolonged exposure to heat (1-3). This phenomenon has practical importance in the etiology of heat stroke, since the evaporation of sweat is the only significant means for dissipating heat when the environmental temperature equals or exceeds the body temperature. It is not known whether this decrease in sweating rate is due to a failure of the sudomotor center or to an exhaustion of the peripheral glandular units. The present, investigation was undertaken in an attempt to answer this question. The' results indicate that the decrease in sweating rate is due primarily to fatigue of the secretory mechanism of the glands. Apparently sweating can continue indefinitely at the same rate only as long as the demand upon the secretory mechanism does not exceed the capacity of the simultaneous restorative processes. Whenever the demand upon the secretory mechanism exceeds restorative capacity the rate of sweating decreases.


The assessment of inflammatory activity in intestinal disease in man can be done using a variety of different techniques, from measurement of conventional noninvasive acute-phase inflammatory markers in plasma (C-reactive protein and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate) to the direct assessment of disease activity by intestinal biopsy. However, most of these techniques have significant limitations when it comes to assessing functional components of the disease that relate to activity and prognosis. Here we briefly review the value of a novel emerging intestinal function test, fecal calprotectin. Single stool assay of neutrophil-specific proteins (calprotectin, lactoferrin) give the same quantitative data on intestinal inflammation as the 4-day fecal excretion of indium-111-labeled white cells. Elevated levels of fecal calprotectin have been demonstrated in patients with NSAID-induced enteropathy and have been used in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Fecal calprotectin is increased in over 95% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and correlates with clinical disease activity. It reliably differentiates between patients with IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). More importantly, at a given fecal calprotectin concentration in patients with quiescent IBD, the test has a specificity and sensitivity in excess of 85% in predicting clinical relapse of disease. This suggests that relapse of IBD is closely related to the degree of intestinal inflammation and suggests that targeted treatment at an asymptomatic stage of the disease may be indicated. (c) 2001 Prous Science. All rights reserved.


Abstract Deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) is a common and widespread type of large slope instability in the Alps. In the Aosta Valley region in NW Italy, DSGSDs occupy at least 13.5% of the regional territory. In this study, regional distribution analyses have been coupled with local detailed geological and geomorphological surveys of individual phenomena to detect the controlling factors, deformation processes and evolution stages of DSGSD. Data and maps from field and remote-sensing investigations have been supported by drill data and geomechanical and hydrogeochemical analyses from project studies for hydroelectric plants and tunnels. Several phenomena related to DSGSD have been studied thoroughly: gravity-induced stresses, tectonic–metamorphic setting, morphostructural relations, glacial and periglacial morphodynamics, recent tectonic evolution, hydrogeological conditions and karst phenomena have been generically indicated as controlling factors. In the studied area three of the controlling factors were crucial in differentiating the form and evolution of DSGSDs: deep dissolution, surface tectonics, and tectonostructural setting. They are presented as possible end members of a classification scheme for DSGSDs.


This paper investigates the antijamming performance of the NR-DCSK system. We consider practical jamming environments including broadband jamming (BBJ), partial-time jamming (PTJ), tone jamming (TJ), and sweep jamming (SWJ). We first analytically derived the bit error rates of the system under the BBJ and the PTJ. Our results show that the system performances under these two jamming environments are enhanced as increases, where is the parameter of the NR-DCSK modulation scheme denoting the number of times a chaotic sample is repeated. In addition, our results demonstrate that, for the PTJ, the optimal value of the jamming factor is close to zero when the jamming power is small; however, it increases and approaches one as the jamming power enlarges. We then investigate the performance of the system under the TJ and the SWJ via Monte-Carlo simulations. Our simulations show that single-tone jamming causes a more significant performance degradation than multitone jamming. Moreover, we point out that the system performance is significantly degraded when the starting frequency of the sweep jammer is close to the carrier frequency of the transmitted signals, the sweep bandwidth is small, and the sweep time is half of the transmitted bit duration.


Emissions of methane (CH4), from cattle rumen fermentation, have a negative impact on the environment and energy balance of animals, increasing global warming and reducing the energy retained, respectively. There is evidence that lovastatin inhibits methanogens growth without affecting other rumen microbial populations. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of increasing levels of lovastatin on in vitro CH4 production and dry matter digestibility (DMD) of kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus). It was used the in vitro gas production technique, incubing kikuyu grass of 45 days old with four levels of lovastatin (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.10 mg/ml). At the end of 24 hours, gas and CH4 productions, DMD and fermentation profile was evaluated. A completely randomized design was used for data analysis, through the PROC MIXED SAS procedure. The highest level of lovastatin significantly reduced (p <0.05) the gas and CH4 productions and the DMD. The fermentation profile showed a tendency not defined in terms of levels evaluated, finding a higher concentration of VFA in the treatment 0.05 mg/ml. Although the lovastatin significantly reduces CH4 production, without affecting the DMD equally, this effect was evidenced with higher level than the reported in the literature. Perhaps the answer is conditioned to use of rumen fluid, contrasting with pure cultures of methanogens used in other studies.


Several factors can work in concert to influence the students' attitudes and behavior towards quantitative aspect of practical chemistry particularly volumetric analysis. This study investigated the influence of students' study habit, physiological and psychological factors on their attitudes and behavior towards the volumetric analysis in practical chemistry. Two hundred and forty randomly selected senior secondary two students from six secondary schools in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State constituted the sample. It was hypothesized that students' study habit variables such as time allocation, reading and note-taking, concentration, anxiety and stress, and teachers' consultation would not significantly influence students' attitudes during volumetric analysis practical exercises. The hypotheses were tested by using chi square at 0.05 levels of significance following the administration of study habit inventory on the subjects. The results indicated that these factors actually influenced the attitudes of the subjects towards volumetric analysis exercises. It was recommended that chemistry teachers need to have proper understanding of these physiological and psychological factors to enable them enhance students' attitudes and performances in practical chemistry.


Background: Cellular immune mechanisms of the resistance to infection by T cruzi as well as the pathogenesis of Chagas disease are still controversial. Aim: To quantify and analyse the peripheral blood immune cells from chagasic and non chagasic patients by flow cytometry. Patients and methods: Peripheral blood samples were taken from 21 individuals seropositive for Chagas disease, under no specific treatment. Control samples from 21 healthy blood donors were also obtained. To quantify immune cells populations by flow cytometry, antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16/56, CD45/14, CD19 and HLA-DR markers were used. Results: The percentage of CD8+ cells was low and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio was high in chagasic patients, compared to their non infected counterparts. No statistically significant differences in the number of CD4+, NK, B, CD4+HLADR+ and CD8+HLADR+ cells, were observed within the two groups. Conclusions: These results show that Chilean chronic chagasic patients have lower percentage of CD8+ cells and higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio than non infected individuals (Rev Med Chile 2002; 130: 363-367


A quantitative survey was performed to understand the annual and diurnal profiles of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, representative waterborne infectious protozoans, in river water which is used for drinking water sources in Japan. To investigate the annual profiles, 84 river water samples were collected at 7 sites in the tributary rivers of the Tone River basin in Japan from June 2008 to February 2010. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected in 59 (70%) and 64 (76%) out of the 84 samples (10 liters each), showing the highest concentration of 344 oocysts/10 L and 144 cysts/10 L, respectively. Annual variation of the concentrations of Cryptosporidium and Giardia was high. The ratio of the maximum concentration to the mean value at each sampling site ranged from 2-8 except for one sampling site in which the frequency of detection was extremely low. To investigate diurnal profiles, 15 river water samples were collected at 3 sites in the tributary rivers of the Tone River on October 9th, 2008. The maximum concentrations of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in some sampling sites were approximately 10-fold higher than the lowest value. The correlation between the anaerobic spore-forming bacteria and these infectious protozoans was stronger than other microbial indicators (total coliforms, Escherichia coli and heterotrophic bacteria).


Renal metabolism of glucose and lactate was studied in ten adult beagle dogs during pentobarbital anesthesia. Six dogs were submitted to hypodynamic shock by means of an intravenous bolus injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin, 0.5 mg/kg over 15 min. Four dogs received only saline solution and served as controls. Sudden cardiac depression, hypotension and moderate renal hypoperfusion were observed in the endotoxin-injected animals. Acidosis and oliguria also occurred during the 5-hour study. Arterial and renal venous glucose concentration increased transiently during the early phase of endotoxin shock. In the control group glucose levels increased slightly by the end of the experiment. Despite marked hyperlactatemia in the endotoxin group, the arteriovenous lactate difference remained almost unchanged. Renal uptake of lactate and output of glucose were not influenced during the moderate renal hypoperfusion caused by endotoxin.


In this paper, we propose a binary-tree structure neural network model suitable for structured clustering. During and after training, the centroids of the clusters in this model always form a binary tree in the input pattern space. This model is used to design tree search vector quantization codebooks for image coding. Simulation results show that the acquired codebook not only produces better-quality images but also achieves a higher compression ratio than conventional tree search vector quantization. When source coding is applied after VQ, the new model performs better than the generalized Lloyd algorithm in terms of distortion, bits per pixel, and encoding complexity for low-detail and medium-detail images. >


An open diversity architecture for a cooperating broadcast wireless network is presented that exploits the strengths of the existing digital broadcast standards. Different diversity techniques for broadcast networks that will minimize the complexity of broadcast systems and improve received SNR of broadcast signals are described. Resulting digital broadcast networks could require fewer transmitter sites and thus be more cost effective with less environmental impact. Transmit diversity is particularly investigated since it obviates the major disadvantage of receive diversity being the difficulty of locating two receive antennas far enough apart in a small mobile device. The schemes examined here are compatible with existing broadcast and cellular telecom standards, and can be incorporated into existing systems without change


A number of different gene selection approaches based on gene expression profiles (GEP) have been developed for tumour classification. A gene selection approach selects the most informative genes from the whole gene space, which is an important process for tumour classification using GEP. This study presents an improved swarm intelligent optimisation algorithm to select genes for maintaining the diversity of the population. The most essential characteristic of the proposed approach is that it can automatically determine the number of the selected genes. On the basis of the gene selection, the authors construct a variety of the tumour classifiers, including the ensemble classifiers. Four gene datasets are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach. The experimental results confirm that the proposed classifiers for tumour classification are indeed effective.


Supercapacitors occupying a region between batteries and dielectric capacitors have been touted as a solution to the mismatch between the fast growth in power required by devices and the inability of batteries to efficiently discharge at high rates. Here, we report the electrochemical characterization of tubes-in-tube carbon nanostructures to investigate their application to supercapacitors. The average specific capacitance has been calculated for the cyclic voltammetric plots at 50 mV/s. The tubes-in-tube multiwalled carbon nanotubes consisting of outer nanotubes with an average outer diameter of 50 nm and inner nanotubes with diameters in the range of 3–10 nm exhibit an average capacitance of 203 F/g and a specific capacitance of 315 F/g at 0.35 V in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4. Pure electrostatic attraction in the double layer and faradic reaction in the pseudocapacitor are responsible for the supercapacitance. The specific surface area of the samples characterized by a nitrogen isotherm at 77 K reveals that the h...


maturing and evolving productively and positively for the good of all concerned. I found myself simply reporting the events as they occurred with, I hope, no value judgment associated with the report. Time, not my letter nor Steinberg's, will be the judge of whether buspirone has addiction potential or not. Today's knowledge will become tomorrow's fact or fiction depending upon the willingness of all involved individuals to be vigilant for adverse consequences. Historically, many drugs have been introduced into the market as cures for certain problems: heroin for morphine addiction, opiates for alcohol addiction, and a series of others. In fact, physicians in the 19th century published a list of 54 different diseases that benefited from morphine injection. These conditions ranged from anemia and angina to tetanus and vomiting during pregnancy. ' These uses were based on the information base of the times. Based on today's knowledge these practices may appear to indicate the incompetence of 19th-century physicians. Yet for a great many of these diseases morphine did work well.' As recently as the 1970s members of the benzodiazepine family were not federally controlled and addiction and habituation potentials were downplayed. However, we continued to report our observations and now we have different feelings backed by an increased knowledge base.' In conclusion, I believe that Steinberg has missed the intent of my communication.


Adiabatic Quantum Computation, while attractive due
to its "hands-off" approach and intrinsic tolerance of noise, has
not been shown to be fully fault-tolerant in a satisfying manner.
The protection of the evolution from noise and decoherence through
the use of an energy penalty, recently proposed as a method to
suppress error in adiabatic algorithms, is also appealing due to
its passiveness. In this thesis, we first introduce the background
on quantum computation, and discuss existing efforts towards
fault-tolerant computation, specifically in the adiabatic model.
Subsequently, we will prove a general result concerning the utility
of energy-gap protection in generic (not necessarily adiabatic)
quantum evolution in open system, and provides analytic bounds on
the necessary energy penalty magnitude to achieve good protection.
Evidence from numerical simulation is also given to demonstrate the
practical usefulness of energy-gap protection for fault-tolerant
quantum computation in open systems.


Introduction: A significant cervico-thoracic spondylolisthesis with bilateral facet joint dislocation is very unstable and can lead to devastating consequences if not diagnosed early. Symptomatic spondylolisthesis is frequently missed at Emergency Department (ED) due to various reasons. Besides inadequate radiographs, lack of cooperation by patients who are under alcohol intoxication is also one of the causative factors resulting in missed diagnosis of cervical spine fracture during the clinical assessment.
Case Presentation: Forty three year old man, a chronic alcoholic presented to our emergency department with a missed diagnosis of C7-T1 anterolisthesis with bilateral facet joint dislocation. He had a fall from a height and sustained neck pain. Patient had multiple visits to our ED for the same complaint and was noted intoxicated with alcohol during both his visits. The radiograph images of the cervical spine did not include the vertebral spine below C6 in lateral view. It was interpreted as negative for fracture or dislocation, therefore the patient was discharged with analgesics. Subsequently, the patient developed bilateral lower limb weakness and loss of function of his fingers.
Conclusion: An accurate and detailed history, physical examination and diagnostic imaging are essential for the diagnosis of cervical spine injury in alcohol intoxicated patients. These are not to be missed in order to avoid medico legal issues in the future. This case will not be missed if the fundamental rules of assessing a cervical lateral x-ray are followed.


The deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks at sea provides on-site, distributed sensing of specific events. They can be complementary to existing satellite and airborne radar monitoring, providing continuous and real-time data feed. Of particular interest is chemical spill, such as oil slick. As unexpected occurrences, it is not possible to predict the location, size or weather conditions affecting the region. We present a simulation framework for a large-scale sensor network deployment at sea. Our main objective is to develop communication algorithms for localized maritime monitoring using realistic channel and weather models. The design choices are based on the application scenario description, through a bottom-up approach. Wireless channel and physical layer are fundamental for trustworthiness of results, thus particular focus is given to their model selection. The network architecture is based on a cluster protocol with application-specific decisions. The aim is to provide the best compromise between energy consumption, message delivery and network connectivity under dynamic environments.


The synthesis of phase-pure Co-ZIF-9, an important cobalt-based zeolitic imidazolate framework, could be achieved by modification of the reported synthesis procedure through pH adjustment of the starting synthesis mixture. The phase-pure Co-ZIF-9 material obtained has been characterized by a combination of UV/Vis, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy as well as by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and XRD and possesses a lower overall crystallinity. This can be explained by the addition of the base for the pH adjustment method. On the basis of these findings, a synthesis pathway for the formation of the secondary phase, cobalt formate, is proposed along with its relationship to the flexibility of the coordination environment of cobalt ions. The crystal structures of both phases have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and the resolved structures also reflect the coordination flexibility of the framework cobalt ions.


The presentations and accompanying papers during this session of the Princeton Conference highlight that although we have seen favorable trends in stroke burden in the United States (eg, declining incidence and mortality rates), stroke continues to represent a major challenge to public health. As described by Kim et al,1 stroke will take on increasing importance in the United States because of changing demographics (ie, the graying of America) and globally because of unfavorable trends in vascular risk factors and limited resources to address chronic diseases in developing countries. Although favorable …


We propose a method for generating explainable rule sets from tree-ensemble learners using Answer Set Programming (ASP). To this end, we adopt a decompositional approach where the split structures of the base decision trees are exploited in the construction of rules, which in turn are assessed using pattern mining methods encoded in ASP to extract interesting rules. We show how user-defined constraints and preferences can be represented declaratively in ASP to allow for transparent and flexible rule set generation, and how rules can be used as explanations to help the user better understand the models. Experimental evaluation with real-world datasets and popular tree-ensemble algorithms demonstrates that our approach is applicable to a wide range of classification tasks.


Clinical and immunological studies in 170 patients with senile cataracts carried out before and during the first 7 days after cataract extraction with implantation of intraocular lenses helped define the risk factors for development of an early exudative reaction: patients' age under 60 years, clinical signs of secondary immune deficiency presenting as infection syndrome, increased levels of nonspecific immunity factors with deterioration of the phagocytic component, T-lymphopenia, CD4/CD8 imbalance, and increased levels of interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor in the serum and lacrimal fluid.


In the present work, a thermal modeling is conducted for optimal design of compact heat exchangers in order to minimize cost and entropy generation. In this regard, an e -NTU method is applied for estimation of the heat exchanger pressure drop, as well as effectiveness. Fin pitch, fin height, fin offset length, cold stream flow length, no-flow length, and hot stream flow length are considered as six decision variables. Fast and elitist nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (i.e., nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II) is applied to minimize the entropy generation units and the total annual cost (sum of initial investment and operating and maintenance costs) simultaneously. The results for Pareto-optimal front clearly reveal the conflict between two objective functions, the number of entropy generation units and the total annual cost. It reveals that any geometrical changes, which decrease the number of entropy generation units, lead to an increase in the total annual cost and vice versa. Moreover, for prediction of the optimal design of the plate fin heat exchanger, an equation,for the number of entropy generation units versus the total annual cost is derived for the Pareto curve. In addition, optimization of heat exchangers based on considering exergy destruction revealed that irreversibilities, such as pressure drop and high temperature difference between cold and hot streams, play a key issue in exergy destruction. Thus, more efficient heat exchanger leads to have a heat exchanger with higher total cost rate. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of change in the optimum number of entropy generation units and the total annual cost with change in the decision variables of the plate fin heat exchanger is also performed, and the results are reported.


Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in the control of postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus associated with the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. This study was carried out as a single centre, prospective study with a sample size of 30 patients to evaluate the effectiveness of LLLT following surgical removal of impacted third molars. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 15 each. Group 1(Study /LLLT group) consisted of patients undergoing LLLT and with the use of postoperative analgesics and antibiotics. Group 2 (Control) included patients who were administered postoperative analgesics and antibiotics without the concurrent use of LLLT. The predictor variable was the LLLT application following mandibular third molar impaction surgery. The outcome variables namely pain, swelling, and trismus were evaluated on the day of surgery and 1st, 3rd, and 7th postoperative days (POD).Results:The pain was highest on POD 1 and gradually reduced by POD 7 in the study group when compared to the control group. Swelling showed a steep increase on POD 1 and thereafter a gradual reduction was observed on POD 7, when compared to the control group, the study group showed a significant decrease in swelling. Mouth opening was the lowest on POD1 and gradually increased by POD 7 in the study group than in the control group. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that the application of LLLT to impacted mandibular third molar sockets helps eliminate/or reduce postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus.


Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has shown great potential for use in selective tumor treatment, because the AuNPs can generate destructive heat preferentially upon irradiation. However, PPTT using AuNPs has not been added to practice, owing to insufficient heating methods and tissue temperature measurement techniques, leading to unreliable and inaccurate treatments. Because the photothermal properties of AuNPs vary with laser power, particle optical density, and tissue depth, the accurate prediction of heat generation is indispensable for clinical treatment. In this report, bioprinted 3D complex tissue constructs comprising processed gel obtained from porcine skin and human decellularized adipose tissue are presented for characterization of the photothermal properties of gold nanorods (AuNRs) having an aspect ratio of 3.7 irradiated by a near‐infrared laser. Moreover, an analytical function is suggested for achieving PPTT that can cause thermal damage selectively on early‐stage human breast cancer by regulating the heat generation of the AuNRs in the tissue.


(Bi-2212) thick films were prepared via the screen-printing method and partial melting. We investigate the influence of the melt-solidification process with on microstructural and superconducting properties of Bi-2212 thick films. The vaporization of bismuth from during the melt-solidification suppresses the growth of the impurities such as (Sr, Ca)-Cu-O and Bi-Sr-Ca-O at the film surface. However, the appearance of (Bi-2201) is remarkably unstable to a variation of the maximum temperature. The result of ac susceptibility measurements shows that the melt-solidification with leads to a sample with superior qualities of superconductivity which are characterized as a small scattering of intergranular coupling strength and a high transport property at around liquid-nitrogen temperature.


Recently, N-substituted anilines have been the object of increasing research interest in the field of organic chemistry due to their role as key intermediates for the synthesis of important compounds such as polymers, dyes, drugs, agrochemicals and pharmaceutical products. Among the various methods reported in literature for the formation of C–N bonds to access secondary anilines, the one-pot reductive amination of aldehydes with nitroarenes is the most interesting procedure, because it allows to obtain diverse N-substituted aryl amines by simple reduction of nitro compounds followed by condensation with aldehydes and subsequent reduction of the imine intermediates. These kinds of tandem reactions are generally catalyzed by transition metal-based catalysts, mainly potentially reusable metal nanoparticles. The rapid growth in the last years in the field of metal-based heterogeneous catalysts for the one-pot reductive amination of aldehydes with nitroarenes demands for a review on the state of the art with a special emphasis on the different kinds of metals used as catalysts and their recyclability features.


Objectives: To examine whether area level socioeconomic disadvantage and social capital have different relations with women's and men's self rated health. Methods: The study used data from 15 112 respondents to the 1998 Tasmanian (Australia) healthy communities study (60% response rate) nested within 41 statistical local areas. Gender stratified analyses were conducted of the associations between the index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage (IRSD) and social capital (neighbourhood integration, neighbourhood alienation, neighbourhood safety, political participation, social trust, trust in institutions) and individual level self rated health using multilevel logistic regression analysis before (age only) and after adjustment for individual level confounders (marital status, indigenous status, income, education, occupation, smoking). The study also tested for interactions between gender and area level variables. Results: IRSD was associated with poor self rated health for women (age adjusted p<0.001) and men (age adjusted p<0.001), however, the estimates attenuated when adjusted for individual level variables. Political participation and neighbourhood safety were protective for women's self rated health but not for men's. Interactions between gender and political participation (p = 0.010) and neighbourhood safety (p = 0.023) were significant. Conclusions: These finding suggest that women may benefit more than men from higher levels of area social capital.


In this study, the variation in the charring depth of wood studs inside wood-frame walls (WFWs) in a fire was investigated. First, the time variation in the surface temperature of wood studs inside WFWs was determined based on ISO 834 fire-resistance tests, and the resulting heating conditions were used in subsequent heat exposure tests. Then, wood stud specimens of four different wood species (Chinese fir, Japanese cedar, Southern pine and spruce) were each subjected to a heat exposure test in an electric furnace. The results exhibited no significant correlation between the charring depth of the wood stud specimens and the preheating density. In addition, the test data validated that the equation proposed by Sugahara can be used for predicting the charring depth of wood studs inside WFWs in a fire.


Summary The paper gives a general overview and concerns with a specified set of computer-aided analysis modules for hybrid structures loaded by extreme excitations. All problems are solved by methods of linear, quadratic or nonlinear mathematical optimization, that leads to very effective and economic design solutions. All approaches are derived from general optimization problem that can be easily altered to conform to specific design tasks. Some advantages and possibilities of hybrid structural modeling (single or mixed model-supported) are discussed. The methods will be illustrated by an example structure and optimization schemes.


This study recruited 428 Singaporean children at risk of math learning difficulties (MLD; Mage  = 83.9 months, SDage  = 4.35 months; 41% female). Using a factor mixture model that considered both quantitative and qualitative differences in math ability, two qualitatively different groups were identified: one with generalized difficulties across different math skills and the other with more focal difficulties in arithmetic fluency. Reading, working memory capacity, and numeracy (number line estimation skills and numerical discrimination) uniquely explained group membership. Children within each group differed in the extent of difficulties they exhibited, with numeracy variables differentially contributing to math ability in each group. Findings speak against a dimensional view of MLD and underscore the conceptual limitations of using basic numeracy performance to profile learning difficulties.


Disruption characterization and database development and analysis activities conducted for ITER under the aegis of the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) Topical Group on MHD, Control and Disruption are described. Accomplishments during 2005-2006 include: (1) formation of an International Disruption Database (IDDB) Working Group, (2) implementation of an MDSplus-based IDDB infrastructure for collection and retrieval of disruption-relevant tokamak data, and (3) collection of a "version 1" data set from eight elongated-plasma tokamaks. Analysis of the current quench data provides a new recommendation about the lower bound on the plasma current decay time in ITER. Plans for further expansion of the scope and content of the IDDB have been identified. 1. Motivation and Mechanics Data on the expected characteristics of disruptions and on the nature and magnitude of disruption effects are needed for the design and functional validation of ITER components and systems. The applicable physics bases and samples of the then-available (circa 1996) data are described in Ref. [1], and considerations for extrapolation of that data to the then-current ITER design (R = 8.14 m, I = 21 MA) are given therein. Evolution of the ITER design to the present configuration ( R = 6.2 m, I = 15 MA) [2] and review of disruption-related design issues [3] provide motivation for improvement of the scope and quality of disruption data and for reconsideration of the means for extrapolating present data to ITER and beyond. In 2003, the representatives from the ITER International Team (IT) and the ITPA identified the need for new versions of the databases for plasma current quench rate and halo current magnitude and toroidal symmetry that were developed during the ITER Engineering Design Activities (EDA). This led to a plan to establish a new, ITPA-sanctioned International Disruption Database (IDDB), with a structure and user and public access principles that would parallel those of other existing ITPA databases (e.g., [4,5]). Features envisioned for the IDDB included the use of a modern scalable/expandable client-server based data management system (MDSplus [6]) and configuration of the database structure to allow for traceability of